The bond between Huck and Jim displays fraternal elements. The component of brotherly protection and care shows itself when Huck defends Jim from the men on the raft by telling them that no black men are with him.

"'Is your man white or black?' I didn't answer up prompt. I tried to, but the words wouldn't come. I tried for a second or two to brace up and out with it, but I warn't man enough--hadn't the spunk of a rabbit. I see I was weakening; so I just give up trying, and up and says: "He"s white'" (Twain 89).

The magnificent level of trust within a fraternal connection is reflected in Huck and Jim's relationship when Huck assures his companion that he will not tell anyone about Jim running away. "Well, I did. I said I wouldn't, and I'll stick to it. Honest injun, I will" (43). The repetition of the promise that Huck will not tell anyone and keep Jim's secret, further emphasizes the trust between the two and the genuineness of their brother-like relationship.

The anti-institutional boy and the runaway slave's affiliation exhibit some father-son features. The quality of eternal love present in a paternal relationship comes through when Jim describes his feelings when Huck was lost out in the river. "When I got all wore out with work, en wid de callin' for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos' broke bekase you wuz los', en I didn't k'yer no' mo' what become er me en da raf'" (85). Jim uses a common image of a "broken heart" to describe the emotional tear he felt throughout this confusion. The image of the "broken heart" is a powerful one and the love behind it could only be expressed in a paternalistic correlation. The protection and safety sought out by fathers for their sons is a magnificent part of any fatherly relationship. Jim mocks this struggle to keep Huck safe when the two come across a dead body in the floating house. Jim tries to protect Huck from the sight of the body, fearing Huck's emotional and psychological disposition just like a real father. "It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face--it's too gashly" (50). These elements of a paternal relationship are present and shown within the relationship of Huck and Jim.

The interracial connection between Huck and Jim is nothing like that of the time, as both Huck and Jim are tolerant toward each other at the least. The reverse of societal rolls as master and slave reverses when Huck "humbles himself" to Jim. At this time in history, a white male no matter how old would never feel this way towards a black person. Huck essentially states that he cares about Jim no matter what color his skin is. "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't every sorry for it afterward neither" (86). Also within the same passage, Huck mentally apologizes to Jim and feels sorry for the emotional stress Huck put over Jim. "I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd "a" knowed it would make him feel that way" (86). Huck realizes that Jim was very scared and detached over Huck' trick; Huck is sorry for the grief and states that he would have never done it if he knew Jim would feel this way. Huck's simple, guilt-stricken thoughts toward Jim reflect the tolerance the two show toward each other's skin color. The generalization and common ethics of society do not influence the way Huck and Jim feel about each other.

Different types of relationships, fraternal, paternal, and tolerant, show through in the close bond between Huck and Jim. Many may argue that the relationships between Huck and Jim go only as far as that of two traveling companions escaping to the same place and nothing deeper. However, Jim graciously fills the absence of a true friend and an authoritative, paternal figure throughout Huck's life and the runaway slave is perfect for the missing characters. Jim, lacking a brother and a trusted friend in his life, unites well with Huck because the two desperately need each other. Their relationships are mutual; the two men give each other exactly what the other needs most.

Henry Adams has a sound, moral character.  His honest character becomes apparent when he says he has “nothing to depend upon but [his] wits and a clean reputation” (Twain 103).  This clean reputation shows that he is a good person who can be trusted easily.  Character is extremely important when it comes to trusting someone.  His honest character also becomes obvious when he is chosen for the brothers’ experiment, because the first line of their letter reads: “You are an intelligent and honest man, as one may see by your face” (106).  The brothers want an honest person, and that is why they choose Henry.  Their decision to choose him for their experiment is based on the fact that they can tell he has to right character for it just by looking at him.  Henry’s good character is so obvious that even strangers can see it.

Henry Adams is intelligent and puts his intelligence to good use.  He is very smart when he comes up with his plan to bring Portia with him to ask the brothers for his salary.  He says to Portia, “You’re so beautiful and so lovely and so winning, that with you there I can pile our salary up till I break those good old fellows and they’ll never have the heart to struggle” (115).  Henry realizes that he has spent a lot of money and hopes to be able to receive enough money from the brothers so he can pay back all of his debts.  He thinks that if he has a woman as beautiful as Portia with him, the brothers will not be able to refuse his requested salary.  Henry shows he can manipulate people into believing that he is something that he’s not, and then makes them feel ignorant for judging him so quickly: “My friend, you shouldn’t judge a stranger always by the clothes he wears.  I am quite able to pay for this suit; I simply didn’t wish to put you to the trouble of changing a large note” (108).  Henry knows the clerk thinks he is poor because of the way he dresses.  However, he makes the clerk realize his ignorance when he pulls out his £1,000,000 bank note.  With the help of his intelligence, Henry is able to achieve a happiness he never thought he could.

As a result of his honesty and intelligent industry, Henry finds happiness beyond measure.  He attends a dinner party at Lloyd Hastings’ house and he met “an English girl of twenty-two, named Portia Langham, whom [he] fell in love with in two minutes, and she with [him]” (112).  He met a girl whom he fell in love with, and he would not have done so if he had not gone to meet Hastings in England.  Because Henry is so in love with Portia, he finds it extremely important to be completely honest with her from the start.  He lets her know at the beginning that he is not actually rich, and that he just happens to have gotten lucky in being chosen to participate in a bet between two brothers.  Henry loves that Portia “could be so cheerful when there wasn’t anything to be cheerful about” (115).  She laughs when there is nothing to laugh about, and that makes Henry the happiest man in the world.  Portia’s cheerful nature makes him realize what a great wife she would make for him, because that is exactly the kind of woman he needs.  Honesty plays an important role in their relationship because it needs to have a solid foundation before they become married.

Willy Loman's gluttonous perception of the American Dream eradicates his sense of integrity and compassion. Instead, Willy acquires an irritating and snobbish sense of pride and ego that leads to his ultimate psychological downfall (Kennedy 37). His new persona is evident in situations where Willy chooses to be immoral and make rash, illogical decisions. He condones Biff's consistent thefts and unwillingness to achieve honorable grades in high school. Willy also repays those who help him most with a sharp ray of contempt (Kennedy 37). For example, Charley was always prepared to loan out a lump sum of money towards Willy, but Willy was never able to treat Charley in a kind and loving manner. This vulgar and harsh personality is constructed by society, who installed these unachievable dreams into Willy's brain through false hope and propaganda. Our machine civilization deprives people of their real identities by putting more focus on societal status rather than on praiseworthy deeds (Martin). The villain of society uses advertising to drill the need for mundane and materialistic novelties into our cranium (Foster). Without a sense of direction from Willy's deceased father, Willy has become utterly consumed in materialism. Thus, materialism is an addiction that makes Willy's entire life a tragedy in which he can never “harmonize his dreams with responsibilities (Foster).”

This addiction reached out further than trinkets and vacuum cleaners, and into using women for their sexuality. Willy treated women in the same way he treated any new appliance or material good. He only seeks out “companionship” from women to satisfy his personal ego, not to satisfy sexual desires (Domina). This intense desire to illustrate a reality where Willy experiences loyalty and respect is fading away because of Willy's incapacity to become a flourishing salesman. In Willy's powerlessness to grow or change, he desperately seeks refuge in the propaganda of the media, which strips Willy of his individuality and sense of purpose (Martin). Willy's lost sense of hope and individuality is most symbolized by the nearby construction of apartments that stand for the “crushing of freedom, of individuality, and most of all love (Lawrence 57).” Willy would rather give up his life than lose his false and trivial image (Bettina). His failure to achieve the American Dream did result in the break up of a man, but rather in the ideal of the American Dream (Bettina). Willy was trapped in by the expectations and status that do not correspond in the cruel realities of the harsh labor market (Murphy). Willy dug himself into an enormous hole from which he could not possibly climb out and discover that the “common man is liable to arouse only pity as a poor fool in terror for his life unless he is allowed an understanding that his revolt is towards ends which have a specific chance of attainment (Martin).” Willy represents the fool in all of us and what we can become if we succumb to the materialistic values of society.

Willy Loman's unmistakable deficiency to accept his failure of the American Dream has put an overbearing burden of shame on the rest of his family. Shame is the consequence given by life when we fall short of our expected goals (Ribkoff). Willy's “vision of success perpetuates crippling feelings of inferiority and inadequacy that drove to destroy himself” as well as the future of his sons. Biff, in particular, has suffered through the immense shame derived from his father's failed dream (Ribkoff). Early in his life, Biff's entire perception of self-worth was completely dependent on his father's devotion towards him. Biff's reliance for his father's respect creates a huge backlash when Biff makes the surprise visit to his father in a Boston hotel (Ribkoff). In seeking out his father for answers to his problems, Biff uncovers his father's inability to cope with failure, when he sees that his father is using a woman's sexuality to cover up his shame. The woman was a desperate attempt to salvage Willy's self-esteem and coat over Willy's weakness and inadequacy of being a salesman (Ribkoff). His first reaction to the philandering characteristics of his father lets the audience come to the conclusion that “Biff inherits from his father an extreme sense of self-worth dependent on the perception of others (Ribkoff).” This “fragile sense of identity” galvanizes confusion and chaos propelling Biff to “steal his way out of every job since high school (Ribkoff).”

Both Willy and Biff are powerless “in the face of shame”, and shame distorted their sense of purpose and reality. Thus, developing an illusion constructed by the false propaganda of the media in society (Ribkoff). In Biff's journey through jails and ranches in the West, he realizes his horrific revelation about his father creates a unique situation where Biff can build his character using addition by subtraction. Biff's shocking discovery permits him to achieve a state of emotional balance by finally confronting shame (Ribkoff). In Dealing with shame, Biff acquires empathy. Empathy is the unconscious method of being put in someone else's shoes and “feeling for them (Ribkoff).” Empathy is, more importantly, the ultimatum that gives Biff the skill and mental toughness to overthrow the tyrannical powers of shame. Unlike Biff's past episodes of feeling he was superior to those were smaller or less fortunate, he now has humbled himself and has a vital sense of compassion for others (Ribkoff). The feeling of empathy is the resultant from the long adventures in the deep gallows underneath shame. Willy, unlike his son, has lost all sensation of any kind of empathy for others. Biff courageously tries to rekindle Willy's cold heart by truthfully confronting his father about Willy's problems (Ribkoff). Biff's ultimate goal was to not be condemned by his father, but rather have his father acquire even the slightest bit of empathy for him. Instead, Willy's burden of shame has blinded him to the truth and has left his family in deep emotional shambles, despite Biff's heroic last ditch attempt to save his family from an utter collapse.

Willy Loman's malfunction not to accept his collapse as a businessman and his inability to father his sons is influenced by several characters and scenarios that lead Willy down a stray path. Willy's brother, Ben, was the father figure for Willy during his childhood. Ben experienced phenomenal wealth and riches through cut-throat and ruthless manners of obtaining highly sought after gold in Alaska and precious diamonds from Africa. These immoral methods of achieving financial success boiled over into Willy's life. Willy condones Biff's instinctive nature to steal and encourages Biff to cheat on tests instead of spending time studying, thus creating a lapse in Biff's judgment that causes him to experience immense failure in his adulthood. Ben's constant interventions throughout the play allocate the audience to depict Willy's struggle with self-consciousness and Willy's lack of confidence in himself to make rational choices in life (Bettina). Willy always turns to Ben when looking for answers to his problems. Ben symbolizes cheap and easy money that Willy longs for everyday of his pathetic, lonesome life (Bettina). Biff's natural athletic ability to football falsely inspires Willy to become a role model for his star-studded son. Biff puts great confidence and faith in his father, which becomes a vital let down when Biff surprisingly joins his father in a Boston hotel. Upon his arrival, Biff instantaneously realizes that his father has cheated his entire family by being unfaithful to hi mother and that Willy provided false testimony about his fame and greatness as a northeastern salesman (Domina). The causation subsequently after the event knots Willy into an optical reality where integrity and morality have no place and Willy's decisions are based solely on protecting the fantastical imaginations of Willy's has high status in society.

Willy is completely stuck in this impossible “situation” and “that it has lost touch with values which should never be relegated only to the personal sphere or the family unit. (Lawrence 56)” Although Willy possesses no technique or innate capacity to rid himself of this delusion, he still possesses an intense sense of idealism (Martin). This powerful aptitude pushes Willy's mind to the limit and he is able to believe that he can thrive against impossible odds (Martin). The tragedy is in that Willy used his Superman-like mental strength to hide his cracks and faults as an alternative to fighting the delusion and accepting his inept ability to become a salesman and to provide moral and financial wealth for his family. Even in death Willy is blind to the truth (Martin). “The nature of Willy Loman's death” is one of immense tragedy where sacrifice has no value. In our current modern world Willy Loman represents lyrical and fantastic dreams as well as our darkest fears (Murphy). Death of a Salesman therefore “engages us directly in social, political, and moral questions (Murphy).” All the characters possess universal human traits and are reminiscent of someone we know and love (Martin). In Biff's pursuit to run away from his problems he divulges that love and compassion are the secrets to success (Lawrence 58). Biff's epiphany of the key to success allows him to sympathize with his father who lacks respect for his family and piers. Linda Loman conveys her take on her husband, Willy, which helps Biff fully understand the devotion and compassion his father needs so badly.

I don't say he's a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He's not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person (Miller 40).

Willy acknowledges the fact that love does exist, but he and society fail to acknowledge its extraordinary demands (Lawrence 59). The reader's natural instinct to pity Willy's broken dreams is a direct correlation to our own fears (Martin). Collecting money through suicide is a social reality and is a final affirmation in a failed life (Martin). Willy Loman expresses our deepest and darkest horrors, because we would have made the same fatal decision as Willy in an attempt to salvage the small amount of pride left for our family (Martin).

In Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller develops a number of fundamental themes that are expanded with the intricate and skillful use of characterization, setting, and symbolism. The exploration of the theme of the failed “American Dream” in our success driven society had a major impact on those who believed in the “American Dream” at that time of the play's release, and it still has a profound significance for contemporary society (Murphy). The resulting shame and disillusion permanently haunted and scarred the Loman family for eternity eventually leading to Willy's futile suicide and two lost, hopeless sons. Death of a Salesman provides a “prime site for working out our deepest cultural conflicts and anxieties” and it encourages the reader to not be consumed in cultural iconography in order that we can discover a dream that we genuinely enjoy (Murphy).

The masterpiece of author Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist has been translated into 56 languages and had sold in more than 150 countries. Hold your breath; more than 70 million people all over the world had bought The Alchemist so far.

Personally, I must have bought at least a couple of hundred copies of The Alchemist and had distributed them among the faces I had cared for. There is something magical about the book, which is endearingly simple, yet highly complicated and amazingly, the complicated simplicity is what captures our imagination!

The Alchemist narrates the life of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. To conquer his yearning, he travels from his home in Spain to the markets of Tangiers and into the Egyptian desert, where a spectacular encounter with the Alchemist awaits him.

Santiago lives his life and we learn the lessons:

• Santiago meets various people and we gain the wisdom from them all
• Santiago falls in love with the desert girl and we feel the tenderness in our hearts
• Santiago gains his treasure and we gain happiness and joy!

When a writer can evoke such strong feelings in us for his character(s), he becomes Paulo Coelho and his book becomes The Alchemist!

Some pearls of wisdom from the Alchemist are as follows:

• “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it!”
• “…This payment goes well beyond my generosity”, the monk responded.
• “Don't say that again. Life might be listening, and give you less the next time.”
• “…When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
• “…When we love, we always strive to become better than we are.”
• “It's not often that money saves a person's life.”
• “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
• “…Then you'll die in the midst of trying to realize your destiny. That's a lot better than dying like millions of other people, who never even knew what their destinies were.”
• “Your eyes show the strength of your soul.”
• “Every search begins with the beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested.”
• “…The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.”
• “…Men always live their lives based on the future.”
• “…There was a language in the world which everyone understood…it was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.”
• “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”
• “There is a force that wants you to realize your destiny; it whets your appetite with a taste of success”.
• “It's the simple things in life that are the most extra-ordinary.”

The book Alchemist is the poetry in prose, verses in words and knowledge and experience presented in a capsular form! The Alchemist had made the words like dreams, journey, signs, destiny, happiness, intuition, miracles and love as an achievable and a possibility language!

The silky touch of the new book covers, the amazing trials and turbulences of the lives of the people within the colorful covers, the sheer volume of the books, the photos and the pictures, the life-long journey of the characters! There is magic in reading the books!

The sheer joy of reading a book under amiable circumstances shall probably be the best exorcist of one's own demons of problems and prejudices!

Only a lover of books can understand the meaning of being alive in the rainy season…the light chill creeping through the windows and the parapet, the steaming cup of coffee within the reach of your hands, sitting slantingly on the bed with fluffy pillows cushioning your head, a light bed sheet carelessly wrapped around your knees, the torrential rain crafting the musical melody that perfects one's mood for the reading at hand, the dark night blanketing the sky and the surroundings…rainy nights enchant the reader into reading well into the wee hours of the morning!

The spring gives you a different sort of an experience altogether! The fusion of the colors and fragrance of the grass, flowers and leaves, the dipping orange sun of the late evening, the dazzling night sky filled-in with spectacular vision of stars, people milling around late into the night…The spring demands something more than a cup of coffee to accompany the reading of any book! A light book, peppered with some hot snacks would make a wonderful accompanying combination for reading in the spring!

The winter is exclusively made for the reading! The cozy comfort of the happily crackling fire place, the complete and unconditional peace of the cold dark night, the heavy woolens draped around the body making one to snuggle well against the harsh chill, the silence, sharp and melancholy, uninterrupted and overpowering silence… no other footprints are louder than those of the footprints of the characters of your book, the footsteps roaming around the room, standing close to you, making you to feel whether it is you or them within the book and out of it!

The summer is the season of the pulsation of lights and of shining! The sharp rays of the Sun dazzle every little object it touches on! The raising mercury does not deter a serious reader from the absorption of his book! The summer months are for festivity and for bliss! The summer months are made for walking in and out of the numerous bookshops, both old and new, holding of multiple of bags, trying to collect the different kinds of books for reading now and for later too!

The habit of reading cannot be torn by the war; a dictator cannot confiscate the love of reading and the attitude for comprehension! The reading makes the mind wander into the wonderlands of magnanimous mountains and the cool splashing oceans; into the highest offices of the land and into the different terrains and weathers of the nations…the reader travels through all these fantasies, when he becomes one with his characters, while the body sits relaxed, happy and content, forgetting about the trials and turbulences of the real life and living, at least temporarily!

"We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement." (Viktor Frankl).

Frankl was a world renowned psychiatrist who was incarcerated in the Nazi concentration camps and not only lived to tell the tale, but survived with a fierce passion for the power of his mind and how that alone kept him free throughout the entire length of his imprisonment. The limitless power of a person's will to survive at all costs is exemplified in “Man's Search for Meaning” by Frankl.

Frankl's story has inspired countless lives, including my own. He has taught me that no matter how difficult, how dire one's situation may seem at any given moment the capacity of the human spirit to endure, to persevere is an endless oceanic wonderment. The only limits in any aspect of our lives are set by us and us alone. We may think that others shut doors for us, lock them and throw keys away, but there is always a window, there is always a loose nail in the hinge, there is always another way.

If one man can endure, can keep his sanity, his will to live and continue forth in life after witnesses some of the most horrific tragedies known to man and history, we are thus shown that we all can endure. We all can emerge from any trauma stronger, wiser, empowered; more alive than ever before.

Do not ever forget: A coal with enough weather, time, heat and pressure, eventually emerges as the rare immaculate, piercing diamond.

Willy Loman , a bewildered , well-intentioned , unsuccessful traveling salesman aged 63, is pleased by the return home for a visit of his sons Biff and Happy, but they are upset by his peculiar behavior and hallucinatory conversations with figures of a happier past , and they worry about the effect on Linda, their compassionate mother , who loves his husband and recognizes that his actions stem from the disparity of his “massive dreams” and a disappointing reality.

Wanting desperately to be successful and well liked, Willy had fallen victim to the false values of society and cannot cope

With her failure or that of Biff, once a high-school football hero, now moody and jobless. Linda persuades Biff to try for a good job to make his father proud , but when, with Happy , he meets his father in the restaurant where they intend to treat him to a celebration, Biff tells the truth about his ill-fated appointment and destroys Willy's hopes.

In confusion Willy goes to the washroom and relives the awful time when Biff desperately needing his help , traveled to Boston, where he discovered him with his mistress. Realizing his responsibility for Biff's aimlessness and disillusionment , Willy stumbles back to the table , only to find that the boys have deserted him for two prostitutes.

Humiliated and stunned , he returns home , fights with Biff , and then is touched by Biff's tears of concern and love .In a final hallucinatory talk with his brother Ben, once a successful self-made man, Willy decides on suicide to provide Biff with insurance money. At the funeral , which none of his business acquaintances attend , a friend points out: ”Willy was a salesman …a man …riding on a smile and a shoeshine…Nobody durst blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy.It comes with the territory.”

As an artist, Miller learned his art from two great masters of the drama: Shakespeare and Ibsen. From Shakespeare he learned the pattern of tragedy with the hero torn between illusion and reality , between an ideal and hard facts, the technique of giving dramatic body to ideas and imaginary happenings. From Ibsen he took over the interest in social problems and the constructions of the play in such a way as to study the psychological implications of these social problems on the human individual. Also from Ibsen he borrowed the idea of the well-made play with social implications and the specific blend of melodrama and tragedy.

Meaning “Death of a Salesman” to be both a realistic psychological drama and a modern version of tragedy , he organized his material in such a way to make audiences aware of the collapse of such concepts as family , parent-children relationships, moral ideas, under the pressure of a system which substituted clichés for ideals and material success for moral achievement. On the other hand the playwright meant to give them a sense of participation in a major humanly significant conflict between idealism and practical purposes.

The conflict between father and son is realized not only through their words but also through physical action and stage movement -the personages move about, run up and down the stairs, fight each other-.When Willy remains alone , external action is replaced by inner tension and conflict .Running side by side, this realistic plane , with its natural patterns of speech and colloquialism, and the symbolic on, on which Willy appears as the Father-figure , ready to lay down his life for his family , are achieved with different techniques. The latter plane is built with the help of themes and patterns , recalling Shakespearean tragedies , with the help of modern , theatrical devices :”flashback, lighting, music and, last but not least , by the rhythm of speech. One can note for instance the presence of the Shakespearean theme of human identity. Biff discovers who is he; knowing who he is helps him become himself .Biff and Willy fight over their identity. Biff says:” I'm a dime a dozen” and Willy says : “I'm Willy Loman.” The motif of dream and reality , of close space and open space are also skillfully blended into the conversation. Biff says : “Take your phony dream and burn it “, the metaphor suggesting the concreteness of Willy's dream and Willy answers with another metaphor : “The door of your life is wide open!,” suggesting that there is for Biff a future which he sees as liberation through money and success.Biff himself means something else when he speaks of “outside “and the sun which he suddenly saw in the middle of that office building .For him , liberation meant neither success, nor money , but only time to sit and smoke a cigarette , to work and to eat. The irreconcilable nature of their position is thus suggested.

In a world in which society plays the role of destiny , forcing man to worship it or be destroyed , the common man is the true hero and his name is Loman (Low Man)signifies his status.