John Fante Ask the Dust

In the novel Ask the Dust by John Faint, the mall character, Arturo Banding, lacks the ability to have a true and sincere Identity. He traveled to California In hopes of becoming a successful writer. Rotator's journey to become a successful white American male fuels his hypocritical and contradicting lifestyle. His move to California influenced his self attitude, racial viewpoints, and perspective towards love. Arturo has a very strange relationship with women, whether It be Vera, Camilla, or a random women on the streets.Arturo develops an attraction towards Camilla, a Mexican-American women who he finds faintly attractive, â€Å"With a Amman nose, flat with large nostrils. Her lips were heavily rouged, with the thickness of a Negroes' lips. She was a racial type, and as such she was beautiful, but she was too strange for me† (Faint 34). Arturo starts off saying how lovely she is but then contradicts himself by saying she is too strange. One minute Arturo is happy with Camill a and the next his Is cursing her off under his breath. Foe call me beautiful at home, then you are ashamed to be seen with me In public. You are ashamed of beauty you recognize hat no one else does. You are ashamed to love me! † (Faint) Camilla recognizes that Arturo is unaware of how he feels and she confronts him about it. He hates the feeling of lust that she gives him so he runs to church to â€Å"cleanse† himself. Arturo is incapability of having true feelings towards a women stems from the fact that he is unsure of what love is. â€Å"By the all desire that had not come a while before†¦ T pounded my skull and tingled my fingers. I threw myself on the bed and tore the pillow†. (Faint) Arturo can not control the way he feels and due to that he becomes hypocritical and introduction to love. â€Å"She was forcing it with her scorn, the kiss she gave me, the hard curl of her lips, the mockery of her eyes, until I was like a man made of wood and there was no feeling within me except terror and a fear of her, a sense that her beauty was too much, that she was so much more beautiful than l, deeper rooted than l.She made me a stranger unto myself, she was all of those calm nights and tall eucalyptus trees, the desert stars, that land and sky, that fog outside, and I had come there with no purpose save to be a mere writer, to get money, to make a name for yeses and all that piffle. She was so much finer than l, so much more honest, that I was sick of myself and I could not look at her warm eyes, I suppressed the shiver brought on by her brown arms around my neck and the long fingers In my hair. I did not kiss her. She kissed me, author of The Little Dog Laughed. Then she took my wrist with her two hands.She pressed her lips Into the palm of my hand. She placed my hand upon her bosom between her breasts. She turned her lips towards my face and waited. And Arturo Banding, the great author dipped deep into his colorful imagination, romantic Arturo Banding, Just chock-full of clever phrases, and he said, weakly, kittenishly, ‘Hello. † (Faint) Throughout the whole novel Arturo talks to himself and contradicts all of the feelings he has towards love or Camilla and also towards himself. Sadly due to Rotator's lack of understand meet he ruins anything he could Arturo Banding thinks very highly of himself.Arturo likes to put on â€Å"performances† to show that he is better than everyone else. He is very arrogant with his performances and proclamations. Arturo will walk around with copies of his published story; The Little Dog Laughed. He goes around thinking that he is a well known writer and everyone should worship him like he worships his editor; Hackett. Arturo can not seem to find himself and who he really is until the end of the novel. When Arturo gets money his whole attitude and â€Å"performance† changes, he acts like a rich white American male.He starts to walk around with his head held hi gh and Just throwing money away like it is no big deal. Arturo wanted an expensive beer and he orders one from Camilla. Camilla says â€Å"it's expensive, forty cents† (Faint, 61) and she seems to have concern for him. She knows that he doesn't make a lot of money and if he does it is Just a lucky check from Hackett. He blows right through the money and Camilla evens warns him saying he should not spend his money like that after buying the two bartenders forty cent beers.He seems to not ever believe in a god or religion but he will go and write a letter to his mother telling her to pray for him and that he is praying for her. â€Å"Remember me to Him and give all and shiniest in the skies† (Faint 104) Arturo sends in the letter to his mother and we know that this is not the way Arturo acts. Arturo strives to be meeting he is not, a famous rich writer that everyone knows. Sadly that will not happen for him due to his hypocritical attitudes and unsure attitude towards hi mself.Deep down we can tell that he is not satisfied with his life and contradicts everything he says. Arturo bashes on anyone who is not full blooded American, like Camilla. Arturo is not even a full blooded American, he is Italian. Arturo enters the hotel he wants to live at and the lady at the desk is also very racist and makes sure that he is neither â€Å"a Mexican or a Jew'. Not even Just Arturo has his racial Judgments, everyone in the own does. â€Å"A cop won't pick you up for vagrancy in Los Angels if you wear a fancy polo shirt and a pair of sunglasses.But if there is dust on your shoes and that sweater you wear is thick like the sweaters they wear in the snow countries, he'll grab you. So get yourself a polo shirt boys, and a pair of sunglasses, and white shoes, if you can† is advise Arturo is giving anybody who is not of American decent. When he was younger he was called a â€Å"spice and greaser† and did not like it, but then he goes and calls Camilla th e same thing. â€Å"And Camilla, when I said â€Å"greaser† to you, it was to my heart that spoke, but the quivering of an old wound. And I am ashamed of the terrible thing I have done. (Faint 7) Deep down Arturo knows that what he had said was horrible and he should not have said that because he has true feelings for her even though she is Mexican. â€Å"When I was a kid, back in Colorado, it was Smith, Parker and Jones who hurt me with their hideous names. Who called me whop and Dagon and greaser, and their children hurt me. Just as I hurt you. They hurt me so much, I could never become one of them. Drove me to books, drove me within myself. Drove me to UN away from that town in Colorado, into your home and into your life.And sometimes, when I see their faces out here, the same faces, the same sad, hard mouths from my hometown. I'm glad they're here fulfilling the emptiness of their lives and dying in the sun. And they hate me, and my father and my father's father. Times. † Arturo loves being American and would not want to be anything else. He soon understands that Camilla wants to be American Just as much as he wants to be a famous writer. What he did was contradict himself by calling Camilla all those horrible names he was called when he was younger.Hypocrisy and contradiction plays a huge role in Arturo Banding's life and attitude towards whether it be towards love, himself, or other races. He struggles to realize that his actions are hurting him and the others around him. His desire to be a writer fueled his energy to become negative towards most of his peers. All he really wanted was to get famous and become rich, but he found out the true meanings of life and what is more important. Rotator's dreams of becoming a rich and famous writer in California did not fully come true. He found what love is, who he really is, and how it feels to not be American.

Making the World a Better Place Philosophy 1001, Dr. Cara Nine

Making the World a Better Place Philosophy 1001, Dr. Cara Nine ‘Better Place’? ‘Making the world†¦ ’? Making the world a better place There are two sets of philosophical questions: 1. What is ‘good’ or ‘better’? (That is, what does a ‘better world look like and why? ) 2. What kinds of actions are ‘right’? (What are we justified in doing to bring about the good? ) Ideas of the good life Hedonism Desire Satisfaction Theory Objective Goods Theory Theories of Right Action Utilitarian Deontological Feminist Virtue Theory Cases Protesting Unjust Government Aiding an impoverished community Torture Letter to MenoeceusBy Epicurus (341-270 BC) Epicurus ‘Hedonism’ in popular culture http://www. hedonism. com/ Hedonism: Different kinds of desires. Just to be clear†¦ â€Å"It is not an unbroken succession of drinking-bouts and of merrymaking, not sexual love, not the enjoyment of the fish and other deli cacies of a luxurious table†¦ † For Hedonism: â€Å"For the end of all our actions is to be free from pain and fear† Intrinsic vs. Instrumental goods Instrumental good Intrinsic Good For Epicurus, Happiness is secured by: A tranquil emotional state. Example: We should not fear death Evidence : Misery clearly hampers the good life; happiness clearly improves it.But, is happiness what we want for our loved ones? I recall a talk by a doctor who described a patient of his (who had perhaps had a prefrontal lobotomy) as ‘perfectly happy all day long picking up leaves. ’ This impressed me because I thought, ‘Well, most of us are not happy all day long doing the things we do,’ and realized how strange it would be to think that the very kindest of fathers would arrange such an operation for his (perfectly normal) child. –Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness, p. 65 Desire Theory and Problems with Hedonism Hedonism Happiness is the only intrinsical ly valuable good. A happy life is a good life.The argument from evil pleasures Hedonism’s response: Happiness from evil actions IS as good as happiness from virtuous actions. The Paradox of Hedonism Happiness is like a butterfly—the more you pursue it, the more it eludes you. Be still and let it come to you. Paradox of Hedonism 1. If happiness is the only thing that directly makes us better off, then it is rational to single-mindedly pursue it. 2. It isn’t rational to do that. 3. Therefore, happiness isn’t the only thing that directly makes us better off. Argument from multiple harms: If hedonism is true, then you can be harmed by something only because it saddens you.You can be harmed in other ways. Therefore, hedonism is false. False Happiness Nozick’s Experience Machine Experience Machine Nozick thinks that the real life is clearly better, despite equal levels of happiness. What makes the real life better? Desires and The good We desire for our lives to be based in reality. This desire matters. Other desires matter, too. Desire Satisfaction Theory The good life is getting what you want. Something is good for you if and only if it satisfies your desires. Good things about desire-satisfaction theory Allows for a variety of ‘good’ lives. Good things about desire-satisfaction theoryPrioritizes personal autonomy and avoids paternalism Avoids objective values â€Å"objective† = fixed independently of your desires and opinions â€Å"subjective† = refers to your desires and opinions Motivation? Problems with the Desire Satisfaction Theory Getting what you want may not promote your good Desires based on false beliefs Fix! The desire must be based on informed beliefs. More Problems Dis-interested or Other-regarding desires Problems, cont. Disappointment: I was playing great tennis†¦ I’d finally taken my game to what felt like a notch above all my opponents’. It should have been greatâ₠¬ ¦ But it wasn’t.It felt hollow—It reminded me of the story of King Midas: My success wasn’t translating into happiness. –John McEnroe—(with James Kaplan, You Cannot be Serious) Impoverished Desires Objective Goods Theories of the Good Life Hedonism Desire Satisfaction Theory Objective Goods Theory Objective Goods Theory What is good is defined independent of your desires or opinions. Objective well-being concept: Income? The objective/universal approach defended Nussbaum’s approach http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Qy3YTzYjut4 Appeals to ‘natural law theory’, that things are good when a thing fulfills its nature. Things are bad when they are unnatural.Solves (? ) Hume’s argument We can know only two sorts of claims: conceptual truths or empirical truths. Moral claims are neither conceptual nor empirical truths. Therefore, we can have no moral knowledge. Natural law theory’s response: If you know the nature of â⠂¬Ëœhuman’, and what it takes to fulfil our human nature, then we can know what is morally good. Options for objective goods: Happiness Options for objective goods: Autonomy Relationship with other objective goods. Essence of ‘human’ Possible problem with adding autonomy to the list: Cultural variations. But Do we have to be culturally relative? Options for objective goods:A sense of self Having commitments, likes and dislikes, values and goals. Options for objective goods: Morality Aristotelian virtue Human flourishing– â€Å"If you concern yourself not at all with what you owe to others or with what they need from you, you live in profound isolation. .. Morality is good for us because it †¦ gives me a kind of friendship not just with my friends but with everyone. † (Kazez 54) Martha Nussbaum: Basic capabilities. Life. Bodily health Bodily integrity. Senses, imagination, thought. Emotions. Practical reason. Affiliation. Other species. Play. Co ntrol over one's environment.Possible problem with the objective theory†¦ Utilitarianism Theories of Right Action What should I do or not do? Utilitarianism A brand of consequentialism An action is morally required just because it produces the best results. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) Utilitarianism (1861) The quest for ‘the good’ is identified with the question of what is right and wrong to do. Mill writes: â€Å"All action is for the sake of some end and rules of action, it seems natural to suppose, must take their whole character and color from the end to which they are subservient. â€Å" (in other words†¦ The ends justify the means! ) 1.Rationality in choice of conduct is maximizing the satisfaction of one's chosen goal (or the goal that is best to pursue). 2. The rational goal of human striving is happiness, and happiness consists in pleasure and the absence of pain. I should do what maximizes happiness-for-me-over-my-entire-life. Acting effectively t o achieve this goal is being prudent. Prudence requires a kind of impartiality. So†¦ In merely individualistic terms: Ice cream NOW = 2 units of Happiness, and 3 units of Pain later. To maximize happiness over my entire life, I should not have ice cream now. But Mill’s utilitiarianism is universal project (not individualistic! 3. Human striving 4. The moral goal involves impartiality. One person's good counts the same, in the determination of what is to be done, as the same-sized good of any other person. 5. The moral goal equals the aggregate happiness of all persons. 6. So, moral rationality demands that we maximize aggregate human happiness. †¦ and animals? Problems†¦ Utility monster: Trolley Problem Trolley Problem Trolley Problem Trolley Problem Deontology Kantian ethics Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) What matters with regard to whether an action is right or wrong is what kind of an action it is. (The end doesn’t justify the means! )Kantian Deontology Pe rson’s essence = autonomy Autonomy = self+rule Ethical principles follow logically. Consistency and Fairness Equal with regards to our autonomous rational personhood. What if everybody did that? How would you like it if I did that to you? Problem Case If disastrous results would occur if everyone did X, then X is immoral. Redescribe the act? But this makes the morality of an act merely a matter of its description. Kant’s answer: The Categorical Imperative (version 1): Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. Is a maxim universalizable?Formulate your maxim clearly. Imagine a world in which everyone supports and acts on on your maxim. Then ask: Can the goal of my action be achieved in such a world? Example: Lying The universalized maxim of lying generates a contradiction. Categorical Imperative (version 2): The Principle of Humanity Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only. Persons are rational agents The moral law is the law of reason So we rational beings are beyond value since we are the sources of value ‘Means’ only: Used as a means AND respected as rational agent at the same time: problems with the principle of humanity: The notion of treating someone as an end is vague. 2. The principle fails to give us good advice about how to determine what people deserve. – punishment and Lex Talionis (Law of Retaliation) 3. The principle assumes that we are genuinely autonomous, but that assumption may be false. Baron d’Holbach The Argument Against Autonomy 1. Either our choices are necessitated or they are not. 2. If they are necessitated, then they are out of our control, and so we lack autonomy. 3. If they are not necessitated, then they are random, and so we lack autonomy. 4.Therefore, we lack autonomy. 4. The principle cannot explain why those who lack rationality and auto nomy are deserving of respect. – What is the scope of the moral community? Argument against animals 1. If the principle of humanity is true, then animals have no rights. 2. If animals lack rights, then it is morally acceptable to torture them. 3. Therefore, if the principle of humanity is true, then it is morally acceptable to torture animals. 4. It isn’t. 5. Therefore, the principle of humanity is false. Feminist Ethics â€Å"The male is by nature superior, and the female inferior; the one rules, and the other is ruled. –Aristotle â€Å"As regards her individual nature, each woman is defective and mis-begotten. † –Aquinas â€Å"[W]omen must be trained to bear the yoke from the first, so that they may not feel it, to master their own caprices and to submit themselves to the will of others. † –Rousseau â€Å"†¦ laborious learning or painful pondering, even if a woman should greatly succeed in it†¦ They will weaken the charm s with which she exercises her great power over the other sex†¦. Her philosophy is not to reason, but to sense. † –Kant Feminist Ethics Previous (male-dominated) philosophy: Made false claims about women.Identified female with nature/animals and male with reason/human. Ignored female experiences and perspectives. Un Chien Andalou , 1929 silent surrealist short film by the Spanish director Luis Bunuel and artist Salvador Dali General Approach: Women are the moral equals of men. â€Å"The right to life of women in Pakistan is conditional on their obeying social norms and traditions. †Ã¢â‚¬â€œHina Jilani, lawyer and human rights activist 2. Experiences of women deserve our respect and are vital to a full and accurate understanding of morality. Some statistics: Women’s nominal wages are 17 percent lower than men’s.Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property. 3. Traits that have traditionally been associated with women are at least as morally important as traditionally masculine traits. 4. Cooperation, flexibility, openness to competing ideas, and a connectedness to family and friends, are often superior to ways of reasoning that emphasize impartiality, abstraction, and strict adherence to rules. Lawrence Kohlberg’s 6 stages of moral development: Moral Development: Gilligan Women fared poorly on Kohlberg’s model. Advancing to only around stage 3. ) Women tend to think and experience the world differently than men. Gilligan’s model or moral thinking: In A Different Voice Women’s Experience Justice is†¦. blind Dr. Denis Mukwege tries to restore dignity in Congo. Women’s Experience: Vulnerability to Rape Major-General Patrick Cammaert, former commander of UN peacekeeping forces in the eastern Congo: â€Å"It has probably become more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in armed co nflict. † Perceptions of rape in war: From: something that is inevitable when men are deprived of female companionship for prolonged periodsTo: an actual tactic in conflict. Effect on victim: Rape is always torture. Women’s Experience Increased dependence and diminished autonomy. Fewer choices and less control over important aspects of their lives (than men). Central fact of most women’s lives is their dependence. Consider a moral assumption: stand up for our rights and defend our honour against attacks: Does a woman stand up to an abusive husband, knowing she may be killed, have her children taken away from her, not know where her next meal will come from? Not just women We all are deeply connected with others.Moral philosophy that pretends that we are fully autonomous beings without dependent relationships fail to take an important part of human life into account. Ethics of Care Importance of Emotions â€Å"Reason is a slave of the passions. † –Da vid Hume Motivates. Helps us Understand (Sympathy/Empathy) Care: combination of sympathy, empathy, sensitivity, and love. Particular vs. Universal Describes our obligations. Particular obligations = I have them only to particular people. Universal obligations = I have them to all persons. A strict version of Ethics of Care theory denies the existence of universal obligations.Ethics of Care: Moral obligations come from RELATIONSHIPS. Relationship roles will sometimes require of you conflicting actions. There is no easy formula. Problems with the Ethics of Care: Must be supplemented by other theories. Or risk restricting the scope of the moral community too much. Role of emotions needs further exploration. Downgrading impartiality has its costs. Review Theories of ‘The Right’ Utilitarianism Theory Pleasure/freedom from pain is the only intrinsic good. An action is morally required just because it produces the best results. Rationality Impartiality Maximize human happiness UtilitarianismPositives Intuitive Matches good with the right Equality Useful for social policy Utilitarianism Negatives Utility monster Animals? Conflicts with Justice Deontology Theory (Study of Duty) The end doesn’t justify the means Derived from Autonomy (self + rule) Deontology Categorical Imperative 1: Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. Deontology Categorical Imperative 2, The Principle of Humanity: Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only. Deontology PositivesExplains duties of justice Clear rules Equality Intuitive Deontology Negatives Principles difficult to apply Problems with autonomy Scope? Feminism Theory Men and women are moral equals. All of human experience deserves our attention/respect. ‘Feminine traits’ are as morally relevant as ‘male traits’ Interpersonal ways of moral re asoning are often superior to abstract, universalized, rule-governed moral reasoning. Care/Relationships Feminism Positives Embraces full account of human experience Can account for interpersonal moral reasoning, dependence. Feminism Negatives Problems with accounts from emotion Downgrades impartiality

The book Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The book Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson - Essay Example However, the outcome is never attractive for either them, or the civilians who fall victims. Whenever there is war in a country and there are battles between the state soldiers and the rebels, the people who suffer most will be the civilians (Johnson 80). There are many reasons for such results. For example; some soldiers end up going against their respectful duties. Civilians fully depend on their soldiers to protect and fight for them, but in some cases, it is not quiet clear why the very soldiers end up turning against the helpless civilians. In this book the Tree of Smoke, as the American soldiers set out for the famous Vietnam War. Many people suffer the consequences and instead of solving the problem, the wars ends up affecting the same victims of the war (Johnson 300). This is seen when women are rapes, and other civilians short to death. Soldiers in the wars are meant to attack the enemy and not the victim. But in this case, soldiers are seen to change course and turn on thei r dependents. The relationship between the soldiers and the civilian is expected to be a fair one as the civilians safety only depends on the soldiers. This relationship in Tree of Smoke does not last when soldiers turn against their dependants and perform actions of violence against them including rape (Johnson 250). This picture gives a very negative view towards the soldiers, and it leaves a person wondering what kind of world we live in. In as much as soldiers like in this situation may be get frustrated, it is still not acceptable the way the can behave (Johnson p.250). The behaviors are truly pathetic and unacceptable. It is even sadder when such incidences occur and yet nothing is done about them. The relationship between them and the victimized civilians is ruined completely. This situations doubles the victimization of the civilians as they are fall both victims of war and their supposedly saviors. We all know that the soldiers in war are human (Johnson 179); they may end u p using such stuff like drugs and alcohol. Consequently, most of the time this would make them change their attitude to that of â€Å"who cares† when their minds are set in that manner. Those who depend on their protections become very vulnerable to them. Sometimes there are cases where soldiers break in people houses harassing them severely and looting their property, or misusing them. It is not clear to me what causes this kind of behavior in this people. I presume that as soldiers they have the capability to use the authority, they have to punish civilians under their mercy. The soldiers in Vietnam War are also seen in the story to portray misconduct when they still the puppies from the Vietnamese homes and smuggled them to their homes. This is harassment towards the same civilians who innocently depend on them (Johnson 220). The civilians have no power over the soldiers and they suffer so much lose in the hands. Soldiers were viewed to be merciless during the time when th ey raided houses of the victims blowing them using the grenades. Many innocent civilians died in the process, with so much confusion being experienced by the Vietnamese (Johnson 234). The confusion arose because the victimized civilians had no idea who was on their side because they were being attacked from all sides. In the Long run, this book does not really show a positive effect from the war, as those people who expected to benefit from it suffered even worse situations. The story clearly states the evil

Brett Dennen - Ain't No Reason writing about the song and the video Essay

Brett Dennen - Ain't No Reason writing about the song and the video - Essay Example Speakers use what they know to find their attitudes on a subject and their understanding of a reader (Lamb 4). Summary of the text The song â€Å"ain’t no reason† by Brett Dennen talks about how things like ignorance, priviledge, and life’s daily routine get in the way not just of addressing but also recognizing the suffering around us. He talks about how many lives are been irreparably changed and hurt and the way our world has been destroyed and hence the future generation tends to have a bleak outlook. The reasons for this he explains are because of poverty, war, violence, hatred, genocide, environmental degradation, oppression and most importantly because we are unable to see the suffering that surround and end up working against it. This text can trigger the audience to debate about what it really means to be conscious of suffering and the moral obligations we have to make in order to effect change. Bretten stresses that we should passively understand that t he answer to all this is love. He describes it as a practice of kindness, compassion and respect among all the living things our planet included. He is strongly against the idea of living a disconnected life. Aristotle argued that it is possible to connect to your audience logically emotionally and ethically. These three forms what is referred to as the rhetorical triangle (Lutze 1). ETHOS (WRITER) LOGOS (TEXT) PATHOS (READER) (Henggeler 2). These three appeals in the triangle form a balance of what the writer should use to be able to form an effective argument. Each appeal is important to be able to produce a well balanced argument as they directly affect each other. Rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) Ethos Ethos refers to character of a writer. This explores the ability to deal with a topic. (Metzeger 7). The writer or singer Brett Dennen is well conversant with the way people are living around him. This is evidenced by the way he refers to the way people are living around him. We are made aware of that by the fact that he says he does not understand or neither explains why they live the way they live yet they do it everyday.’ I can't explain why we live this way. We do it every day (Dennen n. p.)’. The writer is also able to explore the issue of politics of lies and also the deception used by those in power. Pathos Pathos refers to the arguments or rather the appeals to emotions. This can be viewed a show well the writer is able to draw the audience’s emotions and tap in to them. It is the role of the audience in the argument (Henggeler 1). The song artist Brett Dennen is able to draw the listeners emotions in his song ‘Ain’t No Reason’ and thereby has effectively used pathos to connect to his listeners. He is able to draw the emotions of confusion when he points out that he can’t explain why they live that way yet they continue to do it every day. ‘I can't explain why we live this way. We do it e very day (Dennen).’ The song artist’ is also able to explore the emotion of bitterness and also expresses the continuity of their suffering. The writer states, ’I gotta a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same’ shows of the continuous bitterness. This can also suggest that there is recurrence of the same things over and over again till they start getting used to the feeling of being bitter with the occurrences. Brett Dennen

Promoting Unity in the Family Unit in the twenty First century Essay

Promoting Unity in the Family Unit in the twenty First century - Essay Example   Accepting the changes in the family unit that have occurred during the twentieth century can be one of the best methods of achieving harmony in the family. An acceptance on the part of the parents of the changed social codes regarding the manner in which men and women are to conduct themselves in society, an help bridge distances between the two parents in case any clash happens. On many occasions, conflicts arise as a result of the inability on the part of either parent to accept that the gender roles that the other is supposed to adhere to have changed from previous generations. Parents who have grown up seeing earlier models of manhood and womanhood may not be able to adjust to modern lifestyles that demand different definitions of either category of genders. During the twentieth century, the notions of differences between sex and gender that came about primarily due to feminist movements have also caused changes in the structure of the family. The establishment of the differe nces in the sexual and gender roles, that a person is supposed to perform, was explained at length by the French feminist, Simone De Beauvoir in her book, The Second Sex (Beauvoir). A redistribution of jobs within the family may enable different members, whichever sex they are, to feel themselves more a part of the family. This would follow from the fact that they would be able to see themselves not just as members of a family as a result of their crudely reproductive functions but also because of the characteristics as individuals.      Contrary to popular perception gay and lesbian families can actually strengthen family structures since the reproductive aspect of relations that is present in heterosexual families is less a part of homosexual families. The structuring of such families can function as models for units that are distinct from conventional standards of the family. Such standards may enable people of any orientation to bring in more of their individuality into family units as a positive change. To be a part of a united group of individuals that form a unit within a society, one needs to feel accepted within that group. Unconventional models can be the next step in the evolution of the family unit in the twenty first century. Such a process of evolution may lead to models of the family that are stronger and more united than those which were a feature of the past. Strict patriarchal authority that was the driving force of earlier models of

Mary Rowlandson captiviity narrative vs. Douglas slave narrative Research Paper

Mary Rowlandson captiviity narrative vs. Douglas slave narrative - Research Paper Example the most famous and moving of a number of narratives written by former slaves, in factual detail describes the events of his life as a slave and thereafter. Both works are considered influential in early American literature. Analyzing the two, one sees that what at first appears to be a connection bound by the notion of captivity, that connection is well superseded by the very different personal and overall goals of the writers. .. a single individual, usually a woman, [who] stands passively under the strokes of evil, awaiting rescue by the grace of God. The sufferer represents the whole, chastened body of Puritan society; and the temporary bondage of the captive to the Indian is dual paradigm-- of the bondage of the soul to the flesh and the temptations arising from original sin, and of the self-exile of the English Israel from England. In the Indians devilish clutches, the captive had to meet and reject the temptation of Indian marriage and/or the Indians "cannibal" Eucharist. To partake of the Indians love or of his equivalent of bread and wine was to debase, to un-English the very soul. The captives ultimate redemption by the grace of Christ and the efforts of the Puritan magistrates is likened to the regeneration of the soul in conversion. The ordeal is at once threatful of pain and evil and promising of ultimate salvation. Through the captives proxy, the promise of a similar salvation could be offere d to the faithful among the reading public, while the captives torments remained to harrow the hearts of those not yet awakened to their fallen nature. (Stokes 94) Narratives of slavery, such as that written by Frederick Douglass, recounted the personal experiences of ante-bellum African Americans who had escaped from slavery and found their way to safety in the North. Employing the tradition of the captivity narrative, narratives of slavery were similarly reliant on Biblical references and imagery. Differing in context, however, they were replete with

SHORT-TERM AND TIME-DEPENDENT FLEXURAL BEHAVIOUR OF STEEL-FIBRE Research Proposal

SHORT-TERM AND TIME-DEPENDENT FLEXURAL BEHAVIOUR OF STEEL-FIBRE REINFORCED REACTIVE POWDER CONCRETE - Research Proposal Example it should be noted that high strength concrete is also very brittle, which is a undesirable property(Rossi, 50, 2001). For this purpose, concrete has been experimented with several materials in order to remove the brittleness. One such material is the fiber material, which is added to concrete in order to improve its properties. Fiber reinforced concrete was introduced in order to reduce the brittleness of concrete. With its enhanced and improved properties, extensive research and studies have been conducted on it. In recent times, fiber reinforced Reactive Powder Concrete has been subjected to research and development. As compared to conventional concrete, Reactive Power Concrete is considered to be a new construction material. It exhibits brilliant and outstanding properties such as high strength, toughness, durability, etc. because of these properties, RPC is considered to be an ideal construction material for construction because of its high compressive strength and durability to withstand high tensile forces (Rossi, 51, 2001). RPC and steel bars are used to make reinforced RPC, which has significant conceptual and practical importance. Countries such as China, Koreas, Russia, France, etc have experimented with RPC in order to study and investigate its properties. It was first introduced in the early nineties (Richard, Cheyrezy, 1509, 1995). The study will employ the used of steel fiber reinforced RPC, which will be developed from the materials which are available locally. The material will be subjected to wide ranging tests in order to understand and evaluate its material properties. Additionally, time dependent properties will be analyzed. Reactive Powder Concrete is considered to high strength material, which has cementing properties. It is made from fine powders and has silica fume content. At the same time, it has a low water cement ratio as compared to normal