Abstract This paper focuses on the symbolism of the character, Beloved, in the book of the same name by Toni Morrison and looks at how slavery's legacy is represented through Beloved's interactions with Sethe and Paul D. Examples that are discussed include Beloved's affect on Paul D's "rusted tin can" heart and how this is representative of slavery's legacy and Beloved's progressing physical state throughout the novel and how it is symbolic of Sethe's ability to cope with her past.
From the Paper "As Sethe delves further into her past, Beloved's control over her grows stronger. The relationship becomes more parasitic, with Sethe constantly trying to cope with her horrific past and the gruesome crime she committed. She repeatedly tries to justify her actions to Beloved, like when she says, ?I"ll explain to her, even though I don"t have to. Why I did it. How if I hadn"t killed her she would have died and that is something that I could not bear to happen to her" (200). It seems as if the presence of Beloved forces Sethe to fully disclose her past and, consequently, Sethe learns how to accept it."
Abstract This paper describes the battle between good and evil in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It compares instances in the book to instances today to show that the battle between good and evil will continue forever.
From the Paper "Conflict moves society. Without it, life would be bland, and motivation would be diminished. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, the struggle between good and evil is at the heart of the story. The tale of a troubled schizophrenic, it shows that man will forever be battling between the two conflicts. An amicable elderly doctor, Henry Jekyll drinks a potion and morphs into Mr. Hyde, the personification of evil. Not only does it display the struggle between good and evil, but this novel also proves that it's a time-tested matter. Written in 1886, this novel's values parallel what occurs today and what occurred before it was written. Because even though many parts of society change over time, there will forever be the struggle of good versus evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde proves this by having Dr. Jekyll in the midst of the struggle. To prove this, one must look at Dr. Jekyll's addiction to becoming Mr. Hyde, Jekyll waking up as his evil self, and the doctor's indecision over which identity he really is. The aforementioned, coupled with modern day equivalents confirm that the battle between good and evil will forever wage on."
Abstract This paper discusses 'faulty analogy', 'slippery slope argument,' and 'red herring' and shows how these logical fallacies have had a detrimental effect on critical thinking and decision making. The paper also points out that critical thinking and decisions in the area of ethics seem to be particularly vulnerable to logical fallacies.
From the Paper "Faulty analogies, such as the example cited above, are common since it is easy to become impressed by a connection or two and then see an analogy where there really isn"t one (O"Rourke, 2001, Ch.7, para 22). Surprisingly, even organizations often make business decisions based on faulty analogies. Take, for example, the mistakes made by Disney Parks and Resorts in France. Based on the successful replication of its U.S. theme parks in Japan, Disney assumed that the same business model would work in Paris as well. Euro Disney, however, proved to be a very different story in terms of operations. While there were some similarities in customer preferences, the differences proved to be far stronger. For instance, one of the biggest differences, which proved to be a costly error for Disney, was that Europeans treated theme parks as places for day excursions."
Abstract In the turn-of-the-century era depicted in the novel, "Ragtime", by E.L. Doctorow, racism and oppression of lower social classes dominates social realities in the city of New York. This paper explores racial and social inequality through specific examples from the story. It explores the various characters and their relation to the themes of racism and oppression.
From the Paper "Father also shows his racist mentality when first confronted with Coalhaouse Walker. In contrast to Mother, who believes she is complementing Coalhouse when she sees him as different than other Negroes, Father thinks he has ?no awareness of his race or his place in society.? Father viewed Coalhouse's proud character almost as a form of disrespect towards the white majority and he was perplexed by the idea why a Negro would be proud, "apparently it didn"t occur to him to integrate himself into the fashion of his race.?"
Abstract The chilling title of Phillip Gourevitch's book, "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families" (1998), is a reference to a group letter from members of the Tutsi clergy to an Adventist church leader, Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, pleading for his protection from the Hutu majority in Rwanda. Gourevitch's book concerns the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994 in which the Hutu majority systematically massacred the minority Tutsi population. As a result of this effort at ethnic cleansing, an estimated 800,000 Tutsi were killed over the course of a 100-day period from April to July 1994. In fact, during the height of the massacre, Gourevitch reports that members of the Tutsi tribe were being massacred three times as fast as the Jews had been during the Nazi Holocaust. To better understand the events that contributed to this horrific slaughter in modern times, this paper provides a critical review of Gourevitch's book, including a discussion of how the religious, national, racial, and ethnic groupings in Rwanda were used as tools for the genocide. A discussion of how European colonialism, Rwandan politics, and the role of different aid organizations also contributed to the genocide is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "In this book, Gourevitch paints a grim picture about the events that led to the 1994 genocide in which hundreds of thousands of Tutsis were massacred to the point where the Hutus almost succeeded in completely eliminating the Tutsi segment of the Rwandan population, as well as countless members of the Hutus themselves who opposed the slaughter in the first place. The systematic and institutionalized method by which this slaughter took place was not unique to Rwanda, of course, but Gourevitch suggests that a combination of a cultural acceptance of violence, the nefarious roles played by NGOs, Rwandan governmental agencies and the nation's churches, all contributed to the genocide that took place during those terrible months of 1994."
Examination of the book, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures," by Anne Fadiman.
Abstract This paper discusses the role of ethnocentrism in the book. "Ethnocentrism" is the belief that your culture is "better" or "superior" to other cultures and that cultural standards are universal. It is often the wedge that keeps people from many cultures from blending into a cohesive unit, and in "The Spirit Catches You," it is quite common to see how the Hmong, with their culture of beliefs and superstitions, and American doctors, with their medicines and science, would clash and never see eye to eye.
From the Paper ""The Spirit Catches You" is the story of a Hmong family, the Lees, and their young daughter Lia. Lia is diagnosed with epilepsy, which the Hmong call "the spirit catches you and you fall down" disease. The story graphically illustrates two cultures that meet head on - with each one having absolutely no understanding of the other. The Hmong's entire culture is built on a series of beliefs and superstitions that they use nearly everyday to combat illness and appearance. For example, the author notes early in the book, "Although the Hmong believe that illness can be caused by a variety of sources - [...] by far the most common cause of illness is soul loss" (Fadiman 10). Thus, the Hmong use spiritual and holistic approaches to their daughter's health problems because it is all they know. The American doctors, on the other hand, want the Hmong to use American medicines and treatments, and the Hmong have no idea what these treatments are, or how they will benefit their daughter. What happens as the two cultures collide is a comedy of errors and misunderstanding, except that it is not funny, and Lia pays the price in the end."
Abstract This paper explains the need for ethical self-reflection in order to arrive at decisions that are fair and socially just. The paper also describes how the author makes personal and professional decisions based on her own cultural and personal ethics.
From the Paper "We live in a highly interdependent and interconnected world, which is able to function in relative harmony because it is governed by mutually, agreed codes of conduct. Indeed, without the prevalence of such codes of conduct, human civilization would probably degenerate into being ruled by the law of the jungle or the "survival of the fittest." Thus, it is evident that human civilization is both a function of and dependent on decisions and actions that are guided by established ethical standards. This observation holds true for all aspects of life, be it personal or professional. "
Abstract This paper examines how, through the novel "Mrs Dalloway", Virginia Woolf captures the character of a whole society. In comparison, it looks at how, through Clarissa Vaughan in "The Hours", Michael Cunningham takes the reader through a literary time-travel and a coming to terms with change, ageing and societal restrictions.
From the Paper "After having alienated herself, Clarissa returns to the party, and having conquered a feeling of loneliness, she is now filled with a sense of life. She needs to be with the people who have been important to her: Peter and Sally. And the reader, just like Peter, becomes filled with 'extraordinary excitement' because Clarissa is there. It is not so much what Clarissa does that makes her important enough to carry the title of the novel. In fact her actions and the sequence of her day are rather superficial: she buys flowers, prepares for a party and hosts that party perfectly well. She represents a shallow upper-class woman with a very singular outlook on life. However, it is her omnipresence that is of considerable significance."
Abstract This paper argues that any text is a source of endless speculation, argument and debate in relation to three poems by William Butler Yeats: "Sailing to Byzantium", "Easter 1916" and "Wild Swans at Coole". Each poem is analysed through two critical approaches, namely New Critical, which focuses on the specific devices used by the poet in the actual poems and Marxist, which looks at the context of the poet and poem to extract meaning.
From the Paper ""Sailing to Byzantium" is not an exception to the fact that any text is a source of endless speculation, argument and debate. The debate in this poem arises over the interpretation of the golden bird that is "set upon a bough to sing". A New Critical reading of the golden bird holds that it is a symbol of the "artifice of eternity" and the ideal world of art. The golden bird defies all change and, as apart of art, comments on life and the natural world which is subject to mutability and transformation. A Marxism, however, argues that the golden bird along with the "holy city of Byzantium" represent aristocratic values, and the stability and immutability of the aristocracy is what Yeats yearns for. To a Marxist, nature symbolizes a society that changes."
Abstract In her 1797 novel, "The Coquette," Hannah Foster presents her critical analysis of female freedom and the politics of courtship and marriage within the restrictive confines of a conventional seduction novel. The paper shows that through her protagonist, Eliza Wharton, Foster creates a woman who goes against the social conformity of a virtuous life, questioning the restrictions that marriage placed on women.
From the Paper "The real, final decline of Eliza's physical and mental stability occurs when she learns that she is pregnant, "At the first discovery, absolute distraction seized the soul of Eliza, which has since terminated in a fixed melancholy" (Foster, 140). Eliza's moral redemption rests on her acceptance of the ethics of female self-sacrifice. Paradoxically, it is only by losing her fife that Eliza regains part of the power she relinquished from her seduction. On the other hand, her death finally puts her beyond the reach of the libertine who has pursued her, physically as well as psychologically, throughout the novel."
Abstract This paper analyzes Ehrenreich's book which deals with the issues of poverty in America, the ignorance of most citizens to the problem and the fight for the minimum wage law. The paper shows how the author's counterfeit foray into the world of the working poor offers a lingering glimpse of the true asperity of poverty to a deliberately ignorant audience.
From the Paper "As a culture, we shelter ourselves from the consummate implications of a society that necessitates a substandard manner of both wage earning and living for a substantial portion of its members. However, Enrenreich's over-the-counter delivery forces a cognizance of those forgotten, those so easily banished, literally, to their hands and knees. She carefully whittles precarious images of broken people, awkwardly perched on the edge of existence."
Abstract This paper looks at the characters of Hamlet and Laertes explains why they are so similar. By doing so, this paper compares and contrasts Hamlet's and Laertes' love for Ophelia, the avenging their fathers' deaths and their attitudes and actions.
From the Paper "In Shakespeare's play Hamlet many similarities are created between Hamlet and Laertes which clearly define Laertes as Hamlets foil. These two characters are mirrors of each other which act in opposite manners when confronted with similar circumstances. They are very contrasting characters, one being outward and the other inward; where Hamlet is verbal, Laertes is physical and where Hamlet is private, Laertes is overly confronting. They are both confronted with emotions such as love and hate along with situations of betrayal which lead to the ultimate tragedies in the play. Due to the sequence of events which occur within Shakespeare's play Hamlet it is evident that Hamlet and Laertes are two very comparative characters which is demonstrated through the love they share for Ophelia and their actions to avenge the death of their fathers."
Abstract This paper provides basic student survival skills to enable the college student to succeed in college related academic coursework. The paper, written point-by-point, covers all the basic study and researching skills necessary to write and produce effective academic papers.
Table of Contents
1. Conducting Successful Library and Internet Searches
1a. Online Resources for Conducting Successful Searches
2. Upholding Academic Honesty
2a. Online Resources for Academic Honesty
3. Developing Effective Study Skills
3a. Online Resources for Developing Effective Study Skills
4. Managing Time Wisely
4a. Online Resources for Managing Time Wisely
5. Setting and Achieving Goals
References
From the Paper "Brainstorm and concept-map the topic.
Think about and visualize your topic from many different angles.
Note related and interrelated topics.
Note terminology and synonyms that can broaden your searching power.
State your topic as a question. Example: How does pollution affect
the ocean?"
This paper discusses Benjamin Barber's views on "thin democracy" and "strong democracy" as expresses in his book "Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age".
Abstract This paper explains that Benjamin Barber in his book "Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age" defines 'thin democracy" as a democracy in which leaders are elected but they are left to their own devices concerning the majority of issues; people have the powers, which democracy provides, but the demonstration of these powers is primarily manifested in the form of elections. The author points out that Barber is convincing in making his point that "thin democracy" has a tendency to strip citizens of their sense of purpose as manifested by the voter participation rate stagnating in the U.S. at about half of those eligible. The paper stress that Barber loves the thought of a "strong democracy" in which it is not the leaders who make a democracy great but rather an active, informed citizenry.
From the Paper ""Thin democracy" takes the stance that average citizens are not interested in political matters and are not capable or adequate enough to directly participate in the political process themselves, beyond electing officials. Benjamin Barber feels that the United States democracy is thin and poorly represents the entire population at large. Significant portions of citizens are unable to vote due to restrictions or simply choose to be complacent and abstain from voting. Citizens under the age of eighteen are restricted from voting, as are prisoners, and persons living within the borders who are not nationalized. Citizens who are active in a thin democracy mainly participate in it by electing persons and then monitoring their political decisions (if they choose to do so), allowing the elected (those seen by the majority to have the most expertise and capability to discern what best represents the will of the majority) to do the actual work."
Abstract This paper explains that Assata Shakur's "Assata: An Autobiography" relates her experiences as an activist with the Black Panthers. The author points out her imprisonment as an accomplice to murder. The paper recounts the racism of police officers and cites Assata Shakur's courage.
From the Paper "In Assata Shakur's "Assata: An Autobiography"-- African American activist and Blank Panther member-- Assata Shakur reveals her involvement with Black nationalist organizers and their leaders. Her experiences leading an activist's life demonstrates courage and determination."
Tags: African Americans, racism, prejudice, Black Panthers, activism, violence, prison
