The Characters of Hamlet and Holden Essay -- compare, contrast, compari

To some, this argument may seem the most blatant form of mistruth, horrendous, even, in its lack of taste, a kind of literary sacrilege, in fact. Surely we have reached the end, one might say, when one can considerer comparing the immortal Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, with the adolescent protagonist of Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger’s hero has been compared to many literary figures, from Huckleberry Finn to David Copperfield. So many different attitudes have been taken toward him. Let’s stop talking about him and write something else. Isn’t the subject getting boring? Perhaps so, but Holden will not go away. He continues to pester the mind, and while reading A.C. Bradley’s analysis of Hamlet’s character, it was hard to resist the idea that much of what Bradley was saying about Hamlet applied to Holden as well. Perhaps the comparison is not as absurd as it first appears. Of course, there is no similarity between the events of the play and those of the novel. The fascinating thing while reading Bradley was how perfectly his analysis of Hamlet’s character applied to Holden’s, how deeply, in fact, he was going into Holden’s character as well, revealing, among other things, its potentially tragic nature. After demolishing the theories of other critics, Bradley concluded that the essence of Hamlet’s character is contained in a three-fold analysis of it. First, that rather than being melancholy by temperament, in the usual sense of â€Å"profoundly sad,† he is a person of unusual nervous instability, one liable to extreme and profound alterations of mood, a potential manic-depressive type. Romantic, we might say. Second, this Hamlet is also a person of â€Å"exquisite moral sensibility, â€Å" hypersensitive to goodness, a m... ...dy view holden as symbolizing the plight of the idealist in the modern world. Most importantly, however, it suggests why Holden Caulfied will not go away, he continues to remain so potent an influence on the now aging younger generation that he first spoke to, and why he continues to brand himself anew on the young. In fact, in this age of atrophy, in this thought-tormented, thought-tormenting time in which we live, perhaps it is not going too far to say that, for many of us, at least, our Hamlet is Holden.  Works Cited Bradley, A.C. â€Å"Hamlet.† Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1981. 89-174. Sanders, Wlibur, and Howard Jacobson. â€Å"Hamlet’s Sanity.† Shakespeare’s Magnanimity: Four Tragic Heroes, Their Friends and Families. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978. 22-56. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992.

Affirmative Action Policy: Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Essay

Question 1: Is the affirmative action policy morally defensible? Explain. Yes affirmative action is morally defensible in that: South Africa has been characterised by many years of workplace inequities and imbalances of the past particularly blacks who were treated in an inhumane manner and denigration. In 1994 the new democratic government came into power and had a moral duty to eliminate all forms of discrimination and thereafter level the playing field at the workplace, hence the affirmative action policy was introduced and legislated. Since blacks were marginalised certain jobs and skills were reserved for white minority in some sectors of the economy thereby robbing our economy of its potential and productivity. Whereas the introduction of the affirmative action policy uncovered skills and untapped talent, created more jobs in responsible positions and thereby allowing our economy to grow stronger and compete in the global markets. The harsh realities of the past regime created divisions between black and white communities and promulgation of this policy assisted in closing that gap and normalise the conditions at the workplace. Therefore the policy allowed companies and government to utilise all people to the maximum potential and created improved relations and communication between organised labour and management. QUESTION 2: In your opinion, which country has successfully implemented the policy of affirmative action and why did it succeed? America QUESTION 3: In your view, why did South African government choose to implement Affirmative Action policy and Act, and was it ever justifiable? Certainly the policy of Affirmative Action is justifiable in that: Central to the democratic government was the economic challenges and expectations of the black majority who voted them into power. Therefore, the government was obliged to strive for macro-economic balance that supports sustainable growth and development to ensure that the benefits are shared by all concerned. Consequently, the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 was promulgated in terms of which the Affirmative Action Policy was implemented and its main aim to correct and balance the inequities of the past. Furthermore the policy had to promote equal opportunities and redress entrenched inequalities that affected blacks, women and children at the workplace. Therefore the policy is justifiable based on moral, legal and socio-economic issues. QUESTION 4: Does the policy need to be discontinued after a certain length of time and why? Yes in that: The main objective of the policy is to create opportunities and level the playing field where everyone can compete and once this is achieved the policy has to stop. Moreover the policy is not a punishment for the wrongs of the past so it makes sense to discontinue it some years to come moral responsibility is achieved.

Racism in America Today Essay - 954 Words

Long walk to freedom? Although slavery is over and African Americans are in a better place today than they were years ago we still have long ways to go. There are still people out there that is praying for our downfall. There are still people out there who wants to harm us and make us extinct. Even though we’re allowed to go to school with whites there is still controversy with us being friends and even dating. Just like some Caucasians are racists there are some African Americans that are as well. African Americans hate seeing there men or women date Caucasians. They feel like Caucasians took their men or took their women. It shouldn’t matter what color there skin is, love doesn’t have a limit or age you can’t help who you fall in love†¦show more content†¦I explained to him that she was African American my mother handed him her driver’s license and that still wasn’t good enough for him. I proceeded to let him know that I was in sch ool for criminal justice and he was breaking the law. I grabbed my law book and told him which code he was violating. He had this look on his face and I know he was mad so he told us that we could go and we did. Officers shouldn’t be able to pull anyone over because of the color of their skin. There are bigger things in the world than that. Another example of racism because of your color is in Detroit the police number one target is African Americans. They call it (DWB) â€Å"Driving While Black† they will pull you over because your black driving in a nice car. A lot of people believe that the fancier your car is the more attention it brings your way from cops. Racism is all around us from the color of our skin to the course of our hair people will find all kind of reasons to talk about you or reasons not to like you. I remember grabbing my phone and I decided to go browsing on the web. I saw this article on a young man name, Trayvon Martin and as I read it I felt sorry for his family loss. I’m the type of person who needs all the facts before I think you’re guilty. I was always taught that there are three sides to a story â€Å"His side, her side, and the truth. As I got more in-depth with the story I learned that Trayvon was walking home from the store, where he purchased skittles andShow MoreRelatedRacism in America Today1933 Words   |  8 PagesRacism has been a terrible problem in American society for hundreds of years. Racism issues are not limited to one specific race, but include all races. It is the responsibility of the people of this nation to address racism and learn to accept and embrace each other for our differences, and allow this great nation to become even more united for our sake and the sake of future generations. 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When Americans think of racism, they usually think of slavery and that racism is no longer a problem in America. However, this is not the case. Racism is still very apparent in America. It is true that since the end of slavery, the U.S. has made great strides towards becoming a less racist country. In reality, racism will never be extinct. In today’s society, all American citizens of all races have the same rights as one another