The Ransom of Red Chief is a short story published in 1910 by O’Henry. It follows the story of two men, Bill and Sam, who, desperate for money, kidnap the child of a wealthy man to hold for ransom. However the plan quickly begins to unravel when the child proves himself to be an annoying spoiled brat. Because of this the two captors promptly lower the amount they were planning to ask for ransom. The boy’s father however, knowing his child well, demands that the two captors pay him to take the child off of their hands. The kidnappers quickly accept this deal having grown tired of the bratty child. The message that O’Henry is attempting to put across with this story is unclear however it is a quite enjoyable
From Star Wars to the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn timeless classics exist in multiple contrasting formats and outlines. They all come in with their own unique stories and differences that make each one a must read. However, there are many things that make one timeless classic similar to another. Two important criteria that make a timeless classic include the kind of experiences it presents and the well-rounded symbols it uses to enhance the theme. These two criteria are important for a timeless classic to be relevant because they can directly correlate with the life of a reader or send them a valuable message; this is exactly what Harper Lee presents in To Kill A Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is undoubtedly a timeless classic as depicted through the vivid and well rounded symbols it presents to enhance themes and the relevant, relatable experiences the protagonist Scout undergoes, which can directly be applied to any person even in the present day.
The connections I anticipate my group members will make as a result of this question is to experiences that they have underestimated people by how the look, not how they truly are. They might think that someone is incapable of a task until they're proven wrong. This can also relate to the quote “Never judge a book by its cover”. It means to never make something or someone feel smaller or less important than they actually are, as in this saying it is the book. You never know how the book really is, by just looking at the cover. Additionally, connections I foresee my group will create based on the critical thinking question made is to the book “Cue for Treason” by Geoffrey Trease since all group members were in that group. In the book, underestimation was one of the several themes represented. This is to the character Burbage. Burbage thought that Kit was ten
Henry Fleming is a teenager with romantic notions about the glories of war. He enlists in the Union army and quickly discovers sides of himself he never knew existed. The horrors, boredom, and complete injustice of war bring out all of Henry’s worst (and occasionally best) tendencies.
Tim O’Brien writes in his story, What You Pawn I Will Redeem about a homeless Salish Indian named Jackson Jackson. O’Brien takes readers on Jackson’s journey to acquire enough money to purchase back his grandmothers stolen powwow regalia. Throughout the story, Jackson’s relationships with other charters ultimately define his own character. The major character flaw of Jackson is his kindness, which ultimately becomes his greatest asset.
Before reading A Perfect Red I never viewed historical events through such vivid color, I always pictured it with greys, blacks and whites. Nor did I realize the importance and desire that the color of red held over the people of Europe. The fact that red dye was so coveted amongst the rulers of Europe to the point where it was valued at almost an equal level as the gold and silver which poured into Spain from the New World is difficult for me to grasp. Red has always simply been another color of the spectrum, and it wasn’t until Greenfield pointed out commonly used phrases in the modern world, and traditions we currently practice which require the color red in order to hold significance, did I realize how important red truly is to even modern
Nobility is defined as possessing fine personal qualities, high moral principles and ideals. With nobility also comes a sense of superiority, but this connection between the two words is sometimes misunderstood. Some believe that nobility is gained by being superior to someone else. However, true nobility is obtained by, as stated by Ernest Hemingway, one being superior to his or her old self. Our class this year has read several books and short stories, but I believe that the two books that shows the clearest and most powerful depictions of this message are The Crucible and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the developments of John Proctor and Huck Finn.
News article, “Revenge and the people who seek it” written by Michael Price explores an in-depth perspective on the concept of revenge and how it effects people. Revenge is used in a variety of different ways. It can be used to, find personal satisfaction, show dominance, or a way of keeping order. People seek revenge for different reasons depending on their culture. However, most of the time people motivated by power tend to be more vengeful. Revenge can often times be confused with catharsis. An experiment conducted by Kevin Carlsmith, a social psychologist, resulted in showing that revenge seems to be sweet and relieving, but in the end it does not solve any problems and you end up feeling worse.
In the novel, The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, Henry Fleming possesses noticeable character traits. First, Henry Fleming exhibits that he is irritable. In addition to being irritable, Henry Fleming expresses selfishness. Finally, Henry Fleming displays cowardliness turned to courage. Throughout the novel, Henry Fleming proves himself to be irritable, selfish, and cowardly turned into courage.
People are motivated to make a difference when they believe a change must be made and each person has their own motivation to make a change. They realize that they no longer like what is happening in the world, or even in their life, and they decide it must be changed. In A Noble Treason by Richard Hanser, Hans Scholl wants to make a difference and go up against Hitler by writing leaflets under the alias White Rose. Hans Scholl grew up in a family where his parents let him make his own choices and let him believe in whatever he wanted. They never pressured him into their choices and own beliefs. His father did not support Hitler and his beliefs, even though at the time, in Hans Scholl’s life Hitler was an incredibly prominent hero. Hans Scholl joined the Hitler Youth and fought for everything he believed was right. Hans soon realized he and Hitler did not see eye to eye on many things. Hans valued his individuality and Hitler took it from him. Hitler took away all creativity he personally found ugly and forced upon everyone what he thought was beauty. The leaflets Hans Scholl had written was his way of making a difference by bringing forward what the people of Germany may not have noticed was the reality of Hitler's actions. Hans Scholl’s motivation to make a difference was the fact that Hitler put limitations on everything, the more Hans Scholl wanted to learn, the more he was unable to do so, and this caused him to feel that he no longer had his freedom to be an individual.
The Slave Ship was written by Marcus Rediker and it tells several accounts of the African slave trade as well as the world of the middle passage. The author discusses the nature of the slave ship and the African paths to the middle passage. Rediker also mentions the lives of historical figures (Olaudah Equiano, James Field Stanfield, and John Newton) and the roles that they had during the Atlantic slave trade. For the African captives, the sailors, and captains, the slave ship was seen as a wooden, floating, traveling dungeon and a place of terror and survival, which are also the overall main themes of the book.
Captain O’Hara was happy to be in the fold again, he had word that the West Coast was attempting to send help via the Panama Canal. He didn’t have the specifics nor did he know what they were sending. He hoped they were sending ships, it would be great to feel like he was actually back in the Navy again. Over the last couple of months he had teams evaluating the ships at James River, National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) for ships they might be able to use. Ideally, they were studying the Category B ships, which meant that they were retained for future mobilization and fund were allocated to maintain them. There were several frigates that they had already pulled out and were working actively on restoring. They had yet to find any real combat vessels, such as a Battleship or Destroyer that they could use.
This humorous short story, the amount of irony will make you wonder if it is all just a joke. In the story, “The Ransom of Red Chief,” a man and a woman need $2000 quick. They plan to kidnap a child from a small town named summit. Then they will make a ransom for the child for $2000. But, little do they know that the kid is a huge trouble maker. “The kid was in the street, throwing rocks at a kitten on the opposite fence.” This sets off humorous irony that the kidnappers will find out later on. The kidnappers end up taking the kid after he fights back. Once they get to the cave where they live, Red Chief has a different mood then you would expect. He
Too often in life, we are so preoccupied with the destination that we forget to simply admire the journey. When I first read the story of James Rhio O’Connor, I was truly inspired. I am completely in awe that a person can be told that they only have a year to live, then they can turn around and prove all of the doctors and scientists wrong and outlive his prognosis by more than six years. He showed with lots of determination, you can prove that you're strong enough to survive anything.
Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, first started as an oral storytelling tradition dating from about 1100 BC, after the Trojan war.
Redemption often manifests itself in those who seek affirmation from those around them due to their own actions. During the 14th century, as the Christian influence continues to spread across Europe, self-awareness begins to increase among the population, and with it, the need for acceptance. When acceptance paired with self-awareness welds itself to the hearts of a nation, people increase the need of redemption, rather than forgiveness. Especially common in royalty, the need to prove one’s worth often guides the choices made in sporadic moments. Throughout Henry IV, written by William Shakespeare, the theme of redemption weaves itself into the life of Prince Hal as he seeks approval from his father as well as from himself, to demonstrate that redemption becomes necessary in order to truly be at peace with oneself.