THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS

John Steinbeck

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

Themes

The Inequality of Gender

“The Chrysanthemums” is an understated but pointed critique of a society that has no place for intelligent women. Elisa is smart, energetic, attractive, and ambitious, but all these attributes go to waste. Although the two key men in the story are less interesting and talented than she, their lives are far more fulfilling and busy. Henry is not as intelligent as Elisa, but it is he who runs the ranch, supports himself and his wife, and makes business deals. All Elisa can do is watch him from afar as he performs his job. Whatever information she gets about the management of the ranch comes indirectly from Henry, who speaks only in vague, condescending terms instead of treating his wife as an equal partner. The tinker seems cleverer than Henry but doesn’t have Elisa’s spirit, passion, or thirst for adventure. According to Elisa, he may not even match her skill as a tinker. Nevertheless, it is he who gets to ride about the country, living an adventurous life that he believes is unfit for women. Steinbeck uses Henry and the tinker as stand-ins for the paternalism of patriarchal societies in general: just as they ignore women’s potential, so too does society.

The Importance of Sexual Fulfillment

Steinbeck argues that the need for sexual fulfillment is incredibly powerful and that the pursuit of it can cause people to act in irrational ways. Elisa and Henry have a functional but passionless marriage and seem to treat each other more as siblings or friends than spouses. Elisa is a robust woman associated with fertility and sexuality but has no children, hinting at the nonsexual nature of her relationship with Henry. Despite the fact that her marriage doesn’t meet her needs, Elisa remains a sexual person, a quality that Steinbeck portrays as normal and desirable. As a result of her frustrated desires, Elisa’s attraction to the tinker is frighteningly powerful and uncontrollable. When she speaks to him about looking at the stars at night, for example, her language is forward, nearly pornographic. She kneels before him in a posture of sexual submission, reaching out toward him and looking, as the narrator puts it, “like a fawning dog.” In essence, she puts herself at the mercy of a complete stranger. The aftermath of Elisa’s powerful attraction is perhaps even more damaging than the attraction itself. Her sexuality, forced to lie dormant for so long, overwhelms her and crushes her spirit after springing to life so suddenly.

Motifs

Clothing

Elisa’s clothing changes as her muted, masculine persona becomes more feminine after the visit from the tinker. When the story begins, Elisa is wearing an androgynous gardening outfit, complete with heavy shoes, thick gloves, a man’s hat, and an apron filled with sharp, phallic implements. The narrator even describes her body as “blocked and heavy.” The masculinity of Elisa’s clothing and shape reflects her asexual existence. After speaking with the tinker, however, Elisa begins to feel intellectually and physically stimulated, a change that is reflected in the removal of her gloves. She also removes her hat, showing her lovely hair. When the tinker leaves, Elisa undergoes an almost ritualistic transformation. She strips, bathes herself, examines her naked body in the mirror, and then dresses. She chooses to don fancy undergarments, a pretty dress, and makeup. These feminine items contrast sharply with her bulky gardening clothes and reflect the newly energized and sexualized Elisa. At the end of the story, after Elisa has seen the castoff shoots, she pulls up her coat collar to hide her tears, a gesture that suggests a move backward into the repressed state in which she has lived most, if not all, of her adult life.

Symbols

Chrysanthemums

The chrysanthemums symbolize both Elisa and the limited scope of her life. Like Elisa, the chrysanthemums are lovely, strong, and thriving. Their flowerbed, like Elisa’s house, is tidy and scrupulously ordered. Elisa explicitly identifies herself with the flowers, even saying that she becomes one with the plants when she tends to them. When the tinker notices the chrysanthemums, Elisa visibly brightens, just as if he had noticed her instead. She offers the chrysanthemums to him at the same time she offers herself, both of which he ignores and tosses aside. His rejection of the flowers also mimics the way society has rejected women as nothing more than mothers and housekeepers. Just like her, the flowers are unobjectionable and also unimportant: both are merely decorative and add little value to the world.

The Salinas Valley

The Salinas Valley symbolizes Elisa’s emotional life. The story opens with a lengthy description of the valley, which Steinbeck likens to a pot topped with a lid made of fog. The metaphor of the valley as a “closed pot” suggests that Elisa is trapped inside an airless world and that her existence has reached a boiling point. We also learn that although there is sunshine nearby, no light penetrates the valley. Sunshine is often associated with happiness, and the implication is that while people near her are happy, Elisa is not. It is December, and the prevailing atmosphere in the valley is chilly and watchful but not yet devoid of hope. This description of the weather and the general spirits of the inhabitants of the valley applies equally well to Elisa, who is like a fallow field: quiet but not beaten down or unable to grow. What first seems to be a lyrical description of a valley in California is revealed to be a rich symbol of Elisa’s claustrophobic, unhappy, yet hopeful inner life.

Flight - by John Steinbeck

Flight

John Steinbeck 1938

John Steinbeck’s short story “Flight” was published in 1938 in The Long Valley, a collection of stories set in the Salinas Valley in California. The book appeared just three years after Steinbeck first received critical acclaim for his novel Tortilla Flat and one year before the publication of what many consider his greatest work, The Grapes of Wrath. “Flight” is generally considered one of Steinbeck’s best works of short fiction, written at the height of his career. It is the story of young Pepe Torres, an unsophisticated youth from an isolated farm along the California coast. He wants very much to be considered a man. On his first trip alone to town, he kills a drunken man in an argument and flees to the mountains, only to succumb to thirst, infection, and the bullets of his pursuers. Critics have interpreted the story as a parable of the journey from youth to manhood. In writing the story, Steinbeck drew on his own experiences growing up in the Salinas Valley to give a vivid portrayal of the arid, rocky mountains east of the valley, which are filled with wild animals and danger. His energetic narrative style gives “Flight” its suspense and dramatic power. Steinbeck’s sympathy for the struggles of the peasant against the forces of nature and wealthy landowners, which forms the basis for The Grapes of Wrath and many of his other works, is apparent in this story.

Author Biography

Winner of the 1940 Pulitzer Prize in literature for his novel The Grapes of Wrath, the 1937 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for his theatrical adaptation of his novella Of Mice and Men, and the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature, Steinbeck enjoyed popular as well as critical success during his lifetime and beyond. Although Steinbeck’s romantic portrayals of dignified and noble common folk are now seen by some as simplistic, his works continue to appeal to critics and readers of the present day, supporting Steinbeck’s enduring reputation as one of the most important twentieth-century American writers.

John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. He grew up in the Salinas Valley and used it as the setting for many of his works, including “Flight.” He used this familiar terrain as a setting in which to test his characters’ relationship to their environment. Peter Shaw comments that “[T]he features of the valley at once determined the physical fate of his characters and made symbolic comment on them.” Steinbeck’s studies at Stanford University in California, where he became interested in biology, led him to take an evolutionary view of human society. He referred to this as his “biological” approach to understanding and writing about human behavior. This placed him in philosophical alignment with other naturalist writers who were influenced by Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution and natural selection. In naturalistic works, the characters are products of their heredity as it acts upon their environment. Such stories end usually with the destruction of the main character, who by acting in response to his impulses and instincts, is crushed by the forces of the environment. However, Steinbeck is not strictly naturalistic, as he frequently casts his stories in mythic frameworks, giving them romantic or spiritual dimensions lacking in much naturalistic fiction.

Steinbeck’s greatest achievement was The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939. It is the story of the migration of an Oklahoma family during the Great Depression of the 1930s from their drought-destroyed farm to the dream of prosperity in California. When the Joad family reaches California, they find many others like them, all competing for low wages to pick fruit on corporate-owned farms. Steinbeck’s epic and sympathetic presentation of this story led to charges that he was a communist. In the resulting controversy, the book was both banned and praised. Steinbeck continued to write, in 1952 publishing East of Eden, a novel paralleling the biblical story of Cain and Abel. He also served briefly as a war correspondent during the Vietnam conflict. Steinbeck died in New York City on December 20, 1968.

Plot Summary

“Flight” opens at an unspecified time, probably in the 1930s, on the Torres farm on the California coast, fifteen miles south of Monterey. Nineteen-year-old Pepe Torres is amusing his younger brother and sister, Emilio and Rosy, by skillfully throwing his switchblade at a post. The knife is his inheritance from his father, who died ten years earlier after being bitten by a rattlesnake. Their mother scolds Pepe for his laziness and tells him he must ride into Monterey to buy salt and medicine. He is to spend the night in Monterey at the home of a family friend, Mrs. Rodriguez. Pepe is surprised that he will be allowed to go alone, and he asks to wear his father’s hat, hatband, and green silk handkerchief. He tells his mother that he will be careful, saying, “I am a man.” His mother responds that he is “a peanut” and “a foolish chicken.”

Before sunrise the next morning, Pepe returns unexpectedly to the farm. He tells his mother he must go away to the mountains. He tells his mother that he had drunk wine at Mrs. Rodriguez’s, and that a few other people had shown up as well. He tells her about a quarrel he had with a man. His knife seemed to fly on its own, and the man was stabbed. Pepe concludes by saying, “I am a man now, Mama. The man said names to me I could not allow.”

Mama Torres agrees that Pepe is now a man, but she also has her doubts. She has worried about Pepe’s knife-play and where it might lead him. She gives him his father’s black coat and rifle, as well as a water bag and some provisions. Dressed in his father’s garments, Pepe hurries off to the mountains. Mama Torres starts the formal wail of mourning for the dead. Emilio asks Rosy if Pepe is dead, and Rosy replies, “He is not dead. . . . Not yet.”

Pepe rides into the mountains, and as he climbs, the trail changes from soft black dirt beside a stream

to redwood forest to rough, dry, rocky open country. He avoids a mounted man on the trail. As he rides higher toward the pass, he glimpses a dark figure on the ridge ahead, then looks quickly away. He stops in the evening by a small stream, tying the horse. A wildcat comes to the stream and stares at Pepe, who does not use the rifle for fear of revealing his location to his pursuers. He sleeps, then wakes suddenly in the night when his horse whinnies to another horse on the trail. After hastily saddling his horse and going up the hill, he realizes that he has left his hat behind.

He continues riding into the dry waste country. Then, without warning, his horse is shot dead from under him. Pepe, under fire, crawls up the hill, moving “with the instinctive care of an animal.” He worms his way up, running only when there is cover, otherwise “wriggling forward on his stomach.” He waits as wild animals go about their business, the buzzards already circling over his dead horse below. When he sees a flash below him, he aims and fires. In the return fire, a chip of granite embeds itself in his right hand. Pepe takes the stone out and the cut bleeds. He stuffs a dusty spider web into the wound to stop the bleeding, then slides and crawls slowly up the hill. He is almost bitten by a rattlesnake, and lizards scatter before him as he crawls upward. He sleeps in the bushes until night. His arm is infected and swollen tight inside the sleeve of his father’s coat. He leaves the coat behind. He is very thirsty and his tongue is swollen.

That night he comes to a damp stream bed and digs frantically for water. Exhausted, he falls asleep until late the next afternoon. He awakens to find a large mountain lion staring at him. The big cat moves away at the sound of horses and a dog. Pepe crouches behind a rock until dark, then moves up the slope before he realizes he has left his rifle behind. He sleeps, then awakens to find his wound swollen and gangrenous. He clumsily lances the wound with a sharp rock and tries to drain the infection from his hand. He climbs near the top of a ridge only to see “a deep canyon exactly like the last, waterless and desolate.”

He sleeps again in the daylight, awakening to the sound of pursuing hounds. He tries to speak, “but only a thick hiss came to his lips.” He makes the sign of the cross with his left hand and struggles to his feet. Standing tall, he allows his pursuers to take aim. Two shots ring out and Pepe falls forward down the rocky cliff, his body causing a “little avalanche.”

Characters

Mama

See Mrs. Torres

Papa

See Mr. Torres

Mrs. Rodriguez

Mrs. Rodriguez lives in Monterey and is a friend of the Torres family. Although she does not appear in the story, it is at her home that Pepe becomes drunk and stabs the drunken stranger. Her home is the only location of social gathering in the story.

Mr. Torres

Mr. Torres is Pepe’s father who, ten years prior to the time of the story, died when he tripped over a stone and fell on a rattlesnake. The switchblade Pepe now owns was inherited from his father. Although the story says nothing about the father other than his manner of death, his presence is constantly felt.

Mrs. Torres

Mrs. Torres is Pepe’s widowed mother. She lives on the family’s seaside farm with her two sons and her daughter and is determined to maintain her home without the help of a man. She keeps the two younger children home from school so they can fish and bring in food for the family. She believes that Pepe is “fine and brave,” though there is little evidence to substantiate her opinion. In fact, she constantly tells Pepe how lazy he is, and says that he is foolish when he asserts that he is a man.

When Pepe returns from an errand in Monterey and tells his mother he must flee, she helps him pack, admitting that she had been worried about his quick reflexes with the knife. Despite the fact that he has failed to stay out of trouble while on his errand, she believes that Pepe’s experience in Monterey has made him “a man now,” for “[h]e has a man’s thing to do.”

Pepe Torres

Nineteen-year-old Pepe Torres is the main character in “Flight.” He is tall, thin, gangly, and lives on the family farm with his widowed mother and a younger brother and sister. While his mother believes that he is “fine and brave,” there is no indication that he is anything but lazy. He is very skilled in throwing his father’s switchblade, however, and wants to prove that he is a man.

In Monterey, Pepe gets drunk and knifes a man who quarrels with him. He tries to explain to his mother how much of a man he is now, but refuses to accept full responsibility for his actions. He even claims that, at one point, “[T]he knife—it went almost by itself.” Pepe then flees to the mountains, taking only his father’s coat, rifle, and a few provisions. In his flight, he loses the hat, the provisions, the rifle, and his horse—everything he needs to survive. Such carelessness shows how much Pepe still has to learn about being a responsible adult.

With no skills to aid him and with an infected hand becoming gangrenous, Pepe becomes exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and is reduced to crawling away from his pursuers like an animal. His parched mouth can no longer form words. In his degradation, he is able to stand up—like a man—to his pursuers, and face his death.

Media Adaptations

• “Flight” was adapted as a film by Barnaby Conrad, starring Efrain Ramirez and Ester Cor-tez and produced by Columbia Pictures in 1960.

Growth and Development

At the beginning of “Flight” Pepe Torres is a nineteen-year-old youth living on an isolated farm with his mother and two younger siblings. He keeps insisting to his mother that he is a man, but she dismisses him with belittling names. Pepe does not understand what it means to be a man. When he is given the responsibility of riding to town to buy medicine and salt for the family, like a child he excitedly asks if he can wear his father’s hatband and handkerchief. The clothing makes him appear to be an adult, but his idea of maturity is very superficial. In town he gets drunk and argues with a drunken man who insults him. He does not accept responsibility for knifing the man. He tells his mother that “the man started toward [him] and then the knife—it went almost by itself. It flew, it darted before [he] knew it.” He insists that because he is now a man he cannot allow himself to be insulted. While Pepe does appear changed—his eyes are sharp and bright and purposeful, with no laughter or bashfulness in them anymore—he is not mature. When his mother tells his brother and sister he is a man now, Pepe’s appearance changes “until he looked very much like Mama.”

The ride into the wilderness is a test of Pepe’s maturity. However, he loses his hat, his horse, his father’s coat, his father’s rifle, and his water supply. These are all necessary to protect him from the heat of the sun and the cold nights as well as the dry desert mountains while he tries to escape punishment for his crime. Injured by a chip of granite which his pursuers’ bullet drove into his right hand, Pepe becomes more and more debilitated as the infection spreads. He is described as an animal, as

Topics for Further Study

• Based on what Mama Torres says to Pepe in the story, what do you think she believes about his level of maturity at the beginning of the story? Does her opinion of him change when he returns from Monterey, or just her expectations of him?
• Before going to Monterey, Pepe is eager to wear the black hat with the leather hatband and the green silk handkerchief. How does he look and feel while wearing these? How does he look when he puts on his father’s black coat before he rides into the mountains? What is the significance of his losing the hat, the coat, and the tools and supplies his mother sends with him?
• Who or what are the “dark watchers”? What does their presence add to the atmosphere and feeling of the story? 

personal goal setting

Your personal goal setting can be in these areas:

1. Attitude
What are the attitudes and habits that are holding you back from reaching greater heights? How is this attitude affecting you, your career and your relationship with your family? Make specific points to change this attitude that is affecting the way you behave. Your attitude determines how far you can go in life. Take time to confront your negative attitude and make a plan to change it. This area of personal goal setting is one of the most important.

2. Career
In the course of interviewing hundreds of candidates, I am sometimes surprised at the number of candidates that do not have career goals. Where do you want to be in 3 years time? Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? How will you get there? What are the skills you need? What are the potential barriers? As a career builder newbie, you may not have all the answers. In that case, seek someone you can talk to or better yet – mentor you.

3. Education
Continuous education is important for success in life. Not just your career. And education should not be just for the sake of career promotions although people often do that. You may want to learn new things that can enrich your life. Learning is a process, a journey – not a destination. You should never stop learning in order to improve.

4. Family
How much time do you want to spend with your family? What are some of the things that you have neglected to do for them the past year? Something that you have always wanted to do for them – perhaps a holiday? Put these down in writing. It may seem simple but trust me this is one area where it is challenging for personal goal setting. Sometimes we misplace our priorities.

5. Financial
How much money do you want to save by when? What would be the big-ticket items that you would like to buy? A house? A car? How much do you plan to earn by when? Having a financial goal is crucial in enjoying the material side of things. Financial rewards are directly related to our careers. Therefore, they are important in your personal goal setting.

6. Health – Physical/Mental
If you aren’t healthy physically and mentally, you won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. What are the steps you are willing to take in order to achieve optimum physical and mental health? Do you plan to run X number of days in a week? Meditate an hour each day? What are the measurements you would use for the goals in this area?

7. Personal/Social
Allocate time for yourself too. Set a goal to achieve this for yourself. This is your time for the things you enjoy. Is it getting together with friends? Or it could be meeting new friends. Some people measure their success by the amount of free time they have for themselves to pursue their hobbies.

These are some of the areas you can consider when considering your personal goal setting. If you are ambitious enough – choose each of these areas and start writing some goals for these to be achieved for the year. 

DEFINITION - SUCCESS

1.Achievement of an action within a specified period of time or within a specified parameter. Success can also mean completing an objective or reaching a goal. Success can be expanded to encompass an entire project or be restricted to a single component of a project or task. It can be achieved within the workplace, or in an individual's personal life. For example, if an individual's personal goal is to be accepted in a new career, success would occur after the individual has been officially accepted into his or her new place of employment.

2.Colloquial term used to describe a person that has achieved his or her personal, financial or career goals. It could also be used to describe an individual that has more objects (money or any other desirable item) relative to another individual. For example, a professional athlete can be called "a success."

You Can Do It

Just keep trying and growing. Success is not a one shot deal, it takes persistence and continual attention. You  must expect barriers and resistance on the road to success, click on the fear of success link to find out where they come from. There are many wins along the way, you should have fun reaching your goals.

Build Harmony in your Life

When someone concentrates on just one or two of these areas, then the others will fight back.
A workaholic will probably lose his family and friends, then become an alcoholic.

It is not always easy to keep everything in harmony. Sometimes you will need to pay a lot more attention to one area and leave the rest. For example you suffer a financial setback and the bill collectors are beating on your door. For a while all of your time and efforts go into making money.

Does this mean everything else has to suffer? NO. There are ways to lessen the impact on the other areas of your life.

Probably the best way is Communication. On other pages of this site you will find information on communication and other tools you can use to achieve success. Check the navigation tabs on the left of this page.

So, what is the meaning of success? Real success is winning in all areas of your life. It's almost like juggling, not an easy task but quite achievable. Picture each area of your life, see how they could all be in harmony, imagine how that would feel.

As mass communication and transport continue to grow, societies are becoming more and more alike leading to a phenomenon known as globalization. Some people fear that globalization will inevitably lead to the total loss of cultural identity. 
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

MODEL ANSWER

Globalisation has become integrated through the global network of trade, transportation, communication and immigration. It is feared by many to eventually bring an end to cultural identity. However, I am convinced that not only will globalization help retain and improve local cultures, but it also will strengthen cultural bonds between distant communities.

First of all, people can realise how they are different from others in distant lands, which may lead to their interest in learning about other cultures. This means every culture will have to preserve and present its unique features such as local cuisine or craftsmanship in order to maintain foreign interest in itself and have something to offer in competition with other communities. As a result, a sense of cultural identity can be reinforced – even rekindled and restored where it has already been lost.

Secondly, cultures in different parts of the world familiarise themselves with the ceremonies, food and clothes of other people, it is highly likely that they will begin to improve on their own, thus developing more efficient ways of life while retaining their original characteristics.

Finally, although some people might think that the aforementioned “trade” of cultural features can doom the unique identity of a culture, they need to consider that this will not necessarily result in local people abolishing their culture and fully embracing another. Instead, the communication and exchange involved in globalisation can improve understanding and tolerance in the international community, which certainly can help with the conservation of older cultures and their sense of identity.

In conclusion, I think if the positive aspects of globalisation are considered and stressed, it is not likely to pose any threats to the cultural identity of local communities and will instead contribute to it in a variety of ways.

AMBITION

Ambition is seen as a positive thing in some societies.

Is it important to have success in life?

Is ambition a positive or negative characteristic?

I come from a country where ambition is generally viewed as a positive quality. As a result, perhaps, I do feel that it is vital to have success in life. However, I do not see ambition as a positive quality under all circumstances.

Although I view success as essential in life, I would define success in a very broad way. I would certainly not confine its meaning to financial success, as many people seem to do nowadays. Each individual person can be successful in different ways. You could have success in your interpersonal relationships, having many friends and a happy family life. You could be successful in your work, enjoying it even though that work doesn't bring the huge financial benefits of other jobs. A person might be successful in life by dedicating their life to helping others, even if it means putting their own interests in second place. The importance of being successful in at least one aspect of our lives is that

it gives us something to be proud of – something that gives us a sense of worth. For many reasons – including those given in the previous paragraph – ambition is often a positive thing. We can use it to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. However, there are some people who focus on their own ambitions even to the cost of other people and to themselves. In extreme situations, this can be disastrous. The ambitions of Hitler resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people. Of course, it could be argued that they were not only his ambitions, but also those of the people around him.This does not detract from the potential negative consequences of ambition. In less extreme circumstances, ambitious people frequently do things that are unfair to others. A footballer might foul another player. One businessman may cheat another.

To conclude, I believe success is good for us, but that we must take into account other people when we have ambitions and take steps to make them reality.

Some people send their children abroad for educational trips.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
In this essay, I will look at a few of the advantages and disadvantages of sending children
abroad on educational trips.
As far as I am concerned, there is one main disadvantage - cost. However, it may only
apply in certain circumstances. Most people find that going abroad for a short while is generally more expensive than staying at home. Accommodation is frequently expensive
and there is the obvious cost of travel. Other things, such as food, may be more expensive
depending on the destination. This might not be an issue for some people. For example, if
you live in Luxembourg and send your child on a trip to Germany or France, the cost may
not be that high. However, the expense of a trip to those countries by many children from
Russia may be prohibitive.
The main advantage of sending children on educational trips to foreign countries is that
they have the opportunity to broaden their horizons and see how people from other
countries live. Most people have a certain degree of pride in their own culture, but
relatively few people are so arrogant as not to recognise that other cultures have their
positive qualities too. At the very least, each country has something that other countries
do not have, such as an historic structure or cultural norm. Seeing and experiencing these
can (hopefully!) help to give children a sense of perspective about the world and their
place in it.
Personally, I believe that the advantages of sending children abroad outweigh the
financial cost. However, it is clearly impossible for all families to afford this, so such
trips generally need to be economical in order to be inclusive.

Some people think that technology has made our life too complex and that one way
to solve this problem is to have a way of life without technology.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
I agree that technology has made our lives far more complex than they used to be – perhaps too complex. The suggestion that we solve this by developing a way of life without technology may solve that, but I think that the cost would be too great. The first problem that anyone wishing to rid us of modern technology would encounter would be convincing everyone to do so. It is unimaginable that some substantial groups of people or countries would give up their technology whilst leaving others with as much of it as they wanted. This does happen on small scales – the Amish in the USA, for
instance – but I cannot foresee the USA returning to a pre-industrial society and leaving, say, China to have and continue developing technology. Given human history, the likelihood of advanced countries simply taking over the less developed ones is just too great.
The second problem is that we are far too used to having technology around us. If the United Nations announced that all modern technology would cease to be used at a given time, it is highly probable that many people would rebel. To suggest that there would be global chaos is not an understatement. Anyone with investments in companies dealing with technology would find their savings wiped out overnight. Anyone involved in international business would find themselves in a desperate situation. Whilst there are people who advocate a return to a simpler lifestyle, even they frequently utilise
technology when it suits them, such as when they require medical attention. To summarise, a life without technology may appeal to some – and they are welcome to follow that lifestyle, but the idea that everyone should follow suit is, in my opinion, both  unrealistic and dangerous.

Some people say that younger people are not suitable for important positions in
government while others think it is a good idea.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
I think that there are persuasive arguments in favour of having younger people in
important positions in government, thought I can see that there may be disadvantages.
In my opinion, many governments suffer from a lack of fresh ideas for policies. Part of
the problem seems to me to be that older members of the governments lack a vision of
how to handle modern, dynamic situations and have become too risk averse to try new
methods – or indeed any method outside of their comfort zone. Perhaps the addition of a
few younger political leaders could change that.
Younger politicians might also be better aware of the impact and uses of modern
technology. They are more likely to have ideas about enhancing technology for the
overall benefit of society. For example, many young people see how the information age
has brought about new possibilities. Often, it is young people who oppose artificial
restrictions imposed by a political elite with whom they feel disconnected.
The classic argument against having younger people in important political positions is
that they lack experience. As I become older, I find this argument less and less
convincing. When I was a teenager, Israelis and Palestinians were murdering each other.
They still are. All the 'experience' of leading politicians from around the globe has
pointedly failed to resolve this issue. Perhaps it's time to hand the baton to people with
less 'experience'.
Very often, it seems to me that 'experience' is actually code for 'baggage'. Older
politicians frequently seem to be unable to step back and look at issues in an objective,
dispassionate, less dogmatic manner. They often look to the past for inspiration. History
certainly has lessons to teach us, but do these people learn or are they simply doomed to
repeat?
To summarise, I am not convinced that the inexperience of young people precludes them
from holding high political office. In fact, it may be their greatest asset.

Some people believe mobile phones are most useful in their professional lives whilst
others believe they are most useful in their personal lives.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Different people use their mobile phones in various ways, so it is natural that some find
them more useful in their professional lives whereas others think that they are more
useful in their private lives.
It has always been common for people to work away from their colleagues and the people
who work in the same company as them. Similarly, there have always been salespeople
who have had to maintain contact with clients. In the past, this severely limited
opportunities for doing business. It sometimes necessitated long journeys – dangerous
journeys. People could use letters, but they took time too. Telephones greatly improved
business communications, but required people to be at certain places. Mobile
communications make business much easier. People can easily be contacted worldwide at
practically any time.
Of course, the same points apply equally to personal communications. Families and
friends are a vital part of all but the least social of people's lives. In the past, it was all to
easy to lose contact with someone when you or they accidentally missed an appointment.
Nowadays, mobile phones mean that people can let each other know that they cannot
make an appointment or that they will be late. In addition, the proliferation of social
networks and apps, which many people can use with their mobiles, allows people to
interact socially with people who are in their area and/or who have similar interests.
Personally, I have found mobile phones to be extremely useful in both my personal and
business lives. However, if I had to choose the one where it has been most beneficial, I
would say that, thanks to making it easier to stay in touch with friends and family, the
greater benefit has been in my personal life.

Many people feel that society is noisier than before.
What are some of the causes of increased noise? What can we do about it?
I live in a modern city and, although I enjoy life there, excessive noise is something that I
am acutely aware of. In this essay, I shall briefly examine two of the causes of noise in
modern society and provide a few suggestions as to how we might be able to reduce it.
One of the main causes of increased noise is traffic. More vehicles are on the roads and
drivers frequently beep their horns. In addition, most vehicles are fitted with alarms that
seem to be set off by the lightest of breezes. Many people seem to be in favour of
reducing traffic, but they don't want anything done that will reduce their own ability to
use vehicles. Perhaps one solution is to increase the scope of pedestrian zones, where
vehicles are not permitted. Another might be to only allow parking in certain areas, which
would reduce the amount of traffic where parking is not permitted.
Many people in cities live in apartment blocks, thanks to the high price of property
relative to incomes. Very often, people are disturbed by noise created by their
neighbours. This is not only annoying, it can lead to arguments and unpleasantness
between neighbours. Nowadays, sound insulation materials are better than ever and it
might be worth considering mandatory use of these materials in all new residential
buildings. It may even be possible to use them in ones that have already been built.
To sum up, these are the main reasons why I think many people feel that modern city life
is noisier than before. It is impossible to eradicate noise, but the ideas mentioned above
could make life more bearable.
277 words

Writing Task 2
Some people have an unhealthy diet and do not have enough exercise.
How can we encourage people to have a healthy lifestyle?
In this short essay, I will outline a few ways in which we can encourage people to lead
healthier lifestyles.
In Britain, we have a health care system that is free to use. British people often describe
this as a free health care system, but that is not quite correct. The system is funded
through general taxation. This means that there is no direct incentive to be healthier.
People pay for the system regardless of whether – or how often – they use it. If people
had to pay when they used the system, they might pay more attention to their health.
Alternatively, individual insurance could cover the cost.
Another possibility is to make unhealthy food less attractive by making it more
expensive. This could be done fairly easily in the cases of processed food and sugary or
fatty food. One method would be to increase tax on those food items that are considered
unhealthy. A second alternative would be to reduce tax on healthy foods, such as
unprocessed fruit and vegetables.
A third way to try to persuade people to lead healthier lifestyles might be through the use
of warnings on food packaging. At the moment, in Britain and many other countries, food
packaging shows information such as calories, sugar, fat, vitamins, minerals, etc. A
simple addition could be the use of colour coding to indicate how healthy the food is. For
example, red could indicate that the food is unhealthy whilst green could be used for
healthy food.
In addition, we need to encourage people to take more exercise. In China, there are often
simple exercise machines in residential compounds. Perhaps this is an innovation that we
could import. If free exercise is easily available, people are more likely to take the
opportunity to shed a little weight. Admittedly, this would be a more costly method than
improving food labelling or taxing unhealthy food more.
To summarise, I think that there several methods we could implement to encourage
people to be healthier.
334 words

Useful phrase

In many countries it is now illegal to smoke in public places. It is only fair that people who wish to smoke should have to leave the building. Do you agree or disagree?

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In many countries it is now illegal to smoke in public places. It is only fair that people who wish to smoke should have to leave the building. Do you agree or disagree?

Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

model answer:

The issue of smoking and smoking bans is an emotive one because smokers and non-smokers both tend to hold strong views about their rights. Many countries have now chosen to ban smoking altogether from indoor areas and public places, which is a radical change ( những thay đổi căn bản )  from the way things used to be until quite recently.

Non-smokers have been complaining for years that they should not have to breathe in other people’s smoke in places such as the workplace, restaurants and cafes and on buses, trains and planes. It is hard to argue that non-smokers do not have a right to be protected from this. Smoking also causes problems for the owners and workers in such places who have to clean up after smokers or redecorate more often. => non-smokers are affected by smoke from smokers 

Generally speaking, therefore, I am in favour of smoke-free workplaces, transport and buildings. Non-smokers should not have other people’s smoke imposed on them. We have to accept, however, that there are a large number of people who smoke and will continue to smoke. Many of them enjoy the company of other smokers and feel it is unfair that they should always be made to stand in doorways when they want to smoke.

In a consumer age that seems to put choice above everything else, shouldn’t they have the right to meet and socialise with other smokers if they want to? A more balanced policy than the one now in place in many countries would be to allow certain cafes and restaurants to apply for a smoking licence. These places would then have to advertise themselves as smoking places. Certain areas of buildings such as workplaces could also be made into smoking rooms or areas but only if the company wished to. Such measures would still give the majority their smoke-free environment but protect the wishes of the minority that smoke.

Advantages of Computers


Computers have affected every aspect of our day-to-day life, in terms of education, office work, accounting, business, communication, shopping, and data storage amongst others. Let's look into the advantages of computers.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-of-computers.html


The present global age is the consequence of the computer age. A computer is an electronic device that stores and processes data, according to a list of instructions. It allows a user to manipulate data very easily. The speed of performance of a computer is incomparable. The computer and Internet have affected our way of learning, working, storing information, communicating, playing, and also writing. In fact, computers are used in every sphere of life today.

Advantages of Computers: Explained

Because of the several computer advantages, it has become an important household item. Be it office, home, or school, it has become an indispensable device for us. A computer operated by an individual without any specific computer operator is called a personal computer (PC). A PC can be a desktop or a laptop computer, and can be used at home or at office. As per the requirement of the user, software is installed in a PC.

One can write more effectively by means of a computer. A computer allows the user to create documents, edit, print, and store them so that they can be retrieved later.
There are tools like spelling and grammar checker, thesaurus and dictionary, installed in the computer. Thus, it takes less time to proofread a written document
Also, there is no need to open up a dictionary book to look for meanings of words.
Typing is much faster than writing on a paper.
If there is a need for reorganizing the sentences or paragraphs, one can cut and paste and make the necessary changes.
Using a computer, one can remain connected to the world through the Internet. Internet is a network of computers that communicate via the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP).
The World Wide Web (WWW) or simply web is a huge resource of information that can be accessed via the Internet.
To mention a few of the resources, there are electronic mail (e-mail), file transferring and sharing, online chat, and gaming. The Internet allows people from around the world to share knowledge, ideas, and experiences in any field.
E-mail is a method of communication used globally, between friends, colleagues, business partners, and so on. The electronic mail is provided with a system of creating, storing, and forwarding mails.
It may consist of text messages with attachments of audio-visual clips. One can also download or upload files using the Internet.
There are also facilities like online chatting available on the Internet. As compared to telephonic conversation, both e-mail and online chat are cost saving.
Online gaming is another important resource of the WWW. Many online games are available, which are of common interest for any age group.
Right from banking to investment, a user can accomplish the task by sitting within the comfort zone of his/her home.
With this, one no longer needs to stand in the line for money withdrawing, depositing, or conducting other transactions. The same facility is available for making investments.
In addition, one can read current news, check weather conditions, plan vacations, and make hotel and travel reservations, find out about diseases and treatment methods, learn about specific countries and their cultures, seek jobs, etc. over the Internet.
If a computer has Internet connection facility, one can shop and that too in discounted rates. The purchased products will be delivered to the provided address, thus saving both time and money.
Nowadays, computers are widely used for education and training purposes.
In schools, computer education has been made compulsory to spread awareness about computers. As a matter of fact, computers have become a learning tool for children.
Indeed, a student can use the PC as a storage system for many books. Also, there are many universities that provide online degrees, which are very advantageous for those people staying in remote areas and for the disabled. In fact, online education is one of the most flexible and convenient forms of learning.
One can take the benefit of such online degree programs staying at home without the need of relocation. Computers are also used for training purposes. Many companies use them to train their staff.
However, in spite of the many advantages of computers, there are some disadvantages that cannot be ignored. First and foremost, sitting for long hours in front of the PC will affect one's eyes and hamper his activity level. The easy access to information via Internet has made students lazy in terms of their education since they are able to download information without exploring their topic of research. They also use computers for mathematical tables and calculations without actually solving the problems. Also, it is important for parents to keep a check on the browsing habits of their children as some websites are not meant for their viewing. Other disadvantages include identity theft and virus threat. Computers viruses are harmful to the systems and can be transferred from one computer system to another.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-of-computers.html

Is freedom of speech necessary in a free society?

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Is freedom of speech necessary in a free society?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

model answer:

In the last decade, there has been considerable debate over the role of free speech in a free society. Some object to absolute freedom of speech. Others advocate free speech, arguing that the freedom of speech is the single most important political right of citizens in a civilized society. Whilst I believe that there are strong arguments on both sides, I would suggest that freedom of speech should be protected in all but extreme circumstances.

The freedom of speech is important at all levels in a society. Yet it is most important for government. A government which does not know what the people feel and think is in a dangerous position. This is how the communist regimes of Eastern Europe were toppled in the 1980s. The same is happening again in other regions of the world today. The governments that muzzle ( bịt mõm ) free speech run a risk of pushing their people to behave destructively or to rebel.

Furthermore, without free speech no political action is possible and no resistance to injustice ( bất bình đẳng ) and oppression ( sự áp bức)  is possible. Without free speech elections would have no meaning at all. Policies of contestants become known to the public and become responsive to public opinion only by virtue of (by means of or because of something) free speech. Between elections the freely expressed opinions of citizens help restrain oppressive rule. Without this freedom it is futile to expect political freedom or consequently economic freedom.

In conclusion, I believe that the importance of free speech as a basic and valuable characteristic of a free society cannot be underestimated. It may be challenging for society to allow differences of opinion out into the open; however, the consequences of restricting free speech are likely to be more damaging in the longer term.

(285 words) 

- 

Environmental pollution is the biggest menace to the human race on this planet today. It means adding impurity to environment. The environment consists of earth, water, air, plants and animals. If we pollute them, then the existence of man and nature will be hampered.

It is true that trees are being cut down rapidly. Our earth is becoming warmer. If pollution continues, the day is not far when our earth will be a boiling pan and become a desert. Or it will be covered with sea water causing destruction of mankind.

Pure air is always needed for inhaling. If we take pure air, our health improves. On the other hand impure air causes diseases and impairs our health and causes our death. Smoke pollutes the air. It is the root of air pollution. The smoke which is discharged from industries, automobiles and kitchens is the mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane etc. These are all poisonous gases. These cause lung-cancer, tuberculosis etc. which take a heavy toll of life. The glaring incident is the Bhopal gas leak in December 1984. Thousands of the residents of Bhopal died due to lungs problem which was caused by methylamine gas from the Union Carbide Plant.

The garbage emitting foul smell, the decaying plants and animals also cause air pollution. Hence the doctors advise the patients having lungs trouble to settle in some rural places because the air of villages is pure and free from population.

Then comes sound pollution. The harsh sounds of buses, its, mopeds etc. affect our power of hearing and causes fart trouble. It has been reported that there are two villages named Biraspalli and Devadas Palli near Dum Dum airport m Calcutta where a large number of people have lost their power of hearing. This is because of the frequent sounds of planes coming in and going out of Dum Dum Airport. The evils of sound pollution can be imagined from this example.

The water of rivers and seas is being constantly polluted all over the world by various dangerous chemical and biological wastes. Mills and factories discharge very harmful waste waters into many rivers and sea. The water of the Ganges flowing by the side of both Varanashi and Calcutta is extremely polluted and contains all sorts of dangerous bacteria. It is really very strange and laughable that large number of the Indians regard this water as holy. They even drink this water for salvation. There is no doubt that the fish that grow in such waters are poisonous too.

Reckless application of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides pollutes the soil. Vegetables and fruits are quite injurious today, because they contain the poison of insecticides and pesticides.

If the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil which produces our crops, vegetables and fruits, all become more and more impure, then our chances of good health and longevity will be very less and less. Environment pollution is a serious menace to our existence. Realising the danger, we must plant trees in large number to absorb impure air. Impure water from industries can be sent back for purification and then it can be used for irrigation purpose. Our government is well aware of the fact and is taking steps to save environment from pollution. We have also I minister to look after the environment.

IELTS Writing Task 2: consumer society

A few days ago, I looked at the question in this lesson with my students here in Manchester. The phrase 'consumer society' is a negative one because it suggests that our lives revolve around money and possessions.

Here's part of an essay that my students helped me to write:

It is true that many people criticize modern society because it seems to be too materialistic. I agree with this to some extent, but I do not think it is the case that everyone is a victim of consumer culture.

On the one hand, many people do seem to focus too much on money and possessions. Wherever we go, we are bombarded with advertising to sell us products and services, many of which we do not need. For example, people may be persuaded to purchase the latest model of iPhone, when their old phone is still perfectly functional. This could be seen as a demonstration that we are obsessive consumers; we buy things based on fashion and branding, and shopping has become a hobby or even an addiction.

Foreign visitors should pay more than local visitors for cultural and historical attractions. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

It is sometimes argued that tourists from overseas should be charged more than local residents to visit important sites and monuments. I completely disagree with this idea.

The argument in favour of higher prices for foreign tourists would be that cultural or historical attractions often depend on state subsidies to keep them going, which means that the resident population already pays money to these sites through the tax system. However, I believe this to be a very shortsighted view. Foreign tourists contribute to the economy of the host country with the money they spend on a wide range of goods and services, including food, souvenirs, accommodation and travel. The governments and inhabitants of every country should be happy to subsidise important tourist sites and encourage people from the rest of the world to visit them.

If travellers realised that they would have to pay more to visit historical and cultural attractions in a particular nation, they would perhaps decide not to go to that country on holiday. To take the UK as an example, the tourism industry and many related jobs rely on visitors coming to the country to see places like Windsor Castle or Saint Paul’s Cathedral. These two sites charge the same price regardless of nationality, and this helps to promote the nation’s cultural heritage. If overseas tourists stopped coming due to higher prices, there would be a risk of insufficient funding for the maintenance of these important buildings.

In conclusion, I believe that every effort should be made to attract tourists from overseas, and it would be counterproductive to make them pay more than local residents.

(269 words, band 9)

Economic progress is often used to measure a country's success. However, some people believe that other factors are more important. What other factors should also be considered when measuring a country's success? Do you think one factor is more important than others?

Here's a plan I wrote with my students:

Paragraph about other factors:
1) Education for development of the country, providing future workforce. 

2) Good health system, living standards, life expectancy. 

3) Personal freedom / rights / equality

 e.g. equal opportunities for both genders.

Here's our full paragraph using the plan above:

Standards of education, health and individual human rights should certainly be considered when measuring a country’s status. A good education system is vital for the development of any nation, with schools, colleges and universities bearing the responsibility for the quality of future generations of workers. Healthcare provision is also an indicator of the standard of living within a country, and this can be measured by looking at average life expectancy rates or availability of medical services. Finally, human rights and levels of equality could be taken into account. For example, a country in which women do not have the same opportunities as men might be considered less successful than a country with better gender equality.