Sirinya Pakditawan – författare

Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,5, University of Hamburg (Institut fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik), language: English, abstract: In "e;Oliver Twist"e;, Dickens presents the everyday existence of the lowest members of English society and realistically portrays the horrible conditions of the nineteenth century workhouses. Hence, in the story of Oliver Twist, Dickens uses past experiences from his childhood and targets the Poor Law of 1834 which renewed the importance of the workhouse as a means of relief for the poor. In fact, Dickens' age was a period of industrial development marked by the rise of the middle class. In the elections brought about by the accession of William IV in 1830, the Tories lost control of the government. Assumption of power by the Whigs opened the way to an era of accelerated progress. In this time period, children worked just as much, if not more, than some of the adults. After 1833, an increased amount of legislation was enacted to control the hours of labour and working conditions for children and women in manufacturing plants. The Poor Law of 1834 wanted to make the workhouse more of a deterrent to idleness as it was believed that people were poor because they were lazy and needed to be punished. So people in workhouses were deliberately treated harshly and the workhouses were similar to prisons. In the following, it will be analyzed how Dickens attacks the defects of existing institutions in his novel "e;Oliver Twist"e;. Hence, it will be shown how Dickens creates a fictive world that was a mirror in which the truths of the real world were reflected. However, firstly, it is necessary to take a closer look at the historical background. Thus, the attitude of Victorian society towards the poor comes into view and with it the central issues of child labour, Poor Laws and workhouse conditions. Secondly, when regarding the central theme of child labour in "e;Oliver Twist"e;, one must also be aware of Dickens childhood and social background, "e;Oliver Twist"e; being partly an autobiographic novel.

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,5, University of Hamburg (Institut fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: Nathaniel Hawthorne, language: English, abstract: Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) is perhaps the best-known American Romantic who worked in the so-called Gothic mode. His poems and stories explore the darker side of the Romantic imagination, dealing with the Grotesque, the supernatural, and the horrifying. Poe also rejected the rational and the intellectual in favour of the intuitive and the emotional, a dominant characteristic of the Romantic Movement. For Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-64) literature also seemed to depend on the possibility of the Gothic. Hence, of particular interest to Hawthorne was the nature of evil. Like his contemporary Poe, Hawthorne also made extensive use of symbols. One of Hawthorne s and Poe s distinctive concerns is also that of separating head and heart, intellect and soul. Hawthorne explored these Romantic ideas and the themes of obsession, loss and the impossibility of perfection extensively in his short stories The Artist of the Beautiful and The Birthmark . However, in Poe s life and works and thus also in Ligeia and Morella , the stories to be treated in this analysis, love, death and loss, are indissolubly entwined, and serve as the apotheosis of his science and the springboard for his horror. Some critics think that Poe was only a marketer of Gothic horror borrowed from the German models popular during his time. Hence, the pertinent issue in Poe becomes the origins for the terror of the soul. In the following, it will be analyzed which aspects of American Romanticism are treated in Poe short stories Ligeia and Morella and in Hawthorne s The Artist of the Beautiful and The Birthmark . For this reason, it is necessary to take a closer look at American Romanticism as a literary movement first.

Essay from the year 2002 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,0, University of Hamburg (Institut fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik), language: English, abstract: Since the beginning of the internet age in the early 1980s, people have not merely been concerned with keeping the internet free from viruses. In point of fact, some people wreak havoc on the internet by creating and spreading nasty and disastrous computer viruses. Hence, the so-called hackers cause mayhem and destruction in the net. It is a fact that computer viruses cause great damage because they can pass from one computer to another like a biological virus, thus infecting the system. Hence, a computer virus can be regarded as the undesirable embodiment of human intelligence to interrupt and to create a vacuum in the constant flow of internet information. What is more, the history of the computer virus is laced with the human need to be recognized. Thus, many research projects show that the majority of virus creators crave public acknowledgement. However, there are many other reasons why people try to spread computer viruses. Nonetheless, all hackers can be seen as dangerous and harmful, being indifferent to the consequences of spreading viruses to themselves and to others. In the following, I will concentrate on the phenomenon of computer viruses. Therefore, I will focus on the reasons why computer viruses were brought to life, discussing the history of the computer virus and the effects it has taken on our society. It is a fact that hackers not only use viruses, worms and Trojan horses to cause a loss of information but also to gain control over remote systems and the information stored on these systems. For this reason, I will not only concentrate on the way the virus affects our everyday life but also on the effects it has in the business sector.

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Hamburg (Institut fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: Die englische Literatur der neunziger Jahre, language: English, abstract: Numerous contemporary British novels display an almost obsessive concern with the notion of Englishness. Hence, they focus on the myths, traditions and attitudes that are regarded as typically English. With its interest in Englishness, the nature of historical truth, and the blurring of boundaries between the authentic and the imitation, Julian Barnes novel "e;England, England"e; (1998), which was short-listed for the Booker prize in 1998, shares important concerns with many contemporary British novels. Hence, this novel shows all the features characteristic of postmodernist historiographic metafiction. That is to say, like other historiographic metafictions, "e;England, England"e; is both intensely self-reflexive and yet paradoxically also lay[s] claim to historical events and personages . What is more, Barnes novel also reflects the feature which has been the major focus of attention in most of the critical work on postmodernism, i.e. a self-conscious assessment of the status and function of narrative in literature, history, and theory: its theoretical self-awareness of history and fiction as human constructs (historiographic metafiction) is made the grounds for its rethinking and reworking of the forms and contents of the past . One might be justified in saying that Barnes novel explores, constructs, parodies, and deconstructs the invented traditions known as Englishness . The novel incorporates a great number of different traces of the English cultural past, including many myths and legends, juxtaposes competing versions of and discourses about Englishness. Additionally, it also explores the complexity of any account of a nation s organically grown cultural memory and identity. Therefore, Barnes novel does not only express a wide range of versions of Englishness, but also offers self-conscious reflections upon both the invention of cultural traditions and the questionable notion of historical authenticity. Hence, in the following analysis, it will be examined how "e;England, England"e; thematizes and explores the invention of cultural traditions, by constructing and deconstructing Englishness . Thus, it will be primarily focussed on Barnes fictional exploration of those invented traditions known as Englishness and shown how the content and the form of this novel self-consciously examine and deconstruct the notion of authenticity.

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,5 , University of Hamburg, language: English, abstract: Perhaps the most revered Updike novels are his Rabbit tetralogy, comprised of four books that ran from 1959 to 1991, which detail the center of American life, i.e. the middle class. Hence, the protagonist Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom can be regarded as Updike's most famous character. From his Rabbit series, the first novel Rabbit, Run is without doubt Updike's most recognized book. In Updike's own words, Rabbit is a character that is similar to the author. Hence, Updike once told Michael Rogers in an interview that even though he does not have the same social background and sociological circumstances as his character Rabbit, many of his ideas and thoughts enter Rabbit's head. Thus, one might be justified in claiming that the Rabbit novels are also partly autobiographical. However, since the novel Rabbit Run has been published, some critics have not held it in great esteem. Nevertheless, Detweiler also claims that today the novel can be appreciated more fully for its artistic qualities and these qualities are, in fact, quite numerous. Hence, there are many critics who appreciate Updike s style and his mastery of language. For example, Rachael C. Burchard calls Updike s art of writing superb and says that [h]is work is worth reading if for no reason other than to enjoy the piquant phrase, the lyric vision, the fluent rhetoric . In the following, it will be analyzed which techniques Updike uses in the novel Rabbit, Run. Hence, it will be focused primarily on the narrative technique. In a second step, the structure of the novel will also be analyzed and the central motif of the quest will be dealt with.

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Hamburg, language: English, abstract: It is a fact that Shakespeare's plays are an essential part of the Elizabethan period and hence deal with topics characteristic of this time. This is also true of The Tempest, which was probably written in 1610 - 1611, for it is concerned with the theme of colonization and exploration of the New World, the newly discovered Americas. The Elizabethan period is known as the Age of Exploration. Thus, The Tempest not only deals with the effects of colonization and civilization on the natives but some critics also tend to read this play as a metaphor of colonialism, since every character is concerned with how he would govern the island if he was the ruler. However, The Tempest can be regarded as a play whose plot is completely original and also very personal. The critic Richard Dutton even claims that there is a theory that Prospero in The Tempest represents Shakespeare himself . Critics have taken this play very seriously and have pointed out its complexity. Hence, Stanley Wells says that The Tempest ( ) is a supremely poetic drama ( ) because it speaks ( ) on many levels, universally relevant ( ) and ( ) universally effective . Why is The Tempest regarded as so original and unique? Well, one might find an answer to this question by taking a closer look at its background, its sources, its structure and at its main characters. For this reason, I will deal with the sources of The Tempest in more detail in the following chapter. In a next step, the dramatic structure of the play will be analyzed. Since this play is mainly about colonizers and the colonized, it is also of vital importance to analyze the prominent character Caliban and the European characters attitude to him, in this context. It will be argued that Caliban becomes a victim of colonization.

Essay from the year 2011 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,5, University of Hamburg, language: English, abstract: Next to legends like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley and Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley belongs to the first generation of Rock'n Rollers in the 1950s. They set the standards for Rock'n Roll music in the next decades. Presley entered the stage in 1956 and he was described as "e;a presence who, because of his simultaneous mastery of recordings, movies, and TV, was destined to have more influence than any Broadway show could ever imagine"e;. Elvis Presley can be described as the first hero of Rock n Roll because he had an unprecedented ability and presence to perform his songs thrillingly. He created a completely genuine dancing style and his career was without comparison from the first day onwards. Presley scored Nr. 1 in the charts with his song Heartbreak Hotel in 1956. Hence, he also set new standards and led on the revolution of the young against the old, thereby challenging traditions. In the following, we will deal with the topic of Elvis Presley and his physicalness which was regarded as an affront in 1950s America. Presley can be regarded as the King of Rock n Roll because he revolutionized (white) music by connecting it with physical and sexual expression.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,2, , language: English, abstract: In 1938 John Steinbeck began writing The Grapes of Wrath, a novel which was to gain him his greatest acclaim. This novel is set in the time of the Great Depression and of the Dust Bowl in America. In The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck tries to expose the hardships and plights of the people dispossessed from their lands during that time. People like the Joads from Oklahoma that were to become exploited migrant workers in California, a place which they thought the Promised Land. Hence, Steinbeck gained the reputation of being a proletarian writer because he sides with the common worker. Thus, The Grapes of Wrath also belongs to Steinbeck s Labor Trilogy. What is more, his novel was sharply criticized and very much discussed at the time of its publication: It was publicly banned and burned by citizens, it was debated on national radio hook-ups; but above all, it was read . In spite of all this critique, in 1940 Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for this novel and in 1962 he also won the Noble Prize for Literature. Hence, the Grapes of Wrath must be more than simply a piece of propagandistic writing. In point of fact, Steinbeck patterned the book on far more universal themes, both the biblical story of Exodus, and also humanity s capacity for survival ( ) in the face of ( ) calamity . It is very interesting that Steinbeck uses biblical parallels in his story. Thus, he alludes to the Old Testament, the Israelites and the Exodus as well as to Christ and the New Testament. In other words, one might also say that Steinbeck takes the reader through the development of the Bible in order to reveal the migrants developing humanity and religion. This is already suggested by the title of this novel for it is taken from The Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe. The fact that Steinbeck s great American novel seems to rely firmly on a biblical consciousness is suggested in this context because the lyrics of the Battle Hymn also refer to the biblical passage Revelation. This passage appeals to deliverance in the final judgement. Hence, as far as the novel is concerned, it is suggested that there will also be deliverance of the workers after managing all their hardships and developing compassion and humanity.

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,5, , language: English, abstract: Ann Petry, a female Afro-American novelist, published her novel The Street in 1946. The setting of this novel is Harlem in the 1940s. The story deals with the life and trials of the Mulatto woman Lutie Johnson and her struggle to find a place in this environment for herself and her son. Hence, The Street is also concerned with different aspects of urban life. Thus, one might also claim that Petry s novel is about portraying the difficulties a single coloured woman and mother had in Harlem, living on 116th Street in New York City. Apart from being an urban novel, Petry also captured the symbolic character of Harlem in The Street, namely that it is a ( ) symbol of the Negro s perpetual alienation in the land of his birth . Hence, this novel also touches upon the topic of disillusionment in city life. In the following analysis, we will primarily deal with the last chapters of the novel and in particular with the end of the novel, which shows Lutie Johnson leaving Harlem and moving to Chicago. On the one hand, we will be concerned with the reasons and motifs why Lutie is disillusioned and finally leaves Harlem. On the other hand, we will deal with the implications and possibilities that Lutie s movement to Chicago brings with it.