118 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
118 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßÛßßßßßÛÛÜ ÜÜßßßßÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛßß ßÛÛ
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ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÝ Ûß
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ßßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÞÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÞß
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Mo.iMP ÜÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ßÛß
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ß ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛ ßÛÛÛÛÛ Ü ÛÝÛÛÛÛÛ Ü
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ÜÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÜ ßÛÛÛÜÜ ÜÜÛÛÛß ÞÛ ÞÛÛÛÝ ÜÜÛÛ
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ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÜÜÜß ÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛß
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ßÛÜ ÜÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÜÜ ßßÜÛÛßß ßÛÛÜ ßßßÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ßßßßß ßßÛÛß ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßß
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ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
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Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
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[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [No One Writes to the ]
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[ ]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [Colonel. ]
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[x]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [ ]
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[ ]College [ ]Misc [ ]
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Dizzed: 07/94 # of Words:900 School:Public State:NY
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>Chop Here>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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Suppression of Pride
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In a state of martial law one individual does not have much
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to say. This statement holds true in the novel, "No One Writes to the
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Colonel," by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The author discusses the political
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climate of one man, the Colonel, who after fighting to create the
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government in power is being controlled by the bureaucracy. A corrupt
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government can ruin a man, sap his will, and drive him mindless with
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hunger; although times are hard the Colonel keeps his dignity and pride.
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The government, through the use of martial law, controls the people
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quite readily. The government maintains itself through "Big-Brother"
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tactics that include the use of censors, secret police, and ordinances like
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"TALKING POLITICS FORBIDDEN." The sweeping control that is present under
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this martial law is evident in the every day life of the Colonel and the
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people of his town. The first example of the nature of their lives is shown
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through the funeral. A poor musician has died of natural causes; the first
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in a long period of time. The government in attempt to avoid a
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demonstration and possibly a riot, reroutes his funeral procession to avoid
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the police barracks. Since the musician is a first to have died of natural
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causes, we can assume that martial law has resulted in the untimely death
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of many people. Another example is the death of the Colonel's son, Agustin,
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Whom after his death has become the embodiment of the underground. It is
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rightly so, being that he was the writer of the "clandestine" papers.
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"'Agustin wrote.'
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The Colonel observed the deserted street.
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'What does he say?'
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'The same as always.'
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They gave him the clandestine sheet of paper" (p.32)
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Martial law has restricted the free flow of ideas; therefore, they have had
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to become accustomed to using secrecy. The doctor is part of the
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information transfer by passing uncensored news articles to the Colonel.
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The government is undoubtedly aware of these happenings, nevertheless it
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allows the people some sanctity in them. This fact is evident in the
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instance where a soldier that stops the Colonel, does not search him.
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Although the oppression is difficult, the Colonel's dignity and pride
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helps him to not give up on the pension claim he made to Congress 15 years
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ago. He shows impressive perseverance through his patient wait for the
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letter recognizing his request. The Colonel's dignity is important to him;
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he would much rather write a letter requesting the change of lawyer by hand
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than ask someone to type the letter as a favor to him. This dignity and
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pride has caused much hardship in his family's life. They have had to
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literally scrape by to survive. The novel begins with the Colonel preparing
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his wife a last cup of coffee by scraping a coffee can with a knife, mixing
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"bits of rust" with "the last scrapings of ground coffee." (p.1) Themes of
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oppression are counter-balanced by tenacity shown in the Colonel's long
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wait.
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Every Friday the Colonel waits for the postmaster at the launch and
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follows him to the post office. When he receives nothing the Colonel feels
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ashamed. The Colonel knows that the state of affairs is not in order and
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most likely there will never be anything for him, and yet year after year,
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hoping that the day will come, he waits for the letter. "Fifteen years of
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waiting had sharpened his intuition. The rooster had sharpened his
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anxiety." (p.20) He lies to the doctor in his claim that he "wasn't
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expecting anything" (p.21); and with an innocent childlike look he says "no
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one writes to me." (p.21) This attempt at covering up his actual reason for
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being at the post office is an example of his self pride. The Colonel does
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not want to broadcast the depth of his predicament even though almost
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everyone is aware. His wife tells him to go sell their clock with firm
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reproach that they might eat. The Colonel ends up getting an overnight loan
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in the belief that the letter would come the next day.
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Hunger is a powerful force, and it drives the Colonel and his wife to
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contemplate selling the rooster or making stew with it. Somehow they always
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find just a little bit of money to buy more coffee and sometimes cheese.
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These people can never succumb to charity and have always tried to sell
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something when times became increasingly difficult. His wife even boils
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stones so the neighbors will not notice that they go hungry. Through all of
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the hardship the Colonel and his wife persevere, he still clings to a
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belief that his country will pull him through. His country is barely
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recognizable from when he fought for it so long ago, and yet he still loves
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his country. In this instance, the Colonel feels pride not only for
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himself, but for his country. The rooster is never sold. At the end of the
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novel, his wife asks him, "meanwhile what do we eat?" (p.64) In this moment
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the Colonel feels "pure, explicit, invincible" (p.64) in replying "shit."
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(p.64)
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This novel takes place somewhere in South America and it is evident
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that because of the type of government, conditions are difficult during
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this period for the group of people fighting tyranny. The Colonel has
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little material wealth after a life of work and service to his country.
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These monetary circumstances dictate how he and his wife must live day by
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day; and this hardship is in addition to the medical problems they both
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endure requiring the service of a doctor. And yet through it all, the
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Colonel with steadfast resolve awaits his letter from Congress regarding
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his pension. This corrupt and unjust government has ruined this man, but
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has not broken him. His pride enables him to retain his dignity through it
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all.
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