The Multifaceted Use of Color in The God of Small Things - Literature Essay Samples

In the novel The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy employs numerous irregular stylistic devices which aid in her telling of the story. Set in the small town of Ayamenem in post-colonial India, the non-linear narrative follows the journey of twin protagonists Rahel and Estha as they grapple with a fractured family life, political turmoil, and a caste system in full effect. The harrowing lives and emotions of the characters offer the reader a taste of what life was like in southern India amid cultural, political, and class tensions during the late 20th century. In order to illustrate this, Roy repeatedly utilizes the symbolic nature of color throughout the text, which has a manifold of purposes. Colors such as red and blue are not only used as instruments to depict Communism and British imperialism, but also to foreshadow looming uncertainty, whereas green and yellow are often used to signify moments of alarm or hardship. In addition to emphasizing the underlying themes in the novel, Roy’s vivid use of color acts as a conduit through which the underlying feelings of the characters are revealed and emotional connotations are signified in the text. The ubiquitous presence of color in The God Of Small Things serves as an indicator of individual behavior as well as collective themes of power. Each color featured in the story holds communicative properties to the reader, which Roy capitalizes on again and again. In â€Å"The Art of Seeing,† Aldous Huxley explores this phenomenon, stating that â€Å"there is more to visual communications therefore than simply making an image for the eyes to perceive, it has to accommodate the mind of the person being communicated to. That is to say you are not merely making something to be perceived when visually communicating, you are fundamentally making something to be thought about† (Huxley). Within the novel, certain rich imagery triggers the reader to relate the text to broader motifs, which is clearly deliberate on Roy’s part. In fact, within the opening paragraph of the text, she features the first juxtaposition of red and blue by stating â€Å"red bananas open. bluebo ttles hum vacuously in the fruity air† (1). The reader is then immediately struck by Pappachi’s â€Å"skyblue Plymouth† (4) which we later find out was bought â€Å"from an old Englishman in Munnar† (47). Pappachi’s â€Å"revenge† car, preference for Western clothing, coupled with Chacko’s overt description of him as an Anglophile all force the reader to realize the connection between the color blue and British superiority. The interaction between red and blue is shown again as Mammachi grows â€Å"mounds of red chiles† (46), a demonstration of her subversive acts against Pappachi’s traditionalist views. In this instance, the color red evokes the rebellion and change that Mammachi embraces by opening the pickle factory against Pappachi’s conventional wishes. Roy shows red disrupting the color blue, or in Pappachi’s case, the older way of life in India. In addition to using color as a symbol of character, Roy employs the ‘skyblue’ descriptor to depict the skies in conjunction with post-colonial India (it was a skyblue day [35]), suggesting that the remnants of British rule continue to envelop the country. The color red is likewise attached to the communist image, illustrated when on the same skyblue day, Rahel sees â€Å"pieces of red skyAnd in the red sky, hot red kites wheeled, looking for rats. In their hooded yellow eyes there was a road and redflags marching† (76). Here, the disturbance of the blue sky by the red indicates a foreboding danger, as Rahel immediately after sees through her â€Å"yellow rimmed red plastic sunglasses† (37) the figure of Velutha â€Å"marching with a red flag at the level crossing outside Cochin† (79). It’s possible that Velutha’s bloody death later on in the story symbolizes the fall of Communism, just as the skyblue Plymouth falling into disuse after Pappachi’s death symbolizes the downfall of the family Anglophilia. Perhaps Roy was trying to emphasize that by extending beyond his caste in his relationship with Ammu, he was essentially reaching up towards the blue sky, and violating the traditionalist Indian authority. Roy routinely associates the color blue with the white character of Margaret Kochamma and the â€Å"beach-colored† (177) Sophie Mol. Their eyes are described as a â€Å"fresh, shining blue† and â€Å"bluegray-blue (136) respectively, and upon arrival at the family home they are greeted by a â€Å"blue-aproned army† (164). To the dismay of Rahel and Estha, both characters are adored by most of the Anglophilic family, enforcing once more their notion of British supremacy. Throughout the story, Roy utilizes colors as tools to foreshadow impending events in each character’s timeline. In â€Å"The Use of Color in Literature: A Survey of Research† by Sigmund Skard, he touches on the idea that as the â€Å"most conspicuous elements,† colors â€Å"are entwined with the emotional and intellectual life of a man,† noting that over time man has â€Å"realized the relations to himself† (Skard 164). Roy takes advantage of this impact of color through the not so subtle hints that she places throughout the text. Red is specifically used to connote forthcoming perils. One such instance occurs when in the cinema hall, Estha watches Rahel â€Å"through the red Fornica door watching mirrors till the red door took his sister away† (90). This illustrates the beginning of their detachment, hinting at the complete disunion that will happen down the road. Thus, the red acts a harbinger of the future heartbreak that both twins must e ndure. Moreover, red is used to warn the reader of Estha’s abuse by the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man. On the way into the theater, it’s recalled that â€Å"they had to rush up the red steps with the old red carpet. Red staircase with red spit stains in the red corner† (93). Yellow also signifies pain and misfortune, and is abundant throughout the text. It first appears when Sophie Mol is buried in her â€Å"yellow Crimplene bell-bottoms† (5) and again when Estha notices his abuser’s teeth, stating â€Å"His yellow teeth were magnets. They saw, they smiled, they sang, they smelled, they moved. They mesmerized† (98). Roy effectively uses the color yellow to instill dread in the reader, as we know what is coming later in the story. Finally, similar to her application of yellow, green is established as a color signifying hardship. Alluded through Sophie Mol’s death, the twins search for her but ultimately discover that â€Å"she was gone. Carried away on the muffled highway. Graygreen† (277), later finding â€Å"green weed† woven into her hair. Roy’s use of yellow and green motion to the reader that danger lies on the horizon, adding to the foreboding mood that pervades the novel. Roy’s use of color at first glance seems like a simple implementation of imagery. Upon further investigation, it appears that her vivid use of color was designed to manipulate the reader into deciphering the underlying post-colonial themes and to aid us in gathering a larger meaning from the work as a whole. The multiplicities in her use of color provide for a more complex reading of the text, which creates both a richer understanding and a distinctive feel of the novel for the audience. Through her unconventional technique, Roy was able to take something as simple as color and give it a much deeper meaning.

Labor Strikes in Education and Health Care Research Paper - 2475 Words

Labor Strikes in Education and Health Care Research Paper (Research Paper Sample) Content: Labor Strikes in Education and Health CareStudents NameInstitutional AffiliationAbstractThe current paper investigates the possibility of creating an education and health care systems that can exist without experiencing frequent strikes and workers unrest in the United States of America. Therefore, the aim of the proposal is to formulate an action plan that will include all the stakeholders in the mentioned sectors, which will bring a lasting solution to the problem that can negatively influence the society members. The stakeholders include the government, parents, teachers, students, caregivers, doctors, and patients among all the other people who are indirectly involved. The proposal consists of five major parts: the introduction, literature review, the data collection methods, the analysis of data and finally discussion and conclusion. The project will start from determining what causes the labor strikes in the country. It will further discuss the methods, which ca n help prevent the causes of the labor strikes without undermining any group. Data collection will include both qualitative and quantitative methods. The survey method of data collection further supplements the methods giving the most desired results in regards to the given process. With a sufficient amount of data, the analysis will be done leading to the discussion section. It will reveal the received findings in order to provide necessary recommendations.Labor Strikes in Education and Health CareCHAPTER 1IntroductionThe Government of the United States of America has a mandate of ensuring that all civil servants, as well as all the other citizens employed in the private sector, have decent working condition. However, in most cases, the workers have to content with what is given to them by the state or their respective employers. In some instances, it leads to unrest in the workplace, which results in a situation where the public suffers due to lack or insufficient service provisio n. The education sector, as well as the health care sector, is an example of an essential sphere in the US. The efficient working conditions are important there as they involve public directly. If the workers in these sectors feel that they are neglected in decision-making, they have poor working environments or their salaries do not match with the current economic situations, strikes become inevitable. Every worker has a right to strike provided it is conducted under the stipulated regulations of the Nation Labor Relations Act (Coleman, 2012). Therefore, it is imperative that the government pays close attention to the requests and needs of the workers through their unions and communicates appropriately on matters. Proper communication serves as an important factor in ensuring by the workers that they receive needed information on whether their call for action is justified or not.Problem StatementFailure of the Government to handle and address the issues raised by the labor union le ads to strikes that stifle growth and disadvantage the population. Considering the fact that the rights of the workers have to be given priority, it is also crucial to pay attention to the moral issues. It is true for the situations when, for examples, patients in hospitals are not attended to due to the fact that the doctors and nurses are on strike. Instances of Deaths have occurred in cases where there was a long lasting strike in the health care. From the moral viewpoint, it is not right to safeguard one right and neglect the other ones. The same statement can be applied to the education system. Whenever teachers refuse to perform their duties, it is the students who are affected and not the Government that has refused to listen to the striking teachers (Robinson Gauri, 2011).If the Government cannot respond timely to the plight of the workers in the discussed sectors, then it is justified that they have to provide an alternative to ensure that no innocent citizen is victimized . As they will be negotiating with the striking workers, students have to continue attending classes without experiencing any problems. The syllabus has to be covered without having to extend the semesters. Patients must also be able to receive the necessary treatments to ensure they feel better in the course of their treatment. Without a doubt, it is a measure that the Government cannot afford to take. Therefore, it is important that the programs are put in place to ensure that as soon as the state receives a real complaint from workers, an appropriate action is taken to prevent serious incidences of strikes, which can take place.ObjectivesTo have a labor strike free society is the primary objective of my project. It can be easily achieved, in case every stakeholder works towards achieving his/her set goals. Reviewing the roles that unions representing the education and health care sectors play is also critical in establishing how efficient and fast their needs will be addressed in the future. Introducing policies that will ensure the well-being of all civil servants should be given priority. Reviewing the salaries and working environment should be done every two years. Protecting the innocent citizens from matters that do not involve them is my other objective. My point is that in their intentions to improve working conditions the workers in the two sectors must not violate their working contracts. The intention of the strike has to correspond to the Nation Labor Relations Act.CHAPTER 2Literature ReviewA common misconception in regard to the labor strike is that the right of the workers supersedes that of the citizens who need the services. Regarding the given misconception, it has to be stated that everyone has equally important rights, including both the service providers and the citizens who have to be taken care of. It is morally wrong for anyone to think that his or her rights are more important than that of other people. Consequently, by neglecting the patients and the students in their respective areas of needs, the problem arises, which is a breach of a contract, which amounts to a crime. When all the stakeholders take accountability on their duties and responsibility, there will be no cases of strikes. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of strikes, everyone should do what is required of him.Labor Strikes in the Education SystemEducation sector is an important circle for the appropriate functioning of the USA as a state. It helps to grow intelligent representatives of the future generations who can spearhead the continuity of the other sectors. It must be admitted that without contribution of the given sector, the future development and prosperity of the nation will not be possible. Labor strikes in education sector have been caused by several reasons. The first reason is the poor working environment as all civil servants expect to work in a conducive environment (Cummings, 2014). It means that the working environment sho uld not only make them happy but also permit their career growth. For instance, teachers ought to be given an opportunity to advance their education level through provision of loans at a fare rate. They can also be given time off to continue their studies without fear of victimization. Pay rise is another issue that has been a driving force for strikes in the education sector. Teachers have complained that their salary reviews have taken longer to materialize. Salary incremental decision ought to be in line with the current state of the economy. Involving the teachers in matters of academics is another issue that causes strikes (Conner Rabovsky, 2011). In addition, the teachers have complained that they were not consulted by the relevant authorities in making decisions on matters of education in the country. Changing of the syllabus, for instance, requires extensive teachers involvement. However, it has not been done resulting in a situation where the teachers feel inferior, consid ering the fact that they are the ones who are required to teach these subjects.Labor Strikes in the Health Care SectorThe health of the citizens of the US is also of great importance to the country. With a healthy nation, every sector of the economy will be constantly developing. Taking care of the workers needs in the health care sector is something that should be given priority, as a low quality health system leads to deaths of innocent citizens. The factors that have led to strikes in the health care sector include lack of funds to promote researches in the sphere. It is the responsibility of the health care sector to carry out continuous and extensive researches to protect the lives of citizens against any impending danger. Failure of the state to provide research funds leads to numerous problems in the sector, as the process is capital-intensive and time-consuming, as well. Additionally, the working conditions in the sector form the other most often reason that leads to strikes (Victora et al., 2011). In order to attain better results in the sector, it is also necessary to control the workload of every worker. Another reason for strikes in the sector is connected to the pay rise. Every worker would wish to have higher salary to deal with the fluctuating economic conditions of the country (McHugh, Kutney-Lee, Cimiotti, Sloane Aiken, 2011). My research aims to supplement works done by these researchers and outline the causes of strikers. Nevertheless, the authors represented only generalized information on the reasons of strikes. People participate in a strike for different reasons and to avoid such problems in future none of them should be overlooked.CHAPTER 3Data Collection MethodsI will use a systematic means to ensure a systematic and accurate data collection process. Additionally, I will employ both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The issuing of quest...