Stephen Crane On Heroism Essays - Stephen Crane,

Stephen Crane On Heroism Crane on Heroism Stephen Crane, an avant-garde writer of his time, forced his readers to look beyond his written words for a more underlined, meaningful moral in most of his stories. Crane follows a strict pattern in most of his work. His subject matter usually deals with the physical, emotional, and intellectual responses of ordinary people confronted by extraordinary, extreme experiences. Fairly common themes are presented in his writing, including fallen humanity and harsh realities; yet all seem to overlap in the category of heroism. Crane, fascinated by the status of a hero, seemed to moralize each story he wrote with a sense of hope. Readers get the impression that you do not have to be super-human to possess super-human abilities, and in return, be a hero. In Cranes A Mystery Of Heroism, the search for the question What is a hero? is explored. Fred Collins, a union soldier in the Civil War, is a simple man. Out of place, Fred is a shameful, childish man thrown into a war that has no place for him. During the course of the story, Collins yearns for a drink of well water located across an active battlefield. Going against all his inhibitions and judgment, and going along with peer pressure, Collins decides to make the suicidal trip. Remarkably, Collins somehow gathers himself together and reaches the well of water, surprising himself in the meantime. Upon arrival at his destination, Collins ponders the miraculous obstacles he overcame and even dubs himself a hero for a moment. But what is a hero? Must one run across a battlefield for a drink to be put in the category of courageous? Is heroism nothing but defying death? Fred Collins evaluates his life at this point to disprove the title he loosely put upon himself: No, it could not be tru e. He was not a hero. Heroes had no shames in their lives an, as for him, he remembered borrowing fifteen dollars from a friend and promising to pay it back the next day, and then avoiding that friend for ten months. When at home his mother had aroused him for the early labor of his life on the farm, it had often been his fashion to be irritable, childish, diabolical, and his mother died since he had come to war. On Collins return to his regiment, he happens across a dying man in need of a drink. In a hopeless act of kindness, Fred lets the wounded soldier drink from his bucket as he passes. Yet this scene is but a small paragraph in the story, it completes the moral and emphasizes Cranes goal of the narrative. Although Fred Collins is but a simple man not free from flaws, he uncovers the mystery of heroism. He is not a hero because he put a title upon himself, or because he denied death the satisfaction. He is a hero in the sense that he did a good thing without trying for that hero title. Yet he might not know it, he was a hero for that one moment in the eyes of the wounded soldier. Crane also shows heroism works in very mysterious ways. In another of Cranes shorts, The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky, the character of Jack Potter is put to the task of proving his heroism as sheriff of his town. As the story opens, the reader is introduced to Jack as a subtle, quiet man. He is on his way to Yellow Sky, Texas riding in a parlor-car with his new wife. Crane purposely does not clue the reader in as to the true identity of Jack Potter in the beginning of the story for the presence of shock value. To find out that this reserved man is a fearless sheriff by day is surprising do to his actions described on his trip: From time to time he looked down respectfully at his attire. He sat with a hand on each knee, like a man waiting in a barber shop. The glances he devoted to other passengers were furtive and shy. As the train grows closer to Yellow Sky, Jack ponders the welcome he will receive. Frightened and worried about mixed reactions from the community in

Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essays

Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essays Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essay Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essay Essay Topic: Don Quixote Book I Paradise Paradise Lost Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Fools and tricksters are very closely related and are used simultaneously in poetry and other literary works. A fool can be described as one who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding and also can be someone who acts unwisely on a given occasion. A trickster is defined as someone that swindles or plays tricks. Often a trickster is a mischievous or roguish figure in myth or folklore. (Websters Online Dictionary) Fools and trickster are used frequently in poetry and other literary works to portray distinct meanings for characters. In most instances, fools and tricksters derive from evil protagonists. In the following literary works, every attempt will be made to identify the fool, the trickster and the evil characters in each selection and describe why the characters in each are befitting of their respective designation. Miguel De Cervantes Don Quixote is a fool in many respects. His speech is ridiculous, his ideas are hopelessly out of date, and he has lost touch with reality. Yet readers admire him and know immediately he is the hero of the story. All the things which make him a fool, however unbelievable as it may be, add to his heroic appearance and lets the reader know where Quixote is coming from. Along with this, his foolish nature adds a sense of artlessness and purity, very heroic aspects. Is Don Quixote really a fool or is he so innately wise to know that pretending to be a fool is advantageous? The story of Don Quixote is filled with legendary actions. Alonso Quijano, as he is first known, is a man who lives in the village of La Mancha, in Spain. This gentleman was â€Å"close on to fifty, of a robust constitution but with little flesh on his bones and a face that was lean and gaunt. †(Lowall and Mack) He was a man of modest means who resided with his housekeeper who was a middle aged woman, a niece who was twenty, and a man who saddled his horse and performed odd jobs around his place. Quijano loved to hunt but he was â€Å"in the habit of reading books of chivalry with such pleasure and devotion as to lead him to almost wholly to forget the life of a hunter and even the administration of his estate. (Lowall and Mack) He became so infatuated with the books that he read that he â€Å"spent whole nights from sundown to sunup and his days from dawn to dusk in poring over his books, until, finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind. †(Lowall and Mack) He was so immersed in his books that he came to believe that the fictitious things in the novels were real. He set out on a series of ventures, the first being to become a â€Å"knight-errant and roam the world on horseback, in a suite of armor. (Lowall and Mack) He put together an ill-fitted coat of armor and hit the road with an old nag who he named Rosinante. He was dubbed a knight named Don Quixote de La Mancha by an innkeeper who realized he was out of his mind and performed the fictitious ceremony just to get rid of him. The newly knighted Don Quixote sets out on a series of outrageous adventures too numerous to list. He is captured and slips away various times to return to his adventures and finally ends up half dead, stripped and â€Å"stretched out on his old-time bed†. His niece and housekeeper â€Å"scarcely knew what to do, for they were very much afraid that their master and uncle would give them the slip once more, the moment he was a little better, and it turned out just the way they feared it might. †(Lowall and Mack) Such is the life of a wise fool. In Shakespeares, Othello, the reader is presented with the classic battle between the deceitful forces of evil and the innocence of good. It is these forces of evil that ultimately lead to the breakdown of Othello, a Venetian General, well known by the people of Venice as an honorable soldier and a worthy leader. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. Othellos breakdown results in the murder of his wife Desdemona. The evil contained within Othello is by no means magical or mythical yet is represented by the character Iago. Iago is cunning, untrustworthy, selfish, and plotting. In speaking to Cassio regarding Desdemona, â€Å"I’ll send her to you presently, and I’ll devise a mean to draw the Moor out of the way, that your converse and business may be more free. He uses these traits to his advantage by slowly planning his own triumph while watching the demise of others. It is this that is Iagos motivation. The ultimate defeat of good by the wrath of evil. Not only is it in his nature of evil that he succeeds, but also in the weaknesses of the others. Iago uses the weaknesses of Othello, specifically in his jealousy and devotion. He explains to Roderigo that he has no respect for Othell o other that what he has to display in order to carry out his revenge. â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him. We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed. †(Lowall and Mack) Shakespeare’s Othello gives the audience a full measure of evil, mostly in the person of the sinister Iago, whose evil influence penetrates the lives of the victims around him. Milton’s Paradise Lost has been praised as being the greatest English epic of all time. Throughout the poem, Milton hopes to â€Å"justify the ways of God to man†(Lowall and Mack) He gives a realistic depiction of the parents of humanity, Adam and Eve and also tells the story of the most epic battle; the battle between satan and God, or good vs. vil. After a brief description of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden â€Å"Of man’s first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste brought death into the world†(Lowall and Mack) the poem joins satan and his followers in hell, where they have just been defeated by God and kicked out of h eaven. Satan briefly considers asking God for forgiveness but just as quickly, he realizes that his confession would not be sincere. Artificer of fraud; and was the first that practiced falsehood under saintly show, deep malice to conceal, couched with revenge. † Unrepentant, satan does not change his ways â€Å"Farewell remorse! All good to me is lost; evil, be thou my good† (Lowall and Mack) This levy of good vs. evil carried on throughout the poem with the interaction of Satan and his fallen angels with God and his son in Heaven. The common representation of sin and evil came from the lead character in the battle against God, which was Satan. His name means enemy of God. He was a former high angel from Heaven named Lucifer, meaning, light bearer. Satan became jealous in Heaven of Gods son and formed an allegiance of angels to battle against God, only for God to cast them out of Heaven into Hell. Milton divided the characters in the epic poem Paradise Lost into two si des, one side under God representing good, and the other side under Satan representing evil and sin. Milton first introduced the reader to the character Satan, the representative of all evil, and his allegiance of fallen angels that aided in his revolt against God. This introduction of Satan first led the reader to believe acts of sin were good, just like Eve felt in the Garden of Eden when she was enticed by Satan to eat the fruit off of the Tree of Knowledge. The later introduction of The Almighty had the reader’s change their feelings toward sin, as the ways of God were introduced to them and these ways were shown to be the way to feel and believe. Popol Vuh is a work of epic poetry that tells the original story of the Maya and Quiche people of Guatemala and their account of the creation story. Originally written in the 16th century, the unknown author gives hints about the sources he uses by referring to the â€Å"council book,† presumably a pre-Columbian screen-fold that served him as a source. † (Lowall and Mack) Popol Vuh’s main characters are often seen as duplicates of one another. â€Å"Yet against this stately patterning, the hero gods appear as light-hearted boys, even as tricksters. † The Plumed Serpent, or creator, also known as â€Å"Heart of Sky, Hurricane, and Newborn Thunderbolt, and Sudden Thunderbolt† (Lowall and Mack) is a good example of how the characters throughout the story are sometimes duplicated, and even tripled. The characters include Hunahpu and Xbalanque, â€Å"being gods, the two of them saw evil in his attempt at self-magnification before the Heart of Sky† (Lowall and Mack) These duplicated characters are the tricksters who represent satan, the serpent, who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The nance, which is the tree of good and evil, and the food for Seven Macaw, which is Adam, and his wife Chimalmat, which is similar in character to Eve. The creation story as depicted by the author, include many similarities that closely relate to the creation story referred to in the book of Genesis. Fools, tricksters, and evil characters have played a large part in history since the beginning of time. There will always be people who act foolishly and there will always be people who are mischievous and play tricks on others. Fools and tricksters have been a significant part of poetry and literary works since their existence. Writers portray a character to be a fool or a trickster to show in greater detail the meaning of the writing and to keep the reader involved in the plot. The two are often used in conjunction with evil characters. The evil character can be a fool or a trickster or can even vacillate back and fourth between the two. Writers use them together to allow the reader to see the dept of the character and how evil the character can be towards others. Such is the case in the literary writings of Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh. Lawall, Sarah, and Maynard Mack. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. C. New York: W W Norton Co Inc, 2002. 2675-2731, 2919-2996, 3001-3060, 3076-3092. Print Websters Online Dictionary. Websters Dictionary, 2006. Web. 11 Jul 2010. .

Air Pollution Essay Example for Free (#6)

Air Pollution Essay Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA Haven't found the essay you want? Get your custom sample essay for only $13.90/page ? Air pollution caused by vehicles has been identified as the largest contributor to air pollution in the world. Air pollution caused by vehicles is when the burning of fossil fuels to power our vehicles gives off CO2 emission. This pollution by vehicles also produces toxic substances such as sulfur dioxide and carbon which can be fatal to humans. Air pollution also comes from industry as this source of pollution spews particulate matter and chemicals into the atmosphere. The output from factories includes sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and dioxide. Almost all of Earth’s atmosphere or ecosystem has been altered by the long-term effects of pollution by industries. Power plants are also another reason to blame for air pollution. They spread gases that thickens the atmosphere, causing the heat to be blocked from exiting to space. The gases are heavy, and comes down to the ground causing pollution One of the power plants that gives out the most pollution is the power plant that is fired by coal. Coal burning is a leading cause of smog, acid rain, and toxic air pollution. Not only that, it also causes the greenhouse effect and holes in the ozone layer. Health Effects Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects. Some individuals are much more sensitive to pollutants than are others. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. Examples of short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. Air pollution also effects the human cardiovascular system as the inhalation of air pollutants eventually leads to their absorption into the bloodstream and transport to the heart. Some pollutants may also directly cause functional alterations that affect the rhythmicity and contractility of the heart. Causes of water pollution. Factories play a major role in pollution the water. Wastes from factories include toxins, such as lead, mercury and other contaminants. These chemicals are very harmful and can lead to serious health hazards. Fertilizers and pesticides used in agricultural farms, homeowners lawns and roadsides are a threat to the natural water source. When the pollutants runoff into local streams or rivers or drained down into groundwater, they contaminate the water completely. Mining is also another reason for water pollution. Heavy metals and sulphur components which are buried in the earth are exposed during mining and during rainfall these toxic chemicals are exposed, which results in acid rain. Air Pollution. (2016, Nov 15).

Land Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Land Law - Assignment Example oning in this context that the rule of joint tenancy is guided by the provision of ‘the right of survivorship’, which reflects that following the death of any of the joint owners, the other share holder(s) of the property shall withhold their ownership right with respect to the entire property as per section 33 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925. A similar judgment was given in the case of Gayton v. Kovanda 857 N.E.2d 929 (III. App. 2006), where the ownership right to the entire property was transferred to the Appellee, Mrs. Gayton, after her husband’s demise (being tenants in common), ruling that the appellant, Louis E. Kovanda, was not entitled to the benefit from ‘the right of survivorship’ on the grounds that she was Mr. Gayton’s creditor2. However, as mentioned in the case scenario, two of the five members, i.e. Bettina and Edward, each holding one-fifth of the share for the property eventually entered into the area of ‘tenancy in common’, which made the area of joint tenancy void for them. Thus, it is quite obvious that the five members shall be no more entitled to obtain the benefits of joint tenancy as per the rule of ‘the right of survivorship’. As per the legal area of ‘Tenancy In Common’, these two members are now entitled for the complete ownership of their share in the property and use it as per their will and convenience, such as deciding whether to sale the share or gift it to their heir3. To be precise, in the area of tenancy in common, following the death of any of the co-owners, it is likely that the members’ interest will be passed on to the heirs or the beneficiaries, as mentioned in the legal will of the share holders4. However, Alan, Daniel and Claude rema ined as joint tenants holding 60% of the property share in total. Herein, the dispute emphasizes Claude’s rights to interfere in Zavier’s and Ray’s possession of the property share followed by the sudden demise of Daniel and Aunt Nora’s possession of

Drinking and Driving in the United States Essay

Drinking and Driving in the United States - Essay Example Overview Drunk driving is an avoidable problem especially with self responsibility. Increasing number of arrests might have little to do against this offence. Alcohol tends to damage the Central Nervous System of an individual. When the BAC level is at .10 percent the ability to take proper decisions gets damaged and the drivers lose control on the steering. He lacks the alertness necessary to understand if a danger lay ahead in the street and the response time is delayed. The vision is also disturbed due to a high BAC level. In some cases there might be difficulty in understanding the traffic signal colors and the capacity to differentiate them (Goodenough, Wallance and McGuire, 12-15). Drunk drivers might also face the problem of driving safely during the night or redeem from the glare of light in minimum possible time. Under such situation and in the absence of self awareness is an individual the enforcement of the law comes to play a role. However apart from the level of enforcem ent, it is important for the public to know the laws. Background Any decision of a driver which is impaired by alcohol intake can result in danger for others or the driver taking abnormal risks. It might lead to the driver taking improper turns and misjudgments regarding the speed and the right roads. Jerky movements and sharp turns might result owing to drunk driving. This might alarm the other travelers or the normal drivers. In US a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 or more is considered to be above the legal ceiling in all the states (NHTSA). As per the NHTSA findings, in 2003 less than 9 percent of the drivers with a BAC of 0.08 percent or more and involved in crashes involving deaths were repeat offenders of drunk driving who were under one or more accusations of DWI (driving while intoxicated) – â€Å"Drivers with a BAC of 0.08% or higher involved in fatal crashes were eight times more likely to have a prior conviction for DWI than were drivers with no alcohol in the ir system.† (CDC; Wren) Position statement: Drunk driving being a criminal offence in US, is one of the major causes of deaths due to motor accidents in the country. Appeals and Evidence In the United States of America drunken driving is included under the specific criminal offence of DUI or Driving Under Influence. The most striking as well as pitiful information that makes it justified to regard drunk driving as a criminal offence is that in 2008 deaths due to dunk driving contributed to 32 percent of total car accidental deaths in 2008. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2007 amongst the motor vehicles related fatal accidents around 32 percent were the outcome of alcohol impaired driving especially with drivers having BAC of .08 or more. During the span 1995 to 2006 incidences of injuries related to motor vehicle collisions admitted was 8272 out of which motor cycle and mopped crashes contributed to 12 percent and amongst them 24.5 of the motorcy clists and 39 percent of moped operators were impaired by alcohol (Christmas, Brintzenhoff, and Schmelzer, 305). When notes in absolute terms, the total deaths come to 37261 and 11773 were due to drunk driving. During the night the drivers were more likely to drink and hence death

A Character Analysis of Charlie in Fitzgeralds Babylon Revisited :: Babylon Revisited Essays

A Character Analysis of Charlie in Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited In considering Charlie Wales plight in Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited," I believe Charlie is a victim of his own success. As a successful businessman two times over he has burned many bridges behind him and for his well intentions he is blind to that continued fallacy. He does not seem to realize that the success he enjoys now is the envy that brought about Marion and Lincoln's contempt prior to Helen's death. I see Charlie attempting desperately to act out of character. Adept at business he has shown ability, humility and perseverance. However, he seems to be out of touch with the manifested feelings of others his path has crossed. I do believe Charlie is not truly ready for parenthood. It appears he is fighting a demon, longing for a piece of his life that was lost in his past. Motivated by guilt I believe he is substituting materialism for love believing money buys happiness. He would substitute a governess for parenting for he realizes his business ventures will not lend time to child rearing. We can all sympathize with Charlie on the surface, we have all made mistakes that we have to live with. Charlie is attempting to move forward with his life and erase the mistakes of his past. The ghosts of his past torment him repeatedly throughout the story, his child's guardians despise him and his old friends do not understand him. Duncan Schaffer and Lorraine Quarrles represent all that wrong with Charlie's life. Charlie attempts to steam forward and like a anchor they keep him moored in place. I can not truly sympathize with Charlie though there is a sense of empathy within me. I sense that with Lincoln Peters also.

“Early Bird” or “Second Mouse” Essay

â€Å"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.† Decide which of the strategies (â€Å"early bird† or â€Å"second mouse†) is the most effective in your life as a student and life in general. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese was first recorded in 1605 in William Camden’s book of proverbs and has remained part of the misplaced work ethic ever since. The early bird gets the worm meaning it is best to start the day early and also not procrastinate on things. ‘But the second mouse gets the cheese’ meaning the first mouse got killed in the mousetrap and so you got rewarded for starting late or procrastinating. So let the other eager person screw up and then learn from their failure and then reap the reward. I am neutrally in this option. If the early bird gets the worm, then how can it be that the second mouse gets the cheese? If we need to motivate our staff to get up and get started, then we might want to state that the early bird get the worm, so let’s get up and get going so as to get there early before anyone else. On the other hand, if the competition has come out with something quicker than we have, then in order to get everyone on point we might say, â€Å"The second mouse gets the cheese.† In other words, if we build upon the original idea that may have been invented first, then we can build something bigger and better. â€Å" The early bird may get the worm† meanings that success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort. Preparation is the cost you need to pay in order to be truly rewarded. You can’t just jump in the ring and expect to win the fight without having first learned how to box and prepare your body for the required endurance. From the moment of birth till death, we work very hard to succeed. In childhood, we learn how to walk and communicate with others though persistence and willingness. Throughout our adolescence, we study hard to achieve good marks and to get a proper job. For example as I am a student, it is best to study early and in small increments well before the test. Do not cram the night before the exam is the best advice for me from my secondary school teacher that make me successfully went into university. However, â€Å"second mouse† is another effective strategies in my life as a student and life in general. Sometimes in life it is smart to learn from the risks that others take and the mistakes they make. The dead mouse in the trap saw the cheese and went for it. Did not work. But the second mouse, though still cautious, was in the enviable position of reaping the reward with no risk. We are all human, therefore we all make mistakes, but the one thing that comes out of these mistakes is we usually learn a lesson. Making mistakes is human nature, none of us are exempt. That is even true in writing this paper, I will have to write many drafts without errors, and to meet what I feel is right. It will only be natural for me to make these mistakes. But, just as in making errors on this paper and making the corrections, making mistakes in life and correcting those makes for a better human being. We need to be smart so that we will be the â€Å"second mouse that get the cheese but not the first mouse that in the trap.