Angels Demons Chapter 121-125

121 The camerlegno erupted through the doors of St. Peter's Basilica at exactly 11:56 P.M. He staggered into the dazzling glare of the world spotlight, carrying the antimatter before him like some sort of numinous offering. Through burning eyes he could see his own form, half-naked and wounded, towering like a giant on the media screens around the square. The roar that went up from the crowd in St. Peter's Square was like none the camerlegno had ever heard – crying, screaming, chanting, praying†¦ a mix of veneration and terror. Deliver us from evil, he whispered. He felt totally depleted from his race out of the Necropolis. It had almost ended in disaster. Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra had wanted to intercept him, to throw the canister back into its subterranean hiding place, to run outside for cover. Blind fools! The camerlegno realized now, with fearful clarity, that on any other night, he would never have won the race. Tonight, however, God again had been with him. Robert Langdon, on the verge of overtaking the camerlegno, had been grabbed by Chartrand, ever trusting and dutiful to the camerlegno's demands for faith. The reporters, of course, were spellbound and lugging too much equipment to interfere. The Lord works in mysterious ways. The camerlegno could hear the others behind him now†¦ see them on the screens, closing in. Mustering the last of his physical strength, he raised the antimatter high over his head. Then, throwing back his bare shoulders in an act of defiance to the Illuminati brand on his chest, he dashed down the stairs. There was one final act. Godspeed, he thought. Godspeed. Four minutes†¦ Langdon could barely see as he burst out of the basilica. Again the sea of media lights bore into his retinas. All he could make out was the murky outline of the camerlegno, directly ahead of him, running down the stairs. For an instant, refulgent in his halo of media lights, the camerlegno looked celestial, like some kind of modern deity. His cassock was at his waist like a shroud. His body was scarred and wounded by the hands of his enemies, and still he endured. The camerlegno ran on, standing tall, calling out to the world to have faith, running toward the masses carrying this weapon of destruction. Langdon ran down the stairs after him. What is he doing? He will kill them all! â€Å"Satan's work,† the camerlegno screamed, â€Å"has no place in the House of God!† He ran on toward a now terrified crowd. â€Å"Father!† Langdon screamed, behind him. â€Å"There's nowhere to go!† â€Å"Look to the heavens! We forget to look to the heavens!† In that moment, as Langdon saw where the camerlegno was headed, the glorious truth came flooding all around him. Although Langdon could not see it on account of the lights, he knew their salvation was directly overhead. A star-filled Italian sky. The escape route. The helicopter the camerlegno had summoned to take him to the hospital sat dead ahead, pilot already in the cockpit, blades already humming in neutral. As the camerlegno ran toward it, Langdon felt a sudden overwhelming exhilaration. The thoughts that tore through Langdon's mind came as a torrent†¦ First he pictured the wide-open expanse of the Mediterranean Sea. How far was it? Five miles? Ten? He knew the beach at Fiumocino was only about seven minutes by train. But by helicopter, 200 miles an hour, no stops†¦ If they could fly the canister far enough out to sea, and drop it†¦ There were other options too, he realized, feeling almost weightless as he ran. La Cava Romana! The marble quarries north of the city were less than three miles away. How large were they? Two square miles? Certainly they were deserted at this hour! Dropping the canister there†¦ â€Å"Everyone back!† the camerlegno yelled. His chest ached as he ran. â€Å"Get away! Now!† The Swiss Guard standing around the chopper stood slack-jawed as the camerlegno approached them. â€Å"Back!† the priest screamed. The guards moved back. With the entire world watching in wonder, the camerlegno ran around the chopper to the pilot's door and yanked it open. â€Å"Out, son! Now!† The guard jumped out. The camerlegno looked at the high cockpit seat and knew that in his exhausted state, he would need both hands to pull himself up. He turned to the pilot, trembling beside him, and thrust the canister into his hands. â€Å"Hold this. Hand it back when I'm in.† As the camerlegno pulled himself up, he could hear Robert Langdon yelling excitedly, running toward the craft. Now you understand, the camerlegno thought. Now you have faith! The camerlegno pulled himself up into the cockpit, adjusted a few familiar levers, and then turned back to his window for the canister. But the guard to whom he had given the canister stood empty-handed. â€Å"He took it!† the guard yelled. The camerlegno felt his heart seize. â€Å"Who!† The guard pointed. â€Å"Him!† Robert Langdon was surprised by how heavy the canister was. He ran to the other side of the chopper and jumped in the rear compartment where he and Vittoria had sat only hours ago. He left the door open and buckled himself in. Then he yelled to the camerlegno in the front seat. â€Å"Fly, Father!† The camerlegno craned back at Langdon, his face bloodless with dread. â€Å"What are you doing!† â€Å"You fly! I'll throw!† Langdon barked. â€Å"There's no time! Just fly the blessed chopper!† The camerlegno seemed momentarily paralyzed, the media lights glaring through the cockpit darkening the creases in his face. â€Å"I can do this alone,† he whispered. â€Å"I am supposed to do this alone.† Langdon wasn't listening. Fly! he heard himself screaming. Now! I'm here to help you! Langdon looked down at the canister and felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw the numbers. â€Å"Three minutes, Father! Three!† The number seemed to stun the camerlegno back to sobriety. Without hesitation, he turned back to the controls. With a grinding roar, the helicopter lifted off. Through a swirl of dust, Langdon could see Vittoria running toward the chopper. Their eyes met, and then she dropped away like a sinking stone. 122 Inside the chopper, the whine of the engines and the gale from the open door assaulted Langdon's senses with a deafening chaos. He steadied himself against the magnified drag of gravity as the camerlegno accelerated the craft straight up. The glow of St. Peter's Square shrank beneath them until it was an amorphous glowing ellipse radiating in a sea of city lights. The antimatter canister felt like deadweight in Langdon's hands. He held tighter, his palms slick now with sweat and blood. Inside the trap, the globule of antimatter hovered calmly, pulsing red in the glow of the LED countdown clock. â€Å"Two minutes!† Langdon yelled, wondering where the camerlegno intended to drop the canister. The city lights beneath them spread out in all directions. In the distance to the west, Langdon could see the twinkling delineation of the Mediterranean coast – a jagged border of luminescence beyond which spread an endless dark expanse of nothingness. The sea looked farther now than Langdon had imagined. Moreover, the concentration of lights at the coast was a stark reminder that even far out at sea an explosion might have devastating effects. Langdon had not even considered the effects of a ten-kiloton tidal wave hitting the coast. When Langdon turned and looked straight ahead through the cockpit window, he was more hopeful. Directly in front of them, the rolling shadows of the Roman foothills loomed in the night. The hills were spotted with lights – the villas of the very wealthy – but a mile or so north, the hills grew dark. There were no lights at all – just a huge pocket of blackness. Nothing. The quarries! Langdon thought. La Cava Romana! Staring intently at the barren pocket of land, Langdon sensed that it was plenty large enough. It seemed close, too. Much closer than the ocean. Excitement surged through him. This was obviously where the camerlegno planned to take the antimatter! The chopper was pointing directly toward it! The quarries! Oddly, however, as the engines strained louder and the chopper hurtled through the air, Langdon could see that the quarries were not getting any closer. Bewildered, he shot a glance out the side door to get his bearings. What he saw doused his excitement in a wave of panic. Directly beneath them, thousands of feet straight down, glowed the media lights in St. Peter's Square. We're still over the Vatican! â€Å"Camerlegno!† Langdon choked. â€Å"Go forward! We're high enough! You've got to start moving forward! We can't drop the canister back over Vatican City!† The camerlegno did not reply. He appeared to be concentrating on flying the craft. â€Å"We've got less than two minutes!† Langdon shouted, holding up the canister. â€Å"I can see them! La Cava Romana! A couple of miles north! We don't have – â€Å" â€Å"No,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"It's far too dangerous. I'm sorry.† As the chopper continued to claw heavenward, the camerlegno turned and gave Langdon a mournful smile. â€Å"I wish you had not come, my friend. You have made the ultimate sacrifice.† Langdon looked in the camerlegno's exhausted eyes and suddenly understood. His blood turned to ice. â€Å"But†¦ there must be somewhere we can go!† â€Å"Up,† the camerlegno replied, his voice resigned. â€Å"It's the only guarantee.† Langdon could barely think. He had entirely misinterpreted the camerlegno's plan. Look to the heavens! Heaven, Langdon now realized, was literally where he was headed. The camerlegno had never intended to drop the antimatter. He was simply getting it as far away from Vatican City as humanly possible. This was a one-way trip. 123 In St. Peter's Square, Vittoria Vetra stared upward. The helicopter was a speck now, the media lights no longer reaching it. Even the pounding of the rotors had faded to a distant hum. It seemed, in that instant, that the entire world was focused upward, silenced in anticipation, necks craned to the heavens†¦ all peoples, all faiths†¦ all hearts beating as one. Vittoria's emotions were a cyclone of twisting agonies. As the helicopter disappeared from sight, she pictured Robert's face, rising above her. What had he been thinking? Didn't he understand? Around the square, television cameras probed the darkness, waiting. A sea of faces stared heavenward, united in a silent countdown. The media screens all flickered the same tranquil scene†¦ a Roman sky illuminated with brilliant stars. Vittoria felt the tears begin to well. Behind her on the marble escarpment, 161 cardinals stared up in silent awe. Some folded their hands in prayer. Most stood motionless, transfixed. Some wept. The seconds ticked past. In homes, bars, businesses, airports, hospitals around the world, souls were joined in universal witness. Men and women locked hands. Others held their children. Time seemed to hover in limbo, souls suspended in unison. Then, cruelly, the bells of St. Peter's began to toll. Vittoria let the tears come. Then†¦ with the whole world watching†¦ time ran out. The dead silence of the event was the most terrifying of all. High above Vatican City, a pinpoint of light appeared in the sky. For a fleeting instant, a new heavenly body had been born†¦ a speck of light as pure and white as anyone had ever seen. Then it happened. A flash. The point billowed, as if feeding on itself, unraveling across the sky in a dilating radius of blinding white. It shot out in all directions, accelerating with incomprehensible speed, gobbling up the dark. As the sphere of light grew, it intensified, like a burgeoning fiend preparing to consume the entire sky. It raced downward, toward them, picking up speed. Blinded, the multitudes of starkly lit human faces gasped as one, shielding their eyes, crying out in strangled fear. As the light roared out in all directions, the unimaginable occurred. As if bound by God's own will, the surging radius seemed to hit a wall. It was as if the explosion were contained somehow in a giant glass sphere. The light rebounded inward, sharpening, rippling across itself. The wave appeared to have reached a predetermined diameter and hovered there. For that instant, a perfect and silent sphere of light glowed over Rome. Night had become day. Then it hit. The concussion was deep and hollow – a thunderous shock wave from above. It descended on them like the wrath of hell, shaking the granite foundation of Vatican City, knocking the breath out of people's lungs, sending others stumbling backward. The reverberation circled the colonnade, followed by a sudden torrent of warm air. The wind tore through the square, letting out a sepulchral moan as it whistled through the columns and buffeted the walls. Dust swirled overhead as people huddled†¦ witnesses to Armageddon. Then, as fast as it appeared, the sphere imploded, sucking back in on itself, crushing inward to the tiny point of light from which it had come. 124 Never before had so many been so silent. The faces in St. Peter's Square, one by one, averted their eyes from the darkening sky and turned downward, each person in his or her own private moment of wonder. The media lights followed suit, dropping their beams back to earth as if out of reverence for the blackness now settling upon them. It seemed for a moment the entire world was bowing its head in unison. Cardinal Mortati knelt to pray, and the other cardinals joined him. The Swiss Guard lowered their long swords and stood numb. No one spoke. No one moved. Everywhere, hearts shuddered with spontaneous emotion. Bereavement. Fear. Wonder. Belief. And a dread-filled respect for the new and awesome power they had just witnessed. Vittoria Vetra stood trembling at the foot of the basilica's sweeping stairs. She closed her eyes. Through the tempest of emotions now coursing through her blood, a single word tolled like a distant bell. Pristine. Cruel. She forced it away. And yet the word echoed. Again she drove it back. The pain was too great. She tried to lose herself in the images that blazed in other's minds†¦ antimatter's mind-boggling power†¦ the Vatican's deliverance†¦ the camerlegno†¦ feats of bravery†¦ miracles†¦ selflessness. And still the word echoed†¦ tolling through the chaos with a stinging loneliness. Robert. He had come for her at Castle St. Angelo. He had saved her. And now he had been destroyed by her creation. As Cardinal Mortati prayed, he wondered if he too would hear God's voice as the camerlegno had. Does one need to believe in miracles to experience them? Mortati was a modern man in an ancient faith. Miracles had never played a part in his belief. Certainly his faith spoke of miracles†¦ bleeding palms, ascensions from the dead, imprints on shrouds†¦ and yet, Mortati's rational mind had always justified these accounts as part of the myth. They were simply the result of man's greatest weakness – his need for proof. Miracles were nothing but stories we all clung to because we wished they were true. And yet†¦ Am I so modern that I cannot accept what my eyes have just witnessed? It was a miracle, was it not? Yes! God, with a few whispered words in the camerlegno's ear, had intervened and saved this church. Why was this so hard to believe? What would it say about God if God had done nothing? That the Almighty did not care? That He was powerless to stop it? A miracle was the only possible response! As Mortati knelt in wonder, he prayed for the camerlegno's soul. He gave thanks to the young chamberlain who, even in his youthful years, had opened this old man's eyes to the miracles of unquestioning faith. Incredibly, though, Mortati never suspected the extent to which his faith was about to be tested†¦ The silence of St. Peter's Square broke with a ripple at first. The ripple grew to a murmur. And then, suddenly, to a roar. Without warning, the multitudes were crying out as one. â€Å"Look! Look!† Mortati opened his eyes and turned to the crowd. Everyone was pointing behind him, toward the front of St. Peter's Basilica. Their faces were white. Some fell to their knees. Some fainted. Some burst into uncontrollable sobs. â€Å"Look! Look!† Mortati turned, bewildered, following their outstretched hands. They were pointing to the uppermost level of the basilica, the rooftop terrace, where huge statues of Christ and his apostles watched over the crowd. There, on the right of Jesus, arms outstretched to the world†¦ stood Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca. 125 Robert Langdon was no longer falling. There was no more terror. No pain. Not even the sound of the racing wind. There was only the soft sound of lapping water, as though he were comfortably asleep on a beach. In a paradox of self-awareness, Langdon sensed this was death. He felt glad for it. He allowed the drifting numbness to possess him entirely. He let it carry him wherever it was he would go. His pain and fear had been anesthetized, and he did not wish it back at any price. His final memory had been one that could only have been conjured in hell. Take me. Please†¦ But the lapping that lulled in him a far-off sense of peace was also pulling him back. It was trying to awaken him from a dream. No! Let me be! He did not want to awaken. He sensed demons gathering on the perimeter of his bliss, pounding to shatter his rapture. Fuzzy images swirled. Voices yelled. Wind churned. No, please! The more he fought, the more the fury filtered through. Then, harshly, he was living it all again†¦ The helicopter was in a dizzying dead climb. He was trapped inside. Beyond the open door, the lights of Rome looked farther away with every passing second. His survival instinct told him to jettison the canister right now. Langdon knew it would take less than twenty seconds for the canister to fall half a mile. But it would be falling toward a city of people. Higher! Higher! Langdon wondered how high they were now. Small prop planes, he knew, flew at altitudes of about four miles. This helicopter had to be at a good fraction of that by now. Two miles up? Three? There was still a chance. If they timed the drop perfectly, the canister would fall only partway toward earth, exploding a safe distance over the ground and away from the chopper. Langdon looked out at the city sprawling below them. â€Å"And if you calculate incorrectly?† the camerlegno said. Langdon turned, startled. The camerlegno was not even looking at him, apparently having read Langdon's thoughts from the ghostly reflection in the windshield. Oddly, the camerlegno was no longer engrossed in his controls. His hands were not even on the throttle. The chopper, it seemed, was now in some sort of autopilot mode, locked in a climb. The camerlegno reached above his head, to the ceiling of the cockpit, fishing behind a cable-housing, where he removed a key, taped there out of view. Langdon watched in bewilderment as the camerlegno quickly unlocked the metal cargo box bolted between the seats. He removed some sort of large, black, nylon pack. He lay it on the seat next to him. Langdon's thoughts churned. The camerlegno's movements seemed composed, as if he had a solution. â€Å"Give me the canister,† the camerlegno said, his tone serene. Langdon did not know what to think anymore. He thrust the canister to the camerlegno. â€Å"Ninety seconds!† What the camerlegno did with the antimatter took Langdon totally by surprise. Holding the canister carefully in his hands, the camerlegno placed it inside the cargo box. Then he closed the heavy lid and used the key to lock it tight. â€Å"What are you doing!† Langdon demanded. â€Å"Leading us from temptation.† The camerlegno threw the key out the open window. As the key tumbled into the night, Langdon felt his soul falling with it. The camerlegno then took the nylon pack and slipped his arms through the straps. He fastened a waist clamp around his stomach and cinched it all down like a backpack. He turned to a dumbstruck Robert Langdon. â€Å"I'm sorry,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"It wasn't supposed to happen this way.† Then he opened his door and hurled himself into the night. The image burned in Langdon's unconscious mind, and with it came the pain. Real pain. Physical pain. Aching. Searing. He begged to be taken, to let it end, but as the water lapped louder in his ears, new images began to flash. His hell had only just begun. He saw bits and pieces. Scattered frames of sheer panic. He lay halfway between death and nightmare, begging for deliverance, but the pictures grew brighter in his mind. The antimatter canister was locked out of reach. It counted relentlessly downward as the chopper shot upward. Fifty seconds. Higher. Higher. Langdon spun wildly in the cabin, trying to make sense of what he had just seen. Forty-five seconds. He dug under seats searching for another parachute. Forty seconds. There was none! There had to be an option! Thirty-five seconds. He raced to the open doorway of the chopper and stood in the raging wind, gazing down at the lights of Rome below. Thirty-two seconds. And then he made the choice. The unbelievable choice†¦ With no parachute, Robert Langdon had jumped out the door. As the night swallowed his tumbling body, the helicopter seemed to rocket off above him, the sound of its rotors evaporating in the deafening rush of his own free fall. As he plummeted toward earth, Robert Langdon felt something he had not experienced since his years on the high dive – the inexorable pull of gravity during a dead drop. The faster he fell, the harder the earth seemed to pull, sucking him down. This time, however, the drop was not fifty feet into a pool. The drop was thousands of feet into a city – an endless expanse of pavement and concrete. Somewhere in the torrent of wind and desperation, Kohler's voice echoed from the grave†¦ words he had spoken earlier this morning standing at CERN's free-fall tube. One square yard of drag will slow a falling body almost twenty percent. Twenty percent, Langdon now realized, was not even close to what one would need to survive a fall like this. Nonetheless, more out of paralysis than hope, he clenched in his hands the sole object he had grabbed from the chopper on his way out the door. It was an odd memento, but it was one that for a fleeting instant had given him hope. The windshield tarp had been lying in the back of the helicopter. It was a concave rectangle – about four yards by two – like a huge fitted sheet†¦ the crudest approximation of a parachute imaginable. It had no harness, only bungie loops at either end for fastening it to the curvature of the windshield. Langdon had grabbed it, slid his hands through the loops, held on, and leapt out into the void. His last great act of youthful defiance. No illusions of life beyond this moment. Langdon fell like a rock. Feet first. Arms raised. His hands gripping the loops. The tarp billowed like a mushroom overhead. The wind tore past him violently. As he plummeted toward earth, there was a deep explosion somewhere above him. It seemed farther off than he had expected. Almost instantly, the shock wave hit. He felt the breath crushed from his lungs. There was a sudden warmth in the air all around him. He fought to hold on. A wall of heat raced down from above. The top of the tarp began to smolder†¦ but held. Langdon rocketed downward, on the edge of a billowing shroud of light, feeling like a surfer trying to outrun a thousand-foot tidal wave. Then suddenly, the heat receded. He was falling again through the dark coolness. For an instant, Langdon felt hope. A moment later, though, that hope faded like the withdrawing heat above. Despite his straining arms assuring him that the tarp was slowing his fall, the wind still tore past his body with deafening velocity. Langdon had no doubt he was still moving too fast to survive the fall. He would be crushed when he hit the ground. Mathematical figures tumbled through his brain, but he was too numb to make sense of them†¦ one square yard of drag†¦ 20 percent reduction of speed. All Langdon could figure was that the tarp over his head was big enough to slow him more than 20 percent. Unfortunately, though, he could tell from the wind whipping past him that whatever good the tarp was doing was not enough. He was still falling fast†¦ there would be no surviving the impact on the waiting sea of concrete. Beneath him, the lights of Rome spread out in all directions. The city looked like an enormous starlit sky that Langdon was falling into. The perfect expanse of stars was marred only by a dark strip that split the city in two – a wide, unlit ribbon that wound through the dots of light like a fat snake. Langdon stared down at the meandering swatch of black. Suddenly, like the surging crest of an unexpected wave, hope filled him again. With almost maniacal vigor, Langdon yanked down hard with his right hand on the canopy. The tarp suddenly flapped louder, billowing, cutting right to find the path of least resistance. Langdon felt himself drifting sideways. He pulled again, harder, ignoring the pain in his palm. The tarp flared, and Langdon sensed his body sliding laterally. Not much. But some! He looked beneath him again, to the sinuous serpent of black. It was off to the right, but he was still pretty high. Had he waited too long? He pulled with all his might and accepted somehow that it was now in the hands of God. He focused hard on the widest part of the serpent and†¦ for the first time in his life, prayed for a miracle. The rest was a blur. The darkness rushing up beneath him†¦ the diving instincts coming back†¦ the reflexive locking of his spine and pointing of the toes†¦ the inflating of his lungs to protect his vital organs†¦ the flexing of his legs into a battering ram†¦ and finally†¦ the thankfulness that the winding Tiber River was raging†¦ making its waters frothy and air-filled†¦ and three times softer than standing water. Then there was impact†¦ and blackness. It had been the thundering sound of the flapping canopy that drew the group's eyes away from the fireball in the sky. The sky above Rome had been filled with sights tonight†¦ a skyrocketing helicopter, an enormous explosion, and now this strange object that had plummeted into the churning waters of the Tiber River, directly off the shore of the river's tiny island, Isola Tiberina. Ever since the island had been used to quarantine the sick during the Roman plague of A.D. 1656, it had been thought to have mystic healing properties. For this reason, the island had later become the site for Rome's Hospital Tiberina. The body was battered when they pulled it onto shore. The man still had a faint pulse, which was amazing, they thought. They wondered if it was Isola Tiberina's mythical reputation for healing that had somehow kept his heart pumping. Minutes later, when the man began coughing and slowly regained consciousness, the group decided the island must indeed be magical.

Literary Analysis: Monkey’s Paw

What makes a scary story? Is it the death of an important character or a guy in a mask scaring people? W. W. Jacobs, the author of The Monkey’s Paw uses numerous amounts of literary devices to make this story interesting. In my essay I will be responding to the theme, mood/imagery/personification, and foreshadowing. In this story a sergeant major is in possession of a monkey’s paw that appears to be magic. The paw allows him to make wishes. But every time the man makes a wish, death takes someone in return. He does make a wish for a vast amount of pounds, or money.But of course someone dies, and it just so happens that it was his son. The theme in this story is that with great power comes great precaution. For every wish, he must know that lives are at steak. Like the fact that he wishes for money, but his son dies. â€Å"What goes around comes around†, was a great quote that wasn’t used but is a grand example of what could, can, and did happen. â€Å"For tune rules peoples live. Sorrow† was another high-quality quote that explains that no matter what you do fate controls people’s lives.His son died because of an accident at work so therefore the company of the work place gave the family 100,000 pounds, so I would say that this was a strange coincidence. â€Å"A sergeant major is in possession of a monkey’s paw that appears to be magic. The paw allows him to make three wishes, but for a price. Every time he makes a wish death takes someone in return. The lesson or theme takes place in these aforementioned sentences. The theme is to be careful what you wish for. Foreshadowing is in this whole subsection, a man has a monkey’s paw and he gets to make three wishes.But if he does make a wish, someone will die in return. He does get his wish, but this wish takes course in the death process. In the story, the father makes a wish and the son dies in a terrible accident at work. In the occurrence the son’s e mployees felt sorry for the father’s family therefore giving him 100,000 pounds. â€Å"Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlor of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned vibrantly. † The imagery was how the fire burned. The imagery also introduced the mood. The mood made me have a snug because the locale was at night and the blinds were drawn as the ire burned. The mood was showed by the imagery. Cold, wet, night time, and inside there was a flamboyant fire. That mood gave me the homely sensation because the weather was ghastly but inside there was a pleasant fire. The author W. W. Jacobs does an immense job at fusing the mood and imagery in one sentence. W. W. Jacobs does an equisetic job with the topic sentence using mood and imagery to hook the reader. In the foremost sentence the author fuses the mood and imagery to make a setting that gives the reader a snug feeling. I enjoyed the book The Monkey’s Paw

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Primary Hypertension - Research Paper Example er is an insight into the risk factors that could result in essential hypertension as well as an elaborate description of how interdisciplinary collaboration can reverse these modifiable risk factors thereby enhancing healthcare of patients. The paper also summarizes an education plan that can help patients reverse these modifiable essential hypertension risk factors. Several risk factors associated with hypertension exist. Do et. al. (2014) while basing their study on a sampled Vietnamese population espouse that the most prevalent risk factors to hypertension include overweight and obesity, lack of physical activity and increased consumption of alcoholic beverages. Similar findings have also been established by the American Heart Association (2015) with the above statistics also reflective of the American population risks of hypertension. An individual whose body mass index lies between 25 and 30 is considered overweight and one with a BMI above 30 is obese. Having excess weight imposes more strain on the heart, raises blood cholesterol and exposing one to increased blood pressure. Regular and excess consumption of alcohol can lead to a drastic increase in blood pressure beyond the normal levels, and can lead to heart failure, stroke or irregular heartbeats. An individual should therefore avoid alcohol completely or in the even that that is impossible, then such an individual should take small and regulated amounts of alcohol for healthy living. Do et. al. also established that chances of hypertension cases in adults are elevated by lack of physical activity. Living a sedentary life with no exercise whatsoever increases the chances of an individual becoming a victim of high blood pressure, heart and blood vessel diseases. Interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling hypertension risk factors is central to effective patient care. Wakabayashi and Groschner (2013) espouse that for better efficacy in utilizing this approach, it should entail collaborative efforts

Software Piracy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Software Piracy - Assignment Example hical means 4: Government Government must provide the autonomy to each stakeholder about the use of software for their interests Government must ensure that pirated software does not harm the interests of the original creator as well as other stakeholders It is the duty of government to tell the truth about software piracy The Dilemma (Software Piracy) Software consists of programs that are designed to perform specific tasks for the different classes of users. Today, software applications are widely being used by individuals, government and business organizations for a variety of purposes. The software programs’ utilities are numerous in certain areas such as hospitals, banking education and space studies. Software programs can be purchased from software vendors. Eventually, certain general purpose software programs are available on internet, as freeware and shareware. However, the freeware and shareware software do not have much capabilities that are owned by the retail softw are packages (University of West Florida, 2012). Software piracy can be defined as the illegal copying, distribution or in general the illegal use of software. In other words, software piracy can be described as copying of software programs by individuals or business organizations either with profit motive or to harm others. The advancement in technological systems and tools has not only a favorable impact on the society but has also contributed immensely towards software piracy throughout the globe. Software piracy has serious impacts both on national economy as well as on the software producing organizations. The software producing companies spend millions of Dollars on their research activities for inventing particular software. Unfortunately, a few individuals and organizations take negative advantage of the technological advancements bothering less about the nation’s economy and software producing organizations which results in the form of pirated software (Ohio Literacy Resource Centre, 2001). Consequently, such factors have attracted the interests of many researchers to choose software piracy as one of the largely debated ethical issues. Three Principles The three principles selected for the matrix include Autonomy, Non-maleficence and Veracity. Autonomy can be described as freedom of an individual to take his/her own decisions. Every individual is free to use genuine or pirated software which is solely based on the conscience of an individual to consider it as ethical or unethical. However, the decision an individual takes should not harm any other individual or group or it should be non-maleficence. At the same time, the decision should not violate the rules and the laws established by the state or federal government. The truth related to incurrence of any act in relation to software piracy should be brought into limelight so that any such occurrence of piracy in future can be prevented. It can also benefit to create awareness about software pi racy and the harm that it can create to the

Political violence in latin america in the 20th century Essay

Political violence in latin america in the 20th century - Essay Example Dictatorship was the core problem which was carried out by top most government officials and militants who violated the human rights. They were influential and their followers implemented their selfish acts. They carried out terrorist attack, coup detours; they were the big drugs lords. These leaders only benefited themselves and oppressed their citizens. Many middle class people lost there jobs and property and affected economical this led to abject poverty and social exclusion. There was great suffering by this population because they lost there families, property and others become homeless. It came a time these people could get basic needs like shelter, security, food and health care. This was due to the oppression exercise by the dictatorship. The struggle of democracy was costly but it was worth it since this oppression and human right violation were too much. Activist and law students were at the forefront of fighting for their rights. Many were killed, tortured and others sent to exile. It is important to preserve the collective memory because when it is preserved people will not forget their history and the likely of it recurring will be less since the incident and what happened is learned from generation to generation. It helps them in remanding them what can happen when democracy is not practiced. It being a history it became a studying subject. Forgetting what happened have to be mandatory though this free willingness situation, for a nation to progress people have to forgive each other of the past violence. if people still hold on to what happened to them or their ancestors peace will never be found since the urge of revenging of want happened to their families will poses them, hence its important the victims to

Elements of Western History since 1500 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Elements of Western History since 1500 - Essay Example How did the effects of Absolutism and the Enlightenment influence and impact the French Revolution? Absolutism refers to the fact that the ruling class of a nation us not held accountable by the people for their actions (Schwab & Jeanneney 229). In the case of France in the 1600s and the 1700s, this was the case because the ruling class had formed an elite social structure around the monarchy and royal family of the country. This group practiced what is popularly known as oligopoly where this small group of people in the French society controlled all the wealth and power of the nation. The common citizens of France lived under harsh conditions because they had no rights to question or go against the rules and principles of the ruling class. Consequently, the ruling class become more distant from the citizens. Also, due to the fact that the ruling class were seldom questioned of their actions and decisions, there was a trend of inefficiency and corruption in the control of state resou rces and this affected the poor in France more. This caused the masses in France, who were most affected by the inefficiencies of the ruling class to seek intervention and change. Enlightenment refers to a a trend where scholars and other influential citizens in Sixteenth and Seventh Century Europe sought to question existing trends in the society and rationalize the need for new methods (Wilson & Reill 3). In the case of France, scholars like Voltaire, Montesquieu and D'Holbech sought the â€Å"massive salvation of the people† through seeking accountability amongst the ruling class through a constitution, equal rights and egalitarianism and the fair use of scientific methods in ensuring efficiency and a better quality of life. This campaign was accepted by the masses in France and this played a major role in building the consciousness and stirring up a general dissatisfaction and action against the French Monarch and the ruling class. This became the genesis of the French Re volution which sought to destroy the dominance of the ruling class in France and establish a system of equality and the promotion of the welfare of people in the country. Question 2 The differences between constitutional monarchy and absolutist monarchy and how it was established in England and France before, during the 1600s and 1700s. A constitutional monarchy is one that derives its power legitimately through the people and there is a law that spells out the rights and responsibilities of the ruler and the ruled (Wilson & Riell 3). On the other hand, an absolute monarchy is one where the power of the rulers is deemed to emanate from some special attributes or qualities of the monarchs (Wilson & Riell 3). In the case of Medieval Europe, the most popular attribute that supported absolute monarchies was the divine backing of the royal government, confirmed by the earthly powers of the Catholic Church. England practiced a constitutional monarchy that can be traced through the evoluti on of the the kingdom and its ruling structures. Martland (199) identifies that the British monarchy had simultaneously sought to develop three arms of government since the Norman conquests. This is evident by the fact that the Crown sought to codify the common legal systems of England right after the conquest in the 1200s. This became the foundation for a legal system that was upheld above the King of England and it became the regulatory force of the nation and spelt out the rights and responsibilities of the rulers and the ruled by the 1600s. The second aspect of the English monarchy is the fact that the king, since the 14th Century had a body of sworn advisers who examined every ordinance and pardon of the king before it was passed into law. The third element was the representation of the people of England through a constituted parliament that represented the concerns of the nobles as well as the commoners in a national discourse. These three arms formed some kind of

The closing of the Muslim mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

The closing of the Muslim mind - Essay Example ‘The Closing of the Muslim Mind’ is thus a revelation that has actually opened a number of thoughts as to how Islam actually fought and battled through the years to survive with the sleight of reason. On the first page of the book, the author writes, â€Å"This is the story of how Islam grappled with the role of reason after its conquests exposed it to Hellenic thought, and how the side of reason ultimately lost in the ensuing, deadly struggle.† In history, there has been a certain time when this religion was better respected as compared to the amount of scrutiny it is made to serve today. In those days, Islamic scholars and philosophers had the higher hand on the normative thoughts that breached the world and opened up to a lot of debate regarding the closeness between Islam and Christianity. The author writes that this was the time when the great leaders of Islam never felt ‘intellectual inferiority’ from others. This book talks about how the people of Islam fear Allah and how their personal free will bows down before Him. The author has also delved into the Shari’a or Islamic law and writes about how reason is overcome by old tradition when it comes to a number of things. He writes about how a number of Islamic scholars preach how to live modern lives by giving people the freedom of their own living, and how the same contradicts when it comes to following the law, or listening to Allah. In Islam, it is written that whatever happens in a person’s life, depends on Allah, or happens because he willed it to and thus, because of the same blind thinking, the author states that a large amount of free thinking was lost due to such contemplation. Free thinking allows a man to live life as he pleases, and not be bound by societal norms that might end up crushing his potential; however, the Islamic law states a number of things that have today brought upon and inflicted a lot of pain on a number of

Experiencing Flow Essay Example for Free

Experiencing Flow Essay There are a number of characteristics in Christy’s basketball playing that defines her flow. First of all, he feels that she is â€Å"in the zone† when she is playing. Basically, this reflects to a state of mind. She worked in all aspects of the game and she did it effortlessly. Her responses were automatic and all the shots she took got in. Christy seems to be in a state of â€Å"optimal experience† as stated by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the book entitled, â€Å"FLOW: The Psychology of Optimal Experience†. Christy feels a sense of exhilaration and enjoyment in what she does. She is able to anticipate the movement of her adversaries and she knows the court very well. Moreover, in all of these tasks, she is calm, and focused even under pressure. There are strategies that would help Christy experience flow more. Csikszentmihalyi describes the feeling as autoletic. It elevates life to a different level (2008). Basically, one needs to build inner harmony. This is done by how one interprets everyday experiences. This promotes happiness and an ability to control forces existing in the universe. Firstly, in order to achieve flow, one should take control of his body. Everything that the body does can be potentially enjoyable. The key to achieving flow is the enjoyment of doing. The important part of achieving flow is not the task in itself but how the task is being done. A person can achieve enjoyment by learning to impose order on one’s sensations. Christy needs to fully feel each sensation her body is experiencing. She must always determine her goals and break them into parts. These parts should be challenging in themselves so that she may sustain enjoyment. There are also ways of experiencing flow more often and longer. One way is to try new things that eventually lead to development of new skill. More enjoyment will be experienced with more skills developed. It is important that progress in these activities is monitored so that the flow can be experienced longer. It is also good to increase the difficulty of a challenge. Mastery of a particular skill may make one bored thus, a person such as Christy should try to find more challenges that she believes she can attain. Christy should also find more activities that she believes she can get flow from. It is essential that one needs to find many flow experiences as possible. Her coach plays a vital role in helping her experience flow more often. The coach can get her practicing with two opponents or shoot from the center of the court. This will not only avoid boredom but could increase her level of skill. Christy should also try to always get feedback from people on what she is doing. Thus, it is important for the coach to always monitor her performance and tell her about it. The coach should also make sure that the team is practicing in a place where there are little distractions. The coach should avoid making Christy do multitasking. He should develop a lot of activities during practice that will make her stay focused. Lapses in time during practices may destroy the momentum of the players and lessen the chances of achieving flow. All these strategies are important in order to achieve flow. Flow is essential for every experience because is promotes focus and total control of situations. It enables people to concentrate more effectively in their tasks. Understanding how to acquire it helps people to focus their attention at their will, without having others to get their attention. It also promotes happiness and enjoyment in all activities. Moreover, understanding flow can lead to understanding why people procrastinate on certain issues. References Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Chicago, IL: Harper Perennial.

Lady Macbeth Letter Essay Example for Free

Lady Macbeth Letter Essay I have just finished reading a letter hand written from my husband Macbeth. He has informed me about a mysterious prediction that was made to him by three not mortal beings. The letter tells of how his prediction says he would be King of Scotland, and before this Thane of Cawdor. The foresight that he would be Cawdor was not incorrect – so why not to be king? My wonderful husband could become king and I, Queen of Scotland. Macbeth would be a noble king, far more worthy than Duncan. King Duncan is not fit to be called a man let alone king of a country grand as Scotland. My courageous Macbeth was the reason the war against the barbaric Norwegians was won, not Duncan. The only problem is by the time Duncan’s reign on the throne has ended, when the wretch is dead and buried, I too and Macbeth shall most likely be old and feeble – if not dead ourselves. I must find a way to put an end to Duncan, I cannot risk losing an opportunity as grand as this for Macbeth and myself. Perhaps murder is the only options, I could not commit such a thing myself, I have not the strength nor the willpower but Macbeth? The trouble would be convincing him, Duncan has such high opinions of my love and Macbeth returns the favour equally as well; but he loves me and I am sure I can convince him. Maybe when I show him what this could mean for us and use my feminine charm on him he’ll be convinced. I am not deceiving him, the eventual result is for his benefit, how I miss him so much already, he’s such a wonderful man and would make such a worthy king. I can hardly wait for him to return, it’ll be so wonderful. He was a born ruler, my true love; we shall be King and Queen Macbeth of Scotland. I do not care that ‘God’ chose King Duncan I will give my husband his crown and we shall rule. Even if I have to call down the evil spirits and take my emotions away, I want to feel like a man and kill him without remorse. I must go now and decide how he shall die, farewell.

Influences on Peer Groups and Friendships

Influences on Peer Groups and Friendships Peer groups, social competence and friendship. Indicate the relevance or not of the following: Theory, Cultural differences, Age differences, Gender differences and methodological issues. Introduction It has been established that humans are social creatures. It has also been established that humans have an inclination to form social groupings for a myriad of psychological reasons, such as friendship, acceptance, comfort, togetherness and so forth. However, the ways in which these grouping takes place are rather more complex than one might expect. An examination of group development paying particular regard to the effects of age, culture, gender and theoretical bias on the concepts of peer groups, social competence and friendship was embarked upon. An evaluation was conducted of some key research that has attempted to examine and explain much of the core concepts and issues involved in social grouping and development. Group Alignment, Group Development and Group Dynamics Levine et al (1998) indicated that groups were more likely to accommodate new members if there was an established relationship between newcomers and already established members. This was believed to be due to the need to establish socialisation of new members through mentors. The relationship of newcomer to mentor was heavily dependant upon age difference (Levine et al, 1998). Research on socialisation effects conducted by Irons and Moore (1985) revealed that the significance of a mentor in including subjects that were formerly excluded. They suggested that these formerly excluded subjects were people such as women and people of alternate colour (Irons Moore, 1985). It should be noted that the theoretics used by Irons and Moore are based upon patriarchy and racial prejudice. Tuckman (1965) devised five stage theories in group development theory and later with his colleague Tuckman and Jenson (1977) extended this concept further. Forming Potential members align themselves to a group. Storming Members try to influence the group. This creates conflict within the group. Norming Members try to reconcile conflicts. Norms and roles are established. Performing Members perform tasks in accordance to group need. Adjourning Members become distanced from the group and group activities due to the perception that group costs outweigh group benefits. Social Facilitation Zajonc (1965) suggested three important factors in the significance of social groups. The presence of others generates arousal in the subject and stimulates behaviour. Arousal increases the tendency to perform a desired response from the subject. The quality and success of this response is dependant upon the type of task. Zajonc concluded that a dominant response was perceived as being required from the subject within a group. This affected the performance of easy tasks in a positive manner and difficult tasks in a negative manner. Mere Exposure Theory, Evaluation Theory and Distraction/Conflict Theory The idea of mere presence is integral to Zajonc’s findings on social facilitation. That is to say that effects of others as stimuli are dictated to by presence alone. However, others have suggested otherwise. Cottrell (1968), Henchey and Glass (1968), put forward evaluation theory which suggested that the success of social facilitation is dependant upon those who are perceived to be able to evaluate performance. For instance, those in a subjects peer group with certain perceived traits, such as competence, would have either positive or negative effects on the subject’s performance. Put forward by Baron (1986) and Sanders (1981) distraction/conflict theory suggests that the presence of distractive stimuli will effect social facilitation. For instance, the subject will produce social facilitation effects when others, such as friends, create distraction or attentional conflict. Group Roles, Norms and Cohesion Forsyth (1990) Levine and Moreland (1990) suggest that there are three major contributors to the dimension of social groups: Social roles, social norms and group cohesion. Roles a set of expected behaviours that are evaluated by a subjects established group role (established by either formal title or informal appreciation). Norms a set of established rules of conduct defined by the group dynamic. Cohesion the forces that push a group closer together in terms of purpose, attitude and goal (Cartwright Zander, 1960). Using a methodology supporting the idea of biologically predetermined group roles and norms Bales (1958) suggested that group roles and norms were based upon the traditional family dynamic i.e. the elite male role of the breadwinner and the submissive female role of caretaker. Examination of his methodological approach revealed that gender difference was not a predefining factor. Wood and Karten’s (1986) experiments into role performance of cross sex groups, was revaluated by Dovidio et al (1988). It was found amongst men and women who felt equally as competent, that the roles adopted were often similar (Dovidio et al, 1988). The Effects of Group Cohesiveness and Friendship Following on from Cartwright and Zander (1960), Carron et al (1985) suggested that group cohesiveness was comprised of two significant factors: a group’s orientation towards a goal and a group’s orientation towards its social relationships. It was observed by Carron (1985) that goal setting was a much more important part to success than social relationships. He determined that the successful completion of goals would increase self esteem and belief in the roles and norms of a group, whereas social relationships, such as friendship, would be more likely to distract the group from its collective goals. Carron (1982) defined a cohesive group as having a collective identity, a sense of shared purpose and structured patterns of communication (Carron, 1982). These were considered essential elements to the effectiveness of a group’s success and to it‘s cohesion. Collective identity the identity of a group seen in terms of its roles and norms. Sense of shared purpose an understanding of the importance of roles and the goals that they achieve Structured patterns of communication group acknowledgement, understanding, appreciation and communication of each roles needs and requirements. Conclusion The need for social groups drives the subject to undergo many developments in terms of social facilitation. It would seem from our examination that these factors are driven through a variety of factors. From the research we can see that group alignment is dependant upon relationships based upon age difference. It would also appear that group development requires challenges and subsequent reconciliation’s from certain subjects. It also appears that group dynamics are not necessarily composed of culturally or racially defined roles. Rather, it would appear that roles are intrinsic to socially defined goals and needs. The subject within the group would appear to be driven by other members in a way that is not quite as simple as, say, group conformity or peer competitiveness. It would also appear that group success is dependant upon the successful achievement of role defined goals. Furthermore, these role defined goals seem to be effected negatively by intimate individual relationships, such as friendship. In essence, theory, age, gender, culture and methodology are relevant to the way in which we understand peer groups, social competence and friendship and have psychological impact upon the development of social groupings and the very concept of ourselves as social creatures. Bibliography Bales, R, F., (1958) Task roles and social roles in problem-solving groups. In E. E. Maccoby, T.M. Newcomb, E. L. Hartley (Eds.), Readings in Social Psychology (3rd Ed., p. 437-447). New York: Holt. Baron, R, S., (1986) Distraction-conflict theory: Progress and problems. In L, Berkowitz (Ed.) Advances in experimental social psychology. Orlando: Academic Press. Carron, A.V., Widmeyer, W.N., Brawley, L.R. (1985). The development of an instrument to assess cohesion in sport teams: The Group Environment Questionnaire. Journal of Sport Psychology, 7. Carron, A.V. (1982). Cohesiveness in sport groups: Interpretations and considerations. Journal of Sport Psychology, 4. Cartwright, D., Zander, A., (1960) Group Dynamics: Research and Theory. (2nd ed. p. 69-94) Evanston: Row Peterson. Cottrell, N, B., (1968) Performance in the presence of other human beings: Mere presence, audience, and affiliation effects. In E, C., Simmel, R, A, Hoppe, G, A, Milton (Eds.) Social Facilitation and Intimate Behaviour (p. 91-110). Boston: Allyn Bacon. Davidio, J, F, Ellyson, S, L., Keating, C, F., Heltmen, K., Brown, C, E., (1988) The relationship of social power to visual displays of dominance between men and women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 233-242. Forsyth, D, R., (1990) Group Dynamics (2nd ed.) Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole. Henchy, T., Glass, D, C., (1968) Evaluation apprehension and the social facilitation of dominant and subordinate responses. Journal of personality and social psychology, 10, 446-454. Irons, E, D., Moore, G, W., (1985) Black Managers: The Case of the Banking Industry. New York: Praeger. Levine, J, M., Moreland, R, L., (1990) Progress in small groups research. Annual Review of Social Psychology, 41, 585-634. Levine, J, M., Moreland, R, L., Ryan, C, S., (1998) Group Socialisation and Intergroup Realtions. In C,Sedikides, J, Schopler, C, A, Inscko (Eds.) Intergroup Cognition and Intergroup Behaviour. Mahaw, NJ: Erlbaum. Sanders, G, S., (1981) Driven by distraction: An integrative review of social facilitation theory and research. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 17, 227-251. Tuckman, B, W., (1965) Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63, 384-399. Tuckman, B, W., Jenson, M, A., (1977) Stages of small group development revisited. Group and Organisation Studies, 2, 419-427. Wood, W., Karten, S, J., (1986) Sex Differences in interaction style as product of perceived sex differences in competence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 341-347. Zajonc, R, B., (1965) Social Facilitation. Science, 149, 269-274.

A Zipper For Pee-wee Herman :: essays research papers fc

A Zipper for Pee-Wee Herman Leaders in childrens television are and always have been concerned about what programs actually make it on the air. Most early programming for children of school age in the 1950's was the western program. Another type was the science-fiction thriller which tended to be based on hero's from the radio, comics, and films. However, a favorite of the youngest audience was the children's equivalent of the variety show. This usually contained circus, puppet, and/or animal segments. "Super Circus", which aired in 1949, consisted of music, circus acts, animals, and of course, clowns. In 1952, yet another type of program came about which reached a very similiar audience as the circus variety shows. It was called "The Ding Dong School". The Ding Dong School offered the conversation, low-key instruction, commercials, and entertainment of Miss. Frances, a professional teacher. With the help of these types of shows, a new genre was born. Children's television which was a mixture of songs, education, fun, and a whole lot more. In 1969, the first airing of "Sesame Street" took place. Sesame Street had programs which were sponsored by different letters of the alphabet or numbers each day, and relied on very short, animated cartoons with live and puppet segments which kept the interest of preschool children. The show was an instant outstanding success, and still broadcasts today. In 1970, "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" was born. Mr. Fred Roger's used puppets and music to teach patience and cooperation, while providing guidance to help children cope with feelings and frustrations. Mr. Roger's land of makebelieve's handpuppet characters interacted with humans in the mythical kingdom of King Friday XIII. There, the puppets and humans would deal with their feelings and emotions as they solve typical, everyday problems. This new genre of programming was a sensation. The children loved it, and the parents approved of it. During the following years, many new shows came about which still fit this genre. In the year 1986, yet another show was born into childrens television. "Pee-Wee's Playhouse". This series, starring host Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) used animation, puppets, and vintage cartoons to entertain and educate its audience. Between Pee-Wee Herman and his extraordinary playhouse, children were given the opportunity to let their imaginations go crazy. The "playhouse" had no permanent residents, that is, besides the furnishings. Not ordinary furnishings, you see, Pee-Wee's furnishings could move, talk, dance, and sing. These "characters" could be seen at the playhouse on a regular basis. Some of the favorites were: Globey, a talking globe who would show Pee-Wee the countries that his pen-pal's letters came from; Magic Screen, a toy of Pee-Wee's that enabled him to actually get

FINDING THE CONCLUSION :: essays research papers

Background   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critical thinking can be used in certain aspects of problem solving and requires various types of skills. People must be motivated and not afraid to use their critical thinking skills to solve various troubles that can and will arise. Problem Statement What are the issues and the conclusion? We as readers and listeners in today’s society always seem to believe everything that we read and hear without digging a little deeper to actually find out if it is the truth. Analysis Critical thinking is a skill that we are not born with, but with some knowledge and practice it is a tool that can be used very effectively. Becoming a critical thinker takes time, practice and lots of thought. We as humans always try to force our view upon other people and of course we assume that we are always right. From the other perspective when we have an opinion forced upon us we naturally get defensive. We as critical thinkers need to be open to other people’s opinion but listen with caution to all of the facts before we make any assumptions or judgments. Recommendations 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t always believe everything that you hear and always ask yourself what the issue is. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Always try to find the conclusion and look for indicator words. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Remember what the conclusion is not. Conclusions will not be any of the following: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Examples b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Statistics c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Definitions d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Background Information e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evidence S.W.O.T My selected recommendation is: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t always believe everything that you hear and always ask yourself what the issue is. Strengths †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Understanding and listening will make you more aware of the real issue and will help you become a better critical thinker. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Learning to listen will help you in many aspects of not only your personal life but it can be a very strong aide on your professional life. Weakness †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We can become very skeptical about everything. Sometimes we need to sit back and ask ourselves when is critical thinking necessary. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critical thinking is a very powerful tool and used for the wrong purpose you can damage ones character. Opportunity †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We as critical thinkers have the opportunity to see things very clearly and realize when the wool is being pulled over our eyes.

My First College Class Experience Essay

The transition from high school to college in itself is a frightening experience in some way for everyone whether it be moving away from home or the vastness of a college campus others learn from these new experiences. Many very important lessons are learned outside the classroom in college but there is also so much to be learned about who you are in the classroom as well. When someone first sees Composition I on their schedule the first day of college they might think that this class is going to be tedious, boring, and nothing but writing essays, after a few class periods though they will begin to realize that this class is much more than that. Composition one from my perspective was like dipping your toes into water to test and see if you are ready to go in or not, the water may be too warm or cold at first but that is no reason to shy away from it, if they jump right in they will find that the positives far outweigh the negatives. My first semester of college was spent at The University of the Incarnate Word it was my first real taste of what college was going to be like and I very much enjoyed it but the class that was most surpirsing in how much that was learned to me was composition I. In the course catalog this class’s description was, â€Å" Part of the UIW Core Curriculum, this is a writing-intensive course focusing on numerous rhetorical modes to develop main ideas. This course introduces students to creative, academic and business writing and communication, emphasizing grammar and syntax, with a view to increasing expository skills and critical thinking ability†. Now to be terribly honest this description made this class seem extremely dull just based on the description but even so I was there on the first day ready to learn. The class was small and more relaxed than I thought it would be it turned out that this class was going to be the exact opposite of the description I had read. The assignments that were given in writing always forced the class to think not just about their own world but the bigger picture of how what they did affected the people around them and the world, for example they wrote about the short story by Ray Bradbury There Will Come Soft Rains and how they thought the world was becoming more and more like the story it gave a much greater sense of awareness of how change was needed in the community and to become more involved with each other and appreciate one another and not be so consumed  by technology. They were also given a project on conservation or countries that didn’t have clean sources of water and how they were affected by them It was an eye opening experience seeing how much others suffered and couldn’t have access to clean water in different places around the world. Such as in an article I read in The New York Times where it was said,† Three -fifths of all water supplies are â€Å"relatively bad† or wo rse. Roughly half of rural residents lack access to drinking water that meets international standards.† It gave a much greater sense of compassion for those who don’t have access to something so basic as clean drinking water. In the words of the Dalai Lama, â€Å"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.† This quote is the perfect representation of what I learned in that class. Compassion is probably the greatest quality you can bring to college with you and in outside of college as well because without compassion we’re not even human anymore. The greatest lessons you will learn in your life will be in your college years, you find who you are and who you want to become after you graduate. When you first get to college you’re just getting your feet wet and testing the water but once you start immersing yourself in your classes that’s when you really take the plunge into the pool. There are certain classes you will take that will help you to have that drive to be better and change the fear or hesitation yo u first had when you started college and those classes will better who you are as a person and make the whole college experience worth it.

Cider House Rules Review

The 1 999 film, â€Å"Cider House Rules†, directed by Lease Hailstorm and based on a novel written in 1985 by John Irving, portrays the respective of abortions back when women did not have the right to choose. The movie takes place during World War II in America, when the struggle between women and society over the laws of abortion was the most evident. It is with consideration of our history, and the examples depicted In the movie â€Å"Cider House Rules,† that I believe In each woman's right to choose whether or not abortion Is meant for their particular situation.There has always been a heated debate on human rights, and that of a woman and her fetus. The question to whom should have the right to choose and the right to life is where this argument has continued to go back and Roth. â€Å"Cider House Rules† gives a modern perspective on abortions during the past, and allows us to appreciate the rights we have now in a contemporary society. Unlike the present, d uring the sass's when the movies time frame was based, abortions were illegal and women did not have the right to choose.No matter what the circumstances, a woman had to carry the fetus to full term; her only options being to keep it or to give It up for adoption. At that time, there was no other legal choice. Without options, women during this era would set out to find a doctor who would illegally abort their fetus for them. Considering the national ban of contraceptives was not uplifted until 1965, the only legal way for a woman to avoid pregnancy was through abstinence (Impressionable). This does not account for the unavoidable impregnation from rape or incest.The uncertainty and inability to protect your body from having to bear an unwanted child is why each case should be determined separately. Women deserve the right to choose, because the law is unable to acknowledge and determine each case individually. â€Å"Cider House Rules† showcases many of these situations. The movie is a testament of a young man trying to find his lace in American society. Along the way, his morals and beliefs are tested. Homer Wells, who was twice adopted and returned, is raised by the orphanage doctor, Wilbur Larch.Larch quickly realizes Homer's potential and with his utilitarianism ethics In which he believed that, moot have to be of use,† began to teach Homer how to be an unlicensed doctor (Hailstorm, 1999). Being trained specifically In the field of genealogy, DRP. Larch performed Illegal abortions for women and believed In a woman's right to happiness and the ability to choose. Homer is an anti-abortionist mentor, DRP. Larch, with performing illegal abortions. Throughout the entirety of the movie, he is challenged by witnessing women wanting to terminate their pregnancies.The question that remains is whether Homer's values will stay true based on his views, or differ with each situation. The first scenario of abortion was presented in the beginning of the movi e. Homer found a twelve year old young girl exhibiting dangerous symptoms. She was quickly rushed to surgery, where DRP. Larch voiced to Homer, â€Å"If she'd come to you four months ago and asked you for a simple D and C, what would you have decided to do? Nothing? This is what doing nothing gets you, Homer.It means that someone else is going to do the Job-?some moron who doesn't know how! † (Hailstorm, 1999). The girl eventually died due to a botched abortion that left her uterus pierced by a knitting needle. One would first have to question if she was able to consent to sexual intercourse. In Kantian grounds, â€Å"any form of coercion would be morally object-able on Kantian grounds. This is one of the strongest reasons for prohibiting sex with children- namely, that they are not independent enough to resist pressure or coercion† (Ethics, 214).As a result, any pregnancy resulting with a child â€Å"consenting† to sexual intercourse could morally be aborted. F urthermore, if she is not mature enough to consent to sexual intercourse, then presumably, she should not be morally liable to birth or care for any offspring that happens as a result of this. From a Utilitarian point of view, one would have to consider the consequences of having a baby at such a young age. If the consequences of a young mother keeping her child overshadows the things that would make her happy in life, it would morally be tolerable for an abortion to transpire.Other consequences that would have to be evaluated are how one so young would be able to provide for an infant, along with the happiness of the young mother and child in effect. According to Pregnancy-Info. Net, â€Å"A child born to a teenage mother is also seen to be at a disadvantage in society. † Facts they base this statement on include â€Å"Newborns of teen mothers tend to have a lower birth weight. As they get older, they are more likely to do poorly in school and have a greater chance of exper iencing abuse and neglect.It has been found that sons of teenage mothers are more likely to wind up in prison. Daughters of teen mothers have an increased risk of experiencing a teenage pregnancy themselves. † With Utilitarian reasoning, ethically it would be permissible for this child to abort a pregnancy that would threaten the happiness of both mother and child. If abortions had not been illegal during the time that this movie takes place, and the girl was able to obtain an abortion in a sanitary and safe environment with a professional, then the girl would have survived.The second scenario, in which Young Homer's anti-abortionist morals are tested, is with his soon-to-be secret lover Candy Kendall. She and her boyfriend Let. Wally Worthington reach out to DRP. Larch for an abortion. There was never an explanation cited for the requirement of the abortion, leaving the audience to presume that they were not prepared to rear a child. DRP. Larch has always made it clear that, â€Å"If you expect people to be responsible for their children, you have to give them the right to decide whether or not to have children† (Hailstorm, 1999).However, Homer has always stood to his grounds that a child deserves to be alive under any circumstance. His naturalistic beliefs were that it is wrong to end a life Church are based on natural law. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican friar who also seed natural law to argue ethically. In â€Å"On Natural LaW' Aquinas states, â€Å"In the first place, there is the inclination shared by all substances in as much as they naturally desire self-preservation† (Ethics, 105). Quinoa's argument further supports that abortion goes against the preservation of the human species, and it denies the fetus to live to its full potential.From this point of view, Candy is immoral for aborting because she is denying the fetus the right to its potential life. If we are depending on the status of the fetus, then some would argue that ther e should be criteria to what we consider to be a person. Others reject this position by drawing a distinction between human being and human person, arguing that while the fetus is innocent and biologically human, it is not a person with a right to life. In support of this distinction, some propose a list of criteria as markers of Persephone.For example, Mary Ann Warren suggests consciousness (at least the capacity to feel pain), reasoning, self motivation, the ability to communicate, and self- awareness† (Wisped). With this argument, Candy was morally correct to abort an unwanted child because people like Mary Ann Warren believe that a fetus does not exhibit all the criteria of Persephone, thus does not have the right to life. Candy utilized her options by choosing to abort the fetus because her bodily rights exceed that of the fetus. The law at the time would have prevented Candy from attaining an abortion, so she did so illegally because she felt it is what is best for her.P eople should have the option to decide whether or not they are ready to be a parent for themselves. Our final scenario presented in â€Å"Cider House Rules† is that of Rose. She is one of the migrant apple pickers who befriend Homer. Her father, Mr.. Rose, was the leader of their team. After their return from the prior season, it became evident that Rose was pregnant. What truly tested Homer's anti-abortionist ethics is when he became aware of who Rose was impregnated by†¦ Her father, Mr.. Rose. In this case, all of Homer's arguments of sexual restraint and pro life could not apply to her injustice.It seems that this was the only case that shook Homer into believing in a woman's right to choose. Some feel that it is an injustice for a women to carry a pregnancy resulting from a sexual assault. It is also said that a pregnancy caused by rape or incest is the result of a grave injustice. This would remind the woman for nine months of the violence committed against her and would increase her mental anguish. The victim should not be obliged to carry the fetus to viability because â€Å"The fetus is an aggressor against the woman's integrity and personal life† (Backbite).Rose had a major injustice inflicted on her and morally should not have to bear a child that was forced. Finally, we must consider the views of Judith Jarvis Thomson. She creates an imaginary scenario in which a famous violinist has kidnapped you in the middle of the night, and is hooked up to your kidneys to purify his blood. She then compares the violinist to a fetus, who is a living viable person, and asks if you should morally have to save his life. Comparable to a fetus, the violinist has not asked permission and has connected his existence to your body.Thomson argues that even though it would be charitable of you to save the life of the violinist, or fetus, you are not obligated to do so. â€Å"Such views are consistent with a position that stressed that women are persons and have the right to bodily integrity as do other people, and others, even the noble purposes such as the nurturing of children† (Ethics, 180). Applying Rose's pregnancy due to incest, and the examples by Thomson, Rose has the right to abort because the acts were committed against her will and the fetus will grow in her without permission.It is with this reasoning that Homer aborted Rose's pregnancy. Since society had deemed abortions illegal during this time, she would have had to birth a child that was born through incest. It would not be society, but Rose who would have to live with the ultimate reminder of her father's injustice. That is why Rose, rather than society, should have the right to choose what actions to take. The Journey of the character Homer Wells witnesses three scenarios in which women have aborted their fetus.He began with his findings of an anonymous young girl who died from her botched abortion, during which his anti-abortionist ethics were unchanging. He then met Candy, who received an abortion by his mentor, DRP. Larch. His argument on controlling your sexual urges was contradicted with his affair with Candy. Homer finally went against his pro- life ethics by personally aborting Rose's fetus that was conceived through an incestuous relationship with her father. By the ND of the film, Homer's ideals were not crushed, but were altered by the realism of the world.Realistically we must recognize that â€Å"Cider House Rules† is Just a fictional story that depicts real situations that do occur. Every year, millions of women have an abortion and every abortion is backed by different reasons. In the end, it is not up to society to Judge a woman for terminating her pregnancy. Debates and reasoning for or against abortion will always exist. However, history shows that even when illegal, abortions were executed and sought after. In the long run, either legally or illegally, omen will implement the use of abortions whether society h old them as legal or illegal.

Compare Ch 1 & 2 of Hard Times to Ch 6 of Jane Eyre

Both authors Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens give determined attention to the bleak and hard aspects of life and, specifically, to the life of children. In the Chapters 1 & 2 of Hard Times to Chapter 6 of Jane Eyre, they vividly portray difficulties and hardship faced by many poor children at school. Thesis The chapters under analysis are based on similar settings and themes portraying educational system of the Victorian era, attitude towards children and their role in society.In the chapters under analysis, the authors portray school life of the protagonists and their grievances. ‘Fact and Figures’ dominate in the chapters underlining the role of cramming in education. In Hard Times, in the opening scene in ‘a plain, bare, monotonous vault of a schoolroom', the dominant adjectives are ‘square, hard, dry’, and the first paragraph of Chapter 2 emphasizes this theme by using many of the declaratory titles which Dickens had contemplated giving to thi s novel. T.Gradgrind teaches children:‘A man who proceeds upon the principle that two and two are four, and nothing over, and who is not to be talked into allowing for anything over† (Dickens). In Jane Eyre, girls follow strict rules during classes: â€Å"there were sundry questions about tonnage and poundage and ship-money, which most of them appeared unable to answer† (Bronte). Another important detail is that girls should read the Bible every morning which dictated social norms and social order.In the chapters under analysis, the authors create a similar prototypes of teachers and educational systems typical for their times. As the first passage makes clear, the Gradgrind educational system and the ethos of the industrial town are at one in being designedly quite rightly if ‘The Gradgrind Philosophy' is accepted – monotonous, and in embodying an aridly limited sense of life's possibilities and priorities. But already one challenge to that ‘Ph ilo ¬sophy' has appeared the circus at which the Gradgrind children are caught peeping.The same philosophy is followed by Miss Scatcherd who supposes that a teacher should be severe and irreconcilable to pupils’ faults. Jane comments: â€Å"it seems disgraceful to be flogged, and to be sent to stand in the middle of a room full of people† (Bronte). A doctrine of Christian endurance is similar in the chapters. Both authors pay a special attention to the process itself and organization of education. They underline that educational process should be based on daily activities and planning process.The chapters though starting in a schoolroom are concerned with more than education but growing up and new perception of the world. Success for the protagonists means fight in whatever direc ¬tion. To the attainment of any end worth living for, a symmetrical sacrifice of their nature is compulsory upon children. Jane comments: â€Å"I could not comprehend this doctrine of end urance; and still less could I understand or sympathize with the forbearance she expressed for her chastiser† (Bronte).Pressure of schooling and severe attitude of their tutors forces the children to mature and understand the role of religion and schooling in their life. The children speak as mature adults which unveils their independent thinking and mature personalities. Readers quickly sense the inevitability of the children's movement towards savagery, though the authors relate the novels with such economy and intensity that its predictability does not become monotonous. In these chapters, both children assume leadership for their calm rationality.â€Å"Only a few feeble stragglers said Yes: among them Sissy Jupe† (Dickens). In the chapters, both authors use characters of children in opposition to the main characters. This technique helps them to underline the importance of liberation in the world of cruelty and misunderstanding. In sum, Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens portray that suffering is undergone in order to expand the human spirit, to delve into matters previously kept hidden, to grow through pain. They grow up into small adults emulating the ‘real' world they have left behind and to which eventually they return.

Not an Ayn Rand Essay

The fiction novel, The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand is based off of her philosophy of Objectivism. Ayn Rand defines and separates her philosophy of Objectivism into four different and distinct parts. The first part Ayn Rand explains is Metaphysics. Metaphysics is an objective reality where you only accept facts as reality and not fantasies or desires. The next part of Objectivism is Epistemology, which is reasoning by perceiving reality by using knowledge or facts as your guide. The third part is Ethics and self-interest.The final part of Objectivism is laissez-faire capitalism, which is equal trade while the government acts as a police force only. The third part of Objectivism, Ethics and Self-Interest, is explained by Ayn Rand as â€Å"Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life. † – Ayn Rand.This quote is best represented as Individualism in Objectivism. Ayn Rand’s book, The Fountainhead, compares the ideals of individuals in society and shows how the individualists act differently and, by the end, become identified and looked upon as good when they stick to their own ideals. Howard Roark is created as the protagonist of The Fountainhead. Roark is also the best representation of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism. Lois Cook is introduced into the book by asking Peter Keating to build an ugly house to her satisfaction, saying â€Å"Let’s be gods.Let’s be ugly† (Cook, 241) . Both Howard Roark and Lois Cook both make their own pursuit for self-interest and to their own happiness as the highest moral purpose of their lives. Even though Lois Cook can be seen as an individual, her self-interests can be seen as immoral, which can be concluded that Lois is not an In dividualist, while Howard Roark is best fit as an individualist in the eyes of Ayn Rand. When we look into the story The Fountainhead, we encounter the characteristics that both Howard Roark and Lois Cook portray.When Ayn Rand wrote The Fountainhead, she intended to keep the syntax simple so readers could get an understanding of Objectivism and individualism. We can clearly see that the protagonist, Howard Roark, is portrayed as an objectivist and individualist, who also rejects the worst of social standards, while Lois Cook is seen as a radical, who objects the best of social standards. When we go even further into The Fountainhead, we discover that Howard Roark loves his type of modernistic design in architecture rather than referring to the older and more identifiable types of architecture from history, such as Greek or Roman architecture.Because he prefers to modernize his own designs, he is suspended from Stanton’s institute of technology and has been removed from severa l jobs. Roark was offered a job to build a new bank, but he won’t change any of his own designs. The worst part about Howard Roark’s out of luck situation is that his designs are brilliant. Even Peter Keating refers to Howard Roark in needs of assistance, because Howard Roark’s designs are wonderful and unique to the eyes of people.Even then, when Howard Roark isn’t given credit for designing the buildings, credit was all given to Keating, who didn’t have enough faith for himself to, at the least, attempt to create his own architectural designs. While we continue to look at Howard Roark, we can see that while Ayn Rand created Howard Roark, he stays as his own without sacrificing or abandoning his own beliefs to gain himself a higher status in society, and Roark only pursues his own self-interests to bring himself to his highest moral purpose.Howard Roark has his own individual goals that others would see as foolish and stupid, while he stayed as an individual with his own ideals and succeeded. These are what Ayn Rand would consider individualized, because Howard Roark attempts to make a change within society and has his own values, while society wishes to remain the same and put down others who don’t follow what they believe in. Howard Roark seeks to create, not just his original designs and building, but also a sense of originality.Henry Cameron, Howard Roark’s inspiration, once told him that unless he changed his ideals of architecture, he would never make it big in the business. Howard Roark denied what he said anyways, saying that he wishes to continue with his own work. Even when he got hired by Francon & Heyer, Howard Roark continued to stick with his own modernistic designs over conforming on older architectural designs. Howard Roark even made his own architecture and building firm which was built on his own modern beliefs and ideals. Further on in the book, Howard Roark continued to stay with his own ide als and beliefs when he went to court twice.During the first trial, he was sued for the construction of a building, which was plotted by Ellsworth Toohey. Toohey did this so he could eliminate the innovative Howard Roark from the architect business, which was almost successful. Roark was found guilty and had to shut down his architect firm, but still had faith in his own ideals. The second trial was on the action of Howard Roark destroying the Cortlandt homes project, after his plans being changed. During the trial, Howard Roark made some statements about selfishness and about remaining individual with oneself.Howard Roark goes on about people who create and how they suffer from the corruptness of societies, which is in reference to Peter Keating when he asked Roark for help all of the times Keating asked Roark for help on certain designs, which made Keating famous. Howard Roark was later found not guilty and won the trial Howard Roark ended up marrying Dominique Francon after becau se he was confident with his own individual ideas while Peter Keating wasn’t able to be individual. Howard Roark is definitely created as an individualist by Ayn Rand, because he prevails through all of the situations he encounters with his own ideals with him.Whether or not the outcomes for Howard Roark were good or bad, he never changed his ideals or beliefs in every situation, making him an individualist. While Howard Roark is fully known to be an individualist, Lois Cook has a sense of individualism, but is too radical and immoral to be classified as an individualist. As we look into The Fountainhead, Cook has shown herself against most of the social norms. Even though Howard Roark doesn’t follow social standards, Lois Cook goes to the immoral extremes of denying good hygiene and conditions of living areas.She doesn’t think about the corrupt power of higher authorities or any of the other enormously poor social problems. The reason that Ayn Rand shows her re aders Lois Cook was to show a person who attempted individualism, but did not fully become individual. Lois Cook has characteristics like an individualist but isn’t exactly one. Lois Cook wants to be someone original, different, an individual, but her ideals are extreme and immoral. Is it not very easy to argue that poor hygiene is a good idea. It also isn’t easy to argue that anyone could enjoy poorly designed buildings.It is pointed out obviously that Lois Cook is radically immoral and isn’t an individual. Some might suggest that Lois Cook is a person who creates. Others might argue that her nonconformity makes her and individualist still. But, her ideals could be best organized as nihilistic. Nihilism is a want to destroy and rejection of morals. Lois Cook could be best compared with Ellsworth Toohey, who also wanted to destroy people’s reputations, people such as Howard Roark in the architectural business. Ayn Rand explained being individual also mean t to have morals.Lois Cook didn’t have many morals when she was introduced into the book for the short period of time, so she couldn’t be classified as an individualist under the ideals of objectivism and individualism. Ayn Rand intentionally placed Lois Cook in The Fountainhead in order for the readers to see a difference of characteristics between Individualism and Lois Cook. We can conclude from this that Lois Cook was merely an example of how Individualism is misinterpreted by the minds of people who haven’t really thought about the ideals of individualism or beliefs of objectivism.In conclusion, Howard Roark is indeed an individualist, while Lois Cook is not an individualist. Howard Roark shows the qualities and characteristics that Ayn Rand defines as an individualist. While Lois Cook shows some characteristics of being an individualist, her nihilistic and immoral ideals show that she cannot be an individualist and will never be with her ideals if she cont inues to not accept facts that there are some social norms that are needed for man’s survival and individualism.

Antigone

Evil not only fascinates people in general, but writers as well. In what ways and with what effect has â€Å"evil† been treated in Antigone? In the play of ‘Antigone’, evil appears in many forms. There is the soldier who is a traitor to his nation; the sister trying to prove her love for her family yet ends up breaking the law; the king who so eagerly tries to stop rule-breakers yet he himself neglects his flesh and blood. Here the difference of the two works is seen: The Earth of Mankind gives the impression that characters of power possess evil, whereas in Antigone, evil can be inside all of these opposing individuals. Polyneices, a soldier who fought against his own nation was to be punished as a traitor by not burying him after his death. When his sister, Antigone, goes against the King’s decree and burry Polyneices, she was also seen as a traitor to her country. However their other sibling, Ismene, who sits at home as Antigone fights for her brother’s right, is also said to have performed a crime of being a traitor to her family. Now something we can see from here is that each and every character involved in the story so far possesses evil. This message is summed up by Sophocles in page 204 of the book, in Ode 1, where it says, ‘O fate of man, working both good and evil! ’ What the writer is trying to convey here is more realistic than what is said in ‘The Earth of Mankind’; both evil and good is naturally inside everyone’s mind.It is one’s choice to do which, but performing a crime is inevitable. Everyone has his or her own ‘evil’ deeds, not only the powerful ones. As seen in my previous explanation on who performs evil deeds in the play of ‘Antigone’, we can see that one evil act leads to another, whereas the chain of good doings ends sooner. Eteocles, who was a soldier and a brother to Antigone, fought bravely for his nation and was buried with honor by the King. Although many respect him for his virtuosity, the play didn’t show that further kindness was done because of him.However, when Polyneices betrays his nation and fought against it, a number of people are forced to perform evil in his affect. Antigone had to break the law in order to give him his right of getting a burial. Ismene, who was too scared to go against the decree, was said to be a traitor to her family, as she didn’t come to assist Antigone in her mission. They then cause Creon to imprison the sisters, punish them, which then cause him to have a fight with his son. Creon then causes death of Haimon, and therefore leads to the suicide of the Queen.On page 243, the messenger says, ‘†¦and her last breath was a curse for their father, the murderer of her sons. ’ A number of misfortunes occur as being the result of one act of evil. The play now gives the effect that evil gives more negative outcomes in comparison to good giving positive results. Here, evil is powerful enough to make such a big impact on its surrounding; bigger than the good. Creon sees Antigone as a traitor to his rules, despite her reasons. Creon imprisoned both Antigone and Ismene for the burial of the nation’s traitor, Polyneices, who is their brother.It is true that Antigone has broken the law, but according to her logic, it is more important to follow the rules of the Gods than the King. She feels that the dead, no matter what they did in their lives, deserve respect and be buried, and that it was her duty to do so as Polyneices’ sister. She didn’t care that she is breaking the decree, and may be punished to die, as long as this task is done. Creon, being a non-believer of the Gods in the beginning, thinks that breaking the law is crime, no matter for what purpose.Polyneices was a traitor and he suffers because of himself, thus no one should help him. On page 211, Creon even said to Antigone, ‘An enemy is an enemy, even dead. ’ There is truth in both arguments, and no one can say what is right. Here, the play depicts that the existence of evil depends on how one views it. ‘Antigone’ treats evil as a subjective topic, where it may be seen as a crime from one point of view, but is actually a good deed from another. No evil deed is done without a reason, and the play shows that one should explore, not only what crime has been done, but also why it was done.