Reaction to Transcendentalism Essay Example for Free

Reaction to Transcendentalism Essay After reading the Transcendentalist works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, I was surprised at my reaction to them. From what I had originally heard, the Transcendentalist works were boring essays. However, after reading them, I discovered that I can relate to many things that Emerson and Thoreau discuss in their papers. Though I liked Emerson more than I liked Thoreau, both of them impressed me with their ability to take such a strong stand on issues that most people can identify with. One Transcendentalist piece that we read was Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This excerpt describes Emersons views on nature and how it affects man. He says that in nature, man becomes like a child and is able to enjoy a perfect exhilaration. When he experiences the calm and peacefulness of nature, Emerson feels as though he has returned to reason and faith and has found his true self. He then goes on to describe how he becomes a transparent eyeball, seeing all but not being seen himself; it is as if he is invisible. After reading this, I was a little confused by his language and strange metaphors. But then I realized that Emerson is right. When we take a hike, or go for a walk, we are experiencing nature the way are meant to experience it. We can go back to our roots and find the perfect way to fit in with our surroundings, to harmonize with the world around us. This excerpt made me think of the peace and calm of a perfectly harmonized world. Another piece we read was Self-Reliance, also by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I also enjoyed reading this piece because it discusses a humans urge to be himself, even when society and civilization try to stop us. He says that without trying no one ever knows what he is truly capable of. If we let the influence of others affect us, we can never really experience our lives the way we were created to. We are also sometimes afraid to express our whole selves, and we are ashamed of that divine idea with each of us represents. I can relate to this quote directly, because I am sometimes ashamed of things in my life that I should be proud of. Emerson brings up conformity and societys constant pressure to fit the mold, but then he says that if we want to be true men (or women), we must be nonconformists. We cannot allow someone to tell us how to act, and we cannot be afraid to be misunderstood, for many people who are famous today were misunderstood during their lives. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this excerpt, because it touched on topics that I seem to experience in my own life and let me know that others have the same problems finding strength in themselves as I do. The next piece to discuss is Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. In this essay, Thoreau lashes out against the American government in response to the Mexican War, which is being fought at that time. He discusses the corruption that the government can undergo, and how it is in fact hindering the people instead of helping them achieve their goals. He asks for a better government which will work for the benefit of the people rather than its own benefit. Thoreau also claims that, in the future, a government may not even be necessary at all, for the people are strong enough to run themselves. I agree with certain parts of Thoreaus ideas, but not all of them. My initial reaction to Civil Disobedience was one of anger for Thoreaus traitorous remarks. However, I have to admit that governments are at many times corrupt and work for themselves rather than for the people. The Transcendentalist authors wrote about their views on life, government, and human nature. After reading some of their work, I am amazed that I could actually relate to some of the ideas they discussed, especially Ralph Waldo Emersons. Although some of the language is hard to understand and the descriptions take some time to comprehend, the essays opened me up to a world where people wrote down exactly how they felt and wanted to use those feelings to make a difference. The Transcendentalists impressed me, which is something I never would have expected.

Comparing William Faulkners Short Stories, A Rose for Emily and Dry Se

Comparing William Faulkner's Short Stories, A Rose for Emily and Dry September Three key elements link William Faulkner's two short stories "A Rose for Emily" and "Dry September": sex, death, and women (King 203). Staging his two stories against a backdrop of stereotypical characters and a southern code of honor, Faulkner deliberately withholds important details, fragments chronological times, and fuses the past with the present to imply the character's act and motivation. The characters in Faulkner's southern society are drawn from three social levels: the aristocrats, the townspeople, and the Negroes (Volpe 15). In "A Rose for Emily," Faulkner describes Miss Emily Grierson in flowing, descriptive sentences. Once a "slender figure in white," the last descendent of a formerly affluent aristocratic family matures into a "small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head" (Faulkner, Literature 25-27). Despite her diminished financial status, Miss Emily exhibits her aristocratic demeanor by carrying her head high "as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson" (28). In an equally descriptive manner, Faulkner paints a written portrait of Miss Minnie Cooper in "Dry September." He portrays her as a spinster "of comfortable people - not the best in Jefferson, but good enough people" and "still on the slender side of ordinary looking, with a bright faintly haggard manner and dress (Faulkner, Reader 520). Cleanth Brooks sheds considerable insight on Faulkner's view of women. He notes that Faulkner's women are "the source and sustainer of virtue and also a prime source of evil. She can be ... ...uth. Works Cited Brooks, Cleanth. "William Faulkner: Visions of Good and Evil." Faulkner, New Perspectives. Ed. Richard H. Brodhead. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey : Prentice-Hall, 1983. ---. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House,1986. Faulkner, William. "Dry September." The Faulkner Reader. New York; Random House, 1954. ---. "A Rose for Emily." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 5th ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. ---. Selected Letters of William Faulkner. Ed. Joseph Blotner. New York: Random House, 1977. Kazin, Alfred. Bright Book of Life. Boston: Little Brown Company, 1973. King, Richard H. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Reed, Joseph. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Volpe, Edmond. A Reader's Guide to William Faulkner. New York: Octagon, 1974.

Native North Americans: Journal Entry of a Subordinate Group

One often wonders where the Native North Americans originated from. Some theories have been discussed about the peopling of the Americas. Early theories involving lost tribes and continents were based purely on speculation instead of actual scientific facts. Discoveries made during many archeological expeditions have helped shape the always changing interpretations by adding more questions and more theories. There have been genetic and linguistic studies which raised more understanding and brought new questions. It is theorized that during the latter part of the Cenozoic era, also known as the age of mammals that the Wisconsin glaciation caused enough of the planet’s water supply to turn into ice. This lowered the oceans and exposed now submerged land. This event created a stretch of land that the large mammals of the Ice Age era, along with the natives of that era, could very well have migrated across the newly formed land bridge, which now connected two continents. This land bridge is known as the Bering Strait, or Beringia. During the time that Beringia existed, the Wisconsin glaciers most likely prohibited migration to any southern or eastern regions. Another theory suggests that the early natives may have inhabited the now Alaskan region because it was ice-free due to low precipitation. Several melts over a period of time created passageways, and evidence from archeological site implies that there was an ice-free corridor for thousands of years. It was during another melt approximately ten thousand years ago, that a second corridor was most likely formed farther east along the borders of Saskatchewan and Canada plains. This points to the possibility that the ancient people could have traveled eastward along the rivers in the Great Plains, and down further south. The Indians known to history as the Sioux are also known as Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota, meaning allies. This is my heritage. I am a member of the largest division of Siouan family, otherwise known as Sioux. The name is from a term given to the largest and well- known of the tribal groups. At one time, my people stretched from the west banks of the Mississippi northward from Arkansas and the Rocky Mountains. The Dakotas also inhabited territory east of the river up to Wisconsin and Missouri. They were here to encounter DeSoto on his journey in 1541, when he reached the Indian villages in what is now eastern Arkansas. Another hundred years passed before any mention of Sioux existing, when in 1658 some Jesuit missionaries heard of the existence of about thirty Dakota villages just north of a Potawatomi mission. This was located at about the head of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in St. Michael. It was during the middle 1600’s when the Sioux, along with the Arapaho and Cheyenne had to migrate further westward towards the Great Plains to what is known as North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. This migration was mainly due to the O jibwa and Chippewa tribes pushing them out of the Great Lakes region. The Ojibwa and Chippewa had been pushed out of their own land that had been further east, by the European settlers of that time. In 1805 Lewis and Clark passed through the center of this region and made contact with the Sioux tribes. After this took place, several more expeditions brought traders that settled among the tribes, and in the course of some time, permanent settlers arrived. This made the area so small that eventually the people of my tribe were forced to live in Indian Territories or confined to Nebraska, the Dakotas, or Montana. This brought on a series of raids and counter raids that lasted from roughly 1850 through 1890 and were known as the Sioux Wars. In the first years of the twentieth century, the Dakotas also known as Tetons began the process of adapting to their new way of life. They still had strong faith in their own traditions, but realized that the old way was gone forever. Numerous changes with the economy and politics were forced on my people by the government. The people strived to establish a life for themselves that used both new changes, but still remained true to their values and beliefs. During the rest of the twentieth century, all of the reservations for the Dakotas, Lakotas, and Tetons lost more land due to ownership passes and inheritances. Division between rural dwellers and people who live in town have grown bigger. Rural residents tend to retain their use of native language, and be involved in cultural events, when townspeople adapt other aspects of the American culture. Most of the Sioux nation and other groups of American Indians live in South Dakota, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and North Dakota at present time on privatized land created by the government many years ago. Wendy Coghill

Jesus Camp

â€Å"Jesus Camp† A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America that requires Christian youth to assume leadership roles in advocating the causes of their religious movement. â€Å"Jesus Camp† follows three home-schooled Missouri kids—12-year-old mullet-haired Levi, who was saved at 5; 10-year-old soldier's daughter Tory, who loves dancing to Christian heavy metal; and 9-year-old Rachael, who breathlessly approaches strangers to talk about Christ—to Pastor Becky Fischer’s â€Å"Kids on Fire† summer camp in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. At this camp, kids as young as six years old are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in â€Å"God’s army. † The film follows these children at camp as they hone their â€Å"prophetic gifts† and are taught how to â€Å"take back America for Christ. † Wielding everything from PowerPoint to plush toys to illustrate the wages of sin, the impassioned Fischer has a clear-eyed view of children as malleable material, ripe for the inculcating. When they are not speaking in tongues, pledging allegiance to the Christian flag, or blessing a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush, the kids rally round to hear Fischer and others entreat them to â€Å"join the war,† â€Å"fix the sick world,† and fight abortion. The film looks into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America’s political future. The fundamentalist revival is a concept that can be associated with â€Å"Jesus Camp. † While many of the large, mainline churches have lost members, other churches (such as the Evangelical Christian churches) have gained members. Contrary to mainline Protestants, Evangelical Christians emphasize a literal interpretation of the Bible. They also stress emotional demonstrativeness rather than quiet, inward devotion at church services (Thio, 2007, pp. 354). For instance, the kids who attended â€Å"Kids on Fire† summer camp spoke in tongues, pledged allegiance to the Christian flag, and blessed a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush instead of quietly praying during church services. Bibliography Thio, Alex. 2007. Society Myths and Realities; An Introduction to Sociology. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Free Essays on The Shawl

Rosa: The Portrait of a Jew in Ozick’s â€Å"The Shawl† Countless stories have been written on the trials and tribulations of what the Jewish people went through while being forced into the concentration camps. The pictures brought to mind are nearly starved and hopeless people lined up for roll call, beaten or even killed on any guard’s slightest whim. Ozick certainly brings to life the hardships and heartbreak that one family faces while walking to and living in the Nazi concentration camp. Rosa, the desperate mother of two in Ozick’s â€Å"The Shawl,† is a classic example of a person who has realized that all hope is lost. Rosa is walking to the concentration camp with Stella and has the infant Magda hidden away â€Å"[...]between sore breasts† (Ozick 675). She is aware of what the guards would do to the child if they ever find out that Rosa has her. Rosa with her â€Å"[...]bleak complexion, dark like cholera[...]† sneaks glances at baby Magda, who has â€Å"[...]eyes blue as air, smooth feathers of hair nearly as yellow as the Star sewn into Rosa’s coat† (676). She dreams of giving Magda away, but she knows that if she left the line long enough to push Magda into a spectator’s arms, the guards will shoot her. Also, she worries that perhaps the person will not accept Magda. â€Å"She might be surprised or afraid; she might drop the shawl, and Magda would fall out and strike her head and die† (676). With these two thoughts holding her back, Rosa walks on hiding baby Magda from the world, knowing that she will be hiding the child for the rest of her lif e. By the time that Magda turns fifteen months old, she has learned to walk, just not very well. Her belly â€Å"[...]was fat with air, full and round† (677). Rosa looks at Stella and realizes exactly how unfeeling and bitter she has become. They were in a place without pity, all pity was annihilated in Rosa, she looked at Stella’s bones without pity. Sh... Free Essays on The Shawl Free Essays on The Shawl Rosa: The Portrait of a Jew in Ozick’s â€Å"The Shawl† Countless stories have been written on the trials and tribulations of what the Jewish people went through while being forced into the concentration camps. The pictures brought to mind are nearly starved and hopeless people lined up for roll call, beaten or even killed on any guard’s slightest whim. Ozick certainly brings to life the hardships and heartbreak that one family faces while walking to and living in the Nazi concentration camp. Rosa, the desperate mother of two in Ozick’s â€Å"The Shawl,† is a classic example of a person who has realized that all hope is lost. Rosa is walking to the concentration camp with Stella and has the infant Magda hidden away â€Å"[...]between sore breasts† (Ozick 675). She is aware of what the guards would do to the child if they ever find out that Rosa has her. Rosa with her â€Å"[...]bleak complexion, dark like cholera[...]† sneaks glances at baby Magda, who has â€Å"[...]eyes blue as air, smooth feathers of hair nearly as yellow as the Star sewn into Rosa’s coat† (676). She dreams of giving Magda away, but she knows that if she left the line long enough to push Magda into a spectator’s arms, the guards will shoot her. Also, she worries that perhaps the person will not accept Magda. â€Å"She might be surprised or afraid; she might drop the shawl, and Magda would fall out and strike her head and die† (676). With these two thoughts holding her back, Rosa walks on hiding baby Magda from the world, knowing that she will be hiding the child for the rest of her lif e. By the time that Magda turns fifteen months old, she has learned to walk, just not very well. Her belly â€Å"[...]was fat with air, full and round† (677). Rosa looks at Stella and realizes exactly how unfeeling and bitter she has become. They were in a place without pity, all pity was annihilated in Rosa, she looked at Stella’s bones without pity. Sh...

Census And Dating Prospects In California Assignment

Census And Dating Prospects In California - Assignment Example Women interested in identifying dating opportunities need not worry because there are men out there who are more fertile and readily available. Another important aspect in determining dating prospect from the findings of United States’ Census Bureau was the type of households in California. Families with fathers as the only parent are fewer than those that are headed by single mothers. Female-headed households accounted for 25% while families with males as the single parent in the household recorded 9%. It is advisable for men to stop worrying about women to date because the older population consists of an increased number of women who have opted out of relationships. Jerry McCain thought about moving to a college in the neighboring state, Arizona, to try his luck in finding a lady to settle down with on January 28, 2014. He will settle with his cousin Martin before finding a part-time job to sustain his marital needs and fund his wedding plans. Typically, this is not bad for a high school graduate. Compared with the reports from the estimates of American Community Survey, Arizona, with a favorable male to female ratio of 2:1, is a better hunting ground for female partners. Figures for the current year (2014) have not been released to determine the changes in proportions between the male and female populations. On a different perspective, dating prospects in California can be determined by the variations in the male and female populations in different ethnic groups. It is easy to date African American and Latino or Hispanic ladies and men between 15 and 19 years as compared to white alone, not Latino or Hispanic. For example, data recorder indicated that there are many Latino or Hispanic males and females in learning institutions for the active dating age group of 15 to 19 years. They account for 40% of the total number of school enrollments.

Anna in the tropics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anna in the tropics - Essay Example This production response focuses of analyzing the themes, characters, subject evaluation, plot of the play, and recommendation. Story (plot description) Santiago’s cigar factory is among the famous Ybor city factories of the year 1929 and the factory is experiencing modernization with new technology posing an effect of replacing the current Cuban workers (Cruz 2010, p.5). At the beginning of the play, Santiago involves himself in a bet and finally loses his money, while his daughters and wife wait for Juan Julian arrival to read aloud to the employees. He chooses â€Å"Anna Karenina†, Tolstoy’s novel as his first choice for the workers. The women seem to be interested with the novel but Cheche and Santiago’s stepbrother seem less enthused. As the lector reads the novel deeper, those who are listening to the story also remain attentive (Cruz 2010, p.10). However, Cheche is not at all concentrating with the lector’s story, and strives to transform the entire factory. During the new cigar brand inauguration, all workers throw a party to celebrate the implementation of the new cigar that will improve their success although Cheche is highly frustrated (Cruz 2010, p.12). Character Santiago- Santiago is the cigar factory owner. Being overwhelmed with gambling troubles, he struggles a lot to ensure that his wife and two daughters receive maximum protection and provision. He also defends the nature of Cuban worker’s tradition in his cigar factory. His character trait depicts that one should be active enough to ensure good care of his family and defend his or her idea (Bryer & Hartig 2010, p.32). Anna’s husband- Anna’s husband, Karenin is a man of influence, riches, and has a good social character that at first seems to be naive about his wife’s friendship with Vronsky. After realizing the affair between his wife and Vronsky, he finds ways on how to comport himself for he tries as much to avoid scandals at an y cost. The character aspect with Karenin is that it is good to avoid scandals since they can be costly to one’s life (Maufort 2010, P. 134). Cheche- Cheche is the Santiago’s stepbrother who claims for partial ownership of the factory because of his wager winning. Ever since his wife left him for the lector’s, he remains to be dangerous to the rest of workers due to the bitterness. Cheche is highly interested in modernizing the factory operations and shows no interest with the new lector’s stories (Maufort 2010, P. 134). Ideas (the major themes of the play) One of the main themes portrayed in the play is that of violence versus reason. The first scene of the play shows a contrast of two life approaches, one reasoned and the other violent (Maufort 2010, P. 133). The play portrays violent by the cockfighting savage game, which suggests that cunning, skill, and might, will constantly win. Although Cheche depicts to be a cautious person, when it is time for g ambling, he insists the notion that physical control will triumph following reason’s failure to persuade (Maufort 2010, P. 133). For instance, Cheche takes Marela forcibly when she decides to pay no attention to his innuendo and lurid glances. On the other hand, Ofelia and Santiago do not support the idea of automating the factory because this will displace workers (Maufort 2010, P. 136). The two employ sounds reasons to support their decisions although they are