Benson
02-12-2004, 04:27 AM
My paper on file sharing for AP political science.
File Sharing and Piracy
It’s not cool to be a pirate anymore, no more parrots.
The beginning of the file sharing controversy started around 1999. What file sharing is, is the transfer of different media files from computer to computer, or person to person, for the most part, and in simple terms. In 1999, the entire process was changed entirely, and opened up to a much larger crowd. Shawn Fanning, a college student, coded a program by the name of Napster. Through this program, people would share their music files, mp3s, between each other. There was a simple search engine and it was very easy, once the program caught on, to get basically any song in existence. The hit songs were available from literally thousands of people, making for a short time period of transfer, as people would not have to wait for others to complete the transfer to begin their own. Napster also helped the lesser-known artists to spread their music to a crowd that they before could not. Artists would offer some or all of their music up on Napster for free, and then create a name for themselves. However, this program didn’t last for very long at all, soon the RIAA sued Napster for copyright infringement, as it was allowing for the free illegal transfer of songs, equating to piracy. This did not even come close to stopping file sharing, if anything it just made it even more popular. Nulsoft, another company, began a program called Gnutella, but quickly stopped supporting it so that they would not be involved in any suits. By releasing this program for the short time they did, Nulsoft added fuel to the fire, and in time, there were 14 other programs based off the program. In 2001, Napster lost its legal battles, and was forced to block all copyrighted material from download, effectively ending its existence. Following the shutdown of Napster, the RIAA began going after the many other file-sharing programs in existence and began using software to track individuals who downloaded music, so that they could be punished.
The entire reason that the RIAA is going after file sharing is because of the supposed drop that it is causing to the sales of CDs. However, an independent study accredited the lower sales to the recession and the competition between the DVD and Video Game markets with CDs. In fact, by 2007 it is predicted that digital music revenues from the paid-subscription file-sharing networks could reach $2 billion.
The legal battles continue to this day for the RIAA and file sharers. They have sued over 400 individuals for file sharing since September 2003. The RIAA can demand upwards of $150,000 per song in the suit, but it has been found that most of the cases have been settled for anything from $2,500 - $7,500. The fact remains however that these legal suits have done almost exactly what the RIAA has wanted; they have slowed down file sharing over popular networks such as KaZaa because of the fear the people that are involved have of getting caught. File sharing remains most common in the age group of 18-29, with around 28% of people admitting to file sharing.
Political response to the issue of file sharing and internet piracy has been for the most part, right along the lines of what the RIAA would like to see occur. The NET Act, which was created in December of 1997, has made it illegal to reproduce or distribute copyrighted works, such as PC and video games, even if the defendant acts without a commercial purpose or for private financial gain. Another large act has been that of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The main points of this act include making the circumventing of anti-piracy measures is, in most cases, made a crime. Except in certain circumstances (such as encryption research or testing) the manufacture, sale and/or distribution of devices used to illegally copy software has been made illegal. The Act exempts Internet Service Providers from copyright infringement liability for simply transmitting information over the Internet. ISPs are, however, expected to remove material from users' web sites when content appears to constitute a copyright infringement. In addition, there is limited liability for non-profit institutions of higher education--when they serve as online service providers and under certain circumstances--for copyright infringement by faculty members or students. For the most part, the political response has been strong, but in one case it has gone against the RIAA. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that the subpoenas issued by the RIAA were not in fact legal, and that they had no standing in any sort of legal situation.
Currently, the issue is not one of major concern in the Presidential Campaign. This is probably because of the fact that for the most part, the problem has been finished on the government’s end. They have made their decision and have stuck to it for the most part. Although, there may be some issues with the different suits that are being filed, and also, what the future may hold for file sharing.
Personally, I think that the entire issue is one of a large group trying to place the blame for something that they did incorrectly on a small minority of people. The RIAA could not have possibly lost all of their CD sales simply because less than a third of an age-bracket went out and downloaded some songs illegally. Sure, there are probably some people who really deserve to be punished for what they have done, but these people have do much more than the typical file sharer, so they do need to be punished, as they are costing the RIAA money. Also, just because a person downloads a song, does not mean that they will not end up buying the CD. I know for a fact that most of the time, people download music just to see if a CD is worth the money, and if it is, then they go out and buy it. People understand that the artists need the money to keep going, and if they like the artist, that gives them reason to go out and support them. I also really like the idea of the RIAA setting up a subscription file sharing network, so that it is entirely legal and the music can still be enjoyed. Of course, there are many issues with that, and people will always find a way around licensing restrictions in the files, it’s simply the nature of the beast. In the end, I think that there are many other much more important issues in the world to deal with, instead of focusing on how some recording companies are trying to make up for their mistakes, why don’t we go worry about the big problems?
Spatula
02-12-2004, 09:01 PM
you wannt long? YOUU WANNT LONNNG?
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KURT COBAIN
Joe Friedman
Mr. Daniel Partin, Instructor
Advanced Reading Research
January, 2004
Kurt Donald Cobain lived from February 20th, 1967 to April 6th 1994. The
27 years of his brief life were spent searching for nirvana, or a state of
complete bliss and peace. His life was filled with tragedy. Kurt’s search for
nirvana in his music, his art, and his relationships ended only in the distant
idea of the name of his band.
Cobain was born in Hoquiam, Washington to Don and Wendy Cobain (Current
Biography). His grandparents on his father’s side, who would soon become
important to him, were Leland and Iris Cobain (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
15).The most memorable feature about him at his birth was his amazing, blue
eyes. Everyone who saw the newborn Cobain could not help but comment on them. At
sixth months old, he moved to a small logging town in Washington called
Aberdeen. At the time he had one older sister, Mari (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
5-8).
Kurt Cobain had an amazing early childhood. His birth was celebrated throughout
the entire family. His father’s income was low, but Kurt was always
well-dressed. Even with the lack of money, his family always made sure he looked
his best (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 8). His mother rented a Super-8 Camera to
videotape Kurt, despite their limited financial resources (Cross, Heavier Than
Heaven 9).
Kurt created an imaginary friend whom he called Boddah. His parents grew
worried, and told him that Boddah had been drafted into the army. The child
found this statement hard to believe. They found three-year-old Kurt searching
for Boddah at all hours of the day (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 9).
In 1970, a third Cobain was born into the family. Her name was Kim, and she
would soon become an important part in Kurt’s life (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
10). He would look up to her as the tough one.
At an early age, Kurt’s artistic talents started developing. His parents
encouraged him to excel in art. There was a period when, without piano lessons,
Kurt was able to play simple piano melodies by ear (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
11-12).
In 1974, when he was seven, his parents noticed that Kurt could not keep still
for long. After long family disagreements and discussions, his parents thought
it best to prescribe Ritalin. As he would later confide to his wife Courtney
Love, Ritalin may have been the start of his later illegal drug abuse. Kurt saw
at an early age that Ritalin relaxed him, and made him feel better. In later
years, Cobain would believe that he would need medications to make him feel
better. Some of these medications included illegal drugs. (Cross, Heavier Than
Heaven 19-20).
At the age of 9, an abrupt change occurred in Kurt’s life. Simple differences
between his parents that were always kept quiet became more apparent to the
children. Kurt noticed constant quarrels between mother and father, and later
expressed his thoughts on the subject to Spin Magazine in 1992. Said Kurt, “I
had a really good childhood…up until I was nine (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
15).”
In February, 1976, only one week after Kurt Cobain’s ninth birthday, the worst
happened. This perfect family he had, with a perfect mother and a perfect father
and a perfect sister to go with his older one, had fallen apart. His mother
demanded a divorce (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 20).
To Kurt, family was security. A divorce would permanently change his life,
making it hard for him to trust, and took away the perfect and innocent
personality he was building. This insecurity would follow through his entire
life, and he would express it in much of his music (“Brief Biography”). His
father, Don, was positive that it was just a fight and that Wendy would come
back to him. When Wendy would not return to her husband, it was decided she
would take the children and Don would pay child support (Cross, Heavier Than
Heaven 21-22).
Cobain started showing interest in moving in with his father. And that is just
what he did. Only three months after the divorce, Kurt moved in with Don, and
they instantly grew together (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 22).
Because of his crumbled feeling of security when he was nine, in the fourth
grade Kurt started keeping to himself more. He would constantly be afraid of
many objects and people, unable to uphold a strong trust for many. His feeling
of security was shattered again when Don remarried, after promising Kurt he
would never do such a thing without Kurt’s approval. Getting less and less
attention, with his step-mother’s kids from a previous marriage in his father’s
house as well, he kept to himself more and more (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
22-26).
Many of Kurt’s relatives had committed suicide. By the fifth grade, Kurt was
speaking indifferently on the subject. He would take out his mother’s Super-8
camera and film himself faking out gaphic deaths, only to go out and calmly talk
about murder and rapes and suicides (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 32-34).
In the eighth grade, Kurt was introduced to marijuana. This slowly caused him to
become less social or active with the family, and kept him pulling away into his
own room only to get high and forget about his worries (Cross, Heavier Than
Heaven 34).
In 1981, Cobain was given his first guitar. Although it did not work, and he
could not play it, he still carried it everywhere. In later interviews, Kurt
would deny ever having this guitar (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 34-35).
As his enjoyable childhood years slowly faded away into nothing but dreams of
the past, Kurt continued to withdraw from his family. Holding his father’s
promise to never remarry against him again and again, their relationship slowly
faded as well. He would find himself having mental battles with his father,
doing things only to make him mad. This battle continued into his adulthood, as
it is apparent in a song on Nirvana’s third CD, In Utero. In the song, entitled
“Serve the Servants,” Kurt’s lyrics vaguely tell the story of his relationship
with Don: “I tried hard to have a father/ but instead I had a dad (Cross,
Heavier Than Heaven 37).”
Feeling the pressure of living with his father along with other step-siblings,
Kurt left his father’s home in 1982. For the next two years, he would travel
from house to house, living with just about every relative in the area (Cross,
Heavier Than Heaven 39-54).
It was in 1983, while living with one of his uncles, that Kurt Cobain discovered
punk rock. In his journals, Kurt would describe punk rock as one of the most
amazing things he had ever discovered (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 53).
Kurt moved back in with his mother in 1984, which would prove to be one of the
most challenging years of his entire life. His new step-father would constantly
call him a homosexual and make fun of him only because Kurt would not constantly
bring women home, was never seen beating women, and was still a virgin. This all
changed within the same year, when Kurt felt that he had to prove himself, even
if it was to someone he hated. When he was found naked in his bed by his mother
with a girl, he was immediately kicked out. Kurt only returned the next morning
to pick up a few belongings, knowing he was never to return to his mother’s home
(Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 52-54).
In the time he was homeless, Kurt’s life would change dramatically once again.
He found himself manipulating the truth and exaggerating true stories to make
him seem more important, or to make it seem that he was hurt more than he really
was (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 56-57). In Kurt’s journals, he created a
fictional character that seemed to endure all that Kurt did not. He would sign
many of his artworks under this name, tell this name to many early interviewers,
and write many unsent letters (also in his journals) under this name of “Kurdt
Kobain (Cobain).”
For eleven months, Cobain would move from box to box on friends’ porches. He
would sleep in hotel hallways, waking up early to avoid being noticed. He would
sleep in hospital waiting rooms, stating that he had an ill friend in the
hospital. He would later falsely describe these eleven months, saying that he
lived under a bridge for much of the time. This was a lie, as his sister Kim
would later state (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 57-58).
After a short return to his father’s home, Kurt was reminded of why he left in
the first place. His marijuana and alcohol abuse was becoming more severe. Upon
rediscovering Christianity, both drugs were dropped. Near the end of the year,
Kurt was invited to move in with his friend Jesse Reed, whose father was a
pastor. (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 58-61)
Abandoning Christianity in 1985, Kurt dropped out of high school and soon became
a problem to the Reed family. Kicked out, Kurt Cobain once again lived on the
streets, working part time jobs during the day (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
64-65).
Kurt had found a punk-rock band called the Melvins. It was this band that
influenced him to continue his guitar. He had received another guitar in his
years after the one that did not work, and he had practiced day and night in the
Reeds’ house (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 66-72).
The idea of a band occurred to Kurt over and over again, and he found himself
always yearning for one. Acting as what he and his friends called a “cling-on”
to the Melvins, or a person who would constantly follow the band around
attending every concert and practice, he was once again introduced to alcohol
and drugs. His fellow cling-ons introduced him to another drug, LSD. Out of all
of the members in his group of friends, Kurt was noted for taking the most LSD
and alcohol, even with his small body structure (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
72-76).
When he was 20, in 1987, Kurt started writing songs and forming lyrics for his
guitar. He formed many bands this year, never actually having any serious
members. These bands, which were formed mainly for practice purposes only,
always included his best friend, Chris Novoselic. Chris would later legally
change his name to Krist, and would follow Kurt wherever he went, playing his
bass (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 76-77).
It was also in 1987 that Kurt got into his first serious relationship with his
close friend, Tracy. With a home to live in, a girlfriend, and a semi-band
consisting of Krist, Kurt, and drummer Buckhardt, Kurt’s life seemed to slowly
turn around for the better (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 79).
Without a name, and without permission, one of Kurt’s friends had booked them
their first gig. Although he was later proved correct, Kurt had to be constantly
reassured that the session was not going to turn out terrible. It ended up in
total mayhem. Kurt tried to play; Krist tried to be obnoxious; Krist’s
girlfriend, Shelli, only wanted drugs (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 84-87).
By April of 1987, Kurt’s band changed, as well as his home life. He moved to
Olympia with Tracy. His journal entries transformed from ignorant and suicidal
views on life into disturbing and artistic thoughts and feelings. His topics
ranged from birth and sexuality to urination and defecation of the human body.
Buckhardt was replaced with Dale Crover, and later Dave Foster, who contributed
to the 1988 demo he created. In this demo, such classics as “Floyd the Barber,”
“Downer,” and “Spank Thru” were sung and recorded for the first time in his
unnamed band’s history (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 90-95).
In 1988, Kurt Cobain decided on a final name for the band. He was to call it
Nirvana. At the time, Kurt considered it a holy word, and felt that he was a
Buddhist, even though his only knowledge of the religion was a special on
television (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 98-99) .
The rest of the band did not know of the name Kurt had chosen until much later
on. The only person he seemed willing to tell was Dale Crover, a drummer for the
Melvins, though the brief note to Crover was left unsent in his journals. Stated
Kurt, “Oh, and our last and final name is NIRVANA (ooh, eerie mystical doom)
(Cobain, 2).”
In the year to come, the newly named band finally got a deal with a record
label. The company, known as Sub-Pop, produced bands like Soundgarden, and was
known for their way of being able to take chances with new sounds. Not many were
interested in Nirvana’s grunge outlook, and many were disappointed by the
in-your-face sounds of this underground genre.
Sub-Pop, although hesitant about Nirvana, would end up being the source of
Nirvana’s fame. A contract between Sub-Pop and Nirvana stated that a single was
to be released. Nirvana became irritated when Sub-Pop would continuously
postpone the date of the single’s release. In the end, after many months of
waiting, the single was released as a special to a new subscribers-only section
of the record label. It would turn out to be unprofitable to Nirvana, with all
proceeds going directly to Sub-Pop. Despite the lack of attention that Nirvana
received from most everyone at the time (the band’s performances usually
included few people, and many hated the sound of it), the subscribers to
Sub-Pop’s new feature instantly loved Nirvana (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
99-122).
Living with Tracy proved to be a great reducer of stress for Kurt. While she
worked every day, he would paint magnificent, yet oddly grotesque paintings.
When asked his secret, Cobain casually whispered to a friend “I finish every
painting by coating them in my seed.” When not painting, he would practice his
guitar and write lyrics non-stop (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 123-125).
Nineteen Eighty-Nine would prove as the busiest year in Cobain’s band thus far.
In Nirvana’s short history, they had gone through 4 drummers (Chad Channing,
their original jam buddy, Buckhardt, Crover, and Foster), and had gone through
over 100 gigs. Only about four of these proved to be successful, until their
non-profit single was released. The number of fans slowly increased until every
show had at least 50 people watching (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 125-126).
Touring proved to be the main source of income. Traveling in an old van of
Krist’s, much of the band’s money would come from the sale of T-shirts. They
would then use the money for either food or gas, whichever they could afford. It
usually turned out to be gas, and gas only. With the lack of food, Kurt’s body
seemed to slowly deteriorate, and his band mates would find him not sleeping for
weeks on end (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 126).
Feeling that his own guitar riffs needed a backup to accompany them, Kurt hired
Jason Everman for a short time. In this short time, the band would produce their
first album, Bleach. Instantly, Kurt despised Everman. Jason finally angered
Kurt so much in July of 1989 that Kurt was forced to fire him. It was a band
rule, and considered disrespectful by Dave, Krist, and Kurt to bring a girl home
after a performance. Knowing this rule, Everman still brought someone home. This
night would mark the end of any thought in Kurt’s mind to ever again hire a
backup guitarist (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 127-134).
The word “grunge” was invented by Mark Arm (originally named Mark Mclaughlin) of
Mudhoney, another successful band produced by Sup-Pop. When Kurt saw Mark
bopping his head up and down to his lyrics, he instantly felt both honored and
blessed. This would be the first time Cobain noticed the success of Nirvana, and
the first time he would admit to himself that he sounded good (Cross, Heavier
Than Heaven 145).
With Dave Foster living miles away, the band decided that it was too difficult
to travel back and forth to pick Foster up and drop him off the next day. He was
quickly replaced by Dave Grohl. Kurt had written a letter in his journals to
Foster, telling him of the travel problems, but it was just another letter that
went unsent (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 158-159).
Kurt had broken up with Tracy in 1989. Shortly after, he started dating a girl
known as Tobi Vail. In the short time they were together, Kurt wrote many of his
greatest songs for her. The sight of Tobi would make Kurt vomit, and as he wrote
in “Aneurism” to be taken literally, “I love you so much it makes me sick
(Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 164-166).”
In November of 1990, Kurt found another love. Other than Tobi, he had become
addicted to heroin. He had become addicted so much that he even gave this heroin
a name, a personality, and a gender. He wrote about her almost every day in his
journals, his new love. He would call her Heroine (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
166-167).
Immediately after the tour promoting Bleach, Cobain realized his popularity was
growing. He would receive larger checks, many more tour requests, and many more
tickets sold (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 166-178).
It was during one tour, on January 12th, 1990, that Courtney Love first met Kurt
Cobain’s gaze. For the both of them, they later recalled it as an instant
attraction, and the few words shared between each other were forever remembered
(Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 179).
It would be a full year before they would meet again. In 1991, after dating the
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Love sent Kurt a heart shaped box filled with
dolls, roses, and sea shells. It was this heart shaped box that would give
Cobain the inspiration he needed for the band’s third album, even though it
would not be released for another three years (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
180-181).
With Tobi in the past, Nevermind (Nirvana’s second album) almost in stores, and
his addiction to Heroine growing, Kurt’s life faced a problem which would be a
cause of his later suicide. Before injecting heroin, Kurt had minor stomach
pains. He had used the drug to get rid of them. Now, when he tried to become
sober, he found it impossible. His stomach pains would seem endless, and the
only source of relaxation he knew was Heroine (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven
182-183).
Nevermind entered the top 50 in its first week, and slowly moved up until it was
at number 1. It would stay at this spot for almost two years, selling over
500,000 copies from its debut. Currently, the album has sold over 3 million, and
more are being sold every day (Current Biography).
“Smells like Teen Spirit,” Nirvana’s most recognizable song to date, earned
over 550 million dollars for the band. The song, a mockery of most of the grungy
music out at the time, featured Kurt mumbling hilarious lyrics never to be taken
literally. (Cobain Memorial) Knowing this, fans still made it seem like the most
important song ever heard. It was an anthem of a new generation. As Anthony
DeCurtis stated, it was the “I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction)” of the 90’s. Kurt
Cobain had been transformed into more than your average rock star. He was now
the spokesperson for a new generation (DeCurtis 30-34).
Other songs on the album included “Polly,” and “In Bloom.” Both songs were
widely misinterpreted by the world. “Polly,” an anti-rape song, was actually
sung by two older fans while during the actual rape of a young girl (Current
Biography). This crime made Kurt realize that many of his fans included people
who had bullied him as a child (“Brief Biography”). Because of this, he had
written “In Bloom,” a song about a fan who listened to the band’s music without
caring to know what it meant. As the chorus goes, “He’s the one/ Who likes all
our pretty songs/ And he likes to sing along/ And he likes to shoot his gun/ But
he don’t know what it means (“Brief Biography”).”
His drug addiction soon became so serious that after the Nevermind tour, Kurt
would lock himself in his apartment and inject Heroine for days (Cross, Heavier
Than Heaven 183-185).
Kurt knew Nirvana was popular, but he did not notice how popular until 1991.
Some of his old school friends, who would pick on him in the past, showed up for
an in-store signing near Aberdeen (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 194-195).
Near the end of 1991, and the beginning of 1992, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain
officially became a couple. He found himself instantly able to open up to her,
which had been hard for him to do ever since his 9th birthday. They would inject
heroin together, though Kurt would have to help Courtney because of her fear of
needles. In early 1992, Kurt found out that Courtney was pregnant with his
child. He instantly was driven into panic, afraid that the heroin injected would
somehow injure his precious baby. To Kurt, having a child was a chance to give
the child everything Kurt had missed or regretted in his life. Both Kurt and
Courtney instantly gave up heroin, though Kurt found it harder and occasionally
gave in to his addiction (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 195-200).
He entered rehab in January. While there, Cobain found himself writing more in
his journals than he had at any other time. Multiple unsent letters were written
to friends, to family members, and even to his fans. Most of all, he wrote
letters to himself. One unsent letter, written to fans, explained his current
state (Ali, 65-66). In the letter, Kurt starts by telling the fans who he is.
“Well, for those of you who are concerned with my present physical state: I am
not a Junkie. I am not gay, although I wish I were just to piss off the
homophobes.” He also explains how frequent and random his stomach problems are,
and how much pain he’s had since he stopped Heroine:
I decided to relieve my pain with Heroine for a walloping 3 weeks. But then the
pain came back so I quit. It was a stupid thing to do and I’ll never do it again
and I feel really sorry for anyone who thinks they can use Heroine as a medicine
because, um, duh, it doesn’t work. Drug withdrawal is everything you’ve ever
hated, you puke, you flail around, you sweat, you s--- your bed just like that
movie. It’s evil, just leave it alone. (183)
At the end of his letter, Kurt yells at his fans for telling his band what to
do. He then closes it by stating, “Well, I’ve spewed enough, probably too much.
But oh well, for every one opinionated, pissy, self appointed rock judge there’s
a thousand kids (Cobain 182-184).’
On February 24th, 1992, Love and Cobain married in Hawaii. Because of wedding’s
short notice, only a few close relatives were invited. Kurt Cobain’s best friend
since the end of high school (and bass player for Nirvana), Krist Novoselic, had
been uninvited because of a previous disagreement. Under the impression that the
band had been broken up, Krist went back to jamming with practice bands. It
would not be for almost a half of a year that the band would get together and
tour again (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 224-226).
Frances Bean Cobain was born on August 18th, 1992, with no noticeable
drug-related problems. One distinct feature from her father was given to her—her
beautiful blue eyes. Her name originates from Frances McKee of the “Vaselines,”
one of Kurt’s all-time favorite bands, and the couple’s nickname for her, “the
bean.” Before her birth, Kurt and Courtney had referred to Frances as their
little bean. A letter was written to Kurt’s father, whom he did not speak to
since he moved out many years ago, but it was left unsent (as most his letters
were) (Ali, 67).
After her birth, the couple agreed that they would perform a double suicide if
their drug problems resulted in the loss of Frances Bean. When the court
meetings began, Kurt bought a gun, but Courtney talked him out of suicide. That
night, for the first time, Kurt purposely overdosed on heroin. It would be his
first near successful suicide attempt (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 227-239).
With Frances Bean Cobain born, Nirvana worked out their disputes and
came together again. In September of 1992, they were invited to MTV’s Video
Music Awards. The band decided to play one of their newest songs, “Rape Me
(Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 247-248).”
As Cobaniac states, the song “Rape Me” was often described by Kurt as a
“sort of poetic justice. A guy rapes a girl. He ends up in jail and is raped
there (“Nirvana Song Meanings”). Although the song may focus around that story,
many believe (including MTV) that the song described how the media would
constantly poke at him for every little move he made. When he would finally do
something worthwhile, they would find a reason to criticize that as well (Cross,
Heavier Than Heaven 247-248).
Under the impression that Nirvana would play their most successful song,
“Smells like Teen Spirit,” they were appalled at the news of this new song the
band planned to play. Drastic threats were made, and the band finally agreed to
play “Lithium” when an executive at their record label was told that they would
be fired if “Rape Me” was played (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 248).
The only flaw in this agreement was that “Rape Me” had never been
previously recorded. The tech crew, told that if the band started the song to
quickly cut to a commercial, had no idea what “Lithium” sounded like either.
When it was finally time for Nirvana to perform, a small grin could be seen
across Kurt Cobain’s face as he met the eyes of Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic.
He looked down, and started strumming the opening riff of “Rape Me.” Like a
professional at it, before a network executive could reach the tech crew, Kurt
shot straight into “Lithium.” Although edited from future re-showings of the
awards ceremony, the band felt they had conquered national television in those
short minutes (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 249-251).
Their third album was released in 1993. Originally titled “I Hate Myself
and Want to Die,” then “Verse Chorus Verse,”(both album names would later be
featured as song names in rare Nirvana tracks) the final title would be from one
of Courtney’s poems, “In Utero.” Even though it seemed highly against the entire
idea of the band, Kurt made an edited version of the album. K-Mart and Wal-Mart
both refused to market the CD because of “Rape Me,” and because all Kurt could
afford in his early years was music from these stores, he happily produced an
alternative to the song, titled “Waif Me (Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 267-268,
287).”
In Utero was an instant hit. Topping the charts at number 1 instantly
from release, it was a well-needed follow up to Nevermind. With the success of
In Utero, which focused on both silence as well as in-your-face grunge, MTV
invited Nirvana to perform on an MTV show called “Unplugged.” In the show, the
bands performing would use only acoustic guitars, and were forced to perform
live. Although many thought it was a mistake to put a band such as Nirvana on an
unplugged show, it was an instant success. The performance silenced many people
who called him a no-talent phase when he played the songs that influenced the
band, including “The Man Who Sold the World” and “Jesus Don’t Want Me For a
Sunbeam (“Brief Biography”). When released shortly after his death, the
performance’s album sold almost as much as In Utero had. The techno beat of the
80’s were long past, and Nirvana was responsible (Current Biography).
If you looked into Kurt’s home life in 1994, you would see what appeared
to be a normal family. A home video showed Kurt and Courtney giving Frances a
bath, playing in the water and just being as all normal families should. It was
not until you saw the drugs and syringes where medicine and toothbrushes should
be that you noticed something had to be wrong with the perfect picture that was
being painted. Although it seemed wrong, many of Kurt’s friends admitted that he
was much better on drugs than off. Heroine had become more of an escape for him,
and he had argued with many that he only used it to relieve him of his stomach
pains. Most importantly, he seemed much happier and functional on the drug, and
depressed as well as completely out of it off the drug (Cross, Heavier Than
Heaven 279-283).
The rock star’s secord major suicide attempt was in a hotel in Rome
while on vacation with Courtney on March 3rd, 1994. He had written a fully
legible suicide note, relating his life to William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet.
He had injected a lethal amount of heroin into his system, and Courtney found
him early the next morning with his eyes completely rolled back into the inside
of his head. She quickly revived him, and it seemed that she could do this with
much more ease now, and could truthfully say that she had done it before (Cross,
Heavier Than Heaven 310-311).
During this month, Kurt resolved one of his life’s most painful agonies.
After almost 20 years of uncomfortable silence with his father, they exchanged
the words “I love you” on the telephone. Kurt had called his father personally,
and had patched up all of the breaks in their relationship (Cross, Heavier Than
Heaven 315-316).
His final recording session was an amazing one. Coming into the studio
two days late, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic had used up the time practicing
some of Grohl’s songs for his current band, the Foo Fighters. No one asked why
Kurt Cobain came into the studio late. No one asked where he was, no one asked
what he’d been doing. They just played. Few songs were recording successfully,
one of them was successful in only one or two takes. The song, then titled “On a
Mountain,” now titled “You Know You’re Right,” was only played once or twice by
the band in a concert beforehand. Everyone there was stunned at how amazing the
band seemed to play it with little practice. Nirvana took a lunch break
together, where Kurt and Krist shared memories from the road with Dave. With
that, Kurt Cobain left, never to enter a recording studio again (Cross, “The
Last Nirvana Session” 29-31).
Tragically, with one of his greatest regrets now resolved, Kurt Cobain
entered his final days. He had been forced into a car against his will by Krist
to go on a plane to another tour. Complaining the entire time, and even trying
to jump out onto the highway once, he went through a large disagreement with
Krist. In the airport, they fought, and in the end Kurt ran away hastily. It
would be the last time Krist would ever see his old friend.
Friends reported Kurt missing during the next week. Although authorities
were searching everywhere for Kurt, he managed to sneak, unnoticed, into his own
house in Olympia on April 5th. He stayed the night, absorbing the smell of
Courtney which was left on his bed pillows. The next morning he woke, bought 100
dollars worth of heroin, grabbed a shotgun bought by his friend a week earlier,
loaded it, and picked up a pen and a piece of paper. On this paper he would
scribble in his most legible handwriting a note to Courtney and to Frances Bean
(Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 327-342). One of the greatest shocks of his note was
who it was formally addressed to—his imaginary friend from three years of age,
Boddah (“Kurt Cobain Suicide Note”). His suicide note, which was analyzed by
Handwriting University, read as follows:
To Boddah:
This note should be pretty easy to understand. All the warnings
from the punk rock 101 courses over the years since my first introduction to
the, shall we say, ethics involved with independence and embracement of your
community. It’s proven very true. I haven’t felt the excitement of listening to
as well as creating music, along with really writing something, for too many
years now.
I feel guilty beyond words about these things—for example, when we’re
backstage and the lights go out and the roar of the crowd begins, it doesn’t
affect me the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love and
relish the love and adoration of the crowd.
Which is something I totally admire and envy. The fact that I can’t fool
you, any one of you, it simply isn’t fair to you or to me. The worst crime I
could think of would be to pull people off by faking it, pretending as if I’m
having 100% fun.
Sometimes I feel as I should have a punch-in time-clock before I walk
out on stage. I’ve tried everything within my power to appreciate it, and I do,
God believe me I do, but it’s not enough. I appreciate the fact that I and we
have effected and entertained a lot of people. I must be one of those
narcissists who only appreciate things when they’re alone. I’m too sensitive. I
need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasm I once had as a
child. On our last 3 hours I’ve had a much better appreciation of all the people
I know personally, and as fans of our music, but I still can’t get out the
frustration to gather the empathy I have for everybody. There’s good in all of
us and I simply love people too much.
So much that it makes me feel just too freaking sad. Sad little
sensitive unappreciative Pieces—
I had a good marriage, and for that I’m grateful. But since the age of
seven, I’ve become hateful toward all humans in general only because it seems so
easy for people to get along that have empathy.
Only because I love and feel for people too much I guess. Thank you all
from the pit of my burning nauseous stomach for your letters and concern during
the last years. I’m pretty much of an erratic moody person and I don’t have the
passion anymore. Peace, Love, Empathy, Kurt Cobain.
Frances and Courtney, I’ll be at your altar.
Please keep going Courtney.
For Frances. For her life which will be so much happier without me. I
love you, I love you.
With no more to be said, Kurt injected the heroin, and pointed the
shotgun into his mouth. With his last ounce of strength, Kurt Donald Cobain
pulled the trigger. As Charles R. Cross rightfully said, “And then he was gone
(Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 327-342).”
“Now he’s gone and joined that stupid club. I told him not to join that
stupid club,” were the famous words uttered by Wendy Cobain to a reporter when
she was asked to comment on Kurt’s suicide. Kurt was discovered on April 8th by
an electrician installing a new security system into his house (“Brief
Biography”). In the day to follow, 7,000 fans gathered outside Seattle Center’s
Flag Pavilion. A short message was played by Krist, and a longer one by Courtney
(Cross, Heavier Than Heaven 347-349). Family members who had not spoken to Kurt
since childhood poured into his home and started taking his journals left out in
the open, as well as many demo tapes. Eric Erlandson of Hole, which was Courtney
Love’s band, noticed this happening and quickly ran to protect Kurt’s most
valuable belongings from looters (Ali, 62).
A more personal funeral was held for loved ones. Because of the short
notice, Courtney did not invite many of his childhood friends. Kurt’s loved ones
spoke a few words, and with that family and friends exited. (Cross, Heavier Than
Heaven 349-350).
Kurt’s ashes were finally put to rest on May 31st, 1999. Frances Bean,
now at the age of 6, scattered his ashes into McLane Creek outside his mother’s
Aberdeen home.
In 2002, after much controversy between the existing members of the once
Nirvana and Courtney Love, Courtney Love was given permission to publish his
journals (which Riverhead paid 4 million dollars to publish), the song “You Know
You’re Right,” and a video to go along with it. Now, the debate exists over the
rights for the band (Ali 61-65). Many fans wonder if it was invasion of Kurt’s
privacy, and a blow against his final wishes for these publishings (“Nirvana’s
Return” 95).
Kurt Cobain was only looking for his personal nirvana. He did not intend to be
the spokesperson for a generation. He did not intend for his music to transform
the 80’s into the 90’s (DeCurtis 30-34). His music at first seemed to be just
another mess of sound put together by what the media first described as a
corrupt group of people, but slowly turned into masterpieces worshipped by both
fans as well as fellow musicians (Funk And Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia).
Bringing the underground musical movement known as grunge over ground, the
success of Nirvana pushed record labels to produce the sometimes-questionable
bands, landing both Beck and Pearl Jam contracts (Ali 61). Despite his seemingly
successful career, problems arising originally from the divorce of his parents
stunted Kurt’s ability to cope with life’s difficulties. He turned to drugs when
the added feelings of mistrust, insecurity, depression brought on by
homelessness, and lack of successful relationships haunted his mind. In the end,
without achieving his perfect idea and state of nirvana, Kurt Donald Cobain saw
no other path but suicide. With the loss of a brilliant artist, the world will
never know what it might have missed.
Benson
02-13-2004, 12:23 AM
The themes of many works of short fiction are commonly influenced through both use of symbolism, and character development. Symbolism can be described as using events, items, or relationships. Often, symbolism is created through colors or other recurring items in stories. Character development is performed through certain events and experiences that the characters in the story have, and can help them come to a revelation or epiphany during the course of the story. These epiphanies frequently further the theme of the story in that they help to bring questions to the reader’s mind about the story. In addition, characters can act of foils of each other, meaning that quirks about one character will help to show the opposite quirks in another. These differences show the different natures of the characters and help to further the theme, which the author is trying to pass on to the reader. Authors frequently use both of these aspects of literature in order to further their theme, and make it more evident to the reader. Sometimes, the author may use these aspects more subtly in order to make the reader read much closer for the meaning behind the story than they may have to for other stories. By doing this, the author can also make the theme more evident when the reader fully understands all of the symbolism and character pieces.
Both symbolism and character development hold an important role in conveying the author’s theme, and when used fully, these tools can create deeply thematic stories that exhibit the author’s true emotions towards a subject or event. Although symbolism is frequently thought about much more than character development in terms of theme development, character development often helps to finalize the theme, and solidify the author’s true meaning within the story. When the story is about a topic that is deeply meaningful to the author, they will use every aspect and angle that they can in order to try to convey how they feel to the reader. Through an effective use of both symbolism and proper character development, this can be easily achieved by the author, and they can be successful in what they wish to accomplish through their work.
A unique example of a short story that encompasses both aspects of symbolism and character development is Girl by Jamaica Kincaid. The story itself is entirely one sentence, and is only 650-words long. Dealing with a dialogue between a mother and her daughter, the story covers many important “life lessons” that the mother feel are important for the daughter to know and live by. These “life lessons” are what form the themes of the stories, which have to do with the relationship of a mother and daughter, and the culture clash that occurs between the characters’ African and Caribbean roots, and the modern European world in which they live due to the colonization of the island of Antigua. The symbolism within this story deals with one key phrase that can be interpreted to have a meaning different much more complex than their appearance may create in the reader. This repeated phrase is “keep yourself from…the slut…you are so bent on becoming.” The mother repeats this phrase several times throughout the story, and seems to only simply be telling her daughter to be careful, which is common with many mothers. However, upon further analyzation, it is evident that the mother is telling the daughter not to allow herself to be subservient to men, and to control her own life. The mother wants her daughter to be self-reliant, productive, and desirable for more than just sexual reasons by men. Character development within this story plays a very large role in the themes that are expressed to the reader. The daughter, who only talks twice throughout the entire story, is shown to be observant of her mother’s wishes, but also in a way defensive to what her mother wants of her, because both times her comments can be seen as defensive, beginning with the word, “but.” The mother represents the knowledge of what women’s place in society is, and has found this knowledge through the culture in which she lives. Her advice to the daughter is both practical, in the sense of common chores, and more than that in her message of self-reliance for the daughter. Both of the characters help to further the themes because through the characters the mother and daughter relationship can be evidenced by the actions and comments of the mother and the lack of such from the daughter. The mother also exhibits the culture clash because although the mother feels personally that some of the messages that she is giving to her daughter are not correctly morally, culture forces her to pass them on and show her daughter how to be successful in the society in which they live.
Within the story, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the characters and their development play the main role in the theme behind the story. The story itself deals with the arrival, visit, and departure of an old man to a town. During his visit, he at first creates a “buzz” around the town and everyone is interested in seeing him. However, as time passes, this “buzz” dies down, and the people slowly lose interest in him until finally, he is all but forgotten by the people of the town. It is mainly how this character is described and the actions, which he takes that, create the theme of doubt and ambiguity behind within this story. The old man arrives in an un-named town, sometime unknown in the past, simply described as “a very old man with enormous wings.” This description is never furthered by the author. This helps to establish for the reader a feeling of doubt about what is truly occurring, and wanting to know more about the old man. Through the description, the reader can be brought to believe that the wings, which the old man has, are just as “real” as any other part of the story, although it becomes obvious to the reader there is nothing within the story that can be thought of as entirely real. The symbolism present within the story exists in the description of the old man himself and the image he presents to the reader. Although he is said to have mystical wings, he is described simply as “a drenched great-grandfather.” This creates his presence as one of a normal common person, removing the significance of his wings. These wings can be seen as a symbol that the old man is an angel, but his common appearance and actions debase this possibility because he becomes seen as a “senile vulture” by the people of the town. The theme of doubt and ambiguity can be brought to the reader’s attention through the basic description of the old man himself and the events that occur during the story. Throughout, the events are described in a way that leaves doubt in the reader’s mind, and allows for a self-interpretation.
William Faulkner’s first short story published in a major magazine, A Rose for Emily is a work that deals with two main themes, which are shown to the reader through character development and symbolism. The first of these themes is that of death. Although the story literally deals with five different deaths, this does not entirely create the theme of death within the story. Emily herself can be seen as a symbol of death. She is described as “bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid blue.” This is not a description that one would commonly associate with a person in the living, but rather someone that has died. In addition, Emily’s actions show that she is unable to deal with death well, when her father died, she was unable to give up the body for three days. She also created a commotion when her great-aunt died, and the final discovery of a long strand of iron-gray hair on the pillow next to the corpse shows that Emily is a necrophiliac. The second major theme of the story is that of the decline of the old south. This is a common theme present throughout many of Faulkner’s works. It has to do with the fact that before the civil war the south was composed of mainly aristocratic society, with certain morals and beliefs. A representative of this old southern mentality is that of Judge Stevens. When he is approached about questioning Emily about the smell coming from her house, he rebuts asking, “Will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad?” While the younger generation would think nothing of this question, the older pre-war generation would think that such a question would be disrespectful and wrong. Through the character, development and symbolism that can be seen with certain events and items, the main two themes of death and the decline of the old south can be seen within the story A Rose for Emily.
The Lady with the Pet Dog by Anton Chekhov provides another example of the use of symbolism and character development by an author to further the theme of a short story. Although the story deals with an adulterous love affair between two characters, Gurov and Anna, its main theme is not one of moral corruption or sin. The main theme of the story is one concerning morals, and the meaning of life. Through his interaction with Anna, Gurov is able to realize that he has always taken women for granted and treated them without any true respect. During his affair, he becomes more concerned about what consequences his actions hold. Gurov and Anna also have a true love for each other, but because they are both married, they do not follow through entirely upon their emotions because of the morals and responsibilities that they feel for their families. The moral values exhibited through the characters actions are those of honesty, seriousness, and true love. These morals are exhibited by Gurov’s revelation that “everything about which he felt sincerely and did not deceive himself…was going on concealed from others; while all that was false…went on in the open.” This shows that Gurov knows what his true feelings and emotions are now that he has been with Anna, but he also knows that they will be hidden from the rest of the world in order to maintain a moral correctness and obligation to his family. In addition, Gurov comes to the realization that his treatment of women was belittling and he gains a respect through his relationship with Anna. Through this character development and interaction, the main theme of morals and the meaning of life can be evidenced to the reader.
The monologue short story I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen conveys three main themes to the reader through character interaction and action. The narrator who remains un-named, reflects on her distant relationship with her eldest daughter, and acknowledges the difficulties that a mother and daughter can have in finding independent identities, independent from both each other, and from social expectations about women. The first theme that is presented within this story is that of the search for identity. This theme can first been seen when the narrator questions “what good” her insights into her daughter are, and claims a special knowledge of her daughter which she developed over time. Both identities within the story are presented as incomplete, as the daughter is trying to find herself, and the mother is trying to assess her own role. The mother is unsure how to nurture her daughter’s talents in acting and feels that the gift of ability may be left unexpressed. In the end, the self-reflective search that the mother is going on goes unfinished as it proves to be too big of a task for her to complete. The second theme that is present within the story is that of limitations and opportunities. The mother is forced to confront many different limitations, such as poverty, abandonment by her first husband, housework, and motherhood. The many issues have compounded on the mother, impairing her ability to tell the story because there is simply too much to recount. The mother’s over analysis of the situation brings herself to blame for the “little [that] will come” from her daughter’s abilities. The final theme that is present within the story is that of apathy. For the daughter this apathy focuses upon her future, while for the mother it is toward her “failures”. However, this apathy is not without hope, and both characters express hope that they will be able to break free and do what they want to do in their lives.
Miss Brill a story about a woman’s Sunday trip to a park, by Katherine Mansfield, exhibits two main themes through both symbolism and character development. The first of these themes is that of alienation and loneliness. Although Miss Brill does not reveal her loneliness in her thoughts, her behaviors reveal it clearly to the reader. On Sundays, she does not go out with her family members, but instead focuses on her students and the elderly man she reads the newspaper to several times a week. In addition, because she is never given a first name by the author, the reader is unable to understand her on a personal level, showing her alienation from the world around her. During her Sunday trip, she thinks of the people in the park as characters in a play, not truly interacting with them, but in a way striving to know them. The young couple that sits next to her on the bench and insults her further this; she becomes completely alienated from everything around her, not really a part of any of it. The final act of the story also completes this theme of alienation, as she believes that she hears her fur crying as she returns it to the box as she returns herself to her “room like a cupboard.” The second theme that is present within the story is that of appearances and reality. There is a stark contrast created through appearance and reality through the thoughts of the main character. Miss Brill thinks about the people at the park, describing them as “odd, silent, nearly all old” and that they “looked as though they’d just come from dark little rooms or even – even cupboards!” The difference her is that she is the odd one, and has just come out into the open from her isolation from the rest of society. During her concoction of a play with the people around her, she feels that they are the “members of the company” and that they “understand” her and her actions, while in reality they do not understand her at all, and are not members of any sort of company associated with her. This theme furthers the first theme of alienation and loneliness as Miss Brill is separated from everyone else, and unable to understand the world as it exists.
In the short story The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, multiple themes of poverty and wealth, race, and resistance are created through the author’s use of symbolism and character development. The theme of poverty and wealth builds out of the roots of the children in the class. These children, who live in the “slums,” are brought to a place with wealth that is seemingly unfathomable to them. They do however understand the value of money, and know that the prices at FAO Schwartz are much higher than they would ever pay for toys that provide them the same joy. However, it is this disparity that the teacher wants to use to teach the students of her class a lesson. One of the students Sylvia, takes this lesson and uses it to defend her argument that maybe a nation with certain people having most of the wealth is not a true democracy. While another interprets, it differently and simply aspires to be like the people that are able to afford the prices for the toys in the store. The theme of race, while not specifically mentioned is an undercurrent of the story. The fact that it is not mentioned is not a surprise to the reader, because to Sylvia, everyone in her life is African-American. Miss Moore serves as the link between the different races, while she has some characteristics of the African-American women Sylvia knows; she also has had some experience on the “outside” and has been influenced by it. Sylvia’s view of the differences between the races can be seen when she makes the comment, “White folks crazy.” Even though this comment was addressed towards a single white woman wearing a fur coat during the summer, Sylvia uses this site to make a sweeping generalization of all white people, showing that she feels there is a large difference between the races. The final theme is that of resistance. Resistance is at the very heart of the lesson that Miss Moore is attempting to give to the children of her class. She is trying to show her students that “money ain’t divided up right in this country.” And that they should see this as the wrong way to live, and in turn want to create a change in the society that they live. She wants them to understand the world around them and to be able to block out the parts that would corrupt them to feel less empowered to resist aspects of society that they can no longer stand. Although her lesson seems at first a little over the heads of the young children, it still gets them thinking, and it is this thought process that will bring about the change that is needed within their society.
A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka is a story that takes place in an unspecified time and place, and is about a man that is world-famous for his public performances of the act of fasting. There are several themes that are presented through this short story, the first of which being alienation and isolation. The story itself focuses mainly on the man’s feelings of intense alienation and isolation. He spends much of his life in a cage, separated from and looked in upon by crowds of people. His need to fast is “symbolic of his isolation from the community of men.” The cage itself symbolizes the barrier between him and the people around him, forcing him to live in a state of isolation for most of his life. A theme of spiritual yearning is also presented to the reader. The hunger artist himself is described as a religious “martyr.” His martyrdom is not based on any spiritual elements, but more upon his own professional frustrations. His professional successes do not make up for the spiritual emptiness in which he lives most of his life. A theme about the joy of life also exists within the story. Because the main character is unable to engage in the “joy of life,” he is never satisfied with his accomplishments. The food, which symbolizes life, proves to be a hard subject for the man to conquer, as he is never able to find a “food that [he] liked.” This inability illustrates his lack of a passion for living. This is also shown by the contrast between the hunger artist and the panther that replaced him in his cage. The panther is much the opposite of the man in his appetite, and through this exhibits a state of happiness in the panther’s life. A third theme that can be found in the story is that of change and transformation. The story opens with the line, “we live in a different world now.” This has to do with the artist’s professional downfall due to circumstances beyond his own control. The form of entertainment, which he provides to his audience, is no longer very popular, and he has come to be despised by many people. The artist feels that these changes to the world are unfair to him as it takes away his livelihood. This theme also ties into the final theme within the story, which is that of the suffering artist in the modern world. The artist has created a sense of alienation for himself because he has come to realize that no one but himself truly understands and appreciates his art. He blames the whole world for not providing him with the “satisfaction” that he feels he deserves. In turn, he is struggling against the world and trying to get them to understand his message.
In James Joyce’s short story set in Dublin, Ireland Araby, there are three main themes that are conveyed to the reader through Joyce’s use of both symbolism and character development. Alienation and loneliness is a theme that is created mainly through the narrator’s actions. He isolates never shares and of his feelings about Mangan’s sister with anyone, even though they may be important to let out. He also completely isolates himself from all of his friends that seem too young to him once his crush develops. Finally, his isolates himself from his entire family because they seem to be caught up in their own world. Because of his actions, or lack thereof, his feelings for Mangan’s sister are never revealed, and when the narrator realizes his mistake, he further alienates and isolates himself from the rest of the world. Another theme that is present within the story is that of change and transformation. During the course of the story, the narrator experiences emotional growth, going from an innocent young boy to a disillusioned adolescent, very quickly. This occurs during what Joyce called an “epiphany,” or a moment of intense insight and self-understanding. Although the narrator achieves this sudden understanding, it makes him neither happy nor satisfied, but more possibly angry with himself for acting the way he did. This marks his movement from a child to an adult. The final theme that is within the story is that of God and religion. At the beginning of the story, the narrator sees himself as a religious hero and sees Mangan’s sister as the living embodiment of the Virgin Mary. He had not yet learned to separate his religious teachings with the reality of his life. Part of the understanding that comes following his epiphany is that he is able to finally separate these two aspects of his life, and understand their differences. However, at the end of the story, it is not completely clear what his effect his epiphany will have on his beliefs, but through Joyce’s own beliefs, it can be interpreted that the character may develop a cynical attitude toward his own religion.
The story about the common grocery store A&P by John Updike heavily relies on symbolism and character development to create two major themes for the reader. Throughout the story, the main characters must make certain choices, and then proceed to deal with the consequences of those choices. This creates the first main theme of choices and consequences. For instance, Sammy, the cashier, makes the most obvious and painful choice, but in some effect he is aware of the consequences that will befall him. He knows that his entire life will be different because of his choice, and that it will affect his family. Sammy stood up for he believed in, and because of his protest, he knows that life will prove to be difficult for him. He realizes that if he just quits whenever he encounters something that is hard to deal with, his life will be a mess and problems will abound. Through his rash decision to quit, he comes to realize that he could be branded a troublemaker or misfit by the community. Through he decision, the second theme of individualism can also be seen. Although he knows that Lengel has every right to speak to the girls as he does, Sammy shows that he feels differently about the situation, asserting his individuality. Also, by standing up for the girls, Sammy also comes to question the standards in which he lives, and realizes that there is a higher sense of decency, which should prevent the actions that Lengel has taken. In addition, Sammy is the only character that asserts his individuality. Two of the girls are simply following the other, while the other crumbles under Lengel. Lengel is simply an enforcer and truly is not doing what he feels individually. Overall, it is Sammy’s differences that bring the individuality to light, and prove to the reader that sometimes it is better to go against the grain and not simply be a sheep herded by society.
In conclusion, theme is heavily influenced by symbolism and character development throughout many different works of literature. The stories analyzed only prove to be the tip of the huge iceberg, showing that theme can come from many different angles, and at some times it is harder to interpret than at others. Overall, theme is an important part of the reason an author writes a piece of literature. The author has a certain message that they want to send to the reader, and through their creative minds, and use of symbolism and character development, this message can be relayed to the reader. When an author uses these tools powerfully and fully, their work can prove to be deeply meaningful, and may even institute a change in the way people think and interpret certain situations. Theme is a very large part of literature and short fiction, and can be seen throughout stories ranging in topic from a Southern United States class field trip, to a story of infatuation in Dublin, Ireland. Every story has a deeper meaning and theme, and it is the reader’s job, by using the clues provided to them, to find and interpret it. Theme is the most critical and important part of the stories, and without it, there would be no reason to write at all.
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