Law,human right and government report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law,human right and government report - Essay Example With my restraint capacity, assurance, and time cognizance, I continually continued reminding individuals to go to gatherings and present their commitments in time since time the executives is basic in the accomplishment of any gathering particularly scholastic gatherings and life by and large. Curiously, many stood. I frequently intentionally helped colleagues to remember taking an interest into gatherings in time. My gathering worked well by following three standards. We were valiant and personal to handle the issues that were pervasive. We picked the issue Self Determination of Aboriginals a point that our coach forewarned that it was perhaps probably the hardest subject and instructed us to reexamine with respect to another theme. In any case, colleagues demanded that we take a shot at such a difficult point as it would permit us increase more noteworthy impression of issues and thus find out additional. Furthermore, we kept up a decent relationship by grasping absolution and expressions of remorse for the individuals who didn't make to go to gatherings. At last, reasonableness was profoundly grasped in task designation, with every part taking an equivalent outstanding burden in this manner taking out any feeling of separation. I was appointed the undertaking of finishing ‘the political context’ of self-governance of native that included local and universal political settings, and its supporters and adversaries. Three fundamental devices end up being useful in settling the assignment; library database, Google researcher, and Google search site page. The library database helped me to discover exceptional and peer-explored articles. The Google researcher gave valuable writing that may be absent in the library database. The Google search site page additionally supplemented the examination by giving cutting-edge news and basic data about the idea. I utilized the date of distribution/update of articles and unwavering quality to find out the value of the writing. The

Greenhouse gas emissions and price elasticity of transport fuel demand Essay

Ozone depleting substance emanations and value versatility of transport fuel request in Belgium - Essay Example The strategy of increment in fuel charge by the Belgian government is thought about in this article. The paper tries to discover the effect of an expansion in fuel burdens on the utilization of energizes by assessing the value versatility of fuel request. Scenery of the article The Kyoto convention, named after the Japanese city, is a worldwide understanding finished up in 1997, focused on the decrease of the collected ozone depleting substance outflows of the created countries and reducing the power of worldwide warming1. Since the beginning of exchanges on Kyoto Protocol, Belgian government adjusted a goal-oriented situation in the atmosphere system in the European just as in the global level2.Belgium has additionally partaken in the objectives of decreasing the nursery emanation and has been effective generally speaking in chopping down the power of discharge by the significance of atomic vitality. In any case, the force of outflow is high in certain divisions like overwhelming in dustry private warming. In any case, extreme occurrences of emanation are seen as created in a thorough premise from the street transport part in Belgium which speaks to 20% of the all Green house gas emission3. Belgium is a little nation in the regard that it is a value taker of the fuel costs in the worldwide market as its interest has practically no impact on the universal oil cost. So the gracefully bend looked by Belgium can be believed to be vastly versatile. In this manner an adjustment in the assessment structure of the nation is straightforwardly and completely gets thought about the local costs and the amount (fuel utilization) is legitimately related with the value versatility of interest for powers. Hence the prime parameter on which the amount that is the fuel utilization depends for this situation can be viewed as value flexibility of interest of powers and subsequently we will investigate its contact with the assistance of hypothetical understandings. Versatility of i nterest Before moving into the domains of the point in thought it is important to obviously comprehend the idea of flexibility of interest. The flexibility of interest alludes to the level of responsiveness of amount requested of an item to an adjustment in any of its determinants viz, cost of the ware, cost of different wares and pay of the customers. Yet, in this paper we are just worried about the value versatility of demand4. Value flexibility of interest â€Å"The value versatility of interest quantifies the affectability of the amount requested to changes in the price†5. As it were it is a proportion of how much an amount requested of a ware changes when its value changes. Scientifically the value flexibility of interest can be spoken to as the proportion of the rate change in the amount requested of a product to a given change in cost. In this manner, Where, = Price flexibility of interest, = Change in amount, =Change in amount demanded6. Fig.1 In the above chart the u nderlying cost was P0 and the amount requested was Q0. At the point when cost rose to P1 the amount requested tumbles to Q1 adhering to the law of interest which expresses that at an ordinary product as cost builds the amount requested falls thus. In the outline, the hole and the hole . Various kinds of value versatility of interest The numerical estimation of value flexibility of interest changes from zero to vastness. Regarding its numerical worth (i.e, level of versatility), there are commonly five sorts of value flexibility of interest. A. Consummately Inelastic interest When the amount requested of a ware doesn't react to the adjustment in its value, at that point the versatility of interest is supposed to be splendidly inelastic interest. The numerical estimation of inelastic interest is zero7. Fig. 2 In the above diag

Comics on a Budget

Comics on a Budget When I first started reading comics, I was in the comic shop every Wednesday, buying new releases, picking up titles I heard about online, buying trades of older series the employees recommended to me. I would go home and make piles of my new printed friends. I eagerly checked the mail for packages of back issues I couldnt find in the store and had ordered online or won on eBay. I was surrounded by comics. It was new, exciting, and so beautiful. I also didnt have enough money to eat. Here is a truth I have learned in the four years Ive been seriously reading comics: being a comics fan on a tight budget is HARD. $3 an issue sounds like so littlethats barely a latte! But $3 every month for 12 months is $36. And like Im only going to read ONE comic a year. Pfffft. Have you seen how many titles the DeFraction household is writing these days? I almost need another job to afford them all (also if they ever team up to write Pretty Deadly Sex Criminal Bitch Odyssey, I am right there, buying all the issues). So whats a comic fan on a budget to do? Im still trying to find a balance and figuring out how not to go broke while keeping up with the new titles, but here is hopefully some helpful information and what Ive come up with for myself. Single Issues/Floppies Pick the titles you arent willing to wait the six months to read as a trade. Depending on your personal budget, this could be two, or it could be ten! If youre torn between a few, I would chose the ones you most want to support, and titles with extra back matter that is only available in the single issues, like Bitch Planet, which features essays on feminism and are seriously worth the $3.50 cover price alone. Trades Generally, its cheaper in the long run to wait and buy the collected trade paperback. When buying trades, keep in mind how publishers release price them. In this regard, Image knows how to get all my money. The first volume of each trade is $9.99, and others are around $14.99 and released 1-2 months after the arc ends. If you read a lot of Image titles, it’s definitely worth it to wait for the trade. When it comes to trades put out by Marvel and DC, I highly recommend requesting these from the library. They typically come out six months after each arc, and are priced at $15.99 and up. Often, when you break it down, it would be cheaper or cost the same to purchase the same book as single issues rather than wait for the trade. But we’re on a tight budget and can’t afford that, so the library is our best friend here. Digital Comics Digital comics are great because they don’t take up any space on your bookshelf and you can put 50 of them on your iPad instead of bringing five trades with you on vacation. Comixology, Marvel, and Image run sales frequently, so keep your eye out for titles you read. Image and Boom! also usually drop the price of digital copies shortly after the newest issue comes out, so if you can wait a month or two, you can get two comics for the price of one. Score! Marvel Unlimited If you read three Marvel titles and dont mind waiting six months, this is a real deal. For $9.99 a month, (or $5.75 a month if you pay for a year upfront for $69) you get access to Marvel’s massive online catalog of comics. Want to read the Abnett Lanning Guardians of the Galaxy run your friends have been telling you to check out? It’s there. That Ms. Marvel title that we here at Panels can’t stop talking about? Issues 1-16 are currently available, and a new one gets added each month. This is especially worth your money if you’re a part of a comic book group that reads a lot of Marvel titles together. Marvel Unlimited frequently runs specials to get a month free, so keep your eye out and try it out at no charge. Your Local Library and Hoopla While every library is different, this is a great place to get trades and graphic novels. I even know of certain libraries that actually get monthly single issues you can check out, which is amazing! If your library doesn’t have a particular title you have been waiting for, request it! If they don’t purchase it, you can probably get it through an interlibrary loan. Also be sure to check and see if they offer access to Hoopla, a great digital option. Hoopla currently has a decent selection of digital comics you can check out from DC, IDW, Image, Boom!, and more. Not only do they have digital trades, but also single issues of some our favorite series, like Lumberjanes and Giant Days. Make Comic Friends I highly recommend making comic friends. Not only are friends nice to have, having comic friends who share your enthusiasm for Captain America and who are willing to loan you copies of Brubaker’s run on Cap from their collection are THE BEST. It’s also a great way to learn about new comics and read something outside of your usual pull list. So for me personally, I’ve culled my pull list down to six titles, signed up for Marvel Unlimited, will be reading a few of the other titles I had to drop from Hoopla, and have a small list of titles I am trade waiting for now, providing my budget allows, and if notthere is always the library. Those of you who are also on a comics budget, I’d love to hear your tips and strategy in the comments below! Sign up to The Stack to receive  Book Riot Comic's best posts, picked for you.

Mystery of Moby Dick - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2123 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Moby Dick Essay Did you like this example? Moby Dick tells the story of a former schoolteacher called Ishmael, who joins a whaling voyage after a severe bout of depression. He befriends Queequeq, a harpooner, and the two quickly become friends. The voyage they sign up for is on the Pequod. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Mystery of Moby Dick" essay for you Create order They will be hunting sperm whales for three years, but their captain is Ahab, a strange man who isolates himself in his cabin. It is revealed he was attacked by a great, white whale called Moby Dick and lost his leg due to it. Hunting down the animal in Ahabs constant goal throughout, with Ishmael, Queequeq, and the rest of the crew along for the long, long ride. Ishmael is an unusual narrator, who often pauses the story and speaks of his own knowledge and experiences. He can be in a dire situation with his shipmates, or he can go off on a tangent about the biology of whales. Even still, the novel is filled with countless events, from discovering Ahab has secretly allowed an entirely different boat crew on board and having to endure typhoons, to watching the obsession with Moby Dick grow deeper and deeper into madness. The titular whale rarely shows itself, and its final appearance is towards the end of the journey, with one final battle between Ahab and Moby Dick. By the end of ever ything, Ishmael is left alone drifting in the ocean after losing against the sheer power of the whale. He is the lone survivor of the voyage and the only one who could tell the tale. Moby Dick can be interpreted in a number of ways, but Daniel Paliwoda contemplates if the animal is a religious symbol. Paliwoda believes Moby Dick is a representation of a deity and religious conflict, whether the beings is benevolent or malevolent is up for debate. In his criticism, he remarks how drastically Ahabs life changed after encountering the whale, much like how a persons life shifts upon discovering faith in any religion. In a sense, and one aspect the author does not point out, Ahab resembles a faith in religion gone too far. His fascination with Moby Dick is understandable, but he becomes overly zealous and drags everyone in his crew along for his goal; it is one of the largest plot points in the book. He can think of little else, blinded by his own beliefs, and refuses to give in, even until his last breath. He cares more about Moby Dick than he does saving the people who has traveled with him for so long. With Moby Dick still alive, Ahab wonders how he can live his li fe. Having been crippled by the whale, Ahab prefers not to be in life for anything else but to seek revenge. Everything in life irritates him because it dulls and numbs his purpose. He has no need of anything that does not bring him closer to killing the white whale, notes Paliwoda. In the same vein, the albino whale is barely in the story; it is constantly talked about by the other characters, and its name is the title of the book, yet it refuses to show itself. It resembles God, a being that exists in the minds of many, yet invisible and hiding from a physical existence. Its fury shows when it finally appears. However, it can also be argued that Moby Dick is more akin to the Devil, tempting Ahab until he reaches his watery demise. It torments the captains mind endlessly, plaguing every single thought he has; it brings an otherwise ordinary person into a deep, relentless sin. Ahab himself mentions he does not sleep well, and when he dreams, it is full of frenzies and clashing. Whil e both sides have validity and evidence, it may be best to view Moby Dick as the idea of a deity, instead of a specific one. In either interpretation, it is something that transcends humanity and its actions and mindset are far beyond our thinking. The fact that it can be seen as either is a contradiction within itself and that is the point; the novel contains so many ideas and themes that a concrete explanation is impossible to find. In Chris O. Cooks critique, he pondered on the contrast between the whale and his pursuer, Ahab. Ahab appears to only have one purpose throughout the entire novel, to battle Moby Dick again, and kill the great beast; for what reason, it is never fully explained if it is for revenge for his leg, or if he is unable to handle defeat. He has a definitive purpose in the story, acting as a driving force that leads the crew along. Interestingly, the whale holds this same push in the narrative, and yet it is far more ambiguous in nature. It does not have a clear meaning or goal, remaining a mystery until the last word in the novel. The titular whale is barely even present throughout the story, remaining elusive and physically appearing around three times. One is naturally tempted to regard Moby-Dick as allegory, even to the point of suspecting the literal element to be almost wholly arbitrary as merely the most convenient delivery system for whatever codified import the book intends. The nov el dares us to do this, even as it exhorts us not to; it is, of course, for doing precisely this that Ahab is ruined: He is powerless to refrain from imposing significance onto that which is mere existence and nothing more Cook here points out the strangeness of the two, comparing how we share similarities with Ahab even if we do not realize it. Ahab chases after Moby Dick; a human chases after something on a grander scale than he can hope to grasp. The persistent captain was injured and punished for his lack of knowledge, in his attempt to grasp what he did not have: the whale who symbolizes the limits of what is comprehensible by man. Despite the heavy warning, Ahab does not cease his journey to claim Moby Dick for himself, and it ultimately leads to his watery demise. Moby Dick does not even directly kill him; the harpoon Ahab throws misses and the rope wraps itself tightly around his neck, bringing him under the surface. In other words, he brought danger upon himself; it did not come to him. The death being by his own hands only lends more foolishness upon him. But in the great Sperm Whale, this high and mightily god-like dignity inherent in the brow is so immensely amplified that gazing on it, in that full front view, you feel the Deity and the dread powers more forcibly than in beholding any other object in living nature (Melville 386). To make the creature even more enigmatic, there are bizarre hieroglyphics upon its head that no one can translate. Cook even notes how the novels genre, difficult to pinpoint, adds to its charm and mysteriousness. It contains countless different elements that suggest it is an epic, a tragedy, a transcendentalist work, an adventure novel, or even a horror story. Melville likely delighted in his experimental writing, wishing it to be an amalgamation. The author ends his article with a devoid, yet truthful sentiment about the boundaries humans cannot cross: After all the prophecy has been fulfilled, Ishmael, lone survivor of the Pequod, floats to his eventual rescue on the empty coffin of his friend Queequeg. But those who try to find a moral explanation for Ishmaels survival will be stymied, as, once again, the answer is devoid of significance: Ishmael does not survive because of anything; rather, he is the narrator because he survived had he not, then someone else, or no-one at all, would be telling the story. It has been said that the function of the epic is to parallel and accordingly, assign meaning to the very fact of human existence. Moby-Dick, in the end, assigns to life the most terrifying possible explanation: utter chance (Cook). Ishmael did not earn his survival, not by skill or good works or courage; instead, he was the last one left alive because that was merely how it worked out in the end. He is not the chosen hero or the only one who can defeat the whale. He is a mortal man who could have easily died along with his shipmates and captain. In contrast to pondering Ahab and the whale, April Gentry discusses how Ishmael regards the beast. Ironically enough, he tells the reader to not read too much into the story and not to mistake it for an allegory; however, we cannot help but to do so. Ishmael himself is uncertain of what the great beast is a symbol of, as he considers how white is both a pure and feared color. He speaks of how it has always been holy and revered, And though in other mortal sympathies and symbolizings, this same hue is made the emblem of many touching, noble things-the innocence of brides, the benignity of age; though among the Red Men of America the giving of the white belt of wampum was the deepest pledge of honor (Melville 208). However, he does consider the negative connotations of the color: This elusive quality it is, which causes the thought of whiteness, when divorced more kindly associations, and coupled with any object terrible in itself, to heighten that terror to its further bounds. Witness the white bear of the poles, and the white shark of the tropics; what but their smooth, flaky whiteness makes the transcendent horrors they are? (Melville 209). He goes back and forth, contemplating various views and aspects, musing that it can be frightening due to lack of warmth and coldness, yet acknowledges that it is a mystic, divine color. Though, by the end, he does not know what is correct, just like many of us. He does not know what the whale is or what is it supposed to mean, but it just is what it is. Chapter 99, The Doubloon, is another example of how one singular item can be viewed in so many ways. Ahab studies a gold doubloon, pondering on what the inscriptions may represent. Ahab sees pride and structures in the coin: Theres something ever egotistical in mountain-tops and towers, and all other grand and lofty things; look here, -three peaks as proud as Lucifer (Melville 480). Yet, Stubb believes the symbols are the various signs of the zodiac, while Flask does not ca re and sees it as simple money to purchase cigars with; no one on the ship can reach an agreement on its meaning. It is commentary on how no matter how strong and detailed an argument is, people will always disagree and see it in a completely different light; additionally, it can also be commentary on how critics search for meaning in every aspect of a story, even if there is none to be found. The article continues on to state the same sentiment: Pips initial response to the coin, I look, you look, he looks; we look, ye look, they look, has been taken by many critics as Melvilles statement on the scene itself and on the issue of interpretation in general. Everyone looks, and sees what he will, says April Gentry. It is a bizarre paradox, but one that humans must confront again and again. Moby Dick is everything we lack, and yet in both the book and outside of it, the whale is still judged and viewed by mortal eyes as we search for meaning in its existence. Moby Dick is a book filled with countless possible themes and symbols, but the white whale is perhaps the most mysterious and intriguing. The whales ephemeral and otherworldly nature represents mans limited knowledge and wisdom, and in that same sense, can be a symbol for infinite possibilities. In a paradoxical way, the whales endless interpretations prove our restrained knowledge, as we are unable to identify it as something we do not know. The reason many interpretations often are opposites of each other is because, to us, all we can see is contradictions within something we do not understand. Like the concept of God and Satan, Moby Dick is beyond human comprehension, holding power that we can only strive to attain and driving us mad if taken too far. Mankind must make do with what it can. Rather than claiming the white whale represents the Christian God or the Christian Devil, it is more proper to say that it represents the concept of a god: an ephemeral being who knows everythin g and is everywhere at once. Melville did not intend for the whale to represent one specific aspect, rather hold the potential for countless interpretations; in this sense, he reminds us of how human we truly are.

Compare and Contrast Goffman’s and Foucault’s Explanations...

There are many theories regarding how social order is produced and reproduced , but this essay will focus on the similarities and differences between the two contrasting accounts of how social order is produced, provided by Goffman and Foucault. Social order is the term used to describe the unspoken rules of conduct in everyday life, or a stable social situation in which connections are maintained without change or if change occurs it is in a predictable way. (Taylor, 2009, p. 173) These differing views can be related to the governance of traffic presented in the case studies of the Buchanan report and Monderman’s thesis. This is a useful and relevant example which can be applied to the general theories which need covering first of all.†¦show more content†¦The repetitive practice and actions of these individuals create order, but as these practices change so social change comes about. Whereas Foucault suggests that we live in a disciplinary society, one where correct ive action is used to obtain and enforce obedience and order. (Silva, 2009, p. 322) From this point of view it is social order that shapes and constrains people, human behaviour being regulated by many different organisations. Foucault’s studies put forward three different types of power that are involved in the making of social order. He terms these sovereign power, that of the ruling authorities, who use punishment and laws to maintain social order. The second is surveillance, behaviour is controlled through the keeping of information about people. If people are aware of being watched they tend to regulate their own conduct. Foucault argues that the power of surveillance becomes internalised as individuals seek to make their routines and practices fit with the norm. The third is liberalism, where people are under the illusion that they are individuals with self-direction and personal choice, but have actually internalised social order due to the widespread discourse of indi vidualism. So for Foucault social order is achieved through these different levels of power permeating through society, creating disciplined self-control in the individual, what form this

Like a Winding Sheet Free Essays

Ann Petry’s â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet â€Å"defines a pivoting time line in history even though it is a fictional short story. This story took place in 1946 in the time when all the men would be at war and the women would be in factories making all the weapons and equipments that they would need. The women were the focal point in that era because they ensured that the men overseas were well equipped to be at war. We will write a custom essay sample on Like a Winding Sheet or any similar topic only for you Order Now The story was set in the summer of ’46 and had numerous place settings in which the conflict took place. The main characters of the story are Mr. Johnson and his wife Mae. Mr. Johnson’s love and fondness for his wife was a true testimony in this story. It also brought about the mere fact of racism and a man’s own conscience and mind playing tricks on him. LIKE A WINDING SHEET Like a Winding Sheet, written by Ann Petry in 1945, is a story that begins with a black man’s tough day at work, but takes a twisted turn. Johnson comes home after a hard day planning to kick his feet up and enjoy a relaxing evening at home with his wife, Mae. The bad sense of humour Mae possesses begins to send Johnson over the edge and suddenly, something in him snaps. Johnson brutally beats his wife, quite possibly killing her. This story is very shocking, exposing to us a reality of our society, racism. In this essay I will try to show you that racism, specially in the United-States, can be a source for an imprisonment feeling for individuals, in this case, the bl In Ann Petry’s 1945 short story â€Å"Like a Winding Sheet,†. Johnson is a black male struggling with racism and societal pressures. Johnson faces many challenges. As one reads, one cannot help but feel his anger, frustration and tenseness. Petry tells it in the following way, â€Å"The knowledge that he had struck her seeped through him slowly and he was appalled but he couldn’t drag his hands away from her face. † Petry goes on further to tell us, â€Å"He had lost all control over his hands. † This rage Johnson is experiencing is described as a â€Å"winding sheet†. Johnson’s everyday routine causes anger and frustration to build up inside him. Get up, go to work and come home; get up, go to work and come home. †¦ are reserved to white people. She sends him an indirect message saying to him that because he is black he does not have the right to enjoy a coffee. This is a prejudice to his liberty and to human equality in general. Again, he cannot do anything about these problems. That day was like any other for John. He was oppressed and disrespected all day and had to take it all in without a word. This pressure might not have shown many effect in the story but the simple fact that John tightens up his knuckles at each of these stressing events shows us that all the anger he feels is kept inside him. How to cite Like a Winding Sheet, Papers Like A Winding Sheet Free Essays A tremendous load of stress on a person, can lead to anger that can be difficult to control. People can turn violent or give up on their life, if they cannot cope with the stress. A winding sheet is a shroud in which a corpse is wrapped in for burial. We will write a custom essay sample on Like A Winding Sheet or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mr.. Johnson, the protagonist in Like a Winding Sheet, feels like he is tangled in a winding sheet, but instead of a sheet, it is his stress that has him trapped. Mr.. Johnson is having huge problems with his stress. In the beginning he just cannot get himself up from bed when he has to, so he does not come late in for work. Johnson is working night shifts, and still after ;o years he cannot get used to sleep during the day â€Å"l can’t get used to sleeping in the daytime It’s too light for good sleeping’ p. 2 line 8. Later on it begins to take a bigger part of his day, and every time he meets any form of confrontation, he feels the need to hit someone. In the end he has to react to the urge. Before going to work he is In a quite good mood, except that he is tired, he is grateful for living with his wife Mae. Johnson is happy about Mae and in the beginning he tries to reprise her by making breakfast, but he falls asleep because he is exhausted from work. When Mae and Johnson are arguing about him being late for work, describes a sign of him loving Mae â€Å"he couldn’t bring himself to talk to her roughly or threaten to strike her like a lot of men might have done†. The first time Mr.. Johnson meets the tingling, and where he has to stay strong mentally to not hit somebody, is where he meet his boss at work. She criticizes him for being late, again. He tries to apologies with an excuse about him having problems with his legs, but the foreman says she has heard enough excuses. Next she says â€Å"And the naggers is the worse I’m sick of you naggers†. Mr.. Johnson is African American himself, and starts to get mad at the foreman. First of he is very collected and tells the foreman that it is okay for her to get mad, but that nobody has the right to call him a Niger. This is where he first has the urge to hit someone â€Å"He felt a curious tingling in his fingers and he looked down at his hands. They were clenched tight, hard, ready to smash A mixture of his lack of sleep, causing stress, and the racist comments from his boss is pulling him towards the edge of his mental Tate. The second time Johnson feels racially abused is when he stands in line for a cup Of coffee. When it is his turn, the waitress says that there is no more coffee for a while. The waitress does a symbolic gesture â€Å"put her hands up to her head and gently lifted her hair away from the back of her neck, tossing her head back a little†, Johnson means that it is because of the fact that he is black that the waitress would not serve him coffee, and yet again he feels the urge to hit her. â€Å"What he wanted to do was hit her so hard that the scarlet picks on the mouth would smear so hard that she would never toss her head again and refuse a man a cup because he was black. Even though that he wanted to strike her, he controlled himself, even after the second racist comment in one day â€Å"But he couldn’t hit her. He couldn’t even now bring himself to hit a woman, not even this one It is clear that the racial abuse has taken its toll on him. The hair gesture the waitress did when refusing to give him a cup of coffee, keep going on and on in his head. Afte r he tried to get coffee, he took the subway home. He tried to get some rest on the way home, but the roar of the train was beating inside his head. The pain he had in his legs from work, started to affect his body even more â€Å"He told himself that it was due to all that anger-born energy that had pilled up in him and not been used and so it had spread through him like a poison. When he finally gets home from work and of the train, he notice that his wife is already home. This is here that he faces his anger for the third time. After saying hello to Mae, he is really irritated and even the way she chew gum irritates him. After minor discussion she curls her hair and lifts the hair to the side of her neck from the back, almost exactly like the waitress did it. A short moment later Mae confronts him asking why he is so irritated, but instead of replying he says nothing. Then Mae says â€Å"You’re nothing but an old hungry Niger trying to act tough Then the tingling in Johnson fingers and arms started again. He stroked her in the face just as quickly as the tingling returned to him. He did not realize he had stroked her before he stroked her again he couldn’t drag his hands away from her face. He kept striking her and he Hough with horror that something inside him was holding him He had lost all control over his hands†. At this moment all the anger that had been building up inside him was let out. All the stress, and especially the racially comments, was freed from him. The problem was that he let his anger out on his wife who he loved and cared for, but the anger had taken control over him, he was trapped inside his own body, just like a winding sheet. â€Å"he thought it was like being enmeshed in a winding sheet And even as the thought formed in his mind, his hands reached for her face again and yet again. How to cite Like A Winding Sheet, Papers

The Role and Portrayal of Women, Human and Divine, in the Epics “Gilgamesh” and the “The Odyssey” Essay Example

The Role and Portrayal of Women, Human and Divine, in the Epics â€Å"Gilgamesh† and the â€Å"The Odyssey† Essay There is a famous anecdote that is much used in the issue of gender relations. The starts with a teacher writing a simple line on the blackboard that says â€Å"woman without her man is nothing.† The teacher then asked the students to put punctuations marks within that line. A male student were first to go to the blackboard and put punctuations and his answer was â€Å"woman, without her man, is nothing.† Then after that, a female student, with a slight grin on her face, wrote â€Å"woman! Without her, man is nothing.† That anecdote was not only witty but it is also very profound as it talks about the ever vague issue of gender relations, especially the sub-issue of the role of women in the society.It appears that women are always on the losing side on the struggle between genders. The roles and the value of women in the society has been an issue since the early years of the first societies of the early humankind. As a source of evidence for this claim, we can re view ancient world literature to have an idea of how the society of ancient times approach and view the issue of the role of women in the society. The reason for that is to help us trace if there are changes regarding the issue. For that matter, literatures that we are to employ should be belonging to the most popular and most widely-read.During the early times of one of the most developed among early civilizations, TheGreeks, Homer had written the epic poem entitled â€Å"The Odyssey.† Another of the earliest known works of literary fiction from, this time from Ancient Mesopotamia, is the â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh.† These two epics are among the earliest known works of literary fiction in human history. These two epics are in many ways unique. That is because women were highly incorporated within the narrative of these epics. What made that inclusion of women within the narratives is that women were in many ways disregarded during the early times. Other early epics woul d even be devoid of women characters in the story.We will start unearthing the roles of women one epic at a time. Divine beings such as goddesses and other mystical beings are no exception. This essay would include all women within the two epics, may they be human or divine beings, or even if they are some hybrid between the former and the latter, and how did these women become a representation of the views of early civilizations regarding the issue of the place of women in the society.To start off, we will first dissect the epic poem of Homer â€Å"The Odyssey† and see how the epic provides a view towards women.   There are probably more than ten women characters in the whole the epic poem. Among the most notable ones are Athena, Calypso, Circe, and the nymphs can be categorized as the divine/mystical; Eurycleia, Helen, Nausicaa, Arete, and Penelope can be categorized as humans. Except for the antagonists, practically all the women characters were given positive characteri stics that are well associated to womanhood. Penelope as woman is characterized as very loving and loyal wife to his husband. In the course of the story, Odysseus was lost and unable to go back home to his wife Penelope. Penelope had shown tremendous strength of faith by believing that his husband will still return home in one piece. Through his love for his husband, she had shown great loyalty by not giving to her many opportunistic suitors even if her father and brothers were telling him to marry Eurymachus, the riches and most influential of all her suitors â€Å"†¦now her father and brothers are urging Penelope to marry, Eurymachus, who excels all his suitors at giving gifts and drives the bride-price higher†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Fagles, 1996, 320) Another important role of Penelope is that because Odysseus badly misses her so much, she becomes the driving force that fuels the hero to overcome tons of hardships to continue his quest for home.The character of the goddess Athena al so plays an important role in the story of Odysseus. She is the representation of the strength of a woman in all aspects. Unlike Penelope whose only source of strength is her love for his husband—still she is endowed with stereotyped flaws of women like defenselessness. Athena is characterized as having strength in both aspects if the physical and in character. Needless to say, she has physical strength because of her being a daughter of Zeus, she is after all a goddess endowed with superhuman physical strength and wisdom. But she had shown tremendous strength in character by having empathy for Odysseus, helping the hero through the injustices inflicted by the gods. Athena had helped the hero when his ship was capsized (Fagles, 1996, 152-157) and during a battle which Odysseus opponent was superior in strength (Fagles, 1996, 439-454) The character of Athena could suggest a representation that women are capable of doing anything.The other women in the story, though playing onl y supporting roles, were also good reference for the issue of the roles of women. The mystical/divine beings like Calypso, Circe, and the nymphs show that women has this natural ability to control men by means of womanly attributes like charm that men are. The other human characters like Nausicaa and Helen show that women’s beauty can drive men to insanity, just like how those men aboard the thousand ships had risked their lives in the battlefield. Arete, the queen of the Phaeacians, is an embodiment of an intelligent and influential woman. The strong and manly hero Odysseus had asked for assistance from queen Arete. (Fagles, 1996, 184-187)Moving on to the other epic, the epic of Gilgagmesh, there are probably just below ten women characters in the whole epic. Among those women are Shamat, Utnapisthtim’s Wife, and Ninsun all belonging to the human category; Aruru, Siduri, Tammuz, Ereshkigal, and the Scorpion/man’s wife. As we can observe from the lists, the huma n women are outnumbered by mystical/divine women.Perhaps one of the most important representations of women is the character of Shamhat. Shamhat is a temple prostitute who was able to tame the wild nature of Enkidu through the use of her sexuality. What makes the character of Shamhat notable is that Enkidu is considered an equal of the hero of the epic Gilgamesh. (Mithchell, 2004) Enkidu’s wild nature was easily tamed by a woman in the charater of Shamhat. Shamhat is also the representation of being civilized as she had taught Enkidu the offers of civilizations.The wife of Utnapishtim’s wife, even though she was not given a name in the story, she had softened her husband to tell the secret of the plant that can make humans immortal. (Mithchell, 2004,) Her character just shows us that innate control of women over men that has been there since the early ages, but is gradually forgotten through time.Ninsun, the mother of Gilgamesh, is considered to be a minor goddess. For that she could be categorized as somewhere as a cross between human and mystical/divine. She is often called as a wild-cow in the story. (Mithchell, 2004, 2-4) Ninsun is an embodiment of a woman’s most sacred role in the society, being a mother. With that role, terms like nurturer of life, counsel, bearer of life, and the likes come along.Tammuz can also be considered a cross between the human and the divine. She was born as human, later on became the goddess became the goddess of vegetation and fertility. Vegetation and fertility could be well attributed as a woman’s characteristics. In the early times, men would gather food through hunting methods, women on the other hand would be busy growing crops. (Jayal, 1996) Fertility is well attributed to woman as they are carry a child in their wombs for nine months—physical changes would take place when pregnant, that’s is why we could associate women with the concept of fertility.Siduri, is a tavern keeper at the edge of the world, is actually a goddess. She had felt empathy for Odysseus so she helps him on his quest. But she had told the hero a thing about immortality. She said that he can’t have it because it is only for the gods. (Mithchell, 2004, 58-59)Aruru and Ereshkigal are two powerful divine beings that are also women in the story. Aruru is the goddess that had created Gilgamesh and Enkidu from clay, she is the goddess of creation. Ereshkigal on the other hand is the terrifying queen of the underworld. These two women is a representation of the ability of women to create/harbor life and the ability to also destroy it.There are lots of key differences and similarities in the roles and portrayal of women in both stories. In â€Å"The Odyssey,† women were generally described to have positive traits and are well treated by men. It is the opposite in the case of â€Å"Gilgamesh† as women were seemingly abusing the use of their sexuality to gain control over men. But still women were treated as mere sex objects just like in the case of the harlot Shamhat and all the women that were abused sexually by the hero Gilgamesh. Again that opposes the treatment of women in â€Å"The Odyssey† wherein women, like Penelope, were treated with respect and with love. Athena and the other goddesses were also revered much. The two epics suggest two approaches to the issue of the place of women in the society. â€Å"Gilgamesh† suggests that women should use their sexuality and at times generate fear in the hearts of men to render men defenseless. While in â€Å"The Odyssey,† women should subvert the stereotypes attributed to them, like frailty and defenselessness, just like Penelope and Athena had displayed a woman’s strength.ReferencesHomer. (1996). The Odyssey (Robert Fagles, Trans.) Detroit: Penguin Classics. Gilgamesh (Stephen Mitchell Trans.) Arizona: Free PressJayal. S.(1966)The Status of Women in the Epics. Michigan: Univer sity of Michigan PressHarris. R. (2000). Gender and Aging in Mesopotamia: The Gilgamesh Epic and Other AncientLiterature. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press