The Imagery of the Stone Angel :: Stone Angel

The Imagery of the Stone Angel In her novel, The Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence successfully uses the statue of the stone angel to represent the Currie family pride, Hagar's inability to relate and share her emotions, and the blindness and ignorance that results from refusing to consider any other point of view than your own. The Stone angel is symbolic of the Currie family pride because it does not seem to serve it's purpose, which is to honour Hagar's mother who had died giving birth to her. Hagar describes Mrs. Currie to be a "meek woman" and a "feeble ghost", whereas she describes herself to be "stubborn" and "practical". The statue was bought in Italy and brought to the Manawaka cemetery "at a terrible expense . . . in pride to mark her bones and proclaim his [Mr. Currie's] dynasty, as he fancied, forever and a day" (p. 3). Mr. Currie bought the angel "in pride" rather than in grief for someone he considdered his possesion, his "dynasty". The stone angel is also a symbol of Hagar's pride as she inherrited it from her father. It was this pride that kept her from speaking up and fighting for her brother when Mr. Currie sent her away to college to become "more civilized". She knew Matt deserved to go more than her, but she never stuck up for either him or herself. In an attempt at freedom, o r maybe just to spite her father, Hagar married Bram Shipley soon after she came back from school. From day one, Hagar's marriage to Bram was a complete embarrassment to her and her family: "When i'd listen to Bram spinning his cobwebs, then it would turn my stomach most of all, not what he said but that he made himself a laughingstock" (p. 114). Upon hearing about their plans to wed, Hagar's father disowns her. Bram was not a rich man by any means, he drank heavily, always spoke in slang, and caused a scene on a regular basis. Hagar thought she'd be able to change him and coax him out of his wild ways, but when he proved her wrong, she just accepted the fact that she'd have to live with it or lie about it to save face. When applies for a job to get away from Mananawka and her husband, she lies to her boss as to her real relationship with Bram.

Self Interest Motivates

Humans have always wondered what drives them to make the choices the make. One of the theories people have come up with is that self-interest primarily motivates mankind. This theory is defended in the actions of Luba and her suitor in Angels of Bergen-Belsen, the decisions made by Ilsa Hermann and Hans Hubermann in The Book Thief, and the struggles with death in Night. In Angel of Bergen-Belsen, Luba, a Polish Jewish woman, loses her son as she is taken prisoner into a concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen where she saves the lives of forty-eight abandoned children in the camps in hope that someone is caring for her son as she cares for them. She takes care of the children because she misses her son, Isaac, who was taken away from her at the time of the selection process during the entrance to the camp. To make up for the loss, she fulfills her motherly instincts by feeding and comforting the children who were abandoned. The children also motivate her to live because they are dependent on her and make her feel obligated to keep living for them. If Luba dies, they will be less likely to survive in the hardships of the camps. They make her feel wanted and needed. With this her she is able to answer her urge to live and can face the harsh situations presented to her. Her desire to live lets her adapt to harsh circumstances presented to her so with the misfortune of losing her son, she lets the new children she finds replace her son. Her suitor, a German officer in charge of her barrack, however, was not able to gain her affection like the children. He does his best to try and capture her heart by bringing her gifts like wood, which Jews were not allowed to have. It seems as if he is trying to help the woman he loves get what she needs, but the real motive for it is that he is trying to win her heart. Even though he does actually want to help Luba, he wants to satisfy his own desire and self-interest for her love more. In The Book Thief, Ilsa Hermann does not report Liesel to the authorities for taking a book from a bonfire during Hitler’s birthday in Molching because she is intrigued by her. She does that not because she cares about Liesel’s future, but because she has taken an interest to Liesel and wants to get to know her. To get closer to Liesel, she invites her into her library and shares her book with her. She tries to keep Liesel close because Liesel’s provocative behavior distracts her from her depression from her son’s death. She basically wants Liesel around because Liesel is able to draw away the depressing thoughts Ilsa has. On the other hand, Hans Hubermann helps hide Max Vandenburg from being captured by the Nazis because â€Å"he had Erik Vandenburg to thank† (Zusak 176) for saving his life during the First World War. He offers Erik’s wife to call him whenever she needs help as compensation. He feels obligated to do this because he would feel guilty if he did not do anything in return for the man that saved his life. When Max’s call for help comes, Hans wants to fulfill his promise to the Vandenburg family so that he won’t feel any guilt for being the sole survivor of the battle. In order to fulfill his sense of justice, he agrees to hide Max in his house. He does not want to shoulder the burden of knowing that he allowed his savior’s son to die when he had an opportunity of saving him or at least increasing his chances of survival. He also wants to be true to himself and do what he believes is the right thing to do because â€Å"A Jew once saved his life and he could not forget that† (Zusak 180). Furthermore, in Night, Elie and his father struggle to keep each alive because they give each other a reason to continue living in the world. Elie does his best to persuade his father to keep living, and he tells himself that he â€Å"[has] no right to let [himself] die† because he â€Å"is his [father’s] sole support† (Wiesel 87). They both do not want to be left to fend for themselves in the work camps and to have to face the harshness of the world themselves. Their dependency for each other is shown when the â€Å"father and son often walk together holding hands in the camps, afraid that they will be separated. They ask for the same work assignments, sleep in the same building, share food, and sing Hasidic songs together† (Wiesel 29). Elie looks towards his father for guidance, and his father looks towards Elie for strength. They keep each other alive for their own self benefit so that they will have someone to lean on for help. Despite Elie’s close relationship with his father, that wasn’t the case for all fathers and sons. As the Jews were being transported to a different camp, German workers would take â€Å"a piece of bread out of [their] bag and [throw] it into a wagon† (Wiesel 100). The men inside the wagon fight like animals for a few crumbs. One old man manages to get a piece. His son sees and attacks his own father for the bread. He is motivated to kill his own father for it for his desire to survive and live on. He is not interested in the well-being, but only of his own. He will do whatever is necessary for survival. Angel of Bergen-Belsen, The Lunch Date, The Book Thief, and Night all show the same trait of self-interest being the main cause for motivating people to make the decisions they make. Even though their actions will have a good effect, their intentions behind them are actually for their own self-interests and benefits.

Hiring Outsiders Essay

This is why companies look to hire people from the outside. They do this because they are looking with people who will bring unique skills to the company. Also, it can give the company new ideas and new energy for the work place. The article states that â€Å"the thought processes are common among workers and bosses, and  a new study  shows how they play out. The study, by  Matthew Bidwell, an assistant management professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, found that external hires, on average, make around 18 percent more money than internal employees with similar positions. I found this statement to be a very interesting point when it comes to the debate on whether or not to hire or not from the outside. It definitely shows that the numbers are better for profit, so that is definitely a big positive when it comes down to the question for managers who ask should they hire externally? However, later on in the article it states that in that same study, th ey perform less well in the first two years and are also more likely to leave or be let go. This is why companies don’t hire from the outside, because it takes to long for the employees to get use to the company they were hired at, rather then the one they were doing well at previously, this is one con of hiring from the outside. There are many other disadvantages about hiring from the outside as well. One of these factors would be it increases the chances of the work place morality to drop. What I mean by this is that if the people in the work place of the current company they are at hire other people for positions they are qualified for, this would possibly tick people within the company ff, and maybe even question those people if they should stay with the company or not. I remember you gave an example in class about how you were brought in for a company and one employee even confronted you and said how you took his job. This can definitely make the work place very uncomfortable for employees at the job. Just because a person did good at their current job does not mean they will automatically do good for the new company that hires them. The new employee will have to adapt to the new culture of the company and this can be very hard for new employees. Also, giving employees a chance to be promoted if they work hard is a benefit of hiring from the inside. This incentive definitely gives people something to work hard for and try to earn. I know for me, I don’t want to switch jobs a lot and if I were working at a place I would love the opportunity to keep moving up in the company if I was working hard. The article talks about how people within the company know the â€Å"do’s and don’ts of the company. † New people that companies bring in are unaware of what to do in certain situations and probably don’t have a very good idea of what the company is about compared to people that work within company. I definitely understand about what companies are trying to do from the outside, but some companies are blind to the fact that it will take a while for the new employees to gel in with everyone and the work place of the company. Overall, of course there is many benefits that include hiring from the outside, which include fresh skills and ideas. But the article states that Professor Groysberg says employers need to be much more strategic about hiring so that the organization has the right mix of old and new. This is a very important statement due to the fact that a company must decide is it really important that they absolutely need someone from the outside rather than someone who is already working there already? For employees that put in their two weeks because they are unhappy with the company hiring from the outside, the article has a very good solution for this. In the last meeting, it is important to ask what can we do to keep you here. Most of the time, people will say a raise. A good answer to this question would be we understand you want that but we don’t know if that’s possible, what else can we offer to you that is important to you? Answers like these will definitely help people from quitting to staying at the company.

Opposites Attract

Opposites attract, similar to how magnets are drawn to each other. This tragic love story sheds light on Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star-crossed lovers. The play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, features a love story between the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet and takes place in Verona, Italy. There are two rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues, and Juliet and Romeo are the â€Å"star-crossed lovers† from the two opposing families. In Act II Scene II, Romeo is talking to Juliet on the balcony immediately after they meet.Here, Shakespeare reveals Romeo’s and Juliet’s personalities in the scene. Shakespeare reveals a passionate and impulsive side to Romeo, while on the other hand, reveals a hesitant and cautious side to Juliet. Shakespeare reveals that Romeo has a passionate, as well as impulsive love for Juliet. In the balcony scene he says to Juliet, â€Å"My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. †(82) This suggests that Romeo is saying that he would choose death over Juliet not loving him, and reveals his fervent love for Juliet.Also, he boldly states, â€Å"Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me. †(72) He declares this because he is so deeply in love with her. He has the courage to say this even when he knows that Juliet’s relatives want to kill him because he is a Montague. Romeo’s impulsive behavior is suggested when he asks, â€Å"Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine†(134). Even though Romeo had just met Juliet that night, he proposes that they get married, which reveals that he is impetuous. Romeo is characterized as passionate but impulsive, which leads him rushing into decisions, and ultimately his death.Juliet is shown to be hesitant and cautious because is mature beyond her age. She is cautious about Romeo’s love for her, almost skeptical of it, because she says to him, â€Å"And if thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully† (99). This shows that she wants to be reassured that he truly loves her. When Romeo proposes for them to marry, she responds â€Å"It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden† (125) which shows that Juliet thinks that they should be careful, because she believes their love is developing too quickly.She then compares their love to what it could be, â€Å"Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be† which means that like lightning, their love can disappear as fast as it appeared. She is worried that this will happen to them as well. Her cautious and hesitant behavior balances out Romeo’s character and actions. Shakespeare suggests that Romeo and Juliet are very different in character. Romeo is quick to act, while Juliet takes her time and thinks of the possible outcomes. Their personalities create a perfect balance.Although they complete each others’ personalities, their young and sudden love is like the always ch anging and tumultuous ocean. The two lovers should not rush into their love because their love for each other, as Juliet says â€Å"Follow thee my lord throughout the world†, foreshadows that Juliet will ultimately follow Romeo into death because of their love. Love holds the power to make people do extraordinary things but sometimes may lead to irreversible consequences, such as death.

Against Human Cloning- Argumentative Essay

Cloning in general has been a rising debate across the globe since before Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996. The success of being able to clone an animal brought scientists to wonder about a more challenging task, cloning humans. This consideration is morally wrong and should not be stood for. Some people seem not to realize the negative aspects that cloning would bring into a world which is already suffering. Religious standpoints, the growth of the population, and each human’s individuality are just a few of the supporting reasons that stand against cloning and support why it should not be legalized. Simply because there are a few factors that make some in favor of cloning does not rectify the atrocity that it would bring. One supporter that stands for cloning, Simon Smith, states that it would be useful to produce clones for fertility reasons such as infertile couples and couples carrying a genetic disease. This seems reasonable; however, there are other options available that are better suitable. Adoption, artificial insemination, and other successful surgeries are more appropriate, currently available alternatives. It seems questionable as to whether a person wanting to produce a clone offspring of themselves would be corrupt or unprincipled in wanting to do so. Wanting to make a replica of yourself would be a shameless act. There are supporters in favor of cloning such as Professor Robert Winston to make note that cloning would be an option available to those people who have lost a loved one. Have we forgotten our virtues and that with the birth of life, one day will come death? The structure of living and dying applies to every species. It’s not something most humans look forward to for themselves or for anyone they love but inevitably one day it will approach us all. This is the reason living things are given the ability to reproduce, to give life to the future. It’s a choice given, but not one we all have to choose. The personalities of humans and other creatures is what makes you care for them and produce a bond, not their physical appearance. Having a replica only identical in image and not in personality would not bring back a lost loved one; on the contrary, it could make it even harder for some people to cope and deal with. Individuality is another factor to consider when thinking of the outcome cloning would bring. This is what makes our world so unique, if clones become produced, we will lose that uniqueness. Having human clones in existence would be an insult to human kind and the distinctiveness of every human being. It would change what it means to be human. If life can be formed in various ways other than the ways intended, how can it have that special value that being human has? Clones could likely end up as another minority fighting for equal rights. Could you imagine what it might feel like to know that you were a clone of someone else’s being? Would you feel inferior to human life and all that it brings? Would you even have a soul? These are all questions that society puts aside that should attempt to be answered. The growing population in the United States and in other countries around the world is also a very important element to consider. Although it would be great to have the fountain of youth, it does not seem very effective. People have to die; otherwise the population would be a greater concern than it currently is. If people were living an extra fifty years or more, the world would become chaotic. Citizens of the U.S. already have to fight for there entitlements they should receive as elders. Prolonging the life of humans would eventually become the cause of their extinction. We consume far too many resources that we need to survive and are doing far too little to replenish them. Trees will become a thing of the past in the not so distant future. Without this mankind cannot survive due to the lack of oxygen. This along with the extinction of other natural resources will only cause the human race to diminish. Scientists after a period of time could even possibly evolve clones to be the ideal human race. The DNA to produce clones could be manipulated after advance research to make them have specific characteristics and possibly mind-set as well. They could possibly be made to have a particular function in life such as becoming an Olympic swimmer or even a killing machine in the army, programmed to go off to war. What Hitler was trying to accomplish during the Holocaust could become reality if clones were to be created. It has been proposed that in the not too distant future, cloning technologies  could advance to the level where they could even recreate a deceased individual in the adult form. They could likely even recreate there past memories and experiences. There doesn’t seem to be any ethical concerns for this, as twisted as the thought of it turns out to be. Everything happens for a purpose and for that reason alone cloning is wrong and should not be legalized. The saying goes, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. This saying should apply to cloning just as well. The vast majority of humans are perfectly capable of reproducing offspring; therefore there is no reason to clone. Along with the scientific accomplishments it would bring to man kind many down falls would follow only shortly behind. It may seem like many advantages could take place in the scientific community if cloning were to be legalized, but only resulting in having only a few benefits and many downfalls. The possible outcomes that would exist in its legalization does not make it being performed morally right. Works Cited Smith, Simon. â€Å"HumanCloning.org.† 2002. Human Cloning Foundation. 22 March2007. Winston, Robert. â€Å"The Promise of Cloning for Human Medicine.† British Medical Journal (1997):913-14. 21 March.

Williams Syndrome in Psychology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Williams Syndrome in Psychology - Research Paper Example Yet, another similar condition can be compared with Down Syndrome, the Williams Syndrome--also known as William-Beuren Syndrome. Rare in characteristic, this type of syndrome was first recognized in the early 1960’s, where four young samples had been identified with such conditions, as all had presented â€Å"supravalvar aortic stenosis...mental retardation† and similar facial features. By such discovery, the said disorder had been named in honor of one of its founder, Dr. Williams--a cardiologist (Bellugi, Wang, & Jernigan, 1994, p. 3). Other than these initial diagnostic parameters, Williams syndrome is also characterized by hypercalcemia of unknown origin, accompanied by distinct cognitive and behavioral profile (Khan, Calureriu, Huang, & Robin, 2011). At this point, such concepts seemed to be more focused on the pathophysiological context of the said condition, disregarding the psychological elements of William syndrome. In appeal, this group is said to be hypersoci able, where they are into over-friendliness, as they appear to lack the adaptive behavior of covertly following the unwritten social rules common in most societal structures (Udwin, Davies, Howlin, & Stinton, 2007). With such social trait, one can assume that the interpersonal skills generated by individuals with William syndrome are adequate for daily public associations, yet, a number of literatures presented otherwise. The overtly sociable attitude by groups with William Syndrome may be acceptable in society, but their psychological status may not be as stable as most believed. This paper seeks to establish the paradoxical traits that individuals with Williams Syndrome seemed to have; present common psychological features and find patterns among such psychological manifestations. Biological Origins and Clinical Features The etiologic origins and pathological process seemed to be pointed back to genetic deficits. Generally thought of as a neurodevelopmental condition, most experts identified the â€Å"deletion of ~25–30 genes...(which span) about 1.5 megabases in the q11.23 region of chromosome 7† as the exact cause of the William Syndrome (Deutsch, Rosse, & Schartz, 2007, p. 903). Genetic in function, such dysfunction in the genetic level can significantly cause a series of physiological changes upon human anatomic development, especially in organ tissues of the heart. As this is genetic in origin, the defective genetic material is said to have a hereditary feature, where there can be a 50% chance that individuals might pass this DNA product to the next generation. Although random in pattern, studies showed that 1 infant in every 80,000 births can have this syndrome--a highly rare occurrence (â€Å"William Syndrome,† 2011). Like most genetic disorders, people with such condition can easily be distinguished due to their common appearance, where their faces may have an elfin quality, with prominent forehead and eyes, ample cheeks, expansi ve mouth, small nose, and broad earlobes (Semel & Rosner, 2003). In line with this, overall presentation of the condition can be divided into four sections: â€Å"cognitive development, language, auditory function, and visuospatial function† (Khan, Calureriu, Huang, & Robin, 2011). In context, cognition and language functions are quite delayed for their age, with highly sensitive hearing capabilities to auditory stimuli, and a disassociation between what is seen and its normative interpretations. As such, environmental adaptation of these groups is delayed, compared to their normal counterparts. Aside from these clinical symptoms, those with William Syndrome are also plagued with a number of medical disorders, which may range from clinically serious cardiac

Reynoldss Views of Ise Shrine Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reynoldss Views of Ise Shrine - Assignment Example One of the biggest arguments in their favor is that the continual destruction and rebuilding of the shrine is part of the modernist aesthetic (324). The strong points of Reynolds’s organization are that the long historical introduction builds up well to his claim so that by the time Reynolds makes it seems logical. However, at the same time, that long historical introduction makes the essay somewhat difficult to read. It seems like Reynolds could have spent a lot less time on historical facts or at least applied them more directly to his main argument. Reynolds validates his authority throughout the essay. On the one hand, he continually cites Japanese sources, which makes it clear that he is very familiar with his topic and able to make statements about it. On the other, he writes at great length about many aspects of both Ise Shrine’s history and the aesthetics of Japanese modernism. Reynolds clearly has authority to write about modernist views of Ise Shrine.