Katherine Mansfield’s Her First Ball Essay examples -- essays papers

Katherine Mansfield’s Her First Ball 1 In Katherine Mansfield’s Her First Ball, Leila, the main character is an eighteen-year-old girl from the rural country who has recently moved into the city with extended family members. To Leila, everything was â€Å"so new and exciting† (4th paragraph) and she immediately begins her path from innocence to experience. I can empathize with her, but I don’t feel sympathy for her. She didn’t have a tragic experience, she a learning experience. Leila’s metamorphosis during the course of the story proves that she is a heroine who overcame the conflict in her journey. 2 The structure of the plot begins with a description of the 6setting, which is interesting because the setting is not that significant to story because if it were in another time and place it would be just as effective.7 The way she describes the car was as though she was describing the road to enlightenment, and the image she gave of sitting in her own corner of the cab is significant foreshadowing: â€Å"she sat back in her own little corner of it, and the bolster on which her hand rested felt like the sleeve of an unknown young man’s dress suit; and away they bowled, past waltzing lamppost and houses and fences and trees.† (1st paragraph) Leila has so many expectations and anticipations that leads to the climax, and is filled with5 symbolism and color that describes a vivid vision of a need for freedom and experience: â€Å"the road was bright on either side with moving fan-...

Internet and Young People Essay

The brains of young people growing up â€Å"hyperconnected† to the Internet might be wired differently from those of their elders, suggests a recent survey of technology experts, who were split on whether the newfangled wiring is desirable. Researchers from the Pew Research Center and Elon University recently conducted an opt-in, nonrandom, online survey of 1,021 technology stakeholders and critics. Participants were asked which of two predictions about teens and young adults seem more likely by 2020—a scenario in which they’re savvy and productive, or one in which they’re hampered by impatience and shallowness. HR professionals might, as a result, have to change the ways in which they manage these younger workers. Some 55 percent of survey participants agreed that the brains of multitasking young people will be wired differently from the brains of those older than 35, mostly for the better. They said young people won’t suffer notable cognitive shortcomings, and that â€Å"they are learning more and they are more adept at finding answers to deep questions,† in part because they’re good at going online and finding collective intelligence. Some 42 percent of survey participants expected brain-wiring changes with negative results, including a thirst for instant gratification. They expect young people will â€Å"not retain information; they spend most of their energy sharing short social messages, being entertained, and being distracted away from deep engagement with people and knowledge. They lack deep-thinking capabilities; they lack face-to-face social skills; [and] they depend in unhealthy ways on the Internet and mobile devices to function.† Even some who chose the positive prediction said it was more their hope than their best guess, â€Å"and a number of people said the true outcome will be a combination of both scenarios,† according to the Pew-Elon survey report, published Feb. 29, 2012. While they were not offered a third option, some participants disagreed with the notion that the wiring of young people’s brains will be different from previous generations’ wiring but thought Millennials’ thinking patterns probably will be. Game Change Teens and adults who grew up playing video games â€Å"will have lasting problems with focus and attention,† futurist author Marcel Bullinga commented in the survey. â€Å"They find distraction while working, distraction while driving [and] distraction while talking to the neighbors. Parents and teachers will have to invest major time and efforts into solving this issue,† he said, by helping young people learn to appreciate quiet contemplation without their mobile devices. â€Å"All in all, I think the negative side effects can be healed,† Bullinga added. Some of those surveyed noted that they themselves, as older adults, have become highly connected to technology, with positive and negative results. Respondents included educators who noted a diminishment of critical thinking skills and attention spans among students. David Ellis, communications studies director at Toronto’s York University, contends that multitasking hinders productivity, even for the very bright. Contrary to popular opinion, he doesn’t see Millennials as effective users of digital tools. â€Å"The idea that Millennials have a cognitive advantage over their elders is based on myths about multitasking, the skill sets of digital natives and 24/7 connectedness,† he commented in the survey. â€Å"Far from having an edge in learning, I see Millennials as increasingly trapped by the imperatives of online socializing and the opportunities offered by their smart phones to communicate from any place, any time.† HR experts already see refreshing and exasperating differences in Millennials in the workplace. â€Å"Millennials are an interesting group of employees† and â€Å"very different† from other generations, said Susan Heathfield, a Michigan-based management consultant and business owner who writes the human resources section for About.com. Attachment to technology â€Å"causes them to be on 24/7,† she told SHRM Online, adding that young workers wouldn’t imagine going on vacation without a phone and e-mail access. They’re likely to conduct most business on smart phones, she said. â€Å"It creates this mentality where work and what is not work is flowing together.† For example, she said, an employee might watch the NCAA basketball tournament on a computer at 11 a.m. and answer a colleague’s e-mail at 11 p.m. â€Å"Millennial employees are looking for change and challenge. Boring is bad. They want their tasks changing all the time,† Heathfield said. They want autonomy and reassurance. â€Å"It just blows my mind watching how this batch of employees was raised,† she said. â€Å"They want lots of praise, lots of feedback—every day. †¦ If you ignore their ideas, ‘What’s your problem? My ideas are great.’ † Their connectedness can lead to behavior that older colleagues consider rude, like texting during meetings. While Heathfield didn’t want to generalize, she noted that Millennials grew up working in teams and â€Å"they don’t think twice about whether the opinion they express hurts someone else’s feelings. †¦ A Millennial is more likely to say, ‘What a sucky idea,’ and they don’t mean it in an insulting way.† Everyone must adjust in order to become comfortable with generational differences, she said. â€Å"You appreciate these kids with their fresh ideas, their youthful thinking, their sort of ‘I can do anything’ approach to the workplace,† she said. â€Å"They’re like a breath of fresh air in many ways.†

The Department And The City Council - 1334 Words

In 2015, the department and the city council did a survey to see if the department had enough personnel. The study looked at many things such as the amount of calls for service, a number of officers working each shift, and the schedule the officers were working. In reality, the survey was a gamble for the department because it could come back in a positive way, finding that we should hire more officers. Another outcome would be that we were overstaffed meaning we would lose positions. The final outcome could be that we were adequately staffed and nothing should change. After several months, the study determined that we had enough personnel, but the officers were working a ten-hour shift that was consuming too many officers. The study recommended that the department goes to either an eight or ten-hour shift. The department took the survey’s recommendations and changed all officers to an eight-hour shift. This was very unpopular with the officers and the chief took an eno rmous hit on this, but he knew he was doing the best thing for the department. I think we all knew that the ten-hour shifts were not necessarily the most productive shift for the department and it was really only being allowed to keep morale up. After working with the legislature, the department was able to change the state’s labor law allowing the work week to be considered over two weeks. By doing this, the officers could work more than 40 hours one week and less than 40 hours the next asShow MoreRelatedSpeaking With Claire I Learned That The Line Item Budget1341 Words   |  6 Pages speaking with Claire I learned that the Line Item budget that the city and the police department utilize is a very common budget strategy that many city governments utilize because of its ease of use. The Line Item budget is a budget in which the individual financial statement items are grouped together by cost centers or Departments. This budget process shows the comparison between the fi nancial data gathered for the past budgeting periods and creates a projected figure for the current or futureRead MoreNew Orleans Chooses Home Rule Charter1642 Words   |  7 PagesNew Orleans Chooses Home Rule Charter The city of New Orleans is governed by a Home Rule Charter. The Home Rule gives a municipality the power and authority to determine how it city should be governed. Without this power a state can make it difficult for a city to function. It can be because of political differences, old grudges, or just because it can. The state can cause economic and financial hardship. The Municipality can be given as much or as little power as the state sees fit, because municipalitiesRead MoreCity Council Essay995 Words   |  4 Pagessiblings in the town of Buffalo. Dustin is my oldest brother and he is now married to his wife, Kala, and they reside in Buffalo. Garrett attends the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and I am a senior at Buffalo High School. I consider this town, something, to be very important to me. Teri has represented Buffalo as a council member for the last 16 years. This last year, when the time was hers to run for the position of Mayor of this fine community, she knew she was ready. Teri had been trainingRead MorePublic Manager s Morals And Values1601 Words   |  7 Pageshave gone to the city council to request that a crosswalk of Constitution Avenue. Constitution Avenue is a four lane thoroughfare that leads to the downtown district. The council asked the city planning department to send out an engineer to determine if there was truly a need for a crosswalk. The engineer determined that there was no need for a crosswalk, which upset the residents of Babcock Place along with the Neighborhood Association that supported the residents. The council members were leftRead MoreCultural Policy in Taiwan Essay955 Words   |  4 PagesYuan makes all other laws. The Council for Cultural Affairs reports directly to the Executive Yuan. It is one of the 17 Councils that are under the governance the Executive Yuan, and it was founded on November 11, 1981. The Council is consisted of one chairperson, two vice chairperson, one executive secretary and one administrative officer. The Council also has three departments, four supporting administrative units and three duty organizing units. The Council also has Board of Directors whichRead MoreCity Council Case Study1281 Words   |  6 Pagesregularly scheduled City Council meeting had a long list of business to cover, but many of those items fell under the consent portion of the agenda. All items were approved, with the forthcoming amendment of the May 9 City Council’s minutes, pointed out by Blythe resident, Leslie Jessop-Watkins. Nonetheless, those items approved included the second reading of the Cannabis Ordinance, No. 883-17, the FY 2017-18 resolution, a request for firework display by the Blythe Volunteer Fire Department, the requestRead MoreImproving The Iso Rating Of The Council Bluffs ( Ia ) Fire Department1516 Words   |  7 PagesImproving the ISO Rating of the Council Bluffs (IA) Fire Department Introduction In 2012, Insurance Services Office (ISO) conducted a review of the fire suppression capabilities of the Council Bluffs (IA) Fire Department (CBFD). The resulting Public Protection Classification (PPC) was a Class 2. This classification puts the CBFD into the top 1% of the approximately 49,000 fire departments ISO reviews. In an effort to maintain the highest level of service to the public, the current fire administrationRead MoreThe City Of Miami Gardens1661 Words   |  7 PagesThe City of Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003, as the 33rd city in Miami-Dade County. A population of 113,199, it is the third largest city in Miami-Dade County after Miami and Hialeah. The City is located in North-Central region of the county, mid-way between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and is easily accessed by I-95, the Palmetto Expressway State Road 826 and the Florida Turnpike. The city comprises approximately 20 square miles of neighborhoods Andover, Bunche Park, Carol City, LakeRead MoreAs a city manager one must constantly make decisions that affect thousands of people. Every1000 Words   |  4 PagesAs a city manager one must constantly make decisions that affect thousands of people. Every decision is important however, budget decisions tend to be decisions that bring conflict and uncertainty. When the humble city of Louisville, managed to raise a surplus of million dollars, the city as a whole, to include city Council and the public was extremely excited. Not only because a surplus is a great challenge in this economy, but because a millio n dollars could go back into the community and helpRead MoreRaymore City Council Report Paper999 Words   |  4 PagesOn November 13th there was a Raymore City Council meeting held at the City Hall. The meeting was well organized and went over various topics such as the water bill change, more street lights, work areas being painted, and there was discussion of Christmas lights being added onto the City Hall in spirit of the holidays. The meeting agenda included the topics that were going to be discussed which made the meeting more structured. To start off the meeting, they called the meeting, announced the time

Julius Caesar- Brutus Cassius Who Is the better leader

In William Shakespeare?s Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius are very influential characters. Each character makes many mistakes with the assassination plans and the strategies at Philippi. Each man has his reasons for their mistakes, if it is either their idealism, being uncompassionate or not, fully thinking for their actions. Brutus and Cassius are very contrasting people; one man is better suited to be a leader of a battle and an Empire, than the other. That man is: Marcus Brutus. Although Brutus makes many consequential mistakes, his errors are made because his nobleness outranks his intelligence. Whereas for Cassius, his mistakes are made from poor decision making. Brutus himself knows that he is often too honourable and not as†¦show more content†¦Cassius has no morals like the Brutus does. We learn a lot about the ?evil, mischievous, deceptive? Cassius in one of his soliloquy. He reflects on the weakness of Brutus and how he is better than Brutus. He says that is he had been Brutus and Brutus him, he would not of joined the conspiracy. ?Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I see, / Thy honourable mettle may be wrought / ?If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius, / he should not humour me.? (Act I Scene II, L. 308 ? 309, 314 ? 315). In the same soliloquy we learn that he is a very deceptive person. He decides that he will throw letters into Brutus?s house, chair that he as wrote. Brutus will think the letters are from citizens, who disagree with Caesar and the future of Rome. ?I will this night/ In several hands, in at his window throw, / As if they came from several citizens, / Writings, all tending the great opinion / That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely / Caesar?s ambition shall be glanced at:? (Act I, Scene II, L315 ? 320.) Deceptiveness is one of Cassius gr eatest strengths. A man who is as deceptive as Cassius is not fit to lead a battle, not to mention an Empire. They have one final obvious reason why Cassius is indisputably not suited for leader is that in troubled times he loses control, and does not know what to do. Before the assassination Cassius is veryShow MoreRelatedNiccolo Machiavellis The Prince and Shakespeares Julius Caesar958 Words   |  4 Pageslessons idealistic and unrealistic for leaders. Machiavelli wrote his book, The Prince, to show the ruling Meddici family that the world is not a fairy tale. Prior to Machiavelli writing The Prince, the majority of books depicted people as virtuous and ethical. However, The Prince is not the only work of literature that manifests Machiavellian techniques. William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar utilizes similar methods. As shown in Julius Caesar and The Prince, a leader who follows Machiavelli’s advice willRead MoreJulius Caesar Character Analysis1546 Words   |  7 Pagesplays, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, it demonstrates that being too trusting of someone could end with b ad consequences. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, one of the main characters, Brutus, trusted his best friend, Cassius, with everything. Brutus trusted that Cassius was right about him being a new ruler of Rome, how killing Caesar would make a safer and better living space for the community, and that the people would support Brutus while he was leading. Cassius saw that Brutus trusted him. He knewRead MoreA Historical Overview Of Julius Caesar Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesA Historical Overview of Julius Caesar (Shakespeare style) The fate of a nation determined by one man. With classic alliances and betrayals, the tale of Julius Caesar is still regarded as one of the greatest betrayals in human history. The fate of Rome was heading toward a dictatorship. Only the Roman Republic could stop Julius Caesar from ruling Rome. Little did the Roman Republic know that this assassination would later cause Octavian Caesar to become the first Emperor of the Roman Empire in 27Read MoreExamples Of Envy In Julius Caesar838 Words   |  4 Pagesplay Julius Caesar written by legendary playwright, William Shakespeare. Brutus and Cassius, Julius Caesars good friends are envious of the love Casaer is shown by the romans and they are willing to throw aside friendship and loyalty because of envy which propels them into the action of killing Caesar for power and praise. Envy is easy and almost always evident in the hunt for power in Julius Caesar, this is evident in Brutus’s motives for killing Caesar, Cassius motives for k illing Caesar and AntonysRead MoreThe Action Of Leading A Group Or An Organization1143 Words   |  5 Pagesgood leader is a person who has diligently worked hard for themselves, has good communication,confidence,commitment, and intuition. Brutus, a tragic hero in the play, Julius Caesar, is a great example who has some significant good and bad leadership and language qualities. He is one of the â€Å"conspirators† whose main intention of murdering Julius caesar was because of the well-being of Rome. He was brainwashed and manipulated by the cunning, Cassius. He was very shrewd and didn’t want Julius CaesarRead MoreMarcus Brutus: Shakespeares Tragic Hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar1238 Words   |  5 Pagesillustrates Marcus Brutus as a tragic hero in the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Shakespeare defines tragic hero as a flawed character who has good fortune, and then loses all he has prized, leading to his misfortune, but a tragic hero must have that momen t of enlightenment, that moment where a character can see that he caused his own downfall and receives the blame for his own tragedy. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is based on an historical event- the assassination of Julius Caesar; however, theRead More Brutus is the Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Essay927 Words   |  4 Pages The tragedy â€Å"Julius Caesar† by William Shakespeare should be renamed â€Å"Brutus† because Caesar is not the tragic hero. He is only in a small portion of the play and does not possess a major tragic flaw; however Marcus Brutus fits the description of tragic hero much better than Julius Caesar. Typically, tragedies are named after the tragic hero, which Aristotle describes as: a person of noble birth with a tragic flaw that leads to his or her downfall because of that flaw. Brutus exhibits all of theseRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Marcus Junius Brutus Minor Essay1418 Words   |  6 Pages27, 2015 Tragic hero Marcus Junius Brutus Minor was the son of Marcus Junius Brutus Maior and Servilia Caepionis. His father was killed by Pompey the Great in dubious circumstances after he had taken part in the rebellion of Lepidus; his mother was the half-sister of Cato the Younger, and later Julius Caesar s mistress. Some sources refer to the possibility of Caesar being his real father,despite Caesar s being only 15 years old when Brutus was born. Brutus uncle, Quintus Servilius Caepio, adoptedRead MoreTragic Flaw of Brutus678 Words   |  3 PagesThe play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, entails the rise and fall of Julius Caesar and Brutus, the man plotting against him. At the opening of the play Julius is being celebrated for his victory over Pompey. Later, he is offered kingship; but Caesar refuses the crown. On the ides of March Brutus and some other men come before Caesar to plead a case; except, their only motive is to kill Caesar. Antony, Caesar’s right hand man, pretends to sid e with the conspirators after Caesar is killed,Read More Julius Caesar Essay1688 Words   |  7 PagesJulius Caesar William Shakespeare has written many plays that touched millions of people throughout the centuries. His works are still the most controversial ones favored by many Literature critics because his plays generate spontaneous debates on issues such as friendship, revenge, human ambitions and moralities that lead to dynamic discussion among people. In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, friendship vs. duty is one of the major themes that is developed. Ones struggle over the choice

Essay about Absurdism in The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Stranger by Albert Camus focuses largely on the concept of absurdism. Camus uses family and personal relationships, or the lack of it thereof, to show the isolation that the main character, Meursault, undergoes in the novel and it’s effect on him overall. Camus utilizes the protagonists’ character development as a tool to further his plot of the novel. The absence of family and personal relationships tied in with the particular recurring topics of the novel are crucial in both the development of the protagonists’ characters as well as the plot as it affects the portrayal of the main character. Towards the beginning, Camus introduces the absence of family, thereby beginning the character development of the protagonists in their†¦show more content†¦This excerpt from the novel shows his overall attitude towards the death of his mother, not wanting to see her for the last time before she is gone forever, which leads the reader to question the personalit y of this man. With the death of Ramone’s dog, Meursault â€Å"realized [Ramone] was crying† which in turn led him to â€Å"[think] of Mama†. However, he overcomes this thought by telling himself that â€Å"[he] had to get up early the next morning† and therefore â€Å"[he} went to bed without any dinner†. Camus incorporates the death of Ramone’s dog in order to once again display the strong contrast between Ramone’s reaction to his dog’s death compared to Meursault’s reaction to his mother’s death. Ramone is mourning over a member such as his dog passing away, and on ther other hand Meursault is indifferent towards the death of his mother. This greatly works in the development of the plot of the novel throughout the novel as he is indifferent towards other aspects of society as well and is condemned for his attitude towards his mother when he is put through trial. Keeping this in mind is essential in the understa nding of some ideas presented later on in the novel. Furthermore, Camus uses family and personal relationships as a way to develop the protagonists’ isolation in the novel, working in providing context for the developing plot. In The Stranger, the author uses this methodologyShow MoreRelatedAbsurdism In The Stranger, By Albert Camus983 Words   |  4 Pages The novel The Stranger written by The French author Albert Camus was published in 1942. The author wrote about what he felt and his views on the world and society. He had very unconventional ideas about morality and believed that life has no rational meaning. These ideas and thoughts are what make this book absurd and very eccentric. Camus philosophy led to what was later known as Absurdism. Absurdism is the need to look for a meaning to life and their inability to find one In theRead MoreDefinition Of Absurdism In The Stranger By Albert Camus1490 Words   |  6 Pagesdefinition of absurdism is stated on Merriam-Webster dictionary as the â€Å"philosophy theory about the belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless, the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe† ( Merriam Webster). The absurdist philosopher Albert Camus once supported the philosophical belief by saying an individuals should embrace the absurd condition of human existence while also defiantly continuing to explore and search for meaning (Albert Camus). Camus is knownRead MoreThe Topic of Defiance of Societal Rules in The Stranger Through Absurdism1018 Words   |  5 PagesThe Stranger by Albert Camus there is a prevalence of characters breaking societal rules, but as a result these characters face the consequences. Albert Camus connects these actions to the overarching themes of the books in order to convey his message more effective ly. To what extent does the topic of defiance of societal rules in The Stranger convey the theme of Absurdism in the novel? The sub-themes of femininity, individuality, and isolation connect to the overarching theme of absurdism as anRead MoreAlberts Aimless Absurdity898 Words   |  4 PagesIn Albert Camus’ novella, The Stranger, he exposes his beliefs on absurdism through the narration of Meursault. Camus’ definition of absurdism is a philosophy based on the belief that the universe is illogical and meaningless. Camus, founder of absurdism and French Nobel Prize winning author, sends the reader his underlying theme that life is meaningless and has no ulti-mate significance. This underlying theme of life’s absurdity is extremely personal to Camus through his own individual experiencesRead MoreLiterary Analysis: How Meursault Is Indifferent in the Stranger, by Albert Camus874 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary analysis: How Meursault is indifferent in The Stranger, by Albert Camus Although Meursault is the title character and narrator of Albert Camus’ short novel The Stranger, he is also a somewhat flat character. His apparent indifferent demeanor may be a convenience to Camus, who mainly wanted to display his ideas of absurdism. And as a flat character, Meursault is not fully delineated: he lacks deep thought and significant change. His purpose is that of a first-person narrator whose actionsRead MoreAnalysis Of Meursault A Stranger To Society1026 Words   |  5 Pagesrealizes how meaningless and pointless life is and accepts his fate- wishing only that the crowds would scream their hate for him on the day of his execution. Albert Camus accurately depicts Meursault as a stranger to society, to himself, and to human emotions in general, while arguing for the philosophy of absurdism. Meursault is a stranger to human emotions. In Part I, preceding Maman’s funeral, Meursault sits by the window in his apartment. He makes observations of the happenings on the streetRead MoreThe Rebel by Albert Camus787 Words   |  3 PagesAlbert Camus and the Notion of Rebel Published in 1951, ‘The Rebel’ by Camus traces the concept of ‘man in revolt’ through history and literature and history. Camus offers his perspectives on society and where the limits of governance should be set. Looking at various incidents in the course of history, Camus makes special mention of his life-long, passionate battle against the cruelty of capital punishment, and murder by trial. Camus also mention the support Communism gives to such judgment evenRead MoreThemes of The Stranger by Albert Camus1439 Words   |  6 Pages Is there any logical meaning of living? Is life worth living? These are the main questions that Albert Camus attempts to answer throughout the novel The Stranger. Albert Camus is a French-born Algerian who lived through the conflict between the French and the Algerians in the mid 20th century which later erupted into a formal war. Camus won nobel prizes for his writing, which delineates many philosophical ideas. Meursault, the ma in protagonist of the novel, lives life as a physical being and showsRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1411 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel The Stranger, written by Albert Camus, encompasses contemporary philosophies of existentialism and absurdism. Existentialist and absurdist philosophies entail principles regarding that one’s identity is not based on nature or culture, but rather by sole existence. The role of minor characters in The Stranger helps to present Camus’s purpose to convey absurdist and existentialist principles. The characters of Salamano and Marie are utilized in order to contrast the author’s ideas about contemporaryRead MoreAnalysis Of The Absurd 1184 Words   |  5 PagesThe Absurd It is safe to say the idea of absurdism can be linked to meaningless, and other such words that express a destination without the means to there and vice versa. In Camus’ famous fictional novel, he shows how one’s perception of life can be effected when faced with death. The Stranger reflects Camus’ philosophical stance on absurdism. There is no truth, no certainty, or any unwavering, non-relative laws in life. There is no sense in pursuing impossibilities. But if life is in a sense pointless

Comparing the Views on Abortion of Thompson and Marquis free essay sample

Judith Jarvis Thompson and Don Marquis both have markedly different views on the topic of abortion. Thompson generally argues that there are cases where abortion may be morally permissible, due to the rights of the mother, while Marquis argues that abortion is almost always morally wrong, except under extraordinary circumstances, because the fetus has a future life. In this paper, I will evaluate the arguments of both parties, as well as identify what premises, if any, they both agree on. In addition, I will supply my own reasoning for why I believe that Marquis presents the more successful argument. The general philosophical problem discussed between Thompson and Marquis is whether or not abortion is morally permissible, and, if so, under which conditions abortion could be seen as morally permissible. In â€Å"A Defense of Abortion,† Thompson begins by stating the traditional argument against abortion used by Conservatives, which states that the fetus is a person and that killing a person is, in essence, murder, and thus morally wrong. She then provides her â€Å"Violinist Argument,† where a person has been kidnapped and connected to the circulatory system of a famous violinist. The violinist has a disease that can only be cured if their blood is filtered through the kidneys of the â€Å"donor† for nine months. Thompson argues that, while doing so would be a very nice gesture, it is not expected of the donor and therefor it would not be morally wrong if the person decided to unplug his or herself from the violinist and cause the violinist to die. (353) Thompson bases this off of the premise that doing so would not be violating his right to life, but would simply be denying him the use of the donor’s body, which is something that he does not have any rights to. Next, Thompson follows up the argument about the violinist with her argument about the expanding child: A mother is trapped inside of a house with a rapidly growing child and will be crushed to death within minutes unless she decides to kill the child. This argument brings up the possibility of a third party intervening and killing the child so that the mother is saved. This is likened to pregnancy, where a doctor may or may not agree to perform an abortion. Because of this, the mother would be denied her full rights and  the right to decide what is done to her body. Because the mother has no reason to be threatened by the fetus, and the fetus has no reason to threaten the mother, both parties are innocent. (356) Therefore, a third party should not be able to intervene and decide, in essence, who lives and who dies. By likening the house to the mother’s body during pregnancy, Thompson also brings up the idea that the mother is the â€Å"owner† of the house, which opens up the possibility that the mother’s desire to do as she pleases with her own body carries more weight than the fetus’s right to life because the mother is already allowing the fetus to use her body. Thus, a third party should not be able to make any decisions about an abortion and the mother should be the only one to decide whether or not a fetus is to be aborted. Lastly, Thompson gives her â€Å"people-seeds† argument in which small seeds drift through the air and can sprout into a person if it becomes attached to carpet or upholstery inside of a home. In this argument, a woman buys the best mesh screens (a metaphor for birth control) that are designed to keep out the seeds, but as it is possible, a screen is defective and lets a people-seed into the home. This, being a metaphor for voluntary intercourse where a woman is aware of the inherent risks of pregnancy, argues that, even though a woman may become pregnant unintentionally, that does not necessarily mean that the fetus has a right to the body of the mother. She uses an analogy of an intruder to show this: just because a woman opens a window, knowing that someone could enter through it, does not rob her of her right to rid her house of an intruder if one would happen to enter. This is likened to rape, where a woman would retain her right to remove a fetus from her body. Thompson identifies that some opponents of her argument would say that someone could simply choose to live in a home with bare floors and furniture or a home with sealed doors and windows to avoid the threat of a people-seed, but Thompson then likens such an arrangement to choosing to get a hysterectomy, just so a woman can safeguard herself against the possibility of being raped and impregnated. Clearly, this would be an extreme measure to take for the sake of prevention. In â€Å"Why Abortion is Immoral,† Don Marquis searches for a concrete argument as to why abortion is immoral. Anti-abortionists adamantly try to compare a fetus to an adult human, while pro-choicers argue that a fetus lacks any of the defining features that make it a person that  would support the traditional argument that killing a fetus is wrong because it is a person. Because of this back-and-forth battle between the different sides of the abortion debate, Marquis proposes that one must first identify why killing a person is seen as wrong. If such a premise is true, it can be used as a strong argument for why abortion is wrong. Marquis simply argues that, because a fetus has a human-like future, it would be immoral to abort it. A human-like future implies that the fetus has a future and has potential to do things in its future life. To abort the fetus would be to deprive the person it would eventually become of any future experiences, activities, projects, and enjoyments that would have constituted one’s future. (367) Marquis then explores possible objections to his argument, one being the topic of euthanasia. Marquis argues that, because someone that desires to be euthanized has no enjoyable future, they are not bound by his argument and that killing them would not be immoral. In addition, Marquis also states that his argument would be compatible with arguments that contraception is immoral. Because there is no actual being that is being deprived of a future life at the time that contraceptive measures become effective (in other words, there are only sperm and an ovum), Marquis’s argument retains its soundness. There are not any premises of Marquis’s argument that Thompson accepts. She doesn’t believe that a fetus has an inherent right to life, nor does she believe that any right to life takes precedence over what the mother desires to do with her body. In certain cases where the mother desires to become pregnant, the fetus may in fact have a right to her body, but the desire of the mother to do what she wishes with her body still takes precedence. In my opinion, Marquis gives the more successful argument. The fact that aborting a fetus would deprive the future being of a future life can be applied to both sides of the argument. Even if pro-choice supporters argue that a fetus is not a person, the fact still remains that it has the potential to be a person, and as such, has the potential for a future. While Thompson does make some very valid points in her argument, her main point about the violinist contains a major flaw. Whereas the donor would be confined to the bed for 9 months and would be unable to continue to live her life, a pregnant mother is still able to do other things while carrying a child. Yes, she may have to make adjustments to her daily life and there will undoubtedly be sacrifices that have to be  made due to her pregnancy, but she is still able to life a relatively normal life while being a productive member of society. Thus, while the baby is still using the mother’s body and its resources, it is not nearly as restricting to the mother as the violinist is to the donor. In addition to the violinist argument, the people-seed argument can also be challenged by Marquis. Even though a mother may consent to intercourse with the knowledge that it is possible for her to get pregnant, she is still responsible for the fact that the fetus now has a future. Thus, because the fetus has a future, the mother is responsible for at least attempting to carry the fetus to term so that it might live and have the capability to fulfill its future. At the risk of sounding clichà ©, if it was the future of a fetus to eventually grow up and become a person that would develop a cure for AIDS, and the mother decided to abort the fetus, then the mother has deprived the fetus of a future that would have, unbeknownst to anyone, changed the world. Both Thompson and Marquis provide very convincing arguments for their view s as to the morality of abortion. On their own, each argument presents a compelling case to support the author’s views on the morality of abortion. After comparing the two against each other, however, I believe that Marquis provided a more successful argument. It was much more concise than Thompsons, and could also be applied to both sides of the debate, whereas most of Thompsons points of argument could only be applied to a position that feels that abortion is mostly morally permissible.

Dolls House/ Scarlet letter Essay Example

Dolls House/ Scarlet letter Paper Often, besides portraying the dynamic changing character straightforward, authors will interweave a certain object that symbolizes the protagonist throughout the course of the story. A couple good examples of this can be shown using Nathanial Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter and Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House. While both have different symbols, they both portray the women protagonists in the story, its meanings changing over time. For The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist Hester Prynnes symbol is the letter A sewn onto her dress while in A Dolls House, Nora Helmers symbol is the Christmas tree her family gets for the holidays. In the beginning of the book, each symbol means one thing, while at the end of the story it takes on a completely new meaning, almost the opposite. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynnes symbolic letter A retains a benevolent meaning by the end of the story, while at the beginning that was far from, somewhat opposite, of what it was supposed to mean. Adulterer. Accused of committing adultery while waiting years for her husband to come home to her, a scarlet letter A is embroidered upon the chest of Hester. In the beginning of the novel, in fact, the letter is depicted as an obnoxious token of shame that stands out on her bosom while she is standing upon the scaffold for the whole world to see her. And when she is holding her baby in front of her, evidence of her so called crime, it is said that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another. From the beginning of the novel, described as the wearer of the scarlet letter instead of her name Hester, the letter came to define her and made her lose all the other aspects of herself. We will write a custom essay sample on Dolls House/ Scarlet letter specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Dolls House/ Scarlet letter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Dolls House/ Scarlet letter specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Throughout the course of the story, events constantly happen to remind her of the scarlet letter she shamefully seems to bear. In one instant at Governor Bellinghams house when her daughter is looking at some armor, Hester notices that it is like a convex mirror and the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature or her appearance. In another part of the story, Hesters daughter Pearl starts gathering handfuls of wild flowers, and flinging them, one by one, at her mothers bosom; dancing up and down, like a little elf, whenever she hit the scarlet letter. Yet again, to Hester it is another moment constantly reminding her of what she did. The change all starts in Chapter thirteen, called Another View of Hester, the title alone foreshadowing a change in meaning of the symbol. The symbol not only becomes forgotten and disregarded; it becomes almost sacred and symbolizes someone of a higher status. Described with a positive connotation, glittering in its fantastic embroidery, the letter is now a familiar object to the townspeople. Hester became a shoulder to cry on; one to aid those in need, feed the poor, and cure the sick. Able. In A Dolls House, what Nora goes through is almost opposite of what happens to Hester. While Hester slowly increases her status in society, Nora Helmer deteriorates along with the Christmas tree throughout the course of the short play. This is clearly seen by examining minute descriptions, stage directions and clear physical depictions of both Nora and the Christmas tree. The tree is somewhat mentioned in every scene, nonchalantly in the background of where the action is taking place. From the beginning of the play, when the porter is helping her bring the tree in, to throughout the play when she is slowly decorating the tree little by little, the tree is noticed one way or another. There is more than one parallel between Nora and the tree, symbolizing her not only psychologically, but physically as well. Psychologically, as stated earlier, Nora gradually becomes a disheveled mess, once anxiety fills her at the thought of her secret being revealed by Krogstad, which in turn would make Torvald extremely mad at her. Supporting this, she is described as being alone in the room, walking about uneasily. Similarly, this is at the point in the story, the beginning of Act II, when the Christmas tree is also described as a sorry mess. In a corner, it is stripped of its ornaments with burnt-down candle-ends on its disheveled branches. Moving along to the similar physical representation of Nora and the tree, the discussion of decorations are essential. First off, Nora decorates the tree just as Torvald seems to decorate and dress her for the party. Similarly, she disallows the children from seeing the tree before it looks pretty with all of its ornaments, just like she will not let anyone see her in her new dress until the night of the party. Apart from just the fact that Nora and the tree are both merely decorated, the actual ornaments can be looked at in a way to symbolize her lies she tells. As the tree loses its di cor and beauty, that is how much closer the truth is getting to being revealed. On that tangent, in the beginning of the play in Act I, Torvald tells Nora, Keep your little Christmas secrets to yourself, my darling. They will all be revealed to-night when the Christmas tree is lit, no doubt. This is what could be the beginning of where the parallelism between Nora and the tree actually starts. Interestingly, although this is before the part where the reader actually knows about Noras lies and what Krogstad has on her, once looked back upon this part can be seen as a defining beginning to the symbolism. Although the symbols portrayed the main character in each novel, their meanings changed in different ways, one positively and the other negatively. In The Scarlet Letter, the meaning symbolic letter A changed from adulterer to able, upbringing Hesters position in society from one of shame to one people could look up to. On the other hand, in A Dolls House, the physical state of the Christmas tree slowly worsens over the course of the play, representing the decline of Noras psychological state. While one woman had more luck than the other in the fact that her symbol changed for the better, the style of writing in terms of symbolism that both Hawthorne and Ibsen had were very similar.