Survival Essays - Lech-Lecha, Book Of Genesis, Vayeira, Abraham

Survival Finding one's place in society is a major dilemma many people face every day. Once people find their place in society they understand who they are, what is expected by them and what their roles are. Once a person has found their place in society they understand their life and which direction it is going. The main characters are portrayed as two different individuals with very different lives who have only one thing in common- their inability to find their proper place in society. Brian Moore, and Margaret Laurence's concern for the plight of the individual and their position in society is clearly self-evident in their novels The Luck of Ginger Coffey and The Stone Angel . The main characters Ginger Coffey and Hagar Shipley both struggle to survive with dignity even though their overwhelming pride often obscures reality. Throughout the novel it becomes evident that both Ginger Coffey and Hagar Shipley's overwhelming sense of pride obscures their reality and therefore causing problems for them. Coffey the main character in Brian Moore's novel The Luck of Ginger Coffey is portrayed as a comic hero who has endless limitations that he does not see. Ginger Coffey believes he is his own man, which is why he leaves his homeland Ireland and moves to Canada . Coffey believes Ireland would not allow him to become the person he thought he could be, " What was his aim in life ? Well...he supposed it was to be his own master, to provide for Vera and Paulie, to...to what ?...To make something of himself, he supposed." (Moore, pg.21) Coffey's values do not seem to be unrealistic or selfish in themselves, but because he sets unobtainable and unrealistic goals he encounters numerous failures. Coffey cannot content himself with a simple job and provide for his family in this way; he wants to become someon! e important, and achieve personal status. Not realizing that these very ideas bind him to a life of repetitive failures. Because of his pride Coffey sees himself not as the middle aged man that he is, but as an attractive young boy out for new adventures. "Now in his prime, he considered himself a fine big fellow with a soldierly straightness to him, his red hair thick as ever and a fine mustache to boot.." (Moore, pg. 58) Coffey does not seem to be aware of reality around him, nor of how others see him. "Look at this one with his tiny green hat, short bulky coat and suede boots. A man that age should know better than to dress as a college boy."(Moore, pg. 23) Although others see him as he is, a middle aged man trying to act like a teenager, Coffey is blinded by pride and not aware of who he really is. All he knows is that he wants to make something of himself. But because of the false image he has of himself, he encounters endless frustrations in his search for work. ! He strives always for the most demanding jobs ; although he is not qualified in any way to fill any of the positions he applies for. Yet, in the end, things do not improve as Coffey thought they would , once he left Ireland. Coffey continues to be the same childish boy full of hopes and dreams unable to find his place within society. Margaret Laurence's heroine in a way faces the same dilemma that Coffey does. Hagar Shipley in The Stone Angel is a ninety year old woman, desperately trying to live out her last days in some sort of dignity . But Hagar like Coffey suffers, for it is because of her pride, that she is unable to see the real world around her, or try to understand it. Hagar sees herself as a young woman, trapped in an old body. Thus she tries endlessly with many frustrations to do things for herself, and always fails. Hagar becomes resentful, moody, childish and angry when her son Marvin or her daughter-in-law try to help her. Hagar feels that they are trying to take her pride away, the one thing Hagar could not face up to, "I always swore I'd never be a burden-" (Laurence, pg.

Essay on Final speech of The Great Dictator

Essay on Final speech of The Great Dictator Essay on Final speech of The Great Dictator Essay on Final speech of The Great DictatorThe Final speech of The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin is the sample of the inductive reasoning which involves the reference of the narrator to parts to eventually arrive to the complex notion, in case of the Jewish Barber, the final complex notion, which he defines is happiness of people. Distinct feature of inductive reasoning, such as references to the parts, drawn from personal experience and empirical data obtained by the researcher or person conveying the message, as is the case of the Jewish Barber, and eventually all these parts are united in the complex notion or general issue that makes the argument quite strong.The narrator refers to representatives of different racial and ethnic groups, while, blacks, Jews and others. In such a way, the Jewish Barber condemns racism and nationalism which treat people as unequal because of their racial or ethnic origin. He apparently stands for the equality of representatives of all racial and ethnic groups. He also rejects greed and stands for peace. Finally, the Jewish Barber appeals to Hanna, who is probably his last hope and his target audience, while it becomes clear that what he really stands for is the happiness for all people. He uncovers elements of that happiness through appeal to each group of people, which he has appealed during his speech. To put it more precisely, he believes that happiness is achievable in the society free of racism and nationalism. There is no room for poverty and oppression in the happy society. People should live in the just society, where innocent people cannot be sent to prison for nothing. In addition, happiness is possible in the society which stands for peace in the world and prevents wars which serve to interests of the few, while many innocent people die for nothing. Finally, the happiness implies love, as the Jewish Barber apparently loves Hannah, to whom he appeals at the end of his speech. This is why his argument is strong sin ce as he refers to different social groups, he shapes distinct features of happiness and, eventually, he appeals to the person, who is the most significant for him to restate the concept of happiness. The Jewish Barber defines the concept of happiness as the life in the world, where all people are equal, sympathetic, support each other and stand for peace. There is no room for war, greed and other evils which the speaker identifies in the real world which is totally different from his vision of the ideal world.In such a way, the speech of the Jewish Barber is the typical example of the inductive argument as the narrator refers to part to draw the general picture and shape the final message, which he actually wants to convey to the audience. In his speech he relies on his personal experience, expectations and views, which are apparently subjective and do not necessarily mirror the objective reality. The Jewish Barber refers to parts to arrive to his definition of happiness, which inc ludes multiple elements described by him in the course of the speech.

The objectives of the Justice Policy Institute Essay

The objectives of the Justice Policy Institute - Essay Example [internet]) Yes, giving a chance to a jailed convict is understandable. But questions have to be answered. Is it worth it Is any program to that effect deserving of support Is incarceration really not the solution Whatever the answers are, does the Justice Policy Institute have a definite, determined and clearly streamlined missions and visions With its objectives focused on offering or proposing alternatives to incarceration, the Justice Policy Institute, a non-profit organization, believes that the options incorporated in its goals and missions are safe, effective and fair and these are achieved, among others, through researching into the roots and outcomes of incarceration. (Schiraldi, Vincent Schiraldi, Jason Colburn and Eric Lotke. An Examination of the Impact of Three Strikes Laws. THREE STRIKES AND YOU ARE OUT. [internet].) It also is a proponent of changing the perceptions of the public regarding the issue of jailing. Furthermore, it commits to assist the government and the communities along that line. Interestingly, the organization, even giving it the benefit of the doubt that it has the sincerity in proposing alternatives better and more worthwhile than prisons, the goals it has outlined seem to be overshadowed by the attendant vagueness. It even takes serious issue on the so-called three strikes laws which incr ease the penalties of three-time offenders stating that the subsequent infractions are usually non-violent and, therefore, there is really not much necessity of added punishment. The Arguments of the Proponents The institute defines its mission as one to rally the promotion of solutions allegedly more effective than reliance on incarceration or imprisonments in fixing social problems. The proponents and advocates of the Justice Policy Institute further claim that, as a matter of fact, the United States of America has had remarkable rise in the numbers of prisoners and that its rates of incarceration top world statistics. They also criticize political hyperboles regarding declarations of getting tough on crimes. The institute leadership further raises the issue that social predicaments such as mental health and substance abuse can better be addressed by sending the patients not behind bars but in some other places where they can instead be better taken cared of. The institute stresses that the country is paying for more than two million incarcerated people. Owing to those dynamics, the leaders of the group advance the idea that better solutions are at hand and need to be applied. Such appro aches as supportive of treatment and other options involving the communities are claimed to promote safety and save money. The organization expresses the view that there are wiser ways to rehabilitate criminals. It says more work must be done. (Our Mission. Justice Policy Institute. [internet]) Going over its website postings, one can see the activities of the institute: the reports it renders opposing development in the prison system, the researches it makes on jail statistics and other seemingly relevant items. One issue tells of

My Essence of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Essence of Happiness - Essay Example In these regards, when I awake in the morning I feel excited to enter the day. I am confidant with who I am and the social relationships I have developed. I feel energetic and motivated to learn new things and explore new pursuits. I feel like I smile a lot, and many of the people I am around reflect such an upbeat demeanor. I am always willing to help other people and I find ways to make others’ lives easier. I tend to wear bright clothes and outfits that demonstrate my internal feelings of contentment. Even though I have no idea what will occur in most of my days, I still feel optimistic about my life and the future. Ultimately, while I find it difficult to exactly define my happiness, I recognize that there are is a collection of things that combine to constitute my happy existence. In considering the essence of my happiness, I recognize that there cause and effect relationships that contribute to this state. One of the primary things that contribute to my happiness is having an optimistic outlook on life and specific circumstances. I truly believe that thinking positively is a great contributor to happiness. Another prominent thing that I think contributes to my happiness is the fact that I exercise and remain physically active. In these regards, I believe that a large part of happiness is rooted in biological and physiological mechanisms and that exercise is essential to a healthy and happy lifestyle. Another prominent aspect of my happiness is that I keep a regular schedule and work hard at work and school. All humans must have a sense of meaning and purpose and in working towards my goals I am able to find meaning and purpose in my life. The collection of these elements causes my happy lifestyle. In conclusion, this essay has considered the essence of my happiness. In self-reflexively considering my happiness I have come to better

American Heritage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Heritage - Essay Example These branches include legislature, executives and judiciary. Where the legislature is responsible for law making and involves Congress and Senate, executives include president and other members of state departments. These members are responsible for ensuring that laws are well executed. On the other hand, judiciary is vested with the power of evaluating how the law is interpreted. It is important to note that the notion behind separation of power also provides one branch a leverage or supremacy over other to ensure that no branch supersedes others and also there is no abuse of powers. This system is further supported with the help of state and national governments and horizontal division of power among them. Mainly the vertical division among government branches i.e. legislature, executive (president and bureaucracy) and judiciary (the Supreme Court and federal courts) is known as separation of powers (Geer et al. 11). Articles I, II and III of U.S. constitution provide a preamble o f this division of power and authority among government’s branches. A simple example of it can be President’s authority to designate judges however members of the Senate need to approve these nominations. Secondly, legislation passed by Congress can be superseded by President’s veto power. ... There are different views regarding which branch has a tendency of ruling out the interests of others. According to Hamilton, judiciary is the weakest of all as it only has access to limited areas of constitution i.e. controversial cases only (Lavinbuk 862). On the other hand, Presidency is perceived to be a weaker part since its actions are based on the approval of Senate. Despite all these allegations, the separation of power ensures transparency and checks and balance in all branches of government theoretically. 2. Differences in Hamilton and Jefferson School of Thought Hamilton and Jeffersonian views have some significant differences regarding shape and structure of government in United States. The present structure represents an amalgam of both however some of differences are irreconcilable. Firstly, Jeffersonian view supports equality of all individuals despite their class, gender, ethnicity or age. Despite absence of women and African Americans in 1787 Constitution, the propos ed system had a room of inclusion of different social groups identified in future (Geer et al. 13). On the other hand, Hamiltonian view was an advocate of elites running the national government particularly at its beginning. Jeffersonian view is rather skeptical of government’s integrity and believes that every form of government can be corrupted due to a superior executive whereas Hamiltonian view believed that for a stronger system of, a power executive is important. Thirdly, Jeffersonian school of thought believed in state governments and citizens to have control over main government whereas Hamiltonian group supports the idea of strong national government (DiLorenzo 59). Fourthly, Jeffersonian perspective assumed U.S. to be an agrarian entity with no involvement in global

Importance Of Soil Conservation Environmental Sciences Essay

Importance Of Soil Conservation Environmental Sciences Essay Quantitative determination of the extent and impact of soil erosion by water in the tropics have been sketchy. However all available evidence indicates that accelerated erosion is a problem of serious magnitude and with a multitude of negative effects in many tropical countries. The awareness to conserve soil began approximately nine thousand years ago when human civilization shifted from nomadic hunting and gathering experience to a more permanent, settled and intensive soil-dependent plant and animal farming systems (Miller, Rasmussen and Meyer, 1985). Soil provides the medium from which most of the sustenance for humankind is derived. This thin, complex, crustal carpet uniquely integrates many attributes of the lithosphere, atomosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere (Miller, Rasmussen and Meyer 1985). Soil is regarded as a nonrenewable source since its formation from the parent rock material to an agriculturally productive growth medium is a very slow process (Lal 1990). The top soil is where most of the living activities of both flora and fauna take place. According to Brady and Weil 1999, the top soil is the upper most part of the soil ordinarily moved in tillage or its equivalent in uncultivated soils which range in depth from 7 to 25 cm (the plow layer). Removal of this plant nutrient enriched topsoil due to soil erosion would result in lowering of soil fertility through losses of both organic matter and nutrients which would result in decline of crop yields (Lal 1986; Rose and Dalal 1988). This loss in soil productivity due to erosion is serious in caribbean countries where fertilizer substitute for the lost plant nutrients is not affordable. This would lead to poorer soil profile characteristics such as low organic matter levels (Rose 1989;Rose 1998). Soil Erosion is perhaps the most serious form of land degradation throughout the world. For the tropics specifically, while it is acknowledged that erosion is more serious than else where, no analytical or systematic studies have been undertaken to document the problem, it consequences or potential solutions. Soil erosion results in lost water and plant nutrients at rates even greater than those occurring naturally through leaching ( Brady and Weil 1999). If there are no conservation practices present, soil erosion will occur and land degradation, reduced productivity due to loos of top soil, increased runoff and off site sedimentation problems (such as siltation of bodies of water and damage to crops and roads) will occur. The consequent socio-economic costs of sometimes more obvious off site damage are commonly easier to identify and quantify (Chrisholm 1987; Rose 1993). 1.2 Soil Conservation Strategies The caribbean is characterized by steep slopes. The degrees of steepness and the proportion of the land area classified as steep may vary. In Trinidad and Tobago, a larger propotion of steep slopes is still covered with natural vegetation which reduces the soil washed off the surface. Trinidad is marked with a long dry season in the early part of the year and then followed by an intense wet season. Most erosion occurs when the land is cleared of vegetation for farming. This usually occurs just before the rainy season. It is important to note however that most food crop production in Trinidad as well as the rest of the Caribbean, is carried out by small farmers on sloping land with no attention to soil conservation practices. This is the main reason for severe soil erosion in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension the Caribbean. Soil conservation is understood as not only involving the control of loss of soil material due to erosion but also the decline in fertility (chemical, physical and biological breakdown of the soil). (Young 1984). The adverse effect of soil erosion is not confined only to decrease in soil depth but ultimately to the loss loss of organic matter and plant nutrients and consequently to degradation of soil physical properties and crop yield decline ( Young 1984). It is important to note however that treating the benefits of soil conservation in isolation from other agricultural improvements does not assure adoption of the soil conservation practice (Young 1984). Integration of soil conservation is important ( Douglas 1988; Shaxson 1988). Sheng and Meiman (1988) stated reasons for the difficulty of farmers in adopting soil conservation practice. The reasons are as follows: i) long time for the result of soil conservation to be realized, ii) identification of benefits from soil conservation and iii) the need for big investments by farmers. It is important to note however that Williams and Walter (1988), in a terracing project in Venezuela, found that improvement in the living incomes and opportunites for employment, increases the difficulty of motivating the farmers to adopt soil conservation practices. Apparently when low income and underemployment prevail, farmers easily participate in soil conservation programmes (Williams and Walter 1988; Liao et al 1988). The adverse effect of soil erosion is not confined only to loss of soil particles but also the loss of organic matter and plant nutrients. As a result of this crop yield decline will occur (Young 1984). Conservation farming should serve as the basis for counteracting the problem of soil erosion. To carry out this approach in developing countries, novel approaches in extension and research are needed. The majority of the soil conservation techniques were developed in the United States of America under condtions different from the other parts of the world experiencing erosion (Sheng, 1982; Hudson 1988; Sheng 1988). The techniques that worked well in the United States were extrapolated to the tropics in the 1930s and 1940s. It took fifty years to realize that these methods were unsuitable for the tropics ( Hudson,1987; Hudson 1988). The dominant traditional farming system in the tropics are the shifting cultivation and related bush fallow systems (Okigbo and Greenland, 1976). The non-ac ceptance of the many recommendations on soil conservation methods is attributed to their in appropriateness and incompatibility with the farmers operating environment (Douglas, 1988). The following agricultural conditions in the United States of America paved the way for the development of soil conservation activities (Hudson,1982;Hudson 1987): Combined good topography and favourable climate Low population pressure for intensive land use Strong and sustained government support well educated and informed agriculture sector Readily available credit and financial support Reliable prices and market outlets for agricultural produce Highly developed and highly mechanized agricultural industry. According to Hudson (1987), the absence of these conditions in most developing countries made the North American approach to soil conseration in appropriate. The absence of political will, or the limitations in or lack of resources often hindered soil conservation programmes in developing countries. The main aim of soil conservation should be preventation rather than cure. Soil conservation activity should be focused mainly on preserving good land rather than reclaiming damaged land. Without waiting for visible soil erosion damage, farmers should be encouraged to understand that there is a need for soil conservation due to continuing reduction in agricultural yield (Hudson, 1987). Loss of agricultural productivity should be emphasized in any soil conservation programme. For sometime, soil erosion research activities had almost been exclusively directed towards uantfying soil loss, hence data on the effect of soil erosion on agriculture productivity is seriously lacking (Crosson and Stout, 1983; ASAE,1985; Follet and Stewart, 1985; Stocking, 1985). Removal of topsoil resulted in decline of yield of a variety of agricultural crops (El-Swaify, Dangler and Amstrong 1982). Factors like type of soil, depth of soil, fertility status, topography, and type of crop affected the size of the decline in agricultural yield (Frye et al, 1982; Langdale and Schrader, 1982; Schertz 1983). There is limited data for soil and crops in the tropics (Lal, 1977). The effects of soil erosion on soil productivity in the tropics are move severe than for temperate countries (Moberg, 1972). This is because of highly weathered soils, fragile fertility status and most crop nutrents are found in the topmost layer of the soil. There is also significant deterioration of physical qualities of the soil as a growing medium after soil erosion (Lo, 1990). Higher erosion rates, the more severe changes in chemical qualities resulting from erosion and the inability of the farmer to provide the necessary inputs for restoring those qualities to a sufficient level were the primary reasons given for these conclusions (El-Swaify, 1990). The benefits of soil conservation are not immediately realized in every case and may initially result in crop yield reductions (John 1988). Improvement in agricultural production, rather than mitigating soil erosion, is of more significance and desirable for the farmer, while prevention of soil loss is an unreal concept for them (Hudson, 1987). The new approach of soil conservation will be a mixture of both agronomy measures as well as mechanical works ( Tracy, 1988). Mechanical systems are frequently expensive, consume space and time, need regular maintenance and do not assure improved crop production (Roose, 1988). Too much emphasis put into mechanical works discourages effective soil conservation policies (Rose, 1989). Conservation farming systems include improved farming, with mechanical protection works being a component of last resort. This approach is consistent with the principle that improved agricultural production should lead to better soil erosion control (Hudson 1988). Biological measures provide immediately recognizable short term benefits to farmers. Any mechanical work involved in soil conservation must m aximize the use of locally available experts, minimize, the use of structures and required labour. Community involvement must be involved (Hudson, 1987). To gain acceptance by farmers, any proposed soil conservation strategy should offer short-term, apparent, rapid or immediately recognizable, directly effective benefits and positive results, particularly for subsistence farmers who work in a short-time scale and who comprise a large percentage of farmers in less developed countries (Harper and El-Swaify 1988; Hudson,1988; Lovejoy and Naiper, 1988; Sanders, 1988; Thomas 1988; Tracy, 1988; Wenner, 1988; Williams and Walter, 1988). Soil conservation techniques recommended for farmers should be simple, easily understood and demonstrated, low cost, productive, sustainable and acceptable (Douglas, 1988;Vonk 1988). Conservation measures should involve principles that can be applied to more than one situation. However, methods and techniques are often site specific and caution should be exercised in extrapolating them to other sites (Saunders 1988). Adoption of soil conservation technology is assured if the farmers have full understanding, support and participation in all the stages of the project, from planning, implementation to maintenance (Harper and El-Swaify, 1988; Sanders, 1988; Vonk 1988; Tracy 1988). Farmers full participation is ensured if they are convinced that their relevant and important needs can be adequately met (Sanders 1988). Thus the farmer needs to be recognized as part of the solution rather than a part of the problem (Hudson,1987; Hudson,1988).

Francisco Goya, Life Of An Art :: essays research papers

Jose de Goya y Lucientes was born on March 30, in the year 1746, in Fuendetodos, a small village in northern Spain. At the age of fourteen he became an apprentice for a local artist, Jose Luzan. Later he traveled to Madrid where he took interest in the last of the great Venetian painters. After attempting and failing to enroll in the Royal Academy of San Fernando, Goya then traveled to Rome, Italy. Then on to Sagossa in 1771 where he painted fresco in several local churches, establishing a reputation. In 1773 Goya married a women named Josefa Bayeu, together they had many children, unfortunately only one by the name of Xavier made it to become an adult. From 1775 to1792 Goya paints cartoons for a royal tapestry factory, beginning his first genre paintings of everyday life. Later Goya achieves his first successful movement. He became a portrait painter for the Spanish aristocracy. He finally enrolled in the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1780, Francisco and was named painter to King Charles IV in 1786,and Court Painter in 1789. In 1792 he suffered from a serious illness which left him permanently deaf. This began to make him feel alienated and separated from everyone else, provoking him to paint the darkness and weakness of mankind. He began to paint his own version of caricatures, showing the subjects as he saw them. In 1795 he was elected director of painting at the Royal Academy and served until 1797, then being appointed Spanish Court Painter in 1799. Goya soon after begins a time where his imagination goes wild, and he enters a world of surrealism, which at the time proved to be unexceptable. Being unable to present these paintings, he withdraws his works and continues his job. During Napoleons invasion and the Spanish war of Independence Goya became court painter for the French from 1808 to 1814. King Ferdinan VIII, king of Spain brings Goya back to Spain as Chamber Painter after the war.