Use of Tone, Irony and Humor in The Hammon and the Beans Essay

Use of Tone, Irony and Humor in The Hammon and the Beans Ernest Hemingway once explained, "A writer's problem does not change. He himself changes and the world he lives in changes but his problem remains the same. It is always how to write truly and having found what is true, to project it in such a way that it becomes a part of the experience of the person who reads it." The attitude and "projection" with which the author creates a story is the tone. A difficult aspect of writing to master, tone is one that transitions a piece of writing from satisfactory to exemplary. In The Hammon and the Beans, Americo Paredes incorporates tone in a manner that allows the reader to understand the two-sided situation because the characters are living happy yet troublesome lives. Through including contradictory statements, irony, and comedy in the story, Paredes displays his ability to utilize tone in order to construct a complex work with pure grace. Opposition is an important undertone present in The Hammon and the Beans. Throughout the entire story, Paredes integrates contradictory statements which are used for two purposes. The first usage of these argumentative ideas is to clearly depict the setting of the story for the reader. In the first paragraph, the grandfather's house is described as, "... a big frame house painted a dirty yellow," that was in, "... a quiet neighborhood at least, too far from the center of town for automobiles and too near for musical, night-roaming drunks (p. 274)." In these two descriptions of the setting, there are contradictions because a big house is usually positive, while dirtiness is negative (although yellow itself is not normall... ...hich contributes to his overall impression of the story. In adding a comical tone to the story, the author gives the reader the ability to relate to, and better understand, the situation in which the characters are involved, because it is pure human nature to laugh. Tone is an advanced element of writing, that when effectively incorporated into a work, can make it exceptional, and one certainly worth reading. The Hammon and the Beans is an example of a story in which tone is used extraordinarily well by including opposition among statements and characters, thought-provoking irony, and sensitive humor. Paredes entices the reader to share the emotions of the characters by projecting them in a subtle manner. As a result of becoming involved, the reader can more completely comprehend the lives of the characters, from their difficult times to those of pure joy.

Reaction Paper in the Movie Jose Rizal

The movie tells the life story of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. A three-hour epic on the life and struggles of his poet and patriotisms. It covers his life fromhis childhood to his execution at the hands of the Spanish forces occupying thePhilippines in the late 19th century. We are also thrown into the world of Rizal's novels (filmed in black and white), so we get a glimpse of how he viewed Filipino society under the Spanish heal. The film also through a series of flashback showing Rizal as a genius, a writer, a doctor, an artist, a lover, a friend, a brother and a son, thus giving a rich texture of Rizal’s character.The movie introduces us to the life of subjugation of the Filipino people under the rule of the Spanish friars. From the execution of three Filipino priests in 1872 for alleged subversion to the harsh and unequal treatment of Filipino students in the schools, this film is a stinging indictment of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. I als o commend the film for its bravery in showing the evil tyranny of the Catholic Church during that time. Considering that the Philippines is a Catholic nation that is like butchering a sacred cow but alas, Abaya works her magic in depicting the suffering of the Filipinos because of the friars.This is by far the best Filipino movie that I have seen so far. I would urge anyone reading this who likes movies, to either rent it or buy it. I particularly love the last scene of the film when Rizal fell in the ground facing the sky, having his last breath looking at a beautiful sunrise- a metaphor depicting that Rizal did not die in vain. He did not die for nothing. He did not die defeated. Rather he died victorious because his death is the torch that lights Philippine independence, that ignites Philippine RevolutionOne of the strengths of Jose Rizal is the incorporation of the characters of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in the life of Rizal and of the Filipinos in general. This only shows that the two books are reflections of the lives of the Filipinos during the Spanish regime. But the thought and noble ideas of the book do not only live in the past but also in the present manifesting the universality and immortality of Rizal's ideas. The beautiful transition of Rizal's time and the setting of the two novels is really impressive.

Gender Inequality And Idealized Beauty Standards - 1688 Words

Over time, there have been various ethical issues and injustices throughout centuries that are still evident and present in today’s society. One significant social injustice that our world continues to face is gender inequality and idealized beauty standards. When relating back to basic principles of gender inequality, women tend to be shown as inferior to men and specific occupations have been assigned gender roles. I agree with Naomi Wolf that gender inequality places more demands on both males and females and is a form of oppression, and her beliefs regarding ideal beauty. Wolf’s ideas surrounding gender inequality relate to Nietzsche s theory regarding master and slave morality and man’s struggle to be a free spirit because those who adhere to society s dictates on ideal beauty also have â€Å"slave morality†. An important aspect of gender inequality are the demands and expectations that are placed on each gender. Males are supposed to be seen as tou gh and strong; they aren’t â€Å"supposed to cry†. These are oppressive gender stereotypes that males are forced to endure in society. On the opposite spectrum, females are looked down upon and viewed as inferior when compared to men. They are supposed to look a specific way and Naomi Wolf, the author of The Beauty Myth, discusses this concept regarding how media portrays women are presumed to be. She discusses how images of female beauty have become more of a hindrance to women rather than a positive goalShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Media On Women s Self Esteem1327 Words   |  6 Pages In this paper, I will argue that the media portrays one image of beauty and this has a damaging effect on women’s mental health, resulting in low self esteem and further deepening gender inequality within our society. 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