Differentiate Mencius and Confucius Class in Human Nature Essay

Confucius’ view on human nature was not clearly and distinctly supplied in the Analects. It is no surprise that one of his disciples complained that â€Å"one cannot get to hear his view on human nature† (A, 5:13).1 In two passages of the Analects, Confucius classified men as belonging to three groups: â€Å"upper, middle and lower,† but as this classification was made according to man’s â€Å"learning ability† it had nothing to do with the common nature of man.2 Another two passages expressed more directly Confucius’ opinion in this respect. THE THEORY OF CONFUCIUS ON HUMAN NATURE Confucius’ view on human nature was not clearly and distinctly supplied in the Analects. It is no surprise that one of his disciples complained that â€Å"one cannot get to hear his view on human nature† (A, 5:13).1 In two passages of the Analects, Confucius classified men as belonging to three groups: â€Å"upper, middle and lower,† but as this classification was made according to man’s â€Å"learning ability† it had nothing to do with the common nature of man.2 Another two passages expressed more directly Confucius’ opinion in this respect. On the basis of Confucius’ teachings, Mencius and Hsà ¼n-tzu developed philosophies which sometimes were considered mutually complementary. As regards the theory of human nature, however, Mencius and Hsà ¼n-tzu obviously held incompatible views. The following discussion will try to show that Mencius’ theory of â€Å"human nature as good† is in fact a theory of â€Å"human heart as good,† and Hsà ¼n-tzu’s theory of â€Å"human nature as evil† is actually a theory of â€Å"human desire as evil.† These two theories are not necessarily contradictory, since they share the same underlying idea that human nature tends toward goodness. To clarify this point, we will lay more stress on the works of Mencius and the Chung-yung which directly elaborated on this idea than on those of Hsà ¼n-tzu and the I-chuan which accepted this idea in an implicit way. Mencius Etymologically, human â€Å"nature† (hsing) comes from â€Å"birth† or â€Å"to be born with† (sheng). The common understanding of this word in ancient China can be formulated as follows: â€Å"The inborn is what is meant by nature† (M, VI, A, 3).5 However, this consideration of the origin of nature exhibits only what a thing has rather than what a thing is: it expresses at most the sameness rather than the difference of all things. In order to determine what a thing is, it is necessary to know its essence: the genus plus the difference of species. This rule, made familiar by Aristotle, was true also for Mencius. First, Mencius was quite aware that in dealing with anything of the same kind, we must determine what this â€Å"same kind† means, and this is even more true when applied to man. Mencius said, â€Å"Now, things of the same kind are all alike. Why should we have doubts when it comes to man? The sage and I are of the same kind† (M, VI, A, 7). The wicked, however, also belong to the same kind. Thus, in determining the essence of human beings, we should find the difference of species. Mencius said, Slight is the difference between man and the brutes. The common man loses this distinguishing feature, while the gentleman retains it. Shun understood the way of things and had a keen insight into human relations. He followed the path of benevolence and righteousness. He did not need to pursue benevolence and righteousness (M, IV, B,19). Clearly, the essence or the distinguishing feature of man must be understood through the â€Å"slight difference† between man and the brutes. The statement about Shun is an example that benevolence and righteousness are the interior path of man, following which will have a great effect. The implication of this whole sentence is probably that benevolence and righteousness belong to the â€Å"slight difference.†6 Another paragraph will also help clarify the distinguishing feature of man. â€Å"A gentleman differs from other men in what he retains in his heart–namely, benevolence and propriety† (M, IV, B, 28). Granted that the human essence of man can be described as benevolenc e, righteousness, propriety, etc., how can common people lose it? Can something be defined by a feature which can be lost? The key to the answer lies in the idea of â€Å"heart,† which is to be understood here as neither bodily heart, nor soul, but mind with sensitivity. Concerning human nature, Mencius presents his famous theory of â€Å"the four germs of the heart,† concluding as follows: From this it can be seen that whoever is devoid of the heart of compassion is not human, whoever is devoid of the heart of shame is not human, whoever is devoid of the heart of courtesy and modesty is not human, and whoever is devoid of the heart of right and wrong is not human (M, II, A, 6). These four states of heart are named, in turn, the germs of â€Å"benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom† (M, II, A, 6) within man’s heart, which forms the difference of human beings. Human nature must be defined through this heart: Mencius said, â€Å"That which a gentleman follows as his nature, that is to say, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, is rooted in his heart† (M, VII, A, 21). Therefore the goodness of human nature resides in the goodness of the heart. A reservation, however, must be added, namely, that goodnes s exists only in the state of germ and needs to be retained, nourished, and developed. In this way Mencius demonstrated that human nature is tending toward goodness. He did not stop at this point, but continued to examine the nature and origin of the heart. Mencius affirmed that there is a propensity for development within the heart which makes it an â€Å"evaluating heart.† If this means an ability to be moral and human beings are moral agents,8 does not its propensity for development imply in some sense a â€Å"commanding heart†?9 It must be the case, then, that the evaluating heart is at the same time the commanding heart, for otherwise how could Mencius honor as gentleman those who â€Å"retain† it? Only with this understanding does it become meaningful to say that â€Å"there is nothing better for the nurturing of the heart than to reduce the number of one’s desires† (M, VII, B, 35). Only if the heart does more than evaluate can Mencius say, â€Å"The sole concern of learning is to go after this strayed heart. That is all† (M, VI, A, 11). On the basis of this double character of the heart, we can loo k further at the heart in itself. Mencius used one word â€Å"thinking† to sum up the function of the heart. He said, â€Å"The organ of the heart can think. But it will find the answer only if it does think: otherwise, it will not find the answer. This is what Heaven has given me† (M, VI, A, 15). By thus explaining the source of the heart, especially its function of commanding, he bridges the gap between Heaven and man. Therefore, instead of stating that Mencius substitutes â€Å"self-legislation† for â€Å"external divine command,† we prefer to say that man’s self-legislation is bestowed on him by Heaven.10 The relation between Heaven and man is another interesting topic in Mencius’ thought, but is beyond the scope of the present essay. What we have established thus far is that the reason why human nature tends toward goodness consists in its relation with Heaven. Better known in China as â€Å"Master Meng† (Chinese: Mengzi), Mencius was a fourth-century BCE Chinese thinker whose importance in the Confucian tradition is second only to that of Confucius himself. In many ways, he played the role of St. Paul to Confucius’ Jesus, interpreting the thought of the master for subsequent ages while simultaneously impressing Confucius’ ideas with his own philosophical stamp. He is most famous for his theory of human nature, according to which all human beings share an innate goodness that either can be cultivated through education and self-discipline or squandered through neglect and negative influences, but never lost altogether. While it is not clear that Mencius’ views prevailed in early Chinese philosophical circles, they eventually won out after gaining the support of influential medieval commentators and thinkers such as Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi, 1130-1200 CE) and Wang Yangming The Mencius of History Like the historical Confucius, the historical Mencius is a vailable only through a text that, in its complete form at least, postdates his traditional lifetime (372-289 BCE). The philological controversy surrounding the date and composition of the text that bears his name is far less intense than that which surrounds the Confucian Analects, however. Most scholars agree that the entire Mencius was assembled by Mencius himself and his immediate disciples, perhaps shortly after his death. The text records several encounters with various rulers during Mencius’ old age, which can be dated between 323 and 314 BCE, making Mencius an active figure no later than the late fourth century BCE. The other major source of information about Mencius’ life is the biography found in the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) of Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), which states that he was a native of Zou (Tsou), a small state near Confucius’ home state of Lu in the Shandong peninsula of nort heastern China. He is said to have studied with Confucius’ grandson, Zisi (Tzu-ssu), although most modern scholars doubt this. He also is thought to have become a minister of the state of Qi (Ch’i), which also was famous as the home of the Jixia (Chi-hsia) Academy. The Jixia Academy was a kind of early Chinese â€Å"think tank† sponsored the ruler of Qi that produced, among other thinkers, Mencius’ later opponent Xunzi (Hsun-tzu, 310-220 BCE). Mencius inherits from Confucius a set of terms and a series of problems. In general, one can say that where Confucius saw a unity of inner and outer – in terms of li (ritual propriety), ren (co-humanity), and the junzi (profound person)-xiaoren (small person) distinction – Mencius tends to privilege the inner aspects of concepts, practices, and identities. For Mencius, the locus of philosophical activity and self-cultivation is the xin (hsin), a term that denotes both the chief organ of the circulatory system and the organ of thought, and hence is translated here and in many other sources as â€Å"heart-mind.† Mencius’ views of the divine, political organization, human nature, and the path toward personal development all start and end in the heart-mind. . Theodicy Again, as with Confucius, so too with Mencius. From late Zhou tradition, Mencius inherited a great many religious sensibilities, including theistic ones. For the early Chinese (c. 16th century BCE), the world was controlled by an all-powerful deity, â€Å"The Lord on High† (Shangdi), to whom entreaties were made in the first known Chinese texts, inscriptions found on animal bones offered in divinatory sacrifice. As the Zhou polity emerged and triumphed over the previous Shang tribal rule, Zhou apologists began to regard their deity, Tian (â€Å"Sky† or â€Å"Heaven†) as synonymous with Shangdi, the deity of the deposed Shang kings, and explained the decline of Shang and the rise of Zhou as a consequence of a change in Tianming (â€Å"the mandate of Heaven†). Thus, theistic justifications for conquest and rulership were present very early in Chinese history. By the time of Mencius, the concept of Tian appears to have changed slightly, taking on aspects of à ¢â‚¬Å"fate† and â€Å"nature† as well as â€Å"deity.† For Confucius, Tian provided personal support and sanction for his sense of historical mission, while at the same time prompting Job-like anxiety during moments of ill fortune in which Tian seemed to have abandoned him. Mencius’ faith in Tian as the ultimate source of legitimate moral and political authority is unshakeable. Like Confucius, he says that â€Å"Tian does not speak – it simply reveals through deeds and affairs† (5A5). He ascribes the virtues of ren (co-humanity), yi (rightness), li (ritual propriety), zhi (wisdom), and sheng (sagehood) to Tian (7B24) and explicitly compares the rule of the moral king to the rule of Tian (5A4). The dependence of Tian upon human agents to put its will into practice helps account for the emphasis Mencius places on the satisfaction of the people as an indicator of the ruler’s moral right to power, and on the responsibility of morally-minded ministers to depose an unworthy ruler. In a dialogue with King Xuan of Qi (r. 319-301 BCE), Mencius says: The people are to be valued most, the altars of the grain and the land [traditional symbols of the vitality of the state] next, the ruler least. Hence winning the favor of the common people you become Emperor†¦. (7B14) When the ruler makes a serious mistake they admonish. If after repeated admonishments he still will not listen, they depose him†¦. Do not think it strange, Your Majesty. Your Majesty asked his servant a question, and his servant dares not fail to answer it directly. (5B9) Mencius’ replies to King Xuan are bracingly direct, in fact, but he can be coy. When the king asks whether it is true that various sage kings (Tang and Wu) rebelled against and murdered their predecessors (Jie and Zhou), Mencius answers that it is true. The king then asks: â€Å"Is it permissible for a vassal to murder his lord?† Mencius replied, â€Å"One who robs co-humanity [ren] you call a `robber’; one who robs the right [yi] you call a `wrecker’; and one who robs and wrecks you call an `outlaw.’ I have heard that [Wu] punished the outlaw Zhou – I have not heard that he murdered his lord. (1B8) In other words, Wu was morally justified in executing Zhou, because Zhou had proven himself to be unworthy of the throne through his offenses against ren and yi – the very qualities associated with the Confucian exemplar (junzi) and his actions. This is an example of Mencius engaging in the â€Å"rectification of names† (zhengming), an exercise that Confucius considered to be prior to all other philosophical activity (Analects 13.3). While Mencius endorses a â€Å"right of revolution,† he is no democrat. His ideal ruler is the sage-king, such as the legendary Shun, on whose reign both divine sanction and popular approval conferred legitimacy: When he was put in charge of sacrifices, the hundred gods delighted in them which is Heaven accepting him. When he was put in charge of affairs, the affairs were in order and the people satisfied with him, which is the people accepting him. Heaven gave it [the state] to him; human beings gave it to him. (5A5) Mencius is famous for claiming that human nature (renxing) is good. As with most reductions of philosophical positions to bumper-sticker slogans, this statement oversimplifies Mencius’ position. In the text, Mencius takes a more careful route in order to arrive at this view. Following A. C. Graham, one can see his argument as having three elements: (1) a teleology, (2) a virtue theory, and (3) a moral psychology. Confucius Better known in China as â€Å"Master Kong† (Chinese: Kongzi), Confucius was a fifth-century BCE Chinese thinker whose influence upon East Asian intellectual and social history is immeasurable. As a culturally symbolic figure, he has been alternately idealized, deified, dismissed, vilified, and rehabilitated over the millennia by both Asian and non-Asian thinkers and regimes. Given his extraordinary impact on Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese thought, it is ironic that so little can be known about Confucius. The tradition that bears his name – â€Å"Confucianism† (Chinese: Rujia) – ultimately traces itself to the sayings and biographical fragments recorded in the text known as the Analects (Chinese: Lunyu). As with the person of Confucius himself, scholars disagree about the origins and character of the Analects, but it remains the traditional source for information about Confucius’ life and teaching. Most scholars remain confident that it is possible to extract from the Analects several philosophical themes and views that may be safely attributed to this ancient Chinese sage. These are primarily ethical, rather than analytical-logical or metaphysical in nature, and include Confucius’ claim that Tian (â€Å"Heaven†) is aligned with moral order but dependent upon human agents to actualize its will; his concern for li (ritual propriety) as the instrument through which the family, the state, and the world may be aligned with Tian’s moral order; and his belief in the â€Å"contagious† nature of moral force (de), by which moral rulers diffuse morality to their subjects, moral parents raise moral children, and so forth. The Confucius of the Analects Above all else, the Analects depicts Confucius as someone who â€Å"transmits, but does not innovate† (7.1). What Confucius claimed to transmit was the Dao (Way) of the sages of Zhou antiquity; in the Analects, he is the erudite guardian of tradition who challenges his disciples to emulate the sages of the past and restore the moral integrity of the state. Although readers of the Analects often assume that Confucius’ views are presented as a coherent and consistent system within the text, a careful reading reveals several different sets of philosophical concerns which do not conflict so much as they complement one another. Those familiar with Enlightenment-influenced presentations of Confucius as an austere humanist who did not discuss the supernatural may be surprised to encounter the term â€Å"theodicy† as a framework for understanding Confucius’ philosophical concerns. Confucius’ record of silence on the subject of the divine is attested by the Analects (5.3, 7.21, 11.12). In fact, as a child of the late Zhou world, Confucius inherited a great many religious sensibilities, including theistic ones. For the early Chinese (c. 16th century BCE), the world was controlled by an all-powerful deity, â€Å"The Lord on High† (Shangdi), to whom entreaties were made in the first known Chinese texts, inscriptions found on animal bones offered in divinatory sacrifice. As the Zhou polity emerged and triumphed over the previous Shang tribal rule, Zhou apologists began to regard their deity, Tian (â€Å"Sky† or â€Å"Heaven†) as synonymous with Shangdi, the deity of the deposed Shang kings, and explained the decline of Shang and the rise of Zhou as a consequence of a change in Tianming (â€Å"the mandate of Heaven†). Thus, theistic justifications for conquest and rulership were present very early in Chinese history.By the time of Confucius, the concept of Tian appears to have changed slightly. For one thing, the ritual complex of Zhou diviners, which served to ascertain the will of Tian for the benefit of the king, had collapsed with Zhou rule itself. At the same time, the network of religious obligations to manifold divinities, local spirits, and ancestors does not seem to have ceased with the fall of the Zhou, and Confucius appears to uphold sacrifices to â€Å"gods and ghosts† as consistent with â€Å"transmitting† noble tradition. Yet, in the Analects, a new aspect of Tian emerges. For the Confucius of the Analects, discerning the will of Tian and reconciling it with his own moral compass sometimes proves to be a troubling exercise: If Heaven is about to abandon this culture, those who die afterwards will not get to share in it; if Heaven has not yet abandoned this culture, what can the men of Guang [Confucius’ adversaries in this instance] do to me? (9.5) There is no one who recognizes me†¦. I neither resent Heaven nor blame humanity. In learning about the lower I have understood the higher. The one who recognizes me – wouldn’t that be Heaven? (14.35) Heaven has abandoned me! Heaven has abandoned me! (11.9) As we all know that Mencius several times throughout Chinese history has been regarded as a potentially â€Å"dangerous† author, leading at times to outright banning of his book. This is because Mencius developed a very early form of what was to be called in modern times the â€Å"social contract.† Mencius, like Confucius, believed that rulers were divinely placed in order to guarantee peace and order among the people they rule. Unlike Confucius, Mencius believed that if a ruler failed to bring peace and order about, then the people could be absolved of all loyalty to that ruler and could if they felt strongly enough about the matter, revolt. I surmise if we go into details, it will probably take us months or maybe even years before finishing this comparison. I personally felt that Mencius and Confucius did not share nearly the same feelings for what was the most important unit in a society. I believe Confucius set up the belief of â€Å"Emperor, Master, and Father.â⠂¬  Basically, all subjects were obliged to the orders of the Emperor. All students were required to follow the footsteps of their Masters. In the same way that all children should obey their fathers commands. If at any given time these orders came in conflicts with one another, then everyone must choose to put the Emperor’s demands above everything else. Perhaps, this concept was one of the main reasons why Confucianism was promoted as the state’s ideology during the reign of Han Wudi. On the other hand, Mencius had a totally different view. Mencius insisted that â€Å"People came first Empires/Nations were only second, while the Emperor was the least important.† Well I am sure that not too many people would be happy to hear this argument let alone agree. This concept will definitely tolerate rebellions against a tyrannical ruler. The Emperor was working in the best interests of the people. Without the people’s support, the emperor had certainly failed his du ties as the leader. While Confucius’s theory I think that Confucius was more correct in his views than Mencius, not because of differing views (although they did differ at certain points), but because of the way these ideas were carried out throughout his career, and ultimately, his life. Confucius was a Chinese thinker and philosopher. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, and justice and sincerity. These values gained prominence in China over other doctrines, such as Taoism during the Han Dynasty. Confucius’ thoughts have been developed into a system of philosophy which has come to be known as Confucianism. It was introduced to Europe by Matteo Ricci, who was the first to come up with the Latin name â€Å"Confucius†. His teachings may be found in the Analects of Confucius, a collection of â€Å"brief aphoristic fragments†, which was compiled many years after his death. For nearly 2,000 years he was thought to be the editor or author of all the Five Classics, such as the Classic of Rites and the Spring and Autumn Annals, but this was not the case as many of these â€Å"fragments† cannot be directly credited to Confucius because of lack of written proof. Confucius was born in 551 BC in the Lu state of China, born into a warrior family. His father, Shulianghe, was a famous warrior who fought in the chinese military, and owned a large portion of land. Confucius lost his father when he was three years old, and then his mother Yan Zhengzai took him and left his father’s land because, as a concubine, she wanted to avoid the scorn from Shulianghe’s real wife. Therefore, Confucius lived in poverty with his mother since childhood. With the support and encouragement of his mother, Confucius studied hard as a child. When Confucius was seventeen, his mother died as a result of illness and exhaustion. Three years later, Confucius married. Though he had a good wife who loved him, he left his family to pursue his philosophical goals. Confucius sought to revive the As we all know that Mencius several times throughout Chinese history has been regarded as a potentially â€Å"dangerous† author, leading at times to outright banning of his book. This is because Mencius developed a very early form of what was to be called in modern times the â€Å"social contract.† Mencius, like Confucius, believed that rulers were divinely placed in order to guarantee peace and order among the people they rule. Unlike Confucius, Mencius believed that if a ruler failed to bring peace and order about, then the people could be absolved of all loyalty to that ruler and could if they felt strongly enough about the matter, revolt. I surmise if we go into details, it will probably take us months or maybe even years before finishing this comparison. I personally felt that Mencius and Confucius did not share nearly the same feelings for what was the most important unit in a society. I believe Confucius set up the belief of â€Å"Emperor, Master, and Father.† Basically, all subjects were obliged to the orders of the Emperor. All students were required to follow the footsteps of their Masters. In the same way that all children should obey their fathers commands. If at any given time these orders came in conflicts with one another, then everyone must choose to put the Emperor’s demands above everything else. Perhaps, this concept was one of the main reasons why Confucianism was promoted as the state’s ideology during the reign of Han Wudi. On the other hand, Mencius had a totally different view. Mencius insisted that â€Å"People came first Empires/Nations were only second, while the Emperor was the least important.† Well I am sure that not too many people would be happy to hear this argument let alone agree. This concept will definitely tolerate rebellions against a tyrannical ruler. The Emperor was working in the best interests of the people. Without the people’s support, the emperor had certainly failed his duties as the leader.

Greek Mythology and Gods Essay

* People today have scientific explanations for events like thunder, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. * The ancient Greeks did not-they believed their gods caused these events to happen, and they created myths to explain the gods’ actions. * The Greeks saw the work of the gods in events all around them. * For example, the Greeks lived in an area where volcanic eruptions were common. * To explain these eruptions, they told stories about the god Hephaestus, who lived underground. * The fire and lava that poured out of volcanoes, the Greeks said, came from the huge fires of this god’s forge. * At this forge he created weapons and armor for the other gods. * The Greeks did not think the gods spent all their time creating disasters, though. * They also believed the gods caused daily events. * For example, they believed the goddess of agriculture, Demeter, created the seasons. * According to Greek myth, Demeter had a daughter who was kidnapped by another god. * The desperate goddess begged the god to let her daughter go, and eventually agreed to let her return to her mother for 6 months. * During the winter, Demeter is separated from her daughter and misses her. In her grief, she doesn’t let plants grow. * When her daughter comes home, she is happy and summer comes. * To keep the gods happy, the Greeks built great temples to them all around Greece. * In return, however, they expected the gods to give them help when they needed it. * For example, many Greeks in need of advice traveled to Delphi, a city in central Greece. Then they spoke to the Oracle, a female priest of Apollo to whom they thought the god gave answers. * Not all Greek myths were about gods. * Many told about the adventures of great heroes. Some of these people were real heroes, and others were not. * The Greeks loved to tell the story of heroes who had special abilities and faced terrible monsters. * The people of each city had their favorite hero, usually someone from there. * The people of Athens, for example, told stories about the hero Theseus. * According to legend, he traveled to Crete and killed the Minotaur, a terrible monster half bull half man. * People from northern Greece told stories about Jason and how he sailed across the seas in search of a great treasure, fighting enemies the whole way. * Perhaps the most famous of all Greek heroes was a man named Hercules. * The myths explain how Hercules fought many monsters and performed nearly impossible tasks. * For example, he fought and killed the hydra, a huge snake with 9 heads and poisonous fangs. * Every time Hercules cut off one of the monster’s heads, 2 more grew in place. * But Hercules finally figured to just cut off the whole neck. -_- * Because the Greeks loved myths and stories, it is no surprise that they created great works of literature. * Early Greek writers produced epic poems, the Iliad, and the Odyssey by a poet named Homer. * Like most epics, both poems describe the deeds of great heroes. * The heroes in Homer’s poems fought in the Trojan War. * In this war, the Mycenaean Greeks fought the Trojans, the people of city called Troy. * The Iliad tells the story of the last years of the Trojan War. * It focuses on the deeds of the Greeks, especially Achilles, the greatest of all Greek warriors. * It describes in great detail the battles between Troy and Greece. * Homer’s poems were central to Greek education. * People memorized long passages of the poems as lessons. * Homer’s poems influenced later writers. * They copied his writing style and used his ideas. * Homer’s poems are considered the greatest literature. * Other poets wrote poems that were often set to music. * During a performance, a POET played a stringed instrument called a lyre while reading a poem. * These poets were called lyric poets after their instruments, the lyre. * Today, the words of these songs are called lyrics. * Most poets in Greece were men, but the most famous poet was a woman named Sappho, poet beautiful and emotional, poems about love and relationships with friend and family. * Other Greeks told stories to teach people lessons. * Aesop for example is famous for his fables. * Fables are short stories that teach the readers lessons about life or how to live. * In most of Aesop’s fables, animals are main characters. * The animals talk and act like humans. * Probably the most obvious way we see Greek influence is by language. * Many English words and expressions come from Greek mythology. * For example, we call a long journey and â€Å"odyssey† after Odysseus, the wandering hero of Homer’s poem. * Something big and powerful is called the Titanic, coming from Greek mythical titans. * Places today are also named after Greek myth. * Ex: Athens named after Athena, Atlas mtns named after giant from Greek mythology, Aegean sea come from Aegeus.

Human nature in the light of Revelation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human nature in the light of Revelation - Essay Example The divide between God and man was the result of human sin and fall from heaven. But even in a fallen position, modern man is under obligation to observe righteousness by refraining from lies during our existence. Human beings must therefore cultivate real liberty by behaving in a way that is both natural and moral as the first humanity did before sin separated them with God. GS adds that in total despair, there is a heavenly spirit of conscience within the midst of human beings. Death is therefore a painful reminder to humans, of the life in the beginning; it spreads a spirit of melancholy and despair in people’s souls, but strongly delivers the message of the significance and might of God when human beings have no hope left in our hearts. Death has been, according to GS, a natural vocation by God in the current environment. Then GS proceeds with the argument, drawing upon the anthropological aspect of theology in Jesus Christ, the First Man, and the human existence being at the whims of the Supreme Deity (Schu 64). By virtue of Jesus being the God’s son and messenger, He creates the God’s power in human beings by taking the form of a human being, and through God’s spiritual power, Jesus redeems the image and integrity of man who is naturally a sinner. Jesus, therefore, midwifes the spiritual redemption of human beings (Healy 34-41). Through Jesus association with the common man, the God’s Son casts into history the influence of a rejuvenated but rarely seen recognition that individual aspirations can only be achieved when one is in a communion. In Jesus, the typical modern man is, therefore, expected to fulfil supernatural love by expressing love to their neighbours. This implies that only a candid gift of individuality effectively satisfies human character, and the Supreme Deity exposes His intimate nature in Jesus in order to enable human beings to appreciate this natural gift. This implies that God’s natural love s upports and strengthens communal love (Torrell 252-259). GS therefore jogs human memory that communal love basically embodies the success of the modern man. Love is therefore the fruitful aspect of human understanding and willingness that survives in human liberty. It is this importance of love as the satisfaction of the supernatural will and spirit of God that forms the basis of John Paul II’s philosophy of modern man and the importance of the body. Theology of the body by Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II wrote important philosophies such as theology of man in Gaudium et Specs. A number of important concepts of his philosophy were aimed at restructuring the mentality of the Catholic Church to be in line with the modern thinking of evolved man. In this important edict, the Pope underscored the significance of re-examining one’s relationship with Christ in the early 21st Century. He argued that the modern man would not be rescued from sin and challenges of life by a strategy, but by an important eternal Man (Schu 65). In the â€Å"Gaudium et Specs†, the Pope underscored the closeness of man to God and the former’s reliance on the Supreme Deity and His aspirations. He argued that without the God as the Creator, there would be no creation. In light of this, freedom of the body is dependent upon the truth (Torrell 267). The pope’s theology of the body, therefore, discredits submission of oneself to contingency and scepticism as the quest for non-existent

Deutsche Bank Ag (DB) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Deutsche Bank Ag (DB) - Research Paper Example cles and publications, Deutsche Bank Ag still remains an icon the world foreign exchange market though facing stiff competition from other foreign exchange dealers. Some of the services offered by this banking institution include; risk management, wealth management, fund management, corporate finance, sales, retail banking, and trade. From the type of services rendered by this company, it is evident that it deals with corporate and private clients. Its market network is evenly spread across established and growing economies and this serves as an important factor that propels Deutsche Bank Ag towards financial or economic success in the world market (Deutsche Bank in Asia, 32). According to many surveyors, this institution used log term strategy to achieve good results in the world market. DBA being one of the oldest institutions in the banking industry took time to learn the market trend hence able to make quick and strategic marketing decisions. Deutsche Bank Ag is one of the trusted banks within America and Europe due to its long existence in the banking industry (Deutsche Bank in Asia, 32). German started using this banking institution long before World War II and since then it has grown to cover the world market. The company is still stretching is service network to other countries across the globe and still remains to beat in the world market. According to the historical description of Deutsche Bank Ag, it is one of the banking institutions that offer several banking

International Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Political Economy - Essay Example This report stresses that growth with inequity is a disadvantage to globalization. There are many opportunities found across borders which always tend to have a great amount of danger of a high economic growth that is surrounded with a lot of inequalities. The inequality is the fact that the wealthy people in the society are normally placed to have access to these opportunities. The economy appears tighter for most of the countries that experience exploitation of labor. This paper makes a conclusion that it is rare for operational definitions to communicate their scope when it comes to the dealing of a topic such as political economy. The definition of globalization is seen as the growth economy of interdependent countries through the increase of volume and variety of the cross-border transactions in goods. There is also the growth of international capital flows and the widespread of technology. The political economy, however, does not sufficiently convey to globalization. However, in future, the global economy will resemble the golden straitjacket. As a result, there are two things that will be a cause of the country putting on the Golden Straitjacket. One of them is that the country’s economy will grow, and its politics will shrink. The Golden Straitjacket tightens the economic and political policy choices of the ones in power to comparatively strong and tight parameters.

E-Learning and Business Training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

E-Learning and Business Training - Essay Example The aims of this research are to describe the use of educational technologies in a business management context. That is, we seek to understand if business training methods and educational directives are supported by e-learning, adaptive to e-learning, and provide the appropriate tools, training and resources to students and business professionals that may use E-learning as a training resource. The research study expects to reveal opportunities businesses to develop E-learning training strategies. Management theory and E-Learning research are used to understand obstacles and opportunity in reaching training goals. This paper makes a conclusion that business management often involves stages that overlap between the training and employee growth, as well as knowledge and information management. Business needs traditionally include: cost management, scheduling, equity and debt. When a business hires an employee, that employee must be trained, and very often there are continuous training needs, like annual diversity training or monthly sales training. The nature of the research proposal is to use input from multiple sources to understand and identify E-learning training management models. Information will be gathered from books, journal articles and individual surveys. This will allow for evidence to support activities of E-Learning in business training. The resources necessary to complete this research is the development and distribution of the survey, as well as book, journal and other historical evidence.

Kodak and Fujifilm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Kodak and Fujifilm - Essay Example In this project a comparative study has been made between these two companies regarding their history, business approaches and management as well as marketing strategies. History and core business Kodak In the year 1888, George Eastman is the first person to put a simple camera on the hands of the consumers. Their innovative slogan was- â€Å"you press the button, we do the rest†. The complicated process of capturing a picture was made easy. From that time Eastman Kodak company engaged itself in making the way of photography easier. Now Kodak is not only known for photography but also for commercial entertainment and scientific application. The ways of communication and business have been changed as it increased involvement of different technology to combine images and information. Eastman had a dream to make photography â€Å"as convenient as the pencil†. Kodak not only fulfilled the dreams of photographers it but also ranked as a premier multinational corporation with highly known brand recognition. With different innovation and incorporation made by Kodak, the concept of photography emerged as a mode of enjoyment to the common people (Kodak, 2013). Fuji Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd was established in the year 1934. The Japan government felt the need to establish a domestic photographic film manufacturing industry. It was inherited from the film operations of Dianippon Celluloid Company Limited. The company started producing photographic film, photographic print paper, dry plates and other photosensitive materials. From the year 1965 the name changed to Fuji color Service Co. Ltd. Next the company started to expand all over the world. It started acquiring the European market as well as the U.S.A. market. Different companies were acquired from different sectors for the diversification process. In every year it can be witnessed that the company is acquiring different types of business. Lastly in the year 2013 it has been found that it established FUJIF LIM COLOMBIA S.A.S. as a subsidiary in Colombia and FUJIFILM LATIN America (PANAMA) S.A. as a subsidiary in Panama (FUJIFILM, 2013). Management Approach Innovation and Relative success Kodak In a continuous process Kodak scientists and engineers are worthy of getting awards for their various contributions in the scientific and technical fields. In case of technology image science, computational imaging, audio signal processing, video analysis & motion processing and mobile communications create several new challenges for imagining technology. In case of material science it is all about Polymer Science, Chemistry Modeling, and Atomic scale Assembly and for micro devices it is about optical Electronic Materials, Micro fluidics and MEMS &MOEMS. In 1912 it first established a research lab which is used for industrial research. By the classical Musicians in the year 1930 Kodachrome film was invented. The first electronic scanner for graphic art was developed in the Kodak labs in the year 1937. Photo resist was invented by the scientist from Kodak. In the mission of Apollo 11in the year 1969, the electronic camera was built by Kodak to sent still pictures from the moon. The first digital camera was invented by Steve Sasson in the year 1975. The earliest practical megapixel CCD figure sensor

Improve service operations in public service institution a 'X' Company Essay

Improve service operations in public service institution a 'X' Company - Essay Example Focus was also given on quality management and important areas under this were discussed. Certain tools for quality management were also analysed. This was concluded by stressing the importance of quality in the highly competitive business environment existing toady. Introduction: Quality is something every consumer is conscious about. But it cannot be said about manufacturers or service producers. But in a highly competitive environment, maintaining quality has become the buzzword and is now something that cannot be ignored. "The birth of total quality in the United States came as a direct response to the quality revolution in Japan following World War II. (Basic Concepts). The concept of quality in a public service organisation still has not caught up in the same level as found in privately owned ones, though this trend is changing. "Only recently has the quest for quality come to the fore in public enterprises." (Delaunay p.199). As you all know that this is a newly formed company engaged in supplying food to the children public school and have been directed to increase efficiency and decrease costs of the meal provided. This report is an analyses of the problems in quality management faced by the company and the present situation after the implementation of the suggestions provided for improvement Quality can be improved in three major categories namely quality measurement, quality diagnosis and quality improvement. It was in these areas that focus was given to improve the quality of the service provided by the company. The company has two main divisions, namely the food procurement division and the transport division for delivering food to the schools. The company is supplying food to five schools with a total strength of 2500 children. It also has supporting departments like accounting, payroll and maintenance. The transportation department is also made use of by the procurement department to purchase food items for the purpose of distribution to schools. There are about 5 trucks and 10 smaller delivery vans owned by the company. The maintenance department was created to cut down costs of repairs and maintenance by giving the vehicles to private workshops. Description of the current situation: The company works under budget constraints and increasing costs in inputs without increasing budget allocation had forced us to take up quality management programs. Moreover the company's procurement policies are not cost effective. Purchases like groceries, vegetables and meat are purchased as and when required from wholesalers and sometimes retailers without trying to identify the good quality merchandise at the cheapest price available. The main problem is that even though the exact quantity to be supplied each month was known, no steps were being taken to buy them in bulk thereby saving in prices. Also no attempts were being made to purchase fresh produce like meat and vegetables from farmers and other producers themselves an arbitrary purchasing policy has caused transportation costs to raise because of the higher number of trips made by the company vehicles. Even though there is a purchase manger and department no directives have been recei ved by the company for an agreement with wholesalers to supply the required items on a contract basis. No clear cut policy, as to how purchases are to be made did not exist then. Both the above factors were the main reason why

Gender relations after WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender relations after WWII - Essay Example In the World War Two, women started doing more industrial jobs and even participated in the military actions in the front line. Before the war, men were considered as the breadwinners who need to work outside the homes, while the women’s role was ‘contained’ within the confines of the house. However, â€Å"as some sixteen million males were enlisted or were drafted into the military, employer’s recruited women to fill the roles on the assembly lines of what were referred to, as essential industry opportunities.† (Bryant 2009). During the war, there was also the need for heightened production from the industries to support the war efforts, and with only minimal men available to fill the vacancies, women were recruited in large numbers and were encouraged to play larger roles outside their homes. Even various propagandas were carried out thorough mediums including print, radio, films, etc., to entice women to join the workforce. However, there was a ca tch and that mainly led to some opposition, resulting in the changing of gender relations after the War. That is, â€Å"women's employment was only encouraged as long as the war was on. Once the war was over, federal and civilian policies replaced women workers with men. (PBS). With the plan of handing over the jobs to the returning men, the women were restricted from continuing in their jobs and importantly encouraged to take over their family roles. That is, after the war, there was a strong reassertion of long-established gender roles, with the working women asked to return to their homes, so they can rebuild and stabilize their families, as many families suffered some form of disruption due to the war. â€Å"Motherhood lay at the centre of post-war constructions of femininity, bolstered by theories of the damage suffered by children deprived of 'mothering', while men were constructed as breadwinners.† (Pears). Although sizable number of working women left their jobs and returned to their traditional roles inside their homes after the war, other sections of the women wanted to continue in their jobs. They felt liberated and also socially as well as financially independent because of the jobs, and wanted to continue in the same path. Thus, the women who were supposed to give back the jobs to the men started resisting because of their new found positive status. This led to gender confrontation, as the returning soldiers faced a lot of difficulties in finding jobs in post war societies in European countries and United States of America. After serving the country, the men expected jobs and comfort in their homes. However, with women wanting to continue in their jobs, they faced difficulties in both the fronts. This led to confrontation between the genders in both at the home and at the workplace. Due to the growing influence of the women, men felt threatened and they responded with harassment and discrimination against the women. â€Å"The independence given to women during the war and its removal with the advent of the returning men, had a definitive effect on gender relations† (Study World). This scenario also laid the ‘seeds’ for the raise of Women rights movements in various countries. With working women being confined to their homes, the women

Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future Essay Example for Free

Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future Essay What has Global warming, Ozone Layer Depletion, Soil Erosion, Air Pollution, Carbon Emissions, and other environmental issues have to do with Social Psychology? One of the reasons for writing this paper, is to answer that question by showing the relationship between the environment in which we live and social psychology. I will endeavor to do this by looking at a root cause behind our ecological dilemma, as well as offering possible solutions and suggestions for social behavioral changes that each one of us could employ, as not only caring human beings, but as Christians fulfilling our God-given mandate to rule over the earth He created in the capacity of caretakers and stewards. As explained by Dr.  David G Myers in his excellent book entitled Exploring Social Psychology, the study of social psychology is a study in which social psychologists scientifically explore how we as humans think about, influence, and relate to one another [ Myers 2009 p. 1]. He goes on to quote novelist Herman Melville’s poignant observation, which states, we cannot live for ourselves alone, for our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads [Myers 2009 p. 1]. And therein lies the root cause of our ecological problems. Because of our social orientation [being our personality psychology or psychodynamics which forms our worldview by the way weve been taught to think and act within the society in which we grew up], most people and societies, if not all, are inherently self-centered. A perfect example of this societal self-centeredness is clearly seen here in the United States of America, more so than in any other place in the world. The unrestrained, unbridled, and unprecedented consumerism and waste has sadly become this countries social norm. Generally speaking, we as humans, tend to give little thought, either intentionally or unintentionally, about how our attitude, actions, and behaviors might affect others in the society in which we live: or for that matter, the rest of the world. Because our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads, our attitude, behavior, and actions cannot help but effect others. We are connected in many different ways, but primarily we are connected by being members of one and the same human race, sharing an earth which we all call home. Therefore, social psychology and the sustainable future of our environment are connected in the sense that as human beings, sharing the same earth, social psychologist can positively influence societies to bring about change through implementing strategies within a society through educational and other means, that would address the need for other-centeredness, as opposed to self-centeredness within our societies. This hopefully, through educational campaigns, would over time alter social norms throughout global societies, and help to positively shape our attitudes, behaviors and actions toward the environment in which we live, and encourage a more sustainable environmental future. The purpose of environmental education, is to bring social awarenessof how each individuals attitude actions and behavior, can and does have an environmental affect [whether positive or negative], not only themselves and their own environment, but on the environment of others also. So, environmentally speaking, this means that each individual person, group, society and nations environmental habits and lifestyle [which is mainly guided by the social normsof the country and the culture in which they are living], can have a global environmental impact. Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 4 Social, psychologically formed thought processes, cause individuals and groups within a society or culture, to behave in ways that are considered normal to them, even though theyre ttitude, behavior and actions are environmentally devastating. One of the ways I can illustrate the fact of how our attitudes, behaviors, and actions [another words what we do and how we live], can and does affect others environment [even though they may be living on the other side of the world], is by looking at the worldwide issues of air pollution and its causes. Air is something that every living thing needs, as the famous 70s hit song sung by the British groupThe Hollies states, all I need is the air that I breathe. Another translation of that song humorously states I need to be able to breathe. That we need air to breathe is an axiom, a self evident truth, for without it we die. In actual fact, air is one of the reasons why Earth is the only planet within our solar system that can sustain life, and in which life can be found. Air supports life, but the air has to be clean for life to be sustained. We dont really need to be told that the air is polluted these days because we can see it. This is especially true if you happen to live in the city of Los Angeles, which for many years has been the butt of smog jokes, and recently topped the American lung Associations bad air list of most polluted cities in America [GMA news 2012]. Why is the air polluted so badly? How did it get that way? The city of Los Angeles, like many other places in the world today are to a great degree responsible for producing much of the bad air in their cities. However, bad air is now being found in cities and other places where there is no air polluting factories or industry to blame. This is because air pollution does not recognize international boundaries, and like the proverbial trapeze artists, pollution in the form of toxic emissions can and do fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Because of this, bad air has turned up in places where it did not originate; such as National Parks and wilderness areas in remote parts of the United States. This is due to the fact that one countries air polluting practices can have a dramatic effect on another countries air quality located on the other side of the world. Toxic pollutants and emissions rise from factory smokestacks, power plants, and exhaust emissions , from countries who have no clean air act and therefore are under no threat of penalty or prosecution for noncompliance. These toxic emissions, are the result of unrestrained air polluting practices by countries who show little or no interest in environmental conservation. This toxic pollution rises into the wind currents and jet-streams, which carry the poisonous air hundreds, or even thousands of miles away to another part of the world, where it then affects the air quality of the place where it settles, creating health hazards and pollution within that cities population and location. So, the irresponsible polluting behavior and actions of one group/country, can have a drastic negative effect on another person/s, group/s, country/or countries, causing them to suffer debilitating health hazard consequences for which they were not responsible in creating. So you see in this one small illustration, how another person/s, group/s, or even other countries irresponsible attitude, actions, and behavior toward environmental conservation issues, can inadvertently and negatively affect another person/s, group/s, or even a whole countrys populations health and well being. Many first world countries have environmental laws that heavily penalize companies for noncompliance, and therefore helps to limits air pollution to varying degrees. Yet there are more countries who dont have any environmental laws, restrictions, or boundaries in place, and who Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 6 do not recognize or practice environmental conservation. And so these developing countries by their who cares, its business as usual attitude and behavior, become one of the major contributors of bad air on a global scale, through their uncontrolled, unrestrained, release of toxic emissions into the atmosphere where it becomes an international traveler. However, air pollution caused by toxic emissions is only one of the environmental concerns facing humanity today. Another environmental concern, which we are being constantly reminded of through the news reports, newspapers, Internet, etc. is the issue of global warming. This is also known as climate change. Scientists use the name, or term global warming, so as to identify what types of climate change is actually happening i. e. , the planet is not getting cooler but warmer, ergo, global warming. One of the reasons they state this is happening is due to the excessive amount of a gas known as CO2. This is carbon dioxide, which is something that we, after taking in oxygen through the air, actually exhale. While CO2 is an odorless, tasteless, inert gas, it is also a byproduct of combustion, which is generally contributed to automobile emissions. However, while CO2 is a byproduct of automotive engine gasoline/diesel/natural gas combustion, it is also a byproduct of combustion associated with the burning of coal and oil to generate electricity and heat buildings. In fact, anything that burns will have CO2 as one of its emission byproducts. Because of the increase of automobiles, trucks, factories, etc. here is an excessive amount of carbon dioxide constantly being released into the atmosphere. Along with the deforestation of whole rainforests [note: trees absorb CO2 gases and convert CO2 into oxygen by the process of photosynthesis. This is one of Gods brilliant ideas for replenishing the oxygen we use. However, by cutting down all the trees in the forest, were destroying the eart hs Co2 converter], Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 7 and the combination of other greenhouse gases , which come from agricultural and industrial sources, global warming is the result. However, there is also another detrimental effect of having too much CO2 in the air that has to do with ones respiratory health, and is known by a condition called hypoxia, or hypoxiation. [West, 1995 p. 22] This is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole, or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. This is due to the fact that the body is deprived of oxygen because CO2 in the lungs is inhibited from being released, and so accumulates causing too much CO2 to be where oxygen needs to be, and therefore death ensues as a result. West, 1995 pp. 22]. The use of CO2 displacing oxygen is great for firefighting is actually a preferred fire extinguisher in place of chemical powder for distinguishing fires, but its no good for breathing. The world climate is changing because CO2 is in excess, and humans are the reason why it is so. So far weve looked at some causes of air pollution and how it can originate from one part of the the world and through air currents e ffect everybody globally. But in discussing social psychology in the sustainable future air pollution is only one component of many. There are many environmental concerns for a sustainable future, which also include water pollution. Just as we need clean air to survive, so also we need clean water for both drinking and food. In actual fact, it is quite possible for a person to go many days and even weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Clean water is essential for drinking as well as sustaining aquatic and marine life in our rivers and oceans. However, with the high human demand for oil, environmental catastrophes and disasters such as the Exxon-Valdez oil spilloff the coast of Alaska in 1989, and most recently the BP oil Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 spill of 2010, have polluted the life-sustaining ocean waters and left a path of ecological destruction, which much like the fallout from an nuclear bomb, may take forever, if ever, to recover. Even now as I write this, were told by BP officials and their advertising campaigns, that the waters in the Gulf are back to pre-oil spill status. However, a recent study reported by Brian Williams on NBC national news states that marine life such as dolphins are seriously ill and due to health problems consistent with exposure to oil. Illness ranging from lung disease, kidney malfunctions and liver disease has been found throughout dolphin population which cause has been attributed to the ingesting of oil [NBC nightly news March 23 2012]. Basically what were being told through the million-dollar advertising campaign by BP, is not true. We are still reaping the consequences caused by the massive oil spill where oil spewed out from the ground unrestrained for months. On top of water pollution, the sea is being devastated daily by the huge nets and Longlines of commercial fishing vessels. Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique. It uses a long line called the main line which can be up to 50 miles long, with thousands of baited hooks attached at intervals of approximately every 20 yards. Hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks can hang from a single line. Although Longliners commonly target tuna, cod, halibut, unfortunately a baited hook is not very selective and many other species are caught and killed inadvertently. This is very troublesome, especially for those animals, mammals, and fish species that are on the endangered list, i. e. The Leatherback Sea Turtle. [Seaturtles. org 2003] Can you imagine a 50 mile long fishing line with corks set at every 20 yards, or huge Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 dragnets, scraping the bottom of the sea for its fish, crap, shrimp and other marine life. This is all done to fulfill the growing populations appetite for seafood. Yet he growing need for bigger harvest is only one part of this very important ecological problem. Another part is the damage that is caused by the implements used in harvesting. I have personally seen the damage to the bottom of the sea caused by the nets being used to harvest fish from along the bottom of the sea beds. These nets are called drag-nets for good reason, as they scrape the bottom of the oceans floor so that nothing escapes. As they scrape along the bottom of the sea, they drag every kind of a marine life you can imagine into the net. The ocean floor then looks like its just been plowed. Thus, these drag-nets leave behind a path of destruction in their wake, by destroying all aquatic plants, and marine life forms and the environment in which they live. Another issue that is caused by fishing trawlers using dragnets, is waste. Nets are by no means selective as anything and everything gets caught in the net. Once these nets are hauled in, much of what is caught in the nets is not used, but thrown out for reasons of either being under size, wrong variety, or in some way illegal etc. Some of the seafood is kept, and the other is thrown out to die. The fish and marine species that are caught in the nets or on the long lines as a byproduct, sea turtles, including the extremely endangered Leatherback sea turtle, various sharks, including some species which are also endangered, and also others. Seeing there is no international laws to reduce bycatch, we can expect that many more species will be added to the endangered list as part of the long-term decline, caused by these devastating fishing practices. So apart from destroying the environment which sustains our fish and marine life in our oceans, rivers and waters through pollution, waste and harvesting practices, we continued the Psychology and Sustainable Future 9 devastation by overfishing the waters to to the extent that fish that were once found in abundance 50 years ago, are now at the point of extinction and have been placed on the endangered list. Two of the fish species I would like to talk about here were, up till recently, very common. One is the Atlantic cod, and the other the Giant Bluefin Tuna. These two fish species once abundantly populated the Atlantic Ocean until the implementation of gill nets, drag nets, and now the dreaded long-lines of commercial fishing vessels. In a relatively short amount of time, the use nets and long lines have devastated the cod and tuna populations worldwide through overfishing. Even though size limits and harvesting amounts have been supposedly set by international bodies, Atlantic Cod, Bluefin Tuna, and many other fish species are under the gun, and may never recover, especially the majestic bluefin tuna, which is much coveted by sushi chefs and is considered a delicacy in Japan. Maybe it is for this reason that Japan, under the guise of supposedly abiding by the international fishing laws, have reportedly and consistently ignored the international laws for size limits and harvesting amounts. Through their longline fishing vessel fleet have continued at a ever increasing rate to catch bluefin tuna, to the point that they, could be considered to be the major contributing factor, as to why this fish species is numerically declining to a point of having to be put on the endangered fish species list. [Glover, Charles. The End of the Line. 2008]. It is a well-known fact that the Mitsubishi Corporation. Not only owns several long line ships which go out to sea for months at a time and dont come back until their freezes are all full of bluefin tuna, but is the major purchaser of bluefin tuna. As well as fishing for bluefin tuna with their own fishing vessels. They have also been known to purchase as much bluefin tuna as they Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 10 can, from other fishing vessels. These vessels are known as Pirate Fishing Vessels, ignore international fishing laws and catch all they can in what you might call an undercover operation. These pirate fishing vessels have, within the past 10 years, come under a lot of scrutiny by the Greenpeace organization: who sail the seas searching for these pirate fishing vessels so as to catch them in the act. Of illegal fishing, netting, long lining etc. [Greenpeace. org 2011]. Although many nations, including the United States, supposedly participate as international management bodies to maintain global tuna populations, the species continues to decline at an alarming rate and are now on top of the endangered species list because its numbers have depleted to such a point that it may never be able to recover. As you can tell air and water pollution combined with overfishing is a concern of mine, mainly because I see it is preventable, but for the selfish, self-centered, all-consuming greed of people from all walks of life I could continue on for quite some time, however I must bring this article assignment to a conclusion by talking about causes of environmental damage. As much as we like to blame tornadoes and hurricanes for most of the environmental damage, the biggest cause of environmental damage is man himself. Mankind is now the number one cause of all the destruction happening on Earth. We are the major cause of environmental disasters, beginning with the industrial exploitation of the resources of the Earth, which has become especially bad since the population of the Earth has trippled in the last fifty years to a point which, even with more efficient means of distribution, there is simply not enough food to go around. Obviously the reasons for the possible future scarcity of food, water, among other things, is the wasteful lifestyles that we have become accustomed to, especially here in the United States. All you need to do is look around in any restaurant here in the United States and see the huge Social Psychology and a Sustainable Future 11 amounts of food being thrown out in the trashcan while people on the other side of the world starve. Its been noted in the book, exploring social psychology by David G Myers, that the human demand for things such as land, timber, fish, and fuels is increasingly exceeding the Earths regenerating capacity. [Myers, 2009 p. 378-379]. My point is this, with the present consumption of resources by our, wasteful habits and devastating harvesting techniques, coupled with the destined growth of population, further pollution, global warming, and environmental destruction, seem inevitable unless there is change. For the average American who lives with luxuries unknown by even royalty just a century ago, our lifestyle of unrestrained, unbridled, ever wanting more consumerism will be brought to a screeching halt unless there is change. Lets face it our wasteful lifestyles cannot continue forever. For beyond the sunny skies of comfort and convenience. Dark clouds of environmental disaster at gathering. Sciences have accredited this coming ecological, environmental disaster to increasing population and increasing consumption. [Myers, 2009 p377]. I come to this conclusion; due to my observations of the wasteful practices I see around me every day of my life here in the United States I offer this small yet effective illustration of the environmental conservation. In Australia where I was raised, we grew up with tank water. Where you rely on the rain to fill a tank that is used for your drinking water, bathing, and bathroom uses etc. Under these conditions you learn to conserve and not waste water in every way possible. One of the ways I taught my children to conserve water was not to leave the tap running when they were brushing their teeth. They were instructed to turn the tap on to wet the brush, then turn the tap off while they apply the toothpaste to the brush and brush their teeth. After they had brush their teeth, they could then turn the tap on to rinse out their mouth and clean their toothbrush. Idiosyncratic? Not really. Just letting my children learn not to waste water and to appreciate the God-given resources we have available to us.

Computer Generated 3D Animation Computer Science Essay

Computer Generated 3D Animation Computer Science Essay Computer animation (or CGI animation) is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. Increasingly it is created by means of 3D computer graphics, though 2D computer graphics are still widely used for stylistic, low bandwidth, and faster real-time rendering needs. It is also referred to as CGI (computer-generated imagery or computer-generated imaging), especially when used in films. 2. PRINCIPLES OF ANIMATION Computer animation is essentially a digital successor to the art of stop motion animation of 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D illustrations. For 3D animations, objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modeled) and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc. of the figure are moved by the animator on key frames. The differences in appearance between key frames are automatically calculated by the computer in a process known as tweening or morphing. Finally, the animation is rendered. For 3D animations, all frames must be rendered after modeling is complete. For 2D vector animations, the rendering process is the key frame illustration process, while tweened frames are rendered as needed. To create the illusion of movement, an image is displayed on the computer screen and repeatedly replaced by a new image that is similar to the previous image, but advanced slightly in the time domain, usually at a rate of 24 or 30 frames/second. This technique is identical to how the illusion of movement is achieved with television and motion pictures. To trick the eye and brain into thinking they are seeing a smoothly moving object, the pictures should be drawn at around 12 frames per second (frame/s) or faster (a frame is one complete image). With rates above 70 frames/s no improvement in realism or smoothness is perceivable due to the way the eye and brain process images. At rates below 12 frame/s most people can detect jerkiness associated with the drawing of new images which detracts from the illusion of realistic movement. Conventional hand-drawn cartoon animation often uses 15 frames/s in order to save on the number of drawings needed, but this is usually accepted because of the stylized nature of cartoons. Because it produces more realistic imagery computer animation demands higher frame rates to reinforce this realism. The reason no jerkiness is seen at higher speeds is due to persistence of vision. From moment to moment, the eye and brain working together actually store whatever one looks at for a fraction of a second, and automatically smooth out minor jumps. Movie film seen in theaters in the United States runs at 24 frames per second, which is sufficient to create this illusion of continuous movement. 3. HOW DOES IT WORK The process of creating 3D animations can be sequentially divided into three basic phases: 3D modeling which describes the process of forming the shape of an object, layout and animation which describes the motion and placement of objects within a scene, and 3D rendering which produces an image of an object. a)The 3D model describes the process of forming the shape of an object. The two most common sources of 3D models are those originated on the computer by an artist or engineer using some kind of 3D modeling tool, and those scanned into a computer from real-world objects. Models can also be produced procedurally or via physical simulation. 3D computer graphics are often referred to as 3D models. Apart from the rendered graphic, the model is contained within the graphical data file. However, there are differences. A 3D model is the mathematical representation of any three-dimensional object. A model is not technically a graphic until it is displayed. Due to 3D printing, 3D models are not confined to virtual space. A model can be displayed visually as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering, or used in non-graphical computer simulations and calculations. 3D computer animation combines 3D models of objects and programmed movement. Models are constructed out of geometrical vertices, faces, and edges in a 3D coordinate system. Objects are sculpted much like real clay or plaster, working from general forms to specific details with various sculpting tools. A bone/joint system is set up to deform the 3D mesh (e.g., to make a humanoid model walk). In a process called rigging, the virtual marionette is given various controllers and handles for controlling movement. b)Before objects are rendered, they must be placed (laid out) within a scene. This is what defines the spatial relationships between objects in a scene including location and size. Animation refers to the temporal description of an object, how it moves and deforms over time. Popular methods include keyframing, inverse kinematics, and motion capture, though many of these techniques are used in conjunction with each other. As with modeling, physical simulation is another way of specifying motion. In most 3D computer animation systems, an animator creates a simplified representation of a characters anatomy, analogous to a skeleton or stick figure. The position of each segment of the skeletal model is defined by animation variables, or Avars. In human and animal characters, many parts of the skeletal model correspond to actual bones, but skeletal animation is also used to animate other things, such as facial features (though other methods for facial animation exist). The character Woody in Toy Story, for example, uses 700 Avars, including 100 Avars in the face. The computer does not usually render the skeletal model directly (it is invisible), but uses the skeletal model to compute the exact position and orientation of the character, which is eventually rendered into an image. Thus by changing the values of Avars over time, the animator creates motion by making the character move from frame to frame. There are several methods for generating the Avar values to obtain realistic motion. Traditionally, animators manipulate the Avars directly. Rather than set Avars for every frame, they usually set Avars at strategic points (frames) in time and let the computer interpolate or tween between them by keyframing. Keyframing puts control in the hands of the animator, and has roots in hand-drawn traditional animation. In contrast, a newer method called motion capture makes use of live action. When computer animation is driven by motion capture, a real performer acts out the scene as if they were the character to be animated. His or her motion is recorded to a computer using video cameras and markers, and that performance is then applied to the animated character. Each method has their advantages, and as of 2007, games and films are using either or both of these methods in productions. Keyframe animation can produce motions that would be difficult or impossible to act out, while motion capture can reproduce the subtleties of a particular actor. For example, in the 2006 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest, actor Bill Nighy provided the performance for the character Davy Jones. Even though Nighy himself doesnt appear in the film, the movie benefited from his performance by recording the nuances of his body language, posture, facial expressions, etc. Thus motion capture is appropriate in situations where believable, realistic behavior and action is required, but the types of characters required exceed what can be done through conventional costuming. c)Rendering converts a model into an image either by simulating light transport to get photorealistic images, or by applying some kind of style as in non-photorealistic rendering. The two basic operations in realistic rendering are transport (how much light gets from one place to another) and scattering (how surfaces interact with light). This step is usually performed using 3D computer graphics software or a 3D graphics API. The process of altering the scene into a suitable form for rendering also involves 3D projection which allows a three-dimensional image to be viewed in two dimensions. Lets step through the rendering of a simple image of a room with flat wood walls with a grey pyramid in the center of the room. The pyramid will have a spotlight shining on it. Each wall, the floor and the ceiling is a simple polygon, in this case, a rectangle. Each corner of the rectangles is defined by three values referred to as X, Y and Z. X is how far left and right the point is. Y is how far up and down the point is, and Z is far in and out of the screen the point is. The wall nearest us would be defined by four points: (in the order x, y, z). Below is a representation of how the wall is defined (0, 10, 0) (10, 10, 0) (0,0,0) (10, 0, 0) The far wall would be: (0, 10, 20) (10, 10, 20) (0, 0, 20) (10, 0, 20) The pyramid is made up of five polygons: the rectangular base, and four triangular sides. To draw this image the computer uses math to calculate how to project this image, defined by three dimensional data, onto a two dimensional computer screen. First we must also define where our view point is, that is, from what vantage point will the scene be drawn. Our view point is inside the room a bit above the floor, directly in front of the pyramid. First the computer will calculate which polygons are visible. The near wall will not be displayed at all, as it is behind our view point. The far side of the pyramid will also not be drawn as it is hidden by the front of the pyramid. Next each point is perspective projected onto the screen. The portions of the walls furthest from the view point will appear to be shorter than the nearer areas due to perspective. To make the walls look like wood, a wood pattern, called a texture, will be drawn on them. To accomplish this, a technique called texture mapping is often used. A small drawing of wood that can be repeatedly drawn in a matching tiled pattern (like wallpaper) is stretched and drawn onto the walls final shape. The pyramid is solid grey so its surfaces can just be rendered as grey. But we also have a spotlight. Where its light falls we lighten colors, where objects blocks the light we darken colors. Next we render the complete scene on the computer screen. If the numbers describing the position of the pyramid were changed and this process repeated, the pyramid would appear to move. 4. 3D COMPUTER GRAFICS SOFTWARE 3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer-generated imagery. 3D modelers are used in a wide variety of industries. The medical industry uses them to create detailed models of organs. The movie industry uses them to create and manipulate characters and objects for animated and real-life motion pictures. The video game industry uses them to create assets for video games. The science sector uses them to create highly detailed models of chemical compounds. The architecture industry uses them to create models of proposed buildings and landscapes. The engineering community uses them to design new devices, vehicles and structures as well as a host of other uses. There are typically many stages in the pipeline that studios and manufacturers use to create 3D objects for film, games, and production of hard goods and structures. Many 3D modelers are general-purpose and can be used to produce models of various real-world entities, from plants to automobiles to people. Some are specially designed to model certain objects, such as chemical compounds or internal organs. 3D modelers allow users to create and alter models via their 3D mesh. Users can add, subtract, stretch and otherwise change the mesh to their desire. Models can be viewed from a variety of angles, usually simultaneously. Models can be rotated and the view can be zoomed in and out. 3D modelers can export their models to files, which can then be imported into other applications as long as the metadata is compatible. Many modelers allow importers and exporters to be plugged-in, so they can read and write data in the native formats of other applications. Most 3D modelers contain a number of related features, such as ray tracers and other rendering alternatives and texture mapping facilities. Some also contain features that support or allow animation of models. Some may be able to generate full-motion video of a series of rendered scenes . Computer animation development equipment Computer animation can be created with a computer and animation software. Some impressive animation can be achieved even with basic programs; however the rendering can take a lot of time on an ordinary home computer. Because of this, video game animators tend to use low resolution, low polygon count renders, such that the graphics can be rendered in real time on a home computer. Photorealistic animation would be impractical in this context. Professional animators of movies, television, and video sequences on computer games make photorealistic animation with high detail. This level of quality for movie animation would take tens to hundreds of years to create on a home computer. Many powerful workstation computers are used instead. Graphics workstation computers use two to four processors, and thus are a lot more powerful than a home computer, and are specialized for rendering. A large number of workstations (known as a render farm) are networked together to effectively act as a giant computer. The result is a computer-animated movie that can be completed in about one to five years . A workstation typically costs $2,000 to $16,000, with the more expensive stations being able to render much faster, due to the more technologically advanced hardware that they contain. Pixars Renderman is rendering software which is widely used as the movie animation industry standard, in competition with Mental Ray. It can be bought at the o fficial Pixar website for about $3,500. It will work on Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows based graphics workstations along with an animation program such as Maya and Softimage XSI. Professionals also use digital movie cameras, motion capture or performance capture, bluescreens, film editing software, props, and other tools for movie animation. Major software packages 3ds Max (Autodesk), originally called 3D Studio MAX, is a comprehensive and versatile 3D application used in film, television, video games and architecture for Windows. It can be extended and customized through its SDK or scripting using a Maxscript. It can use third party rendering options such as Brazil R/S, finalRender and V-Ray. Maya (Autodesk) is currently used in the film and television industry. Maya has developed over the years into an application platform in and of itself through extendability via its MEL programming language. It is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Softimage (Autodesk) Softimage (formerly Softimage|XSI) is a 3D modeling and animation package that integrates with mental ray rendering. It is feature-similar to Maya and 3DS Max and is used in the production of professional films, commercials, video games, and other media. LightWave 3D (NewTek), first developed for the Amiga, was originally bundled as part of the Video Toaster package and entered the market as a low cost way for TV production companies to create quality CGI for their programming. It first gained public attention with its use in the TV series Babylon 5 and is used in several contemporary TV series. Lightwave is also used in film production. It is available for both Windows and Mac OS X. ZBrush (Pixologic) is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing and painting tool available for Mac OS X and Windows. It is used to create normal maps for low resolution models to make them look more detailed. Cinema 4D (MAXON) is a light package in its basic configuration. The software is for lay users. It has a lower initial entry cost due to a modular a-la-carte design for purchasing additional functions as users need them. Originally developed for the Amiga, it is also available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. 4. ANIMATION ALONG TIME CGI was first used in movies in 1973s Westworld, a science-fiction film about a society in which robots live and work among humans, though the first use of 3D Wireframe imagery was in its sequel, Futureworld (1976), which featured a computer-generated hand and face created by then University of Southern California graduate students Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke. The third movie to use this technology was Star Wars (1977) for the scenes with the wireframe Death Star plans and the targeting computers in the X-wings and the Millennium Falcon. The Black Hole (1979) used raster wire-frame model rendering to depict a black hole. The science fiction-horror film Alien of that same year also used a raster wire-frame model, in this case to render the image of navigation monitors in the sequence where a spaceship follows a beacon to a land on an unfamiliar planet. In 1978, graduate students at the New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab began work on what would have been the first full-length CGI film, The Works, and a trailer for it was shown at SIGGRAPH 1982, but the film was never completed. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan premiered a short CGI sequence called The Genesis Wave in June 1982. The first two films to make heavy investments in Solid 3D CGI, Tron (1982) and The Last Starfighter (1984), were commercial failures, causing most directors to relegate CGI to images that were supposed to look like they were created by a computer. It was the 1993 film Jurassic Park, however, in which dinosaurs created with CGI were seamlessly integrated into live action scenes, that revolutionized the movie industry. It marked Hollywoods transition from stop-motion animation and conventional optical effects to digital techniques. The following year, CGI was used to create the special effects for Forrest Gump. The most noteworthy effects shots were those that featured the digital removal of actor Gary Sinises legs. Other effects included a napalm strike, the fast-moving Ping-Pong balls, and the digital insertion of Tom Hanks into several scenes of historical footage. Two-dimensional CGI increasingly appeared in traditionally animated films, where it supplemented the use of hand-illustrated cels. Its uses ranged from digital tweening motion between frames, to eye-catching quasi-3D effects, such as the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast. In 1993, Babylon 5 became the first television series to use CGI as the primary method for its visual effects (rather than using hand-built models). It also marked the first TV use of virtual sets. That same year, Insektors became the first full-length completely computer animated TV series. Soon after, in 1994, the hit Canadian CGI show ReBoot aired. Toy Story(1995) was the first fully computer-generated feature film. In 1995, the first fully computer-generated feature film, Disney-Pixars Toy Story, was a resounding commercial success. Additional digital animation studios such as Blue Sky Studios (20th Century Fox), DNA Productions (Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros.), Omation Studios (Paramount Pictures), Sony Pictures Animation (Columbia Pictures), Vanguard Animation (Walt Disney Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment and 20th Century Fox), Big Idea Productions (Universal Pictures and FHE Pictures), Animal Logic (Warner Bros.) and Pacific Data Images (Dreamworks SKG) went into production, and existing animation companies, such as The Walt Disney Company, began to make a transition from traditional animation to CGI. Between 1995 and 2005 the average effects budget for a wide-release feature film skyrocketed from $5 million to $40 million. According to one studio executive, as of 2005[update], more than half of feature films have significant effects. However, CGI has made up for the expenditures by g rossing over 20% more than their real-life counterparts. In the early 2000s, computer-generated imagery became the dominant form of special effects. The technology progressed to the point that it became possible to include virtual stunt doubles. Camera tracking software was refined to allow increasingly complex visual effects developments that were previously impossible. Computer-generated extras also became used extensively in crowd scenes with advanced flocking and crowd simulation software. Virtual sets, in which part or all of the background of a shot is digitally generated, also became commonplace. The timeline of CGI in film and television shows a detailed list of pioneering uses of computer-generated imagery in film and television. CGI for films is usually rendered at about 1.4-6 megapixels. Toy Story, for example, was rendered at 1536  ÃƒÆ'-  922 (1.42MP). The time to render one frame is typically around 2-3 hours, with ten times that for the most complex scenes. This time hasnt changed much in the last decade, as image quality has progressed at the same rate as improvements in hardware, since with faster machines, more and more complexity becomes feasible. Exponential increases in GPUs processing power, as well as massive increases in parallel CPU power, storage and memory speed and size have greatly increased CGIs potential. In 2001, Square Pictures created the CGI film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, which made headlines for attempting to create photo-realistic human actors. The film was not a box-office success. Some commentators have suggested this may be partly because the lead CGI characters had facial features which fell into the uncanny valley. Square Pictures produced only two more films using a similar visual style Final Flight of the Osiris, a short film which served as a prologue to The Matrix Reloaded and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, based on their extremely popular video game series. Developments in CGI technologies are reported each year at SIGGRAPH, an annual conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, attended each year by tens of thousands of computer professionals. Developers of computer games and 3D video cards strive to achieve the same visual quality on personal computers in real-time as is possible for CGI films and animation. With the rapid advancement of real-time rendering quality, artists began to use game engines to render non-interactive movies. This art form is called machinima. This is a chronological list of films and television programs that have been recognised as being pioneering in their use of computer-generated imagery. 5. THE FUTURE OF ANIMATION One open challenge in computer animation is a photorealistic animation of humans. Currently, most computer-animated movies show animal characters, fantasy characters, anthropomorphic machines or cartoon-like humans. The movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is often cited as the first computer-generated movie to attempt to show realistic-looking humans. However, due to the enormous complexity of the human body, human motion, and human biomechanics, realistic simulation of humans remains largely an open problem. Another problem is the distasteful psychological response to viewing nearly perfect animation of humans, known as the uncanny valley. It is one of the holy grails of computer animation. Eventually, the goal is to create software where the animator can generate a movie sequence showing a photorealistic human character, undergoing physically-plausible motion, together with clothes, photorealistic hair, a complicated natural background, and possibly interacting with other simul ated human characters. This could be done in a way that the viewer is no longer able to tell if a particular movie sequence is computer-generated, or created using real actors in front of movie cameras. Complete human realism is not likely to happen very soon, and when it does it may have major repercussions for the film industry. For the moment it looks like three dimensional computer animation can be divided into two main directions; photorealistic and non-photorealistic rendering. Photorealistic computer animation can itself be divided into two subcategories; real photorealism (where performance capture is used in the creation of the virtual human characters) and stylized photorealism. Real photorealism is what Final Fantasy tried to achieve and will in the future most likely have the ability to give us live action fantasy features as The Dark Crystal without having to use advanced puppetry and animatronics, while Antz is an example on stylistic photorealism . None of them mentioned are perfected as of yet, but the progress continues. The non-photorealistic/cartoonish direction is more like an extension of traditional animation, an attempt to make the animation look like a three dimensional version of a cartoon, still using and perfecting the main principles of animation articulated by the Nine Old Men, such as squash and stretch. While a single frame from a photorealistic computer-animated feature will look like a photo if done right, a single frame vector from a cartoonish computer-animated feature will look like a painting (not to be confused with cel shading, which produces an even simpler look).

Fannie Flaggs Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe :: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe

Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe My first impression of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafà © was that it was a â€Å"woman’s'; novel. This was because the movie, which was more popular than the book, was advertised as a â€Å"chick flick';. To say the least, I was wrong. The novel poses many issues that face the people of the 1920’s and 30’s, and makes one think about what people have struggled through. The novel addresses the issue of racism before the time of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. It tells of the struggles women must go through when they reach menopause; the big change. However, the main plot line tells the story of two women, Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, and the trials and tribulations of their life in the 1920’s and 30’s. Idgie and Ruth are business partners, best friends, and in the eyes of many, also lesbians. â€Å"[Fried Green Tomatoes] represents around the issue of lesbianism, depicting a strong and intense friendship between two white women (the tomboy Idgie Threadgoode and the fern Ruth Jamison), but never committing itself one way or another'; (Pelligrini 7). There have not been many stories written about homosexuality in the first half of the twentieth century. That is why Fannie Flagg does not just come out and say that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians. In turn, the idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians is a subject that has been under heated debate. However, there are many episodes between Idgie and Ruth that are undeniable proof that they are homosexuals. The idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians is rampant throughout the story. It is evidenced by the way they speak to each other and act towards each other, but the idea is subverted due to the fact that everyone in the town sees Idgie as a man. The idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians can be misunderstood. To say that they are a lesbian couple does mean that they are sexually involved with each other. However, whether or not Idgie and Ruth are sexually involved is a decision that is left up to the reader. Flagg does not describe in the novel any sexual experiences between Idgie and Ruth. This is because the idea of lesbianism is a touchy subject and could have changed the idea that novel was trying to get across.

Essay For Setting :: essays research papers

Essay for Setting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A setting is where and when the story takes place. Most of the setting involves the time and place of the action, and like â€Å"The Three Strangers†, by Thomas Hardy, who presents this short story with good development and distinctive setting. In this work of his, he creates a captivating atmosphere, emphasizes the force that the protagonist struggles with, and he makes it believable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hardy creates an environment of rough landscape with phrases like â€Å"Three miles of irregular upland†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (760), thus creating a feeling of insecurity. Hardy also represents it in â€Å"†¦some starved fragment of ancient hedge is usually taken advantage of the erection of these forlorn dwellings† (760). In addition, we see the forming of an environment of danger, like in the passage where it says â€Å"†¦straightway several of the party fell into the snare set by Nature for all misguided midnight ramblers over this part of the cretaceous formation†¦flint slopes, which belted the escarpment†¦losing their footing on the rubbly steep they slid sharply downwards†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (771). Therefore, giving a mood of mystery and of tension.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, Hardy emphasizes that struggle between the protagonist and the people or forces acting on them throughout the whole short story. For example, although Mrs. Fennel allows the new arrivals in her house, she seems uncomfortable with them, â€Å"This testimony to the youthfulness of his hostess had the effect of stopping her cross-examination† (764). Similarly, we see that the moment the second stranger gets in the house, the first one tries to create a friendly environment with him, â€Å"†¦and the first stranger handled his neighbor (the second stranger) the family mug†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and also, in the silence of everyone to the second stranger’s song, the first stranger would join in; â€Å"The room was silent when he had finished the verse-with one exception, that of the man in the chimney corner who at the singer’s voice, ‘Chorus’ joined in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (768).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Third, the author makes it believable when he states places, dates, and regional customs. For instance, when instead of the word tobacco, he places baccy, which was a word from that specific place and time, â€Å"The shepherd filled and handed him a new clay pipe, saying as he did so, ‘Hand me your baccy box- I’ll fill that too, now I am about it’ †(765). Also when it says â€Å"Among the few features of agricultural England which retain and appearance but little modified by the lapse of centuries†¦ †, â€Å"Shaking the water drops from his low-crowned glazed hat, he said, ‘I must ask for a few minutes’ shelter comrades, or I shall be wetted to my skin before I get to Casterbridge.