Corn-Pone Opinions Essay - 937 Words

Brooke Brown Mr. Williams English III AP- 7 21 November 2011 Corn-Pone; Conformity Mark Twain, although quite the comedian, makes a valid point in â€Å"Corn-Pone Opinions†. The observation of humanity and its tendencies to follow what society promotes is a relevant occurrence today. Twain leads on â€Å". . . that it’s born of the human being’s natural yearning to stand well with his fellows and have their inspiring approval and praise . . .† (720). Humans are not equipped to stand their own ground; they prefer to follow the leader. Twain puts it simply, â€Å"we are creatures of outside influences; as a rule we do not think, we only imitate† (719). Twain clearly makes his point noticeable to his audience, holding back no opinion throughout the†¦show more content†¦Twain, attacking the willingness to change fashion without thinking first, speaks to women closely. Twain states, â€Å"One woman abandons the fashion; her neighbor notices this and follows her lead; this influences the next woman; and s o on and so on . . .† (718). To this day women continue to experience this identical process. Although one may love her Christmas sweater, if her neighbor does not own one or wrinkles her nose at the idea of wearing such a thing, she will immediately go home and dispose of the sweater without thinking twice about her actions or her personal feelings toward the item of clothing. Twain also mentions how â€Å"twenty-five years ago† there would be â€Å"six of eight wine glasses† given to each person attending a dinner party, and they were to be used, â€Å"not left idle and empty†, but today â€Å"there are but three of four† wine glasses and on average and only two are sparingly emptied by each guest (719). Twain follows this observation by expanding his opinion on conformity. He offers the idea that people follow certain trends without thinking them through. The people attending these dinner parties have no idea why they only consume two glasses wh en twenty-five years ago people consumed three to four times as much. Humans, in general, do not look for the answer to the question â€Å"why?†, but instead only worry about what other people do and if their actions are satisfactory to those surrounding them. Twain also gives anShow MoreRelatedInfluences of Regionalist Liturature in the 20th century1481 Words   |  6 Pagesheavily focuses on character. Realism makes use of plausible, real events and characters. Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and Willa Cather are notable authors stemming from the Realist movement that occurred around the turn of the century. Mark Twain’s â€Å"Corn Pone Opinions† comments on the fickleness of the human mind, using the example of a slave minister. Bret Harte’s â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker † tells the tale of a gambler and other rabble rousers who were shunned from the Western mining town of Poker , which hadRead MoreThe Best American Essays Of The Century By Robert Atwan1 544 Words   |  7 PagesHandicapped† by Randolph Bourne, identity is an important subject. Injustice is a clearly shared theme in â€Å"Coatesville† by John Jay Chapman, â€Å"The Devil Baby at Hull-House† by Jane Addams, and â€Å"Of the Coming of John† by W.E.B. Du Bois. Finally, in â€Å"Corn-pone Opinions† by Mark Twain, â€Å"Tradition and the Individual Talent† by T.S. Eliot, and â€Å"What Are Masterpieces and Why Are There So Few of Them† by Gertrude Stein, the aspect of non-personality and the removal of one’s self seems to be commonly spoken of inRead MoreThe Discipline Of Academic Writing944 Words   |  4 PagesChapter 1 of Arcs followed by Mark Twain’s â€Å"Corn Pone Opinion† was not done at random. In fact, it was done intentionally to give me the student, the background knowledge I needed in order to execute the assignment. Chapter 1 of Arcs focuses on extrinsic, and intrinsic proofs, and ironica lly â€Å"opinions† and ideologies. Which directly ties into Argument in â€Å"Mark Twain’s Corn Pone opinions†, that there are no original ideas, that all our ideas are essentially Corn Pone. All the various parts of the class workedRead MoreNaturalism and Regionalism Defining through American Literature1470 Words   |  6 Pagesthere are similarities in their stories. Naturalism focuses on the philosophical aspect of literature. Also, the characters in the novel are lower class and not highly educated. This characteristic of naturalism can be seen in Mark Twains â€Å"Corn Pone Opinions.† In Twains essay, a black slave is criticizing society. The essay is ironic because a black slave, who has not societal rights, is telling people how to live. Also, the people are listening to him, and respect him. This idea can be seenRead MoreRhetoric Between An Intrusive And Extrusive Proof992 Words   |  4 Pagesessay required us to explain how the authorà ¢â‚¬â„¢s argument was arranged and how they were described them through various rhetoric strategies and stylistic elements. I choose to write my argument description on an essay called â€Å"Corn-pone Opinions† by Mark Twain. For â€Å"Corn-pone Opinions† I had to first identify the primary and secondary arguments of this essay which were it’s in our nature to accommodate and that we require peer approval. I provided textual evidence from Mark Twain’s essay to help justifyRead MoreConformity Killed My Mind. Conformity Kills One’S Individuality,1568 Words   |  7 Pagessuccessfully resist. What is its seat? The inborn requirement of self-approval.†(Mark Twain s, Corn-Pone Opinions). This is one of the most significant quotations from Corn-Pone Opinions by Mark Twain, a story that talks about the relationship between conformity and human nature. He explores the idea that the â€Å"public opinion† and their approval is our self-approval . I couldn’t agree anymore with his opinion about conformity and how it affects us and our society. We see conformity everywhere in, adultsRead MoreThe Abuse of Government Assistence Is a Huge Problem748 Words   |  3 Pagesbad eggs. This is I can relate to the teenagers ideal that they thought of a creative way to get over on homework, chores, getting beer etc. that nobody ever thought of it before. They really need to get into Mark Twain. I believe it was Corn Pone Opinions. He proudly proclaims that there really arent any new ideas only ideas that have been rehashed. In other words, theres nothing new under the sun. I hate to say it but once again wed be so much wiser if we just read a bit out of a book. InsteadRead MoreEssay about Unavoidable Changes in Pop Culture879 Words   |  4 Pagesactions, people will constantly alter the way they are to gain self-approval, and â€Å"self-approval is acquired mainly from the approval of other people,† creating what Twain calls â€Å"corn-pone opinions† (Source A). Twain suggests that there are no original opinions since people become dependent on others to find answers, leaving opinions once said before, just altered. The unique idea loses its independe nce and influences everyone else—which leads back to Pop Culture. Pop culture can also be affected by anRead MorePopular Culture in Todays Society946 Words   |  4 Pagesconsidered attractive and acceptable. As people, ant to be like the things we see around us. We yearn to be accepted and have found that submitting to the current fads gains us the popularity and acceptance we ache for. In the essay Corn-Pone Opinions it was said that We are creatures of outside influence; as a rule we do not think, we only imitate(Twain 717). If someone hears that a specific movie receiving good reviews from the people in their neighborhood, they will go see thatRead MoreAmeric Land Of The Free, And Home1411 Words   |  6 Pagesgoals rather than the consent of the public opinion. In America, citizens have blindly conformed to the social norms and idea put forth by the public and typically tend to shun their own personal views and opinions. Conforming is often the easier route instead of attending to one s own desires. Conformity, although ultimately inevitable, captures one s individual thinking and replaces it with the public opinion, as Mark Twain expressed in â€Å"Corn-Pone Opinions†. Mark Twain depicts the inevitable side

Steve Jobs A Most Influential and Inspirational Man Essay

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, is considered by many as one of the most influential minds in the technology industry. Through a plethora of Apple Keynote presentations as well as speeches, Jobs was able to share his passion with others. I have watched many of Jobs speeches on YouTube. One of his most well-known speech and one of my favorites that I saw on YouTube is his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. Here, he shared his passion through retelling his remarkable past. His message was to follow your heart even if others think you are foolish. Jobs added that it is critical to find your love in life. Finally, he thinks that one should live their own life since life is too short to live how others want you to. One of the ways†¦show more content†¦This drew the audience attention towards him. Finally, Steve Jobs looked across the crowd well. He was able to connect to the audience by doing this, because he almost demanded their attention. Finally, the speech was inspirational due to the way it was structured. He started out by connecting to the audience by telling them his agenda, which was ‘just three stories’. He started each story with a signal phrase, which for example, was â€Å"My second story is about†. This gave a sense of familiarity, which engaged the audience. After each introduction, he went into an inspirational story that related to his life as well as the audiences. After he told a story, he connected it with an inspirational message. Each message built on each other and created his main message of the speech. Finally, he ended the speech by tying everything together by saying, â€Å"Stay hungry, stay foolish† (Steve Jobs’). This ending was simple yet effective, because the audience will remember it. I will incorporate many aspects of Steve Jobs’ speech into my own. First, I will practice and use well-timed pauses during key moments in my speech. Instead of saying um, you know or other fillers, I will try to add pauses. I will do this by listening to my favorite song while I practice my speech. This will help me gain a natural flow to my speech, and I can add pauses where there are transitions or key parts. Next, I will work on being more enthusiasticShow MoreRelatedRalph Waldo Emerson And Transcendentalism1649 Words   |  7 Pagescontinues to implement the idea of personal thought and intuition. Further along the same page he continues on the same subject â€Å"They pin me down. They look backward and not forward. But genius looks forward: the eyes of a man are set in his forehead, not in his hindhead: man hopes: genius creates.†(1858) To me this just reinforces that the idea that individual thought is vital when it comes to moving forward. Emerson talks abou t the importance of balance in one’s life. There was a part where heRead MoreSteve Jobs : A Strong Leader1700 Words   |  7 Pagesforward progress. 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Social Consequences of Industrialisation in Britain Free Essays

In this report I am going to discuss the social consequences of industrialisation in Britain between 1800- and 1850. I will analyse the trends in population movements from rural settings to the city and discuss their causes. I will also discuss social structures of the time and explain how they were affected by industrialisation. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Consequences of Industrialisation in Britain or any similar topic only for you Order Now I will analyse wealth in regards to distribution amongst the classes and how they differed. Lastly I will discuss such social conditions as living and working conditions, health and sanitation, law and order and education and reforms and laws which were set up as a means of trying to better people’s lives. Introduction Poverty was a concept that people in Britain in the Victorian age struggled with. Were the destitute victims of circumstances, idle and work shy or the victims of industrialisation? There was also the question of who should be responsible for the poor, should society take care of them or as many believed should they simply be left to their own devices? The hymn ‘All things bright and beautiful show a typical view on poverty; ‘The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them high and lowly, And ordered their estate. ’ With the onset of industrialisation and population shift, people began to question their place in society and anticipate whether they could indeed change this. Population migration The reasons for migration from the country to the city during the 18th and 19th centuries is mainly threefold, for one the population in the country began to grow, this is attributed to the drop in infant mortality rate and the surplus in births over deaths, secondly the invention of farm enhancing methods drastically reduced the need for an agricultural workforce, that, in conjunction with the development of large mass producing factories within the cities drew people away as there was more employment opportunity. Lastly, the north became a hub for large scale industrialisation as it was in abundance with raw materials such as coal and iron which fuelled the rate of growth, while the south was the bread basket of the country. The population of northern cities such a Manchester grew from 25,000 in l772 to 303,000 by l850. By 1850, Britain was the only country in the world to have a larger urban population than rural. Social and occupational structure At the beginning of the 19th century, British population was very much ranked in classes; this was a way of assessing ones wealth and developing a social structure. The land owners and nobility were at the top of this structure, these people were the ones in change of the county. This power derived from the fact that only the wealthy land owners were permitted to vote therefore they would only permit laws which benefited themselves. With the rise of industrialization a new ‘middle class’ was born. This was usually wealthy merchants who had invested in factories and become very rich. They were not however always land owners and therefore unable to vote. The mill owners began to feel they deserved the right to vote. They indeed paid taxes and contributed heavily to the economy and in many cases were far wealthier than the blue blood land owners. The Whigs saw the middle classes push for the vote as a way to gain power, they knew if they could get a reformation on voting passed they would gain masses of support from the middle class. The Tories however resisted this. After the Whigs came to power in 1830, they tried several times to pass a reformation act, which the Tories repeatedly blocked. This was only passed when Earl Grey appealed directly to the king, who agreed to create more Whig lords. This did not please the Tory lords who then gave in and agreed to pass the Reformation Act. The working class where unaffected by this reformation in voting and began pushing for power and began organising trade unions to stand up for their rights against employers. The employers however banned groups of workers congregating in order to prevent them from rising up. Distribution of wealth Workers at this time were treated very badly, there were no laws specifying working times or wages. Meaning employers could pay as little as they wanted and workers were usually expected to work up to 19 hours per day 6 days a week. Work conditions were usually dangerous and accidents could easily happen. Despite these bad conditions however workers had little choice but to put up with them as work was hard to come by and there were often long lines of unemployed people queuing for their jobs. Many woman and children as young as 3 were employed in the factories until 1819 Cotton Mills act was passed preventing children under 9 from working and children under 16 from working more then 12 hours. Due to this exploitation of workers, the mill owners became fabulously wealthy. In addition to exploiting their workers, areas such as the textile trade imported cheap raw materials and sold them on for a large profit. Life in industrial cities Law and order Due to the poverty of many crime rates soared in the 19th century, in 1800 75% of these were petty thefts such as pick pocketing many of these were children, this is explored in Dickens’s Oliver twist, with his depiction of Fagin’s gang of pickpockets. Many people were also involved in marches as a way as campaigning for their rights and gaining fairer wages /wanting the right to vote and actions such as the luddites revolt. The judicial system of the time was varied and punishments such as prison, hanging and deportation was given out. In 1829 the Metropolitan Police were set up and in 1835 towns were allowed to set up their own police force. Education Before 1870, there was no standardised way of educating children in Britain; there was no Free State education until 1891. Prior to this the majority of children receiving education were those of the wealthy they were often educated at home by nannies. Once the boys were old enough (around 10/11) they would be sent to public school i. e. Eaton then progress to law school or become doctors. . Children of the poor were sent out to work when they were deemed old enough, education was not as important as earning a wage. However with the poor law amendment act, children entering the workhouse were also to receive education. Living conditions: Due to the rate of urban expansion houses were built quickly and were of poor quality, with areas often being referred to as ‘slums’. There was often housing shortages which resulted in cramped living spaces were whole families often lived in one room. ‘Hideous slums, some of them acres wide, some no more than crannies of obscure misery, make up a substantial part of the, metropolis †¦ In big, once handsome houses, thirty or more people of all ages may inhabit a single room’ Due to the high rent charges imposed by landlords and the growing demand for jobs many people became homeless and ived on the streets. The streets were frightening places and this poverty and destitution gave rise to such social problems as alcoholism and prostitution as a way of escaping and making ends meet. Health conditions These cramp conditions also meant little to no sanitation which lead on to the spread of disease such as cholera, typhoid ad smallpox. In an article in 1849, author Henry Mayhew wrote how a ditch ran through the streets of London into which sewage emptied from this ditch the people would also drink. As we gazed in horror at it, we saw drains and sewers emptying their filthy contents into it; we saw a whole tier of doorless privies in the open road, common to men and women built over it; we heard bucket after bucket of filth splash into it’ Bad health for the poor can also be attributed to the corn law of 1804, in that the landowners imposed taxes on imported corn to protect their profits, thus making the price of bread, a staple of the poor mans diet, far more expensive. This in conjunction with a bad harvest in 1816 meant prices became higher still. Edwin Chadwick was a huge influence on the development of sanitation when he published ‘The Chadwick Report’ The Chadwick report In 1837, there were epidemics of influenza and typhoid. Edwin Chadwick was asked to compile a report looking at the living conditions of the poor. He conducted his report between 1839 and 1841. In his report he argued that disease was a direct result of poor sanitary conditions, concluding that reform must be made. In 1848 the ‘Public Health Act’ was passed. This act ensured that water and sewage supplies were clean as well as cleaning the streets and refuse collection was introduced. Chadwick was appointed Sanitation Commissioner and also president of the association of public sanitary inspectors in 1884. During his time in these roles he argued ways public health could be improved. These included the availability of fresh, clean water, water closets in every house and a sewage network which disposed of waste far away from inhabited areas. The old poor law The old poor law was introduced in 1601 and gave help to any poor person within the parish be it through monetary means, medical or the giving of food. This relief was paid for via poor rate, which was paid by local taxes. By 1832, the country was paying ? 7 million per anum to the able bodied poor and topping up low wages, something which the wealthy disagreed with. They argued that this encouraged laziness as a man knew he could work less and receive the same amount of money. They also argued it would have a negative effect on labouring, thus plunging the country into poverty. In 1834 a report was commissioned into bettering the welfare of the poor and reducing the government’s expenditure. The findings of this report lead onto the reform of the poor law. The poor law amendment act 1834 Under this new act, the parishes were grouped into unions and each union was to build a workhouse. The unions were prevented from giving outside help to the poor and help was only accessible to those willing to give up their homes and enter the workhouses. The workhouses were deemed the ultimate humiliation to the poor and was meant to act as a deterrent to the able bodied poor. Conditions inside the workhouses were purposely bad and families were split up and sent to different living quarters. They were fed on basic food rations and children received education within the workhouses in exchange for several hours of daily manual labour. The workhouses were very unpopular and not all people agreed with the poor law. Richard Oastler referred to the workhouses as ‘prisons’ and several workhouses such as Andover Workhouse were published in the media for their horrific conditions. Charles dickens also sympathised with the poor stating in his novels that individuals in the workhouse were treated worse than criminals. ‘we have come to this absurd, this dangerous, this monstrous pass, that the dishonest felon is, in respect of cleanliness, order, diet, and accommodation, better provided for, and taken care of, than the honest pauper. Due to this the government set strict rules for the running of the workhouse. They were not always followed however. Conclusion It is evident that this period of history had a profound and ever-changing effect on the society of Britain, which can still be seen today. Many people suffered, sacrificed and fought for the rights to change their circumstances. New innovations and developments meant Britain became an industrial giant, and one of the wealthiest countries of its time. As well as a positive effect, like all things, there is also a negative. For the vast wealth created there were those who were exploited and became destitute. It can be argued however that this was necessary and without the suffering, progression would not have been possible. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. C. Alexander 1848 [ 2 ]. Early Victorian Britain, J. F. C Harrison, Fontana press, London, 1988, Page 18 [ 3 ]. http://www. flowofhistory. com/units/eme/17/fc113 retrieved 20/01/12 [ 4 ]. http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/Pwhigs. htm, retrieved 1/12/11 [ 5 ]. Early Victorian Britain, J. F. C Harrison, Fontana press, London, 1988, Page 39 [ 6 ]. Summary of the duties of a justice of the peace out of sessions, H Pye, J Butterworth and sons 1827, Page 43 [ 7 ]. ttp://vcp. e2bn. org/teachers/11466-timeline. html retrieved 28/1/12 [ 8 ]. http://www. bbc. co. uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/education_health/laissez_faire_07. shtml retrieved 28/1/12 [ 9 ]. The Victorian underworld, K Chesney, Penguin books, 1991 [ 10 ]. http://www. hiddenl ives. org. uk/articles/poverty. html retrieved 28/1/12 [ 11 ]. http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/PRcorn. htm retrieved 28/1/12 [ 12 ]. Edwin Chadwick, Poor law and public health, R Watson, Longman group limited, England, 1990, page 6-15 [ 13 ]. A Christmas carol, C Dickens, Broadveiw press, 2003 page 204. How to cite Social Consequences of Industrialisation in Britain, Essay examples