...Respect for Nature: An Eco-critical Read of Moby-Dick Abstract There are many conflicting ideas concerning Moby-Dick. One of the major themes in Moby-Dick is alienation between man and man, man and society, and man and nature. Melville in Moby-Dick deals with the fight between man and nature, specifically speaking, the fight between Captain Ahab together with the crew on the whaling ship Pequod and the white whale Moby Dick. The book is an allegorical tragedy. Melville forewarned that if man relentlessly exploited and challenged nature like Captain Ahab, nature would punish us human beings. Man’s conquest and control on nature will leads to crisis. The harmonious relationship in ecosystem should be built. Human beings should respect nature and take proper advantage of nature, which could help avoid the ruin of the entire human beings. Introduction Moby-Dick, one of the greatest symbolic novels, is the masterpiece of Herman Melville. It displays the severe struggle between man and nature in American literature. And also there are many conflicting ideas concerning it. Moby-Dick is a vivid description of man’s encroachment on nature. The novel is generally regarded as an encyclopedia of many things: cetology, history, philosophy, religion and so on. Because of this, many reviews on this book from different points of view appear, such as from the point of view of psychology to reveal man’s psychic confusion as Ahab’s monomaniac syndrome; of the problems of identity...
Words: 3470 - Pages: 14
...Management Planning Paper Mgt/330 Lee E. Russell University of Phoenix October 1, 2012 Professor Robert Wenger Management Planning Paper This management planning paper will be done about the Halliburton Company. Energy is one of Halliburton’s chief assets, which happens to be one of the largest in the world. This lucrative corporation was founded in 1919; it now does business in about 70 countries, and utilizes more than 50,000 workers. Its chief industry that it serves is the upstream oil and gas. Whether it is finding hydrocarbons, organizing geological data, to the formation evaluation and drilling, to well construction and completion, all while optimizing the production during the life cycle of the reservoir, all of this is done by Halliburton. Two divisions make up Halliburton, and they are Drilling and Evaluation, and Completion and Production. What Drilling and Evaluation consist of is, drilling, evaluation, field and reservoir modeling, well bore placements, which allows customers to measure, model, and optimize the activities of their well construction. What Completion and Production does is it distributes cementing, intervention, simulation, and completion of services. These two divisions account for over 15 billion dollars in highly regarded revenue (2007). When we take planning into account, it is noted that it is a prime function of management, which helps Halliburton set and eventually achieve its goals. By getting to be an enormous corporation, Halliburton...
Words: 901 - Pages: 4
...As early as 1950, David Riesman distinguished between a majority, "which passively accepted commercially provided styles and meanings, and a 'subculture' which actively sought a minority style ... and interpreted it in accordance with subversive values".[1] In his 1979 book Subculture: the Measuring of Style, Dick Hebdige argued that a subculture is a subversion to normalcy. He wrote that subcultures can be perceived as negative due to their nature of criticism to the dominant societal standard. Hebdige argued that subcultures bring together like-minded individuals who feel neglected by societal standards and allow them to develop a sense of identity. In 1995, Sarah Thornton, drawing on Pierre Bourdieu, described "subcultural capital" as the cultural knowledge and commodities acquired by members of a subculture, raising their status and helping differentiate themselves from members of other groups.[2] In 2007, Ken Gelder proposed to distinguish subcultures from countercultures based on the level of immersion in society.[3] Gelder further proposed six key ways in which subcultures can be identified: through their often negative relations to work (as 'idle', 'parasitic', at play or at leisure, etc.); through their negative or ambivalent relation to class (since subcultures are not 'class-conscious' and don't conform to traditional class definitions); through their association with territory (the 'street', the 'hood', the club, etc.), rather than property; through their movement...
Words: 266 - Pages: 2
...Josh Radcliff The Dark Knight Essay The Joker is pure evil. His only purpose in destroying Gotham City is because he likes to wreck havoc on the world . He already escaped prison once. He is slowly tearing Gotham City apart. Batman has no choice; he must kill the Joker. Utilitarianism is the main ethical system that supports Batman killing the Joker. Because Utilitarianism is a consequentialist system, the morality of an act depends solely on its consequences, and its main focus is on utility, the belief that an act is morally good if it results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people, any stunt that the Joker plays is considered an immoral act because only he receives pleasure from his acts of crime while thousands of others suffer. When Batman traps the Joker, he has to decide between killing him or letting him go, and as defender of Gotham City, he has to take the peoples' well being into consideration. In making his decision, he also has to acknowledge the idea of Hedonism, which states that pleasure, or the absence of pain, is the only thing good or desirable for all people. Ultimately, when making a Utilitarian decision, Batman must choose the option that gives the highest kinds of pleasure to the maximum number of people. In order to do this though, it is ideal that Batman takes the viewpoint of a "disinterested and benevolent spectator," as John Stuart Mill suggests. When making a Utilitarian decision, Batman first subconsciously has to decide what...
Words: 1258 - Pages: 6
...he Limits of Presidential Power 0 inShare Download The App email The Limits of Presidential Power: All The President’s Power The Daily Reckoning Special Position Paper By Thomas E. Wood Jr. Vice President Dick Cheney recently told the Washington Post that when the Bush administration entered office, it was determined to reinvigorate the presidency and reverse the steady reduction in executive power and prerogative that had persisted since Watergate. But what reduction could the vice president have had in mind? “The vice president,” noted Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.), “may be the only person I know of that believes the executive has somehow lost power over the last 30 years.” Whether or not the vice president was correct in his analysis of the state of the presidency in the year 2000, there can be no question that since then George W. Bush has dramatically expanded the powers of the president – primarily though not exclusively in matters pertaining to the war on terror. One of the most notorious examples involved the torture of prisoners, a power the administration claimed in the face of law and international agreements to the contrary. “The assertion in the various legal memoranda that the President can order the torture of prisoners despite statutes and treaties forbidding it was another reach for presidential hegemony,” wrote Anthony Lewis in the New York Review of Books. “The basic premise of the American constitutional system is that those who hold...
Words: 277 - Pages: 2
...title. Summary of the documentary The filmmaker is Michael Kirk while Will Lyman gives a signature narration. Ideally, the documentary seeks to develop information regarding how the war started, how fighting took place both the war front and insider critical analysis of the government. There seemed o be two battle lines, the war front at the ground and battle at the corridors of power within the government. In the fall of 2001 just when the Afghan war was ongoing, there were talks in government whether Iraq should be the next target. The perception was Saddam Hussein must have played a critical role in the 9/11. The was policy battle between Secretary of state, Collins Powell and director of CIA George Tenet on one side against VP Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumfeld (Frontline, 1). Rumfeld in fact dashed CIA intelligence reports setting up own pentagon information unit, which associated Hussein and Osama bin Laden. A report FBI and CIA held lacked basis. Contagious issues were how to treat detainees, role of Ahmad Chalabi as well as whether UN resolution could be used. Soon Cheney and Rumfeld were accused of taking the mantle of...
Words: 634 - Pages: 3
...The Painting at "The Spouter Inn" “Moby Dick” is a novel which is full of symbolic meanings and ideas depicting human courage and dignity, the role of fate and destiny in life of common people. This novel depicts life experience of a common sailor Ishmael through the lens of fate and destiny. The journey around the world serves as a symbol that represents dilemma and the knowledge retrieval, the desire to find old truth, and the symbol of maternity. Thesis Using the painting at “The Spouter Inn” Melville gives some hints to readers symbolically portraying hardship and tragedy, a struggle between life and death awaiting the main character of the novel. From the very beginning, Ishmael cannot understand the meaning of the picture. He tries to find different interpretations of the image described as “there was a sort of indefinite, half-attained, unimaginable sublimity about it that fairly froze you to it, till you involuntarily took an oath with yourself to find out what that marvelous painting meant” (Melville, Chapter 3). In a moment, the image “bears a faint resemblance to a gigantic fish” or “even the great leviathan himself” (Melville, Chapter 3). It is possible to assume that the picture represents eternal existence, so it is difficult find the right meaning of the painting. Nature and the sea theme in particular are used as a symbol to describe deep personal feelings and life experience of a human being. This symbol gives only some hints to the reader to comprehend...
Words: 1751 - Pages: 8
...unnecessary services in the Balkans. ▪ Balkans Support Contract is the largest contract for services to U. S. forces, representing about $2 billion in contract costs spent in the Balkans since December 1995.Brown & Root's open-ended logistics contracts from the Army and Navy --indeed much of the military privatization campaign -- are grounded in a 1992 study the company did for the Defense Department that several analysts said formed the template for privatization of logistics for a downsized U.S. military. Soon after the company delivered the classified study, which reportedly concluded that the Pentagon could save hundreds of billions of dollars by outsourcing, Brown & Root won its first competitively bid logistics contract. Vice President Dick Cheney was defense secretary when the first Brown & Root study was done, and he became chief executive of its parent company, Halliburton, when he retired.KBR has become more trouble than it's worth to Halliburton, and that a spin-off is being considered, citing "investigations into its activities in Nigeria and Iran and by sizable asbestos claims." ▪ Among Halliburton's most pressing concerns are investigations by French, American and Nigerian officials into KBR's role in an illegal payments scheme for its work...
Words: 526 - Pages: 3
...Themes, Motifs & Symbols Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The Limits of Knowledge As Ishmael tries, in the opening pages of Moby-Dick, to offer a simple collection of literary excerpts mentioning whales, he discovers that, throughout history, the whale has taken on an incredible multiplicity of meanings. Over the course of the novel, he makes use of nearly every discipline known to man in his attempts to understand the essential nature of the whale. Each of these systems of knowledge, however, including art, taxonomy, and phrenology, fails to give an adequate account. The multiplicity of approaches that Ishmael takes, coupled with his compulsive need to assert his authority as a narrator and the frequent references to the limits of observation (men cannot see the depths of the ocean, for example), suggest that human knowledge is always limited and insufficient. When it comes to Moby Dick himself, this limitation takes on allegorical significance. The ways of Moby Dick, like those of the Christian God, are unknowable to man, and thus trying to interpret them, as Ahab does, is inevitably futile and often fatal. The Deceptiveness of Fate In addition to highlighting many portentous or foreshadowing events, Ishmael’s narrative contains many references to fate, creating the impression that the Pequod’s doom is inevitable. Many of the sailors believe in prophecies, and some even claim the ability to foretell the...
Words: 1731 - Pages: 7
...American Literature November 20th, 2012 Perception: The True Meaning of Identity The works published by Whitman, Edwards, and Melville continue to astonish literary critiques today. It amazes me how three writers with such unique qualities all seem to stitch together the same ideas about the “American Identity.” Whitman chooses to see sex as an empowerment on our human race. While Edwards argues that God’s love inspires a fruitful outlook on a trivial life, Melville has no spiritual views and instead ignites his own reasoning to form his perceptions. Whitman’s theory of an American identity rests on an interpretation of sexual reproduction within our humanity. Children of Adam gives our lives true purpose and sheds light on the importance of love and procreation. After reading his poetry, it resurrected a thought I had during our class discussions. We live an endless paradox where life cannot hope to exist without death, good without evil, day without night, and so on. “The oath of procreation I have sworn, my Adamic and fresh daughters, The greed that eats me day and night with hungry gnaw, till I saturate what shall produce boys to fill my place when I am through” (p.2208). Compared to our vast universe, a human being may seem insignificant, yet we hold the key to restoration and preservation of our societal life cycle. Whitman’s poems paralleled the bible when he referred to God’s love for Adam and Eve that was so great, it drove to their creation for his Garden of...
Words: 1723 - Pages: 7
...1928 — Charmin was manufactured by the Hoberg Paper Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The design was described as "charming" by an employee, and the Charmin brand name was born (pronounced "shar-min"). The Charmin name and logo were officially registered by Hoberg Paper. Charmin was designed to look like feminine fashions of the day. 1932 — Charmin introduced its 4-roll package. 1940 — Modern type style replaced script lettering on the product label. 1950 — Hoberg changed its name to Charmin Paper Company and continued to produce bath tissue, paper napkins, and other paper products. 1953 — A new baby graphic was added to the packaging to symbolize the gentle softness and quality of Charmin. The "Charmin Baby" was born and took its place along with the "Charmin Lady" on the packaging. 1956 — The "Charmin Lady" was replaced with "Charmin Babies Your Skin" graphics on the product packaging. 1957 — Procter & Gamble (P&G) acquired Charmin Paper Company. The original Charmin family included paper towels, paper napkins, facial tissue, and bath tissue. P&G eventually discontinued all products except bath tissue, which it continued to distribute on a regional basis. 1964 — The Mr. Whipple (aka "George the Grocer") character was created to promote the "squeezable softness" of Charmin. Mr. Whipple appeared for more than 20 years in Charmin television, radio, and print advertising. Charmin became the first one-ply bath tissue to add perfume. 1970 — Charmin television commercials...
Words: 1662 - Pages: 7
...Ahab’s Leg and Moby Dick Melville uses symbolism in his novel Moby Dick to express his theme. Anti-Transcendentalism plays a large role in his writing as well. Captain Ahab’s leg is a symbol used to express natures mark on man along with anti-transcendentalist ideas. Melville also uses Moby Dick to represent man vs nature. Captain Ahab’s leg and Moby Dick represent anti-transcendentalist ideas and are symbols throughout the story. Captain Ahab is the captain of the Pequod whaling ship in the story. The singular purpose of the Captain’s whaling mission is to hunt down and kill a whale name Moby Dick. In his previous encounter with Moby Dick the Captain lost his leg to the whale. In place of his real leg the Captain has a prosthetic leg made of out whale bone. The Captain’s bone leg has quite a few meanings. It represents struggle to readjust to life, the want for vengeance, and anger. The Captain wants to invoke vengeance on Moby Dick because of his unrightful taking of his leg. This strong anger towards Moby Dick makes him obsessed on getting revenge. He offers a reward to all of the crew members aboard the boat for whoever kills Moby Dick; “Whosoever of ye raises me a while headed whale, with three holes punctured in his starboard fluke - look ye, whosoever of ye raises me that same white whale, he shall have this gold ounce, my boys” (Melville 4). This reward offering shows that the Captain will go to the ends of the sea and back in order to have Moby Dick killed. This relates...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...Moby Dick: A Judgment of Ahab’s Character Everyone is responsible for their own actions; moreover, fate is just a scapegoat if something goes wrong. Captain Ahab, a character in the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville, is a victim of his own negligent actions. As a result, he faces an unfortunate death from the fury of the white whale. Ahab places all of his hate on the whale, whom is later referred to as Moby Dick, because he lost a leg to him. In his eyes, Moby Dick represents all of the hatred and evil in the world, and that he must go and destroy it. Yet, he is fully responsible for his own death due to the fact that he overlooked the warning signs that Nature and God provided for him, lacked communication between him and his shipmates, and preferred to be isolated from the crew in order to fuel his monomaniac conscience to put Moby Dick to his death. Because Ahab is the captain of the ship, he assumed that he ultimately had higher authority than God. God, in his mind, was in the wrong, by letting Moby Dick “dismember” (Melville 161) him; leading into Captain Ahab’s growing fixation with the beast. While being infatuated with Moby Dick, he is forced to ignore the obvious signs from Nature that were telling him to change his plans if he desired to live. However, Ahab chose to ignore the warning signs that were thrown at him throughout the novel. One omen that Ahab chose to pay no heed to was when the Pequod “was left to fight a Typhoon which had struck it directly ahead”...
Words: 906 - Pages: 4
...1. What is one area of self you have not denied that keeps you from God's beauty One area of self that I have not denied is my comfort. My comfort in the things around me and the possessions i have keep me from experiencing the fullness of God's beauty. 2. How do you feel about engaging brokenness? How can you engage it more? I actually think that engaging brokenness is an important part of having faith. It allows me to grow more spiritually because I am fully dependent on God. One way to engage my brokenness is by accepting it and not trying to cover it up with fake happiness. Sometimes, in dealing with our fears, struggles pains and memories, there is a need to identify what causes them. It is not helpful to ignore them, pretend they don’t exist or forget them by putting them behind. 3. How can you be a creative witness in making beauty in brokenness tomorrow, next weak and this year? In the future,i believe in sharing my struggles with non-believers can be a beautiful thing. i believe many people that are not Christian view christian as people who think and are holy than thou. so they chose not to engage with christains. but if we as christian admit that we are broken we can lead others to christ and let others know that we are all sinners. Personally, I want to lead by example as when Job was hit will multiple sufferings in the Bible he was able to be an example of righteous suffering to his friends. Therefore, i believe that allowing people to see growth through...
Words: 594 - Pages: 3
...RUNNING HEAD: Political Cartoon 1 Political Cartoon Christine Livingston CJA 324 August 13, 2012 Lawrence Avallone POLITCAL CARTOON 2 [pic](“About.com”, 2008). Before the debates began, Cheney and Scalia recently were seen on a duck hunting trip in the same place at the same time. I would have to disagree that the 2 were actually hunting together. The picture suggests that the 2 were duck hunting together as friends. Scalia objected to several demands to not get involved in a case in which Vice President Dick Cheney was involved in. Scalia mocked criticism that suggested because the two were seen on a hunting trip Scalia would be biased toward Cheney which is supposedly his long time friend. “A rule that required members of this court to remove themselves from cases in which the official actions of friends were at issue would be utterly disabling,'' Justice Scalia wrote. During the hunting trip to Louisiana, which the memorandum said involved 13 hunters as well as Mr. Cheney's security detail, ``I never hunted in the same blind with the vice president,'' he said. POLITICAL CARTOON 3 “Nor was I alone with him at any time during the trip,'' he continued, “except, perhaps, for instances so brief and unintentional that I would not recall them walking to or from a boat, perhaps, or going to or from dinner. Of course we said not a word about...
Words: 381 - Pages: 2
