Comparing the Ghost Stories: The Old Nurses Story versus The Ostler Ess

Ghost stories have been popular throughout the ages. During the nineteenth century, there was a sudden boom and ghost stories were made popular. Storytelling was the main source of entertainment as there weren't any films, TV's or computer games. People would gather around in groups telling or reading each other stories. The stories were made more real by the superstitions people kept and as the rooms were lit by dim candle light, it built a sense of atmosphere. Most ghost stories were written in the nineteenth century period, so people could imagine such things happening to them, in the places they lived. As storytelling was the main form of entertainment, people had nothing to compare it to, so it built tension, suspense and fear. In the nineteenth century there weren't many scientific advances. Everything was blamed on higher or supernatural forces, therefore, people believed the explanations given in ghost stories. I will be comparing and contrasting four ghost stories which were all written in the nineteenth century. They are ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1855 and ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins, 1855. ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell is about a young girl (Miss Rosamund) and her nanny (Hester) going to live with her great aunt (Miss Grace Furnivall) at her aunt?s stately house called Furnivall Hall. Strange events take place at Furnivall Hall and family secrets are revealed. The past comes back to haunt Miss Furnivall and unfinished business is resolved. ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins is about an unlucky man (Isaac Scratchard) who has a premonition of his death, being killed by a woman. His luck begins to improve when he meets a woman (Rebecca Murdock). He falls in love and decides to marry to he... ...house in order to claim it to the deep unknown. In ?The Ostler?, Isaac Scratchard found a ?lonely, road-side inn? to stay at as he was lost, he was in an area ?which he was entirely unacquainted with?. Surrounding the inn was a ?thick, dark forest? which adds mystery to the lonely inn and creates an ideal scene for the strange event. A reader in 1855 would find ?The Old Nurse?s Story? to be extremely frightening as the setting is located in a typical 1855 town, so people could imagine such events occurring in places they lived. The location is typically ghostly as the story it is in an isolated, large house during bad weather. However, this gives the reader comfort as not few would live in stately houses. A contemporary reader would not find these as scary as they?re used to the special effects being used and in comparison, the ghost stories don?t seem scary. Comparing the Ghost Stories: The Old Nurses Story versus The Ostler Ess Ghost stories have been popular throughout the ages. During the nineteenth century, there was a sudden boom and ghost stories were made popular. Storytelling was the main source of entertainment as there weren't any films, TV's or computer games. People would gather around in groups telling or reading each other stories. The stories were made more real by the superstitions people kept and as the rooms were lit by dim candle light, it built a sense of atmosphere. Most ghost stories were written in the nineteenth century period, so people could imagine such things happening to them, in the places they lived. As storytelling was the main form of entertainment, people had nothing to compare it to, so it built tension, suspense and fear. In the nineteenth century there weren't many scientific advances. Everything was blamed on higher or supernatural forces, therefore, people believed the explanations given in ghost stories. I will be comparing and contrasting four ghost stories which were all written in the nineteenth century. They are ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1855 and ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins, 1855. ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell is about a young girl (Miss Rosamund) and her nanny (Hester) going to live with her great aunt (Miss Grace Furnivall) at her aunt?s stately house called Furnivall Hall. Strange events take place at Furnivall Hall and family secrets are revealed. The past comes back to haunt Miss Furnivall and unfinished business is resolved. ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins is about an unlucky man (Isaac Scratchard) who has a premonition of his death, being killed by a woman. His luck begins to improve when he meets a woman (Rebecca Murdock). He falls in love and decides to marry to he... ...house in order to claim it to the deep unknown. In ?The Ostler?, Isaac Scratchard found a ?lonely, road-side inn? to stay at as he was lost, he was in an area ?which he was entirely unacquainted with?. Surrounding the inn was a ?thick, dark forest? which adds mystery to the lonely inn and creates an ideal scene for the strange event. A reader in 1855 would find ?The Old Nurse?s Story? to be extremely frightening as the setting is located in a typical 1855 town, so people could imagine such events occurring in places they lived. The location is typically ghostly as the story it is in an isolated, large house during bad weather. However, this gives the reader comfort as not few would live in stately houses. A contemporary reader would not find these as scary as they?re used to the special effects being used and in comparison, the ghost stories don?t seem scary.

Death theme In the play “Hamlet” by Shakespeare Essay

Death has always been the most debated subject regarding humans belief. It is part of life, yet a mystery nobody has experienced to tell. It is said to drive people’s actions, however Death is still a mystery as the whole human race still wonders how it acts on people’s lives and what is next after Death. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the theme of Death to drive the characters actions, and portrays the tragedy through their dialogues and significant symbols to create a tragic atmosphere. The first sign of Death is the appearance of King Hamlets ghost. The play is set only two months after his death, which is the lead for the events following in the play. He appeared at the platform before Elsinore castle as Horatio pictures, with that fair and warlike form (Shakespeare I.i.55-56 p1326). Even the apparel suggests a killing attitude. The Ghost, the symbol of Death, reveals the truth of him being murdered by his own brother to his son, Hamlet, and asks for revenge. Because of King Hamlets death, Claudius gets the throne and Gertrude betrays her late husband and remarries with Claudius. The murder and the betrayal, therefore, become the main grounds for Hamlets actions. The young Hamlet is given a valid reason to be mad and willing to accept the role of spreading death. The Ghost is the seed for killing, revenge, and death later on in the play (Boyce, Ghost). Another foreshadowing of Death in Act I is the line of Marcellus: Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (I.iv.99 p1342). The feeling this guard gets is from the scene of the ghost, along with the dreadful death of King Hamlet not long ago. It also foretells the outcome of the story. Death is presented mainly through characters dialogue. When Hamlet does not know yet the true reason of his fathers death, he thought about committing suicide. Deeply depressed about his mothers too early remarriage, Hamlet considers the opportunity to escape the â€Å"whips and scorns of time.† Here he thinks of Death as an escape; however, he has great fear of it. He explains his inability to end his life by questioning the moral of his actions:Whether tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troublesAnd, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep -No more – and by a sleep to say we endThe heartache and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to†¦Ã‚  (III. i.l 65-71) He views suicide as a chance to escape his own depression, but he realizes that for in that sleep of death what dreams may come. The dreams of the sleep of death mean there may be a worse situation after the suicide. The Prince wonders how people bear to grunt and sweat under a weary life, as he discovers, it is because of their fear of Death:But that the dread of something after death,The undiscovered country from whose bournNo traveler returns, puzzles the willAnd makes us rather bear those ills we haveThan fly to others that we know not of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (III. i.86-90)His statement describes the explanation of humans fear for death. It is an unknown mystery of the afterlife that prevents hamlet himself from committing suicide. Despite the fear of Death, his fathers demand for vengeance gradually changes hamlet into the weapon of Death. The massacre begins when Hamlet confirms Claudius is the real slayer of his father. Hamlet stabbed Polonius as he thought that was Claudius in the Queens room. For many reasons the death of Polonius is the most important death. Because Hamlet kills Polonius, he has blood in his hand and thus will be revenged. Therefore it is no surprise that Laertes, Polonius son, will soon kill Hamlet as they meet. Poloniuss death also offers Claudius an opportunity to get rid of Hamlet. Since Hamlet now knows the truth of Old Hamlets death, as long as he is nearby, Claudius is no longer safe. Claudius smartly uses this occasion to mask himself as a loving stepfather, and also to stage the death for Hamlet. Furthermore, Poloniuss death makes room for another death, Ophelias. Her death, in addition to Poloniuss death, makes heavier cause to Hamlets doom. When Polonius is alive, Ophelia is absolutely obedient and dependent on him â€Å"Ill teach you: think yourself a baby† (I.iii.110 p1338). It is possible to say that Hamlet indirectly kills Ophelia through slaying Polonius. With her suicide, Laertes her brother is given even more reason to kill Hamlet. In the chain of Death, the following one is Laertess. He is driven to face his fate by Claudiuss manipulation and Hamlets carelessness. Hearing the news of Poloniuss death and his sisters going mad leading to her suicide; he goes mad and thirsts for Hamlets blood. However, just how Hamlet avenges his fathers death with the price of his life, Laertes too will avenge his family in exchange with his youth in the grave. Death itself is also presented through Hamlet the protagonist character. Although at first he fears Death, slowly he becomes the sword of Death; and then he becomes a represent of Death after killing Polonius and then in the graveyard scene in Act IV (Boyce, Hamlet 1). Hamlet fully realizes that everyone’s fate is death, regardless of status or wealth. He also realizes that no matter what a person does in life, in death, that person is merely nothing Your worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots: your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, —two dishes, but to one table: thats the end (IV.iii.22-26 p1390). Or again in the graveyard, as he picks up the skull of Yorick his childhood friend, the dear yester: ; as thus: Alexander died, Alexander was/ Buried, Alexander returneth into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we/ make loam (V.i.168-169 p1410). Death transforms the human nature in Hamlet. Upon conversing with his dead father, Hamlet’s mind becomes occupied with the death-provoking demands of revenge from the Ghost. From a young man fearing for Death and still longing to live his youthful life, Hamlet becomes a murderer, accepting Death as inevitable and letting it control his life. Hamlet fascination with death grows and he no longer considers his actions, wanting only to complete his vengeance, and pays no heed to what other circumstances his actions may bring. Although he weeps bitterly when he hears of Ophelias death, he surrenders to the idea that death is only a part of life (Boyce, Hamlet 2). His journey to complete his revenge is meant to be a process of learning how to die (Quinn). Finally, as Claudius and Hamlet both fall, Denmarks throne is left without a heir. Death sweeping through Denmarks royal family, leaving the nation itself dead, as it falls into the hand of Fortinbras, a Norway prince. Hamlet is the drama of Death, of Revenge, of tragic conflicts between human beings. Our lives are driven by other forces, as Elizabethan works suggest, by Ghost and Death as symbol for supernatural forces on Earth. In Hamlet, Shakespeare discussed this through the death of Denmark royal family, and of the country itself after the revenge of the young prince for his father. Works Cited Boyce, Charles. â€Å"Ghost.† Critical Companion to William Shakespeare: A Literary Reference toHis Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Facts On File, Inc. Bloom’s Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=ffazshak0819&SingleRecord=True (accessed June 24, 2009). Boyce, Charles. â€Å"Hamlet.† Critical Companion to William Shakespeare: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Facts On http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=ffazshak0910&/SingleRecord=True (accessed June 29, 2009). Boyce, Charles. â€Å"Hamlet.† Critical Companion to William Shakespeare: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Facts On http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=ffazshak0910&/SingleRecord=True (accessed June 29, 2009). Quinn, Edward. â€Å"death theme in literature.† A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms,Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom’s Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=Gfflithem0196&SingleRecord=True (accessed June 29, 2009). Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Rpt. in Compact LiteratureReading Reacting Writing. By Kirszner and Mandell. 6th ed. Boston, MA: 2007.

The Single Parent Family Structural Environment And...

In today’s day and age many children live in homes where there is only one parent, commonly known as single-parent family. According to 2011 Canada Census Bureau information, the number of children living in single-parent households have gone up since 2001 and almost more than three quarters of these children aged 14 and under are living with single parent family headed by woman (Statistics Canada, 2011). Many times there is the absence of the father in these single-parent homes. Children living in such single parent homes have been negatively affected psychologically and socially which then is reflected in their behavior as well. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the single parent family structural environment and economic conditions can hinder the development and growth of a child. Due to the rise in divorce rates and children born out of unmarried couples, it is more likely for children to be growing up in single-parent homes. According to Statistics Canada (2011) the ratio of mother led single-parent families to father led single-parent families is about 4 to 1. This shows that most of the lone-parent households are comprised of single mothers. Modern family patterns have significantly changed and among various kinds of family structure, one of them particularly single-parent family structure is an important social issue. Single parenting could have several effects on a child’s development from social, psychological to academic achievement. The single parentShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Homelessness And The Housing Crisis Essay4360 Words   |  18 PagesVulnerable families were hit hard by the recent recession and housing crisis. Rates of homelessness and housing instability among families with children increased during this period, and thousands of families in the United States remain without safe, stable, affordable housing (Cortes, Dunton, Henry, Rolston, Khadduri, 2012). 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