Is King Lear Nihilistic or Hopeful Free Essays

Is King Lear nihilistic or hopeful? Satisfying, hopeful, and redemptive: some critics would say that these adjectives belong nowhere near a description of King Lear. One critic, Thomas Roche, even states that the play’s ending is â€Å"as bleak and unrewarding as man can reach outside the gates of hell† (164). Certainly, Roche’s pessimistic interpretation has merit; after all, Lear has seen nearly everyone he once cared for die before dying himself. We will write a custom essay sample on Is King Lear Nihilistic or Hopeful? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although this aspect of the play is true, agreeing with this negative view requires a person to believe that Lear learns nothing and that he suffers and dies in vain. Indeed, this is exactly what Roche believes when he states that at the play’s end, â€Å"Lear still cannot tell good from evil . . . or true from false† (164). This nihilistic approach, however, not only disregards many of the play’s moments of philosophical insight, but it also completely misinterprets Shakespeare’s intent. That is not to say that Lear is without fault at the end of the play; as Shakespeare surely understood, Lear is still human, and as such, he is subject to human frailty. What is most important about Lear, however, is not that he dies a flawed man but that he dies an improved man. Therefore, although King Lear might first appear â€Å"bleak,† Shakespeare suggests that Lear’s life, and human life in general, is worth all of its misery because it is often through suffering that people gain knowledge about the true nature of their individual selves and about the nature of all humanity (Roche 164). From the very beginning of the play, Shakespeare suggests that King Lear has much to learn. As Maynard Mack explains in his essay â€Å"Action and World in King Lear,† the reader/audience is immediately invited to sense that Lear is â€Å"too deeply . . . omfortable and secure in his ‘robes and furr’d gowns’, in his rituals of authority and deference . . . and in his childish charades† (170). In other words, there is an immediate sense that Lear is not truly aware of the harsh realities of human life. For instance, when Lear says that he has divided his kingdom into thirds for each daughter so that he can retire and  "Unburthened crawl toward death,† he shows that he is completely lacking in common sense by assuming that his plan will go according to his will and that the transition of power will run smoothly (1. . 43). Almost instantly, Lear is proven foolish when Regan and Goneril â€Å"hit together† and agree to â€Å"do something, and in the heat† to strip their father of any power that he has remaining (1. 1. 306, 311). Mack calls this rapid string of events that follow Lear’s hasty abdication â€Å"the waiting coil of consequences [that] leaps into threatening life,† bringing with it the unmistakable message that Lear was terribly wrong in choosing to reward his false-flattering daughters with the gift of his kingdom (170). Lear’s gift to Goneril and Regan, whose quick deception shows the falseness of their affections toward their father, proves that Lear is unable to see the love, or lack thereof, that others have for him. Likewise, when he becomes enraged at Cordelia after she refuses to flatter him, Lear reveals that he, like Goneril and Regan, is unable to have altruistic love for another person when he says to Cordelia that it would have been â€Å"Better thou/ Hadst not been born than not t’ have pleased me† (1. . 235-236). In essence, his â€Å". . . power [and his love] to flattery bows† and he is only able to love another person when that person appeals to his sense of vanity, so when those who truly do love Lear, namely Cordelia and Kent, refuse to appease his vain nature, Lear banishes them, â€Å"Without grace . . . love . . . or benison† (1. 1. 149, 266). This inability to accept love and relationships â€Å"as their own reward,† Mack states, is Lea r’s fatal flaw (170). Mack argues that relationships can lead to happiness but that they lead to heartache and despair equally as often; in order to have any good relationships, then, a person must accept others for who they are, which is something that Lear is unable and unwilling to do (Mack 170). Indeed, Lear would have been very happy living his remaining years without any meaningful knowledge about love or relationships, surrounding himself in a â€Å"childish charade† of false love and false truth; from this point forward, however, Lear will have to learn the consequences of his blindingly ignorant actions (Mack 170). The ignorance about life and human nature that Lear demonstrates in the play’s first scene, then, leads to his largest mistake, the mistake that serves as a turning point from which all other actions are the direct consequence. As Mack explains, because Shakespeare put the turning point at the beginning of the play, â€Å"The meaning of action [in Lear] lies rather in effects than in antecedents, and particularly in its capacity, as with Lear in the opening scene, to generate energies that will hurl themselves . . . in reverberations of disorder† (170). That is, because Lear’s fatal flaw resents itself early rather than later on in the play—as is customary for Shakespearean tragedy—the meanings and consequences of his actions, as well as Lear’s own thoughts/awareness, have a longer time to evolve. How the early turning point in Lear helps to emphasize Lear’s learning experience is clarified by comparing the play with another Shakespear ean tragedy; the turning point in Othello, for example, occurs in act 3, scene 3 when the seeds of jealousy that Iago has planted throughout the first three acts finally take root inside of Othello’s mind. It is not until this time that Othello’s fatal flaw emerges, when, in a jealous rage, he vows that his bloody thoughts â€Å"Shall nev’r look back . . . / Till a capable and wide revenge / Swallow them [Desdemona and Cassio] up† (3. 3. 454-457). The play is already half over before Shakespeare reveals Othello’s fatal flaw, and it is not until the final scene that Othello learns how gullible he has been. In essence, Othello learns nothing from his experience; he dies in vain, humiliated and heartbroken. In Lear, on the other hand, the main action throughout the entire play revolves around Lear’s painful suffering and his purgatorial learning experience, all stemming, of course, from his rash, ignorant behavior in the first act. In order for Lear to learn from his selfish and ignorant ways, he must first realize that he has been blind to the truth. Lear is served a cold dish of reality when Goneril and Regan disrespectfully refuse to allow their father the privilege of his noble knights, which of course, are the last symbol of his past authority and his kingly pride: GONERIL. Hear me, my lord. What needs you five and twenty? Ten? Or five? To follow in a house where twice so many   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have a command to tend you? REGAN. What need one? (2. 4. 259-263) Not only do these lines represent how Lear’s daughters have contemptuously taken away his remaining power, but they also represent the loss of Lear’s dignity by leaving him a shell of his former self, without a single conciliatory knight left to appease his sense of self-importance. Once this happens, Lear is left enraged and desperate, pridefully stating that even â€Å"our basest beggars / Are in the poorest superfluous† and that he needs â€Å". . . ore than nature needs,† else â€Å"Man’s life is cheap as beast’s† (2. 4. 263-266). In other words, Lear feels that his daughters are treating him like an animal by depriving him of his royal train. Clearly, Lear still clings to the pompous supposition that his needs are above t he needs of the â€Å"basest beggar†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and he still feels like the innocent victim of his daughters’ cruel behavior (2. 4. 263). Even with all of Lear’s continuing faults, however, the seeds of knowledge are beginning to grab hold; it has been painful, but he finally sees that Goneril and Regan’s false tongues had blinded him from their true, unloving natures. That is, when he calls them â€Å"unnatural hags† and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å". . . a disease that’s in my flesh,† he finally sees what love is not (2. 4. 277, 221). In this way, Lear has had his idealized vision of the truth—one where he is flattered, pampered, and adored—painfully stripped away from him; even still, it will take a purgatorial storm and subsequent repentance before Lear learns what the true meaning of love is. Fittingly, as Lear storms out of the castle and into the harsh weather, Regan states that â€Å"the injuries† that â€Å"willful men† do â€Å"themselves procure / Must be their own schoolmasters† (2. . 301-303). What Regan means by this is that the storm will teach Lear that he must swallow his pride, but the statement also foreshadows how Lear will learn something much more important about human nature while he suffers from the elements. In fact, it is in the rage of the storm, interspersed with his own ra ge, that Lear has his first unselfish thoughts, as is evident when he asks the Fool â€Å"How dost my boy? Art cold? † and he (Lear) says to him â€Å"Poor Fool and knave, I have one part in my heart / That’s sorry for you yet† (3. 2. 68, 72-73). Lear further portrays the empathy that he has for others when he stands alone on the heath and, in a moment of heartfelt lucidness, laments over the houseless masses:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From seasons such as these? (3. 4. 28-33) Not only does Lear express sincere concern for others during this soliloquy, but he also expresses regret for the way that he has treated his subjects when he says that â€Å"O, I have ta’en / Too little care of this! (3. 4. 33-34). Indeed, this is the first time in the play that Lear admits any kind of wrongdoing, and as such, it is the first time that he looks inside himself at his own soul and sees that it, like his eldest daughters’ souls, is far from spotless. Following Lear’s profo und insight on the heath, he moves into the hovel where, after meeting Edgar, who is disguised as the beggar Poor Tom, he begins to question the nature of all humanity. When Lear sees Edgar’s cold, shivering, and â€Å"uncovered body,† he asks the eternal question â€Å"Is man no more than this? † (3. 4. 105). When Lear says that â€Å"The unaccomodated man is no more / but such a poor, bare, forked animal,† he is essentially saying that human beings, like their naked bodies, are pitiable creatures (3. 4. 109-110). Likewise, when he proceeds to strip of his garments, he is making the symbolic gesture that he is no better than Poor Tom; that is, he realizes that he, too, is pitiable. Lear’s recognition that his own body is pathetic, the literary critic Paul Jorgensen argues in his book Lear’s Self-Discovery, is Lear’s first insight. Jorgensen argues, â€Å"self-knowledge means understanding the vileness of the flesh†; in order to attain wisdom, he asserts, people must be willing to recognize that they â€Å"are born of the seed of Adam† and as such, are â€Å"impure . . . and abominable before God† (26). Shakespeare, however, does not suggest that Lear is necessarily doomed because he is the Son of Adam. Rather, the episode with Poor Tom in the hovel simply suggests that all of humanity, including its royalty, is flawed; using Lear’s insight as an example, Shakespeare suggests that in order for people to be redeemed by God, they must first realize humankind’s shortcomings and learn to pity one and all. Lear’s compassion toward Edgar’s frailty and his insistence that he have the company of the naked, â€Å"noble philosopher† proves that he has learned more than just empathy and self-awareness; he has also learned to value his relationships with people despite their flaws, regardless of what he might gain from these relationships (3. . 175). Another example of Lear learning altruistic acceptance comes from his relationship with the Fool, who, as A. C. Bradley explains, makes â€Å"incessant and cutting reminders of [Lear’s] folly and wrong†; indeed, Lear gets nothing from the Fool other than insults, such as when the Fool suggests that L ear has â€Å"a little tiny wit† (Bradley 24; 3. 2. 74). Yet despite his lack of reward, Bradley argues, â€Å"Lear comes in his affliction to think of others first, and to seek, in tender solicitude for his ‘poor boy,’ the shelter he scorns for his own bare head† (24). In essence, Lear has learned how to accept his relationships as â€Å"their own reward,† which, as surely Mack would agree, is the first step in learning how to love (Mack 170). Clearly, the relationship that Lear has with his Fool is unusual; in fact, the Fool’s role in the play is so unusual that one critic, Jan Kott, argues in his essay â€Å"King Lear, or Endgame† that the Fool’s character represents the theme of the entire play, namely, â€Å"the decay and fall of the world† (152). In an absurd world where no action has any real meaning, Kott states, the Fool is the only character to realize that â€Å"the only true madness is to regard this world as rational† (167). Certainly, what Kott says about the Fool is correct, to a point. The soliloquy he gives while in the hovel in which he prophesizes that â€Å"the realm of Albion† will â€Å"come to great confusion† certainly proves that the Fool does represent an absurdist viewpoint, but Kott misinterprets Shakespeare’s intent when he states that the play is itself absurd (3. 2. 91-92). One must remember that Shakespeare makes the Fool disappear at the end of act 3 for a reason. Surely, life is meaningless during the first half of the play when Lear blindly lives his life without truly learning anything about the nature of humanity, but as Lear suffers in the third act, he also learns how to feel for the weak and houseless poor, to â€Å"discern the falseness of flattery and the brutality of authority,† and to â€Å"pierce through rank and raiment to the common humanity beneath† (Bradley 24). As a result of learning, Shakespeare suggests, the world—and Lear’s part in it—ceases to be absurd; consequently, the Fool, and his philosophy, quietly disappear. It is by no coincidence that Lear’s suffering and subsequent learning in the third act occur during a miserable storm. In fact, Shakespeare uses the storm as a physical representation of the raging storm of emotions that occurs in Lear’s mind; that is, the â€Å"contentious storm† symbolizes and embellishes what Lear himself calls â€Å"The tempest in my mind† (3. 4. 6,12). Likewise, it is by no coincidence that Goneril, Regan and Cornwall grow worse from their success; they all remain warm, dry, and comfortable during the storm and they have all gained great power, but not one of them learns anything during the course of the play. Indeed, as Bradley explains, â€Å"The warm castle becomes a room in hell and the storm swept heath a sanctuary† (33). The power of comfort to corrupt is apparent several times during the play, but it is perhaps most shocking when Cornwall gouges out Gloucester’s eyes and proceeds to stomp on them, telling the old man that â€Å"Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot† (3. 7. 69). It is in these lines that the reader/audience sees how powerful, and indeed untouchable, people feel when they have all of the comforts of the world to support them (3. . 69). Cornwall, like Lear at the beginning of the play, feels invincible, but unlike Lear, he never learns that he is â€Å"not ague / proof† (4. 6. 105-106). Therefore, by contrasting Cornwall, and the other â€Å"bad† characters, to Lear, Shakespeare not only reinforces the idea that knowledge and redemption come to those who suffer through physical and emotional storms, but he also suggests tha t people who have power and comfort often feel that they are superhuman and have nothing left to learn (Bradley 33). Of course, the eventual demise of all of the wickedly comfortable proves otherwise. In addition to the evil characters acting as foils to Lear, Gloucester’s symbolic blindness and subsequent literal blindness also help to emphasize how Lear gains knowledge through suffering. Indeed, Gloucester acts as a foil to Lear throughout the play: both are initially blind to the actions of their wicked children, both disown their loyal children, and, in turn, both learn the truth in very painful ways. Until his blinding, Gloucester believes that Edgar is a â€Å"strange and fastened villain† who has betrayed him and that Edmund is a â€Å"loyal . . . boy,† but the quickness with which Gloucester realizes Edmund’s true intent after Cornwall has blinded him, screaming â€Å"O my follies! Then Edgar was abused† strongly implies that, like Lear, Gloucester had to suffer in order to see the light (2. 1. 79-86; 3. 7. 92-93). In this way, Shakespeare uses irony to reinforce the idea that those who have eyes are often blind to the truth and those who suffer often see more truth than their bodies and minds can handle. Yet another person one might compare Lear to is his loving and loyal daughter, Cordelia, who is so angelic that her tears are like â€Å"holy water† that from â€Å"heavenly eyes† flow (4. 3. 31). In essence, she is the â€Å"goodliest† of human figures and a model to which Lear can aspire to become more like (4. 3. 17). Indeed, Lear shows that he has become more like his blessed daughter after he reconciles with her and tells her that â€Å"When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down / And ask of thee forgiveness . . .† (5. 3. 10-11). This humble, indeed shameful statement seems not to have come from the same selfish, egotistical king who banishes his daughter for not proving her love to him, and in fact, it does not. Lear is a changed man. What his purgatory has prepared him for, his reunion with Cordelia, the play’s Christ-figure, has set in stone. Lear has finally and completely learned how to love, and for that, he is forgiven and completely redeemed. There are some critics, of course, who believe that Lear does not learn how to love, or learn anything else for that matter. In his essay â€Å"‘Nothing Almost Sees Miracles’: Tragic Knowledge in King Lear,† Roche even argues that Shakespeare intended Lear to be a â€Å"total failure, in fact and in vision† (168). Roche continues by stating that at the end of the play, Lear â€Å"sees nothing† because â€Å"every gesture of his love is countered by an equal and opposite gesture of hatred† (164). Indeed, Roche is correct when he states that Lear is still flawed at the end of the play. After all, he still feels like a victim to Goneril and Regan’s cruel behavior and he is still vengeful, as is evident when he proudly states to Cordelia’s corpse that â€Å"I killed the slave that was a-hanging thee† (5. 3. 276). Even in his defense of Lear’s knowledge, Jorgensen states that â€Å"Lear is still pathetically unwise in worldly matters at the end of the play,† but he continues by stating that none of this matters because Lear â€Å"has learned that which, especially for a dying man, is all-important† (7). That is, Lear has learned about the meaning of love, the pitiable frailty of the human form, and the miseries of the unfortunate. In essence, he has learned what it means to be a human instead of a king. Therefore, it does not matter that Lear still has faults because his suffering has taught him eternal truths—truths that are worthy of his redemption. In the end, King Lear almost ceases to be tragic (Bradley 32). Certainly, Lear’s suffering is severe, but Shakespeare shows that it is Lear’s suffering that leads to his learning and his subsequent redemption. Prior to Lear’s painful banishment, he is a pampered, flattered king living a false life, full of false love. It is excruciating for Lear to face that his life has been 80 years of lies, but in order to learn the truth, he must first suffer through the pain, and as Shakespeare clearly shows, it is better to learn through suffering than to remain comfortable and ignorant. Therefore, Lear’s life is worth all of the agonies it incurs; after all, it is only after Lear begins to suffer that he truly begins to live. How to cite Is King Lear Nihilistic or Hopeful?, Essay examples

Gay Rights Essay Paper Example For Students

Gay Rights Essay Paper Homosexuals: Fight for RightsGay rights is a touchy subject especially in the united states. It is the fight for homosexuals to be treated as everyone else, the fight to be given what they desearve, the fight to live without torment, the fight for peace. This nation has the state of mind that how the ideal person lives, is normal, and anyone not living that way is wrong. The people of this country pick on and torment people because they are different or not like them. Why do thay do thiswho knows. John Catlin M. D. states that Many indeviduals that bully other people due to sexual origin, usually are battling sexual insecurities themselves (1) In New York there was a poll taken from the people, on the thoughts of gay rights. Many of them were displeased at the fact that homosexuals were discriminated against, and didnt have the same rights as heterosexuals. In November of 1989, Time magazine took a poll on what the people thought about legal benefits that homosexuals should receive. 62% came back saying that homosexuals should be permitted to receive medical, and life insurance benefits from their life long partner. (101) And yet nothing has come of that yet. Homosexuals deserve equal treatment legally and socially. Throughout the world homosexual people have been discriminated against for all types of different reasons and basically all of them are unjust. Homosexualality is not caused by abuse at a young age, it is not curable, it is not a disease or disorder and it is defiantly NOT learnt. For decades the incidence of homosexuality in the general population has been estimated to be approximately ten percent. Organisations opposed to gay rights have consistently claimed the number to be much lower. Despite the controversy, ten percent still remains the most widely accepted estimate (Issacson, 101) so why do people think of homosexuals as being strange or weird. There are many people around the world who are discriminating against homosexuals without even know ing it. One of these is when someone calls someone else a bad name such as a Pofter or Fagot, not really meaning it but saying it just as a hurtful name just because everyone else says it. This saying is not meant but it degrades every homosexual in the world every time some uses those words. There is another myth about homosexuals and is that a lot of people think that they are obsessed with sex. Contrary to popular belief, gay men and lesbians are no more inclined to be consumed with sexual thoughts or feelings than heterosexual counterparts, nor are they attracted to everyone of the same sex they meet. (Weinberg, 109) The lives of homosexuals, like the lives of heterosexuals are about much more than sex, but its easy to see why people believe these common myths that have been expressed by a lot of people. Many people do not even realise that they know someone who is gay because of the amount of gays that are in the community. Unfortunately, these misguided heterosexuals only know ledge of homosexuality comes from the media or anti-gay organisations that are trying to destroy the gay community, neither of which is likely to show the average gay person or couple in real life. The media is in the business of selling news, and radical behaviour of any kind sells, big time. Anti-gay organisations are in the business of making gay people appear as evil as possible. They will obviously focus their attention on the most radical behaviour that can be found within the gay community. Why do gay people flaunt their sexuality? Why dont they just keep it private? Well the majority of gay people dont flaunt their sexuality. As a matter of fact, many go to great lengths to hide their sexual preference. There is a double standard in our society. What some people consider to be flaunting by homosexuals is usually regarded as everyday behaviour for heterosexuals. This is a perfect example : A heterosexual couple walking hand in hand is perceived as normal. Very few would consi der their behaviour to be inappropriate or rude, if they even noticed it at all. On the other hand, a lesbian or gay couple show the same behaviour would almost certainly be noticed, and most likely be accused of flaunting their sexuality or promoting their lifestyle. They may be harassed or worse yet, physically attacked which is the case in many situations. Heterosexuals are free to talk about their spouses or dates. They can wear their wedding rings, display pictures of their loved ones on their desks, kiss good-bye when leaving to work, include their significant other in company parties and so on. A gay person who chooses to do the same may be seen as a trouble maker, or a sick homosexual out to prove a point. Most gay people are not out to make a statement. They simply want to be able to integrate the many aspects of their lives the way heterosexuals are allowed to do. What the majority of people mean when they say that gay people should keep their lives private, is that gay pe ople should keep their lives secret. Imagine your self having to hide the very existence of the most important person in your life, Thats what it is like for a great deal of homosexuals around the world today. Anti-gay activists have promoted the idea that the lives of homosexuals revolve around sex and the pursuit of sexual encounters, and that the only identity homosexuals have is with being gay which is totally wrong. To anti-gay organisations this is the only gay lifestyle that exists, and they do their best to promote this lie. In reality, the lives of gays and lesbians are as varied as the lives of heterosexuals (Garnets Kimmel, 1993). Some choose to live in long term committed relationships, others choose to remain single. Some couples choose to raise children, others do not. Hobbies, occupations and activities are just as varied as within the heterosexual population. There is no difference. .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 , .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .postImageUrl , .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 , .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1:hover , .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1:visited , .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1:active { border:0!important; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1:active , .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1 .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u22f8d213a39892b246d4b51eecf429b1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Progressive Era?s influence on the New Deal Essay Another aspect of homosexuality is gay teens. Teen years are a hard time to live in, there is school, dating, first jobs, the pressure of an upcoming adult life. With this being such a time of trials, some teens have it worse off than others: gay teens, they are beat, laughed at, mocked, and hated. Many are forced into denial, and even suicide. Why do teens have this added pressure? Because their peers judge them due to who they date, and who they are attracted to. Matthew Shepard would know this better than anyone else. He was beaten into unconciousness and, tied to the fence of his high school football field until his body couldnt handle it anymore and gave way. (lambda home page) Matthews life was robbed from him, his classmates brutilly killed him because he was a homosexual. Matthew never got his first job, he never got his education, he never got to live. Someone chose to take that from him. Some teens take it from themselves. They cannot handle the stress that their peers put on them. If you teach a young person that their life has no value, theyll treat their life like it has no value (Catlin, 1.) Gay bashing in high schools is getting better but there are still teens out there suffering and afraid to come out, for they fear they will be judged. And they will be, the pain will be there, and they wont let their true self be shown. Not only do they face unrestricted discrimination and harassment at school, they often face similar or worse homophobia at home. Parents, unaware of their childrens sexual orientation, often make cutting remarks about homosexual television characters, community members, or the orientation in general. They may not even recognize their comments, but the child (or children) is hanging on to every word, looking for at least a tiny bit of acceptance from family. Many times they find hate instead of acceptance, sometimes to the point of being kicked out of the house at age 14 or 15 when a homophobic parent does find out. This leaves them with nowhere to turn. Just because something is forcefully driven into the closet doesnt mean it has gone away (Graff, 13) unless society become more accepting of others differences, gay teens will continue to be killed off and this nations views will be like that unto Hitlers. What about benefits? What legal benefits do a man and woman have that differ from a man and a mans? Try this analogy. A man marries a woman, they

WOMENS PORTRAYAL IN UP IN MICHIGAN AND THE PAI Essays -

WOMEN'S PORTRAYAL IN "UP IN MICHIGAN" AND "THE PAINTED DOOR" Most people will think of women as nurturing, devoted and sensitive. These thoughts are frequently transferred into literature where the portrayal of women is often positive. In contrary, "Up in Michigan" by Ernest Hemingway and "The Painted Door" by Sinclair Ross are exceptions to these sentiments. In "Up in Michigan", Liz is a lovesick housemaid who is obsessed with an older man who barely knows she is alive. Ann is an isolated housewife in "The Painted Door" who has an affair with a family friend. In both narratives, the women are infatuated. So much so that they allow their emotions to impair their judgment and make decisions that have devastating results. In "Up in Michigan" and "The Painted Door", women are portrayed negatively because the characters are superficial, submissive, foolish and mindless. First, in both stories Liz and Ann are superficial. We see this in Liz in "Up in Michigan" when she becomes smitten with a man based on nothing more than the image he represents. Jim is an older, well-liked and socially respected man in their community, his power and influence is what seduces Liz. Likewise, in "The Painted Door", Ann becomes charmed by Steven's youth and vitality. His appearance and physical strength are the major factors that make Ann attracted to him. By their actions, it is easy to deduce that both characters are shallow for falling head over heels with men based on their exterior. Secondly, "Up in Michigan" and "The Painted Door" present women as submissive. For instance, Liz allows Jim to touch her inappropriately when he has not even so much as said a word to her. "The 'all-woman' is acceptable in Hemingway view because he submits...She wants no other life than with him. By succumbing...she allows him to dominate her and affirm his manhood". (The Writing Style of Hemingway) Similarly, Ann succumbs to Steven's coaxing and sleeps with him after he repeatedly flirts and reassures her that her husband will not be home. It is obvious that these women are shown as no more than puppets on a string, easily persuaded by their male counterparts. Third, both stories depict females as being extremely foolish because of their desire for emotional unavailable men. Ernest Hemingway's "women too often seem to be projections of male needfulness". (Reading Hemingway Without Guilt). A prime example is Liz because she falls in love with a man who has never shown any mutual feelings. Jim has not said or done anything that could be misconstrued as reciprocal feelings, yet Liz still has a crush on him. Ann too is irrational for thinking that the night of lust shared between her and Steven was anything but that. They have known each other for years and not once has he confessed any true feelings towards her. Both characters are victims of their own delusions. Lastly, in "Up in Michigan" and "The Painted Door", women illustrated as mindless beings. For instance Liz agrees to go with Jim for a walk after she is aware that he had been drinking and after he had molested her. The rape that shortly follows, some would argue could be attributed to Liz's poor judgment. As well, Anne naively believed that her husband would not find out about the affair. The her surprise, her husband returned home that night to see her lying in bed with Steven, he returns to the snowy blizzard from which he came and kills himself. Both women are stupid for mistaking physical affection for love and both suffer a great loss because of this. The women in "Up in Michigan" and "The Painted Door" are portrayed as shallow, obedient, idiotic and thoughless. Women are negatively portrayed in both stories and it could be attributed from the author's personal upbringing and experiences. "Dominant, overbearing, and emasculating, Grace Hemingway [Hemingway's mother] dressed and treated the boy Ernest like a girl, while praising his little manliness, with the effect that the boy suffered a sexual wound, developed an androgynous sensibility, and experienced lifelong male insecurity and sexual anxiety." (Hemingway Unbound) In this instance, Hemingway may have been conveying his own personal view of women in this his writing. Nonetheless, whether personal or not, the female characters in both narratives are dimwitted and self- deluded. The argument stands that these representations grossly disfavor women as a whole.

VB.NET Solution and Project Files sln and vbproj

VB.NET Solution and Project Files 'sln' and 'vbproj' The whole topic of projects, solutions, and the files and tools that control them is something that is seldom explained. Throwing Food One of the big advantages of the way Microsoft has designed solutions and projects is that a project or solution is self-contained. A solution directory and its contents can be moved, copied, or deleted in Windows Explorer. A whole team of programmers can share one solution (.sln) file; a whole set of projects can be part of the same solution, and the settings and options in that .sln file can apply to all of the projects in it. Only one solution can be open at one time in Visual Studio, but a lot of projects can be in that solution. The projects can even be in different languages. You can get a better understanding of just what a solution is by creating a few and looking at the result. A Blank solution results in a single folder with just two files: the solution container and the solution user options. If you use the default name, youll see: Add Privacy The main reason you can create a blank solution is to allow project files to be created independently and included in the solution. In large, complex systems, in addition to being part of several solutions, projects can even be nested in hierarchies. The solution container file, interestingly, is one of the few text configuration files that isnt in XML. A blank solution contains these statements: It might as well be XML... its organized just like XML but without the XML syntax. Since this is just a text file, its possible to edit it in a text editor like Notepad. For example, you can change HideSolutionNode FALSE to TRUE and solution wont be shown in Solution Explorer anymore. (The name in Visual Studio changes to Project Explorer too.) Its fine to experiment with things like this as long as youre working on a strictly experimental project. You should never change configuration files manually for a real system unless you know exactly what youre doing, but its fairly common in advanced environments to update the .sln file directly rather than through Visual Studio. The .suo file is hidden and its a binary file so it cant be edited like the .sln file. You will normally only change this file using the menu options in Visual Studio. Moving up in complexity, check out a Windows Forms Application. Even though this might be the most elementary application, there are a lot more files. In addition to a .sln file, the Windows Forms Application template also automatically creates a .vbproj file. Although the .sln and .vbproj files often useful, you might notice that theyre not shown in the Visual Studio Solution Explorer window, even with the Show All Files button clicked. If you need to work with these files directly, you have to do it outside of Visual Studio. Not all applications need a .vbproj file. For example, if you select New Web Site in Visual Studio, no .vbproj file will be created. Open the top level folder in Windows for the Windows Forms Application and youll see the four files that Visual Studio doesnt show. ssuming the default name again, they are: The .sln and the .vbproj files can be useful for debugging difficult problems. Theres no harm in looking at them and these files tell you what is really going on in your code. As we have seen, you can also edit .sln and .vbproj files directly although its usually a bad idea unless there is no other way to do what you need. But sometimes, there is no other way. For example, if your computer is running in 64-bit mode, there isnt a way to target a 32-bit CPU in VB.NET Express, for example, to be compatible with the 32-bit Access Jet database engine. (Visual Studio provides a way in the other versions), but you can add the following: To the elementspropertygroup.. .:l in the .vbproj files to get the job done. Both the .sln and .vbproj file types are normally associated with Visual Studio in Windows. That means that if you double-click either of them, Visual Studio opens. If you double-click a solution, the projects in the .sln file are opened. If you double-click a .vbproj file and there is no .sln file (this happens if you add a new project to an existing solution) then one is created for that project.

Hate Crimes Toward Hispanic Immigrants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hate Crimes Toward Hispanic Immigrants - Essay Example One day in December 2008 on his way home from a bar and church party, Jose and his brother were walking along the road with their arms around each other which is a common behavior among the Latino cultures. Suddenly three men appeared yelling in anti Hispanic slurs. While his brother managed to escape, Sucuzhanay was struck on the head by a beer bottle. He was also hit on the head with an aluminum baseball. The attackers kicked and punched him severely. Causing him severe head fractures and extensive brain damage. A few days later Sucuzhanay passed away. When the two men were arrested they were only charged with a second-degree murder and assault. In real sense all hate crimes in America, could face 78 years to life in prison. On November 8, 2008 on Long Island in New York on, Marcelo Lucero, Ecuadorian real estate agent was thoroughly beaten and seriously wounded by seven teenagers who were driving around looking for Mexicans to attack. When the seven young men spotted Lucero, they got out of their car and man bounded him beating and stabbing him severely. When the matter was brought before the courts, the teens were only charged with gang assault. Steve Levy, the County Executive of Suffolk constantly talked against immigrants, including on Lou Dobbs Tonight. The New York Times reported about Lucero's death and hate crimes against Latinos. But all these seemed not to attract much attention. A possible execution in a New York community should be more than enough to force the American people to acknowledge the bitter truth that has overcome Latinos in the days of rage against illegal immigration. The situation began to change when the when republican politicians decided a few years ago to exploit immigration as a wedge issue. They formulated strict legislations to criminalize the events. Prominent personalities and radio talk show hosts latched on to the issue. Substantial efforts in congress to create an overhaul of the immigration system failed again and agai n. The opponents of these efforts wanted only to demonize and punish the Latino workers on which the country now appeared to depend on much. The sudden increase in hate crimes against Hispanics for the past four years is particularly worrying since hate crimes committed against other groups has over the same period decreased drastically (Altschiller, 2005, p.101). This noxious setting, in which horrible rhetoric targets immigrants while the number of hate crimes against Hispanics and people perceived to be immigrants steadily increases, has caused a sharp sense of fear among the communities living in the united states ( Researcher, 2010,84). Certain groups opposed to immigration reform, such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and Numbers USA, have occasionally claimed that immigrants are responsible for numerous evils in the society. However they have often lacked valid and reliable evidence to support the claims. Even though these groups have tried to present themselves as lawful, advocates against illegal immigration in America, it has been revealed that these organizations have worrying relations with unlawful extremists in the anti-immigration

Physical tamper-resistant devices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Physical tamper-resistant devices - Essay Example As stated by Brain Gladman â€Å"it is fairly easy to create an encryption methodology that is safe, if it is functioning as intended and is correctly utilized. But it remains very hard to develop a methodology which does not compromise its security in circumstances whereby it is either abused or one or several of its subcomponents malfunction† (Gladman 2001, p. 4). Physical tamper resistance is a characteristic or security concept that is applicable to various fields and not limited to the digital area or computing. Anti-tamper device comprises of tamper detection, tamper responses, and tamper resistance (Rannenberg et al. 2010, p. 16). Various Physical tamper-resistant devices exist. These include high-end, low-end, and mid-range devices. However, one aspect worth noting is that these devices vary in cost and range classification in various countries. For example, China can cost and categorize a tamper resistance device according to geographical boundaries. Below is the list: Just like the 4785 IBM, these resistant devices are of a very strong crypto system that is surrounded with a tamper sensing mesh. If an attempt at tampering is noticed, the mesh permanently deletes the main material and renders the device unrecoverable as well as unreadable. This device is significant for two reasons. Firstly, it is the only available commercial processor to have been successfully evaluated at the highest stages of tamper resistance. Secondly, the IBM 4758 has an extensive literature concerning its history, design evolution, protective procedures (Gladman 2001, p.3). These kind of resistant devices comprise of a symmetric cryptosystem key. These devices are normally protected against unauthorized reads, and the procedures are designed on a very basic foundation. Cheap Microcontrollers are one of the examples of low-end resistant devices.

Ford Galaxy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ford Galaxy - Essay Example Ford Galaxy is a seven-seater luxury large Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) developed jointly by Ford and Volkswagen and was first introduced in 1995. During the Frankfurt Motor Show held last September 2005, the latest Ford Galaxy model was unveiled. It will be available in the market in the middle of 2006. In the Motor Industry Facts 2006 published by SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd.), total car registration in UK reached 2.4 million as of 2005. In table 1 below, Lower Medium segment remains to be the most dominant car type in the industry owning 31.2% of the market. Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, and Renault Megane are among the products included in this category. However, total car registration was down by 5% compared to 2004. Major factors attributed to such decline were lower consumer spending, increasing interest rates, and intense competition in the industry. Very evident in the last three years in the industry was the shift of consumer preferences in terms of car type. Share of Superminis like Corsa, Fiesta, and 206 went down by 3.9% while its alternative Lower Medium increased market share by 2.8%. Furthermore, SUVs or Dual Purpose 4x4s and MPVs increased share in the industry New car registrations can be classified as non-private (fleet and business) and private. An estimated of about 44.1% of total car registrations were categorised as private vehicles. ... In terms of non-private, 49% were contributed by business segment and the remaining 7.3% for fleet. Table 1 MPV's or minivans are slowly gaining popularity in the industry resulting to a 3-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% against total industry CAGR of -1.6%. However, total MPV declined by 8% which is somewhat similar to the situation of the total car industry. MPVs are also known as people carrier, multi-utility vehicle, or to some extent as minivan. A typical MPV can seat 7 people or more, relatively higher than normal sedans, and can be characterised as a family car. It is further segmented in three major categories - mini-MPV (e.g. Hyundai Matrix), compact MPV (e.g. Vauxhall Zafira), and large MPV (e.g. Ford Galaxy) depending on its body size and seating capacity. Market Needs In the survey involving 3,000 new car buyers conducted by Vauxhall Motors last 2003, reliability turned out to be the most important consideration affecting car purchase. Price which was the primary consideration in year 2002 fell to 4th position. Comfort, fuel economy, price, exterior size and space in vehicle are other leading considerations influencing car purchase in UK. Market Forecast Car registration forecast in 2006 is still negatively skewed according to SMMT. Expected new car registrations will be around 2.375 million or -2.7% compared to actual car registration in 2005. Weak economic forecast which is directly related to weakening consumer spending is considered as one of the significant deterrents in 2006. Conversely, diesel demand is predicted to increase in the coming years. Competition General target buyers for MPV are young families with children age 6 to 11 years old who want better fuel economic savings. The growing fierce