Character Development in Edward Abbeys The Monkey Wrench Gang Essay

Character Development in Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang    Search and Rescue, Utah State Police, and Bishops of the Church of Latter-Day Saints chase a group of bridge destroying, billboard burning, bulldozer mutilating eco-terrorists through the desert of the Southwest. The group known as the Monkey Wrench Gang consists of four very different characters: Seldom Seen Smith, also known as Joseph Smith, George Washington Hayduke, Doctor A. K. Sarvis, and Bonnie Abbzug. Each character has his own opinion of why nature needs to be saved. The group decides to make their mark on nature by "taking care" of the different machines, roads and bridges that are destroying it. With all the destruction the gang is causing, being caught is expected. However, the gang narrowly escapes the law numerous times. After finally giving in to the pressures of being good citizens and serving time in jail for destroying public property, the gang reunites for their final destructive mission: Glen Canyon Dam. Edward Abbey, author of The Monkey Wrench Gang (1975), uses language, appearances, actions and opinions to make each character likable to the conservative reader. Abbey uses his strong feelings about the beauty of the Southwest to shape the opinions of each of his characters. Doc Sarvis, a medical surgeon from Albuquerque, has no strong or lasting relationships. "His few close friends were always sent away, returning rarely, the bonds of affection no stronger than the web of correspondence" (12-13). Doc?s closest friend, and coworker, is Ms. Bonnie Abbzug. Doc and Bonnie spend most of their downtime destroying billboards with economic meanings, because "Somebody has to do it" (43). Such billboards worthy of destruction read "Marine Corps bu... ...ng nurse on the right buttock and shambled on shaky hind legs out the side door up the alleyway . . . into the padded darkness of the nearest bar" (213). With Smith being the logical member of the gang, "he listens with the concentrated intensity of a buck in hunting season" (337). When he finally hears something, "he stops. Suddenly. Doc, Bonnie and Hayduke stumble into his rear like the Three Stooges, three clowns in a silent movie" (336). While reading The Monkey Wrench Gang, many images appear in one?s mind. The uses of Edward Abbey?s skill of developing characters through language, appearance, actions and opinions make this novel more enjoyable to read. The shaping of each character persuades the reader to believe that, "Oh my desert, yours is the only death I cannot bear." Work Cited Abbey, Edward. The Monkey Wrench Gang. 1975. New York: Avon Books.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Essay

Literature is considered a mirror of the society. The pool of content in literary writing stems from the environment in which the writer is placed. A writer will use this environment to advance his/her views of the society and at the same time drive into the audience/readers important information that he/she wishes to pass. Hunter S. Thompson has used his creativity in the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas written in the 1960s to reflect on American society with Las Vegas as the point of reference. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas describes the American society as hypocritical. The Duke and Gonzo attend a conference on narcotics and dangerous drugs. The theme of the conference is slated as an appeal for knowledge sharing on drugs between those with knowledge on drugs and those that do not. Their attendance is hypocritical in that they have already decided that they were not going to offer their services at the conference. Thompson on page 143 notes that Duke and Gonzo had made it clear that they would be crazy to try any teaching at the conference and they would rather sit and enjoy their drugs. Furthermore, the police who are tasked with law enforcement are also hypocritical, instead of enforcing laws on drugs and alcoholism they engage with criminals in committing crimes. This is illustrated by the police officer from Georgia. Secondly, the American society is as a blacked out society. Drugs, alcoholism and black market enterprises characterize a blacked out society. A black market society is a consumer based society characterized by both legal and illegal business the duke and the attorney are not drug dealers but heavy consumers. As soon as they get to Mint hotel the Attorney orders four shrimp cocktails, four club sandwiches, quart rum and fresh grape fruits. He says they will need to have all they can get. There stay in Las Vegas is characterized by heavy drug abuse and alcoholism. The sorry state of this vices forces the administration to organizes conference to tackle issues of drugs and alcohol dubbed In addition, Fear and Loathing Las Vegas reveals racist nature of the American military and the decay of moral values. This is portrayed in a copy of the Las Vegas Sun newspaper. â€Å"†¦she was just a slope anyway.† This is in reference to killing of Asiatic origin person. His killing is considered right for simple reason that he from the race of the enemy camp. A ‘slope’ referred to Asiatic community. The massive killings during the Vietnam War were ironically regarded as success by the American government. As the Duke continues to read the newspaper, a small article talks about how Mohammed Ali has a final appeal of a case in court which he had been sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to kill â€Å"slopes.† This illustrates the moral decay of the society. A criminal was likely to get a shorter jail term than a person who had refused to join the military and aid in killings. What is right is considered a serious offence. Consumerism and capitalist culture has been embraced in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This is well brought out by the two protagonists in the novel. The lifestyle of the Duke and his attorney on the journey to Las Vegas is characterized by heavy spending on drugs, accommodation, transportation and gambling. Duke says their car trunk looked like a police narcotics lab (Thompson 4). This shows they had bought so many expensive drugs which the writer goes ahead to acknowledge that they did not actually need but for the fun of it. Moreover, the two protagonists are searching for American dream using a fascinating car â€Å"†¦we are looking for the American dream†¦that is why they gave us this white Cadillac† (Thompson 164). This demonstrates the capitalist nature. The car has to be a Cadillac which was a status car of the might in the society. Lastly, the novel’s central theme revolves around the American dream. The American dream is an idea stating that success comes through hard work. However, the dream is a dying one which has not materialized because of the society’s greed, selfishness and corruption as depicted in Fear and Loathing in Vegas by Thomson. Drug business, prostitution and gambling have replaced legal businesses in Las Vegas. Law forces have been tangled up in this game as they watch this acts being committed for a few pennies from the dealers. The picture of a crowd of Las Vegas residence in a casino at early hours of the morning gives more dimensions to the American dream. Emerging from a casino having won seems to epitomize what the society feels about the American dream. Patriotism among American citizens in the pursuit of this dream cannot be disputed despite being portrayed negatively. The Duke says â€Å"†¦I will have a natural American car or nothing at all† (Thompson 104). This illustrates pride in American products as opposed to products from other countries. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Thompson Hunter S. arguments have negatively portrayed the American society in the 1960s and 1970s. Drugs and alcohol abuse, racism, hypocrisy, failed institutions and the dying American dream continue to daunt the image of the Las Vegas society. However all is not lost as the issues addressed have continued to be a point of reference not only to the Americas past but the future ambitions. Thompson plays his role as an author in bringing into public what is ethically wrong or right. Reference Thompson, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. London: Flamingo, 1972 Source document

The Origns of Marijuana - 726 Words

The origins of The Cannabis use began in the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. While in the Middle East, the use of cannabis spread throughout the Islamic Empire to North America. In 1545, the cannabis spread through the county; Chile began to use the drug as a fiber. Consequently, cannabis grows throughout tropical and humid parts of the world. The seeds have been used as animal food, fiber for hemp rope and oil as a vehicle for paint (Cannabis, Coca, and Poppy). Therefore, Marijuana should be removed from the criminal justice system. Legalizing and regulation marijuana can bring cash crop under the criminal justice law, bring in jobs, medical use, and overall create economic opportunities to The United States of America. There has been reports of marijuana being less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. According to the British research foundation two deaths worldwide can be directly caused by marijuana, yet 150,000 people die from alcohol and tobacco (â€Å"Marijuana Less Harmful). Moreover, CNN discusses the ongoing debate of marijuana legalization which concluded that alcohol is the most used addictive substance in the USA. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism documented that about 17.6 people suffer from alcohol abuse which causes withdrawal symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, nausea, and so on. While, marijuana symptoms are not fully understood, but the NSDA states 9% of people who smoke marijuana became addicted to it. The

Trends in Operations Management - 2755 Words

Final Current Trends and Issues in Operations Management Presented To Operations Management Respectfully Submitted By Introduction 3 A Brief History of Operations Management 4 Current Trends and Issues in Operations Management 6 Lean Operations (Just-in-time) 6 Shrinking Product Life Cycles 7 Employee Empowerment and Training 8 Globalization 9 Total Quality Management 9 Advances in Technology 10 Insourcing 10 Conclusion 11 References 12 Introduction Operations is the part of a business organization that is responsible for producing goods and services (Stevenson, 2012, p. 4). In this definition, goods are tangible items. Goods can be finished items that are sold to end consumers such as a chair, a†¦show more content†¦Men such as Henry Gantt, who contributed his now famous Gantt chart. The Gantt chart visually displayed the necessary task involved in a process and a time frame in which to achieve those task. Harrington Emerson applied Taylor’s ideals to organization structure and encouraged the use of experts to improve organization efficiency. Henry Ford used the concept of division of labor, which Adam Smith wrote about in The Wealth of Nations (1776) (Stevenson, 2012, p. 23) in the automotive industry. Ford also introduced the concepts of mass production, the moving the assembly line and interchangeable parts in his automotive assembly plants. Others such as F.W. Harris, H.F. Dodge, H.G. Romig, W. Shewhart and L.H.C Tippett all made contributions in the areas of quantitative techniques, statistical measurements, and decision modeling to increase manufacturing efficiency (Stevenson, 2012, p. 24). While these men focused on the technical aspects of scientific management, others studied the relationship between the organization and the worker. This was the early development of what we now know today as human relations. According to Stevenson (2012), â€Å"Whereas the scientific management movement heavily emphasized the technical aspects of work design, the human relations movement emphasized the importance of the human element in the job design† (p. 23). Lillian Gilbreth and Frank Gilbreth added to the study of worker efficiency through time and motion studies. Elton MayoShow MoreRelatedFactors affecting women entrepreneurs success1224 Words   |  5 Pages1-1 Introduction to Operations Management Operations Management William J. 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Evaluation Of The Training Evaluation Process Essay

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Pirates of Silicon Valley Summary Example For Students

Pirates of Silicon Valley Summary After watching the Pirates of Silicon Valley, I have learned lot of things. The movie was entertaining and interesting because it is about the history of computers and information technology itself, which I am pursuing for a career. I was also inclined with the cast because of their good portrayal of their characters. There were no dull moments in the movie. The time was well divided because it shows all there is to know about the Apple and the Microsoft Company. The story revolves on the humble beginnings of computers, particularly the beginnings of the Apple Computer Corporation established by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and Microsoft Inc., established by Bill Gates and his colleagues. It also features company such as IBM and Xerox. The movie shows how the two companies became successful and how they compete against each other for success, but in the end, team-up together to make a better world of technology. I was amazed on how Steve Jobs and Bill Gates made their respective companies successful and productive to all people, but a bit disappointed on how they did it. Before being completely successful they have gone through many challenges, and they have committed many unethical doings. Apple copy ideas from Xerox, while Microsoft steal ideas from Apple. Basically, they steal ideas from others, that’s why it’s called pirates because of piracy. For Steve Jobs, IBM (the most successful computer company that time) is their competitor, but what he didn’t know is that Bill Gates who works for him and owns the Microsoft is the one who will trick him and steal from him. Steve was fired on the apple company because of the bad effects caused by his decision of dividing apple into two. In 1997 Steve Jobs returned to apple. The two companies team-up together and Microsoft now owns part of the Apple computer. After watching the movie, I have learned that success is very hard to attain, one must sacrifice a lot of things and sometimes step on other people to reach it. A person who is determined to reach success will do everything even if doing so would cause negative effects on other people. Too much power could change a person into something hideous, just like what happened to Steve Jobs, all the fame and power made him boastful and greedy. Bill Gates, on the otherhand, was so hungry for success that he did many wrong doings just like stealing and copying, and calling it his own just to reach the peak of success. A person should also be careful on whom he should trust because he will never know who would stub him in the back. Two is always better than one, behind the success of a person is another person, a person will never be successful without other people, so we should always be humble and kind towards others, because if we don’t they might back stubbed us.

Richard Cory Essays (270 words) - Emotions, Richard Cory

Richard Cory Money cant buy happiness is an adage that echoes through time; however, it seems to echo so softly that it is quite often disregarded. For men, in their search for fulfillment, see money as a vehicle. The envy of the poor, the common, the needy lies with the rich, the powerful, and the seemingly content. Richard Cory was the envy of all who encountered him. The people thought he had it all. They saw his money, felt his power, knew his intelligence, and never once did they doubt his happiness. They looked upon him as more than mere man, and they desired to be looked upon in that way, too. They assumed that living like Richard Cory would bring elusive happiness. Neither spoken word nor inference alluded to a friend. In fact, the poem indicates that everyone kept their distance. Richard Cory lead an unbearably lonely life. His money did not buy happiness nor did it bring him friends. Simon and Garfunkle wrote and sang a song entitled Richard Cory. Both the song and the poem tell of Richard Corys ultimate suicide; however, the song ends slightly differently, declaring, in the final chorus, that even after his death, the people wanted to be like Richard Cory. How jaded has our quest for happiness become? Where does the journey end and the destination begin? Do we remember what we are searching for? Perhaps where we thought we might find happiness was only a barren road. Perhaps where we thought a barren road lay, happiness was to be found a little way down the road. Poetry