Character Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Character Analysis - Essay Example Their similarities in handling situations in the story were evidently exhibited from the manner by which they apparently lived in secrecy. At the beginning of the story, it was revealed that when Emily Grierson died, the townsfolk, especially women, were immensely curious to see the inside of the house since no one, except â€Å"an old man-servant--a combined gardener and cook--had seen in at least ten years† (Faulkner 1). Emily, on the other hand, was noted to have been in recluse and has kept â€Å"her front door remained closed, save for a period of six or seven years, when she was about forty† (Faulkner 7). These traits exhibited these two characters preference for isolation, secrecy and reclusion by keeping the doors to the house close: â€Å"the front door closed upon the last one and remained closed for good† (Faulkner 8). In addition, it was revealed in the story that both characters hardly even talked; either to each other or even with other people. They manifested coldness, indifference, and obliviousness of what other have to say. As cited about Tobe: â€Å"we had long since given up trying to get any information from the Negro. He talked to no one, probably not even to her, for his voice had grown harsh and rusty, as if from disuse† (Faulkner 8). Of Emily, the townspeople allegedly describe her as passing â€Å"from generation to generation--dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse† (Faulkner 8). She apparently had not interacted with any other character in town, except when Emily was visited by the members of the Board of Aldermen to collect taxes; of which, her response were cold and firm, as her actions indicate banishment and indifference to abiding by their purpose. As such, both characters where seen by the townsfolk only as fleeting and described them as aging figures. Tobe was described as frequently seen going in and out of the house; without much interaction and interpersonal relationships wi th the townsfolk. As disclosed, â€Å"daily, monthly, yearly we watched the Negro grow grayer and more stooped, going in and out with the market basket† (Faulkner 8). Concurrently, the same physical description was noted for Emily: â€Å"during the next few years it grew grayer and grayer until it attained an even pepper-and-salt iron-gray, when it ceased turning† (Faulkner 7). Finally, these characters showed similarities in handling challenges and trials in life: they kept everything to themselves and seemingly denying the realities of life. Tobe, who apparently knew everything that was going on in Emily’s house, refused to neither divulge any secrets nor defy the confidence given him by his master. Emily, on the other hand, handled both deaths in her family (through denying his father’s death; and again, for poisoning Homer Barron and keeping his dead body in the house) through fits of denial. It could actually be inferred that Emily could be exhibitin g symptoms of mental illness: â€Å"the inability to either feel or demonstrate appropriate affect, or emotion, that is congruent to a particular situation is one of the

How Architecture Transformed the Objectives of Edifices Essay

How Architecture Transformed the Objectives of Edifices - Essay Example The main idea of the essay is found in the third paragraph after a considerable discourse on the background of hospitals and medical treatments from the 1900s. To quote: â€Å"In a quirky continuation of past thinking about the need for a civic image for the hospital, designers and administrators began emulating community center, the shopping mall. As a result, hospitals entrances became more welcoming, waiting rooms more inviting, facilities reintegrated more fully into daily urban life, and patients (or even better clients) treated more as guests or consumers.† (p. 82) The argument is that by adopting an environment of domesticity and emulating community-center, hospitals were able to change the old negative perception into something pleasant even without any significant alteration to the patient-doctor relationship. From cold, clinical and drab institution into a welcoming public space, Sloane successfully depicted how hospitals were effective in taking control of their dev elopment and their future by using architectural design in their strategy to adopt. Meanwhile, Cultural Infrastructure investigated the influence of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal on the modern design of American public space. It immediately opined that such â€Å"brief and rich period of commitment to public building produced many of the works that define the public space we now use†. (p. 226) It was cited that Roosevelt Administration resulted in the widest public building program ever that left a lasting mark on what Leighninger called as cultural infrastructure – roads, bridges, schools, courthouses and other public facilities such as parks, museums, gardens, civic centers and city halls, among others. The paper is well researched and has outlined impressive figures and data to support arguments made. For example, a list of new and modified infrastructures and edifices were provided, showing the number of constructed buildings ranging from schools to rodeo gr ounds. An important claim made by the author was the fact that the flurry of construction completed during the period was driven by the need to address the unemployment and economic stagnation of the Great Depression. The reference to this variable allowed Leighninger to explore the distinct contribution of the New Deal to the way public spaces were designed. A case in point was the suggestion that public spaces were designed in such a way that they might discourage dissent. This is supposedly demonstrated in the way the construction of large spaces was avoided and instead more neutral and distracting ones were erected such as zoos and gardens. While there are pieces of evidence of large public spaces constructed such as the Orange Bowl and Cow Palace, Leighninger maintained that there was, indeed, the presence of bias in favor of smaller spaces that constrained politically charged atmosphere. (p. 230) A more important claim, however, was made when the author discussed how public sp ace – as approached by the New Deal architects and urban designers – is not all about the economic consideration.

Anthropology of humor Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthropology of humor - Assignment Example Humor is a part of our day-to-day life and people use humor while conversing, imagining, and observing. Humor is also beneficial as it gives social, psychological, and material advantages to the persons who make humor. Humor is soothing for pain, grief, anxiety, and nervousness. Mcgraw and Warren are of the view that â€Å"humor is a positive and adaptive response to benign violations. Humor provides a healthy and socially beneficial way to react to hypothetical threats, remote concerns, minor setbacks, social faux pas, cultural misunderstandings, and other benign violations people encounter on a regular basis. Humor also serves a valuable communicative function† (1148). Humor whatever may it be is not innocent; it reveals as much as it hides. Also, humor does not actually produce aggression, it is not unrelated to aggression. Gruner, Humor and Aggression There have been so many attempts by philosophers, scientists, critical theorists, and comedians to theorize humor and delin eate its intricacies. There are several theories, which try to interpret humor. What is humor? What is its social function? What ought to be considered as humor? Humor theorists have tried to find answers to all the above questions and beyond. These theories try to understand all sorts of humor by assuming some antecedents, like incongruity, tension release (Freud) or superiority (Gruner). However, the problem with them is that they speculate humor as an outcome of some tragedies. According to Gruner, â€Å"[p]rostitution could serve as the subject matter in a joke in order to make fun of others besides the girl and her client† (122). Humor, even it is on some people only, is always related to the society as a whole. Therefore, humor could reveal the social unconscious and the traces of repressed aggression within it. Many times, apparently, â€Å"the subject matter is sex [of humor], but the object of ridicule the conceited nature of both a young man and a young womanâ€⠄¢ (italics original) (Gruner, 126). Certainly, humor is an attack, a rebellion against the conceited nature of transactions in a non-transparent society. Charles R Gruner has offered a deep-going superiority theory of humor. He has contributed a lot in conceptualizing the humor. The central theme of Gruner’s theoretical formulation regarding the complexities of humor is that ‘much sexual humor is can also profit in humorousness by its active ingredient of aggression. That is, if both aggression and sexual content each make for good jokes, a combination of the two adds up to double enjoyment.† (emphasis original) (127). He equates humor with a game and firmly believes that there are winners, losers, and spectators in humor. Gruner is of the view that ‘sexual humor is one of the most prevalent and best-enjoyed kinds of humor† (127). Gruner's Superiority Theory of Humor has three fundamental assumptions. First, in the entire humorous situation there will be a winner and a loser. This notion is compatible with the human nature. Gruner believes that human beings are always competitive in their mind. In addition, humor has substituted the actual fight. Through humor people are competing with each other for hundreds of years. The winner, in Gruner’s notion, always makes fun of the loser. If we go to any talk show there we find comedians, who winners, making fun of politicians and elites, who are considered as losers.

High School and Different Political Changes Essay Example for Free

High School and Different Political Changes Essay In chapter 9 of Assault on Paradise Kottak discusses the different political changes that Arembepe went through as well as how it affected the villager’s everyday life, and how it could possibly change the way Arembepeiros live in the future and effect their future generations. Throughout the chapter Kottak discusses many things, but he hits on about 4 main topics, Welfare and Education, Public Health, Marriage and the State, and the sex Ratio and Female status. In the beginning of the Chapter Kottak describes that the Arembepian government lowered the age that people needed to be to be eligible for government pensions. They lowered the age from 65 to 60. This may seem like a small change but it actually can have a large effect on the government’s ability to pay for it. When looked at in comparison to the United States’ social security, one could see that 5 years could add a large amount of people taking away from the â€Å"pot† essentially. This could cause serious problems in the United States, so this is surprising to see this type of change in such a small and not so wealthy ethnic group. This is an example of Arembepe becoming a larger, more contributing society, or it even becoming a state of its own. The second political change that Arembepe went through was a national census. This was something that was very big for Arembepe; this pretty much solidified it as a state. Kottak explained that â€Å"the head of statistical services for the municipality told [him] about the plans for the national census. Scheduled to begin in September 1980.† (Kottak 130) In the early 1960s Arembepe was just a small tribe it seemed like, they had come so far. They now had town centers, one-way and two-way streets, supermarkets, a commercial center, several pharmacies, doctors’ offices, labs, and even other medical services! This was a completely different place than it had been just a few decades earlier. Another politic al change that occurred was that people now had to pay licensing fees to the municipality for their stores, bars, and restaurants. This was also a big deal, it seemed that all of the things Kottak states in the chapter up to this point all solidify the validity of Arembepe as a state, and even a nation. This new licensing was also a big contrast from the 1960s when only the owners of the two largest stores had to pay those fees. â€Å"Municipal officials inspected weights and measures, and there was regular mail delivery. The streets had formal names, street signs, and house numbers.† (Kottak 131) All of these are examples of just how much Arembepe had grown and how legitimized it was becoming. Now the rest of Brazil was seeing it in a different light. They were â€Å"pulling their own weight† now, essentially. They were being a contributing member, or a contributing band, to a much larger state. Documents that were never required before were, and are not required. â€Å"Full names were used in legal documents, and people were more familiar with the last names of fellow villagers. Most adults now had identity papers.† (Kottak 131) They were becoming a much more organized and legitimate society. Kottak even explained in the chapter that once they started using these documents that you could in fact be penalized, and even jailed if they were stopped by police and did not have a valid ID. Another pattern that the Arembepe people were doing was joining the armed forces. It was almost like â€Å"the thing to do,† or at least it was becoming that. Kottak explained that â€Å"after junior high school, many local boys now presented themselves to the army, air force, or navy.† (Kottak 131) He also explained that joining the military was almost something that was just done, almost an unsaid thing. Like getting married, or wearing socks. You just do it because your parents did it, and your friends do it. It is just part of their culture. It is almost like a diffusion of American culture. Or at least how American culture used to be. Kottak also explains that when you do join the armed forces in Arembepe and you are released, or leave. You have a better chance of getting a job, sometimes even a better job than those who weren’t in the armed forces. The fourth, and possibly the most important political change Arembepe went through was the Basic Education Reform Law of 1971. This law was extremely important to Arembepe because it mandated 8 years of education (in primary and junior high school). â€Å"The new law also set a national core curriculum of general studies, including practical courses to determine vocational aptitudes in grades five through eight,† Kottak explained on page 131. Kottak also describes that the main reason that they instituted this because they wanted to prepare these children, or young adults, for the workforce and employment. They had a new junior high school and two elementary schools, which had five competent teachers. By 1980, Arembepe had really buckled down on education. It was taken much more seriously and was given much more money. By this time they had to wear uniforms, pay fees, and buy books and supplies. Public health is the fifth political change Arembepe went through. They had improved a little bit but not by much. There was a clinic that was set up in Arembepe but the practicing doctor was only there 2 days a week. There were 2 nurses that were staffed. If there was an emergency the Arembepe people had to go to the Tibras, the city hospital. Sanitation problems still existed although they were trying to make it better. Arembepe was just very far behind in many things, but still had come a long way. Overall they were becoming a much more valid city, and state. From reading the beginning chapters to what they had changed they have been successful in many things. Although they still had a long way to go, they had come a long way from where they had started. When the government became more involved in Arembepe it really did a lot for the people there.

self awareness in primates: Fact or Fiction Essay -- essays research p

Abstract The author focuses on determining whether primates are capable of self-awareness. An article is reviewed and evaluated encompassing different points of view and theories. Learned recognition and self-awareness is compared and discussed. Self-awareness in Primates: Fact or Fiction Learning is "a change in behavior due to experience" (Chance, 2003, p. 36). Learning allows an organism to modify its behavior to suit a particular situation. It is a mechanism by which one copes with the ever-changing environment. Anything an organism does that can be measured is behavior (Chance, 2003). Organisms change their behavior to fit environmental changes; this is a learning process, it provides a means to modify our physical environment for example, changing climate by controlling it, or cooking and chemically changing food. These acts are not due to heredity, they are a result of learning (Chance, 2003). It has been proven that chimpanzees and humans share 99.4 % of their DNA, making their genetic makeup very similar. Chimpanzees have large brains which are thought to be paired with higher intelligence since it has been proven that smaller brain sizes demonstrate lower intelligence (Schmid, 2003). Gordon Gallup (1979) sought to discover the answer to a question that Darwin would respond negatively to; do animals have a sense of self awareness? Darwin would say that we are fundamentally different from other animals. One assumption was that man was unique from other animals because of the use of tools. However, as noted by Gallup (1979) Jane Goodall discovered that chimpanzees used twigs as tools for reaching food that they could otherwise get to. Chance (2003) states "reinforcement is the procedure of providing consequences for a behavior that increases or maintain the strength of that behavior" (p.141). The chimpanzees had the novel thought of using a twig to reach ants that were inside a tree trunk. They strengthened or increased their behavior of using a twig to acquire food because this brought about positive consequences, i.e. food. As noted by Chance (2003) Thorndike compared operant learning to natural selection. Those behaviors that are useful survive, those t hat are not, die out. It has been proven that chimpanzees can grasp the basic idea of language. According to Rumbaugh (1995), recent studies show that apes... ...lphins may seek selves in mirror images. (indications of self-awareness in dolphins) (Brief article). Science News, 159(18). Retrieved July 27, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Gallup, G.G. (1979, July-August). Self-awareness in primates. American Scientist, 67(5), 417-421. Retrieved July 26, 2004, from XanEdu database. Miensinompe, S. V. (1997). Animal's self awareness. Retrieved August 5, 2004, from http://www.strato.net/~crvny/sa03002.html Miller, N. (1998, February). The reflective self: A sociological perspective. Roeper Review, 20(3). Retrieved July 28, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Pennisi, E. (1999, June). Primate abilities: are our primate cousins 'conscious'? Science, 284(5423), 2070-2073. Retrieved July 28, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Rymbaugh, D. (1995, September). Primate language and cognition: Common ground. Social Research, 63(3). Retrieved July 25, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Schmid, R. E. (2003, May). Researchers: Chimps closer to humans. AP Online. Retrieved July 28, 2004, from HighBeam Research database. Wynne, C. (1999, November). Do animals think? Psychology Today. Retrieved July 26, 2004, from HighBeam Research database

Was the Civil War Fought over Slavery?

The Civil War was the bloodiest war in all of America's history. But some things still remains a mystery in the Civil War. There were many reasons to how the Civil War was cause. A lot of people thinks that slavery was the cause,but it is only one of the many causes. Slavery, Economy, and State's Rights were the main cause to the Civil War. The slavery brought tensions,many differences in economy,and fighting for a cause. Tensions rose as Republicans and Democrats fight for a solution in slavery,the North and South many differences in their economy,and reasons to fighting in the Civil War.The Civil War was fought for slavery, economy, and State's Rights. During the 1860s election,the topic of slavery brought many political tensions to the Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans was an anti-slavery party. The Republicans disagree of the spreading of slavery and would take this issue to Congress,whenever they can,to stop its expansion. They viewed slavery as an a problem that would last forever,and thought the problem would soon lead to extinction As for the Democrats,they were pro-slavery party.They viewed slavery was good not only for the slave holder,but also for the slave(John C. Calhoun). In the 1850s Abraham Lincoln said that slavery was â€Å"an unqualified evil to the negro, the white man, and the State,† but later on in his first Inaugural Address he said that he had â€Å"no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with slavery in the States where it exists. †Abraham Lincoln personally didn't like slavery but as a Republican he wished to abolish it. But as the President of America,he made a promise to the Constitution,which protected slavery.Therefore the tension that rose from slavery resulted in constant fighting of the Republicans and Democrats. The North and South had many differences one of their differences is their economy. In 1793, Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin,profited a lot. It reduced time the time it took to separate the seeds from the cotton. But it also increase the number of slaves on the plantation.Because of this machine that means that there will be more plantations which means that there will  be a greater need for slaves. The South soon became a cotton crop economy,depending on slaves. While the North was a factory economy relying on wage labors than slaves. To sum up this make the major difference in the economy of the North and South (http://americanhistory. about. com/od/civilwarmenu/a/cause_civil_war. htm). The North and South had many reasons to why they fought in the Civil War,but slavery was not the main reason. In Lincoln's first Inaugural Address he declared that it was his job to look after the Union.He also said that he has no intention of freeing the slaves. The Confederacy couldn't accept this so on April 12, they attack Fort Sumter resulting in the beginning of the Civil War. Few states cut off ties with the Union, after more attacks. So to keep ties with remain ing states Lincoln insisted that the war was not about slavery or black rights but was to protect the Union (http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2967. html). The South fought out of fear and for their rights to secede. The Union abides by the Constitution and the South fought to abandon the Constitution.In conclusion the many reasons of the North and the South does not have slavery as the main reason (http://library. thinkquest. org/CR0215469/secession. htm). The Civil War was fought on slavery, economy, and State's Rights. Therefore the tensions that rose resulted in the Republicans and Democrats constantly fighting,the Economy being the greatest difference in the North and South,and slavery not the only reason for fighting in the Civil War. Slavery may be the most important cause but it is not the only cause for the Civil War.

Humanity Case Essay

Humanity.   Perhaps this is the only word that can explain the strange comings and goings of the man from Nazareth, called Jesus.   â€Å"The Lost Tomb of Jesus,† aired March 3, on the Discovery Channel, an amazing piece of documentary.   In the city of Jerusalem, in the midst of an apartment complex, was found a place of burial.   Perhaps the burial place of, Mary Magdalene, her son Judah, and two brothers-in-law, Simon and James.   Were these the relatives of Jesus the Christ, in the scheme of things the question seems to be irrelevant. Humanity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although there is great emphasis placed on the Christ, the Messiah.   Very few people seem interested at all in Jesus’ humanity.   People are offended at the thought that Jesus may have deigned to have been with a woman, much less married to a whore.   Yet this is the very story told in Hosea.   God’s unquestioning love of even, maybe most especially, one who would be unfaithful.   It seems to me of all of Jesus’ disciples, Mary is the one who ‘got it.’   Only an outcast could truly understand the message of Christ.   To be offered kindness, when only suffering has come at the hands of man, is an indescribable miracle.   How Mary must have loved this man, Jesus.   The Divine, the Christ.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jesus’ humanity is controversial.   And I don’t know why.   If Jesus was not fully human, how could God come to know what it is to be human?   To struggle?   To be defeated?   To know unbridled joy?   To be shortsighted as man is and yet still have the ability to hope.   How God must love us for that!   Yes, ‘all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.’   Who among us is not aware of their own shortcomings?   Everyone I know.   To be human is to be all to aware of what we are not.   Was that the purpose of Jesus’ coming?   To remind each of us of our all too familiar failures?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Many others are outraged that anyone should question the Divinity of Christ, as though questioning such a thing changes the very nature of God?   Hardly.   What question could man possibly ask that could be found to be offensive to God?   Yet, this question of Divinity versus Humanity, people seem to struggle over.   Christ is all or none.   Even those who would say Jesus was both human and God, cannot admit that Jesus could have succumbed in his humanity to be human.   And what a terrible misrepresentation.   All throughout the Bible God is represented as part of humankind.   Why would humanity be denied what most Christians’ believe to be God’s only Son.   There is of course, great misrepresentation and misunderstanding about the chronology of the canon.    That Jesus’ divinity was not even declared until 300 years after his death.   By whom?   Why man of course?   I wonder if God would be pleased with all that the ‘church’, not the body, has accomplished?   Just recently, I visited a new church and although I liked the people.   I was saddened when the pastor started talking about the ‘building’ fund.   Is this what Christianity has been reduced to?   Buildings?   What of the starving?   What of the homeless?   What of the person who has not known the kindness of a human touch, due to illness or simple isolation?   What of these?   Does God not plague us to be in touch with his light, his life, his children?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Lost Tomb of Jesus is a wonderful representation of the possibility that Jesus was all he said he was.   A miracle.   A blessing in disguise.   Both human and Divine.   Just like the rest of us.   A bit of God rests in us all at the heart of God’s highest creation, mankind.   Rejoice!   Awake!   God is among us!   Living when we thought he was dead!   Alleluia!   Jesus is Alive!