Fire, Brimstone, and Greener Pastures for Religious Involvement :: Free Essays Online

Fire, Brimstone, and Greener Pastures for Religious Involvement Lacking the ready opportunity to visit a unique congregation while stuck, carless, on campus over break, I instead focus on a "field trip" that my churchs' Sunday School class took one Sunday morning last summer. Picture if you will a group of white Presbyterian teenagers hopping into a shiny church van and cruising 15 minutes south, into the poorer, blacker reaches of inner-city Memphis (where neighborhood segregation is still very much the rule). Our destination was relatively near our own church, and yet worlds apart, too. Ours was the area of stately old homes with well-kept lawns along oak- and elm-lined streets, homes filled with the genteel, white urbanites of the city. A mere handful of blocks to the south, however, lay a land of equally old but far more poorly maintained homes, streets long since denuded of any trees they may once have sported. We had left our comfortable zone of neighborhood watches and block clubs, choosing instead to spend our worship hours in a part of t he city instead known for its special police precinct and its multitudinous economic redevelopment zones. Thus did we find ourselves at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. Venturing inside, we all noticed two things very quickly: we were at once wearing entirely too much clothing to be comfortable in the sweltering heat, and entirely too little to fit in with the rest of the congregants assembled. And yet we were welcomed with open arms. We had arrived, the Reverend Rogers L. Pruitt emphasized as we filed into the sanctuary, on a very special day. As he distributed bulletins and hearty handshakes to the rest of the group, I noticed that the front of mine read "Fragment Day." As I looked around the modest sanctuary, I wondered what the service had in store for us. The sanctuary was bare, and the pews hard. I mentally tallied a comparison between my own church's sanctuary and this. The two, I found, were similarly austere, but with theirs tending toward items of religious kitsch and our own tending instead towards polished brass. Both lacked stained glass in the windows. I suspected, however, that where our sanctuary was plain in token tribute to the long-dead strict streak of our Calvinist tradition, theirs was bare because it could not economically be otherwise. And the lack of air conditioning  ­ ! Memphis' summer heat is unbearable and pervasive, and a roof overhead does nothing against the big blanket of humid air.

Compare the way Shakespeare presents Hamlet’s Essay

In this play, Hamlet, Shakespeare shows us the different ways that madness can be portrayed and the various ways that others surrounding the central characters can perceive it. From the beginning it is explained that Hamlet would â€Å"put an antic disposition on† and this signifies that Hamlet’s madness would just be an act, not something that is actually true. Hamlet confides in Horatio and asks him not to look knowingly if he sees Hamlet behaving oddly by saying â€Å"some doubtful phrase† that might be â€Å"ambiguous† in its meaning. This immediately reinforces the notion that Hamlet is only play acting his apparent madness and in actual fact, is sane. Shakespeare presents Hamlet’s â€Å"antic disposition† as a means for Hamlet to bide his time and figure out how to avenge his father’s murder â€Å"by a brothers hand. † Hamlet’s madness is not meant to be seen as madness by us, but as something that has a purpose i. e. it could enable Hamlet to kill Claudius and it could be perceived by others that the killing was unintentional and was because of Hamlet’s â€Å"madness†. However, in the case of Ophelia, Shakespeare presents her form of madness as something that is real and tangible. She has a reason to be mad; her father is â€Å"dead and gone. † Shakespeare enforces the idea that Ophelia really is mad by having her enter in Act 4 Scene 5 â€Å"distracted† and singing a song about the death of her father. Ophelia’s madness is supported by what the gentleman says to Gertrude at the beginning of Act 4 Scene 5 about Ophelia’s state of mind; that she â€Å"winks and nods and gestures† and that â€Å"her speech is nothing, yet the unshaped use of it doth move the hearers to collection†. Even Laertes is appalled by Ophelia’s madness and wonders â€Å"is’t possible a young maid’s wits should be as mortal as an old man’s life? † Ophelia’s actions and what she says causes those around her to doubt her sanity and believe that she really is mad. There are many words that are used by the main characters to describe Hamlet’s madness. He describes it as his â€Å"antic disposition† whereas Polonius calls it â€Å"lunacy† and Claudius calls it â€Å"distemper† and a â€Å"transformation†. Although everyone perceives Hamlet as mad, Polonius and Claudius at one point doubted that Hamlet in actual fact was indeed mad. Claudius had Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spy on Hamlet, whilst when Polonius spoke to Hamlet he thought that â€Å"though this be madness, yet there is method in’t†. This shows that madness within Hamlet is not really madness at all, but is just an act; a performance on Hamlet’s part. Shakespeare adds this doubt to Hamlet’s madness whereas in Ophelia’s case there is no doubt about her state of mind to those around her. It is believed that mad people have a tendency to have suicidal feelings. In Hamlet’s first soliloquy, he desires that his â€Å"flesh would melt† and would have killed himself had not â€Å"his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter†. In his first soliloquy, he says â€Å"to be or not to be, that is the question†-in this line, Hamlet wonders whether or not to commit suicide. These suicidal feelings beg the question â€Å"had Hamlet actually gone mad? † I, like many others believe that Hamlet was not mad, as even though he displayed suicidal thoughts, he did not carry those thoughts out, signifying a sane state of mind. Ophelia however ended up committing suicide by drowning herself in a lake while â€Å"she chanted snatches of old lauds as one incapable of her own distress†. This seems to indicate how fragile her state of mind actually was and how she was driven to madness by her father’s death and Hamlet’s actions. The gravediggers in Act 5 Scene 1 thought that Ophelia committed suicide and â€Å"if she had not been a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out o’ Christian burial† as suicide is considered as an unholy crime. Shakespeare seems to want to show us that Ophelia really was mad by having her act, speak and behave in a way that was not seen as ‘normal’ to Elizabethan society as well as society today. It also seems that Shakespeare, maybe unwittingly, shows us that women were weak-minded individuals whereas men were the stronger sex, mentally as well as physically. Even though Hamlet is knocked with strong emotional surprises, such as finding out that his stepfather killed his father, Claudius, Hamlet still remains strong in public. This is a very sharp contrast to how Ophelia behaved when she suffered acute trauma due to the sudden death of her father. Whilst Hamlet remains strong, Ophelia transcends towards madness as her fragile state of mind had shattered. Maybe, this was the way Shakespeare viewed both sexes or maybe those were the views of Elizabethan society as a whole. Shakespeare presents Hamlet’s â€Å"antic disposition† as something very different to how Ophelia’s madness is presented to us. Shakespeare presents Hamlet as a strong character who has the ability to deal with emotional trauma, whereas Ophelia was portrayed as weak and symbolised what Hamlet once remarked: â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman†. Shakespeare presents Hamlet and Ophelia in contrasting ways to show us the differences between an â€Å"antic disposition† and actual madness. By using these contrasts, Shakespeare seems to be reflecting on the attitudes and views of Elizabethan society and also seems to be offering us his definition of madness.

Elizabeth receives three proposals of marriage in Pride and Prejudice Essay

The first sentence of the novel Pride and Prejudice states, â€Å"It is the truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.† This clearly demonstrates how important marriage was in the Victorian age and to the Bennet girls. Using this as the first sentence of the novel reinforces the theme of marriage from the very start. The plot of Pride and Prejudice is centred on four relationships with all of these resulting in marriage. The first relationship was between Charlotte Lucus and Mr Collins which resulted in a marriage of convenience as neither party showed any affection and thought of marriage as merely a contract that would help both sides. The second couple was Miss Lydia Bennet and Mr Wickham. In the novel Lydia and Wickham eloped and ran off to London. Mr Wickham was paid by Mr Darcy to marry Lydia. The third was between Miss Jane Bennet and Mr Bingly which was a relationship of true love. The relationship encountered many ups and downs but eventually true love triumphed. The fourth was between Mr Darcy and Miss Lizzy Bennet. This was an unusual couple as they came from very different classes in Victorian society and their marriage very nearly did not happen. This marriage was based on love. The Bennet girls had limited options in life. The first was to get married and love honour and obey their husband. The second was to become a spinster and live off her male relatives. To be a spinster you were regarded as a social outcast in society. The third was to be a governess. To get married was seen to be by far the best option for women in the Victorian age. Women had few rights. The Bennet girls had the unfortunate coincidence of being five girls in their family. This meant that they would only have a small dowry, as all money had to be split five ways. Extra pressure was mounted on the Bennet girls’ shoulders through Mr Collins. If Mr Bingly died the Bennet girls would have been thrown out of Longbourn in favour of Mr Collins’ as their house was entitled to ‘heirs male’. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is the heroine of the novel. Elizabeth has several character traits, which make it somewhat less difficult for her to refuse her first proposal from Mr Collins. These include; her perceptiveness, which enabled her to easily manipulate Mr Collins. Lizzy is very witty and we know this because it says in the text that, â€Å"She has more of a quickness than her sisters†. In the last paragraph of the proposal scene we see that Lizzy puts an emphasis on the personal pronouns â€Å"we† and â€Å"I†. This shows that she is as proud and self interested as Mr Collins. However, Elizabeth lacks self-awareness – she is proud and prejudiced. Elizabeth wants to be seen as an intelligent, educated woman. She wants a marriage but only if it is based on love. She will not settle for merely a business arrangement. The novel of Pride and Prejudice has two comedy climaxes and both have connections with Mr Collins. The first is Mr Collins’ proposal. Elizabeth is genuinely shocked and embarrassed by this proposal. She nearly bursts out laughing when he says that he was â€Å"Run away with by my feelings†. Humour is achieved by Mr Collins’ manner as Austen satirises the role of a traditional clergyman. For example, he is supposed to put others first yet through the first paragraph of the proposal he uses the personal pronouns â€Å"I†, â€Å"me† and â€Å"my† thirteen times. Elizabeth is clearly affronted by the fact that Mr Collins believes that he is dong her and her family a service by making his proposal of marriage. He believes that Elizabeth and her family should regard him as an exceedingly good â€Å"catch†. Elizabeth, however, with her strong intellect does not regard Mr Collins as her equal or as her superior. She can hardly contain her fury when she replies sarcastically, â€Å"I am very sensitive of the honour of your proposals but it is impossible for me to do otherwise other than to decline them†. Her temper rises when Mr Collins persists with his proposal as he believes it is customary for prospective brides to reject a proposal â€Å"a second or even a third time†. Elizabeth, in exasperation, does her utmost to convince Mr Collins that marriage to him is completely out of the question, â€Å"I am perfectly serious in my proposal. – You could not make me happy.† This is the basis of Elizabeth’s refusal – she wants a marriage based on love and respect which will lead to happiness. She regards Mr Collins as beneath her in intellect and sensitivity. In her eyes, he is a pompous fool with an over-inflated sense of importance. She does not love or respect him. She feels that she would be compromising herself by accepting him his proposal and she is totally frustrated by his apparent in ability to accept her refusal. In this proposal we see that there is a character contrast between Elizabeth and Mr Collins. Mr Collins obeys orders. He admits that to Elizabeth he is following Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s instruction to marry when he says, â€Å"It is the particular advice and recommendation of a certain noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness.† Lizzy, however, will not be swayed by the opinion of others whatever their social status. During his proposal Mr Collins reminds Lizzy that he is, â€Å"To inherit this estate after the death of your honoured father.† This shows Mr Collins’ lack of understanding of Lizzy’s love for her father. This is juxtaposition between the theme of love and marriage and the death of Mr Bennet. This is very amusing for the reader. The second proposal that Elizabeth receives is from Mr Darcy. The title of this novel, Pride and Prejudice is a metaphor for Elizabeth’s relationship with Mr Darcy. Mr Darcy is seen by Elizabeth to be too proud. Mr Darcy is a lot further up the social strata than the Bennet family. He thinks that he would be degrading himself to marry her. â€Å"He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.† Elizabeth is prejudiced against Darcy. Elizabeth has been fooled by Mr Wickham’s stories of Mr Darcy. Elizabeth believes that after the death of the late Mr Darcy, Mr Darcy threw Mr Wickham out of his father’s house and failed to adhere to his promise of a family living. However later on in the novel this is confirmed to be not the case. Through the plot line we see how Austen has created hostility between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth. At their first meeting, Mr Darcy does not endear himself to Elizabeth and her family because of his superior attitude. He says of Elizabeth, â€Å"She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me.† This dislike of Mr Darcy is increased through his interference in the relationship between Jane and Mr Bingly. He admits to Elizabeth that â€Å"I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister.† Elizabeth was very astounded by Mr Darcy’s first proposal. Her prejudice against him increased due to the manner in which he made this proposal. He explained to her how she had struggled with himself but was unable to stop himself from telling her, â€Å"how ardently I admire and love you†. However, Mr Darcy made the mistake of dwelling on what he perceived Elizabeth’s inferiority. Elizabeth could see that, like Mr Collins, Mr Darcy expected her to accept his proposal and it had not crossed his mind that she would do otherwise. Elizabeth’s anger increases because she can see that Darcy arrogantly assumes that she will marry him. ‘Elizabeth felt herself growing more angry every moment’. He openly tells her that he has tried to quell his feelings for her because a marriage to her would be degrading. This arrogance and sense of superiority and pride infuriates Elizabeth. Although she is flattered by his proposals, her prejudices make it impossible for her to accept it. She does not want to be seen as a charity case. Also, she does not want to be seen to condone what she perceives to be his ungentlemanly past behaviour towards Mr Wickham and her sister. She declares that from the very beginning she despised his â€Å"arrogance†, â€Å"conceit† and selfish disdain of the feelings of others†. The third proposal that Elizabeth received was again from Mr Darcy. However, by this time Elizabeth has heard the truth about Mr Wickham and his atrocious behaviour. Her regard for Mr Darcy has grown through her understanding of the part that he played in resolving the problems with Lydia’s elopement and eventual marriage to Mr Wichkam. At the time of the second proposal Elizabeth’s prejudices against Mr Darcy have disappeared. Indeed she cannot wait to express her thanks for the part that he played in helping Lydia and ultimately her family. However, Mr Darcy tells Elizabeth that her family owe him nothing and he only cares about her. On her return to London, Lady Catherine De Burgh called on Mr Darcy to obtain the promise from Mr Darcy which she had not got from Elizabeth. She told him of her visit to Longbourn and her conversation with Elizabeth and how she had refused to promise that she would not accept a marriage proposal from Mr Darcy. The effect of her visit, â€Å"had been exactly contrariwise†¦It taught me to hope†¦I knew enough of your disposition to be certain that had you been absolutely irrevocably decided against me you would have acknowledged it to Lady Catherine frankly and openly.† He humbles himself when he openly, for the second time, declares his love for Elizabeth and openly outlines his inferior traits. He confirms that he has been â€Å"a selfish being all his life†. He as an only child her was spoilt and not taught to control his temper. He also says admits that he was â€Å"almost taught to be selfish and overbearing, to care for no-one beyond my own family circle†. He tells Elizabeth that that it is she who has brought him humility. In my opinion it was not only Elizabeth who was prejudiced but Darcy too as he is prejudiced about her place in the social hierarchy. It is also not only Darcy who is proud but Elizabeth is too. She will not lower her standards and complies with the conventions of the day by consenting to marry just to please her mother or other members of society. She is determined to hold out against all the odds and marry only for love. At the end of the novel Elizabeth achieves her goal of marrying someone who will truly make her happy. This could be seen as a reflection of Jane Austen’s view on marriage, that is, that a good marriage is one that is based on love and mutual respect. â€Å"Do anything rather than marry without affection.†

6 Reasons You Should Seriously Consider Becoming a Nurse Practitioner

6 Reasons You Should Seriously Consider Becoming a Nurse Practitioner Ever thought about becoming a nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners  are a combination of both nursing and medical care. These practitioners are able to help patients one step further  than a registered nurse. A nurse practitioner  can prescribe medicine, look at patients, diagnose illnesses, and provide treatments, similar to a physician. Here are 6 advantages of becoming a nurse practitioner.  Source [Ohio University]

Resolve to Read the Classics!

Resolve to Read the Classics! Have you decided that this is your year  for reading more Classic Literature? Weve got some helpful suggestions for books to read, clubs to consider forming or joining, genres to discover, and even ways to beat the reading slumps!   Reading Lists Have a Play-Full New Year! One of the more overlooked genres of classic literature (or any literature, really) is drama. Readers tend to gravitate towards novels, first, and poetry second. But the truth is, there are a number of classic plays of various modes, including comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy, and histories that are incredibly interesting, entertaining, and educational! Click the link above to see what plays we recommend reading this year! Tackle this List of 101 Classics Have you always wanted to read the classics but have been intimidated by the sheer number of them? Maybe you’ve heard of classic writers like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, but you aren’t sure who else qualifies? The list of 101 Classics provides a wealth of options across all genres, modes, and literary periods. There is definitely something for every reader. Check it out! Classic Young Adult Literature Did you know that there are a significant number of so-called â€Å"young adult† novels that also fit the genre of classic literature? This category has been increasing in popularity over the last decade, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the very best classic works that resonate with younger readers or which are narrated by young adults. How About some Literary Resolutions? Every year, January rolls around and we find ourselves making a variety of resolutions. It might be to lose weight, to manage our budget a little better, or to try new things. But have you ever considered adding reading resolutions to that list? This post will provide you with a number of various resolutions that you as a Classic Literature-lover are sure to enjoy (and might actually succeed in keeping!). Try These Books to Beat the Classics Slump This list is designed for those of us who are regular readers of classic literature but who have, for whatever reason, found ourselves in a bit of a reading slump. Maybe we’ve been trying a genre that’s not speaking to us at the moment, or a period that we’re not responding to. The books above are meant to help you break out of the slump and enjoy the classics all over again! Book Club Information What Is a Book Club, anyway? This might sound like a simple, easy question, but how often have you thought about it? What is a book club, really, and why are they important? What should a book club do for you, and what should you expect from it? Here are some of our thoughts on the subject. What About Online Book Clubs? Another question we might ask ourselves is, what about this whole online book club thing? How do they work? How are they organized? Do we use web cams, blogs, or other pre-arranged book sites? There are a number of pros and cons to the online scene, and we address some of each here. Join/Start a Book Club or Reading Group Now that weve thought about what a book club really is, and whether we might want to participate in an online or traditional format, there are some other questions to address. For example, how exactly can we go about forming a book club? And, once weve formed it, how can we develop rules and expectations? How might we make the club fun? What are some of the issues that typically arise? Be ready to tackle all of these questions and more by browsing our thoughts on the subject. How to Select a Classic Book for Your Book Club Since youre browsing the Classic Literature section of About.com, its likely that youre not only interested in starting a book club, but perhaps a book club that specifically works with Classic literature. Well, how do you go about selecting those classics? How can you make a potentially-eclectic and skills-diverse group happy with your choices? Here are some suggestions! Common Rules and Standards for Your Book Club Finally, now that youve formed your book club and decided how to choose your readings, its time to think about the rules and expectations. Believe it or not, even a book club can be prone to confusion, tension, and other issues. Its important that everyone knows and agrees to the rules right away. This post offers some ideas about guidelines to help your group stay positive and successful.

Biography of Kurt Vonnegut Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Biography of Kurt Vonnegut - Essay Example After the war, Vonnegut attended the University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He described his work there in the late 1940s in terms that could have been used by almost any other City Press reporter of any era: "Well, the Chicago City News Bureau was a tripwire for all the newspapers in town when I was there, and there were five papers, I think. We were out all the time around the clock and every time we came across a really juicy murder or scandal or whatever, they’d send the big time reporters and photographers, otherwise, they’d run our stories. So that’s what I was doing, and I was going to university at the same time." Vonnegut admitted that he was a poor anthropology student, with one professor remarking that some of the students were going to be professional anthropologists and he was not one of them. According to Vonnegut in Bagombo Snuff Box, the university rejected his first thesis o n the necessity of accounting for the similarities between Cubist painters and the leaders of late 19th Century Native American uprisings, saying it was unprofessional. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York, in public relations for General Electric, where his brother Bernard worked in the research department. Vonnegut was a technical writer but was also known for writing well past his typical hours while working. While in Schenectady, Vonnegut lived in the tiny hamlet of Alplaus, just across the Mohawk River from the city of Schenectady.

Representation and Stereotype of Women in Video Games Dissertation

Representation and Stereotype of Women in Video Games - Dissertation Example The portrayal of the woman in video games has always been a controversial topic. It is controversial because it reflects the negative sides of the woman. It is the major claim of those who protest against the stereotype of women that in video games women are presented in an unrealistic and exaggerated manner. The video games mostly contain the violence and sex together. The women are generally represented as a hyper-sexual character. The content of the dissertation thus shows that the girls as well as women are based on gender-stereotyped. Hence, it is quite common to see a woman with a typical figure and complexion and in a tight outfit. Keywords: videogames, women, portrayal, unrealistic hypersexual Executive Summary: This paper is based on the stereotype presentation of the women in video games. Women’s image in all types of media has always been just a sex symbol. Whatever the media would be, such as television, advertisements or any type of magazines and newspaper, the wo men cannot come out of the typical periphery which is drawn for them by the male dominated society. In media they are sometimes shown in a very humiliating manner. This research has discussed thoroughly on the same issue. The research paper is divided into four different chapters. First chapter is associated with problems and its setting. The researcher decided this kind of subject out of the concern of the portrayal of women in video games and their impact on the society, especially the adolescent young boys around whom the entire video industry is revolving. The women in video games are far from reality from all points of view such as their physical appearance and the role they played in the game. In the first chapter the introduction about the topic is given. Then the researcher has designed the problem related questions for discussion. There are five research questions to be discussed. The researcher then discusses about the significance of the problem and significance of his re search. The researcher here has discussed about the usefulness of his research in finding out the problem. In the next section the researcher deals with the significance of the study. For any research to be reached to its conclusion the hypotheses are necessary to form so that it can give a proper direction for the research. Here the researcher has taken the hypothesis that still the image of women in video games is stereotype and it has not changed. The women are shown either as a sex symbol or a passive and distressed object. After that the researcher discusses the scope of the study. There are many new concepts in the research paper so it is necessary to mention the definition of the terms used in the research paper. Here the researcher has given the definitions of various terms used in the research paper. The second chapter deals with the literature review. For the research it is very necessary to find out the related documents or any existing theory which can support the ideas of the researcher. The references have been collected from various sources such as books written on this same topic. Apart from that some previous research papers, articles, blogs, websites etc are also referred. The researcher has given thorough information about the collection and information which has been collected by the above mentioned sources. In the third chapter, the