Nature’s power Essay

There is one common theme between the short story â€Å"How the World Was Made† and the poems â€Å"This Newly Created World,† â€Å"Dream Song,† â€Å"I Have Killed the Deer,† and â€Å"I Am Your Mother.† They all share the theme that nature explains why many things are. In the short story â€Å"How the World Was Made,† the story of creationalism is focused upon nature as the cause. Every one of Earth’s mysteries is explained by nature. For example, the explanation of cold and hot springs from the mountains reads as follows. The streams that come down from the mountains are the trails by which we reach this underworld, and the springs at their heads are the doorways by which we enter it†¦We know that the seasons in the underworld are different from ours, because the water in the springs is always warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than the outer air. â€Å"This Newly Created World† gives explanation to the beauty and color of the earth. â€Å"†¦the earth, our grandmother, extended the green reflection of her covering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The poem describes the earth itself as our own grandmother. Although quite short, â€Å"Dream Song† talks about nature’s power to gradually rotate seasons year after year. â€Å"†¦I feel the summer in the spring.† This quote expresses how one might be able to feel it in the air and how one season will begin to blend into the next one. â€Å"I Have Killed the Deer† explains natures own cleaver idea; the circle of life. It states that each and every one of nature’s creations must take away from nature, but will eventually give enough back again when they die. â€Å"†¦When I die, I must give life to what has nourished me†¦so that The circle of life is never broken.† The poem â€Å"I Am Your Mother† explains all the things that should be loved in nature as a mother-like figure. This poem painfully states the abuse â€Å"mother† has taken and that it should be respected. â€Å"All this beauty was your to behold, Your duty was to love, cherish and protect; Feel my anguish,  the pain in my soul, All I asked was your respect.† All of the poems and the short story can clearly explain many mysteries, wonders, and beauties nature is trying to give to us.

Dorothy Livesay’s poem “Experience” Essay

Dorothy Livesay’s poem â€Å"Experience† teaches that if one learns solely from outside sources, then one will never know what it is to feel independence and self-growth. By examining the authors personal experiences, the imagery, and the symbolism used the above statement will be proven true. Dorothy’s personal life had a large influence on her opinion about independence and self-growth. Her lengthy career spanning over 5 decades, her involvement with politics and her general travelling not only across Canada but Paris and the soviet union kept her constantly experiencing new environments. This greatly affected her career as a poet, she let herself be influenced by all cultures and her surroundings. She began travelling independently at a young age and co inherently matured quickly, proving the idea that personal experience and learning first hand is essential in fully understanding all aspects of life. Livesay’s comparison of having situations and experiences forced upon you to the idea of eating bitter and stale bread leaving her feeling tired and hollow shows a direct relation to the idea of maturing and growing as a person. â€Å"So I went on my own road, tasting all fruits, all breads.† As she grows up she has everyone around her assuming they know what’s best and force her to follow their ideas without any say. This hurts her ability to be independent and leaves her completely reliant on others and lacking personality and imagination. Realising this as she continues to grow older she decides to travel and experience new ideas and ways of living to learn for herself what’s best for her personally. Although it is not guaranteed that everything you come across will have positive effects on your life, eventually what you’re looking for will come across and you will grow as an individual. In the poem, Livesay uses bread as a symbol for the situations and experiences forced upon you by others, and fruits as the adventures you make and learn from independently. The bread is described as being bitter and stale, leaving her heart feeling empty and unsatisfied†¦as if something was  missing. Once the decision was made to travel and experience everything for herself – both breads and fruits – she felt like that part of her that was missing had been filled and completed. One could infer that the part of her that was missing was her independence and maturity, which she developed as she continued to travel and work. â€Å"Tasting all fruits, all breads: And if some were bitter, others were sweet. So I learned, how the heart is fed.† Dorothy Livesay’s personal life following the idea of independence and growth through travelling alone and learning first hand, the imagery developed in the descriptions of how the bread and fruits taste, and the use of symbolism turning the idea of bread into undesirable events and fruits being the idea of self-growth and maturity show that the core message in Dorothy Livesay’s poem â€Å"Experience† is one cannot grow and mature as a person if they learn solely from outside sources.

Prayer in School Essay

John Knox Press, 1996. 45-218. In this book the author gives an epic description of the controversy surrounding the debate on prayer in public schools. It touches on the legal aspects as well as the interpretation of among other articles the first amendment. Alley uses history and preceding events to bring out his argument against prayer in public schools terming the practice as an abuse and harassment of the minority by the majority who are keen on imposing their own definition of faith. He asserts that the law on first amendment religion issues has adequately and consistently clarified the differences that exist between church and state. He cited some cases such as Barnette, McCollum, Everson, Engel and Schempp to mention but a few as having set precedence thus preventing future conflict. However, one reads anti Christianity overtones which bring up the question of objectivity due to his obvious bias. He has successfully presented one side of the debate with a personal tone. The book strongly opines that any form of religious inclinations in public schools is incompatible with the constitution as well as with the principle of democracy. Murray, J. William. Let us pray: A plea for prayer in our school. New York: William Morrow & Co, 1995. 11-97. In the first pages of his interesting book, Murray tells of his atheist past that was directed by his mother Madalyn Murray and how he, as a 14 year old was a plaintiff against the Baltimore School system. The suit led to the Supreme Court’s decision that outlawed public school prayer and bible reading. Murray later converts to Christianity and embarks on a mission aimed at undoing the ‘damage’ done by his past. He becomes a strong proponent of prayer in Schools arguing that this is the one way of rooting out the moral decay in the society. Among other arguments, he presents the debate as conflicting discomforts. ‘The discomfort of minority faiths or nonbelievers at hearing prayer in school versus the discomfort of Protestant Christians at being prohibited from public prayer’. He allows that the drafters of the constitution are misinterpreted by those who claim that they intended to eradicate prayer from public institutions. Rather, he cites influential figures such as John Locke and Tocqueville as strong believers in the value of prayer in providing positive guidance to the society. His recommendations are however weak since the freedom he seeks could be confused with what is provided for in the constitution. Again the founding fathers he cites are understood to have given us the current laws and so his enlisting them undermines his very argument. Cookson, Catharine. Regulating Religion: The Courts and the Free Exercise Clause. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 54, 67-75. In this book, Catherine Cookson delves into the issues of the law and the authority of state as laid down in the constitution on one hand and the obligations of conscience on the other. She embarks on a project to provide the solution for a recurrent problem. She examines the history of the Christian tradition as well as more contemporary political development of religious freedom (186). Her argument on the free exercise clause is vivid and thought provoking as she seeks the balance between the majority’s right to religious expression and public prayer and the minority’s discomfort arising from that kind of expression. U. S Department of Education. Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. Available on-line at: http://www. ed. gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance. html Accessed on 12. 04. 07. This article deals with the legal aspect of the debate on prayer in schools. The article endeavors to provide information on the current state of the law concerning constitutionally protected prayer in the public schools, and therefore spell out the extent to which prayer in public schools is lawfully protected. The Case against School Prayer. Available online at: http://209. 85. 135. 104/search? q=cache:RTckL_PUwSEJ:ffrf. org/nontracts/schoolprayer. php+prayers+in+school&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ke. Accessed on 12. 04. 07. In this article the author delves into the arguments against school prayer. The author advances the argument that prayers are private and yet there is nothing private about a public school. Therefore the two are incompatible and should not mix. He/She asserts that public schools cater for students with varying backgrounds and religious inclinations and they should not be subjected to rules that promote one form of religious expression. According to the author of the article, Public prayer leads to discrimination of the minority and a denial of their right to worship. The article refutes the claim that prayer in school has any value in checking societal excesses. The conclusion calls for total separation of church and state arguing that this is one way of preventing divisiveness in the society. Works Cited Campbell, Ted A. Christian Confessions: A Historical Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. Questia. 12 Apr. 2007 . Cookson, Catharine. Regulating Religion: The Courts and the Free Exercise Clause. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Questia. 12 Apr. 2007 . Murray, J. William. Let us pray: A plea for prayer in our school. New York: William Morrow & Co, 1995. U. S Department of Education. Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. Available on-line at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html Accessed on 12.04.07

Advantages Of The Hydraulic Fracturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advantages Of The Hydraulic Fracturing - Essay Example This high-pressure mixture provides for an outward path for the gas and oil (DECC). Hydraulic fracturing has many advantages. The most significant advantage is that greater quantities of fossil fuels can be produced through this method. This provides for an economic benefit which can be understood by the reduction in the gas price in the United States due to increased production. It also provides for accessibility and production from oil and gas reserves which could otherwise not be utilized. The United States and Canada have achieved the maximal benefit and they can rely upon gas production through fracking for the next hundred years. Another added benefit of this technique is that it allows the generation of electricity through the natural gas. This is beneficial to the environment because the electrical energy produced from natural gas results in the release of half the amount of carbon dioxide in comparison to the electricity produced from coal. Furthermore, hydraulic fracturing has provided for an economic boost to the areas where this process is carried out. I t provides for employment opportunities for the local people (DECC; Koch). Despite the benefits of hydraulic fracturing, many concerns have been raised regarding the usage of this technique. It is argued that a very large quantity of water is required at the site of hydraulic fracturing which incurs environmental costs. Also, the water which is blasted into the rock layer contains various chemicals. These chemicals seep into ground water and pollute it affecting the quality of water available in the local area for the residents. Another environmental problem posed by fracking is that it can lead to earthquakes of low magnitudes. The last negative aspect cited by environmentalists is that hydraulic fracturing diverts the government and its agencies from spending on energy sources that are renewable and do not pollute the environment.

Hunger Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hunger Games - Essay Example The plotting of the previous release covers the disparity in power between formerly thirteen districts but currently twelve and the capitol, which ideally represents power (Collins, 3-18). The capitol district capitol represents the source of power or influence and which is depicted to rule over the rest of the districts. Poverty, hunger and general misery is shown to dominate the twelve districts while great wealth and technological advancement is what characterizes the capitol district. As a way of executing the power, the capitol district invents a mechanism through which food and such other humanitarian aid would be advanced to the rest of the districts through the ‘hunger games’, which are conducted annually. Every district therefore selects young representatives who would participate in fighting contests and the winner defines the district, which will receive the food aid over the year. The capitol district is therefore shown to have the capacity and power to advan ce food aid to the rest of the districts at will though this is not the case. The program to involve the districts in the hunger games is shown through the literature to be informed by the selfish ambitions of the power district to rule through oppression. In the movie (catching the fire), Peeta as well as Katniss comes back home after they are crowned victors in hunger games for the year. However, winning the 74th games meant that the duo would leave family as well as friends as they embarked on a countrywide tour, which is called ‘victors tour’ and involves visiting all the districts in the country. On the day that the journey was to commence, the president ‘Snow’ visits the 12th district unexpectedly and had to express his disappointment with Katniss for having broken the game rules within the previous annual games in which the two won. Snow’s anger was triggered by the defiance of Katniss’s rebellion, which he blamed to have triggered rebe llion among natives in the country (Panem). Nevertheless, the tour commences and the two starts at district 11 where after addressing and congratulating the citizens for their participation in the previous games, horror strikes when one three men are executed after one whistled a familiar tune to many. Among other motives in their travel, tour around the districts was to curtail rebellion and make peace between president snow and Katniss, which never materializes. After winding up the tour and returning home, two district 8 runways reveal Katniss that unlike what was said of district 13, the inhabitants had not been wholly wiped off but that they rather adopted underground shelters where they lived. This leads to announcement of 75th annual games, which was to involve the victors of the previous 24 matches. The common name to such games was ‘Quarter Quell’ and the two victors (Peeta and Katniss) individually commit to protect each other within the games. The movie unfol ds and the fight happens within the jungle and despite many deaths, which claims the live of Peeta, Katniss succeeds to direct lightening towards the ‘force field’ having the arena and wholly destroys it. However, she is equally harmed by the force and she paralyzes temporarily only to wake in district 13. It is also revealed to her that district 12 had been destroyed through bombing but the reporting friend safely rescued her family. The main thematic expressions of the movie

Race, Empire and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Race, Empire and Education - Essay Example century, confusion marred the classification of races where the Jews, Irish, and the Italians were considered as â€Å"black.† During the mid-nineteenth century, there was a lot of activity that saw the European nations move out of their continent to explore other regions. This was so intense that they had to compete amongst themselves. Slave trade gained roots due to the need for labor for the industries and farms during the industrial revolution. This made it possible for the Europeans to capitalize on the uncivilized races. In addition, there was a view of superiority among the Europeans who considered other races especially Africans as inferior and primitive. The mid nineteenth century being at the peak of the industrial revolution became the turning point in racial attitudes. Racial differences became explosive at the mid years of nineteenth century and were catalyzed by development of theories on racism. There are a number of theories that emerged that were used to explain various aspects of human variations. One of these differences was established to be the innate racial characteristics of individuals. In his work, published in 1850, Robert Knox points out that â€Å"race is everything: literature, science, art, in a word, civilization depends on it.† (Knox 1850, pg 7). With such a view, it is evident that there was a perception that the most important thing that determined the person’s worth was the race from which a person comes from. This theory further provided various conflicting propositions, for example, it establishes that the different races are different species. The mindset created among the whites created an impression of uniqueness superiority and intelligent. Another theory is that put forth by Count Arthur de Gobineau, a F renchman who composed an essay entitled â€Å"Essay on the Inequality of Human Races.† In this piece of work, Arthur amplifies the concept of race as one of the most important aspects that a person can be categorized, he

How does advertising affect society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How does advertising affect society - Essay Example The advertisers resort to the intricacies of psychology and affiliate to the nuances of audio-visual technology to influence and impact the human consciousness and thereby the human decision making capacity (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). Whether it is the real world or the virtual world, the domain of the world of advertising is vast and pervasive. Though advertising tends to influence and affect the human decision making capacity in a variety of ways, yet, one essential negative impact of advertising is that it wraps and distorts the human capacity to make informed decisions in ways that augment dissatisfaction and make human life quiet superficial and disconnected with a sense of personal conviction. One essential attribute of a sound human personality is that it endows a person with the capacity to decide as to what one really needs to lead a satisfied and contented life. Almost everyone is tentatively aware of the fact that quintessentially speaking, human needs tend to be few a nd narrow and given a choice, most of the humans do have the capacity to allocate their monetary resources in a manner that leaves them content and satisfied (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). Yet, in the contemporary world marred by advertising, this premise seems to be more of a cherished ideal rather than being a simple fact of life. Going by the fact that in the modern civilization, the human mind is constantly bombarded by advertisements, it is but natural that influenced by these, many people tend to develop a distorted sense of life (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). ... n, what are the things that they simply cannot do without and how they ought to lead their life, everything is to a great extent determined by the media and the advertisements that they get daily exposed to? Advertising makes people buy things that they do not really need and that they simply do not afford, leaving them emotionally and financially famished (Hood, 2009, p. 92). Advertising makes people lose contact with their true self and ushers in an artificiality and wastefulness into their lives. Many people, most of them affiliated to the world of sales and marketing do say that advertising tends to be informative and it helps the individuals and groups engage in informed decision making and thereby enhance human satisfaction (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). However, things are not as simple as that. Advertising not only tends inform people about the new products and services, but many advertisers do proceed a step ahead to create in people a false sense of need and try to convinc e them that buying a particular commodity or a service will add to their sense of happiness (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). Many people do get carried away with the distorted reasoning imbued in the advertisements and do end up thinking that spending money on unwanted material possessions will make them happy (Hood, 2009, p. 40). There is no dearth of people who go out of the way to model their personal and family life in consonance with the ideals being projected by the advertisements (Sutherland, 2008). It is fact that could readily be verified that many popular human aspirations like buying a big house even if one simply do not need it, buying a big car, dressing up in a particular way, purchasing specific food products and items, aspiring to gain a specific type of look and physique,