Drew Gilpin Faust’s, This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War, is an intensive study that reflects on the impact of the Civil war had on the soldiers and civilians. Faust wanted to show that, as they dealt with and mourned over the overwhelming amount of carnage, the nation and the lives of the American people were already changed forever. Although there are many other publications relating to the Civil war, she is able to successfully reflect upon the morbid topic of death in the Civil war in a new and unique way. This book shows the war in a whole different perspective by focusing less on quantifying and stating the statistics of the civil war deaths. Rather, she examines more closely on how the Civil War deaths transformed the “society, culture and politics,” and the impact it had on the lives of the Americans in the 19th century.
By using this metaphor, Gladwell highlights that success is not solely a result of personal qualities but is often contingent upon unique circumstances and opportunities. This metaphor compels readers to reconsider their
The novel “the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” written by Mordecai Richler tells the story of a boy whose goal is to acquire land, success and respect. His failed business endeavors did not lead him to the success he had hoped, and additionally alienated him from those who had once trusted and cared for him. Duddy is not only a self-made monster, but even more so a product of his society. A combination of how his family raised him, his schooling and environment, as well as his own personality and virtues ultimately led to his downfall. Quite possibly, Duddy’s family had the largest negative impact on his “apprenticeship”.
Though Christopher McCandless attempted to separate himself from society, in order to achieve self-fulfillment, the stubborn nature of this reckless greenhorn led him to his unfortunate demise. Christopher McCandless’ stubborn personality causes him to leave a loving home in order to start a new beginning as “Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny '' (Krakauer 23). Chris “let them think they were right”, so they would think that he was seeing “their side of things'' when he was merely waiting for the right time to completely “knock them out of happiness only real when shared” (189) In a way we all can have high egos.
Long before modern times, humans act selfishly, putting their short-term gain before their long-term interests. In “A Sound of Thunder” (Bradbury), “The Most Dangerous Game” (Connell), and “Marionettes Inc.” (Bradbury), the characters plot to maximize their pleasure in self-centered ways. These stories illustrate the concept that being selfish is self-defeating and often harms others in the process because the characters are narcissistic and then harm themselves and others. First, Eckles from “A Sound of Thunder '' seeks thrill in harmful ways.
Despite this naivety, Elwood's idealism also has a positive side, as it allows him to maintain hope and a sense of purpose in the face of injustice and abuse. It motivates him to work hard, pursue a better life, and help others, such as when he mentors the younger boys at Nickel Academy. In this way, Elwood's idealism is both a strength and a weakness, and the novel as a whole can be seen as an exploration of the complexities and contradictions of idealism in the face of systemic oppression. Elwood's idealism, while often inspiring and motivating, can also lead him to take risks that put himself and others in danger. For example, his decision to turn in evidence of abuse at Nickel Academy was a brave and selfless act, but it also put him at risk of retaliation from the
Many readers may interpret this piece as a coming of age story for the Narrator or for adolescents in general. However, the theme is actually human nature and the choice to succumb or stray away from it. Human nature in it of itself is the power to make
Pilate’s continual singing helps to foster Milkman’s growth in discovering his ancestry as well as learn about his mistreatment of people, especially women. The Sugarman song that Pilate frequently sang appears again to reveal Milkman’s ancestry to him. As the children sang a slightly different version of the song, “singing ‘Solomon don’t leave me’ instead of ‘Sugarman,’” Milkman began to piece together how the song was dealing directly with his ancestors.
Milkman discovers his family name and history, and while on his journey, Milkman finds happiness, understanding, and a sense of identity. While the actual findings of his family is important, Milkman’s discovery of his own identity through his family’s history is the true take-away from the
Evolution, a gradual development in which something becomes more complex, is an ongoing process; we evolve, technology evolves, knowledge evolves. There is nothing that one can do to stop evolution and Klosterman refers to that in “Electric Funeral”, however, he focuses on the evolution of technology. Arguing that “the easiest way for any cutthroat person to succeed is to instinctively (and relentlessly) side with the technology of tomorrow, even if that technology is distasteful” (Klosterman, p. 225). This future that he speaks of is inevitable, and although it’s not favored there is nothing you can do to stop it from happening. For example, Edward Snowden released classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) database in
I am Mariah Stephens and I am a Talented and Gifted 7th grader at Walker Mill Middle School and TAG Center in Capitol Heights, Maryland. I am 13 years old and I have been in the TAG program for about 5 years. I do not recall taking the test to get into TAG, but I do remember being accepted in 3rd grade. I was in class one day when someone called me and two or three of my classmates to the door. She handed us envelopes that said we were accepted into TAG.
The way that such intricate, specific, and divergent books and life events relate is quite showing that the choices we make do affect others and ourselves, our passions define us in positive and negative ways, and being alone in an indifferent world makes us more aware in the end. Hardship and toil prove themselves to be worth it because for Marjane, Meursault, and myself, the results of our hard work with teach us more strength and independence than before. Existentialism exists more than we can see, and its philosophy promotes learning from
The narrator puts the reader in the environment and the society of Kreb to enforce the theme of the story. This allows the reader to interpret the struggle that Kreb is going through after returning from
From the beginning, he guides the protagonist through a midlife crisis that is almost sure to go wrong. He is a wealthy man, lost in a suspicious part of town in an expensive car. This has trouble written all over it. People in these areas are desperate for money, and robbing a rich man in his Mercedes-Benz would be a more than possible event that could ensue. Most fatal of all however, and most ironic of all, is that “[he is so] intent upon the future that…
According to Annual Abortion Statistics, “Twenty-one percent of all U.S. pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion. (AGI)” (U.S. Abortion Statistics 1) Abortion is a procedure that is continuously happening every second of the day and can be performed for many reasons. In today’s society, abortion is one of the single-most controversial topics. Abortion has caused many brutal confrontations because everyone has their own opinion on this topic.
