Abstract The ancient Egyptians were much concerned about their afterlife, and this concern is reflected in many inscriptions and texts found in their pyramids and coffins. The "Book of the Dead" served to outline the difficulties that awaited them after death and provided them with some practical information to help them along the way. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" and its purposes, the practice of magic, the moral and ethical beliefs that are reflected in its writings, a discussion of the importance of the Code of Ma?at, and ancient Egyptian concepts of the human soul. An examination of how various ancient Egyptian concepts of sin and morality are reflected in the "Book of the Dead" is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "According to S. G. F. Brandon (1970), "It became the custom in ancient Egypt from about the 18th Dynasty (1580-1320 BC) to place in the tombs of the dead papyrus scrolls inscribed with texts. These texts were designed to help the dead to rise to life again and obtain a happy lot in the next world" (305). The name Book of the Dead is a contemporary one that has been assigned by Egyptologists, beginning with Karl Richard Lepsius, a German Egyptologist who published the first collection of the texts in 1842. Brandon points out that the ancient Egyptian title was ?Chapters for Coming Forth by Day.? This title was intended to describe what the Book of the Dead texts would do for the dead, according to Egyptian belief. Many of the texts can be traced to two earlier collections of funerary texts, the Pyramid Texts and the Coffin Texts."
Compares "1984" (George Orwell) and the play "The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole" (Kuo Pao Kun), using Michel Foucault's "Power/Knowledge" as a springboard for discussion.
Abstract Using philosopher, Michel Foucault's "Power/Knowledge" as a lens, this essay discusses the striking similarities and subtle differences between the novel "1984" by George Orwell and the play "The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole" by Kuo Pao Kun.
From the Paper "Just as the Panopticon and the society in The Coffin have the element of surveillance, Winston suffers a similar ordeal as the phrase "It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time" suggests. As mentioned by Foucault, "[a]ll that is needed is to put an overseer in the tower" (Foucault 147). Undeniably, Big Brother, the face on all posters and telescreens in Oceania, himself fits this role of a constant eye on the people, as evident for instance in the slogan "Big Brother is watching you" (Orwell 3)."
Abstract This paper discusses art masterpieces that not only honored the gods and decorated, but also served as ways for a nation to preserve its history. In particular, the author compares two pieces of art found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Outer Coffin of Henettawy" and "The Marble Sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysus and the Seasons". The author gives the history of each of these masterpieces and compares the similarities and differences of each piece.
From the Paper "The coffin of Henettawy originated from ancient Egypt, and was roughly from the year 1000 B.C. during the 3rd intermediate period. The coffin was made from wood and decorated with paint (Metropolitan Museum of Art). These coffins were significant during the Egyptian period because they served as the resting place for the human body while the soul was allowed a peaceful transition to the afterlife. It is important to notice that this coffin is not as elaborate of well decorated as many Egyptian coffins of the time. Generally, this suggests that the person buried inside was not as important as either a pharaoh, high priest, or someone else in the upper echelon of society."
Abstract This paper discusses the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the unanswered questions that surround his death. The author looks at some of the conspiracy theories that have risen over the years, such as whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, was Kennedy shot in the front or the back of the head, why is there a different coffin when the body is unloaded from the plane?
From the Paper "" November 22, 1963 was an important and sorrowful day in American history. It was the day John F. Kennedy was shot. Many of the facts from this day are common knowledge to almost anyone who has ever taken a high school level class in history. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, who was hiding in the Texas Schoolbook Depository, as his car passed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas , Texas . These are the accepted facts of the assassination; however, many Americans believe there is more to this story, possibly even a government cover-up. Any conspiracy buff knows that there are several unanswered questions and facts that simply don"t add up. For example, did Oswald act alone" If he did, could he have fired all the shots in that short of time? Was Kennedy hit in the front or the back of the head? The answers to these and other questions have led many Americans to believe that the assassination of John F. Kennedy was part of a conspiracy by our own government. The question that I have asked myself many times is: Is the government telling us the truth?"
Abstract This research paper discusses the collapse of the Soviet Union and its empire in 1989-91 and the future of Eastern Europe after Soviet domination. The paper concludes that the events of 1989 marked the end of the communist revolution. For more than forty years, the West had contained the Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain, while the inherent faults of Soviet communism, embodied in the flawed policies of its leadership, brought about the inevitable collapse of the Soviet empire. The author discusses the fall of communism which presented humanity with a historic chance to progress a few feet forward. The author argues that only when democracy and capitalism reach the roots of society, however, can these ideas blossom into true positive change in the post-communist world.
From the paper:
"What happened in 1989 was not a revolution itself, but actually the final nail in the coffin of a revolution. The fall of the Soviet Union represented the end of a forty-year challenge to democracy and market capitalism, both of which had already been established as the status quo (at least of Europe, the main "battlefield" of the Cold War). The revolution of western democracy and capitalism began in 1642 in England where the first popular rebellion against a monarchy brought about the execution of King Charles I. Less than a decade later, Thomas Hobbes, at least partially inspired by the upheaval in England, published his famous work Leviathan. Although he advocated submission to the absolute supremacy of the state, Hobbes was not concerned whether that state was ruled by a king or a parliament, and this non-commitment to monarchy laid the intellectual foundations for the development of democratic political theory. John Locke soon bridged the gap between Hobbes? realism and what would become liberalism with the ideas of majority rule, natural rights, property rights, and the responsibility of the state to uphold these ideals. Montesquieu added the issues of separated and balanced governmental powers, and Rousseau defended self-determination and civil liberty. Adam Smith introduced the world to comparative advantage and put forth the belief that the ability of every citizen to make his own economic choices created the most prosperous economy. The ideas of these philosophers, along with Madison, Jefferson, Ricardo, and ?the rest,? inspired more revolutions in America in 1776, France in 1789, across Europe in 1848, and again in American in 1860."
An in-depth study into whether the pre-planning and paying of a funeral for a loved one, makes the mourning and bereavement process easier on the survivors.
Abstract This study identifies the differences in the perceptions and experiences of survivors who make final arrangements at the death of a friend or relative and those who oversee the execution of pre-paid and pre-planned final arrangements. Specifically, the study employs a quasi-experimental research design using a sample of 50 survivors identified via newspaper obituaries published 6 to 24 months prior to the study to test two research hypotheses. The first hypothesis states that survivors who oversee pre-paid and pre-planned final arrangements will pay less for funeral services than those who do not use this approach. The second hypothesis states that those who pre-pay or pre-plan will have less negative perceptions of funeral directors'/funeral homes' costs than those who did not pre-pay. A survey instrument is developed by the researcher employing a Likert-type scaled response; data is analyzed via descriptive and inferential (i.e., Pearson's r correlation) statistics.
Abstract
Review of Literature - Background of the Problem
Pre-Paying for Funerals
Theoretical Framework
Synthesis of the Literature
Method and Procedure -Purpose and Design of the Study
Sampling
Data Collection and Instrumentation
Procedures
Protection of Human Subjects
Data Analysis
Appendix 1-6
References
From the Paper "The cost of funeral and final expenses has never been greater for the average individual than it is today. The national average cost of final arrangements, according to the National Funeral Directors Association, is $5,543 (Taking the mystery..., 2000). Many people spend significantly more than this amount, often in excess of $8,000 - $10,000. In the past five years, the price of dying has risen about three times faster than the consumer price index (Ernst, 1998). The problem is such that the United States Senate has undertaken an investigation of fraud in the funeral industry under the aegis of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Paying for funeral services places consumers in a vulnerable financial situation, a position made worse by the fact that grieving individuals often do not comparison shop for funeral home services, interment options, or other final arrangement services (Senate investigates fraud..., 2000). Grief-stricken mourners may be susceptible to subtle and not-so-subtle coercion and led to purchase final arrangement options beyond their ability to pay.
Singletary (2000) described her own experience in attempting to make final arrangements on behalf of her deceased brother. Noting that her primary emotion at the time was one of guilt and responsibility, coupled with loss, Singletary (2000) states that she did manage to "comparison shop" among several different funeral homes and cemeterians before making her final choice. Nevertheless, in her experience, the price range for a funeral ranged from $5,000 to $10,000 with caskets alone averaging about $2,000."
Abstract Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" is a novel constructed as an allegory, with different representations of entrapment and imprisonment delineating man's place in the universe. The paper shows that these also have a spiritual element as the Pequod represents all mankind adrift on God's sea, beset by dangers on all sides and constantly tested for spiritual strength. The paper describes how images of death are also found throughout the book, foreshadowing the death of the ship and all its crew except the outcast, Ishmael, who survives to tell the tale by holding onto a floating coffin. Ishmael is free as he holds onto the ultimate prison, the prison that holds the dead.
Outline
Introduction
Allegory and Moby Dick
Images of Entrapment and Enclosure
C. The Pequod as an Enclosure for the Crew
II. The Novel
A. Motivations for Different Crew Members
1. Ishmael
2. Ahab
3. Stubb and Starbuck
B. Symbolism
1. The Pequod
2. The Sea
3. The Crew
4. Symbolic Chapters
C. Relationship Between the Pequod and the Whale
D. Imagery of the Whaleman's Chapel
E. Theme of Isolation
F. Death and Entrapment Intertwined
1. The Ship
2. Ahab
3. Queequeg
III. Conclusion
From the Paper "Melville makes much use of symbols in Moby Dick, and many objects stand as symbols of other entities. The Pequod is one of the main symbols, and the ship becomes a symbol of the world, self-contained and moving across the sea. The crew represents all of humanity. The voyage itself has symbolic meaning, as a representation of the journey from birth to death. Queequeg's coffin becomes a symbol of death and then ends up as a symbol of life with Ishmael clinging to it after the Pequod goes down. In different chapters there are symbols that are explored at length, such as Chapter 60, "The Line," in which a rope attached to a harpoon represents all the things that bind people, tie them down, and pull them through life."
Abstract Discusses that both poems are reflections of grown children recalling childhood memories. The poems are Robert P. Tristram Coffin's "The Secret Heart" and Evelyn Tooley Hunt's "My Mother Taught Me Purple." Examines the use of symbolism in Hunt's poem.
From the Paper "The two poems under consideration both deal with a common theme-- family relationships and the human condition. Both poems are the reflections of grown children recalling what they learned from a parent when they were young. In "The Secret Heart" by Robert..."
Examines the themes in the poems "Because I Could Not Stop for Death?, "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain", and "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died", written by Emily Dickinson.
Abstract This paper examines the themes of death and dying in three of Emily Dickinson's poems, as well as Dickinson's style and she technique she used in the poems.
From the Paper "In her popular poem, ?Because I Could Not Stop for Death,? Dickinson provides us with an excellent example of her unique perspective regarding death. This lyric poem reads well and the rhyming structure of it seems to contradict its serious subject matter. It also presents us with an image of the poet. The tone in this poem is significant because the poem does not express fear or melancholy. Another interesting aspect of this poem is point of view. Interestingly, the deceased poet writes it. This perspective allows the poet to view death and life in a completely different way."
Abstract In "Moby-Dick," Herman Melville tells a story of one man's anger and how it corrupts him, alienating him from those who would be his friends. The paper shows that, to emphasize this point, Melville demonstrates that even people of the most different backgrounds imaginable can become good friends. He demonstrates this through the unlikely, but undeniably deep, friendship between Ishmael, the narrator of the story, and Queequeg, a South Sea Islander who comes from a culture completely different from Ishmael's.
From the Paper "Surprisingly, Ishmael does not expect any grief at the expected loss of his friend, but after his recovery says, " Now, there is this noteworthy difference between savage and civilized; that while a sick, civilized man may be six months convalescing, generally speaking, a sick savage is almost half-well again in a day." (p. 477). By today's sensibilities we would not dream of referring to someone as either a "savage" or any other term that would suggest cultural superiority. However, Melville wrote the book during his time, not ours, and the comment by Ishmael makes their friendship look all the more different."
Abstract The paper describes the finding of mummified bodies near Loulan, on the eastern edge of the Tarim Basin in China. The writer explains that originally the mummies were thought to be connected to Chinese history, however, they had many features of western people and are now thought to be from central Europe. The paper explains that some of Urumchi's mummies date almost 4,000 years old and that they are preserved more beautifully than Egyptian mummies. The writer concludes by explaining that the main theme of Barber's book is to explain that the mummies, even though found in Chinese territory, really belong to the west.
From the Paper "The mummies were found to be buried in the desert area and probably in winter season due to which it froze or got very cold and dried out before they could start rotting. When the summer season started, the bodies were already changed into the form of mummies. As the bodies were already dried, the summer's heat could cause any harm of deformation.
"These bodies were placed in coffins lacking any bottom which facilitate air to circulate well this allow the bodies to dry out completely, only few of them, found in nearby locality, were most probably buried in summer season, turned them into skeletons. The highly salty desert accelerated the drying out process, as the salt absorbs the moisture.
"The Urumchi mummies include Cherchen Man, his wife, two other women, and a baby girl wrapped in a beautiful brown cloth tied with red and blue ribbons. The infant was buried with a nursing bottle made from a sheep's udder and his both eyes were covered with a blue stones.
"Mummies found in Qawrighul, a little away form the place where Urmchi mummies were found includes the Beauty of Loulan and a few other mummies, among them was an eight-year-old boy covered with a patterned woolen cloth but his both eyes were covered with bone pegs. The cloth covering the Loulan body seems to be considerably less colorful may be the time factor, might faded its beauty, but even then its impressive in its patterns and weaves, it is knitted."
Abstract This paper provides an overview of the 1932 production, Vampyr, including an analysis of the influence of German expressionism on the work. In addition, this paper provides an examination of Dreyer's usage of techniques such as minimal dialogue and plot, and innovative light and shadow to maintain the feeling of an "art film" throughout. Further, a discussion of the intent of psychological disturbance possibly inspired by Gothic ghost stories and an assessment of the underlying forbidden themes of sexuality is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "The manner in which the horror elements are presented in films also reflects the changing styles by which the unspeakable is represented. For instance, Andrew reports that while Hollywood in the classical era of the 1930s and 1940s primarily relied on makeup and model work to depict monsters incarnating whatever horror the film could evoke, the European cinema of the 1920s frequently used other elements such as camera movement and optical effects as used by Carl T. Dreyer in his 1932 production of "Vampyr". Unlike many of the other permutations that would grace the nation's movie screens in the years to come, though, Dreyer's "Vampyr" was not based on Bram Stoker's character, "Dracula," but was rather inspired by "Carmilla," as discussed further below."
Abstract This is a creative writing piece on a day in the afterlife of Tutankhamen. The author starts this short story with Tutankhamen finding out he has died. The paper then describes the inscriptions Tutankhamen sees before his coffin and his meeting with the spirit of his still living wife, Ankhesenamun. The author also gives an account of the journey and battles Tutankhamen has to go through in order to be reborn.
From the Paper "I turned from the window and walked towards my bed chamber. Shadows danced on the painted walls and my own stretched till the end of the corridor. When I could no longer feel the warmth of the Atun on my back I saw that my shadow was not alone on the stone floor. I stopped and the new shadow stopped with me. I took a few steps and heard echoed steps behind and around me. Without taking much concern I continued along and turned at the statue of Thoth."
