Free Essays - Comparing Odysseus and Medea :: comparison compare contrast essays

Free Essays on Homer's Odyssey: Odysseus and Medea "Let me hear no smooth talk of death from you, Odysseus, light of councils. Better, I say, to break sod as a farm hand for some poor country man, on iron rations, than lord it over all the exhausted dead." Right before restless Odysseus leaves Circe, she tells him that he must go down into Hades to visit the shade of Teiresias, the blind prophet who advises Odysseus of his homecoming (the Wanderings). He then goes on to meet the shades of the queens and lovers of dead heroes and finally the heroes themselves. In the quotation cited, Odysseus is talking with Achilles, the greatest hero of the Trojan War. Achilles, while alive, was fully cognizant of his choice between a long life spent in obscurity or a short life, filled with glory. He chose the latter. I suppose Achilles quickly realized after he died that fame has no meaning for you after you're dead. In retrospect, he understood that death gives meaning, and fills one up with the passion for life. Every action, however mundane, is filled with the miracle of life and completes itself when one interacts with others. This is what Achilles meant when he asks Odysseus about his son and his former kingdom--never mind the dead, what are the living doing? Achilles yearns to be back among the living. This theme of death giving meaning to life is prevalent throughout the Odyssey. Hell is death, heaven is now, in life, in the field of time and action. Odysseus nearly died of homesickness (or boredom) when Kalypso detained him on her island, hoping to make him her immortal husband. Odysseus knew if he drank that ambrosia, life would be eternal, you'd have a beautiful house and a babe for a wife, but things would get terribly vapid after a certain point. Immortality is death, in this sense. Finally, it is Athena (thought, action) who convinces the gods (who are, I think, jealous of us mortals) to let Odysseus off the island and back into his life. It is interesting to note that even Hermes couldn't wait to get off Kalypso's island--"who would willingly come here? There is no city of men nearby. . . . . Ultimately, Odysseus' journey to Ithaka is about embracing one's life, accepting the challenges, the dangers, pitfalls, and joys, with courage, tenacity and a keen sense of what it takes to maintain balance in one's life.

Essay on The Supernatural in Toni Morrisons Beloved :: Toni Morrison Beloved Essays

Supernatural in Beloved Elements of the supernatural pervade Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved. These elements include evidence of African-American folklore and tradition in the everyday lives of the inhabitants of 124 Bluestone Road. Beloved's character is another obvious use of the supernatural: she's a ghost for part of the novel and a "ghost-in-the-flesh" for the major part of the book. In Beloved, Morrison extracts African folklore from history in order to enrich the authenticity of an account of the lives of ex-slaves during the late 19th century. Her extractions include medicinal, religious, and superstitious components from African life. As doctors were not available to most blacks during this time -- slave or free -- they were forced to depend upon their intuitive nature and upbringing. For instance, spiderweb is used as first aid for cuts, while grease is spread liberally over these same cuts as a long-term ointment of sorts. For slaves, church was simply another segregated part of life which forced them to develop their own way of practicing their faith. African roots are very visible in Baby Sugg's "sermons" in the Clearing. White men go to church, sit down in wooden pews, and settle in for a lengthy dissertation on their sins. On the other hand, Baby Suggs calls her people into Nature to dance, cry, and finally, to laugh. Her version of a sermon is actually an outpouring of the vast contents of her heart. Superstitions are a natural part of any culture's make-up. However, some superstitions are firmly rooted in one specific culture. This is evident in Baby Sugg's statement to Sethe where she says, "Not a house in the country ain't packed to its rafters with some dead negro's grief" (Morrison 5). Similarly, Ella comments to Stamp Paid, "You know as well as I do that people who die bad don't stay in the ground" (188). Morrison's style embodies an additional aspect of African philosophy. According to John S. Mbiti, "[it] emphasizes that the spiritual universe is a unit with the physical, and that these two intermingle and dovetail into each other so much that it is not easy, or even necessary, at times to draw distinctions or separate them" (Samuels 138). One can see how Morrison fits this definition with her constant interweaving of the spiritual world along with the physical world. Stereotypical thinking says that a fine line exists between the spiritual world and the natural world.

Performing Genders in a Streetcar Named Desire Essay

Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire, considered as one of his most famous works, exposes the relationships between Stella and her sister, Blanche, who has come to visit her. Her arrival reveals the tensions in Stanley and Stella’s couple. Blanche quickly discovers that her sister’s life is not at all the life she believed it to be, and that her sister lives with a violent man, Stanley. But Stanley is not the only one who tries to hide his true identity. Indeed, Blanche’s arrival in New Orleans is not innocent. She tries to escape her bad reputation and comes with her deepest secrets. In this play, the protagonists perform a role to affirm their gender and hide their real true nature. This staging also aims at dramatizing the action of the play. Stella’s husband, Stanley, is the prefect representation of the violent and macho man. He does everything to be seen as a powerful man when citing Huey Long he tells Stella that †every Man is a King! And I am the king around here† (Williams, 77). As Koprince notes: Like most batterers, Stanley believes in male superiority†¦ [He] especially believes in male dominance within the institution of marriage. He is completely in charge of the Kowalski household, calling all the shots and expecting his wife’s acquiescence. (51) Stanley establishes a conjugal life in which his wife is not allowed to say what she wants as he growls: †don’t ever talk that way to me!† (77). However, Stanley is not only arrogant when he speaks to his wife, he also mistreats her. During the Poker Night, he first †crosses to the small white radio and snatches it off the table. With a shouted oath, he tosses the instrument out of the window† and then †charges Stella† (35). Stanley thus intimidates his wife and decreases her as Dutton an alyses: Physical assault may be accompanied by verbal abuse, psychological abuse†¦ This constellation of destructive actions more fully represents a continuum of coercive control and, some would argue, therefore constitutes the proper subject matter for a psychology of interpersonal violence. (6) In reality the way Stanley acts allows him to acquire power and control under Stella. She behaves exactly how Stanley wants her to react that is as a battered and dominated woman:   He [Stanley] didn’t know what he was doing†¦ He was as good as lamb when I [Stella] came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of himself. (41) According to Stanley, showing his feelings to his wife would be intolerable and is not the behavior a man has to adopt. Nevertheless, his violent behavior and the role that he performs convey the feelings he has for Stella. Indeed, he is afraid that his wife can leave him: Stanley: Stella! My baby doll’s left me! Eunice? I want my baby! Eunice! I’ll keep on ringin’ I talk with my baby! (37) Stanley: Stell-lahhhhh! (37) By saying †Eunice, I want my girl to come down with me!† (38), Stanley gets belligerent again and proves that primitive instincts animate him. Blanche, talking to his sister, highlights that Stanley †acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits!† (47). She also asserts that †there’s even something – subhuman- something not quite to the stage of humanity† (47) which implies that her brother-in-law performs the male role to the extreme. Besides, this extreme is reached when Stanley rapes Blanche telling her: †we’ve had this date with each other from the beginning!† (97). Thus this act reminds Blanche of her past of prostitute and reveals what Blanche tried to hide through her staging. Blanche performs the role of the fragile and the romantic woman in order to hide her deepest secrets. Through Stella’s eyes, Blanche appears as a sensitive woman (69) and has always to be complimented. She thus recommends Stanley to †admire [Blanche’s] dress and [to] tell [Blanche] she’s looking wonderful† (17). In this connection, Blanche also highlights that †[she] need[s] kindness† (39). Moreover Blanche’s sensibility is highlighted by her romanticism. She tells Mitch that she has †old-fashioned ideals† (63) and calls him †[her] Rosenkavalier† (57). Related to this idea, Cortade asserts: Blanche DuBois s’accroche aux derniers vestiges de romantisme qui appartiennent à   une autre à ©poque. (209) [Blanche DuBois stay emotionally attached to the relics of romanticism which belong to another time, my translation]. In a sense, Blanche’s romantic ideals allow her to play the role of a modern Emma Bovary. In the manner of Flaubert’s character, Blanche entertains hopes of escaping from reality through love. Blanche idealizes love and describing  the love she had for her husband, Allan, she says that †it was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow, that’s how it struck the world for me† (66). But like Emma Bovary who lost her lover Rodolphe and fell into depression, Blanche loses Allan and this loss overwhelms her completely. She thus behaves as a desperate woman and loses her mind. By qualifying Blanche as †a refined and particular type of girl†, Stanley unmasks her and reveals the reason why Blanche has to perform. Indeed Blanche stages in order to hide her past of prostitute. Stanley explains to Stella that †[Blanche] moved to the Flamingo! A second-class hotel which has the advantage of not interfering in the private social life of the personalities there† (71). He also adds that †[men in Laurel] got wised up after two or three dates with [Blanche] and then they quit, and she goes on to another, the same old lines, same old act, same old hooey† (71). Besides Blanche is conscious of her act and qualifies herself as †a big spider† (87). Nevertheless, her behavior hides some deeper injuries. As she analyzes †[she was] hunting for some protection† and this †was all [she] seemed able to fill [her] empty heart with† (87). In this connection, Blanche is a desperate woman who †always depen ded on the kindness of strangers† (107). In conclusion, Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire depicts characters that perform in order to hide their true nature. By saying that †Poker should not be play in a house with women† (36), Mitch proceeds to a separation of genders revealing Blanche’s and Stanley’s staging. Indeed, both of them perform the roles of the violent man and the fragile woman. Stella’s husband appears as a choleric man and frightens his wife and his sister-in-low, Blanche. Blanche’s staging allows her to escape reality and she is able to overshadow her past. Indeed her past makes her fragile and facing the reality would be too hard to face. Stanley and Blanche also share the same fear. Indeed, they are afraid to be abandoned. Whereas Stanley depends on Stella’s presence, Blanche needs the kindness of strangers. Although they hate each other, they share several common points. Indeed both of them know that the other hide a secret. Sources: Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. London: Penguin Modern Classics, [1927] 2004. 218 p. Cortade, Ludovic. Le cinà ©ma de l’immobilità ©. Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne, 2008. 308 p. Dutton, Donald G. The domestic assault of Women: Psychological and Criminal Justice Perspectives. Canada: University of Washington Press, 2001, 337 p. Koprince, Susan. †Domestic violence in a Streetcar Named Desire† Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: A Streetcar Named Desire – New Edition, Ed. Harold Bloom, New York, 2009: 49-60.

Juvenile Justice Subsystems Essay

The role of the police is to enforce the law and maintain order in the community. In 2000, there were approximately 18,000 police agencies employing more than one million full-time sworn and non-sworn personnel. They are intimately involved in juvenile justice issues, they mostly operate locally, and are thus in close proximity to towns and neighborhoods. For juvenile offenders and victims, local police are often their first contact with juvenile justice authorities. The reason for this is simply stated: Juvenile offenders who break the law are frequently taken to the police as a first option, or the police may apprehend them while observing them committing an offense. Youths who have been victimized or whose welfare is at risk are likewise referred to police custody—for their own protection. The Judicial Subsystem The judicial component of the juvenile justice system is composed of many of the same personnel as found in the adult system. These include judges, administrators, prosecutors, and defense counsel. It is a civil (rather than criminal) system, so there is also a significant amount of participation by social workers, probation officers, case managers, and other professionals whose primary duty is to inform and advise the court on the status of each juvenile. The Corrections Subsystem Juvenile correctional institutions are regulated under state law and must comply with state and federal mandates for the humane treatment of youths who have been consigned to locked or other residential facilities. The underlying mission of juvenile corrections is to treat and rehabilitate youths. Although many facilities are highly restrictive, and confinement conditions can approximate those found in some adult facilities, it is the duty of this subsystem to â€Å"correct† the behavior of offenders.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Case Management of Term Paper

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Case Management of Hispanics - Term Paper Example This topic is being considered in the hope of establishing a clear understanding of the applicability of complementary and alternative medicine in the management of illnesses among the Hispanic population. Concept Complementary and alternative medicine is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2011) as a diverse and varied medical and health systems and practices which are not normally considered part of conventional or standard medical practice. It is not as widely accepted as conventional medicine, but some of its applications have already been accepted as effective treatments and have therefore formed part of generally applied medicine. Complementary medicine is medicine which is included and used together with conventional medicine (NCCAM, 2011). Alternative medicine, on the other hand is used in place of conventional medicine; in most instances, as the sole treatment, without integration of conventional medicine techniques. CAM includes a wide range of ancient and new-age techniques which claim to treat and to prevent the onset of illness (Barnes, et.al., 2008). In the strictest sense, CAM is not a part of conventional medicine because there is still inadequate proof for its safe and effective use in healthcare. As a result, judgment for the use of these techniques is largely based on discretion and evidence-based support. In general, individuals utilizing CAM are finding ways to improve their overall physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being (Astin, et.al., 2000). Moreover, they often turn to CAM to seek relief from a terminal or chronic illness or from the side-effects of their conventional treatment. Furthermore, they consider CAM as a means of establishing a holistic and transformative management of their body and all its issues (Institute of Medicine, 2005). CAM practitioners often attempt to treat not only the physical chemical symptoms of the disease, but also the psychological, emotional, and mental i mpact of the illness. Most patients availing of this treatment consider it as a means of complementing their conventional medicine management; seldom is it used as an alternative form of treatment (Barnes, et.al., 2008). Based on a National Health Interview survey (2002), about a third of adults use atleast one form of CAM. Usual CAM therapies include non-mineral natural products, meditation, yoga, massage, deep-breathing exercises, and diet-based therapies (Barnes, et.al., 2002). In the past, CAM has often been used to relieve back aches, headaches, chest colds, neck pain, joint stiffness, and anxiety. Although much less common, the use of these forms of treatment has also been prevalent in the management of symptoms for cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular infection (Mao, et.al., 2007). Its use has also been common among women and among adults with higher educational qualifications, including adults who have been suffering from one or two health issues requiring multiple medi cal consults in a year (Nahin, et.al., 2007). CAM techniques are often categorized into different classifications. One of its categories includes natural products. These natural produces are popularly known as herbal medicines, vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements (NCCAM, 2011). Probiotics or

Trendsetters shops Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Trendsetters shops - Assignment Example The small and medium enterprises are the enterprises which play a very important role in the global economy and constitute 90% of the global economy. Because of the saturity in the developed countries the Small and medium sized enterprises are making more advancements in the developing nations which are mainly the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). The WTO has recognized the importance of these small scale industries and thus has promoted these industries. The small and medium enterprises are the enterprises which begin with their own innovations and inventions and survive competition in order to succeed globally. This report is a personal report and in this topic I will focus mainly on the development of our own small medium enterprise called the â€Å"Trendsetters† in which I and my brother are partners and it is a family business. I have been into this business as soon as I completed my higher secondary exams. I began my role in the firm as accountant. This t opic and firm has been chosen by me for my research purpose as I have personalized experience in the firm and I foresee my future in this firm. Beginning of as an accountant in the business I have started managing all the aspects of the business in order to carry our family legacy further. I and my brother have started discussions concerning all details about the shop like the supply chain procedures that we need to adopt, the pricing and the marketing strategies that needs to be implemented, the seasonal highs and lows etc. â€Å"SMEs enhance competition and entrepreneurship and hence have external benefits on economy wide efficiency, innovation, and aggregate productivity growth. SMEs are generally more productive than large firms. SME expansion boosts employment more than large firm growth because SME are more labor intensive† (Small and Medium Enterprises, 2011, P.1). This research will shed light on â€Å"Trendsetters† as case study and example of successful small business in India. This research relies on the case study methodology, whereby personal description is provided which calls for analytical as well as descriptive study and provides accurate information on the actual developments in the research topic. 2. History of Trendsetters Shop: My Grandmother was the brain from where such an idea of family business emerged. She was a great textile designer and she could make her own designs which of course she did not market but created for her own family uses. Due to her talent people came to her for design tips on their clothes. My father grew up hearing this that many people wanted my grandmother to start her own small business but my grandmother was afraid because of the knits and guts that is required in the business field. My father had then acquired his business administration degree and instead of venturing out and sourcing him to other firms he decided with grandmother to start his own business so that his academic excellence and my grandmother’s ideas of design could merge together and they started a small garment factory. There was difficulty in procurement of initial capital and the initial capital was a loan with 10% interest from the Regional Rural Bank in our locality. With 5 of my grandmother’s friends our business’s first contract began. It was a very small contract but it ensured confidence in my father to further the business. My father became the managing director of the firm. The present number of employees in the firm is 75 which consist of designers, purchase officials, logistics officials and marketing officials. Comments: Even though the enterprise is a small scale it shows the merger of business idea with high academic excellence. It is notable how the family merged skills with education in order to start their own business. â€Å"Another area in which small entrepreneur has faced the difficulty is that of management. The principles of management have not been properly stu died and translated into practice owing to the influence of old traditions and customs. It has seldom bothered to

Measuring an Applicant's Characteristics Case Study

Measuring an Applicant's Characteristics - Case Study Example In addition, a recommendation in relation to measurement of applicants’ characteristics and rankings has also been provided in this report. At the end of the report, potential legal liabilities arising out of the recommended option have been noted down, which the employer shall take into consideration. Strengths and Weaknesses of Current Process While going through the current process of hiring an employee, which aims at  effectively measuring applicant knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics, it can be observed that there are some strengths and weaknesses in the process. The strengths and weaknesses are separately discussed as under: Strengths Keeping in view the current process, it can be stated that some of the measures used to evaluate an applicant are effective. As for instance, measures like testing the ability of an applicant to manage conversations with demanding customers and testing the basic computer skills and accuracy of data entry are all streng ths of the current process. Weaknesses On the other hand, reviewing the existing process of hiring new employees for CSR 1, there are a few weaknesses in the process. As for instance the fluency in English requires testing of reading, writing and speaking skills of individual applicants, and no emphasis is placed on listening skills, which form an important part of their job. On the other hand, although there is a system in place for assuring good attendance of the new hired employees, but it does not seem to work effectively, as there is high turnover of newly hired employees in training phase. Options for Predicting Employees’ Attendance Employees’ attendance is a crucial factor in ensuring smooth flow of an organization’s operations and activities. Absenteeism, which refers to an employee being absent from work, has been considered by a number of researchers in the past (Kingery, 2009; Ivancevich, 1985). The options available for predicting an applicantâ€⠄¢s attendance, if hired by the company, include evaluation of various aspects of that individual’s personality and traits. By considering these personality and traits (Macan, 2009). The existing problem in this regard for Iron Town Incorporation is that newly hired employees have a high turnover during the training session. In this regard, it is important that a brief description of training program is incorporated in the employee hiring process, which will enable applicants to understand the procedure they will go through, thus filtering out those employees who do not like the training program or do not want to be a part of it for any other reason (Honer, Wright, & Sablynski, 2007; Macan, 2009). Moreover, other initiatives which can be included in the staffing process for predicting employees’ attendance can be review of their previous employment record, asking for references and corresponding with them regarding their absenteeism. In addition, it is also desirable t o evaluate the financial aspects and nature of job offered to applicants by checking his or her compatibility with the same. In this way, it can be predicted whether the applicant, if being selected for the job, will be satisfied with the job and henceforth remain punctual (Honer, Wright, & Sablynski, 2007; Ivancevich, 1985; Macan, 2009). Recommendations for Measuring Applicants’ Characteristics and Rankings As far as measurement of applicants’ characteristics is concerned, it is recommended that a thorough evaluation of an applicant’