What is the main idea of Faulkner's "Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech"?

Faulkner's speech was short. He introduces
his main point at the beginning of the second paragraph.

Ourtoday is a general and universal physical fear so long sustained by now that we can
even bear it.

He was speaking in 1950. The Cold War
between the United States and the U.S.S.R. had begun. Both sides were building more and more
atomic weapons. The U.S.S.R. was building enormous long-range missiles to deliver the atomic
warheads anywhere in America. The U.S. had short-range missiles pointed at the U.S.S.R. from
bases in Europe and elsewhere, as well as bombing planes based within easy striking distance of
the Soviet cities and military targets. Everyone in the world could see that the two superpowers
would soon have enough bombs to blow up the entire world and wipe out the human race. Faulkner
said:

There is only one question: When will I be blown
up?

Everyone present understood exactly what he was
talking about. Since Faulkner felt that he was using this occasion 

...as a pinnacle from which I might be listened to by the young men and women already
dedicated to the same anguish and travail, among whom is already that one who will some day
stand here where I am standing...

he addressed his answer
to the problem by telling these aspiring young writers that the writer

...must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid,
and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but
the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any story is
ephemeral and doomed--love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice.

The implication was that it is the duty of serious writers to
encourage men and women to be courageous and optimistic regardless of the growing danger of
nuclear annihilation. Now, looking back at the general mood of hopelessness and numbed terror of
the Cold War period, we can see that William Faulkner was absolutely right when he
said

I believe that man will not merely endure; he will
prevail....It is his [the writer's] privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by
reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice
which have been the glory of the past.

Faulkner's speech
was inspired by the Cold War. It was the most serious threat that the human race had ever faced.
An atomic war could have been triggered at practically any moment by either side. Paranoia
reigned. Faulkner undoubtedly did inspire many young writers to produce valuable poetry,
stories, and novels which encouraged their readers to show the same optimism, determination, and
fortitude that Faulkner prescribed. He was not only a great writer, but he had a great
spirit.

Is Odysseus A Good Leader

Yes, Odysseus is a good
leader. When some of his men eat the lotus fruit and no longer wish to return home, Odysseus
refuses to leave the island without them. He goes to shore, finds them, and makes them to return
to the ship, physically forcing them. He knows in their hearts that they want to return to their
families in Ithaca as much as he does, and so he refuses to listen to their protests that they
want to remain where they are.

Further, when the ship must pass by Scylla,
the six-headed beast that eats sailors from off their ships as they pass by, Odysseus doesn't
hide below decks. He doesn't tell his men about the danger, and so he could go down below and
protect himself without them even realizing. But he takes his chances, throwing in his lot with
the rest of his crew.

Analyze the items of the age of reason and how Robinson Crusoe used all of this items to live in the island. (geographical, logic, knowledge and...

In your
message to me, you said "i meant to exlain the elements of the age of the age of reason in
the novel (science-logic-exploration)and how the novel as areflection of the age of
reason." So I base my answer on that...

As you say, three major ideas of
the age of reason were science, logic and exploration.  During that time, people started to try
to use science and logic to explain the world around them and they started to explore partly in
order to satisfy their curiosity (but also for personal and national gain).  "" shows
all of these factors (especially the first two) at work.

Let's look at how
Crusoe survives.  Really it is by being a scientific, logical person.  He first explores the
island to make sure that he chooses the best and most secure possible place to build his home. 
Then he starts to keep a diary (keeping records is very scientific and logical). This diary will
eventually help him (through science) understand when he needs to plant his seeds to get the
best possible yield.  In addition, he uses science (his modern technical knowledge) to build
himself all the things he needs).

In a sense, the Age of Reason was about
people being able to use their brains to dominate the natural environment.  While on his island,
Crusoe clearly survives because he uses his brain.  In this sense he's a hero for the Age of
Reason.

I hope that helps...

 

What are some examples of wordplay in "Charles" by Shirley Jackson?

""
is a short story with a twist ending by , in which a boy named Laurie creates an alter-ego named
Charles to blame for his own bad behavior in kindergarten.

Wordplay,
encompassing anything from puns to subtlein grammar and context, is here shown largely as
contextual clues to Laurie's rebellion against authority. At home,
where he is shown safely telling stories about a terrible boy,
Laurie pushes against his parents with small verbal jibes. He calls his father "dumb"
and an "old dust-mop," all innocuous enough and ignored in the face of
the more interesting Charles. At school, where he is not so terrified of parental
judgement, his actions are larger: using the playground toy "see-saw" to hit a girl,
he is made to stay inside during recess; throwing chalk "deprive[s him] of black-board
privileges. Each action relates directly to its
consequence.

A good example of this contextual wordplay
appears early in the story.

"The teacher spanked a
boy, though," Laurie said, addressing his bread and butter. "For being
fresh," he added, with his mouth full.
"What did he do?"
I asked. "Who was it?"
Laurie thought. "It was Charles," he
said.
(Jackson, "Charles," Google Docs)

This is both aand a clue as to the ending, as well as being the creation-moment of
Charles himself. Laurie, trying to find a way to explain that he was "fresh" in class
and was punished, attempts to simply slide it by his parents. His "addressing his bread and
butter" is an attempt to minimalize the story by not engaging his parents
directly. When Laurie speaks directly to his father, his tone is
"cold," but the lie is built
on the theme of "bread and butter," mentally associating with
warmth. It is also a pun, as Laurie's "freshness" can be felt in the
food itself; fresh food, fresh behavior. However, Laurie finds
himself forced to further explain the lie, and Charles is born.

href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hcEdVHSn1jDby5hNXWciRwhlz59l6bMjlQ_q3JcmKGk/edit">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hcEdVHSn1jDby5hNXWciR...

How do you calculate the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in the atom of a certain element?

For the number of
protons, we look at the atomic number of the element given. Take note that atoms must
have equal numbers of protons and electrons. For the...

What was the Americans' primary way of protesting the Townshend Acts?

The
Townshend Acts were placed on the American colonies in 1767. The act placed taxes on common
imported goods like paint, glass, lead, and paper. The Townshend Acts were passed in an attempt
to less directly tax the colonists in comparison to the Stamp Act, which was extremely
unpopular.

In order to protest the Townshend Acts, the colonists
took...

href="http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=137">http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=...

When you think of a typical hero, what comes to mind? What qualities does Phoenix share with the typical hero? What qualities does she have that make...

When I think of the way
society might describe a typical hero, I imagine someone who is physically strong and
courageous, someone who protects the helpless or innocent, someone who is young, andto be
honestsomeone who is a man. When I consider most superheroes, I think of men: Superman,
Spiderman, Batman, Captain America, Ironman, Wolverine, Hulk, Green Lantern, Thor, the Silver
Surfer, Aquaman, and so on. Only a handful of female superheroes come to mind.

Phoenix Jackson defies these expectations in many ways. Most obviously, she is a woman,
and not just thatshe is an old woman. She is physically quite weak. When
she is accosted by a big dog, "Over she went in the ditch, like a little puff of
milkweed." Such a description clearly shows how how small, slight, and relatively weak she
is, especially when she can't get up.

On the other hand, she is full of
courage because she is so determined to do all she can for her helpless and innocent grandson.
He swallowed lye a couple of years...