...With the journey to Jefferson looming over the Bundren family, boundaries of sanity and insanity begin to haze. Darl, the main narrator of “As I Lay Dying”, borders on the edge of lunacy throughout the novel. He often has spasms of laughter, which seem to bear little relevance to the current situation, except to an exterior observer. Darl’s internal monologue, a constant stream of ideas, thoughts, and stories, expresses the audacity and the sheer madness his family is enduring. As the story progresses, many characters see Darl exhibiting signs of insanity, but to an observant eye, Darl may be the sanest of them all. In “As I Lay Dying”, Darl possesses the unique ability to perceive the feelings and thoughts of other characters. As a result of his perceptiveness, Darl has insightfulness into multiple characters lives; hence, how he understands the relation between Jewel and Addie and the pregnancy of Dewey Dell. Darl continually taunts Jewel about being a fatherless child and even mentions, “Jewels’ mother is a horse,” (151). Even with this knowledge, Darl only heckles and degrades the characters; therefore, causing them to ultimately categorize him as insane....
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...When Creon asks if Antigone knew about the law stating that no one is to bury the body of Polyneices, Antigone responds in an insulting manner; “ So for me, at least, to meet this doom of yours/ is little pain. But if I had allowed /my own mother’s son to rot, an unburied corpse-/ that would have been an agony! This is nothing./ And if my present actions strike you as foolish,/ let's just say I’ve been accused of folly/ by a fool” (Sophocles 519-525). The fiery response that Antigone gives to Creon seems to be perfect to start a war of words between them. This would result in the situation becoming more intense and will start to wander away from the whole meaning of civil disobedience and change into a revolt. Antigone’s form civil disobedience is filled with arrogance and results in being unsuccessful. When the chorus tells Antigone that she has now gone too far in her words and actions, they use Antigone’s father as a reference for her suffering. Antigone uses this and now blames her brother for the consequences she has to face by saying, “...your dying drags me down to death alive!” (Sophocles 958). Now recognizing that there is no escape for her, Antigone seems to have become impulsive in the words she is using. She still refuses to reason for her cause and her arrogance leads her to blame others for her own actions. Antigone’s path of civil disobedience has gone too far...
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...New divorce types and more relaxed, divorce laws make divorce a piece of cake. "No fault" divorce means that you do not have to explain why you want to divorce. You don't have to prove anything about your partners’ misbehavior or adultery. Divorce has become accepted in todays society. Families do not feel the social disapproval of a divorce. They new society and system will support them when they need. I had the opportunity to speak with a close family friend who has gone through the pains of divorce. The story he told was still fresh in his mind so the story was very detailed that I actually recorded the interview (with permission of course) in order to not miss a single detail so the full emotion could be captured. My friend starts the interview and re accounts the story by saying “divorce was never part of my vocabulary. According to my world-view marriage was forever.” “In the traditional South African Jewish society from which I originated divorce was almost unheard of. That is not to say that relationships between husbands and wives were always good back in the fifties. I am sure they weren’t, but for cultural and...
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...Living Through Dying Organ donation can be a very difficult decision, which could be made easier through increased education and awareness on donating. Through my years as a Respiratory Therapist I have been exposed to the organ donation process. It can be a difficult decision for a patient’s family especially if it has not been communicated to the family what the individual wants. While it is a tough decision for some, the choice to donate a loved one’s organs means a second chance at life for people on organ waiting lists across the country. When patients are pronounced brain dead they are usually being kept physically alive on life support. Life support for these patients consists of a mechanical ventilator, which breathes for the patient as well as intravenous medications that help various bodily functions. The process for organ donation seems pretty clear cut, however the person making the decision is usually under a high degree of emotional distress, which presents the major gap in the debate about organ donation. It may be easier to go through the thinking process while not in mental distress over the loss (or the potential loss) of a loved one. In my experience as a respiratory therapist, I have been witness to families dealing with the sudden shock of losing a loved one traumatically, and there is no denying the emotion. Capacity to make decisions that are logical and precise are greatly diminished when handling the death of a loved one, especially when they...
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...William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying breaks the facticity of literary convention by constructing a storyline that asserts a conflict in the reader rather than predominately within the characters. The basic conflict that sets forth thematic conflict of the distinction of facts and truth within the nature of the mind is of a Southern decaying family’s attempt to bring their mother home for burial. Faulkner narrates each character’s singular point of view to show the result of the multitude of subjective interpretations as each character deals with their emotions engendered by the events. The reader is unsure as to which imitated perspective is objective towards the truth. Faulkner’s narration of imitating events from a different stand point develops an arguing conflict of what is thought to be an established nature of mind. As I Lay Dying is a conflict of the conceptual idea of truth. It can be interpreted that the conflict of the narrative is a conflict of our beings – whether or not there is such a thing as unprejudiced truth. Within the beginning narratives, the characters reveal their corruptions that will obscure their interpretations: including adultery, pregnancy, abortion, hatred, and insanity. Using multiple views promotes the isolation each family member’s internal conflicts in relation to their response to their mother’s death, relationships, and own seemingly selfish concerns. The reader begins to see the instability of their isolation when the Faulkner establishes...
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...oliver evans a revaluation summarySummary and Response to “The Snows of Kilimanjaro: A Revaluation” by Oliver Evans Oliver Evans' Evaluation Because Ernest Hemingway is considered to be an influential intellectual as well as a modernist philosopher, all his literary works are closely criticized by numerous literary critics. His work, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” highlighted Hemmingway’s views on “life-in-death” more than any of his other works; though, almost all his works are concerned with departing material reality in some way. Some literary critics state that “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” was a “magnificent failure” because it lacked “dramatic force” (Evans, 601). Others do not believe that the story’s material action and symbolism are properly matched (Evans, 601). Oliver Evans does not agree. “‘The Snows’ is not, primarily, a story of action at all: its interest lies in the situation, and in the conflict between idealism and materialism that takes place within the protagonist” (Evans, 602). Evans discovered symbolism in almost every aspect of the story. Evans noted the despair in Harry’s life because of the conflicting views he held, and because of the deadness he felt. According to Evans, Harry was partly idealistic, as shown by his despair; however, he was also materialistic and mechanistic. Harry did not fear death; however, he hated the thought of leaving so much unaccomplished. He hated knowing that he had ruined his own life and that he could not re-claim his integrity...
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...A Streetcar Named Desire I strongly agree with Brown’s assertion that Williams’ text A Streetcar Named Desire is relevant to study in 2013. In this essay I will explore some important issues that are seen in the text and today in 2013 in order to prove my stand. To begin, I will address the issue of domestic violence, which permeates all the relationships in the play. Secondly I will discuss the issue of loneliness and a need for love. I will also analyse the life of illusion that Blanche leads and the issue of alcohol as it pertains to Blanche and the men. A major issue in the play is that of domestic violence, a fact that makes the play relevant to modern audiences. There are a number of incidents involving domestic violence throughout the play. It is Stanley who states that “every man is a king and I am the king around here.” It is his need for dominance that makes him believe that he can throw the radio out of the window because Blanche refuses to switch it off. Williams takes great pains to describe Stanley’s sense of dominance as seen in the words “richly feathered male bird among hens.” Stanley represents the violence of the real world. He is physical and is often associated with animalistic imagery. He is described, “Baying like a hound, bellows his wife’s name.” Blanche also associates Stanley with the brutes, “don’t hang with the brutes.” But violence is not limited to the Kowalski’s alone. Eunice threatens Steve saying, “You hit me! I’m gonna call the police.” Stanley...
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...This letter was about the harsh reality the Englishmen, women and children had to live in. It is important to acknowledge the hardships because it is a part of understanding the big picture. There are many sides to the story of discovering and inhabiting North America, and this letter is a crucial piece. Despite the lack of information we know about this author, his account is valuable to build a greater foundation of knowledge. The line written on page 140, “Indeede so I fynd it now to my greate greife and miserie, and saith, that if you love me you will redeeme me suddenlie,” is powerful because it clearly depicts how desperate he was in America. He was desperate enough to lay his father’s love on the line, giving the ultimatum that if you can’t help me, you must not love me. That puts the value of the letter into...
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...Rantanen This article studies the moral development at Enron from the perspective of its long-term CEO and chairman Ken Lay. I focus on some critical decisions in the early years of Enron and speculate why Lay chose in favour of non-systems intelligent solutions in leading morale. According to the outlook developed it is plausible to think that immoral behaviour at Enron stemmed not so much from Lay’s immoral character but from his Christian values. Neglecting opportunities to change his value structure Lay avoided tough decisions that marked loss for others. Consequently, unable to make decisions objectively based on systemic rather than individual motives, he lost his opportunity in creating coherent corporate values promoting moral integrity. If the suggested causality is true, it underlines the importance of conscious moral leadership as an everyday discipline. Introduction This article discusses the story of Enron, the infamous American energy company that December 2, 2001 filed the largest bankruptcy case in US history, totalling losses around 66 billion US dollars,1 forcing 4,000 unemployed,2 and bringing down Arthur Andersen, 3 its auditing company. For many of the “bad” and publicly convicted Enron executives it has been the worst nightmare come true, a personal travesty. Cliff Baxter, an Enron executive, has committed suicide and Ken Lay, after being found guilty of conspiracy and fraud, died of heart attack. We might ask, why did these people choose to risk so...
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...Racism and Hurricane Katrina Matt DePalma Geography 1000 Assignment 1 October 4, 2013 Under the presidency of George W. Bush, Hurricane Katrina was deemed as a national, political, and racial disaster. From preparations of the hurricane, rescue efforts provided, and money funded for the storm, Hurricane Katrina represented a nationwide failure and the casualties and emotional scars it left on the people of New Orleans is evidence. Monday, August 29, 2005 will forever live on as a day of infamy in New Orleans, a day where not only poor planning was obvious but racial inequalities also became even more apparent to the people. In the aftermath of its destruction, Katrina showed the world just how racist New Orleans was, and how corrupt and slowly the government acted towards saving lives. Unfortunately, New Orleans the the United States government left the black, poverty stricken population for dead, exposing a city still full of racism for had they not been, more lives could have been rescued. For starters, Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans during the storm had issued a mandatory evacuation of the city in preparation of the storm (Trouble the Water). This is a seemingly righteous and smart political move on Nagin’s part except that he also provided no transportation for those without cars or money. As a mayor, Nagin had to know that not every single person in his city could afford the luxury of travel for evacuation of Katrina. Nagin left 100,000 people, most of...
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...The substance, with which I had wanted to experiment, had vanquished me. It was the demon that scornfully triumphed over my...
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...Guernica does not Affect Picasso, Picasso Effects Guernica Guernica (1937) by artist Pablo Picasso is one of the most powerful and disturbing anti-war paintings ever produced. Like so many famous works of art, the meaning of Picasso's Guernica is not immediately clear and left wide open to analysis and interpretation. What is the meaning of Guernica, the mural by Pablo Picasso? Guernica is unique and unlike any other photograph or painting of a historical war scene. According to Herschel B. Chipp, historical photographs show scenes and capture moments in time, but when viewing them an intangible “wall” exists between the viewer and the photograph. The difference between photographs and original paintings is that the painting allows the viewer to break through the “wall” and actually experience the feelings and emotions expressed in the painting.[1] Guernica was a unique painting for Picasso to create because he never wanted to be influenced by the outside world. Historians argue that Guernica is the exception and Picasso allowed him-self to be influenced and expressed his views. However, after deeply known about Guernica and Picasso, you may think that Guernica does not affect Picasso, instead, Picasso effects Guernica. Guernica is a town in the province of Biscay in Basque Country. During the Spanish Civil War, it was regarded as the northern bastion of the Republican resistance movement and the epicenter of Basque culture, adding to its significance...
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... and unanimously enough, also posses a power” (Page 5). Suttner’s strong words were advertising the gender inequalities that she was experiencing and making reference to how activists can promote power by continuously fighting for it and coming together. Suttner’s second main belief was that the “idea of dying for the homeland and fighting for the honour and glory” of fighting was wrong (Holt, 5). She provides strong support in this statement by tying in the theories many men held while at War. Along with that, she did not believe in promoting violence to children by their parents buying them toy soldiers (Holt, 5). Suttner believed that parents needed to raise their children in a sensible environment that provided a logical sense of fighting...
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...--------- I. Brief Introduction and History of Topic: $90 million, $80 million. That adds up to a lot of money. Imagine how many mouths you could feed or how many kids could go to college with that money. Unfortunately, $90 million is the contract Nike gave Lebron James before he even touched an NBA basketball. $80 million was his contract extension in 2006 (USA Today). During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the biggest news in pro sports was Babe Ruth's contract, which paid him $75,000 per year, more than the President of the United States. (Show me the money!) According to the Seattle Times, when confronted about making more than the president, Ruth famously replied “Why Not? I had a better year than him.” Now even the lowest paid pro athletes earn almost as much as the President, who makes $400,000 a year. Later, in 1964, the Saint Louis Cardinals and the New York Jets got in a bidding war over Alabama quarterback, Joe Namath. The Jets came out on top, showing Namath a pretty decent deal. According to Harvey Frommer, sports author, Namath was “signed to a four-year contract at $25,000 per season, plus a $200,000 bonus. Scouting jobs were provided for his three brothers and a brother-in-law at $10,000 a year. A green Lincoln Continental plus other luxury features were included in the deal which totaled approximately $427,000 - a lot of money for that time.” ---------------------------------------------- II. Primary Argument: II-a. Claim: I argue that...
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...and a variety of other life-support equipment. They experience intolerable pain that would be inconceivable to a healthy individual. The terminally ill patient is often left with no option other than to die in an impersonal medical institution. They are unable to get out of bed, feed themselves or even go to the bathroom without assistance. As reported recently in a survey issued by the National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, “Many of the 550,000 American patients who die of cancer each year spend their last days in distress, suffering from pain, nausea, fatigue and depression” (Toufexis). In such circumstances there is no means for a terminally ill patient to sustain their dignity in the dying process. Unfortunately, much of the misery suffered by the terminally ill is done so needlessly. Surveys indicate that along with the loss of a patient’s dignity and quality of life is the fear of facing death in uncontrollable pain. A recent survey by the National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine And National Research Council indicated that, nine million Americans are now living with cancer and about 60 percent of those diagnosed with cancer will eventually die of the disease. Surveys indicate that one-third of patients in active therapy and two-thirds of patients with advanced disease have significant pain. Yet more the half of patients receive...
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