Abstract
This paper explains that, after the period of dis-unification, Yan Chien proclaimed himself Emperor Wen-ti initiating the Sui dynasty, which was modeled after the earlier Han dynasty. The author points out that the Sui dynasty centralized Chinese power and returned an air of legitimacy to the imperial house; the principles of governance perfected during the Sui Dynasty remained ingrained in imperial China until its dissolution nearly 1,300 years later. The paper relates that Wen-ti chose to demolish the former capitol Ch'ang-an and rebuild it with the help of distinguished architect and engineer Yu-wen K'ai; Ch'ang-an would become not only the center of Chinese political thought but also the center of the Universe, presided over by the "Son of Heaven".

From the Paper
"A man of great piety, Wen-ti actively nurtured the construction of Buddhist and Taoist temples and the recovering and re-copying of both religious and secular literature. To further the goals of unification Wen-ti issued decrees on the, "purification of Chinese literary style" (Wright 10). The Emperor offered charters to those willing to build Buddhist temples and both Wen-ti and his empress were to construct several, including one dedicated to her honor after her death in 603 CE. It is said that this temple was to house a tooth of the Buddha brought back by the pilgrim Fa-hsien from India in the fifth century (Wright 89). However pious, Wen-ti and his advisors also saw organized Buddhism as a force that needed constant monitoring in order to retain the Emperor's divine right of pronouncement on all matters of morality and public policy."

Tags:reform, governance, ch'ang-an, literature, legitimacy

Abstract
This paper discusses Al Gore's Oscar winning documentary film about global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," explaining its assertions and the impact on the writer. The paper discusses the urgency expressed in the movie.

From the Paper
"Former Vice President Al Gore teamed up with director Davis Guggenheim to create the movie "An Inconvenient Truth", an informative documentary on global warming that begins with a breathtaking look at the planet Earth from the moon, taken on Christmas Eve. This is contrasted with the most recent photo of Earth taken by a human being in space, showing the reduction in polar ice caps and the encroachment of the oceans on land masses. Augmented by a composite of photos taken by..."

Tags:Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, global warming, film, documentary

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that in the award-winning documentary, 'An Inconvenient Truth', former Vice-President Al Gore explains the magnitude and consequences of the global warming crisis, but he also offers encouragement, and promises the possibility of resolution. The writer discusses this documentary regarding the global crisis.

From the Paper
"His narration is passionate but factual as he describes how and why this global crisis has developed, and calls for unified action to deal with it. This courageous and compelling documentary fully deserves the Academy Award it won last spring and the attention it has received, for humanity is indeed facing a crisis and the immediate action called for in 'An Inconvenient Truth' is an absolute necessity. "

Tags:an, inconvenient, truth

Abstract
This paper looks at one of the earliest empires in the Chinese Classical Civilization, the Ch'in, often referred to as the Qin. It explores how, although the dynasty did not last long, ranging from the years 221 B.C. to 207 B.C., during this time, many changes occurred, including the use of legalism to the start of the Great Wall. In particular, it shows how the first empire was not a long and successful one, but proved to be a great stepping-stone for the history of China and its progression into the modern world.

From the Paper
"The quick rise to power was due to the Ch'in's ability to rapidly adjust to the Legalist philosophy. This was initiated under Lord Shang. Realizing that the growth of the Ch'in's power solely rested upon a more efficient and centralized bureaucratic structure, they had to remove themselves from feudalism. Lord Shang created a new aristocracy based on military merit. To support his military, he instituted a draft at the age of fifteen. In turn what this did was replace the chariot and cavalry warfare, with masses of peasant infantry armed with swords and crossbows."

Tags:chou, confucius, great, huangti, legalism, shih, wall

Abstract
This three-page undergraduate research paper examines the relationship of the adolescent and adult selves of the protagonist in the short story, "An Ounce of Cure" by Alice Munro.

Abstract
This paper reviews Henry James' "An International Episode" about the interaction of Americans with Europeans. It uses extracts from the text and comparisons with Henry James' other works to show that the images in "An International Episode" tend to concentrate on literal images with very few perceptual or conceptual images. It also discusses how there are also numerous comparisons and contrasts to be made with another of his works "The American Scene".

From the Paper
"James is apt to use heat and light (or their opposites) for images of New York in The American Scene. This is also the same in An International Episoe. New York is, variously: ?fervid (temperature)?; crude (light); and "insufferably hot". These negative images are explicitly replicated through phrases such as "that tiresome New York" (An International Episode 61). It is quite unusual for James to use negative images of New York for this period since, as is the case in Washington Square, he was generally rather fond of New York up until his last visit there in his twilight years. Thus, An International Episode, differs significantly from The Jolly Corner, which is almost autobiographical at times."

Tags:freud, imagery, lacan, europeans, london

Abstract
This paper is a critical summary of the book "An American Tragedy" by noted author Theodore Dreiser. There is a brief summary and a description of the writing style used by Dreiser.

Abstract
An examination of Randolph Campbell's book, "An Empire for Slavery". The paper discusses the book which looks at the history of slavery in Texas. The author gives an overview of the main points in the book and illustrates how Campbell commands an impressive amount of data to prove his thesis. Campbell's cultural and statistical contributions to this issue are mentioned.

From the Paper
"Randolph Campbell's book An Empire for Slavery, details the specific nature of the history of slavery in the state of Texas, the youngest slaveholding state in the Southern part of the Union. It is common to view "the peculiar institution," as its practitioners, according to Campbell, often called it, as simply uniquely Southern institution. However, Campbell makes it clear that slavery was not simply a Southern institution, but a specific series of practices that existed within a unique cultural context in every state where it was practiced. Texas is a particularly interesting case, Campbell suggests, because in Texas, there were threatened and ineffectual attempts by both Spanish and later the state government of Texas prohibit the practice of slavery on a mass level. Texas had existed as an independent country and thus had its own history apart from the rest of the more genteel South, supposedly. Texans clearly identified themselves as frontier dwellers, rather than inhabitants of an agricultural, aristocratic elite. However, because of the richness of the Texas soil, the use of slaves proved too tempting to be ignored. Slavery spread rapidly, although contemporary Texans would often wish to forget this."

Tags:slave, Texas, Randolph, Campbell, peculiar, institution

Abstract
This paper contains in-depth research on the life of emperor and artist Hui Tsung. The author of this paper discusses Hui-Tsung as a sophisticated antiquarian, whose talent and vision became an increasingly important factor in Chinese art. What differentiated Emperor Hui-tsung's painting style and that of the Literati was the emperor's main focus on Taoistic idealistic realism. Numerous historians of art believe that the Northern Sung Dynasty period produced the greatest realistic landscapes in China's history. This extensive paper also covers in detail the different views and aspects on the history of art in China.
Topics covered in this paper include:
Introduction
The Northern Dissident Literati
Su Ch'e
Confucianism and Taoism
Emperor Hui-tsung
Li T'ang
Xia gui
Conclusion
Chinese footnotes
Bibliography

From the Paper
"According to a translation from the German Tripod Mitgdeider Home Page, which includes an anthology of Chinese Poets of the Sung Dynasty, Ou Yang hsiu was an outstanding proselytizer and poet of the ' Northern Sung '. His pen name was Tsui weng, which has been translated as "the old gray drunk". Ou Yang's father died when he was four years old and he grew up in difficult conditions. It is said that his mother taught him reading and he was forced to write in the dirt, having no money to purchase paper. Later he took the civil service exams and became politically active. He belonged to the progressive fan Chung Yen and was eventually deported to a remote area of China. Despite this set back, he devoted himself to transforming the poetry and prose of his period. Although He was a devotee of the T'ang poet and the famous philosopher Han Uye, his work was smoothly elegant and unique having almost a musical quality."

Tags:art, asia, history, china, biography

Abstract
This paper offers a personal view why it is theoretically preferable to be Da Chen, writer and survivor of Mao's China than K'ang-hsi, Second Emperor of the Ch'ing Dynasty of China. Mainly, this paper argues that it is more or less impossible to control a nation in an inter-connected world and it is even harder to control the world in a time and place wherein democratic principles are ascendant.

From the Paper
" As someone who has been fortunate enough to study Chinese history, I feel qualified to offer my views vis-a-vis whether I would prefer to be K'ang-hsi, Second Emperor of the Ch'ing Dynasty of China or Da Chen, writer and survivor of Mao's China and (maybe) a future resident of twenty-first century China. Essentially, I am a positive person and I believe that the future is bright for China; that was not necessarily the case in the 1960s and 1970s when Da Chen was growing up under the yoke of Mao. Be that as it may, I believe that I would much rather be a young person living in twenty-first century China and looking forward to the challenges and expectations of a bright future than to be a potentate in the seventeenth century."

Tags:china, comparison, people