Clean Well-Lighted Place Essays (916 words) - A Clean,

Clean Well-Lighted Place In "A Clean Well-Lighted Place", Earnest Hemingway focuses on the pain of old age suffered by a man that we meet in a caf late one night. Through the use of dialogue, Hemingway creates three characters that symbolize the stages of life: birth, living, and death. Additionally, the tone of the story is created in three ways. First, he contrasts light and dark to show the difference between the difference between this man and the young people around him. Secondly, he uses the old man's deafness as an image of his separation from the rest of the world. Lastly, Hemingway uses the image of "nada" or nothing. Hemingway's tone and choice of language leaves the reader feeling that they too cannot escape from the doldrums of the "dead" years of their own life. Through the language of dialogue, three characters emerge creating a symbolic illustration of the progression of life. The young waiter states, " I have confidence, I am all confidence"(258). He displays his eagerness to conquer the world. When we are young, we live for today, for ourselves, without regard for what the future may hold. Tomorrow is a dream; tomorrow is something left to the old. However, in all his confidence he lacks patience and understanding, which can only come with the experience of life. Because of this lack of experience, he is not capable of compassion for the old man "You have youth confidence and a job" the older waiter replies (258). The older waiter symbolizes the "living" stage of life. He is filled with despair, but not yet completely devoid of hope. He is uncertain of what the rest of his life may bring, but a modicum of hope still exists. The old waiter has the omniscient view of the three progressions of life. He has lived beyond his "birth" stage, is teetering in the "living" stage, and through the unfolding life of the old man, is painfully aware of the future. Is it fear of growing old, the loneliness, or despair, which delivers the old waiter into his dark, unclean world of nothing? His mockery of the "Our Father" is the cumulative answer to the question. He has lost his own meaning of life. When hope has waned, despair overwhelms and we see the transition from the living to the time of dying. The old man has journeyed through all the progressions of life. The old man's death wish is further played out through the metaphor of insomnia, an ailment that he apparently shares with the older waiter. Along with the development of three characters, Hemingway creates the overall tone of the story by first contrasting between light and dark. The most obvious image is the caf, " A Clean, Well-Lighted Place". It is a refuge from the darkness of the night outside. Darkness is a symbol of fear and loneliness. The light symbolizes comfort and the company of others. There is hopelessness in the dark, while the light calms the nerves. Unfortunately for the old man, the light is an artificial one, and its peace is both temporary and incomplete. "... the tables were empty except where the old man sat in the shadow of the leaves of the tree that moved slightly in the wind"(256). Possibly, the old man hides in the shadows of the leaves because he recognizes the shortcomings of his refuge. Perhaps he is drawn to the shadows so that the darkness of his own age will not be so visible. Unlike the young waiter who is not frighten by the darkness because of his companion that waits for him in the dark, the old man has lost his wife. Even his ears bring him a sort of darkness as they hold out the sounds of the world. The old man's deafness is also a powerful image that contributes to the tone of the story. " ...the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he could feel the difference"(256). Deafness ostracizes the old man form the rest of the world. In the day, everything must be a reminder to him of his disconnection from the world. In the caf so late at night he is not missing much. One might even conjecture that the old man chooses to be deaf rather than face the nastiness and disrespect spoken by his juniors. Lastly, Hemingway uses the image of "Nothing." The old waiter, who sometimes acts as the voice of the old man's soul,

Diluting Traditions Essays

Diluting Traditions Essays Diluting Traditions Essay Diluting Traditions Essay Diluting Traditions: Adapting to America Culture in the Stories of Julia Alvarez and Jose Burciaga [pic] [pic] Julia Alvarez Jose Antonio Burciaga March 27, 1950 to present 1940 1996 Pedro Aguayo Research paper May 26, 2010 Diluting Traditions: Adapting to America Culture in the Stories of Julia Alvarez and Jose Burciaga In â€Å"Hold the Mayonnaise† by Julia Alvarez and â€Å"I Remember Masa† by Jose Burciaga, the authors recreate the theme of Hispanic food and its influence in North American habits and customs. They reflect the relation between cultures based on the integration of two different identities. Mexican-American and Dominican-American traditions are exposed, creating a dual vision of life in North America. In â€Å"Hold the Mayonnaise,† Julia Alvarez describes her experience as Hispanic stepmother with two American stepdaughters. The use of mayonnaise as a symbol for the American food culture help to teach the blending of the society. Alvarez illustrates the experience of her mother and the existence of circumstances changing her path in North America. The Mayonnaise begin a lace of connection with the stepdaughters. Julia Alvarez adapts her Hispanic traditions to find new Hispanic-American custom. â€Å"All I could think of was that she would make me eat mayonnaise, a food I identified with the United States and which I detested. Mami understood, of course, that I wasn’t used to that kind of food† (Alvarez,1992). â€Å"Even a madrastra, accustomed to our rice and beans and tostones and pollo frito, would understand. But an American stepmother would think it was normal to put mayonnaise on food† (Alvarez,1992). Priscila Campello states â€Å"Now the voice and vision are not more of the daughter of exile, the girl who tries to assimilate and fit into North American culture, the unprotected girl who wants to be accepted in both social universes. Nothing more symbolic than mayonnaise, essential component of any fast food sandwiches, where the first contact begun with this other generation, the generation of devouring sandwiches filled with mayonnaise and other types of junk food, is here when Alvarez begins to develop her new Latin-North American identity† (Campello, 2008) . In â€Å"I Remember Masa†, Jose Burciaga describes his experience as American Hispanic using the tortilla as a trail to explain the importance of cultural habits and the integration between the American and Hispanic society. Burciaga demonstrates making of tortillas as part of the daily routine of Mexican-American natives. His own kids make ways to combine their tortillas with jelly and peanut butter. Burciaga text, displayed the double Mexican-North American interaction of cultures through the food. The best tortillas are handmade, the preparation require several hours of tender slaps that give a tortilla character. Although machines are faster, they can never adequately replace generation to generation experience† (Burciaga, 1988). Cheryl Glenn comments â€Å"The sensory details that infuse Burciaga’s definition of tortilla make his definition entertaining and memorable. Because description makes such of details, it serves to define what is being described in p articular ways† (Glenn, 2009). In conclusion I agree with the use of food to bridge the gap between cultures . I use Peruvian dish ‘Papa a la Huancaina’ during our fiestas, this delicatessen made with combination of potato and special spicy cheese mixed with milk and exotic herbs, help me to build links of friendships with Hispanics and Americans. I realize Hispanics and Americans in this world of globalization create paths of communication through food. References Alvarez, J. (1992) â€Å"Hold the Mayonnaise. Clouse, B. F. (Ed). (2010). The Student Writer: New York, New York : McGraw-Hill. Burciaga, J. A. (1981) â€Å"I Remember Masa. † Clouse, B. F. (Ed). (2010). The Student Writer: New York, New York : McGraw-Hill. Campello, P. (2008, April). â€Å"The Exile and Return of the Immigrant. † Retrieved May 25, 2010 from bibliotecadigital. ufmg. br/ Glenn, C. (2009, September) â€Å"The Harbrace Guide to Writing. † Retrieved May 26, 2010 from books. google. com/books/

Relapse Prevention the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors Term Paper

Relapse Prevention the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors - Term Paper Example In most cases, such individuals attempt to quit completely or try to modify such addictive behaviors such as by reducing their alcohol intake or smoking (Fisher and Harrison 2). A majority of individuals who make attempts in most cases become successful in changing such behaviors. However, among those who make attempts by seeking medical attention to change addictive behaviors, about 60 to 80% is seen to return to the same behavior after some time (Jonson 765). This is what is termed as relapse. Despite all the challenges that an individual faces in an attempt to move away from addictive behavior, it is necessary that such individuals be helped to cope with the challenge. Johnson (766) argues that the ultimate goal of relapse prevention and recycling success entails helping such individuals stop drug abuse or help them become more successful as they learn from experience. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on relapse prevention and substance abuse. Johnson (769) notes that interventions designed for relapse prevention have been made under the clinical application of Marlatt and Gordon’s model. The model came about after the advent of a focus on maintenance and relapse prevention. Under this model, interventions are designed so as to enhance the maintenance of behavior change and to ensure that there are self-management and skills for withstanding the challenges posed by relapses (Fisher and Harrison 12). Johnson notes that relapse prevention goals are twofold: preventing initial relapse and management of relapse to abate a complete relapse in case it fails to occur. Nevertheless, treatment goals based on the reduction of harm and reduction of substance use have also been tried. The effectiveness of relapse prevention models have been reviewed with regard to different substances and then matched with numerous intervention alternatives.