Facing Harsh Realities Essay Example for Free

Facing Harsh Realities Essay The recognition and acceptance of truth and reality is a recurring theme in Literature because it is such an enigmatic issue in human life. A highly discussed subject of human experience, our perception and acceptance of reality defines and determines how we see our life, and how we choose to live our life. This very subject is revealed and discussed in the novel written by Ralph Ellison entitled, â€Å"Invisible Man. †Ellison introduces the protagonist as an unnamed character who insists calling himself an â€Å"invisible man,† (page ) struggling to discover truths and realities about his life as an African-American. In the beginning of the story, he is portrayed as a naive young man who believes that being meek and submissive are the key characteristics needed by an African-American to better his life. His first struggle with this dilemma is illustrated in the cruel scene when the protagonist is forced to take part in a game called â€Å"battle royal† wherein he is pitted against other young African-Americans in a boxing match. The game is imposed upon the boys, who are degraded into being fighting beasts eager to please their master, the dominant white man. Despite the circumstances, the protagonist moves on to please the white men. At the end of the cruel event, the reward of a scholarship makes the protagonist feel content and happy on the surface; and yet, his mind struggles with the moral and racial injustice done to him by the white men, as revealed in his dream of his grandfather’s mockery and warning. This is the first instance that the protagonist is struggling with the reality that the seeming kindness of white men is actually a masked transgression against the African-American race, and against his very own person. His encounter with this harsh piece of reality is just the beginning of his awakening, because as the novel unfolds from this â€Å"battle royal† scene, the struggle for recognizing and accepting the truth may be surely won, but from this very point, it is a long way off.

Iconoclasm and Iconophilia in Othello :: Othello Essays

Iconnoclasm and Iconophilia in Othello In his book War Against the Idols, Carlos Eire argues that iconoclastic resistance to the Medieval Catholic Church began with the gentle scolding of Erasmus and ended as the "shibboleth" of radical Calvinism.1 The use of images in religious instruction and practice was one of the major points of dispute between Protestant reformers and Catholic counter-reformers. Iconoclasm was certainly not confined to radical Calvinism; Anglican reformers, especially those who had spent time in continental Europe as exiles (like John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury), quickly raised the issue in their country, which had its own unique history of religious reform. The discussions of image and idolatry in Calvin and Jewel represent particular theories of the image that derive from but also revise ancient Platonic theories of the image. Reformation iconoclasm brings up issues of ontology (who or what is God?), epistemology (by what means are we to know him? can he be represented to human senses?), and ethics (how does knowledge of God translate into moral action?). Protestant iconoclasts tend to emphasize the epistemological worth (or rather, worthlessness) of religious imagery, while the Catholic iconophiles emphasize the positive moral effects to be derived from the use of images in religious instruction. Although sparked in the 1520's and 30's, the debate between iconoclasts and iconophiles raged throughout the latter sixteenth century, well into Shakespeare's time. The iconoclastic writings of Zwingli and Calvin had a powerful legacy throughout Europe. Calvin's collected Institutes of the Christian Religion was published in 1559. Perhaps spurred by theological arguments like Calvin's, violent stripping of church imagery and other popular agitation over idolatry took place in Switzerland and elsewhere on the continent. In England, John Jewel's dialogues with Dr. Harding on the subject of imagery, drawing very much on Calvin's arguments, were published in 1565 and again in 1611. During the English Reformation, the churches and monasteries of England were also stripped of their images by some Protestant objectors. It is clear that iconoclasm was an issue not only for elite churchmen--it also captured the hearts and minds of the general population, who were the audience of Shakes peare's theater. The problem of the image is traced, by many Protestant theologians, to several major scriptural conflicts. The first important reference is God's pronouncement in Genesis: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen.

Altruism in humans Essay

Calvin et al (1987) proposed a more selfish view of helping, stressing that people help others to avoid feeling sad (a negative state) and because it makes them feel good about themselves. This is called the Negative State Relief (NSR) model. It doesn’t matter whether the negative affect (mood) is caused by witnessing the distress of the victim or whether the helper was already in bad mood. Either way, you help to improve your own mood. Adults may internalise the reward of doing good†¦.. Therefore, adults in a bad mood may help in order to alleviate their negative state. However if people can relieve their negative mood through some other source (such as hearing a good joke or getting some money) then they do not need to help. Effect of Mood Enhancement (EME) study A variation on Batson’s research was carried. Those participants in the high empathy group (i. e. those who shared in the same opinions as Elaine or Charlie) were offered some cash during the experiment. Accordingly, they helped less-their negative state at seeing Elaine or Charlie suffer was diminished by the cash. The reduction of their negative state in this was meant that they didn’t have to help reduce their negative feelings (conclusion). It’s been found in numerous studies that being in a good mood results in more pro-social behaviour. Research have found people to be more helpful after listening to comedy, smelling pleasant odours, after finding money or by going outside on sunny days (Boron and Byrne,199†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ). However if people feel their good mood will be affected by helping then they are more likely to not help and walk. Artificial studies: all lab studies are extremely artificial and lack ecological validity. Behaviour in the real world is subject to many other factors, such as social and cultural influences on behaviour – none of which are explored in these lab settings. Therefore it is difficult to generalise lab findings to a wider context. People have criticised Cialdini et al for proposing to negative a view of human behaviour. However the selfish view of human behaviour might be right. ) Helping does help negative state: it’s not in dispute those helping others/ another person in need does lead to an improved mood for the helper. So it has face validity.

Velázquez’s Las Meninas

The work of art of Diego Velasquez de Silva entitled Las Meninas is claimed to be the â€Å"Theology of painting† by art critic Luca Giordano. Other art critic such as Palomino states that Las Meninas was â€Å"truth, not painting† and Tà ©ophile Gautier says that â€Å"wondered where the picture was†. Las Meninas interpretations were made even for other fields such as mathematics, moral politics, politics and astrology. Many questions had also risen from the painting that were given with other long names before it was finally called Las Meninas derived from the Portuguese word for Maids of Honour of the Royal children in the 17th century.One of these questions was who and what was the portrait being painted in front of the canvass being hidden from us. Is it the royal couple being painted, or is it really the royal princess being the one prepared to be painted? The figures painted in Las Meninas suggest to me that Diego Velasquez de Silva is painting a portrait of King Philip IV and Queen Mariana as they are reflected from a mirror glass behind Las Meninas.The focus of sight of the self-portrait of Velasquez, the picture of the dwarf Maribarbola, the picture of the queen’s palace marshal Jose Nieto, and the picture of a guardadamas all suggest to me that it was the portrait of the royal couple that were the one really being painted by Velasquez in the front of the canvass that were hidden from us. Las Meninas is somewhat a snapshot of the painting session of Velasquez with the royal couple which is being viewed by their Infanta Margarita together with her court. Infanta Margarita is shown to be not focused with either the portrait being canvassed or the royal couple being painted.This could be caused by the offering of a jug of water by the queen’s maid of honour, Doà ±a Maria Agustina Sarmiento. The two lady servants are too focused with assisting Infanta Margarita. The male dwarf beside Maribarbola was then busy with play ing with a dog in front of them. The lady in waiting beside the guardadamas may be described in Las Meninas as being bored or sleepy. Though some were not focused with what Velasquez was working on, it is enough for me that Velasquez, Nieto, Maribarbola, and the Guardadamas was looking with the royal couple so as to conclude they were the one being painted by Velasquez.

black forest German I project Essays

black forest German I project Essays black forest German I project Essay black forest German I project Essay Reson for name: The black forest used to be a thick forest of conifers blocking out the light. Aproximate size: 5,000 sq miles Changes in black forest: The black forest has changed due to logging and increased demand for lumber. Products associated with the Black Forest: Cucko clocks are a product of the black forest trees. Cucko clacks are made with the black forest trees. 3 facts about markets: Markets are avalible in towns once a week. You can buy fresh products at reasonable pricing. It is easier for the farmers and growers to go and sell n markets so they dont have to buy store front. important considerations for hiking in Germany: First time round is better to hike with a guide. Where good hiking shoes or boots. Steep and bumpy trails are the hiking in Germany. 3 facts about German eating establishments: Geustheuses are Inn type reastraunts offer the best specialties in the region. Geustheuse are often kept in the family for many generations. Many langer Geustheuse are homes to the family owning the Geustheuse. 3 important tips for eating in a German restaurant: The menus are utside the window so you can already know what to order and how much to pay. You can go into reastrounts in Germany and pick your own table and only rarely are there hosts or hostests that will seat you. Germans take their time eating at restaurants. The black forest is in germany and is aproximatly 5,000 sq miles. The name Black forest is from the forest being so thick that it was dark. It often was home to smugglers and other criminal type people. The forest used to be thick with conifers and the trees would block the light from coming in the forest. Due to loging and the ncreased demand for lumber, the black forest has gotten less dense and thick. Products that come from the Black forest are things like cucko clocks which are very famouse in Germany. When hiking, we came across our first town with a market. Markets are avalible in towns once a week. You can buy fresh products at reasonable prices. Mankets amke it easier for famers and local grows because they dont have to buy store front spacing to sell their products. When we left the market and continued on our hike we reviewed some important tips for hiking in Germany. It is important to ike with a guide the first time round the trail even though the trails are labeled well. The trails are often steep and bumpy when hiking in Germany. It is also important To wear good hiking boots or shoes when hiking in Germany. When we reached our destination at the end of the trail, we learned three facts about German eating establishments. Geustheuses are Inn type reastraunts offer the best specialties in the region. Geustheuse are often kept in the family for many generations. Many langer Geustheuse are homes to the family owning the Geustheuse. When we went o a restaurant, we learned many other important facts as well. The menus are restaurants. The Black forest was a fun hiking trip. We learned many important facts about the blakc forest. We also learned the history of the black forest like that the black forest was thought to be home nomes and faeries. We learned the important need-knows about hiking in Germany and facts about markets in towns. The restaurants are very different from America and we learned tips for making changes when dining in a German restaurant. Sources: blackforestinfo. com/ regions/regions. html

Widow Maker

Widow Maker Definition of a Widowmaker Loggers have always had to deal with daily exposure to situations that could seriously jeopardize  their health and even cause death. There are many ways forestry workers and recreational users of a forest can quickly suffer from a tree-related accident. The term widow maker came to be as a morbid reminder for people working in the woods to avoid situations that can both cause death and profoundly affect the family. The short definition of the term can be translated into the phrase - any loose overhead debris such as limbs or tree tops that may fall at any time. Widow makers are extremely dangerous and present a tree  faller with a continual source of danger. Limb or other loose material dropped or thrown from a tree toward the faller as the tree is felled. Wildland fire fighters, foresters and woods workers have expanded this definition to include many situations in which a tree can cause harm leading to a fatality.   Hazards that Qualify as a Widowmaker The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has expanded these hazards into conditions that should be avoided or eliminated before attempting to fell trees. Anyone that regularly visits the forest should understand how to  evaluate the surrounding area to identify potential tree hazards. Here are those important hazards you need to recognize in a forest: Snags  are stand alone dead trees and subject to failure and falling at any moment. Snags are significantly dangerous when equipment vibrations, high winds and fire undermine an already unsturdy structure. Throwback is usually seen when trees fall through other trees and on objects during felling a tree. Size up the direction a tree will fall before cutting. Never turn your back on a falling tree and plan an escape route if you are the feller. Extreme Weather includes wind, rain and ice. You increase you chances for harm as your exposure to these natural disturbances. Do your woods-work or play on a safer site or another day. Tree Tension Release is usually not a problem during a casual visit to a forest.   It often happens when harvesting trees in multi-layered canopies. On example of this is called a spring pole where a  tree, segment of a tree, limb, or sapling under stress or tension is released due to the pressure or weight of another tree or object.   Terrain effect ca n provide the physics to initiate a catalyst to cause a ripple of multiple hazards to occur. If the tree falls onto stumps, rocks, or uneven ground, a hazard may be created. Always be aware of your surroundings,

Ethnographic Study of the Skateboarding Culture Essay

Ethnographic Study of the Skateboarding Culture - Essay Example The purpose of this essay is to provide an ethnographic description of the language, behavior, values and beliefs of the skateboarders in order to understand their cultural orientation as a group. In this ethnographic study, the culture of skateboarding is described through observing skateboarders in action. The findings suggest ideas of concern for safety, acceptance, progression, self-expression of style and energy & drive. Through the observation of cultural artifacts and styles of communication, the culture of competitive skateboarding is described and all the generalizations encompassed in skateboarding discussed. Using the small sample of skateboarders, data will be collected and analyzed in order to draw conclusions about the culture of skateboarding ethnographically. This essay has revealed that skaters are not rebels or social deviants, as they are normally perceived by the society. They are often banned from certain areas because of this perception and this limits their fre edom. The female skateboarders describe it as comfortable, empowering, adventurers and fun. The males also say the same as everyone seems to be happy with skateboarding because of their love for it. The researcher states that skateboarders should not be judged harshly as the case is because they have a good organizational culture. The culture empowers them into being responsible adults because it encourages cooperation and support for each other regardless of the differences based on age, race or sexual orientation.