Friday, August 21, 2020
Summer RecapThe Book Launch
Summer Recapâ"The Book Launch For several reasons, itâs been quite a while since my last blog. Between then and now, a fusillade of transformations has taken place. Rather than present a disjointed patchwork of events from here and there, Iâll just take a deep breath and start from the beginning, when summer was peaking and plans were forming. Book Launch In 2012, I started working on a novel. In 2013, it was completed. In 2014, it was published. The journey from the first uncertain scrawl of words to the final product was a weird, imprecise zigzag, but itâs also one I never foresaw. Back then, if you had asked me why I was writing the book, I probably would have looked at you with furrowed brows and a surprised look. Why? Why Iâm writing it? Becauseâ¦because⦠I want to? No, not quite. I mean, yes, of course I want to write. But thatâs not why. I donât know what the why is. I donât know why the kidnapping on the news stuck with me the way it did, why it bounced around and persisted in my head, fermenting and ripening until it suddenly felt too much to simply be contained. It just had to be written. I couldnât say why, but it just had to be, and in the absence of words to give shape to this looming story, it persisted like a large pimple, needing immediate attention. The moment I began typing the words, it was like getting lost, vanishing into a dark cabinet where warm voices murmur and where you feel comfort despite the lack of sight. Thatâs why I wrote the book, and I donât think I can articulate it any better than that. What I do know is that I never really intended for it to be published, at least not until the later stages of the novel, a hundred thousand words into the demented lives of Joseph and Ashley. I was writing because, just because, fullstop, and the idea of publishing held the same substance that MIT once dida height to be contemplated and admired, never grasped. But I already spoke about how dreams sometimes spring out of the boxes they reside in. I just want to talk about the process of bringing the published book to life. A book needs readers, right? So the publishing press put together a small planning committee. We upturned every rock, burnt the midnight oil, trying to figure out how to promote the book. Ultimately, we decided on a pre-sales book launch that would bring together students, parents, friends, government personnel and the media into a whirlwind of publicity. The launch took place on the nineteenth of June. Teachers from my high school showed up with students. My friends trickled in, all of them looking so much more different than I remembered. Government ministries were represented, of education, of power. So were companies I suppose were curious about the book, and about whatever waves it was stirring. I think a lot of the unexpectedly profound publicity had a lot to do with my age juxtaposed against the sheer size of the book. Prior to the launch, I went around a lot, meeting people, introducing the book, giving summaries and free copies and autographs. Whenever they saw it for the first time, there was a certain way their eyes popped open. Sure, they knew Iâd written something, but it was soâ¦big. I found this near-universal surprise a little amusing. Theyâd ask how Iâd done it, and it would seem a bit weird because I had had a year and I wrote all the time, and the daily hours of investment, which I guess accumulated pretty fast, seemed sort of normal at the time. I write with every chance I get. And like anything, it just piles up. Anyway, for the launch, I was dressed in a spiffy red suit, which made me feel claustrophobic. I was also nervous as hell. I remember diving into a bathroom moments before everything began, just breathing in and out, staring at myself in the mirror. The cynical, consistently loud, consistently self-aware and self-criticizing part of me I think comes with writing was actually quiet that day. All of me was quiet, inside and out. I knew it was a huge day, or was supposed to be a huge day, but staring at myself, with my bent glasses hinged on my crooked nose, I couldnât quite process anything, except the feeling of bigness, of being overwhelmed without being sure why. Then the event started. Guests of honors were rattled out, most notably a state governor who had sent in a representative. There were a few remarks about the book, followed by an in-depth review by a professor. And I do mean in-depth. His review was long and detailed and sweeping, and brought to light his opinions on the merits and flaws of the book. For instance, to his taste, my symbolism was overdone and a lot of phrases were notably unduly complicated or odd-sounding. But overall, his review was positive. He praised the characters, the realistic nature of their depressing situations. It was actually the first official review of the book, and the first professional review Iâd heard and I think I was most aware of the fact that all these people were here listening to him talk about the book, while I sat at the other side of the room, facing the crowd, still sort of shell-shocked. After the review was over, I read a few pages from the book, somehow without hyperventilating into a nervous mess on the floor. Then the sales began. There were lots of pictures and lots of poses and lots of interviews and lots of clicking cameras. People smiling and talking and mingling and pulling me in all directions when the launch ended. But to my ears, the inner ears that no one could probe, there was only the loudness of my heartbeat, the awe. I dont know why. I do know that the day of the launch was one of the happiest days of my life. During the launch, most people bought the book at its normal price, but a lot of others, mostly government personnel, wanted to show support for the book and the publishers, and thus voluntarily bought copies at significantly higher amounts. As a result, the novel broke even on the first day of sale, and since then has made over forty thousand dollars. Aftermath A lot followed the day of the launch. I still went everywhere I could, trying to promote it. My high school gave me a booth during its Class of 2014 Graduation Ceremony where I sat for several hours and talked about the book to parents. And while sales did happen all the time, they also didnât happen a lot of times. Since I was one of several people involved in direct sales, there were times I would walk up to people to talk about the book and they would quickly shut me downâ"the natural fear of all salespeople, I think, wherein we all agree that they are soul-sucking time-wasting leeches. I remember in particular, approaching a bored-looking woman during the graduation ceremony, asking her if I could interest her in the book. She said âsureâ and I went into a detailed explanation as to what it was all about. She nodded and smiled and after I was done, she asked, âAre you done?â âYes,â I said. âOkay,â she replied. âNo.â Then she got up and left. There were other variantsâ"âIâm not interestedâ and âPlease Iâm busyâ and the noncommittal âOkay, Iâll come by later and check it out, I promise.â But the ones that did sell involved the same first stepâ"having the courage to go up and talk to people. They didnât come over to the booths by themselvesâ"at least many of them didnât. A lot of times, I had to take a breath in and walk up to them and say, âHey, can I talk to you about this book?â Iâm not very good with public speaking. Heck, people have a consistently hard time trying to figure out what Iâm saying. I was too aware of this and was always nervous, but somehow always managed to slip into that neutral, controlled, traveling salesman voice whenever I had to. It was a powerful learning experience, and for each sale and each rejection that came from me reaching out to someone, I was at least proud of my effort. ** The book was featured in three national newspapers, a literary magazine and a national TV channelâ"African Independent Television. For the TV bit, I naturally had to go up to be interviewed. On live TV. And I didnât realize it was live until moments before the program started. I probably would have if I hadnât been so late. So the extensive network of offices, satellites and equipment that comprise AIT are situated on top of a hill, but this hill is shrouded by extensive high-rises of jutting rocks and sprawling vegetation, and thus making it out from the ground is impossible. There was no internet to even permit me to fool around on a GPS, and even though my parents (who were driving me there) had the address, we had no real clue where the place was. We resorted to the âNigerian GPSâ system, which means stopping continuously to ask passersby for direction. Which was fun because one would say, âHead a few miles north this wayâ and we would head north and ask someone else who would say, âNope, wrong direction, head several miles south the opposite way!â But we did end up finding the station in the nick of time. I was supposed to be featured on a live Sunday afternoon show called âFrontlineâ, and we were dangerously close to running late. Thus, there was no time to prepare. The showâs host, Martin Ilo, hurried me into the newsroom. I was more or less shoved into a seat. A swarm of people surrounded me, powdering my face and my nose with all sorts of weird things that, in my disoriented state of mind, could have been anything from lotion to rat poison. Then bright halogen lights washed my face and my hostâs in strange glows, and a million cameras rose like vanishing angels and Martin told me to be calm and collected and just think of him as a casual friend and then the show began. Iâm still not sure how that went, but it was definitely fun. So yeah, the book did make more waves than my mind had ever imagined (or intended) it would, but I think the smallest wave it made, at least from a grand cosmic world view or just some objective point of view, was the biggest one for me. But Iâll get to that in just a bit. In Closing, A Few Things From the moment I started writing the book and up to its current evolving state today, I learnt a lot. I donât want to spend too much time talking about lessons, because they were mostly for me anyway, and they felt like the sort of lessons that imprinted themselves on you by virtue of experience, as opposed to some grand lecturing, but I do wanna say a few things. First, people make dreams happen. Not just a person, people. And there are so many of them Iâm grateful for, the wheels of the cog without whom the book would have never spun and taken flight. My parents and friends, the publishers and the salespeople, the government officials that helped out and were willing to let me engage them. So just think about that. That one idea youâve spent harboring will not be driven to fruition in a dingy basement or a lonely lab. And thatâs one of the most comforting, most relieving facts I know. Second, weâre all capable of courage, but for the things we care most about, it really shows itself when it counts the most. Talking to people, being in the center of things, making public statements, these are the sort of things I can happily do when writing, because the words have a certain drum with which they flow to my head, and itâs rhythmic enough for me that I donât care so much about how others perceive it. Speaking is almost the direct opposite, and having to do so much of it in such little time was far beyond my comfort zone. But thatâs where our most strong-legged dreams will want to take us, beyond our comfort zones. We shouldnât be afraid to follow them as they lead us. And finally, make small waves. Whenever you can. I talked about the physically small wave that actually ended up meaning so much to meâ"and that wave was my little brother, Johnpaul, who I think represented the biggest aftermath of the book launch for me. Johnpaul had been at the book launch. The day afterward, I found him on the house desktop, which meant the universe was still in order because he was always there playing some really old version of FIFA. But this time, he wasnât playing a game. As I came upon what he was doing, I was pretty surprised. âJohnpaul?â I said. âWhat are you doing?â He looked up from the Microsoft Office document, where at the corner, I saw he had written seven hundred words thus far. âI want to be like you,â he said. âI want to write my own book too.â For me, that small wave was the biggest one. **
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Death Is The Final Stage Of An Individual s Existence
Death is considered a dreaded word. Death is the final stage of an individualââ¬â¢s existence. Death is a word that makes people uncomfortable. The word death is something no one desire to think about, prepare for or discuss. But death is inescapable, unavoidable, and inevitable all humankind will experience death as part of their destiny. Therefore, each has the responsibility of addressing the issues that maybe related to a decline in their physical and mental function status, which render them incapable of making their life decisions. This paper will address what I consider the ââ¬Å"good lifeâ⬠or a life worth living and what issues that constitute a life, when I am no longer able perform the activities that make my life worth living.â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦I can no longer drive my automobile, so, I can no longer participate in church or community activities. My memory is failing, and I am experiencing constant excruciating pain. I have been given a grim progno sis. I have been informed, my days are limited, and now I am mentally depressed my life is worthless. I am in- capable of caring for myself, some one that has deemed themselves independent, autonomous, and had a zeal for life. However, now I just want to be with my Savior Jesus. In life, my philosophy has been ââ¬Å"Lord if I can help somebody as I travel lifeââ¬â¢s road then my living will not be in vain.â⬠I am now, totally dependent on other to care for me. My life does not mean much anymore. What I think a good death would be for me Actually in 1986, I became ill and was given a diagnosis of fever of unknown origin (FUO). After presenting with temperatures of 103.9- 100.6, being fatigued, experiencing significant weight loss, muscle weakness, pain, and decrease sedimentary rate. Several diagnostic tests were performed, and condition was not improving. My physician informed me that I was dying and assisted on admitting me to a well -known medical facility in Washington , D.C. In fact, I had the choice between two. My physician was suspicious of diagnosis possibly being confirmed as acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL). My first reaction to my death prognosis was of
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Cultural Diversity A Source of Competitive Advantage
Cultural diversity as a source of competitive advantage Few companies today can deny the need to foster a culturally diverse workforce. From a purely legal standpoint, diversity and nondiscrimination policies are mandated in most of the legal systems of the major industrialized powers. Publicity about discriminatory behavior can also be extremely damaging for an organization, costing the company both in legal fees and lost sales. However, simply viewing diversity as the right thing to do or the legally correct thing to do may not be enough. Companies must give serious consideration as to how diverse hiring practices can also generate a competitive advantage. Diversity can expand the range of available ideas on which the company can capitalize; facilitate the retention of a wider range of top talent; open up new marketing opportunities; and better prepare the company to meet the needs of a diverse global marketplace (Espinoza 2007:43). On a very basic level, people like to buy from people that look like them, have similar backgrounds, speak the same language and have similar interests (Espinoza 2007:43). For many decades, companies asked themselves what do women want and what does this specific demographic group want? Having professionals on staff that represent these groups can eliminate the chances that companies will make serious blunders regarding the marketing of their product. For example, the manufacturer of Motrin, a popular analgesic, drew fire when itShow MoreRelatedDiversity Training And Its Effectiveness1240 Words à |à 5 PagesDiversity may be defined as recognizing and respecting the similarities, differences and unique characteristics an individual employee contributes to the workplace. Diversity training and its effectiveness in the workplace has been met with differing conclusions as to the positive or negative impact this type of training may have on an organization. Today, change in the workpl ace is inevitable and diversity training in the workplace has become common across the globe. Companies now realize thatRead MoreDemographic Diversity And Cultural Diversity1700 Words à |à 7 PagesDEMOGRAPHIC AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY GOPI KRISHNA CHALLA RIVIER UNIVERSITY Demographic and Cultural Diversity ABSTRACT The research is concerning Organizational Behavior which includes unusual types of Organizations with dissimilar types of public behaviors. Among that Demographic Diversity and Cultural Diversity of an Organization is extremely significant to turn into a triumphant organization or company in the marketplace Especially the Demographic and Cultural Diversity show the in goodRead MoreWe Need Diversity in the Workplace Essay1496 Words à |à 6 Pagesmust value diversity. The main objectives of valuing diversity include awareness, education, and positive recognition of the differences among people in the workforce. Organizations are increasingly emphasizing group work or teamwork as a source of competitive advantage in a diverse workforce. It has been suggested that such organizations must target their recruitment efforts at applicants who are both diverse and amenable to working in teams ( Rau, Hyland 2003). A cultural environmentRead MoreThe Analysis Focuses On The Teabella`S Internal Organization995 Words à |à 4 Pagesthe strategic management process, competitive advantage that continues to create value present a uniqueness of core competencies to increase the chances of opportunities externally The role of firm resources, capabilities, and core competencies to provide a foundation for creating strategic interventions to empower and diversify the lives of individual, groups, and organization. The relationship amongst these concepts in developing sustainable competitive advantage are recognized and execute in accordanceRead MoreHigh-Performance Teams1225 Words à |à 5 PagesAbstract The purpose of this paper is to explain how a group can become a high-performance team. The purpose is also to examine the impact of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity on group behavior. This paper will illustrate how demographic characteristics and cultural diversity contribute to or detract from high-performance teams. High-Performance Teams A high-level of performance makes up the basis for groups and teams today. High-performance is a major focus for many organizationsRead More Team Based Organizations Essay1190 Words à |à 5 Pagesachievements of others. These things are very essential for a team to be a high performance team in todayââ¬â¢s competitive and changing business environment. High Performance Teams It takes a lot of work for a group of people to become a high performance team. High performance teams have special characteristics that allow them to excel at teamwork and achieve special performance advantages. A team that is going to be a high performance team has to consist of strong core values that help guide theirRead MoreJob Design and Work Diversity1463 Words à |à 6 Pages08 Fall Steffi Astria Sani HRM 502 Human Resource Management 1A : Literature Review Topic: Job design and workforce diversity play in attempts to improve individual and organisational performance Date : 25 August 2013 Introduction In the current business environment, human resource management (HRM) has become an important role for an organisation. HRM refers to the policies, practices, and systems that influence employeesââ¬â¢ behaviour, attitudes, and performance (Noe, HollenbeckRead MorePersonal Goals And Abilities Of A Social Enterprise1361 Words à |à 6 Pagesenterprise has in the market and by the enterprises reputation also. Strategic growth is drawn from two sources of competitive advantage these are cost advantages and differentiation of a product which also produce advantages. Cost advantages experience effects such as learning experience when this happens cost fall and output increases. The differentiation strategy has come from knowledge advantages, an example of this is when a customer knows something about the market that the rest of the competitorsRead MoreBenefits and Cost of Valuing Diversity Essay629 Words à |à 3 PagesIntroduction Diversity has many meanings. Within the workplace, it can include differences in variables such as gender, age, marital status, religious belief, work experience, ethnicity, and educational background. In todayââ¬â¢s global marketplace, managers are told that diversity should be valued in order to achieve the greatest competitive advantage, improve business performance and to enhance the progress and growth of the company. Diversity does not only have benefits. It also hasRead MoreChallenges Faced By The Third Phase Of Globalization Essay961 Words à |à 4 PagesFirstly, the managers have to face the workforce diversity. According to Guajardo (2015), he mentioned workforce diversity has identified a number of contextual organizational factors that influence the integration of minorities and women into the public workforce and subsequently affect the level of workforce diversity in an organization. When the corporations run the global business, the original management system will meet the impact of cultural diversity. The original management system will change
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
An Honest View of Evaluation Argument Essay Topics
An Honest View of Evaluation Argument Essay Topics Evaluation Argument Essay Topics Explained Essay writing examples in doc format like the ones given may help steer you in writing an excellent composition. 1 thing that we highly suggest you need to do is to earn a draft or an outline of the discussion that you'd like to have. You should be ready to rewrite your essay a couple times to get it just perfect. Few weeks of constant work and you'll be writing expert material! As soon as you have something down on paper it is significantly less difficult to restructure it and flesh out areas that aren't as strong as others. You may get in touch with your writer through our support department should you need to specify some essential points to earn your work more customized. Topics which people are passionate about seem to create improved papers. The students discover that it's quite challenging to compose such papers. You should simply locate an exceptional perspective. You ar e the person making the judgement about this issue, it is all up to you to back up your argument in a manner that will enable other people to create their own opinion. To begin with it is crucial to have an original thinking about the topic. After you have gathered ideas on the subject, you must properly place your thoughts into words. Once more, in the event the criteria, judgments and evidence are clear, the general thesis ought to be too. It is all of the information used to support the judgement. In your essay, you should devote a minumum of one paragraph to every criterion. Then, paragraphs discuss every one of your criteria and present evidence to back up your reasoning. Things You Should Know About Evaluation Argument Essay Topics Our technology addiction is fueled in a sizable part by social networking. Evaluation essays can cover a great deal of topics that is the reason why it is employed in an array of industries and processes. Anevaluation essay is an ideal method that may ascertain if one has leadership qualities. Essay writing can be rather a challenge. Sample evaluation essay will be able to help you to compose your mind what you would like to write. You may also take a look at our Scholarship Essay templates. To begin with, make an evaluation essay outline. There are various sorts of essays that may be part of a student writing task. What you have to know about how to compose an evaluation essay is you ought to incorporate every one of your evaluating objects into your essay. If you're writing an evaluation essay, you should remain objective with the content which you are presenting. The first thing you have to do when writing an evaluation essay is to be knowledgeable regarding the topic you will write about. There are various kinds of evaluation essays and you ought to bear in mind that each one of them have differences based on the aim of their creation. In cases, where the issue of climbing enrollment perseveres, it's usually crucial to get the information in conditions of inputs and corresponding outputs. Onset of the evaluation procedure, the initial policy goals ought to be looked in order to guide the practice of evaluation. You've got to spell out how you had the ability to produce the evaluation including the specifica tion of the things you've considered within the entirety of the evaluation and writing process. Naturally, picking the right topic also is dependent on the duration of your paper. The topic of the site is hugely on the corporate colors of the business, which makes a feeling of the business even on the internet platform. Our templates can act as your reference that will help you construct your own. If you're searching for Argumentative Essay templates, you may also have a look at our offered templates. Finding Evaluation Argument Essay Topics Online The criteria that you pick should establish what the ideal is for the item, service or brand that you're evaluating. By turning into a customer, you can observe how we've come to be the most preferred academic paper writing company of several students. The very best college essay writing service is working in the marketplace for many years. When choosing your subject, you're likely to want to concentrate on a particular company, p roduct, policy, or business.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
The Shirkov Parish free essay sample
. To the north West of Tver among The Valdai Hills, which are covered with confferous and deciduous wood, there is a long concatenation offour lakes, formed from the river Volga: the Sterzh, Vseloog, Peno and Volgo. These are the upper ranges of the great Russian River Volga. Until the center of the 19th centory the river was non abundant in H2O, but in 1843 a dike was built below the present Volgo lake which caused this formation of lakes ( The dike was recon structed in 1943 ) . The Upper Volga is interesting non merely for its picturesque suroundings but besides for its range history. In early prehistoric times chiefly during the Stone Age and the Broze Age this country was already populated by huntsmans and fishermen. The ancient Pinns were the first dwellers of this district for many centuries. From the 9th century the Slav folk, Lreeveech lived here, but from the twelfth century onwards the Novgorod Slav community was the chief population. We will write a custom essay sample on The Shirkov Parish or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This land has witnessed many of import events of our history such as internal feuds between Princes ; Khan Batu s invasion ; and the long and obstinate battle against Lithuanian and Polish encroachers. The oldest waies of trading ran across this district. The land knew periods of booming every bit good as periods of desolation. Nowdays it is a picturesque part ideal for remainder and touristry. Many old relicts and memorials of assorted ages have been good preserved. One of the most beautiful musca volitanss of the Upper Volga is on the Vseloog lake. In ancient times there were colonies and a pagan temple here. Today one can see the Shirkov Parish. For three centuries it has been standing in full harmoniousness with the rivers, boundless fore4st an vitamin D huge skies. Nature and architecture in harmoniousness. The beginning of the name of grave pace is unknown. The alone Shirkiov ar- chitecture was created by unidentified Masterss. In an old contract, drawn up by the carpenter s squad, who were to construct the church, there was the undermentioned recommendation: Construct a temple as big and beautiful as your senses command These words show the character of Russian wooden architecture at its best. The ability of our ascendants to choose the sites for their colonies and churches is besides good known. The wooden Ioan Predtechy church is the oldest memorial in the Shirkon Pa rish. It is considered to be finest piece of national wooden architecture. The best traditions of Russian carpenters are exemplified in this chef-doeuvre. It is a provincial s spacimen of beauty born in day-to-day work and in lasting contact with the field, forest, rivers and small town houses. Creatness and simpleness, power and elegance go together at the same time. The Ioan Predtechy church is the most interesting wooden grade church of the tetrehedron on a tetrehedron manner. As far back as 1887 it was noted that as for Russian architecture, the outside of the church is unusual and of great involvement . This manner of church was popular in former times. Thus we known about the existance of similar churches in the Nilowa Stolbenskaya her mitage from the center of the seventeenth centory. Harmonizing to the certifecate compiled by the priest of Shirkov church Illynsky, in respose to a nose count, offered by the Emperor of the Archaeological Comission of the Academy of Arts in 1880s on the footing of the clerge registry ( which unluckily has non been preserved ) , the church is dated from 1694.
Friday, April 3, 2020
William Golding Stated in a Radio Broadcast free essay sample
William Golding stated in a radio broadcast that ââ¬Å"the boys are suffering from the terrible disease of being humanâ⬠. Explain how this pessimistic assessment of human nature is constructed in ââ¬Å"Lord of the Fliesâ⬠. What indicators are there of ââ¬Å"a light at the end of the tunnelâ⬠, that is, of any signs of hope for the future of humanity? The novel ââ¬ËLord of the fliesââ¬â¢ is a text by William Golding which deals heavily with underlying themes of an evil that lives in the heart of all of mankind. The novel does indeed portray the idea of the boys suffering from ââ¬Ëthe terrible disease of being humanââ¬â¢, and this is suggested at various instances throughout the text. There are also references to a light at the end of the tunnel through the appearance of the character Simon. Throughout the novel, there is a constant contrast of ââ¬Ëgood versus evilââ¬â¢ on a primitive political level between Jack and Ralph, while toying with the themes of the island boys becoming savages due to fear, and evil that lurks within humanity. We will write a custom essay sample on William Golding Stated in a Radio Broadcast or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although there are hints at goodness within mankind, this is also silenced during the second third of the novel due to the arising savagery of the boys. Examples of such behaviour (both good and bad) include the political struggle for power between Jack and Ralph; the face paint of the savages as a representation of evil; the presence of the Conch as a representation of civil authority; the appearance of the character Simon and his messiah-like presence amongst the boys; and the collapse of all society leaving Ralph as the final civil member. During the novel, there is a maintained contrast between the civil, political governing of Ralph, against the savage, tribal ways of Jackââ¬â¢s rule. This eternal dance of opposites on the island serves to show that the evil within all of mankind can stir and grow, and savagery can overcome civilisation in the right circumstances. Even at one point, Ralph almost descends into savagery as he felt the desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering. (p. 126). This occurs during the play-hunting passages, a scene in where the boys re-enacted the killing of the first pig in an almost tribal ritual, where the primal urges overcome even the civilized chief. This shows that even the main representation of civilization was perhaps falling and faltering, if only for momentarily, this is still an example of a sophisticated human giving into primal temptation. A key example of a savage metaphor includes the boysââ¬â¢ face paint. The painted faces of the savages do not exist early on in the book, as not many children have the desire to hunt, a possible reason for this is that the memories of civilization and rules are not yet forgotten, and to kill innocent animals was as yet unheard of: Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. (p. 56). Jack was hesitant in killing his first pig, perhaps the downfall of the society begins here, as the hunter is enraged at himself, his naked face symbolizing the innocence of the children. This is changed by the presence of face paint, which provides the boys a barrier to hide behind, a mask to hide, yet one which reflects the true nature of man. I painted my faceI stole up. Now you eatall of youand I William Golding, p. 67 This is a demonstration in the sheer pride of Jacks first kill. His confidence and his tribal, hunting nature is accentuated by his mask of paint. His inner primal form escapes for the first time escapes here for the first time in the text. In contrast to this emergence of animal-like behavior are metaphors for authority and civilization as a whole, such as the Conch. The conch represents civilization and stability, highlighted by itââ¬â¢s impressive shape and pure white glow (white obviously representing cleanliness and purity). Early on, the conch holds authority, and is used to maintain control over the tribe of boys, as the story progresses however; the conch becomes less and less valuable. As the boys begin to disrespect rules and authority and disregard them, the conch deteriorates, if only to be kept alive by the human representation of rationality, Piggy. The fall of civilization is climaxed with the death of piggy, and simultaneously, the conch: The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. William Golding p. 200 As the conch shatters into pieces, so does the island boys chance for civilization to restore, the last remaining flicker of society gone in an instant when faced against the painted faced tribal boys. It can also be argued that the downfall of the boys was reinforced by the death of Simon. As the true nature of humankind comes to light here, Golding shows that the existence of purity will ultimately be silenced by the evil within man. As evil nature is a key theme in this book, so is the existence of goodness and purity which is personified through the character Simon. Simon can be considered a Christ like figure throughout the novel. He often thinks to himself on his own in the forest and experiences hallucinations and faintness, much as biblical prophets did. As he was the only one who understood what was going on truly in the island, suggested when he says Maybe there is a beast. maybe its only us. (p. 80). It can be suggested that even though he was killed before his message was spread of the beast; his mere existence proves there is still hope for mankind according to Golding, however small this glint of hope may be. Somewhat similar to Christ, who was (according to Christian belief) free of original sin, and died for mankind before he could spread his message. The merciless death of Simon and Piggy show the extent of mankindââ¬â¢s evils, but one civil member of society was left to tell the tale for a reason. Goldingââ¬â¢s purpose for this was to allow the boys themselves to realize their evil, by keeping Ralph alive, he was able to reflect on the deaths of Piggy and Simon. In doing this, he was able to truly appreciate the ââ¬Ëdarkness of manââ¬â¢s heartââ¬â¢ for what it was. This climax provides a gritty, emotional realization for the focal character and in turn, the reader. Through Ralph remains as the only civil member of the society left by the end of the novel, he can still be considered an ââ¬Ëaverage boyââ¬â¢, though he remained civil and dignified throughout the novel, he occasionally lapsed into temptation unlike Piggy and Simon. Because there are still occasional hints of him regressing in his primal form, he occasionally forgets the purpose of his fire. ââ¬Å"There was something good about a fire. Something overwhelmingly goodâ⬠William Golding p. 200 The reader is shown that even the nominated, democratic leader is succumbing to the terrible disease of being human. The disease that given the right circumstances, the right timing, man with regress back into itââ¬â¢s original, evil, diseased state of cruel humanity. As this is discovered finally by Ralph at the end of the novel, a powerful passage involves him breaking down in pain and realization of humanityââ¬â¢s evil. Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of mans heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. William Golding, Lord of the Flies, Chapter 12 As Ralph realizes the true nature of mankind at the climax of the text, he is emotionally and mentally distraught at the thought that all of humankind is cursed with the terrible disease of being human. This shows that even the strongest of men can be reduced to tears at the thought of humankind and its ways. To conclude, the pessimistic nature of man is constructed throughout the novel in the form of various acts and metaphors representing the different social statuses of the boys on the island, such as face paint representing savagery, and naked faces and the conch represent civilization. However, there is also some ââ¬Ëlight at the end of the tunnelââ¬â¢ depicted through the uncorrupted characters of Simon and Piggy. Though ultimately killed, their existence shows that perhaps there is still hope for mankind, despite its humane sickness. The ever changing dance of opposites between good and evil is finally resolved on the island, but as Ralph realizes, the darkness of manââ¬â¢s heart will never be changed.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Free Essays on My September 11th
On September ninth I celebrated my twenty-third birthday, which wasnââ¬â¢t much as I had just moved into my new one bedroom apartment the week before. My new place was in D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn, a very unique and eclectic neighborhood located at the base of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, right down underneath the Manhattan bridge overpass (hence the acronym). One of the reasons that I loved this neighborhood so much (besides my fabulous new loft pad in an undercover community of amazing artists), was itââ¬â¢s prime location on the water front of the East River. A quick two block walk along the quiet cobble stone streets, then squeezing through the hole in the tattered fence that guards the empty lot over grown with weeds, and I was in heaven: my very own private spot on the water, where the most amazing pink, orange and blue sunsets occurred over the Brooklyn Bridge, the borough of Manhattan, and the Twin Towers. Little did I know that my semi-private sanctuary was about to become a constant visual reminder of the most dreadful day of my life. The events of September eleventh were about to unfold in front of everyoneââ¬â¢s eyes, changing life as we knew it. I woke up that morning thinking it would be like any other. It was a sunny and beautiful yet unusually warm September day. I was running late, as usual, straining to hear the morning news in the living room while in the bath room preparing myself for the day. Not only was this one of the first mornings spent in my new apartment, but this Tuesday in particular marked the first week I had spent on my new job managing the business affairs for a photo stylist. As I had spent the past few years in dot com land, I was quite enthusiastic about my new endeavor. Tuesday, the eleventh, we were scheduled to be shooting a print ad for Davidââ¬â¢s Bridal. Suddenly, in the other room, I heard the news anchor say that a plane had hit one of the towers. Curious to see what was going on, I c... Free Essays on My September 11th Free Essays on My September 11th On September ninth I celebrated my twenty-third birthday, which wasnââ¬â¢t much as I had just moved into my new one bedroom apartment the week before. My new place was in D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn, a very unique and eclectic neighborhood located at the base of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, right down underneath the Manhattan bridge overpass (hence the acronym). One of the reasons that I loved this neighborhood so much (besides my fabulous new loft pad in an undercover community of amazing artists), was itââ¬â¢s prime location on the water front of the East River. A quick two block walk along the quiet cobble stone streets, then squeezing through the hole in the tattered fence that guards the empty lot over grown with weeds, and I was in heaven: my very own private spot on the water, where the most amazing pink, orange and blue sunsets occurred over the Brooklyn Bridge, the borough of Manhattan, and the Twin Towers. Little did I know that my semi-private sanctuary was about to become a constant visual reminder of the most dreadful day of my life. The events of September eleventh were about to unfold in front of everyoneââ¬â¢s eyes, changing life as we knew it. I woke up that morning thinking it would be like any other. It was a sunny and beautiful yet unusually warm September day. I was running late, as usual, straining to hear the morning news in the living room while in the bath room preparing myself for the day. Not only was this one of the first mornings spent in my new apartment, but this Tuesday in particular marked the first week I had spent on my new job managing the business affairs for a photo stylist. As I had spent the past few years in dot com land, I was quite enthusiastic about my new endeavor. Tuesday, the eleventh, we were scheduled to be shooting a print ad for Davidââ¬â¢s Bridal. Suddenly, in the other room, I heard the news anchor say that a plane had hit one of the towers. Curious to see what was going on, I c...
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