Friday, March 20, 2020

At the end of Silas Marner, there is a feeling that justice has been done, that the bad have been punished and the good rewarded Essays

At the end of Silas Marner, there is a feeling that justice has been done, that the bad have been punished and the good rewarded Essays At the end of Silas Marner, there is a feeling that justice has been done, that the bad have been punished and the good rewarded Essay At the end of Silas Marner, there is a feeling that justice has been done, that the bad have been punished and the good rewarded Essay Essay Topic: Literature Silas Marner was written by George Eliot and was published in 1861. The novel follows Silas Marner and the Cass family, focusing mainly on Godfrey Cass. The story starts with Silas being framed for a crime he didnt commit by his best friend, William Dane. Marner loses everything and leaves Lantern Yard for Raveloe. He lives alone and finds comfort in his weaving and the vast amount of gold he has made doing so. Godfrey Cass is married and has a child with an opium addict, and nobody but Godfreys brother Dunstan knows of this. Dunstan steals Marners gold and Marner falls into a deep depression. Molly, Godfreys wife, arrives at Raveloe with her child to try and ruin Godfrey. On the way she takes some opium and sits down in the snow to rest. The child wanders off and arrives at Marners house whilst Marner is in one of his trances. Marner wakes up, sees the child, and then goes out and finds the dead body of Molly. Marner decides to keep the child and Godfrey tells nobody that it is actually his. Marner names the child Eppie after his sister and mother. The novel skips to sixteen years in the future and you learn that Godfrey has married Nancy, but they are childless, and that Eppie has grown up happily with Marner. Dunstan is found in the bottom of the stones pits with Marners gold, which is returned to him. Godfrey confesses all to Nancy, who agrees to try and get Marner to give up Eppie. Eppie refuses to leave Marner. Marner and Eppie return to Lantern Yard, to see if Marner was ever cleared of his crimes. When they arrive they find that Lantern Yard has gone and been replaced by a factory. Eppie marries Aaron Winthrop and the couple move in with Marner, whose house has been extended courtesy of Godfrey. By the end of the novel, Marner, who remained good throughout his life was rewarded and ended up happy. Godfrey however lied throughout the novel and abandoned his child and was left childless and without his daughter. This essay will discuss how at the end of Silas Marner justice has been served, and that the bad have been punished and the good rewarded. The first character that demonstrates that justice has been done is Godfrey Cass. He left his wife and child with little money and no support. He didnt tell his family and friends about them, and didnt even tell his second wife, Nancy, until 15 years into the marriage. Godfrey and Nancy had a child but it died as an infant and so Nancy refuses to have another child in fear it will happen again. Nancy also disagrees about them adopting; The adopted child, she was convinced, would never turn out well, and would be a curse to those who had wilfully and rebelliously sought what it was clear that, for some high reason, they were better without. (Chapter 17, Page 157) Nancy believes that they arent supposed to have children, and they would be going against that by adopting, which would cause themselves and the child misfortune. This means that Godfrey is without an heir, and the couple remain childless. When Godfrey finally tells Nancy about his wife, and admits that Eppie is his daughter, she is completely fine with it. She even tells him that she wishes he had told her sooner so that they could have raised her themselves. They both agree that they will ask Eppie to come live with them. But Eppie refuses their offer; I cant leave my father, nor own anybody nearer than him. I couldnt give up the folks Ive been used to. (Chapter 19, Page 169) As Eppie has grown up with and been raised by Marner, she thinks of him as her father, not Godfrey, and therefore doesnt wish to leave Marner. God gave her to me because you turned your back upon her, and He looks upon her as mine. Youve not right to her! (Chapter 19, Page 170) Silas is saying that because Godfrey didnt claim her as soon as he could, things have changed, and Godfrey has lost his chance and right to be Eppies father. Marner is saying that he has more right to Eppie as he has been the one who looked after and raised her and that that makes him more of a father to her than Godfrey. I think that it is a result of his previous actions that Godfrey will never have a child. I think this because he doesnt want anything to do with Eppie in the beginning, and then later on when he finds he does in fact wants her; Eppie doesnt want anything to do with him. Dunstan is another example of how justice has been served in the novel. He blackmails his own brother for money and steals Marners gold. He also gambles and drinks a lot. He ends up dying after falling into the stone pits whilst fleeing from Marners house. When he dies he isnt missed by anyone and nobody bothers looking for him when he is gone for sixteen years he is only found by accident. He doesnt even get the chance to spend the money he has stolen. Dunstan is very self centred and greedy, and would do anything to save his own neck; If the weaver was dead, who had a right to his money? Dunstan thinks that Marner is dead as he left his door open and his supper cooking so late at night. He thinks that Marner has slipped into the stone pits and without any remorse believes that he has as much right as anyone to just take Marners money. He sees this as an opportunity to repay his debt to Godfrey and also get some money for himself at the same time. Dunstan is also very lonely; To be sure, the neighbours said it was no matter what became of Dunsey a spiteful, jeering fellow, who seemed to enjoy his drink the more when other people went dry This is saying that nobody really cares what happens to Dunstan. He doesnt care about anybody but himself, and he enjoys other people suffering, so why should they care about him. When Dunstan is finally found in the stone pits, Godfrey seems more bothered at the fact that Dunstan stole the money and the shame that this will cause him, rather than fact that his brother had died. In the end Dunstan dies a very early and lonely death. I think that this is a result of his actions as he lived a very lonely life and was greedy, and then died alone surrounded by money. To conclude I agree with the statement as Godfrey and Dunstan both got punished for what they did. Godfrey didnt want Eppie in the beginning and then when he did want her, she didnt want him. Dunstan blackmailed his brother and stole and ended up dead.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Native American Inventions

Native American Inventions Native Americans retain a strong influence on American living- and the majority of Native American inventions came long before European settlers arrived on North American land. Just as an example of Native Americans impact, where would the world be without gum, chocolate, syringes, popcorn, and peanuts? Lets take a look at just a few of the many Native American inventions and cultivations. Totem Pole West Coast First Peoples believe that the first totem pole was a gift from Raven. It was named Kalakuyuwish, the pole that holds up the sky. The totem poles were often used as family crests denoting the tribes descent from an animal such as the bear, raven, wolf, salmon, or killer whale. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, there are several different types of totem poles, among them, for example, the memorial, or heraldic, poles, erected when a house changes hands to commemorate the past owner and to identify the present one; grave markers, house posts, which support the roof; portal poles, which have a hole through which a person enters the house; and welcoming poles, placed at the edge of a body of water to identify the owner of the waterfront. Toboggan The word toboggan  is a French mispronunciation of the Chippewa word nobugidaban, which is  a combination of two words meaning â€Å"flat† and â€Å"drag.† The toboggan is an invention of the First Nations Peoples of northeastern Canada, and the sleds were critical tools of survival in the long, harsh, far-north winters. Indian hunters first built toboggans made of bark to carry game over the snow. The Inuit (sometimes called Eskimos) used to make toboggans of whalebone; otherwise, a toboggan is made of strips of hickory, ash, or maple with the front ends curved back. The Cree word for toboggan is utabaan. Tipi and Other Housing Tipis, or tepees, are adaptations of wigwams that were invented by the Great Plains First Peoples, who were constantly migrating. The seven main styles of housing that Native Americans invented include the wickiup, wigwam, longhouse,  tipi,  hogan, dugout, and pueblo. These nomadic Native Americans needed sturdy dwellings that could stand up against the severe prairie winds and yet be dismantled at a moments notice to follow the drifting herds. The Plains Indians used buffalo hides to cover their tepees and as bedding. Kayak The word kayak means hunters boat. This transportation tool was invented by the Inuit Peoples for hunting seals and walruses in the frigid Arctic water and for general use. First used by Inuits, Aleuts, and Yupiks, whalebone or driftwood was used to frame the boat itself, and then seal bladders filled with air were stretched over the frame- and themselves. Whale fat was used to waterproof the boat and skins. Birch Bark Canoe The birch bark canoe was invented by Northeast Woodlands tribes and was their main mode of transportation, allowing them to travel long distances. The boats were made of whatever natural resources were available to the tribes, but mainly consisted of birch trees found in the forests and woodlands of their lands. The word canoe originates from the word kenu meaning dugout. Some of the tribes that built and traveled in birch bark canoes include the Chippewa, Huron, Pennacook, and Abenaki. Lacrosse Lacrosse was invented and spread by the Iroquois and Huron Peoples- Eastern Woodlands Native American tribes living around the St. Lawrence River in New York and Ontario. The Cherokees called the sport the little brother of war because it was considered excellent military training. The Six Tribes of the Iroquois, in what is now southern Ontario and upstate New York, called their version of the game baggataway or tewaraathon. The game had traditional purposes in addition to sport, such as combat, religion, bets, and to keep the Six Nations (or Tribes) of Iroquois together. Moccasins Moccasins- shoes made of deerskin or other soft leather- originated with the Eastern North American tribes. The word moccasin derives from the  Algonquian language  Powhatan  word makasin; however, most Indian tribes have their own native words for them. Chiefly used for running and exploring outdoors, tribes could generally identify each other by the patterns of their moccasins, including the bead work, the quill work, and painted designs.