Abstract
This paper discusses the fascination long exercised by Japanese culture on the Western mind. However, the writer explains that as Westerners seeking to experience a new and foreign culture continue to travel to Japan, the very unique qualities which make Japan so appealing and interesting are diminishing. This process is not one-sided since the effects of Japanese culture can be seen on the Western front even as the West continues to influence Japan. The paper concludes that globalization in general diminishes the cultural rift which makes Japanese culture so interesting to Westerners.

From the Paper
"As Western travel to Japan has increased, so have the Western footprints been left in the form of Western culture and style. This can be seen simply in the physical appearances of the larger cities. With the exception of the written language on all of the buildings, walking through the metropolis of Tokyo may not be much different from a stroll through downtown Chicago or Paris. The skyscrapers and business buildings one may witness in Japan would have striking similarity to those in American or other Western cities. Also consider the fact that baseball, one of the most American of American cliches, has grown into one of the most popular sports in Japan. In fact, there is even a baseball hall of fame in Tokyo... right next to the Tokyo Dome (The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)."

Tags:Lafcadio Hearn, Christopher Benfey, Samurai unusual geisha Nintendo

Abstract
This paper looks at the various characters and how the characteristics of each are evident in others as well. All of the characters show similar psychological effects as a result of the society in which they live. The paper explains each one's role and the story overall.

Contents
Introduction
Lafcadio
Protos
Amedee
Anthime
Julius
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Les Caves du Vatican" by Andre Gide concerns a variety of characters, and the issue of freedom as exemplified by the main character, Lafcadio. Lafcadio is the main representative of freedom, while the other major characters represent varying degrees of neuroses and bondage imposed by the society in which they live. To demonstrate this, Gide as it were binds each major character to another by providing them with traits at the opposite side of each scale. He does this with the exception of Lafcadio, who being free from convention and all other forms of bondage, is not bound by the author either. Protos, the clever charlatan is then paired with the na've and victimized Amedee, while the practically scientific Anthime is paired with Julius, the fanatically religious but also hypocritical novelist."

Tags:freedom, society, bondage, protos, lafcadio

Abstract
The paper explains why the argument to "think about animals as animals", as posited by Erica Fudge, is problematic because the only way humans may understand animals is in human terms. The paper cites the views of famous dog trainer Vicki Hearne, Erica Fudge and Harriet Ritvo. The paper believes that the absence of empirical evidence or a clear mode of expression between animals and humans promotes anthropomorphism as the only desirable way to understand animals.

From the Paper
"Animals occupy a vast cultural and social spectrum ranging from the inferior and superstitious feline of the sixteenth and seventeenth century, to "man's best friend" in twentieth century England, all the way to the Arabian stallions capable of completing mathematical equations. The controversy surrounding anthropomorphism, the attribution of human characteristics to non-humans, derives from the inability to communicate with them. The level of ambiguity originates from human fear and lack of control resulting in domination and manifesting through the depiction of animals in film, literature, ritualistic ceremonies, language and domestic life. The argument to "think about animals as animals" posited by Erica Fudge in "Animal," is problematic because the foundation of human language is a metaphoric representation of reality through a human lens. Similarly, the idea of humans thinking as animals is impossible simply because they are human. It is logical for humans to attribute human characteristics to animals; what would be the alternative?"

Tags:language, behaviors, species, communication