Egyptian Civilization and Classical Greek Essay Example for Free

Egyptian Civilization and Classical Greek Essay Egyptian Civilization and Classical Greek Introduction            Civilization has been dated to be as old and human kind whereby it’s an advanced state of human activity signified by high levels of cultural, science, industry and government development. Over time, there has been civilization all the word with different regions undergoing the civilization at different times. One of the most influential civilization processes globally is the ‘Egyptian civilizations’ (Freeman, 2004).            Egypt is a country found in the North of Africa, on the Mediterranean Sea. The country is referred as one of the earliest to experience civilization on earth. The country (Egypt) thrived for thousands of years whose culture was famous and influential for its great culture cultural advances in every area of human knowledge such as science, technology and religion. One of the most and still remains important in the Egyptians history is the great monuments which reflects the depth of Egyptian culture which in turn is believed to have influenced many of the ancient civilizations such as the cases of Rome and Greece (Freeman, 2004).            As I figured out, there are numerous feature and aspects that defined Egyptian civilization but one of the prominent aspect as the architectures. Ancient Egyptians were built their pyramids; temples and tombs remains of Egypts monumental architectural achievements are visible across the land, a tribute to the greatness of this civilization. As I visited the country, I could not fail to identify the numerous mysteries in terms of civilizations. In addition, there is no any other civilization that has captured the eyes of civilization over time like that of ancient Egypt. Mysteries like its origin, religion and even how they came up with the monumental architecture such as pyramids has been a real mystery (Talbert, 2012).            The architectural breakthrough in Egypt has been one of the sources of civilization into the entire world. The pyramids’ has made the country one of the famous, as the constructions are the remaining ones among the initial Seven Wonders of the World. One of the reasons behind the prominence of the pyramid is the fact that the Egyptians never showed how actually the pyramids were made. The art form in the focus in Egypt civilization is the architectural knowledge in the country and the role it played in the civilization process. The purpose of the architectural knowledge that resulted to the building of the pyramid in the ancient Egypt, the purpose of the piece is the fact the Egyptians were believed to be among the first to elect buildings, and as I can see here, Ancient Egyptians are the ones who have taught humanity how to erect and design buildings. Of the seven famous structures in the seven wonders list, in the ancient world as the Great Pyramid of Giza (Talbert, 2012).            This architectural structure is the most recognizable in the country (Egypt), and not only is the structure among the oldest, but it is still the one that remains as the proof of the civilization in the region as it is still the structure that remains. During my visit in the region, I also found that, The Great Giza Pyramid was recorded as the tallest artificial construction in the globe for 3800 Yrs which is not only an evidence to its stability but to its score as one of the largely exceptional structures built. According to the information obtained, the ‘Giza Pyramid’ was not the initial pyramid to be constructed; ‘however’ this pyramid became one of the largely famous structures in the globe. Why did Giza Pyramid get all the celebrity and splendour? The Pyramid though not much big than nearly every pyramid, is in reality the biggest pyramid ever built. This pyramid represents the improvements and accomplishments of structural design in Egypt. The pyramid is precise, large and required an irresistible amount of organization. It is not the pyramid that is so captivating but it is the method and process used to create it. Even today, Egyptologists are not entirely certain how The Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed (Duchesne, 2012).            In conclusion, the architectural prowess of the Egyptian architectures is found to be influential to the architectural civilization in the rest parts of the world. I also found that, Ancient Egyptian architects were also known as Chiefs of Construction, as they skilled in their designing of great religious, funerary, and public buildings, where one of their constructions is the Great Giza Pyramid (Duchesne, 2012). In addition to the magnificent structures, there also exists the sketch plans for the various building and structure that were elected during the ancient times. In addition, during my visit, I also managed to find the preserved two sketch plans on papyrus and flakes of stones, which showed the accuracy of the architects work. To the mentioned inventions in the ancient Egypt, many more can be traced to have its origin back to the Egyptians. For example, rule of law, use of spreadsheets, temples and columns and women liberation. Hence, it is clear that, the modern world civilization owes much of its development and achievements to the ancient Egyptians knowledge (Spielvogel, 2012). Classical Greek or Hellenistic Civilizations            Classical Greece is referred as a period of 200 years in the Greek culture which run between the 5th and the 4th centuries BC. The period is credited for its powerful influence to the Roman Empire as well as greatly influencing the basis of western civilization. There are numerous aspects of the modern culture such as the politics, architecture, scientific, literature and philosophies that were derived from the classical Greece period. This classical Greece period is also known as Hellenic period. The civilization in the classical Greece times had a tremendous impact to the civilization of the other parts of the words in different aspects such as the art of war, religion, culture among many other aspects. The period referred as classical Greece is denoted by cultural and military achievements. The Classical Period produced remarkable cultural and scientific achievements (Freeman, 2014).            Just is the case of the Egyptian civilization, the architectural development in the Classical Greek time, was also very vital in the civilization of the region. For centuries, ancient Greece gained control of many universal architectural designs and movements. Most of the breathtaking masterpieces that are present around the world derive their inspiration from ancient Greece. Greece as a country is highly famous for its rich diversity of architectural designs and it is for this reason that the latter is divided into different timeline along centuries and civilization eras (Spielvogel, 2012). For instance, a tourist visiting the city of Athens in Greece is likely to come across architecture classified according to either Minoan civilization, Mycenaean civilization or many others. In an exclusive guide to architecture based on historical periods, one can have a walk from ancient times to present day. To begin with, Minoan architecture prospered during the 15th to the 27th century BC. It was during this period that that one of the most famous architectural designs was invented. This building was the palace of Knossos that is located on a small hill that is enclosed by a thick forest of pine trees (Freeman, 2014). This palace is divided into two wings where the first wing, known as the west wing, hosts religious and official staterooms. The second wing is known as the east wing that is normally used for workshop, meetings and other domestic purposes. At the time, archeologists who examined and studied the palace of Knossos found marvelous stones called frescoes beneath the layers of ash. This made them to believe that the ruin and destruction of the town of Minoa and Knossos was directly related to the eruption of the Santorini volcano. These frescoes have crystal clear colors and mimic happy scenarios from daily life occasions and festivities. The combination of these frescoes with the fact that the town of Minoa lacked security walls is enough evidence that peaceful relationships existed with other cultures. Furthermore, other less famous sites existed in Minoa and included the palace of Phaestos and Zakros (Freeman, 2014).            In conclusion, the architectural knowledge possessed by the Greek contributed greatly to the development of the structures. The outstanding thing about the materialization of Hellenic civilization is its sharp departure from the norm, rising as it did from a dark age in which a small number of poor, isolated and illiterate people developed their own kind of society. Political control was shared by a relatively large portion of the people and participation in political life was highly valued. Most states imposed no regular taxation; there was no separate caste of priests and little concern for life after death. Speculative natural philosophy based on observation and reason arose in this varied, dynamic, secular and remarkably free context (Spielvogel, 2012). This was an era of unparalleled achievement (Benton DiYanni, 2012). While the rest of the world continued to be characterized by monarchical, hierarchical command societies, Athenian democracy was carried as fa r as it would go before modern times. Democracy disappeared with the end of Greek autonomy late in the fourth century B.C.E. When it returned in the modern world more than two millennia later, it was broader but shallower, without the emphasis on active direct participation of every citizen in the government. In addition, many of the literary genres and forms that are ritual in the modern world arose and were developed during this time. The Greek emphasis on naturalistic art that idealized the human forms also diverged from previous and contemporary art in the rest of the world. To a great extent, these developments sprang from the independence and unique political experience of the Greeks (Spielvogel, 2012). Impact of Diversity on the Future Art            There has been vast diversity between the arts presented by the different arts and eras of civilization. Diversity has affected America’s ethnicity ever since its commencement. The different immigrant groups that have come to America has brought along with them their different individual, beliefs, religious practices, architectural developments, and other numerous civilization aspects associated with each group. The different groups helped to generate the colonies and finally the US as one country. In modern America, diversity of traditions has taken on a diverse implication (Benton DiYanni, 2012). The theory has extended from cultural and ethnic custom to the interlinking of gay rights and marriage as well as social ethics. Additionally, there is currently the concept that America must accept and acclimatize to foreign traditions and make legal the use of numerous languages on government documents, street signs and in the unrestricted classrooms all over A merica rather than the incomers adjusting themselves to America’s rich language and culture. The various civilizations undergone from the different parts of the globe have directly affected the Americans way of life, and in turn diversity existence in United States (Benton DiYanni, 2012).            The numerous architectural development and civilization from the two regions has greatly diversified the architectural aspect of United States. There have been numerous civilizations undertaken in the regions discussed which have greatly influenced major political, social and economic factors which have in turn changed American life in the 1960s and 1970s (Benton DiYanni, 2012). The architectural and arts civilization in the Egyptian and Greece has greatly diversified the American culture and architecture developments over time. The  architecture  of the  United States  demonstrates a broad variety of  architectural styles  and built forms over the countrys  history  of over four centuries of independence and former  British rule. Architecture in the United States is as diverse as its multicultural society and has been shaped by many internal and external factors and regional distinctions. As a whole it represents a rich eclectic and innovative t radition (Benton DiYanni, 2012).            The future impact of the art is greatly impacted by the diversity in the American community and culture. For example, Australian Aboriginal painting is analyzed as a case study of the transition from ritual art to commercial art. The arts and cultural aspects are a reinforcing and celebrating different communities’ character (Benton DiYanni, 2012). Arts and culture strategies help to reveal and enhance the underlying identity the unique meaning, value, and character of the physical and social form of a community. This identity is reflected through the communitys character or sense of place. A communitys sense of place is not a static concept; rather, it evolves and develops over time, reflecting the spectrum of social values within and around the community. In this way, the community character of a city, county, town, or neighbourhood can be seen as a story or narrative of a place (Benton DiYanni, 2012). References Benton, J. R., DiYanni, R. (2012).  Arts and culture: An introduction to the humanities: combined volume. Boston: Prentice Hall. Duchesne, R. (2012). A Civilization of Explorers.  Academic Questions,  25(1), 65-93. doi:10.1007/s12129-012-9276-9 Freeman, C. (2014).  Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean. Freeman, C. (2004).  Egypt, Greece, and Rome: Civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean. Oxford: Oxford University Press. OConnor, D. B., Reid, A., University College, London. (2003).  Ancient Egypt in Africa. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Talbert, R. J. A. (2012).  Ancient perspectives: Maps and their place in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece Rome. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Spielvogel, J. J. (2012).  Western civilization. Australia: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Source document

Oscar Micheauxs Films: Literature Review

Oscar Micheauxs Films: Literature Review Green, J. R. (2000).   1. In Straight Lick : The Cinema of Oscar Micheaux (pp. 1-30). Bloomington, US: Indiana University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.nau.edu Film director and author Oscar Micheauxs works are compared and contrasted to contemporary filmmaker D.W. Griffiths film, Birth of a Nation.   Micheauxs film, Within Our Gates, like Griffiths film, idealizes a happy bourgeois couple, but the social intricacies and background stories of these couples are very different.   Griffiths character Elsie Stoneman is a privileged and frail white northern woman who later embraces racism and falls in love with a Klu Klux Klan member who rescued her. Micheauxs Sylvia is a mixed African American woman who does not come from a privileged family and is very independent.   She falls in love with Dr. Vivian, not because he rescued her, and raises money for an underprivileged black school.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Micheauxs novel, The Forged Note: A Romance of the Darker Races, illustrates Michaeuxs philosophical moderation compared to Griffiths steadfast Manichean way of thinking. The author notes that Griffiths resolution to conflicts usually involved forc e; Micheauxs resolutions were accomplished by education. Micheauxs portrayal of restitution is two lovers finally joining together as soul mates.   Griffiths restitutions are revenge and repayment.   Both Micheaux and Griffith attempted to portray the ideal bourgeois American society, but with fundamental differences between the two portrayals. Griffith wanted this idyllic icon to remain with the white supremacists and to maintain racial purity.   Micheaux wanted others to be able to access the middle-class life.   The author relates that Micheauxs views were from the bottom looking up as underprivileged people trying to become middle class, while Griffiths views were from the top down, relying on upper class to construct the middle class.   Green, J. R. (2000).   8. In Straight Lick : The Cinema of Oscar Micheaux (pp. 123-136). Bloomington, US: Indiana University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.nau.edu The author discusses in detail the stereotyping and caricature of African Americans as dealt with by Oscar Micheaux in his films and particularly the characters in his productions.   Micheauxs main focus in life was to uplift others, but stereotyping and caricatures were often roadblocks for him.   The author considers the film The Exile by Micheaux and relates the struggles of the films characters Jean, Jango, and Edith to the bigger social issues of African American stereotypes among whites.   The argument between Edith and Jango about education is compared to the contemporaneous opinion that African Americans during the period of Prohibition were often overeducated for the jobs they were performing.   The author highlights Micheauxs concerns of the degradation of the dignity of African Americans by taking part in jobs of illegitimate business during Prohibition.   The film The Darktown Revue, the only concert film by Micheaux, provides both positive images and negative r acial stereotypes which the author describes as logical arguments by Micheaux to illustrate the issue of African American twoness.   Alain Lockes timeline of African American music closely matches Micheauxs own musical experiences and can be used to identify Micheauxs films from both a musical and political perspective.   The author explains the word darktown as a black community, but also demonstrates a deeper meaning, that of a sanctuary for African American minstrel entertainers escaping the ethnic caricatures of their stage performances.  Ã‚   These minstrel entertainers suffered a blurred line between fear of failure or criticism and fear of harm or even death. Green, J. R. (2000).   9. In Straight Lick : The Cinema of Oscar Micheaux (pp. 137-156). Bloomington, US: Indiana University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.nau.edu Oscar Micheauxs film The Darktown Revue is discussed from the standpoint of how Micheaux handled the many negative caricatures of African Americans and comparisons are drawn to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.   The author relates how the Fisk Jubilee Singers from the black Fisk University in Nashville toured the eastern US during the 1870s and were a success both financially and politically.   This group of black performers is revealed as the group which paved the way for future black musical theater and also worked to uplift the caricature of Black Americans as viewed from the predominantly white public.   Comparisons are drawn to G. D. Pikes story of the Fisk Singers and Micheauxs film The Darktown Revue as both used bourgeois caricatures to effect change in their audiences.   The author notes how the racial climate in Micheauxs years was even more violent than the time of the Fisk Singers nearly sixty years earlier.   Caricature in Micheauxs time was viewed as a roadblock for African American growth.   The author explains the two acts of the Darktown Revue and the caricatures presented.   Micheauxs use of structure in the film is paradigmatically explained as alternating between positive and negative figures, portrayed by the chorus representing middle class African Americans and the performances featuring varied racial caricatures, respectively.   The cutting gaze of Micheaux is explained as his spotlight on negative images.   Contrasts to the Fisk Singers and Micheaux are noted as the Fisk Singers primarily used only positive images.   The author defends Micheauxs perspective on caricatures and compliments his spirit. Jamestown, Massachusetts Bay And Plymouth | Colonies Jamestown, Massachusetts Bay And Plymouth | Colonies The colonies of Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay each were different by nature, goals, successes, and failures. There were numerous similarities as well as differences. However, each colony was looking for something better that was missing in their main land. Members of each colony had a vision of what they expected the New World to look like. When they arrived, they were given a sense of reality. Each colony had challenges that it would have to overcome to thrive as a new establishment in the New World. The three colonies succeeded at different levels in the New World. Primary Source Assignment 1 The English migrated to the New World around the early1600s. I will be discussing the colonies of Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay. I feel as though the laws and ideas of the colonists from this century have formed American into what it is today. The first establishment of the New World was Jamestown in 1607. This colony was founded by King James I. King James sent merchants and adventurers that were looking to profit from land and wealth to the New World just as the Spaniards did in Mexico and Peru. The London Company issued a Virginia charter to form plantations in Virginia. This was lead by Sir Thomas Smith, one of the wealthiest merchants aboard the ships to the New World. There were approximately 104 settlers that arrived on a peninsula along the James River. These settlers wanted to make a profit to take back to England. This peninsula was known as Jamestown. The colonists in this low lying swamp area was stricken with disease, contaminated drinking water, and was attacked by Spaniards or Native Americans. This was a serious threat to the early settlers of Jamestown. Those that came to the New World were mainly men. The majority of the population was men. They outnumbered the women six to one. Jamestown needed male labors to attend to the large plantation used for farming. There was no sense of community due to the lack of women settlers. Jamestowns government focused more on the survival of the colony rather than religion. Jamestown would not have survived had it not been for the strong leadership capabilities of Captain John Smith. He brought order out of anarchy (Brands, 2009, p. 35). Captain John Smith traded with the Indians for food. Smith was later saved from execution by an Indian named Pocahontas. Smith forced people to work if they wanted to eat. By enforcing this, many of the colonists disliked Smith; however he was able to keep this colony alive during such a harsh time. During 1609 and 1611, Smith was in England (Brands, 2009, p. 36). This left the Jamestown settlers without a strong leader. During this time, the settlers lacked food, possibly due to the lack of leadership. Some colonists became cannibals in order to attempt to survive. This was known as Starving Time (Brands, 2009, p. 36). The few remaining colonists turned to local Powhatan Indians to help them learn the process of planting and harvesting corn and tobacco. John Rolfe, and English colonists to this region, began to cultivate and experiment with the growing of tobacco. He established a milder form of this crop and exported it to Europe. By doing so, Virginia began to flourish with profits. Tobacco was easy to grow due to the mild climate and fertile soil. Slave trade began to evolve around the tobacco plantations. Land owners would hire out indentured servants from their home land to work these crops to increase production. Slave trade became a leading industry. Jamestown mainly focused on one product for profit. After starving time, laws were written for the colony to provide a sense of order to their situation. The laws, also known as Laws of Virginia, contained duties and obligations of the settlers. If the duties and obligations were not followed there were penalties. Officers were required to ensure that all attended service twice daily and to punish those who irreverently used Gods name or challenged authority. There was only one church, God, and law. Many believed that these laws were necessary in order to survive. These laws were not attractive to potential settlers to Jamestown. The Virginia Company agreed to for the House of Burgess that would make the colony more attractive to the wealthy. The House of Burgess was the first formed in 1619 (Brands, 2009, p. 39). This form of government made decisions for this region. It was overseen by a council in England that could overrule any decisions made from the House of Burgess. The House allowed wealthy planters a say in the government. Th e existence of the House of Burgess was officially recognized by King Charles in 1639 (Brands, 2009, p. 39). Massachusetts Bay colony was lead by a strong, religious, Puritan leader named John Winthrop. He established order prior to arriving in America. His actions and ideas gave the Puritan colony its character. He agreed to come to American with the Massachusetts Bay Company. Winthrop was chosen as governor. He presented a sermon on the ship named Arbella. John Winthrop pushed for a community that revolved around God. Full citizenship was only available to church members. The colonists developed a church government known as Congregationalism. The people of this colony were the church and they agreed to uphold Gods law. Just because you lived in a particular community did not mean that you had to attend their church. Massachusetts Bay Colony largely consisted of Puritan Separatists that wanted religious freedom from the Church of England. They were hoping to be able to practice how they wanted. They wanted to purify the Anglican Church. The vast population of Massachusetts Bay was devoted English families. They focused more on a strong sense of community that revolved around God and family. This strong bond ensured their survival as a colony. The government did not partake in a democracy or a theocracy. The elected officials ruled in favor of the people and their responsibilities were to God. Groups of men and women joined together to observe shared goals. The community formed a meetinghouse for this to take place. Even though many villages did not agree on several issues, they relied on the civil courts settle their indifferences. The civil court later formed Lawes and Libteries (Brands, 2009, p. 46). This was a clear explanation of the colonists duties and obligations to their region. The Massachusetts Bay colony chose not to put all their eggs into one basket as the Jamestown settlers did. This colony had many products to sell and trade. Their climate was colder and the soil was rocky which is unsuitable for farming. This Boston colony relied more on small scale agriculture, fishing, shipbuilding, and trading. However, just as Jamestown, this colony traded with, learned from, and ended up at war with the local Indians. They, too, pushed the Indians off of the land when the colony began to expand. Due to the fact that the communities were so family oriented, farms were only large enough for feed their families. The men of the household worked these farms. Since the farms were rather small there was no need for slaves. Massachusetts Bay survived due to more favorable conditions than Jamestown. They had better climate, clean water, and plumbing that helped prevent the spread of disease in their communities. Many of the colonists led long easy going lives due to the stress free God and family oriented structure of their communities. Pilgrims set sail for the New World just as the colonists of Massachusetts Bay did; to find religious freedom. The Separatists moved to Holland and soon feared that their children were going to become Dutch. The Pilgrims were also Puritans like Boston. They selected their own leaders of the church. The Pilgrims requested land from the Virginia Company. A patent was given for them to settle north of the Virginia Colony. A storm caused the Mayflower to veer off course. It landed the settlers in Plymouth. The patent they had for Virginia did not have validity in this area of New England. With no patent, the colonists knew that they would not have authorization to form a civil form of government. To prevent the community from anarchy, 41 men signed a patent, known as the Mayflower Compact (Brands, 2009, p. 42). This document gave the government guidelines on how to conduct themselves the way God had wanted them to. William Bradford assisted in drafting the Mayflower Compact. He later became the second governor of this region. Even though the first several months claimed nearly half of the colonists due to disease and hunger, Bradford encouraged the men and women that it was possible to survive in the New World. Bradford was the person to help quite the differences between the Indians and the colony. Like Jamestown, Plymouth was settled in the lands of the Indians. Squanto was joined with Massasoit in greeting and interacting with the Pilgrims. Bradford was the go between. These Native Americans taught the Pilgrims about hunting, fishing, and agriculture. Massasoit realized that the Indians and colonists shared many interests. Squanto was the interpreter between the Pilgrims and Indians. The Pilgrims owed their survival skills to Squanto, who taught them how to grow many crops and survive the wilderness. The Pilgrims did set up a trading post to trade corn in return for furs from the Indians. The settlers engaged in fishing and lumbering to sale to England for profit. However, the Pilgrims never mastered the skill to fish and the financial return for exported lumber was small. In the beginning, the colony was finically sound. However, due to the limited economic return, Plymouth later became part of the larger Massachusetts Bay colony. In conclusion, population, political, economic, religion and social systems played a large role in Jamestown, Massachusetts Bay, and Plymouth. Though the origins of each colony were English, they all developed different views. Massachusetts and Plymouth were more religious and concerned with the commonwealth of the people because of their strong God and family oriented communities. These colonies migrated as families of six to ten that made for a strong family bond. They had a diverse product due to cold weather and poor quality of soil. They participated in small agriculture, fishing, trading, and shipbuilding. Many of the Massachusetts and Plymouth settlers live long happy lives because they were focused and healthy. Jamestown on the other hand had a harsh non religious form of government due to want to survive. Jamestown settlers were mainly male with a sense of personal gain. As a result of very few women, this colony lacked a sense of community. This colony had a mild climate an d fertile soil which produced mainly tobacco which was a major export product. They lived harder laboring lives in an unhealthy environment. The challenges that all the colonies faced and managed as well as their belief in God, helped them overcome their differences and eventually form a nation.

Betrayal in McEwans Atonement Essay -- Literary Analysis

In McEwan’s Atonement ventures into the lives of the Tallis sisters and the complexities that naivety and selfishness can inflict. Briony Tallis’ perjury against Robbie Turner, in her cousin Lola’s criminal rape case, disrupts the Tallis family dynamic and the budding romance between Cecelia Tallis and Robbie. Briony’s maturation and realization of her wrongdoing implores her to become a nurse during WWII. In Atonement, McEwan depicts a family in turmoil over the lies of young Briony during World War II. The imagery and symbolism portray Briony’s characterization through her attempts to serve penance for her betrayal with symbolism and imagery. Briony’s limited point of view effects the tone of the novel through an unreliable eyewitness account of what she witnessed and the recognition of her mistakes. Atonement’s symbolism of innocence shows Briony’s youthful naà ¯vetà © and her blameless intentions. The symbolism of lost innocence not only affects Briony, but Cecilia and Robbie as well. Robbie and Cecilia venture into the world of adult sexuality together, but are interrupted by Briony’s curiosity. Witness to the debauchery at hand, Briony skews her testimony to the police in regards to her encounter of Lola and her rapist at the temple, â€Å"Events she herself witnessed foretold her cousins calamity. If only she, Briony, had been less innocent, less stupid. Now she saw, the affair was too consistent, too symmetrical to be anything other than what she said it was. She blamed herself for her childish assumption that Robbie would limit his attentions to Cecilia. What was she thinking of? He was a maniac after all.† (158) Briony thought of the obscene note written to Cecelia as a warning to what Robbie was capable of, although the note w... ...Rpt. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 269. Detroit: Gale, 2009.Literature Resource Center. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. Mathews, Peter. "The Impression of a Deeper Darkness: Ian McEwan's Atonement." English Studies in Canada 32.1 (2006): 147+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. McEwan, Ian. Atonement. New York: Anchor, 2003. Print. Finney, Brian. "Briony's Stand Against Oblivion: The Making of Fiction in Ian McEwan's Atonement." Journal of Modern Literature 27.3 (Winter 2004): 68-82. Rpt. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 269. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Jan. 2012. Shone, Tom. "White Lies: Ian McEwan's Novel Chronicles the Disintegration of an English Family's Idyllic Life." The New York Times Book Review 10 Mar. 2002: 8+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 5 Jan. 2012.

Personal Narrative: Drafts of my Writing Essay -- Narrative Essay Writ

Failing to mention either the most rewarding or the most distressing aspects of learning to write would be to tell an incomplete story. I have an intimate yet erratic relationship with writing. I am a most ambivalent lover. Stopping to glance at my watch, my fingers still poised above the keyboard, I have smiled, amazed to find that I have been in a state of bliss in which hours have passed without my noticing. I have also flushed and sweated as I stared at my computer screen, reading my own text over and over again, vainly trying to anticipate the criticism I correctly supposed would come. I love, adore, am devoted to, am crazy about writing. The limitations of words are nowhere more apparent that when I try to describe my pleasure, joy, delight, satisfaction at using, playing with, relishing, wielding them. I know about writing; well, the truth is that I sometimes know how to write. How it is that I know how to write is something I don’t know a lot about. I am a creative writer and a formal essayist. I am humorous and deadly serious, courageous and terrified. I write fiction and essay, poetry and prose. That makes me the teller of lies and truths and, perhaps occasionally, a bit of Truth. But I am fragile, so fragile. I can write when approval is heaped on me, layered like blankets; give me flannel, cotton, polyester blends, wool and down. Regardless of their weight or numbers, they never smother me or weigh me down. In truth, they barely keep out the drafts. I am grateful to be able to report that I have been wrapped tightly in such comforters as: â€Å"Good point . . . very impressive work . . . excellent . . . outstanding job.† â€Å"Very good essay, with clarity and insight.† â€Å"A strong paper, certainly no... ...I am grateful to her for saying them. Second, I attended the International Women’s Writing Guild’s Summer Conference last month at Skidmore College. Eunice Scarfe, a Canadian short story writer who teaches at the University of Alberta taught a workshop that I was drawn to attend each day. She called free writing â€Å"the act of writing,† and then described the editing and crafting that follow as â€Å"the art of writing.† That phrase brought a dignity to what had sometimes seemed to be embarrassingly numerous rewrites. It allows me a little shelter from the cold drafts that always threaten. Last, despite the uncertainty I feel about this relationship, despite my anxiety and my love’s many warts, complexities and annoying habits, I tuck the blanket around the two of us. I am conflicted, but still in love and something that I can’t quite name keeps me coming back for more.

The Life Of Anne Frank :: essays research papers

The Life of Anne Frank On the Deportations "Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in droves. The Gestapo is treatiang them very roughly and transporting them in cattle cars to Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which they're sending all the Jews....If it's that bad in Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are sending them? We assume that most of them are being murdered. The English radio says they're being gassed."-- October 9, 1942 On Her Old Country, Germany "Fine specimens of humanity, those Germanns, and to think I'm actually one of them! No, that's not true, Hitler took away our nationality long ago. And besides, there are no greater enemies on earth than the Germans and Jews."-- October 9, 1942 On Nazi Punishment of Resisters "Have you ever heard the term 'hostages'? That's the latest punishment for saboteurs. It's the most horrible thing you can imagine. Leading citizens-- innocent people—are taken prisoner to await their execution. If the Gestapo can't find the saboteur, they simply grab five hostages and line them up against the wall. You read the announcements of their death in the paper, where they're referred to as 'fatal accidents.'"--October 9, 1942 "All college students are being asked to sign an official statement to the effect that they 'sympathize with the Germans and approve of the New Order." Eighty percent have decided to obay the dictates of their conscience, but the penalty will be severe. Any student refusing to sign will be sent to a German labor camp."--May 18, 1943 Here is were the story begins ... On June 12, 1942, Anne Frank's parents gave her a small red-and-white plaid diary for her thirteenth birthday. Anne recorded her innermost feelings in her diary, which she named "Kitty." Less than a month after receiving her diary, on July 6, 1942, Anne and her family were forced to go into hiding. Though they could bring very few things with them to the hiding place, Anne brought her diary. During the months Anne lived in hiding, her diary became her best friend and confidant. In hiding, Anne continued to write in her diary nearly every day. She wrote about her life with the seven other people in hiding--her parents, her sister, the van Pels family (called the van Daan family by Anne), and Fritz Pfeffer (called Alfred Dussel by Anne), as well as the war going on around her, and her hopes for the future. When she filled up her original diary, Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl, two of the family's helpers,brought her ledgers and loose sheets of paper to continue

Teenager’s Lifestyle

Teenager’s lifestyle Nowadays, teenagers have changed in comparison with the teens in the past, taking into account eating habits, an active way of life, spending free time and clothes. They are a â€Å"technology† generation. For teens in todays’ world mobile phones, internet, music, movies, television and video games are very important. Most teenagers prefer watching TV and playing computer games to reading books. They don’t like reading because watching TV is easier and they don’t have to use their own imagination. Computer games teach but they are also harmful to health.Teenagers prefer to spend free time in front of a computer rather than to walk, play football or go to a swimming pool. Moreover, games transfer them into the world which doesn’t exist. It is very exciting for the youth. They meet with friends in such places as McDonalds. Teens eat there unhealthy food. They eat too much fast food. Every teenager needs a balanced diet, app ropriate personal hygiene and physical activities in the fresh air, for example, playing a ball, going running, swimming, driving on the bicycle, playing in tennis or walking.This should be for them more interesting than sitting for hours in front of a computer or TV because such a mode of life leads to the improvement of mood, health and physical shape.. Young people choose less healthy kinds of entertainment than sport, putting away bicycles in the corner. They eat too much fast, unhealthy food, which is very fatty and drink too many sugary drinks. This leads to obesity. However, nowadays young people, especially girls, allow themselves to grow fat, or torture themselves with diets, which leads to various diseases with physical basis like anorexia and bulimia.Young people must not give up food, especially breakfasts because skipping breakfast is a frequent cause of fainting which can cause frequent complications and even leads to death. It is crucial to limit the amount they eat, but only in a reasonable way, if at all possible after the consultation with the dietician. Young people have to remember, that a healthy lifestyle requires appropriate nourishment, but they also must not forget about personal hygiene.Personal hygiene plays a very important role in healthy lifestyle. It should be an indispensable element in the life of every young man. Its task is the maintenance and strengthening of health. Notable part of young people think that taking a shower once a week, wearing sweaty clothes and splashing over them with a deodorant is proper, but it is not. For example, before a young man goes to bed, he should develop a habit of not being able to fall asleep without having a bath first.Everyday toilet will prevent skin diseases as complexion of every person requires systematic nurturing: washing in soft water, abrasion, creaming and protecting before diseases. Therefore personal hygiene institutes an important part of healthy lifestyle and it cannot be skipp ed, just like physical activity. Physical activity has a large influence on young people lifestyle. Physical activity improves health condition in various ways. It helps the organism to utilize the calories better, which helps to maintain a desirable weight.Physical activity reduces the appetite and helps in the reduction of the fatty mass of the body. The beneficial influence of physical activity on health mood does not raise any doubts any more. The research reveals that regular training among the youth( and not only, but also by people at any age) is an important factor improving the health. However, too little popularity of psychical activities among the young people is a huge problem. It is a frequent and more and more general problem and causes various diseases such as: heart failure, lungs deficiency, spine problems etc.Here is a list of advantages of physical activity: †¢ reduces the risk of heart diseases †¢ protects before the osteoporosis, †¢ burning the ca lorie intensifies, †¢ favours the masses of the body to lowering and maintenance of the desirable weight, †¢ leads to the growth of the basic transformation of the matter, †¢ reduces the appetite †¢ helps in the reduction of the fatty mass of the body. Thanks to these useful tips, we can easily build the whole strategy of the healthy lifestyle in order to effectively fight with overweight and obesity.To get rid the excess of fat, we can cultivate different kinds of the sport, depending for age, sex or interests. However you should remember about warning of several principles so that our effort brings desirable results and does not harm our health. Another aspect worth mentioning is communication via the Internet, especially instant messaging, has become an essential feature of teens’ social lives. Teenagers say, that this can be very helpful to communicate, learn and can be fun.Through the Internet they can download music and other files and play on-line g ames, for example, with their real or virtual friends. What is more, cellulars are very popular among teenagers and can be used to do a lot of things: we can communicate with friends using them, have a nice time playing games, listen to music and also watch films. For a lot of young people mobile phones are indispensable and they simply cannot imagine life without them. Teenagers’ clothes in the twenty-first century have also changed a lot.The clothes they wear depend on current trends since it is important to follow fashion. School uniforms aren’t so popular today like in the past. Girls more often wear jeans than skirts, boys wear wide sweatshirts and trousers. The fact is that nowadays teens get dressed in clothes which are comfortable for them. All in all, it can be stated that the lifestyle of teenagers depends on many factors. It is connected with the constant development which is taking place and as a result is different from the lifestyle of young people in the past.Every young man should lead a healthy lifestyle independently of age or interests. This should be one of the things that you do every single day. According to many scholars that is the liability of every man, and everyone should try to take the advantage of this life the best he or she can. Young people should be aware of positive influence of healthy lifestyle on health and mood. This in effect would give them better results in studying and what is more important they would be pleased with good health much longer.

College Pressure at Lehigh University Essay

In †College Pressures†, author William Zinsser spends most of the time talking about students’ pressures, especially in the 60’s and 70’s, based on his experience at Branford College at Yale University. The article shows that students are facing pressures in lots of aspects, such as economic, parental, peer and self-induced aspects. However, these pressures are not rare in just a few universities. Economic pressure, parental pressure and peer pressure is present even in a prestigious university like Lehigh. Pressure is the new disease that is spreading through many universities and causing students to lose sight of the actual purpose of school by focusing only on test scores. To begin with, the tuition of Lehigh University increases each year, student’s economic pressure goes up as well. Since students don’t earn too much money, they have to plan each use of money carefully. For instance, in order to save money, students buy e-books instead of textbooks, buy things on Amazon, and sell things they don’t use anymore on E-bay. They have to save money for pursuing higher degrees later. It seems that the biggest pressure most students confront is the economic pressure. As Zinsser mentioned in the article, â€Å"The pressure is almost as heavy on students who just want to graduate and get a job.† (Zinsser, 1979, p.73) For international students, parents pay a lot for their children to study abroad because they want them to get a better education and thus lay a good foundation for their future. Studying in America costs lots of money, therefore, students have more pressure and push themselves to study harder. Additionally, competition for jobs and internships actually starts from freshman year. Chuxin, one of my friends at Lehigh University, goes to career services frequently to seek internships. I asked her why, and she said its better for us to care about our career since freshman year. Through internships, we can gain experiences for when we are looking jobs after graduation and add some excellent items to our resume as well. This obsession with getting a job as soon as possible is due to the desire to lower the economic pressure on the family of student. Moreover students have to face reality and make the best decision for their major and future direction. Sometimes a secure job is much more important than personal interest. As an international student in Lehigh University, I sometimes questioned myself about my purpose of studying abroad. Since seeking for good jobs has been a cruel race for undergraduate students in recent decades, pursuing higher GPA in college has truly stressed them out. Secondly, the parental pressure is another factor that is causing students much distress. One simple example, comparing their children to other children is one favorite way for parents to encourage their children, but this behavior sometimes can annoy children. Even though sometimes parents don’t intend to push their children, the children feel even more pressure. Parents work hard to pay for their sons and daughters; therefore, students should work harder to repay them. Take me as an example. When I was young, my parents divorced, eventually, my mother became a businesswoman and raised me up all by herself. I exert myself to get good grades so that I can return what she offered me one day. Hence, when getting bad grades on examinations, I feel sad and blame myself because I disappointed her, and because of my uselessness. For this reason, when I get bad grades, it will always be a long time for me to refresh the emotion. Furthermore, parents like to make choice, which in their mind, that considering the best for children’s future. My cousin, dreams to be an engineer, applied Lehigh University. Instead, however, her mother wants her to be a doctor because doctor has high social status, respected by others, and earns higher salary. She was matriculated by Case Western University already, which is good at medicine, but she is still waiting for the result of Lehigh University. She told me that she’s nervous because she doesn’t want to be a doctor at all. This creates the scenario in the article, where Zinsser said: â€Å"It is easy to look around for villains — to blame the colleges for charging too much money, the professors for assigning too much work, the parents for pushing their children too far, and the students for driving themselves too hard. But there are no villains, only victims. †(1979, p.73) Not only do students have to worry about parental pressure they are also concerned with peer pressure. From what I observed, half of students come with AP credits. I was once proud of m yself because of the superiority 14 credits in AP. Recently, however, I know that two of my friends already have 36 and 37 credits, and a few have more. One of my friends said to me †Hurry up, then we can graduate together!† I feel so nervous because everyone pursuits the higher-level academic performance and I stressed out because of the drastic competition. About 70 percent of my friends will go to summer school in the coming break, either in China or at Lehigh University. It seems that graduating in four years can’t satisfy us anymore; only if we study harder can we chase others’ rate of progress. Since competition among students becomes more severe, it causes peer pressure. Also, students care about each other’s study. One of my friends complains to me that her roommate cares her â€Å"way too much.† Her roommate always asks her where she is heading up to or what she is studying for. When the examination’s grade come out, she asks my friend’s final grade but doesn’t tell my friend hers. This kind of situation happens not rare. Students are interested in compare other’s grade with their own. In order to get greater achievement in study, students have to make the balance between time to study and time to do the activities. One of the students I know, for the sake of pursuing a higher GPA in this semester, has even give up the time for doing sports and participating extracurricular activities and dedicates his time to study to improve his academic performance. From my personal perspective, students will stress out by doing these kinds of things. I have a friend named Kai. He is a sophomore and has double major in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. He overloads several credits each semester and the most important is that he got a 4.0 GPA in freshman year. Therefore, he becomes the â€Å"target† for all freshman students. When he walks on the street, some people, even not familiar with him, always stop him and ask him how he handles the study. We once chatted, and he told me he is just interested in engineering and wants to obtain real knowledge. He just does what he likes and is not the kind of person who succeeds by studying hard for tests. While, pressures young people face become universal today. Pressure on students is an â€Å"epidemic† in Lehigh University basically in three reasons: economic pressure, parental pressure and peer pressure. These are pressures that are conspicuously faced by a large number of students, and stress is more likely based on students’ academic study. There are still some other pressures caused by professors, friends or even students themselves. Pressure is not totally bad because it can motivate students to move forward and explore themselves better; nevertheless, students can’t let academic performance dominate their entire campus life, and it’s good for them to relax a little bit; otherwise, students sacrifice their education by becoming skilled test takers rather than truly gaining any knowledge in college. Reference Zinsser, W. (1979). College Pressures. Blair and Ketchum’s Country Journal, 6(4), 72–78.