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Table of contents

1. How Was County Music Influenced?
Technology ChangesCountry Music Debuts on RadioNew Areas for Country Music
2. Conclusion

Country music was officially started in the 1920s. Country music was known as country and western music and before that hillbilly music. Country music represented many people in the south and how they lived, this is why country music started in the southern regions of America. I believe that society changed country music through the years and the country music we know today was due to the manipulation of technology, radio, and demographics.

How Was County Music Influenced?

First, country music was influenced in the 1930s using new technology bring to life a new sound for performers. Second, the appearance of country music in radio had both an influence on society and was influenced by society. Finally, during the depression and world war II country music moved to new areas and was exposed to new genres, with this movement country music was changed.

Technology Changes

In 1927 amplified sound was created at first for the army to hear commanders’ orders better. Soon musicians were using this technology to amplify their sound. Then in 1936 the electric guitar was born. The use of the electric guitar was used in mostly bluegrass (is a form of American country music that was influenced by English, Irish and Scottish traditional music, and blues and hillbilly music. With the use of the electric guitar country music was changed due to amplifying the sound which brought the sound of the guitar forward. I believe that bring this electric guitar into music we changed country music to what we have now. Today’s country music would have a completely different sound if it wasn’t for the creation of the electric guitar and musicians adapting to these new technologies.

Country Music Debuts on Radio

Country music was being heard all over the country and in Canada by the 1940s. [endnoteRef:3] As country music hit radio stations more people got a chance to listen to more than just the top hits on radio and got to hear more genres. I believe that with this new music many people wanted to hear country music evolve. In today’s radio for country music I believe that with the influence of pop music country music lost what roots it had and moved towards a pop/country sound. With this people who enjoyed pop music then started listening to this country pop mixture.

New Areas for Country Music

With radio stations playing country music more places could listen to country music. Due to this more people could put input into country music. During the Great Depression a “somber guitar-based folk style” that became the country music style during the 1940s. At the end of World War II music studies in Nashville had opened because of the popularity of the “grand ole Opry”v so that musicians could come to Nashville. By the mid 1950s Nashville had just as many songwriters as New York. v I believe that with country music creating a bigger name for itself that this change in location to Nashville gave country music its name today. With this move society was able to listen to different styles of country music dependent on the area. Due to this people were able to make certain types popular leading to music today.

Conclusion

I believe that country music has represented rural lifestyles throughout the years, and reflects love, heartbreak, and having a good time. From its evolvement through electric guitars, being on radio stations, and moving to different locations country music became what we listen to today. I think that this changed country music and without these parts in history and with societies influences country music would not be the same. I believe that Nashville, and other southern parts of the USA benefitted from country music and now has a steady stream of money coming in due to different country recording artists.

Mohsin Hamid's 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' is an intriguing story of questionable identities and betrayal. The protagonist, Changez, finds himself in a teahouse in Lahore, Pakistan, where he engages in an extended monologue describing his life journey, in the company of an American stranger. Readers are presented with the thrilling and fascinating life of the young Pakistani man, but are also positioned to observe the way Changez's actions and choices are, to some extent, influenced by the protagonist's relationship with Erica.

In the initial part of the story, Changez is seen as a very successful individual, graduating 'summa cum laude' from the prestigious Princeton University, and being employed as an analyst at Underwood Samson, one of the best valuation firms in New York. Additionally, during his holiday in Greece, he meets Erica, a 'stunningly regal' girl who comes from an 'affluent' family and seems to impose a 'magnetism' upon Changez. At this early stage of the novel, Hamid positions the readers to envisage Changez's apparent achievement of the American Dream, while also drawing on the positive impact that the 'lioness' exerts on the protagonist, as his social life strongly develops, as a result of Erica's continuous invitations to various events, while his performance at work is better than ever, Changez being ranked first among all starting analysts at the firm. However, the protagonist soon discovers that despite Erica's magnetism and 'charming' personality, 'something in her eyes (is) broken'. At this point in time, readers can sense that Changez starts to become concerned with Erica's situation. Nevertheless, his concern is yet to have a negative impact upon his life, and despite her being 'lost in a world of her own', the two still manage to sustain their relationship. Except for Changez feeling 'ashamed', not even the fact that the protagonist has to pretend being Chris to satisfy Erica shakes their relationship, and does not strongly affect the two lovers. However, the unquantifiable tragedy of 9/11 takes both lovers by surprise and plays the role of the catalyst for the decline of both Changez and Erica.

The collapse of the World Trade Center is seen by the readers as one of the main turning points in Changez's life, as he suddenly finds himself in a new, unknown environment. He is the subject of racial discrimination on the airports in Manila and New York and is verbally cursed on the train and in the parking area of the New Jersey company. Moreover, Hamid positions the readers to observe the mental breakdown of Erica, which seems to be caused mainly by the theme of death present in New York at that time. Her collapse is obvious for the readers, as she is very fragile and brittle, and nostalgia seems to have taken over her life. Consequently, her relationship with Changez slowly deteriorates, and contributes to the protagonist's frustration and self-denial, and perhaps adds to the list of countless reasons why he decides to take a trip to Lahore. When he returns, though, he finds Erica living at a clinic, being on the verge of psychological collapse, and Hamid outlines, through Changez's words, that it 'pains him' to see her so 'detached' from the real world. At this point, readers sense that Changez is strongly affected by his broken relationship with Erica, as he feels that he has lost her. With these thoughts in mind, he travels to Valparaiso with the purpose of a work assignment, but when he returns, and subsequently loses his job at Underwood Samson, he is told that 'Erica is gone'. These three words clearly contribute to Changez's internal suffering, as besides seeing his American Dream collapse, the girl he loves is 'vanished'. While it's not the main reason for his permanent departure from America, Erica's disappearance might have played a role in the protagonist's decision to return to Lahore. Some readers might think that Juan-Bautista's story of the janissaries and the fact that Changez has to leave the country due to legal constraints are the only two reasons behind his choice of leaving America, but some might argue that the emotional pain that Changez suffers from throughout the later sequence of his American journey, which is mainly caused by Erica's collapse and the two lovers' separation, also plays an important role and affects him to a great extent.

In the final part of Hamid's novel, readers are positioned to envisage that Changez becomes nostalgic and 'detached', thinking of Erica in just the same way that she was thinking of Chris. This gives readers the impression that Erica's relationship with Changez has affected and still affects the protagonist's life and decisions to a great extent, as he himself admits that '(he) remained emotionally entwined with Erica' and that during some nights, instead of sleeping he imagines spending a day in her company. Hamid successfully presents readers with the melancholy that surrounds Changez's life as a result of his now artificial relationship with Erica, and positions them to empathise with the protagonist, who seems to have developed some very dangerous 'emotional scars' and appeals to become overwhelmingly similar to Erica. Indeed, their relationship affects him to such an extent, that he seems unable to find his place of belonging anymore. Through the use of an inconclusive ending, Hamid leaves space for the readers' imagination, but most might state that Changez's situation is very critical, as he himself might become the victim of the 'illness of the spirit' from which Erica so profoundly suffered. This thought best illustrates the extent to which Changez's relationship with Erica affects him, and also alters his choices, as his identity is strongly shaken by her disappearance.

Throughout his American journey, Changez's relationship with Erica affects him emotionally to a great extent, as her detachment and fragility pain the protagonist. Moreover, their relationship also alters his decisions, as many of the crucial choices that Changez makes throughout the novel are caused, in part or in full, by Erica's influence. In addition, despite her disappearance, Changez is also strongly affected by their relationship when he returns to Lahore, as he seems to fall in the same nostalgic and melancholic state of spirit as Erica was in the past, a state that can only negatively impact on the protagonist.

Shakespeare’s comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, focuses a great deal on the character of Kate, the “shrew” of the story, and her transition from an unlovable, temperamental harridan into the picture of a perfect wife. Surrounding this tale of Petruchio and Kate are the comic antics of Hortensio and Lucentio as they scheme to win Bianca. Beyond this, one follows Tranio’s efforts to pass himself off as a noble and continue furthering Lucentio’s plots by engaging the help of a wandering merchant. Even further than this, outside of the plot entirely, is the rather odd introduction to the play in which a lord plays a prank on Sly, a worthless beggar, and makes him think he is a nobleman. All of these stories have one very strong, common theme underlying them. Almost all of the main characters engage in the changing of roles, whether by their own will or because of the actions of others. However, when all is accomplished, there is one character who has well and truly changed into a new person. All the switching of roles for schemes or jests simply emphasizes the genuine change of character in Kate.

The first change of roles, which gives a taste of what is to come in the main story, is the odd introduction of Christopher Sly. An unnamed lord finds him asleep and happens upon the brilliant idea of making Sly believe that he has only been imagining he was a beggar. The lord changes roles and becomes a servant and the beggar is transformed into a lord. This jest is indicative of the very first changing of roles found in the actual story in which Lucentio becomes a humble schoolmaster and his servant, Tranio, takes on Lucentio’s position. However, the unnamed lord’s changing of roles, while temporary like Lucentio’s and Tranio’s, is simply a jest for his own enjoyment. Sly is willing to step right into his new role as lord and assume it permanently: “Upon my life, I am a lord indeed, / And not a tinker nor Chistophero Sly” (Taming of the Shrew Ind 2.70-71), but he is the object of ridicule, not part of the scheme. The story of Kate, Petruchio, Lucentio, Bianca, and the others is enacted for Sly. This is possibly yet another jest on the part of the lord, attempting to show Sly a play about switching roles to give him a hint of what has happened to him. Whether or not Sly picks up on the joke is never discovered.

The beginning of the main story introduces Lucentio and Tranio, the first characters in the play within the play to change roles. Lucentio does so, however, as a plot to gain the love of fair Bianca: “Let me be a slave, t’achieve that maid” (1.1.216). His servant Tranio is not at all against it and does, in fact, admit to having the same idea: “Master, for my hand, / Both our inventions meet and jump in one” (1.1.186-187). However, the hindrance remains in the form of Kate, who must be wed before Bianca may be.

Kate is portrayed very much in her true form at the beginning the play. She is overbearing and nothing short of terrifying. Her transformation will not be sudden, like the role changing around her, but takes time and effort on the part of Petruchio. Shakespeare makes it very clear that any change in her is nothing short of miraculous: “Think’st thou, Hortensio, though / her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be / married to hell?” (1.1.122-124) She, rather like Sly, will never be part of the schemes or jests, but unlike Sly, her change will be permanent and for the better.

Hortensio and Lucentio appear in their altered roles as tutors for Bianca at the same time that Petruchio is to be introduced to Kate. Ironically, while Hortensio and Lucentio are both pretending to be tutors in order to woo Bianca for themselves, Petruchio becomes rather like a real tutor to Kate in the ways of gentle womanly virtue. Hortensio’s change in role does not end successfully. While he attempts to write poetry as Litio the tutor and plead the case of Hortensio the suitor, Lucentio has exposed himself to Bianca as not Cambio, but Lucentio. Hortensio recognizes that Bianca is growing more fond of his rival Cambio/Lucentio, and makes plans: “If once I find thee ranging, / Hortensio will be quite with thee by changing” (3.1.89-90). If Bianca does not seem favorable to his suit, he plans to simply move on to another woman, a widow who wants his favor Thus, Hortensio prepares to change roles once more, leaving his position as tutor behind him.

Lucentio and Tranio realize that in order to complete their scheme, they need a character to play the role of Lucentio’s father Vincentio. Tranio, through humorous trickery, convinces a willing merchant, known in the play as a pedant, to take on that role. The pedant does not mind since he is moving up in the world from simple pedant to wealthy, prestigious merchant: “In all these circumstances I’ll instruct you. / Go with me to clothe you as becomes you” (4.2.120-121). Thus, the next role is assumed. The entire scheme must end when Vincentio himself appears. However, rather like Sly’s situation with the lord, everyone except Vincentio himself insists upon an alternate truth from what Vincentio knows is true. No matter how much he insists that he is Vincentio, the characters of Tranio, the pedant, Gremio, Baptista, and Biondello are against him: “Deny him, / forswear him, or else we are all undone” (5.1.98-99). However, Lucentio and Bianca emerge and settle the matter by confessing all.

Petruchio and Kate, deserving of more study, are left for last. Much of their drama is paralleled by the actions of the other characters, specifically in the roles taken on by the other characters. When Petruchio enters the scene, he is immediately marked as a good match for the troublesome Kate. Petruchio is confrontational, demonstrative, and headstrong. He sees Kate in the beginning as a means to obtain wealth: “I come to wive it wealthily in Padua - / If wealthily, then happily in Padua” (1.2.73-74), but in the end obviously has discovered her better qualities and comes to truly love her. This is not so much a change in his character as it is in hers, however. Petruchio’s change in roles comes upon meeting and understanding Kate’s disposition and what is needed to deal with her. He does, in fact, take on two different characters before he finally reverts to his true self. Similarly, Kate must change from her original shrewish self, to a harrassed, embittered woman, to a contented, gentle wife.

Petruchio’s disposition toward Kate upon meeting her is entirely different than it is when he first marries her, as it is different once more when he has tamed her. When he first meets her, he refuses to be baited and treats every harsh word of hers as beautiful: “Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded, / Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs, / Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife” (2.1.192-194). Perhaps attempting to unbalance her, he certainly succeeds in discombobulating her to the point that she cannot fight with him any longer. She is betrothed despite her attempts to protest. This is a humorous parallel to the saccharine wooing of Lucentio and Bianca: “I read that I profess, the Art of Love” (4.2.8). However, Lucentio is not role playing when he speaks to Bianco in this manner. Petruchio certainly is. His mockery sends Kate into rages, but also confuses her. She has met her match and does not know how to proceed.

Having successfully won his wife, Petruchio begins the next part of his plan at the wedding. His appearance at the wedding is utterly ridiculous and confusing. He is dressed irreverantly and uncaring of traditions. His new role is one of tempestuous, impatient demeanor. He begins domineering Kate immediately, all under the guise of love: “This is a way to kill a wife with kindness, / And thus I’ll curb her mad and headstrong humor” (4.1.195-196). He does not allow her to eat or sleep. He yells at his servants about little things. All of this is his role, one which is meant to show her how she herself behaves. He tells her that: “ourselves are choleric” (4.1.161), implying that he is like she is. She does not appreciate the comparison.

Kate’s transformation comes in several steps. At first, she is baffled and infuriated by Petruchio’s actions. Her change is not instantanteous. She first becomes bitter and angered by his treatment of her: “The more my wrong, the more his spite appears / What, did he marry me to famish me?” (4.3.2-3). She reverts to beating servants out of despair at her circumstances. But, slowly she begins to react against his temper in a different manner. She shows good sense and forebearance. When he rails against a servant for dropping water, she entreats him: “Patience, I pray you, ‘twas a fault unwilling” (4.1.140). She thanks him when he finally allows her to eat. He all but dangles new clothes in front of her and, in desperation, she begs for them. But he is very clear: “When you are gentle you shall have one too, / And not till then” (4.3.70-71), letting her know that she must behave properly. All the while, she is allowed to see him acting the role of the tempestuous, impossible to please character and sees herself in his actions.

She begins to understand his desire and finds the humor in the situation. Petruchio lightens his angry outbursts and contrary arguments as he senses her character changing truly for the better. He argues about whether the sun or the moon is shining. At first Kate argues what she knows to be true: “I know it is the sun that shines so bright” (4.5.5). He complains that he is “Evermore crossed and crossed, nothing but crossed” (4.5.10). She finally gives in: “And be it moon or sun or what you please / An if you please to call it a rush-candle, / Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me” (4.5.13-15). Kate has come to the point where she willingly submits to him even in the silly things and Petruchio sees that “the field is won” (4.5.23).

He begins to play with her more, testing this new Kate. He plays a trick on her, making her think that an older gentleman, Lucentio’s father no less, is a young lady. Kate’s reaction, rather than anger at how foolish she has been made to look, is simply a good humored reply. Petruchio has succeeded. Thenceforth, he reverts to himself and Kate takes on her new and permanent role as a gentle and obedient wife with no regrets. They have even come to love each other, kissing one another in the middle of the street with words of sincere affection: “Nay, I will give thee a kiss. Now pray thee, love, stay” (5.1.136).

Petruchio’s wager with Lucentio and Hortensio demonstrates just how changed Kate is. She has, in a sense, switched places with Bianca as the fair, admirable wife. Her father, Baptista, is awed: “For she is changed as she had never been” (5.2.120). At the end of the play, all the roles the various characters have been playing are given up and the characters return to their true selves. The only person who maintains her new state is Kate. She has changed roles permanently.

Works Cited

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Shakespeare, William. “The Taming of the Shrew.” William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed. Alfred Harbage. New York: Viking Press. 1969.

It is relationships which are stable in which a man and woman are socially permitted to have children indicate the right to sexual relations. There are few sociologists who define marriage as: Marriage is the approved social pattern whereby two or more persons establish a family The more or less durable connection between male and female, lasting beyond the mere act of propagation till after the birth of offspring.

Changes in the Aims of Marriage: The concept of Indian marriage has seen unimaginable changes, over the last few years. Marriage was pure and sacrosanct practice. Earlier, the ceremony was a brief affair, confined to an economical budget, even though the guest list was long. These progressions are principal because of monetary success and the innovation that has presented individuals to social patterns predominant over the world. Marriage has ended up being the most altered establishment of our conservative Indian society.

Change in the process of Mate Selection: The main objective of Hindu marriage was Dharma Although Kama or sex was one of the aims of Hindu marriage, it was the least desirable aim. In recent years, the order of aims of marriage has undergone change Sex has become primary and Dharma has become the least important aim to marriage.

Changes in the Rules of Endogamy and Exogamy: As far as the selection of the bride and bridegroom was concerned it was the prerogative of the parents or the guardians. In the post-independent India, the tendency of selecting one’s own partner has remarkably increased. Now the younger generation is not very much in favor of parental choice in the matter of selection of marriage partners.

The Age at Marriage: There have been some visible changes in the matter of rules of endogamy and exogamy. The rules of Varna, caste and sub-caste endogamy, Gotra and Pravara exogamy have been banned by legislation. Now we do not find a restriction in cross-cousin marriages.

Changes in the Rites of Marriage: In course of time child marriage became the prevalent mode of marriage in India. Hence, child marriage was the practice to safeguard chastity and purity of females. The Indian Parliament selected the age of marriage. For girls, the minimum age is 18 years and for boys 21 years.

Change in the Stability of Marriage: Traditionally, Hindu marriage is a religious sacrament and the Hindu marriage can take place only through the performance of certain rights and rituals. On the one hand, we find that due to a shortage of time the rites and rituals connected with Hindu marriage have been cut down.

On the other hand, some marriages are performed in civil courts. Marriage and Morality: Traditionally, divorce was not easily granted and permitted in Hindu society. The hindrance to divorce made the institution of family and marriage stable and enduring. Due to the enactment of marriage and family legislation and many other factors, the divorce rate in India has been steadily increasing. One of the most important values connected with Hindu marriage for boys and girls was chastity. Pre-marital and extra-marital relations were not allowed.Love was the consequence of marriage between boys and girls, and marriage was not the consequence of love. However, remarkable changes are taking place in sexual mores and values.

Pre-marital sex relationship which was totally unknown in traditional Indian society is gradually becoming visible

Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 The right to marry is a component of Right to Life under art. 21 of the constitution of India which says, ‘No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law’. This right has been recognized under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Art. 16 of the same states: The main purpose of the act was to amend and codify the law relating to marriage among Hindus and others. Besides amending and codifying Sastrik Law, it introduced separation and divorce, which did not exist in Sastrik Law. This enactment brought uniformity of law for all sections of Hindus. In India, there are religion-specific civil codes that separately govern adherents of certain other religions.

Muslim Marriage ACT Further, the parties can also go for the decree of divorce amicably under mutual consent by Section 13(b) of Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. Under Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 either of the spouses can appeal in the court for the decree of divorce under Section 13 on the grounds namely- Adultery, Cruelty, Desertion, conversion, Mental disorder, Leprosy, Not heard alive, Mo resumption and Co-habitation etc. Also recently the triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat has been held unconstitutional by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. In the Muslim community, marriage is universal for it discourages celibacy. Muslims call their marriage Nikah.Marriage is regarded not as a religious sacrament but as a secular bond. The bridegroom makes a proposal to the bride just before the wedding ceremony in the presence of two witnesses and a maulavi or Kazi. The proposal is called ijab and its acceptance is called qubul. It is necessary that both the proposal and its acceptance must take place at the same meeting to make it a sahiNikah.It is a matter of tradition among the Muslims to have marriage among equals. Though there is no legal prohibition to contract marriage with a person of low status, such marriages are looked down upon. The run-away marriages called life when the girls run away with boys and marry them on their own choice are not recognized.

Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 Grounds for Divorce under Muslim Marriage act, 1939The husband’s whereabouts are unknown for a period of four years. The husband has failed to provide maintenance to the wife for at least two years. The husband has been under imprisonment for seven or more years. The husband is unable to meet the marital obligations. If the girl is married before fifteen and decides to end the relationship before she turns eighteen. The husband indulges in acts of cruelty. There are many more like Khulaandkhol or mubarat, Talaq. Talaq in which first is talaq-e-ahsan second is talaq-e-hasan third is talaq-ul-bidat and also ShariaAct which was introduced in 1937. The payment of dowry has long been prohibited under specific Indian laws including the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498A of the Indian Penal Code.

To conclude Hindu marriage has undergone several changes. These changes have taken place in the institution of Hindu Marriage because of many factors, new norms and values In spite of all these changes, Hindu marriage is not considered as a social contract and it continues to be a sacrament for Hindus. Mutual fidelity and devotion to partner are still considered to be an essence of marriage.

In the Glass Menagerie, Laura Wingfield is one of the main characters. She is Amanda's daughter and Tom's older sister. Laura is twenty-three years old and incredibly shy. She is somewhat of an introvert. She is very withdrawn from the outside world and devotes herself to old records and her collection of glass figurines. Laura also has a bad leg, which causes her to walk with a limp. She keeps a brace on her bad leg to help stabilize it and the pain. Throughout the entire story, Laura is the only one who never does anything to hurt anyone else. Her being so compassionate helps the audience understand her even more. Laura is depicted as a rare and odd woman who is as sensitive as a glass figurine. During the play, Williams shows the compassion greatly that Laura holds in her heart.

For example, during the scene of Tom being unhappy, Laura sheds genuine tears for him. Her seeing other people unhappy, made her sad. She kind of knows how it feels also. Not only do we see her compassion, we can very clearly see her selfishness trait come into play. She is selfish to herself because Laura already has her own problems to stress over yet she is completely in shambles over Tom’s unhappiness. Most people would not have cared as much as Laura, especially when they have their own problems. Laura is one main character; she is not the protagonist like many believe.

Laura Wingfield displays her utmost consequential trait of being timid through numerous points in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, however, a relevant starting point would be when she openly admits to Amanda that she hasn’t been attending business college. The reason behind Laura’s motive was because she was extremely nervous and anxious to manage herself with the course she had been taking there. Amanda figures out she was being deceived and that Laura has stopped attending class when she visits her daughter’s teacher to get a background on her progress. The teacher stated, “Her hands shook so she couldn’t hit the right keys! The first time we gave a speed-test she broke down completely – was sick at the stomach and almost had to be carried into the washroom! After that she never showed up anymore”. This occurrence elucidates the troubles and problems Laura has when dealing with the real world. Laura highly favors staying trapped in her own fantasies due to her hypersensitive nature, which is why she decided to skip class and go to the zoo, the park, etc. Laura says, “I went into the art museum and the birdhouses at the Zoo”. Laura casted away from reality luring herself into her world just so she could forget about all her insecurities. Moments later, the readers get a glimpse at what Laura feels about her limp leg and how it affects what she feels about the world outside of her home. Amanda says that Laura cannot pursue any kind of career that can benefit her in the future, so it would be best for her to find a husband with charming values and a well-paying job. Laura denies saying that is unlikely to happen due to her disability. Amanda exclaims, “Nonsense! Laura, I've told you never, never to use that word. Why, you're not crippled, you just have a little defect”. Due to Laura’s disability and view on everything, she feels as if she cannot advance in life. Her timid trait overtakes her conscience making her hesitant towards every opportunity she runs into. Laura’s timid trait consistently develops through the insecurities she holds, her trait staggeringly heightens with more problems that follow as the play moves on.

The protagonist is the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. Tom Wingfield is the protagonist in my opinion. Although he is far from courageous, he does finally take some type of action at the very end of the play. During the play, we see how he reacts to his life and he tells what he wants to get out of it. This is where we can see things get very intense while he is trapped in the apartment. We can see his constant emotional conflict when he is torn between his dreams and his sense of responsibility for his family. In almost every scene in the play, Tom is bitter and has no ability to rest. Tom also plays a double role in the play. Unlike the other characters, Tom would sometimes address the audience directly. He would try to give a more unbiased explanation and evaluation of what has been happening onstage during the play.

The understanding of Tom also becomes strange and we become unable to decide whether his judgment should be trusted. This shows how memory could involve confronting the past. Tom is constantly demanding that Laura is desperately weird, and has no chance of surviving in the outside world. Although Laura is rather quiet and bland around strangers, she is a beautiful multi-colored rainbow to those who choose to look at her in the right light. Even though her brother doubted her; that did not dim her colorful light. We can also compare this note to Laura’s personality. Glass is transparent. But when the light is shined upon it correctly, it refracts an entire rainbow of colors. The glass menagerie symbolizes the colorful, imaginative world to which Laura devotes herself — a world that is colorful and enticing, but based on fragile illusions.

One of the most well-known themes we can determine is by looking at all the members of the family is difficulty the characters have in accepting and relating to reality. They all have trouble understanding their current environment. Out of the three Wingfields, reality has by far the weakest grasp on Laura. Laura had the weakest grasp of the reality because of the life she lived. Laura used her imagination to help build a version of the world that she wants to live in, but knows she cannot. The imaginative world she “lived” in was incredibly colorful and extremely delicate. Laura’s favorite figurine was the strange, delicate glass unicorn. Her figurines were very important to her; they were the very basis of her imaginative world. The glass unicorn represents Laura. They are both unusual and incompetent to the world they live in.

The glass unicorn is strange and rather different from your average horse. When Jim dances with Laura and kisses her, the unicorn’s horn breaks off. When the horn breaks off, the unicorn becomes a horse, making it seem more normal. The breaking of the horns is also a show of symbolism. The fate of the unicorn is also a smaller-scale version of Laura’s fate in Scene Seven. During this dance, Jim advanced to give Laura a new sense of normalcy. He basically made her seem more like just another girl, and not a weirdo. Laura was not alienated at this point. She was actually more normal than ever actually. But symbolizing the breaking of the horn, the audience can see that Laura cannot become normal without somehow shattering. So later in the play, Laura gives Jim the unicorn as a gift of their time together. She wanted him to always remember the wonderful short lived time they shared. Without its horn, the unicorn is more appropriate for him than for her. It is now too average and less peculiar for Laura to keep. The broken figurine represents all that he has taken from her and destroyed in her.

Learning Laura’s character as we read The Glass Menagerie, we learn that there is a deeper symbolic meaning. Based on the title, the glass menagerie, we can see that this is the play’s main and most obvious symbol. Laura has created her own version of the world through her collection of glass animals. The figurines as a whole seem to depict certain aspects of her personality. The figurines are delicate, imaginative, and somehow they are also old-fashioned. In this perspective, we can see that the figurines represent Laura and different facets of her personality. Laura was a compassionate woman and a beautiful soul. As we learn the depths of her personality and mind, we learn the true personality of Laura. Laura Wingfield was a unicorn in a field of horses. Although Laura had her own issues and problems, she was unique and true to herself.

Works Cited

1. “Glass Menagerie-Character Analysis (Laura Wingfield).” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/limegemini.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/glass-menagerie-character-analysis-laura-wingfield/amp/.
2. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library, 2017.

Set in a world without literary wisdom, Fahrenheit 451 by legendary science-fiction author Ray Bradbury is the story of those who would dare to break free from the chains of censorship and intellectual repression. Against a climate of intense information control, Bradbury focuses in on the psychological conflicts of one man, the fireman Guy Montag, and the internal struggles that result from his interactions with the sterile world around him. In a sense, each character can be interpreted as representing a different facet of society, from the utterly obedient book burner, Beatty, to the free spirited teenager, Clarisse. Despite the fact that the world Bradbury confronts his readers with is unfathomably futuristic, the characters are clearly human, serving as a successful link between contemporary readers and the author's vision of the 24th century.

Bradbury's brilliantly written protagonist in this novel is Guy Montag, a thirty-year-old, third generation fireman, who is appropriately named after a prominent paper-manufacturing company. At first glance the term "fireman" may bring to mind images of courage or heroism, but the firemen of the 24th century have a much more sinister role in society - rather than putting fires out, their job is to burn books and the houses of those caught owning illegal literature. Montag is, in many ways, the archetype of the "antihero" so popular in fantasy and science-fiction literature; like Darth Vader of the Star Wars films, but in a much more subtle way, he is a dark servant of an oppressive government who must come to terms with his career and the lives he and his government have destroyed. During the early scenes of the novel, Montag relishes his book-burning career, delivering iron-fisted justice with a dogmatic sense of patriotism. Beneath his kerosene-drenched exterior, however, Montag is completely apathetic towards his job, his wife, and the world in which he lives; he feels strongly for nothing, simply performing his required tasks in a mechanical fashion.

As a fireman, Montag acts as the servile dog of Fire Chief Beatty, "big brother"like character who always seems to know when someone is on the brink of acquiring free thought. This makes sense, of course, since Beatty's career centers on seeking out and destroying the seeds of free thought - books. Ironically enough, Captain Beatty often quotes from literary knowledge in his tirades against the inclusion of books in society, showing that he knows the subject of his hatred well enough to understand it, and thus lending a certain level of credibility to his beliefs. Beatty is aided by two firemen named Black and Stoneman, as well as a technological monster called The Mechanical Hound - a robotic dog deployed to hunt down and kill criminals.

Montag is married to a completely lifeless woman by the name of Mildred, who epitomizes the shallow complacency of society. Mildred shuns intellectual pursuits in favor of technological gadgets like her three-wall interactive television and seashell earphones, which bring her a constant escape from reality. This desire to escape causes her to constantly take sleeping wills, an overdose of which almost results in her death. Later, when she discovers that her husband has secretly been studying books, she abandons him and her home in order to escape from the "unpleasantness" of literature, again demonstrating her need for escape.

This all changes, however, when he meets the free spirited Clarisse McClellan on his way home from work one fateful night. A lively teenager with a passion for life, Clarisse is considered "insane" by most people who encounter her, because she enjoys nature, conversation, and observing other people. As the polar opposite of Montag's wife, Mildred, Clarisse serves as the catalyst for the fireman's powerful transformations that follow. Although there are no romantic undertones in the relationship, Montag falls in love with the concepts that Clarisse embodies, particularly the keen awareness and curiosity of a world that Montag had so hastily passed by in the course of his duty as a fireman. Clarisse, in questioning Montag's happiness, sets him off on his path to self-awareness.

A second character who plays a major role in Montag's self-actualization is Professor Faber, an elderly English teacher who seemingly wrestles with Firechief Beatty for control of Montag's mind. Although his control is not authoritarian like that of Beatty, Faber does manage to manipulate Montag a bit through the use of a two-way radio, commanding him to carry out deeds which he himself is too cowardly to accomplish. In this sense, Faber becomes the symbolic brain guiding Guy Montag's body, the "Jiminy Cricket" conscience. In continuing the psychological "work" of Clarisse, Faber provides guidance and inspiration for the fireman as he continues on his long road to self-realization. In return, Faber is inspired by his young friend to become more daring and take a stand against oppression.

In one of the most heartbreaking moments of the book, Clarisse is tragically killed by a speeding motor vehicle, a striking symbol of the dehumanized world's intolerance of those who refuse to conform. Shortly after Clarisse's death, Montag swipes a book during one of his missions, only to witness the owner burn herself and her home in defiance of the firemen, triggering a spiral of depression which causes Montag to question his line of work. Montag's internal anguish and strife against his ignorant society come to a pinnacle when an alarm leads the fireman brigade to his own home. In a rage, Montag murders Chief Beatty and, destroys one of the Mechanical Hounds, and then plunges into a river in an attempt to escape pursuit. The river represents Montag's final and complete transformation, while Granger and the other literary hobos he meets along the train tracks are representative of the rebirth of an intellectual society.

Fahrenheit 451 plunges the reader into a dark world of totalitarianism, yet still manages to remain distinctively human. With his trademark wit, Bradbury incorporates much of the contemporary world into his vision of the future, something he did remarkably well in The Martian Chronicles and other books. More than a simple tirade against censorship, Fahrenheit 451 is a story of self-actualization, of daring to be an individual in a world of servile obedience, and of the knowledge which can only be found on the printed page.

To the casual eye, the story “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, is about a woman named Elisa Allen who has a green thumb for her well-taken care of the garden. However, when an individual dedicates the time to analyze this short story, one can infer that it goes far beyond a relationship between a woman and her garden on a much deeper level. From portraying the efforts of how a woman tries to fit into a male-dominated society along with traces of patriarchy, Elisa struggles to obtain power. John Steinbeck's “The Chrysanthemums” is analysed in this essay. The paper shows how throughout the story, Elisa attempts to figure out her role in such a patriarchal society. Elisa achieves this by being able to show her growth through specific scenarios that happened in her life and thus, allowing the readers to understand that uncovering oneself will allow them to further develop.

With this in mind, Elisa is the protagonist and a dynamic character, meaning she undergoes internal changes due to the conflicts that she faces in the duration of the story. Her appearance is quite relevant when pertaining to the internal changes because she tries to protect herself from giving in to her own needs and wants. She is first introduced when wearing “her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes…”. With an outfit that makes “her figure look[ed] blocked and heavy” it simply means that she is shielding her femininity away from the world. By wearing “heavy leather gloves to protect her hands' she is also protecting herself from society’s harsh judgment due to the fact that she can cease her presence in it and hide her vulnerability. Elisa takes pride in her garden along with caring for it, but these thick gloves do not allow her to physically come in contact with her flowers and/or plants. This can be viewed as her happiness, represented by the flowers, which are kept well-hidden. Wanting to feel joyous and allowing oneself differs from one another and in this case, Elisa does not allow herself to feel this strong emotion that she yearns for or any other for that matter. Elisa’s sacred garden with “the chrysanthemums have been interpreted as symbols of Elisa's sexuality, or childlessness, or artistic sensibility, and all of these connections make sense when looking at Elisa's connections to her husband or to society”. These connections of hers make up who as well as how she is. When looking at just the surface of Elisa’s characteristics, it just seems like she is a regular woman who loves to garden. No one would come to think that her garden symbolizes what she is longing for. To go along with the story starting off with a description of Elisa’s appearance, Steinbeck also vividly describes the setting for the readers to visualize in their minds. She keeps her guard up just like how the “high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world”. For Elisa to grow, she needs to be able to let her guard down. However, seeing as how Elisa is impenetrable like fog whereas rain is symbolized as growth, “fog and rain did not go together”. Rain is needed for growth and nourishment within a garden, but in this case, Elisa must be willing to let her guard down to be able to feel the emotions that are presented right in front of her to flourish like her garden when she takes care of them.

Additionally, not only does she not let herself feel joy, but she is also closed off to her own husband, Henry. Referring to how the garden is a symbolization of Elisa, the author mentions Henry “leaning over the wire fence that protected her flower garden”. This wire fence captures the true inner essence of who Elisa is. Wanting to protect herself, she is the only one who gets to enter her garden and all of its beauty. Not even her husband, Henry, dares to enter because, like a fence, Elisa keeps people out and feelings out with her thick gloves. She does not want to open up to the idea of letting people in and invading her personal space. Although, Henry’s and Elisa’s relationship with each other is quite unique, “Oppression” seems too strong a word for the ways in which Elisa is subdued by her life as Henry's wife, yet clearly she is limited in ways that frustrate her”. For instance, although they are married, she will never reveal her true feelings to him. Moreover, he patronizes her with “going in town about five and have dinner at the Cominos Hotel. Like that?”. Rather than asking her what she wants to do, he directly tells her and does not give her any choice but to go along with the plans he had already made. Traditional gender roles partake in their relationship because Henry is the man when they are within the outside perimeter of the house yet when they are inside of the house, Elisa becomes the “man” of the house. Transitioning from the yard and/or garden to when Henry was telling Elisa the plan to the inside of the house, Elisa tells him “there’s hot water for your bath. Hurry up. It’s getting late”. This fits right into traditional gender roles because women are always seen taking care of their husbands while their husbands are off providing for the family, such as when Henry “sold those thirty head of three-year-old steers. Got nearly my own price, too”. He is out trying to make a living to provide for himself and Elisa while she takes care of the household chores which also includes the yard work. Despite the fact that he is a simple man, his relationship with Elisa makes her feel oppressed, especially when he “wish[es] [Elisa would] work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big”. She hides her inner emotions and subjects to unjust impositions just like when Henry mentions the apples. She tends to please everyone around her but herself.

Furthermore, Henry was not the only male character to exist in the text. A tinker was introduced towards the middle-end of the story. Elisa’s interaction with this man revealed relatively a lot. Notwithstanding the fact that she is married, she gets along with the tinker right away. With each sentence spoken, the story reveals bits and pieces of Elisa’s true personality and who she really is. This is a completely different interaction than with Henry considering how “Elisa took off her gloves” as well as “touching the under edge of her man’s hat, searching for fugitive hairs'. Her hair displays her feminine side and moreover, her taking off her gloves presents Elisa with the opportunity of feeling all the sensations of emotions and all that life has to offer because she finally has the “ability” to touch. The chrysanthemums are her uttermost pride and joy so when the tinker takes interest in them, her “eyes grew alert and eager'. By permitting the tinker to “[come] through the picket fence,” he also enters her world, thus gaining her trust. She is revealing her innermost self to him, which is why this leads to her removing her hat as well. This would explain how Elisa is finally submerging herself into life’s simplicity of joy and is blooming like her flowers. While this interaction allowed her to enjoy herself without any care, it also unveils the harsh reality of women’s power and choices in society being dominated by men. Previously mentioned, a woman’s choice and/or power in society is not being taken seriously when Elisa mentions, “I wish women could do such things” referring to sleeping in the wagon. Immediately, the tinker dismisses that thought by declaring how “it ain’t the right kind of a life for a woman”. Keeping in mind how this story was published post-depression and during the rekindling of the feminist movement, in the article, “The Chrysanthemums” by Cynthia Bily, she states that “woman and nature are dominated by men in similar ways, and that women's connections to nature can be a source of strength”. Elisa gains her strength through her garden, hence, how it embodies her whole being. She is diminished because the men in this story hold power over her. They do not realize that all she ever wanted was to feel appreciated. Due to Henry not understanding her as a person and the tinker tossing the chrysanthemums, she feels rather frustrated or otherwise stated, powerless.

Last but not least, there were many objects and/or symbols that contribute to the theme of this story. The main object was the chrysanthemums, hence the title. The chrysanthemums represented Elisa because they are contained in a garden just as how she is limited with her options to obtaining freedom. Flowers do bloom so there may be a chance for Elisa to finally taste the ever so sweet independency. Another object that stood out to me was the dogs because Elisa’s dogs represented her, whereas the tinker’s dogs stand as a symbol for him. Seeing as how Elisa’s dogs were stronger than his, she was superior to him because of her wits and intelligence. However, the tinker remained superior because he charmed her out of fifty cents and left with his unharmed dogs. Clothing also plays a big part in relation to the theme because, in the beginning, she was dressed in her gardening outfit, then took off some articles of clothing when she met the tinker to finally getting properly dressed with makeup on towards the end. Each outfit change showcased each of her distinct “sides” as in the dress and makeup showing her feminine side and her undressing after her interaction with the tinker giving her a new profound sense of growth. Last but not least, the pots are the last important object and/or symbol. The tinker tossing the chrysanthemums and only keeping the pot made Elisa angry. In this situation, the pot symbolizes Elisa because it is objectified and proves how easily men can manipulate women to satisfy their own selfish needs. From this, the reader can infer that Elisa is strong because she is crying out of frustration rather than sadness. Her tears and/or that are seeping out illustrates water, giving her what she needs to grow. Her once contained feelings are also known as the pot is now set free and can now find out her own pursuit of happiness.

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To conclude, “The Chrysanthemums” provides the readers with an extraordinary perspective on the meaning of life. Through Elisa’s eyes, to truly gain new insight on life, one has to fully be exposed to the raw emotions and experiences of what life has to offer. Not only do individuals get the pleasure of embracing the joyful emotions, but they also have to endure through the painful ones as well. Growing involves meeting people and letting them into one’s life to further expand their knowledge and capabilities of handling emotions. To go along with that idea, meeting people and opening up to them is a way for them to learn through one another, thus further developing who they are as a person. Though granting the tinker to into her world, she got hurt ultimately in the end. However, if she did not experience the deception from him, she would not have had the chance to expand outside of her personal bubble and learn from her mistakes and/or rejection. Allow oneself to experience the true essence of life through opening up to others and maturation. 

In the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird- Go Set a Watchman- we are reintroduced to Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout. Many years have passed in the protagonist’s life; she is now in her mid-twenties, and has come home from her busy life in New York to visit her family in Maycomb, Alabama. However, she comes to a startling realization: the town she has grown up in is not the same as it used to be- or at least, as she saw it. Jean Louise is met with a slew of change in her town, from something as small as the developments in the town’s layout, to far more serious differences. Jean Louise finds out that her father, Atticus, and boyfriend, Henry, have been taking part in a racially charged Citizen’s Council. As her world is turned upside

down, Jean Louise must come to understand that people are flawed, and every man must create his own watchman. The clear theme of this selection is that change is inevitable, and it must be dealt with accordingly. This piece primarily focuses on the internal and personal changes of Jean Louise, such as detaching her conscience from her fathers and allowing herself to become her own person and see Atticus as a man, instead of a “tin god”. In the words of her uncle Jack: “…you confused your father with God. You never saw him as a man with a man’s heart, and a man’s failings… You were an emotional cripple… assuming your answers would always be his answers.” (page 265)

Jean Louise, before arriving to this conclusion, tries to deny what she had seen earlier. She says, “Atticus and Hank were pulling something, they were there merely to keep an eye on things… it was all a mistake…” (page 104) She soon realizes that her dependency on Atticus and her “color blindness” have led her to see her world through rose colored lenses, so to speak. Go Set a Watchman details her “coming into this world” (page 263), and documents her personal growth and adaptation to change. Harper Lee has shown us all through Jean Louise that we must become our own people, open our eyes- set our watchmen.

Throughout the book, the bible verse “Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth” recurs frequently. In the context of the bible, the watchman is supposed to be announcing coming destruction. He is seen as a type of lookout, a guardian of sorts, and is supposed to make Isaiah aware of the fall of Babylon. In the context of Go Set a Watchman, the watchman symbolizes one’s conscience, as the conscience is a kind of lookout for each person. In the book, Jean Louise’s uncle Jack says, “…Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience.” (page 265) He is saying that one’s conscience is what guides them through life.

It shows them right from wrong, justice from injustice, and serves as their moral compass. The phrase “go, set a watchman” is symbolic of Jean Louise’s journey to establish her own conscience separate from her father’s, and to see people as they really are. She says, “I need a watchman to tell me this is what a man says, but this is what he means… say here is this justice and here is that justice and make me understand the difference.” (pages 181 & 182) The author is trying to make an application of this verse to Jean Louise’s personal growth and needs, as if she using this verse to show Jean Louise that she must in fact go, and set her watchman.

The Dark Knight is a film released in 2008 which is directed, co-produced and written by Christopher Nolan an action and mysterious film. In this film Bruce Wayne, which also plays the role of batman he is an honest and kind-hearted person at the same time. Whereas there is a joker in the film which represents a symbolism of chaos and evil. Both the character is vigilante and are opposing each other to prove their selves better than the other. 

At the beginning of the film the murderous thief named joker has targeted the mob’s money and carriers out the mission with a handful of expendable gunmen and has assigned each part for every person, he makes all the person killed one by one by completing each task and at the last remains the joker who takes all the money along with him. He plays this part very smartly and gives and strong impression to the audience which makes him a popular villain. In the film, Bruce Wayne is a rich, strong and intelligent person. When Bruce met Harvey dent he is quite impressed by him when Harvey said “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” on saying this statement Bruce realized that Harvey dent is the hero a symbol of Goodness with a face which will inspire the people of Gotham, rather than him who is a vigilante which is causing corruption. A hero is a person who inspires other people to be a hero possessing the qualities of being good and helping others. Heroes are the one who lay down their lives to save the people and represents a character with humanity. Batman is a person who displays the character of being brawn enough as he is not having any Decorate powers or special suits to increase its energy. He is like James Bond without a cape who is based on his natural power, martial arts abilities and gadgets to fight the criminals. For Example, when the joker comes to kill Harvey dent at Bruce Wayne apartment. Bruce fights with some goons before coming in the form of batman which proves that he is very strong. In today’s world, the audience prefers heroes who display both the qualities of brain and brawn. The heroic quest is like the mentor coaching the humans to grow to be heroes in their ordinary lives, heroism represents a behavior or motion on behalf of any other individual or for a moral cause. It is presented either willingly or intentionally depending on the person. It is either displayed individually or in a group based on its needs. It is performed not for any want or gain. For Example- In the film The Dark Knight, There’s Batman who is bringing pain in the horrific men. He is kicking a lot of butts in fact, the criminals are now scared to practice any illegal activities as there is Harvey dent also who is doing a great job by putting all the criminals behind bars. Soon the city of Gotham will no longer require any winged vigilante anymore.

Sooner the joker projects himself and cast it on the television pointing out batman that if he wouldn’t take off his mask each day people die which leads Bruce an internal conflict inside him. As he was feeling guilty of the murder done by the joker because of him. Later that day the joker crashed into Bruce's apartment to kill Harvey Dent, but batman arrived in time and fought with the joker but ended up Rachel thrown out of the window by the joker.

The next day Gordon was killed trying to save the Mayor from the joker while giving his speech. This incident had an adverse effect on Bruce and decided to turn himself in so that the citizens of Gotham are saved from the joker. The hubris was developed in the film plethora times when via Bruce Wayne. When Harvey takes the hostage in and started beating him up so that he could get information on the joker. Batman turns up and tells Harvey that the man couldn’t possibly know anything about the joker. Which makes Harvey feel stupid and silly. The nemesis was developed in the film when we saw Bruce Wayne allowed Harvey dent to take the blame. Which resulted later that Harvey and Rachel were kidnapped by the joker. Rachel gets killed by the explosion, Harvey turns horrific and Bruce loses everything.

Now Batman must stop two madmen Joker and Harvey. The joker gets prepared as he has wired up two ferries in which one consisting of citizens of Gotham and second consisting of criminals. Each ferry has been given a detonator to blow up the other ferry to be alive. The batman arrives and subdues the joker both watched but neither of the ferries was blown. But batman gets reminded by the joker that Harvey is on his side now by hearing that batman rushed to Harvey dent leaving the joker with the swat team. Harvey has taken Gordon’s family as a hostage apparently, batman appears on time to save Gordon’s family. But ended up killing Harvey dent and told Gordon that if people come to know about Harvey all the criminals will be back on street. The best way to overcome it is by taking the blame of Harvey on me so that symbol of goodness lives amongst the people of Gotham city and started running towards his ride to escape as the cops were behind the batman. Gordon’s son questioned why the cops are chasing the wrong person, Gordon tells his son that they will chase him because He's the hero Gotham deserves, however not the one it desires right now. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector.  

Overall, the citizens of Gotham are in this situation where they need to identify themselves from which side there are being pulled to the batman or the joker. Batman is trying his best to keep the people of Gotham safe and sound. The question arises will the joker be able to achieve its goal to tear Gotham apart or will the batman be able to defeat the joker and cut the threat over Gotham people.

Literature has many essential elements like theme, plot, structure, and character development. But in The Inferno by Dante there is said to be little to no character development. So the question must be asked: is character development actually necessary for the development of a storyline in major literary works? Or is the lack of character development just a result of the episodic structure throughout Dante's epic Renaissance poem? The entire composition focuses on Dante’s exploration of the afterlife; the departed are condemned to retain all of the features that they possessed on Earth, and many of these features remain remarkably static.

The Inferno centers on two main characters, Dante himself, and Virgil, his guide through the underworld. The narration of the book follows Dante and Virgil’s physical journey in life and through the underworld rather than their psychological dynamics from the journey. By having the main focus on their journey throughout the underworld puts more emphasize on the end of their voyage rather than their development throughout the journey, therefore minimizing the effect that character development would have on the audience.

Another aspect in the novel that is responsible for the lack of character development is the fact that many of the supporting and temporary characters that are introduced are quickly exited and never brought back again. Characters such as Attila, Alexander the Great, and Arachne appear in specific cantos depending on their sins and circle, tell their story to Dante, and then disappear for the rest of the poem. For example, Alexander the Great is quickly introduced and then not talked of again, “Here’s Alexander, and he who held Sicily under for many a sad year, fierce Dionysius” (XII. 100-101). The episodic structure and abruptness of character’s function make character development difficult and even impossible for the poem’s many layers.

It is not only the supporting characters who lack character development; indeed, Virgil and Dante seemed to barely experience development as well. Virgil rarely showed new behaviors throughout the novel, such as when he reprimands Dante for continually delaying their journey through the underworld; “My master: ‘Stare a little longer,’ he said, ‘And I will quarrel with you!’ When I heard him speaking to me in anger as he had” (XXX.133-135). Virgil’s lack of change through the novel may be a result of his past experiences or the new situations he is involved in with Dante.

Dante, the protagonist, is the only character in the poem that seems to experience character development in the slightest. His development seems to follow a cycle: he goes from pitying the sinners to judging and feeling above them. Throughout the novel Dante would say things like “Up above Malebolge’s last cloister now where we could see its lay-brothers under us, their strange laments beset me, each an arrow whose shaft was barbed with pity—and at this, I lifted up my hands and blocked my ears” (XXIX.43-57). At this point Dante could not deal with the sinners and watching them that he is forced to cover his ears and look away. This sense of character development is perhaps just Dante’s moral and psychological recognition that sin should be despised and God’s ultimate powers should be worshiped. There is still question if this is character development or not. Dante seems to lose his compassion at various times but also shows hatred and fear when meeting the sinners in the final cantos describing it as “If I had harsh and grating rhymes, to befit that melancholy hole which is the place all the other rocks converge and thrust their weight, then I could more completely press the juice from my conception. But since I lack such lines, I feel afraid as I come to speak of this:” (XXXII.1-6). Dante’s disgust could’ve been cause by the increasing vileness of their sins and punishments rather than to his moral development from the beginning of his journey.

Based on these specific examples throughout the novel it is difficult to decide if there is a strong presence of character development or not. The Inferno lacks character development but makes up for it in imagery and theme. Yet on the basis of Dante's work, character development does not seem to be a literary essential in early modern literature and certainly not in this specific narrative. Although it lacks intricate psychological development in most characters, it is still a powerful novel that addresses potent moral and existential themes during Dante and Virgil’s journey through the underworld.