Bibilical Illusions With The Novel Cry Essay Example for Free

Bibilical Illusions With The Novel Cry Essay Biblical reference within the story Cry the Beloved Country Many times in literary pieces, allusions are put in novels, used to foreshadow the ending of a book. The most common types of allusions are those from the bible. This is probably because many are familiar with the bible and its stories. The goal of foreshadowing is to provide a way for the reader to think more about the big picture, rather than what is happening page by page. In the novel, Cry the Beloved County, allusions to the Bible are very apparent and hold high significance in the story. The character Absalom shows tremendous similarities to the Biblical Absalom and almost seem to be made out of the same mold. Steven Kumalo from the novel and the simple man Job from the bible are tested in the same way and come out in the end in the same way. Biblical Absalom is essentially wronged by his half-brother Amnon, when his half brother forced his sister Tamar to sleep with him. Similarly Absalom Kumalo is wronged by his fathers, brothers, son, Matthew, when he will not admit to the court that he was an accessory to murder. Basically, both are wronged by a close family member, Biblical Absalom by his brother, and Absalom Kumalo by his cousin. In both stories, though not shown in depth, the men show a close trusting relationship with the one whom have wronged them. Before Amnon slept with his sister Tamar, Biblical Absalom would have no reason not to trust his brother, just as Absalom Kumalo would not doubt his cousin whom aided him in the murder. Later on, both men find out that, Amnon and Matthew are in it for themselves, not unlike both Absaloms. Absalom Kumalo shot Arthur Jarvis with the intentions of becoming richer. Even though Biblical Absalom killed his brother for sleeping with his sister, with Amnon dead, Absalom would inherit his fathers throne. (Bible p372-380) (Ward pp.188-189) In retrospect, both men were ultimately driven to commit the murder. Absalom Kumalo probably felt that if a white man can underhand him, and deny him money, then he deserves some of his fortune. So because whites men, kept blacks unskilled and did not allow them the same rights, many rebelled against the whites. In the same frame of mind, biblical Absaloms hatred for his brother was built up until he decided to go through with his murder. Even though Absalom Kumalo shot the white man on accident, he was doing it for his own gain. He went into the  house with the intention of stealing and instead shot a white man out of fear. Though it may seem that he regretted what he had done, which he in some ways did, his crime could not be fully repented. More than anything he probably wishes for Arthur Jarvis to be alive. He doesnt feels bad about killing him, he simply does not want to deal with the consequences. Biblical Absalom plans out the murder of his brother when he has him over for dinner. Neither men regret killing a man that was as family to them. (Bible p372-380) (Davis p184) Biblical Absalom murdered his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar two years earlier. Absalom Kumalo, on the same note, accidentally murdered a white man, while attempting to rob him. Absalom Kumalo, like biblical Absalom essentially murdered his own brother. Arthur Jarvis, the man Absalom Kumalo shot, was like a brother to the black men. He devoted his life to make a difference in blacks rights in South Africa. For both men, the act of murder on their part, ultimately led to their own demise. Biblical Absalom killed his brother Amnon and when king David found out that Absalom had indeed killed his brother Amnon. After the murder, both men flee the scene. Absalom Kumalo, runs because the price for killing a white man is high. Biblical Absalom flees because he also knows, that if he stays, hash consequences will be enforced. (Bible p372-380) Eventually, both man are captured and die in an unusual manner against both their fathers wishes. Absalom Kumalo is hung for his crime, so as to set an example. Though, the hanging of Absalom is not so strange in itself, its almost foretold in the biblical story of Absalom. After biblical Absalom flees his home on a horse, his head gets caught in a tree while passing under. This act is almost too familiar. As biblical Absalom dies with his body off the ground, struggling to get down, Absalom Kumalo dies with his head in a noose, and body dangling above the ground. (Bible p372-380) (Davis p184) In the bible, Job is developed as a man whom would never speak ill of god. Job is tested by Satan, who believes that Job will curse God if his prosperity is taken away. Satan kills Jobs children and all of his livestock, but Job does not lose his faith. Satan then takes away Job health by planting boils all over his body. Job eventually become very disappointed with his life and curses the day he was born. This is a classic example of how no man is perfect and when  Steven was introduced into Cry, the Beloved Country, he seemed to strive for perfection just as Job had in the bible. Job in theory seemed perfect but, Satan proved Job not to be, just as Stevens family proved him not to be. (Davis pp.265-272) (Bible p572-600) When brought into the story, both Steven and Job seem to be perfect and upright men. Steven, as a simple black parson and Job, as a upright man whom has shown no flaws. Though Stevens flaws are shown early on the novel, Cry, the Beloved County, he is still seen as a good man. Both men are examples of how bad things sometimes happen to good people. They both try to be the best men they can be, by fixing others mistakes and trying to be good people. Job offered burnt offerings to god everyday for his children who may have cursed god in their hearts and Steven prayed everyday to repent the sins of others and his own. The main thing that made these men eligible to lose so much, was because they had gained so much earlier in life. Though Steven want a rich man, he was far better off than any man in his village, and Job was a very prosperous man and looked well upon by god. (Davis pp.265-272) (Bible p572-600) Since Job was thought so highly of by God, he was tested by Satan in order to see if he would lose his faith. Steven Kumalo is tested in the same way as Job. Steven receives a letter from a priest informing him with the news that his sister, Gertrude, is sick. He leaves his normal life in the valley and travels to the city, with the intentions of bringing her home. When he arrives there, he is confronted with the horrifying news that she is selling herself to men. Steven goes in search of his son Absalom, and eventually finds him. Absalom had shot a white man and is sentence to be hung. Everything that went on in Jhonnaneburg hurt Steven and just like Job, he is tortured to the point where he will break if anything else were to happen. (Bible p572-600) (Ward p.222) In the end, though both men had lost practically everything they cared about, Steven his son and sister, and Job all his children and his prosperity, but then things got significantly better. Steven loses a son but gains a daughter carrying baby, and his sister Gertrudes son. Job loses all his children but gains ten new children and all his livestock back. Its an interesting coincidence how both men lose their child or children, but as they regain faith, new children are restored to them. (Davis pp.265-272)  (Bible p572-600) Paton used the name Absalom as an allusion in the story. His goal was probably to allow people to see into the future of Absaloms mortality. When I first read the story of Absalom, I didnt any definite similarities but as the stories start intertwining, I understood why he used the name Absalom for Stevens son. Absalom in general was a greedy boy, who really thought he deserved more and makes the mistake of killing a man which ultimately leads to his own death. Job and Steven, on the other hand, are generally men who strived to be good men. They were tested with their faith and both men failed, but they do gain their faith back, and their happiness along with it.

More Sympathy for the Creature than Frankenstein Essay -- Mary Shelley

The novel, Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley and was first published in the year 1818. Although it was supposedly a failure at the time it was released, (a time of many scientific advances, especially in human anatomy), the novel has never gone out of print and certain questions about the book have never, and most likely, will never be answered. In the essay I hope to give my view on the question: which of the two characters does the reader have most sympathy for, Frankenstein or the creature. Victor Frankenstein’s narration of the novel immediately puts the reader into his exclusive mindset, and therefore we are only given his feelings and his perspective on the events. This being so, we are more easily able to sympathise with his predicament. For instance, we are able to find sympathy for him at the news of his brother’s death, and indeed the rest of his family. The suffering that Victor goes through here is characteristic of this type of gothic novel, and is common in romantic fiction. We also feel sorry for Victor as he had â€Å"worked hard for nearly two years† in the process, ruining his health and depriving himself of rest, only for the â€Å"beauty of the dream† to vanish with the animation of the creature. He uses personification to make his â€Å"dream† seem more important, and to make his loss more sharply felt. Of course, Victor’s narration adds emphasis to his suffering, something that he does not do when referring to the creature, or if he does it is to emphasise the creatures â€Å"inhumanity† etc. If it were the creature narrating, I believe that the events would be given in a more two sided fashion. Victors narration changes the perspective in which we perceive the novel. Victor is constantly seeking to gain more sympath... ...e of language of Montavert, indicates that he bears the creature hatred, due to his use of words and phrases, â€Å"abhorred monster, fiend that thou art!† words such as â€Å"fiend† sound especially harsh due to the use of the letter F, followed by a vowel. Also the word: â€Å"abhorred can be elongated to give a similar, disdainful effect. I believe that the creature is far more worthy of sympathy than Frankenstein , especially at the beginning before he has committed any crimes. At this stage he is entirely innocent, and so any hatred towards him is irrational, just like hatred towards a newborn child is irrational. However Frankenstein shunned the creature, and this act is extremely hard to forgive, many of Frankenstein’s other mistakes are entirely forgivable, and are part of being human, but this act, was truly monstrous, making Frankenstein impossible to give sympathy to.

Similarities Between Men and Women

Sociology of Women October 18th, 2012 Are men and women more similar or different from each other? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each position? If not a gender dichotomy (male/female), then what? Can we unlearn, as a culture, the ins and outs of gender? Is gender a question of exclusion or is it a question of difference? Women and Men are more similar than people believe them to be. People focus on the evident physical differences we see on a daily basis in men and women.Women are commonly described to have breasts, a vagina, and are considered more â€Å"voluptuous† or curvy than men, Whereas men are known for their manly tools, their penis, and all the preconceived social and cultural notions that go along with that. However, aside from these minor physical differences men and women are innately the same. Although most people do not realize this, the only legitimate difference that is scientifically proven between men and women is that a woman’s body contai ns two X chromosomes and a man’s contains an X and Y chromosome (Connell, 2012, pg. 1). This biological difference then allows a woman’s body to develop slightly differently to enable reproduction, such as a womb, breasts, and wider pelvis. A man then develops testes but surprisingly both men and women’s genitals come from the same embryonic tissue. In other words biologically a penis and clitoris, scrotum and labia, come from the exact same starting place, and until people age these physical characteristics aren’t drastically visibly different (Connell, 2012, pg. 52).One of the most ridiculous arguments about the differences between men and women comes back to our hormones. Many people are taught the differences between men and women throughout popular culture and education but not similarities. We are taught that our gendered bodies do not share any of the same physical characteristics. Men should be buff, taller, and able to do more in terms of strengt h while women should be graceful, dainty, caregivers that are objects to look at. Most people are unaware of all the commonalities that men and women share.In fact our hormones function in the same ways, and there are not â€Å"male† or â€Å"female† hormones. The difference is the levels and patterns our hormones take on. Men generally have higher levels of androgens such as testosterone whereas women have higher levels of reproductive organs at certain points. What most people are unaware of is that the same reproductive hormones present in women also work in men to enable the process of sperm production (Women's Studies Collective, 2005, pg. 87). There is a huge overlap in the levels and process our bodies take on.As explained in the text, â€Å"Even in early adulthood the physical characteristics of males and females as a group overlap extensively† (Connell, 2009, pg. 52). Height is used as an example, because adult men are generally slightly taller than adu lt women, but the variety of heights within each biological group is large, in relation to the average difference. Many argue that the build of a man and a woman are completely different. It is true that men on average grow about 10 to 15 percent larger than females and tend to have more upper body strength, but in comparison to other mammals the margin is slim.Universities across the United States are providing new research that suggests it was similarities among men and women of our early ancestors, not differences which helped early humans evolve to become the dominant species that we are. To understand the similarities of men and women you must understand that sex is a biological categorization based primarily on reproductive potential, whereas gender is the social elaboration of biological sex. Not surprisingly, social norms for heterosexual coupling and care of any resulting children are closely intertwined with gender.But that is far from the full story. Gender builds on biol ogical sex, but it exaggerates biological difference, and it carries biological difference into domains in the world which it is completely irrelevant. There is no biological reason, for example, why women should take more delicate roles in the world and men should dominate in society, or why women should have red toenails and men should not, but as we consider sex as biological and gender as social, this difference is not clear-cut.Men and women require the same types of emotional and physical care from the time of birth to adulthood, in order to remain healthy and functioning members of society. Both male and female brains are exactly the same. An argument that is commonly seen about the male and female brain is that on average a man’s brains grows for a bit longer and are a bit larger than females, but aside from the slight size difference both a male and females brain can function the same way. Size does not relate to function. Both men and women go through life trying to fulfill a desire to have emotional connections with others.Whether these are positive or negative emotional connections based on the persons experiences, men and women still try to fulfill the same voids. Men and women also require the same physical care from birth to adulthood. Both men and women need to be physically cared for in order to survive. Men and women both require the basic needs to have food, water, shelter, and personal hygiene in order to maintain their health. Without one of these things either sex could die. This is explained clearly is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which explains that you satisfy your biological needs before your personal and social needs.According to Maslow, when it comes to satisfying your needs, you begin at the bottom of the needs hierarchy, with physiological needs, and then work your way toward the top. Every level on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains needs that both men and women require such as Level 1-Physiological needs: Food, water, sex, and sleep, Level 2-Safety needs: Protection from harm, Level 3- Love and belonging needs: Affiliation with others and acceptance by others, Level 4-Esteem needs: Achievement, competency, gaining approval and recognition, Level 5- Self-actualization: Fulfillment of one’s unique potential (Plotnik ; Kouyoumdjian, 2011, pg. 33). Another huge argument regarding the differences between men and women is sexual behaviors and urges. However, it is becoming more obvious that both men and women have the same sexual desires and urges and it’s becoming more socially acceptable for both man and woman to engage in these behaviors in Western Society. In previous times men were described to have more sexual urges and behaviors than women which excused them from any promiscuous behavior they engaged in. However, if a woman chose to do similar things she ould be shunned and looked down upon because she was being â€Å"too promiscuous† or a â€Å"whore. à ¢â‚¬  Reality is that both men and women have very complex sexual lives, with few major differences. Often time’s differences are seen across sexes because of societal and cultural beliefs within that community. If a woman having sex with more than one partner is considered a sin and dirty in many cultures these instances are kept quiet to keep order. The same goes with a man, but often only men’s sexual tales are spoken of as less sinful.Society proves time and time again to be sexual biased on what is acceptable for men and women. Men and women are both simply results of societal and cultural upbringing. A woman in a Western society versus a Middle-Eastern society would behave differently due to family, beliefs, values, and Religion. Strengths for a man versus a woman are based on personal beliefs. I think that both men and women have too many similarities to not be considered equal, but there are not enough strong-willed women such as myself with the same thought p rocess.Western culture presents men as stronger physically, and ultimately the bread winner, where a woman is considered a caregiver, and delicate. It’s very hard to explain the strengths and weaknesses of two different sexes that are innately the same. A dichotomy is any splitting of a whole into exactly two non-overlapping parts, meaning a gender dichotomy is a procedure in which biological sex is divided into two parts, male and female. Societies around the world use a gender dichotomy to keep order and help better organize and understand sex and gender.Although with how much evidence there is on both man and woman overlapping we have no use for a gender dichotomy, and yet society remains the same to keep gender in order. With the elimination of a gender dichotomy society may eventually be able to see both man and woman as equal, but truth is we are still so far from that. In order to eliminate the separation of biological sex into two parts people would need to unlearn wh at they know about gender, which is far from happening. As a culture to unlearn something mass groups of people need to step forward with new information proving the previous to be wrong.However, feminism is still a growing movement with small numbers, and in order to make social change, sadly enough, we need large numbers of people to explain the facts. If people understood the real depths of feminism and what it entails in a positive way, The Feminist movement could help move forward how people view men and women as more similar than different. Human beings are like sponges for knowledge, and are able to obtain new information to help remove the old, so I am not saying that it is impossible to unlearn the ins and outs of gender, I am simply saying that as most progression does, it will take time.References Connell, R. (2012). Short introductions gender. (2nd ed. , pg. 50-71). Massachusetts, USA: Polity Press. Women's Studies Collective, H. C. (2005). Women's Realities, Women's Cho ices- An Introduction to Women's Studies. (3rd ed. , pg. 85-87). New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Plotnik, R. , ; Kouyoumdjian, H. (2011). Introduction to Psychology. (9th ed. , p. 333). Belmont, CA, USA: Wadsworth- Cengage Learning.

U.S. History 1865 to 1945 Worksheet Essay - 1175 Words

U.S. History 1865 to 1945 Worksheet Matrices Using the information from your textbook and classroom discussion complete the following matrices. 1. Era of Reconstruction Matrix While completing the Matrix, contrast presidential reconstruction plans with congressional reconstruction. Note key people, major dates, policies, and outcomes for the New South. If necessary, additional rows may be added to the matrix. Plan Key People Dates Policies Outcomes Lincoln’s 10%Plan Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson Congress General William Tecumseh Sherman John Wilkes Booth 1860-1864 Wade-Dave Bill The freeman’s bureau Proclamation and Amnesty and Reconstruction The Ten-Percent Plan was more of a political†¦show more content†¦Income tax National The incorporation of income taxes help build government revenue and redistribute wealth. Short Answer Using the information from your textbook and classroom discussion, prepare a minimum of 200-word response to the following questions: 1. To what extent did the Era of Reconstruction create a New South? On December 8, 1863, approximately 16 months before the North defeated the South in the Civil War, Lincoln issued a proclamation that laid out his vision of Reconstruction. For example, laws were passed requiring Southern states to adopt new constitutions in conformity with the U.S. Constitution, and to ratify the 14th Amendment and grant blacks the right to vote. This was a drastic change because before the reconstruction era African Americans were slaves and were not allowed to vote. The South entire society was impacted by the Era of Reconstruction from the way they lived to how they made a living. The Reconstruction Era implemented various changes to the South as for as the workforce with a great emphasis on cash crops the majority of the crops grown in the South were being imported. African-Americans also were giving the right to actively participate in the government. A Rise of Merchants stores in the south sprang up around plantations to sell supplies on credit which allowed t hem to build a clientele and make money. 2. What impact did theShow MoreRelated1000 Word Essay85965 Words   |  344 PagesDuties, Responsibilities and Authority .................. NCO History ........................................ NCOER / ERS ....................................... Promotions and Reductions .............................. Leaves and Passes .................................... Military Justice ...................................... Code of Conduct ..................................... Geneva Convention ................................... U.S. Constitution ..................................... Guard DutyRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pagesother pockets, which are primarily non-project-driven, may be slow in their acceptance. Kombs Engineering In June 1993, Kombs Engineering had grown to a company with $25 million in sales. The business base consisted of two contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), one for $15 million and one for $8 million. The remaining $2 million consisted of a variety of smaller jobs for $15,000 to $50,000 each. The larger contract with DOE was a five-year contract for $15 million per year. The