Indian Literature Essay Example for Free

Indian Literature Essay Indian Literature, writings in the languages and literary traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The subcontinent consists of three countries: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The political division of the area into three nations took place in the 20th century; before that, the entire region was generally referred to as India. For centuries Indian society has been characterized by diversity—the people of modern India speak 18 major languages and many other minor languages and dialects; Urdu is the principal language of Pakistan, and Urdu and Bengali are used in Bangladesh. The people of the subcontinent also practice all the world’s major religions. Throughout its history, India has absorbed and transformed the cultures of the peoples who have moved through the region. As a result, the Indian literary tradition is one of the world’s oldest and richest. Religion has long exercised a strong influence on Indian writing. The major religions of the area have been Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam. Throughout the history of Indian literature, certain religious doctrines have formed common threads. One such doctrine is karma—the chain of good and bad actions and their inevitable consequences, which result in the repeated birth and death of the soul. The mythology of the dominant Hindu religion portrays the deities Vishnu, Shiva, the Goddess (Devi), and others. This mythology has influenced Indian texts, from ancient epics in the Sanskrit language to medieval poems in the various languages of different regions to modern works in English. The Vedas, which are Hindu sacred texts, are the earliest examples of Indian literature. The Vedas were composed between about 1500 bc and 1000 bc in Old Sanskrit, also called Vedic Sanskrit. This language belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. Indo-Aryan languages dominated northern India in ancient times, and Sanskrit became the major language of Indian religious and philosophical writing and classical literature. It also served as a common language with which scholars from different regions could communicate. No longer spoken widely, it is maintained as a literary language in modern India, meaning that people still use it for written works. The emergence of the popular religions Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century bc gave rise to literature in Pali and in the several dialects of Sanskrit known as Prakrit (meaning â€Å"natural language†). Meanwhile, Tamil, a Dravidian language, emerged as the most important language in the south. A recorded literature in Tamil dates from the 1st century ad. Rich literary traditions have emerged in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, which are modern languages that developed from Old Tamil and its dialects. Between the 10th and 18th centuries, the medieval dialects of the earlier languages evolved into the modern languages of India. Eighteen of these languages now have official status in India, as does English. As the different tongues evolved, a distinctive literature with particular styles and themes developed in each tongue. At the same time, Indian literature was influenced by the Persian language and its literature, which various Muslim conquerors brought to the Indian subcontinent. Muslims also introduced Islam to India, and Islamic philosophy and traditions affected Indian literature. After the British became active in India in the 1700s, English language and writing had a significant impact on Indian literature. Oral traditions have always been important in Indian literature. Many storytellers present traditional Indian texts by reciting them, often with improvisation. Others use song, dance, or drama to tell tales. In both its oral and written forms, Indian literature has produced great works that have influenced national and regional literary traditions in other parts of the world.

A Dolls House: The Analysis of Nora and Her Case of Leaving Her Family

In Henrik Ibesen's play A Doll House, Nora Helmer struggles with telling her husband, Torvald Helmer, the truth about a loan she receives for them to go to Italy when he was sick. Consequently, when Torvald learns of the news he instantly insults Nora and declares that she has "ruined [his] happiness" (Ibesen 93). However, when Torvald tries to dismiss his insults after receiving a note that her contract was revoked, she does not accept his apologizes and decides to leave Torvald and her children to "make sense of [her]self and everything around [her]" (Ibesen 100). Her selfish decision to leave makes her a bad wife and mother, but she there are a few more characteristics that makes her a bad wife. The characteristics that Nora shows in the story are her dishonest, her individualism, and the unfortunate failings of the father figures during in her life. In the story, Nora is in a troubling situation because she borrows money from Krogstad, Torvald's employee at the bank, to pay for a trip to Italy so that Torvald could recover from an illness and is now being blackmailed by Krogstad because Torvald wants to fire him. Not only does borrow the loan, which something her husband is fully against, she lies to Torvald saying that she receives the money from her father. The borrowing of the money without her husband's approval, and her lie saying that it is from her father are two dishonest acts on Nora's part, acts that a wife should not do. In a review produced by Fabienne Oguer, he calls this situation a "Trust Game" (Oguer 85). Both characters, Torvald and Nora, hypothetically play a game in which one may has to trust the other. In the beginning of the story, Torvald is forced with the decision to either trust Nora and marry he... ...terrible decision to leave Torvald, trapped within his doll house. Works Cited Drake, David B. "Ibsen's A Doll House." The Explicator 53.1 (1994): 32-34. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. Ibesen, Henrik. A Doll's House: A New Version by Frank McGuinness. New York: Faber and Faber,1997. Print. Oguer, F. "Ibsen's "A Doll's House" As a Psychological Trust Game with Guilt and Reciprocity." Review of European Studies 2.1 (2010): 84-90. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. Rosefeldt, Paul . "Ibsen's A Doll's House." The Explicator 61.2 (2003): 84-85. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. Yuehua, G. "Gender Struggle Over Ideological Power In Ibsen's A Doll's House/LA LUTTE DES SEXES SUR LE POUVOIR IDEOLOGIQUE DANS MAISON DE POUPEE D'IBSEN." Canadian Social Science 5.1 (2009): 79-87. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Color Barrier

April 15, 1946 was an important event in not only baseball history but also in the history of America. Thousands of baseball fans crowded into Ebbits Field to see one man, the first black ever to play in Major League Baseball, and one man who would eventually put an end to segregation in baseball. That one man†s name is Jack Roosevelt Robinson, otherwise known as Jackie Robinson. His struggle to break the color barrier helped set the standards for future black athletes to come. Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, to Millie and Jerry Robinson. He was the youngest of five children and always wanted his life to be better than it was. At age five, Jackie†s father left home and his mother moved the family to California. Because his father wasn†t around to help, they were supported by welfare. As a result of this, Jackie had to work several jobs to help support the family. He was involved in several crimes and robberies with the Pepper Street Gang but with the help of Carl Anderson and Reverend Karl Downs this life of crime didn†t last long. Both men were able to point Jackie in a positive direction by having him focus on athletics. After graduating high school, Jackie attended Pasadena Junior College. He then received a scholarship to UCLA where he excelled in every sport he played. He was the first black to be successful in playing all four varsity team sports. Although he was a good athlete, Jackie didn†t complete his senior year of college. Instead, he joined the National Youth Administration where he played baseball to entertain campers and worked with children. In 1941, Jackie joined the United States Army. After graduating from Officers Candidate School, he became second lieutenant in what was then a segregated army. Jackie protested the U.S. Army†s mistreatment of black soldiers in his unit and was later arrested for this act. He received an honorable discharge , including the rank of first lieutenant. Jackie began his professional baseball career in 1945 with the Kansas City Monarchs. Because of the segregation in America, black communities formed their own version of Major League Baseball. The result of this was the beginning of the Negro Leagues. From 1920, when the first national league was founded, until 1946, when Jackie first stepped across the color barrier into organized baseball, the Negro Leagues, grew , matured, overcame hardships and even flourished ( Rogsin 6). In fact, the Negro Leagues became one of the largest most successful black businesses in the United States before the breakdown of segregation (Rogsin 6 ). The management of the two leagues may rank among the highest of achievements in African- American History. In 1945, Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking for a black player to break the color barrier and join the Major League Baseball Association. According to Rickey, this person had to be able to cope with insults, name-calling and abuse. He had heard of Jackie Robinson†s outstanding performances in the Negro Leagues and sent out his scouts to see him. After a long meeting, Jackie decided to join Even though agreeing to join the Dodgers seemed challenging, Jackie†s biggest challenge was yet to come. At this point in American History, it was unheard of to have a black person treated equally to a white person. It was also unlikely for a black person to play on the same baseball field as a white person. There were separate schools, separate water fountains and even separate baseball leagues. One might look at this situation as two different worlds being afraid of each other(Aaron 2). Life was unkind to blacks who tried to bring these two world together but, in Jackie Robinson†s case, it was just something that had to be done. Breaking baseball†s color barrier was a serious challenge. Branch Rickey warned Jackie about all of the racial slurs and name calling that would go on. Throughout the season, he received several unsigned letters threatening death if he continued to play baseball. Rival players when as far as throwing pitches at his head when he came up to bat. They also spat on him when sliding into a base and even tried hurting him with the spikes on their shoes. Discrimination continued off the field. When the Dodgers played on the road, Jackie wasn†t allowed to stay in the same hotel as his teammates. He had to stay in a hotel especially for blacks or in private homes. Whenever he did stay with his teammates, he wasn†t allowed pass the pool room. Toward the end of the season, things were starting to get better. Jackie finally got the respect from everyone including his teammates. The pitches at his head stopped, most racial slurs stopped, and Jackie was finally being treated like a baseball player(Aaron 24). It was obvious that people were looking beyond the color of his skin and finally realizing that Jackie Robinson was indeed a good baseball player. Jackie contributed a lot to the Major leagues but his biggest contribution was opening the league for black players after him. It wasn†t until the year Jackie retired that all sixteen major league teams had at least one black player. Jackie retired in 1956 and began to strike back and speak out on racial issues. When Jackie Robinson spoke, every black player listened. He made it clear to them that they weren†t playing just for themselves or for their teams, they were playing for their people. According to Jackie, if they played as if they were on a mission , it was because he sent them out on one Jackie died in 1972. When he died, apart of baseball died as well. He will always be remember for all that he did for African- Americans. He went through many obstacles but he got through it all. He achieved his dream and went beyond all that he wanted to do. Today many African- Americans thank Jackie for doing what he did to show African-Americans are just as good as anyone else.

Gulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift - 1116 Words

Gulliver’s Travels was written by Jonathan Swift in 1721. Jonathan Swift, born in 1667 was an Irish satirist, poet and pamphleteer. He later became Duke of the St Patrick Cathedral in Dublin (Ireland). He was also a minister between 1710 and 1714 (Swift Biography 1). â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† tells the story of Gulliver as he travels throughout the world and meets different societies. Each trip allows him to encounter some fascinating civilizations. The first trip of Gulliver is Lilliput, where the population is very short and warlike. The second journey sends him to Brobdingnag, a peaceful country of giants. In his third trip, after being attacked by pirates, he is welcomed to the Laputa Island where science is the main focus. Finally, Gulliver discovers the Houynhmms, population of horses who dominates the human race. Behind the description of those fascinating civilizations, is hidden a political satire of the eighteenth-century England. Swift inspires himself of the social and political situation of England at the time. He uses the method used by Thomas More, another satirist, to develop the political satire of England (Chlà ¶e 1). For example, the method used to elect officials in the Lilliput society are opposite to the real world. The best dancers are elected as officials or other higher positions. This is controversial to our society standards where people are appointed to higher positions based on their intellectual capacities. Through this metaphor, we can see Swift’sShow MoreRelatedGulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift1185 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1726 author Jonathan Swift published a satirical, narrative entitled Gulliver’s Travels (Davis, Harrison and Johnson 229). Gulliver’s Travels is a novel that has continued to contribute and thrive in both literature and the film genres. Swift uses comical events and extraordinary characters to address moral issues that remain decades later in today’s society. Gulliver’s Travels has since been reproduced in the film industry multiple times, most recently in 2010 (Gulliver s Travels). Swift’s creativeRead MoreThe Character Of Gulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift Essay2072 Words   |  9 PagesThe character of Lemuel Gulliver is first introduced to us in the fiction work of â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† by Jonathan Swift. It was first published in 1726 anonymously, added to Swift’s collection of great satires. In this literary work, Lemuel Gulliver describes his travels into four books or parts. He describes to the reader in detail what he saw and everything that had happened to him each time he traveled. However, who exactly is the character of Gulliver, our narrator/author and protagonist ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Gulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift1470 Words   |  6 Pagescapabilities. Authors like Jonathan Swift have used their works to shine a light on the similarities between humans and animals. In Part IV of Jonathan Swift’s satirical novel, Gulliver’s Travels, Swift reverses the roles of humans (represented by Yahoos) and horses (represented by Houyhnhnms). Although Swift’s novel is completely fiction and does not prove anything it shows us that there are people out there who see the characteristics shared between human and animals. When Gulliver comes across two HouyhnhnmsRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s Gulliver s Travels 2033 Words   |  9 Pages​Jonathan Swift was a writer known for his use of satire: the application of humor, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose and criticize. At a glance, the novel seems to be a travel log of Lemuel Gulliver’s adventures, but is primarily a work of satire. Through Gulliver’s Travels, Swift strives to satirize the eighteenth century humanity. Swift was titled a misa nthrope, a hater of humanity, his misanthropy rose from his disappointment in mankind. Swift utilizes Gulliver in satirizing the populationRead MoreAnalysis Of Gulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift1774 Words   |  8 Pageseveryone has his or her own perception, one that can change and develop dependent upon everyone’s own vision. In the novel, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, the reader will find their perception of the themes and the characters in the book drastically different in the beginning of the story than at the end. When one first lays their hands on a copy of Gulliver’s Travels, the ideas and themes they would believe to be most obvious and important would include adventure, discovery and the developmentRead More`` Gulliver s Travels `` By Jonathan Swift1724 Words   |  7 Pagesbureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Throughout the last two to three hundred years, dystopian themes have been present in major, widely-circula ted texts, with the earliest listed dystopian text, Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels†, dating back to 1726. And, while the 1800’s saw a good influx of dystopian texts, the first to catch my eye, and really grab hold of my attention wasn’t published until 1949: George Orwell’s â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-Four†. Since the publication of George Orwell’sRead MoreGulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift1281 Words   |  6 Pages When people ever think of the famous novel Gulliver’s Travels written by Jonathan Swift, the first picture that would come to their mind is Gulliver’s dramatic comparison with the smalls or the giants in body size. The story of Lilliput (The land of Smalls) and the story of Brobdingnag (The land of Giants) are so widespread because of their both comic and humorous effect. They are favored by later literature carriers, like films and children’s books, generally in abridged and adopted editions. AsRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s Gulliver s Travels1238 Words   |  5 Pageswhat the results may entail. The main character in Jonathan Swift’s 1726 satire Gulliver’s Travels belongs to this category. Throughout the story it becomes increasingly apparent that Gulliver is destined to forever be an alien. The more Gulliver observes others, the more detached he is from man as his views of mankind and of himself become distorted. Despite his negative obs ervations and changed views, he could be mankind’s wake-up call. Gulliver makes voyages to various locations where his physicalRead MoreGulliver s Travels By Jonathan Swift1183 Words   |  5 PagesGulliver’s Travels, a satire by Jonathan Swift, highlights various aspects of English society, of its time period, through Gulliver’s voyages and exposure to different cultures. On the surface, this satire is simply a fairy-tale, but with observation, Swift’s satirical comments can be easily identified and related to his society and even today’s American; such comments are criticizing aspects of society. These aspects include the struggle between those in powerful versus common man, corruption, andRead MoreGulliver ´s Travels by Jonathan Swift: Biographical Summary1982 Words   |  8 PagesGulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift – Biographical Summary Jonathan Swift was born on November 30, 1667 in Ireland to English parents, Jonathan and Abigail. His father, Jonathan, died shortly after his birth, leaving his mother to raise him and his sister alone. In Ireland, Swift was dependent on a nanny for three years because his mother moved to England. The young man was educated because of the patronage of his Uncle, Godwin Swift. Godwin sent him to Kilkenny Grammar School at age six, which