Crystal palace Essay Example for Free

Crystal palace Essay Also, what Swift shows is that it is reason itself and man’s ingeniousness that prevent him from reducing life to a few moral principles. Paradoxes and countercurrent tendencies pervade the human mind, as it moves from good to evil. The Houyhnhnms would not be able to construct the complex society specific to humans. They have no books, no systems of thoughts or philosophies. Their enlightened and perfect state depends thus on minimal reasoning and on a few righteous principles. The human society, by contrast, builds intricate systems that often contradict other systems and philosophies. It is not only vice that is proper of human nature but also curiosity and a perpetual thirst for knowledge. The Biblical myth of the first man’s corruption through knowledge stands true in Gulliver’s narrative. The other societies that Gulliver meets in his travels point to the human tendency towards discovery but also manipulation. Man hunts the truth but also manipulates and interprets reality according to his own inner impulses. The Yahoos’ condition as the servants of the Houyhnhnms is also very significant. They seem to represent humanity in its basest form, without the polish of civilization. The Houyhnhnm that houses Gulliver during his stay in their country remarks that this mixture of reason and vice makes the human race more dangerous and more powerful than mere brutality: â€Å"But when a creature pretending to reason could be capable of such enormities, he dreaded lest the corruption of that faculty might be worse than brutality itself† (Swift 183). The Houyhnhnms cannot attain the technological and scientific progress mastered by man because they do not manipulate truth and they do not know the meaning of power and corruption. By contrast, the dwarfish people of Lilliput manage to subdue Gulliver, despite the fact that he is a giant among them. The human society can progress but it cannot advance significantly in morality. The Houyhnhnms’ society is perfect because it is based on an economy of just ideas and principles. They cannot understand crime as a concept and think it absurd because of its lack of utility: â€Å"He was wholly at a loss to know what could be the use or necessity of practicing those vices† (Swift 195). The utopian world cannot belong to man because he is inevitably driven by feelings and passions that often do not conform to the common moral standards. Moreover, the Houyhnhnms world is one where absolute truth dominates and there is no falsehood: â€Å"†¦They have no word in their language to express lying or falsehood† (Swift 187). This is also unattainable in the human society since man will always be biased because of his subjectivity. Overall, Swift shows that a utopian society is impossible for man on account of the inherent faults and particularities of the human spirit. Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground reveals a similar conception of the utopian society. According to the underground man, the human society will always construct ideal and fantastical worlds to escape from reality. The paradox is that man seems to be equally infatuated with both happiness and sufferance. The â€Å"crystal palace† represents the unattainable ideal that lives in the lofty regions of the human imagination. As a utopian representation, the palace is made of crystal precisely because it contains all the answers and no questions: â€Å"Then †¦ new economic relations will be established, all ready-made and worked out with mathematical exactitude, so that every possible question will vanish in the twinkling of an eye, simply because every possible answer to it will be provided. Then the ‘Palace of Crystal’ will be built† (Dostoevsky 69). This mathematical and transparent construction is a symbol for perfection and self-sufficiency. The palace does not harbor any doubts: â€Å"What would be the good of a ‘palace of crystal’ if there could be any doubt about it? †(Dostoevsky 77) However, the human world is not even satisfied with its own ideals. The underground man believes resents that this ideal edifice cannot be mocked and derided: †You believe in a palace of crystal that can never be destroyed a palace at which one will not be able to put out ones tongue or make a long nose on the sly† (Dostoevsky 77). The palace is therefore the object of man’s desires for but also the object of his mockery. Dostoevsky puts forth the idea that the human world can never fit into the crystal palace with all its desires and aspirations although it can neither renounce this dream completely. As Swift had pointed out, man is torn between opposite principles, between sufferance and happiness and is unable to reduce his feelings to a few linear and uniform desires. Moreover, the ideal can be inconsistent with reality but man will persevere in his desires merely because it has an actuality for him: â€Å"But what does it matter to me that it is inconsistent? That makes no difference since it exists in my desires, or rather exists as long as my desires exist. † (Dostoevsky 78) Another issue that Dostoevsky emphasizes is that man will always pursue his ideals no matter how inadequate they are precisely because he is a complex being, entirely different from the animals. Dostoevsky gives as an example the basic necessity for shelter and compares a hen-house with the crystal palace: â€Å"You see, if it were not a palace, but a hen-house, I might creep into it to avoid getting wet, and yet I would not call the hen-house a palace out of gratitude to it for keeping me dry† (Dostoevsky 78). Man is not satisfied with mere principles of utility and economy. This idea is also identifiable in the representation of the utopian world of the Houyhnhnms, as already mentioned. The perfect world of the horses is content with a few basic and absolute principles that also serve the ideal of economy. Both Swift and Dostoevsky show that man could not live in a utopian world. While Swift shows that man the utopian world could never be created by man because of the inherent vices that corrupt human nature, Dostoevsky points out that man would actually be dissatisfied if he inhabited an ideal society. The two authors reveal the essential aspects of the human nature and the human society, pointing out that man could not live in a utopian state although this will always be his ideal. Works Cited: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the Underground. New York: Macmillan, 1918. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. New York: Penguin, 1981.

Defining Racism In America

Defining Racism In America Race and race relations have been aspects of American society since the colonial era. With the exception of a handful of countries, no other nation has dealt with the struggles of a multiracial society and has had to overcome the problems created in its nations past. As a result, race in America is a complex issue with many facets and race relations have become increasingly difficult to define. Richard Thompson Ford, in examining the current race situation in America in his book The Race Card, defines the period as post-racism. Focusing on Fords ideas, as presented in his book, as well as an investigation into the Jena Six story, which is a contemporary example of racism, a more defined picture of current race relations in America can be uncovered. Fords The Race Card provides a critique on the current race situation in America. In his book, while Ford presents the idea that America is post-racism, he asserts that post-racism is not defined in the traditional way one might assume. To Ford, post-racism is a late stage of racism in which its contradictions and excesses both cancel out and amplify its original function (2008:25). To Ford, the era of post-racism allows people to have internal feelings of racism, as long as their overt actions and behaviors are not racist. Racial stereotypes may still exist, but no longer are those stereotypes defined by White Only establishments. With the elimination of the stereotypical racism, racism may now be harder to eliminate because overt racists will remain unidentified. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, segregation laws and blatant bigotry provided easy markers to define racism and identify racists. Today there are laws preventing outward expressions of racism, making the process of defining the current state of race relations far more difficult. According to Charles Hirschman, racism is the belief that people can be divided into categories based on certain features that define a particular look (2004). While characteristics that define a person as part of a particular race are biological, race is a socially constructed concept in which people place meaning on the biological features. The seeds of racism in America were planted out of the need for a cheap and renewable labor force. When indentured servitude was no longer profitable to this countrys landowners, it prompted a needed change. Dark-skinned Africans, brought to this country as slaves, looked different from the white land owners. Based on that difference of appearance, along with the historical lack of a formal schooling, American society regarded them as inferior. This view by society eventually lead to the social construct of race, with whites seen as superior and blacks as inferior. While slavery was abolished following the Civil War, the overt concept of racial inferiority continued until the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s (Pinkney 1999). Up until the Civil Rights Act was passed, Jim Crow laws and other discrimination laws continued to segregate the races and reinforced the societal view of the inferiority of African Americans. Following the passage of the Civil Rights legislation, overt racism no longer was socially acceptable. Racism is no longer is defined by superiority and inferiority, but rather is defined as an acknowledged difference between cultures, with one no better than the other (Miles and Brown 2003). Because of the years of segregation, there are inherent differences between the black and white cultures. While segregation and discrimination no longer are a common practice, there still are differences between the groups and implicit discrimination remains. The faces of racism have changed, but racism has yet to disappear from society. Today, those who are identified as racists, under the old definition, are labeled as bigots and outsiders by society. Although there still are those who are viewed as racists under the traditional definition, there is a new form of racism present and it is much harder to define. As defined by Ford, the current state of racial affairs revolves around playing the race card. In playing the race card, people must presume that discrimination remains and it is based on ones race. More often than not, todays discrimination is a based on the many years of inferior treatment. In other words, people today claim racism because, at one point in history, it could be considered a result of racism (2008:31). There are four instances of playing the race card that are outlined in Fords book, including racism without racists, racism-by-analogy, unclear definitions of what is racism, and unclear goals for the current movement. People use the racism without racists definition because it is the easiest conclusion to use when explaining the motivations of others. There may be extenuating circumstances as to why people act a certain way, but people cry racism because it is an easy answer; they fail to see the situation from the other persons point of view. In racism-by-analogy, other groups claim that their struggles and discrimination are equal to those fought for in the Civil Rights Movement, even though they are not the same. As an example, people that are overweight or not pretty enough may make the claim that their legal rights are being violated, even though overweight is not a protected class under the legislation. Having unclear definitions of racism causes people to overuse the claim. There are many factors that motivate peoples actions, and it is not always based on race. With no clear-cut definition of present-day racism, the resulting lines are blurred as to what actually constitutes racism in todays society. Without an accepted definition of racism and no clear goals for the improvement of race relations, it is difficult to determine when playing the race card may be beneficial or detrimental to a movement. This unknown result causes internal conflict within the movement itself, preventing it from moving forward. Overall, Fords argument is correct in its assertions. The face of racism today has changed and a new era of race relations has begun. No longer are there overt forms of racism and discrimination, but rather there are more subtle situations affecting race relations in todays society. However, Fords argument is not as simple as post-racism and the race card; there still are societal and structural boundaries and obstacles that African Americans cannot seem to overcome. While legally discrimination and segregation are no longer present, there are still examples of it today. As author Shawn Utsey, et al., argues, there are three forms of racism that still exist today: individual, institutional and cultural racism (2000). Examples of individual racism include racial profiling and the lingering sentiments of the overt racism seen during the Civil Rights Movement. Residential segregation and other societal restrictions constitute institutional racism. Cultural racism refers to the lack of African American influence in mainstream American culture and history. These new forms of discrimination and segregation define the current race relations in contemporary American culture. A contemporary example to which Fords ideas of post-racism and the race card can be applied is the Jena Six incident. There are many incidents which occurred in Jenna, Louisiana, between September to December 2006, which contributed to the belief that racism and discrimination were involved in the Jena events (Newman 2007). The first incident occurred in September, involving nooses hung from a tree at the local high school. As is common at most high schools, certain social groups congregate in specific areas, though not necessarily based on race. At Jena High School, a racially diverse school, a specific tree commonly was known as the white tree. A black freshman asked the principal if he could sit under the tree and the principal assured him that he could sit wherever he wanted. The next day, two nooses were hung from the tree, though the motivations behind the hanging of the nooses were unclear. The students responsible for hanging the nooses were identified and suspended. When the suspensions were announced, the black community of Jena was enraged, insisting that the nooses were a symbol of a threat against the black students of the high school. There were two altercations between white and black students, which some claimed were a result of the events that occurred in September. At a party, five black students attempted to enter a party, but were denied entrance because they did not receive an invitation. An altercation ensued, resulting in a white student being charged with battery. The next day, another altercation occurred outside a convenience store between a white male and three black males, one of which had been involved in the previous altercation at the party the night before. One of the black students was charged with disturbing the peace, second degree robbery and the theft of a firearm. The final event, which ultimately is what led to the national publicity, was an altercation between six black students and one white student, Justin Barker. Barker was badly beaten, but was released from the hospital after three hours in the emergency room. Five of the six black students were charged with attempted second-degree murder, though the charges later were reduced to battery. Mychal Bell originally was charged with aggravated second-degree battery and tried as an adult, but his conviction later was overturned. The five who originally were charged later were convicted of simple battery (Associated Press 2007). Due to the events leading up to the attack on Justin Barker, many consider this to be a result of racial tensions in the town. This was reinforced by the filing of the charge of attempted murder to the Jena Six at the beginning of the trail proceedings, a charge many considered to be racially driven and not fitting to the crime. Many also believe that the all-white jury, which delivered the original guilty verdict against Bell, levied an unfair sentence. While on the surface these events seem to be motivated by racism, the events involving the Jena Six are more of a case of Fords racism without racists. Because the events which occurred in Jena involved both whites and blacks, people assume racism was a determining factor. However, most of the events leading up to the Barker incident were unrelated. Even when considered separately, racism is not the only motivation for the actions which occurred. The tree that was claimed as the white tree by the student body has since been refuted by the faculty and staff at Jena High School. According to later testimonies, students of all races sat under the tree at one point or another. There also was a conflict over the number of nooses which were hung from the tree on the following day, and further investigations revealed that only two were hung, not three, which is believed to be a symbol of the Ku Klux Klan. The nooses, it later was found, were a prank aimed at the rodeo team, not hung as racist symbols. As it later was learned, school administrators cut down the nooses before classes started because students were playing with them in inappropriate manners, not because of some underlying racial context. Following the Jena incident, the United States Justice Department conducted an investigation to determine if the act was in fact a racially-motivated hate crime. It was determined that the hanging of the nooses was an isolated event without lasting racial tensions at the school. As such, there is no direct connection between the events occurring in September and the Barker attack. Each event was separate and unique, yet collectively were made to seem as a cause and effect relationship by the media. Finally, the allegations accusing the all-white jury of delivering a racially-motivated verdict fails to take into account underlying causes. Due to the makeup of the town, there are only a small number of African Americans to select for jury duty. Of those summoned for jury duty, some were African American but failed to report on the day of the trial (Mangu-Ward 2007). The events that occurred in Jena led to one of the largest race riots in recent history. Sensationalized by the medias influence, the case seemed to be a series of events indicating the continued racial tensions of the South. When looking deeper into the facts, a different picture is seen. Instead, each event is isolated and unconnected. The coincidences surrounding the events seem to point to a plot against African Americans, yet the motivations had no racial underpinnings. Throughout American history, racism has played a major role in race relations. Although overt racism has become a lesser focus, examples of racial discrimination and segregation still exist in todays society. The era of post-racism has a new set of issues effecting society and the race relations within it. Until these issues are resolved, true racial equality cannot be attained.

Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children

Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children Parental Incarceration and Children’s Educational Performance Murray et al. (2012b) reviewed samples of the Pittsburgh Youth Study; a longitudinal survey of 1009 inner city boys up to 18 years, to investigate any links between parental incarceration and children’s poor academic performance. They also accounted for type of parental incarceration, the age of the child and the parent’s level of antisocial behaviour. This study is important because it prospectively investigated child outcomes from before to after parental incarceration as well as social environments, which few studies have done. Findings indicated that parental incarceration was associated with increases in delinquency but it did not predict poor academic performance, even after controlling for other childhood risk factors (Murray et al. 2012b). The reason that parental incarceration had no effect on educational performance is argued to point towards resilience among affected children. Murray et al. (2012b) did specify however, that effects sizes for poor academic att ainment and parental incarceration may be different for short term studies. Cho (2009) investigated children whose mothers were incarcerated in state prison compared with children whose mothers were incarcerated in a county jail for 1 week or less (control group) to see the effect of parental incarceration on grade retention rates. Her study was also valid because where possible she minimised selection bias using propensity scores to match control and experimental groups of children (race, gender, age at mothers incarceration and at child outcome and length of incarceration). Cho’s findings indicated that children whose mothers were incarcerated in a state prison facility had lower grade retention rates in the year prior to, during, and immediately after their mother’s incarceration than the comparison group. Surprisingly these findings reveal that parental incarceration may be beneficial for short-term children’s academic outcomes. Also, findings reveal that factors that pre-exist parental incarceration are worth investigating as they t oo may have an impact on children’s outcomes. Another US study by Hagan Foster (2012) that focussed on paternal incarceration revealed that it led to disrupted families unable to monitor school attendance and nurture levels of children’s school performance. Thus the absence of incarcerated fathers can predict educational failure in children. The reason for this may be increased stress for the remaining caregiver thus affecting the quality of supervision and help with academic life (Vacha McLaughlin, 1992 cited in Hagan Foster, 2012). Hagan and Foster’s (2012) results further indicate high levels of paternal incarceration block access to education achievement. On the other hand, Dallaire et al. (2010), informed by ecological systems theory, carried out a qualitative study where they randomly assigned scenarios to teachers describing a female student whose mother was imprisoned. They also examined teachers experiences of these childrens emotional and behavioural adjustment in the classroom. Focus was on maternal incarceration because they believed that it was a greater risk for children than paternal incarceration. They found that the teachers in their experimental treatment group rated these students as less competent than teachers in a control group in which the child’s mother was described as being away for other reasons such as military deployment. Their findings are important to consider because they argue that no empirical research has examined the experiences of children with incarcerated parents in the school setting or with their teachers. More research is required because children of incarcerated parents have poor education al performance and are stigmatised as revealed by Dallaire et al. (2010) study. Other findings revealed that the quality of the care giving situation and the stability of care were the greatest risks to childrens academic achievement cited by these teachers. Teachers also suggested that they felt younger children suffered more and that maternal incarceration had a greater impact than paternal incarceration because of the roles mothers play. Teachers also noted that they had witnessed some teachers stigmatising these children by expecting less from them and that it would be a bad idea to include information about the parents incarceration in the childs permanent record because of possible mishandling of the information. Findings by Dallaire et al. 2010 therefore suggest that it is stigma effects and labelling processes at hand that predict poor educational performance in children rather than the parental incarceration itself. Therefore, environmental factors play a part in how well c hildren of incarcerated parents do in schools. Parental Incarceration and Children’s Mental Health Parental incarceration might cause mental health problems due to the separation involved, limited contact opportunities, and inadequate explanations given to children and the challenges faced by alternate caregivers (Murray et al. 2014). Children of incarcerated mothers have also been found to exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and long-term trauma (Cho, 2010). Foster Hagan (2013) looked at maternal and paternal incarceration separately as potential sources of traumatic stress for children during the transition of their children to adulthood. They found that childhood maternal imprisonment increased depressive symptoms compared to not having this experience. Results indicate a gendered vulnerability of male children to maternal imprisonment in adolescence (ages 13–18) that results in uniquely high levels of young adult depressive symptoms. Findings suggest males may be vulnerable to both maternal and paternal imprisonment occurring in adolescence. They also further find that race and ethnic minority youth are more likely to be affected by paternal incarceration. Findings also suggest that both paternal and maternal imprisonment experienced during childhood (ages 0–18) and it is therefore influential on child mental health problems Tasca et al. (2014) argue that little is known regarding variation in the presence or absence of mental health problems within a group of children of incarcerated parents. Their aim was to fill this void in this body of work by comparing incarcerated mothers’ and fathers’ reports of mental health problems among their children. In an effort to advance work on the needs of children of incarcerated parents, they assess whether incarcerated mothers are more likely than incarcerated fathers to report that their children are experiencing mental health problems. Their study contributes to the literature in that it covers most races allowing for a diverse analysis along multiple demographic dimensions. Tasca et al. (2014) findings suggest that incarcerated mothers reported 15.5% of their children were in need of services for mental health problems, compared with only 6.1% of incarcerated fathers’ children. Among paternal incarceration cases, the majority of children were Latino/Latina, whereas the majority of children in maternal incarceration cases were White. While controlling for child age, race/ethnicity, and gender, incarcerated mothers, compared with incarcerated fathers, reported that their children were 2.368 times more likely to have mental health problems. Race/ethnicity (Latino/Latinas) and gender (girls) were negatively related to mental health problems. On the other hand, child’s age was positively related to mental health problems. Regardless of type of parental incarceration, however, the risks posed to these children of prisoners are significant and substantial. Tasca et al. (2014) study highlights that children of incarcerated parents are not a homogenous group. Murray et al. (2012) study results include data samples on general mental disorders, internalizing problems and educational performance from reports by children, teachers, parents, of children’s academic performance. They used results from studies that had sta ndardised test scores to see if parental imprisonment is a risk or causal factor for negative outcomes for children. For poor mental health, effects across all showed almost zero association with parental incarceration. On the other hand, Swisher Roettger’s (2012) results showed that paternal incarceration during childhood is associated with higher depression scores. Surprisingly, white male youths suffered more than black male youths. For blacks and Hispanics there was no significant difference found.

Atomic Bomb :: essays research papers

Atomic bombs were the first nuclear weapons to be developed, tested, and used. In the late 1930s physicists in Europe and the United States realized that the fission of uranium could be used to create an extremely powerful explosive weapon. In August 1939, German American physicist Albert Einstein sent a letter to U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt that described this discovery and warned of its potential development by other nations. The U.S. government established the top secret Manhattan Project in 1942 to develop an atomic device. The leader of the Manhattan Project was U.S. Army Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves. His team, working in several locations but in large part at Los Alamos, New Mexico, under the direction of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, designed and built the first atomic bombs. The first atomic explosion was conducted, as a test, at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The energy released from this explosion was equivalent to that released by the detonation of 20,000 tons of TNT. Near the end of World War II, on August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It followed with a second bomb against the city of Nagasaki on August 9. According to U.S. estimates, 60,000 to 70,000 people were killed by the Hiroshima bomb, called â€Å"Little Boy,† and about 40,000 by the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, called â€Å"Fat Man.† Japan agreed to Allied terms of surrender on August 14th. These are the only times that a nuclear weapon has been used in a conflict between nations. Fusion bombs, also called hydrogen or thermonuclear bombs, were developed and tested in the early 1950s, but these have never been used in warfare. A thermonuclear device depends on a fission reaction to produce extreme heat that causes hydrogen isotopes of deuterium and tritium to come together, or fuse, but the main energy source for thermonuclear devices comes from the fusion reaction, not the triggering fission reaction. For more information on this type of bomb, see Hydrogen Bomb.

The Urban Legend of Bloody Mary Essay -- Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Bloody Mary Version 3 The story of Bloody Mary is told in different versions all around the world has been included in nine different movies (three in the past two years) (The Internet Movie Database). This particular version of the popular urban legend of Bloody Mary originates locally from North Potomac, Maryland. The storyteller is a female 19-year-old Caucasian sophomore student, currently studying psychology at the University. The story was collected in the spring on the University campus. After dinner, in a one-on-one environment, she began the story of an urban legend from her childhood. I remember this from back in second grade. It scared me so much. It was Friday the 13th. Back in elementary school, we always lined up in classes on the blacktop before school. This morning, a classmate told me about a girl that had been buried alive on Friday the 13th because her stepmother hated her and wanted her dead. Then she told me, as if it was completely true, that if I went home that night and turned around three times in front of the mirror while chanting, ‘Bloody Mary,’ her ghost would appear in it and if I looked into her eyes I would turn to stone. [Me:] Do you remember who told you this story or where the story happened? [Storyteller:] I don’t really remember. I do remember that when I went home that night, I made my mom cover my mirror with a towel before I agreed to go to bed. [Me:] So you never actually tested it out? [Storyteller:] No way. The tale of Bloody Mary seems to be a popular urban legend, according to researched sources, and its variations can be categorized into two groups: a set of simple instructions and those that tell the actual legend of the ghost. Most of the variatio... ...rite of passage to adulthood by overcoming their fears and anxieties. For those too young and immature to attempt this â€Å"dangerous† ritual, such as the storyteller at the age when she was told the urban legend, this urban legend serves as a point in their maturity when their desire to overcome their fears actually overcomes their fears. This urban legend serves as an important marker in the phase of adolescent life and their process towards maturity. Works Cited "Bloody Mary." No date. Urban Legends & Superstitions. 8 Apr. 2006 http://urbanlegendsonline.com/mirrors/bloodymary.html. IMDb Search. 2006. The Internet Movie Database. 9 Apr. 2006 http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=bloody+mary. Mikkelson, Barbara and David. "Bloody Mary." Urban Legends Reference Pages. 27 Oct. 2005. Snopes.com. 8 Apr. 2006 http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/bloodymary.asp. The Urban Legend of Bloody Mary Essay -- Urban Legends Ghost Stories Bloody Mary Version 3 The story of Bloody Mary is told in different versions all around the world has been included in nine different movies (three in the past two years) (The Internet Movie Database). This particular version of the popular urban legend of Bloody Mary originates locally from North Potomac, Maryland. The storyteller is a female 19-year-old Caucasian sophomore student, currently studying psychology at the University. The story was collected in the spring on the University campus. After dinner, in a one-on-one environment, she began the story of an urban legend from her childhood. I remember this from back in second grade. It scared me so much. It was Friday the 13th. Back in elementary school, we always lined up in classes on the blacktop before school. This morning, a classmate told me about a girl that had been buried alive on Friday the 13th because her stepmother hated her and wanted her dead. Then she told me, as if it was completely true, that if I went home that night and turned around three times in front of the mirror while chanting, ‘Bloody Mary,’ her ghost would appear in it and if I looked into her eyes I would turn to stone. [Me:] Do you remember who told you this story or where the story happened? [Storyteller:] I don’t really remember. I do remember that when I went home that night, I made my mom cover my mirror with a towel before I agreed to go to bed. [Me:] So you never actually tested it out? [Storyteller:] No way. The tale of Bloody Mary seems to be a popular urban legend, according to researched sources, and its variations can be categorized into two groups: a set of simple instructions and those that tell the actual legend of the ghost. Most of the variatio... ...rite of passage to adulthood by overcoming their fears and anxieties. For those too young and immature to attempt this â€Å"dangerous† ritual, such as the storyteller at the age when she was told the urban legend, this urban legend serves as a point in their maturity when their desire to overcome their fears actually overcomes their fears. This urban legend serves as an important marker in the phase of adolescent life and their process towards maturity. Works Cited "Bloody Mary." No date. Urban Legends & Superstitions. 8 Apr. 2006 http://urbanlegendsonline.com/mirrors/bloodymary.html. IMDb Search. 2006. The Internet Movie Database. 9 Apr. 2006 http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=bloody+mary. Mikkelson, Barbara and David. "Bloody Mary." Urban Legends Reference Pages. 27 Oct. 2005. Snopes.com. 8 Apr. 2006 http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/bloodymary.asp.

Child Sex Abuse

Child Sexual abuse â€Å"All my childhood lived a dual life-when I was being abused, and the life when I wasn't. â€Å"-Harris leery, an Indian survivor of child sexual abuse, who had a tremendously shocking childhood. Whenever I think about his suffering, my soul starts to tremble with nauseating. For about 11 years of his life, he used to get raped in the place, what we call home; however†¦ For a 7 year old Harris, his home used to be worse than the hell whenever his soul used to be sucked by a Demented of his family.It's not only about Harris or Indian children; all around the world children have been victimized by inhumane abusers. â€Å"In JACK, 1 in 20 children have been sexually abused†-NSP. 18,91 5. This humongous number is the number of children sexually abused in 2012/2013 in England and Wales; imagine the number in the UK, Europe and the world. Think! May be, the person sitting next to you might was, is or going to be sexually abused. You, your friend or your family member might be one of them. Is this the modern world: the 21st century?I don't think so! These children are the future; and our future seems to be blemishing because these buds are put to sleep before they emerge and blossom as flowers. Help! Help! The children's soul screams but in the silence. Those little and pure minds are tortured, threatened and tormented till they give up. New research suggests children who are repeatedly abused, or are abused by a member of their immediate family, are at higher risk of attempting suicide in later life. Help these children. It feels nice.

Prose Commentary: “The Dragon Can’t Dance”

The extract from Earl Lovelace's novel, â€Å"The Dragon Can't Dance†, is a highly descriptive prose which reveals the feelings the character Aldrick Prospect has for the loss of his community's traditional warrior mentality. The piece of prose provides us with a third-person yet detailed account of how ancient customs in Aldrick's home (presumably Trinidad and Tobago, as the capital of Port of Spain is mentioned as being a part of his locality) are disappearing in the face of more modern and temperate customs. Aldrick, the protagonist of the prose, yearns to reignite the people's passion for celebrating traditional carnivals, which he portrays in uniquely violent, sinister, vivid and energetic depiction. He has a sense of nostalgia for the past, when carnivals were more beastly. Even with this rather austere rendering of past carnivals, Lovelace insists that ancient traditions supersede the significance, awe and entertainment of modern carnivals, which present ‘clowns' and ‘fancy robbers'. Aldrick laments at the loss of almost antediluvian traditions, and his sadness is effectively conveyed in the intensely passionate prose. The passage is structured in two paragraphs, each comprising of twenty lines. The equal organization of the passage aids in making it clearer and more coherent. Lovelace is able to clearly contrast two opposing carnivals (past carnivals and the carnival Aldrick is experiencing in the present), thus allowing readers to make clear distinctions between them. The tone of the prose is generally calm and monotonous, with the narrator exposing a slight sense of dread towards what has become of the famous carnival. Although the language of the passage is generally simple and direct so as to give the reader a clear impression, Lovelace also adds a few colloquial phrases which originate from the West Indies. In Line 23, for example, ‘calypsos of rebellion' is mentioned, describing Philo's lost sense of tradition. In Line 30, ‘jab jabs' are mentioned as being part of the present carnival, again instilling a sense that the narrator is conversing with the reader in a casual manner appropriate for the West Indies. Rhythm in the passage is achieved through a multifarious number of methods. Most sentences are lengthy, and pauses are created with the frequent use of commas, which are regularly spaced to create a successful rhythm. It is the usage of commas in long sentences which give the passage most of its flow, as it creates a calm and slow-paced atmosphere, in which the narrator appears to be intensely contemplative. The lack of punctuation, however, aids in speeding the pace. Repetition is also used to create rhythm, as it accelerates the pace. Usage of this can be observed in Line 6, where ‘and' is repeated three times, and in line 6 to 7, in which ‘back' is repeated twice. Rhyming, especially in Line 1, provides the prose with a smoother flow, when the ‘backs of these thin shacks' are described. Rhyming, however, is not a very significant element in the passage, and usage of it is minimal. The listing of similar terms is evident throughout the passage and clearly generates a rhythmic beat. Line 10 contains a quintessential example of this technique, where ‘the village, the tribe, warriorhood and feminity' are grouped. Alliteration is applied for the same reason of creating a smooth beat, as it connects neighboring words more intensely, as is apparent in Line 1, with the phrase ‘Monday morning'. The usage of imagery in the passage is very subtle, and mainly utilized to describe what carnivals used to be like. The main symbol used to represent ancient customs is the dragon costume that Aldrick wears in preparation of the carnival. When Aldrick wears the dragon costume, he feels ‘a sense of entering a sacred mask that invested him with an ancestral authority', accentuating the amount of reverence that only Aldrick feels for ancient tradition. In Line 19 to 2o, the dragon is again used to illustrate Aldrick's attraction to ancient carnivals, as the narrator describes his aspiration to reestablish old traditions ‘like the open claws at a dragon's hand, threatening destruction'. The terms ‘open claws' and ‘destruction' serves to reinforce the link between ancient customs with violence and evil. Yet, even with this rather negative characterization of ancient customs, Aldrick urges people to practice them, so as ‘to let them see their beauty', as is shown in Line 18. In this line, however, ancient customs are linked with the release of ‘beauty'. The fusion of both violence and beauty to depict the carnival celebrated in bygone years creates a particularly strong oxymoron that enhances the mystery and virility of ancient customs. The image of the ancient carnival as evil, violent, and mysterious is further emphasized by terms such as ‘stickfighters' in Line 25, ‘warriorhood' and ‘devils' in Line 26, and ‘black' in Line 27, which are used by the narrator to recount an actual description of the ancient carnival. The usage of imagery is a vital component of enhancing the depiction of the ancient carnival, as it adds elements of mystery and fear. Personification is another literary device used by Lovelace for a variety of reasons. In Line 1, the narrator describes Monday as the ‘morning breaks upon the backs of these thin shacks', giving ‘morning' the ability to physically influence the structure of ‘shacks'. The phrase exudes a slight sense violence with the use of the word ‘breaks'. With this, one is reminded of the physically violent ancient carnivals. In Line 4, personification is again used in a similar method, with the term ‘awakening Hill'. Bestowing a hill with a human action gives the prose a mysterious and lively quality, which supports the main theme of attempting to prompt a return of primeval and violent traditions to Aldrick's homeland. The main theme of ancient carnivals in contrast with present-day carnivals is focused throughout the passage, partially due to repetition. ‘Rebellion' is a word frequently used in the prose, and underscores the violent nature of ancient carnivals which Aldrick tries to revive. ‘Black' is another term that is apparent in copious amounts throughout the passage. The repetition of black heightens the sense of mystery and evil surrounding ancient carnivals. The author Lovelace, primarily to add emotion and drama to the passage, also practices the literary device of onomatopoeia. The terms ‘crow', in Line 2, ‘beating' in Line 4, ‘cries' in Line 9, and ‘crack' and ‘tinkling' in Line 31 exemplify the use of onomatopoeia, and present readers with a more dramatic narration. Onomatopoeia also amplifies the amount of energy which the ancient carnival contains. All these literary devices effectively give the passage a somewhat poetic quality that enriches the impression of the carnivals to readers. The passage is a narrative account of how one person (Aldrick Prospect) yearns to revive his community's ancient carnivals, in the face of new, more peaceful carnivals. This ancient carnival originates from Africa, which is presumably where Aldrick and his community of people derive from. His longing for this has a certain dream-like quality, because of the mournful and monotonous tone. The consequential implication is that Aldrick yearning is more a pipe dream rather than a goal, and indeed, his desire for a return to ancient traditions are unachievable in the end. The narrator reveals that ancient traditions have always been a part of the people of the community, yet it has been suppressed in the face of modernization. This so-called ‘warrior mentality' has, instead, remained ‘if not in brain, certainly in blood', connoting that people still retain a primitive instinct which could be freed. The notion is starkly similar to Golding's novel â€Å"Lord of The Flies†, in which children who were taken away from their civilized atmosphere and placed in a natural environment devoid of human interference become more violent, evil, and generally primitive. In the passage, however, it is only Aldrick which retains and exhibits his primeval instincts, as he fails to make other people behave like him. As observed in Line 35, ‘the dragon alone was left to carry the message', depicting Aldrick's loss of support. Ultimately, even Aldrick himself admits that his thirst for ancient traditions is diminishing, as it states in Lines 39 to 40 that ‘maybe he didn't believe in the dragon anymore'. The last believer in ancient traditions- the dragon, has lost not only support for his cause, but perhaps even his own heart, as the forces of modernization triumph against the people's original roots. The basic theme presented is the loss of culture and primitive passion, which have simply developed into more pacific actions and behaviors with the progression of time. The people's need to ‘rebel' and fight has abated, and resultantly there is less of a need to demonstrate violence and fear. Aldrick is plainly a character who is trapped in an age where ancient violent traditions hold no practical value, thus creating a mournful atmosphere of suffering. In conclusion, I can assert that the passage from the novel â€Å"The Dragon Can't Dance†, by Lovelace, is exquisite in it's depiction of one man's loss of identity. The passage utilizes a combination of different literary devices to instill a lugubrious and melancholic atmosphere to perfectly suit the theme, which is the loss of ancient traditions. This unique theme is thus conveyed to readers in a very idiosyncratic yet effective manner, and the author's message is successfully expressed. On the whole, the passage is able to elucidate the complicated theme of the loss of tradition due to civilization in a simple and artistic and effective manner.