Characterization of Rachel Through the Use of Literary Techniques in Ci

Characterization of Rachel Through the Use of Literary Techniques in Cisneros’ Eleven Sandra Cisneros writes a memoir through the eyes of an eleven year old. Turning eleven happens to be a tragic day for the main character, Rachel. Through various literary techniques such as hyperbole, simile, and syntax, Rachel is characterized. Rachel is a fresh turning eleven year old who finds herself in an awful situation on her birthday. Forced to wear a raggedy old sweater that doesn’t belong to her, she makes it defiantly clear her feelings towards the clothing item, and we see this through use of hyperboles. Rachel describes the sweater as ugly and too â€Å"stretched out like you could use it for a jump rope.† This extreme exaggeration demonstrates the fire within Rachel. She is a defiant and pouty little girl who out of stubbornness has to defy the sweater in her mind. â€Å"It’s maybe a thousand years old†, she says to herself in act to degrade the filthy red sweater even more. The sweater to Rachel has become an eternal battle of ages. She is t orn on whether or not to stand up and act bigger th...

Butler, Tennessee :: Observation Essays, Descriptive Essays

The town of Butler is not a very well known place, but I would not trade anything in the world for it. In this quaint little town one will find a wide variety of year round activities and traditional festivals. I have traveled to many places in our nation and to other nations, but I have yet to find a place that is as dear to me as my hometown. Most of the inhabitants of Butler will tell you the same thing, whether they have traveled or not. Butler has such a picturesque landscape that it is often the subject of many photographers. The history of this town is also one of the qualities that make it such a wonderful and unique place. The friendly people, various activities, such as water sports hiking, and the wonderful landscape in the town of Butler, TN, make it one of the premier vacation spots and home sites in the nation. Butler is located on the very northeastern tip of Tennessee. Approximately 40 miles from the ETSU campus on Highway 67, one will first cross the Butler Bridge overlooking Watauga Lake. Then about a mile later the road begins to descend into the little town of Butler. Most of my family has lived in Butler all of their lives, so they know first hand the history of Butler. This town’s history is very unususal; Watauga Lake now covers the previous location of Butler. The TVA project moved this town from what used to be a flood-prone area to a higher elevation. Butler has its own museum devoted to this move. It contains old artifacts, pictures old Butler before and after the lake was drained, and many handmade quilts dating back to the 19th Century. The Butler Museum is located at Babe Curtis Park at the end of McQueen Street in Butler. Entire books have been written on the subject of old Butler such as Lost Heritage by Russ Calhoun Sr. Beautiful mountains with small creeks, a pristine lake, and rolling grassy valleys make the landscape of this beautiful place. Regardless of the time of year one will always find breathtaking landscape in the town of Butler, except for the mid winter when all of the leaves are off the trees and they look like skeletons, which can be very depressing. The natives of Butler are people who love their land and tend to stick with traditions.

Long Term Effects of Colonization :: essays research papers

Even in today’s complex society, the effects of past colonization can still be felt. The most obvious of these effects on society is a change in the culture of any colonized area or group of people. This is a direct result from the forceful tactics used during historical colonization. Colonization has occurred throughout history. In Europe, three of the most influential colonizers were the Spanish, the French, and the British. These three countries were driven by three very basic motives: a desire for material gain, a desire to spread religion, and a desire to expand territory. Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886). Burma wasn’t administered as a province of India until 1937, when it became a separate, self-governing colony. This is the arrangement of details surrounding George Orwell’s story of â€Å"Shooting An Elephant†. The reader finds oneself in the midst of a colonization struggle between the British and the Burmese. On one hand there is a â€Å"Burmese† elephant that needs to be contained, while on the other hand there is a growing number of people joining a crowd that seems to be an obstacle for an imperialist guard’s ability to take control of the situation. The very tension of the crowd following the imperialist guard is the â€Å"colonization effect† is felt. This crowd of Burmese civilians expect the guard to shoot and kill this elephant, hence the reason they followed him. The guard finds himself being pressured by the crowd to take care of shooting the elephant. It is this pres sure that almost forces the guard to make a hasty, not necessarily the right decision about handling these circumstances. If the guard were to make an error in judgment in direct result from this pressure from the crowd, he would find himself caught in a very bad position. A guard, who is part of a coalition colonizing an area, in the middle (literally) of an angry mob of local civilians unwilling to accept the colonization brought on by this guard’s imperialistic philosophies. The effects of eighteenth and nineteenth century colonization can still be felt today. When Britain colonized Burma, the English language quickly spread, and the indigenous languages of the natives began to be wiped out.

Bureaucratic Organization And The Learning Process

This paper talks about a bureaucratic organization in detail. It focuses however on the learning aspect in an organization that means how conducive the entire working environment is there. This promotion of a learning environment is essential in effective growth of a company or whichever organization that undertakes the learning process as part of their work. The argument that surrounds this entire paper is essentially that how well a bureaucratic organization deals with this aspect of efficiency by inculcating within it the process of subliminal learning.The argument arises when it is said that there is not much learning undertaken in a typical bureaucratic organization. Introduction At the onset of the industrial revolution, at the end of the eighteenth century, many small shops around villages etc. were transformed into big factories by centralizing their power. There are two main practices that are talked about when the term â€Å"bureaucratic organization† is mentioned. T hese two main theories are: †¢ Weber’s ideal bureaucracy †¢ Taylor’s scientific management Both these concepts talk about compartmentalization and labor resource.These two factors according the theories are very important in determining what exactly is meant by efficiency in work at the workplace. Taylor’s scientific management Taylor talked about analysis undertaken at the workplace with respect to working behavior. His study which was very detailed and conclusive, analyzed labor work at a factory where there were machines involved also. His aim was to improve efficiency while also making sure that per unit costs decrease of the output or the product/s that are being produced.The role of the research was to make sure that the human labor involved were basically machines that could be replaced or exchanged with each other when there is a lack in one’s performance for instance. (Kimble, n. d. ) His idea originated from that one time when he condu cted observational studies on workers who were doing repetitive jobs. He called these repetitive jobs and the employees/ lower level factory workers tasks as â€Å"soldiering†. He claimed that an efficient way or the best method of doing each job should be determined and then taught to all the workers.This, according to him would make sure that the worker’s productivity goes up and the workers would also feel like they are indulging into quality work for the organization; thereby also leading motivating them. He said that there are many forces at work that contribute towards the actual production of output. These factors involved are the internal human characteristics, the physical environment, social atmosphere, the task itself. The task itself would involve things like the kind of work involved (manual or automated), speed with which it can be done etc.For this purpose he designed time motion studies to measure how workers contribute to the output. (Kimble, n. d. ) T aylor found out that as the products involved more and more complex, and then the workers’ productivity increased thereby too. And eventually the entire middle management of the factor itself emerged as a new layer therein. Departmentalization took place resulting into more efficient allocation of resources. (Kimble, n. d. ) The Ideal Bureaucracy – Max Weber (1864 – 1920) Max Weber was the actual proponent of bureaucracy.He talked about having a form of organization that incorporates into itself use of written and formal documents. Moreover, most people take the term â€Å"bureaucracy† as something that has monarchy or an authoritarian style of leadership or management. This is the view that Weber promoted. At the time when capitalism was very much in an influential state, concept of this type of management was introduced. It had/ has the interplay of maximization of the production or the output, while also making sure that input prices and costs are mini mized.Hence, this is the point where Taylor also agrees when the latter talks about efficiency in allocation and management of resources while doing work. (Kimble, n. d. ) Weber categorized many concepts that he thought are related to this type of administration and management. These he called as the core factors or rudiments that are there in such an organization. These are: †¢ Efficiency first of all †¢ Impersonality †¢ Logical sequence of activities and events Weber further illustrated and clarified the role of bureaucracy by saying how the structure of such a firm is controlled from above.Hence, there is centralization of power only at the top and most of time no one else has any authority in making or trying to undertake any decisions involving the organization’s functions and activities. (Kimble, n. d. ) Weber said that such an organization hence has more chances of succeeding in its lifecycle development since there is no meddling of affairs in the hands of those who are not directly involved in the organization. He gave the example of the army or the forces, by saying that they have success in the performance of their goals since they have centralized authority and power at the top.This results in giving of and hence following of the direct orders of the entire team in the army. (Kimble, n. d. ) Weber proclaimed that along with the power at the top, there is also power and authority at the managing level or the â€Å"head† of each level in the hierarchy. He said such organizations are more effective and stable. (Kimble, n. d. ) Learning Process in Organizations There are many companies today that indulge in many different activities involving various perspectives. This means that they have the kind of perspectives that they think are effective to do the work that are involved in.now, putting these vague concepts together it can be said that a learning organization indulges into subliminal knowledge sharing that promotes the presence and activation of a conducive environment. Facilitation of learning on each employee’s part in an organization along with changes, results in a learning process. (Smith, 2001) There is widespread opening up of people’s capacities which mean that each individual has a fair chance of learning in the process of working for this organization.There can be an amalgamation of many employee’s ideas and thoughts that could result into changes in the organization in future which would contribute towards its development. There is inspiration, aspirations, hopes and dreams, aiming to achieve success and more and more developments in a positive way. This can be made possible when there is an adequate amount of openness that promotes giving value through each employee or the member of an organization. (Farago & Skyrme, 1995) Learning levels or types:It is not just training and teaching that is part of a learning organization, rather it is also about how the developm ent of each member’s capacities is enhanced, thereby providing benefits to the entire organization on the whole (Smith, 2001). There are different types of learning, these are: Level 1: facts, processes, procedures in learning Level 2: job skills development Level 3: adaptability to a changing environment (for the better good of the organization) Level 4: innovating and fostering people’s creativity.Characteristics of a learning organization: These are pointed out below as discussed by Smith (2001): †¢ Culture that promotes learning †¢ Processes involved that promote interaction and development of human potential by discovery †¢ Group and individual learning e. g. problem solving techniques †¢ Acquiring of skills and thereby attaining motivation So, is Bureaucracy Not Consistent with Learning? It is general notion and a common belief that a bureaucratic organization is not very welcoming of a learning environment.This is because when there is contro l directed at everyone from the top then there is not much learning that takes place. This is certain of the fact that usually in a bureaucratic organization the focus is on efficient control and advancement with promotion of power that the lower level workers (for each head respectively that is) are subjected to. (Smith, 2001) In most extreme cases, it is even said that these two types of organizations, learning organization and a bureaucratic organization, are two extremes of a pole.And there is often impossibility of having learning in a bureaucratic organization. In contemporary times, many companies have also focused on changing from a bureaucratic organization to a learning organization as being part of one of their main strategic aims. Many theorists have said that the commercial importance of a learning organization is also increasing with the passage of time. This also handles competition well and makes sure that efficiency is kept in line with that of the worker’s i nvolved. (Smith, 2001)How can an Organization be made a Learning Organization? A lot has been said about organizations that run on bureaucracy, and have no or minimal aspects of learning involved. The very important question here is hence that how can organizations be made to function in a way that promotion of a learning culture is done. This could be a step by step procedure that could involve learning as part of its components while also catering bureaucracy as the main type of its management (Kline, 1997; Senge 2006). Techniques:An environment could be created that promotes such type of learning and thereby help in advancement of the organization in the most effective manner. Many things could happen including: †¢ Having an environment of inquiry and that of allowing free flow of information †¢ Creativity and allowing for innovative ideas †¢ Efficient organization and coordination of information †¢ Making quick decisions and allowing for flexibility in decisi on making in general †¢ Conducting observation studies to document and verify this later†¢ Making sure that new learned information and knowledge is amalgamated into the new procedures and policies to incorporate changes thereby Henceforth, it is clear that to have a bureaucratic organization changed into a learning organization if not wholly then at least partially, it is highly essential that there is a collective or a team effort to start off with. Also, there should be many teams and groups there which have easy interaction so that there is an ease in information flow. Nothing should stay hidden which can help in imparting knowledge even if it’s implicit knowledge (which is usually the case).(Farago & Skyrme, 1995) Skills involved: †¢ Communication †¢ Observation and a listening atmosphere †¢ Strengthening of colleague to colleague and boss to colleague relationships †¢ Sustainment of each other at the workplace †¢ Having a holistic appr oach towards everything †¢ Accepting confrontations and challenges positively †¢ Accepting change †¢ Being flexible and open to new trends/ ideas †¢ Fostering one's own development of capacities by also helping others to do so with their own Taking out elements that make an organization not a â€Å"learning† organization:This section deals with how an organization can help itself by taking out all these factors that do not extend towards the organization being able to benefit from learning and knowledge sharing. There are hence many obstacles or hindrances that can render a bureaucratic organization not take advantage of learning. The following pointers could be related to a supervisor at a bureaucratic organization. These are: †¢ Being traditional and seeing everything from the â€Å"I-own† perspective rather than from the â€Å"I-share† perspective†¢ Being too focused on systems and procedures themselves rather than being apprecia tive of sharing information overall †¢ Being overly rejective of change †¢ Having hidden feelings †¢ Having hidden personal goals and ideas and not sharing them †¢ Not having empowerment done †¢ Having materialistic view of everything around them Success factors in changing: There are many factors hence that can be solved when taking these into account. Some of the success factors are: †¢ Start at the top †¢ Prioritize things †¢ Be active rather than passive †¢ Do correct diagnose of acute issues †¢ Link things together†¢ Allow for mutual feedback (top to bottom, and also bottom to top) †¢ Allow for new ideas and product development †¢ Think out of the box †¢ Role-playing; this can be particularly helpful to these people who think that power is everything and now its effective usage †¢ Energizing, specializing behavior (Farago & Skyrme, 1995; Kalling & Styhre; 2006) Works Cited Farago J and Skyrme D. (1995) T he learning organization. Retrieved November 3, 2008, from http://www. skyrme. com/insights/3lrnorg. htm Smith, M. K. (2001) The learning organization, the encyclopedia of informal education, Retrieved November 3, 2008, from http://www.infed. org/biblio/learning-organization. htm. Kimble, C. (n. d. ). Bureaucratic organizations. Retrieved November 3, 2008, from http://www. chris-kimble. com/Courses/mis/Bureaucratic_Organisations. html Huysman, M. H. and de Wit, D. H. (2002) Knowledge Sharing in Practice. Springer Kalling, T. and Styhre, A. (2003). Knowledge Sharing in Organizations Kline, P. (1997) Ten Steps to a learning organization. Great River Books Senge, P. (2006) The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization. Double Day Business

More Government Assistance for College

The importance of college education is undeniably evident in today’s economy and society.   What makes college education a very important factor is because it provides greater opportunity, to an individual, especially when it comes to making career and financial-related decisions. As opposed to generations of the past, high school graduates today are unable to obtain the number of high-paying jobs that were once available. The world is continuously being been transformed from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on knowledge. In fact, experts predict that in the near future, around 90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs and careers would require college education. Moreover, it is also evident that in the present society, the major benefit of having college education is that college graduates receive salaries that are twice as much as those of undergraduates, aside from this, college graduates are also twice as much likely to be accepted in a job application, as compared to an undergraduate. With the continuously increasing importance of a post secondary education, the cost of it also continuously escalates. At present, the cost of college, in most countries, has been so expensive, that many would wonder whether, the high cost of tuition fees and school fees, the years to be spent in college instead of choosing to be in full-time employment, and the anxieties of keeping up with college life and financial constraints for a couple of years, in the long run, would still be worth the investment. The risk is especially large for those that belong to low-income families that already have difficulties in making ends meet, as tuition fees would definitely be an additional financial burden. Due to these constraints and various others, countries from all over the world are in grave danger of facing a societal phenomenon known as brain drain. Brain drain will arise when majority of the citizens of the society will lack education. This will happen then people, would focus on only obtaining secondary education and basic skills. The best form of remedy for this type of situation is for the government to provide greater support for College education especially in financial terms. The aim of this project is to be able to request the government to provide more assistance for college education. If the government makes a financial investment in College education, for sure that in the long run, the country’s citizens will feel be the ones to feel the benefit that will impact in the near future. Good education is beneficial in many view points. Increased government support in college education will result to a country with a higher number of educated and globally competitive professionals. This would automatically correspond to an increase in the economic status of the country. Also, it can be expected that the overall crime rate, in the country would decrease correspondingly. Background Information According to a recent study made in the U.S., about 76 percent of students that finish education would pursue a college degree, of the remaining 24 percent, 75 percent would not pursue college due to financial constraints. The goal should not be to determine whether college education is worth the investment or not, for there should be no question to this, college education is definitely of great value. The goal should be to answer on how to make college education more affordable. Post secondary education will provide students and individuals with the great opportunity to read books and listen to the lectures of top experts in their field of study, and from this they can pick-up vital ideas in choosing their careers. This form of stimulation would encourage students to think, ask questions, try out and explore new ideas, which consequently provides additional growth and development in their well-being as a person, and provides the college graduates with an edge in the job market over those who were not fortunate enough to have experienced a college education. The importance of a college education is also emphasized because of the opportunity to gain valuable resources during your tenure. During college life, students will be able to make relevant connections and affiliations with people and organizations that will later help them in the career which they would pursue. The more connections which are collected during your college years, the more options you will have when you begin your job search. Once the job search has ended, and a good and steady career has been obtained, however, the importance and benefits of a college education has not yet been exhausted. Having a college degree often provides for greater and faster opportunity for promotions. A good education is beneficial from many different viewpoints, and while the importance of a college education is quite evident for many high school students, what is often not as clear is how they will pay for that education. Although most of the colleges and universities at present would carry a very heavy price tag, it is of great importance not to let that discourage prospective college students from obtaining a college education. While the cost of tuition continues to rise, so should government support and financial aid continue to rise along with it. From local and federal options, to categorical and corporate options, college-bound students have variety opportunities worth exploring when attempting to obtain financial aid. A common misrepresentation of financial aid packages (e.g. scholarships, grants, loans, work study programs) is that they would be sufficient enough to provide funding for an entire college education. The reality is that most of these packages are smaller and it may take several of them to add up. If you are still asking yourself why you should go to college, it is important to remember the significant amount of opportunity available for college graduates compared to the minimal opportunity available for college undergraduates. The global economy is becoming increasingly more competitive, and in order to give yourself the best chance for a well-paying job, you must first understand the importance of college education. Attending college provides students with the knowledge and experience they are unable to receive from a secondary education, and finding a way to fund a higher education now can pay off in a huge way in the years to come. During their high school career, students may begin to question the importance of a college education. They might find themselves asking, â€Å"Why is it important to go to college?† The answer is that, more than ever, attending college provides opportunities for graduates which are not as widespread to those who have not received a higher education. For many students that attended high school, being able to immediately generate an income after graduation is an appealing thought, that most often, the importance of obtaining a college degree may be disregarded. Most often, they may also be repelled by the rising cost of tuition fees. This is exactly what the country should try to avoid. While it is true that a higher education may be one of the largest expenses, the importance of a college education has become quite evident in terms of earning potential and financial independence, within today's economy. Research and Methods As a starting point, it will be relevant to review the statistics of the trend in the number of college enrollees at about ten years ago and up to the present. This will provide relevant data on whether college enrollment has increase or decrease within the past decade. Taking into consideration the obtained information, solutions would be drawn on as to how to increase or further increase college enrollments. Interviews on college students should also be conducted, from this, data as to what constraints are being most common to college students can be achieved. From this gathered data, solutions on how to minimize the constraints being faced by college students should be drawn. Questionnaires should also be prepared and distributed to Colleges and Universities; this will serve as a wide-scale data gathering procedure. Data should also be gathered from secondary students. Likewise, questionnaires should also be distributed and interviews should also be conducted. The goal would be to gather data and draw a conclusion as to determine the major factor on why most secondary school students would choose to immediately enter corporate life or employment, rather than pursue a college degree. In gathering data it is important to handle, personal information from responders especially from interviews, with at most care and confidentiality. Based on the data and information which will be gathered, solutions should be formulated. Formulated solutions should be formally presented to the government. Data and results should have high credibility and integrity for it will the major basis for the support, projects, and resolutions, which will be provided by the government. A formal proposal would be presented to the government, indicating the nature and relevance of the project, the present problem, a detailed and well-presented data analysis and results, Cited possible solutions and a feasibility study on how likely the proposed solutions to the problem would be effective. For this study, a budget of about $250.00 would be sufficient enough as for the data gathering materials, travel expenses, research expenses, printing, and other miscellaneous expenses. It is expected that the success of this study would lead to a significantly higher number of people that would be taking college education; and likewise there would be an increase in the number of college students that would finish their college degree. In the long run, it is expected that these results would correspond to an increase in the economical, social, ethical, moral, and cultural growth of the country, and its citizens as a whole. References Boesel, D., ; Fredland, E. (1999). College for all? Is there too much emphasis on getting a 4-year college degree? Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Library of Education. Cohn, E., ; Geske, T.G. (1992). Private Nonmonetary Returns to Investment in Higher Education. In Becker, W. ; Lewis, D. The Economics of American Higher Education. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Day, J.C., ; Newburger, E.C. (2002). The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings. (Current Population Reports, Special Studies, P23-210). Washington, DC: Commerce Dept., Economics and Statistics Administration, Census Bureau. [On-Line]. Available: http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf Institute for Higher Education Policy (1998). Reaping the Benefits: Defining the Public and Private Value of Going to College. The New Millennium Project on Higher Education Costs, Pricing, and Productivity. Washington, DC: Author. U.S. Department of Education (2001). Digest of Education Statistics 2001. [On-Line]. U.S. Department of Education (2000). Think College Early: Average College Costs.

BBC †Time Essay

Time is important. Whether I like to say or not, people don’t treat time important, many people wasting their time unconsciously. They spend time on facebook, online games, watching tv. But they never know there are some more important things are waiting for them Everyone has to live for a purpose. Once you set a goal, your life will be a lot more appreciate. Understand yourself about what do you want and how do you want to live, you will cherish a lot around you including people and spending time with them. Time is important. Whether I like to say or not, people don’t treat time important, many people wasting their time unconsciously. They spend time on facebook, online games, watching tv. But they never know there are some more important things are waiting for them Everyone has to live for a purpose. Once you set a goal, your life will be a lot more appreciate. Understand yourself about what do you want and how do you want to live, you will cherish a lot around you including people and spending time with them. Time is important. Whether I like to say or not, people don’t treat time important, many people wasting their time unconsciously. They spend time on facebook, online games, watching tv. But they never know there are some more important things are waiting for them Everyone has to live for a purpose. Once you set a goal, your life will be a lot more appreciate. Understand yourself about what do you want and how do you want to live, you will cherish a lot around you including people and spending time with them.

Life in the Iron Mills

. Life is Not Merely a Coincidence â€Å"Theatre of the Absurd† is designated for plays of absurdist fiction and refers to the avant-garde theatre of a loosely associated group of dramatists such as, Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter, and Albee who first emerged during and after World War 11. The plays express the belief that â€Å"in a godless universe human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down† (Britannica Online Encyclopedia). Logical construction and argument gives way to irrational and illogical speech and to its ultimate conclusion which is silence. Absurdist theatre is often called a reaction to realism, as instead of conforming to the concept of real life, absurdist sought to provide an unmistakably unreal experience. The absurd dramatist relates to existentialism and the philosophical approach in understanding human existence and experiences. Existentialism is based on the assumption that individuals are free and responsible for their own choices and actions. Hence, people are not victims of circumstances as there is the freedom of choice. In an absurdist play, time and settings are generally ambiguous, if they are even defined at all. The characters are not meant to mimic real people, but instead are often â€Å"metaphorical or archetypal† (Britannica Online Encyclopedia). Absurdism is a form of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of human existence by employing disjointed, repetitious, and meaningless dialogue, purposeless and confusing situations, and plots that lack realistic or logical development. The guiding principle of absurdism is to look at the world without any assumption of purpose and its usefulness is it exists without prejudices or specificity. As it is equally alien to everyone, Absurdism is meant to be accessible to everyone. One of the common misconceptions of theatre of the absurd plays is that nothing makes sense. On the contrary, the characters in absurdism tend to behave in a serious way, reacting realistically to the bizarre occurrences of their environment. The protagonists of Endgame by Samuel Beckett, The Zoo Story by Edward Albee, and Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco are all overwhelmed by the irrational nature of their respective environments and the general effect they share is a nightmare and dreamlike atmosphere that is their existence involving the forces of hope, truth, identity, reality, alienation, meaning, and human existence; all of which are forces they are struggling against. The idea of the Endgame is taken from the game of chess where the concept designates the last, and entirely predictable, stage of a game, the end. The play portrays a universe which is nearing its end. Hamm and Clov both are the protagonists in Beckett’s one-act play, Endgame. Hamm is the chess King, paralyzed and wheelchair bound, who moves only when he makes demand for Clov to service him â€Å"get me ready, I am going to bed† (391) or â€Å"I feel a little too far to the left / Now I feel a little too far to the right† (399). Clov is his submissive Knight who staggers around erratically submitting to Hamm’s every whim. Hamm controls everything and everyone while having absolutely no control over himself or his environment. Frustration and anger dictates his existence as he sees the end all humanity seem to be moving towards is both uncertain and elusive, and he is terrified. Hamm channels his anger at God by shouting â€Å"The bastard! He doesn’t exist! † (Levy 410). The forces of a meaningless existence, reality, and Armageddon are the forces Hamm and Clov struggles against. Both are starving for identity and a healthy relationship with others but it is an impossible feat. They want to preserve their own unique identity, but it is necessary for both to relate to the outside world and nature to develop a true identity. Hamm and Clov are confined in a depressing, stagnant, bare, and dismal vacuum of their environment located partially underground, and their relationship with nature is nonexistent as Beckett reveals â€Å"nature has forgotten us / There’s no more nature† Levy 393). Since both fail to develop an identity the result is a failure to establish a healthy mature relationship with each other. Outside all seems dead, barren, and nothing occurs as Hamm states â€Å"outside of here it’s death† (393). Inside, Hamm and Clov, his caretaker is passing the time mortifying each other and toying with fears and illusions of a possible change that will never occur. Clov indicates â€Å"I can’t be punished anymore† (390) when he reflects on his life with Hamm. In return Hamm declares that he is miserable, â€Å"can there be misery—loftier than mine? † (391). Hamm is attracted to whatever light there is in the gray world and constantly asks Clov to push him under the window so he can feel the light on his face. Light is used as a symbol of hope and life which expresses many of the nuances of Hamm’s personality. Hamm is cursed with darkness and he wants Clov to share the same miserable fate so he continuously antagonizes him. The antagonist is at times Hamm as well as the environment and death. The antagonist death will ultimately prevail and win the chess game. Clov and Hamm are in the â€Å"endgame† of their life and death lurks around the corner. Endgame is the term used to describe an ending in chess where the outcome is already known. The chess endgame parallels the final stages of life. Hamm and Clov will succumb to death regardless of how the game is played. They are stuck in a perpetual loop that never allows final closure. Hamm claims he wants to be â€Å"finished† (410), but admits that he hesitates to do so. He has no answers to the basic existential questions of why he is alive, why he has to die, and why is injustice in his miserable, suffering, and empty existence. Just as death cannot arrive to seal off life, neither can Hamm or Clove escape to close the book of one existence and open another. The Zoo Story by Edward Albee is more anchored in reality than most typical works in the genre of Theatre of the Absurd. The drama is a confrontation between middle-class America and the outcasts of society, Peter and Jerry. Albee presents the setting in a simple structure in New York’s Central Park consisting of two park benches. The play never changes, and the action unfolds in a linear manner, from beginning to end. There are three overriding themes in the short one-act play. They are absurdity versus reality, alienation and loneliness, and wealth and poverty. The protagonist is Peter, a complacent publishing executive of middle age and upper-middle income. He is a conventional family man with morals, mainstream social values, and financial stability. Peter is contending with forces of loneliness, hope, identity, and meaning in his life. Marriage, his cage, and life in general has not played out the way Peter anticipates as his household is female-dominated and he is forced to comply with the desires of his wife. He desires to be freed from the cage and the zoo of his life as Albee shows Who better than a nice married man with two daughters and†¦a dog? [Peter shakes his head] No? Two dogs. [Peter shakes his head again] Hm. No dogs? [Peter shakes his head sadly] Oh, that’s a shame. But you look like an animal man. CATS? [Peter nods his head, ruefully] Cats! But, that can’t be your idea. No, sir. Your wife and daughters? [Peter nods his head] Is there anything else I should know? (549) Jerry, the antagonist is an aggressive, dysfunctional, lonely, disheveled thirty something man in search of human interaction who also yearns to be released from his cage. Jerry is in a personal conflict with his sexuality and Peter is dealing with his emasculation. The distinctions being, Jerry is a social outcast who is free spirited and morally obligated. He is a free man in respect to Peter restrained life. Jerry is in a search of meaning and his struggle is to find his purpose in life. Without the purpose he seeks his life is meaningless and he chooses death to end it all. Peter is a template of American societal male and is a caged animal. Through the serious failed conversation and misrepresentation of the act of love, Jerry begins his life experiment to see if the middle class are animals after all. The lives of both Peter and Jerry is forever altered when they encounter each other on that faithful day and The Zoo Story highlights what happens when one character enters the life of another and rapidly changes it forever. Neither character prevailed in the drama with the violent conclusion of the psychological attack by retreat by Jerry when he tries to teach Peter the nature of human existence and relationships. Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco explores issues of chaos while arriving at a clear message about the chaos. Despite the wild themes and constant activity in the play, a structure and a plot does move forward. Ionesco challenges the point of life and rational nature of humans and forces humanity to challenge to understand ourselves and our actions. The protagonist is Berenger, an everyman who has strong moral character and individuality. The force he has to contend with is the decision to be an individualistic or conform because the masses have succumbed. He is not so different from everyone else in many respects, however, his strength of self and individualism is highlighted when he resists the call to conformity when he says â€Å"But they won’t get me / You won’t get me! † (Levy 469). Berenger chooses to be alone and to give rationality another try. The question becomes is he being true to himself or not? Is human condition one more of rationality or irrationality? To what degree should one resist the pull to conformity, and to what degree should one capitulate to the ways of the world? The antagonist is the ruling government and Nazism and the protagonist Tom prevailed by standing for what he believes even though at times he doubts his decision. Life is full of challenges faced on a daily basis. The many circumstances of life test the human existence, identity, hope, truth, and alienation among many other. Existentialism is based on the assumption that individuals are free and responsible for their own actions and choices. Humans are not victims of circumstances as the freedom of choice is a reality. One gets to make conscious choices when faced with challenges in life. The primary difference between the Theatre of the Absurd and existentialism is that while existentialism recommends a certain type of response to the apparent failure of the human condition, the works of Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter, and Albee makes points without providing any integrated human solution. If the nature of man is partly or mostly irrational, the Theatre of the Absurd expresses the absurdity of human life in a relatable fashion. Works Cited â€Å"Electronic Encyclopedia. † Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. , 2011 Web. 11 Nov. 2011 . Levy, Walter. Modern Drama: Selected Plays from 1879 to the Present. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. Print.