Abstract This paper explains the way class distinctions in U.S. society continue to have a deletarious impact on individual members of all classes. The author uses two short stories ("Everyday Use" and "Paul's Case") and the film "The Age on Innocence" as examples of the impact of class distinctions.
From the Paper "Class divisions continue to exist and widen in American society. Traditionally class distinctions include such groups as the poor the working-class, the middle-class and the elite or ruling class. At various times, other distinctions ..."
Tags: gender, race, economics, class distinctions, politics, heritage
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that Quebec is unique within English-speaking North America because it is a large, self-contained geographical region that is characterized by a strong, if no longer overwhelming, French-speaking presence and by a culture that is still informed by Roman Catholicism. With this in mind, the writer looks at how the religious and political ties of eighteenth century Quebec (Upper Canada as it was known then) into a distinctive cultural region that remains distinctive even today. In so doing, the paper emphasizes how religion became a means of producing a society that was highly hierarchical even by the standards of its time - and how politics reinforced these unbending class cleavages. The writer explains that to understand why Quebec today is different from its Anglo counterparts, one must understand how religion and politics worked together more than two hundred years ago to create the French Canada of today.
From the Paper "During the seventeenth century and, by all accounts, into the eighteenth century, as well, these religious orders sought to convert the indigenous peoples to the Roman Catholic faith. As an example of just central the Roman Catholic Church would be to eighteenth century French Canada, it is instructive that the priests actually pre-dated the farmers or habitants who would later be charged with trying to make the inhospitable lands of the area yield sustenance fit to maintain a thriving colony. Be that as it may, one should not be left to think that Roman Catholic French Canada in the eighteenth century was entirely under the sway of the Church and its stern injunctions; to wit, while the people of Lower Canada were, by and large, devout and pious, there were never as many priests around as the Church would have liked and creeping secularism was always a threat to the social fabric."
Abstract This paper examines the basic tenets of the transcendental aesthetic which lead Kant to arrive at the noumena and phenomena distinction. What will be outlined in the following, are the analytical arguments which go into constructing the claim that all knowledge has for it, objects which are within space, and are within time. Thus, knowledge is determined apriori by the categories of space and time. However, both space and time are not solely rational in terms of their apriori but also empirical. Phrased in different terms, these categories are also empirical.
Abstract This essay is a thorough analysis of the Charles Dickens novel, "A Tale of Two Cities". It focuses on the numerous instances of class distinction, as well as the developing tensions between classes during the given time frame.
From the Paper "The historical context of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities directly alludes to the tense social, economic, and political climates in France and England during the beginnings of the French revolution. The aristocracy's grandiose lifestyle coupled with the lower classes' desperation formulates a conflicting juxtaposition throughout the novel. Dickens depicts a historically familiar atmosphere. He has a remarkable ability, however, to develop the consistent underlying social struggle between the well-to-do and the less fortunate. Whether he relies on blatant actions from certain characters or the outcry of citizens' sentiments, Dickens develops an accurate reflection of conflicting classes throughout the novel."
Abstract The writer of this paper details the plot and main characteristics of Beatrice, the main character in "Minutes of Glory." This paper discusses the issue of class distinction in Kenya. This paper examines Beatrice's lack of self esteem, which is limited due to her beliefs about herself. Beatrice longs for dignity and respect, but because of her background, she has had no access to education or training, the only place she can work is in a bar, where she hopes to sell her body to affluent men. This paper explores the intense relationship between Beatrice and the unnamed truck driver. The writer contends and explains how class distinctions, both in the novel and in society in general, can become so embedded and accepted in the shared consciousness of a culture, that people believe those distinctions define who they really are.
From the Paper "The class system is designed to perpetuate and maintain the upper classes. That the problem is one of class distinctions is shown by what happens to the man with the lorry whom Beatrice eventually chooses to be her lover. The man has no name in the story--to show that he too is a nobody. He is a nobody who has worked hard and been able to rise to some level of financial success, however. He owns a "lorry" and is tremendously proud of it. He keeps it locked so no one will steal it from him. His clothing is decent. Nevertheless, he is not accepted by the "big-shots" (neuveaux riche) at the Treetop who come to "dine"(dining is something the upper classes do-ordinary people just eat) and fraternize with other big-shots. Although he tries over and over again (every Saturday) to gain their acceptance, he is continually and openly rejected as not good enough for their company. Beatrice can relate to this, of course, because she has had the same experience."
Abstract This paper examines Realism and Naturalism movement and how Mark Twain, Henry James and Stephen Crane captured the spirit of their times. The author discusses how writers sought to preserve a distinct way of life threatened by industrialization, immigration, the after effects of the Civil War, and the changes in society. The paper focuses on three books, The Adventure's of Huckleberry Finn, Daisy Miller, and The Open Boat.
From the Paper:
"Writing periods have certain characteristics that mark them as unique. Local Color, Realism, and Naturalism are no exception, but they also have one thing in common. Just as a facet of a jewel reflects whatever light it may receive, so too do the works of Mark Twain, Henry James, and Stephen Crane reflect a distinctive aspect of their time period."
Abstract This essay describes and defines the genre that has come to be known as Southwestern American Literature. Four novels, Tony Hillerman's "Dance Hall of the Dead", Edward Abbey's "Fire on the Mountain", Cormac McCarthy's "All the Pretty Horses" and Rudolfo Anaya's "Bless Me, Ultima" are analyzed to reveal how they contribute to this genre. Distinct landscapes and distinct characters inhabit these books, offering a panoply of cactus, desert, mountains, cowboys, cattlemen, Native Americans and Chicanos, all possessing a sense of alienation from the rest of the world. Southwestern literature, in summary, as this essay shows is about an appreciation of the wilderness and humans with a frontier mentality who are always seeking another open vista.
From the Paper "Southwestern American literature forms a distinct genre with a sharp flavor that includes land and geography and attitudes and people. The landscape was there before a diversity of peoples sank their spiritual and physical roots into soil as varied as their voices. This literature is the empty land of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, of the four corners area, stretching even down through Texas into old Mexico. This land of cactus, desert, and mountains, and it's inhabitants, cowboys, Indians, and Chicanos, possess a sense of separation or alienation from the rest of the world. Southwestern literature is about an appreciation of the wilderness and humans with a frontier mentality who are always seeking another open vista. It is wide open spaces and emptiness, a barren but beautiful paradise, and the very real humans who live there. Offering what Rudolfo Anaya calls " the spirit of the place" (Dunaway ix-xvi), Southwestern literature is about character, men who are men, tough, stubborn humans who face hard facts with spirit. It is about cactus and desert and mountains and the folklore of native Americans, Chicano, and cowboys. Southwest Literature offers a picante taste that lingers on the inner tongue, a flavor of place and people, it includes both "surface" and "soul"(Dunaway ix), becoming a uniquely American "magical realism" (Dunaway 31)."
Abstract Political analysis and political philosophy are two human activities engaged in by men striving to know the world. The problems of political analysis and political philosophy rest on the problems concerning man's knowledge of the world. The paper shows that such knowledge is the result of attempts to describe, analyze, explain and interpret the actions and beliefs of men as they live in the real, material world. This essay presents an argument against that school which would draw a sharp distinction between two sorts of knowledge, each type being the result of a separate and distinct activity. According to this school, political analysis is concerned solely with the identification and description of political phenomena. The paper explains that the problems of political analysis are, thus, said to be "scientific" problems, directed towards the discovery of empirically testable scientific "laws". This essay shows that, despite its empirical orientation, political analysis is underpinned by a wider set of theoretical perspectives, such that analysis itself reflects elements of the observer's political philosophy. The paper concludes that political analysis and political philosophy are intimately connected; many of the "problems" are common to both. Each activity - analysis and philosophy - heightens the level of human knowledge.
From the Paper "What is presented to the political analyst is a mass of apparently chaotic social phenomena; what Heinrich Rickert calls "formless matter". The task of the political analyst is to structure and give order to that part of reality he has chosen to explain. Already we have recognized two crucial problems for political analysis. The first arises from the necessity of selecting specific areas of reality for study. I shall discuss later the way in which a certain limited range of "problems" present themselves for the political analyst's particular concern. The problem-field is limited in such a way that the possibilities for different accounts of politics is itself restricted. The task of political analysis is also complicated by the fact that knowledge of the world is not immediately attainable; understanding is mediated through mental constructions and elaborations (language, concepts and constructed arguments) of real, observable situations and events. Thus, Aron says of the methodology of science "all science is an elaboration or construction of formless matter" (2)."
Abstract This paper explains that philosophers debate, based on Newtonian Determinism, from two views with opposite implications for human life and moral judgment, whether humans genuinely have free will. The author points out that, according to the Hard Determinism point of view, since every individual event is a necessary result of prior causes, the eventual outcome of every single event, which occurs in the universe, is predetermined. The paper relates that Soft Determinism accepts the overall premise that all events in the universe are indeed completely necessary and unchangeable results of events and conditions that precede them, but the distinction between Hard and Soft Determinism is that the latter postulates that free will and the genuine ability to make decisions and to shape our own lives in an ongoing manner are nevertheless possible.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Hard Determinism
Implications of Hard Determinism
Soft Determinism
Implications of Soft Determinism
Conclusion
From the Paper "The argument is that only inanimate objects and events (such as the tides, earthquakes, and the solar orbits of the planets) are completely determined by preceding natural conditions and events in the manner that the course of Osmo's life was charted before he lived it. On the other hand, under soft determinism, internal living processes (especially human thoughts) are still subject to free will and mental choices by which sentient beings may determine what happens in their lives, despite the fact that the rest of the (inanimate) universe strictly obeys the principles of hard determinism.
Abstract Ancient Greek art, architecture, and sculpture have fascinated spectators ever since their discovery. However, while the uninformed viewer might perceive of ancient Greek art, architecture, and sculpture as forming a single period in art history, marked by different styles, art historians have divided it into distinct periods. The paper looks at each of these periods: the Geometric, the Orientalizing, the Archaic, and the Classical, which are explained in terms of how differing philosophical beliefs, historical event,s and cultural developments impacted art, creating different and distinct styles. In specific reference to sculptures, the paper shows that the different styles characterizing each period express different artistic aims as regards to representation of the human body.
From the Paper "In direct contrast to this archaic statue is a classical one on the east pediment of the same temple. It is calculated that only about a decade separates these two works but, artistically speaking, ages separate them in terms of development of style and form. In this statue, also of a dying warrior, the figure "reacts to his wound as would a flesh-and-blood human. He knows that death is inevitable, but he still struggles to rise once again. And he does not look out at the spectator. He is concerned with his pain, not with us" (Tansey and Kleiner 139). This is definitely a much more realistic picture of a man who is dying from a painful wound."
Abstract This paper explains that there are eight distinct and independent intelligences: Linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intra-personal and naturalist.
The author defines each distinct intelligence and gives an example of it application such as (1) linguistic intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals; therefore, (2) to develop this type of intelligence, a teacher must discusses metaphors and onomatopoeia. The paper states that classroom activities should be more varied, allowing students to learn use and to develop all the various intelligences.
From the Paper "Naturalist intelligence is used in discerning patterns in natural, such as how differences species are related or what type of weather we might expect on different days. If I had a naturalist student, I would allow them to share their knowledge with other students. For example, during a science discussion about plants, I would allow the student to explain the evolution of plants in their own words because most teachers have the tendency to use words that most students do not understand. By allowing the student to explain it, the other students would understand it better."
Abstract This paper explains that a native anthropologist is one who conducts research in their own society whereas a regular anthropologist conducts research in any society. The paper considers how some would argue that there should be a distinction. This paper presents the hypothesis that the distinctions between native and regular anthropology do not matter. To support this argument, the work of the following two anthropologists is considered; Vincent Crapanzano, who is considered a Native anthropologist because he is doing research in his own society and Anne Allison, an American doing research in Japan.
Abstract This paper explains that Karl Marx's theories of class include economic, political and cultural/ideological elements as being intrinsically interconnected as compared to Max Weber, who saw the economy as distinct from society and the concept of class as being less important than a person's particular spot in the economy. The author points out that, compared to Weber, Marx's view of class and class distinctions seems to make the mistake of viewing a class as a 'thing' as though all members of the proletariat were the same, had the same ways of seeing their reality or an identical position in the capitalist order. The paper stresses that the drab focus of these and other theorists on race, class, gender and ethnicity, which they hypothesized to be so terribly important in the relation to income and opportunity, is not substantiated when examining the culture of central Canada.
Table of Contents
Marx vs. Weber
The Contemporary Reality in Central Canada
From the Paper "In fact, if one has observed different parts of central Canadian society, one can object to what is presented in Peter Newman's "The Canadian Establishment". In referring to an 'old money' as opposed to 'new' money culture, a number of remarks appear that require qualification on the part of persons having known menial work. ... There is an equalitarian spirit less often found in other societies in awareness of persons having the struggle of their ancestors to become established or make something of themselves."
Abstract The Noh Theater of Japan is an extremely ritualized tradition, and traces of the Noh Theater are found in Western theater. This paper explores many of the distinctive elements of the Noh Theater, such as the use of masks, the themes presented within plays, and the evolution from the old Noh Theater to a more modern presentation of Noh techniques. While the focus of this paper is on the Noh Theater, comparisons are drawn between the Noh Theater and traditional Western theater. There is also a discussion of the more dialogue-driven kyogen style of Japanese theater in respect to the more ritualized Noh Theater.
From the Paper "The impact on the Noh Theater on the Western theater can be seen to have occurred in a very diverse way. It appears that the Western theaters managed to assimilate various components from the Noh Theater, such as the use of the hitamen in performances to convey a blank countenance. However, the greatest aspect of the Noh Theater on the West is found within the development of more exacting performance techniques, where rather than a single production being subject to incongruities and shoddy acting, the standards of acting were promoted to a higher level overall."
This paper examines how Tolstoy attempts to persuade us to find meaning in life by presenting two distinct sets of supporting characters and by demonstrating why Ivan Ilych is afraid to die and what causes his suffering.
2,180 words (approx. 8.7 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 67.95
Abstract The paper analyzes the title character of Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych", making clear the author's intention that each of us must discover how to lead a meaningful life. Tolstoy attempts to persuade us to his point of view by presenting two distinct sets of supporting characters and by demonstrating why Ivan Ilych is afraid to die and what causes his suffering. In addition, Tolstoy warns of the social conditions that prevent most people from accomplishing in life what Ivan Ilych could only achieve in death.
From the paper:
"Two hours before his death Ivan Ilych finally asks the right question. After three days of screaming through agonizing pain, he laments that his life ?was all not the right thing,? and passes into death wondering "what is the right thing"? (151). With this final realization and questioning, the title character of Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych" makes clear the author's intention that each of us must find the right thing and discover how to lead a meaningful life. Tolstoy explains that even at this final moment, Ivan Ilych is capable of redeeming himself and making this discovery, that though his life had not been what it should have been, this could still be rectified (151). If Ivan Ilych can do it at the last minute, the rest of us still can."
