Picture of a House

It is said that every family has skeletons in the cupboard. If only old houses could speak, they would tell a lot of fascinating stories about bad and good times of their inhabitants. At first glance, an old house in the picture may seem to be a mere building consisting of walls, windows and doors, but its atmosphere and every its part would mean a lot for several generations that were born and grew up in it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Picture of a House specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A paved path leading to the terrace steps looks so inviting that it is hard to resist the temptation and enter the building. Stepping on this winding trail, a guest would inevitably think of those people who had walked this path millions of times day by day in the past. It is possible that these were small children who ran skipping along and perhaps even fell after stumbling over one of the stones on the path. These could als o be elderly people who went slowly because it was already difficult for them to walk. Young people could walk this path in a hurry from and to work without even noticing beauty of the house. With all these thoughts in mind, a guest would find himself/herself on a desert terrace. Knocking on the door, the stranger would imagine children playing games on this terrace and an elderly man sitting in a rocky chair. However, now there are no lights in the window and the terrace is desert. Nobody would open, and it seems that now only memories and family secrets live in this house. Not able to enter the house, a stranger would stay outside and walk in the garden. It is autumn, and the bare trees share the mood and loneliness of the house. However, there are no leaves on the lawn, and it means that somebody has collected them. Someone who is now invisible has gathered the autumn leaves and neatly cut the lawn. The presence of invisible but caring owners surround the house with atmosphere of mystery. The red tiling on the roof of the house and a gabled tower make the building look like a castle from a fairy tale. There is a small chimney on the roof, and obviously small children growing up in this house were waiting for Santa Claus to come through it every Christmas Eve. Children grew up and do not believe in miracles anymore, but a small chimney remains as a commemoration of those old good times. The large windows of the house are similar to somebody’s curious eyes and connect the inhabitants of the building with the surrounding world. It is obvious that there are even more windows in this house than it is necessary for lighting the rooms in a proper way. Most rooms of the house have two or even more windows which demonstrate the openness of the inhabitants and make the building look even more inviting. It is possible that previously the house was more hospitable than on this autumn morning and guests crowded on its small terrace and in its brightly-lit rooms. However, now the house looks desert and sleeps, hiding all its secrets behind thick curtains on the windows.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Looking at the exterior of the house in the picture, strangers can only make guesses concerning the lives of its inhabitants and the true meaning of the elements of the building. A winding path, bare trees in the garden and large windows would seem only the elements of the construction to a stranger, but would tell much more to people who have spent at least a part of their lives in this house. This essay on Picture of a House was written and submitted by user Jul1anKeller to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Compare and Contrast Essay Free Samples

Compare and Contrast Essay Free SamplesIf you are writing a college essay for any of the AP exams or an essay on your grade point average, it is important to read a number of AP exams and essay samples, and compare and contrast. This will help you focus on the main points of your essay.For example, if you are writing an essay that covers the basic concept of loss aversion, then you will need to compare and contrast this with the economy. Writing in such a way will allow you to be more specific.When writing for college, it is essential to write as objectively as possible. You do not want to insult the course or professor by sounding like you are just using the exam as a way to pass. You need to use examples and arguments that are backed up by facts and other things.To use some of the best AP exam and essay samples, you can use Internet sources such as AOL and Yahoo answers to find sample essays. Also, you may find several essay examples in high school courses that talk about the AP ex ams.If you don't want to use any of these sources, you can write your own essay using common sense and put in a little research. By using common sense, you will be able to make the most out of your time and resources.With the essay on the economy, you will need to compare and contrast the pros and cons of different economic situations. This should include comparing the low unemployment rate of today with the fact that many countries had double digit unemployment rates in the previous two years.You will find that most of the free samples include some context about how they came up with their numbers. This helps to understand what they are trying to get across.While it is important to use the resources that are available to you, you will also want to avoid plagiarism when you are writing a good essay. You should also spend a little time practicing before you take the exam so that you don't feel too rushed.

Themes in Native American Tricksters

Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Conclusion Works Cited Abstract Although the Native American trickster narratives are short and uncomplicated, each tale exemplifies an entire way of life. When put in their literary context, the plainness of the stories actually carries deeper meanings. Although the Native American people do not share a unified body of mythology, all the different trickster tales convey life lessons of ethics and principles of behavior. On top of this, nearly all the trickster tales among the Native American people carry the same themes and plot elements.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Themes in Native American Tricksters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This aspect makes the naughty but holy Trickster a key figure in the Native American oral tradition. Whether the character is the wizened old man Coyote of the Crow tribes, Raven in the Indian lore or even Wakdjunkaga of the Winnebago, the narratives seems to be written from the same script. This research paper examines some of the major themes and plot elements found in Native American trickster tales. Introduction Although the Native American trickster narratives are short and uncomplicated, each tale exemplifies an entire way of life. When put in their literary context, the plainness of the stories actually carries deeper meanings. Although the Native American people do not share a unified body of mythology, all the different trickster tales convey life lessons of ethics and principles of behavior. On top of this, nearly all the trickster tales among the Native American people carry the same themes and plot elements. This aspect makes the naughty but holy Trickster a key figure in the Native American oral tradition. Whether the character is the wizened old man Coyote of the Crow tribes, Raven in the Indian lore or even Wakdjunkaga of the Winnebago, the narratives seems to be written from the same scr ipt. This research paper examines some of the major themes and plot elements found in Native American trickster tales. (Smith) One theme that is almost dominant in all the American Trickster narratives is Sacrifice. This is brought out in the situation where different characters perform selfless acts meant for the benefit of the whole society. In almost all the stories, there are instances where a certain character embarks on a dangerous mission that is meant to benefit the whole community. The recurrence of this theme is meant to make people reflect on what they can do for the benefit of humanity. (Babcock-Abrahams 150) In the tale of Coyote and the Monster that is taught among the Navajo, Coyote is distraught upon learning that the monster has eaten all his friends. Although the monster is unable to eat him, Coyote does not relax but instead he devises a way to free his friends. The monster decides to convince Coyote to stay at his house as a guest. The ever-cunning Coyote tells t he monster that he would be happy to be his guest but first seeks permission to visit his friends. Without thinking of the danger involved, Coyote goes inside the monster’s stomach where he cuts the monster’s heart and he is able to free his friends. Coyote’s action is a selfless act that everyone in the society should emulate if we are truly willing to help humanity. (Babcock-Abrahams 160)Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another tale that bears the theme of sacrifice is the one taught among the Karok tribe on how Coyote stole fire. In this tale, Coyote is a spirit being who is busy doing his usual chores when he notices how men who have just come into the world have problems during winter. During this period, the children and aged people usually die because of the cold weather. Being a spirit being, Coyote does not need anything to warm himself during the winter season. One day, Coyote happens to be passing near a human village when he hears women mourning their children who have died during the winter. Moved by compassion, Coyote decides to help the women acquire fire from the fiery Fire Beings. Disregarding the beings fiery nature, Coyote embarks on a dangerous mission to get the fire. He rallies the support of other animals and together they devise a way of stealing the fire from these beings. In the process, the involved animals end up suffering for their actions but they are able to achieve their mission. Finally, man is able to have fire for warming himself during the winter season and his children and the aged stop dying from the cold. This is a complete act of sacrifice since the animals that help in getting the fire do not stand to benefit from the whole mission. (Babcock-Abrahams 166) Another central theme in many Native American tales is culture heroes and transformers. In almost every story, a culture hero tra nsforms the world into an ideal place and most importantly teaches people how to live. The role of such a character is to help people in distress and to teach them lessons on morality and even to create things out of nothingness. The importance of this theme is perhaps to show how leaders can help in bringing transformation to the society. A classic example of this theme is the Wishram tale that explains how Eagle tried to stop people from dying forever. After the death of his children, Eagle and Coyote embark on a journey to reclaim their dead children and permanently stop the pangs of death. By using his brains, Eagle succeeds in killing Moon and rescues the dead people. However, Coyote’s over enthusiastic nature destroys the plan and the result is that people end up dying forever. Although Eagle fails in his mission, the story is a classic example of cultural heroism and willingness to bring transformation in the world. This theme is also present in the Navajo version wher e Coyote uses his brains to terminate the monster that has killed his friends. (Babcock-Abrahams 170)Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Themes in Native American Tricksters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another theme that is recurrent in all American Trickster tales is that of bravery. It takes bravery for Coyote in the Navajo narrative to kill the monster and free the people. This theme is repeated in the Karok tale where Coyote confronts the Fire Beings who guard their fire throughout to prevent it from being stolen by human beings. Despite the apparent danger, Coyote knows that if he fails to get the fire, people will keep on dying during the cold seasons. This theme is also present among the Menomini people where the Hell-diver warns the other birds that Manabozho was killing their friends. The Hell-diver does this regardless of the threat of developing red eyes for breaking the rule. However, his bravery rescues the other birds from the evil Manabozho. (Radin 33) Although Native America has diverse peoples and languages, many elements of mythology are shared across the different regions. A male normally plays the character of the Trickster and his main duty is to show people the way they should go. In most cases, the trickster loves to unsettle people and create disorder. In most narratives, the trickster is presented as a hero and he pulls pranks that in the end help the whole community. An example is where Coyote steals fire to benefit human beings without himself benefiting in any way. Another story is where â€Å"Trickster† disguises himself as a woman to ensure that his friends do not go without a meal. Another tale from the Northwest Coast region explains how a certain chief stole all the light, plunging the whole universe into darkness. Using trickery, a raven flew into the land disguised as a seed and later managed to steal the sun ensuring that people got bac k light. This shows a consistency in plot element representation in all the stories. (Radin 37) Conclusion Although there are different Native American Trickster narratives, majority of them carry the same themes. These trickster narratives have been taught orally through the generations and they have managed to maintain their original message. The themes that are most common in the narratives include the theme of bravery, selflessness and transformation. These themes are altogether useful in creating a prosperous society. This perhaps explains why these tales have continued to be relevant even in our modern society. The uniformity of the themes in all the tales can be used to depict the togetherness of the American society.Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Babcock-Abrahams, Barbara. A Tolerated Margin of Mess: The Trickster and His Tales Reconsidered. Journal of the Folklore Institute, vol. 11, 1975: 147-186. Print. Radin, Paul. The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology. New York: Greenwood Press, 1969, 30-40. Print. Smith, Jennifer. Africa Native American Trickster Folktales, 2005. Web. This research paper on Themes in Native American Tricksters was written and submitted by user Jameson Bell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.