The Importance of Setting in Jack Londons To Build a Fire and Kate Chopins The Storm Essay Example

The Importance of Setting in Jack Londons To Build a Fire and Kate Chopins The Storm Essay Example The Importance of Setting in Jack Londons To Build a Fire and Kate Chopins The Storm Paper The Importance of Setting in Jack Londons To Build a Fire and Kate Chopins The Storm Paper Essay Topic: To Build a Fire A good writer’s depiction of setting positions the reader right into the story. In To Build a Fire by Jack London, the setting plays a significant role throughout the entire short story. London uses certain techniques to establish the atmosphere of the story. By introducing his readers to the setting, prepares them for a tone that is depressed and  frightening. Isolated by the hostile environment of the Yukon in sub-freeing temperatures, a man falls victim to the unrelenting and unforgiving power of nature, London shows us how the main character of the story is completely unaware of his surroundings. The only world the man is truly accustomed to is his own. Never being exposed to such a harsh climate draws one to conclude that the environment is the determining factor of his survival, as well as his dogs too. Anything that the man and his dog come into contact with creates an anticipation for disaster in the story. In Kate Chopins’ â€Å"The Storm,† the setting in this story creates the perfect environment for an adulterous affair. Chopin not only creates the perfect setting but also uses the setting as a symbol of the affair. The presence of the storm is not merely coincidental. It is the driving force behind the story and the affair. As the storm begins, climaxes and ends so does the affair and the story. From the opening we see that Chopin intends to use the storm to move the story forward. Jack Londons â€Å"To Build A Fire,† takes place on a trail in the Yukon. This setting is vital to the story because nature, the cold and the snow become the main character’s worst enemy. The first two paragraphs are devoted to the storys setting and forthcoming action. It is clear that it is mid-winter in the Arctic during a cold snap, that the man is traveling alone, and that he is about to veer from the established route to his destination (the main trail along the Yukon) to take a seldom used but shorter trail across country. The day is clear, but at this latitude and season the sun remains below the horizon, and thus there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark. The man, however, did not worry about the absence of the sun, since he knows that it will reappear in a few days. But, we realize almost immediately, the man has only a superficial knowledge of the Arctic. As he stands on a bank of the Yukon about to plunge into an almost absolute wilderness, he has little or no understanding either of his immense isolation relative to his surroundings or of the extreme danger posed by the cold snap. But all of this, London comments at the beginning of the third paragraph, The mysterious, far-reaching hair-line trail, the absence of sun from the sky, the tremendous cold, and the strangeness and weirdness of it all, made no impression on the man. Thus, the man also knows, in addition to the fact the sun will reappear, that it is fifty degrees below zero, but he does not know the meaning of this fact, it portends death for anyone who makes himself vulnerable to its ability to kill. Fifty degrees below zero was to him just precisely fifty degrees below zero. That there should be anything more to it than that was a thought that never entered his head.   During hi s journey, the man gets his feet wet as he falls through the ice into the water of a hot spring. Because of the severity of the cold, the man’s life depends upon his ability to adapt to his surroundings. After one, half-successful fire-starting endeavor, and several other pitiful attempts, the hopelessness of the man’s lone struggle against the hostile environment of the Yukon begins to become apparent, and the man at last â€Å"grows calm and decides to meet death with dignity. † Setting is important to this story, without it, the reader would not learn of the common ignorant human behavior when it comes to survival in an indifferent environment. The setting does not regard the man as important and is unconcerned with his suffering and death. Chopin uses setting to not only influence the reader’s senses, but also, to illustrate the actions and feelings of her characters, to thrust the reader into the sense of being in the storm that is baring down on her characters. This story takes place in a small town located in Louisiana, At Friedheimers store, but the most important setting is Calixta and Bobinots home, when Bobinot is not there. The home itself isnt described that much: it has a Small front gallery†¦ dining room, the sitting room, the general utility room, and a bedroom that holds a white, monumental bed and looked dim and mysterious. The story begins with Bobinot and Bibi inside the local store. As they attempt to leave they notice storm clouds approaching the town. Deciding to wait out the storm, they remain inside. Meanwhile, Calixta is at home sewing and unaware of the storm. Soon realizing the storm is approaching, she begins frantically running about the house closing windows and doors and retrieving clothes left on the porch. Setting in this story is the catalyst to the passion that occurs between Alcee and Calixta. The storm occurs just as Alcee rides by. The storm forces Alcee and Calixta into the house. Chopin describes the lovers’ passion within the storm, â€Å"They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms. Even as the storm was intense, as was the lovers’ passion so as the storm begins to tire itself out so do the lovers. The growl of the thunder was distant and passing away. The rain beat softly on the shingles, inviting them to drowsiness and sleep. As the storm ends and the land is renewed, The rain was over and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a place of gems,† so it seems is the characters’ relationships. The setting of this story seems to act as a catalyst for these two individuals to look back at their past together and to relive it. Alcee and Calixta are not only trapped in the house during the storm, they almost seem forced into the bedroom, pushed into each others arms and then onto the bed. The storm almost seems to have more of a presence than the house. The storm is taking place during the important sexualized scene, keeping Alcee and Calixta within the house, and Bobinot and Bibi outside of it. When the storm dissipates, Alcee and Calixta must go their separate ways, seemingly much richer for their encounter. When Bobinot reenters his own home, he has no idea of the torrid encounter that just happened there. The storm serves as a plot device. Had Calixtas husband and son not been caught in a storm, Alcee and she would not have been able to have their torrid affair in Calixtas home (and in her and her husbands bed, no less). Every storm creeps upon us, hits a luminous climax, and then fades away into nothingness. Chopin accurately depicts the way that a storm can happen in a person s life. She uses symbolism to depict the feelings of the relationships, which are as unpredictable as that of this raging storm. The setting in this story creates the perfect environment for an adulterous affair. No matter what type of literature is being read, setting always plays a key element in producing the desired effect. Jack Londons short story To Build A Fire,† and Kate Chopins â€Å"The Storm,† provide excellent examples of this. In Londons’ story, The setting is one of the northernmost most areas of the earth, the Yukon. This setting brings a sense of harsh reality and an idea of how fragile the human body is to the piece. The Storm by Kate Chopin revolves around a setting that is both exciting and enticing. Chopins portrayal of the storms setting reinforces the plots main thematic elements through descriptive imagery that coincides with the characters emotions throughout the story. The characters in this story, Alcee and Calixta, each make their own best of the situation as the storm hits. The storm is described as a violent one, with thrashing winds and blinding rain. The cracking of the thunder is frightening to Calixta, and jump-starts an emotional reunion between her and Alcee. Without these settings, the purpose of the stories in itself are demolished. As well, no events in the stories may have even happened.

Culture and Politics of the country of Mexico

Culture and Politics of the country of Mexico Culture is the way of life of a given people. It entails how people behave and perceive different life issues. It includes aspects like religion, ethnicity, customs, language, beliefs, and food among other aspects that define a people. Culture varies from one place to another depending on the circumstances surrounding a place, for instance, climate and environment and how people perceive things.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Culture and Politics of the country of Mexico specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Politics on the other hand entails the process by which a group of individuals come together and make collective decisions. It could also be seen as a way through which state or governmental affairs are run. This piece of work will give an in depth discussion of the culture and politics of Mexico. Mexico has an interesting culture. Just like any other aspect, culture in Mexico has undergone a lot of changes especial ly as from the 20th century. People’s lifestyle, particularly those in the cities, has become similar to that experienced in Europe and the United States of America. In regard to language, Spanish is widely used in Mexico. However, there are a total of 62 indigenous languages that have been recognized by the Mexico government as national languages. Another cultural aspect in Mexico is art. Mexico is a country that is known for its folk art. The art has its origin from indigenous and Spanish crafts. There is a lot of pottery and garments embroidery. Pre Columbian architecture is widely spread in the country. In Mexico, religion is left open and there is no one religion that is made official. However, Catholicism has the largest membership, approximately 83%. Protestantism has 9% followers of the total population including Jehovah’s Witness and Seventh-day Adventist. Buddhism, Islam and Judaism are also proclaimed in Mexico although to a small extent. The ethnic groups include the Mestizos and about 52 indigenous ethnic groups (Joseph and Henderson 47). In regard to politics, Mexico government is a federal republic, led by President Felipe Calderà ³n who was elected in the year 2006. The government is founded on a congressional political system and thus the President has got a lot of powers and heads the state, the government as well as well as a multi-party structure. The federal government is deemed to represent the United Mexican States. It is divided into three branches; the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The government follows the political constitution of the United Mexican States, of 1817 (Wasserman 99).Advertising Looking for report on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are about seven political parties in Mexico the main ones being the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the National Action Party, and the Party of the Democratic Revolut ion. All political parties are required to promote democracy in the country and to act as a medium through which the citizens can participate in public office affairs. Every individual who has reached 18years has a right to vote. In Mexico, there are usually different levels of elections, that is, the presidential elections, the congressional elections, and the State elections. There have been considerable changes in the Mexican politics all aimed at making the country better. However, there exist some political disputes due to varying views by different agencies. This has affected the country’s economy. For this reason, there ought to be a positive move taken by the President, the politicians and the political parties irrespective of the compromise that each unit ought to make for the best of the majority (Starr and Council on Foreign Relations 25). A map showing Mexico Culture and Politics (including the Government, Economy and Population) Source: https://www.factmonster.c om/atlas/north-america/mexico Joseph, Michael Gilbert, and Henderson Timothy. The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2002. Print. Starr, Pamela, and Council on Foreign Relations. Challenges for a Post election Mexico: Issues for U.S. Policy. New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 2006. Print.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Culture and Politics of the country of Mexico specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wasserman, Mark. Everyday Life and Politics in Nineteenth Century Mexico: Men, Women, and War. Albuquerque, New Mexico: UNM Press, 2000. Print.