Charles Dickens Narrative Styles

Charles Dickens Narrative Styles As the voice of a fictional and, sometimes, nonfictional literary work, the narrator is often the central feature in literary works and is given a number of responsibilities. Depending on how the narrator is attached to the particular story or book, these roles include helping to lend a voice to the authors thoughts as well as frame the story and ensure focus, deliver the plot, and provide perspective. Narration can be delivered by either indirect discourse or omniscient narration based on the authors intent, providing a range of techniques that add credibility to the story or lead the reader to question or distrust the narrator, depending on the characterisation, language, and plot line that is being utilised. The narrator can be the main character but they can also be a minor character, a combination of characters, or even serve an omniscient role as a storyteller who is not part of the story. On a simple and straightforward level, both books utilise the narrator as a way of reminding the reader about the plot, framing the story and focusing the action due to their serialised nature. In this way, both narrators explain gaps in time and action, speaking to the reader and helping elicit their thoughts of what had previously happened. Both serve as directors in terms of guiding the reader through the story and uncovering what they want to be seen or what they want the reader to ponder in terms of the intention of meaning whilst still being able to establish boundaries around what is to be inferred from reading the narrative (Brooks, 503). On a deeper level further explored within this paper, both narrators represent the overriding theme of Victorian literature that Dickens has made famous in terms of the weak supporting the strong as well as the poor satiating the wealthy (Bloom, 155). In this way, the narrator also serves as a device to hold up and guide the reader through t he construction of the story but also a construction of the human self. As the narrator of Great Expectations, Pip takes on a number of roles as he moves from a young child to mature man, providing a humanistic touch to Dickenss often bleak and despairing tales. The reader can then relate to in these terms of following his expectations and doubts about how he will fare in life as well as ascertaining his sense of values set against those of society by reflecting on what he is learning about himself. Overall, as a narrator, it is Pip who serves to connect the concepts of character and event within the plot, linking these together in a manner that helps the reader stay meaningfully connected to the story (Gissing, 95). In this way, Dickens uses Pip as a way of making a commentary about society, morality, and class struggles with an overriding narrative that experiences greed, wealth, and power whilst trying to remain hardworking, ethical, and caring. Instead of making the commentary directly, Dickens establishes the narrator as a way of disassociating hims elf as the author in the readers mind from the story so that Pip becomes the translator for what Dickens is trying to communicate to the reader (Miller, 249). What sets the narrative apart in Great Expectations is the complex form in terms of Mr. Pirrip, the grown Pip, reflecting on his life as a poor boy and doing so from the perspective of a mature and somewhat successful businessperson. He seems to tell the story in a calm and reflective tone that does not appear to be angry with his childhood despite having expectations in youth that went unfulfilled. Even in retelling situations that were rather traumatic and cruel, Pip remains detached. This illustrates how Dickens uses this tone to build sympathy and create a distinction between the bad society and the good nature of some human beings. He provides a matter-of-fact tone to what could be considered a serious commentary on society of the day. This can be seen as he states, I tell this lightly, but it was no light thing for me (Dickens, 235). This sense of detachment and isolation from previous events illustrates how a narrator can be positioned in a way that shows how all human relationships are not logical and rational in terms of communication, interaction, and level of meaning but that life is a much more complex and illusive set of actions and mindsets (Vande Kieft, 325). There are also times where the limitation of what the narrator chooses to relay or how it is being relayed will greatly impact on the readers reaction to what the narrator has to say, thereby influencing the reader to potentially draw certain conclusions. This can especially be the case for Pip as Dickens tries to use the narration to explain the movement from self-awareness to self-acceptance that expectations are often replaced by doubt when society has the power and cruelty to control ones existence (Dessner, 436). Throughout all of his novels, including Hard Times and Great Expectations, Dickens makes it clear that he would like to remain detach ed from the story and the narrator he has created, somewhat inferring his own distrust of the narrator but acknowledgement that the device helps him achieve his intent as a writer (Daldry, 99). The fact that he seems to change from making assumptions about his childhood to a defensive tone that illustrates confidence in his memory and his feelings positions Pip as a more trustworthy narrator in terms of making him more human and akin to the reader (Daldry 1987,141). Yet, even the desire to trust Pips perspective is taken off-balance when the reader discovers later on in the story that they have been intentionally deceived about certain episodes. In this way, Dickens is able to put the reader in the same frame of mind as the innocent and naÃÆ' ¯ve Pip who, as a child, had considered certain people trustworthy only to find that he had been deceived. In this way, the narrative becomes a reflective device that Dickens uses to make the reader feel what he is trying to explain about society and the lack of morality and integrity in the world. This is also carried out through Pips sense of that helplessness over his situation based on how overwhelmed the other characters make h im feel. This adds to the mood and emotion of the novel which is emitted through Pip and to the reader (Woloch, 178). This sense of being overwhelmed may lead Pip to be somewhat unreliable as the other characters dominate him and tend to shape his self and the readers sense of his personality and character (Woloch, 178). The continued focus of Dickens on the concept of how personality forms (Morgentaler, 1) is also explored through the narrative techniques of Hard Times. Like Pip, the anonymous narrator in Hard Times is also used as a device to help the reader feel a sense of isolation of self set against a harsh society (Miller, 251) as well as express an individuals sense of self in relation to society and in relation to other individuals (Miller 1958, 225). There is a similar realisation with this narrator in terms of explaining what he had perceived as reality that, upon further existence and exploration, was not correct nor was it logical, leading him to re-examine himself and his life (Dickens, 29). Using this technique in both books is also a way for Dickens to lend a deeper perspective for the reader in terms of providing what may seem like a confusion or fragmentation of views by the two narrators (Shires, 18). This fragmentation can be seen in how Pip and the anonymous narrator tend to change their minds about various actions or situations that they are relating as well as becoming more emotional at times whilst other situations are explained calmly and rationally, sending the reader through a kaleidoscope of perspectives about various events in the book. In this way, Victorian literature utilised the narrator as a device for moving away from Realist literature that was focused on reconciliation and wholeness. Instead, books by Dickens and others during the time pushed the boundaries of what the reader could handle by providing a narrator who could guide and frame the readers journey through which perspectives were tested, altered, or replaced by another (Shires, 18). This open sense of the world and society provides an omniscient sense to the narration within Great Expectations, which one critic described as a first-person narrator trapped within third person narrative world (Woloch, 178). In understanding the differences in narrative technique, first person narrative makes a qualitative distinction between the human figure who narrates the story (and it is thus presented as an agent or subject of perception) and the characters he writes about (mere objects of perception) (Woloch, 178). In this case, Pip is narrating his perception of his own character or self, which leads him to continually attempt to detach himself. The reader then determines what the mature Pip is really thinking about in terms of his life, his connection to society, and his sense of self. However, it is within Hard Times where Dickens more loosely uses an alternative personality to cover up his direct communication to the reader in the form of an indirect discourse and the use of omniscient narration. In this manner, there is a framed structure because the narrator is telling a story that seemingly has a different protagonist than the narrator (Woloch, 178). This was a way to transmit his perspective on political and social issues of his time even though his intent was for the reader to focus on the creation of an omniscient narrator who is simply helping the reader look beyond the fictional world and draw conclusions about real society and the one within Hard Times (Watts, 135). As an omniscient narrator, there is also a vagueness that is pronounced in terms of how situations are described or what they are to symbolise in terms of making an inference to the political and educational systems of the day (Watts, 138). Whilst there are many places in which it would seem as though the narrator would come out and direct the reader to a certain belief, such as destroying mills, it is never said; it is only inferred (Watts, 139). Hence, the conclusions based on the re-examination and evaluation of self through the omniscient narrator is left more up to the reader in Hard Times than the more direct, but still somewhat caged, responses of Pip in Great Expectations. Whilst seemingly left up to the reader, there is room to consider the possibility that, despite room for interpretation that an omniscient perspective allows the reader to draw their own conclusions, Dickens still seems to allow both narrators only enough license to review certain information by which to manipulate control of the readers point of view thereby inciting a certain sympathy or contempt for different groups of people within society (Boege, 90). This same perspective was also noted by a researcher who said, In a sense, the whole purpose of the novel is to convince us of a number of equivalences, most particularly that between the educational philosophy of Gradgrind and the economic theory and practice of the new industrialism (Bloom, 120). Leaving the narration to be conducted by a somewhat anonymous voice is Dickenss way of not focusing the reader on the actual elements of character of the narrator but keeping the reader solely set on understanding the purpose of the novel. In this way, the reader is connected to the information provided by the anonymous reader in an unemotional manner that does not bring personal interest into the controversial subjects of the novel, including the grinding ugliness of industrial development; the abstract theory of Utilitarianism; shallow self-interest; the anti-social force of the capitalist; and trade unions (Hosbaum, 174). In many ways, information and perspectives about these subjects a re provided in a detached manner somewhat similar to Pip who seemed, at times, to be narrating someone elses life. In both novels the narrators attempt in a personal and direct way with Pip in Great Expectations and with an omniscient manner in Hard Times to tell the reader about society and how what is ideal and moralistic is not necessarily what reality involves, especially in light of the individuals who seemingly are not able to make a difference in terms of overcoming society with their expectations of how things should be (Jordan, 70). Both transmit Dickenss messages about the struggles of humanity against a powerful and greedy society (Jordan, 78). In both of Dickenss texts, the narrators provide the tools by which the reader can receive the context of what Dickens wants to communicate so as to transmute the relevance of the social and political messages that appear in these books (Walsh, 36). Whilst the information within the texts is viewed as fiction, Dickens employs his narrators to provide a level of authenticity, honesty, and relevance to the fiction by which the reader can glean kno wledge of specific events and issues that have occurred in the real world as opposed to just being viewed as fictional events (Walsh, 36). As one critical analysis of narrative techniques noted, The knowledge offered by fictionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is not primarily specific knowledge of what is (or was), but of how human affairs work, or,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how to make sense of them-logically, evaluatively, emotionally (Walsh, 36). Hence, through an omniscient presence as well as through the presentation of a sympathetic narrator like Pip, the reader can make connections to these books, which helps deepen the contextual effect that Dickens is trying to create. The narrators are a way to connect the cognitive processes of the author and the reader, thereby passing on knowledge of reality but doing so through a fictional process that is guided and controlled by the narrator. Throughout both books, Dickens attempts to take the reader into the mind of his characters, himself, and society as a way to connect the reader to the events and issues of his day whilst still trying to provide a number of perspectives by which to humanise the st ory and to build sympathy for the points he is attempting to make about the real world.

Career Investigation Essay

My ideal career is in accounting. I have determined that this field is best suited for me through career assessment tests, learning styles assessments and by actually working in this field for several years. I have been interested in accounting since taking my first accounting class in high school. It was then that I found that not only was I good at bookkeeping but also enjoyed it. From my Learning Style Graph (Toft, 2006) I discovered that I equally reflect two learning styles: â€Å"Why? mode† and â€Å"What if? mode.† My knack for understanding people and ability to recognize problems are strengths I posses in the â€Å"Why? mode.† On the other side of the graph my drive to get things done and my leadership capabilities are both examples of the â€Å"What if mode.† This coincides with the results of my VAK assessment (Chislett & Chapman, 2006) that shows I prefer to learn by actually doing rather than by seeing. Both learning styles are advantageous in the accounting field because problem solving is fundamental to balancing spreadsheets. I ascertained from the Jung Type Personality Test (Human Metrics, , 2005) that my personality type was ENFP. This test confirms that I am apt at multitasking and have abundant people skills. This again is very useful in all aspects of an accounting career. While my past experience as a waitress and other food service positions may not be directly related to accounting, it taught me many transferable skills. Some of these are multitasking, listening and prioritizing. I also developed other transferable skills necessary in the accounting field while working as a night auditor. Not only did I learn actual hands-on accounting, but also cultivated my problem-solving skills. It was my responsibility to find any accounting mistakes and correct them each night. I enjoyed this part of my job so much, on slow nights I would hope that someone on a previous shift made a mistake just so I could find and correct it. Eventually, my manager began coming to me to troubleshoot errors for her. I feel a job as a Certified Public Accountant would be a perfect career choice for me because it would utilize many of my transferable skills. I could also draw on experience already gained as a bookkeeper, retail office manager, and presently as an accounting assistant. My work ethic of staying until the job is done along with my enjoyment in troubleshooting would be a tremendous asset as a CPA as well. Career Profile The jobs available to me at my current level of education and experience are limited to the data entry and bookkeeping aspects of accounting. My experience to date has taken me about as far as I can get in this field of accounting. Now, I must earn a degree to advance any further. However, once I earn my bachelor’s degree in accounting and obtain my required Certified Public Accountant license, many more job opportunities will be available to me. Some of these jobs would include Internal Auditor, Controller, and Management Accountant or, with enough experience, even a Vice President of Finance. A lot is depending on the size of the company I work for and the area of accounting I choose. At this point my goal is to work for a larger public accounting firm to acquire experience in many aspects of public accounting. I am particularly interested in forensic accounting and internal auditing. While working for a public accounting firm as a CPA I could earn from $34,000 to $95,000 per year according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008). But, considering my education level and my experience I would probably earn more in the mid range of $43,500 upwards to $72,000. My duties would be dependent on the actual position I hold but could include tax preparation, consulting, auditing, verification of client company’s records and even preparing financial statements for clients. In an entry level position at a public accounting firm the skill set I have already acquired will be very useful. My experience in bookkeeping as an accounting assistant at present will help prepare me for the data entry assignments usually associated with entry level positions. As my position progresses within the firm, I will be relying more on the knowledge I learn while earning my degree. One of the advantages to being a CPA within a large firm is that you have the opportunity to work in many areas of accounting for many varied company clients. This will give me a multifaceted experience level not easily obtained while working independently or for a smaller firm. I hope to have the opportunity to do some forensic accounting work where I would prove suspected embezzlement within a client’s company (S. Westfield, personal interview, August 1, 2008). Some of the most prevalent disadvantages to an occupation in this field are the hours necessary. As a CPA with a large accounting firm I would expect a typical work week of 40 to 50 hours. But, during the tax season, January through April, it could be as many as 70 hours per week (S. Westfield, personal interview, August 1, 2008). Since I have already been employed within the accounting industry for some time now, my family and I are used to the long hours and fluctuation during busy times. I am considering seeking employment opportunities at several local companies. One such company is based in Ionia, Michigan with a satellite office in Ada, Michigan. Both of these offices are within ten miles of my home. This is a smaller firm but I have worked for one of their clients in the past and have had the opportunity to get to know and work with several members of their staff. Another potential employer is Plante Moran. This is a much larger firm with offices in Western Michigan as well. â€Å"Plante Moran was named to Fortune Magazine’s list of ‘100 Best companies to work for’ for the tenth consecutive year† (Plante Moran, 2008). Finally, I am considering advancement within the company I am currently working for, The Hanover Group. They have offices all over the country with major focus in Howell, Michigan as well as my current location in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Education Plan Courses Required I plan to take only two courses per semester for the following year because of personal circumstances. I think this is the best course of action to balance my education with other aspects of my life at this time. If the opportunity arises where it is not absolutely necessary for me to work full time, I would like to take on more of a course load. Until that happens, I am content to take my time so as to ensure a happy balance with my family, career and studies. The courses I think will be more difficult and less inspiring for me are the mathematics and composition classes. It may seem funny that a person so interested in accounting would shy away from math classes, but I have never had the opportunity to study algebra. I know that if I have trouble with my math courses there is free tutoring available through the Library Information Commons on campus. I am also anxious about the composition courses for much of the same reasons. I have never had to do a term paper. I have always had trouble getting the first draft down on paper, but do well at proof reading and editing. I think I have started to overcome this hang-up by composing on the computer. I can type and correct much faster than I can write. I am now able to get my thoughts down on paper before they flutter away. Plus, editing is now a breeze. Davenport DUES All of the Davenport University DUES skills are important to all careers. In the accounting fields, in particular, honesty and integrity are essential. If you are advising a client on financial matters, you must be above reproach. You must also be able to think globally because seldom are financial matters just a local concern. Teamwork is also another important skill for an accountant, even if self-employed. Your client and you make up a team and if you can not work together with your client, you will not be able to keep that client. In this growing technological world, the accounting industry is keeping pace. Today most accounting is done through computers and being knowledgeable of the current accounting software is imperative. Educational Goals beyond College After obtaining my Associates degree in Accounting, I plan to work on my bachelor’s degree and then become a licensed CPA. I have found that to become a licensed CPA in Michigan I will need to successfully complete a four part Accountants examination administered by the National Association of State Board of Accountancy (CPA exam dates, 2008) as well as meet certain licensing requirements. The requirements to apply for the CPA examination are just part of what is required to obtain a CPA license. I will also need work experience of at least one year in a â€Å"responsible audit position† for a â€Å"CPA firm or a governmental agency under direction of a licensed CPA,† (Michigan Department of Economic Growth, 2008, para 3). Conclusion I have learned many things during this project, most of which came from the research I did on the various career choices available in accounting. After speaking with a professional in this field, (S Westfield, personal communication, July, 2008), I have now decided that I aspire to be a Certified Public Accountant. While researching the requirements to be licensed as a CPA in Michigan, I found that they are more involved and time consuming than I had first imagined. This career goal will require more time than originally anticipated but, has the potential to be even more financially rewarding that I first thought. I look forward to seeing this career dream become a reality. I also learned from the required career and learning assessments that I have, in fact, chosen the correct career path for me. My identified transferable skills, some of which are problem solving and organizing, will be very useful in my chosen career goal of becoming a CPA. This project has also helped me see some of the areas I need to improve such as in note taking and developing enhanced memory skills. Mission Statement My mission is to fully utilize my many transferable skills, previous work experiences as well as my current and future education to become a self-employed Certified Public Accountant. Through achieving my short-term goal of earning my bachelor’s degree in accounting, I will have accomplished the first half of the requirements necessary. My mid-range goal is to become licensed as a CPA. Finally, with the experience attained while becoming licensed, I will establish my own small CPA firm. I know that by applying myself and staying focused I will be able to reach this goal before I retire.

Lies Youve Been Told About Analytic Essay Topics

Lies You've Been Told About Analytic Essay Topics What is Actually Going on with Analytic Essay Topics Leaders are made by the demands that are put on them. Topics can change depending on your majors. The majority of the character analysis usually goes together with literature analysis. It is clear that a fair analytical thinking is needed to accomplish the hefty undertaking of writing an analysis paper. Whatever method you use to select your analytical research topic, be positive that you don't let ambition carry you apart. A part of rhetorical analysis might appear an actual problem to students. If you should do any research, you ought to archive all the sources that you feel you will use for simplicity of access during the writing process. The point of your introduction is to have the reader interested in your analysis. You must understand the sequential actions to allow it to be clear to the reader in the approach. The reader needs to be in a position to grasp the importance of the analysis. If you would like to heighten reader's interest try working with some suitable quotes or provocative questions depending on your topic. There's an order of thought for every single case. The introduction usually starts out with some type of background details. It is an impossible task to produce a good, impressive introduction before you know the remainder of the paper's content. You can get an essay from our group of professional writers and utilize it like a template to make your own masterpiece. The introduction should include three or more thingsa hook, your thesis state ment, and a sentence or two describing how you plan to show your thesis statement. It's possible to insert thesis statement at any portion of the introduction if you truly feel confident about it. A thesis statement is a brief sentence that offers the reader a synopsis of what things to expect in the essay. Work on it once you're done with the body paragraphs. If you're writing a rhetorical analysis essay, perhaps, you will perform your bit of writing facing a huge audience. Writing isn't the challenging part. It is likewise very beneficial to pick a notable bit of writing which doesn't need to be introduced to the audience. The Downside Risk of Analytic Essay Topics Our qualified writes will address any and all your problems. On literary analysis, you've got to include emotions and explain the reason a certain decision is created in a story. You could make a single claim with a great deal of evidence, or five claims to strengthen your topic sentence. Proceed with claiming your principal thesis clearly and accurately including some appropriate information if needed to come up with reader's comprehension and after that describe briefly how you're going to give evidence of your claim. Analytic Essay Topics - Dead or Alive? You've already done a good deal of reading and a great d eal of writing in your life. So, dividing the variety of words by 250 you will receive the true number of pages paid. For that reason, it ought to be something unique yet pragmatic to get the interest of the reader. The same as the name of the book or a movie says a great deal about it, the topic that you pick will serve to pull in the reader. The Birth of Analytic Essay Topics Therefore, an analytical essay is a bit of writing that gives an informative observation about the particular topic or idea. You should offer information which is related to your thesis. Literary analysis isn't the only kind of essay in its family tree. It is mostly based on storylines in different literature resources. Start researching and develop a thesis that you may write around. The thing is it is tough to analyze an uninteresting and boring subject, or a topic that's very little studied in literature. The most suitable beginning to writing the essay must be to select the ideal topic that could lead your way to success. The conclusion ought to be a concise restatement of your major points without being a direct copy. The primary purpose of the poetry analysis essay is typically to explain the hidden meaning to the reader in an easy, understandable way. The majority of the topics for analytic essay are usually phrases which have a deeper meaning that the true significance of the words. Another aim of the analytical essay is to appraise thinking and that which you would do in various circumstances. What you will need is is a blueprinta foolproof method to receive your essay structured. You'll observe that it's a whole lot simpler to compose an analytical essay than you first thought. B efore you commence working on an analytical essay you've got to start with analytical essay definition. You should certainly search for an analytical essay example. There are an assortment of sorts of analytic essays that you could be requested to write on as a writer, and you should have the ability to classify the essay you're given to comprehend the outline. If you discover excellent essay topics, gather enough helpful info on your subject and learn to compose an analytical essay, your essay writing will be as simple as pie. Clearly, writing an essay on this issue of marijuana is too general. There are various sorts of essays that I would assume most of you are already familiarized with.

Analysis Of The Poem Diving Into The Wreck - 1365 Words

â€Å"Diving into the Wreck†: An Analysis of Women’s Status Change in the Current Society At the beginning of Adrienne Rich’s poem- â€Å"Diving into the Wreck†, the poet uses â€Å"book of myths, camera, knife, body armor, and grave and awkward mask† to start the poem. Through those words, it is hard to tell if she wants to fight for women’s rights, or just â€Å"dive into the wreck.† However, in general, people usually use their cameras to take pictures or record videos to memorialize things that happened to them in the past. Therefore, why does the speaker emphasize loading the camera, and checking the knife in the poem? Going back to the poem, â€Å"First having read the book of myths/ and loaded the camera/and checked the edge of the knife-blade/† the speaker uses reading the book, load the camera, and check the knife to emphasize the process of diving into the ocean to see wrecks. In addition, the speaker wears the body-armor and puts on a mask. Under the 1970s’ context, the women’s movement just starts. So she has to be a soldier to fight for the women’s rights. She has to do it, not only for her, she also tends to help other women to fight for theirs. However, â€Å"alone† underlines her loneliness in fighting during that time. She wants to get some help but nobody can help her or support her. She is alone, therefore, she has to be strong, strengthen herself by the process of diving into the ocean. In the history of the United States, the women’s movement inspired many women to fight for theirShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Rich s Diving Into The Wreck 1258 Words   |  6 Pages If you were asked to paraphrase what happens in the poem, what would you say? What does it mean to dive into the wreck? Taking Adrienne Rich’s â€Å"Diving into the Wreck† at face value, one may literally summarize the poem by stating that an individual, hearing stories about a wrecked ship, decided to dive down to the fabled ship alone to see it for themselves and found it. However, reading between the lines, one may also feel that the poem is more than just an adventure for the narrator, but ratherRead MoreAnalysis of Diving Into the Wreck813 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Diving Into the Wreck There are many poems in today’s literature that are detailed and paint a picture for the reader. A poem that really stands out is Diving Into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich. Rich is a well known poet born 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland (Milne). She is a very influential poet in the subjects of feminism and the rights of women. Rich’s literary work was released in the early 1970’s which was a trivial and controversial time in the rights of women. Her poem, Diving Into