The lady with the lapdog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The lady with the lapdog - Essay Example This story is about two people, Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar, who were both school dropouts. They both developed a personal relationship through herding sheep together and were attracted to each other. Jack is described as a â€Å"fair enough† man, â€Å"with curly hair and a quick laugh† while Ennis is said to be â€Å"cave-chested† with â€Å"a muscular and strong body† (Brokeback, Web). Both are worried about the societal consequences they will have to face if their secret is revealed. In the words of Joseph Conrad, â€Å"All a man can betray is his conscience†. I agree strongly with this statement and I believe that betrayal is the worst experience that any human being is forced to face. In â€Å"the lady and the lapdog†, Gurov repeatedly betrayed his wife and was unfaithful to her as well as his daughters. Before meeting Anna, he went out with countless other women and always kept it a secret. Gurov and Anna knew that their secret relati onship was unethical and against their cultural norms and traditions. It is illustrated though Anna`s conversation with Gurov in which she says, â€Å"I am a bad, low woman; I despise myself and don't attempt to justify myself. It's not my husband but myself I have deceived. And not only just now; I have been deceiving myself for a long time . . . and now I have become a vulgar, contemptible woman whom any one may despise† (Chekhov, Web). On the other hand, the story of Brokeback Mountain involved two men who were aware of their attraction before their respective marriages. After their reunion, they continued their affair by betraying their families. They spent time together by going to fishing trips which further strengthened their bond. This was an act of extreme disloyalty for their wives and eventually results in Ennis`s divorce. Both their wives would have felt completely betrayed and deceived. In both these texts, the characters were being disloyal with their family mem bers. They felt guilty and instead of confessing, they continued it furtively. In the story of the lady and the lapdog, one can assume that both Gurov and Anna were trying to find reasons to escape their unhappy married lives and find inner peace. Anna had a husband who was a â€Å"flunkey† and she had no idea about his work. She escaped the company of his husband by making excuses. Gurov, on the other hand, â€Å"secretly considered her (his wife) unintelligent, narrow, inelegant, was afraid of her, and did not like to be at home† (Chekhov, Web). It is clear that they both were unhappy with their lives and needed some peace. But the question is whether their families deserved this betrayal? Similarly, both Jack and Ennis were being unfaithful to their wives, Lureen and Alma but more than that, they were betraying themselves. Once Ennis said, â€Å"I’m not no queer,† and Jack replied by saying â€Å"Me neither. A one-shot thing. Nobody’s business but ours†. (Brokeback Mountain, Web). This shows that were aware of their strong passion for each other but they refused to admit that they were â€Å"queers† which depicts their betrayal to themselves. On the contrary, in both these stories, the situations were such that they could not go against their cultural traditions and were unable to follow their heart. â€Å"The course of true love never did run smooth, William Shakespeare, A midsummer Night`s Dream†

Close reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Close reading - Essay Example One really comes across dramatic monologue in passionate love songs as the poem appears to be at the start. By using this dramatic monologue the protagonist seems to be trying to strike a rapport with the listeners. The other thing is that this usage of the dramatic monologue in the poem allows the poet to draw the psychologically complex characters of Prufrock. At the beginning of the poem is placed an epigraph taken from Dante’s Inferno. The poet uses this epigraph to bring in a deeper understanding of the poem through the usage of context and meaning. Dante here represents the converse of what Prufrock has come to be. Unlike Dante, Prufrock repeatedly fails to be a person who has a genuine passion and emotions. In contrast the emotional and mental state of Prufrock is very much like Guido de Montefetltro on his way to the flames. Hence, very much like Guido, Prufrock here comes out as being a very isolated and wasted individual. In the poem TS Eliot has resorted to a rhyme scheme that is irregular, without being utterly random. Though in parts the poem appears to be in free verse, actually speaking the poem happens to be a combination of many types of poetic forms. Besides, in this poem Eliot has also resorted to the use of refrains like,†In the room the women come and go/Talking of Michelangelo (13-14).† This refrain is also accompanied by repeated questions asked and doubts conveyed by Prufrock. Eliot uses this poetic style in the poem to convey the disturbed mental state of a neurotic character who is Prufrock. This fragmented and discontinued poetic style allows the poet to reveal the fact that although Prufrock presents oneself as being aesthetic, actually speaking he is totally non-romantic. The state of Prufrock represents the state of emotional bonds in the modern times. Time and again in the poem Prufrock conveys his dissatisfaction with the environment amidst which he is moving. These