The Real White Mans Burden Irony and Symbolism

The Real White Mans Burden Irony and Symbolism I aim to evaluate the use of irony and symbol in the poems The White Mans Burden and the Real White Mans Burden to see how effective both writers were in using these elements to convey meanings. In the case of Kipling, I will consider two points of views. The first point of view is that Kipling was an imperialist who supports the take over of other governments to show superiority. The second point of view is that Kipling was an imperialist who supports the take over of other governments as an act of humanity to bring civilization to the uncivilized and, that he warns of the perils of showing superiority as oppose to bringing true liberation. In the case of Crosby, since he presents a single view point, I will evaluate his effectiveness of using irony and symbolism in parodying the work of Kipling. Effectively used, irony and symbol could convey a message with more than one meaning as demonstrated in Rudyard Kiplings poem The White Mans Burden or, they could convey a single message de monstrated in Ernest H. Crosbys poem The Real White Mans Burden. In the final analysis, I submit that the effective use of the elements of poetry, in this case, irony and symbol, are vital to the correct interpretation and understanding of the meaning of both poems. In order to establish a well-rounded understanding of the basis for the two interpretations of Kiplings work and the single interpretation of the work of Crosby, I submit definitions for the terms imperialism, irony, and symbol. These definitions will also serve to show whether or not there was effectiveness in the use of the elements of poetry, in both poems. As defined by Dictionary.Com: Imperialism is the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies. Irony is the discrepancy between what is said, done, expected or intended, and what is meant, what happens, and what others understand. Satirical irony is the exposure of the vices or follies of an individual, a group, an institution, an idea, a society, usually with a view to correct the folly. Symbol is anything that stands for something else. (Dictionary.Com) Having establishing the definitions, I will now analyze the use of irony and symbols in Ruyard Kiplings poem. While Kipling uses both irony and symbols, his use of irony is greater. Kiplings expertly uses irony to bring about the intended end result of two opposing perspectives as to whether imperialism is for human good or elitist gain. In the first view point, Kipling uses the poem The White Mans Burden to encourage America to take over the Phillipines imperialistically or, for elitist gain. Kipling writes: Take up the White mans burden / Send forth the best ye breed / Go bind your sons in exile / To serve your captives need; (1-4) The first observation of the poem is Kiplings decision to call the poem The White Mans Burden. Undoubtedly, the use of the phrase White Man is the lightening rod that sparks the view that Kiplings position was that of an imperialist having at its core the tenets of Social Darwinism. According to Kretchner, the concept of Social Darwinism purports that natural order obligates powerful, civilized nations to appropriate the limited resources of the weak. (Kretchmar) Hence, Kiplings urging of America to assist the Phillipines to reach civilization may be interpreted as him supporting the imperialistic movement. Even further, Kiplings encouragement that the empire should send forth the best ye breed has very strong racial connotations. During that time in history, blacks were not considered as equals to whites in America. The unequal treatment of blacks was so prevalent in Americas economic, political, and social systems that James Weldon Johnson, writes Lift Every Voice and Sing also known as the Black National Anthem, to encourage black people to sing and march until victory is won. This cry for equality continues in 1968, with Martin Luther King still only having a dream of equality. Though, in 2008, Barrack Obama becomes the first black President, there still remains the cry for true equality. In addition to the charges to Take up White Mans burden / Send forth the best ye breed(1-2), Kiplings use of phrases such as To veil the threat of terror / And check the show of pride. (11-12) asserts that the Empire must do what is necessary to eliminate resistance and to subdue insurrections against Imperialism. Not only should the Empire silence the voices of the captives, but she must also limit or remove any signs of pride that they might muster. Further, Kiplings characterizations of the people as On fluttered folk and wild / New caught- sullen peoples, / Half-devil and half-child. (6-8) may be easily construed as connatively condescending. Kipling seems to imply that the empire must be prepared to reinforce her stance By open speech and simple / A hundred times make plain (13-14). Kiplings distinction of the empire seem to be lofty in its tone. By marrying the symbols of the captives as being inferior people to the santimonious responsibility of the Empire to bring civility to the uncivilized, one can conclude that Kipling supports that the Empire is superior and hence has the responsibility to bring civility to the uncivilized. Ironically, the same body of work that interpretively champions the Empire as being superior to the captives, implores the empire to be fair and complete in its liberation of the captives. The second point of view to the work of Kipling in the The White Mans Burden is 4that he advocates for the fair treatment of the captives. Kiplings urging of the empire to liberate the captives and to take care of their needs can be found throughout his poem. According to Bonamy Dobree, while speaking to Canadians in 1907, Kipling said: I have, I confess it now, done my best for about twenty years to make all men of  the sister nations within the Empire interested in each other. Because I know that at heart all our men are pretty much alike, in that they have the same aspirations, and when all is said and done we have only each other to depend upon. (Dobree 80) Kipling demonstrates a view consistent to those who believe that true liberation is not oppressive. For example, he writes: Take up the White Mans burden / The savage wars of peace- / Fill full the mouth of Famine / And bid the sickness cease; (17-20) Further, Kipling warns the Empire that all of its actions or inactions, all that it say or not say will help to determine how the captives view the Empire and its God. Here is what Kipling says: By all ye cry or whisper, / By all ye leave or do, / The silent, sullen peoples / Shall weigh your gods and you. (45-48) In addition to how the captives view the Empire and its God, Kipling writes that other countries and future generations will also look at the treatment of the captives and judge the Empire. Kipling goes on to tell the empire not to celebrate its victory or relish in the praise, since these acts are childish, but that the Empire should be more concern with how the work would be judged by the Empires peers for years to come.To encapsulate the view that Kipling wanted the Empire to bring civilization without showing superiority, his closing verse from the poem is submitted. Kipling writes: Take up the White Mans burden / Have done with childish days / The lightly preferred laurel, / The easy, ungrudged praise. / Comes now, to search your manhood / Through all the thankless years / Cold. Edged with dear-bought wisdom, / The judgment of your peers! (49-56) These words clearly indicate that Kipling encourage the Empire to be honorable in its dealings with the Natives. Contrary to the school of thought that Kipling advocates civilization with true liberation, is Crosbys position that the Empire uses blessings as a doorway to go in and take away the true riches of the people and in exchange gives them an oppressive life style. Unlike Kiplings rendering of his poem, The White Mans Burden where he shows his trust for the Empire, Crosby in his parody The Real White Mans Burden, blatantly shows his mistrust of the Empire. Most importantly, though he employs heavy use of irony and symbols to demonstrate his opposing view of the Empire, Crosby does not dillute the single message of his poem. First, Crosbys title of the poem is a clear indicator of his dissent from Kiplings views. He uses the term White Man to solidify the object of his remarks, but, he goes further by using the word Real which ironically implies that there is a masking of the truth. Crosbys title speaks strongly of his judgment against the Empire. Historically, his point of view is drawn from his experiences as a social activist and as a black man living in America at the time of the Spanish American War. According to an essay by Andrew Hebard, Crosbys position on Imperialism mirrors that of Amy Kaplan who says imperialism is as a network of power relations that changes over space and time and is riddled with instability, ambiguity, and disorder, rather than as a monolithic system of domination that the very word empire implies. (Hebard) Next, are observations of the blending of symbol and irony used by Crosby to demonstrate his view of the Empire. Crosby believes that the motive of the Empire is ill-willed. He also believes that their chaiotic sytems bring failure, and the Empire dangle proverbial carrots in exchange for far more valuable gains. Crosbys position is that the eventual outcome of imperialism will be social, economical, and political oppression. At this time, a detailed look at Crosbys use of irony and symbols to depict the social climate that prevailed in America, the climate which he opposed to being introduced to the Natives, is warranted. Crosby asserts: Take up the White Mans burden; / Send forth your sturdy sons, / And load them down with whisky / And Testaments and guns. (1-4) Ironically, these lines subliminally say that the drinking of whiskey mask the truth, since it is widely known that people who consume too much alcohol are not as cognitively aware as they should be and, therefore, not able to think correctly are apt to believe anything told to them. Further, being loaded down with whiskey causes a usually sturdy person to stagger, and even fall. More overtly though, is the fact that Testament represents truth and wholesomeness, and guns represent power and destruction. But, because the minds are altered with alcohol, the masking of the real motive is easily perpetrated. There is a strong possibility that the soldiers will introduce the social ill of alcoholism to the natives, and will also help to spread propoganda about the good of imperialisim thereby causing the natives to become drunk and misinformed. The abililty of the natives to think reasonably correct about their condition will be diminished. To further support his view of social failure and to show that the Empire thinks that the Natives have limited information and can be easily captured if not military, certainly they can be captured through the spread of socially communicable diseases. Crosby writes: Throw in a few diseases / to spread in tropic climes, / For there the healthy niggers / Are quite behind the times. (5-8) Crosby bolsters his position of social oppression by saying: Give them electrocution chairs, / And prisons too, galore, / And if they seem inclined to kick, / Then spill their heathen gore. (21-24) The symbols of electrocution chairs, prisons, and gore ironically speaks of death both physically and mentally. Physically speaking, there is the death of the person whether by electrocution, or the spilling of the blood. Then, there is death of having freedom of space, since prisons limit movement. While subtle, based on Crosbys account, the intention to kill the dreams of the natives, screams from the pages of history. Crosby knows from his experience, that if any form of resistance, whether through word or action, is shown, if any attempt to pursue any dreams, ideologies, or customs that threatens the goals of the Empire is made, that the Empire would by any means necessary, ensure that the pursuit of those dreams was deferred and dry up like A Raisins in the Sun. (Diyanni 1870 ) In addition to social oppression, Crosby purports that the Natives will be opressed economically through hard labor as well as through the Empires system of taxation and debt. The view point of oppresive labor is aptly projected through the use of irony. Crosby claims: And dont forget the factories. / on those benighted shores / They have no cheerful iron mills / Nor eke departmemnt stores / They never work twelve hours a day, / And live in strange content. (9-14) Through his masterful use of irony, Crosby argues that the natives, who did not work as long hours as did the Americans, were very content with what little they thought they had. However, the bigger issue for Crosby appears to be that Empire knew that the natives were actually very successful and wealthy and sought to make them believe that their way of life was inadequate, and to turn them from being owners of the land to laborers in the land so that the Empire may be expanded. (A perfect combination of imperialism and colonialism!) Even more indicative of his stance against economic oppression, Crosby decried the imposing of taxation and debt. He writes: Take up the White Mans burden, / And teach the Phillipines / What interest and taxes are / and what a mortgage means. (17-20) Again, in Crosbys minds eye, there is the irony of a people who are successful in their simple but, independent way of life who being militarily inferior are consequently forced to become failures by their dependence on a monstrous financial system. In a final attempt to show the fallacy of the Empire, Crosby highlights the political climate that the Empire embraces. He pens: They need our labor question, too, / And politics and fraud. / Weve made a pretty mess at home; / Lets make a mess abroad. (25 -28) The irony in these lines humorously evaluate the endeavor of the Empire to fix anothers problem, when it cannot solve its own problems. In a nutshell, Crosby believes that Imperialism is a preposterous veiled attempt to cloak greed in kind deeds by using methods that are disfunctional. In summarizing his single message of the failure and hypocrisy of the Empire, Crosby does three things. First he mocks what the Empire regards as a valiant mission, Next, he shows the unparrarel trade that the Empire wants, and then, he addresses the faà §ade of the scripting of the mission that the Empire prefer to be written in the annals of history. The use of satirical irony and symbols are well armoured vehicles to deliver these points. Crosby declares: Take up the White Mans burden; / to you who thus succeed / In civilizing savage hordes / They owe a debt, indeed; (33 -36) Crosby questions the validity of the mission. He goes on to weigh the exchange between the Empire and the Natives. He adds: Concessions, pensions, salaries, / And priviledge and right, / with outstretched hands you raised to bless / Grab everything in sight. (37 -40). In terms of irony, not only is there a contrast between how much is given verses how much is taken, but, also of what is given verses what is taken. The natives receive a few limited handouts like agreements, benefits, and paychecks and, in exchange the Empire takes ownership of the natives land and naturual resources. Interpretively, Crosby demostrates this transaction as a falling leap by going from owning to owing; which is very much an uneven trade. Finally, he attacks the hypocrisy of using the art of writing to distort the issue and hide the true motive of the Empire. It is necessary to present the catalog of words Crosby uses to expose what he views as being socially, economically, and politically incorrect . Crosby concludes: Take up the White Mans burden, / And if your write in verse, / Flatter your Nations vices, / And strive to make them worse. / Then learn that if with pious words / you ornament each phrase, / In a world of canting hypocrites / This kind of business pays. (41 48) Fittingly, Crosby uses satirical irony to reveal the true motive of the insincere enthusiam that Crosby believes Kipling is showing for the Empires high ideals of pious goodness. Crosby is successful in presenting the single viewpoint of the Empires greed disguised as bringing civility to the uncivilized. In conclusion, the expert use of irony and symbol by both Kipling and Crosby prove to be excellent conveyors of the poets messages. Kiplings use of irony and symbol brillantly delivered two very contradictory positions. He lauds Imperialism by advocating that it is the responsibility of civilized nations to help to bring civilization to underdeveloped nations. He also decries the pride of thinking to be superior and being unfair to people perceived to be less finanically fortunate, not as socially advanced, and not as politically savvy. Like Kipling, Crosby employs irony and symbols to deliver his solo message. Crosbys message is that the Empire is hypocrital in its motive and that the gist of what they really wanted to do was camoflagued by missions to humanity, and described as helping to bring civilization to the uncivilized. Clearly, the poets use of irony and symbol shaped the understanding and interpretation of the poems intended meanings. The use of Irony and Symbol was so wel l executed, there remains no argument as to the value of these elements in both poems.

How is Act 1 scene 3 dramatic for both modern and Jacobean audiences? Essay

This scene comes quite early in the play. It is the first real section of plot in the play. In the previous scenes, we have only really been given the history of the characters and are introduced to the characters. In the first scene, three weird sisters or witches are holding a meeting. They arrange where their next meeting will be held. FIRST WITCH Where the place? SECOND WITCH Upon the Heath. THIRD WITCH There to meet with Macbeth This creates suspense, as we know that Macbeth is an important character as he is the title role, but we do not know why he would want to meet with the witches or why the witches would want to meet with him. This scene makes this scene more dramatic. The fact that the scene opens with the witches suggests that they will be important later on and so when we see them again the audience assumes that something exciting is going to happen. William Shakespeare uses to create drama. This scene has many different interpretations and could be staged in many different ways. In the RSC production of Macbeth (1978), starring Judy Dench and Ian McKellen, this scene is staged with the witches all close together, writhing on the ground. They are dressed from head to toe in black rags and shawls cover their faces. When the shawls are removed, we can see that they are hideous. Their faces frighten the audience, adding to the drama. The third witch is portrayed as the most powerful witch, but also he most hideous. Spit is hurled from her mouth as she talks and she seems to have no control over whether she is dribbling or not. This physically repels Macbeth and the audience and ads to the drama of the scene. Macbeth and Banquo have an air of swaggering bravado, but in an exaggerated way, as if they seek to cover their fear. The fact that we can tell that they are afraid makes us more anxious as we know that they are hardened fighters, with seemingly no fear. This scene is also in semi-darkness, which adds drama as we imagine their surroundings and we cannot really see what is happening. The Edward Hall production of Macbeth (2002), starring Sean Bean and Samantha Bond, shows the witches as beautiful women. They begin the scene with their heads covered by a shawl and are also dressed in black, but they wear beautiful satin dresses. They are positioned at the front of they stage at in the centre and at the two corners so when Macbeth and Banquo arrive on the scene, they are surrounded. This is dramatic as the audience can see that it will be hard for Macbeth and Banquo to escape if the witches attack them. In both of these productions, Macbeth’s soliloquies are said aloud as they are stage productions. This seems dramatic as it feels as if everyone else can almost hear Macbeth’s secrets, ideas, and plans. Although it is obvious that we can hear Macbeth’s thoughts in a way that the characters in the play cannot, there is still a little bit of excitement as to what would happen if his thoughts were overheard. The film version of Macbeth directed by Polanski (date), starring Jon Finch and Francesca Annis, is staged very differently to either of the stage versions. Because it is filmed, not acted Polanski is not restricted by any of the problems of a stage production. This scene is set outside in the Scottish Highlands. This is dramatic as it is more realistic. The witches vary in age and in looks. Two of the witches are very old and ugly, but the third is young and pretty. In contradiction with the RSC production, this witch is silent and does not seem to be able to speak. Shakespeare uses imagery to make this play dramatic. Shakespeare first creates an ominous atmosphere. The witches are involved in cursing a sailor. I’ll drain him dry as hay: Sleep shall neither night nor day Hang upon his penthouse lid; He shall live a man forbid. This shows us how the witches are capable of killing a man. This adds to our fear. This can also symbolise what is in store for Macbeth’s life, which is like a turbulent sea. The sailor is captain of a ship, just as Macbeth will be King and like the captain who lost everything so Macbeth will have his downfall. It shows how Macbeth will weather the storms of life. This prepares the audience for the fact that they will be witnessing unpredictable events, and much confusion adding suspense. They rhyme of the witches’ words and metre add a chant like quality to what the witches say. I’ll drain him dry as hay: a Sleep shall neither night nor day a Hang upon his penthouse lid; b He shall live a man forbid. b Shakespeare gives the witches an unstructured metre, different to the strict iambic pentameter of the other characters, to make them seem different, almost supernatural. This also refers to a traditional belief that witches spells are chanted. Shakespeare also uses alliteration, assonance, and internal rhyme to add drama. Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, And thrice again, to make up nine. The alliteration of thrice and thine and the assonance of the -ine sound add to the supernatural feeling. Shakespeare also gives the witches single syllables meaning each word sounds heavy. This supports the heaviness of what the witches are planning. The witches also stress the number three. They repeat it three times. In our culture the number three, has always held an importance and some kind of magic. When Macbeth and Banquo enter, Macbeth says ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’. This reminds us of the first scene where the witches chanted, ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’. This serves as a reminder that the witches are hidden in wait for Macbeth and Banquo and reminds us that they wish to meet Macbeth, adding suspense. The witches speak in riddles to Macbeth and Banquo. FIRST WITCH Lesser than Macbeth and greater. SECOND WITCH Not so happy and yet much happier. THIRD WITCH Thou shall get kings, though thou be none.

Practical Criticism of the Poem Futility by Wilfred Owen Essay

The poem begins with an order â€Å"move him into the sun†. The persona seems to be desperate to move someone under the sun. The second line talks about the beginning of life when the rays of the sun must have touched the delicate body of the person as a baby. The following words â€Å"field unsown† refers to immaturity, incomplete life or a half grown state. It acts as a metaphor on the cycle of life. The persona continues to speak about the regular behavior of the person. He seemed to have been acquainted with the sun and life as well â€Å"until this morning† The words act as symbols of contrasts. Whereas the morning and the sun act as symbols of life, snow refers to death and gloom. The last two lines of the first stanza refer to sun as an elderly figure. It is significant through the words â€Å"pld sun†. In the second stanza, the persona talks about the strength of sun. While the sun once brought life to the cold barren earth, it appears unacceptable to the persona that the same sun cannot bring life in the lifeless young soldier. The persona directs the reader towards war and its consequences. He tells the reader that the soldier is still warm. He feels helpless to see the wrecked state of a human being who bears no significance after his death. He is sad at his condition. The reference made to the Genesis and the creation of man from the clay can be seen in the fifth line of the second stanza. He complains that was it for this day that the human being grew up having been created by the Lord himself. The poem is an epitaph considering its style of construction. A melancholic and bitter tone is being carried out. a person , most probably a soldier is a young lad lies in battle field in a half dead condition. The themes such as the brutality of life and the pitiable consequences of war can be observed through the lines. In a nutshell the poem appears an intellectual criticism of war and its horrific consequences.

An Assesment of Indomie Noodles Tv Commercials on School...

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study The assessment of Indomie noodles TV commercials among children is diverse and it has attracted or resulted to this research. Television as a means of communication is widely believed to be the most persuasive and effective medium. This is facilitated by the unique features of television which is the combination of sight, sound and motion. These features account for the diverse viewer ship. Robert Reed (2007) defines television according to the federal communications commissions as the synchronous transmission of visual and aural signals. The picture phase is accomplished by sending or rapid succession of electronic impulses which the receiver transforms into scenes and images.†¦show more content†¦It will enable the organizers of the TV commercials to know how children of Ansarudeen Nur/Pry School see Indomie Noodles commercials, and also help them to know if their aims of organizing the commercial are met. Students, the media, researchers, scholars, audience, Indo foods , and the society at large stand to benefit a lot from the finding, of this study. 1.5 Research Questions Nwaorgu (1991), research questions are these questions posed by the researcher, seeking answers to which would lead to the solution of the problem. Research questions have to provide focus and direct attention to the major issues in the study. This study is therefore, guided by the following research questions. ïÆ'Ëœ Do Indomie noodles TV commercials have any impact on children of Ansarudeen Nur/Pry School? ïÆ'Ëœ Do the children of Ansarudeen Nur/Pry School find the programme educating? ïÆ'Ëœ Do children Ansarudeen Nur/Pry School believe what they see on the Indomie TV commercials? ïÆ'Ëœ How often do children of Ansarudeen Nur/Pry School watch Indomie TV commercials? 1.6 Scope/Delimitation of the Study Nwaorgu (1991) said that the scope of study refers to all those aspects of the study the researcher deliberately eliminated off the study due to certain reasons. It has to do with the content areas coverage of the study, not the geographical areas coverage. This researcher set out to make an assessment of Indomie Noodles TV