Hope

I applaud Emily Dickinson’s choice of art over “real” life although I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. While I cannot presume to know whether she had doubts about this herself or whether she had other problems that prevented her from living “real” life, I can clearly see that her life inside her mind was very rich. By choosing art, Emily Dickinson has left us with a wealth of succinct poems with very important themes. Particularly stunning is “Much Madness is Divinest Sense. ” In that poem, she perfectly recaps the idea of majority rule.

If one agrees with the majority, one is sane. If not, one is dangerous and wrong. This is such a short and simple poem that covers so many times in our lives and current events. There are so many examples of the majority doing the wrong thing, like slavery. Another important theme is contained in “If You Were Coming in the Fall. ” This poem discusses the difficulty or utter torture of waiting for some uncertain future. One can wait much more easily if there is some kind of certainty or date at the end. “But now, all ignorant of the length

Of time’s uncertain wing, It goads me, like the goblin bee, That will not state its sting. “ (Dickinson) The longer one waits, the more painful it becomes. It stings as Dickinson says. However, Dickinson says that waiting without that certainty is nothing but torture. This theme is universal. And yet, another important theme is contained in “Hope is the Thing with Feathers. ” Dickinson gives herself and everyone else the claim that hope is always present in life. Hope is always with us; it “perches” in our souls.

It never asks anything of the reader just remains in our hearts to keep us warm. “Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me” (Dickinson). Again this is a very profound lesson contained in a brief poem. Who knows what the effect would have been if Dickinson had chosen to have a husband and family or an active social life? The point is that the choice was hers, and she made it. Personally, I relish her choice as I think she gives us so many words to live by. For those who don’t like poetry all that much, she is simple and straightforward and yet, very profound.

President Barack Obama, in his inaugural address, told the American people about the challenges facing the country today are of crisis proportion. Guided by the founding principles with which America was built as a nation, he promised the citizens of America and the world that his government will overcome these problems. He took note that every administration is faced with problems of different gravity and complexity and his will be no different. He offers hope and unity when he saw fear and conflict in the face of Americans.

For Obama, America may be great and powerful, but these alone are not what will give jobs with fair wages, accessible and affordable healthcare and decent retirement through sound social security. Honesty, caution and transparency are demanded of those who hold public office for them to gain the trust of the people in their government. Taking the economy into perspective, he said that the crisis is not because workers are producing less, creativity has stopped, and need for commodities have dropped. Market forces drive the economy, for the best and for the worst.

A strong economy will definitely create wealth. Government must exercise prudent control and ensure that the gains will benefit all. Equitable sharing of wealth and equal opportunities for all is his “re-affirmation of the enduring spirit that all are equal. ” Obama believes that America must change that way it had conducted itself and do away with political philosophies that are not doing the country any good. Instead, Obama thinks that America should work harder, aim higher, be both movers and doers like its forebears whom he said “toiled, endured the lash of the whip, plowed the hard earth.”

He reminded the American people of those who died in defense of precious freedom from “Concord and Gettysburg to Normandy and Khe Sanh. ” He attributes the greatness of America to its people. He said the greatness was something “earned and never given” to its selfless people and to a country that is “bigger than the sum of individual ambitions [and] greater than all the differences of birth, wealth or faction. ” It is upon these qualities that Obama begins the work that is necessary to push the economy forward, once again.

He is bound not only to create jobs but provide the basics to be able to accomplish the first, such as infrastructures, science and technology, health care, alternative fuel sources, education and skills training that all fit the needs of the times. Obama has faith great things can be done if everyone will unite and rally around a common goal. In the pursuit of economic prosperity, Obama’s government also seeks to protect the rights of individuals among which is a guarantee of his safety and security.

Like the founding fathers of America who shed blood to guarantee the freedoms every American now enjoys, Obama makes a solemn vow to every citizen and every nation of the world that America will take the lead when their peace is threatened. He is of the conviction that arms are the last resort in conflicts, however, victory comes with strong alliances and lasting principles. The might and power of the America is not enough to protect it but Obama assures that neither will his country use it indiscriminately.

He will dispense the power judiciously, coming from what the president says is the “justness of cause and force of example which is the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. ” He is looking at Iraq and Afghanistan and the possibilities of peaceful pullout. America will cooperate in keeping the world safe and secured but all threats to peace will be dealt with force. Terrorism will be met with the fiercest resistance. Obama assures that America “will not waiver in defense” of peace and justice “with spirit [that] is stronger and [which] can not be broken” warns that the enemy that “they cannot outlast us and we will defeat you.”

Obama spoke of his new policies of government that reflects the old values of the founding fathers. President Obama will not compromise the safety and ideals of America. It will not be a choice of one over the other or a middle ground of both. Both safety and ideals go together. America separated from Britain in bitter circumstances in the cause of freedom, in the words of the Declaration of Independence they will hold Britain as “they hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war and in peace friends. ” Today Britain remains a loyal ally in its fight against tyranny and injustice.

President Obama calls on “old friends and former foes” to work with America in mutual defense and act against the use of nuclear weapons and destruction of the environment. Obama pledges to once again lead the way in “ushering in a new era of peace. ” He recognizes that America is not just for the Americans but for the whole world. His government will defend America and its interests, as well as those of the world that is parallel to America’s. Obama declares “we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but seize rather gladly.”

Once before, the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence had similarly intended, to “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor. “ President Obama recognizes the strength of multi-racial America today. From its conflict-ridden history, American came to be a strong nation. The president says that “as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself. ” America, therefore, postures itself ahead of the line with the rest of the world – desirous of a future of peace with honor.

America will extend its helping hands not only in times of war and but also in times of peace. He asks both the poor and the wealthy nations to work together on issues like the proper utilization and care for the world’s resources. He notes that it is about time that everyone should drop attitudes of apathy and instead be more conscious in preserving what could be handed down to the generations that will come after the present one. Times have indeed changed and in retrospect American has gone this far and this long. Its 44th president had been sworn in to the highest office of the land.

Nothing can more significant than the fact that America is still free, a legacy of the fallen heroes. Their spirit lives on in the men and women who fight for democracy in distant shores, who help save lives in disaster-stricken communities, who risk lives and limbs to take strangers out of death’s clutches from the 9/11 attacks, and those willing to sacrifice so others may live. From the heroes in war to the heroes in peace, America has not let go of what Obama calls “the gift of freedom. ” They worked hard and gave so much to preserve the gains of freedom and democracy.

What the Constitution declares to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,” President Obama promises to “carry forth the gifts of freedom and deliver it safely to future generations. ” America is faced with new challenges and responsibilities. These are the issues that President Obama places high importance on. These are the realities of the current times that Obama are finding solutions to. From uncertainty, the future will be shaped on how well America will use the time-tested inner resources and strength that have pushed the American on throughout their country’s history.

The Obama government is confronted with economic difficulties, threats to peace and security, effects of environmental neglect, among many other problems. The American patience, honesty, hard work, sense of fairness, courage, inquisitive minds, love of country and unwavering faith in God and fellow Americans, should be made to prevail. These are the cost and rewards of a privileged American citizenship. How much the Americans have developed through the trying years, has made the words “liberty and justice for all” and that “all men are created equal” more meaningful and true.

These truths were made self-evident when Obama who said his father “might not have been served at a local restaurant 60 years ago” became America’s first African-American president. On this same president’s shoulder lies the shaping of the future from uncertainty and hopelessness. President Obama is faced with problems that he has to deal with in order to move the nation forward. He was left with a country which is not completely done with a protracted war in the Middle East. He will decide on the future of Iraq and Afghanistan and the continuing role of America in the War on Terror.

He hopes to end the decades of hatred and hopes to heal the wounds of conflict. As president of the most powerful nation on earth he has choices and he hopes to use the best of them in accordance with the enduring spirit of old such as courage with justice. The economy of America is in shambles. If this can happen to the great and powerful nation like America, what would keep it from happening to the others. Truly the economic crisis has hit a global scale. Unemployment rose when millions have lost their jobs, a consequence of the collapse of many businesses.

Under such circumstances people would barely afford the rest – housing, education, health care, and social security. This would render the weak and feeble-hearted helpless, but not the American who was shaped in the tradition of hard work and honesty. Again, Obama has promised that America will take the lead. He has met with his economic team on Day One. America must likewise respond to the problems posed by environmental degradation and neglect, such as the greenhouse effect or global warming, extreme weather conditions and depletion of the earth’s resources.

He must end the indifference of industrialized nations or those he termed as the “nations that enjoy relative plenty. ” He has recognized the “greed and irresponsibility of some” and this time he must be ready “to make hard choices to propel the nation” forward in the new age. He must employ the old values of “courage and fair play” to meet this challenge of the world in a time of peace. Equality has never been more felt than on the day Barack Obama took his oath of office.

The multitude that showed up in his inauguration was happy that finally there were no more lines that divide. America now has a president who represents the best in the new American. The new American is able to transcend color and creed in a “patchwork heritage” which is the president’s own description of the new America. It is also a conglomeration of cultures from all points of the globe. Getting America to respond as one before it hopes to lead the rest of the world is vital to the agenda Obama has set to accomplish.

Unity, equality and selflessness are the defining characters of the new generation of Americans. With these qualities the enormous task of ushering the new kind of peace and prosperity in America and elsewhere in the world can be achieved. President Obama guarantees that the government will do its duty and calls upon all Americans for their support. He believes that it is the collective “faith and determination” of its people in their government that will make America succeed in meeting all the challenges.

From the time of the founding fathers to the inauguration of its 44th president, America has come a long way, not without sacrifices, not without hard work. President Obama has taken things in perspective and knew that without the guiding spirit of the old values, America would not survive the crisis his presidency was met with. The racial divide which was marked with the long struggle of his kind is no longer a painful issue to deal with, given his election to the highest post of the land.

Peace and security, the economy, the environment, health care, and education are the more pressing problems that demand the government’s immediate attention, and attend to them the president has promised to do. The Obama story and discourse is a welcome development of the American. He had transcended barriers to become what he is today. In his watch, the whole world is still, perhaps in anticipation of new beginnings. For President Obama it is simply a choice of hope over fear, unity over discord.

Succeeding in life, or achieving one’s own goals, seems to be the central theme in everyone’s life as is in Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Dickinson expresses the lessons learned in life throughout her poems. There can be many hardships and obstacles preventing one from their own succession. The prevailing of these obstacles leads to one’s success is life. In the poem “’Hope’ is the thing with feathers…” Dickinson uses a bird metaphorically as hope. The feathers as she tells are the hope in a person.

The feathers create the wing and let the bird fly so in a sense it’s as if hope is lost in one place and can be found in another, as if flying to a new hope. In another sense somebody’s wings, or hopes, can be broken down by life’s hardships which can lead to a sense of hopelessness. Hope perches in the soul which Dickinson uses as the home of the bird, perch, and the soul metaphorically. The bird lives from support of its perch; one’s hope is within one’s soul.

Without the support of the perch the bird’s nest will fall. Without the soul, one loses hope in everything that means something to them. And sings the tune without the words; and never stops-at all”. Dickinson continues to use a bird as a metaphor for hope, but in this stanza she speaks of the bird’s singing. The bird’s song is also used for hope. The bird “never stops-at all” is referring to the song and one’s never ending hope. “And sore must be the storm…” is used to refer to the guilt and pain somebody or something that crushes the hope that others will feel. “I’ve heard it on the chillest land; And on the strangest Sea; yet, never, in extremity; it asked a crumb of me” (Dickinson 9-12).

Rad also We grow accustomed to the darkIn the last stanzas of the poem, Dickinson, refers to hope as being able to be found everywhere, or in the chillest land or on the strangest sea. Hope will be there for you and won’t ask anything from you. There should be hope in everyone who has a soul. This hope that is felt is for the continuance of one’s life because without hope, one does not succeed in what is to be accomplished; life. Success is the goal and key to life. Success can differ from person to person based on what they want to achieve. “Success is counted sweetest; by those who ne’er succeed…” (Dickinson 1-4).

This can also be made as a reference to envy.People want what they do not have. To feel success at its sweetest, “to comprehend a nectar” one must feel the “sorest need” or great hardship either through failure or with obstacles. Overcoming these obstacles will lead to one’s success and to some, success is the sweetest to those who cherish the opportunity. The “Purple Host” who took the enemy flag does not know victory better than the defeated enemies. “As he defeated-dying; on whose forbidden ear; the distant strains …” Dickinson explains in the last stanzas of her poem that the defeated army understands the success of victory better than the victors.

The reasoning behind this is that in order to understand the feeling of succeeding one must feel failure first to truly understand triumph. The victors do not know failure, which in this case is death, which Dickinson states will prevent them from understanding triumph or success. Succeeding in life to some is to become recognized and to be known by the public or achieving fame. “I’m nobody! Who are you,” Dickinson was not known by the public through her lifetime and she dreaded her infamous life. “Don’t tell!They’d banish us-you know” refers to not being accepted by society and being out cast for being different than others.

“How dreary-to be-Somebody; how public-like a frog; to tell your name-the livelong day; to an admiring bog! ” (Dickinson 5-8) is a reference implying that her private secretive life is of her preference. Being secluded is better than being in the mess of things. “How public like a frog to tell your name the livelong day”, so she’d rather not have to worry about keeping a good name if it’s going to be a nuisance to her, “To an admiring bog”, which she refers to as the judging public.The success she wishes to achieve is for her and not for anybody else. Achieving life’s goals should be for one’s own satisfaction.

Emily Dickinson’s poetry can be referenced to many things in life. Succeeding in life, to one’s preference, seems to be the central theme in her poetry. Whether it’s hope in succeeding, failing to learn to succeed, or achieving fame from your success, everyone has goals to achieve. These goals will lead the succession in life.

Abstract

This essay analyses the theme of escape in Laura Hird’s Hope and Other Tales. As well as this, an exploration of narrative tone and style is considered, along with the author’s choice of structure and characterisation. A demonstration of the text’s relevance to 21st Century Scottish Culture is also included, with references to the text itself and outside interviews and reviews from literary critics. The ideological model of literacy[1] (Street, 2000) will underline the analysis of the book, and direct the way in which it is read.

Analysis

Hope and Other Urban Tales focusses mainly on the darker side of the human experience. In Hird’s own words, her work is centred on “nasty stories about dysfunctional people” (Taylor, 2009).[2] With key themes involving escapism; social change, manipulation, depression and sexuality, the book offers a detailed glimpse into 21st Century Scottish culture primarily through each narrators’ introspective qualities. This essay however, will concentrate on the main under-lying theme of escapism in the text, as well as Hird’s syntactical and lexical choices, and what effect they culminate to. The author’s tone and style will be the first literary aspect to be considered, with reference to the ideological model of literacy as proposed by Brian Street in his paper Literacy and Development.

One of the most important literary aspects that achieves Hird’s sense of an empathetic, self-aware and socially observant author is Hope’s narrative tone and style. Since most of the stories are written through first-person perspectives, the narrator is able to connect at a very personal level to the reader as though the happenings of the story are real. Each narrator’s feelings and emotions are captured through their own descriptions of them; allowing the reader to better understand their experiences. We are also subject to a large amount of narratorial interference (which at times, is arguably quite stifling) that serves to remind the reader of what the narrator is feeling at any exact moment. This ties in well to Hird’s stream-of-consciousness style of writing, in which thoughts and actions are described in real time. Present-tense also intensifies this reaction from the reader, as we are lead to know as much or as little as the protagonists do. – (Pg. 1 – 10, Hope’s best example of psychological realism)

Present tense is used in many of the short stories in this collection (Hope, The Happening, Destination Anywhere, and Meat). Hird puts this device in place not only in order to allow the reader to live the events of the story at the same time the characters are; (there by making them more ‘alive’) but to compliment her inter-personal, nonchalant style of writing. For example, in Hope, the narrator explains:

“We seem to become embroiled in this intense conversation as soon as we sit down. There’s none of that ridiculous small talk that Edinburgh people usually use to keep people at a distance till they’ve decided what to dislike about them. Hope appears to have angles on everything that I’d never even contemplated before…” (Hope, Chp. 2, pg.14)[3]

This quote also implies a deep-seeded basis of empathy that is present within the narrator’s tone. It is with lines like “none of that ridiculous small talk…” that shows a wanting for personal connection between the characters and indeed, the rest of the world around him. Past the confines of Hope’s apartment, this speaks volumes about the state of 21st Century Scottish culture.

The previous passage is particularly interesting because of its implications towards contemporary Scottish culture. Here the subtext dictates that ordinary Scottish citizens are closed-off, reserved and un-involved with each other to the point of even disliking one another’s company. Whilst the narrative choice of first-person means that everything in the story is somewhat biased to an extent, the reader can see beyond that; and look into the real-life writer’s feelings about her surroundings. Such a blunt observation coupled with judgement (“what to dislike”) allows the confidence and self-assuredness of the writing to materialise plainly in the reader’s mind. Further to this, it can be said that although Hope is a product of the mid-2000s, it pays noticeable homage to mid-90s Scottish literature. For instance, Hird’s work has been said to be caught in a “Trainspotting hangover” [4] (Briscoe, 2006) – a nod to Scottish author Irvine Welsh. Hird herself has confessed also that she is a great admirer of Ian McEwan, author of Enduring Love[5], where her methodical approach to de-familiarization was born.

The ideological model of literacy dictates that literature should be judged as social practice and not merely “technical and neutral skill”[6] (Street, 2000). It also describes a more culturally sensitive approach towards literacy than its counter – the autonomous model. This effectively directs the way that the book should be read; with more allusion towards a social commentary. Hird wrote this collection as a product of her own inherent knowledge and understanding of the working world. Her state of ‘being’ attaches itself to the stories, the characters and her choice of words throughout the entire book and results in enabling the reader to see her most-inner workings and the effects of the defensive, emotionally stale culture of Scotland in the 21st Century.

Furthermore, the ideological model also commands the way in which the reader reads. Each reader’s conception of themselves and their identity becomes the root of their understanding of the text. Hope and Other Urban Tales then becomes a mix of both the author’s perceptions of being and the reader’s. Allowing the two perspectives to inter-twine as such culminates to a very personal response that elicits an extension of the reader’s set of prior beliefs.

Whilst the 90’s have clearly influenced Hird and her attitudes to her art, the period has not distracted her from contemporary 21st Century culture with reference to the writer’s loyalty to her idols, such as Welsh[7] (Morace, 2001). Hird adheres to the stream-of-consciousness writing style popular in the mid-90s, as well as psychological realism[8] (Cuddon, 1999). This means that Hird’s characters are not content to merely explain the events of a story; they have to explain their motives and thoughts aswell. Interior monologues are therefore a staple technique employed in the collection, as well as narratorial interference, which is consistently present throughout every story involving first-person narration. These modernist techniques result in a slightly fragmented style of story-telling, in which the narrator’s character is arguably the most important aspect of the story, as not only do they tell the story, they act in it as well.

The writer’s attitudes are most notably introduced in the title’s novella, Hope. Here we are subject to Martin’s (the story’s narrator) account of Scottish people, society and culture. Hird’s choice of syntax, her sentence structures and passages of time demonstrate a noticeable disassociation from the novella’s universe; it’s ‘real world’. This disassociation carries well into the collection’s escapist theme; which has been said to be the common link between every character in Hope and Other Urban Tales[9] (Alapi, 2006). Escape is mentioned in almost every story and implies an escape from the morally deprived society of the 21st Century. Whether this ‘escape’ is physical or metaphoric, it denotes the action of leaving a life behind, and it inhabits every story:

In Hope: “I’ve got to get out of here. Go somewhere hot.” (Pg.2)

In The Happening: “Annual leave is precious.” (Pg. 69)

In Reanimation: “We need to get out. If we don’t go out now I’m afraid we’re never going to escape.” (Pg. 97)

In Victims: “Would you leave them for meNever see them again?” (Pg. 166)

In Destination Anywhere: “I’ve found, by experience, that running away is usually the answer. I have been running away since I was a kid.” (Pg. 203)

In Meat: “Atleast it feels like I’m escaping for a little while.” (Pg. 217)

(Most obvious examples)

This escapist attitude stems from an inherent disassociation in every character. They could even be argued to be tragic heroes; who pave the way for their own downfalls through poorly guided actions. If each character maintained their innocence and their naivety, then they would be more comfortable and engaged with the world around them. As Hird clearly demonstrates through her incredibly observant narrations, these characters describe events and other people as if they are, on the most part, static and blind to real understanding (with the exception of Hope’s character in Hope: Pg. 1 – 69). There is therefore a feeling of superiority that parallels this and which results in a cynical, pessimistic writing style that implies dissatisfaction with the novel’s universe. Because the story is based upon the element of realism, this denotes dissatisfaction with the real world as well.

The culture of the time is obviously a closed, harsh and faceless one. One that is controlled by television, rat-race artistic types as symbolically shown in Destination Anywhere by ‘the artist’, who remains nameless throughout, and money (Pg. 182). This theme of escape is symbolised effectively in Meat by a few different aspects. The initial death of the lamb being the most notable (Pg. 223 – 230). What reinforces this theme is how the father reacts to its death: “You know how much these things are worth?”[10] The father thinks only of the saving he will make if he brings the lamb home to be eaten, instead of deliberating on the tragedy to any kind of extent at all. He uses the death of the lamb as an escape from his son’s confession (Pg. 221). Instead of confronting his son about being homosexual, he “pushes [his son] away” (Pg. 222). The narrator’s father does not acknowledge his son whilst he is “clearing up”. These semiotics exhibit the “clearing up” of the relationship between father and son – the “dismantling” of his involvement with the situation. This metaphor leads to a physical symbol of escape: when the boy says in his interior monologue how he’s “not sure where we’re heading” (Pg. 222). The father takes country roads back from the fishing trip and drives through thick fog and darkness on the way. Fog traditionally symbolises foreboding, or the clouding of emotions. In this case, it symbolises the growth of the father’s anger and disappointment at his son because he is not addressing it. Instead he runs in both an emotional and physical sense – adding that he “doesn’t bloody know” why they are going the way they are (Pg. 223). Desperation to escape is therefore effectively symbolised here, as anywhere is better than being alone on that boat with his son. (Pgs. 221 – 230 are discussed here).

To intensify the author’s allusion to characters that wish to escape their respective realities, we are permitted to see how it has affected Hope itself (or herself, as the case is); she does not own a television, and claims she “can’t stand it. The real opium of the masses. I can’t tell you how many good friends I’ve seen wither to death in front of the box. It’s worse than cancer” (Pg. 16). Here the author’s pessimism for the modern age again appears. Not even hope is un-tainted by it. Television is the most practical semiotic of the contemporary age, and here it is regarded as being a kind of poison that is transporting people away from reality. Hope seeks to stop the modern age entering his dwelling so she can remain in her own version of reality – thereby escaping the shared experience of “the masses”. (Pgs. 16 – 18 cover this issue).

Escape is also demonstrated in the story Destination Anywhere, where we witness the result of contemporary TV culture on the youth. In this story, a thirteen-year-old girl appears at first to be genuinely interested in the narrator’s line of work (photography), and is the only one at the gallery party that will pay him any attention. Whilst this seems hopeful, the culture of drinking and drugs is once again introduced into the fabric of the text, and the girl transforms after her initial attempts at persuading the narrator to take photographs of her. Behind the closed doors of the narrator’s apartment, the reader witnesses her manipulative personality that she adopts in order to “become famous”… “proper famous” (Pg. 192). Hird makes this aspect even more disturbing by choosing a young girl to portray it – Thereby saying that the “innocent” young are far past being innocent. (Destination Anywhere begins on Pg. 181 and ends on Pg. 211).

“She doesn’t have a hope in hell. I despise people like her. Jesus, even the youth don’t have any substance left any more. It depresses me.” (Pg. 192)

Here we see how the narrator has developed a strong hatred for contemporary culture of all kinds, especially the new generation. This becomes intensified when he flees his own apartment after the child makes her manipulative intentions clear. He is forced to escape his private space, even, and enter society for a brief period of time. The narrator also details how “the sense that I may have just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life is tempered slightly by the feeling of relief at being away from her.” (Pg. 198). Escape becomes the thing that he desires most, regardless of the cost. Hird’s character comes across as dysfunctional and borderline weak-spirited in this regard, as all he seemingly wishes to do is run away from any situation.

The reader’s expectations of her character are mis-informed, and the archetype is thoroughly mutated and transformed into something devoid of any soul or empathy. Characterisation here is truly impressive as a result, as we are made to share in the narrator’s hatred and frustration of the girl, after feeling like the narrator truly has the upper hand at the party: “Her face brightens as I walk towards her again. It’s almost a shame.” (Pg. 186). The reader wants to like the girl in the first part of the story, as she is a symbol of innocence; a symbol of hope. This is however juxtaposed by her comment “I’ll love you forever…” (Pg. 195). The quote is also important as it demonstrates how the modern age will even sell love and the immaterial in order for media exposure. Nothing is sacred in the new age’s eyes. Hird sees this.

Structurally, the book is fairly one-sided; as if the prose is primarily constructed around “off-the-cuff one-liners”[11] (Taylor, 2009) that have spawned from the writer’s real-life observations. Not only does this make the prose hyper-real, but it adds to the chatty, micro-literate feel of the book aswell. Chapters often begin with very short statements that try to hook in the reader’s attention: “Time passes quickly.” (Pg. 23. Dependant clause). “The other day I killed a wasp.” (Pg. 93). “Ken. Perfect name for the bastard.” (Pg. 79). Hird recognises reader psychology in the sense that she knows shorter flashes of imagery will capture the attention of people quickly; set a scene for them or throw them into the physical action of a plotline. She also uses the same technique to conclude stories or chapters: “I can make myself like anyone.” (Pg. 10). Techniques like this serve to increase the deliverance of the prose, and enable easier-reading of the text.

In conclusion, the main theme of Hope and Other Urban Tales surrounds the more deceptive, malicious personality traits of human beings on the fringes of a society-gone-wrong. Whilst these characters are documented as such, their behaviours culminate to real, balanced individuals with hidden pockets of tenderness underneath their hardened exteriors. The shared feeling of wishing to escape their respective realities is found in all the protagonists in question, yet the ways that these wishes materialise differ substantially as they all possess a realistic duality in their natures. The ideological model of literacy governs this reading of the prose and proves that culture, society and the writer’s own understanding of them has a deep all-around effect on the creation of such psychological texts.

References
Adams, J. (2003). Interview with Laura Hird. Available: http://www.barcelonareview.com/35/e_int_lh.htm. Last accessed 19/08/2013
Alapi, Z. (2006). The New Review. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/hopeandotherurbantales.html. Last accessed 19/08/2013.
Blake, W. (1970). Songs of Innocence and Experience; Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Oxford Paperbacks. ISBN-10: 0192810898. The Lamb, Pg. 1.
Briscoe, J. (2006). Hope Springs Infernal. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/nov/11/featuresreviews.guardianreview21. Last accessed 19/08/2013.
Caesar, M. (1999). Umberto Eco: Philosophy, Semiotics and the Work of Fiction. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 9780745608501. Pg. 55.
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Goodman, K. & Goodman, Y. (1979) Theory and Practice of Early Reading, U.S., Routledge, ISBN-10: 0898590035. Learning to Read is Natural, pg. 137 – 54.
Hird, L. (2009). Interview by Trev Taylor. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/. Last accessed 19/08/2013.
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“l want to become the greatest engineer in the world”, said a 5 year old boy named Phone. That seemed to be a little dream of a child which he would forget soon. However, for 1 1 years since his saying, that boy had been still continuously following his dream. With remarkable ability of science, Phone was admitted to the physics department of HUSH High School for Gifted Students.

In there, he got to know about Nanning Technological university from a senior. Phone was very impressed by the way this university inspired students and its extremely competitive educational environment. His love for .NET started then. Therefore, he challenged himself on the university entrance examination of .NET. Unfortunately, he was rejected. It was the very first big failure and Phone was deeply shocked. He avoided everyone and became more reserved.

However, his passion was greater than anything else. Phone quickly overcame this grief, and started acquiring knowledge, to provide himself another chance in the following year. Len addition to participation in an intense A-level program, he also did not forget to improve his soft skills and social knowledge by spending time on some extra-curricular activities such as movie making, volunteering ND being a technician for some events.

Thanks to his efficient working method, Phone obtained a few amount of achievements like becoming an youth partner, and a film producer of a volunteer group. Those experiences, which made him more optimistic, sociable, responsible became unforgettable memories In his life. At this moment, when you are reading this essay, Phone had succeeded In completion of his changeable and had a great time before becoming a student In his dream university. I believe that as long as he maintains his passion, he can successfully pilot his own life.

What aspect of business excites you most? How do you hope to contribute?

Business is my passion, as it is my long time ambition to become a businessman. I am most interested in the financial aspect of business, as well as the present business triangle of technology, economy, and environmental management. I see these as important aspects that need to be well-balanced. I hope to give my contribution to the field by applying my personal experiences and coming up with effective plans of time management, reduction of costs, formulation of alternative strategies, flexibility, and control. In my view, it is significant to invest in an up-to-date technology and machinery to guarantee profit and gain competitive advantage. However, these advancements undeniably pose environmental threats that can be harmful to humans and to the earth. Therefore, when the time comes that I will be running my own business, I will make sure that my company’s measures and policies cater to both environmental protection and business gains.

My passion and dream of building my own business strengthened as I gained firsthand experience in the field. In the summer of 2005, I worked as an office clerk in Manulife Financial Limited. My task involved data inputting and shadowing managers. This experience instilled in me a basic knowledge on the fundamental system of investment and finance, which truly encouraged me to be involved in financial business in the future.

Moreover, in (______________ Please fill in with the name of your college), my leadership skills and participation were developed. I actively participated in clubs and extracurricular activities that were highly commended by the College. I was one of the youngest leaders in school, involved in the management and administration of clubs.

Furthermore, I widened my horizons as I became an international student. I was recommended by my high school to participate in the Singapore Exchange Program. The experience and cultural exchange with National Junior College, a highly-recognized high school in Singapore, not only broadened my international exposure, but also developed my leadership, communication, and people skills.

With my background in finance and management and my leadership skills, I wish to be admitted to the BSBA program of Kenan-Flagler Business School. I believe I still need much training and knowledge to realize my dream of putting up my own business, and I regard the Kenan-Flagler as my channel towards that dream. I truly have a special interest in understanding the functioning of the business world, thus a degree in Finance would equip me with the fundamental knowledge that is essential in making me a capable business leader in the future. However, nowadays, enterprises are facing more and more challenges; therefore, a solid accounting system and a thorough financial planning are essential for a firm to flourish. Hopefully, in the near future, I can contribute by putting up a company that is progressive, strong, leading, and socially and environmentally responsible, with the excellent training that you will give me and the personal experiences and strategies I have.

As I read the article “Positive Links Hope and Happiness” by Jerry Lopper, my minds starts to wonder. What am I thinking about? I am wondering about the word “Hope. ” I always say this to myself: without hope there would not be life. The article is about the function of hope in happiness, how hope and optimism are related, and how hope can determine academic success. In addition, the article also states that hope can be learned. Psychologist researchers study the role of hope in happiness. The psychologist researchers find out that it is very important and it adds a lot of aspects to people wellbeing.

I agree with the author; many times when I feel sad, it is like my body cannot function. I remember one day, my mom left to go to America. I and my sisters were very sad. Often times, I would wonder if I will ever see her again. I had no hope and that took a toile on my life. First, I started cutting class at school. After, I started getting in a lot of trouble in my neighborhood. If I had had hope, maybe those things would have never happened to me. In the article, Mr. Lopper says hope and optimism are slightly different. Optimism perspective focuses on the positive in life.

On the other hand, hope focuses on specific things in life. Mr. Lopper states that they are co-related with happiness. Mr. Lopper also states that famous motivational writer by the name of Dale Carnegie, identified that “most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. ” I like those words, listening to . I am going to achieve all my goals even if it seems impossible. One of my goals is to be a doctor. Even though at this very moment, it seems impossible; I know I can do it. I am going to have high measures of hope.

In the article it says, people with high measure of hope have the ability to endure twice as much pain than people without hope. The good thing about hope, it can be learned. In a small study done by Ohio state university, the study places participants in a therapy session. They teach the participants skills that they believe are similar to hope. When participants are compared with people that are not in a therapy group, they possess significant measures of self-esteem, life meaning and anxiety. In conclusion, all of life challenges can be overcome if you have hope. I am going to leave this with people; without hope there is no life.