Character Analysis Mask of the Red Death Essay Example

Character Analysis Mask of the Red Death Essay Character Analysis of â€Å"Mask of the Red Death† I chose to analyze two of the characters within â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, Prince Prospero, and The masked intruder at the end portrayed as death. The name that Edgar Allen Poe has given the main character entices a reader to speculate. I decided it was necessary to read a short biography on Edgar Allen Poe; because one of the things that occurred to me as I read the short story I imaged the likes of Edgar Allen Poe every time the story line turned to Prince Prospero. Why this was I am not sure, maybe it was because of Poes’ picture on the first page; but after reading the biography, I saw a lot of similarities between Poe and his character Prince Prospero. It almost seems as if the prince is a personification of Poe in the story. In Edgar Allen Poe’s own life, he was known to be rather eccentric and odd. He had a taste for the macabre and the bizarre. In the story we do find out that among the princes many qualities, he is also eccentric and shares a love of the bizarre and macabre. Further, like Poe the character is reminiscent of a young man of a wealthy and distinguished family. We will write a custom essay sample on Character Analysis Mask of the Red Death specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Character Analysis Mask of the Red Death specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Character Analysis Mask of the Red Death specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Further looking at the character Prince Prospero, the name alone comes to mind. Prospero is suggestive of the word prosper, which means to do well, or be wealthy; it implies good fortune. Dictionary. com defines it â€Å"To be fortunate or successful, especially in terms of ones finances; thrive. † The events that occur in this story from the beginning are actually quite the contrary. He is the lord of the land he owns, but that is undermine by the horrid disease that engulfs and ravages the countryside, killing all that inhabits it: â€Å"No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous†. Poe, 245). To protect himself from this terrible plague that is known in this story as the Red Death, Prince Prospero places himself and a thousand of his friends in seclusion in one of his abbeys, leaving the rest of the population helpless in the â€Å"Red Deaths† path. An abbey by definition is a church that is or once was part of a monastery or convent. This fact is rath er ironic. In the history of our world, there was a plague similar to the one in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†. The black plague tore through the European countryside and at its end, decreased the population significantly. No person was safe from its wrath, no person was immune from its terror. In the story, the Prince tries to defy history and death in his spineless act, by removing himself from the outside world. In another act of fear and denial, the prince decides to throw a great masquerade during the height of the plague, a futile attempt to hide from and disguise the â€Å"red death†. The character is made out to be cowardly. For his masquerade he embellishes the seven chambers. Another good example of the similarity in taste that is shared by Poe, and his character Prince Prospero, is the embellishments of the seven chambers. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric luster. † ( Poe, 247) This shows further eccentricity. â€Å"The prince was a bold and robust man. † (Poe, 248) Perhaps this is what Poe fantasized for himself. In the stories conclusion, poetic jus tice is served for the cowardice acts. Prospero attempts to attack the masked figure and falls into the clutches of death. The second character is the intruder in the conclusion of the story. He is described as â€Å"tall and gaunt†. (Poe, 248) The reader is introduced to a disease, a plague, with hideous and terrifying symptoms, that take an extremely rapid course, one that has an inevitable termination, it is death. Poes greatest emphasis is on blood, not as a sign or a symptom, but as the incarnation of evil, the manifestation of fear and a seal. A seal is something that confirms, assures or ratifies like a pact. The appearance of blood is confirmation or assurance of the existence of the Red Death of Death itself. There is horror in the discovery that â€Å"the grave-cerements and corpse-like mask†(Poe, 249) are â€Å"untenanted by any tangible form,†. (Poe, 249) Through the supernatural interpretation the horror of death runs deep into the soul, it washes itself clean and emerges as truth, which is unseen. As Poe describes; blood is symbolic of the life force; but even as it suggests life, blood serves as a reminder of death. Poe in his fascination of the macabre gives death life in the story. Death is a character ever present through out the story, but only actually appears in the end. Poe infuses death with elements of terror, and he â€Å"enshrouds† not only death but the terror of death in clothes of his own making—â€Å"the habiliments of the grave† (Poe, 248) —and then runs to escape it or, madly, to kill it, trying to â€Å"cheat† death itself. The image here is that even the fear of death can kill: Prospero attempts to attack the masked figure and falls. When mans image of death is confronted directly, it is found to be nothing. The garments or vestments are empty, unseen like that of truth. The intruder in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† is, not the plague, but mans creation of death, his self-developed fear of his own erroneous concept of death. Death is always present, it is insidious and it is as invisible as truth. It is nowhere and everywhere, it is not only around man, but also in him. The many guests of the prince, having unmasked their fear acknowledged the presence of the â€Å"Red Death†. One by one, the guests die; as everything endowed with life must eventually do. When the last of the guests’ dies, the element of time, that is measured and feared only by man, dies, too.

The Unsinkable Ship that Sank essays

The Unsinkable Ship that Sank essays The Unsinkable Ship That Sank The Titanic was unsinkable... was a thought that ran through many peoples heads as they heard the news that it had been struck with an iceberg. They believed it couldnt sink because the Titanic was so big and strong that nothing in the world could take it down. Whenever people today think of the Titanic, we think of how it sank and how many people lost their lives, which is an example of dramatic irony in itself. We know the devastating end of the Titanic, yet most of the people in this story did not. The R.M.S. Titanic by Hanson W. Baldwin is a story using irony to immensely interest the reader. Dramatic irony occurred vaguely in this account. However, it all depends on how much knowledge you have of the disaster. Already knowing the ship sinks is a dramatic irony that is shown by just reading the title. If you have any further knowledge, you may come upon more dramatic ironies. For example, it is said in the story that the band was playing ragtime during all the drama on the ship. This is a dramatic irony because we know that the ship is going to sink and they should be taking care of themselves before the White Star liner goes down rather than standing there playing ragtime for the people walking by. Another example of dramatic irony in R.M.S. Titanic is the fact that life preservers are tied on; some men smile at the precaution. Most readers know that the life preservers are not a silly precaution but something that might save them from the horrible risks that they will face later on in the night. One paragraph in the account reads But the passengers- most of them- did not know that the Titanic was sinking. The shock of the collision had been so slight that some were not awakened by it; the Titanic was so huge that she must be unsinkable; the night was too calm, too beautiful, to think of death at sea. This clearly describes the ignoranc...

What Does It Mean To Be a Democrat an a Republican in 2012 Research Paper

What Does It Mean To Be a Democrat an a Republican in 2012 - Research Paper Example The United States first began to experience what could be termed political parties nearly as soon as our government was established. At this time we had many political debates between what were deemed federalists and anti-federalists. Ironically, this would serve as a harbinger of the two party system that invariably developed within the United States. Although third parties existed and successfully sought office as last as the 1830s, their lifespan was short-lived by the emergence of two leviathans of political power that have successfully dominated the political environment in the United States for the better part of the past two hundred years. For the casual observer, party affiliation has a strong connotation with regards to what belief systems the voter identifies himself/herself with. However, party affiliation is a figment of a given election cycle. This is mainly due to the fact that there are no discernible party values or issues which can be definitively traced throughout h istory and once analyzed – deemed as either firmly Republican or firmly Democratic issues/values. This intrinsic lack of definable/discernible values has disheartened many voters and forced them to become apolitical and/or apathetic. The Republican Party (Grand Ole Party) as we know it today hardly resembles the party that was born in 1854 out of an opposition to slavery. Elements of the nation’s political forces, fed up with the â€Å"sin of slavery† and determined to forge a path ahead for the United States that was free from this vice, opted to create their own political entity. This Republican Party elected its first President in Abraham Lincoln. What is interesting to note, as far as an irony is concerned, is that the Republican Party’s slogan in 1854 read, â€Å"Free Labor, Free Land, Free Men†. This slogan had strong connection with the time due to the ongoing battle over slavery; however, there appeared within it a uniquely socialist concep t that most individuals have not considered. The statement â€Å"free land† referred to the fact that rich plantation owners were buying up all of the good farm land and leaving the poorer farmers left with the unwanted scraps and rejects/unviable land. The fact that the original Republican Party was entirely against the ability of a few wealthy individuals to lord over and control the fate of the poor was, at that time, an issue worthy of polarization between the Democratic and Republican Party; interestingly, this is no longer the case as it appears as if both parties only perennially work towards the benefits of those entities and corporations/individuals that bankroll their electoral campaigns. The Democratic Party on the other hand was born out of the Anti-Federalist movement of the 1790s. The Democratic Party of that time was of course defined by its rabid disagreement with Hamiltonian economics. Similarly, the party was promoted originally as what would become known as the â€Å"Democratic-Republican Party† and had a decidedly constitutionalist approach as well as one that advocated the supreme authority of state’s rights as a doctrine of further self-determination among the young republic. This traditional understanding of the Democratic party survived more or less in tact up until the Civil War. At this time, the Democratic Party, under the leadership of key firebrands in the South, pushed for the continuation of slavery as well as

Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumerism - Essay Example On the second thought economist would not suggest such a thing if they have not seen or observed the importance of practicing it. The website thefreedictionary.com (2007) gave two definitions regarding consumerism. The first one was stated as "the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically beneficial, economic theory - (economics) a theory of commercial activities (such as the production and consumption of goods)" and the other one as "a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers crusade, campaign, cause, drive, effort, movement - a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end" If we are to tackle the issue with regards to the contribution of citizenship to it, consumerism as a theory on increasing of consumption of goods is beneficial, and then this claim would be in effect if the support of the citizen pertaining local goods and services is evident. ... The first thing that a local consumer must consider and think is the fact that local products are dependent on local consumers and local market and producers deem the importance of local market more than foreign market- the need here is the support of the local market in order for the local products to earn its name and made an impact to the society. Like the stages that most of the producers and marketers undertake, considering and penetrating the local market is their outmost priority in order to earn its reputation and to be able to penetrate a much higher market like the foreign market. In this case, it is established that the need of the support of the local citizens where the product has been produced. To further understand the aforementioned premise and the study per se, it is important to know the definition of citizens as a local market. The definition as well as recognition of these people as an important part of consumerism would further help us in analyzing their participation in this study. The website wikipedia.com (2007) implied two meaning with regards to citizenship. The first definition reads as "citizenship is membership in a political community (originally a city or town but now usually a country) and carries with it rights to political participation; a person having such membership is a citizen. It is largely coterminous with nationality, although it is possible to have a nationality without being a citizen (i.e., be legally subject to a state and entitled to its protection without having rights of political participation in it); it is also possible to have political rights without being a national of a state" In the given definition of wikipedia, its second definition seems to be the appropriate area of interest in this study. The next

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

Summary - Essay Example Therefore a careful attempt is made by the authors to bring out all the effects that the rapid change of the family structure is making on the economy. It also states the difference between the structure of the married and the individual working class. It lays an emphasis on the role of the different genders in a family and their relationships. With the rapid change of the economy and the society there has been transformation in the role of the family members. Therefore the authors have tried to emphasize on the current change of roles in between man and woman and their implications. According to the authors, the relationship between the members of the family directly affects the market and its outcomes. The authors seem to bring clear evidence that the family as a unit is continuously aiming for maximizing their income. Taking this into consideration it can be assumed that the monetary issues are one of the prime considerations of the family members and all other goals and aims revo lve round the primary aim. Chapter four of the book, ‘‘Economics of Women, Men, and Work’ basically deals with the time allotment between the household and the labor market. The major emphasis is made on the female gender in this area. The authors have made it clear in their book that they advocate more and more female participations in the labor market. Primarily, the women are involved in the household work therefore that they do not often get time for any other job. But as the aim of the family unit, according to the authors, is maximization of income, thus the women should allocate time both for the household chores and even their career. Right allocation of time between both would not only help the women but also the family in both short and long runs. In the short run, it will help the family in maximizing their income and also in the long run these earnings will provide the women and their children a better economic viability in

Literature Review of Microclimate: Senzo Tembe

Literature Review of Microclimate: Senzo Tembe This section of my project shows a series of studies and research done by other people which have a close relation to the experiment that I’ve worked on. Microclimate is the climate of a very small or restricted area, especially when this differs from the climate of the surrounding area. (Grade 12 geography focus book.) This reference helps me determine whether my hypothesis is true or not, comparing the quads at Michaelhouse. Historical background to the Saudi Arabian heritage, author Talib, Kaizer analyses different types of living environment with close precautions to microclimate in those particular zones, and the concomitant effect on vernacular buildings.(author Kaizer Talib) Quads such as Main quad have buildings which surround it, Talib Kaizer’s reference participates well in my study. Different types of species were grown in the same aerial environment, temperatures ranging from 5à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ° to 35à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C these were to determine whether species of different grass have an effect on temperature. Weight of foliage’s were taken to ratio, the usage of maximum yield of foliage’s were taken to find the optimum soil temperatures of the species that was tested. According to the ratio scale it was found that ratio was lowest at optimum soil temperature and was higher at soil temperatures above and below the optimum with slight exceptions. Ratios showed that partitioning of photosynthate is controlled by the rates of photosynthesis and root absorption. (According to R.L. Davidson, oxford university press.) The reference above also helps prove that the quads in my experiment will have an effect on the surface temperature of quads that contain more grass than others with less grass. Graph showing inverse proportion: In Tokyo an investigation was set to see whether land-use and anthropogenic heat (heat produced by humans.) on surface temperature. Sub-grid parametrization scheme which calculates the total surface heat composed on different surfaces, over 36 days in Tokyo the investigation was run in summer and majority of the days the investigation went on for it was particularly typical summer weather (clear skies, negligible gradient winds etc..). Anthropogenic heat was much larger at night, and was found that green vegetation areas including grass were more dominant during the day than at night (resource article by F. Kimura.) At a boarding school such as Michaelhouse with 550 boys excluding staff will also have a great effect on the surface temperature while my study was being taken. The urban heat island effect has been documented in many cities, one of the causes of urban heat island effect is of green spaces such as trees, grass etc†¦ being removed and replaced with city buildings. This causes elevation in temperature, increasing the population of trees in cities can lower the urban heat island effect. The case studied heat produced by green spaces and heat produced by manufactured city buildings was measured using a thermal satellite imagery, 143 sites were chosen and if every unit conducted in this predicament case study had to increase the green spaces slightly the surface temperatures would decrease by an amount of 1.2à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C. (A Terre haute case study, by P.J. Hardin and R.R Jenson). Michaelhouse is a very conservative school when it comes to trees, the amount of trees could disagree to my hypothesis and the effects of the surface temperature. Urbanisation process is one that influences the thermal balance of a certain area, cities are commonly several degrees hotter than a surrounding rural settlement. Urbanisation forces heat to increase in the CBD and urban areas surrounding the CBD, heat causes increase of electricity bills, and also making it very uncomfortable. Heat waves increase risks of sickness spreading around easier. In Manchester, United Kingdom this case study on how the effect of tree shade and grass on surface and globe temperatures in an urban area, months June and July 2009 and 2010. Small plots were specifically chosen for the study, areas which obtained both concrete and grass with/without the presence of tree shade surface temperatures composed. Global temperatures above each surface was tested, surface and shade affected the temperature greatly. Between the tree shade and the grass, grass de-elevated the temperature by up to 24à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, while tree shade only affected the temperature by decreasing up to 19à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C. With no involvement to my hypothesis tree shade decreased the global temperature by 5à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °-7à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, this case study showed that trees have an influence to global temperature cooling and both tree shade and grass have a natural cooling system towards surface temperature. (Article by author D. Armson). Michaelhouse is located in a rural area which therefore makes temperature in the site lower the populated areas such as towns. Anthropogenic influences on climate are emissions of greenhouse gases and urbanisation. Differentiating the two on which has more of an affect to surface temperature is a difficult process since being that both parties increase the daily mean surface temperature. Urbanisation was compared to agricultural areas nearby, the results differed significantly, and reasons of the big differences between the two may have been the effect of population difference. (Eugenia Kalnay and Ming Cai.) This quote by Eugenia Kalnay and Ming Cai states the same as the above reference by author D. Armson Surface temperature has been reconstructed to hemispheric and global scale using proxy data for decadal to centennial climate changes in last two thousand years. Not many years ago more modern and accurate complementary methods and data were thoroughly tested and validated from experimenting with model simulations. â€Å"Knowledge about climate in past centuries can improve peoples’ understanding of natural climate variability, and address the question whether modern day climate changes are unprecedented in years to come.† (Summarised quote by Michael E. Mann). Many proxy data studies have emphasized on global and hemispheric mean temperatures in previous years, and some studies have tried to reconstruct the underlying spatial patterns of past surface temperature changes globally and in regional scales. Recent attempts to find out the hemispheric temperatures used the composite plus scale method, using proxy data such as tree rings and ice cores are standardized and centred are then composited to form hemispheric and regional series(Michael E. Mann). Theoretical models of surface temperatures oscillations are derived, diurnal and annual are donated amplitude and phase of lag, in terms of external conditions physical properties of soil and atmosphere. Physico-mathematical basis is the explanation of various microclimate characteristics. (Heinz Lettau) Wind speed: The fundamental atmospheric rate. It is commonly measured in knots by an instrument called the anemometer.(Oxford dictionary) In my study of the wind speed at Michaelhouse was used in rotations of the anemometer that I had created. The circulation that causes air to move is called atmospheric pressure, this atmospheric pressure is the weight of atmosphere pressing down towards the Earths’ surface. The global temperature affects the circulation of air flow, in high temperatures air expands and rises, and therefore sinks in low temperatures. (Focus, grade 12 geography text book.) Over a few years new mathematical functions have been proposed for wind speed density, the most commonly used function had come across in studies to be inadequate in finding the correct wind speed density, this function is called the two-parameter Weibull function. Whether the two-parameter function is unimodal or bimodal nature, due to the intricate behaviour of the function inadequate. This prevents it to be modelled by two-parameters model. Unimodal is produced by the two-parameter if it’s bimodal nature which makes it simply inadequate to model appropriately. Recent years other functions have been suggested for both uni/bimodal natured functions, more involved functions to better model the distributions.(A.N. Celik, author) Throughout the five days of gathering data the wind speed was different on every day. â€Å"The main factors that affect the wind direction and speed are the pressure gradient force, Coriolis force and friction. These particular factors cause winds to blow at different directions and different speeds; when they are working together.†(By Annalou Mack, Sciences 360, atmosphere and weather.) Bibliography: Armson, D. (2012). The effect of tree shade and grass on surface and globe temperature in an urban area. Urban forestry and Urban greening, Abstract. Bonan, B. G. (2008). Forest and climate change: forcings, feedbacks, and the climate benefits of forest. science, Abstract. Cai, M. a. (2003, May 29). Impact of urbanisation and land-use change on climate. Letters to nature, Abstract. Celik, N. A. (2010). Critical evaluation of wind speed frequency distribution functions. Journal of renewable and sustainable energy, Abstract. Davidson, R. (1968, December 28). Effect of root/leaf temperature differentials on root/shoot ratios in some pasture grasses and clover. Oxford index, Abstract. Dilley, L. E.-B. (2006). Focus. Cape town: Maskew Miller Longman. Graham, E. R. (1987). Sea surface temperature, sea wind divergence, and convection over tropical oceans. Graham and Barnet, Abstract. Hardin, J. P. (2007, May 25). The effect of urban leaf area on summertime urban surface kinetic temperatures. A Terre Haute case study, Abstract. Kimura, F. (1989, June 6). The effects of land use and anthropogenic heating on the surface temperature in the tokyo metropolitan. Atmospheric environment. Part B, urban atmosphere, Abstract. Lei, M. (2009). A review on the forcasting of the wind speed and generated power. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, Absract. Lettau, H. (1951). Theory of surface temperature and heat transfer oscillations near a level ground surface. American geophysical union, Abstract. Mack, A. (2006). Sciences 360. Atmosphere and weather, 1. Mann, E. M. (2007, November 20). Proxy-based reconstructions of hemispheric and global surface temperature variations over the past millennia. Surface temperature reconstruction for the last 2,000 years, 5. Talib, K. (1984). Shelter in Saudi Arabia. New york: Academy editions. Tsuruta, S. (2002). Confronting neutron star cooling theories with new observations. The astrophysical journal letters, Abstract. Senzo Tembe Effective Leadership Studies: Theodore Roosevelt Effective Leadership Studies: Theodore Roosevelt Daniel J. Safarik Theodore Roosevelt: Hero, Leader, Mentor Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt was many things. He was a civil servant, a war hero, and guardian of human rights. Roosevelts success has inspired many Americans throughout history. However, there was one man that he took under his wing and molded into his successor. Roosevelt was able to impact this mans life for years and led him to the presidency. Who did your leader mentor? The person that Roosevelt inspired and mentored the most was William Taft, the 27th President of the United States and Supreme Court Justice. Tafts professional relationship with Roosevelt began when Teddy offered him a seat on the Supreme Court, which he turned down to finish his duties as governor of the Philippines (William Taft: Life in Brief, 2017). This relationship would eventually lead Roosevelt to encourage Taft to run for president. Roosevelts endorsement would lead to Tafts 1908 victory. How did they mentor that person? Roosevelt began professionally mentoring Taft in 1903 when Roosevelt named Taft his Secretary of War. Taft became Roosevelts closest confidant and two worked very closely on many projects including the Portsmouth Peace negotiations, which ended the war between Japan and Russia. When Taft was elected in 1908 he used the tactics and skills he learned under Roosevelt. Taft continued Roosevelts goal of expanding U.S. foreign trade in South and Central America, as well as in Asia (William Taft: Life in Brief, 2017). Although Tafts presidency in many ways did not work out how Roosevelt had foreseen, it is clear that Taft was impacted by his mentor. Roosevelt gave Taft the tools to ensure that he was prepared to take on the challenge. Were they a good mentor? I believe that Roosevelt was a good mentor to Taft. According to Lesser (1995), one of the keys to good mentorship is great expectations. Roosevelt saw that Taft had potential to be a leader and pushed him to run for President, if not for this encouragement, Taft most likely would not have ever run and just stuck to his original plan of becoming a Supreme Court Justice (which he later completed). Many times mentors see what the mentee cannot yet see. Another key to good mentorship is good exposure (Lesser, 1995). Roosevelt was able to expose Taft to situations and people that set him up for success. If not for Tafts exposure to the Portsmouth Peace negotiations he many have not been successful expanding trade with Asia. Exposure like this is irreplaceable and can be very hard to come by, for this reason, I believe that Roosevelt was an excellent mentor. Did your leader display emotional and social intelligence with the mentee? Emotional and social intelligence are defined as skills that enable an individual to understand the impact of emotions on behavior and thinking, to regulate emotions and behavior, to understand the importance of emotions in others, and to understand social interactions and engage in adaptive ways with others in social situations. Emotional intelligence provides the foundation for social intelligence, which includes social awareness and relationship management (Gerardi, 2015). Knowing that Roosevelt was socially aware and maintained his relationships well, one can infer that he carried over these habits in his mentorship of Taft. Although their mentor/mentee relationship did not last much long after Taft became President, it is clear that Roosevelt helped Taft become skilled on how to adapt to others in social situations and become an excellent mediator and ambassador with countries around the world. References Gerardi, D. (2015). Conflict Engagement: Emotional and Social Intelligence. The American Journal of Nursing, 115(8), 60-5. Lesser, R. (1995). How to be a good mentor. Chemical Engineering, 102(8), 111. William Taft: Life in Brief (2017). In millercenter.org.

Attitude :: essays papers

Attitude 20th century writers dealt with many issues and themes throughout their writing. The authors that I have chosen to look at are Updike, Beatti, Rothke and Plath. These authors and their works will each be evaluated by how they deal with the subjects love, death, loss and passing of time. The short story â€Å" Separating â€Å" by John Updike deals with the subject of love and I also believe it deals with the themes â€Å" quest for identity† and â€Å" alienation and nausea â€Å". The story talks about how two parents are going through the process of telling their children that they are going to separate. This is important to them because they do love their children very much; they want to make the timing perfect so it is easier on the children. The father and mother seemed as though they needed to find out who they really were without their children. They did all things for the kids. They said that they loved one another but yet they didn’t make each other happy. I think that they just weren’t sure what made them â€Å"happy†. â€Å"Weekend â€Å" a short story by Ann Beattie deals with the subject of â€Å" loss of time â€Å" and the same theme that Updikes story dealt with â€Å" quest for identity â€Å" .I chose the subject of time because at first they loved one another and had a good relationship and then time passed and they ended up in such a weird place in their relationship. George had control over Lenore in the way that she never knows that she can leave him and be okay. She stays with him because she does care for him but also because she has a place to put her children and herself to sleep. â€Å"Wish for a Young Wife â€Å" a poem by Theodore Rothke is one that goes into the subject of loss or the idea of loss. This is a man who is telling his wife that he hopes that even while he grows old he wishes that she were beautiful and young for eternity. H e wishes her to never endure grief or hate; these are the very things that make one old. He could be very much in love with his wife and by wishing this for her, so she never looses her beauty.