Macbeth - Foul is fair and fair is foul

The “fair is foul and foul is fair” motif runs throughout Act 1 of Macbeth in a way that it can apply to every occurrence in the play. Its central meaning explores versions of reality and directly relates to how appearance may be deceptive. The play opens with the weird sisters chanting the line and thus, introducing to the audience that what is fair and foul, although opposite in meaning, can co-exist, ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air’ (1.1.1). This stresses that difference between reality and illusion, good and evil, and other antonyms, is often as murky as ‘fog and filthy air’. Macbeth also draws on this idea in Scene 3 line 40, ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen.’ This reiterates that things can be both foul and fair simultaneously. In this case, he may have been alluding to the bloodshed but also the victory, which come hand-in-hand. In Scene 4, the underlying message of the motif is captured by Macbeth’s intentions to kill the King and commit treason although he has just been praised for his bravery and patriotism. This emphasises that appearances are sometimes misleading and through suggesting that Duncan is fooled again, the motif underpins that it is impossible to know the truth by appearance and that there may always be two contrasting sides in people and situations.

Write a paragraph which might act as the introductory paragraph to a conference paper on the way the article by Philip Adams constructs a version of childhood. You should identify the key elements of the version of childhood and the main points you would want to cover in this paper about how the version is constructed. In class, we have focussed on selection and organisation of material as well as use of language, so remember to consider these. Remember also that you should try not to discuss all of your main points in one sentence. Post to your blog by 4pm Friday, April 15th.

Phillip Adams constructs a version of childhood in his book The Unspeakable Adams as a intolerable time of restriction and perceives it as greatly overrated by adults. His arguments are that children are property to adults and thus are caged within numerous regulations,that school is agonizing to attend, that children are not as innocent as they are perceived and encompass an ugly aspect of personality, that children are punished for being naturally ignorant, and that childhood is typically boring. He supports his thesis through his selection of material which almost completely silences the positive aspects and which emphasizes that the reality of childhood is not the ideal childhood adults reminisce upon. These components of childhood established by Adams are also highlighted by his use of the political allusions which draws parallels between the treatment received by children and the moments of shame inscribed in the past by adults. Furthermore, his use of language communicates his construction of childhood with clarity through descriptions which are explicit in meaning.

Catcher in the Rye - Chapter 9

The grand clock at Penn Station had struck half past eleven when a tall, lanky boy of an obvious youth had stepped on to the arrival platform. He carried a large suitcase, too big of a size for the boy to be leisurely travelling alone. The Pencey Prep sticker on one of his Gladstones explained everything; he was returning from school. However, no apparent parent was thereto welcome him home. In fact the station was quite deserted. Curiously enough, the boy went into a phone booth.

What he did in the next twenty minutes was even more confusing. He stood inside with the phone grasped by his hands with a face which became increasingly distorted. His fingers would flinch to dial a number every few minutes but then a look of apprehension would cross his face as he thought about it. His fingers ended up dialling nobody. His shoulders drooped and he trudged out of the booth. As sadness filled his eyes, he picked up his bag and caught a cab.

Whether this boy had a destination in the beginning is a good question as the cab driver was told a wrong address at the start. However, the boy only seemed to be fascinated about the ducks or in other words, he seemed desperate to know where they all went when they could not live in the lake anymore. He became upset when the cab driver could not give him an answer. Interestingly, the lost boy did not return home but booked into a small hotel.

Version of Childhood found in Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh, the book by, constructs a version of childhood through demonstrating different aspects in each character as well as communicating a consistent representation through similarities in the actions of all characters. This is created through the text and the visuals.The most significant version of childhood illustrated throught the book is the idea that it is a period when companionship has uttermost importance. This is is closely followed by the construction of childhood as a time of self-aware dependence.

The version of childhood that a child's daily life revolves constantly around companionship and their dislike for isolation is articulated through the characters' response to certain situations. For example, when Piglet's house is entirely flooded, instead of thinking of the dire cicumstances that he is trapped in he only wishes to be with his friend, Pooh. He mutters, "If only I had been in Pooh's house when it began to rain, then I should have had Company all this time, instead of being here all alone." This shows his lack of concern for his survival and naive attitude towards reality. Piglet's desire to be with a friend is communicated most strongly and the fact that his first reaction is to be not alone highlights that childhood is a time of simple longing for interaction with others.

Childhood is also constructed to be a time of dependece of which the child is completely aware and have accepted. Pooh represents this version through innocently admitting that he cannot read and claiming that 'someone smarter' could read it for him. He says, "I must find Christopher Robin or Owl or Piglet, one of those CLever Readers who they can read things and they will tell me what the missage means." This allows an insight into a child's mind that they believe that they are incapable of some qualities in which they admire in others but have no problem of accepting that they cannot achieve it. This is derived from the mindset of children that adults are automatically more experienced and therefore can be depended on. Therefore, the text constructs a version of childhood which entails that it is a time of accepted and required dependence.