Mayfly by Kevin Canty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mayfly by Kevin Canty - Essay Example James’ character appears to be a hard driven man in his mid thirties who is not quite sure about the direction which his life is taking and seems to be unsure whether he is satisfied or not. Molly is James’ girlfriend and takes the role of a delicate soul with a penchant for al things living seen by the way she is affected by the butterflies on the highway (Canty). She is a writer who is enthusiastic about taking care of herself seen by her sobriety and vegan diet but she also loves to express herself seen by the type of work that she does (writing) as well as her liking of tattoos. Sam is James’ old friend from college and comes out as a semi-irresponsible father and husband who nonetheless, appears to be doing fine financialy depicted by the description of his house and lifestyle (Canty). He also comes off as having an adulterous aspect about him although this is not confirmed and is taken from a number of clues that come out in the story. Jenny is a mother of three and Sam’s wife. She comes out as a tired figure in need of support from her husband that does not appear to be forthcoming. There is a sense of resentment around her in terms of her marriage to Sam, and it seems that she has resigned herself to the hand that fate has dealt her though she is not pleased with it. The story is told from James’ point of view, and this has an influence on the shaping of the story’s focus. By seeing things from James’ point of view, the reader is able to experience the various moods and emotions that he goes through via the thoughts that run through his head and this help’s focus the view of the rest of the group from an external perspective. The doubts that James has over his relationship with Molly and the activities between his girlfriend and Sam when they go on their trip is derived from the perspective that James has on the status of his relationship. The appearance of Jenny is told from James’ eyes as well including the experiences she has been through. This helps the story to focus on the main character who is James even when the topic is about somebody else. Reading the story from James’ point of view also allows the reader to get inside the main character’s head and depicts the way he thinks and looks at issues from his objective. For example, James lack of guilt after his midnight rendezvous with Jenny may not have been depicted had the story been told from another perspective. (Canty) The significance of the Monarchs in the opening scenes can be said to be used in the provision of the setting for the reader, a means with which to describe the scene as it were. The sheer number of insects and their death on the windscreen of James car provides a somewhat gloomy setting which can also be said to have been used to project the mood of the two characters (James and Molly) in the opening scenes (Canty). The butterflies can also be said to have been used to demonstrat e Molly’s care for living creatures as she insists on stopping when she realizes what is happening to them. The fact that she cares about something as small as a butterfly that she could be moved to tears goes a long way in portraying her character (Canty). The monarchs and butterflies in their travels towards the north can also be used to depict both James (the monarch) and Molly (the butterfly) in their journey together in life with the car’s windshield portraying the potential hazards they might come across while trying to keep their relationship alive. The mayflies can be seen to represent the cycle of life and the inevitable eventuality of our actions that are bound to be repeated when one is placed

The rights to language as a civil right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The rights to language as a civil right - Essay Example One of the rights provided under civil rights is the right to language. Human communication would be limited and impaired if language did not exist. Different languages are widely spoken because of the different racial, cultural, and national backgrounds of the different groups of people in the country. The rights to language, also known as linguistic human rights, allow a person to decide on their own accord what language or languages they prefer to use as a means of communication, whether publicly or privately. (Moraes 43) Language rights were first recognized as an international human right when they were included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. There is a distinction made between language rights and linguistic human rights. Language rights cover a wider range, and one can argue that all linguistic human rights are language rights, but not all language rights are linguistic human rights. Language rights are necessary basic human rights to ensure a dignified life, For example, the right of access to an official language. Linguistic human rights are not strictly essential human rights; they exist to improve on the basic human and civil basic right to language. They are above basic needs making them accessory rights under language rights (Moraes 47) The right to learn foreign languages is an example of linguistic human rights is. Individual linguistic rights are provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These are the Individual linguistic rights are applicable privately or publicly. According to Article 26 contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, â€Å"all people have the right to education with relevance to the language of medium of instruction, for example in the U.S., the Bilingual Education Act (BEA) of 1968 catered to students of Limited English Speaking Ability (LESA). The Bilingual Act, Title VI of the civil rights Act of 1964, was passed following the Civil Rights movement that peaked