No Country For Old Men By Cormac Mccarthy English Literature Essay

No Country For Old Men By Cormac Mccarthy English Literature Essay The novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy uses symbolism and the world of the characters to support one of its many themes of the novel. Not only that, but through symbolism, McCarthy reveals the character traits and motives of each of the characters, mainly Moss and Chigurh. The journey of Llewellyn Moss and his attempts to escape the psychotic killer Chigurh symbolizes the fact that you must keep on going to escape the ever changing world. The actions of Chigurh also tell the readers that amongst our sweet, beautiful world, there is so much evil, greed, and death lurking and no matter how hard people try, there is no escape. Through the developments of characters as they are in the novel, and with the help of many symbols, McCarthy effectively conveys the message of No Country for Old Men. The title of the novel itself signifies one of the themes very well which is that one must keep running because if the ever changing world catches up to you, it will devour them. The quote survival of the fittest as said by Charles Darwin applies to this real well. For example, an example straight from the story is how Moss finds the suitcase with two million dollars in it, and is on the run thereafter, from the psychotic killer Chigurh. Where ever he goes, Chigurh gets there and finds him. This is an example of how the world is always changing and if even for a second, a person thinks they are not going to be a victim of it they are wrong. As the story progresses, Chigurh finally catches up with Moss and kills him. This tells the readers that as soon as you think you have won against the world, it will get you really hard. This theme also relates to the title of the story really well in the sense that it says that this is no country for old mean. How this relates is when people get old, they cannot stay up with the race against the world, and one day, the world overtakes them, and they meet their end. It may be the authors take on how life and death works. Another prominent character in the story, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell who is out to hunt for Chigurh plays a great role in signifying the theme mentioned in the above paragraph. Like Moss is on the run from Chigurh, Chigurh is on the run from Sheriff whether he knows it or not. This proves that it does not matter who you are and what you may do, the cycle of life, and the moving world applies to you too. How this applies to the Sheriff himself is really clear in the novel. Throughout the novel, he talks about how he is getting old and he wants to retire through big passages at the beginning of each chapter. He makes remarks about how the world has been changing so quickly, and becoming into a dark, scary place. He mentions that law enforcement work is more dangerous now than what it used to be and this is referring to the world of law enforcement, which is his world because he has been a sheriff since a really young age (McCarthy, 38). So what he is trying to say is that the world is a much more worse place not than before, which also points to the changing of it (the world), and it has changed for the worse. A point to be noted is the fact that he mentions how he is getting old and wants to retire. This goes back to the title of the novel itself. No country for old men. One more example of the prominence of the above theme is when Moss is on the run from Chigurh and is having dinner. He says three weeks ago I was a law abiding citizen. Workin nine to five jobs. Eight to four, anyways. Things happen to you they happen. They dont ask first. They dont require your permission (McCarthy 220). This quote is one of the single biggest proofs of the theme of a changing world in the book. This tells us how our choice, and decisions we make effects our life whether we know it or not, and we cannot do anything about it. Clearly, when Moss was making a choice of taking the money, he did not consider this. This tells the readers that whatever you do in the world will have its consequences and some you can avoid, and others you cannot but to do so, you must keep moving otherwise you will be caught and served justice. Along with that, another prominent theme of the novel is that there is nothing anyone can do about the evil side of human nature. This includes greed, violence, and cold hearted killing. Let us start off by talking about the protagonist, Llewellyn Moss. The actions of this man started off the whole chain of events, leading to numerous deaths. When Moss saw the drug deal gone wrong, instead of helping one of the wounded survivors out, he walks away, takes the 2 million dollars, and goes home. This triggers another event. Anton Chigurh sets out to find him, and wherever he goes, he leaves a trail of blood. When the Sheriff tells him he will help, he refuses and digs his grave even deeper. All of this is a result of the greed for money. Another example is that of Anton Chigurh the main antagonist. When Chigurh gets into a gun fight, he sees the lights receding. Watching his own image degrades in that squandered world (McCarthy, 122). This symbolizes the squandered world, being degraded to the point where people can kill very easily, and watch others die just as easily thereafter. The last quote mentioned also shows the contrast between the character of Moss and Chigurh. On one hand, there is Moss, who cannot kill Chigurh, even though he was right in front of him, knowing the fact that he is trying to kill him, no holds barred. On the other hand, there is Chigurh, who enjoys every single moment of killing people. Although what Moss did triggered so many murderous events, his actions throughout the book and lead us to say that he is not a bad person, though he may have made a few mistakes in his life. Going back to the beginning of the novel, when Moss finds the money case, and there is a man dying and asking for water. At that time, he does not have it so he goes back to get it and while coming so, says Im fixin to go do something dumbhern hell but Im going anyways (McCarthy, 24). He knows that going there is risky, but as a good person, he risks his life just to go and give a dying man some water and this is a really good sign of how great of a heart Moss possesses. Another example is later on when he is on the run. He says Three weeks ago I was a law abiding citizen. Workin nine to five jobs. Eight to four, anyways. Things happen to you they happen. They dont ask first. They dont require your permission(McCarthy, 220). He tells this to a girl who he is having dinner with. This shows his cha racter as a caring and nurturing one because he does not want the girl to make the mistakes he has made. This goes to show that no one on this planet is flawless. The actions of Anton Chigurh, from the start build his character as an evil, blood thirsty, and devilish person who will do anything to attain personal benefits. In the beginning of the story, Chigurh escapes from the clutches of a local Sheriff, and he place[s] his hand on the mans head like a faith healer [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] The man slid soundlessly to the ground, a round hole in his forehead from which blood bubbles [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (McCarthy, 7). This quote, not only reveals Chigurhs character, but the fact that it is at the very beginning of the book, reveals the theme of violence, murder and violence throughout the story, and readers can very easily notice them. When Chigurh [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] place[s] his hand on the mans head like a faith healer [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦], it reveals to the readers that Chigurh, despite being on a murderous rage, believes he had god given powers. Later in the novel, he weigh[s] things in his hand like a medium (McCarthy, 204) and this action of his is quite interesting because it paints divine light on the bloody character of Chigurh. Despite all the useless bloodshed caused by this fellow, he is portrayed as a greater being. Taking reference from Hindu philosophies, we can prove this to be correct. In Hinduism, a good person is the one who does his deed (karma) and bad people are the ones who slack away from it. Because of the fact that Chigurh is a killer, and he is killing people really well, McCarthy may have taken into account this philosophy, and painted Chigurh as an almost divine and great figure. By putting together all the different aspects of formalist approaches, we know that Cormac McCarthy is sending the readers of his novel, No Country for Old Men a deeper message than just the words. McCarthy wants to tell the readers that no matter what happens in life, you must keep moving forward, and never give up. This message can be taken by the readers no matter where they go in life and no matter how big of a person they become. Work Cited List No Country for Old Men Forums From Book to Film MovieWeb.com. (n.d.).  Movie Trailers, New Movies, Movie News, 2013 Movies, DVDs MovieWeb.com. Retrieved March 18, 2013, from http://www.movieweb.com/movie/no-country-for-old-men/FT252CRAcxjO56 McCarthy, C. (2005).  No country for old men. New York: Knopf. McCarthy, Cormac. No Country for Old Men Cormac McCarthy Study Guide, Lesson Plan more eNotes.com.  Study Guides, Lesson Plans, Homework Help, Answers More eNotes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

Dance: My First Love Essay -- Personal Experience, Personal Narrative

Dance has been a part of human history since the earliest records of human life (Praagh 30). Cave paintings found in Spain and France from 30,000 -10,000 BC had life-like drawings of dancing figures participating in rituals. They illustrated the prominence of dance in early human society. Later in the Renaissance Era a new attitude towards the body, the arts, and dance was originated. The courts of Italy and France became the center of new developments in dance, providing support to dancing masters and musicians who created large scale social dances for the acknowledgment of celebrations and festivities. In the court of Catherine de Medici, the Italian wife of Henry II of France, the first forms of ballet stemmed from the genius dancer, Balthazar de Beauhoyeulx. In 1581, Balthazar displayed the first full-length ballet for an audience. His piece was an idealized dance that told the story of a legend by combining spoken texts, intricate settings, and costumes with group dances f ull of strong technique (Praagh 100). In 1661, Louis XIV of France granted the organization of the first Royal Academy of Dance (Praagh 101). Because of this, during the next centuries, ballet developed into a high-class discipline and art form. Social couple dances such as the minuet and the waltz began to emerge as a display of free will and expression. In the 19th century, the era of romantic ballet reflected the struggles ballerinas had in the new time period in such ballet classics as Giselle (1841), Swan Lake (1895), and the Nutcracker (1892) (Praagh 125). At the turn of the new century, with the commotion of World War I, the arts reflected a major questioning of values and a hysterical search for new forms that reflected individual expression an... ...orld of dance. Bibliography: Works Cited Baughman, Kristen â€Å"Martha Graham’s Life.† Graham Index. 1998. http://userpages.wittenberg.edu/s02.cscaia/graham_life.html (20 Dec. 2000). Conner, Lynnen â€Å"Chapter 3: The Modern Dancers.† Early Moderns. 1996. http://www.pitt.edu/~gillis/dance/martha.html (20 Dec. 2000). Marshal, Stephanie. Personal Interview on Dance Experience. Butler, PA, 18, Dec. 2000. Maynard, Olga. American Modern Dancers. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company. 1965. Praagh, Peggy. The Choreographic Art. New York: Alfred A. Knopt. 1963. Teachout, Terry â€Å"The Dancer: Martha Graham.† Time 100. 2000. http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/graham.html (12 Dec. 2000). Zermeno, Rogelio. â€Å"Dancing to Success.† Martha Graham. 1994. http://www.csc.calpoly.edu/~rortizze/graham.htm (15 Dec. 2000).

My Philosophy in Life Essay

Living life to the fullest and helping others achieve the same while being my carefree self is my philosophy. My values to live life by are, to reason with or ask questions about anything and everything, to show others my point of view and persuading them is also important to me, and to accept people for who they are and help them no matter what, that defines who I am. Life is a mystery that everyone unfolds each day, by each passing moment. Asking questions, to me is something I find logical because if a hum being is curious, it wants the answer. During my childhood, when I read books about my religion, so many questions arouse in my head. Asking my parents was the only resource I had to answering my questions and ridding me of my curiosity. The world has changed so much only because people ask so many questions and work hard to find answers, if possible that is. Helping people learn and understand both the questions and answers through my experiences is a joy to me and I live by this philosophy. Answering the many questions is fine, but not everyone agrees with my reasoning. This challenging rivalry, the desire to prove my point to the opponent whether I’m right or wrong is another one of my philosophies. Back in Dubai while I was in Grade 5, I was a participant at a debate, and the topic that I had to talk about was, whether if the introduction of computers into society during this era had a negative effect. Although I was proved wrong by my rival, I stood my ground and got my point across using facts, direct quotations, and my personal drive to prove him wrong. This was not in order to win like most people see it, it was in order to show everyone the flip side of the issue at hand and to educate them about it. Being challenged is my drive to press forward. Proving my point is fun, but taking people’s feelings into consideration is the most important philosophy I live by. Sometimes it angers or upsets people when what they believed in or lived by was wrong. Causing conflict is something I always try to avoid, since I’m a very carefree person who likes to go with the flow and work accordingly. I had to prove to my parents that the career path I chose to pursue was the right choice for me. I convinced them but I also making sure I achieve what they want me to achieve, so that they are happy. As a person who is carefree, I live life as it goes on but I also stop and realise what’s happening around me, learn from it, and share my experiences with people. I prove my point but also accept others opinion so I see how other people view the world and what they think about it. This is how I learn and live life, using these few philosophies of mine.

The Issue Of Gun Control Essay - 2052 Words

President Obama said at a press conference on October 01, 2015 â€Å"The solution to such violence is obvious. It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun† (Simple Minded Gun Control). Gun control is a controversial issue worldwide. The reason why this has attracted so much attention is because not everyone is in favor of gun control and each side brings up excellent points about the issue. Research related to this issue strongly supports the claim that there SHOULD be more gun control laws. The first task I will complete in this research paper is clearing up any misconceptions about Gun Control and all the terminologies I will use. Followed by my three arguments that prove this position which are (1) Incidents like Sandy Hook or Oregon will be less likely to occur (2) It reduces the high rates of accidental deaths (3) As the years pass by and technology updates the laws should be up to date as well. Members fr om the National Rifles Association state that No law-abiding American should be forced to face evil with empty hands. I say I agree with President Obama there SHOULD be more gun control laws because it should not be as easy as it is for someone who wants to inflict harm on others to get their hands on a weapon. Allow me to first clarify any misconceptions about gun control. The actual meaning of gun control is restrictions on any form of firearms being brought or sold, where they reShow MoreRelatedGun Issue And Gun Control1401 Words   |  6 PagesUniversity, Gun Politics has been a course I have aspired to take. While many enroll in such a course looking for an escape from the â€Å"collegiate liberal echo chamber† or as an outlet for their conservative agendas, I saw the class as an â€Å"entrance to the dark side.† My views on guns prior to the class were, I would call, polarized yet uninformed. In most of my discussions, I would cite the Australian 1996 National Firearms Agreement as precedent for how American politicians should approach the gun issueRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control Essay1646 Words   |  7 Pagessomebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun.† (Simple Minded Gun Control). Gun control is a controversial issue worldwide. The reason why this has attracted so much attention is because not everyone is in favor of gun control and each side brings up excellent points about the issue. Research related to this issue strongly supports the claim that there SHOULD be more gun control laws. Three arguments that prove this position are (1) Incidents like Sandy HookRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1489 Words   |  6 Pagessplit on the issue of gun control. We have seen many violent shootings and innocent people dying because of gun violence. 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