In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare brings four different worlds together to demonstrate how human beings tend to fantasize and abide by beliefs that may not necessarily be true, especially in the name of love. The four worlds are the world of classical myth which is represented by Hippolyta and Theseus; that of modern lovers as shown by Demetrius, Helena, Hermia, and Lysander; the fairy world through Oberon, Puck, and Titania; and the rustic world represented by Bottom and Quince. The events that unfold in the play demonstrate how fantasies and beliefs affect people’s perception of things like love and also how people interact with one another.
From the play, it is evident that the inability to differentiate imagination from reality greatly alters one’s perception of life. A good example is a case where Puck mistakenly anoints Lysander with the magic potion instead of Demetrius who diverts his affection to Helena (Shakespeare, 1605). Once Demetrius’s spell is broken, he tries to reclaim Helena, and the conflict between the two leaves Helena confused. The various lovers were similar in that they could not differentiate reality from imagination. They acted on the emotions triggered by the love juice as if they were real. They differ in that some characters like Helena did not go along with all the affection displayed by victims of the love potion.
The differences in the settings relate to the different reasons that led the characters to the forest. Hermia and Lysander plan to elope while Demetrius goes to the forest to confront elena. while at the forest, the characters are dosed with the love potion, allowing the reader to see how inability to differentiate reality from fiction affects people's decisions.
Throughout the play, Puck acts as the catalyst that pushes the characters to act per the emotions evoked. Despite being a fairy, he is presented as having a good heart yet still capable of performing cruel tricks such as transforming Bottom’s head into an ass just to amuse himself. His character demonstrates how people, despite their good nature, can engage in wrong actions when influenced by their emotions. The activities engaged in by the characters successfully demonstrate how emotions and fantasies influence people’s behavior as seen in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Response on William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass
Garrison and Frederick Douglas had revealed some form of issues that led to disagreement. To start with Garrison, in the year the 1830s, he had developed a belief that the US constitution was proslavery. He called for a free state, aimed at seceding from the union, termed as “disunionsm” provoking the debate on the abolitionist community. Despite being friends for a long time, Douglas received a new revelation. After getting influence from Gerrit Smith, Douglass abandons the position that the US constitution is proslavery, changing his mind about Garrison’s call to dissolve the union (Smith, 2018). It sounds sarcastic that so fast Douglas, A disciple to Garrison, changes and starts attacking his mentor's position, creating tension between the two men. This article is historically relevant in our contest because it happens in the time frame between the 1800s and the 1860s, which is our period of concern for change in the US and the correspondent economic development.
Catharine Beecher and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
This pair discusses the cult of domesticity, where women of the middle class were known for their purity and domestic virtues. These two presents the masculine and feminine separation, which is a divine and natural law in women. According to them, the role of many to engage in community development, addressing commerce, business, and politics, while the role of women is to act as guardians of the home and family. However, with the abolitionist movement, women begged for revision of the law, fighting against slavery and the need for inclusion in political positions. For this reason, Catherine Beecher fought hard to become a leader of a movement promoting women's education and feminism (Beecher & Stanton). In 1832, she established a school for daughters of wealthy families, which was preparatory for women as housewives and mothers. On the other hand, Stanton and Mott though fighting for the abolitionist movement of slavery. They fought for equal voting, legal and property rights for women. Unlike Beecher, who emphasized education, these two held a conference in Seneca Falls, with the main theme of equality. “All men and women are equally created” was their slogan movement.
Part 2
Introduction
In the 19th century, the United States had experienced some economic surge. However, after restructuring, there was a positive change in the economy. During this time, there was a lot of tension in the economy; more significantly, this time was characterized by the slave trade, where the latter slaves provided labor. Slave trade was common in the northern state, while the slaves would work as slaves in the southern farms. Additionally, this time was characterized by economic growth and the beginning of early industrialization. Although the industrial revolution had kicked off in the mid-18th century, it took its place in the 19th century around the 1830s. The revolution was faced with scarcity of labor, thus encouraging importing more slaves mostly from the African continent and other few from the Asians and European regions. Precisely, in the Northern region, the development was attributed to the industrial revolution, railroads, and road development, while the southern region's development was primarily due to market revolution and agricultural activities such as the growth of cotton.
Industrial Revolution and railroads in the North
Rapid growth and development characterized the northern section of the US. After World War I and the beginning of the civil war, the United States had realized a significant development, especially in the Northern region. The development was characterized by a fast improvement in the general infrastructure, the rapid growth of factories, and new technology that led to increased agricultural production. Immediately after World War I, the Americans settled into new lands and started their development projects (Weiss, 2019). The swift settlement made them settle and start crop production, solving their subsistence needs. It did not take them longer than they produce enough for themselves and surpluses, thus transforming their production into commercial agriculture. Additionally, manufacturing increased, fostering the economic sector, setting the basis for rapid industrialization.
Moreover, the advancement in technology and economic development was the key driver towards changing American society. Further, the expansion of the US a period before the civil war resulted from infrastructure development. During this time also, the development of steamboats had started, which made it possible navigable and acted as the essential commercial point for the entire region and also supply of food to bordering nations. The creation of interlard waterways was also possible with the new technology; they helped export products to distant markets. An added advantage was that most of the rivers in the US, such as Tennessee and Cumberland, were navigable, feeding into Ohio, which was used to transport agricultural products from the Old Northwest to East Coast. The navigation was free, attracting the interest of many Americans.
Moreover, the construction of the railroad, which had begun in 1825, was an element that promoted development in this region. Before the end of 1860, Americans had already created over thirty thousand miles. The concentration of the railroads was dominant in the Northeast, reaching St. Joseph, Missouri, located in the South. To some extent, the invention of the canal lagged the extension of the railroads, despite the advantages they have over the canals. The railroads were much more significant as they required little capital investment. Also, they offered direct routes offering faster and all-year-round services. This outdoes the rivers as they would freeze in winter, making them unnavigable.
Development in the South
Development in the southern part of the US was based on two significant aspects: the market revolution and cotton growth. Although the market revolution had begun sometime in the 1790s, it reached a climax in the 19th century. During the 19th century, the US experienced a swift change in the system of labor. The United States changed manual labor from the south, drastically moving towards the north and then spreading to the entire world. Additionally, during the same time, the southern parts experienced a rise in wage labor and agricultural explosion in the south and west (Feagin et al., 2019). Agricultural products were easily sold to the local and external markets. Rapid development and westward expansion resulting from market revolution is the reason for land speculation. The latter speculation is attributed to the economic boom and bust.
More so, the south has been known for fertile soils and a warm climate. Therefore, these regions are favorable for cotton and tobacco growth; this area of late is known for large-scale farming of these crops. Due to the economic value of cotton and tobacco majority, the southerners saw the importance of developing industries. Over eight of the population in this region were actively engaged in cotton plantations, becoming a commercial activity. Also, domestic manufacturing had become one of the crucial castors in the development of the US economy (Weiss, 2019). The southern region became the cotton gin, revolutionizing the cotton industry in the southern region. The term cotton gin was a term that was used to separate cotton fibers from their seeds easily and quickly. The use of machines helped in eliminating slavery, who would use hand to do the latter task. Later, Whitney developed muskets comprising interchangeable parts, using the technology borrowed from the northern manufacturers in their industries.
Conclusion
In general, development in the US during the period 1800-1860 was double phased. The US starting from the North to South and back. Overall development was due to the swift settlement that happened in the US after the end of World War I. Full engagement in agriculture produced enough for themselves and surplus for commercial purposes. This led to industrialization and the development of infrastructure. In the south, the cotton and market revolution opened the south to the whole of America to the whole world, fostering economic development.
The sudden and helpless situation forced mine to reconsider my actions. Everyone was expecting a hie of some sort from mine. However, I showed great restraint and ambition as I patiently waited for my oppressor’s tide to change hands. No more was I going to engage in senseless and meaningless pride or actions. Sometimes, silence is a tactical weapon that carefully guides the person himself and gives me an inner sense of security and hold. Methinks reacting to everything seems weak and uncalled for. Most people tend to believe that the occurrences of some event’s tied to destiny. However, reality is the only reliable thing in life. Also, in life, hills and valleys, rivers and mountain only attest to human’s fable reality. Holding on to pain diminishes my precious life. Wherefore, I cannot hold onto their memory any longer. This is coz my status does not come from the accrued wealth or gender but from how I choose interpret and deal with the situations around me.
Despite losing my father and brother, I will not wallow in grief and self-pity because the odds of life are not against me but against my hope to live again. Life has to persistently move forward. For a woman of my caliber, yea, marriage will not fulfill my life but it will cement my dreams and amplify my decision to move forward hither, my grief stricken life. One thing I have learned out of life is steadily moving forwards even if I face failure or opposition. For the sake of myself and my family name, I need to move forward and consistently face my troubling e’ en heart head-on by any needs necessary.
The nobility of a woman‘s not found in her husband or monetary possessions forth the ability to withstand challenges. I did not decide to mourn my brother for the last seven years, it was mine grieving heart that refused to move on with life. Ere situation I am in warrants a lover to take me into his arms and comfort the sorrow which was in my terrified young heart. The reason I rushed to marry Sebastian was not to find closure but to openly escape the mourning stage, withal, sometimes destiny might present itself as a man who comes from the emerging nature of the abyss into the life of a troubled young woman.
Henceforth, Olivia was but a fragment of her ere and after. She did everything she could to fain her sorrow and hide her fie. Mine was only to observe from a safe distance and hold any nay thoughts towards the demise of the close family members. Methinks the needs surpass the wants and‘s presently undoing the past ‘s and unheard of. Withal, the life lived is better than yon others. Even though some people perceived it as whither and regretful one, I did mine a self-service when ye had to come up with a sirrah to reach the end of it all.
Analyzing Central Thematic Issue in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’
The Yellow Wallpaper is one of charlotte Perkins' short stories that uncover the state of women within the condition or institution of marriage when subordination of women in various marriages was being witnessed. The short fiction was treated as an important early work of literature which ultimately exposed the concept of attitude towards the mental and physical of female gender in the mid-nineteenth century. The author uses different devices of literature in support of various themes portrayed in her short fiction. The main theme or author’s idea in “The Yellow Wallpaper” revolves around the subordination of women in marriage, as it can be traced from the setting of the story and character development. Perhaps, through this story, the author also reflects on other aspects or ideas such as the importance of self-expression apart from feminism that prevailed in society during the 19th century. Besides, this discussion focuses on how fiction elements, such as characters, setting, and plot, contribute to the author’s message of feminism and subordination of women in the marriage institution.
First, the theme of feminism and women's subordination is developed by setting the story and character consideration. From the beginning of the story, mental illness and lack of self-expression all contribute to the suffering of women in marriage. The story's setting demonstrates the hardships that prevailed in an isolated home where Jane is seen suffering from depression (Gilman 10). The mood bestowed in the rented summer home in a country estate where the narrator is said to be obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in the bedroom clarifies the aspect of depression due to mental illness in an environment that is pre-occupied by bizarre features. The narrator talks about the yellow wallpaper because it is what she sees every day in her bedroom. Through the character of Jane in this story, the idea of women's subordination is brought out. The story's title is deduced from the overall structure of domestic life that Jane was trapped when his husband John is working and interacting freely. Being lonely in the rented house has kept the protagonist in this fiction depressed due to mental illness. The narrator exposes how she learns of her oppression gradually upon suffering from mental illness. For instance, when she says, “I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good, but what is one to do? (Gilman 14). From this idea, it is evident that the narrator is desperate about her condition, and she desires the excitement and change that her husband has deprived her of.
Furthermore, John, the narrator’s husband, who is involved in daily duties as a physician, does not even learn about the negative influence he has on his wife’s life. It is John's idea for his wife to stay at home committed to domestic duties, which makes her act as a traditional wife and a mother. At the beginning of this story, the main character does not understand any connection to the outer world; she only imagines it through the suffering and oppression she is put in during her daily predicaments (Gilman 25). The object she interacts with in her bedroom that tends to be oppressive unleashes a sense of inner impulses, making her wish for a lifestyle change. The story exposes the narrator as imaginative and very expressive while remaining dominated by her external condition. Even though her emotions and feeling resist the oppressive lifestyle and treatment, the narrator takes more time to reignite her desires for life as a woman.
Additionally, as the protagonist gets into her dire personal fascination with the yellow wallpaper, she turns out to be frequently dissociated from her daily life until she decides to learn into a world of fantasy where the reality of her situation is uncovered. Perhaps, the author of the short story indirectly portrays the narrator's division of consciousness through the use of symbols. It is only when the narrator realizes that she is like the woman trapped in the yellow wallpaper that she is able to understand the general outrage of the situation that women were being subjected to in a society full of male dominance. Perhaps, the controversy that is unturned through this story relates to losing oneself to fully understand your personality as portrayed by the narrator (Gilman 265). The end of the story reveals through the concept of paradox how the narrator saves herself from the oppressive pattern of life by losing herself and through self-sacrifice.
The story's setting is directly related to the author’s main message of women's subordination and oppression in marriage institutions as witnessed in America in the mid-nineteenth century. The characters involved in this fiction have been influenced by the setting of the story. The narrator explains how she has been forced to hide her feelings from John, her husband, all along. She even wonders how they were able to occupy and afford their rented estate despite the fact that the house has remained empty for long. The character of John is portrayed as somehow oppressive given that he prefers to make decisions for her wife all the time, thinking that all what he decides helps, but it is all done at the expense of the narrator’s feelings and emotions for her life (Gilman 4). The image of a struggling woman portrayed by Jane is never known to John despite being the doctor for treatment of his wife's mental illness; at the end of the fiction, he is shocked by the narrator’s insane actions, which force him to go unrecognized. A feeling of women's subordination dominates the story setting's overall environment, hindering them from realizing and pursuing their destiny, as is the case with the narrator. The last part of this fiction's plot exposes the true sense of self-expression through the character of the narrator, who is forced to act insanely to pursue her intended lifestyle.
Most of the fiction quotes directly unveil and support the central theme of the story hence providing evidence through the incorporation of character and setting for the overall work of literature. For instance, when the narrator speaks her mind by saying, “I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus, but John says the worst thing I can do is think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad” (Gilman 34). The truth about the narrator’s thoughts is that she is living a life that she does not desire, and she wishes to cure her depression by opting out. Her sensitivity to the kind of treatment John accords her is growing unusual, and she claims that she gets angry with John most times due to her nervous condition.
In general, John and the narrator's character development, story setting, and plot play a crucial role in exposing the thematic message of women's subordination in marriage institutions in a male-dominated society, as the author portrays. The story unveils how the narrator is trapped in a condition that makes her suffer depression. The author employs different devices to expose the main idea of female oppression in marriage, reflecting male-dominated American society during the mid-nineteenth century.
Works Cited
Gilman, C. P. (2011). Why I wrote The Yellow Wallpaper?. Advances in psychiatric treatment, 17(4), 265-265.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. ”The Yellow Wall-paper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: A Dual-text Critical Edition. Ohio University Press, 2006.pp.1-38
After students graduate from high schools, some prefer joining colleges immediately while others decide to take a year off. This year off is referred to as a “gap year,” and has raised many debates with people discussing the merits and demerits of taking the gap year. The supporters of the gap year argue that this time is so essential in giving students time to mature and make decisions on what they want to do in their education. They also add that this time is much important as it gives students a chance to travel and save money for college. However, another group is much against the gap year; they argue that this gap year may make students troubled getting back to the academic system and in most cases lie behind their classmates who did not take the gap year. This essay is a discussion for or against taking a year off before joining college.
Every activity done in life has its advantages and disadvantages. The same way does the gap year on a student’s academic life. After conducting the research the following stood out as the pros or the advantages of taking the gap year (Huston et al. 4). The year provides the students with a chance to pursue other passions and therefore an opportunity to reflect on what the student could love doing, and sometimes establish the right path to follow. Moreover, this time can be utilized in gathering money resources that can be used in paying for some college or university dues. More importantly, this time helps high school graduates get some life experiences and much better prepared for college life as well as abilities to live independently. Also, this can be the time to build one's CV depending on how this time is spent, more appealing is when this time is used in gaining work experiences or volunteer tasks, this is what impresses most of the employers (Lyons et al. 361).
However, this year can be miss-utilized and therefore, disadvantage the student. Sometimes the gap year could have also been fully maximized on, but still, disfavor the student academically. Below are some of the cons that are associated with the gap year, the most common disadvantage is the risk of losing academic momentum completely (Coetzee and Bester 608). The student may take much time to get back to the education phase. Additionally, there are risks of wasting much valuable time, especially when this time is not well planned for or when the decision for taking the break was not informed enough. In addition, having no impact on the CV and then later live a regretful life as other classmates are far ahead of yourself.
Bearing in mind the advantages associated with the gap year I would go for it. The pros that come up with the gap year are so many and much beneficial to the student for one to just rush and join the colleges or universities (Venezia and Jaeger 117). The gap year is part of the development of students to first understand what kind of student are you and what would you like to pursue in the academic field. Rushed decisions on education might make students do courses that do not suit their interests and sometimes quit the course after a year or so. This is followed by a change in course and therefore a waste of more time and resources. The gap year gives adequate time to plan and pull out necessary resources that the student would need during their college life and therefore much success at the end of it all.
Generally, a gap year influences academic performance. The influence depends on how the student copes up with this time. It is also true that students and their backgrounds are different, which makes some of them benefit from the gap year and others disadvantaged. We can, therefore, argue that the gap year is neither good nor bad, but depends on how the students utilize it. I would, therefore, advise all students that in future, before deciding to take a year off before joining the college it is important to weigh out the advantages and disadvantages that they might come across, after which they can decide to join immediately or wait to join a year later.
Work Cited
Coetzee, Melinde, and Suzanne Bester. "The possible value of a gap year: A case study." South African Journal of Higher Education 23.3 (2009): 608-623.
Huston, Mike, et al. "The Gap Year Dilemma: When a Purposeful Gap Year is the Answer to Career Unpreparedness." Canadian Journal of Career Development 16.1 (2017): 4-15.
Lyons, Kevin, et al. "Gap year volunteer tourism: Myths of global citizenship?." Annals of tourism research 39.1 (2012): 361-378.
Venezia, Andrea, and Laura Jaeger. "Transitions from high school to college." The future of children (2013): 117-136.
Cremation is traced to sun worship by some people and others from the fear of the dead. Other people consider practical issues such as the importance of taking home the remains of their dead warriors. This is because the reason why and where it was introduced is unknown. Initially, incineration was mostly practiced in prehistoric India. Early scriptures of the Hindus contained cremation chants whereby the priests who chanted the chants projected the soul to endure its fiery torment and then fly like a bird to the realm of the gods (Prothero 2001). The Hindu scriptures define cremation as a process of purification whereby incinerating the body is cleansing the soul in preparation for its rebirth. The ancient Greeks opted for cremation as well with the belief that fire splits up the pure souls from the adulterated body making it free to rise from its alter of flames into heaven. The Romans who also practiced cremation and the Greeks viewed incineration as an act of honor that was reserved for people of high social status. The Israelites however saw the act as a disgrace that suited the wicked.
At the period when Christianity began, the supremacy of cremation in the West came to a halt and the early Christians replaced cremation with burial. This was done following the fact that Jesus was placed in a tomb as well as the Jewish tradition of burial. Burials spread widely within the first century and by the late fourth century, cremation had been replaced by burial in the Christian West (Prothero 2001). At some point, cremation was declared as a capital offense by the emperor at the time. The motivation for Christians to prefer burial to cremation was the desire to differentiate themselves from the pagans as well as sociological, supernatural, and religious concerns. The Greeks viewed the body as a prison while Christians celebrated it as the temple of the Lord. The Greeks viewed the person as a soul and through cremation, the soul would escape from the pollution of the body, back to its original form. On the other hand, Christians who believed in burial viewed the human being as an entity with the soul and body as one being. Both Greeks and Christians had supernatural believes in how they disposed of the bodies of the dead either by cremation or burial. The Greeks had a myth of freedom whereby the person who was viewed as an immortal soul was freed by their death and cremation from the bondage of the body to the freedom of everlasting life. Christians on the other hand lived by a myth of integrity whereby the person split by sin and death into body and soul would be buried and would be made whole again by the miraculous resurrection of the body.
The protestant reformation transformed the Christian ways of dealing with death in the sixteenth century and this contributed to a cremation being legitimized. Later on, the revolutionaries tried to dechristianize funeral rites by promoting cremation. In the nineteenth century, the medical experts criticized burial maintaining that it was not hygienic and promoted cremation making it the talk of Europe (Prothero 2001). Following this, the Cremation Society of England was founded. Just like Europe, cremation came to the United States as rebirth rather than revolution. Cremation became very popular in the United States and some in some states it overcame burial and became the most preferred method of disposing of the dead.
When the modern American cremation began, a funeral reform movement arose. This gave cremation a boost because according to the funeral reformers, dying costs more than living in the sense that holding a funeral is expensive. From the fancy caskets, floral sets rented hearse among other things that made a funeral fancy (Prothero 2001). The initial color for funerals was black but the funeral reformers were able to bring a little bit of cheer and bright colors started flooding at funerals. Funeral homes, churches all over the country were weighed down at death with profligate floral and while funeral reformers commended this trend, they included costly clemencies. The funeral reformers argued that the only way to make a funeral less expensive and simple is by making it more private. An advocate of the family only funerals also noted that the entire system of public funerals was wrong. Private funerals were sanitary rather than ritualistic and they could attract few mourners to the health hazards surrounding the open grave.
Burial reformers believed that corpses are poison and burial is unsanitary and this is proved by history, which shows epidemics caused by the decomposition of human bodies. Such dangers were not only confined to the old urban graveyards but also the new rural cemeteries. The suburban areas were also becoming crowded and from experience, the sanitarians knew that the city slums could become a health risk due to overcrowding. While the cities impinged the suburban cemeteries, even the secluded cemeteries were thought to cause threats (Prothero 2001). Some people believed that the breezes that blew consisted of germs that spread diseases. Other than being a cause of air pollution, cemeteries were also said to be a water pollutant. This led to reformers thinking about change wondering if embalmment and mummification would be a good option but they did not agree to that. One of the alternatives for burying the dead was burying them in a perishable wicker field which allowed the soil to break down the corpse faster. To prevent contamination to the living creatures, it meant that the grave had to be ten feet rather than the typical six feet. The other alternative was designed to speed up decomposition by covering the corpse with caustic lime.
Several alternatives were proposed and out of them, the most popular one was cremation. Cremationists attacked burial in every form and maintained that their method was better when compared to burial. In terms of sanitary claims, cremationists believed that in terms of the sanitary concerns, cremation was the best alternative (Prothero 2001). According to medical experts, burial was a sanitary evil while cremation a benefit to public health. They argued that there is no dead body that is placed on the soil and does not pollute the earth, the air, and the water above it. Inhaling the graveyard gases is harmful and according to cremationists, the dead kill the living. They argue that cemeteries were fertile farms where diseases were planted through burial. To get away from all that cremation was supposed to replace burial and make it a thing of the past. This is because buried corpse causes a threat to public health by the noxious gases they produce and the germs from diseases. Burial was viewed as a crime against the living whereas cremation was promoted as the great purifier, the best sterilizer, and the true bactericide. This made cremation be termed as the cleanest way to dispose of the dead and the greatest in terms of sanitary concerns.
References
Prothero, S. (2001). Purified by fire: A history of cremation in America. Univ of California Press.
Hamlet is a book written by William Shakespeare. It is a story about the ghost of the king that was murdered returns back to disturb the living and his return ends in terrible consequences. A ghost that is out for vengeance and the murder of a brother controls the gloomy land of Hamlet’s Denmark. The prince in the play tries to avenge the murder of the King on Claudius who is his uncle. The play explores the themes of incest, ethical corruption, and revenge. Hamlet is a sad story whereby characters are out for revenge and through this, they all kill each other sadly even the innocent ones die in the process.
Ironically, Claudius decided to murder his brother Hamlet and poses his wife Gertrude. On realizing that this is why his father was murdered by the ghost, the prince is so mad and the only thing he wants to do is revenge (Shakespeare). Both Claudia and Gertrude are sacred about the behavior of the prince and decide to hire two of Hamlet’s friends to follow him. Polonius who is the Lord of Chamberlain believes that Hamlet is in love with Ophelia who is his daughter and Claudia decides to scout on Ophelia and Hamlet. Hamlet being so mad with his uncle seems not to be in love with Ophelia and tells her to join the convent. When the time comes for Hamlet to kill his uncle, he finds him in the middle of a prayer and does not kill him. Hamlet decides to talk to his mother about his father’s death his mother and stabs Polonius who is hiding in the room and kills him thinking that it was his uncle. Hamlet is chase ways to England and orders are given to the King of England that he should be killed.
Ophelia loses her mind, becomes mad after the death of her father, and sinks into the river. Laertes who is the son of Polonius comes back from France with a lot of anger and Claudius gets him convinced that Hamlet is to be blamed for the death of his father and sister. Thereafter it is said that Hamlet is back in the city because his ship to England had been attacked. Claudius helps Laertes with a plan to avenge his father and sister’s death through a fencing match. Claudius poisons Laertes’s blade with the plan that when he draws blood from Hamlet, he dies (Shakespeare). Claudius has a backup plan if the first one does not work and on the second one, he puts poison in wine, which he plans to offer Hamlet to drink if he does not get stabbed in the match.
The match begins and Hamlet is not stabbed but rejects Claudius's wine and instead, Gertrude drinks the wine and dies from the poison. Laertes manages to stab Hamlet but does not die immediately from the poison (Shakespeare). Hamlet wounds Claudius with the blade that was poisoned and makes him take the poisoned wine. Claudius dies first and after him, Hamlet dies too but after avenging his father’s death.
Hamlet is a sad story about the revenge of a ghost king who was killed by his brother so that he could marry his wife. Prince Hamlet wants to take vengeance on the death of his father by assassinating his uncle, Claudius. In the process, he kills Polonius thinking it was his uncle and Ophelia becomes mad due to the death of her father and drowns in a river. Polonius's son is angered by the death of his father and sister and comes from France to seek revenge. Through a plan set by his uncle, Gertrude dies after consuming poisoned wine which was meant for Hamlet, Hamlet is wounded by Laertes with the poisoned blade and Hamlet uses the blade to stab his uncle and makes him drink the poisoned wine.
Works cited
Hamlet - William Shakespeare. , 2009. Internet resource.
Propaganda refers to the use of communication with the goal of having a specific impact on the audience or to further personal agendas. It differs from reliable news and information as it contains information that is not objective but is intended to shape up specific perceptions and evoke emotions based on biased data. Throughout history, governments, organizations, lobby groups and other organizations have relied on propaganda as a way of controlling the information that their audience can access. Although there are measures in place to help members of the public discern propaganda from reliable news, its influence in society has helped leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte to spread their influence and implement their policies and beliefs as a tool to gain more power and control.
During Napoleon’s rule, imperial France was yet to establish a ministry of information to protect people from misleading information spread in the form of propaganda. Napoleon played a major part in the emergence of propaganda as a tool to influence people’s attitudes and beliefs as well as put forward personal beliefs and opinions about constructs that governed society[1]. Under his rule, Napoleon relied on propaganda to influence how people viewed him, his rule and also as a way to control the information that the public had access to especially regarding his rule. Propaganda was channeled through different avenues, the most common being artistic paintings that were designed to capture certain events in history[2]. Majority of the art produced during Napoleon’s rule reveals how he relied on propaganda to achieve a certain impact or influence people to support ideas and beliefs introduced by napoleon. Although the pieces of art produced during this time reflected events that actually took place, the art is presented in such a way that it draws attention to specific areas that favored Napoleon’s rise to power.
The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon 1 and the Crowning of the Empress Josephine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804 is an ideal example of how art was used as a tool to spread propaganda rather than an actual representation of events that transpired[3]. The painting was done by Jacques Louis David in 1804 to commemorate the coronation of Napoleon and the empress. Napoleon’s success in the use of propaganda through his rise to power is mainly as a result of his understanding of how society functions[4]. He was aware of the influence that influential people in society had in swaying public opinion and used it to further fuel his agenda. Such was the case when he opted to use David, the official painter during the French revolution to capture the coronation ceremony.
David was renowned for his attention to detail and ability to create a vivid image of events as they transpired through his art. By selecting David to commemorate the coronation ceremony, Napoleon was able to attach the artists credibility to any piece produced[5]. People had come to value David’s work during Napoleon’s rule and his involvement with Napoleon’s would make it easier to convince people that everything depicted in the art is a reflection of actual events that took place on that day[6]. Reliance on a renowned artist also ensured that the piece of work presented to the public would capture everything Napoleon wanted to communicate through the piece of propaganda art created.
The painting took two years to complete and it comprises of large figures that are life-size in nature and are made up of the people present in the Notre Dame Cathedral during Napoleon Bonaparte’s coronation. The Painting is among the largest pieces of art in Louvre and its draw’s attention to Napoleon throughout the events that take place during the ceremony[7]. Napoleon occupies the middle of the painting as he holds a crown capturing the moment, he was about to place the crown on his wife’s head. Napoleon is dressed in a coronation robe similar to those worn by roman emperors and Pope Pius is seen seated to his right-hand side while Josephine kneels on a pillow as she awaits the crown to be placed on her head[8]. Napoleon’s mother is seated on a chair in the center of the painting wearing a white dress while napoleon’s brothers, Joseph and Louis are seen in the foreground wearing black hats. Napoleon’s sisters are on the right of the brothers and they are easily identified through the identical mode of dressing[9]. Hortense, Josephine’s daughter and Julie Clary, Joseph Bonaparte’s wife are also present in the painting.
Although the painting was designed to capture the events that took place during the coronation ceremony, its use as a tool for propaganda is evident in the various alterations made to portray Napoleon’s family as a united front[10]. Although the images depicted in the painting are fairly accurate, not everything in the piece is true and thus proving its use as a tool for propaganda rather than a reflection of historical events. Napoleon’s mother for instance is well represented in the art and she is seen seated in a central position[11]. This is despite the fact that Letizia was in Rome when the coronation took place and did not attend despite what is portrayed in the painting. Napoleon’s brother Joseph was not present during the ceremony as well despite his appearance in the painting. Napoleon fully understood the impact that public opinion has and opted to include the missing members of his family into the portrait[12]. Since a coronation is an important event, the absence of his mother and brother went against the united front that Napoleon sought to portray during his rule. The decision to include his mother and brother may have been influenced by his desire to convince the public that he had full support from his family and in so doing, urge the same loyalty and support from the general public.
Pope Pius VII involvement in the coronation ceremony is also misrepresented in favor of Napoleon. Although the priest is presented as a willing participant charged with blessing the coronation, he was forced to attend the event because failure to do so would result to him facing serious repercussion[13]. From the painting however, members of the audience who were not aware of the conditions under which the Pope attended the event may be led into believing that the pope fully supported Napoleon and willingly attended the coronation ceremony[14]. Similar to the inclusion of Napoleon’s mother and brother, the pope’s presence is used to present the same united front that Napoleon sought to use during his rise to power[15]. The piece presented false information that helped to gain support for napoleon and his rule as it presented him as a leader supported by his family and also the church.
Image: The Coronation of the Empire by Jacques Louis David, 1804
Napoleon’s ability to use propaganda to his advantage is greatly attributed to the various victories he enjoyed in war despite the odds being against him. He had successfully discovered the most successful approaches to use art in a bit to garner support and get people to shar his opinions and ideologies. He however ensured that the art used to capture certain events always presented him in a positive light, regardless of whether the art reflected a moment of victory or great loss[16]. A good example is the piece The French Campaign by Ernest Meissonier that was painted fifty years after the French Campaign. Meissonier was selected to work on the painting due to his ability to pay attention to detail especially when portraying realism of uniforms worn by soldiers.
Although pieces of art that captures history is supposed to reflect actual events and how they transpired, the artist drew attention away from the fighting and action taking place and focused on emotions displayed by the soldiers and the figure they depicted after the war. The artist was able to create a sense of loneliness and despondency but only on the soldiers[17]. From the painting, Napoleon comes off as determined yet aware of the attitude of the soldier’s morale as they make their way through dead winter landscapes that are muddy and difficult to navigate. The troops on the other hand appear to harbor great doubt and are pulpable compared to Napoleon who is isolated from the figures and exhumes confidence despite the state of their march[18]. The piece of art successfully presents Napoleon as a leader that does not despair even in the face of adversities[19]. It communicates the message that Napoleon has the ability to regain his composure and lead his soldiers to victory even if their faith and courage waivers.
Napoleon often attributed victories to his leadership superiority and the piece demonstrates how he shifted blame from failures in his leadership to the soldiers. Despite having to overcome challenges when in battle such as fighting on muddy terrain, Napoleon uses art to mislead the audience into thinking that the loss was attributed to the soldier’s attitudes[20]. Napoleon presented himself as a leader with unwavering courage and attributed this to his success. The decision to focus on the soldier’s emotions and attitudes may have been used as a strategy to get people to question their commitment to the cause and in so doing, shift the blame for losses from the leaders to the soldiers.
Image: The French Campaign by Ernest Meissonier
Conclusion
Napoleon enjoyed various military achievements during his rise to power. Although his campaign ended with the allied emerging victorious, Napoleon had subjected them to various defeats as they attempted to invade France. His ability to sway public opinion in his favor through propaganda art made it easier for him to convince soldiers to go into battle as well as influence positive attitudes that assured them of a victory despite the odds stacked against them. Although some of the information contained in the art was falsified to fit Napoleon’s agenda, its ability to sway public opinion and people’s attitude towards Napoleon and his rule greatly contributed to his rise to power and influence during his rule.
Markham D, (2016) “The revolution, Napoleon, and education” International Napoleonic Society. Retrieved from, https://www.napoleon- series.org/research/society/c_education.html
[1] Ingram J, (2016) “A brief history of propaganda during conflict: Lessons for counter-terrorism strategic communications” International Centre for Counter Terrorism
[2] National Gallery of Victoria, (2016) “Propaganda: Symbols of evolution” Melbourne Winter Masterpieces
[3] David L, (1804) “The Coronation of the Emperor” Harvard Arts Museum
[4] Hanley W, (2016) “The genesis of Napoleonic Propaganda” Gutenberg Press.
[5] Knighton A, (2017) “Napoleon: The great general also used propaganda to boost his popularity” War History Online
[6] Hanley W, (2016) “The genesis of Napoleonic Propaganda” Gutenberg Press.
[7] David L, (1804) “The Coronation of the Emperor” Harvard Arts Museum
Napoleon was now never spoken of merely as ″Napoleon. ″ He was always referred to in formal style as ″our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, ″ and the pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep−fold, Ducklings′ Friend, and the like. In his speeches, Squealer would talk with the tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon′s wisdom the goodness of his heart, and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere, even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms. It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune. You would often hear one hen remark to another, ″Under the guidance of our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days″; or two cows, enjoying a drink at the pool, would exclaim, ″Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon, how excellent this water tastes!″ The general feeling on the farm was well expressed in a poem entitled Comrade Napoleon, which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:
Friend of fatherless! Fountain of happiness! Lord of the swill−bucket! Oh, how my soul is on Fire when I gaze at thy Calm and commanding eye, Like the sun in the sky, Comrade Napoleon! Thou are the giver of All that thy creatures love, Full belly twice a day, clean straw to roll upon; Every beast great or small Sleeps at peace in his stall, Thou watchest over all, Comrade Napoleon! Had I a sucking−pig, Ere he had grown as big Even as a pint bottle or as a rolling−pin, He should have learned to be Faithful and true to thee, Yes, his first squeak should be ″Comrade Napoleon!″ Napoleon approved of this poem and caused it to be inscribed on the wall of the big barn, at the opposite end from the Seven Commandments. It was surmounted by a portrait of Napoleon, in profile, executed by Squealer in white.
Introduction
Orwell draws parallels between Napoleon and Joseph Stalin from the Russian revolution. Both of these figures rose to leadership during their respective revolutions. Napoleon and Joseph were born into low-income families and were later raised under dictatorial regimes. As they grew up, Napoleon and Joseph did not have a support system that would cater to their daily needs. When they rose to fame and leadership, they later became far much worse than their predecessors.
Simply put, both figures rise to upper echelons of power and forcefully reign on the rest of the animals. Napoleon is portrayed as a larger than life character who always gets his way. Physically, he is large and fierce-looking. He was the only person of his stature on the farm. Other pigs liked to coin terms such as ‘father of all animals’ for him in particular. His public office gave him an advantage over the rest of the animals. In terms of the text's contextual history, Napoleon lust for power and does everything he can to keep himself and his kin in government. The terms used to describe Napoleon point to an ungrateful man who is thoughtless towards other animals' future on the farm. Napoleon imposes a dictatorial leadership on other animals and rules with an iron fist. The reader can note the praises heaped on Napoleon and the combination of propaganda and horror to make Napoleon appear larger than life. Embodying a society full of evil, Napoleon instigates the public toward rebellion and corruption. In 'Animal Farm,' the author employs personification, symbolism, and diction to illustrate vast inequality within the animal farm.
In the passage, personification provides animals, particularly Squealer, with human attributes. Orwell’s wording portrays pigs as intelligent and receptive animals. Their power comes from intelligently manipulating other animals. All the animals on the farm use simple and straightforward language to speak out their mind hence bringing out the inequality between them and the rest of the animals. As observed in the passage, personification is used to make Napoleon appear larger than life, ‘Squealer would talk with tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon’s wisdom, the goodness of his hear and the deep love he bore for all animals’ (8.27.9). Squealer’s personification highlights the propaganda he spreads to influence animal society and uplifts Napoleon’s power. Therefore, the author’s application of personification elevates the rich and keeps Napoleon in power due to the newly found respect from the rest of the animals (8.27.15).
In this particular passage, the application of symbolism amplifies Napoleon's reign and enforces his authority over the people., Squealer's poem symbolizes an unequal society. The poor believe Squealer’s propaganda ‘under the guidance of our leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days’ (8.27.13). In the end, the poor let Napoleon rule over them.
Utilizing diction to bring out Napoleon’s prominence is a unique way of comparing other animals to Napoleon’s glorious leadership. The use of formal language to describe Napoleon sets him apart from the rest of the animals, ‘our leader Comrade Napoleon,' ‘father of animals,' (8.27.2). ‘Terror of Mankind,' ‘Protector of the Sheep−fold,' ‘Ducklings′ Friend,' brings out the image other animals have of him. This causes the audience to realize Napoleon’s prominence in the animal society immediately. In addition, the role of diction in this particular passage sets the mood for Napoleon’s grandeur and glory. The author uses praising words for shaping Napoleon's image and bringing to light his unique leadership qualities. As a result, Napoleon is seen as a demigod born to rule over the animals, which consolidates his power, thus the emergence of an unequal society.
Conclusion
The personification of pigs helps the author to portray greed, corruption, and unfair society. Personification enables the reader to relate the pig to human actions while exposing Napoleon's corruption and intimidation of his other people from time to time. While people would think that Napoleon did not promptly ascend to power, he failed to meet the people's needs. Furthermore, diction terms such as ‘Our leader’ (8.27.1) builds up Napoleon's image as an authoritarian leader. In terms of diction, the pigs are the only animals with persuasive language to rule other animals. Symbolism reinforces Napoleon’s power giving him more authority over the rest of the animal farm.
Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka and the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Introduction
The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the metamorphosis are two great novels that have surprising similarities. In particular, the two novels reveal the elements of transformation. Even though the novels differ in terms of storyline and language, they both reveal similar elements of transformation and internal conflict by the main heroes. In specific, Franz Kafka sheds light on family and society relations. For instance, when Gregory workup and finds himself transformed into a vermin, his family develops resentment toward him. Note that before the transformation, Gregory was a salesman, and thus, he could support his family. However, the transformation leads to isolation and alienation. In the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll is a scientist who transforms himself into a monster. Note that DR Jekyll is well respected. However, after the transformation, Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde and people observes see him as ugly, deformed, and wicked. An important point to understand about the novels is that the characters transform into worse characters. However, they differ in their motive for transformation. For example, Dr. Jekyll's motive is to transform his person's character. He believes that in life, one should have two natures and for this reason, he is interested in removing his lower self. However, the transformed turns him into a wicked creature, or in other words, he is a truly evil. From the deeper analysis, there is an interconnection between the two novels. Both novels reveal the characters’ struggle in finding their own identity and the role of family and society in destroying the lives.
First, it is important to reflect on the Victorian period and understand that it was a period that was defined by industry and imagination. The history of Victorian society reveals that there were issues in social structures in that the upper class was highly valued and they could make investments whereas the lower class could work in manual labor. There was a class division in that there was a royal family, middle-upper, and lower, upper (Schubert 13). In the 19th century, there was scientific advancement and scientific discoveries and development were on the rise. Characters such as Dr. Jekyll realized that scientific advancement plays a significant role in a person's life and for this reason, he was interested in moving beyond the boundaries without considering the consequence. Dr. Jekyll had limitless possibilities in conducting an investigation but he had little knowledge concerning the effects of the scientific research and experiment (Schubert 13). I believe that the results of the scientific experiment caused a great damage to humanity and social risks. In the Stevenson’s novel, the protagonist had seen new possibilities and he was willing to expose the potential of science but failed to consider the moral and social consequences. A point to note is that Dr. Jekyll has good intentions of changing lives and making it easier. He believes that human beings rely on one personality which restricts them from enjoying life. He says that "man is not truly one, but truly two"… (Stevenson, 55). He convinces himself that oneness brings a heavy burden in life and the solution is creating two separate identities and hence he has a positive identity. However, as one examines his intention closely, one can find that this experiment is risky for humankind. The idea of transforming the human mind does not have moral and social mores (Schubert 13). Note that Victorian society focuses on goodness and it does not accept Mr. Hyde's actions. He is perceived as a violation and less civilized. I understand that Dr Jekyll has good reputation but his actions are associated with undesirable qualities. Note that Victorian society was characterized by high-class respectable people. Society expected people to adhere to social rules and promote social perfection (Schubert 13). However, the story reveals that people were not connected with their personalities and they were willing to change their human nature. However, Jekyll's desires contributed to more harm than good. His actions are associated with negative consequences such as dishonesty by society. Regarding Victorian society, the character was interested in finding success but what happens is that his actions lead to undesirable feelings. Note that in Victorian society, people could not express their negative feelings and as a result, they could hide and hence could not come out to fulfill their social roles. Since Jekyll is unable to cope up with life, he engages in secretive behaviors and he could only allow society to know his positive behaviors (Stevenson, 55). In other words, he could not reveal his full personality and this indicates that his action caused more harm.
Similarly, Gregory's transformation contributes to anger and fear simply because his parent and family do not accept his new look. The Metamorphosis can be connected to today's society where when a person is different from others, he experiences physical, mental, and spiritual isolation from family and society. If you are a member of the community and you cannot perform the expected role. Society treats you as an unproductive individual merely because you are not positively contributing to society. Note that after the transformation, Gregory could not craw and this indicates that his condition deteriorated to an extent he could not care for his family as he used to do (Kafka, 13).The author says that "with a kind of stubbornness, Gregory's father refused to take his uniform off even at home" (Kafka, 13). Thus, I think reveals the social isolation and this act arise due to transformation. In both novels, the characters go through a transformation and as a result of losing their previous status. They no longer belong to the social circle and they face permanent isolation. A point to note in the metamorphosis is that the character experiences an unusual process. For instance, the author says that "as Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed" (Kafka, 18). This reveals that Gregory's transformation is shocking and striking and experience's a sudden unreality. The hatred that rises from his family reveals the behaviors of the family and society. On the other hand, Stevenson's story tells us that the character transforms for scientific reasons, or in other words, the charter has a strong desire. However, in both cases, the characters have hidden dissatisfaction and the transformation is not accepted by society.
Conclusion
The two novels are unrelated but they reveal the struggle that the characters go through after transformation. In both stories, the characters resolve their problems by death or in other words the cure to the challenges their experience both within the family and in society is death. Both characters feel guilty seeing that they are no longer valuable in society. The novels reveal how individuals struggle with good and evil and how society treats individuals who do not conform to moral and social mores. For example, the paper shows that during the Victorian era, people were expected to maintain social integrity and they were to be perfect. This indicated that people used to conceal their negative behaviors since society would not accept them. Thus, people could live a double life- that reveals they are positive [personality and hide their negative behaviors. The results were destruction due to the fail of the expression of oneself fully. In general, the managing of the two novels is not about the characters having evil actions but it shed light on the cruel society where a society defines people as worthless if they do not play any role in society. Today, society defines a good man as a person who understands himself inside and outside or in other words, should distinguish between moral and immoral acts. However, it is important to notice the difference in the transformation motive. For example, in the Metamorphosis, the character has a realistic motive while Stevenson's novel reveals that a general human experience. However, there is evidence that the way society treats people determines whether individuals conform to the norms or not. If society would treat all people as perfect beings without considering only their positive personalities, people could not hide their personalities but they could expose them.
Work cited
Stevenson L. Robert. THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. Gutenberg
A hero is a person who is willing to risk their lives or help others to survive. It is the act of being selfless and focuses on the needs and well-being of others. A hero is admired and looked up to because of his bravery. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu exhibited the traits of bravery by their actions throughout the poem until Enkidu dies. Enkidu is strong and displays so much bravery but Gilgamesh displays the heroic characteristics described by Joseph Campbell. Following the definition of a hero, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu are heroic but Gilgamesh exhibits more of Campbell’s theory.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, despite both Gilgamesh and Enkidu holding the title of a hero, Gilgamesh’s actions and story better suits what it means to be heroic in the book. They both go through hardships and obstacles but Gilgamesh proves himself more as a hero. This starts when he decides to travel to Cedar forest and everyone including Enkidu is trying to stop him, but he is too determined and has made up his mind. Gilgamesh feels so confident that he will make it to the pine forest and kill Humbaba, come back to Uruk, and continue being king (Mitchell). Enkidu on the other hand is still skeptical about this journey and even advises Gilgamesh not to take it. He is not afraid of the forest journey even when Enkidu tries to discourage him. When it is time to kill Humamba, both of them are afraid but Gilgamesh tells Enkidu that they should not be filled with scary thoughts. With every challenge, Gilgamesh faces Enkidu, tends to rationalize the situation. Before they battled Humumba, Enkidu told Gilgamesh that they should not fight that creature. On the contrary, Gilgamesh is ready to show his heroic actions by killing Humamba.
Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu united and became friends. They united their powers and skills when it came to handling situations. They both defeat the bull of heaven that was sent to Gilgamesh from the goddess Ishtar by her father because he turned down her offer of marriage. They both used their skills to overcome this obstacle and save their lives making Gilgamesh the hero because he won against the Ishtar’s father (Mitchell). Enkidu’s character complements that of Gilgamesh and has helped him become a better person as well as a king. When Enkidu is about to die, Gilgamesh begins to show his emotion and telling his companion not to leave him. He is devastated and is not afraid of showing it. He is selfless and offers his goods and treasures to the gods so that Enkidu is taken care of. After his death, Gilgamesh starts to look for answers about immortality and learns about the meaning of life from Utnapishtim.
Gilgamesh has proved himself to be a hero through his deeds. By traveling to the pine forest, facing challenges along the way and eventually killing Humamba for the sake of the land shows a courageous man. Despite him being warned about the dangers that he might face his determination could not allow any discouragements. Enkidu plays a very important role in Gilgamesh’s heroism. First, he becomes his companion whom they use their skills to overcome obstacles. They both kill the bull of heaven sent to Gilgamesh making him more confident even as King. After the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh conquers the battle within himself after learning about life and goes back to the city as a selfless king and a hero.
Works Cited
Mitchell, Stephen. Gilgamesh: A New English Version. London: Profile, 2005. Internet resource.
In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King writes a response to the clergymen who had criticized him by arguing that social injustices such as racial segregation should be addressed in the courts. Note that the King was the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference- a civil right organization. In 1963, the king lead a non-violent protects in Birmingham and he says that "I am in Birmingham because injustice is here" (King, 1). Thus, an important point to note is that Birmingham was a segregated city and Martin Luther started a peaceful protest but in 1963, the king was arrested for holding protects in Birmingham. While the king was in Jail, the clergymen accused the King that he used extreme measures that cause trouble and that racial issues should be handled in the courts. However, the king wrote a letter to convince the clergymen that Birmingham is surrounded by racism and segregation. He uses pathos, ethos, and logos to show the clergymen that he cannot obey unjust law as it is morally wrong. Note that the King does not dishonor the court but he clearly states that the same way the prophets and the Apostle Paul moved beyond the boundaries to spread the word, he will also go beyond the hometown and spread the gospel of freedom.
The first principle that the king uses to defend his nonviolent strategies is using ethos. First, the king defends his nonviolent ways by saying that he is the president for the African-American civil rights and he has organizational ties. Again, he says that before planning for the nonviolent campaign, he has collaborated with his staff to conduct research and have found that there are injustices that require direct actions. They have evidence that Birmingham is segregated and African Americans face unjust treatment (King, 1). Another point is that King says that before engaging in the nonviolent protest, he had talked with leaders of Birmingham and they found the need to addresses the racism by removing the racial signs. The king also says they identified the difficulties that might occur while addressing racism and injustice and they came up with a direct-action program or rather agreed to start the protest during the Easter season. Furthermore, the king says that while planning for the nonviolent protest, they discovered that Birmingham had planned for mayor election in March and for this reason, they postponed their plan to prevent their demonstration from interfering with the election. Last but important the author mentions Socrates and says that Socrates believed that tension could help individuals differentiate between myths and truths. Similarly, the king was morally right to create tension to help individuals realize the prejudice and racism in society and resist the unjust law. This example reveals that in writing the letter, the king shows the credibility and reasonability for initiating the nonviolent protest and proves the critics wrong when they argue the actions were untimely (King, 1). The king responds that before acting, they had put all things into consideration and the civil rights campaign was well timed. In general, the King and his fellow men behaved responsibly.
The king also defend his nonviolent ways by using pathos. For instance, he says that for about 340 years and more, Negro have not enjoyed their constitutional and natural rights. The king elicits feelings by saying that black children cannot be allowed to visit the amusement park. Furthermore, it is not surprising seeing a black driver sleeping in his automobile since all motels welcome 'white' and 'colored' (King, 2). The king responds using this statement to show that it is morally right to fight the injustices and to demand freedom. Having understood the ongoing injustices, the king says that they did not have the endurance. In other words, they were impatient and they could no longer wait or persevere the injustices.
Finally, as the clergymen argue that the demonstration was illegal, the king defends his nonviolent strategy using logos by saying that he had the right to advocate the breaking of an unjust law. He says that he would tell people to obey just laws because it is both legal and morally and he would also tell people not to obey unjust law because it is illegal and immoral (King, 2). For instance, segregation statues are unjust because they treat blacks as inferior hence bring negative effects on their soul and personality. Thus, the king can urge people to disobey them segregation statues as it is an unjust law and morally wrong. The king also tries to convince the clergymen of the reason for engaging in nonviolent acts by saying that the law is made for the minority but not for the majority. In other words, a minority is expected to adhere to the law and the results are a lack of right to vote.
In conclusion, the King has used emotional, logical, and factual reasoning to convince the clergymen that he had the right to conduct the demonstrations. He urges the clergymen to understand the law and the present tension and the importance of exposing injustice. He also says that his actions caused violence but condemning his actions is like condemning Jesus because his devotion to God led him to crucifixion. In general, the king and his staff were willing to suffer until they end the segregation laws.
Work cited
King, Martin Luther. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." The Atlantic, Aug. 1963.
The similarities are derived from the quintessential characteristics of the gothic story line. For instance, a spooky home, abandoned landscapes, mysterious happenings and doubled personalities are some of the aspects which culminate into resemblance of the meaning of the story. In addition, the story teller emphasizes their similar coloring in various shades of grey. In other terms the author draws comparison between the gloominess of the house and the owner of the house (Poe, 2006). Secondly, it hard to tell the actual timeline of the story hence it is also hard to analyze it based on the precepts of time. More so, the similarities are associated with the title of the story hence bringing out a double implication.
The Speaker’s Attitude
The poem starts with an explanation on the malevolence nature of science. For instance,’ daughter of old time’ and sometimes described as ‘poet’s heart’ are some of the words used to describe poetry. Science informs on the artistic perceptions behind myths and beauty (Poe). A poet would rather discuss stars, the sun, and love instead of the complexities revolving around science. Due to the impact if science, ancient mythologies have lost value. Based on the poet’s sentiments, science is responsible for most societal problems as it fasten the technological advancement hence negatively impacting poet’s position in the society. Pet realizes on creativity and imagination, while technology destroyed the imagination upon which the society built
The Birthmark
The birthmark symbolizes unity and uniqueness, set apart from the rest of the members of the community (Hawthorne, 1843). This tends to inform matters pertaining an ingrained thought in someone’s life. The birthmark also symbolizes mortality a unique reminder that humans are a product of nature and will return to nature soon enough. The perception pertaining to birthmark show general anxiety surrounding mortality and the inability to reverse death or a life loved recklessly.
Question 2
Bartley
The ideas portrayed give the much needed basics for resisting conformation even when the odds are against someone. Emerson’s point of view tends to gravitate towards the importance of setting oneself apart from the rest of the people and in the process focus on a personal path and inner intuition (Emerson, 1909). For example Emerson claims that a perfect man should ‘command’ all influence void of the opinions of outside impact of other people.
Characteristics of American Transcendentalism
This concept entailed believing in the dependence of intuition rather the rationality and intellect. The main features of transcendentalism are parity, individuality, self-reliant, integrity and hopefulness (Emerson, 1909). The conjunction of nature and life as the true purpose of life is also key in understanding American Transcendentalism. Any human being has to keep up with the changing times of a certain day and age. Even though the building blocks of community and human civilizations are hinged on the realization of institutionalized factors, all the people ought to have a solid background within which the society operates. For the human tend
Civil Disobedience Definition
The need to prioritize an individual’s conscience over the precepts of the law (Thoreau, 2016). The definition criticized social entities and policymaking strategies such as slavery and the war between Mexicans and Americans. More so, Thoreau’s concept of civil disobedience exposes how one needs to use conscience more than the regulations stipulated in the land. Favoring conscience over the presents of the law brings into light the failure of institutions to act on policies or make suitable policies within the nation. Thoreau builds his argument on the government’s inefficiencies.
Question 3
Mother’s Role
Jacobs wanted her abolitionist cause to resonate with women from all walks of life and motherhood was the best stepping stone to help push her narrative forward. She demonstrated how slavery demoralized women and put them in a helpless situation where men could rape and sexualize them (Jacobs, 2009). Garnering support from the rest of the women while portraying her motherly image explaining her life tends and even involving religious invocation.
Importance of Douglass’s Narrative
Literacy helps Douglass attain freedom. Schooling assisted him to read and write and open up his mind to the atrocities slaves faced (Baker, 1845). Thus, he longed to change things and ‘manage’ the situation. More so, Douglass brought to light institutionalized racism and the challenges blacks faced in the quest for justice. The ability to inform the public on the challenges blacks faced helped blacks gain courage to speak out and demands better living conditions as in their lives. As time went by, other institutions picked up Douglass narrative and assisted in emancipating blacks from the chains of slavery.
Characteristics of Jacob’s Ad Douglass’s Slave Narrative
Both narratives are trying to inform on slavery while persuading people from all walks of life to join the cause (Baker, 1845). Also, the authors try to use their knowledge to emancipate other black people who do not see anything wrong with slavery. In addition, the aim of the narrative was to raise awareness on the negative effects slavery had to its people.
Question 4
Cult of True Womanhood
Refers to a value structure common amongst upper and middle class although the 19th century in UK (Stanton, 1889). The value systems focused on introducing new concepts on femininity nature and their roles. Consequently, this system helped women penetrate different career fields. Women had a chance to venture into careers and jobs which were considered manly. As a result, women were able to compete with men and this gave them a chance to
Challenging the Traditional Role of Women
Stanton work encourage dynamism in the societal role of women. Women can no longer be limited to giving birth (Stanton, 1889). More so, women could take up career paths previously known to be male-dominated. Since time immemorial, women lived in patriarchal hence the traditional role of women was always tied to the roles of the chance to for the keeping up with the events of people coming up with intuition.
Hugh Wolfe is Christ-like figure because he lives a humble life as a furnace tender. He lives under dismal conditions and unconducive working conditions (Davis, 2006). Despite of his low life, he thirsts for artistic life. Drawing parallels between Hugh and Christ arises from the hope Christ brought to the world despite of the negative circumstances surrounding him. Christ as perfect but he experience a challenging life without even changing tenets of his life. The chance to live a sacrificial life and sustain the agencies of life. The call upon once life is dependent on actions and suitable situations. This way, for the sake giving a clear understanding of the fundamental knowledge of people and time consuming mechanisms which make up ancient ideology.
References
Baker, H. A. (1845). Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.
Davis, R. H. (2006). Life in the Iron-mills.
Emerson, R. W. (1909). Self-reliance (pp. 49-50). Caxton Society.
Hawthorne, N. (1843). The Birthmark: 1843. Infomotions, Incorporated.
Jacobs, H. A. (2009). Incidents in the life of a slave girl: Written by herself
Poe, E. A. (2006). The fall of the house of Usher
Poe, E. A.. Sonnet-To Science.
Stanton, E. C. (1889). Declaration of Sentiments from the Seneca Falls Conference (1848)
Thoreau, H. D. (2016). Civil disobedience. Broadview Press.
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