Symbols in As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 948 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/08/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: As I Lay Dying Essay Did you like this example? Can something as simple as symbols and imagery create an outstanding novel? William Faulkners novel As I Lay Dying is a story of a family on their forty mile journey to bury Addie, a mother and wife. Their journey is a tragic and long. In William Faulkners novel As I Lay Dying, Faulkner uses symbols and imagery to fully define the characters and themes. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Symbols in As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner" essay for you Create order Throughout the novel, Cash, mentions his tools repeatedly and shows readers how important they are to him. He has returned to the trestles, stooped again in the lanterns feeble glare as he gathers up his tools and wipes them on a cloth carefully and puts them into the box with its leather sling to go over the shoulder. Then he takes up box, lantern and raincoat and returns to the house (Faulkner 80). Cashs tools serve as a symbol of his personality. Cash tends to want to fix things, or make things right. He uses his tools to make his mothers coffin in her honor because he believes in love and family. Using his tools to build something, or taking his time to do something for someone is a big commitment to Cash. He sees his tools as something very special to him. Cash is a man of action; when they cross the river, Cash is set on saving his tools; Even his family members try to save the tools because they know how important they are to Cash. In this novel, Vardaman catches a fish for dinner and it serves him a major symbol to understand the meaning of death. It was not here. I was there, looking. I saw. I thought it was her, but it was not. It was not my mother..It was not here because it was laying right yonder in the dirt. And now its all chopped up. I chopped it up. Its laying in the kitchen in the bleeding pan, waiting to be cooked and et (Faulkner 66). A wave of obsessive thoug hts arise to Vardamans mind when he catches the fish. He makes the connection between the fish and his mother. The fish, and his mother, are in a different state of existence now, other than him, and this makes Vardaman think his mother is the fish. The thought of the dead fish helps Vardaman grieve over his mothers death, as he is only able to understand mortality through the fishs death. The connection between the fish and Addie comes up again during the river part, when Vardaman compares the fish in the river to his mothers coffin. Jewel has a horse that is very important to him. He works every night to save up for this horse. Its not your horse thats dead, Jewel.Jewels mother is a horse (Faulkner 94, 196). Jewels relationship with his horse shows his decision to isolate himself from the rest of his family. Jewel is not a Bundren child through blood; however, he says his desire to leave the family is strong. In order to buy the horse, Jewel had to work every day, and lied to his family. Darl even says that Jewels mother is a horse. When Anse trades Jewels horse in for a new team of mules, Anse is stripping Jewel from the family and taking away his independence. Eyes are described a great deal of times throughout the novel. First, Darl describes Jewels eyes, Anse describes his son Darls eyes, Cora talks about Addies eyes: Her eyes are like two candles when you watch them gutter down into the sockets of iron candle-sticks. But the eternal and the everlasting salvation and grace is not upon her (Faulkner 8). Dewey Dell has an odd obsession with Darls eyes. the land runs out of Darls eyes; they swim to pinpoints. They begin at my feet and rise along my body to my face, and them my dress is gone: I sit naked on the seat above the unhurrying mules, above the travail (Faulkner 121). The symbols of eyes explains bigger plot ideas in the novel. Dewey Dell finds Darls eyes threatening because she finds him intimidating because he knows about her baby; He basically sees right through her. Addies coffin is a main symbol in this novel. It would just be me and her on a high hill and me rolling the rocks down the hill at their faces, picking them up and throwing them down the hill, faces and teeth and all by God until she was quiet and not that goddamn adze going One lick less. One lick less and we could be quiet (Faulkner 15). The coffin serves as a symbol of unbalanced and heavy weight on the whole family, figuratively and literally. As Addie rots in the coffin, the family gets more and more tired of carrying her body. The longer they travel the more they question why they are doing this for her. While they carry the coffin, they break apart as a family. When the coffin is heaved off balance by Addies body, the coffin becomes a reason for all of the familys troubles. Burying the coffin is also important to the familys capability to return to some sort of a normal state. These four major symbols are extremely important to tying the main idea together throughout the novel. William Faulkner adds these symbols to clue in readers that this family is superstitious. In William Faulkners novel As I Lay Dying, Faulkner expresses characters and themes through symbols and imagery. How William Faulkner uses symbols in this novel brings the story together and gives readers a deeper connection to the characters. Works Cited Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying: The Corrected Text. First Vintage international edition. Vintage Books, 1990.

The Causes Of Obesity And Obesity - 1519 Words

Aaron Heiden Robert S. Pilsner WR 121 17 March 2013 The Causes of Obesity Many people speculate that obesity is genetic, but is it? Is childhood obesity caused by a lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, or both? Obese people, or more commonly referred to as fat people or overweight people, are defined as adults who’s BMI (body mass index) is over 30 percent. There have always been overweight people in human society, but the rate of growth for this percentage of our population has been steadily rising in the last few decades. When it comes to the topic of obesity, most of us will readily agree that it is a problem. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of why it is happening. Whereas some are convinced that this trait is genetic, others maintain that people become obese simply due to diet and lack of exercise. In discussions of overweight children, one controversial issue has been who is at risk. On the one hand, A. Cattaneo argues that â€Å"†¦excess adiposity is a key risk factor for many chronic diseases.† On the other hand, Reilly, J. J. contends that there is a â€Å"†¦need for practical, objective, methods that both identify the fattest children and adolescents adequately, and identify those who are at greatest risk of the ‘co-morbidities’ of obesity.† Others even maintain these traits are genetic and obese people are not more at risk than others. My own view is obesity is not inherited genetically, and that maintaining a proper diet and exercising canShow MoreRelatedThe Causes Of Obesity And Obesity1508 Words   |  7 PagesCauses of Obesity When it comes to people health, what usually comes up in mind? People may think of some disease, such as cancer or stroke, but nobody thinks about Obesity, which has become one of the biggest issues in America. Obesity is the accumulation of unnecessary body fat. It is a lifestyle disease that is spreading fast worldwide. This disease is affecting individuals of all age, ethnicity, and gender. As we all know, America has an extended history of solving complex problems, but it seemsRead MoreThe Causes Of Obesity And Obesity1032 Words   |  5 PagesThe Causes of Obesity Obesity is not just a cosmetic concern; it also increases your risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and muscular skeletal disorders. It is estimated that obesity affects more than a third of the American adult population and seventeen percent of the American children population (Moores, 2005). Obesity has many definitions; one of the many definitions is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negativeRead MoreCauses Of Obesity756 Words   |  4 Pagescosts of care for treating three diseases. Obesity, Diabetes, and high blood pressure are the most spreading diseases in the United States and cost the country a huge amount of money for treatments. Obesity or the extra weight harms health in many ways. It raises the danger of developing circumstances, such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, and some types of cancers, to name just a few, and cuts the life distance. Treating obesity or any obesity related situations costs the country billionsRead MoreObesity : Obesity Causes And Solutions1658 Words   |  7 PagesObesity Causes and Solutions In recent decades, obesity has grown to become considered an epidemic. In Natalie Boreo’s book â€Å"Killer Fat†, she discusses this obesity epidemic along with its social, political, economic, and moral influences. A number of factors contribute to the high instances of obesity; a person’s lifestyle, eating habits, culture, sedentary behaviors, activity levels, socioeconomic status, among many others. Sociologists seek to understand the physical, emotional and social influencesRead MoreCauses and Effects of Obesity823 Words   |  3 PagesObesity occurs in all countries and it is one of the gravest problems in modern society. Mankinds around the world are concerned about obesity. One of the chief causes is unhealthy diets. Obesity is also due to lack of exercise and lack of education and awareness. Therefore obesity has various effects include risk of suffering from a range of health conditions, large fiscal expenditure on medical insurance and lack of self- esteem. One of the chief causes is unhealthy diets. There are high-calorieRead MoreCauses of Childhood Obesity630 Words   |  3 Pageshowever, can be a problem to many children. This is referred to as obesity, when it occurs among children between ages 2 and 8 it is called childhood referred. Childhood obesity has been on the rise for the past few decades and it is making the lives of children shorter. Childhood obesity can be the outcome of many influences. Economic factors, an unmonitored environment, and lack of activity, are some effects of childhood obesity. To start with, the first and major reason causing children to beRead MoreThe Chief Causes Of Obesity1110 Words   |  5 PagesThe Chief Causes of Obesity As we all know the obesity has become a great problem for many people around the world. A research shows that 34.9% of adults in the United States are obese, and the money used for health problems relating to obesity has greatly increased. The estimated cost was $147 billion in 2008, and the cost for obese people were $1,429 higher than normal people (cdc.gov). There are a lot of factors which makes many Americans obese. The chief causes of obesity are bad food choicesRead MoreCauses Of Obesity In America1030 Words   |  5 PagesObesity is a big problem in the United States today. According to Harvard Womens Health Watch, â€Å"33% of American adults are obese, compared with 15% in the late 1970s. More than 60% of women are overweight or obese†. When it comes to losing weight, many people devotedly believe in the 80/20 rule, which is what and how a person eats is 80% of the effort in losing weight. This is somewhat disconcerting if these people live in America because of th e obesity epidemic currently going on, which is causedRead MoreCauses and Effects of Obesity832 Words   |  3 PagesThe epidemic of obesity is a medical circumstance defined as excess weight in the form of fat which may impair health. (World Obesity Federation, 2012). Obesity can be calculated by BMI which is body mass index. Obesity means BMI greater than 30. (ibid). This essay will outline the causes and effects of obesity. Diet, lifestyle, toxic environment and the causes of obesity are physical, psychological and economic are impacts. One fundamental cause of obesity is diet. Adolescence is perfect exampleRead MoreThe Causes and Effects of Obesity686 Words   |  3 PagesCauses and Effects of Obesity Overview Obesity according to Birmingham and Treasure means there is an excess of adipose tissue (fat) in the body (195). Today, hardly a day goes without the mention of an obesity related issue in the news. In a way, obesity is increasingly becoming a national epidemic. As medical practitioners debate on whether or not obesity should be regarded a disease, policy makers are mulling over what course of action should be adopted so as to rein in the problem of obesity

Scarce Resources Sea-Level Rise

Question: Describe Scarce Resources for Sea-Level Rise. Answer: Introduction Scarcity of Water is a challenge not only in Australia but around the globe. Water being among the human basic needs plays a critical role in each and every ones everyday life. Globally water is among the most significant resource not only to human being but also to other living things that is flora and fauna. The term water scarcity can be defined as lack of safe water supply or simply lack of enough water resource to meet ones or regions demand (Barnett, 2013, pp.37-49) . From the definition its clear that water scarcity does not only result from quantity but may be as a result of insufficient quality. Water scarcity is of critical concern in Australia first because it is the driest inhabited continent in the world, and secondly the country is among the major food exporters worldwide. The demand for water in the country is accelerated by the frequent drought and flood phenomenal that befalls the country. The challenge of water scarcity is not only brought about by natural causes bu t is also instigated and accelerated by anthropogenic factors. Among the anthropogenic causes of the water scarcity is water wastage, pollution and unsustainable management (Capon, 2014, p110). Water scarcity in Australia In Australia like many other countries of the world water is a treasured resource. Australians primarily depend on water for domestic use, drinking, industrial purpose and majorly in agriculture activity (Dijk, 2013, pp.1040-1057). As mentioned earlier the country is a major food exporter in the world which is mainly grown under irrigation as a higher percentage of the land cover is either arid or semi-arid. Competition and demand for water by different sectors in Australia result to acceleration of the problem of water scarcity in the country. The other anthropogenic cause that all Australians have witnessed is overexploitation of the water sources from the surface to underground sources (Hoekstra, 2012, p.e32688). The volume of water in rivers and streams have drastically dropped, boreholes have dried up as a result of dropping water table, salt water intrusion in fresh water sources, drying up of wetlands, increased desertification, extinction of species are all examples of physic al evidence of scarcity of water in the country. A good example is Murray-Darling River whose volume as reported by geologist has been continually dropping to an alarming extent, where the in year 2007 the federal government had to take over the authority of the river from the four states that the river flows through (Wheeler, 2014, pp.28-41). Other factors includes population increase, urbanization, increased affluence among the Australians which all contribute to increased demand and mismanagement of the already scarce resource thus magnifying the problem. Urbanization also contributes scarcity in terms of quality as there has been increased waste generation rates with more and more people living in the urban area in the country. On the other hand the natural calamities befalling the country not only reduce the quantity but also affects the quality of the water resource. The main natural calamities contributing to water scarcity in Australia includes drought and floods (Kummu, 2014, pp.447-461). Climatic condition in the country is highly variable from region to another as well as from one season to another. The climate variability and change in the past few decades has been the main magnifier of the water resource availability challenge to an extent of a crisis in some parts of the country impacting on the development p rocess. There has been a major drop in the annual average rainfall since 1980 approximately by a third and stagnated there. Since rainfall is what supplements and to some extent replenish the water source, its scarcity means increased unavailability thus water scarcity throughout the country. El Nio is the other periodic weather pattern that affects Australias water availability. Simply it is the warming up of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean surface water which results to above normal average rainfall amount received in a particular region and flooding occurrences. On the other hand there is a drying condition that occurs when the humid air is carried away to cause El Nio. The dry condition is referred to as La Nia. The phenomenal occurs at an irregular interval of about two to seven years where in one case heavy rains falls and floods the coastal area in Peru, while on the other hand the south eastern parts of Australia suffers from drought occurrence. Although prediction of when it will occur is done the duration which may range from few months to as much as several years is difficult to tell. Thus the repercussions brought abought by the phenomenal is only minimally managed resulting to an accelerated water scarcity in the country. An example is the changing in volume of Darling stream which is a major tributary of the Murray river from as much as 911% to as little as 0.04% of the widely known average (Sahin, 2016, pp.348-361). Among the strategies to cub water scarcity in Australia includes maintaining the health of the river where some territories and states have begun a strategy termed as the environmental flows that entails provision and allocation of water to the environment. This plays a critical role in solving the scarcity challenge while ensuring that the society in the state continues with their economic activities that depends on the availability of clean water. Next is agricultural water management practices including removing stock from waterways, trees and shrubs maintenance, earthworks, drains and water pumping. As agriculture is major economic activity in the country, management of water ensures availability not only of water but quality water. Water trading has been widely adopted throughout the country as has been regarded to play critical role of valuing water by community, the government and all water users. Water trading ensures value addition which means an additional income. Australia has also adopted water restriction which has assisted in household water conservation. This has been enabled by provision of incentives by state and territory governments e.g. installation of water saving devices like dual flush toilets. Conservation of water has assisted the community and the government to save as less water is consumed thus reduction of expenses. Lastly is rainwater tank instillation especially in the capital cities where more than 11% source water from rainwater tanks. The rain water is the most affordable source as the expenses only includes water tank and the gutters. Rain water harvesting also helps in saving energy as no pumping is required unlike the case of underground sources. (Qureshi, 2013, pp.136-145). Conclusion In conclusion water scarcity is a challenge that can be solved and forgotten if only each and every one in Australia can be committed to ensuring its sustainable use and management. By this I mean only using the resource in the most appropriate manner only when necessary. It should be everyones business to protect and conserve the water sources. References Barnett, J., ONeill, S., Waller, S. and Rogers, S., 2013. Reducing the risk of maladaptation in response to sea-level rise and urban water scarcity.Successful adaptation to climate change: linking science and policy in a rapidly changing world. New York: Routledge, pp.37-49. Capon, S., 2014. 6 Adapting water resources management to drought and water scarcity in Australias MurrayDarling Basin.Adaptation to Climate Change Through Water Resources Management: Capacity, Equity and Sustainability, p.110. Dijk, A.I., Beck, H.E., Crosbie, R.S., Jeu, R.A., Liu, Y.Y., Podger, G.M., Timbal, B. and Viney, N.R., 2013. The Millennium Drought in southeast Australia (20012009): Natural and human causes and implications for water resources, ecosystems, economy, and society.Water Resources Research,49(2), pp.1040-1057. Hoekstra, A.Y., Mekonnen, M.M., Chapagain, A.K., Mathews, R.E. and Richter, B.D., 2012. Global monthly water scarcity: blue water footprints versus blue water availability.PLoS One,7(2), p.e32688. Kummu, M., Gerten, D., Heinke, J., Konzmann, M. and Varis, O., 2014. Climate-driven interannual variability of water scarcity in food production potential: a global analysis.Hydrology and Earth System Sciences,18(2), pp.447-461. Qureshi, M.E., Hanjra, M.A. and Ward, J., 2013. Impact of water scarcity in Australia on global food security in an era of climate change.Food Policy,38, pp.136-145. Sahin, O., Siems, R.S., Stewart, R.A. and Porter, M.G., 2016. Paradigm shift to enhanced water supply planning through augmented grids, scarcity pricing and adaptive factory water: a system dynamics approach.Environmental Modelling Software,75, pp.348-361. Wheeler, S., Loch, A., Zuo, A. and Bjornlund, H., 2014. Reviewing the adoption and impact of water markets in the MurrayDarling Basin, Australia.Journal of Hydrology,518, pp.28-41.