Personal Identity, By John Locke - 1169 Words

There are many questions surrounding personal identity: whether it consists in consciousness, whether we are just a soul or a mind and are we only who we can remember being? Locke claims that our personal identity is found in our identity of consciousness, yet can this be true if a person can change bodies, or one mind can be inhabited by various persons? In this essay, I will first be looking at Locke’s account of personal identity and how he comes to the conclusion that personal identity consists over time. From this, I will then counter-argue Locke’s ideas with Thomas Reid’s discussion on the transitivity of identity, and how Locke’s argument of how consciousness makes the same person over time is inconsistent. In response to Reid’s†¦show more content†¦Locke does note that consciousness can be lost in forgetfulness and that in this case, it is unjust to hold one accountable in the present for an action done in the past where consciousne ss was and still is unavailable. This is because reward and punishment are not attached to the man, but to the person. An understanding of the foul-fold distinction helps us to understand this idea further. The four parts to this are: the material substance (the body), the living human being (the man), the thinking substance (the soul) and the person. If consciousness is lost, then the thinking substance (the soul) remains the same, but the person is different. Consciousness is the criteria for personal identity as it is this that extends to past or future actions, ensuring the same personal self and providing the identity. Thomas Reid’s Response Reid argued that Locke was mistaken and that his ideas led to a contradiction. Locke’s theory states that for someone to be the same person over time, they must possess consciousness; the person remembering and the one remembered are one and the same person. This idea can be laid out in the format: A=B, B=C, therefore A=C by logic. However, A equalling C may not in fact occur. This can be represented in the followingShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke And Personal Identity1224 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Locke states that personal identity is a matter of physiological continuity that is based on the consciousness of a person rather than the individual’s body. Personal identity is constituted by memory connections; specifically the depiction of autobiographical memory connections that result in constituting personal identity. John Locke states that a person’s personality and psychology can be transferred to another body and that individual can still stay the same person bec ause the consciousnessRead MoreJohn Locke on Personal Identity906 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween them. What is it for A and B to be the same person. That is the issue of person identity. For example what is it for me to be the same person now and when I was a baby. Is that justified to be the same person? Why? How? Locke more or less invented this topic. He came up with a idea that was really impressively sophisticated, given that he started from scratch. He took the view that appropriate criteria of identity, that is what it is that constitute sameness over time, depends on the kind of thingRead MoreJohn Locke on Personal Identity950 Words   |  4 Pagesthat Locke believed that if you remain the same person, there are various entities contained in my body and soul composite that do not remain the same over time, or that we can conceive them changing. These entities are matter, organism (human), person (rational consciousness and memory), and the soul (immaterial thinking substance ). This is a intuitive interpretation that creates many questions and problems. I will evaluate Lockes view by explaining what is and what forms personal identity, andRead MoreReflection Of Identity In Locke And John Lockes Personal Identity954 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Locke in â€Å"Personal Identity† argues that, identity is a function of the mind and not the body. In simple terms, Locke considers personal identity as a matter of psychological continuity, founded on consciousness and not on the substance of either the soul or the body. Locke, is an empiricism which means that his theories must be built on experiences. This is why he states that consciousness is the experience we create, which then creates the personal identity of a person. Locke says that theRead MoreLocke And John Lockes Theory On Personal Identity860 Words   |  4 Pages Personal Identity or ‘Self’ has been a very important topic for philosophers for many years. Personal identity is how you describe or think of being which is derived from memories that have taken place over the years. John Locke was a philosopher who believed that your ‘Self’ or personal identity come from memory which is also referred to as consciousness in Locke’s writings. Locke believed that you are who you are, because your thoughts are yours alone no matter the vessel. However, in this paperRead MoreJohn Locke s Argument For Personal Identity Essay1547 Words   |  7 Pagespurpose of this essay is to define what Personal Identity is by analyzing John Locke’s argument for Personal Identity. John Locke’s argument for Personal Identity will be examined, in order to establish a better understanding of whether or not the argument for personal identity could be embraced. In order to do so, the essay will i) State and explain Lockeâ€⠄¢s argument that we are not substances or mere souls and ii) State and explain Locke’s concept of personal identity and its relations to what he callsRead MoreAnalysis Of John Locke And The Problem Of Personal Identity1622 Words   |  7 PagesProblems in Philosophy John Locke and the Problem of Personal Identity Personal identity, in a philosophical point of view, is the problem of explaining what makes a person numerically the same over a period of time, despite the change in qualities. The major questions answered by Locke were questions concerning the nature of identity, persons, and immorality (Jacobsen, 2016). This essay will discuss the three themes John Locke presents in his argument regarding personal identity, which are, the conceptRead MoreJohn Locke s Theory Of Self And Personal Identity Essay1449 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Locke a seventeenth century Philosopher uses a number of thought experiments in his 1690 account, ’An Essay concerning Human Understanding’. He uses these thought experiments to help explain his definition of the self and personal identity. The thought experiments that are used, go some way in explaining his opinions and in clarifying the role that memory plays in defining the term. Although defining personal identity was and still is a complex su bject and not all philosophers share the sameRead MoreJohn Locke s Theory Of Personal Identity And Diversity1046 Words   |  5 Pagesthis has happened and therefore cannot be blamed for such a crime. Locke is known to believe in his theory of personal identity and diversity. Locke’s theory talks about consciousness and how our consciousness makes our identity through our experiences. Locke states that we are only considered guilty of committing a crime if we were aware of it and remember doing it. Although I agree with Locke in some terms regarding our identity having something to do with our consciousness, I do not fully agreeRead MoreDescartes And John Locke s Views On Consciousness, Self, And Personal Identity1475 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes and John Locke endeavored to question the views on consciousness, self, and personal identity. They examined belief in God, the certainty of knowledge, and the role of mind and body. The goal of this paper is to deliberate John L ocke’s and Renà © Descartes views on â€Å"self† and personal identity and how each come to examine how knowledge is captured. Renà © Descartes and John Locke both present arguments that are rational in the discussion of consciousness, self, and personal identity, but each lack

The Horror Film Genre - 522 Words

Horror films have been around for over 100 years, petrifying people and bringing their worst fears to life but still they can’t get enough of this sick and gory genre that is unbelievably entertaining and captivating to the audience. Horror comes with many sub-genres from your bloody slashers like Friday the 13th to your Supernatural-Horrors like The Exorcist, but in the end they all seem to do their job by scaring you and leaving you with nightmares for weeks on end. Usually Horror’s films have the same character stereotypes such as the nerd, the jock, the slut, the virgin, the junky, the tough hero, the unlikely hero and last but not least the masked murderer, but yet they all play their own part in the making of these horrors movies whether it is the extremely slow walk the killer does but almost always catches the victim, or the unwise decision to split up and investigate where the unusual noise is coming from. Every film uses pro-filmic codes, despite of what genre it is. Location, lighting styles, props, costumes and compositions are all used. In horrors location is a very big factor to the plot, as it contributes to the storyline and without a certain location the viewer would get quite confused as to where it’s set, some locations that are frequently used are places like the woods, summer camps and just normal homes. Props used can vary from many different items whether it is from the killer’s life ending weapons or something as simple as jewellery. Lightning stylesShow MoreRelatedThe Horror Genre Of Horror Films Essay1461 Words   |  6 PagesThe horror genre has become a popular genre among the movie industry. It has become a popular genre since it has been evolving throughout the years it has been around, but one of its major climax points was when the subgenre of zombies came into the mix. The zombie genre became very popular in the year 1968 when it was first introdu ced in George Romero’s film Night of the Living Dead. Night of the Living Dead is one of the most prominent zombie films till this date especially since it has introducedRead MoreThe Genre Of Horror Films1563 Words   |  7 PagesFirst of all, genre is the method categorized a film based on similarities in the narrative elements. There are a wide range of different types of film genres: detective, action, adventure, gangster or crime, science fiction, drama, horror, romance, comedy, musical and so on. It is quite difficult to identify a particular film because a film might have a few of different genres. That is the reason why sub-genres exist. Sub-genres can help us to more clarity in identify the genre of a film. For exampleRead MoreHorror Genre Films586 Words   |  2 PagesHorror Genre Essay Horror Genre Films are unsettling films that are created to frighten and panic the audience. They are there to invoke our hidden worst fears yet entertaining the audience. They deal with our most undiscovered fears, our nightmares, and our vulnerability, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death or our loss of identity. Watching a horror film gives an opening into the scary world, into a passage for the essence of fear itself, but not really being in danger. Common story linesRead MoreHorror Film Genre Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe two movies I viewed were Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist, which were both directed by Tobe Hopper. Both films displayed the general rules horror films generally follow through the use of horror film genre conventions. For instance, both movies follow the good verses evil story lines and in each the end does ultimately win. However, this is not entirely true in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The friends represented the good and the chainsaw carrying monster and his family portrayed the evilRead More New Classics of the Horror Film Genre Essay3002 Words   |  13 Pagesarchaic in horror film history. The monster movie of the past makes way for the thriller or slasher movie of the present, while the monster villain gives its role to the deranged, psychotic serial killer. Friday the 13th series, Nightmare on Elm Street, Copycat and Seven have become the new classics in the genre of the horror film. With fi lms like The People Under the Stairs, Nightmare on Elm Street, and New Nightmare, Wes Craven has proven himself to be a master of the creation of modern horror filmsRead MoreExploring the Film Genres of Horror, Science Fiction, and Action Movies817 Words   |  4 Pageskinds of movies are, in there own way, great. Practically the excitement of horror movies, and science and technology of science fiction movies, and action and enthusiasm in the action movies are some credits that makes people’s engrossment. Even so could all movies create an entertainment and make people experience their thoughts of imaginations in the real world. What are the most interesting things about these film genres, which could establish a fantasy world for their fans to escape to their imaginationsRead MoreThe Slasher Film Is a Sub-Genre of Horror That Is Particularly Concerned with Exploring the Themes of Sexuality and Gender. Discuss the Extent to Which You Agree with This Statement, Drawing on Re levant Academic Reading1992 Words   |  8 Pages      The slasher film is a sub-genre of horror that is particularly concerned with exploring the themes of sexuality and gender. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement, drawing on relevant academic reading and one slasher film of your choice.       The slasher film is a sub-genre of horror that is particularly concerned with exploring the themes of sexuality and gender. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement, drawing on relevant academicRead MoreMovie Analysis : Film And Film870 Words   |  4 PagesGenre helps to define the storylines of films and helps categorise them in order to be identified when people come to look for a film to maybe help determine whether you are going to like the film or not. Genre can set scenes in order for us to know what type of film we may be watching e.g.: if you were to be watching a horror film you would have spooky, dull and dark lighting. This would set the scene letting us know that this film will most likely be a horror film. Knowing the type of genre ofRead MoreMovies : Genres Of Movies892 Words   |  4 PagesGenres of Movies Movie theater tickets have become increasingly more expensive in recent years. As a result, movie genres that offer a broad range of entertainment and stimulation can make the theater going experience more worthy of the ticket price. Some of the more popular movie genres today are mysteries, science fiction, romantic comedies, animation, documentaries and horror films. Although all of these movie genres may be enjoyed in a theater, horror movies are more worth the ticket price becauseRead MoreHorror Films By Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker And Marry Shelly1069 Words   |  5 Pagesmost popular film genres today: Horror. Beginning roughly 100 years ago, early horror films were based off of the writings of famous Gothic writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker and Marry Shelly. However, it was later when the German Expressionism in the form of film dominated the industry, horror films started to develop stronger and stronger. Horror movies are film genre, which typically relates to t wo patterns as supernatural, massacre, violence and zombies. Each movie genre has different

Many have pondered upon the meaning of abortion. T Essay Example For Students

Many have pondered upon the meaning of abortion. T Essay he argumentbeing that every child born should be wanted, and others who believethat every child conceived should be born (Sass vii). This has been acontroversial topic for years. Many people want to be able to decidethe destiny of others. Everyone in the United States is covered underthe United States constitution, and under the 14th Amendment womenhave been given the choice of abortion. In 1973, Harry A. Blackmunwrote the majority opinion that its a womens right to have anabortion. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. Even though these peoplehave been given the right, the case is not closed. Pro-life activistscarry a strong argument, and continue to push their beliefs. Theyfeel so strongly about these beliefs that violence has broken out insome known instances. Pro-choice activists, on the other hand, alsocarry very strong points. They believe that the child inside them istheir property and its life doesnt be until birth. In 1973, theUnited States Supreme Court decided that as long as th e baby lived inthe womb, he or she would be the property of the mother. Because ofthis decision almost every third baby conceived in America is killedby abortion, over one and a half million babies a year (Willke vii). Many countries have followed our decision on the abortion issue andsome of these include Canada, England, and France. Other countriesstill believe abortion should be illegal, they include Germany,Ireland, and New Zealand. Although many believe that abortion is awomens choice, abortion should be banned because its immoral and lifebegins at conception. Abortion is the choice of a women whether or not she wants toreceive one. Under the 14th Amendments personal liberty women aregiven the right to receive an abortion. The 14th Amendments conceptof personal liberty and restrictions on state action is enough toallow a womens decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. The right to choose to have an abortion is so personal and essentialto womens lives that without this right women cannot exercise otherfundamental rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution(Paltrow 72). The state cant interfere in the private lives of acitizen. Without the right to choose an abortion the 14th Amendmentsguarantee of liberty has little meaning for women. With the right tochoose abortion, women are able to enjoy, like men, the rights tofully use the powers of their minds and bodies (Paltrow 73). A mancan withdraw from a relationship as soon as he finds out about apregnancy. There is no question of his involve t after that, he hasmade his choice. It is only fair to say that women should be given thesame choice. If one doesnt want to hold the responsibilities of achild than she should be able to have the choice of abortion in heroptions. Because contraceptives fail, and because they are notalways available or possible to use, abortion is necessary if peopleare t o be able to determine whether and when to bear or beget achild(Paltrow 72). Couples choose the alternative of abortion so theycan start or expand their families when they feel most ready and ableto care for them. Women choose to have an abortion because pregnancyand childbirth can prevent them from keeping their jobs, from feedingtheir families, and from serving others in ways they considernecessary and appropriate. Pregnancy and child birth may determinewhether a women ever gets to start or complete her education, whichwill significantly influence her ability to support herself and herfamily. The availability of abortion makes it possible for people notonly to choose the number of children they want, but also to createthe kind of family life they have always wanted for themselves, tomeet their responsibilities. If a women cannot choose to terminate anunwanted pregnancy, she is denied the right to the possession andcontrol of her own body. One of the most sacred rights of commonlaw is to choose and if a women cant do this than their mostimportant possession is taken away. Abortion isnt only a womensright, its a womens choice. .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 , .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .postImageUrl , .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 , .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9:hover , .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9:visited , .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9:active { border:0!important; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9:active , .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9 .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u741594f665a0bf8844f506eae84764b9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drugs And Alcohols:Alcohol Misuse Among Minor EssayHowever, allowing abortion to be legal is immoral. A pre-bornchild is given the status of a product of pregnancy and never seenas the miracle only a women can create. Compassion for the small oneis drowned out under a demand for rights, but what about the rightsfor the unborn. A women has a right to her own body is an idea moreand more women are realizing, but that idea ignores the unborn childsright to his or her body. Never, in modern times, has the stategranted to one citizen the right to have another killed in order tosolve their personal, social, or economic problems. the embryo is itsown being that should have its ow n rights to protect it. The zygoteis a unique genetic being (Zindler 27). If one was to abort an embryothan that embryo, that human life would never be duplicated. Ascientist that may have found the cure to A.I.D.S. would be killed. There is a better way to solve our problems than by killing children. A fertilized egg is the most beauti , most innocent being that wecould ever create, and can redeem even the worst of our mistakes. Thisfertilized egg is not just a mass of tissue, for if it were than therewould be no debate. A fetus feels pain. Ultra sound, fetoscopy, studyof the fetal EKG (electrocardiogram) and fetal EEG(electroencephalogram) have demonstrated the remarkable responsivenessof the human fetus to pain, touch and sound (willke 64). The fetusresponds to light, heat, cold, and taste. Observations of the fetalmovements in saline abortions indicates that the fetus experiencesdiscomfort as it dies. One doctor who, the New York Times, wroteconscientiously performs saline abortions stated, when he injectedthe saline, he often saw an increase in fetal movements (Willke 64). In another case, a film using mew sonographic techniques, shows theoutline of the child in the womb thrashing to resist the suctiondevice before it tears off the head. Then you see the dead childdismembered child and the head crushed (Edwards 40). This is murder. Nobody who sees this film will speak again of painless abortion. After the doctor who performed this procedure saw this film, he neverperformed another abortion again. But, many doctors still do performabortion, and in some instances a live child is killed. About once aday, somewhere in the United States, something goes wrong and anabortion results in a live baby (Willke 76). Forty five out of sixhundred and seven mid trimester abortions done in Connecticut in1974-1976 resulted in live births (Willke 76). In these cases thechild was killed in cold blooded murder. It is immoral to kill,therefore abortion is immoral. Finally, abortion should be banned because life begins atconception. The individual sex cell consists of 23 chromosomes. It isonly through combination, however, that the sex cells contain the fullcomplement of heredity units that defines a human being (Shettles 17). This procedure of combination defines conception. After the merger ofthe two sex cells 46 chromosomes are present. This is what makes ahuman being. The merger is complete within twelve hours, at which timethe egg is fertilized and becomes known technically as the zygote. The inherited characteristics of a unique human being has beenestablished, and in no circumstances will it change (Shettles 17). Nothing from this time on, until death, will anything be added. Thedefinition of alive is that a being is growing, developing, maturing,and replacing its own dying cells. It means not being dead. At thevery time conception begins the zygote is growing, developing,maturing, and replacing its own dying cel Its alive. Thesingle-celled fertilized ovum cannot by any stretch of the imaginationbe considered part of a womens body. This new living being has agenetic set up unlike anyone elses, totally different from the cellsof the mothers body. It makes no difference to assume that human lifeis more human post-born than pre-born. What is critical to figure outis if it is or isnt human life, and of coarse it is human life. At 18days the heart is pumping through a closed circulatory system, withblood whose type is different from that of the mother. At 40 days thebrain begins to function. In the 16th week motion has been detected. .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 , .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .postImageUrl , .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 , .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7:hover , .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7:visited , .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7:active { border:0!important; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7:active , .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7 .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u24dfc7f450db34313633617b0d5d8da7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Republic Book I EssayAt 6 and 1/2 weeks all twenty milk-teeth buds are present. During theeighth week the babys stomach secretes gastric juice, and all itsbody system is present. The baby dreams, thinks, and feels pain. Thisis definitely a child, and no one on the face of this earth would behere if they werent conceived. In summary, abortion can be justified by a womens right tochoose, but it should be banned because its immoral and life beginsat conception. Women have been given the right to have an abortionunder the United States Constitution, but this right is still beingprotested by the people that fight for the unborns rights. Pro-lifeactivists claim that its immoral because it is simply defined asmurder. Life begins at conception is another strong point brought upby pro-life activists. Before a child is born it is given all itsnecessities to survive. Notice the operative word is before. Beforebirth the childs heart beats, the gastric juices flow in the stomach,and all its necessary organs have been made present. This is a childthat thinks, dreams, and feels pain. Yes, some women may look athaving an abortion to solve her personal problems, but in all, womenare abandoning the abortion because it weakens their great strengths:creation, compassion and the ability to loo eneath the surface ofappear ance of things. Maybe soon the abortion issue will reverse, andpeople will see the rights of the unborn as greater importance thanthat of a personal right.

Point Of View Essay In The Short Story Through The Tunnel, Doris Lessi

Point of View Essay In the short story "Through the tunnel", Doris Lessing describes the adventure of Jerry, a young English boy trying to swim through an underwater tunnel. Throughout the story, the author uses the third person omniscient point of view to describe the boy's surroundings and to show us both what he and the other characters are thinking and what is happening around them. By using this point of view, the author is able to describe the setting of the story, give a detailed description of the characters, and make the theme visible. By using the third person omniscient point of view, the narrator can give us a detailed and unbiased description of his/her surroundings while still retaining part of the character's view of reality. When the narrator says "It was a wild-looking place, and there was no one there" we are given the mother's view of the boy's beach, which in her opinion is "wild looking". This gives us a clear picture of the setting. Additionally, the sentence "He went out fast over the gleaming sand, over a middle region where rocks lay like discolored monsters under the surface, and then he was in the real sea - a warm sea where irregular cold currents from the deep water shocked his limbs" clearly describes the beach where the boy is swimming and how it is seen by him. With the addition of words like "discoloured monsters" and "real sea" we can tell what the boy's feeling are toward his beach which he considers scary but at the same time challenging. By using the third person omniscient point of view, the narrator is able to render the characters with information related both from direct description and from the other character's revelations. This way, the description remains unbiased, but at the same time coherent with how the various characters see it. For example, after the narrator tells us that "He was an only child, eleven years old. She was a widow. She was determined to be neither possessive nor lacking in devotion.", we are able to understand why the boy is so emotionally attached to his mother and, at the beginning, unwilling to ask her for permission to go to his beach and, later in the story, unwilling to let her know about his adventure through the tunnel. This also explains why the mother let him go without questions, even if she was very worried about him. Also, when the narrator describes the native boys as "big boys - men to Jerry", we realize that although the boys might be only a little older than Jerry, he considers them as men and he tries everything to become like one of them, even going through the long, dark and dangerous underwater tunnel. I believe that if the writer would have used first person point of view, we would only perceive what that single character is experiencing, thus giving us a limited and one-sided view of the world. In this story, the narrator gives us the important clues that lead us to the theme by letting us know what the characters think. For example, when t he Jerry's mother says "Of course he's old enough to be safe without me", we realize that the boy is at a point in his life when he is ready to discover the world by himself. In addition, when his mother thinks "Have I been keeping him too close? He mustn't feel he ought to be with me. I must be careful.", we realize that the author implies that it is wrong to keep him close to her for too long, and both these examples add to the notion that the rite of passage must be undergone without the interference of others. Obviously, this concept wouldn't have been clear without the view of the mother. In addition, Jerry perceives swimming through the underwater tunnel as something that men (the other boys) must accomplish, and that specific action has to be seen as "the rite of passage" in this story. With the third person omniscient point of view, the narrator is able to make the theme clearly visible to the reader, which is that a rite of passage