Pinkie and Evil Essay Example for Free

Pinkie and Evil Essay Graham Greene, a devote Catholic and author of Brighton Rock, centers his novel on the religious, metaphysical concepts of good verses evil. We, as readers, are overwhelmed with the presence of evil and its power to manipulate the good, as shown especially through the protagonist, Pinkie. It is ironic that Pinkie is Catholic, for he embodies everything that is evil, sinister, and hellish. Pinkie, a gang leader, a sociopath, and a teenage devil, exemplifies evil within the novel. The physical appearance of Pinkie shows how evilness is imbedded within his being. When we are first introduced to him, he is physically described as having a â€Å"face of starved intensity, a kind of hideous and unnatural pride† (Greene 5). This description is reminiscent of the lack of emotions Pinkie holds and his sociopathical intentions. It shows how he is hungry for something and holds an abnormally strong feeling of personal worth with a strong sense of arrogance. Greene continues on in saying that â€Å"his grey eyes had an effect of the heartlessness like an old man’s in which human feeling [have] died† (6). Grey is a bland, emotionless color often associated with mourning and mystery. Many believe that the eyes are, in fact, the windows to the soul. With Pinkie’s grey eyes, we gain an extension of his lack of feeling and are left wondering if there is a true soul buried in him. This lack of emotion aids to his inner evilness. Lastly, Greene characterizes Pinkie as a snake: â€Å"The Boy retorted with sudden venom† (53). The snake is the animal most associated with the Devil. They represent all that is evil, dangerous, and deceitful, characteristics reminiscent of Pinkie himself. Pinkie’s strong dislike of women shows his intolerance for other humans, therefore adding to his inner wickedness. The presence of a woman triggers a build up of anger within Pinkie, emphasizing his bigotry of others. For example, when he first hears Ida singing, he watches her with â€Å"an expression of furious distaste† (6). Although she is a beautiful, busty woman, Pinkie feels nothing but dissatisfaction and anger towards Ida. He eventually drops and shatters his glass in reaction to his irritation at Ida. Along with the mere presence of a female, Pinkie is disgusted by the idea of sexual contact and abhors sex itself. Upon looking at Rose and her skin, he can only react with â€Å"a prick of sexual desire [that] disturbed him like a sickness† (130). Observing a woman’s body only causes him to cringe and feel ill. Other than simply his distaste for a woman, this is partly triggered by the fact he saw his parents engaging in sexual activities as a child. Regardless, he is born of unloving circumstances, unable to feel or give love. Lacking the ability to engage in sexual activities or to love another sparks a nerve in the evilness that embodies Pinkie. He is often dominating and threatening towards female characters as a sort of defense mechanism. Just as his hatred for others adds to his evil nature, Pinkie’s fascination with pain and death does as well. In the beginning of the novel, Pinkie, himself, brutally murders Hale in revenge for Kite’s death. Being the leader of gang, Pinkie is constantly surrounded by death. In one instance, Pinkie inflicts pain on and kill an insect: â€Å"He pulled off the legs and wings one by one† (134). The drawn out description of picking off each leg one at a time emphasizes his ruthlessness. While he picks off the legs, he does so while saying â€Å"she loves me, she loves me not† (134). Most people would use flowers for this chant, thus emphasizing his diabolicalness and highlighting his evil nature. He only gains satisfaction out of things that cause pain, such as vitriol, a deadly acid. On the contrary to his indifference to sexual satisfaction, he even gains pleasure while alone with a bottle of vitriol: â€Å"†¦just as the faint sensual pleasure he felt, touching the bottle of vitriol with his fingers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (63). It is as if Pinkie is stroking an animal or pet. Pinkie gains pleasure in painful and deadly things, thus increasing his evil demeanor. Pinkie, a Roman-Catholic, believes hell is inevitable, and because of this knowledge, he chooses to befriend evil. Despite his religious upbringing, Pinkie radically changed into a more Atheist-prone attitude, stating â€Å"God couldn’t escape the evil mouth which chose to eat its own damnation† (259). He simply believed that the presence of a force like the devil could never be touched, even by God himself. Because he grew up in such unfathomable conditions, he has grown to view life as a living Hell; he has never experienced a slight sense of Heaven. He regards Hell as a â€Å"familiar room† (264), suggesting his familiarity to such dreadful, diabolical conditions. Succeeding Kite in the life of a gangster, he has come to be a more sadistic being, certain of his own damnation. â€Å"He spoke like a devil – he tempted her to virtue like a sin† (350). We see that Pinkie, embodying the Devil, chooses sin rather than virtue, tempting his peers with the same attitude. He influences Rose as far as suggesting she should kill herself, even offering her a gun to do so. Greene is effective in his use of characterization and imagery to create a character reminiscent of such evil. Pinkie epitomizes the evil in the novel. Greene epitomizes Pinkie’s evil nature like â€Å"poison twist[ing] in [his] veins† (121). Thus we see the evil instilled in him, yet he continuously allows it to contaminate himself like a disease. What Pinkie did not comprehend, and Greene’s main theme, was that no matter how evil or how seemingly damned one may be, you have the opportunity to redeem yourself.

Billy goat curse :: essays research papers

The â€Å"Billy Goat Curse† Its game six of the National League Championship Series, the Cubs lead the series 3 games to 1 over the Florida Marlins; it's the 8th inning of the sixth game with the Cubs leading 3 to 0. The Florida Marlins are up with a runner on first and only 1 out. The batter, Derek Lee, hits a pop fly down the left field line one row into the stands, Moises Alou, the Cubs' left fielder, reaches for the ball but before he could grab the ball a fan reaches up and knocks it away from him. The Cubs would go on to lose game six 8 to 3, and would later go on to lose game 7, and the series. After game 6, many people, including fans and the media, believed that the actions of this one fan cost the Cubs there one chance to end the 95 year drought and the curse of the Billy goat. In my speech today I plan on giving you a brief history of the Cubs, what the Billy goat curse is, and the fans reaction to the losing, and the curse. On Oct 6, 1945, a Greek tavern owner by the name of Sam "Bill y goat" Siannis, (he was nicked named the Billy goat because of his goatee), bought box seats for himself and his goat. It was the 4th game of the World Series, the Cubs having had won 2 out of 3 in Detroit. They came back to Chicago favorites to win it all. In the past, and all entire season, he was allowed to bring his goat to the games. This time, however, management said no. Siannis and his goat were escorted out of Wrigley Field. Not happy with what was going on; Siannis stopped in the middle of Wrigley field, threw both arms up in the air and yelled, "There will never be another world series played at Wrigley Field.† The Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers in the 1907 and 1908 World Series. This would be the last time the Cubs would win the World Series, a 95 year drought. The Cubs would go on to have some success in the following decade, winning the pennant (their division) in 1910 and again in 1929 both times losing in the first round of the playoffs. Ano ther pennant came their way in 1932, and this time they would go all the way to the World Series only to lose to the New York Yankees, on Babe Ruth's called shot. Billy goat curse :: essays research papers The â€Å"Billy Goat Curse† Its game six of the National League Championship Series, the Cubs lead the series 3 games to 1 over the Florida Marlins; it's the 8th inning of the sixth game with the Cubs leading 3 to 0. The Florida Marlins are up with a runner on first and only 1 out. The batter, Derek Lee, hits a pop fly down the left field line one row into the stands, Moises Alou, the Cubs' left fielder, reaches for the ball but before he could grab the ball a fan reaches up and knocks it away from him. The Cubs would go on to lose game six 8 to 3, and would later go on to lose game 7, and the series. After game 6, many people, including fans and the media, believed that the actions of this one fan cost the Cubs there one chance to end the 95 year drought and the curse of the Billy goat. In my speech today I plan on giving you a brief history of the Cubs, what the Billy goat curse is, and the fans reaction to the losing, and the curse. On Oct 6, 1945, a Greek tavern owner by the name of Sam "Bill y goat" Siannis, (he was nicked named the Billy goat because of his goatee), bought box seats for himself and his goat. It was the 4th game of the World Series, the Cubs having had won 2 out of 3 in Detroit. They came back to Chicago favorites to win it all. In the past, and all entire season, he was allowed to bring his goat to the games. This time, however, management said no. Siannis and his goat were escorted out of Wrigley Field. Not happy with what was going on; Siannis stopped in the middle of Wrigley field, threw both arms up in the air and yelled, "There will never be another world series played at Wrigley Field.† The Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers in the 1907 and 1908 World Series. This would be the last time the Cubs would win the World Series, a 95 year drought. The Cubs would go on to have some success in the following decade, winning the pennant (their division) in 1910 and again in 1929 both times losing in the first round of the playoffs. Ano ther pennant came their way in 1932, and this time they would go all the way to the World Series only to lose to the New York Yankees, on Babe Ruth's called shot.

How Does Golding Present Simon in Lord of the Flies-What Is His Role? Essay

William Goldings â€Å"Lord of the flies†, portrays a group of boys who find themselves stranded on a desert island in a deep battle between civilisation and primitive savagery. One of the boys portrayed, Simon, a boy who is kind and physically fragile expresses a deeper knowledge of the problems on the island that the other boys are unaware of. There are many differing viewpoints on his role in the novel. One of these is that he is a biblical parallel; Simon portrays a saintly figure, and shows many of the qualities demonstrated by Jesus Christ. He demonstrates a strong connection with nature throughout, and also is shown to be a character of strong goodwill and kindness. One of the reasons Simon is often thought of as a biblical parallel to Jesus Christ is because of his encounter with â€Å"The beast†, which shows a strong resemblance to Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, in which he encountered the Devil and was tempted by him to leave his mission. In â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, Simon meets the beast during an epileptic fit. His mind, or the Beast tells him â€Å"We are going to have fun on this island†¦so don’t try it on†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Simon is being told that he must not tell the others what he knows, that they must have fun and Simon must not interfere, but he must just â€Å"run off and play†. The name â€Å"Lord of the Flies† is a translation of a word thought to mean a powerful demon, or the devil himself. This shows that Simon may have represented Jesus in the novel. Simon’s death also shows resemblance to that of Jesus, which shows us that Simon may be Christ’s representation in the novel. ‘Simon was crying out something of a dead man on a hill. ‘ This imagery is displayed just before Simon is mercilessly slaughtered by the other boys, a direct link to the image of Jesus’ crucifixion on the top of a hill. After Christ was killed, it was said that ‘There was darkness over all the land†¦and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.’ These supernatural biblical descriptions recount the solar eclipse and the earthquake which took place after Jesus’ death. This relates to the death of Simon; ‘The clouds opened and let down the rain like a waterfall’, signifying his death. When Jesus was crucified, he died to save mankind. This relates to Simon confronting the figure on the mountaintop. When he died â€Å"the parachute took the figure forward†¦and bumped it out to sea†. When Simon died, the dead air pilot was finally  released from his purgatorial state on the island, and as Jesus died and salvaged mankind, Simon died and exorcised the soul who lingered between life and death, and between heaven and hell. This shows us that Simon had many strong parallels with Jesus and may have been his biblical parallel in the novel. Simon is a representation of hope and innocence on the island, and has a strong and vital connection with nature. In the novel, Simon has a special place in the forest where he can go and sit alone, at one with his surroundings. â€Å"The sunlight pelted down and the butterflies danced.† This description indicates that this place where Simon often resides is almost paradisiacal, and Simon is able to appreciate the true beauty of the island; it’s beauty is not thwarted by his presence, as it is with the other boys. Simon has a strong connection with the island and with nature itself. Simon is able to see the true beauty in the things that others cannot. The ‘creepers’, which had once hindered the boys and were previously referred to as ‘snake-like’, aid him and form ‘a large mat’. This shows his unity with nature. When Simon ventures into the forest the white ‘candle buds’ open themselves up, which and returned to peaceful place that he came from. Simon is connected with nature throughout the novel, but is only truly at one with it when he dies. The body of the dead airman being pulled out to sea could also symbolise Simons soul being finally released from the confines of life and returning to nature where it belongs. Simon’s true sense of pure goodwill is first demonstrated in his expressed concern for the more vulnerable boys. He help the littluns to get fruit, and ‘pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands’. He also helps Piggy to get his glasses back when Jack has knocked them off, showing that he does not discriminate against Piggy because he is different but chooses to help him, even if this may cause him to suffer in the future. These may indicate that Simon, though other characters may be thought of as â€Å"good† and kind, such as Piggy or Ralph, Simon shows no flaws at all. Simon possesses a deep knowledge and understanding about the truth of the island and the beast of which the other boys know not. He also seems to posses many mystic qualities. He is the first to understand truly that the beast is not a physical or material being, but something that lives within the boys. Unlike piggy or Ralph, who are able to appreciate adult knowledge and understanding, Simon possesses  the ability to see the darker side of knowledge. For Simon, the eyes of the Pig’s head on the stick are â€Å"dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life†, meaning that adults believe nothing is ideal, therefore his realisation in itself is cynical– the beast lives within the children, making Simon distrust the human nature. He knows the truth but is unable to get it across to the other boys; â€Å"Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s’ essential illness†. Simon understands the truth behind the beast- that the beast itself thrives within the boys, is not something living that can be hunted, but is mankind’s â€Å"essential illness†, the evil that lurks within all men, waiting to be released. The fact that Simon is â€Å"inarticulate† shows that he is unable to express the truth to the others, and even if he had, the boys would not have listened or cared. His death relates to the elements- his knowledge is elemental . Golding shows us the significance of his death by shifting the focus from the movements of Simon’s body to the movements of the sun, the moon and the stars, inciting that Simon’s knowledge was as essential as the elements themselves. However, even though he is portrayed as a weak character right from the beginning, Simon is much braver than he seems; he is the one who climbs the mountain to encounter â€Å"the beast†, at which he discovers that the beast is not material. Simon possesses a number of mystical qualities, such as his pathetic abilities. Simon prophesizes to Ralph â€Å"you’ll get back to where you came from†, almost indicating that he may not. Simon foresees his own death and predicts that Ralph will ret urn home. Another way in which Simon’s mystical qualities are shown is when he asks the other boys rhetorical questions which require much thought to answer, such as â€Å"what is the dirtiest thing there is?† All of these indicate that Simon is a mystic and possesses a much deeper and darker knowledge than the other boys. To conclude, Golding’s presentation of Simon shows us his biblical parallel with Jesus and his significant unity with nature, which lets Simon see the true beauty of the island where others cannot, indicating that it is not the island that is against them but that the boys are against the island, truly centralised around destruction and savagery. He represents Hope and bravery and has a deep and perhaps dark knowledge, which enables him to perceive the truth much more clearly than the other boys. He also has a flawless good will. This shows us that Simon’s true role in the novel was that he alone  had the power to save the boys from themselves, for he alone had the knowledge of the beast’s true nature. Simon was killed because of this, however he was killed as the beast – yet it is ironic that he said the beast was â€Å"only us†. Simon was the least beast-like, which makes one wonder whether him being less savage makes him more or less human.

Queer Bodies Sexualities, Genders, And Being An Outcast

Heather Sykes is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and specializes in educational studies and physical education (Sykes, 2011). Sykes is published in a variety of academic journals for her research in critical analysis of gender, sexuality and fatness in physical education as well as sports sociology. Her book, Queer Bodies: Sexualities, Genders, Fatness in Physical Education is a heavily research-based book about key issues in physical education. It was published in 2011 by Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. based out of New York, New York and despite being published by an American company, the bulk of Sykes’s research comes from Canadian citizens who identify as having queer bodies. Throughout the text, Sykes uncovers various problems within physical education surrounding queer bodies such as harassment, humiliation, and being an outcast. She challenges the traditional values and curriculum used in physical education courses, and provides insight to better serve queer bodies in physical education. The true purpose of Queer Bodies: Sexualities, Genders, Fatness in Physical Education is to shed light on how students who identify as queer bodied maneuver through physical education courses in school. Over the course of her book, Sykes examines each issue of gender, sexuality, and fatness separately and analyzes each population individually, providing insight to each specific queer bodied group. A ‘queer body’ can be defined as anyone who identifies against theShow MoreRelatedQueer Bodies : Sexualities, Genders, And Being An Outcast1529 Words   |  7 Pagescritical analysis of gender, sexuality and fatness in physical education as well as sports sociology. Her book, Queer Bodies: Sexualities, Genders, Fatness in Physical Education is a heavily research-based book about key issues in physical education. 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