...The Unattainability of Perfection: A Critical Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” Perfection is one of the most sought-after qualities in society. People are willing to shell out large sums of money for dieting plans, training regimens, and plastic surgery – all in an attempt to be perfect, whether that means having a slim waist, a defined core, or a more attractive nose. However, nobody is flawless. Even if an individual alters their physical appearance to what they believe to be “perfect,” they will nonetheless have other, non-physical faults that will limit their ability to attain perfection. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a 19th century American writer, expressed his feelings about the attainability of perfection in his fiction. In particular, in "The Birthmark," Hawthorne uses the birthmark as a symbol, the characterization of Georgiana, and the foreshadowing of Georgiana's death to promote the unrealistic nature of perfection; Hawthorne highlights the impracticality of flawlessness so that society, in general, will stop going to great lengths trying to achieve the unachievable and, instead, spend their collective time more productively. To begin with, to endorse the improbability of perfection, Hawthorne establishes Georgiana’s birthmark as a symbol of earthly imperfection. For instance, the birthmark is described as being “the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature […] stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite,...
Words: 881 - Pages: 4
...Danny Nguyen Professor Barloon English 1342 28 April 2013 The Will of the Witches In the play “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, the element of sorcery play many roles such as dealing tragedy, and often stirring up the truth in the physical form of the witches. The three witches that Macbeth stumbles upon were man-like by appearance and offered very difficult discernment for both Macbeth and Banquo to tell whether they were woman or not. Like their appearance, their roles offered the same discernment. Although some critics offer that point that the witches have nothing to do with the play, it can be argued that the weird sisters in fact take control of the outcome of the fates of many. The setting of the play is like the netherworld setting, which is known by the rule of uncertainty. The only thing set in stone was evil, hence the weird sisters. With that being said, the role of the weird sisters was to create an uncertainty, to open up the doors to an unknown realm, and to cause the scattering of ideas. This is seen throughout the play such as when the witches plant a seed into Macbeth’s head to cause him to think, and to act differently, which ultimately causes the exposure of his true character. The first role that the witches play is made obvious when they deliberately acknowledge Macbeth as not only the Thane of Glamis, but also the Thane of Cawdor and all hailing King. This, most likely being the most important event in the poem due to its initiation of the actual...
Words: 1653 - Pages: 7
...Paper Topic 3 There is a Time For Everything: An Exegetical Analysis of Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Timing is everything. This is a statement that holds a great deal of truth. The difference between a good joke and a bad one is a person’s sense of timing. An appropriate pause makes a joke, an inappropriate pause can kill the same joke. Timing is essential when dealing with people. One must pick the right time to approach a coworker or friend about a problem. Timing is important in cooking. The moist cake in the oven is still runny batter if baked for too little time and a clump of charcoal if it is baked too long. Timing is important in medicine. If you catch a problem early you will be able to treat it more effectively. Timing is important in taking medication. If you take your medicine as directed it will be helpful. If you skip doses it loses its effectiveness. If you take extra doses it can be deadly. Timing is important in finance. When you invest in a particular stock and when you sell the particular stock will make the difference between whether you make money or lose it. We, as a society have time indicators hanging on the walls, built into our cell phones, computers, and cars. Timing is everything in today’s world, and society as a whole is very time-oriented. Timing is important in spiritual life as well. It is critical to live life with an acute awareness of God’s predetermined timing for life. The importance of timing is portrayed throughout Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. The book...
Words: 3510 - Pages: 15
...Introduction For all their good intentions, historians’ analysis of antebellum and postbellum women in South Carolina is often riddled with bias against a familial hierarchy that has existed in families since Biblical times. While this domestic and societal order is not fiction, it is only, for purposes in this research, a contextual experience that creates an understanding of women and their approach and reaction to events prior to, during, and after the Civil War, for ethical and moral values assigned to this status are of a different approach altogether. The Civil War’s effect on South Carolinian society was dramatic, as with many other states in the Union. On the homefront, a noticeable difference occurs in the woman’s role within her family structure and in her relationship to the culture in which she lived. An Antebellum South Carolina Antebellum Carolina On the eve of civil war, South...
Words: 1869 - Pages: 8
...Foundations of 9780547142609 DOWNLOAD http://bit.ly/1jQSBEn Management: Basics and Best Practices, 0547142609, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?store=book&keyword=Foundations+of+Management%3A+Basics+and+Best+Practices DOWNLOAD http://t.co/uCZE6L3nft http://avaxsearch.com/?q=Foundations+of+Management%3A+Basics+and+Best+Practices http://bit.ly/1xRDQzz Managing Global Operations Cultural and Technical Success Factors, Scott T. Young, Winter Nie, Jan 1, 1996, Business & Economics, 209 pages. The main themes in production and operations management are operations strategy, productivity, and quality. These themes are manipulated to serve those involved in production. Management , Robert Kreitner, 2006, Business & Economics, 332 pages. Never HIGHLIGHT a Book Again! Virtually all of the testable terms, concepts, persons, places, and events from the textbook are included. Cram101 Just the FACTS101 studyguides. Principles of management a modern approach, Henry Herman ALBERS, 1974, Business & Economics, 579 pages. . Principles of Management , Robert Kreitner, 2009, Industrial management, 592 pages. . Management/Test Bank , Robert Kreitner, Jan 1, 1986, Business & Economics, 260 pages. . The Portable MBA , Robert F. Bruner, Feb 7, 2003, Business & Economics, 341 pages. Written by faculty members, covers first year MBA program topics such as marketing, economics, and management; and includes case studies, an entrepreneurship guide, and. Winning Behavior What...
Words: 1791 - Pages: 8
...C. Wright Mills' Sociological Imagination Works Cited Not Included In 1959, C. Wright Mills released a book entitled ‘The sociological Imagination’. It was in this book that he laid out a set of guidelines of how to carry out social analysis. But for a layman, what does the term ‘sociological imagination’ actually mean? In his own words, Mills claimed “it is the capacity to shift from one perspective to another…the capacity to range from the most impersonal and remote transformations to the most intimate features of the human self – and to see the relations between the two of them.” . Mills believed that being able to see the relationship between the ordinary lives of people and the wider social forces was the key to the sociological imagination. Fundamental to Mills’ theory is the idea of ‘public issues’ and ‘private troubles’. An individual’s troubles are personal when they occur because of the person’s character. Public issues, however, are a direct result of the problems within society, they affect people hugely but often the individual will assign the problem as their own personal downfall rather than as a societal problem. An ordinary man may get depressed about being unemployed and automatically accept it as his own personal trouble. He will be condemned as being ‘lazy’ or ‘work-shy’ and labelled simply as a ‘scrounger’. However, if there are thousands of other individuals also unemployed, Mills argues...
Words: 2286 - Pages: 10
...HISTORY 4C: WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 1715-PRESENT Description of the Course: This course surveys the history of Europe from the beginning of the 18th century until the end of the 20th century. We will study major political, economic, social and intellectual developments that affected European societies during that time period and changed lives of people throughout the world. Major themes of the course will include the French and Industrial Revolutions, emergence of ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism and socialism as well as their practical impact on politics and culture, the rise and fall of European global dominance, wars and revolution of the 20th century. Goals of the Course: I. Understanding Historical Heritage of our Civilization: The major purpose of this course is to familiarize you with heritage of the western civilization and help you understand significance of its impact on contemporary world. This class will aim to illustrate how the past impacts people’s lives in the present and how our actions, ideas, and self-image are shaped by historical developments. II. Acquiring Critical Thinking: History consists of more than just memorization of names, dates and narratives of historical events. Although knowledge of factual information is imperative, it is important to realize that history is interpretation of facts, trends and ideas. Therefore, neither professor nor Teaching Assistants will give you “right” or “wrong” answers. Instead, another major...
Words: 3131 - Pages: 13
...updated, but I still stand by the interpretation of the texts. And, warning, this posting will include illustrated examples of pornographic cartoons, so it is definitely rated NSFW. Part 1 here discusses the subject matter; Part 2 compares hentai to live action pornography; Part 3 considers the ramifications of hentai.)  Created by a fan, and named “Jessica Rabbit Naughty Pin-up”. When Jessica Rabbit, the animated femme fatale of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? uttered the line “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way,” I sincerely doubt her creators knew that a decade later she would be made into an online porn star. Now, alongside other American and Japanese cartoon women, she has entire websites devoted to her. Is Jessica being objectified, degraded, and having her rights taken away? Logically, no, because Jessica is merely ink-and-paint, a figment of someone’s imagination brought to life only by the mechanical and visual trickery of animation. As she said, it’s not her fault she was drawn to represent a stereotypical male conception of an idealized woman. Why should we care if people have changed her from a children’s animated figure into an adult porn star? The purpose of this essay is to answer just that: the reasons we should care, and why research should not ignore cartoon porn, and in particular hentai, when it studies pornography. According to anime scholar Mark McLelland, hentai is the Western label applied to Japanese anime, manga and games that depict sexually explicit...
Words: 4244 - Pages: 17
...characterized? * One of the most standout images of black women in white slavery America was of a woman who ran entirely off of her sex drive, a Jezebel. A jezebel was considered to be the complete opposite of a proper white woman. She was thought to have little to none religious affiliation. A jezebel took no instances to cover her body, and showed no signs of prudery. The idea that black women were over-sexualized first gained credence when Englishmen went to Africa to buy slaves. Not being accustomed to the traditional wear, Europeans mistook semi-nudity for lewdness. They also misinterpreted African cultural tradition of polygamy and claimed to be the Africans' uncontrolled lust, tribal dances were considered to be an orgy. The travel accounts of Europeans spurred inaccurate analysis of black women livelihood. Perhaps it was the warm climate of Africa that prompted William Bosman to describe the women he saw on the coast of Guinea as "fiery" and "warm" and "so much hotter than the men."' William Smith must have fallen under the same influence, since he wrote of "hot constitution'd Ladies" who "are continually contriving stratagems how to gain a lover."' The conditions under which women worked, were sold and were punished also contributed to this way of thinking. Southerners were extremely prudish about what they felt a woman should be. A "respectable" white woman wore layers and layers of clothing and never exposed even her legs or arms to public view without approval...
Words: 4189 - Pages: 17
...Anabell Abud Professor Armstead SYG 2000 Social Class Paper 20 March 2013 An Analysis of Social Class in the United States As we all explore the outside world, we all see the same traffic, stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and shopping malls. There is just one difference, we all live differently according to social class. The social stratification is a system of structured social inequality. It can be described as one lady going to Macys with her credit card wasting $1,000.00 dollars in merchandise and the other woman going to a store of discounts in clothing with a strict budget of $20.00 paying in cash. Another way I see how there are inequalities in our society is a simple question, can you afford to go buy a Michael Kors bag? If you can’t, then the Payless store it is to buy a look-a-like that can hopefully give strangers the impression that you’re not in the poverty sector. Those that are part of the super-rich see the poor as lazy; they deserve to be with meager needs because they haven’t shown merit to escape the poverty class, and the underprivileged that they have to pay out of their tax dollars to support them. Sociologists say we need the poor it’s good for our economy out of many various reasons that most of society doesn’t realize. At least journalist B. Ehrenreich saw what it was to not make it in America as an experiment to educate us all in the jobs of the working class from the article “Nickel and Dimed.” I know I became well aware of these differences...
Words: 2836 - Pages: 12
...middle-class girl who desperately wishes she were wealthy. She's got looks and charm, but had the bad luck to be born into a family of clerks, who marry her to another clerk (M. Loisel) in the Department of Education. Mathilde is so convinced she's meant to be rich that she detests her real life and spends all day dreaming and despairing about the fabulous life she's not having. She envisions footmen, feasts, fancy furniture, and strings of rich young men to seduce. One day M. Loisel comes home with an invitation to a fancy ball thrown by his boss, the Minister of Education. M. Loisel has gone to a lot of trouble to get the invitation, but Mathilde's first reaction is to throw a fit. She doesn't have anything nice to wear, and can't possibly go! How dare her husband be so insensitive? M. Loisel doesn't know what to do, and offers to buy his wife a dress, so long as it's not too expensive. Mathilde asks for 400 francs, and he agrees. It's not too long before Mathilde throws another fit, though, this time because she has no jewels. So M. Loisel suggests she go see her friend Mme. Forestier, a rich woman who can probably lend her something. Mathilde goes to see Mme. Forestier, and she is in luck. Mathilde is able to borrow a gorgeous diamond necklace. With the necklace, she's sure to be a stunner. The night of the ball arrives, and Mathilde has the time of her life. Everyone loves her (i.e., lusts after her) and she is absolutely thrilled. She and her husband (who falls asleep off...
Words: 2467 - Pages: 10
...Emily Sun Mr. Bursiek IB LA 11 22 October 2012 Limited Transcendence in the Human Condition An analysis of contradicting elements in selected personal essays of Virginia Woolf An author fascinated with boundaries, Virginia Woolf blurs the line between black and white in her essays The Death of the Moth and Street Haunting. In both essays she highlights opposing extremes: Street Haunting articulates the innate conflict of impulse and restraint, and The Death of the Moth articulates the enduring struggle between life and death, from which death always rises as the victor. The juxtaposition of these conflicting extremes as contradictory ultimately results in a dialectical synthesis of the two, proving that one is synergetic with the other. Through this synergy Woolf emphasizes the strength of the human condition to transcend the boundaries of its ambiguities, but clearly defines its inability to fully surpass the boundaries of the physical world. The Death of the Moth makes a piercingly clear point that life is futile in the face of its unfailing conqueror: death. Yet embedded at the heart of Woolf’s essay and thesis lies an inherent contradiction. Woolf constructs her essay to revolve around death’s victorious potency. Yet that is not enough. For, to glorify the power of death, she must also paint life as a substantial opponent to overcome. She does accomplish this purpose, describing the moth’s “gigantic effort…against a power of such magnitude” (Moth 2), a surprisingly...
Words: 2087 - Pages: 9
...many Americans to stand up and claim their rights as American citizens. This paper will provide an analysis of Martin Luther King’s leadership style, and speak briefly about its development. We will discuss his background and the factors that greatly influenced his success as a leader. We will also cover Martin’s application of influence tactics, such as rational persuasion and inspirational appeals, and reveal an almost textbook ideal of leader, follower and situation dynamics. In general, we will discuss his vision and finally pinpoint the factors that ultimately led to his rise in power. “Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President. Introduction Of all of the leadership styles that have been studied, observed and researched throughout the ages, Charismatic and Transformational Leadership, are cited as being the most powerful. Martin Luther King Jr. is definitely one of the most charismatic and transformational leaders of all time. His journey, struggles and triumphs, many of which were recorded, reflect an almost “textbook” definition of what charismatic leadership looks like. In this paper, I will discuss the origins of his leadership style, his mentors and influences, as well as his majestic rise in social and political power against all odds; amidst severe opposition by those who wanted to...
Words: 2262 - Pages: 10
...Awards, including Best Picture. Additionally, Lilies of the Field achieved motion picture history as Sidney Poitier was awarded the Best Actor Oscar, marking the first time in history an Academy Award was awarded to a black man. Choosing this movie for an analysis in negotiation was simple. Throughout the movie, the principal characters negotiated continuously. Lilies of the Field principle premise seemed to be partly based on the foundation of the bible scripture, Matthew 6:28-31 New International Version (NIV) 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear? The process of examining this movie in the relations to the process of negotiation I had to watch the movie several times. In watching this movie more than once, it afforded the opportunity to dissect the dynamic between the main characters. Upon my in-depth analysis of each character, I began to notice the subtle and not so subtle differences of thought and beliefs. Considering these differences from the...
Words: 3471 - Pages: 14
...Jose Marti, Our America La Revista Ilustrada. New York, January 1, 1891 The conceited villager believes the entire world to be his village. Provided that be can be mayor, humiliate the rival who stole his sweetheart, or add to the savings in his strongbox, he considers the universal order good, unaware of those giants with seven-league boots who can crush him underfoot, or of the strife in the heavens between comets that go through the air asleep, gulping down worlds. What remains of the village in America must rouse itself. These are not the times for sleeping in a nightcap, but with weapons for a pillow, like the warriors of Juan de Castellanos: weapons of the mind, which conquer all others. Barricades of ideas are worth more than barricades of stones. There is no prow that can cut through a cloudbank of ideas. A powerful idea, waved before the world at the proper time, can stop a squadron of iron-clad ships, like the mystical flag of the Last judgement. Nations that do not know one another should quickly become acquainted, as men who are to fight a common enemy. Those who shake their fists, like jealous brothers coveting the same tract of land, or like the modest cottager who envies the esquire his mansion, should clasp hands and become one. Those who use the authority of a criminal tradition to lop off the hands of their defeated brother with a sword stained with his own blood, ought to return the lands to the brother already punished sufficiently, if do not want...
Words: 3690 - Pages: 15