Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Response Paper (The American Revoltion in Indian Country Essay

Response Paper (The American Revoltion in Indian Country - Essay Example demonstrates how Native American were able to pursue different strategies as they went through difficult experiences but were able to uphold their legacy Colin Calloway writes that, "The Revolution marked an emphatic divergence between the Cherokees and their colonial neighbors as the warriors of both societies "took control of the path. This illustrate the lateness that was at hand because the Cherokee involvement in the revolutions was not a simple sign but it proved a powerful, durable and the same time usable image. The clamor kept on growing especially in the 19th century on how to remove the Cherokees from their only remaining lands, although there were the strong peace efforts emanating from the village headsmen way back before the war, during the war, combined role that was played by the Chota as well as the new societies which were built from the outcome ruins of the war were not listened to but ignored. All this was in the favor of what was termed as memory of Cherokee antagonism in the revolution. Therefore, the Cherokee had the responsibility again to begin afresh the practice of rebuilding their lives and homes past Miss issippi. When the fighting came to an end due to the revolution it was very difficult for the Cherokees because they were like orphans, they were without a place completely in the universe. Because of the repercussion of the war, their population was affected drastically which led to serious drop of about 10,000 in number only and at the same time lost their homelands which was estimated to be around three-quarters as well as hunting grounds and towns were destroyed. The revolutions grouped lower towns to be Chickamauga while those who remained neutral kept on dividing the Cherokee. Their cultural framework was affected so much which disrupted the harmony which existed amongst the Cherokee wellbeing in relation to their spiritual world. This caused a lot of disorder everywhere. Thousands of Cherokees were forced under prevailing

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Analysis of the Star Wars Films

Analysis of the Star Wars Films A change in the force When I think of the term A Heros Journey the first image that comes to mind is Luke Skywalker standing proudly holding an outstretched lightsaber pointing to the stars with Princess Leia kneeling at his feet clutching a blaster as depicted on the cover of the 1978 movie Star wars IV: a New Hope. Like millions of other children, this film was, unknowingly, my first introduction into the idea of heroic archetypes. It was a story of a heros awakening and the struggle between the forces of light and dark, with glorious space battles, cocky space pirates and a pretty princess. I would watch the VHS tape multiple times a day. It had a very profound impact on my young mind and although the concept was used many times before, its sci-fi themed setting was more than enough to attract the attention millions of other kids and adults alike. It is well documented that George Lucas was heavily inspired by joseph Campbell (1904-1987) and his work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). In this Campbell outlines what he calls the heros journey; this is a motif of adventure and personal transformation that is used in nearly every cultures mythical framework. This is mirrored in A New Hope where in act one of the heros journey we meet Luke Skywalker who lives on the desert planet of Tatooine and works on his uncles moisture farm. It is soon after we learn of Lukes dreams of becoming a pilot but is bound by his obligations to his uncle to help with the harvest which will be ripe soon. When he receives the message contained within the R2-D2 droid from a princess in obvious distress it serves as his call to adventure and inspires his first steps on his journey which will lead him to Obi Wan Kenobi, his future mentor. Luke initially denies the call only changing his mind when his family and home are destroyed, only then accepting the first stage of his journey which is to rescue the princess. The second act is generally when the hero meets allies, enemies, undergoes life and death conflict and completes the main task in his journey. This can be seen when Luke and Ben enlist the services of rogues Han and Chewbacca and experience their first confrontation with the evil empire. As Luke escapes Tatooine in search of the princess on the planet Alderaan it is truly the beginning of his journey as he ventures into space on his quest. Luke receives training from Obi Wan and bonds with Han during this time and eventually meets the princess by the end of act two. Luke is also portraying similar characteristics of the epic hero during this time, starting in his humble beginnings as a farm boy to completing a task meant only for him and displaying many ideals of the epic hero such as morals, strength, faith, intelligence and bravery. While all these characteristics are vital to fulfil the epic hero role, it is faith that Luke must find in the force before he can truly achieve his heroic status. When Luke and the crew of the Millennium Falcon are captured by the death star, the audience is unsure if they will succeed in escaping and weather they rescue the princess along the way. Of course our hero finds the princess and achieves the goal while nearly being killed along the way. Luke escapes the death star and his task is achieved. Over the course of the second act Luke begins to displayÂÂ   the qualities of an epic hero, Luke is seen as morally positive intelligent man, optimistic about his mission and displays strength and bravery in a number of ways. His faith in the mystical force also develops as he preservers to continue forward after the death of his mentor Obi Wan. In the third act Luke displays what he has learnt over the course of his journey. It is only then that the hero can gain the true reward -in Lukes case this is knowledge. Lukes final task is to aid in the destruction of the Death Star and will only return if his mission is a success otherwise he will be killed and his journey will be over. During the final assault Luke displays growth as a hero, his belief in the force and his alliance with friend Han Solo further shows his hero status. Luke uses his new knowledge gained from his journey and the force to destroy the Death Star and save the rebel alliance from total destruction. It is at this point Luke Journey comes to an end for a New Hope but is continued by Lucas over the course the trilogy, this even continues into the latest instalment, The Force Awakens released in 2015. Although I have focused on Lukes role up until this point is also important to note the other archetypes present in The Star Wars movies.Firstly is Han Solo who is possibly the most beloved character in the original trilogy. This is mostly because of his bad boy image and that he is a cynical anti-hero figure and a bit of a cowboy who relies mostly on courage and the use of his blaster to escape tight situations. He is an independent and strong character as his name SOLO would suggest. In the first film Han can be seen as a shape shifter, perceived by the main character as someone he is unsure of trusting. Hanss intentions are hidden as well as his loyalties as he doesnt want to care about the rebellion or their struggle against the empire. He only wants to care for himself and problems directly affecting him. In the final moments of the battle at the end of Episode IV Han comes to Lukes aid and ends up joining the struggle with the rebels. Hanss journey is more about learning to car e for others rather than just about himself, this journey continues throughout the second and third films as Han the proven warrior now learns to love. Han is accompanied through the trilogy by his trusty companion Chewbacca. It is common for a hero to befriend a beast along the way as this helps the hero to be reminded of the natural world. Lukes main companions include the droids C3PO and R2-D2. They mostly serve comic relief and the everyman archetype. They react to situations much like the audience would if they were thrown into the action. They cower and flee from danger but are also the heralds who issue challenges to the hero as well as announce the coming of change in the heros future. R2-D2 also serves as the Catalyst of the story. He is passionate and helpful, and is completely dedicated to the cause, he delivered the first call to arms to Luke and eventually accompanying him to his next stage of training with the last remaining Jedi master Yoda. Yoda, similar to Obi Wan before him is the old man mentor archetype, although he also embodies multiple archetypes also. When Yoda first meets Luke in the swamps of Dagobah, he is the trickster who is pretending to be a senile old creature, later it is revealed that he is a threshold guardian who is protecting the wisdom and secrets of the Jedi order until the hero proves himself worthy of such gifts. These secrets also contain the truth about Lukes family and the eventual downfall of his father, Anakin Skywalker. Yoda is also represents the oracle that possesses the ability to see beyond the present to future possibilities. Lukes father Anakin Skywalker experiences a true Visionaries arc throughout the series. From a simple slave on Tatooine to becoming one of the last Jedi knights, he remained committed to the order until a vision of his dying mother and death of his beloved wife lead him to the dark side only to be reborn as the tyrannical Darth Vader. Vader is committed to the vision of the empire and remains its most staunch supporter until the undeniable force of change returns him to the light side of the force. This happens as a result of this long lost son Luke who he sacrifices himself to save from the emperor and herald in a new era in the process, which would be led by his children Luke and Leia. Princess Leia represents the feminine in the otherwise male dominated Star Wars universe. In the original trilogy she is firstly depicted as a damsel in distress who is captured by the empire and has to be rescued by the heros. She then reveals herself to be a warrior as she fights to escape the Death Star. Later in the series she takes on a leadership role in the rebel alliance and also a romantic role with Han Solo. In the final film of the original trilogy she is revealed to be the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, thus becoming a female counterpart to Luke with the same strength and potential he has. Leia and her mother Padme are also good examples of what may be perceived as gender bias in the original and prequel trilogies. Aside from these characters the Star Wars universe is practically devoid of female characters. Similar to the society we live in, the Star Wars universe is predominantly patriarchal with characters such as Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi garnering more attention with the female characters usually taking a back seat to the action when they are around. Characters such as Luke and Obi Wan show qualities such as loyalty, integrity and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, while the females are mostly submissive with very few opportunities to be heroic themselves. While the male characters mostly fill the role of the archetypal male hero that the audience is used to seeing, they do have some differences. Han Solo for example is good looking, adventurous with a bad boy attitude while at the same time being irresistible to the opposite sex. Luke Skywalker is also adventurous but is different in that by the end of the original trilogy does not win the girl and forgoes the stereotype of ladies man in favour of the serious hero with a solemn nature similar to the samurai found in the Kurosawa films that originally inspired Lucas. The Jedi from the prequels follow much the same archetypes, female Jedi are present in these movies but are mostly relegated to the background in scenes with no input of value coming from them during the course of the movies. Female villains are also noticeably missing from the films and females in general and are nowhere to be found in the ranks of the Galactic Empire, with the addition to the noticeable lack of alien creatures as well. Although, this may have been a product of the times of the original films production as women in general would not be viewed as legitimate villains. Regardless of the real reasons for this the Star Wars universe is practically devoid of female heroes and villains alike. also worth noting is that the female characters do little to further the cause of the heros and will often get in the way, requiring the heros take time to rescue them. Leia may be an exception to this; she is the most influential female character by far in the Star Wars universe and after the release of Episode IV in 1977 lead to a noticeable uprising in strong female leads in film. Two years later we would see possibly the most heroic female character ever, Ellen Ripley appears in the hit horror movie Alien. With Linda Hamiltons Sarah Connor furthering the cause in 1984s The Terminator a few years later. How much influence Princess Leia had over these characters is easy to see. Leia is headstrong and cocky and when we are first introduced to her she is perceived by the audience as an authority figure being no way over sexualized. Even in the face of her captures she is fearless which is uncharacteristic of the damsel in distress idea. Episode IV is basically a story about a princess who needs to be rescued from the villains stronghold. Women are seen to be on a lower threshold than men and require rescuing as they cannot do so themselves, interestingly, as soon as the male heroes rescue Leia, she takes control of the situation telling the heroes what to do, even rescuing them in the process. At one point she even takes the weapon from Luke to open up a pathway to escape. When they finally escape the Death Star, Leia is also the only one to realise that their escape may have been too easy with the real reason being that they would be used to track the location of the rebel bases. As part of the Rebellion, Leia is also regarded as an authority figure. She orders the all-male rebel pilots around throughout the original trilogy. She is seen as an important and influential strong female protagonist.ÂÂ   Gwendolyn Glover, a noted feminist blogger writes, I know that for many, Princess Leia is a sex symbol. The unattainable and perfect woman. For me, Princess Leia is my feminist icon. She was my first (and pretty much only) female role model for feminism. In a male dominated universe, she stood out as a force to be reckoned with. Tough, smart, and outspoken, she typified everything that I wanted to be,(Glover, 2009). Leias role in Episode IV does a lot for female protagonists in the film industry. With the release of Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 Leias character conforms more to the traditional female character roles seen up until then in film. Her romance with Han Solo is a stark contrast to her disinterest in the male leads in the first film and she quickly becomes useless for the majority of the film. In the first 15 minutes of Episode V Han is required to rescue her from the crumbling ruins of the rebel base on Hoth while she displays fear of rodents and requires a male to kill them for her. Which all seems out of place for such an independent character who, in the previous film required none of this attention from her male counterparts and spends the majority of this film falling in love with one of them. One scene in particular stands out in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. When Leia is confronted by Han, she is backed into a corner and asked about her true feelings, the male character takes her hands preventing her escape. The scene ends as she succumbs to her feelings and passionately kisses her capture. This scene can easily be construed as disturbing as it may teach men that borderline violent behaviour or intimidation is a viable way to a womans heart. This trend continues in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi when after rescuing Han from Jabba the Hutt, Leia is herself captured and forced to wear a gold bikini and lie at the foot of Jabbas bed with a collar around her neck, waiting to be rescued by a man. in this we see leias change from the first film where she is dresses from head to toe in white to the final film where we see her practically naked creating one of the most iconic images of male fantasy ever to be seen on the big screen. After she is rescued by Luke she succeeds in killing Jabba (who resembles a giant phallus) with the chain that was previously used to hold her. Towards the end of the film, Leia redeems herself by saving Hans life by shooting attacking Stormtroopers in the films final battle. Thus, although Leia conforms to the traditional gender roles, she does project some positive traits throughout the course of the original trilogy. With the release Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens in 2015, popular culture was still lacking adequate female representation and role models. When a woman was cast as the lead character in the latest instalment of the Star Wars Saga it was a regarded as a big deal. Rey, played by Daisy Ridley was both a protagonist and a hero, she has no romantic interests, wears combat outfits and fights villains just like Anakin and Luke in the trilogies before her . Starting out as a scavenger on Jakku she combines some of the best traits of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo and is both a relatable and believable female lead which is rare to see in films even today. This leads to breaking the stereotype which is present in the earlier films and reinforces the gender balance. Young girls growing up with these new films will have a role model to look up to, while boys will see Rey as a hero regardless of gender. Rey, and her companion Finn mirror well-known initiation myths from mythology: While Finn draws from various Biblical folktales and Celtic myths, Reys story is a updated version of one of the oldest myths, The Epic of Gilgamesh, while adding a feminist interpretation (Glen Robert Gill, 2016). Reys struggle with the main villain Kylo Ren, who is later revealed to be the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, resembles mythic themes of relations and rivalries between siblings. Although Reys lineage is kept secret from the viewer, the idea that she is a Skywalker would make perfect archetypal sense. When we are introduced to Rey we quickly realise she will follow much of the same traits as J.J. Abrams previous leading female characters such as Jennifer Garner of Alias and Anna Torv of Fringe. Rey is a solitary hero who resides in the desert. Her name evokes ideas of light or solar heroism (Ray) and royalty with Rey meaning King in Spanish. Rey however starts at the bottom of the social hierarchy unlike Gilgamesh. While stranded on the planet Jakku we see her scavenging parts from crashed Imperial ships as a means to survive which may be a forecasting of her future as a rebel. Rey is an inverted feminist version of Gilgamesh that will have to be trained and moulded with the martial tradition of the Jedi order to become a Jedi and possibly even becoming immortal during the course of the new films. Rey is also an orphan similar to Finn that reminds us of many female examples such as Daenerys Targaryen from Game Of Thrones, Jane Eyre or even Annie.ÂÂ   This can have special feminine implications as the search for her family is not just about parental affirmation but also about overcoming social vulnerabilities and inequities. Similar to the first meeting between Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu, the first time Rey and Finn meet they begin fighting and arguing with each other, only to later find a common purpose. Just as Rey is an inverted feminist Gilgamesh, Finn is an inverted version of Enkidu, Enkidu can be seen as a representation of the natural or uncivilized side of humanity. As Finn is spurred to escape the soulless structure of the First Order to the natural environment of the Resistance by the cold toughness of Captain Phasma, who is the negative projection of the maidenly anima. Phasmas chrome covered armor projects the mythological idea of the mirror, as this symbolizes self-contemplation and self-examination. As Finn and Rey grow closer as friends, we see in them less as deserters (Finn deserted the First Order, Rey was deserted on the desert planet by her family) but an updated version of the archetypal friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The friendship that develops between Rey and Finn during The Force Awakens reminds us that friendships born in the midst of battle do not need to be exclusively masculine, and do not have to be endorsed or convoluted by a romantic element. When Rey and Finn escape the planet Jakku they are introduced to Han Solo and Chewbacca, the original trilogys version of the same archetypal characters. Han Solos return also brings with it the Jungs archetypal figure the wise old man. Just like Obi-Wan Kenobis role to Luke in A New Hope, Han becomes a mentor figure to our main characters. Han also affirms the existence of the Force to Rey in the exact same location on board the Millennium Falcon as Obi-Wan Kenobi tutored Luke. Soon after our four heroes meet they must work together to escape gangsters who are attempting to capture Solo, the archetypal significance of this is found in the pursuing groups destruction by the hideous rathtars that escape their cages during the course of the action, these snake-tentacled creatures are reminiscent of the mythical Medusa that is itself a demonic incarnation of the yonic symbol that Freud called the vagina dentata(Leah12. 2012) In relation to Reys journey, this can be seen as a parallel of Gilgameshs battle with the monstrous Humbaba. In a archetypal sense monsters are generally projections of the negative self or extensions of the viewers self-image, it is also worth noting that while Gilgamesh decapitates his monster in an egoistic search for prestige, Rey only dismembers her monster to aid her companion, Finn. It is also notable that during Reys martial induction, she generally only uses her developing abilities for defence and enemy persuasion just as the Jedi code demands, and only time she is openly aggressive is when Finn is cut down during his battle with Kylo Ren in the films climax. Rey is basically the 21st century version of Luke Skywalker, a young 20 something character who is possibly the last hope for the Jedi order. Early in the film when Rey first meets Finn and they are fleeing from pursuing Stormtroopers, Finn repeatedly reaches for Reys hand to aid in her escape. Rey snaps at him I know how to run without you holding my hand. She also outmatches the main villain Kylo Ren both mentally and physically during the course of the film. One of the more notable scenes involves Han Solo recognising that Rey is somebody who can handle herself, in one scene in particular he offers to show Rey how to use a blaster to which she replies I think I can handle myself, his agreement reminds the viewer of how Leia saved his life at the end of Episode VI. He then continues to approve of her proficiency without coming across a patronising, even offering her a job alongside him and letting her fly his beloved Millennium Falcon. Rey is also an example of the young, maidenly aspects of Jungs term anima, which describes the archetypal feminine. Like much of Abrams previous work it shows an understanding that the anima does not need to be a companion or object of the masculine self which presumes the perspective of the audience, instead being a representation of that perspective. It has also been claimed that Reys character is whats described as a Mary Sue type anima archetype (Zulai Serrano, 2015), which claims the character can do no wrong, making her a character too unrealistic for some viewers. The rich feminine dimension of The Force Awakens makes itself very apparent with the first appearance of the droid BB-8, who serves as Reys heroic token just as R2-D2 served as Lukes. The figure eight body shape of BB-8 resembles that of theNeolithic Venus, which contrasts against the small phallic structure of R2-D2. BB-8 is what is called ayonic symbol, this is the archetypal image of female embodiment (the chassis of BB-8 houses the reward of the quest which is the map to finding the missing Luke Skywalker, this can also be seen as a sort of rebirth for the character in the process). As stated earlier, the original trilogy had only one main female character and although the Prequels had more female characters their representation was even worse, even going as far as to have Padme (Leias mother) dying of a broken heart in Episode VI. The new film takes steps to address this by having several women in key roles. General Leia is the leader of the resistance and has been allowed to age gracefully on screen, she is seen as the role of leader while still being a mother figure throughout. Over the course of the films Leia has moved from a Princess to a General and from a lover to a leader of the Resistance. Leia also functions independently without either Luke or Han which is very different than the last time we seen her in Return of the Jedi. Leia also conforms to the mature pole of the anima archetype, named by Jung as theGreat Mother. This marks a major archetypal change for Leia from the original trilogies, where she often functioned as the pure aspect of the anima, a role now taken by Rey. Leia still remains a positive representation of the anima as she continues to oppose the negative aspects of the anima, which Jung calls theTerrible Mother. This figure is not represented by one character in particular but by a vast destructive power such as the Death Stars of A New Hope and The Return of the Jedi, and its most recent incarnation Starkiller base in The Force Awakens. Where the Great Mother supports and upholds, similar to what Leia does, the Terrible Mother consumes all, as shown in the Death Stars ability to destroy planets from afar. We are also introduced to the character of Maz Kanata an old, wise mother figure who has been referred to as a female Yoda. It is Maz who gives Rey Luke Skywalkers lightsaber and Awakens the force in her. The fact that this character has been given Yodas role is very noticeable and can be seen as a major step in the gender balance issue. To a lesser extent Captain Phasma as a woman under the Stormtrooper suit is completely new to the Star Wars universe. It is also the first time we see female pilots at the controls of the X- wings during the final assault on Starkiller base which was unheard of before the release of the film. The Force Awakens is a game changer in many respects. It honors and updates the themes and tropes fans expect to find in the Star Wars universe by reiterating and reinterpreting compelling characters and symbology from known mythology. While still retaining its traditional values and fearlessly putting a female character such as Rey as the main protagonist and keeps a healthy mix of old and new characters that continue to transcend their archetype roles. The The Force Awakens can also be seen as more of a reboot than a sequel that builds on the best elements from the previous films and what it promises in the future.Whether the story of the Skywalker family continues throughout the course of the new trilogy is still to be determined but with the inclusion of Rey as the hero a new generation of fans (Male or Female) will look up to promises to bring us in new, fascinating directions. References Andrew Yang. (2015). The Archetypes Of Star Wars . Available: https://www.archetypes.com/the-archetypes-of-star-wars/. Last accessed 04th Jan 2017. Glen Robert Gill. (2016). Star Wars: The Force Awakens: An Archetypal Review. Available: http://brightlightsfilm.com/star-wars-the-force-awakens-archetype-gilgamesh-joseph-campbell-hero-mythic-myth-deepens/#. Last accessed 13th Jan 2017. Gwendolyn Glover. (2011). Women Role Models. Available: http://anna-reinertson.livejournal.com/. Last accessed 04th Jan 2017. John Paul Pianka. (2013). THE POWER OF THE FORCE: RACE, GENDER, AND COLONIALISM IN THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE. Available: http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1040context=etd_mas_theses. Last accessed 14th Jan 2017. Kristen Brennan. (2013). Star Wars Origins. Available: http://www.moongadget.com/origins/myth.html. Last accessed 7th Jan 2017. Laura Hudson. (2013). Leia Is Not Enough: Star Wars and the Woman Problem in Hollywood. Available: https://www.wired.com/2013/02/opinion-star-wars-females-media/. Last accessed 04th Jan 2017. Leah12. (2012). The Monstrous Feminine. Available: http://monstrous-fem.blogspot.ie/. Last accessed 11th Feb 2017. Lucas Seastrom. (2015). Mythic Discovery Within the Inner Reaches of Outer Space: Joseph Campbell Meets George Lucas Part I. Available: http://www.starwars.com/news/mythic-discovery-within-the-inner-reaches-of-outer-space-joseph-campbell-meets-george-lucas-part-i. Last accessed 8th Feb 2017. Samuel James. (2015). How does Star Wars: The Force Awakens represent women ?. Available: http://screenprism.com/insights/article/what-does-star-wars-the-force-awakens-tell-us-about-its-representation. Last accessed 04th Jan 2017. WD TR. (2016). Star Wars : The Heroines Journey Of rey. Available: http://www.starwarsintheclassroom.com/content/hj/rey_hj.asp. Last accessed 16th Jan 2017. Zulai Serrano. (2015). Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Is Rey A Mary Sue? Twitter Sparks Fanboy Debate. Available: http://www.idigitaltimes.com/star-wars-force-awakens-rey-mary-sue-twitter-sparks-fanboy-debate-499248. Last accessed 20th Feb 2017.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Supernatural in Toni Morrisons Beloved :: Toni Morrison Beloved Essays

The Supernatural in Beloved One aspect in the novel Beloved is the presence of a supernatural theme. The novel is haunted. The characters are haunted by the past, the choices made, by tree branches growing on backs, by infanticide, by slavery. Sethe, Denver and Paul D are haunted by the past that stretches and grasps them in 124 in its extended digits. A haunt, Beloved, encompasses another supernatural realm, that of a vampire. She sucks the soul, heart and mind of her mother while draining the relationships that exists between Denver and Sethe and Sethe and Paul D. Sethe is the most dramatically haunted in the book. She is the one who was beaten so badly her back is permanently scarred. She is the one who lived and escaped slavery. She is the one who murdered her child rather than return it to slavery. So she is the one whose past is so horrible that it is inescapable. How can a person escape the past when it is physically apart of them? Sethe has scars left from being whipped that she calls a "tree". She describes it as "A chokecherry tree. Trunk, branches, and even leaves. Tiny little chokecherry leaves. But that was eighteen years ago. Could have cherries too now for all I know" (16). It is apt that her past is represented on her back--something that is behind her, something she cannot see but knows that is there. Also it appeared eighteen years ago, but Sethe thinks that it may have grown cherries in those years. Therefore she knows that the past has attached itself to her but the haunting of it has not stopped growing. Paul D. enters Sethe 's life and discover a haunting of Sethe almost immediately. He walks into 124 and notices the spirit of the murdered baby: "It was sad. Walking through it, a wave of grief soaked him so thoroughly he wanted to cry" (9). The haunting by Beloved in its spirit form is stopped by Paul D. He screams "God damn it! Hush up! Leave the place alone! Get the Hell out!" (18). But Sethe's infant daughter is her greatest haunt and it is when Beloved arrives in physical form that Sethe is forced to turn around and confront the past. Beloved is the manifestation of a murdered two-year old in a 20-year old body. Her mind and actions speak as a child not an adult.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Basseri of Iran: the Tent People

The Basseri are pastoral nomads that live in Iran and migrate along steppes and mountains throughout the year. The groups they live in are typically divided by independent households referred to as tents. They have a very deliberate political structure and are well organized. Their leaders have to lead somewhat for the people because if the common Basseri do not agree or believe in the chief then they will take their herd to an alternative chief. The Basseri of Iran are a very traditional and focused community, the following pages should give you a small glimpse into their daily lives, their beliefs values and culture. The Basseri culture is made up of individual households which are referred to as tents. Each tent has independent ownership of the property in the tent unit and the livestock. The man is the head of his own tent. For ease they will combine multiple tents and herds the animals together. The Basseri break camp and move completely every three to four days. This is not uncommon to them, it’s their way of life. The women and children typically break down camp and move to the new location and set camp back up while the men herd the animals. Headmen are leaders of a camp that are recognized by the Basseri chief. There can also be what is called a White Beard, which is an informal leader that represents the camp if there is not a Headmen in the camp. These leaders represent each camp in political and administrative ways. Headmen can communicate much more freely with the Basseri chief than a common tribe member. The chief does not give them authority though. (Johnson, 1996) The Basseri chief is over a large centralized political system. He has extreme authority over all the members of the Basseri tribe. The chief is often own as the Khan. The Khan can give orders to anyone in the tribe and they must obey. This is called the omnipotent Khan. The chief status is shown by his urban villas or larger tents. All the members of the tribe acknowledge his authority and treat his immediate family almost as royalty as well. The Basseri faith is Shia Muslims. However, they do not follow the customs and rituals as the other Islamic followers. Their customers and rituals are based more on the life cycles and not religion. They do rituals and celebrate births, death, coming of age, etc. The fast of Ramadan and the feast of Moharram, which are of central importance to the surrounding Muslims, are observed only by a few Basseri. (Johnson, 1996)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Introduction to Personality Paper Essay

This paper will discuss and explain the influences that contribute to personality development. The following paragraphs will include information that examines theoretical approach that is used to study personality development. This paper will also analyze the many different types of environmental and biological factors that play a role in personality development. But first we must know what personality is. As many theorist have tried so hard to define over the years there still is no one answer that everyone can agree on. So what exactly is personality? Although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior. Traits contribute to individual differences in behavior, consistency of behavior over time, and stability of behavior across situations. Traits may be unique, common to some group, or shared by the entire species, but their pattern is different for each individual. Thus each person, though like others in some ways, has a unique personality. Characteristics are unique qualities of an individual that include such attributes as temperament, physique, and intelligence (Feist, J., & Feist, G. J.2009). So basically personality consists of set of characteristics that manifest into certain behaviors that a person may ordinarily display. Factors that Influence Personality The following paragraphs will include information on the wide variety of environmental and biological influences that contribute to the development of a person’s unique personality. Some argue that heredity plays a significant role in how personality types are developed. Some say that perception is the main influence on personality development. The role of perception and cognitive development plays a significant role in how a young child views themselves in the world. Some children that come from broken homes see the world in a different light because their home life is unstable in some way making them feel insecure about themselves and the people around them. For example, If an impressionable child is constantly told they are stupid or bad then it may become a self fulfilling prophecy if they take on that type of negative thinking thus shaping their pessimistic characteristics. That is why parenting is such an important and critical role to play and in order to raise healthy and well rounded children a parent must needs to be strict yet supportive and loving. Socializing is another important part of child rearing as well. Even though parenting practices all over the world vary in so many ways, the ways in which girls and boys are socialized are always different to some extent. For example, boys are quickly introduced to their responsibilities and roles that they will play as a young man and these learned behaviors will carry on into adulthood. However, regardless of what a child is taught by their parents, in some cases it does not matter what they were taught certain events, experiences, and environmental factors can shape and alter personality development. The Theoretical Approach In order to understand the theoretical approach we must first recognize what makes a good theory. When analyzing personality there are many factors to take into consideration. One of the main two theories circle around personality development theories is the well known debate of nature versus nurture. Some theorists argue that nurturing plays a more significant role in personality development than the nature of a person based on heredity and other biological predispositions. Sigmund Freud is a popular name in psychoanalytic theories because he believed that sex and aggression were the basic motivational forces for human behavior. Freudian theories emphasized how our subconscious desires are contributors to our personality through our egos. All theorist can agree on one thing personality development is a very complex process that is influence by many external and internal factors. Alfred Adler had a significant influence on many theorists that came after him with his theories that mad e a great deal of sense. One of the tenants for the first theory is that the main source of motivation stems from the need to achieve success and even superiority (Adler, 1964). Many people can agree with this because that is what gets them out of bed in the morning even though they are still tired. The second theory was that people perceptions shaped how they viewed the world and themselves. I find this one very interesting as people are defined as normal or acceptable based societal norms or standards. Often teenagers change the way they act when they are around their peers and sometimes these changes are permanent. One perspectives and perceptions of people, places and things contribute to how they feel about the world and how they should conduct themselves in it. Social motives of acceptance also feed this theory as well. Organ dialect is another one of Alders terminologies used when describing body language. For example the elderly man with shaking hands struggling to open a jar may express to someone watching to step in and help him faster than words can say. Adler recognized how the individual personality operates in ways that are consistent with their motives. Observational learning is a critical aspect to learning and teaching and that does contribute to personal growth and understanding. Adler made it clear that as soon as we recognize that the conscious mind is closely linked to the unconscious mind. Adler states that the conscious life becomes unconscious as soon as we fail to understand it. Environmental influences provided by a child’s parents helps to contribute to their social interests which directly influence a child’s early socialization skills. Infancy is an intricate process of social development mainly developed through the relationship between the relationships with the mother or another mother like caretaker who possessed some level of social interest in the infants well being. The seeds of social desires are planted during infancy (Adler, 1964). Conclusion There is no single definition of personality however, all theorist agree that early childhood development contributes to the type of personality that a person develops. Many factors like heredity and environment contribute to ones individual growth and shape their perception as they mature. Overall personality can be identified through behavior patterns and characteristics that are linked to those behaviors. Individual perceptions of what is right and wrong contribute to the development of morale and values that affect personality. Many factors make up the full picture of what is a person’s true personality but overall it depends on perceptions and motives those two factors produce behaviors that become more and more consistent as desires are fulfilled in the lifelong pursuit of happiness. References Theories of personality (Adler, 1964). Retrieved from https://portal.phoenix.edu/classroom/coursematerials/psy_405/20130108/OSIRIS:43747563 Feist, J., & Feist, G. J. (2009). Theories of personality (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from https://portal.phoenix.edu/classroom/coursematerials/psy_405/20130108/OSIRIS:43747563