In the poem “rifle,” Rudy Fransisco utilizes a unifying metaphor and juxtaposition to shed light on how weapons can be recast from harmful to harmonious. This poem also emphasizes the theme of masculinity, and how men are afraid to be vulnerable, so they attempt to be masculine by becoming weapons themselves. Throughout this poem, juxtaposition is continuously used to compare how weapons are being converted into musical instruments (5-6). This displays to the reader that something that was once used to take many lives is changing into something that is used to bring joy to both people and communities. The conversion of the weapons exposes a hopeful tone by showing what they will become.
We might find this issue to be small, but think about the millions of people who have their family killed by gun violence. The author want us to know by including descriptions on the setting of places such as the freeway “People get killed on freeways all the time” (159) The many moments that involve a gun actually have two meanings in the book. On one hand it signifies violence and destruction, in the story we see that Lauren’s journey up north witnesses countless acts with many guns: “One group chasing the other, both firing their guns as though they and their enemies were the only people in the world”(223). This not only shows us the brutal nature of people but also how people will use the guns to get what they want, knowing that it might kill someone.
Violence doesn’t always lead to bad things. Fist,Stick,Knife,Gun by Geoffrey Canada is about how violence in South Bronx, New York. It tells us how violence had became more deadly and dangerous in New York and how he had to deal with it. Soon he became aware of it and decided to help make a change in his community. Geoffrey Canada’s main message for the story is that the effects of violence on someone’s life can influence them to make change in their community.
In paragraph seven, she presents the case that people that have lived without guns should not be overlooked as snooty just because they have lived without them. She uses rhetorical questions to justify her position that gun ownership is not a cultural tradition, but rather just about the act of owning guns itself, “I mean, must it really be spelled out what’s different? It’s absurd to reduce an anti-gun position to a snooty aesthetic preference.”, and also defends her position by rejecting the opposing viewpoint. Paragraph ten features another rhetorical question that involves a call to action from the reader after explaining the goal of banning all guns, and why the act is not impossible she says, “That could never happen, right? Well, certainly not if we keep on insisting on its impossibility.”
In the context of “The Intruder,” the titular “intruder” is not only the mysterious figure who attempts to enter the house at the end of the story. The title of Andre Dubus’ “The Intruder” refers to Kenneth’s repeated and sometimes unwanted thoughts and fantasies that unfold throughout the short story. Throughout the story, the main character–Kenneth, an insecure 13-year old
The Author Mark Twain is well known for his use of satire in his works to poke fun at current events in his time that can still relate to present day. In this particular book, Huckleberry Finn Twain uses the theme of gun and weapon violence in his satire. Huckleberry Finn uses satire of gun and weapon violence in many instances one of which is when Huck uses the gun against his father when he becomes drunken and crazed and was chasing Huck with a knife. (Twain 22). “By-and-by he rolled out and jumped up on his feet looking wind, and he se me and went for me.
In modern society, guns are seen as a form of control. Those who have guns are able to overpower those who do not. This trend was set when guns were first invented and has stayed the same throughout history. The one place where guns are not a symbol of power and control is in literature, specifically “The Old Gun” and Hamilton. In Mo Yan’s short story “The Old Gun”, the protagonist is a hungry boy who does not even know how to use the titular firearm.
At that moment, he heard the door. Not the doorbell but a series of soft, polite raps, almost apologetic about the late hour. Every house has a logic, and its laws are more eloquent at night, when things occur without palliative noises. He didn’t look at his watch or jump, or suspect that he was hearing things. He simply got up from his chair and walked toward the door without turning on any lights; when he found himself standing face-to-face with his father.
He sets up the scene, where he was following two elderly people in his sights, before leading up to a squirrel that was going around on a tree. He finally pulled the trigger, and killed the squirrel. He also later on recounts some feelings he encounters in Vietnam and that’s when the thought and image of killing the squirrel I feel, is the action of doing it bothered him for a while. But the main point for me here is that Wolff uses the gun as a device to show his transformation from a boy to a man, and develops a theme of power struggle within himself. Wolff also includes a heavy tone of suspense that makes you hang on the edge of your seat asking yourself what is going to happen next, this is where like Tobias Wolff says “Power can be enjoyed only when it is recognized and feared, fearlessness in those without power is maddening to those who have
Suddenly this leads to the chance that the weapon could end up in the wrong hands with a student securing it or the assailant finding it and increasing his or her weapon power. Some think that innocent children would not touch a gun or know how to use it, but Ken Corbett (2013), an assistant professor of psychology at the New York University, proclaims, “Kids get their hands on guns, and they know how to use them” (para. 7). As a matter of fact, Corbett also includes a 2010 FBI homicide statistic in his article: “The most up-to-date FBI homicide data indicate that of the 1,448 children who died as a result of gun violence in 2010, 165 of those deaths were at the hands of other children” (para. 7). A little over eleven percent of those deaths were caused by other children, nonetheless, those 165 deaths could have been avoided if the guns were secured or not
In the short story itself, the rifle is symbolized
The author’s use of symbolism illustrates Francis’ pride as unwavering but also portrays his character as intimidated when it comes to face the unknown. The use of guns symbolises Francis’ need to be in control but he does not know how to handle intense situations. He wants to be the one shooting and hitting the targets but does not understand the reality of it. When he is finally experiencing the actuality of killing a ferocious animal the story states, “Macomber opened the breech of his rifle and saw he had metal bullets, shut the bolt and put his rifle on safety. He saw his hand was trembling.”
“Honor,” one of the qualities that guns represent, is a socially constructed factor that can be used to differentiate class. “Human triumph over nature” is a literal presentation of humans supposed ability to dominate nature, and “individual protection” is a means of maintaining one’s socioeconomic status. All of these three qualifications suggest an idea that guns are used to demonstrate or maintain one’s social class (or domination over lower social classes and
A weapon in the wrongs hands is the maximum danger humanity can face. Nowadays, violence and delinquency in society are viewed as the maximum problem solver. Humanity is full of chaos; hate and envy seize our souls. Guns are the ultimate security for some citizens but for others, these add to a feeling of defenselessness. Throughout history, any topic related to guns means a plethora of problems.
This indicates how guns add to a man’s masculinity because of the capability they hold in their hands - life or death. In this particular scene, Sue is ringed and intimidated by a group of thugs. While driving by, Kowalski sees the situation Sue is in and comes to her rescue. The three men do not see Kowalski a menace as he first imitates a gun with his hands, until he pulls a real gun from his belt. Seeing a gun makes them change their opinion of Kowalski from an old harmless man to someone who requires respect.
