Saturday, January 25, 2020

Relation Between Matrix And Descartes Meditations Philosophy Essay

Relation Between Matrix And Descartes Meditations Philosophy Essay Renà © Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician who were really famaous with his philosopical works, especially with Meditations on First Philosophy. His ideas in Meditations have been important source of inspiration for considerable number of movies. One of the most significant movie that reflects Descartes ideas is Matrix in which Keanu Reeves Thomas Anderson is a computer programmer for a well known company and also has another life as a hacker Neo. He starts to get mysterious messages on his computer and after meeting with Morpheus, is told that reality is totally different from what he and other people perceive it to be. Within the scope of this assignment, I search for relations between the movie and the Descartes ideas by referring to significant quotations from a translation of Meditation on First Philosophy which was written by Christopher Biffle and specific scenes from the movie. In the movie, the reality that most people perceive is actually a dream that is created by a powerful being to deceive humanity. People think that they live in a city, breathe air and the year is 1999. However, in reality, the year is approximately 2199, there is no air and the world is in a bad situation like is attacked by war. As it is indicated in Meditation I (Biffle, 2001) : This would be perfectly obvious-if I werent a man accustomed to sleeping at night whose experiences while a sleep are at least as far-fetched as those madmen have while awake. How often, at night, Ive been convinced that I was here, sitting before the fire, wearing my dressing gown, when in fact I was undressed and between the covers of my bed! But now I am looking at this piece of paper with my eyes wide open; the head that I am shaking has not beel lulled to sleep; I put my hand out consciously and deliberately and feel. None of this would be as distinct if I were asleep. As if I cant remember having been tricked by by similar thoughts while asleep! When I think carefully about this, I see so plainly that there are no reliable signs by which I can distinguish sleeping from waking that I am stupefied-and my stupor itself suggests that I am asleep! People live in a dream and can not distinguish it from reality. It is obvious from some scenes of the movie that Neo also has doubts about it. In one of them, agents take Neo to interrogate and convince him to work for them to defeat Morpheus. Agent Smith made Neos lips be locked in order not to make him speak and put a transmitter in him which is like a spider. Then the other scene stast with Neos waking up. The first thing that he does is to check his mouth and it is normal. However, the transmitter is in him and he gets rid of it my the help of Trinity who is one of the characters in the film. If all the things he has seen are a dream, then why is there a transmitter in him? In addition, if all the things are real, then why is there anything with his mouth? This is why the world that people live is a computer simulation called matrix. Some events can occur in matrix and in order to make people believe everything that they perceive, some impossible things that are hard to believe c an be seen as dreams. Descartes mentions that there are no certain differences between a dream and reality. When someone dreams about something, he is not aware of doing it exactly, thus there is an impossibility in ignoring that what people perceive as reality is not a dream. Descartes has doubts about being aware of whether you are in a dream or in real which is the dream argument and in another scene of the movie, Morpheus concludes the sme doubts as he asks: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to awake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream and the real world? In another scene, Morpheus asked Neo what reality really is. Are there the things that we comprehend? If we think about the movie, people believe that the world that they live is real and most of the things that they have leraned are coming by the help of the senses. According to Descartes (Biffle, 2001) , Of course, whatever I have so far accepted as supremely true I have learned from the senses or through the senses. But I have occasionally caught the senses deceiving me, and its prudent never completely to trust those who have chetaed us even once. Things that we get by our senses are the impulses that are conveyed to brain by the nerves and interpreted by it. There is no exact way that we can know that someting real is created by our experiences or knowledge or it is just a general idea that we believe. Our brain may deceive us and it may just dream by itself. I can give an example from the scene that Neo sees the woman in red. His senses trick him and when he turns back to see the woman again, he faces with an agent. On the other hand, there is another thing said by Descartes (Biffle, 2001), Similarly, while things like eyes, heads, and hands may be imaginary, it must be granted that some simpler and more universal things are real-the real colors from which the true and false images in our thoughts are formed. According to Descartes, I can say that the images that the matrix created or the woman in red exist, and in their creation, there are some bases on the production of them. Even if the images are imaginary, their bases are real. The human figure or especially a woman figure, the color red are all real. Thus, we can tell that Descartes ideas about senses are supported in the film by this scene. . Descartes continues and further states that since deception exists, there must be some evil responsible. However, rather than attributing this evil to God himself, he blames some malevolent demon. This demon in this movie is obviously the artificial intelligence responsible for the creation of the matrix. The Matrix was created to control humanity for the intelligences own gain, so it is inherently evil. Descartes proceeds to talk about how in order to truly be free, one must do his best to resist deception and know what can truly be known. Neo and the rest of the ships crew are doing their best to free humanity, but humanity in general continues to be deceived by what appears to be so real. The Matrix simulates reality so well, that it never occurs to humanity to doubt what they see. Even Neo, the character the story centers around is clueless at the beginning. Only once he is confronted with the truth does he begin to doubt, but even then he attempts to deny it. Descartes ponders this in his meditations as well. He reflects on humanitys tendency to believe the uncertain based on comfort with the idea. Once someone is used to an idea, they tend to resist letting it go because it is so ingrained in them. He continues to state that one should treat any idea that can be doubted as being absolutely false so that no belief is built upon an uncertain foundation. However, some choose to go back to the comfort of believing that which is not true, such as Cypher deciding to go back to the Matrix. He chooses the comfort of the deception over the harsh truth, and opts to prolong his deceit. He conspires against humanitys freedom for his own personal gain. Obviously, there is a much deeper side to this movie than the action scenes and special effects. There are some very noticeable parallels with the first meditation of Descartes as well as other works not mentioned. It revives an interest in a topic that has been pondered for quite some time. Thus encouraging a new generation to ponder what can truly be known. This movie, when viewed in the correct light, really brings into question what deceptions truly exist in our lives. Spoon thing

Friday, January 17, 2020

Max’s Restaurant Research Paper Essay

1.FRANCHISENAME: Aguillon Ventures, Inc., 2.BRAND AND TRADEMARK: Max’s Restaurant 3.BUSINESS CONCEPT: Max’s Restaurant is a Philippine-based restaurant serving fried chicken and Filipino dishes. What started out as a small cafà © in the Philippines has successfully transitioned into a proud Filipino tradition that is also making waves in the global front as an international brand. Today, â€Å"the house that fried chicken built† has expanded to 123 local and 10 international branches. Max’s is more than just a food brand. It takes after characteristics that are innate to Filipinos – hospitality, generosity and passion for good food. The recipes have been intricately developed for 66 years and given a modern twist to cater to the increasingly discriminating tastes of customers from all over the world. To a lot of people, Max’s is a nostalgic place that reminds them of countless memorable experiences with their family, friends and loved ones. It is a place to nurture relationships, and â€Å"a home away from home.† 4.TARGET CUSTOMERS: Their target customers is high class family 5.TERM: The term of the Max’s Restaurant franchise is six (6) years with the right to renew 3 additional terms; total of 24 years. 6.SITE/LOCATION/ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: Our Business Development Department can create a detailed site plan indicating the specific location of a desired prototype facility based on specific information and requirements provided by the franchisee about the proposed site. In addition, the department can prepare building plans and specifications detailing the requirements for overall design, furnishings, store layout, equipment, fixtures and interior decor specifications. Max’s Restaurant currently has over 127 branches in the Philippines. The chain also has branches in the U.S. states of California, Hawaii, and New Jersey, and its first Canadian branch in Toronto, Ontario. A store opened in Vancouver, British Columbia in March 2012. More branches will open soon in Sydney, Australia , and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Queens, New York. PRODUCT & SERVICES: It’s signature dish is its fried chicken—Max’s dubs itself â€Å"the house that fried chicken built†. It’s often served with rice and/or kamote (sweet-potato) fries. Other items on Max’s menu are Filipino dishes like pancit, kare-kare, nilagang baka, sinigang na baboy, lechon kawali, pork adobo, bicol express, and crispy pata among others. Service is generally good, but the usually high volume of customer traffic at its mall  locations doesn’t lead to the cleanest or most relaxing of environments at those branches. Max’s is a casual dining restaurant leaning more towards fast food rather than fine dining. Pre-packaged caramel bars accompanying some meals and Max’s bakery kiosks at some restaurants drive the point home. Some services: Takes Reservations Walk-Ins Welcome Good For Groups Good For Kids Take Out Delivery Catering Waiter Service Outdoor Seating 8.PRICING STRATEGY: Max’s Restaurant pricing strategy is based on these costs: Direct costs. These are the ingredient costs associated with the food item itself. This involves the purchasing food, portion sizes, food waste from spilling, overcooking or spoiling. Indirect costs.   Indirect costs are those that do not include the actual ingredients that make up a dish, but the aspects of your restaurant that add perceived value or quality. These provide significant basis upon which to charge higher prices. Preparation and labor. The labor to prepare a menu item is considered an indirect cost. Menu items that require time, effort, artistry or talent to prepare merit a higher menu price than something that simply requires heating and plating. Overhead expenses. Overhead costs for items such as dà ©cor, product presentation, amenities and marketing efforts. Although slightly less common, these can create added value and validate higher menu item prices. Volatile food costs. Many raw commodity food items, or basic ingredients with minimal quality  variance, may fluctuate as often as daily. In a case such as this you have two easy options: raise your prices or work with a seasonal menu. Seasonal menus allow flexibility for buying crops in season, or in supply, to keep costs down. Service type. Prices will undoubtedly change depending on whether your restaurant is a fast-casual restaurant or a fine dining restaurant. Be sure your prices represent the service value your customers receive. For instance, full service restaurants can always charge more for their hamburgers than quick-service joints, because full service restaurants are also providing greater ambience, better service and often better ingredients than the quick-service alternative. 9.QUALITY CONTROL METHOD: Prior to the commencement of operations, the corporate training department will provide the franchisee and eight members of the management team with hands-on training that spans 4 months. This training will incorporate classroom content and applied in-restaurant developmental modules that will extensively cover subjects ranging from administrative and operational matters to marketing. Regular refresher and developmental training programs will also be given as needs arise. Max’s is a firm proponent of su stainable continuous training of all Max’s franchises and employees to closely align our business model and company values and enrich the integral bond between store staff, guests and restaurant profitability. Each franchise store can expect holistic support and servicing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A dedicated Franchise Area Manager will be assigned specifically to assist the franchisee in running the store. The key aim of the operations team is to create sales-building efforts and to ensure that Max’s high quality and safety standards are maintained across all store operations. FAMs will see to it that the store meets its sales targets and increases its profitability. FAMs conduct staff meetings, regularly make store visits and conduct training for procedural updates and rollouts for new programs and menu items. 10.MARKETING SYSTEM: Max’s firmly believes that marketing is the driving force that propels the restaurant brand forward. Our team is composed of marketing professionals and will provide each and every store with the best marketing service available to ensure brand loyalty and saliency in the market. The marketing group will provide support for new  product launches, sales-driven in-store promotions, above-the-line advertising efforts, and viable media planning. You can also expect dynamic local store marketing projects and exceptionally designed merchandising collaterals. Strategic brand mapping, intensive competition analysis, new product development and consumer-based research comprise the marketing support extended to all Max’s stores. 11.ADVERTISEMENT: In earlier television and cinema advertisements, the restaurant usually marketed itself as a place for Filipino families to get together. It also established its slogan â€Å"Sarà ¡p to the bones!† (â€Å"Delicious to the bones!†). More recently, a popular series of television advertisements told the story of a Max’s employee who was the childhood love of a popular TV celebrity, played by Piolo Pascual. The series showed the two characters as children, then as adults accidentally meeting at Maxâ €™s. The denouement of the story is when the celebrity recognizes the employee from their childhood. This commercial became so popular that it launched the showbiz career of Isabel Oli, the model who played the employee.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Informative Essay Busting Myths About Race - 1312 Words

Jordan Bradley Anth 300 Prof. Paskey April 26, 2016 Fuentes Short Responses Busting Myths about Race 1. The idea of race is real, but it is not biologically reality. Race is based on cultural perspectives that we as human beings use to identify persons around the world. â€Å"Science would favor Du Bois. Today, the mainstream belief among scientists is that race is a social construct without biological meaning† (Gannon) Meaning that there is nothing biologically real about race. And that it is strictly culturally developed. 2. Race is important because it is not biological, it’s a social construct that humans beings formed years ago. The social construct is racial classification for individuals would remain constant throughout the world. By grouping individuals through cultural or social practice. And can also socially group people into categories based on shared norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors. Also race, as a social construct, is a group of people who share similar and distinct physical characteristics. Such as bigger/smaller noses, head, lips or other varies body parts. The social construction of human beings can be made out on a human taxonomy that define essential types of individuals based on certain traits that they have in that region. 3B. Dr. Loring Boring and Dr. George Gill fall on the opposite sides of the argument about race. Dr. Brace view is one that say’s â€Å"There is no such thing as biological entity that warrants the term race.† (Brace) While Dr. Gill

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

A Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift Essay - 1807 Words

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift explains an idea about a society who can’t take care of children. Swifts explains that families who cannot provide food to their children and provide an economical future, should just sell their children as food. He convinces his readers that his proposal can solve the prevalent issue during his time. Most of his ideas could be inspired by Swifts background and it could have influenced his point of view of the issue. However, Swift ideas are just too harsh and people may never be able to accept them. Even though the idea sounds gruesome, Swift uses a witty and comical tone of voice. Yet, readers mistake Swift’s tone with the narrator tone making it difficult for reader to understand the argument Swift is trying to present. A Modest Proposal about an argument between the author and a Proposer of an idea that can help Ireland economically. The essay talks about the economic state of Ireland and how it is terrible. There are families going around the streets of Ireland and begging, even the children are begging as well. The children eventually grow up to be thieves or leave their homeland to go fight for the Pretender in Spain. This is because of the population of Ireland is very high and the parents could feed their children the first year then they learn to beg. The Proposer proposes an idea that can fix the economic, population and hunger issue. He states that parents should sell their children at the age of one to the high class ofShow MoreRelatedA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesIn Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, we are exposed to the timeless issue of homelessness and the state’s role in their social welfare. Swift was a fervent Irish patriot who was disgusted by the flourishing trend of beggars and hungry children that flooded the streets of his beloved country. This topic is relatable as this is a social issue that plagues many countries in the present age. Swift presents a satirical argument in which he proposes Ireland adopt the horrific practices of eating theirRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1647 Words   |  7 PagesSatire in â€Å"A Modest Proposal† and Different Articles Jonathan Swift, author of â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† tries to present different ideas in order to change the situation of Ireland. Through his proposal, he is able to get people’s attention, and the way he uses satire throughout the article made his argument more successful. He wrote this essay to show how ignored and bad the state of Ireland and its social classes are. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, Swift effectively uses rhetorical exaggeration to expressRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift982 Words   |  4 Pages Jonathan Swift, author of â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† tries to present different ideas in order to change the situation of Ireland. Through his proposal, he is able to get his point across. He wrote this essay to show how undeveloped and bad the state of Ireland is and the social classes. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, Swift effectively uses insincerity, sarcasm, and rhetorical exaggeration to reveal his annoyance of politicians, papists, and overall citizens of poverty-stricken Ireland in the late seventeenthRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift813 Words   |  4 PagesJonathan Swift, author of the satirical piece â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† organized an outrageous proposal to the people of Ireland. In this pamphlet, Swift offered his personal views on how to overcome Ireland’s issue of overpopulation and poverty. By raising nationwide attention, Swift plan to shock the readers by emphasizing the idea of cannibalism as a way to deal with Irelandâ€℠¢s problems. Swift’s technique of audience, tone, and pathos help determine the advantages and disadvantages of â€Å"A Model Proposal†Read MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1333 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"A modest proposal† by Jonathan Swift is an essay, which was written to elaborate the poverty of people in Ireland. Where poor viewed as having an absence of worth in the public eye, playing no essential part in more noteworthy else s benefit of the people. Swift uses situational irony in this essay which also represented a work of satire. By definition situational irony happens when the final outcome is opposing to what was expected. Basically his proposal was for poor children roaming around theRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift860 Words   |  4 PagesI was informed to read â€Å"A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift as an assignment for creating annotated bibliographies, I began to develop an interest on how Swift came about the matte r of his request into rebuilding Ireland s economy and way of life. I believed that Swift added cannibalizing children to the subject matter to give his proposal a more profound and eye-opening effect, but my readings further piqued my interests on the topic. As a result, I researched Jonathan Swift’s motives and styleRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1057 Words   |  5 Pages A Modest Proposal â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, written in 1979 by Jonathan Swift, is a fascinating sardonic, overwhelming hyperbole. He explores the miserable fate of poverty-striven Irish whose struggle in vain in an effort to feed their huge emaciated families. In the essay, Swift advocates that the penurious Irish should sell their babies to the rich ladies and gentlemen and obtain monetary power required to ease their economic predicaments. The straight-faced parody that features predominantly in theRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1340 Words   |  6 PagesA Modest Proposal was written in the year 1729 by the famous satirist Jonathan Swift. In his work he outlines the pros of eating unwanted children of Ireland for economical benefits in a time of great poverty. While the reader can obviously discard the idea of eating children, in his proposal, in a roundabout way, Swift speaks to hard pressing issues of the time. The state of Ireland is well described by Swift in this piece. He speaks of woman who â€Å"instead of being able to work for their honestRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1795 Words   |  8 PagesHave you ever thought about eating an infant to ease your economic hardship? You’re not the only one! Jonathan Swift wrote an entire pamphlet about it (satirically, of course). Satire has the ability to point out societal inadequacy and ridicule political policies in a way that is humorous in its absurdity while masking its true intent. In A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, the author’s use of exaggeration and irony to draw attention to the meaningless lives of the Irish people to English ruleRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1032 Words   |  5 PagesJonathan Swift’s satirical pamphlet, A Modest Proposal, as a way to ironically find a way For the CommonWealth of Ireland to benefit from the starving children. He proposes the idea that an un wanted child should be fattened up then feed to landlords or have their meat sold in the market. In turn curing the nation’s problem of overpopulation and contribute to the economic well-being of the nation. Swift’s satire exploits the fundamental human function of eating. The need to eat is a driving human

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

What Does The Meaning Of Life - 984 Words

What is the meaning of life? Almost every human at some point in their life would question themselves about their purpose in the world and why they were placed in the setting they are in and what they feel the need to accomplish in their lifetime. Some create their own personal meaning, others are given their meaning with no insight and lastly, others choose to avoid the real world and create a fantasy life. Although the definition is different from person to person, what is significant in the meaning of life is not only to exist in the world but to achieve our desired goals, have faith on our decisions, and learn about something new. Imagine rocking yourself back and forth at the age of ninety and reflecting back on your life. Karl Pillemer, a professor of human development at Cornell University, asked hundreds of elderly for the university legacy project, â€Å"What do you regret when you look back on your life?† Surprisingly, the biggest regret was they spent their lifespan worrying and not fulfill their goals. It is unfortunate to come to a conclusion at an old age there was unnecessary stress that involved family, retirement, health, and fears the consequences of others; someone has not truly lived the way they desired. Unless we come to a realization that the life we were given is our personal existence and ignore society or other influences expectation. Sister Clare, a ninety-nine old nun from the university legacy project, stated â€Å"So many things come to your mind†¦forShow MoreRelatedWhat Does It Mean You Live A Life Of Meaning And Purpose? Essay1366 Words   |  6 PagesWhat does it mea n to live a life of meaning and purpose? We have examined this question through at least five different authors, in different time periods, and through different ideas. However, the common idea has remained the same, have faith in God. For a human to live a life of meaning and purpose he must understand the truths of the natural world and the differences between what is good and evil. Jesus set an example for humans in his stories written by Matthew by displaying the ultimate faithRead MoreMeaning Of Life : Susan Wolf s Article, Happiness And Meaning : Two Aspects Of The Good Life Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the meaning of life? What gives life meaning? Philosophers have asked these questions for decades, and there still is not a solid answer to the question. This paper will analyze one modern philosopher’s take on the question: What gives life meaning? Susan Wolf is a modern moral philosopher and philosopher of action and mind. She attended two Ivy League institut ions for her undergraduate and graduate careers. Wolf received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Philosophy and Math from Yale University, andRead MoreWhat Is The Meaning of Life? Essay688 Words   |  3 Pageslives. How does God, as an important human construct make a difference when determining the meaning of life? The western religions believe their scriptures are the direct word of God. Hence they use them as the authoritative source for many facets of life. Eastern religions tend to treat their scriptures as interpretations by humans, yet still many of life’s mysteries are accepted at truth in their scriptures. So should these scriptures be a foundation for the meaning of life? Also, what if we assumeRead MoreExistentialism : Wild ( 2014 ) And Into The Wild1739 Words   |  7 Pagestherefore leading to meaning, purpose and identity. When Chris and Cheryl leave their family, friends and everything else they know from the society, they are attempting to find a meaning and purpose to their lives. Watching these two movies, I discovered that, both main characters need the Nature as a catalyst to regain their freedom, to find their true identity and to understand the meaning of their lives. To figure out the reason behind their existences, both decide to go a on a life changing adventureRead MoreBeloved, Civilization And Its Discontents, And Man s Search For Meaning1613 Words   |  7 Pages What does one live for? Why does one believe they exist? Many do not know the answer to these question. Meaning of life is what one lives for, what one lives by, why they exist.The meaning of life may be obvious to some, but a great number of people do not know why they live. Some believe they are here for a reason and some believe it is a mistake. Throughout life, some many suffer with life, which allows them to open their mind up to the meaning of life. Suffering is when one goes through painRead MoreEssay on Existential Philosphy1710 Words   |  7 PagesNihilism originated somewhere around the mid-1800s, it was a shift from the social philosophy around that time which viewed life with purpose and meaning which was found usually though God, or some religious doctrine, however Nihilism is the philosophy that dictates the meaninglessness in life; it leaves an empty and void existence. Nihilism is usually associated with German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is often although not a Nihilist himself Nietzsche wrote a considerable amount concerning NihilismRead MoreBusi 5601416 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness 560 Worldview Questions . To what extent should personal religious beliefs impact our decisions about business ethics? My personal view on how much impact should my believes influence my business, or whatever decision I make is that it should be fully Involved. My decisions that I make should constantly reflect in what I claim to believe in.   To what extent do your personal religious (or non-religious) beliefs about life impact your sense of business ethics and personalRead MoreIn The Book What’S It All About? Julian Baggini Discusses1678 Words   |  7 Pages In the book What’s It All About? Julian Baggini discusses philosophy and the meaning of life. This reading was able to bring different perspectives on ideas of the meaning of life that I thought about before. I was also able to learn about these concerns about life s meaning or meaninglessness in a philosophical standpoint. Some of the chapters that I found interesting included the chapters titled looking for the blueprint, here to help, and becoming a contender. In the chapter looking forRead MoreMeaning of Life1425 Words   |  6 PagesThe Meaning of Life The meaning of life, defined by Victor E. Frankl, is the will to find your meaning in life. It is not the meaning of life in general, but rather the specific meaning of a persons life at a given moment. He believes that if you are approached with the question of what is the meaning of my life or in this case, life is meaningless, then you should reverse the question to that person asking the question. For example: What are you bringing to me? What are you as an individualRead MoreMeaning of Life1589 Words   |  7 PagesThe Meaning of Life Christopher Nieves Touro College Life is a gift. It is an honor, a spark, an excitement. We all have a world of our own.    Albert Camus, once said, â€Å"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life† (Camus, 1946).    Life is about living to your fullest abilities. Why waste our time looking for the meaning of each breath we take? Each

Monday, December 16, 2019

Life on the color line Free Essays

The story of this man’s life is simply amazing. That came through in his honest and heart-felt reflection of the hardships he had to overcome growing up. This intriguing memoir allows the reader to see what life was like for the author whose early life was defined by issues of race and color. We will write a custom essay sample on Life on the color line or any similar topic only for you Order Now Williams, dean of the Ohio State University College of Law, tells the touching and captivating account of his most unusual youth. The author had spent his early years in Virginia, where his white mother and his dark-skinned â€Å"Italian† father operated a roadside tavern. Growing up in the South, where issues of race and color were so important, the author had always thought that he was white, as he had been raised as such. When his parents’ business came to a halt, his mother left, forcing his father to return home to his roots in Muncie, Indiana. It was then that the author and his younger brother, Mike, discover two sides of the then great color divide: black and white. The lesson would be a difficult one. Much to their surprise and horror, their father, a light-skinned Negro â€Å"passing† as Italian, had survived most of his adulthood playing as both black and white as a way of life. He did so successfully until divorced and alcohol overtook him and struck him back down into â€Å"his place† in the slums of Muncie, Indiana. In those times, however, you were considered to be either White or Black. In Indiana, he was Black, even though, ironically, in the South he had passed for White. Greg and Mike, learn that, notwithstanding their appearance, they are considered to be Black, and forced to live in a segregated world on the wrong side of the race and color divide. They quickly learn how it feels to be the second class citizens. This was the nineteen fifties, during the zenith of the Klu Klux Klan, and well before the Civil Rights Movement had taken hold, so views ran very high on issues of race and color. The boys found themselves in the midpoint, rejected by both races. They had to learn how to maneuver in this crazy patchwork quilt of absurd and confusing racial notions that would marginalize their existence and make them the target for every scoundrel on either side of the race and color divide. This had a great impact on the brothers, as they find their own personal coping mechanism for the deprivation, poverty, hostility and prejudice that restricted their life. Unfortunately, Greg and mike took ultimately different paths. After more than a decade of poverty, degradation and loneliness later, straddling the racial and ultimately rescued by the humanity of a single, poor, Church going Black woman, named Miss Dora, Greg was able to overcome the handicap of his ‘Niggerhood’ and in the end attained both his and his father’s dream of becoming a lawyer. Mike on the other hand had no such luck. He seeks solace in the lure of easy money, easy women, and life in the fast lane, a choice that would end in personal tragedy for him. After a life on the edge, he was blinded in a barroom brawl that was the signature of such environments. Today he remains without means or hope in the care of a state supported nursing home. The book clearly outlines the fact that, in the nineteen fifties, the whites are the privileged and the blacks are the repressed and inopportune.   The author focuses on his early life, the part that evidently caused him so much pain. Those early experiences shape the man he is today. One argument, however, is that the author curses the town for its treatment of them. I always kept in mind the time frame and the reaction could have happened in any other town in the country – such was the prevailing attitude, in general, in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Racism exists – everywhere and on all sides. Blacks of today, regardless of where they may live can draw inspiration from his story. We all still face a huge amount of inequality and injustice in our society today. With such divergence along political, gender and religious lines in our national conscience, it is critical to remember that race still matters. In the world of the 50s and 60s where the only meaningful value seems to have been that of â€Å"being white,† Mike and Gregory Williams, possessing all the outward characteristics of whiteness, nevertheless experienced the vital fall from grace: they found themselves on the wrong side of the racial divide and thus forced (as their father put it) â€Å"to learn how to become Niggers.† There are many deeply touching morality tales in this book, but an inescapable one is not its most flattering one: It is that in a racist society nothing is more meaningful or valuable than â€Å"being white.† Whatever you do in life, do not become a Nigger; and if by an accident of fate you should become one, then you should do whatever you can to overcome it in any way possible as long as it is within the rules of racism. That is to say, do not try to eliminate the cause of this moral discontinuity, racism, or change its immoral and corrupt rules and imperatives; just try as best you can to overcome it. After all, overcoming ‘Niggerhood’ is a goal worthy of quest while ending racism is not even one that is attainable. Another morality tale of this book is that no matter how inhumane and corrupt white values are, they nevertheless remain okay because they are after all the standard and norm of society and there is just nothing one can do about them. They remain unbreakable. If you are white, being a racist is okay because racism is society’s norm. White humanity is always better than black humanity because it is self-defined in that way. However, if history teaches us anything, it teaches us that immorality and corruption no matter how normal, feeds on itself. This book is highly recommended to help possibly alleviate issues on color and race. This will inspire many people to strive and be a better person regardless of color. References Williams, Gregory Howard. (1995). Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black. New York: Penguin Books. How to cite Life on the color line, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Compare And Contrast Of Mr. Perry And Mr. Keating Essay Example For Students

Compare And Contrast Of Mr. Perry And Mr. Keating Essay From Dead Poets SocietyThe movie Dead Poets Society launches the viewer into the world of several boys who learn from a non-traditional teacher in a traditional school. Throughout the movie several conflicts appear between several of the major characters. One of the main conflicts begins with two characters that only meet each other twice during the film. Mr. Perry has raised his son Neil to be a respectable and very intelligent student. He is a stern person who believes that what he says is exactly what will happen. The fact that he doesnt listen to what his son wants to do makes him a person that can be easily not liked by the viewer. Mr. Keating is a former graduate of the school, which means that he knows what the teenagers are going through. With him he brings a non-traditional teaching style to a setting that is dominated by tradition and set of rules. He is easy to like which means that his students bond easily with him. The problems between Mr. Perry and Mr. Keating escalate when Neil becomes a part of a local production without his fathers approval. His father finds out about the show a day before the opening night and orders Neil to drop out. Looking for someone to talk to, Neil consults Mr. Keating about his choices. Mr. Keating gives Neil the advice to explain the situation to his father in a calm atmosphere and seek his approval. Knowing that his father will not approve Neil precedes with the show. Mr. Perry carries Neil home after the play and tells him of his plans to send him to a military school. In the conclusion Neil commits suicide and with his fatal shot he takes the only defense for Mr. Keating against Mr. Perry. Mr. Perry is a person who because of his selfish actions causes a great deal of pain towards all the students and to Mr. Keating. Mr. Keating acted under the impression that Mr. Perry knew about what Neil was doing and offered the best advice he could. Cinema and Television