Sympathy for the Main Character in Sophocles Antigone Essay

Sympathy for the Main Character in Sophocles Antigone Sophocles play is named after its main character, Antigone, and for one the first times in Greek Tragedy it is a woman. In this play, Antigone is clearly the protagonist, as she is showed in her grief, seems sympathetic and the reader or spectator sees her from the beginning; it creates more impact and draws attention to the extremity of her feelings and emotions. Antigone also illustrates one of the central themes of this tragedy, which is the position of women; she upsets gender roles and hierarchy, and disturbs the fundamental rules of her culture. She is†¦show more content†¦The king feels she is defying him and he has the power over whether she lives or dies, and the law is only here to benefit him and to control the people. It emphasizes her lack of power and the divergent way in which they deal with laws. Sophocles turns us towards Antigone again since she follows her own conscience and wants to honour her family whereas Creon chooses to follow state laws. Furthermore, Antigone has to act on her own to bury Polyneices body since Ismene chooses to do nothing, it shows she is the character with the most agency and courage and makes us feel admiration for her. The fact that she has obligations as a woman and a duty towards her family represents her as a martyr and this creates empathy again for her character. As we go on with our reading we discover Antigones deep suffering and sorrow, she suffers because she has no power, is dominated by the status of Creon and is alone in her struggle. She has lost her two brothers, has no family except for Ismene, and is now condemned to die by Creon. In addition, the fact that she has a fiancà © but is not married to him adds to her solitude, and makes us feel compassion for her. As said before, when the play was written women had a very little role in a society ruled by men, and they had very limited freedom.Show MoreRelatedSophocles Antigone: 441-442bc1285 Words   |  6 PagesThe period that Athens’ Sophocles lived in was a time of important changes to the traditional Greek ways of life. The most significant catalyst of change and concern of the period was democracy. From here stems ideas such as the nature, role and respect of and for the gods, and the individual. The drama of Antigone reflects these concerns in the context it was written through various ways. Athens in the middle of the fifth century BC was at the peak of its power. It attracted foreigners, writersRead More Antigone – The First Feminist Essay549 Words   |  3 PagesAntigone – The First Feminist How old is feminism, and who was the first feminist? Although no one can say for sure the exact date on which the feminist movement started, most of it is attributed to the past two centuries. However, women who are feminists have been around much longer. In Sophocles’s Antigone, the main character (Antigone) acts as a protofeminist by defying the authority of a patriarchal society and taking action according to what she believes is right in her heart. She evenRead MoreWho Is More Tragic, Creon or Antigone?863 Words   |  4 Pagesdownfall of the character. In Antigone, both Creon and Antigone share some tragic elements: tragic hero, hamartia, hubris, and nemesis. However, Creon is a more tragic hero than Antigone because his character has tragic elements that are absent from the character of Antigone: anagnorisis, peripeteia, and catharsis. There are many tragic elements that both Creon and Antigone share. According to Aristotle, the hero must be a character of high birth or national prominence. Since Antigone is royalty andRead MoreWomens Role in Macbeth and Antigone Essay1563 Words   |  7 Pagesof helping form the main characters, in the way they think, move or change the story. Women have always been subordinate to men all through history, but in plays, novels, short stories, etc, they have been given large enforcing roles, showing the power within women. William Shakespeare and Sophocles use guilt, pride, and influence to demonstrate the importance of the women’s role to support the main characters in both the plays of Macbeth and Antigone. In Macbeth and Antigone the authors createdRead MoreAn Analysis of Things Fall Apart and Antigone1027 Words   |  5 PagesChinua Achebe and Antigone by Sophocles, this idea is portrayed perfectly. The way that Achebe developed Ezinma throughout the novel, I believe, is what was used to show readers the softer and gentler side of Okonkwo. In conjunction with that, Sophocles used Ismene to be the more tame and obedient side of Antigone. Through the descriptions and ways that these two female characters affect the main characters in each of these novels, Ezinma from Things Fall Apart and Ismene from Antigone, it is apparentRead MoreVanity Or Valor : When Lines Are Skewed1434 Words   |  6 Pageshero and a villain; however, similar to the real world, theses lines between â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† become indistinguishably skewed. Sophocles’ Antigone is not to be viewed through the eyes of morality because together hero and villain lie within the motives of bot h the play’s main characters. Simon Goldhill asserts that â€Å"it is difficult, in other words to read Antigone without making not only moral judgments, but the sort of one-sided moral judgments that the play itself seems to want to mark as leadingRead MoreAntigone: a Study of Moral Influences in Society.899 Words   |  4 Pageswitness the same fear, reading between the lines at how the author created a character and the reaction of the public to her. The woman, in Sophocles Antigone, is considered powerful but noble, and is met with fierce opposition from men in power, and even fellow women who feel she has fallen from her rightful place. It is difficult, however, to determine who is right and who is wrong, when it is all said and done. Antigone, the seemingly victimized woman, has the power to stand up for what she believesRead MoreEssay on Creon as the Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone997 Words   |  4 PagesCreon as the Tragic Hero of Sophocles Antigone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Who is the true tragic hero in Sophocles Antigone?   This question has been the subject of a great debate for numerous years.   Equal arguments exist that portray Antigone as the tragic heroine in the play and Creon as the tragic hero.   Aristotle, in his study of Greek drama entitled Poetics, provided the framework that determines the tragic hero of a work.   Though Antigone definitely possesses the characteristics and qualities thatRead MoreRelationship Between Antigone and Creon1355 Words   |  6 PagesRelationship between Antigone and Creon Antigone is a play written by Sophocles. The genre of the play that Sophocles wrote was based on tragedy. It is one of the first plays that use tragedy. In the play a young girl named Antigone, stands up against her uncle Creon who is the king. She stands up for her rights, so that she can give a religious burial to Polynices. She was a girl with a lot of will power. This essay talks about the relationship between Antigone and Creon. This essay would containRead MoreThe Chorus Of Sophocles Antigone2400 Words   |  10 Pagesauthor of Antigone, Sophocles had participated in one of these festivals and won the award for his performance. He did not become known as one of the greatest playwrights then. Only now is he thought of as one of the greatest playwrights during the greek era. The point of this paper is to show how the chorus in Greek Theater tragedy performances affect the way the play Antigone is performed. Through the use of mask, staging, and speech, Sophocles best distinguishes the chorus. Sophocles most famous

The Effects Of Language On The Development Of A Child

The acquisition of language is essential to the development of a child. Though some children are born genetically mutated, specifically children with Down’s syndrome, the capabilities of acquiring language during developmental markers is far less than a child with just 21 chromosomes. Parents and/or guardians of infants and toddlers with Down’s syndrome believe that their child will one day be able to verbally communicate with them. They presume the possibility, but does research support their beliefs? For the purpose of this paper, the child from infancy through three-years old will be discussed in regards to the developmental domain that are affected by Down’s syndrome. The undeniable assumption is if an institution provides early intervention for an infant or toddler with Down’s syndrome, then that child’s social-emotional and language will be affected. About 80% of individuals with Down syndrome have moderate intellectual disability, although so me have severe intellectual disability and others have IQ scores in the average range (Pueschel, 1995; Roizen, 2007). The first of two developmental domains that are affected by Down’s syndrome is a child’s cognitive development. According to Piaget, the leading view of cognition in young children was that it was constructed through interactions with their environment. This approach held up for several decades until a few theorists who derived from Vygotskian methods challenged Piaget and established that young children buildShow MoreRelatedIs Entertainment Technology Beneficial?902 Words   |  4 Pageshas a negative side effect to the conveniences of it. These negative outcomes have disrupted the agenda for youth as well as children and infants. â€Å"It takes two full years for a baby s brain to develop to the point where the symbols on the screen come to represent their equivalents in the real world† (Healthy Children). Exposure to entertainment technology from the age’s birth to two years of age has negative effects. These effects include delayed cognitive development, language, social emotionalRead MoreFactors that Promote Rapid Language Learning in Children?1406 Words   |  6 Pages(1972), language acquisition is one of the exclusive characteristics of human beings and is known as the jewel in the crown of cognition (Pinker, 1994). It is well known that other species on earth have communication system also, but differ substantially in their qualities from human communication. Several attempts have been made to teach apes to speak (Allen Gardner, 1969; Savage-Rumbaugh, Sevcik, Hopkins, 1988), but language acquisition is a mystery of human beings, it starts before a child is bornRead MoreChildren’s Speech, Language, and Communication1750 Words   |  7 PagesSupport children’s speech, language and communication Explanation of speech, language, communication and speech, language and communication needs 1.1 Children and adults use speech, language and communication to interact with others, to help them explore the environment, to make sense of everyday experiences, access information and understand concepts, as well as organise thoughts and formulate ideas and to help them express their own feelings and to understand the feelings of others (ChildrenRead MoreEarly Childhood : Childhood Development1494 Words   |  6 Pageschildhood development Early childhood is the the time period when a child opens his eyes in the world and it continues upto the age of 8 years old (Masten et al. â€Å"NAME OF ARTICLE†)This is really the time in which the brain of the child starts growing and basis for the subsequences of development. Early childhood period starts at home the very first stages of life. Parents have a great role in childhood development. Then the second factor or place which has great effects on childhood development is theRead MoreLanguage Development Is Vital For A Child s Life Essay1712 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Language development is vital to a child s life. It can come in various ways; expressions, body language, visual and spoken. Language is diverse with many different types and sub-dialects and forever developing through the ages. To a child, language is divided into two different categories; the early stages and the later stages. The early stages consist of a child s life from zero to five in which they may not attend full-time schooling but their language is still being developed byRead More The Effects of Bilingualism on Language Development Essay1297 Words   |  6 PagesThe effects of bilingualism on language development in children are examined. Theories suggest that bilingual children are able to learn a second language after the first is mastered. One of the reasons behind this is that the child has already developed the nonverbal concept of the word (because the child is already using it in the primary language), so only the verbal concept must be constructed. It has been shown that balanced bilinguals are more cognitively and linguistically flexible. HoweverRead MoreThe Importance of Speech, Language, and Communication1007 Words   |  5 Pages[EYMP 5.1] Understand the importance of speech, language and communication for children’s overall development. 1.1 Explain each of the terms: 1.1a Speech The word speech when used in relation to children and young people’s development literally means the act of speaking, verbal communication, or to express thoughts, feelings, or ideas. 1.1b Language The term language refers to an understood, systematic arrangement of signs, symbols and gestures used to communicate. 1.1c Communication Read MoreThe Effects Of Home Environment On Children1468 Words   |  6 Pagesuse of child daycare has been debated endlessly. It has become hard to determine how it may aid in the development of a child’s cognition or if it hurts it instead. This is partly because of the wide variety of types of child care and the opportunities that are given to young children. Fortunately, measures have been created to help standardize what a daycare does and how it is run. In this paper, several studies are assessed and the criteria that daycares are held to are evaluated. The effect of homeRead MoreThe First Type Of Communication1348 Words   |  6 Pagesvariety of speech sounds like oooooooh, eeeeeeeeh, and aaaah. These are sometimes produced accidently. The infant is not born to intentionally produce sounds. The infant when practicing can eventually can produce the speech sounds of their native language, but they have reinforcement to accomplish this. Infants began t o babble at 3-6 months. This is a response to sounds heard by other people. Listening to people communicate vocally will encourage the infant to reciprocate and be vocal on their ownRead MoreMethods Of Observation As Directed By The Teacher1434 Words   |  6 Pageslessons or in the playground. Observations and assessments should cover all relevant aspects of pupilà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬TMs development including physical skills, language and communication skills. Your observation and assessments must always be in line with the school policy for record keeping, as well as observing a childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬TMs development you also need to help the teacher assess the childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬TMs development based on your findings and other reliable information. You must be able to make formative and summative assessments

Five Stages of Team Development-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Five Stages of Team Development Suggested by TUCKMAN. Answer: Introduction Team building is a group of people working for a single thing with cooperation with each other and moving to achieve some success. However, during the process, the team undergoes various stages and they are expected to cross those stages successfully in order to achieve their goals (Raes et. al. 2015).The paper discusses about the TUCKMAN stages of team development to evaluate the stages the team worked through these stages while preparing the report. Further, it illustrates on the three professional objectives of the group such as the time management, effective communication building with the audience and successful interaction within the group. Further, it shows the use of these objectives in our group activity. TUCKMAN Report Team is not a static phenomenon, as it needs to pass through various stages of self-development as well as team development. The members of the team need to learn continuously in order to operate effectively within the changing environment. Each stages of team development process in crucial and interlinked with one another. The members of the team moves from one stage to another and on completion get to know their skills and areas they are lacking. TUCKMAN has suggested five stages of team making process such as forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Each of these stages is important as one wants to the team to develop through the period. This also helps to know the way the team has helped in dealing with the challenges, problems and found the solution to deliver effective results (Scherrer et. al. 2016). The development of a team or a group is a natural phenomenon and applies to all cultures and environment. Human beings desire to form a group while undertaking any activity so that they can develop solutions easily to cope up with the challenges faced by the team or any individual in the team. Group processes are based on values offering stages of group progress through which each member can develop their functioning in a group (Humphrey and Aime 2014). The five stages suggested by TUCKMAN group development model are discussed below: Forming The initial stage of group development is forming that is features as relying. Here the members of the group depend on their leaders for suggestions and direction. The members of the group seek the choice of the group leader to accept them in the team in order to work successfully. After the group formation, the members try to keep the rules of the team simple and acceptable. It is the stage where the team meets to discuss about the task they are going to deal with and the goals of doing it. In this stage the team members work in together to form the task and try to show their best behavior and capability. However, they are too focused on their individual needs and benefits. The matured members tend to succeed faster on behavior motive than the less matured members. Further, there the surroundings of the place where the meeting takes pace also affects the team members behavior. The surrounding of the meeting environment also alters the actions of the team members and plays an importa nt role in this initial phase of team building. If the environment is too friendly and easily adaptable then the team members will easily gel up with each other. Finally, the team needs to decide the task they will do to move to next stage and avoid conflicts regarding any topic (Betts and Healy 2015). Storming It is a stage after the formation of the group and decision of the group members actions. In this stage, the team member after analyzing the behavior of their fellow mates can raise their voice if someone is trying to dominate or escapes from doing a task. They can also question the decision taken by the team leader without consulting the other members. This stage requires the team to solve all types of problems and disagreements they are facing in their group in order to move successfully with their goals and topic. However, in this stage it is also realize that there is a scope of reentering in case there are some clashes arising in the later stages of team building. On the other hand, there are also cases where the teams are so supportive that they directly jumps from stage one to stage two. Thus, this shows that the effect and duration of the storming stage varies from one group to another. The team must first analyze the tolerance level of their members to question them in the s torming stage as teams that lack patience fail to succeed in future. Thus, in the end of this phase each member will be able to understand each other and participate in the teamwork more comfortably (Woodcock 2017). Norming The next phase where the team enters after crossing the storming stage successfully is the norming stage. This stage displays the spirit of the team to work together after solving all the clashes. Coming to this stage is only possible if each member of the team realize the importance of competition that it might face in order to succeed unexpectedly (Heinz, K., 2014). Thus, this stage makes it visible the efforts that the team is putting to achieve their goals and the ambitious motive they hold. The realization of the amount of competition from other teams makes them tolerate everything and work with zeal to succeed. Moreover, this stage is witnessed by a free flow of data in the group without any hindrances. There is a feeling of openness and sharing between group members as they work for the betterment of the team as a whole. However, this phase is also backed up by the sense of fear of untying among the group members (Putnam 2014). Thus, this might stop them from taking up any cha nges. Performing This stage is the fourth stage that a team might gain after crossing the other three stages successfully. It is seen that if the team is able to reach this stage then they there is a strong bond in the team and they were able to resolve all kinds of clashes. In this stage, teams are interdependent on each other for all their activities and prefer taking each others view before pursuing with a task (Yang 2014). Along with this, they also support each others view and this enables them to move faster with the team task. Thus, this shows that this stage helps in the development of personal relationships along with effective problem solving capabilities. The people are now become more leaned towards task and people of the team. There is an evident development of unity in the team with high group identity, moral and loyalty. Group moral and loyalty is one positive factor embedded in team that allows the team to perform better and stand out from other competing teams. Thus, it is seen that stage four allows the members to show their performance on the task with the team spirit that they have developed while crossing the other stages. Adjourning: A team achieves this final stage after successful completion of other stages. The final stage adjourning is the time when the team separates after completion of task. This is the time when all the team members separate themselves from the task behavior and from any kind of relationships with the task members. This is the concluding stage as all the activities get over after performing the task. However, it might lead to some apprehension about the group or the task. It is also a regression stage where there is termination of group control as well as group inclusion. Thus, it is the finalize stage where all the work related to the task is completed and the group members departs from the group and their responsibility. This stage is also not approachable easily by a group as they need to cross the first three phase successfully and perform the task effectively to reach to the final stage. However, it might happen that the group, which fails to achieve stage 3 directly, separates from t heir teammates and comes to stage five of adjourning (Griffith and Yombo 2015). Thus, from the above discussion it is seen that the five stages group development model suggested by TUCKMAN is very effective in evaluating the stages of growth in a team. Professional Objectives Report Manage the use of time and other resources to complete project IDEAS CONNECTIONS EXTENSIONS Identifying the goals At first our team identified the goals that we wanted to make a boat, a flag, a logo in our social club. We designed out the time for each task with the help of a timeline. Our aim was to submit the task in time without missing any credentials of the work. This required us to deal with unexpected circumstances by dividing the team members with certain individual duties. Some of the members were assigned with the boat task, while others were with logo and flag. Identification of individual needs Then our team planned the task for the boat building and other activities one by one and organized a meeting to allot the work among the team members according to their skills and needs. Team members were advised to come prepared for the meeting with all the necessary equipments such as the chart papers for making the things and the layout of the boat, flag and logo. The task was divided among the members according to their skills that helped in personal development as well. This in turn proved to be a positive point for the team and the task as everyone got the task in which they excelled. Preparation for project completion After the completion of the meeting we planned out the resources to be used in the team work among memebre which offered the best design for particular things and incorporated them effectively within a structured timeline. This was done for successful completion of the task. All the members of the team participated in the discussions effectively in order to move according to the timeline that was prepared. Identification of available resources However, the prepared timeline has some loopholes as we failed to incorporate certain events such as the break time, uncertain circumstances. These tasks were incorporated later as these events might have interrupted the task. Multiple task was balanced according to the needs and important which helped us tom compete with the time needs. Reallocate resources when necessary and adjust the time After the formulation of the timeline, our team move forward with the task of building and met with certain constraints such as some people fell sick, while some was unable to do the task nicely in the initial period. These constraints were sorted immediately before we proceeded with the work. Our team was able to manage the time affectively by systematic management within the team. Table 1: Time management for boat, flag and logo building and social club Source: (Taylan et. al. 2014, Maier, and Branzei 2014) Communicate clearly and concisely with the audience It is vital to develop a proper idea, build connection and extension with the audience. Identifying the needs of the audience is the most fundamental element in communicating with them. It is necessary to consider the requirements and needs of the audience in achieving the optimal effect. Interaction with the help of various presentation formats also helps in building connection with the audience. It is important to adapt the existing presentation styles to fulfill the needs of the new audience. Using proper vocabulary and the terms appropriately and correctly will also help us to develop good relationship with the audience. Simple and lucid language must be used while communicating with the audience so that it becomes easy for them to understand the basis of their interaction i.e. building a boat, social activities, making a logo and joining the social club (Stock Mahoney and Carney 2013). It is necessary to adapt a particular style, vocabulary and tone while communicating with the new targeted audience for joining the social club. One should not use jargons and it must be assumed that others understand the theme or the subject very easily. It is vital to select the best method in building the boat or making a logo so that they properly understand it. We also asked questions to the audience to check their level of understanding and also explain it in different ways if they failed to answer them. The audience must also be encouraged to exchange their views and ideas and sometimes even address the small and unpopular issues in an assertive way (Levi 2015). The most vital aspect of effective communication is to think before speaking out in the public. This will help to convey the idea concisely and it will also be easier for the audience to follow them. Providing correct and necessary supporting information while communicating with the audience is important in this aspect. By using varied social contexts with different expectations related to the communication st yle, it is important to stay focused on the particular topic and communicate with the audience. Thus, it is important to communicate in a strategic direction with the audience (Wood et. al. 2014) Creation of effective work relationship within the team Effective communication within the team members will help in the creation of healthy work relationship. It will be easier to communicate how we feel about the team or communicate the passion via open meetings. This is considered as one of the best approach of communicating with the team members. The team members shared their ideas and viewpoints in the open meetings and this helped in the successful implementation of the project such as making a logo, building the boat and engaging in various social activities. Moreover, the team members were also encouraged through formal and informal team activities in all these social activities. The leaders arranged team outings which encouraged the team members to feel a part of the team and thus develop a good relationship with the team mates. We also rewarded the team members who made excellent contribution in building the boat, making the logo or engaging themselves in varied social activities. It is also important to demonstrate to the team members that we are accountable to them by being responsible and reliable (Dyer and Dyer 2013). Each one of us should try to be a role model by doing the best possible work always and at all times. This will help in developing the trust among the team members. It is also vital to look at the positive side and recognize the team work. Moreover, it is also vital to listen to the team members what they say about others and the project in a non-judgmental manner. The most vital element that is important and essential while working in team is developing mutual respect within the members. Everyone in the team must be treated equally and this will help in maintaining proper relationship with others as well as help to complete these projects completely. Active listening skills must also be developed within the team members and this will help in the successful implementation in building the boat, engaging in various social activities or making a logo. Regular contact and communication with t he team members is important to maintain proper relationship (Miller 2015). Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that team building is not an easy task. Various types of problems and steps need to be dealt successfully in order to be an effective team. The team development model recommended by TUCMAN is very true in the real life teamwork. There are these five stages of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning which a team needs to cross in order to come up with the best task. However, a team also needs to manage the time of the work, maintain perfect team interaction and creation of affective work relationship. References Betts, S. and Healy, W., 2015. Having a Ball Catching on to Teamwork: An Experiential Learning Approach to Teaching the Phases of Group Development.Academy of Educational Leadership Journal,19(2), p.1. Dyer, W.G. and Dyer, J.H., 2013.Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance. John Wiley Sons. Griffith, B. and Yombo, B.N., 2015. Keep the Momentum Going: A Project Managers Plan to Sustaining High Team Performance on Time-Sensitive Projects. Heinz, K., 2014. Multicultural team conflict management.Securitologia, (1 (19)), pp.117-128. Humphrey, S.E. and Aime, F., 2014. Team microdynamics: Toward an organizing approach to teamwork.Academy of Management Annals,8(1), pp.443-503. Levi, D., 2015.Group dynamics for teams. Sage Publications. Maier, E.R. and Branzei, O., 2014. On time and on budget: Harnessing creativity in large scale projects.International Journal of Project Management,32(7), pp.1123-1133. Miller, B.C., 2015.Quick team-building activities for busy managers: 50 exercises that get results in just 15 minutes. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Putnam, S.P., 2014.Management Styles in Relationship to Small Group Output: Let's Standardize Management Practices(Doctoral dissertation). Raes, E., Kyndt, E., Decuyper, S., Van den Bossche, P. and Dochy, F., 2015. An exploratory study of group development and team learning.Human Resource Development Quarterly,26(1), pp.5-30. Scherrer, J.L., Olco?, K., Butterfield, A.K. and Kebede, W., 2016. Bringing experiential educational groups to the United States: an analysis of group development in an international travel and study program.Social Work Education,35(6), pp.693-705. Stock, R., Mahoney, E. and Carney, P.A., 2013. Measuring team development in clinical care settings.Fam Med,45(10), pp.691-700. Taylan, O., Bafail, A.O., Abdulaal, R.M. and Kabli, M.R., 2014. Construction projects selection and risk assessment by fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methodologies.Applied Soft Computing,17, pp.105-116. Wood, M., Chen, P., Fu, K., Cagan, J. and Kotovsky, K., 2014. The role of design team interaction structure on individual and shared mental models. InDesign Computing and Cognition'12(pp. 209-226). Springer, Dordrecht. Woodcock, M., 2017.Team development manual. Routledge. Yang, I., 2014. What makes an effective team? The role of trust (dis) confirmation in team development.European Management Journal,32(6), pp.858-869.

Religion As A Captor Essays - Dubliners, James Joyce, Dublin

Religion As A Captor A collection of short stories published in 1907, Dubliners, by James Joyce, revolves around the everyday lives of ordinary citizens in Dublin, Ireland (Freidrich 166). According to Joyce himself, his intention was to "write a chapter of the moral history of [his] country and [he] chose Dublin for the scene because the city seemed to [b]e the centre of paralysis" (Friedrich 166). True to his goal, each of the fifteen stories are tales of disappointment, darkness, captivity, frustration, and flaw. The book is divided into four sections: childhood, adolescence, maturity, and public life (Levin 159). The structure of the book shows that gradually, citizens become trapped in Dublin society (Stone 140). The stories portray Joyce's feeling that Dublin is the epitome of paralysis and all of the citizens are victims (Levin 159). Although each story from Dubliners is a unique and separate depiction, they all have similarities with each other. In addition, because the first three stories ? The Sisters, An Encounter, and Araby parallel each other in many ways, they can be seen as a set in and of themselves. The purpose of this essay is to explore one particular similarity in order to prove that the childhood stories can be seen as specific section of Dubliners. By examining the characters of Father Flynn in The Sisters, Father Butler in An Encounter, and Mangan's sister in Araby, I will demonstrate that the idea of being held captive by religion is felt by the protagonist of each story. In this paper, I argue that because religion played such a significant role in the lives of the middle class, it was something that many citizens felt was suffocating and from which it was impossible to get away. Each of the three childhood stories uses religion to keep the protagonist captive. In The Sisters, Father Flynn plays an important role in making the narrator feel like a prisoner. Mr. Cotter's comment that "... a young lad [should] run about and play with young lads of his own age..." suggests that the narrator has spent a great deal of time with the priest. Even in death, the boy can not free himself from the presence of Father Flynn (Stone 169) as is illustrated in the following passage: "But the grey face still followed me. It murmured; and I understood that it desired to confess something. I felt my soul receding into some pleasant and vicious region; and there again I found it waiting for me". The boy feels the need to get away from the priest, but this proves to be impossible. When he ran away into his "pleasant and vicious region", the priest was still there?haunting him. In fact, even before the narrator is thoroughly convinced that the priest is dead, he is worried that Father Flynn will haunt him (Stone 169): "In the dark of my room I imagined that I saw again the heavy grey face of the paralytic. I drew the blankets over my head and tried to think of Christmas". These passages convey the idea that the boy was afraid of the priest and felt somewhat freed by his death. This is further proven when the boy, after having seen the card announcing the death of the priest, thinks it "strange that neither [he] nor the day seemed in a mourning mood and [he] even felt annoyed at discovering in [him]self a sensation of freedom as if [he] had been freed from something by [Father Flynn's] death". This feeling of freedom suggests that the boy understood that he was a captive of Father Flynn, and thereby, also a captive of the church. With the Father's death, perhaps the death of his captivity came as well. The idea of religious bondage can be seen in An Encounter by examining the relationship between the boys and Father Butler. When Leo Dillion is caught reading The Apache Chief in class, "everyone's heart palpitated" as Father Butler frowns and looks over the pages. Shortly thereafter, the narrator claims that "[t]his rebuke...paled much of the glory of the Wild West...But when the restraining influence of school was at a distance [he] began to hunger again for wild sensations...". This passage demonstrates the control the church has over the opinions and thoughts of the narrator. In addition, if Father Butler is considered a symbol of the church, the fear felt by the students at the prospect of his disapproval and the freedom they feel when the "restraining influence" of the church was at a distance prove the suffocating