Stephen Crane On Heroism Essay Example For Students

Stephen Crane On Heroism Essay Crane on HeroismStephen Crane, an avant-garde writer of his time, forced his readers to look beyond his written words for a more underlined, meaningful moral in most of his stories. Crane follows a strict pattern in most of his work. His subject matter usually deals with the physical, emotional, and intellectual responses of ordinary people confronted by extraordinary, extreme experiences. Fairly common themes are presented in his writing, including fallen humanity and harsh realities; yet all seem to overlap in the category of heroism. Crane, fascinated by the status of a hero, seemed to moralize each story he wrote with a sense of hope. Readers get the impression that you do not have to be super-human to possess super-human abilities, and in return, be a hero. We will write a custom essay on Stephen Crane On Heroism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In Crane’s A Mystery Of Heroism, the search for the question ‘What is a hero?’ is explored. Fred Collins, a union soldier in the Civil War, is a simple man. Out of place, Fred is a shameful, childish man thrown into a war that has no place for him. During the course of the story, Collins yearns for a drink of well water located across an active battlefield. Going against all his inhibitions and judgment, and going along with peer pressure, Collins decides to make the suicidal trip. Remarkably, Collins somehow gathers himself together and reaches the well of water, surprising himself in the meantime. Upon arrival at his destination, Collins ponders the miraculous obstacles he overcame and even dubs himself a hero for a moment. But what is a hero? Must one run across a battlefield for a drink to be put in the category of courageous? Is heroism nothing but defying death? Fred Collins evaluates his life at this point to disprove the title he loosely put upon himself: No, it could not be true. He was not a hero. Heroes had no shames in their lives an, as for him, he remembered borrowing fifteen dollars from a friend and promising to pay it back the next day, and then avoiding that friend for ten months. When at home his mother had aroused him for the early labor of his life on the farm, it had often been his fashion to be irritable, childish, diabolical, and his mother died since he had come to war. On Collins’ return to his regiment, he happens across a dying man in need of a drink. In a hopeless act of kindness, Fred lets the wounded soldier drink from his bucket as he passes. Yet this scene is but a small paragraph in the story, it completes the moral and emphasizes Crane’s goal of the narrative. Although Fred Collins is but a simple man not free from flaws, he uncovers the mystery of heroism. He is not a hero because he put a title upon himself, or because he denied death the satisfaction. He is a hero in the sense that he did a good thing without trying for that hero title. Yet he might not know it, he was a hero for that one moment in the eyes of the wounded soldier. Crane also shows heroism works in very mysterious ways. In another of Crane’s shorts, The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky, the character of Jack Potter is put to the task of proving his heroism as sheriff of his town. As the story opens, the reader is introduced to Jack as a subtle, quiet man. He is on his way to Yellow Sky, Texas riding in a parlor-car with his new wife. Crane purposely does not clue the reader in as to the true identity of Jack Potter in the beginning of the story for the presence of shock value. To find out that this reserved man is a fearless sheriff by day is surprising do to his actions described on his trip: From time to time he looked down respectfully at his attire. He sat with a hand on each knee, like a man waiting in a barber shop. The glances he devoted to other passengers were furtive and shy. .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 , .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .postImageUrl , .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 , .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707:hover , .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707:visited , .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707:active { border:0!important; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707:active , .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707 .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u60f6f307313d084f8089153bdb811707:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Women and The Bible EssayAs the train grows closer to Yellow Sky, Jack ponders the welcome he will receive. Frightened and worried about mixed reactions from the community in Yellow Sky, he sulks. He, the town marshal of Yellow Sky, a man known, liked, and feared in his corner, a prominent person, had gone to San Antonio to meet a girl he believed he loved, and there, after the usual prayers, had actually induced her to marry him, without consulting Yellow Sky for any part of the transaction his friends could not forgive him. Jack’s character shines as a coward; a man who knows no heroism. Yet towards the end of the narrative, Jack confronts his arch rival Scratchy . In a showdown of old west style, Jack is eventually placed, unarmed, looking down the barrel of Scratchy Wilson’s revolver. Jack then confronts Scratchy in the only manner he could. He reveals that he has no weapon and says that he would not fight back in any instance. Crane sets up an anticipated confrontation between the unlikely hero and his gun-slinging counterpart beautifully. He also proves, once again, that the exterior prowess of a man does not prove his heroism. But what does make Jack a hero? We again see Crane’s character defying death, yet the sense of heroism goes deeper than that. Jack Potter used words to save himself instead of violence or cowardly running off. The story ends on an uplifting moral of heroism by inner sanctity, not outer strength. One of Stephen Cranes most famous works, The Open Boat, is a tale of heroic proportion following the story of four castaways on a lifeboat in the ocean. As we saw in Crane’s previous works, the characters are merely atypical, run-of-the-mill, working-class men. To emphasize the plainness of his characters, Crane fails to even name all but one of his crew. The anecdote traces the travel of four men, the oiler, the cook, the corespondent, and the captain of the sunken vessel. The story captivates readers and takes them on a trip of crashing waves, deadly sharks, hardships at sea and grueling pain through which the four men go through. Defying death many times over, the castaways battle past hunger and fight for sanity on the trip to land. Crane’s naturalistic writing takes flight as our four friends struggle against nature and all she has to throw at them, as the sea carelessly tosses their boat around. Yet amongst all the hardships they endeavor, their heroism takes charge. We see this in their constant chant to boost morale: If I am going to be drowned – if I am going to be drowned – if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods, who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? Crane’s point is yet again taken into consideration. When the ship goes down, four average, non-heroic characters are saved. Yet, when ordinary people are put upon to perform extraordinary feats, heroes are produced. Stephen Crane was a magnificent author with determination and morals in his heart. He wrote these stories in hope that people find heroes within their average selves. All of his characters were intruders in the land of heroism, yet all were considered literary heroes. He emphasized that you do not have to be Hercules to have super-human strength. You do not have to be a fighter to win a fight. You do not have to defy death to be classified a hero. You do not have to be a hero, to be a hero. Heroism comes from within. Heroism comes in many shapes and forms, and each and everyone of us has it in ourselves to be a hero. And at some point, heroism will show itself without warning. .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 , .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .postImageUrl , .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 , .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7:hover , .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7:visited , .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7:active { border:0!important; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7:active , .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7 .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uec05c0b6507d5ddf832a6ea9816950e7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: God2 EssayEnglish Essays

The Most Selfish and Greediest Country in the World Essays

The Most Selfish and Greediest Country in the World Essays The Most Selfish and Greediest Country in the World Essay The Most Selfish and Greediest Country in the World Essay I want that shirt! I want those shoes! I want that property! This is the American way, wine and demand to get what we want, and the list is endless. Americans, being part of the richest nation in the world, are never satisfied. It would make sense that being rich would mean needing less than others, but it only makes us greedier. Stats such as ninety-three percent of teenage girls saying that shopping is their favorite pastime show how eager and brainwashed our society has become (Source E). Our idea of the American Dream has turned from the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of money. People normally think of the poor always begging, and how that makes them the most annoying people because they constantly want more; but they only want more because they have very little. What about the rich who fill up every inch of their home with useless fashion, photos, paintings and figures, and still think, something is missing? (Source D). It is bad enough that they spent their money on objects that are not necessities, but even after doing so there is no trace of satisfaction about them! Reasons like this are why those who may not have as much might be truly happier than the rich folk, because they spend their savings on necessities and still know how to enjoy the life they have. The wealthy only think Oh, what do I not own yet? they are never content with what they have. Now, some may bring up the point, What about the parents who spend time with their kids? but they may not know how rare this actually is. In connection with the statistic on teenage girls and shopping, the average working women plays with her children forty minutes a week and shops six hours (Source E). This means that a mother only spares about six minutes each day to build models with her son or play dolls with her daughter; and they often complain about their sacrifice? In connection with that, from the same document, it is stated that Americans base our entire lives off the idea of just a little bit more. We actually believe the statement that you can buy happiness (Source E). But in truth, we cannot even find happiness anymore; everything must be bought for us to stop complaining or think that we are finally content. This idea is what our society has shifted to and is now considered the American Dream. But history has also shown that we may have been this way a little longer than we originally thought. How did we expand our nation all those years ago? By driving out the natives from their rightful lands. We desired land to the extent that we were willing to kill these Indians and kick them over to the west to acquire it. Then guess what, we did it again, and again as we continued to expand our nation. America even went against its own passed policy of the Monroe Doctrine. We said that we would stay out of Florida if they will keep out of our territory, but this was while we were weaker nation than others. As we became stronger and more confident, naturally the American way, we wanted just a little bit more. So we went against the treaty that we had thought of and were so persistent to see signed. This was done all because we, the United States of America, are greedier and unsatisfied than anyone else in the world. Therefore, no matter what we have as Americans, especially the wealthier people among us, we will never stop wanting more. It has gotten to the point where we want these objects, jobs or land only because we do not have it and so someone else cannot obtain it. This country and its people will never be satisfied as long as there is more to pursue and it can be purchased with money.

Upside-Down Question and Exclamation Marks in Spanish

Upside-Down Question and Exclamation Marks in Spanish The upside-down or inverted question marks and exclamation points of Spanish are unique to the languages of Spain. But they make a lot of sense: When youre reading in Spanish, you can tell long before the end of a sentence whether youre dealing with a question, something that isnt always obvious when a sentence doesnt start with a question word such as quà © (what) or quià ©n (who).   Upside-Down Question Marks Not Always at Start of Sentence The important thing to remember  is that the inverted question mark (or exclamation) goes at the beginning part of the question (or exclamation), not at the beginning of the sentence if the two are different. See these examples: Pablo,  ¿adà ³nde vas? (Pablo, where are you going?)Quiero saber,  ¿cundo es tu cumpleaà ±os?  (I want to know, when is your birthday?)Estoy cansado,  ¿y tà º? (Im tired, are you?)Eso,  ¿es verdad? (That, is it true?)Sin embargo,  ¡tengo frà ­o! (Nevertheless, Im cold!)Pues,  ¡llegà ³ la hora! (Well, its about time!) Note that the question or exclamation part does not begin with a capitalized letter unless its a word that would normally be capitalized, such as a persons name. Note also that if words not part of the question come after the question, then the closing question mark still comes at the end:  ¿Adà ³nde vas, Pablo?  (Where are you going, Pablo?)Pablo,  ¿adà ³nde vas, mi amigo?  (Pablo, where are you going, my friend?) ¡Eres la mejor, Angelina! (Youre the best, Angelina!) If a sentence is a question and an exclamation at the same time, something for which the English language has no good written equivalent, it is possible to combine the question and exclamation marks in ways shown below. The Royal Spanish Academy prefers the usage in the third and fourth items:  ¿Cà ³mo lo hace! How does she do it? (To translate the Spanish well, this might be said in an incredulous tone. An alternate translation might be I dont see how she does it!) ¡Me quieres? You love me? (The punctuation may indicate a lack of belief in what is being responded to.) ¡Ã‚ ¿Quà © veste?! What are you seeing? (The tone of voice may suggest What in the world do you see?) ¿Ã‚ ¡Quà © ests diciendo!? What are you saying? (The tone of voice may indicate disbelief.) To indicate an extremely strong exclamation, it is acceptable to use two or three exclamation points but not more:  ¡Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¡Idiota!!! (Idiot!)Es imposible.  ¡Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¡No lo creo.!!! (Its impossible. I cant believe it! Word Order in Questions Most questions begin with an  interrogative pronoun  such as  quà ©Ã‚  or on interrogative adverb such as  cà ³mo. In nearly all such cases, the opening question word is followed by the verb and then the subject, which will be a noun or pronoun. Of course, it is common to omit the subject if it isnt needed for clarity.  ¿Dà ³nde jugarà ­an los nià ±os? (Where would the children play? Dà ³nde is the interrogative adverb, jugarà ­an is the verb, and the subject is nià ±os.) ¿Quà © significa tu nombre? (What does your name mean?) ¿Cà ³mo comen los insectos? (How do insects eat?) If the verb has an direct object and the subject is not stated, the object typically comes before the verb if it would in the equivalent English sentence:  ¿Cuntos insectos comià ³ la araà ±a? (How many insects did the spider eat? Insectos is the direct object of comià ³.) ¿Quà © tipo de celular prefieres? (Which type of cellphone do you prefer? Tipo de celular is the direct object of prefieres.) ¿Dà ³nde venden ropa guatemalteca? (Where do they sell Guatemalan clothing. Ropa guatemalteca is the direct object of venden.) If the question has a stated subject and an object, it is common to use a verb-object-subject word order if the object is shorter than the subject and a verb-subject-object order if the subject is shorter. If theyre of similar length, either order is acceptable.  ¿Dà ³nde venden ropa los mejores diseà ±adores de moda? (Do the best fashion designers sell clothing? The subject, los mejores disenà ±adores de moda, is much longer than the object, ropa.) ¿Dà ³nde compran los estudiantes los libros de quà ­mica farmacà ©utica? (Where do the students buy the pharmaceutical chemistry books? The subject, los estudiantes, is shorter than the object, los libros de quà ­mica farmacà ©utica.)

Exploratory Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Exploratory Paper - Essay Example The only drug that has the potential to depress these symptoms is marijuana. However, because of its illegality, it cannot be given to patients. This paper seeks to explore the various viewpoints regarding medical marijuana issue and its legalization. Doctors believe that marijuana is an appetite builder, a great painkiller, and reduces nausea. Many patients in California, which legalizes medical marijuana use, claim that it relieves symptoms related to chemotherapy (Beau 12). Patients even report enhancement of prescription drugs by marijuana. However, not all doctors believe in the use marijuana, in the treatment of cancer patients. Dr. Hiebert, a hypnotist who helps people kick marijuana, claims that marijuana worsens glaucoma and increases MS symptoms (Beau 13). The final decision on marijuana use for medical purposes lies with the judicial system and lawmakers (Beau 21). The US Supreme Court has opened hearings into whether marijuana distribution for medical use should be legalized under federal law. This case was prompted, by legislation, to legalize marijuana for medicinal use in California. This shows that some courts are becoming lenient towards the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Federal courts, however, are very serious on the illegality of marijuana and aim to keep it this way. A judiciary panel resolved that marijuana should not be legalized for medical purposes. They labeled it an addictive and dangerous drug as it is under the Controlled Substance Act. Because of this, marijuana has been labeled as psychologically and physiologically damaging without reference to the manner of its use. The federal judicial branch prefers not to legalize it, according to the annual report on alcoholism, as they consider it just as dangero us as cocaine (Beau 23). Law enforcement and government’s approach have a lot of influence on the possibility of legalization of medical marijuana. In states that have

Major U.S. Historical Events 1980-Present Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Major U.S. Historical Events 1980-Present - Essay Example When Ronald Reagan was inaugurated president in 1980, his term was ushered in with a wave of new conservatism. Reagan, a military hard-liner and staunch anti-communist, was able to confront the USSR and end the Cold War without precipitating a nuclear disaster. His administration enacted several initiatives that would form the basis of a multi-faceted attack on the USSR. This was accomplished by increased military spending, support of democracy in the Soviet's satellite countries, and crippling the economy of the Soviet Union. These initiatives in unison eroded the communist system and by the end of his term, the Soviets had capitulated. The increase in military expenditures was responsible for the implementation of National Security Defense Directive (NSDD) 32, signed by Reagan in 1982. Its purpose was to financially and covertly support anti-Soviet groups in Eastern Europe (Edward's). As anti-Soviet sentiment rose in Eastern Europe, Reagan enacted NSDD 66, which called for a clandestine economic war on the Soviet Union. It called for limiting the USSR's access to technology as well as curtailing their ability to produce natural gas (Edwards). Embargoing the Soviet economy was coupled with increased pressure exerted by American military goals to bring the Soviet system to a gradual halt during Reagan's administration. The dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the most celebrated symbol of the victory, ended 40 years of American effort and opened up new opportunities for peace around the world as well as new challenges for America's foreign policy. The ending of the Cold War served to increase the public's belief in America's system of democracy and allowed diplomatic and military resources to be turned towards other endeavors. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the memory of the failure to secure a victory in Southeast Asia decades earlier still fomented fears of another Vietnam. Iraq, debt-ridden and weary from years of war with Iran, made a desperate and miscalculated move to invade Kuwait. President George Bush Sr. was able to capitalize on Huessein's miscalculations and through diplomacy and political savvy was able to form a united coalition of nations to stand against Iraqi aggression. Saudi Arabia, a vital American interest, and 14 members of the Arab League joined to condemn Iraq's aggression (Persian Gulf War). Within days, international cooperation led by Bush, resulted in a global embargo against the Iragi regime. Bush, able to unite America under a new wave of national pride, assembled a military team to plan a strategic operation while diplomacy and UN Sanctions worked behind the scenes in an effort to oust the Iraqis from Kuwait. As diplomacy failed and UN deadlines expired, the first air attacks on Iraq began on January 17, 1991 (Atkinson). After more than a month of air strikes, a 4 day ground war decisively expelled Iraq from Kuwait and decimated their military. This rapid victory, with few casualties, placed America as an international military power once again. The coalition victory brought with it new hope for the future of global cooperation to suppress dictators and promote human rights. American pride had been restored and resulted in a new

Immanuel Kant on law and justice Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant on law and justice Essay To be moral living human beings there must be a guiding action. This action varies depending on the degree of obligation: law, rule or maxim. A law should promote and protect the common good. Above all, a law must be just and reasonable to follow. A rule is a prescribed guide for conduct or action that indicates how we ought to act to behave in certain situations. Rules are not strictly legislated but are nevertheless obligatory guidelines for actions. A maxim is a general truth or rule of conduct. Immanuel Kants political teaching may be summarized in a phrase: republican government and international organization. In more characteristically Kantian terms, it is doctrine of the state based upon the law (Rechtsstaat) and of eternal peace. Indeed, in each of these formulations, both terms express the same idea: that of legal constitution or of peace through law. Rechtsstaat is a doctrine in continental European legal thinking, originally borrowed from German jurisprudence, which can be translated as a legal state, state of law, state of justice, state of rights or state based on justice and integrity. It is a constitutional state in which the exercise of governmental power is constrained by the law, and is often tied to the Anglo-American concept of the rule of law, but differs from it in that it also places an emphasis on what is just (i. e. a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion or equity). In a Rechtsstaat, the power of the state is limited in order to protect citizens from the arbitrary exercise of authority. In a Rechtsstaat the citizens share legally-based civil liberties and they can use the courts. A country cannot be a liberal democracy without first being a Rechtsstaat. German writers usually place Immanuel Kants theories at the beginning of their accounts of the movement toward the Rechtsstaat. Kant’s approach is based on the supremacy of a country’s written constitution. This supremacy must create guarantees for implementation of his central idea: a permanent peaceful life as a basic condition for the happiness of its people and their prosperity. Kant proposed that constitutionalism and constitutional government ought to be sufficient to guarantee this happiness. Kant had thus formulated the main problem of constitutionalism: The constitution of a state is eventually based on the morals of its citizens, which, in its turn, is based on the goodness of this constitution. A Kantian justice system would thus solely focus on what was done, rather than on the character of the person who did it. No excuses regarding a criminals genome, upbringing, history of mental illness, or socioeconomic status can exonerate him from receiving punishment for the criminal act. The fact that a man was abused during his childhood does not justify his infliction of similar abuse on others later in life. Many duties are developed into laws because society has deemed them important for the protection of the individual. There are some laws that are written to safe guard the individual and others for the community. All laws must be written to uphold society which includes protecting the rights of all people in both the majority and minority consequently all laws must possess certain common traits. Immanuel Kant believed that all humans are born inherently bad and must try hard to be good. This model of thought is of immense help to understanding what actions Kant saw as necessary for the creation of justice within the real world, since, once again, every individuals worldview is based upon that individuals own set of experiences. â€Å"Pure reason is a perfect unity; and therefore, if the principle presented by it proves to be insufficient for the solution of even a single one of those questions to which the very nature of reason gives birth, we must reject it, as we could not be perfectly certain of its sufficiency in the case of the others†. (Critique of Pure Reason, 3) Kant on Contemporary Issues Contemporary Issue: A proposal by the government to legalize theft. According to Immanuel Kant’s theories and views he would try to oppose this law. The general definition of theft is the taking of another persons property without that persons permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. Immanuel Kant would consider this an immoral action on the individual’s part therefore resulting in punishment. When someone is punished for something it is because they did something abominable. Humans act not only on impulse as effected by laws of nature, but also out of conscience choice based on principles and these principles tell us how we ought to act. Our conscience as a capacity has a fundamental sense of value and personal responsibility. If theft were to be legalized, it would result in a never-ending chain of people committing evil actions to further their own need. People would become more selfish and greedy. Because Kant believes humans are born inherently bad we must strive every day to avoid temptation which we can only be redeemed by good behaviour and the grace of God. This would also go against Kant’s ideal justice system. â€Å"Nothing can escape our notice; for what reason produces from itself cannot lie concealed, but must be brought to the light by reason itself, as soon as we have discovered the common principle of the ideas we seek. † (Critique of Pure Reason, 5). Kants theory is his belief that it should always be possible, within our power, to do the right thing. Kant believes that rational humans are agents, they have plans, and they make deliberate choices. It is this fact about humans that Kant’s ethical theory seeks to enshrine and protect. Human agency should never be sacrificed for anything less valuable and everything is less valuable. Justice has a moral obligation to always do. The first duty of justice is to never treat people as mere means to one’s own ends. But treating a person as an end in themselves is to do more than respect this duty: it is also to assist them in achieving their morally lawful ends. For these reasons Immanuel Kant would not allow to legalize theft. Our government, justice duty and morality would all be altered if such a thing were to happen and that was Kant’s biggest fear that our humanity would be consumed by materialistic things. We need laws and peace in order for us, as people, to be rational human beings. Work Cited: Germany. Understandings of the Rule of Law Wikis Der Freien UniversitA ¤t Berlin. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. Kant, Immanuel, J. M. D. Meiklejohn, Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, James Creed Meredith, Immanuel Kant, Immanuel Kant, and Immanuel Kant. The Critique of Pure Reason. Chicago: Encyclop? dia Britannica, 1955. Print. Rauscher, Frederick, Rauscher,. Kants Social and Political Philosophy. Stanford University. Stanford University, 24 July 2007. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. Immanuel Kants Critique of Judgment. Immanuel Kants Critique of Judgment. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013.

Tom Sawyer Essay -- essays research papers

Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer was a boy, not one of the sort that you read about in good books, but a little devil, never malicious and always at some trick, and in the course of years he engaged in a multitude, all of which are here recorded in Twain's style. He had special aversions for church, Sunday school, pious people, devout conversation and the company of his sedate but good old aunt. In spite of his efforts to escape from such inflictions he had to suffer them once in a while, but in his efforts to get some diversion on such occasions he more than once made lively sensations. Too lazy to get his Sunday school lessons, he managed by sharp trading to buy up a lot of the tickets given to the best pupils, and when a distinguished visitor came the children were requested to step forward with their tickets so that the one who had the most should receive the prize. To the astonishment of all Tom Sawyer was the hero, and, after a great time had been made over him, the visitor thought Tom should have a chance to show his learning, so he asked him who were the first two of the twelve Apostles to follow Jesus, it being presumed that the prize boy knew such things perfectly, for the lesson of the term had been in the study of the four Gospels. Tom felt the necessity of giving some answer, and his was "David and Goliath," to the surprise of the visitor, the consternation of the head teacher and the amusement of the school. When Tom went to church he took a large snapping bug...

Blended Families Essay

Cartwright (2010) found that couples who re-marry after divorce can often be led to that decision by the need for an intimate relationship and the benefits they receive from that relationship. The need for financial means also brought some to the decision that they would cohabitate before re-marrying. Cartwright also came to the conclusion that while a lot of the participants in the study were aware of the possible difficulties of becoming a blended family, most of them did not talk to one another about certain parenting issues such as discipline and rules. Most of the participants also did not discuss how they would handle this change for the children involved in the two families that were blending. Cartwright says that these findings supported earlier research that suggested that couples who are blending their families often avoid talking about difficult issues so as to avoid conflict. What Percentage of Households Have Blended Families? Studies have shown that about 9% of married couple households and 11.5% of households where the parents are living together but not married, have stepchildren who live in the home. (Teachman & Teadrow, 2008) A survey done, called the HILDA survey, showed that 13% of households in the third wave of the survey, have stepchildren that either live in the home or do not and on some occasions both. A longitudinal study was done and indicated that out of the 1265 people involved in taking the study, 18.6% of them had lived in a stepfamily between the ages of 6 and 16 years old. This study included participants where the household was either remarried or cohabitating. (Nicholson, Fergusson, & Horwood, 1999). Many stepfamilies find challenges that make it very difficult to have normal functional interactions amongst its’ members. What Areas of Concern Are There for Children in Blended Families? Through research studies on blended families there seems to be a much greater risk of negative outcomes for children that are part of a blended family, as opposed to other children around  them who are from a first time marriage. (Amato, 2000; Bray, 1999: Hetherington & Kelly, 2002). When researchers have done studies on stepfamilies post-remarriage, they have found out very little about how the couple prepares themselves and their families before they re-marry or move in together to live as a whole family unit. There are a couple exceptions. A study done in 1989 in the US was conducted specifically to find out what couples do to prepare themselves and their families for a re-marriage. (Ganong & Coleman, 1989). More recently than that a study was done in Britain that questioned both the mothers and the stepfathers to find out what it was they did, if anything, to prepare prior to the re-marriage. (Smith & Robertson, 2008) The findings were that many re-married quickly and did not discuss what each other’s role would be when it came to parenting. (Ganong & Coleman, 1989; Robertson, 2008; Smith, 2008). Evidence appeared that showed there was very little, if any, help given to the children to help them with the transition into this new family life. (Robertson, 2008). How Common is Re-Marriage? Research shows that almost 20% of Americans are divorced and remarried. It has become increasingly common over time. Stepfamilies are becoming the fastest growing family unit. (Berger, 1995; Walsh, 2003b). Studies estimate that one in every two couples in the United States will divorce (Derma, 1999). What Are the Legal Ramifications of a Blended Family? Legal battles can become very expensive and are very complicated. Centuries ago, it was said that the children â€Å"belonged† to the father and so when a marriage ended, the children would stay with the father (Knibiehler, 1995). This was due large in part to the father having to financially support, educate and protect his children much like the father figure of Christian Mythology (Friedman, 1995). Around the time of the Industrial Revolution came domesticity. With that came the idea and emphasis that a child’s need to be emotionally nurtured was more important. That did not change the father’s legal obligations to financially support, educate and protect his children. With that, the  father’s role became one more of support while the mother’s role took the lead as the one who provided the children with emotional nurturance (Jacob, 1988). The one exception to the rule that the mother should have custody of the children, was that she be proven to be the cause for the end of the marriage. If that could be proven, she risked losing her property and her children. Around 1975, the idea of â€Å"no-fault† divorces was starting to have an impact on legislation (Fogarty, 2001). While the arguments for this type of divorce were mostly moral ones, the leaders of politics and religion were arguing that we had lost what once held our society together. Another big part of â€Å"no fault† divorce proceedings that nobody gave much attention to for a long period of time, was how violence or abuse within the marriage and family should affect the outcome. Very slowly did family courts begin to take in to consideration the unacceptable behaviors towards spouses and children. Then they began to make decisions based more on those findings. What Things Help a Blended Family to Be Successful? According to Visher, Visher & Pasley, 2003, becoming a blended family is a very complicated process that involves transitioning from one’s previous life and household to a whole new life and possibly household where things may be very different than before. There are many things to be thought about when choosing to blend a family. Several things must be examined since they may influence how the new family blends together. It is important to know the experiences of the previous marriage, for both parties. It is also important to know how the continued contact with the previous spouse is handled. Also important is how each spouse differs when it comes to personal maturity, the experiences each has had throughout their lives and what social status they hold. Finally, knowing what each partner considers the norm and what each ones expectations are (Swenson, 1997). Understanding how to help families of remarriage to blend successfully is an important outline for research, intervention and prevention efforts within blended families (Von Eye & Schuster, 2000). Using this approach helps to guide families when they face challenges or difficult times within their blended family (Hawley, 2000;Walsh, 1998b;, 2003a). When talking about resilience in a blended family, a lot of things are brought into the mix. Risk factors such as stressful events or bad conditions are weighed against protective factors such a family and community support to help blended families and their children to be successful in working through the hard times (Norman, 2000). According to McCubbin and McCubbin, (1988), there are certain dimensions, characteristics and features that must be looked at in order to help a blended family be more resilient to the hard times. They look at resistance to disruption in the event of a change and how well a person adapts in a critical situation. Walsh (1996) came up with the idea of relational resilience. Models have been created to test these factors. The first model, the pre-crisis ABCX model looks at the A (stressor), B (resource), and C (definition of the stressor) which help families protect themselves and get through crisis. Second are the models that focus on before and after crisis factors and the FAAR Model that was developed by McCubbin and Patterson (McCubbin et al., 1996). Last is the Typology Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation, developed by McCubbin and McCubbin (McCubbin et al., 1996). This model focuses on what patterns are used in the way the family functions and what each persons role is in adjusting and adapting during adversity or crisis. According to Walsh (1998b), making a blended family successful and helping them to stay together can be accomplished by encouraging the family’s belief system, a supportive community, communication with one another and support within the family structure, acknowledging that some adversity it very normal and standing together as a family and believeing that you can achieve what you set out to accomplish. How is Attachment in Stepfamilies Affected? Bowlby (1973) has found that while there is an endless amount of research done on attachment, very little of that has been done on stepfamilies. He found that the disruption of bonds that a child has may make it very hard to form secure attachments otherwise in life, therefore, leading to possible psychological disorders. Separation from a parent and conflict with a new stepparent may  cause problems with attachment and adjusting in the future (Henry & Holmes 1998). These types of situations often involve some form of threat (whether it be real or not) making one of the parents more unavailable (Kobak 1999). There was some speculation that a child being raised in a stepfamily would for sure have less secure attachments than those raised by their biological parents still together. They did state that insecurities may be part of the stress of divorce and remarriage (Love and Murdock 2004). As stated by Robert S. Feldman (2011), more than 5 million couples who are each others second marriages have at least one child that is a stepchild. He states that often times, a child’s role is unclear and they are not sure of what is expected of them. Children may not be sure what their responsibilities are as a part of the new family or how they should treat their new â€Å"parent† or â€Å"siblings†. Feldman also states that blending into a new family seems to be easier for children that are school age as opposed to teenagers. He states that it is due to several different things. The family’s financial situation usually improves with a remarriage and the addition of a second income. There are also more people in the family to share chores and responsibilities with as well as more people to have a social relationship with (Greene, Anderson, & Hetherington, 2003; Hetherington & Elmore, 2003). Though there is not much research on blended families and every aspect of the changes, challenges and success’s, it is clear that raising a blended family involves a lot of planning, preparing and nurturing on the part of the children to make it successful for everyone involved.

Seven Deadly Sins

Memoir/ Reflection Essay The seven deadly sins are always view in a negative way. Well since they are considered sins I guess they will ways be viewed that way. Like Pride is the desire to be better than everyone and love only oneself. Wrath is to have uncontrollable feeling of hatred and anger. Greed is to have a very excessive or plundering desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power. Gluttony is excessive desire for food, or its withholding from the needy. Sloth is the failure to apply your talents and gifts by being lazy. Lust is excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature. Envy is to be jealous of what someone or something you lack. But I think there is something good about the sins also. People never think about how these sins could be contributed into something good. Pride or Vanity is a dangerous yet sometimes helpful thing to have. It can help you show why your the right person for a job or why you deserve something more than someone else. But it can also lead to a lot of negative things as well. It can make you sound too full of yourself or make you sound cocky leading to people starting to find you annoying or even making them so jealous of you they start to hate you. So its on you to decide what is more important, either having the people you know and love hate you for what you have or on the other side having them love you for your accomplishments. I feel like vanity is the sin that could make you or break you depending on how you spin it. Wrath or as it's more commonly known Anger is a sin that people experience more with other people or things than just by themselves. I feel wrath is the most violent of the sins as it is the act of people hating other people and with hate people tend to hurt others either physically or emotionally out of rage or revenge. We have seen wrath at its worst when the Twin Towers were crashed into. People led from being depressed to being so mad that our military had a dramatic increase just because people wanted to get back at the third world countries involved. But in turn that anger also led to our country being more patriotic than ever before. We have had more support from our civilians because of this Wrathful feeling, So I feel wrath is a important part in everyday lives whether good or bad. Avarice or Greed is what most people see as the root of evil. It goes back to the story of Eden where Adam and Eve were tempted into eating the apple from the tree. But these days People are greedy for a variety of reasons, the most commonly being money. The second most common reason would tie into people just wanting more than everyone else. But sometimes that's not always a bad thing. I have seen people use greed to a good advantage. A prime example would be how greed led the economy to be great before this war. We wanted more so we spent more which led to people having more jobs and more work time to make the things we wanted to buy. So yes I think greed can be a evil thing but also as a great thing. Gluttony is a tricky sin to say the least. Most commonly seen as the act of eating too much, it is actually just when you over indulge in anything. You could over indulge in time spent on something specific like how much time you spent trying to beat a certain game or time spent arguing over a certain point. But when related to food you can see Gluttony when people eat too much food or when people add things to their food just to have a more satisfying taste instead of just eating to sustain life. I personally see gluttony as a growing satisfaction in peoples lives all around me. People love to eat, and again it can't be all that bad because it does still help out economy if we keep buying more and more food even if we don't need it. Sloth or better known as laziness is a sin everyone goes through at some point in everyday we live. Whether its not wanting to get up and do what we have to do or wasting time not pursuing things that we have the skills to do just because we don't want to use them. Personally I see sloth as the window to a wasted life. We all have things we wish we could do but are to slothful to start. I used to play a lot of instruments as a kid and now a days I don't play but i wonder if I did what could of happened. But again sloth, like every other sin is not always bad. Maybe your slothful while trying to think of details for something like a wedding or even a paper your writing. You waste all this time just thinking instead of rushing through it that it may actually turn out to be a very good piece of writing. some things in life just take a little waste of time to make sure everything's right. Lust is a very satisfying yet depressing sin to think about. It is the act of wanting someone or something so bad you do anything you can to get it. I have seen lust used all over this world and it can sometimes be a very scary thing. It can lead to false love or rape and it can also lead to dictatorships. Lust is something people all feel but have to learn to control as well. The story of Alexander The Great is a perfect example. He lusted for control and territory and through this lust he became one of the greatest kings back in the old days. Now I feel lust could be a good thing as well but only if used right. Maybe your lust for someone can lead you to find out that you actually can fall in love with that person. You just have to learn to control your feelings and your cravings to allow yourself to do so. Envy is the sin that can trick your mind so well that you can't tell right from wrong. I have seen people being so envious of another it utterly destroys them emotionally and sometimes even physically. To be jealous of what other people have and look like is something that goes through every persons mind. You may ask yourself â€Å"Why are they so much better looking than me? † or even â€Å"Why can't I have that? â€Å". In my life I have felt this way just as much as everyone else but it lead me to learn that life isn't about what you do or don't have, but rather what you earn or what you do with what you have instead. The only way you can truly live happy is to realize your not like everyone else. Your you and there is nothing wrong with that fact. Now Envy can be a good thing to though. Maybe your not doing anything with your life. Maybe your not going to school or don't have a job yet you see everyone else doing it so you get so jealous you decide to do it yourself. That's not a bad thing at all. So I have learned don't be envious, but just learn and do what needs to be done to make your life the way you want it to be. The seven deadly sins could have two observations about them; good and bad. So I think people shouldn’t always go by the negative views about something. Instead of seeing the glass half empty, they should see it half full. But yet again it is the seven deadly sins so no matter what they are always going to be view in a bad way.

tv culture essays

tv culture essays Recently one of the biggest corporations in the United States, Microsoft had to face several ultimatums from the government. The case against Microsoft was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as several state Attorneys General. Microsoft is accused of using and maintaining monopoly power to gain an unfair advantage in software market. The case has been under observation for a long time, but the Justice department is having trouble coming up with substantial evidence against Microsoft. Specifically, the Department must prove: That Microsoft has monopoly power and is using it to gain unfair leverage in the market. And that Microsoft has maintained this monopoly power through "predatory" actions. Many people feel that Microsoft is only taking advantage of its position in the market and using marketing strategies to attract new customers. They have chosen to implement a market development strategy to attract new customers, who are looking for a system that has Internet ca pability. Microsoft feels that by integrating their Internet Explorer web browser technology into Windows, they are only improving its functionality available to the customer. Some people, especially the judge, say that Microsoft began its "illegal" agenda when it began requiring PC manufacturers to sign a license agreement that said that, if they were going to have Windows preinstalled on their new systems, that the Windows Internet Explorer must also be installed. Although it is possible for consumers to install other browsers onto Windows and use them, critics say that Microsoft still has an unfair advantage. It also keeps other browser companies from being able to consult with PC manufacturers to put their browser on the PC from the beginning. When Netscape refused to bow before Microsoft, Microsoft decided to do everything in their power to limit the amount of resources that Netscape could access. T ...

Consider Planting an Oak in Your Yard

Consider Planting an Oak in Your Yard Red and white oaks (Quercus species) are great trees to plant in your yard and you will find one from the many oak species available to choose from. An oak is the  state tree  of Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland and New Jersey. Oaks have always suffered from a slow growth image to the favor of planting quick-growing, short-lived native and exotic trees. Habit and Range You can find an oak species growing naturally in all 48 states. There are white and live oaks in the West. Live, red and white oaks populate the East - oaks are everywhere and are the most popular tree in the United States. In fact, the oak has been selected as Americas national tree by the National Arbor Day Foundation and found in every North American state and province. Strong Cultivars Best cultivars by preferred oak species: White Oaks - Jasper, Lincoln, Crimson SpireRed and Scarlet Oaks - Red SplendensLive Oaks - Highrise, Southern Shade Oak Plant Hardiness Zones Oaks hardy through zone 3 if selected from northern sources. Expert Comments Bur oak...is a majestic, rugged tree, extremely variable even for an oak, and tolerates a wide range of habitats...under favorable conditions, it ranks among the most impressive of all trees. - Guy Sternberg, Native Trees for North American Landscapes If but one oak could grace my garden, this (scarlet oak) would be the choice.- Michael Dirr, Dirrs Hardy Trees and Shrubs Amoung the 600 or so oak species...an elite few of these, in the right place at the right time, have inspired the kind of awe and legend attached to gods and heroes. Such trees are mainly of the white oak group. - Arthur Plotnik, The Urban Tree Book

History of interior desin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of interior desin - Research Paper Example However, that should not be understood by the student or the reader that this level of interaction between cultures is something of a new paradigm. Rather, this has existed since the beginning of time and is evidenced within many of the ruins and remnants of empires that span the globe. As a function of understanding the means by which interior design and architecture impacted upon the past, this particular analysis will look at the case of two of the following mosques: the Umayyd Mosque (also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus – Islam’s fourth holiest site) as well as The Great Mosque of Cordoba. However, rather than merely discussing the means by which to cultures impacted upon the development of architecture and interior design within these mosques, the analysis will also seek to can pair and contrast the means by which these cultures interacted within the respective environments/geographies. With regards to the first mosque which will be analyzed within this brie f essay, that of the Umayyd Mosque in Damascus (pictured below in figure 1.0 and figure 2.0), this particular site was one that was revered by Christians prior to the Muslim conquest of Damascus. The juxtaposition of three unique religions exists within this particular mosque. For instance, during, a temple to Jupiter was built upon the very grounds that the current mosque now occupies. Several centuries later, during the Christian era of the Roman Empire, this table was converted and expanded into the Cathedral of St. John. Likewise, during the Muslim conquest of the sixth century, the Umayyd Mosque was expanded and utilized many of the same components that had served the prior two religions. Within such an understanding, the reader can come to a clear appreciation for why the interior elements of design and architecture that are exhibited within this particular mosque are so varied and nuanced. Likewise, the in the images below, the reader can distinctly note the shape of the colu mns within figure 1 are highly indicative of the Roman. Whereas the dome and crescent pictured to the left of the image are of course highly indicative of Islamic styles. Moreover, the support mechanisms and decorations that the building exhibits are also indicative of the very same semi-arch style that was utilized within the Roman aqueducts throughout their Empire. Likewise, with respect to image two, a clear and distinct level correlation between the Imperial columns and the decorations exhibited in and around John the Baptist shrine evoke a clear and distinct level of contrast between Christian interior design, Roman interior design, and Islamic interior design interpretations. Figure 1.0 Figure 2.0 With regards to the Great Mosque of Cordoba, and even further level of differentiation can be seen. Whereas some reconstruction to place within The Great Mosque of Damascus, discussed above, the Moorish conquest of Spain and the subsequent control that the Moors derived over the prev ious Cathedral of Vincent, creating something of a unique historical situation. Rather than demolishing the Cathedral of Saint Vincent, the Moorish occupiers requested and were allowed to purchase one half of this cathedral; which they then set about converting to a mosque. In such a