Saturday, February 27, 2010

Essay on American Dream

American Dream Essay

The term "American Dream" is well established in our culture, yet it has seemingly managed to escape a clear, concise definition. It can be a state of mind, an expression, and ideological fixation, or even an idea; nevertheless while there is little disagreement regarding the existence of such a term, its true meaning is disputed. “It is the promise inherent in the idea of America itself.” Creating America or “The American Dream is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” The Epic Of America Both excerpts show an opinion of the American Dream. For me, the America Dream is the ability to be successful, earn a steady income, live in a land that is free and democratic, and receive a well rounded education regardless of your nationality, birthplace, country of citizenship or religion. To me, the American Dream is something that it accessible to anyone who steps foot onto American soil.

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The classic view of “the split level ranch house in the suburbs, the healthy 2.3 children, and an ever-changing model of the American made car” Creating America ties into the aspects that we equate with the American dream: money, social equality, power, success and democratic ideals”. While not every American has the aforementioned things, the distinction can be made when we realize that they have the ability to get them.

The usage of the term “American” evokes a wide array of questions. Such an encompassing term should undoubtedly speak for all Americans. Then, what is an American? Suppose we were to define an American as someone who either was born in the Unites States, has citizenship, or who is in the country at the present moment. Using that definition one must assume that ideal is consistent among all of the various factions of people that are American.

America is recognized for its democratic principles and value of freedom. Consequently many immigrants flock to the shores of the United States annually so that they may live in a country that does not oppress them, allows them to work and earn an income without lofty taxation and not only allows, but encourages them to get an education. Such ideals are rare around the world and even so the welcoming of immigrants in other countries is by far less amiable than it is in the United States.

If one was to look at the government of Saudi Arabia, then it would become apparent that power in that country is associated with lineage and family honor. In America, everyone, “regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position” have the right and the ability not only to hold an office of power, but to vote and participate freely whatever they so choose.

The American dream, while it is not concisely defined, is a value that is inherent in all Americans. It can be closely compared to the principles of freedom and equality. The American dream is to have a chance, have an education, and have a job.

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Essay

Essay on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a tale of a boy’s passage into adulthood. Mark Twain depicts this passage through a series of adventures. Tom’s adventures offered him the freedom he longed for and a chance to discover his own moral conscience while escaping the rules of society and acceptable behavior. But in the end, Tom adheres to society rules and limitations and becomes a responsible person with a desire to be a part of society.

Adult rules and expectations as well as societies bind Tom’s life. Tom is a mischievous and quick-witted free spirit who can’t stand anyone who tries to repress his carefree nature.

Tom’s life with Aunt Polly is one of strict regime of behavior, clothing, and cleanliness. Once he came home late and Aunt Polly punished him by turning “his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor”, (p443). Also, he has to be in bed by half past nine and say his prayers every night.

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Tom also hated Monday mornings for that meant “another week’s slow suffering in school”, (p462). He would try his best to fake an illness or wish it were a holiday of some sort just so he could go and play with his friends. And if faking an illness did not get him out of school, he would play hooky. Whenever he was caught by the teacher for playing hooky, Tom always “took his flogging”, (p486), without a care for he enjoyed his day of hooky so much that he didn’t care.

Then there was church and Sunday school, a tradition in the south, which he hated the most for he had to sit still and listen to the boring sermons. At church, Judge Thatcher pointed out to Tom that he would be a “great man” and owe it all to “the precious Sunday-school privileges”, (p458). Thus, Tom was fed up with the rules of society and wanted to have absolute freedom.

No matter where Tom was, school or church, he always yearned for his freedom. Tom finally has enough of societies expectations when Becky Thatcher rejects him by returning his brass andiron knob, “this final feather broke the camel’s back”, (p486). He teams up with Joe Harper who is in a similar situation and they both run away to Jackson Island by way of raft.

They both assume pirate names and decide to live like pirates because “they have just a bully time…[they] take ships, and burn them, and get the money and bury it in awful places [but] they don’t kill the women-they’re too noble”, (p31, Spark Notes 2002). On this Island there are no rules to abide by and no grown-ups to punish you. There first night, they eat stolen food and sleep under the stars. When they awake, they realize how peaceful and enjoyable life can be. And upon finding that their raft has floated away they realize that they are truly isolated from civilization and the ball and chain of society is finally broken.

Thus, Tom appears to be happy but in reality his conscience revolted inside. While on the Island, Tom constantly wrestled with his conscience for running away and stealing food from others. Tom felt so guilty that he couldn’t sleep, “then conscience granted a truce, and these curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefully asleep”, (p498). Tom’s conscience haunts him throughout his adventures between good and bad. Tom takes an oath with Huck in blood never to reveal the story of the murder of Dr. Robinson lest they get killed by Injun Joe. Tom tries to ease his conscience by smuggling “small comforts” to Muff Potter in prison. In the end Tom tells the truth and saves Muff Potter. In a sense, Tom has conformed to society and become “respectable”.

Throughout the better part of the novel, Tom Sawyer can’t stand the rules that adults and society impose on him. Therefore, he dreams and schemes of ways to get out of those daily rituals that bind him. At times he is successful in escaping without punishment. When he runs away to Jackson Island, he learns for the first time how quiet and peaceful freedom was, “there was a delicious sense of repose and peace in the deep pervading calm and silence of the woods”, (p498). There were no rules to abide by, no school, no church and no Sunday school sermons to listen to. Life couldn’t be more perfect for all he did was fish, swim, and play games all day. But it would be this peace and quiet that would undermine his freedom, for he became lonely and homesick. Tom returns to the confining rules of society and becomes a mature morally conscious person when he stands up for Muff Potter. In the end, Tom wants to be a part of society and no one can join his gang of robbers unless they are “respectable”.

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Essay on Teenage Drinking

Teenage Drinking Essay

I have been carrying out some research about teenage drinking. There is an increasing concern about teenagers and their consumption of alcohol so I decided to find out how teenagers get their alcohol, why and where they drink, what the effects and consequences of teenage drinking can be. I also tried to find out what is being done to deal with the problem associated with teenage drinking.

In my written text where and why teenagers drink, I found that teenage drinking is an increasing problem. Most teenagers start drinking because they are bored and/or they want to be in with the crowd. “Teenagers think that if they start drinking they will be accepted by the popular people.” In my studies I have found that after the Government passed the law to lower the drinking age from 20 years to 18 years that a younger age group has been exposed to alcohol. If the drinking age was still 20 some younger teenagers would still get alcohol, but there would not be as many because they would not have friends old enough to buy it for them.

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The Drug Policy Research Centre in the USA says, “…that attempts to control teen alcohol consumption should focus less on prevention of initiation or any use and more on prevention of misuse.” One of the many concerns is the long-term health issues like having a stroke at an early age and serious liver damage. Another concern is memory loss and constant tiredness. Alcohol attacks the heart’s efficiency at pumping blood through the kidneys, which normally filter excess salt and water out of the blood. The blood volume can rise and cause a fatal back up of fluid in the lungs.

Lots of teenagers feel that they need to drink in social situations, where they feel uncomfortable and are not confident. Alcohol helps to relax the drinker and also helps them to be less self-conscious so they let loose and behave more sociably.

Having a drink in a social situation is acceptable but the drinker needs to know when they have had enough. They don’t need to drink a lot just so they can get drunk. Excess alcohol does not wear off in a couple of hours; it takes a long time for the body to get back to normality. Teenagers are at risk of alcoholic poisoning because their bodies are not ready for large quantities of alcohol. If people were introduced to alcohol at a young age in a socially controlled situation it would be accepted as a normal part of life and the need to binge drink would be reduced.

Young people get influenced to drink in a lot of very different ways. Advertisements send messages to young people that alcohol is fun. Many of the advertisements have humour and show that people can have a lot of fun with alcohol and come up with fun things to do. It is not just ads on TV, it is also advertisements on billboards with catch phrases, which make teenagers think that their brand is cool and want to start drinking that particular brand. I don’t think that the companies making those ads know that they are getting through to young people and just think they are getting to legal adults.

But whatever you do young teens are still going to get alcohol - one way or another. Alcohol doesn’t have to be a problem; it has been a part of society since the beginning of time!

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Essay on Schoolies

Schoolies Essay

Good morning members of the lions club. Adolescents are victims of the media. Why? Because the media has built up adolescents as being so mischievous that the viewers only want to see or read about the negatives. The media depicts the young generation of today as being hotheaded delinquents. The hoons they refer to are just a minority not the majority. Through movies and the newspaper the media targets only the malicious side of adolescents, which portrays every teenager as a dangerous individual. It is that that reinforces the ideals of adolescents today.

Before you read the article “ Keeping the peace in hot rod heaven” due to the fact that there is a rather large picture of teenagers, you immediately think that’s it about irresponsible teenagers. This article actually speaks about how an older man aged 37 lost control of his American sports car in a road race and crashed it into a restaurant injuring a ladies leg and a mans ankle. This article also talks about these hot rods gathering in the area in large numbers this has nothing to do with adolescents. Yet the media has victimised adolescents by putting a picture of 7 teenagers in the article when it was supposed to be about and older 37 year old who lost control of his car in a street race. This misrepresentation of adolescents is the main reason why we are viewed today as being untrustworthy, immature kids.

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Schoolies Week 7 days out of 365 where x students get to unwind reflect and relax. Schoolies week has become something of a rite of passage, a week in which thousands of young people head for Queensland's beaches to celebrate the end of their exams and the beginning of their new-found freedom. With all the positive things that happen on schoolies week it wasn’t long before the media picked up on the negatives. Which is exactly what the film maker of blurred did. Set over 24 hours, it follows the adventures of a group of students trying to get to the Gold Coast and features sex scenes, drug and alcohol abuse and a wrecked apartment. What they failed to pick up on was the bonding and friendships made over the schoolies week. By failing to recognise the positives the media has portrayed adolescents as being party driven delinquents.

However parties being bad is not new. Movies have always had the party scene weather it is from “can’t hardly wait” to “Van Wilder Party Liaison”. These two movies were made nearly 5 years apart but both share in the same genre. Parties. These stereotypical ideas are what reinforce that adolescents are victims of the media. With these movies showing drugs, sex and alcohol at parties parents are lead to believe that if there son or daughter were to go to a party they would be forced to take part in irresponsible behaviour. Some parents have even gone as far as to not let there children go out to parties and places therefor not allowing the children to experience a good child hood.

Fast and the furious is a movie about fast cars, delinquent behaviour and hate for authority. After watching this movie parents believe that adolescent + fast car = trouble. Because of a minority of young people in cars speeding and drag racing adolescents have been labelled hoons. But nothing is said about the 26-yr old man speeding up the highway late for work or the 56-yr old man in a hurry. Adolescents are labelled hoons because they are victimised and portrayed that way by the media. The scene I am about to show you reinforces that the movie is about fast cars, delinquent behaviour and hate for authority.

Shortly after this movie was made an anti hoon legislation was passed soli to stop street racing. But because of these new anti hoon laws adolescents have been targeted for the minutest offences. For example not to long ago a relative of mine was caught for operating a vehicle with excess noise when he was merle doing a u-turn and ran over road marking paint causing his tiers to screech.

Today I have spoken about the media manipulating the public into believing adolescents are delinquent kids through movies and the newspaper. After informing you on these points I have clearly reinforced that adolescents are victims of the media. If the media could just focus more on the positive side of adolescents then maybe the public would perceive the younger community for what they are, mature young adults not just a bunch of rat-bags. Thankyou.

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Essay on Odysseus: Is He Really Free?

Odysseus Essay

Most people today cannot do whatever they feel like. They are limited by their religion, the government, or some other power. In the adventures of Odysseus, Odysseus leaves his kingdom to fight an ongoing war in the kingdom of Troy. When he reaches the city, he leads his troops to victory. Odysseus does not do this just because he felt like becoming a hero. He was ordered by the Greek gods to go to Troy and lead himself and his kingdom to victory. If Odysseus was able to do whatever he wanted, he probably would have said that he would not risk his life and leave his wife and newborn son just to fight a war that would most likely have no effect on his kingdom, and himself. But, he did not do that. To him, he was ordered by the gods to fight. This shows that he obviously is limited by what he is able to do. Odysseus is brave and fearless, but is not able to do whatever he wishes. His capabilities are limited by the gods; therefore he does whatever the gods tell him to do.

Since Odysseus has all of the gods to “watch is back” he would obviously have no fear since the most powerful things on earth would be there to help him if anyone or “ones” decided to pick a fight with him. Odysseus knew that with the gods on his side, not a single person in the world would be able to stand up to him. This knowledge of power made Odysseus feel, and act like he was fearless. Without fear, Odysseus could do whatever he felt like doing whenever, and wherever he wanted.

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Just because he did not have any fear, Odysseus still could not keep all of his soldiers under his control during a battle. Odysseus was also a brave man. For example when he and his men where sailing straight for the island of the Sirens, he was brave enough to sacrifice his sanity just so his men would be able to save themselves and steer the boat in the right direction and get away from the Sirens’ deadly song. This proves that Odysseus was also brave on top of being fearless.

Being brave, and being able to do whatever he wanted to do, whenever he wanted to, still did not give Odysseus ultimate power. Why? Because he is limited by the gods, the same beings that give him his fearlessness and braveness were the same that kept him from using it to gain total and complete power.

Odysseus is fearless, brave, and limited by what he can do by the gods. If any other person in the world today were given this power, fearlessness, and bravery, without being limited by the “gods”, they would most likely go and try to take out the president of the United States. They would do this just because they could. Odysseus would also do the exact same thing if he were not limited by the gods.

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Nationalism in Nigeria Essay

Essay on Nationalism in Nigeria

Nationalism is the devotion to the interests or culture of one's nation. Nigeria is a country that has been through a lot of turmoil in the years that it has existed. The root of the nationalism that has built up over the years goes back many generations. There have been lots of different areas that help contribute to the nationalism that we see in Scotland today. The people that live in Nigeria are very proud of who they are and their ancestors that have come before them. I am going to look at a few of the things that I believe have helped contribute to the nationalism that we see in Nigeria today. There are many different areas that I really want to look at including the unifying and diverse force. The first thing that I believe is very important to Nigerian nationalism is the culture that has been evolved over the years. This includes everything from literature to the sports that the Scottish plays. I also want to look at the way that the Nigerians have developed a legislative body even though it does not have all of the powers that they would like it to have.

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The first thing that I want to look at when it comes to the nationalistic ideas of Nigeria is the literature and how it has evolved over the years. There have been many different types of literature that have come out of Nigeria and the one that is most commonly tied in with the nationalism is the great poetry that has been written by some of the great poets. The most famous of all of the Poets that have come out of this land is Ezenwa Ohaeto who lived in the second half of the 1800’s. In the early years of Nigeria a lot of the languages were spoken and hardly written down so that it could be passed on from one generation to another. The earliest piece of literature that is of any great significance is called Yoruba (not the language). This poem is filled with the idea of being noble to ones country and the Great king (God) that is in charge of this country. This story was told before men were to go into battle. It explained about the freedom that shall be won in the battle. When a person reads this story they will get a sense of nationalism for their country because it talks about fighting to become a free body and being able to rule over yourself and not have somebody else making the decisions that effect your well being.

The next writer who is very important to the growth of nationalism through literature would be Abiodun Adepoju. He helped revise the poetry that had been a part of the culture that was lost when it was destroyed during the reformation period. He helped to bring back many of the traditional poems and songs that had been destroyed, even though he did put his own twist on some of them. He was considered a very strong nationalist Abiodun Adepoju wanted to keep the traditions of Nigeria alive and he helped to do this through his poems and the opening of several types of cultural learning centers.

Sports are another big part of the nationalistic culture that inhabits the land of Nigeria. Nigerians have always been interested in different kinds of sports however there is one sport that all Nigerians have come to love; football (soccer). Football is one of the greatest games in the world and it is believed to have originated in England.

This sport has taken over the country by storm and when they face another country you can see the nationalism pour from the people of Nigeria. Nigeria’s rival is South Africa and their matches can get out of hand at times. During the late 1980’s they had to play matches against each other in a neutral state because of all of the violence that was occurring. “The matches against South Africa played an integral part in maintaining Nigeria’s national identity. There was a match in 1963 that actually had over 100,000 spectators and it is the same way today in a match against South Africa. In the eyes of a Nigerian if their team loses than their country has also lost in the competition and they will be inferior to that nation until they can beat them at this game.

Nationalism is a saying that is different for any country that you are talking about and it could mean totally opposite things depending on which side of the fence you are on. The people of Nigeria have been through a lot of hard times in their history and they are still one of the most nationalistic people in the world today. It seems like most of the ideas that are nationalistic come from events that have happened in the past. “A nation is a soul, a spiritual principle. Only two things, actually, constitute this soul, this spiritual principle. One is the past” the other is in the present.”(http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ni.html). Nigerians definitely have a very rich past and they seem to have the will to hold on to all of these customs and the culture that has been handed down through the generations. Hopefully one day a Nigerian will be able to claim that he is part of his own nation and separate from all others.

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Paradise Lost: The Heroic Satan Essay

Essay on Paradise Lost

The stories that people today and people back in history have been taught about religion and the fall of Satan are relatively the same. God is the savior, the king, and the almighty power. He is an unseen leader whose power we worship, one who is of an understanding nature and blessed character. What we have been taught about Satan and his followers has never gone far from what the Bible has always told us. Satan is a dark character, a selfish, jealous, and powerless creature that tries to bring people to his hell and make them as miserable as he is himself. It would appear that Milton tried to disprove this assumption- it seems he instead portrayed Satan as a powerful, heroic and magnificent being. God can be interpreted as far and few choose to believe- dark, emotionless, egotistical, and unforgiving. Although this was not necessarily his aim, the way that he wrote it left it open to many different interpretations.

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Milton’s word choices and his character development make Satan's character an object of curiosity. The reader is swayed to be attracted to Satan’s appeal, if not his power. Satan's character is strong-minded, intellectual, and at times, philosophical. Milton does not portray the fault of Satan's fall on lack of intelligence, or weakness of character- it is more a simple acceptance of evil. Satan says, "So farewell Hope And with Hope farewell Fear Farewell Remorse: all Good to me is lost Evil be thou my Good," (Milton, IV. 109-111). Milton summarizes Satan's acceptance of evil best, saying that the profoundest Hell will receive a new leader, one who possesses a mind that cannot be changed. (I. 29-31)

Satan’s 'heroic' ambition and courage is shown throughout the story and are accepted as his characteristics. Milton made each character with their own distinctive and descriptive personalities. The beginning of book one is where you first see Milton begin to identify exactly
what traits will belong to each character.

The mother of mankind, what time his pride had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host of rebel angels, by whose aid aspiring to set himself in glory above his peers, He trusted to have equaled the Most High, If he opposed; and with ambitious aim against the throne and monarchy of God, raised impious war in Heaven and battle proud with vain attempt. (Milton, I. 36-49).

Satan did not like the way things were being run and he wanted to challenge authority, so he decided to make a change. These are all examples of human faults, of feelings and attempts that are made by humans. Could it be that Milton wants us to relate to Satan so he gives him human thoughts and characteristics? He is resourceful, intelligent, and an eloquent leader. He values freedom and knowledge over servitude. He is not afraid to break away from what he has been told to believe and is proud, vain and ambitious. Are those not human traits as well? Milton may have presented him in this way for many different reasons. He may be portraying Satan attractively because evil is attractive; and if it were not, then there would not be quite so much of it in the world. The characters of Paradise Lost may be interpreted many different ways, depending on what you are reading and what time period it was written in. Milton's original ambition may have not been to define Satan's character so drastically, but his works were often taken out of one time period and put into another with totally different religious and biblical beliefs and thesis.

Although on the surface Satan seems heroic and easily befriending, that very well may be one of Milton’s talents; getting him to seem trustworthy and worth following. More so, this relates humans in general to Adam and Eve and their vulnerability. Eve trusted him and believed what he said, and so easily we are also led into believing his ambition is worthy and his plight is admirable. In all reality, he is trying to take down God, the ultimate good.

Milton’s poem epitomizes human action and expression through otherworldly tales. Paradise Lost is about deception, ambition, evil, and the difference between what we are led to believe and the actual reality of things. Often we can be led into believing something due to a great leader and an eloquent speaker. Milton shows us the danger in following what we feel is right in the moment, opposed to what we have been taught for years and years.

The questions that Milton's Paradise Lost presents are open-ended and unanswerable. They are the questions that scholars and religious figures have been trying to answer for hundreds of thousands of years. However thought provoking he may be, Milton leaves us with an unsaid statement, a declaration. Since the beginning of time, humans have been susceptible to evil and deceit. They have been led into uncertainty and darkness by a friendly ally or a masked danger. In a world of seeming invincibility, the inability to distinguish the identity of a true Satan and the fear of the unknown can still humble even the strongest man.

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