Novel reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Novel reflection - Essay Example Krakauer demystifies the enigmatic Everest as well as points out that the climbers were like any other normal human beings with their share of heroism and courage, fear and failure. Just as he draws an account of the successful expeditions of the legendary climbers he would speak of the gruesome instances of failures, death and the struggles of survival. Krakauer being a passionate climber his story narrates first hand experiences. It is his understanding and knowledge of climbing that seems to give him an insight into the nature of the expedition and make his interpretation meaningful. The Lhotse Face episode reveals a disturbing picture of the state of the climbers who were completely demoralized and were suffering from a multitude of ailments related to high altitude. The stark reality of ego tussles and pride stand out amid the impending natural catastrophe that once again exposes the vulnerable nature of human beings. The utter lack of cooperation from the climbers of the other expedition teams and the climbing strategies that sometimes compelled one to be insensitive seem to question the ethical values of our society that are flouted on the mountains. A reading of his book Into Thin Air helps one to conceptualize the various intentions of those people who have willingly opted to undertake the hazardous journey to scale the Everest. It is astonishing for lay persons to conceive of the madness of spending some $70,000 dollars to climb Mt. Everest. It is all the more disturbing to find out that a large number of climbers though rich are not qualified climbers. As Krakauer points out that there were people from different walks of life be it the wealthy doctor Beck Weathers or the rich socialite Sandy Hill Pittman. It appears that all of those climbers have their individual reasons to ‘summit’ (Krakauer, 1997) the Everest. For some reaching the top of the Everest is a dream fulfillment and something of a trophy for a

Charles Dickens Diary for Writing Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Diary for Writing Great Expectations Essay I cannot but thoroughly criticize the lackadaisical social and moral abuses in this country. The will to take action has urged me to write Great Expectations in order to assail the abominable conditions that exist in England. In this novel, my dear characters are idealized in order to heavily contrast with the ugly social truths that I reveal. For it is fully my intent to raise the awareness of these corrupting and unjust conditions that we so nonchalantly live with. Oh what a pity! A grief indeed, that the once innocuous and simple Pip may be transformed into the snobbish and opinionated character he becomes. For what was the reason for Pip’s unexpected transformation? Of course, it is naught but the social-class division that feeds the desire of selfish ambition. Here in England, the social-class determines how a person is treated and his access to education. This most discriminatory attitude is displayed when the otherwise indifferent tailor servilely attends to Pip after hearing of his fortune despite turning a cold shoulder to him earlier. Is money enough to turn a man into a mouse? Why is it that charisma does not command respect but pounds and shillings? After attaining a vast amount of wealth, Pip even begins to treat his closest friend and protector, Joe, with a superior air. Was Joe not plenty a’ gentle and fair to Pip? Had Joe been an inadequate friend? Absolutely not, twas’ being Pip now belonged to a higher social class. Not only does social standing determine how one was treated daily, but also played an unfair and villainous part in court reasoning in our society. In the case of the two convicts, the main perpetrator, a gentlemen, stated in his defense speech â€Å"..here you has afore you, side by side, two persons as your eyes can separate wide; one, the younger, well brought up one; the elder, ill brought up which is the worst one? The most incredulous and vile aspect is not the use of an ad hominem, but the court promptly basing the entire decision of the trial strictly on this statement regarding social appearance. I assure you, this is not uncommon at all in this country. Trials and disputes are unfairly biased and integrity comes arm in arm with class and money rather than logic and proof. Ah! Though it is true that social class plays an enormous role in everyone’s lives, it all but affects one’s character. One’s character is still left intact despite the obstructive society divide. An honest but poor man today shall unquestionably hold more truth than a sly rich man. Alas’, sadly this is far from the case today. The secondary reason that had prompted me to write this novel was the physical condition of London. Being a local resident of London, I bore firsthand witness to the effects of industrialization. At the cost of clean air and green living space, London transformed into a merchant city full of jobs and people. O how I do miss the crisp clean fields of the countryside. This sentimentality was the reason that provoked me to write about the descriptive settings and bustling activities within the city. Not to mention the crowded condition people lived in, primitive sewage and poor working conditions. As a result, I am not particularly fond of aristocrats and express this through my characters. Through them, I expose the malignant social norms such as Magistrates courts and the social divide. As well, my reminiscent memories of familiar settings and my want to explore the conditions in the city have compelled me to write this novel. The end product cannot help but evoke a sense of awareness and social conscientiousness from the reader.

Pearl Harbor - The United States Should Have Anticipated the Attack :: World War II History

Pearl Harbor - The United States Should Have Anticipated the Attack Many have compared the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They argue that both attacks were just as astonishing, unwarranted and unpredictable. The World Trade Center buildings in New York City still lie in ruin, an icy reminder of the terrorist attack. Both the U.S.S. Arizona and the U.S.S Utah remain on the floor of Pearl Harbor, each a ghostly, decaying tomb reminding all of the thousands that gave their life on that fateful day, also, they are both reminders of seemingly how easily the attack was carried out and of how America, the world's big brother and perhaps the most powerful nation in the history of the world, was caught with 'its guard down.' The attacks are also similar in that, generally, those who lived through them divide time: time before the attack and time after. After Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan, and thus Germany and Italy with the signing of the Anti-Cominter n Pact and latter the Tripartite Pact, and after was slingshot into the Cold War, and after the September 11 attack, concepts that may have been unthinkable before the attack are being considered such as torturing detainees and racial profiling and, arguably, security has been further fortified in airports and other public places. Both attacks were turning points in American history; they had and will have profound effects on life after them. The details of the September 11 attack are still buried in distant lands while the on Pearl Harbor happened over 60 years ago; therefore most of the documents and information concerning the attack have been released. When analyzing the documents and accounts of the Pearl Harbor attack, historians are not able to avoid the fact that many warning signs of the approaching attack existed. The neglect of these signs can, in most cases, be attributed to some sort of human error in dealing with those signs. Although human error played a large part in the reason that those in power did not take further advantage of those signs, it was not the only reason. Most of the signs were neither tangible nor very specific of the location, date or degree of ferocity at which Japanese would attack. Another reason is that for years before the attack, a feeling of isolation and thoughts that the United States need not interfere in European matters presided over the minds of many Americans.

Lawsuit In Movies

The movie North Country featured Josey Aimes, the woman with two kids who only wanted to make life better and happier for her family. After leaving her abusive husband, she found a job as hairdresser. But learning that working in the local mine could pay her good enough, she applied for it not knowing the prejudices and negations received by women miners. As days passed by in her life as a miner, she started to notice the dominance of the clan of Adam in that part of the country. Everyday, she could hear sexist jokes, and disrespectful comments from male coworkers, she began to outrage turning herself the object of hate, but at the same time, of lust. She later found out that the women in her hometown were so scared to come out of their shell†¦ that nobody even wanted to stand by her side. With the help of a local lawyer, she filed for a sexual harassment case against her workplace, when she was nearly raped. The movie opened with a big bang of emotions and scenarios that continuously built the excitement of any viewer to follow the journeys and decisions made by the female protagonist. Events like going away from her husband, getting inside the manly world of mining, and being the herculean woman amidst the fangs and stings of men, kept true to the philosophy of Niki Caro – women empowerment, like the Whale Rider. The director was able to present the powerhouse impact of the scenes attributed to a community enveloped in discrimination against women. Charlize Theron played the protagonist woman and added merits to her credentials. North Country was based on the case filed and won by Lois Jensen against the Eveleth Mines. It took over two decades before the charge was settled. Indeed, she made history by changing the course of sexual harassment law in the United States of America. The lawsuit created rooms for the rights of women against sexual harassment, discrimination and other negative actions towards women in the workplace. Erin Brokovich With three children to give a decent life, she asked her lawyer to help her get a work. She later found her career in researching about the case of water pollution and sickness among the children in a small town. She then excavated that the cause was the toxic wastes dumped by the huge company in the area. The worse part was that the company was trying to hide it from investigations. The company was so powerful that it could just make her dead in the records, but she was not stopped by this. She went an extra mile just to expose the truth. But she is not your ordinary good girl, smart employee in the office. She had skeletons in her closets, too. She usually left her children with her biker boyfriend, acting like she was not the mother. Dressed like a whore, she made Erin Brokovich heroine in a small town when she brought down a deep-pocketed company. Steven Soderbergh directed this film with wit and passion. He maximized the potentials, including the natural sexiness, of Julia Roberts, who played the role so effectively in return. This might have driven the female part of the audience crazy of desiring to be like Erin in their worlds. Every woman wanted to be the new modern woman, dressing casually but could carry the world when asked to. This is like a refresher movie of what Roberts was in the Pretty Woman, the role that made her the highest-paid and the most sought-after actress in Hollywood. The movie was based on the story of Erin Brokovich who helped the burdened community win over the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. She did not have the looks or appearance of a lawyer. But she managed to go on her way to help in the success of the largest settlement for a direct lawsuit ever. This clearly shows that if you have done something bad, it will haunt you no matter where you are and what status you belong. Moreover, no matter how good you are in hiding or covering your wrongdoings, the issue itself could find itself in the surface. A Civil Action A community struck with something that made the people vulnerable to skin rashes, and a leukemia outbreak among the youth, was finally put to limelight when they start to take their fate against two big corporations. The residents wanted someone to apologize for the death of their children. Their need for someone to defend them came at the right time for the firm of Jan Schlichtmann, who chose cases they believe they could get to success. Usually, their clients were poor, putting a pro-people and pro-justice on their image. But in his mind and heart, the lawyer was hoping for large settlement money. As they were getting through the lawsuit, the firm was also continuously sinking below the line of bankruptcy. The movie was based on the primary accounts of Jonathan Harr during the proceedings. This embedded the movie inside the courtroom. Stories about the Woburn victims were set aside for the presentation of what really happened inside the hearing of the case. John Travolta gave justice to the character of Schlichtmann, as being the ambitious lawyer, who wanted to nail down WR & Grace and Beatrice Foods, for a substantial amount of money. He also made a mistake when he was carried with the story of one of the victims. Robert Duvall, who played the antagonist Jerome Facher, also made a great effort in his role as the lawyer of one of the companies involved in the issue. Environmental crime is probably one of the celebrated cases in the history of man. This is because different sectors participate in the deliberation of points, trying to sound pro-environment. Oftentimes, big industrial companies are usually the subjects. Justice has its price, goes the tagline of the movie that peeked through the climax of the movie wherein the victims got a whopping amount of settlement money. This shows the negative attachments of the judicial system of the country. It made clear that money could have the power to break the shield of morality, humanity, and most of all, love. Reference: Caro, N (dir). 2005. North Country. USA: Warner Bros. Pictures. Soderbergh, S (dir). 2000. Erin Brokovich. USA: Jersey Films. Zaillian, S (dir). 1998. A Civil Action. USA: Touchstone Pictures.      

Baroque Period

Baroque was the artistic period dating from 1600 to 1750 in European history. Derived from the Portuguese word barocco, Baroque literally means an ‘uneven pearl. ’ Often compared to Hellenistic art, Baroque artists discovered emotions and used strong contrasts of light and shade showcasing continued motion in their works. Cunningham L. S. & Reich J. J. (2006) state that: It is not surprising that the term baroque, originally used to describe the extravagant European art of the seventeenth century C. E. , is often applied to the art of the Hellenistic period.The artists responsible for these innovations created their works for a new kind of patron. (p. 77) Baroque was born in Italy. From the Renaissance period of symmetry, monumentality, balance and odd forms, the Baroque period was characterised by bold, curves and asymmetrical themes in paintings and buildings. Heinrich Wolfflin, in Principles of Art History: the problem of the development of style in later art (1932; t ranslated 1950, Page 14), explained the differences between the art of the 16th and 17th centuries stating that â€Å"baroque (or, let us say, modern art) is neither a rise nor a decline from classic, but a totally different art.† It also reflected the growth of monarchies as such a style suited the aristocracy who thought of integrated structures. Intense spirituality, realism of daily life, and psychological exploitation depicted in works of art and sculptures are highlights of Baroque art. Cunningham L. S. & Reich J. J. (2006) explain that: During the Baroque period, artists were attracted by extremes of feeling – sometimes these strong emotions were personal.Painters and poets alike tried to look into their own souls and reveal by color or words the depths of their own psychic and spiritual experience. The desire to express the inexpressible required the invention of new techniques. As a result, baroque art placed great emphasis on virtuosity. Sculptors and painter s achieved astonishing realm in the way in which they handled their media. Stone was carved in a way such as to give the effect of thin, flowing drapery, while seventeenth-century painters found ways to reproduce complex effects of light and shade.(p. 359) Some of the main representatives of baroque art are Michelangelo Merisi-Caravaggio (Portrait of a Courtesan-1597), Annibale Carracci (River Landscape-1595), Agostino Carracci (Lamentation of Christ-1606), Rembrandt (The Jewish Bride-1666), Nicholas Poussin (The Plague at Ashdod-1630), Georges De La Tour (The Fortune Teller-1620-1621) Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (Prince Balthasar Carlos-1635), Peter Paul Rubens (Mercury and Argus-1638), and Jan Vermeer (The Artist in his Atelier-1670).Like art, Baroque architecture too progressed from renaissance in Italy. Curving facades, oval shape, triangular areas between rooftops, tips scrolls and gilded and double curves with luxurious materials and ornate decorations were emphasized upon instead of symmetry. The most famous work is the Palace of Versailles, France (built by Louis XIV) which was a symbol of wealth and power. Baroque architects used marble, gilt and bronze in their works.Ceilings used illusionism where paintings were done and looked like engravings for expressing emotions. The main representatives of Baroque architecture were Gianlorenzo Bernini (Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, 1645-1652) and Francesco Borromini (Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, 1640-1650). The late Baroque era was known as Rococo (1700-1780). In this era, the sculptors obtained unified spaces, created decorative schemes and emphasized on structural elements (Church of the Carmine, Turin, Italy, 1732, by Filippo Juvarra).Baroque style moved out of Rome and split in two different forms – The Roman Catholic countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria and South Germany) and Protestant regions (England, Netherlands and rest of northern Europe). The Catholic countries were inclined towards fre er and active surfaces thereby appealing through the senses, whereas the Protestant countries were more restrained and developed a quiet monumentality. As it migrated, Baroque style underwent changes in different countries according to the traditions, preferences and outlooks. In France, the architecture was geometrical, formal and precise merging with the Rococo style.Dutch painting was sober and detailed; and Dutch architecture was affected by political and commercial events, thereby emphasizing on beauty and nature of the middle class. Germany continued with its alpine wood crafting tradition in sculptures. The Baroque style moved towards extravagance in Spain and Latin America. In the latter half of the 18th century, baroque transitioned to romanticism which was ‘the age of enlightenment. ’ References: Cunningham L. S. & Reich J. J. (2006). Culture and Values: A survey of the Humanities. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.