Crichton Smith Critical Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Crichton Smith Critical Evaluation Essay Home by Iain Crichton Smith is a short story which creates a sense of time and place. This essay will examine how the sense of place is shown in setting and will comment on the message the writer has. Jackson is a man returning to his hometown in Glasgow from South Africa. It becomes apparent to the reader that the setting, in both time and place, is a very important aspect in conveying the meaning of the text. In the short story it becomes apparent that the place has changed since Jackson was last here as the city of Glasgow has undergone a period of decline and decay. This is shown in different ways such as characterisation, descriptive language and the use of imagery. Smith shows firstly how very unpleasant Jacksons hometown has become at the start of the story. He describes how things are poorly maintained like his old tenement has become drab and the walls are described as:  Brown above and dirty blue below, pitted with scars  Brown shows how unpleasant the setting is through the use of negative colour imagery. The colour brown very often has negative connotations. This gives the reader an immediate negative image of the tenement. Also Smith uses the colour blue which should give a positive image, however he uses it with the word dirty which also gives the reader an image of the unpleasant environment around the tenement. Also to give the reader a bit more of a negative image of the area, Smith writes pitted with scars, which has two meanings in the story one of which is suppose to mean the area is literally scarred because the area has been very poorly maintained and is very unpleasant. The second meaning is that it is metaphorically scarred because it has had an emotional impact on everyone in the neighbourhood. This is also used to highlight the horrendous living conditions in Glasgow. While Jackson remains regretful about the hardships of the living conditions in Glasgow and in his tenement, Jacksons wife has a more realistic idea that times have changed in Glasgow when she says to Jackson, Lock the car dear, This shows the reality of this area and shows Jacksons ignorance and that his wife is very wary about that particular area. Jackson shows how naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve he really is and that he does not realise that the place has changed dramatically and protests: They dont do things like that here  The image of the unpleasantness of the area is again highlighted.  as the town had changed a lot since they had left it, that much was clear  The story continues by focusing strongly on the negative changes such as, the loss of the community spirit, the local shops and the loss of friends to featureless estates. Smith is clearly commenting of how the social conditions of Glasgow have changed dramatically through time. Jackson visits his old office, a place of happy memories of. However, upon entering the office his memories are shattered and he begins to realise how uninteresting and unpleasant the office actually is. Jackson stood cringing in that rotting office. This shows that Jacksons view is beginning to change as he draws back and he does not enjoy being back at his old office. Both cringing and rotting have negative connotations and this highlights how uncomfortable he is beginning to feel in an office that appears to be decaying in his eyes. At this point the reader is also meant to see that Jacksons nostalgia destroys the strikingly expressive memory immediately after arguing with the factor of the building. Jackson shows and immediate change of attitude and character when he now sees Africa as home by suddenly saying;  I wish to God we were home  This speech shows the dramatic change in his character. The reader sees how the nostalgia that Jackson had has been completely destroyed. Also he sees people who live in the tenements as punks when Smith writes;  By God, they knew how to deal with punks where he came from  Iain Smith uses very effective word choice. Punks shows how Jackson sees people who live in the tenements in a very bad way. The reader is made aware of the ignorance of Jackson and he appears to have learned nothing from his visit and he would have still have acted aggressively.  Overall, Home by Iain Crichton Smith is a short story which has been shown throughout. The character of Jackson has changed dramatically because of the setting in place. This short story shows that people can be naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve when they are talking about where they come from but when they leave and come back again and see a massive difference which changes the character of the person.

I Didnt Realize Until Now :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Susan, I didn't realize until now just how badly I mishandled our relationship. By being apart and not talking for some time now, I have quickly learned that you were everything I ever wanted and because I was so afraid of losing you, I ended up chasing you away. It wasn't until recently that realized that instead of complaining about the time I didn't have with you, I should have cherished the time I did have. The time we had together was real and filled with affection. I was never alone when we were apart, because just as you were on my mind, I was on yours. It wasn't until now that I have realized how special it was to hear your voice even if it was just once a day, let alone several times a day. It wasn't until now that I have realized that it wasn't the late phone call for me to come over because you missed me, or to stay overnight that I miss so much. What I miss is the feeling behind the way you would stare at me and or kiss my hand while we were in the car. The way we looked into each other's eyes and spoke without saying a word. The way you trusted me with your children and I trusted you with mine. The way you wrote I love you on a steamy window or mirror only to show up time after time for me to see when we were apart. The way you signed to me that you loved me or snuck a kiss or hug in while the kids weren't watching. The way we joked that we were attached at the hip while fixing dinner or breakfast. The way we wrestled and tickled each other. Susie, I could go on and on but you know exactly what I'm saying. Yes, it's the little things I miss the most. The little things that I took for granted. The promise I made to you is a promise that I will keep forever. You will always hold a special place in my heart. Even though I'm dating here and there, I end up comparing them to you. You've set the bar very high for me and that's a good thing because I refuse to settle for less than the standard you've set. On that Wednesday (July 11th) when I returned home and found your e-mail, it was the happiest I'd been in weeks.

Sammys development through the story

â€Å"A&P†, written by John Updike is considered as an initiation story. It focuses on Sammy, a clerk and his experience with the three girls and Lengel. The main character, at first is dependent on his family and their connections to survive. He was employed by his father and mother’s friend, Lengel and it is hinted that his grandmother had a considerable influence on him and that they were still seeing each other. Also, he was still living with his parents since his mother was the one who ironed his shirt for that day. With this dependence on his family, unfortunately, comes a price: he must do his best not to upset nor disappoint his parents. Like most young boys, Sammy was curious, observant and almost always wonders. With the arrival of the girls, Sammy at first adopts the usual response of a young, immature teenager and that was to admire the girls based on their appearance. Usually one not to commit mistakes, he was scolded by an elderly lady for his lapse. Instead of taking responsibility for his mistake, he comforts himself by saying that the old woman was a witch who had nothing better to do. In the first parts of the story, he was still childish and hormonally driven, especially when he was with his friend Stokesie as they â€Å"checked out† the girls. For him to take such a keen interest and distract him from his responsibility emphasizes the temptation that the girls—or more specifically, the â€Å"Queen†Ã¢â‚¬â€posed on him. The situation was then exacerbated since they started to walk around with nothing but their bathing suits and distract everyone around them, and unwittingly seduce people with their gestures. The dream was broken when Lengel entered and started to admonish them in front of everyone. The girls going around the aisles can be interpreted as a dream for Sammy; three attractive young girls walking slowly around in the air conditioned room under the lights in their bathing suits with no beaches nearby. It was unreal and fantastic; it was a dream for every hormone active teenager. Even the fact that they ended up in his lane and the way that the â€Å"Queen† took out her payment was like a â€Å"dream come true†. The movement of the girls and the way that every aspect of them was emphasized seemed sublime. The pace of the story itself seems to be dreamlike in nature, all seen in Sammy’s eyes. Lengel’s entrance from the outside breaks the dream; his entrance can be interpreted as reality coming back. In reality, a boy like Sammy has to answer to an authoritative figure represented by Lengel. His manager symbolized responsibility and the end of childhood fantasies. Updike narrates that Lengel is the straitlaced type of man, one who teaches Sunday school. He starts to admonish the girls and embarrassed them in front of every body. Sammy watches the girls state their reasons for coming in yet Lengel still admonishes them. In Sammy’s eyes, Lengel was being unreasonable and preferred to have things only two ways: his way or one is a delinquent for not following. At that point, the main character realizes that the situation is more complicated than the girls not following policy. What Lengel did in Sammy’s eyes was a show of power; using his position as manager to not only admonish the girls but to also embarrasses them. Even if the girl was only fulfilling an errand for her mother, he still didn’t listen. It was obvious that the â€Å"Queen† went out of her way to buy the jar of herring snacks since the beach was miles and miles away. Also, the â€Å"Queen† seemed to be of a higher social class than Sammy; he sees this and realizes the difference between the both of them. Before they left, the main character made a show of quitting, an indirect way of telling the girls that he was making a stand and that he thinks that they were untreated fairly. Unfortunately, in contrast to his ideal fantasies of them seeing him as their hero, they left him to fend for himself. A mark of his maturity was shown in the way that he refused to back down despite being alone in his opinion since he has developed the sense that one must go through with one’s actions and take responsibility for them. He then mustered up the courage to question the authority for their actions. Lengel then explained to Sammy his own view of what transpired, ushering another realization for the main character. The realization is that not everything is black and white and that people tend to have differing opinions and their own point of view, never realizing the harm that they cause others. Also, in contrast to what is usually taught, in practice, people will choose their own interests and will care little for the welfare of others. Like in the case of Lengel, the manager thought that they were the ones being embarrassed by the girls and not the other way around. It was then clear that Lengel pulled this exhibition of power since everyone else was watching and that he felt that the integrity of the store was being threatened. In Lengel’s eyes, the girls were putting on an indecent show for everyone and even distracted his most trusty clerk. Yet Sammy still retained some of his dependence and thirst for approval since he briefly thought of his grandmother and how proud she would be of him if she could see him now. Lengel then started to remind Sammy of his responsibility to his parents, a sacred oath that he was not allowed to break. In his transition of maturity, he went through with his decision knowing the consequences and outright told Lengel that he knew what he was doing and that the manager was the one who didn’t know what he himself was doing. At that point, Sammy developed a different opinion based on what he saw and what his point of view was, signaling to the audience that he was exhibiting the same behavior as the adults. He then starts to shed the clothes that symbolized his dependence: the bow tie and the apron. Yet with his actions, Sammy still exuded that idealistic and childlike quality that enabled him to care whether the girls were still there or that he can make a clean exit since it was summer and he didn’t have to fumble around for his winter apparel. Throughout the course of the story, he has addressed the shoppers as â€Å"sheep†, letting themselves herded into one point or the other. His description takes life when the shoppers stood and did nothing to defend the young ladies from Lengel’s verbal assault, unlike Sammy who stood up for what he believed in. As Sammy went out of the store, Lengel is seen taking care of the â€Å"sheep† in his place, the people who were still willing to follow authority despite of its misgivings. The last transition then occurred at that point: Sammy realized that fighting for what you believed in would be hard and most often times would leave you lonely and that since he has divorced himself from his dependence on his parents, he would have to make it out on the world on his own. This transition is symbolized by Sammy standing in the hot summer sun with no one but the mother who is frustrated at her children while the others are inside in the comfort of the air conditioned A&P. Seeing Lengel with such a harsh expression also made Sammy realize that the world has not been friendly to the old man either, and that he had to be strong and be the way he is just to survive. He had to forego other people’s feelings and put his interests first. From being a childish, hormonally driven pampered boy, Sammy matured into a responsible man who is not willing to back down from what he believes in once he sees injustice being committed. Like a young man, he went through with his decisions and refused to be intimidated by threats or emotional blackmail. Yet like a young boy, he still holds his idealism and somehow had a feeling that the world was a lot more complicated that he thought and that not every â€Å"right† thing was rewarded. Standing up for what was right will prove to be difficult in a world of Lengels who all thought that they were the ones who were right. If he were to refuse to see injustice and stand up and oppose authority for what he believed in every single time, then like his experience at A&P, he will have no choice but to leave. Either that or he would have to be harsh like Lengel was. It is also interesting to note that while Sammy was narrating the story, his parents thought that it was sad; yet Sammy himself thought nothing of as if he accepted what transpired.

Issues in the law of tort - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1271 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Review Tags: Tort Essay Did you like this example? Introduction This scenario presents issues in the law of tort that arise in negligence, and there is the possibility of a defence to parts of the action, in remoteness. Firstly it must be established if a duty can be found from one party to another, as with no duty there can be no liability, which was an essential theme of Donoghue and Stevenson[1] Fred Fred would seem to the be tortfeasor in this incident. If so then had he sustained injury or loss he would be unable to recover in tort from anyone, unless he had comprehensive insurance but that would be a contractual issue. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Issues in the law of tort" essay for you Create order If Fred had suffered loss and if it were Jacky that was to blame for what happened and not Fred, perhaps because Jacky was negligently riding her horse in an aggressive manner then Fred could sue Jacky, but from the facts this scenario appears unlikely. Jacky As Jacky is qualified to instruct on horse riding, and as she runs her own stable, seemingly for that purpose, then it can be reasonably assumed that she is competent to instruct on matters of horse riding and that she will probably have liability insurance. This is important as a right of action against a person is of little use if they are not worth suing. The matter of whether she is insured will not impact on her potential liability but it will provide a substantial enough defendant for any claimants to pursue. Ben If Ben has a right of action then this will only take effect after his birth, and had he been still born then, having not been born alive, he would not have acquired a legal personality and no actio n on his behalf could have been taken in tort, although had the death in vitro been caused by a criminal act then potentially there could follow criminal liability for child destruction. Ben has been born alive and therefore he has acquired a legal personality and can sue in his own right using the provisions of the Congenital Disabilities (Civil Liabilities) Act 1976 which legislated the position at common law according to the decision in Burton[2]. In order to recover, Ben would have to prove causation in the normal fashion. Was it negligent of Jacky be out horse riding 5 months into her pregnancy? She is qualified and as a stables owner it could be supposed that she is experienced, but whether it is negligent of her to be riding at that stage of her pregnancy is a matter that would need to be established by reference to authoritative opinion, probably from the riding industry as regards the risks of an incident occurring at all, and also probably from the medical profession as regards the consequences of an accident should one befall her. Perhaps it was only negligent of her to be riding on the roads, albeit quiet ones? If Jacky has been negligent then does she owe a duty of care to her unborn child? The answer is yes, but this seems bizarre in that she will be liable to her unborn child upon its birth for lesser actions that she takes during pregnancy that cause it injury, but she will not be liable to anyone if she takes such drastic actions during pregnancy that result in her foetus dying; ie she has a legal abortion. Nevertheless, Ben is born and by s.2 of the 1976 Act she will be liable to him if his injury is the result of her negligence. If Benà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s injuries in vitro are the consequence not of Jackyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s negligence but of Fredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s then once he has been born he will have an action against Fred. It is settled law that a motorist owes a duty to whomever he encounters on the roads that he drives his mot or vehicle. Again, the authority is the Act of 1976 where at s.1(3) the rule that if the mother could sue for an injury resulting from the actions of another person but it is the unborn child that suffers the injury then upon birth the child can sue. Clearly Jacky is sufficiently proximate the Freed to sue if his actions were negligent and thus Ben can sue Fred directly upon his birth. Fred will have insurance as this is a legal requirement for motorists and thus Ben has a defendant worth suing in the insurer. s.1(7) may apply as it creates a rule where if the parent was partially responsible for the injury suffered by the unborn child then the amount recoverable by the child when it acquires the right to sue will be proportionately reduced by the percentage of responsibility borne by the parent. Was Jackyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s action in jumping her horse over the hedge negligent and if so was it negligent enough to attract blame? It is doubtful from the facts that this is so becaus e Jackyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s action is described as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"avoiding actionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. This necessarily implies that had she not done this then she and her horse may have been hit by Fredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vehicle. There can be no liability for actions resulting from reasonably trying to avoid impending harm. Sue Sue will have an equal right of action in tort against Fred as Jacky has, being a person lawfully using the road that Fred has negligently driven down. However, Sue has both thrown herself from her horse and failed to earlier secure her helmet. She does not appear to have sustained a head injury and thus the unfastened helmet would not detract from her ability to recover, but can her having jumped do so on the basis of contributory negligence[3]? Again, as with Jacky, the actions of Sue appear to be a reasonable response to a threat of immediate danger and therefore there would not appear to be any way that the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945 can operate to reduce her level of recovery for the personal injury she has suffered. Sueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s inexperience will not affect her ability to recover on the basis of contributory negligence as she was apparently taking a lesson from a qualifies instructor and is entitles to do what the instructor tells her, providing it does not result in her committing an offence or causing harm to another person. Bob Bobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s loss is a pure economic loss, which ordinarily would; not be recoverable on the basis that it does not flow from a head of claim in its own right, such as personal injury etc. In the absence of a contract between Bob and Fred, which is unlikely as they are friends, for Bob to recover then he will have to rely on Fred having voluntarily assumed a duty toward him to get him to the airport on time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" which sits well with the fact that that was the purpose of their journey. Under the Hedley Byrne[4] principle Bob will then b e able to recover the purchase price of his new airline ticket from Fred, or in reality Feedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s insurers. If a voluntary assumption of responsibility toward Bob cannot be established then Bob will have no recourse against Fred at all because his loss, as a pure economic one will be too remote from the harm caused by Fred. Bibliography Cooke J, 2005, The Law of Tort, 7th Edition, Pearson Hedley S, 2006, Tort, 5th Edition, OUP Rivlin G, 2006, Understanding the Law, 4th Edition, OUP Rogers, 2006, Winfield Jolowicz on Tort, 17th edition, Sweet and Maxwell Word count: 1243 Footnotes [1] [1932] AC 562 [2] Burton v Islington Health Authority [1993] QB 204 [3] Butterfield v Forrester (1809) 11 East 60 [4] Hedley Byrne Co Ltd. v Heller Partners Ltd [1964] AC 465; also White v Jones [1995] 1 All ER 691