Analysis of The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Essay

Investigators soon learned that Todd was not a very good husband to his wife. It was known by their neighbors that Todd beat Stacy on a regular basis. Some

The state of California was nearly barren of human life in the 1830s and early 1840s, and even scarcer was the population of white Americans. During this time the land was populated by wild horses and wild cattle whom were controlled by the Native Americans of the region. In the year of 1841, John Bidwell and his party of thirty were one of the first white people to travel as far west as California, except for Bonneville’s party of 1833. The first settlement Bidwell’s party reached was the ranch of Dr. Marsh in the eastern foothills of the Coast Range Mountains. That year had been one of the driest California had ever experienced. “The country was brown and parched” (Bidwell 1), crops all over the state had failed and the cattle grazed in the

her father trusted him. It makes her sad and fearful of the power that her father possesses. She is

Prior to the Gold Rush of 1849, California was a meagerly populated, an irrelevant area of the United States for the most part possessed by the general population of Mexico. In any case, that all changed when on January 24, 1848; woodworker and little time sawmill administrator James W. Marshall found a gold piece in the American River that would always show signs of change the historical backdrop of California and America1. Not exclusively did the Gold Rush prompt California 's permission into the Union in 1850, it additionally revived the possibility of the American Dream. Hundred 's of thousands of individuals filled the state by the draw of brisk and unending wealth. Because of the Gold Rush, California in the end turned into a

“Freedom was in the very air Californians breathed, for the country offered a unique and seductive drought of liberty. People were free from censure, from Eastern restrictions, from societal

Before the Gold Rush of 1849, California was a sparsely populated, unimportant territory of the United States mostly inhabited by the people of Mexico. However, that all changed when on January 24, 1848; carpenter and small time sawmill operator James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget in the American River that would forever change the history of California and America1. Not only did the Gold Rush lead to California’s admittance into the Union in 1850, it also rekindled the idea of the American Dream. Hundred’s of thousands of people poured into the state by the lure of quick and infinite riches. As a result of the Gold Rush, California

John Stienbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” is about the death of the American dream. George, Lennie and Candy’s dream is to own their own piece of land to work and live independently on. This dream is destroyed by Lennie’s ignorance and Lennie’s strength, which he cannot control. Curley’s wife’s dream is to be a famous Hollywood actress. Her dream is destroyed by her marriage to Curley and the Hollywood director who promised to contact her about her acting career but never has. Crook’s dream is for equality. Racism and the attitudes of others destroy this dream.

Todd, a new student at Welton Academy is painfully shy and anxious to speak up. Being constantly told he needs to live up to his older brother’s reputation leaves him constantly tormented. The amount of pressure that Todd’s parents have on him lead to intense shyness, to the point he can scarcely converse with others. “Mr Anderson thinks everything inside of him is worthless and embarrassing.” Mr Keating looks down on Todd as a result of a high angle shot, making Todd look idle and powerless, telling

Todd has taken a step closer to entering manhood, and the knife has taken a step of having less power in his eyes. When Aaron is telling Todd to kill him, Viola takes the knife and kills him, “And gravity takes his body and he slumps sideways. Away from the pulpit. And over the edge. And disappears under the wall of water. Taking the knife with him” (Ness, 463). As soon as the knife and Aaron hit the ground, all of Todd’s superiority and power is lost and he becomes a man. Todd has humbled himself and that is the real definition of a man, and Todd has to learn that.

“That’s the thing, Todd, you don’t swerve around it, you find a different road. Just because your adopted doesn’t mean you don’t have heritage. You have to dig deeper, Todd.”

California, the place to turn cant’s into can’s and dreams into plans. The same situation and scenarios apply to today and even over one hundred and sixty five years ago. Then and now are not so different, people are thriving or failing from the land of plenty, supplying themselves with knowledge, wealth, or skill to either spread their wings and take flight or crash and burn. Each state in the United States of America has a correlating nickname to either why it’s famous or an explanation of its history. California’s state name is The Golden State, and going all the way back to 1849 is why this was such an influential time for California and all of America. This is the period of the Gold Rush. Reasons why this event was so impeccable, to the development of California, are the years leading up to the discovery, the first findings, the journey, and so much more.

The film has shown the wonder and beauty of the cultural differences between the American people and the Indians. Todd openly dislikes his job and the company entirely. Puro, who is the replacement of Todd, cherishes his future management position in the company finally plans to get married with the added respect and wealth that he gets from the call center. The film has clearly shown the importance of understanding and embracing the cultural differences between the American and the Indians or the success of the business. The most bothersome part of the movie was when the love between Todd and Asha is challenged due to cultural differences. Asha had already promised to marry another man at the age of four. Mr. Todd did his best in his attempts to understand and embrace the differences in both culture and customs between the Americans and the Indians (Jeffcoat,

As the years went on, more and more Americans began moving to California. Sutter was enthused and saw them as opportunities to enhance his kingdom. Sutter had no idea that this was just a glimpse of the migration that was soon to come. Encouraged by the skill level of the new Americans, Sutter decided to become a mill and lumberman. Now, he just had to find the right location and a talented craftsman.

In conclusion: there are so many elements missing in Todd’s life. The only time he ever made his own choice was when turned to drugs. In a way, that was probably the most human thing and the most “normal” thing he had ever done: being a college kid and rebelling against authority. It was his choice. Maybe he turned to drugs because of all missing elements. Even though this led him to a complete crash in the eyes of the public, ironically, it freed him from his life as a star and a robot.

Poet Society, Todd was afraid to read out loud and participate. By the end of the movie, Todd