Analysis of Western Civilizations Ideas, Politics, and...

Our text, â€Å"Western Civilizations: Ideas, Politics, and Society†, includes many of the core values of today’s modern society. Rationality, the first value listed, is simply being able to use mental analysis to comprehend different, sometimes complex, subjects in a clear way. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationality) Rationality is extremely important to the effective running of any society. The only alternative to acting and thinking rationally is to act with impulse, or without thinking a situation through. (http://www.importanceofphilosophy.com/Ethics_Rationality.html) A prosperous society cannot act in this way. I feel that for the most part, rationality is still alive and well today. While everyone does not always agree with the†¦show more content†¦Humanism, which is a concept that is difficult for some to understand, is basically the right and ability for an individual to learn their full potential. I feel that in America, humanism is flourishing. Everyone day people are discovering amazing things about themselves and doing things that makes them happy. The west is the only part of the world where this is possible to such a big extent. Another concept listed in our book is equality. Equality is a topic that I feel very passionately about. I come from a Native American father and a Caucasian mother and I am married to an African American man. Being a part of some many different racial society’s has let me see true treatment different people in this country receive. My father is often mistaken to be Latino and treated very disrespectfully, including being called names. My husband has been passed by on jobs after being treated rudely at interviews once they see what race he is. My family receives unkind treatment and disgusted stares from strangers who do not agree with mixed race families. No matter the amount of laws in place, people of other races are not treated fairly in this country. A huge way that can be seen is with Middle Eastern people. The government has allowed Middle Eastern immigrants to be mistreated and wrongly labeled as terrorists by excessive investigations and horrible treatments in airports, places of business, and on the streets. I couldn’t imagine was it would beShow MoreRelatedGreek And Roman Civilizations : Greece And Ancient Civilizations1503 Words   |  7 Pages Greek and Roman Civilizations In examining the impact that the ancient world has had on modern Western civilization, the two ancient civilizations which are frequently understood as having had the greatest influence are Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. These two civilizations would eventually come to shape much of what would become the modern European culture, politics and society, and by extension, a vast proportion of global culture and society. 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Wuthering Heights Reading Log Free Essays

Alex Plager Britten Wuthering Heights Assignment Round 2 Reading Log: The two men in Catherine’s life represent one of many sets of doubles within the novel. Both of these men contrast one another, and fight for power, influence, love and attention in her life. Because both Edgar and Heathcliff both represent contrasting forces in the novel, they are unable to work together or act amiably towards one another. We will write a custom essay sample on Wuthering Heights Reading Log or any similar topic only for you Order Now The goal of each one is to remove the other from Cathy’s life. After Catherine’s death, Heathcliff attempts to sneakily remove the lock of Edgar’s hair enclosed in the locket about her neck and replace it with his own. In â€Å"open[ing] the trinket, and cast[ing] out its contents,† (145) Heathcliff believes that he has won this battle with Edgar. Symbolically, this action represents Heathcliff casting Edgar out of Catherine’s life and heart, and filling the space with himself. Heathcliff walks out of the room believing that Catherine’s body will be put to rest with only his lock of hair on her, meaning that he will be with her for the remainder of her physical existence on this world. However, Nelly steps in and intertwines Edgar’s hair with Heathcliff’s. Both Edgar and Heathcliff live their lives believing that Catherine is holding a lock of only their own hair in her coffin, thinking that they are the only one who will be with her in death. However, Nelly’s actions represent the fact that despite the two men’s efforts of trying to win Catherine to themselves wholly, even in death, that Catherine holds both of them in her heart, and that neither one cannot be completely cast out. As Catherine is discussing the nature of her love for both Edgar and Heathcliff, she reveals a doubling within her personality. She says, â€Å"Nelly, I am Heathcliff,† (70) and continues on to say that any separation between them â€Å"is impracticable. † This revelation reveals a lot regarding their relationship, and how the two of them seem inseparable throughout the novel. It explains why Catherine allows Heathcliff to repeatedly come back into her life even though the sheer mention of his name perturbs Edgar’s composure. The double that is Catherine/Heathcliff explains why Heathcliff is constantly a part of Catherine’s life. For Catherine, Heathcliff is less of a separate person, a different entity, but more of a projection of her personality. Heathcliff represents the wild, naturalistic aspect of her personality, which has been suppressed by her change into a civil, upper-class person. As such, this suppressed personality returns in waves, exhibited both in her fits, and Heathcliff’s unrelenting visits, refusing to be put out like the fire Edgar regards it to be. The reoccurring theme of doubles is at its strongest within chapter 15 as Lockwood begins narrating the story to the reader from Nelly’s perspective. To clarify, the events have already been recounted to Lockwood through Nelly, and now he is narrating the story after she has told it to him, through her perspective, â€Å"She is, on the whole, a very fair narrator, and I don’t think I could improve her style† (134). Needless to say, the reader is experiencing the story not secondhand, but thirdhand. Also, Nelly has already been revealed to be an unreliable narrator, as well as Lockwood. Combining the two is certain to have a profound effect on the story itself. The narration of the story has already had a tone of gossip about it, especially since Nelly called herself as a â€Å"gossip† (53). Now the ‘he said she said’ essence of the story takes its strongest form, as we, the readers, are hearing about it ‘through the grapevine. ‘ Bronte uses this doubling of narration to emphasize the removal of the reader from the events in the story. The shadow of doubt the novel has been shrouded in is now a level deeper and darker than it has been up to this point in the novel. Nelly’s biased narration of events, whose memory is blurred by time, is now coupled with Lockwood’s own character flaws of misjudging characters and is subjected to his own bias as he recounts the already recounted tale. Within the novel, the relationships between servants and masters are anything but traditional ones. One would expect a servant to respect their master, and keep their tongue in check, however Nelly Dean seems exempt from these expectations, causing the reader to question who is the true master and servant within the household. On page 102, â€Å"[Catherine] rang the bell till is broke with a twang,† however, rather than rushing in as most servants should given the franticness of the bell ringing, Nelly â€Å"enter[s] leisurely. † This singular event provides a plethora of insight into the relationship between master and servant. The reader is able to discern that, since it is Nelly recounting the story, she would have no knowledge of the events happening in the room prior to her calling unless she was not already within earshot. Therefore, Nelly already knows the nature of the confrontation going on between Edgar and Nelly, and how it is of importance. Yet still, Nelly â€Å"leisurely† enters the room, flaunting her knowledge that Catherine needs her on a level beyond that of which a master typically needs a servant, and also spiting her by deliberately taking longer to arrive. However, during her narration of this scene, the reader can see building emotion within Nelly just within the paragraph this quote is taken from. It is clear that Nelly’s â€Å"temper of a saint† is strung tight by Catherine’s â€Å"senseless, wicked rages! â€Å"(102) And as a result of this emotion that she is not entirely able to control, Nelly’s narration of this particular scene may be more unreliable than usual, as she might be tempted to exaggerate Catherine’s behavior in order to justify her anger with her to Lockwood more, so that he may agree with her, or so that she may feel that he does. Diction Log: 1: â€Å"Will you say, twenty years hence, ‘That’s the grave of Catherine Earnshaw. I loved her long ago†¦ † (137) Synonyms: Linton Catherine’s choice of calling herself Linton reveals much about how she views herself in terms of her identity. During her time as Catherine Earnshaw, Cathy identifies herself as being Heathcliff’s lover, but after her marriage to Edgar, her public identity changes to Catherine Linton, signifying her position as Edgar’s lover. Telling Heathcliff that her grave will be that of Catherine Earnshaw is telling Heathcliff that she rejects her identity of Catherine Linton, and that she will be his in death, as she should have been in life. The continued musing on her death in this scene foreshadows her impending death, and this line serves to both comfort Heathcliff, and also ignite further heartbreak in regards to her death as Heathcliff both derives pleasure and anguish knowing that Catherine was his, yet was never with her. 2: â€Å"†¦ while her cheeks, at once blanched and livid, assumed the aspect of death. Linton looked terrified. † Synonyms: Edgar, her husband In referring to Edgar as Linton, there would normally be ambiguity in doing so because, technically, Catherine is also â€Å"Linton. † But addressing him as solely Linton reflects both Edgar’s feelings of her not being ‘his’ anymore and signifies the distance that he feels is growing between the two of them. The reader also knows that Bronte is referring to Edgar because the reader understands that Catherine is not truly a Linton, and not entirely Edgar’s. Bronte’s word choice symbolizes a growing emotional distance between Edgar and Catherine, terrifying Edgar not only for the sake of her safety, but also for their relationship. Since Bronte’s word choice reflects Nelly’s disposition, it is also made known to the reader that Nelly sees this growing distance, and development of Catherine’s character. 3: â€Å"Thought I hate him as much as ever, he did me a good turn a short time ago that will make my conscience tender of breaking his neck. † (75) Synonyms: fond, delicate Of the possible synonyms that could replace the word tender in this context, â€Å"tender† conveys the meaning of what Edgar is saying best. Edgar is saying to Catherine that despite his anger towards Heathcliff, he is refraining from retaliating violently because his conscience prevents him from doing so because he feels that he owes Heathcliff a favor. The word â€Å"tender,† while typically used to describe something fragile that tends to break, is effective because it contrasts sharply with the action of â€Å"breaking his neck. 4: â€Å"†¦ In fact, that his health and strength were being sacrificed to preserve a mere ruin of humanity, he know no limits in gratitude and joy when Catherine’s life was declared out of danger; and hour after hour her would sit beside her, tracing the gradual return to bodily health, and flattering his too sanguine hopes with the illusion that her mind would settle back to its right balance also, and she would soon be entir ely herself. † (115) Synonyms: happy, optimistic If one of the listed synonyms were used in lieu of â€Å"sanguine† the only meaning to the sentence would be the implication and foreshadowing made by Nelly that Edgar had his hopes too high, and that Catherine would never truly return to health. However, the use of â€Å"sanguine† adds a certain connotation to the quotation. While â€Å"sanguine† has no direct link to blood, through definition or synonymously, the root of it is linked to blood. Bronte’s use of this word in particular serves multiple purposes. The first further emphasizes how high Edgar’s hopes are for Catherine’s healing. They are so strong they can be smelt, and tasted and have substance to them, the qualities of which are all likened to blood. Also, describing these hopes as sanguine serves to illustrate to the reader how much effort Edgar has put into helping Catherine, conveying that he has almost literally put blood, sweat, and tears into their relationship and her well-being. 5: â€Å"‘Ah! you are come, are you, Edgar Linton? she said, with angry animation. † (110) Synonyms: liveliness, fervor This quote is taken from a scene in which Catherine is having one of her frequent fits. The verb animate is traditionally used to describe an inanimate object coming into motion. During her fits, Catherine is often likened to an inanimate object due to her habit of fainting, or becoming immobile. During this particular one, she had been relatively stoic, limp, and puppet like, as she had been starvin g herself and appeared â€Å"haggard† (110). As such, the use of the word â€Å"animation† most properly fits the prior depictions of her within the scene as it fits the theme of her descriptions. 6: â€Å"Isabella and he had had an hour’s interview, during which he tried to elicit from her some sentiment of proper horror for Heathcliff’s advances; but he could make nothing of her evasive replies, and was obliged to close the examination unsatisfactorily, adding, however, that if she were so insane as to encourage that worthless suitor, it would dissolve all bonds of relationship between herself and him. (103) Synonyms: conversation, audience, exchange The use of the word interview enhances the meaning of the quote in that it provides a certain depiction of the exchange between Edgar and Isabella. Bronte’s choice of the word interview conveys that it was not an amicable, two-sided conversation. While the interaction may not quite have been an interrogation, it was more aggressive than a mutual conve rsation would have been, as Edgar was obviously distressed regarding Heathcliff’s relationship with her. : â€Å"Isabella and he had had an hour’s interview, during which he tried to elicit from her some sentiment of proper horror for Heathcliff’s advances; but he could make nothing of her evasive replies, and was obliged to close the examination unsatisfactorily, adding, however, that if she were so insane as to encourage that worthless suitor, it would dissolve all bonds of relationship between herself and him. † (103) Synonyms: inquiry, interrogation Continuing from the same quote as above, Nelly continues to reveal the nature of the exchange between Isabella and Edgar. Choosing to regard it as an examination furthers the imagery of an uncomfortable interaction between siblings. The use of the word examination is more effective than â€Å"inquiry† or â€Å"interrogation† would be because of the tone that Bronte gives the nature of the conversation between them. Edgar is not an overly aggressive individual, and to interrogate his sister would be out of character for him. However, an examination suits Edgar’s passivity because it conjures an image of a jealous lover trying to elicit information from their significant other, which is much like what Edgar is trying to do. 8: â€Å"Cheer up, you shan’t be hurt! Your type is not a lamb, it’s a sucking leveret. † (99) Synonyms: mouse, turtle I opted not to choose direct synonyms for leveret, which are rabbit, and hare, because these words do not change the nature of Catherine’s insult. Bronte’s diction here is likely due in large part to colloquialism of the time. However, the nature of Catherine’s insult is rooted more in the fact that she is belittling Edgar as having the courage of a small animal more prone to flight, rather than to fight. Catherine chooses to call Edgar a leveret because of his predisposition to avoid and run from conflict, rather han to face it directly. A turtle retreats into its shell, whereas a rabbit will tuck its tail and run, exactly like Catherine is accusing Edgar of doing in this quote. This insult is particularly effect because Catherine is calling Edgar’s manhood into question, which is not only uncharacteristic of a woman of the time, but she is also doing so in front of Heathcliff, effectively making a direct challenge to Edgar on both her and Heathcliff’s behalf. Literary Criticism: â€Å"Will you forget me–will you be happy when I am in the earth? Will you say, twenty years hence, ‘That’s the grave of Catherine Earnshaw. I loved her long ago, and was wretched to lose her; but it is past. ‘† (137) The goal of psychoanalysis is to interpret a character’s (un)conscious desires by identifying Freudian concepts. An example of one of these such concepts is a Freudian slip, and one lies within the quote. Consciously or not, Catherine has called herself Catherine Earnshaw, despite her status as Edgar’s wife, making her both legally and socially known as Catherine Linton. However, she has revealed in this Freudian slip that she does not emotionally identify herself as Catherine Linton, but as an Earnshaw. This is important because much of the conflict up to this point has stemmed from Heathcliff’s anger at Edgar taking Catherine from him, and in his struggle to win her back from him. Within this quote, Catherine subtly tells Heathcliff that she will die Catherine Earnshaw, meaning that she is rejecting the Linton name, thus ultimately meaning that emotionally, she is Heathcliff’s. â€Å"Well, if I cannot keep Heathcliff for my friend, if Edgar will be mean and jealous, I’ll try to break their hearts by breaking my own. That will be a prompt way of finishing all, when I am pushed to extremity! † (101) Within this scene, Catherine is venting to Nelly regarding her feelings regarding the conflict between Heathcliff and Edgar. In the quote, it is visible that Catherine is exhausted by their constant fighting, and the toll that it has been taking on her. Out of context, the claim the Catherine makes concerning her ability to â€Å"break their hearts† seems conceited, however, from a feminist perspective, this statement is substantial. For a novel written in this time, it would be rather uncommon for a woman to be depicted as having power over a man, much less two of them. While Catherine does appear to be selfish, and conceited in this quote, she is depicted as essentially having control over the two men, in that she has the ability to â€Å"[finish] all,† establishing the force that Catherine is able to exert in both of the relationships. In relation to the meaning of the work as a whole, this quote associates the ideas of emotional exile and acceptance. 3Ãâ€"3: Revenge consumes wholly Pain prevents transcendence How to cite Wuthering Heights Reading Log, Papers

Lifeboat Ethics the Case Against Helping the Poor free essay sample

Garrett Hardin, biologist from Stanford, used the metaphor of Earth being a â€Å"spaceship† persuading other countries, industries and people to stop polluting and washing natural resources of the world. He illustrates that the â€Å"spaceship† is represented by the wealthy countries, and the natural resources are represented as the poorer countries of the world. The wealthy people of the world have all the resources they need to survive and more, while other hand the poorer countries are unfortunate. Their rations are broken up into smaller and smaller portions because of their growing population and it lessens the resources to everyone of that country. Hardins argument is based on sharing. He proposes that the bigger countries should share what they have with the unfortunate countries of the world. He eventually reveals the meaning of his metaphors. The natural resources are exposed to be food. His argument is that there are so many countries in this world that are dying and suffering from lack of food. We will write a custom essay sample on Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hardin believes that if the wealthier countries share their â€Å"wealth then the weaker countries will have an opportunity to survive. Through the â€Å"lifeboat† metaphor, the use of logos, and the discovery of food bank, Hardin uses these key points as his argument. With regards to the population of the poor, Hardin uses a lifeboat for better understanding of the situation. â€Å"Metaphorically each nation can be seen as a lifeboat, full of comparatively rich people. In the ocean outside each lifeboat swim the poor of the world, who would like to get in or at least share some of the wealth† (415). This metaphor explains to the people that there are people out in the world that need help. People that are on the verge of dying, all they need is a helping hand for their survival. â€Å"For example, the weather varies from year to year, and periodic crop failures are certain. A wise and competent government saves out of the production of the good years in anticipation of years to come. Joseph taught this policy to Pharaoh in Egypt more than 2,000 years ago† (418). Even a long time ago food was stored away for emergencies, these are called food banks. Food banks were popular even in Hebrew times. Under a system of private property, the men who own property recognize their responsibility to take care of it, if they dont they will eventually suffer. â€Å"A farmer for instance, will allow no more cattle in a pasture that its carrying capacity justifies† (417). The land that farmers have only a certain amount of cattle can populate the land. If the cattle over populate the land then there will not be enough food for all the cattle which would lead them to starvation and die. As for the lifeboat metaphor, Hardin also uses logos to express his claims. â€Å"Poor countries have none. We should call this point to the attention of those who, from a commendable love of justice and equality, would institute a system of the commons.. † (423). In this statement being generous in different from giving from the heart that giving for ones credibility. In this article, â€Å"Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor†, Garrett Hardin argues to expose the worlds poverty in the form of a lifeboat by using the â€Å"lifeboat† metaphor, giving logical evidence, and using food banks to give the world an input on the poverty that continues in the world.