J.B. Priestly & the story Essay Example for Free

J.B. Priestly the story Essay After the Inspectors departure Birling admits that he has learnt a loti from his visit. However, he immediately singles out Eric as youre the one I blame for this [the scandal]i , so he still seems to have little notion of community as he should, if he had learnt anything, be saying were the ones to blame for thisi. Instead he seems to be shifting blame from himself. We can also see that as soon as the characters begin to construct doubts about the legitimacy of the Inspector he tries to find a way out of his predicament. As the story unravels he becomes excitedi on discovering that the Inspector is not real and soon he has managed to put the whole episode out of his head, despite protests from Eric and Sheila who try to tell him that you still havent learnt anything. i Birling is far more concerned about what may happen if the news comes out in public than whatever he did to Eva Smith and makes fun of Eric and Sheila for not being able to take a jokei. However, the phone call he receives at the end of the play is not at all funny to him. To sum up, from the play we can see that when Birling preaches his every man for himselfi philosophy he is very assured that he is right. The Inspectors questioning manages to make him change his mind slightly although he is still sure of what he believes in. When he sees a chance to get out of the embarrassing situation he has been put into he grabs it with both hands and manages to forget the lesson he has learnt during the evening. Sheila is probably the character who changes the most during the play. At the start of the action she is very happy about her engagement, pleased with life and rather excitedi. However, even at this point we pick up some of the qualities in her that are so marked later in the play, such as her clear stating of opinions which can be seen when she half-teases Gerald about his absence during the summer and her opinion of wine drinkers. Sheilas reaction on receiving her engagement ring from Gerald show her state of mind: Sheila: Oh its wonderful! Look Mummy isnt it a beauty? Oh darling! i Sheila appears to be inattentive over her fathers speeches at the dinner table and has to be told to listen. This suggests that she neither find his opinions interesting nor agrees with them, which may point to her future conduct in the play. Sheilas explanation of her conduct when interviewed by the Inspector shows how naive and thoughtless she was up to that point. However, unlike Birling she feels very upset about her conduct, shown by her running out of the room sobbing when first shown the photograph of Eva Smith. She also swears that she will never, never do it [behaving like that towards others] again to anybodyi. This is a turning point in the play for Sheila. Almost at once she sheds her image of being a naive and ignorant young lady and takes on the most profound understanding of the Inspectors message. During the rest of the play she often makes several cutting remarks during the other characters i interviews with the Inspector. For example, when the Inspector is talking to Mrs Birling she warns her mother not to block herself from Eva Smith in her answers to his questions: Mrs Birling: And in any case I dont suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class Sheila : Mother, dontplease dont For your own sake, as well as ours, you musnt. Mrs Birling: Musnt what? Really, Sheila! Sheila : You musnt try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, the Inspector will just break it down Incidences such as this, where Sheila is clearly contradicting the opinion of her parents, lead Mrs Birling to remark to the Inspector that You seem to be making a great impression on the childi. The Inspectors response, that we often make an impression on the young onesi is proved to be true. The younger characters Sheila, Eric and to an extent Gerald, are able to see the Inspectors message realise that he is right. However, the older characters are too entrenched in their beliefs and still stubbornly cling to what they believe in.

Life Struggling Against Death in Shakespeares Sixtieth Sonnet (Sonnet

Life Struggling Against Death in Shakespeare's Sixtieth Sonnet (Sonnet 60) Shakespeare's sixtieth sonnet is probably addressed to the same young, male friend to whom most or all of the earlier sonnets are said to be addressed. The sonnet does not specify this, however, so it could be to anyone or everyone. The theme is certainly universal; time steals human life away, but poetry is immortal. The poet uses diction and imagery to paint a picture of life struggling against death and losing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The speaker of the sonnet tells the audience in the first quatrain that human life is fleeting. He or she refers to life as "our minutes" (813). This is a twist on the traditional expression "our days." The use of "minutes" in place of "days" makes life seem even shorter and gives the poem a sense of urgency. The speaker uses wave imagery to show the audience that life is rushing: "Like as the waves make toward the pibbled shore,/ So do our minutes hasten to their end" (813). The wave is a very appropriate symbol for life. First it is nonexistent, then it becomes a small groove on the water, then it swells to greatness. As it grows in size, it speeds up, as life seems to speed up as people grow older.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The speaker says that the minutes of life are "Each changing place with that which goes before,/ In sequent toil all forwards do contend" (813). The speaker treats the minutes of life without glamour. The minutes, like the waves, pass in the same way as those that wint before them. The speaker uses the word "toil" to imply that life is drudgery. The wave, even when swollen to its zenith acts in an imitative and monotonous way. Then it begins to shrink more quickly than it grew, finally dissipating as it crashes o... ...d nothing stands but for his scythe to mow," but in the next line says that the "verse shall stand" (813). The speaker also implies that the poetry might be written more in spite of Time than in praise of the audience. "The worth" of the audience is mentioned only once, while the mighty enemy, Time, is the focus. The victor over Time is the verse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The speaker of the poem tells the audience that he or she should be flattered that they were chosen as the subject of the speaker's poetry. The speaker convinces the audience that life is weak and Time is strong, but the speaker's poetry is stronger still. Perhaps the speaker felt that the audience was not appreciative enough of some previous efforts at immortalizing him or her in verse! For whatever reason, the speaker of Sonnet Sixty gives the audience a profound example of the importance of poetry.   

Downsizing: Costs and Assigned Government Executive

Industry downsizing has been a major part of the corporate world, even government agencies are downsizing. GovernmentExecutive. com â€Å"covers the business of the federal government and its huge departments and agencies – dozens of which dwarf the largest institutions in the private sector† on its website. Read the assigned Government Executive article and answer the following questions: Which industries have substantially reduced fixed cost commitments? Do you believe this reduction in costs has substantially impaired the ability of these industries to meet the needs of their customers? It appears that both privite and public sectors are reducing fixed cost. According to Ciccotello and Green, the technology, auto, and government industries have substantially reduced fixed costs. The specific examples referenced in the article, Industry’s Downsizing Lessons, were IBM, Honda, and the DoD; in some cases the downsizing has been beneficial and in others it has been detrimental. DoD has taken the lead in the current round of federal downsizing, instituting several initiatives to reduce permanent staff positions, rely more on temporary help and outsource production. Honda made large cuts in its permanent engineering staff in response to the more volatile sales environment for automobiles since the mid-1980s. These cuts left Honda unable to keep pace with its competitors in the design of new automobiles. The results have been the loss of market share and profit for Honda, which now faces the difficult task of trying to catch up. The consequence of cutting fixed costs too far could be even more dangerous for a government enterprise like DoD. The computer industry is rapidly changing technology is causing companies to reassess large, fixed-cost commitments. As a result, evidence of decreasing operating leverage in this industry abounds. Many large computer firms have made dramatic cuts in permanent staff. Standard and Poor's reports that IBM had more than 370,000 full-time employees in 1990 and fewer than 270,000 in 1994. At the same time, computer firms have greatly increased outsourcing of products and leasing of equipment. Both of these trends reduce the requirement for large in-house expenditures on personnel, plant and equipment. Outsourcing and leasing make the enterprise more nimble, more able to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing sales environment.

A Perception of Sin Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter

Through out the course of history, those who were considered sinners were often out casted from the society. This is much the case with Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. After a public trial, Hester is considered a sinner due to her birthing of a so called â€Å"devil child†. Hester is convicted to the life long bearing of a scarlet letter on her chest. The Scarlet Letter that Hester Prynne wears symbolizes the change in perception of sin through out the novel. Due to the revelations of the governor Winthrop and the reverend Dimmesdale, the way sin is perceived changes from one of shame to the idea that every one is a sinner in their own right. In the beginning of the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is standing on a†¦show more content†¦Later on in Hawthorne’s novel, however, the perception of sin begins to change with the death of the governor Winthrop. It was not long after Hester’s visit to the governor’s home, that he passes away. Of course the governor was thought to be a holy man and none of the puritans thought of him as a sinner. However, on the night of his death, the old sexton noticed that in the sky, a scarlet â€Å"A† appeared. â€Å"†¦a great red letter in the sky, - the letter A, which we interpreted to stand for Angel.† (Hawthorne 144). The sight of this mystical â€Å"A† caused a bit of uncertainty for a few reasons. One reason was the meaning of the letter. In Hester’s case, the Scarlet letter was meant to mark her sin but a man of the governors stature was thought to have not ever sinned and thus in theory would have no reason for an â€Å"A† to follow him to his grave. This marked an important change in the perception of the sin represented by the scarlet letter. The puritans began to question the idea of sin because how could a mark of sin show up for someone who obviously has not sinned? In Hester’s case, after the incident with governor Winthrop, many of the puritan people began to see Hester’s â€Å"badge of shame† as more of â€Å"one of good deeds† (Hawthorne 147). This transformation in their way of thinking was done in a way so that Hester was not â€Å"unmarked† but at the same time, the deceased governor was not being looked at as a sinner. Toward the end of the novel,Show MoreRelatedThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1397 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Graves Professor Connie Caskey English 251: American Literature I 8 February 2016 The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 which is based on the time frame of the Puritans, a religious group who arrived in Massachusetts in the 1630’s. The Puritans were in a religious period that was known for the strict social norms in which lead to the intolerance of different lifestyles. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the puritan’s strict lifestyles to relate to the universal issues among usRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1230 Words   |  5 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne is an American novelist, who writes and focuses on sin, punishment, and atonement. However, he mainly focuses on the Puritan legacy. Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. From 1825-1837, Hawthorne perfected his writing and spent this time to help generate ideas for his novels and poems. One of the most well known novels by Nathaniel Hawthorne is â€Å"The Scarlet Letter.† The Scarlet Letter helped Hawthorne’s career to become one of the most successful of hisRead MoreThe 200 Year Old Man1167 Words   |  5 PagesThe 200-Year-Old Man: How Nathaniel Hawthorne Maintained a 17th Century Puritan Allegory Nathaniel Hawthorne, born â€Å"Nathaniel Hathorne† until he added a â€Å"w† to his birth name years later, was a prominent American Novelist that lived during the 19th century. Hawthorne was considered a dark romantic, and often â€Å"undertook the mission of exploring the darker side of humanity† in his short stories and novels. (Wright 3) Hawthorne descended from an ancestry tracing back many generations full of devoutRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1944 Words   |  8 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne adds a satirical twist throughout his novel The Scarlet Letter which manifests his perception of the Puritanism. The novel portrays the strictness and impact of Puritanism on human lives. Hawthorne’s usage of Puritan characters and outcasts also demonstrate Hawthorne’s position on Puritanism. Throughout Hawthorne’s novel, all of the characters in this novel represent strong Puritan belief, Puritan lifestyle, strong resistance to P uritanism, and satirical Puritan lifestyles. HawthorneRead MoreMahek Mehta Ap Preparation Guide : The Scarlet Letter1175 Words   |  5 PagesMahek Mehta AP Preparation Guide: The Scarlet Letter Introduction: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the most famous of the American romanticist’s works, which often centered on the topic of America’s Puritan history. Led by John Winthrop, the Puritans formed a theology in Massachusetts in the 1630s. They were English Protestants who migrated to the New World and demanded greater religious discipline than their English counterparts. Romanticism was divided intoRead MoreSocietys Sin In The Scarlet Letter1226 Words   |  5 Pages Society’s Sin In Hawthorne’s romantic novel The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses symbolism, contrasting, romantic imagery, and individual characterization to argue that sin can and should be forgiven despite the misguided ideals of society. By using symbolism to convey his argument in his novel, Hawthorne adds nuanced meaning to his argument. Notably, the letter A, the most prominent symbol in the book which originally meant to symbolize adultery, is ambiguous in many ways in order to give theRead MoreThe Real Travesty Of The Scarlet Letter1301 Words   |  6 PagesThe Real Travesty of The Scarlet Letter â€Å"The real sin of this ‘Scarlet Letter’ [film] is that it doesn’t respect the concept of sin† (Ansen). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter delves deeper into the explicitness of sin, shame, and guilt. Set in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during Puritan colonization, the characters have strong relationships with God and a sturdy foundation in their beliefs and church. Puritans rely on the concept of predestination, the belief that God has decided whetherRead More A Comparison of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables3606 Words   |  15 Pagesof The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables    Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of Americas most renowned authors, demonstrates his extraordinary talents in two of his most famed novels, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. To compare these two books seems bizarre, as their plots are distinctly different. Though the books are quite seemingly different, the central themes and Hawthornes style are closely related (Carey, p. 62). American novelist Nathaniel HawthorneRead MoreKhaled Hosseini And Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1792 Words   |  8 Pageswomen and the precedence that has been set forth for centuries. Khaled Hosseini and Nathaniel Hawthorne both comment on this societal disconnect in their domestic narrations of female characters. In Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns the character Mariam depicts a women who endures rape, abuse, and imprisonment in her own home under the hand of her husband. Similarly Hester in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is prosecuted by the male leaders of the puritan society as she is forced into solitudeRead More Sinfulness of the Puritans in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter2040 Words   |  9 PagesSinfulness of the Puritans in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne brings to The Scarlet Letter a notion of sin and guilt that seems to stem from his experience and knowledge of Puritan theology and religious practice. In The Custom House Hawthorne communicates his apprehension for the persecutory impulses of his ancestors who have mingled their earthly substance with the soil, until no small portion of it must necessarily be akin to the moral frame wherewith, for a little

Comparative Analysis of Financial Performance of Public...

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BANKS [IN THE CASE OF SELECTED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC BANKS] A SENIOR ESSAY SUBMITTED TO DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE. Prepared by: Ruth Alemayehu ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT, INFORMATICS AND ECONOMIC SCIENCE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC ADMINSTRATION DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE JUNE, 2011 ACKNOWLEGMENT First of all I would like to thank the almighty God for HIS help in every aspect of my life. Without his help I would not be here. I would like to forward my deepest gratitude to my advisor ATO Abraham†¦show more content†¦Therefore CBE stands to be the merger of several banks. By virtue of that it is the biggest bank of Ethiopia that was handling the entire commercial banking sector as a monopoly bank. CBE now operates through 168 branches all over Ethiopia, including one branch in Djibouti with a total asset about 3.5-4 billion, to become a world class commercial bank by the year 2025. The history of development bank of Ethiopia goes back to 1909 when the first attempts of its kind known as the societe narionale d’ ethiopie pour le development de l’ agriculture et de commerce (the society for the promotion of agriculture and trade) was established in the menelik II era. Since then the bank has taken different names at different times although its mission and business purpose has not undergone significant changes except for occasional adjustment that were necessitated by change in economi c development policies of the country. For example, in 1975 when the socialism regime nationalized all the privately owned banks, the development bank of Ethiopia was merged with the investment bank to form the agricultural and industrial development banks. After that it was renamed to development bank of Ethiopia. It is established to spur the national development agenda. The bank’s focal point is the provision of customer focused lending to viable projects in line with government priority areas by mobilizing fund from domestic and foreign sources while ensuring its organizationalShow MoreRelatedReview of Literature of Indian Banking System After Liberalisation1699 Words   |  7 PagesImportance of Banks in an Economy What Is A Bank? 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Dantes Francesca and Paolo She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah,...

Vanni Fucci Professor Alighieri Freshman Foundations 100 28 September 1308 Dantes Francesca and Paolo: She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah In Canto V of The Inferno, Dante offers what seems to be a sympathetic portrait of two medieval lovers caught and condemned after re-enacting a passionate scene from Arthurian Romance. A modern reader might well find the story of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta moving, especially when the narrator himself swoons with pity at the cantos end. It is true that in Dantes ethical scheme, the sin of Paolo and Francesca is not among the worst: the two lovers are guilty of incontinence rather than bestial intemperance, and the elegant, literary way in which they sin only increases our desire to†¦show more content†¦The narrator, therefore, responds to an essentially pagan erotic and poetic tradition, one to which he feels strong ties thanks to his own poetic sensibilities and aspirations. The narrators strong interest in the psychological process by which Francesca and Paolo strayed from Gods will leads to one final encounter. In that encounter, Francesca describes the pro cess in a way that is both moving and yet austere, leaving no doubt that Canto Vs main goal is to drive us through and beyond mere pity and towards an acceptance of the moral law that governs Dantes universe. Francesca explains that one day she and Paolo were reading about Sir Lancelot, and almost managed to get through the romantic story without going astray, when a brief moment too close to their own situation proved their undoing: And time and time again that reading led our eyes to meet, and made our faces pale, and yet one point alone defeated us. When we had read how the desired smile was kissed by one who was so true a lover, this one, who never shall be parted from me, while all his body trembled, kissed my mouth. A Gallehault indeed, that book and he who wrote it, too; that day we read no more. (130-38) Francesca and her brother-in-law Paolo, at the mercy of their passions, repeat the scene from Arthurian romance, identifying themselves with the adulterous Lancelot. The moment is perhaps the most famous one in which, to borrow a line from Oscar Wilde, Life imitates

American Pie Analysis free essay sample

The immensely popular song American Pie, written by Don McLean, describes the day the music died, and the decline of society In the following decade. This date, specifically February 3rd 1959, Is marked by the deaths of Influential musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valves, and J. P. Richardson. McLean wrote the song to describe his feelings towards the deaths, and to describe the history of American music up to the date American Pie was written, using symbolism to describe events without directly naming them or those involved.McLean uses many different themes, including theology and time to describe this Journey. Don Manacles American Pie uses symbolism to tell the story of American music and the day the music died, and the events that lead up to the apocalypse. The first line in the song A long, long time ago (McLean) suggests a feeling of timelessness, which is often used in mythic stories and events. This line also refers to the narrators (presumably McLean) youth, before he was a well-known musician. The following lines describe Manacles desire to bring Joy to people through music and dance. And I knew if I had my chance, that I could make those people dance, and maybe they be happy for a while (McLean). Music Is often used symbolically as a connector with the universal and with the cosmos. Music with Its different harmonies, tones, Tempe and instruments is a means of identifying with the life of the cosmos with all its fullness (Chevalier 688). Dance can also be seen as a manifestation of the spirit and of life (272-273). During the time that McLean was a youth, dance was seen as a serious sign of affection, to a greater and more meaningful extent than It would later. Dance Is a constant theme In the song, and as It progresses It Is diminished to a more travel role, to Manacles dismay. The next section dramatically alters the tone of the song from upbeat Moguls used to make me smile (McLean) to somber But February made me shiver (McLean). Symbolically, cold weather deteriorates both physically and spiritually whomever it engulfs, showing Manacles changing physical and emotional state. The verse continues with references to a newspaper on a doorstep which bears bad news for the narrator McLean.Paper Is an archetype of fragility and of the timeless part of an Individual (Chevalier 735). Thus, the bad news of the newspaper reflects the fragility of the good mood of the first verse. Also, the doorstep on which the newspaper rests suggests to a gateway. Gateways symbolize the scene passing from one state to another, from one world to another, from the known to the unknown, from light to darkness (422). On top of this, McLean is unable to take a step, symbolizing an end to any forward progression. Progression is also an important theme in the song, usually to describe society during the decade following 1959.The abundance of transcendent Imagery In this verse complements the change of American music and society following the day the music died, referenced in the ext section. l cant remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride (McLean). This line references those killed on February 3rd 1959 by taking mention of their wives. Tears are an obvious symbol of grief and death (Chevalier 977), and here make allude often used in reference in the search for their dead husband, and is also a synonym for the gallows and guillotine (1109). This symbol represents the grief felt by those ho lived during this time, and their search for peace.These symbols combined with the next line Something touched me deep inside, the day the music died (McLean) presents to sorrow and the search for reason felt by society following the deaths of the three musicians. The American Pie of the first line of the refrain may symbolize American society itself. Bye, bye, Miss American Pie (McLean). The words bye, bye may reference a loss of innocence caused by the deaths. Also due to the deaths of the musicians, society was in a stage of grief. The refrain continues drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry (McLean). Any automobile suggests a dream or a change in psychological development (Chevalier 58). Also, oil is normally seen as a symbol of rookeries and divine blessing (714). Therefore, the dry levee shows the absence of prosperity of the American dream following February 3rd. And them good 01 boys Nerve drinking whisky and rye, singing theists be the day that I died (McLean). The boys symbolize the youth and innocence of America, and the alcohol symbolizes their corruption and sadness following the deaths of the musical idols. Did you write the Book of Love? (McLean). Books traditionally symbolize knowledge, and also represent the universe. Therefore, the Book of Love represents universal love. And do you have faith in God above, if the Bible tells you so (McLean). This may be a criticism of Christians during this time, when many people were Christians simply because the Bible tells them that it is the right religion. The Christian religion is the central theme around which the entire song revolves. Many references are made to both God, and later Satan. McLean may be telling those that do not truly believe in Christianity to reexamine their faith. Do you believe in rock On roll, can music save you mortal soul, and can you teach me how to dance real slow? (McLean). This next section refers back to the music and dance of the first few lines of the song, but it is now mentioned as a means of salvation, instead of a means of Joy. The next section refers to lovers dancing in a gym. As mentioned before, dancing is identified with life, and lovers are symbols of emotions and egos (Chevalier 520-621). You both kicked off your shoes (McLean). In Western tradition, shoes show funerary significance. These symbols once again show the death and negative emotions following the day the music died. L was a lonely teenage bronchi buck, with a pink carnation and a pickup ruckus (McLean). A buck, or deer, is a common symbol of the spirit (Chevalier 283-284). A flower is also seen as a symbol of spiritual perfection (395), and as mentioned before, any automobile suggests a dream or psychological development. These symbols show how Manacles spirit was in a state of perfection prior to the events of February 3rd. But I knew I was out of luck the day the music died (McLean). This line foreshadows sadness, despair and grief felt not only be McLean himself, but by all people. Now for ten years weve been on our own, and moss grows fat on a rolling stone (McLean). The number ten shows a return to oneness (Chevalier 981) and any images in every civilization showing the transition from vegetable to animal, to human, to divine (1061). Also, a stone shows the link between the soul and the stone (932). Because McLean says we, he is suggesting that all of society is returning to its spiritual oneness, and is recovering from the deaths ten years prior. But thats not how it used to be, when the Jester sang for the King and Queen (McLean).This line places the narrative back into the past, within a royal court. The Jester, or fool, symbolizes forward progress (Chevalier 397). The King and Queen symbolize the center of heaven, earth, and mankind (566-567). In a coat he borrowed from James Dean (McLean). In the movie Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean wears a red coat which, in the movie, symbolizes forward progression (Ray). And a voice from you and me (McLean). This section shows forward progression, possibly trying to overtake the norm of society, the king, using the people as his tool, as referenced by the voice from you and me. Oh, and while the king was looking down, the Jester stole his thorny crown (McLean). This is obvious Christ imagery, as the Jester has stolen the crown symbolic of his supremacy) from the king, but he must also face the responsibilities of his actions. The courtroom was adjourned, no verdict was returned (McLean). This may refer to the Jesters theft of the crown, and how it was accepted by society, as the Jester was not convicted. The quartet practiced in the park, and we sang dirges in the dark (McLean). The number four represents what is solid in the world, the material wealth of all (Chevalier 402-403).The fact that they were playing music in a park shows the life and power of nature and of God, the creator of both life and nature. The dirges in the dark symbolizes the funerary setting and the sadness felt following the deaths, as the narrative is still set prior to the moss on the rolling stone. Helter Shelter in a summer swelter, the birds flew off with a fallout shelter (McLean). Helter Shelter most likely refers to a Battles song. The Battles may also be the quartet mentioned in the previous verse (Ray). The flight of birds leads them, naturally, to serve as symbols of the links between Heaven and Earth.In Greek, the word itself could be used as a synonym for forewarning and for a message from Heaven (Chevalier 86-87). The birds therefore are a symbol of a message from heaven, possibly a message from God in order to save the people from their self- destructive and grievous path. Eight miles high and falling fast, it landed foul out on the grass (McLean). Eight is a symbol of cosmic balance, and of completeness (Chevalier 342-343). Therefore, the message from heaven was unable to reach Earth, but it instead crashed onto grass, a symbol of the transition from human to divine, and of the divine to human (1061). The players tried for a forward pass, with the Lester on the sidelines in a cast (McLean). The players symbolize a force in opposition to the Jester. The Jester, representing forward progression, is unable to progress due to an injury and is on the sidelines observing. Now the half-time air was sweet perfume, while sergeants played a marching tune (McLean). Perfume is a symbol of one of the elements of a sacrificial offering designed to make it acceptable to God (Chevalier 748). The scene is set for a type of sporting event, due to the players mentioned previously, and the mention of half- time.The sergeants, most likely represent governments or other figures of power, salvation during the asss, the sergeants, or those who held power, interfere. Following, the audience gets up to dance, but is unable to because the band refuses to yield to the players following half-time. Once again, dancing symbolizes the Spirit of Life (272). The marching band, in the form of the army, is unwilling to let the people continue their lives, and interferes with the game. This section can also be interpreted as a reference to the Vietnam War.The crowd may represent those that wished that the war would end. The sergeants would still represent the heads of power, preventing what the crowd wanted from taking place. Oh, and there we were all in one place, a generation lost in space (McLean). Space, inseparable from time, is simultaneously the place where all is potentially in this sense it symbolizes the cosmos or ordered universe (Chevalier 900). This is an attempt by McLean to show that society was lost in the universe; unable to continue their lives due to interference by the leaders of society in the previous verse. With no time left to start again, so come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack Flash sat on a candlestick (McLean). The absence of time is again referring to the game that was delayed in the previous verse. Jack Flash is the name of a song by the Rolling Stones, and a candlestick is a symbol of spiritual illumination, of the seed of life and of salvation (Chevalier 151). Therefore, McLean believed that the rock style of the Rolling Stones was preventing spiritual illumination, and was preventing society from finding their way through the ordered universe. Cause fire is the devils only friend (McLean). The destructive aspect of fire implies a negative aspect and to be Lord of the Fire is a function of the Devil (Chevalier 380). This connects the intentions of the Rolling Stones to prevent society from finding their way to the Devil. This also connects the Devil with the figureheads of the last verse, as they were preventing the people from the Spirit of Life, and from petitioning God for aid after his message was ignored. Oh, and I watched him on the stage, my hands were clenched in fists of rage (McLean).In this next section, McLean is most likely referring to the Devil performing for all the people to see. No angel born in hell could break that Satins spell (McLean). This symbolizes the inability of the society to break Satins hold on the people, and he now refers to the people as angels born in hell, because they eave fallen under Satins spell. As the flames climbed high into the night, to light the sacrificial light, I saw Satan laughing with delight, the day the music died (McLean). The flames symbolize the hold Satan has on the people, and the sacrificial light represents full control over society.So as Satan gains control over the people, he is reaching his complete goal; total control over humanity. Also, Satan is connected to the deaths of the musicians, as he was laughing with delight at their deaths. Many critics have speculated that the devil mentioned in the verse are the Rolling Stones. Many of the songs in the Rolling Stones settles mention the devil, which may have caused McLean to believe that they were devil worshipers. The next section of the song describes McLean following Satins control over the population. L met a girl who sang the blues, and I asked her for some happy news, but she Just smiled and turned away (McLean). Song is the symbol of the word which links the creators power to what it has coordinated gives it expression in Joy her creator, but when asked for good news, she is unable or unwilling to give any. l Net down to the sacred store where Id heard the music years before, but the man here said the music wouldnt play (McLean). The sacred store refers to a music store. McLean wishes to hear the music, and therefore the life of the cosmos :chevalier 688), again.Unfortunately, due to Satins hold on the society, the music cannot be played again, which shows the absence of all life and spirit in the society. The last verse describes the consequences of the actions of the people. And in the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried, and the poets dreamed (McLean). Children are often seen as a sign of innocence, and in Christian tradition, they are also symbolic of angels (Chevalier 189-190). Therefore, the innocence of the people is lost and the angels, servants of God, cannot aid mankind. He lovers may be a reference to the lovers mentioned dancing in the gym. The lovers, representing emotions and egos (620-621), are crying, which shows the emotions of grief and death (977). The dreaming poets represent a hope for a better life. But not a word was spoken, the church bells all were broken (McLean). The Church bells are one of the most profound symbols in the entire work. It undoubtedly symbolizes the divine command to study the Law, obedience to the Nor of God and, at all events, intercommunication between Heaven and Earth (Chevalier 82).The broken church bells represent God cutting himself off from society. Because of this, the world as all know it is doomed. And the three men I admire the most, the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, they caught the last train for the coast, the day the music died (McLean). Three symbolizes the spiritual order of God and the Trinity(Chevalier 993), and in this case shows the connection between McLean and God. Trains seen in dreams are images of social life as a member off group and of the fate that governs us (1023).This once again shows God cutting his connection with Earth, leaving it to its fate following its unfaithfulness. Along with the social connotations, there are many musical references in the song. Many musical critics claim that the Jester mentioned in the third verse represents bib Dylan, and Elvis represents the king. The crown of thorns represents musical supremacy following Elvis death, with Dylan in control, and the price of fame. This argument is strengthened by the fact that Dylan wears a red windbreaker similar to the one worn by James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause in his album TheFreewheeling Bob Dylan. The quartet mentioned is the Battles, and the park represent their famous farewell concert and Candlestick Park in 1966. The birds represent The Birds, a band mostly known bridging stylistic the gap that fell between bib Dylan and the Battles. The Birds single, Eight Miles High, is also mentioned. The players attempting a forward pass represent many bands attempting to gain control of the musical market during Dylan absence while he was injured in a motorcycle accident. All musical reference following the fourth verse represent the RollingStones, and their ties with the devil during their Alton Free Concert, during which an African-American man was killed by one the of Hells Angels security guards AR the concert (Fan). Don Manacles song American Pie is an epic and mythic tale that tells the story of the American musical society immediately prior to and following February 3rd 1959, depression following the deaths of three famous musicians, and the progression Nothing musical hierarchy that followed. Because the society was unable to return to the way it was before February 3rd, it went against the will of God by ignoring opportunities for repentance.Therefore, society sold their souls to the Devil in order to fulfill their musical and emotional emptiness. Because of this, the musical and social world declined into chaos, and the apocalypse destroyed what was once a beautiful, musical world. Historically, the song tells of how the world of music turned from the folk oriented Elvis and Bob Dylan, and moved toward the rock style of the tattles and Rolling Stones, which lead to the decline of music and society. There is much to learn from Don Manacles American Pie. Throughout time, sic has been an archetype of the cosmos and all its fullness (Chevalier 688).