The American Clock Essay -- Literary Analysis, Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller is a social dramatist who reflects his outlook on the US government, in many of his plays. The Great Depression had a lasting influence on him, which he portrays in â€Å"The American Clock†. Because he was so deeply impacted by the Depression and the government’s role in it, Miller mocks the idealism of the American dream in â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and â€Å"A View from the Bridge†. Due to his unjust condemnation as a Communist during the McCarthy Era he accuses the faulty court system as culpable. Miller creates John Proctor in, â€Å"The Crucible† as a victim during the Salem Witch Trials, to represent himself during the Red Scare. In his plays, Miller’s characters deal with injustices in order to express Miller’s view that American law is artificial. Miller exploits law as a common theme in his plays to express his outlook about its corruption. He portrays injustice done to the ‘common man and the confinement of America in â€Å"All My Sons† and â€Å"Death of a Salesman†. Miller reflects his political views in his works, by writing about individualism and his experiences. In many of his works, Arthur Miller expresses contempt for the government, which he holds responsible for his childhood poverty, during the Great Depression, and adult persecutions. The Great Depression had an immense impact on Arthur Miller, which he reflects in â€Å"The American Clock†, among other works. After the stock market crash of 1929, the Miller family’s financial comfort drastically changed. Lannone illustrates their extreme change in lifestyle, â€Å"The Depression struck the family hard†¦the garment business of Miller’s father began to decline†¦the family relocated to a dead-end street in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn, where their once-prosperous life became ... ...rays injustice done to the ‘common man and the confinement of America in â€Å"All My Sons†. In â€Å"All My Sons†, Joe attempts to defend his actions during the war, â€Å"Who worked for nothing in that war? It’s dollars and cents, war and peace†¦ half the goddamn country is gotta go if I go† (Miller 150). Here, Miller portrays his view that society is corrupt. This, he explains, is due to big businesses and the government’s negative influence and failure to aid small businesses, like his father’s during the Great Depression, which failed. Joe says, â€Å"That’s the way they do George. A little man makes a mistake and they hang him up by the thumbs. The big ones become the ambassadors† (Miller 411). The ‘big ones’ represent big businesses and the government, which is evident in Miller’s intentional use of the word ‘ambassador’ to create a governmental connotation.

3 functions of law Essay

What is a law? A law is a rule of conduct, established by government, for society to follow and obey. Laws have been around in civilizations for many, many years. The first know set of laws was written by King Hammurabi. Hammurabi ruled in Babylon, from 1792- 1750 B.C.E. The Code of Hammurabi which is the first written set of laws known to mankind, set the stage for all laws written, even today. You may ask why do we need laws in our society? The meaning, and function of laws in a democratic society is to establish rule of conduct, protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, and to provide protection for society. In society we live with, and interact with others, and we need laws to stop, and to control unavoidable conflicts and problems that occur every day. That is why we need to establish rules of conduct. The Highway Traffic Acts make a minimum driving age, speed limit, mandatory seat belts, these laws control problems because they make the roads safer for all of us and therefore many lives are saved. The Copyright Act also prevents conflicts and problems because it prevents other people from ‘copying’ other peoples or groups work. Therefore there are many less cases that go to court because of the Copyright Act, and that prevents problems. We need laws to protect our rights and freedoms. Laws are needed to protect our most cherished thing, and that is our rights, and our freedom. We need to have our rights and freedom protected by others, because we cannot do it ourselves, that is why we have the RCMP, and the provincial police to protect us. The police guarantee public safety and protection of life. Criminal law also protects our rights and freedoms because they make it illegal for others to do things like assault and harass us. The criminal code protects us the best of all because others know what is wrong, and if they disobey the criminal code, then they will be punished for it. Lastly we need laws to provide protection in society. This means that we need laws to protect ourselves from others who try to take advantage of us. For example there are contract laws, they protect us form storeowners and managers who might try to take advantage of young people, and make them work with no brakes. There are also labor laws, they assure us that we will work  in safe and clean working conditions, and that we make a minimum wage. There are also laws that protect handicap people, and assure them the necessities of life. The meaning and function of law in society is to establish rules if conduct, protect rights and freedoms, and to provide safety for society. The charter of rights and freedoms says, â€Å"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.† What this means is that everyone is free, has rights, and cannot be deprived of that by anyone. The laws are made to protect us, and our rights. Laws are necessary in society so that we can live our lives in peace and happiness.

Essay on A Small, Good Thing, by Raymond Carver - 1956 Words

The short story, A Small, Good Thing by Raymond Carver tells of two American parents dealing with their sons hospitalization and death as the result of a hit-and-run car accident. The insensitive actions of their local baker add to their anger and confusion, yet by the end of the story, leave them with a sense of optimism and strength. With such content, Carver runs the risk of coming across as sentimental; however, this is not the case, and the anguish of the parents and their shock at the situation is expressed with dignity and understatement. It is a story with a broad appeal: the simple prose makes it accessible to a wide audience, while the complex themes and issues make it appealing to the educated reader. Written in Carvers†¦show more content†¦Although the doctors and hospital staff continue to reassure Ann and her husband that their son will be fine - no coma, Dr. Francis had emphasized, no coma, when he saw the alarm in the parents‘ eyes - Scotty still does not wake up, and the situation becomes increasingly serious. At the same time, the parents are tormented by late-night phone calls from the baker - Your Scotty, I got him ready for youÂ…Did you forget him? - whose mysterious messages lead them to believe he is a psychopath, or the hit-and-run driver who put Scotty into a coma. Then, abruptly, Scotty dies - the doctors called it a hidden occlusion and said it was a one-in-a-million circumstance. Numb and shaken, the parents return home - but after another taunting prank call, Ann realizes that it is the baker who has been calling, and confronts him in his store; he is instantly remorseful when he learns of the childs death, and offers Ann and Howard some cinnamon rolls - a small, good thing in a time like this. His empathy helps the parents to deal with Scottys death and to find some small measure of hope for the future. On a deeper level, A Small, Good Thing is concerned with more complex themes and ideas. Central is the idea of communication, and lack of communication. Carver conveys the Weiss family as generally good people. They are a relatively close-knit, function well as a family, and are grateful for what they have -Show MoreRelatedA Small Good Thing By Raymond Carver1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe short story of A Small Good Thing by Raymond Carver describes the story of a family who loses their son due to a hit and run accident. The parents suffer through the loss and have their suspicions about who killed their son because of multiple phone calls from the local baker who made their son’s birthday cake. The ending has an unexpected twist when the baker and the parents realize they can connect with each other. This heart-wrenching story touches on three important themes; these three themesRead MoreA Small, Good Thing By Raymond Carver1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe short story â€Å"A Small, Good Thing† by Raymond Carver illustrates how quickly life can change. Scotty, the son of Howard and Ann Weiss, is struck by a car while walking to school on the morning of his birthday. After passing away a few days later in the hospital, grief-stricken Howard and Ann return home and receive continuous, strange calls from the baker of Scotty’s birthday cake. They confront the baker, who initially came off as cold and emotionless, and develop a mutual respect for each otherRead MoreA Small Good Thing By Raymond Carver And The Birthmark Essay1877 Words   |  8 PagesA Small Birthmark with Vampiric Communion In the stories â€Å"A Small Good Thing† by Raymond Carver and â€Å"The Birthmark† by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are obvious differences between the two tales. While â€Å"A Small Good Thing† has to do with a family dealing with the injury and then loss of their â€Å"The Birthmark† is a scientific quest to remove a birthmark. The analysis of these two stories show both similarities as well as the differences between the main themes of Vampirism, Communion. These two main themesRead MoreRaymond Carver s A Small, Good Thing1816 Words   |  8 PagesIn Raymond Carver’s A Small, Good Thing, we are presented with several good things worth cherishing in this heartbreaking story of a young couple dealing with the tragic death of their only child. The death of the child resulting from a hit-and-run car accident. Carver explains to the reader how undeniably human it is to take our love ones for granted. In the beginning the selfish actions of the baker co ntributed to the couple’s anger and confusion. However, by the end of the story they are leftRead MoreThe Lives and Works of Raymond Carver1692 Words   |  7 PagesWith a unique and brilliant style of writing, Raymond Carver has left a lasting and outstanding impact on the history of short stories. Even though Raymond Carver left a long impact, his life was of the opposite. Like Raymond Carver’s famous award winning stories, his life was short. Raymond Carver was born on May 25th, 1938 in Clatskanie, Oregon, a mill town on the Columbia River. Carver grew up in Yakima, Washington. Carver had three members to his small family, his mother, his father, and brotherRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s The Cathedral 863 Words   |  4 Pages One of the Raymond Carver story where we can find a lot of religion symbols; it is â€Å"Cathedral.† The story develops an ironic situation in which a blind man teaches a sighted man to truly â€Å"see† for the fi rst time. Near the end of the story, Carver has these two characters work together on a drawing of a cathedral, which serves as the symbolic heart of the story. The cathedral represents true sight, the ability to see beyond the surface to the true meaning that lies within. The narrator’s drawingRead MoreAn Analysis Of Cathedral By Raymond Carver1441 Words   |  6 Pages Cathedral Research Paper The short story â€Å"Cathedral†, by Raymond Carver, is a thought provoking piece that focuses on the transition a man goes through to see the world with his soul. The story gives hope that people can change if given the chance to be better people. Over the course of the story, Carver uses both diction and description to explore themes in religion and morality. â€Å"Cathedral† depicts a husband and a wife as they prepare and entertain a friend of the wife. The husband, the narratorRead MoreThemes Of A Small, Good Thing Essay968 Words   |  4 PagesThemes in ‘A Small, Good Thing’ Life consists of persistence and lethargy; patience and tragedy; felicity and suffering; experiences and failures; ups and downs; and accepting the good with the bad and the bad along with the good. These details create ‘slices of life’ moments in our lives. As we read Raymond Carver’s short stories, we see these beautiful moments come to pass. One of the short stories that presented this was ‘A Small, Good Thing’, where Carver demonstrates occurring themes of lonelinessRead MoreCathedral (by Raymond Carver)1131 Words   |  5 PagesCathedral: A Lesson for the Ages Raymond Carver s short story, Cathedral, portrays a story in which many in today s society can relate. We are introduced from the first sentence of the story to a man that seems to be perturbed and agitated. As readers, we are initially unsure to the reasoning s behind the man s discomfort. The man, who seems to be a direct portrayal of Raymond Carver himself, shows his ignorance by stereotyping a blind man by the name of Robert, who has come to stay withRead MoreCathedral By Raymond Carver Analysis1631 Words   |  7 Pages Cathedral is a short story written by American writer and poet Raymond Carver. (2017) The story was first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1981 and appeared in The Americas Best Short Stories in 1982. (2012) In the short story cathedral, the narrator’s wife’s blind friend is coming to visit. The narrator isn’t thrilled about his wife’s blind friend coming to visit nor is he happy that the man is blind. Later in the evening the narrator experiences a life changing realization of the true meaning