The Plague Essays (986 words) - Absurdist Fiction, Philosophy

The Plague The Plague Camus wrestles with his questions of Existentialism in The Plague through another character as well: Father Paneloux. With Paneloux, Camus attempts to reconcile Existentialism and Christianity. Toward the beginning of the novel, Paneloux is a steadfast Christian. He proclaims in his first great sermon during the epidemic that the plague is God-sent, brought upon the evildoers of society to punish them for their sins. He later involves himself in the struggle against the plague, helping men such as Rieux and Tarrou, and putting his faith to the test. The test reaches its utmost when the characters are forced to watch the slow, tortured death of an innocent child. How could something sent to punish sin afflict a child? The child had done no wrong, yet the group cannot do more than to sit and wait helpless as the child dies before them. Shortly after this event, Paneloux begins to write another sermon. This one differs from the first. He reflects in his sermon on what he has witnessed. "And, truth to tell, nothing was more important on earth than a child suffering, the horror it inspires in us, and the reasons we must find to account for it" (Beginning of Part 4). Paneloux goes on to explain his reason. "The second sermon affirms that the plague is not sent by God; it is part of an evil which is present in the universe and which the Christian must confront" (Woelfel 109). Although Paneloux attempts to reconcile Christianity with Existentialism, he nonetheless fails. Paneloux dies. He, as well as symbolically, his attempt, receive the label which the doctor Rieux records on a card: "Doubtful case." Rieux becomes himself one of the first people in the town to recognize the plague for what it is, and he helps to lead the fight against it. "Rieux is an authentic rebel in 'fighting against creation as he found it,' in actively struggling against the injustices of the human condition" (Woelfel 98-99). Rieux is no ordinary rebel; he is also a doctor. As a doctor, Rieux's exposure to not only the dangers of the plague but also to its horrors is more than most must endure. Rieux faces this in his job before him each day. "In order to make his rounds and to isolate the people who are infected he has to repress the pity and sympathy he feels for them" (Cruickshank 110). It may seem then that Rieux goes against Camus' beliefs on indifference. Rieux's actions can indeed be seen as self-enforced indifference. For "indifference, properly cultivated, can be a stoic value" (Parker 5). Rieux cannot afford to show compassion for each of his patients. He must detach himself in order to perfrom his duties. "No resource was left him but to tighten the stranglehold on his feelings and harden his heart protectively" (Camus 172). Yet Rieux does not keep his feelings locked up within a fortress. After he talks with Tarrou, he lets himself become more open, more vulnerable. Nothing he could have done would have made it any easier to bear witness to the death of an innocent child. Rieux does not stake a claim to the same peace that Tarrou seeks. Rieux knows that the fight he fights can never end. "Rieux knows that the plague bacillus never dies and that the day would come when 'it would raise up its rats again and send them to die in a happy city' " (Erickson 84). Riuex, like the plague bacillus, lives on as the disease slows and the epidemic ends, for the time being, anyhow. If in The Plague, there is one person who most represents most people, it is Rambert. Rambert is a journalist. Rambert finds himself trapped in the city of Oran, trapped with all the other people. He believes, though, that this is truly not his concern. He does not belong. He is an outsider. The woman he loves lives beyond the city walls, and he believes this is where he should be. He spends much time talking Rieux. And as they talk, he begins to think. He considers his motivation for leaving the city: personal happiness. "'There's nothing shameful in preferring happiness.' ' Certainly, but it may be shameful to be happy by oneself' " (Camus 188). Rambert awakens to the truth which he had been facing all along . Rambert decides to drop his attempts to escape: he is part of this people, he is no longer an outsider. They must all stay together to fight the plague. Rambert gives the fight his best efforts as

The Better Way to Go Freelance

The Better Way to Go Freelance Freelance now is more than magazines. You can pitch online newsletters and blogs, too. You do NOT have to go with SEO sites where they take any topic, dont edit, then pay you pennies based upon clicks on your page. Dont even go there. Frankly, it hurts your resume. However, magazines are still the strongest way to go when beginning as a freelancer. Most of them even have blogs on their websites, so if you cannot work your way into the print versions, you just might land a spot on a blog with a very current, timely topic. To start with, study magazines and figure out a way to pitch them. Dont write the piece first and try to fit your square peg into the magazines round hole. Same goes for blogs, newsletters, and websites. Make it a challenge. Make it a game. Close your eyes and pick a magazine in Writers Market, or at sites like www.freelancewriting.com or www.worldwidefreelance.com , then study that dang market until you have an idea to pitch. You are the freelancer. You are the job seeker. Therefore, you have to adapt to what they want. What you know doesnt mean squat. Its what you can learn, create, and morph into something they like.   Many writers think they exist in a tiny, less-than-exciting world, and therefore, they are limited to writing about what they know. Thats the sign of a novice. Nows the time to break out of that confining box. Scared to be daring? Scared to write about something outside your comfort zone? Yall . . . all they can do is tell you no. However, I want to give you suggestions on some ideas to pitch . . . and how to master the creation of ideas on your own. Profiles Most publications love to recognize experts or famous individuals. Know someone who is, say, a great landscape designer, caterer, plumber, farmer? Interview them. Ask for their secrets on being successful. Then find a magazine that caters to that profession/interest. Evergreen topics Check the magazines and notice the subjects addressed every year. Then write up something along that subject only with a spin. What unique habit do you use to get the kids ready for school in the morning (for a parenting magazine)? Whats a different way to fertilize or mulch your garden without chemicals? How do you use business cards (outside the norm)? Normal topics are always subject to twists. Go over topics theyve done before and pitch them from a new angle. Look at the advertisers and get a feel for the readership. Yes, even the ads can give you pointers on what the publication prefers since they vet their advertisers based upon their readers. When I teach freelancing, I throw random magazines on the tables and make the attendees query the magazine. They may not scuba dive, but they can still pitch a profile interview. They may not garden, but they may know an organic coop in their region. Its not hard. Profiles, evergreen topics, and advertising interests. Pitch several per week and soon you are up to your eyes in projects.

Language And Culture Of Anishinaabe People Essay

Language And Culture Of Anishinaabe People - Essay Example Children learn their language, governance, the judicial system, culture, religion, and citizenship. This culture was overshadowed by Christianity and modernization, but the remaining descendants teach their children about their ancestors in order to ensure the continuity of their culture. It is difficult to maintain ethnic identity without the existence of language. The Anishinaabe descendants struggle to maintain continuity of their language by teaching their children. The learning process begins by explaining the meaning of the verbs in the seven teachings (Apple, 2008). The seven pronouns are set in the teachings called the seven grandfathers. These are Nbwaakaawin (wisdom), Zaagi’idiwin (love), Minaadendamowin (respect), Aakwa’ode’ewin (bravery), Debwewin (truth), Dibaadendiziwin (humility) and Gwekwaadiziwin (Honesty). These are part of the original words of the ancestors that form the roots of the language. Understanding language helps to understand the cultural practices, institutions, and social festivities observed by the Anishinaabe. The elderly in the communities act as reference points for teachers and learners of the language. Their dialect and understanding of the language have not been overly diluted by the English language, as is t he case among the young people (Eigenbrod, LaRocque and DePasquale, 2010). The Ojibway language, part of the Algonquian language group, is the most frequently spoken Aboriginal language besides Cree and Inuit languages. It is usually expressed in syllabics or the Roman orthography. The syllabics were invented in 1840 by James Evans, a missionary working in Hudson’s Bay. Some Anishinaabe people claim that he did not invent the symbols, but he incorporated them into the writing system.

Congress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Congress - Essay Example That Congress was able to preserve the stability and cultural consolidation of the American state and to improve the rights of the minors can be fairly regarded as its basic achievements; however, there is still much room for improving the quality and effectiveness of its decisions, especially in its attitudes to constituents and the development of military strategies against foreign countries. Throughout its history, U.S. Congress sought to preserve the overall stability of the American state and to protect the rights of minors. That in 1865 Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau to protect the right s of the newly emancipated black people in America became the starting point in Congress’s movement to equity and fairness in the relationships between races. However, these are the crises that usually test the productivity and efficiency of the legislative work in Congress: the recent economic crisis proved Congress to be a powerful force in the country’s striving to preserve its stability. The stimulus package, tax cuts, the financial support of the banking sector and legislative changes to the structure of the federal budget reflect Congress’s awareness of the situation and its desire to secure the population from the major financial risks. Unfortunately, it is necessary to state that the rights of African Americans, the rights of women, and the relations with constituents remain the basic ills of the postmodern America. It is not possible to trace serious changes in the position of fair sex representatives and racial minorities. Black people and women continue suffering the effects of inequity and unfairness in employment, medical insurance, and self-realization. Discrimination based on race and gender remains the issue of the major concern, and Congress will need to take additional legislative steps to ensure that the American state finally achieves the point, where discrimination will become irrelevant and unnecessary.

Compare differences of history and performance styles between Italian Essay

Compare differences of history and performance styles between Italian opera and Chinese opera - Essay Example People sing the music while acting out the parts without talking much. Some popular types include Italian and Chinese Opera. The essay compares the differences in history and performance styles between Italian Opera and Chinese Opera. Even though opera did not originate in Venice, its development in Italy was stimulated by the nurturing environment that existed in a serene republic. A good percentage of Europe’s music was dominated by the Italian opera during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (Kimbell, 2004, p.238). The bourgeoisies would regularly commission huge and interesting pieces of work that combined drama, music, and dance. The combination of fine arts marked the birth of opera and several cities in Italy, Rome, Florence, Venice, and Naples contributed to the development and perfection of this new genre (Levey, 2004, p.388). But, the entire opera movement was started in Florence, Italy by the Florentine Camerata and the Bardi, who regularly met in an attempt to recreate the Greek drama. As the 17th century drew to an end, Italian opera was undergoing many challenges and alterations that were later expected to affect its standing in various ways. These changes had produced two visible and different forms of Italian opera. One type was the serious and tragedy-like type referred to as opera seria, while the second type is a lighter and more comic and earthly style that was referred to as opera buffa (Dahlhaus, 2004, p.63). The two forms of Italian opera arose out of common ancestor but were exposed to different influences that shaped and cultured them into the forms we are acquainted with today. Opera seria first arose in the cities of Venice and Naples and toke an inflexible and practical form by 1720. It was the product of a philosophical movement that started in the late 1600’s (Dahlhaus, 2004, p.45). The famous movement was referred to as Enlightenment and worked effortlessly to seize the entire Europe while affecting

The Western Law Man and the Series GunSmoke :: Television Media TV Essays

The Western Law Man and the Series GunSmoke Gun Smoke is the story of a western law man doing his best to bring law, order and integrity to the West, a place that seems to be greatly lacking all three of those qualities. Matt Dillon is the marshal of Dodge City, and to him his job is more than a job, it is his duty. In the "Soldier" episode I listened to an interesting thing happens, Dillon makes a mistake, he arrests two soldiers-one who really doesn't deserve it-and by doing this he causes the man to get in deep trouble with the army. Dillon, though, realizes that he has made a mistake and goes to great lengths to make it right to the man, even when it means hiding him from the army. To Dillon there are times when integrity must be held higher than the law. Law is highly valued, though, in the "Gonif" episode I listened to Dillon is forced to arrest two former Civil War soldiers who have been so desensitized to death that they didn't have much of a problem at all killing a store clerk they tried to rob, but who drew a gun on them. The funny thing about the two men though, is that they are honest almost to a fault and tell Dillon the whole truth about killing the man. Dillon sees that "they are not bad men," but realizes too that they are a danger to people. He feels troubled that he must arrest them and send them to court, where they are almost certainly going to receive the death penalty, but he also feels that he must uphold the law. Dillon doesn't necessarily like that decision, but it is what has to be done in his eyes and he feels convicted to uphold the law. Dillon also sees' that Dodge must have order if it is going to be livable. When a gang comes to town in "Bum's Rush" and "Gonif" they each challenge the marshal's authority and refuse to leave town when he tells them to, so Dillon takes action. With the first gang Dillon shows how crooked the leader of the gang is and uses the local doctor as a witness to prove that instead of being a do-gooder the leader is actually trying to knock off the bank. With the evidence shown them and some strong words from Dillon the mob disbands.

Gatsby Embodies West Egg Essay

In the novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, Scott Fitzgerald uses various literary devices such as theme, irony, and characterization to embody Gatsby with West Egg characteristics. The Great Gatsby is set in New York and on Long Island, in two areas known as West Egg and East Egg. The narrator, Nick, describes West Egg as the home to the â€Å"new rich,† those who, having made their fortunes recently, have neither the social connections nor the refinement to move among the East Egg set. West Egg is characterized by lavish displays of wealth and garish poor taste. Both locations can be seen generally as: established aristocracy for East Egg and the self-made rich in West Egg. Therefore, there’s definitely a discrepancy between the two places. Gatsby, one of the protagonists of the novel, lives in a huge mansion in West Egg and is an urbane man. He hosts parties every night which are full of fun and action, he seems like a man that exhilarates people to have fun. Gatsby embodies the characteristics of West Egg as he, at least until chapter 5, has made himself rich. In chapter 5 Gatsby clarifies that he did inherit his money from his family who bequeathed it to him, however he â€Å"lost most of it in the big panic- the panic of the war† (Fitzgerald 87). Therefore he got involved in the drug business and oil business to make money again, which he is no longer involved in. This is one way Gatsby embodies West Egg as he made himself rich by working in these 2 businesses. It is clear that Gatsby is wealthy as he owns an enormous house with â€Å"a swim pool, beach, vast garden, fancy parties and marble everywhere† (Fitzgerald 11). This portrays one of the themes in the novel, the clash between â€Å"old money† and â€Å"new money†, that manifests itself in the novel’s symbolic geography: East Egg and West Egg. Gatsby would be considered the â€Å"new money†, while people such as Tom, which come from a wealthy family, is the â€Å"old money†. This is a pivotal theme throughout the novel as it affects various aspects of characters and setting. This also relates to how the discrepancy between West Egg and East Egg affects the characterization of certain characters. Gatsby is characterized as a man that is wealthy and loves to share his â€Å"happiness† with others by hosting numerous parties which are full of expensive drinks such as â€Å"Chartreuse† (Fitzgerald 88) held in his luxurious mansion. Irony is also present in the first chapters of the novel, as before Nick Carraway met Gatsby, no one truly knew who he was or where he came from. There where a few rumors, such as him killing someone or being the son of a German king, however no one knew the truth and people wanted to ascertain more about Gatsby. Many scrutinized his background as many wondered where he came from, and who he truly was. Throughout the novel the reader know learns more about Gatsby. One might expect Gatsby, the organizer of the huge parties, to be an active, energetic, and creative person; however its ironic how the reader finds out Gatsby is the complete opposite. He is describes as a man of class, elegant, who doesn’t drink, isn’t an alcoholic, and isn’t a great partier himself, as he isn’t often present during his parties where everyone else is. This is another reason why he embodies the characteristics of West Egg, because in West Egg, those who made themselves rich, don’t, or at least until now, haven’t mentioned the way they earned their wealth. Gatsby doesn’t tell everyone immediately the way he became rich, he rarely talks about it. Also Nick, the narrator, he lives in West Egg, therefore he must have some sort of wealth, however he doesn’t mention it or clarifies exactly where he got it from. Instead East Egg seems to work in a different way, since it’s the place of â€Å"old money† and established aristocracy, that means people are established rich and have most likely inherited wealth from their family, such as Tom. Therefore, Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby in such ways that fulfill the characteristics of a man living in West Egg.