Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Fate Symbolism Essay Example for Free

Fate Symbolism Essay Some people believe that each step steps on the way of life is predetermined through the beginning to the end, and people are powerless to resist it. The main character who is the narrator of the short novel, â€Å"A Woman Like Me† by Xi Xi, is trying to convey to us the same concept which is called the fate. She has been an orphan since she was very young, and she and her brother were raised by her Aunt Yifen. Her aunt has so much pressure that she pays less attention on their education, so when the narrator grows up, she lets her inherit their familial skill which is making up for dead. All of these elements lead her life into a miserable fate. From the psychological description of herself, I found that in the depth of her heart, she actually doesn’t want to surrender to her fate, but wants to have friendship and love. In my opinion, our life, whatever love or death, are seem arranged by fate, but we can try our best to alter it and change it. As in the story, although the narrator considers that all the things happened in her life is arranged by fate and she is â€Å"totally powerless to resist Fate† (152), I think most of the misfortunes happened in her life are root in her timidity. The reasons that makes her lacks of courage are her self-abased and doesn’t want to violate her family’s custom. In my opinion, our fate is in our own hand. When she faces the point of transition of fate, she doesn’t have enough courage to change her own fate because of her self-abased, but in the depth of her heart, she is really want to change her destiny. In story she describes herself, â€Å"I’m a person who has no concept of self-protection, and my words and deeds will always conspire to make me a laughing stock in the eyes of others† (152). Her character make people around her can’t accept her and laugh at her. It makes her who originally is self-abased because of low education become more self-abased. Her despaired emotion is expressed many times in the story, â€Å"A woman like me is actually unsuitable for any man’s love† (152). The word, â€Å"actually†, was said with her realistic helpless. She has no confidence to fall in love with a man. She thinks her fate is decided that she can do nothing for it. However, when the narrator who originally surrenders to the fate sees the boy suicide for love, she unexpectedly feels shame of him and refuses to make up for him. She thinks that â€Å"his had been act of extreme weakness: †¦ I should have nothing to do with anyone who lacked the courage to resist the forces of fate.† (157) Her view of other’s fate reflect the real idea in her depth heart. When she face the situation of other people, she is very clear that people should have courage to resist the force of fate. As a Chinese proverb said: â€Å"The spectators understand the chess game better than the players.† When she faces that boy, she is feels humiliating with his weakness. We can find her aspire and insist of love. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the courage to ins ist her own love. Thus, it is her self-abased make her yell of fate can only leave in the depth of her heart and can’t let it into action. Another reason that makes her hesitates on the edge of fighting to change her fate is she asserted Chinese traditional ideology by family. In one hand, she wants to control her life, but on the other hand some traditional ideas are still leave in her mind. At that time in Hong Kong, because of the Colonization of Britain, many people were influenced by the concept of western culture which was that people could control their life and changed their fate by themselves, but the concept of her family was quite different. The narrator’s family is from the main land of China. Her father and her aunt are all cosmeticians that make up for dead which is the skill that handed down from their ancestors, so in the traditional concept, it must have a person in the family to inherit this skill and her Aunt Yifen choose her as the successor. However, the society also influences her so much. She describes the society as a â€Å"greed-consumed, dog-eat-dog world† (154). From how she describes the society, we can find out most people in that society are all struggling to survive in that competitive world. They don’t follow the fate but create and change it by themselves. Under the influence of the surrounding, she once has thought about many other works she can do, such as â€Å"work as saleswoman in a shop, or sell bakery products, or even be a maid in someone’s home† (160), but finally, she still afraid of to compete with others in that cruel society and follow her fate that decided by her family. On the contrary, I don’t believe that fate is not changeable. I think the destiny is in my hand. In the story, the narrator is so weak that she predicts her fate is predetermined and yields to her fate. She and her Aunt Yifen have the same occupation, and she has already seen her aunt’s miserable fate, so she pessimistically thinks that her â€Å"fate and Aunt Yifen’s are one and same.† (159) She is still young and nobody know what will happen in the future, but she give up at first. I believe that opportunities are for the people who are prepared. If she gives up trying and working hard, she won’t grasp the opportunity to change her fate, even the opportunity has coming. As we know that America is country that full of opportunities for people who work hard to change their fate. That is the reason I came to study in America. As an international student whose first language isn’t English is real tough to success in academic. However, like most of other international students, I know that I need to keep studying hard and never stop. Once I hesitate, I will fall behind of others because everyone keeps fighting and struggling in this competitive society. Therefore, I believe that fate is in my own hand. In conclusion, I really feel regressive for her. If she cares less about other’s view of her, she will have courage to save her love; if she put away her traditional idea, she will have courage to find a new job; if she becomes more confidence, she will against her miserable fate and start a new life. To me, I will have the courage. Stand up from where I fall down and keep working hard, I believe my fate will be different.

Monday, January 20, 2020

The Analysis Of The Profane And Sacred In John Donnes Poems The Flea

John Donne who is considered to be one of the wittiest poets of the seventeenth century writes the metaphysical poem "The Flea" and the religious poem "Holy Sonnet 14". In both poems, Donne explores the two opposing themes of physical and sacred love; in his love poem "The Flea," he depicts the speaker as an immoral human being who is solely concerned with pleasing himself, where as in his sacred poem "Holy Sonnet 14" Donne portrays the speaker as a noble human being because he is anxious to please God. In the book The Divine Poems, writer Helen Gardner supports this fact as she argues, "His Maker is more powerfully present to the imagination in his divine poems than any mistress is in his love poems" (Pg-2). Overall, it seems that both these poems operate on many different levels as the rhyme scheme in both poems varies from iambic tetrameter and pentameter to the Petrarchan sonnet form. Donne employs wit as well as complex paradoxes, which are symbolic of the strong opposing dr ives at play in his poetry, and abstract conceits to further complicate the subject matter in both his poems. This is evident to the reader as in "The Flea" Donne presents the notion of carnal love through religious expressions, where as in "Holy Sonnet 14" he depicts the notion of divine love through sexual expressions. Hence, Donne does an excellent job in revealing the fact that in "The Flea," the speaker appears to be arrogant, selfish, and disrespectful towards women. He is self absorbed and only cares about fulfilling his sexual fancy, while the speaker in "Holy Sonnet 14" comes across as a humble human being, who is worried about pleasing God. John Donne deliberately makes his metaphysical love poem "The Flea" light-hearted by using humour t... ... pure is when God takes him hostage and rapes him. Therefore, in the sacred poem "Holy Sonnet 14," the speaker seems to be overly concerned with pleasing God, which is why he addresses him so passionately and sincerely. In "Holy Sonnet 14" the speaker comes across as completely spiritual and devoted to God, which suggests that devotional love is deeper as well as more meaningful than earthly love because the speaker possesses positive traits as he is unselfish and only concerned about pleasing God. Where as the speaker in "The Flea," seems to possess negative traits as he appears to be extremely inconsiderate and selfish. Bibliography Alvarez, A. The School of Donne. New York: Pantheon Books, 1961. Gardner, Helen. The Divine Poems London: Oxford University Press, 1978. Novarr, David. The Disinterred Muse. London: Cornell University Press, 1980.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Langston Hughes- Salvation

Langston Hughes- Salvation Salvation, how many people actually know what it truly means? Better yet, how many times do citizens hear that salvation is the answer to all problems? This, yes, is true, but how many times are Christians encouraged to accept salvation without knowing what they are doing. Langston caught in the middle, sits on the ‘mourners’ bench’ waiting to hear Christ, waiting to feel The Lord, and waiting to somehow see Jesus. In Langston Hughes’ short story Salvation, one is reminded of the biggest controversy found in churches. In this story, the author presents many themes: Man vs.Man, Man vs. Self, and Faith vs. Religion. In Langston Hughes’ Salvation, the themes Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, and Faith vs. Religion are shown through the characters, setting, and all its symbolism. The theme Man vs. Man is shown through the characters. Langston, as a Protagonist, who is a young boy, was told by his aunt that â€Å"you could feel and he ar Jesus in your soul† (Hughes, pg. 534), sits patiently, waiting to literally feel and hear Jesus. Langston was in a conflict with his aunt, the deacons, the crying old ladies, and the pastor because they wanted him to stand and accept salvation on their terms.Langston feels and thinks differently. He waits to see his Lord, feel his Lord’s presence, and hear his Lord’s voice. Instead, he hears the pastor saying over and over â€Å"why don’t you come? My dear child, why don’t you come to Jesus? † (Hughes, pg. 534) After seeing his friend, he finally decides to get up just to make the church happy. Later on in the story he is very sad because deep down he knows that he has lied to the whole congregation and decides he doesn’t believe in the Lord. Many, just like Langston, are in conflict with the church and Leaders.Many don’t hear the â€Å"Saviors† voice audibly; therefore, they follow the voices that are heard. Just like Langston, many begin to doubt that a true God exist because he can’t be seen or heard. Along with Man vs. Man, the theme Man vs. Self is also shown in the setting. Langston fought with himself internally because he struggled with not knowing what to do. He knows what to expect, and what he had expected didn’t come. Which is why, he struggles internally with himself especially since he is in the church where he thinks the Lord should be at and show himself to Langston.Langston wanted the Lord, he wanted Salvation but he wants â€Å"proof,† that The Lord exist. Langston waits to feel, hear, and see the Lord He knows how to make the church happy by lying about him being saved but he knows that he truly wasn’t. He sits on the mourners’ bench surrendering all and waiting for the Lord to find him; but, he did not realize that he was conflicted on the inside. This is shown the night he was crying in the room. The church is an important place which seems to be why he does not seem to show how he truly feels.At home he seems to be free and expresses his true emotions about the situation but behind closed doors to himself. He struggles with himself. He feels badly for lying to the whole church. At the same time he thinks how he would let them down and tell them he lied after hearing his aunt speak to her husband saying how he has the Lord in him. He has this struggle with himself throughout the whole story. Additionally, the theme Faith vs. Religion is also shown by the use of symbolism, which interrelates with the story.As Langston states in the short story, a revival is going on at his Aunts church. Revival is a time where the reawakening of religious fervor happens. As in the story, readers believe that the symbolism behind Revivals pressured Langston to accept salvation. Revival is portrayed as a symbol of Christianity; and, in Langston’s positions, he accepted salvation because he felt the pressure of being in a church and also being among many who have come to seek revival. Of course, when at a revival, church goers repent and accept Christ.The pressure of being in a church and the pressure of the people around the main character, Langston, pushed him to accept Salvation. Langston had the weight of the church pushing him to get up and walk to the platform. The use of symbolism, we are reminded of the Religion vs. Faith theme. The pastor used his authoritative figure to pressure young Langston to stand up and walk towards him. He, the pastor, sang the words â€Å"why don’t you come to Jesus† while holding his hands out to Langston. Is the Pastor supposed to represent Jesus?In the end, Langston was â€Å"saved from his sin†, but at the same time, â€Å"not truly saved. † Humans, tend to let their surroundings influence who they are and where we end up in life. Langston’s story portrays the life and how people live it. He portrays it by falling into peer pressure; the n in the end, not being able to fully accept his choice which leads to not believing there was ever a Jesus. Many themes can wrap up the short story Salvation; Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, and Faith vs. Religion through the character, setting and use of symbolism wraps up the story in those three aspects of literature.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Lamarcks Influence on the Development of Darwins Theory...

Lamarcks Influence on the Development of Darwins Theory of Evolution Dec. 4 1996 Marc Weinstein There have been many ideas on the theory of evolution. Some simply take our existence for granted, others prefer to explain all evolution in terms of the bible and the presence of a God. However, there are those who have researched the topic of evolution and have offered an explanation as to where a species comes from and how they evolved in the manner that they did. This type of science has been studied for a very, very long time, and one of the most famous minds in the field of evolution was a man named Charles Darwin. Darwin was not the first one to offer theories on evolution. There have been many scientists who preceded him. These†¦show more content†¦Lamarcks theory on inheritance of acquired characteristics is not that much different, infact, Lamarckism has occasionally been mistaken for Darwinism. Darwin did indeed take Lamarcks inheritance of characteristics theory and modify it so that he improved upon it. This shows how Lamarck influenced Darwin to create the natural selection theory. It did not stop there, though. Lamarck also influenced Darwin with the idea of transmutation, and prompted Darwin to theorize on that aspect of evolution as well. Transmutation was an idea resulting in the problem that Lamarck faced when dealing with the apparent extinction of a species. To Lamarck, extinction was not a possibility. Lamarck believed that extinction could not occur because then it would mean that God created an imperfect being, which was not a possibility for Lamarck. One purpose for the theory of transmutation was to offer an explanation for the apparent ‘disappearance of a species. The theory was that out of inherited characteristics, a species would undergo change. Each generation would continue to change because inheritance of traits would always occur. Eventually, over a very gradual amount of time, the species would evolve so dramatically, that the new adaptations would bear little or no resemblance to the original species.(Ospovat, 1981) Darwin, who incorpo rated this idea, modified it slightly. To Darwin, extinction was very much aShow MoreRelatedLamarcks Influence Upon Charles Darwins Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection1928 Words   |  8 Pagesbeen many ideas on the theory of evolution. Some simply take our existence for granted, others prefer to explain all evolution in terms of the bible and the presence of a God. However, there are those who have researched the topic of evolution and have offered an explanation as to where a species comes from and how they evolved in the manner that they did. 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