Pleonasm Definition and Examples in English

Pleonasm is the use of more words than are necessary to make a point. Pleonasm may serve as a rhetorical strategy to emphasize an idea or image. Used unintentionally, it may also be viewed as a stylistic fault. Etymology: From the Greek, excessive, abundant Examples and Observations: The most unkindest cut of all.(William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar)In the farmhouse I saw, with my own eyes, this sight: there was a man, of young age and graceful proportion, whose body had been torn limb from limb. The torso was here, an arm there, a leg there. . . .All this I saw with my own eyes, and it was the most fearsome sight I ever witnessed. (Michael Chrichton, Eaters of the Dead. Random House, 1976)These terrible things I have seen with my own eyes, and I have heard with my own ears, and touched with my own hands.(Isabel Allende, City of the Beasts. Rayo, 2002)As a rhetorical figure, [a pleonasm] gives an utterance an additional semantic dimension, as in Hamlets dictum about his father: He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again (Shakespeare. Hamlet, I.2.186-187), where man contains the semantic markers ( human) and ( male) contained in father and he, but according to the context it has the specific meaning ideal man.(Heinrich F. Plett, Ple onasm, in Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford Univ. Press, 2001)pleonasm. Term in rhetoric for repetition or superfluous expression. Hence, in grammar, a category is sometimes said to be represented pleonastically if it is realized by more than one affix, word, etc.(P.H. Matthews, Oxford Concise Dictionary of Linguistics. Oxford Univ. Press, 1997)Ears pierced while you wait.I forgot my PIN number for the ATM machine.Many tautological (or tautologous) expressions occur in everyday usage. The tautology in some is immediately apparent: all well and good; to all intents and purposes; cool, calm, and collected . . .. In others, it is less obvious, because they contain archaic elements: by hook or by crook.(Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford Univ. Press, 1992)George Carlins Department of Pleonasms and RedundanciesI needed a new beginning, so I decided to pay a social visit to a personal friend with whom I share the same mutual objectives and who is one of the most unique individuals I have ever personally met. The end result was an un ­expected surprise. When I reiterated again to her the fact that I needed a fresh start, she said I was exactly right; and, as an added plus, she came up with a fi ­nal solution that was absolutely perfect.Based on her past experience, she felt we needed to join together in a com ­mon bond for a combined total of twenty-four hours a day, in order to find some new initiatives. What a novel innovation! And, as an extra bonus, she presented me with the free gift of a tuna fish. Right away I noticed an immedi ­ate positive improvement. And although my recovery is not totally complete, the sum total is I feel much better now knowing I am not uniquely alone.(George Carlin, Count the Superfluous Redundant Pleonastic Tautologies. When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? Hyperion, 2004)Dougan uses many words where few would do, as if pleonasm were a way of wringing every possibility out of the material he has, and stretching sentences a form of spreading the word.(Paula Cocozza, review of How Dynamo Kiev Beat the Luftwaffe, in The Independent, March 2, 2001)Its dà ©jà   vu all over again.(attributed to Yogi Berra) See also: BattologyCommon RedundanciesGeorge Carlins Essential DrivelRedundancyRepetitionTautology

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - 970 Words

Unbeknownst to some people, a graphic novel can be a very powerful vehicle for communicating a message of great seriousness and importance. In France in 2003, the Iranian-born writer and illustrator, Marjane Satrapi, published her internationally acclaimed autobiographical comic, â€Å"Persepolis.† The novel chronicles her childhood in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that were overshadowed by the displacement of the Shah’s regime, the Islamic Revolution, and war with Iraq. The French contemporary graphic novel explores, from Satrapi’s standpoint, the ways in which Iranian politics of that time disrupted everyday-life and instigated a time of tribulation and suppression for the people of Iran. By using a minimal amount of text in a†¦show more content†¦For example, during the Islamic revolution, the political landscape was largely defined by suppression, violence, and conflict between fundamentalists and protesters. The authority used religion to justify the edicts and restrictions they established to expunge the moral and cultural â€Å"decadence† from society, which in turn suppressed the people and infringed upon their individual rights (4). In response, the people used violence to either support or protest the revolution, depending on the person. From the middle of the book to the conclusion, Satrapi focused more on the conditions and circumstances that the Iran-Iraq war brought about and how they affected Iran’s political landscape. The bombings of the war resulted in suffering and death, while it also created anxiety desperation, and fear, a fear that you or a loved one could die at any moment. People responded by stocking up on food and water, even fighting with one another over food. In one illustration in the book, Marjane and her mother go to the grocery store to buy more rice, but when they arrive they see that the store has barely any food left, and the one bag of rice remaining is being fought over by two other women (87). Another effect the war had on people was abandonment of faith. This is exemplified when the maid fretted about the message the school sent her son, about sacrificing oneself for the cause and the reward one willShow MoreRelatedPersepolis : Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis1756 Words   |  8 P agesPersepolis is a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, this graphic novel was based on the eyes of a Ten year old that experiences all types of emotions before and after the Islamic revolution, the oppression from the leaders. This novel gives us a brief on the history of Iran and their leaders, to the Embassy being taken over, via how they weren’t allowed to party. They also experience prohibition just like the United States in the 1920-1933 and like many countries they didn’t have any freedom. In theRead MorePersepolis, By Marjane Satrapi1456 Words   |  6 PagesPersepolis, is a biographical visual novel written by an Iranian woman who decided to tell her story of growing up during a war that was tearing the social structures of her country apart. The author Marjane Satrapi, gives the reader interesting commentary on how the government of Iran has brainwashed her peers, starting as early as elementary school, into becoming a sexist, manipulable, and religiously misg uided generation. As told by Satrapi, for the first few years of her childhood, the citizensRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1646 Words   |  7 Pages Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis is an expressive memoir of her growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, the fall of the Shah’s regime and the Iran-Iraq War. Unlike conventional memoirs, she uses the black-and-white comic book form to find her identity through politics and her personal experiences in Iran and it has become effective and relevant in today’s society because she is a normal person that has had to live through extreme circumstances. Marjane has contributed to a wholeRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1314 Words   |  6 PagesPersepolis is an autobiography of Marjane Satrapi’s childhood in her native Iran. She writes about being a child in Iran through the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. As Satrapi recounts stories of her youth, one can observe that th e Iran-Iraq war and the Iranian revolution are the central events driving the entire story. When the revolution and war happens, the dynamics of the book change completely. War creates a sense of unity and nationalism. Marjane shows a large contrast between herRead MoreAnalysis Of Persepolis By Marjane Satrapi1336 Words   |  6 Pagesthe graphic novel of Persepolis. Not only were Muslim women constantly judged by what they wore but they were also told how to act, what to think and how to raise their families. First of all by telling a woman what to wear is limiting their few rights they owned. It seems as if it destroys the individuality of a women. However the Muslim regime thinks differently and believes, it should be mandatory for women to wear the veil in order to follow their religion. Marjane Satrapi as the narrator demonstratesRead More Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Essay3583 Words   |  15 PagesGrowing Up Satrapi It is hard to tell the story of a â€Å"typical† youth and it is hard to write a story that relates to experiences in everyone’s lives, but this is exactly what Marjane Satrapi accomplished in her memoir. Persepolis is the story of a child’s growth from preteen to adult. The specific challenges that Satrapi faces are unique to her situation, but we can ask whether they accurately portray the psychological development that children go through. Do her reactions to situations resembleRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1501 Words   |  7 Pages The Iranian author of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, narrates a Bildungsroman showing her growth and development in Iran, as well as a memoir, showing the historical events in Iran. She discusses historical events like the Islamic revolution in 1979, which made it compulsory for the Iranian females to wear veils. Satrapi’s life story is mainly set in Iran, where she shows readers the strict, controlling and oppressive government the Iranians live under as well as the importance of clothing and bodyRead MoreThe Complete Persepolis By Marjane Satrapi Essay2019 Words   |  9 Pagesaffected the views of Iranians by other nations. The graphic novel, The Complete Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi (Satrapi, 2003), conveys many of these events and changes through the eyes of a child growing up in the 1980s in Iran. Satrapi’s main p urpose for this book is to describe how the Iranian government was corrupt, causing foreign nations to have a tainted view of all Iranian citizens. The Complete Persepolis does so by presenting major events and changes in a manner that is directed towardsRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1728 Words   |  7 PagesMarjane Satrapi deliberately uses an interesting layout usually used in successful comic books that convey deep messages. The layout of the graphics in Persepolis include elements such as panels, gutters, and graphic weight. The panels, or distinct segments of a comic containing a combination of images and texts, provide transitions that are instantaneous and direct. For example, on page seven, Satrapi uses a panel to show an innocent conversation with her grandmother about the rules she will assignRead MoreThe Complete Persepolis By Marjane Satrapi2268 Words   |  10 Pages Review of Literature While I will pull from other sources, the main focus of this paper will be The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Throughout this graphic novel, Satrapi tells her life story and what it was like growing up in Iran. In the opening illustrations, she describes her childhood and her transition from a secular school to one that was religious and separated by gender. At this time it had become law for a woman to wear the veil, or head scarf when in public. Iran transitioned

Essay on Gnosticism Free Essays

Gnostic’s beliefs were so radical the church tried to eradicate any trace of them. They believed that god did not intend to create the physical universe because he would not create a place with imperfections, suffering and hurt. They believe god’s divine essence came out of him to fill existence. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay on Gnosticism or any similar topic only for you Order Now The essence mutated to form aeons, which were beings less than god and imperfect, but still had some of his divine powers. They lived together in the spiritual realm of pleroma. One aeon, named sophia, went out to find knowledge and wisdom. She tried to be like god and create a being, but since she wasn’t as powerful, the being was flawed and evil. His name was demiurge, and in his flaws, thought he was the supreme god, then he created this physical universe corrupted by his own evil. So we as his creations are also flawed. This explains why there is pain in the world when god is pure and good. Dualism While humans are flawed, they still have enough of the divine spark to recognise the difference between good and evil. Demiurge and his slaves the archons know that most people are unaware of the spark. If they knew, they could be freed from the pain and suffering of demiurge’s universe. To escape his universe, humans must realize their divine spark, and nurture it during a process called gnosis. People like jesus christ, the prophet mani, and seth, the third child of adam and eve were considered messengers of light who would come to earth to help people awaken their sparks. Some people are so far gone from the spark that it’s lost on them. These people are some of the most evil in history. Since the early church couldn’t fit these ideas in with the old testament or apostolistic writings, they were rejected. Gnostics believed the material world was corrupt. Some took this to mean the body is also corrupt, so they could freely indulge in fleshly desires. The majority however, strictly disciplined themselves to avoid all fleshly desires. This created internal conflict about how how jesus christ could be the physical embodiment of god. Some gnostics thought christ only looked like a physical form. Others believed jesus was a real man and that the christ spirit entered and left the jesus body. As for the resurrection, they cannot come to a united consensus about that either. Some say the spirit abandoned jesus to die on the cross alone, others say someone took jesus’ place and died for him. The general idea was that the crucifixion was a spiritual event, and made up their own details about it at their leisure. Parts of gnostic ideas existed before the early church was established. Its thought that other gnostic manuscripts were directly reactionary of writings and oral teachings of orthodox history based christianity. This is mostly due to the fact that at the time, spreading the intended information was difficult. Some of the apostolistic writings didn’t reach everywhere, and other writings that were left out of the new testament were accepted instead. Valentinus was the founder of gnostic christianity. He knew that unless he presented himself to have received instructions from the apostle Paul that he would be ignored by early churchgoers. Him and others like him are thought to be the â€Å"wolves in sheeps clothing† Paul and other apostles warn about. His writings come from 2nd century AD or later. Almost all of the books in the new testament were written by then, and several gnostic texts allude to them. To stave off the influence of his false teachings, late 2nd century orthodox leaders were motivated to write more books disproving him. Early church leaders discredited gnostic teachings because they did not align with the original old testament and apostle teachings and because they were written over a hundred years after the original texts, were more likely to contain misinformation. Orthodox leaders feared that gnostic leaders were trying to deceive the disciples by claiming that knowledge could make them more like god. â€Å"The three main results of the battle with Gnosticism were an increased emphasis on apostolic succession, the tightening of the church hierarchy and the definition of the Scriptural canon. One way to counter the inventions of the Gnostics was to show that as a church leader you had the truth because you had been trained and commissioned by a man who was trained and commissioned by a man who had been trained and commissioned by an apostle who had been trained and commissioned by Christ: thus the church developed the idea of apostolic succession.† Gnosticism has been so widely rejected because early christians held very strongly to their beliefs. Theirs was and still is a religion back by years of written accounts, and proof for them to hold on to, as opposed to gnostics, whose religion is loosely based on the old testament and altered on a whim. Works cited â€Å"Gnosticism: Beliefs Symbols | Study.Com†. Study.Com, 2018, https://study.com/academy/lesson/gnosticism-beliefs-symbols.html. Accessed 24 Apr 2018. Graves, Dan. â€Å"Gnosticism†. Christianity.Com, 2018, https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/gnosticism-11629621.html. Accessed 24 Apr 2018. How to cite Essay on Gnosticism, Essays