"It is only at the first encounter that a face makes its full impression on us." What Arthur Schopenhauer means is that primary judgments are formed by what we can immediately detect, which can create an inaccurate illusion of character. His sentiments directly relate to the plight many characters in Pride and Prejudice face concerning wrongful outlooks on people caused by first impressions. In Jane Austen's novel, Elizabeth's initial mistaken view of Mr. Darcy leads to another misconception of character in Mr. Wickham. Because Darcy refuses to follow social norms regarding dancing, his reputation quickly declines in the eyes of his acquaintances, including Elizabeth. On the other hand, Wickham instantly gains the trust and respect from Elizabeth because of their similar feelings towards Darcy. She later learns her original notions about both men are completely incorrect. First impressions can lead to false judgments of character because of the human inclination to make assumptions b

John Proctor is a man who lives an ethical, principled life. But his life is haunted by one grave mistake: his affair with Abigail Williams. His guilt about his misdeed results in moral questions he must answer for himself. The Salem Witch trials played a huge role in helping him answer these questions, but at a high price. Procter's main trouble during the course of the play is within himself, in the doubting of his own goodness. He succeeds in solving his trouble through the refusal to blacken his name by falsely confessing to having a pact with the Devil. His questioning of his own humanly goodness is reflected in his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth, his relationship with himself, and his relationship with his friends. Miller shows Proctor's inner conflict in his use of

Sports play an important role in our country. It plays as a stress reliever as much as a stressor. Favored, played and watched by a lot of people, both women and men it is very popular around the world. Looking deeper into sports though is the respect women and men receive that actually play sports. It is interesting on how much people actually pay attention to women's sports oppose to popular men's sports. Do men and women athletes along with teenage high school athletes get different treatment from each other? If they do, is this fair that a pro male basketball star can basically earn way more than triple a female basketball stars salary. I guess it seems sports are just better suited for men. You can already tell by turning on your television and going to your sports channel that the chances of it being a male professional sport is about 9 out of 10. Women's professional sport's is barely paid attention and is on national television only about 2 times a year, that's the women's college basketball championships and women'

Should Student Athletes be paid? Yes student athletes should be paid. According to USA Today, the NCAA averages more than half a billion dollars a year in revenue, from TV rights to its men's basketball tournament. This amount doesn't include payout from the college football bowl games, which contribute $184 million to the conferences each year (Whiteside). This is an enormous amount of money earned, as a direct result of student athlete's performances. It seems that savvy businessmen and women are exploiting these athletes. Shouldn't they be equally compensated? Endorsers of the teams are making a killing off these young athletes. They invade the colleges and universities to offer team's shoes, uniforms, socks, headbands, basketballs, footballs, and every piece of equipment imaginable. But all this equipment is needed to play the sport so they should act as if it is a gift or an extra prop that is not needed. Of course they don't charge the teams

Edward Said claims that exile is both an "unhealable rift" and an "enriching experience". It is easy to say that exile is a terrible experience, but when viewed at a different perspective, it is plain to see that exile can an enriching experience. These two remarks may be contradicting, but in reality they are interconnected in more ways than one. The tribulations on exiled characters changes their mental or physical attributes thus being able to give aid his or her community. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates this heart wrenching experience through the novel's protagonist, Hester Prynne. Through her exile, Hester exemplifies the meaning of how exile is both an alienating and enriching experience. Throughout the novel, Hester Prynne demonstrates how exile is an experience that hinders both the emotional and physical growth of a person. Hester Prynne's first movement into seclusion causes her to draw back both physically an

The heroic journey abroad of Telemachos is the exact opposite of the journey back home of his father Odysseus. Telemachos starts as a very timid, undeveloped and resourceless young man and returns as an older, wiser, and stronger man, it's his journey into adulthood. Where as Odysseus one of the greatest greek heroes, known for his wittiness and intelligence comes across various obstacles in his journey which he brings upon himself because he never seems to learn from his mistakes. Telemachos takes his first steps into adulthood in book II with the inspiration of Athena, Telemachos gathers the courage to call for an assembly to speak up against the suitors activities and for the first time accuses them of dishonoring the home of his father Odysseus. It is the first time he presents assertiveness, yet the suitors do not show him respect. Even so he embarks on his journey to Pylos and Sparta in hopes to learn the whereabouts of his father. He first sails off to the Island of Pylos

In today's society, it is normal for an American child to watch an average of three to four hours of television daily. Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior in children and teens. Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is loaded with explicit content glamorizing violence, not only on adult crime and dramas, but also in cartoons, comedies, and on the daily news. The effects of TV violence on children and teenagers are that they may be more likely to behave in an aggressive manner, become less sensitive towards others and even become desensitized to the consequence of such violent actions, when viewing violent television. During the toddler years, children begin watching television from an "exploration" approach while their brains consistently search for a coherent narrative meaning in the violent program in which they're exposed too. Children's attention are drawn to the over stimulating

"Denial...it's not just a river in Egypt" is a statement we have probably all uttered. However, we cannot deny that there were many great things achieved by the amazing civilization of ancient Egypt. In this essay, we will examine three of the achievements that still fascinate us today, thousands of years later, the religious beliefs, the development of hieroglyphic writings, and the mummification of the dead. Religious Beliefs The Egyptians had many cults in the early days of Egyptian religion with over 2,000 gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses had an indirect relationship with the Egyptian people. They would most often be animal gods like Anubis (the Jackal) who was linked with the dead and funeral arrangements. Jackals were often seen on the outskirts of the desert where the Egyptians buried their dead. In the development of early Egyptian religion, people in one region of Egypt often worshiped different gods than thos

The Real World, Big Brother, and Home Improvement: many Americans watch these television shows. These Americans who watch these shows are from many different backgrounds; whether it is rich, poor, city people, country people or anything else. Americans won't admit that certain TV shows have an effect on their lives. But authors like Ehrenreich and Winn claim that television is affecting the lives of every American each day. Television shows are now portraying things like the perfect family or young and spontaneous people, for example. Many families sit down and watch these shows, mesmerized by how perfect these characters lives can be. This brings up a major question, how does watching television provide a way to escape from the reality of our lives? Family relationships and the view of young people are being affect by Americans using television to escape from their real lives. Barbara Ehrenreich's perspective on this issue is that television provides a way for man

In Greek religion, the gods played very important roles in peoples' lives. To them, the gods were all knowing, all powerful, and had very humanistic characteristics as well. Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto, was the Archer, the god of music, light, truth, and healing. Artemis, Apollo's twin sister, is a Huntsman. She is also associated with the moon and presides over childbirth, though she is the virgin goddess of chastity. Athena is the daughter of Zeus but has no mother for she was born, fully matured and dressed head to toe in armor, from Zeus' forehead.[1] Finally Dionysus, who is the son of Zeus and Semele (a mortal), is the god of fertility and inventor of wine. Because he drank so much of his wine, he was known for having a double-sided personality. On one side he brought ecstasy, and on the other brutal rage.[2] He is also a god in which the people of Thebes often pray to.[3] King Oedipus In the play King Oedipus, Oedipus must put an end to the pl

Mark Twain was a writer and became famous for his stories about child adventures, particularly Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. These two stories were wildly popular and still are today. These stories, paired with earlier works like the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County gave Twain the reputation of being a humorist, and a writer that leans toward children. His reputation would be tarnished later in his career, when he produced some works that were rather dark. Is it fair to change your view of him over a couple of works? To me it is, and I don't think he should be known just as humorist. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, was born to John Marshall and Jane Clemens, on November 30, 1835 in Florida Missouri. Twain moved to Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi during his childhood. It was here where Twain reveled in life, living almost a carefree life. That was until his father John Marshall made bad business decisions, and ended up dying in 1847,

To anyone who is a singer, the sirens - as portrayed in The Odyssey, have an undeniable appeal; there's a certain attraction in the power of their song. Therefore, it's unsurprising that their scene in Homer's epic poem is one that is frequently adapted. Though each portrayal of the song of the sirens is unique, the appeal to memory and inflation of the listener's ego that makes their ballad so enchantingly lethal resounds throughout. Two contemporary versions of this deadly song are "Go to Sleep You Little Baby" from the Coen brothers' Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? and Margaret Atwood's poem, "Siren Song." While Atwood focuses more on a siren's ability to make her victims feel special, the Coens capture the songstresses ability to create irresistible nostalgia, thus these two adaptions effectively demonstrate the dualism in the sirens' seduction. Though the beautiful women who beguile Everett, Pete, and Delmar look nothing l

Social stratification refers to the presence of distinct social groups which are ranked one above the other in terms of factors such as prestige and wealth (Haralambos & Holborn, 2004). Those who belong to a particular group or stratum will have some awareness of common interests and a common identity. They also share a similar lifestyle which, to some extent, will distinguish them from members of other social strata (Lenski, 1984). Social stratification involves a hierarchy of social groups and they either enjoy or suffer the unequal distribution of rewards in society as members of different social groups. Four principles are identified which help explain why social stratification exists. First, social stratification is a characteristic of society and not merely of individuals. Second, social stratification is universal but variable. Third, it persists over generations and fourth, it is supported by patterns of belief. There are different sociological perspectives which have been put

Organizational Communication: Balancing Creativity and Constraint defines strategic ambiguity as, "an important concept that describes the ways in which people may communicate unclearly but still accomplish their goals" (Eisenberg, Goodall & Trethewey, 2010, p. 30). However, in my opinion, to put it simply, strategic ambiguity is choosing your words wisely in order to promote harmony. Due to this I often see strategic ambiguity being put to use during group projects or tasks. An example of this would be the group tasks which I participated in in my Intercultural Communications class on Tuesday. Our teacher asked us to get into a group of four and handed us a bad containing different building materials and a deck of cards, she then told us to build a house of cards using the supplies that were within the bag and the most aesthetically pleasing would receive five additional points onto their test scores. Upon looking at the supplies one of the girls in my group stated an idea

Marijuana is the most heavily used illegal drug in the United States. One hundred million Americans have admitted to trying marijuana, with twenty-five million admitting to having used marijuana in the past year, making it the second most used recreational or mood altering drug. One of marijuana's chemicals, THC, causes loss of inhibition, a distorted sense of time, increased visual sensitivity, and heightened imagination. Under federal law, marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 drug and is a completely banned substance. Schedule 1 drugs are viewed as highly addictive and as having no medical value. Yet, in some states, a slim majority of citizens are pro- legalization of marijuana. The arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana are numerous. The anti-legalization campaign's base argument revolves around marijuana being a drug and, therefore, it being harmful to society. Marijuana is also a gateway drug, and a Senior Adviser for White House Office of National Dr

Self-absorption is what drives conflict between characters in Shakespeare's comedy, "Much Ado about Nothing." This conflict could be stopped if these characters simply stopped to think about the big picture every once in a while. In fact, self-absorption is generally the bigger villain than comedy's antagonist, Don John. Claudio & Benedick are two major characters who are afflicted by this self-preoccupation. When Don John tricks Claudio into believing that Hero is unfaithful to him, Claudio is heartbroken. The evidence is limited, but he is so busy feeling sorry for himself that he doesn't realize what is actually going on. Rather than learn from mistakes made in the past, Claudio solely focuses on himself and upon the present, as he thinks he understands it. Earlier in the play, Don John convinces Claudio that Don Pedro is attempting to woo Hero. After a few moments

As Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney was at the center of Bush's "War on Terror." Along with then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, he was the chief architect of the plan and attack against Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Cheney advised and convinced President George W. Bush to include Iraq in the administrative plans to retaliate after the 9/11 attacks in New York. Cheney and his staff supported the reliance on uncorroborated evidence and accepted this evidence as solid enough reason for waging the war on Iraq. In addition, Cheney was instrumental in obtaining the legal briefs from the Justice Department that empowered the President to wage war without the authorization of Congress. Cheney advocated the use of controversial interrogation techniques to obtain information that would link Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks. In the documentary, Cheney and Rumsfeld supported a Pentagon-led alternative that resulted in their decision to invade Iraq. Cheney also was

Jimmy Santaiago Baca's life was no walk in the park to say the least. As a child, he was born in Santa Fe of Chicano and Apache descent. At age thirteen, his parents had already abandoned him which resulted in his escape from the orphanage where his grandmother had placed him and was convicted of drug charges which landed him six years in prison. That is where Baca's love for writing poetry began. According to Frederick Luis Aladama from Melus, "in Baca's early poems, his already exceptional lyrical voice speaks out against the dehumanizing conditions of prison life" (Aladama). A few of the poems written by Baca are "What is Broken is What God Blesses", "I Am Offering this Poem", "Who Understands Me but Me", and "Ancestor". Baca has been criticized for writing about his rage and desolation in prison; but I believe that Baca was simply using rich imagery and lyrical language to deal with spiritual rebirth and triumph over trage

Chapter six of Domenic Streatfield's Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control starts off with James and Ray smoking marijuana in Ray's room. As they are smoking the marijuana, they decided to listen to a song called 'Beyond the Realms of Death' by Stained Class. James favorite from Stained Class was 'Beyond the Realms of Death', a poignant anthem of rejection and teen alienation." This quote means that the song describes very dark meanings which describe rejection and teen alienation. In this song, the main subject is about an individual who alienates themselves from everyday life to let himself wonder in his own mind. This part in the chapter is significant because the song contains subliminal messages and while a person is hearing these messages, they are not focusing on the meaning of the lyrics that their conscience is actually taking in. The subliminal message in this song is that a boy alienates himself from the real world, without pain o

Forty-six executions in 2010 provided a nearly 12 percent drop from the 52 in 2009. Our court systems seem to be moving away from the death penalty these days. Not only is it the court systems but the jurors who are also trying to steer clear of the death penalty. Since 1973, there has been 108 people in 25 states have been released from death row because they were found innocent, thus showing the country how unreliable our court system truly is in convicting people. Ever since our country was born it has had plenty of controversial issues that have yet to be solved. One main issue that dates back to the 18th century is the death penalty. We were not the first country to establish it but we adopted it from other countries and made it our own. They're many different opinions when the death penalty is talked about, but some are very clear on what they believe. According to Deathquest, the 1960's brought challenges to the legality of the death penalty. (Bohm 25) Several stat

Henri Alleg's, The Question, provides a first hand yet 'unsentimental' account of (Pg.vii) of the torture inflicted upon him in Algeria as a result of his involvement with the Algerian National Liberation Movement. The candid and unembellished nature of Alleg's account allows it to transcend the question of French treatment of the Algerians and all who stood in their favor and moves on to question the very nature of humanity; which is why the power of the account still resonates. Torture is after all an act of imposing pain, be it physical or psychological and takes its toll on both the tortured and the torturer. It is hard to decide which is more devastating, the brutality described in The Question or the apathy mixed with misplaced admiration for the ability to withstand torture-instead of the appropriate response of sympathy-within the French Army. Because Alleg only narrates his experience without interweaving any political argument he allows the readers the liberty to form their own conclusions on the political situation in Algeria. He appeals to

Racism is defined by Merriam-Webster as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial difference produces an inherent superiority of a particular race. In the cases of Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter and Leonard Peltier, racism is a clear motive for their imprisonment. American Indians and African Americans were racial abused in the 1960s and 1970s, and it seems that the cases of Rubin Carter and Leonard Peltier are primary examples of how these minorities were treated by macro-level constructions. Racial conflicts often brought out the worst in humans, but at times it also brought out the best in humans. As with these racial conflicts, imprisonment also can bring out the best and the worst in people. Therefore, I will discuss the double standards which plagued African Americans and American Indians with whites and macro-level constructions and also discuss how imprisonment can transform a person. Double standards were vastly prom

In Adrienne Rich's commencement speech, "Claiming and Education", she compared the differences of receiving an education verses claiming an education. Rich highlights the importance of exercising choice or free agency, taking individual accountability, and owning up to our own responsibilities for growth and knowledge. Ultimately, not allowing others to dictate who or what you should be. Rich contends, in her speech, that female students should be aggressive in obtaining their education. And, they shouldn't settle on just any education, rather, they should seek out information that isn't replete with dogma taught by white, men. She points out that virtually all the studies are being presented from the man's point of view, and anyone else who isn't white, or a man, has no say in the historical annals of societ

Mankind has always been in search of something more meaningful than we can truly comprehend, when in actuality, there really isn't anything we can truly comprehend to begin with. Mankind is plummeting towards an unknown destiny of prosperity or devastation and there is truly nothing we can do or say to stop whatever occurrence awaits us. Joseph Heller brings us a little closer to our insane destiny with his novel Catch- 22 as he depicts grimly absurd scenes that are "all about a society that is fast going insane", according to John W. Aldridge. Characters cursed with savage physical desires and characters cursed with one-dimensional thoughts are the basic make-up of this extremely intricate novel. The reader is constantly aware of basic human desire, but then they're reminded of the absurdity and pointlessness of the world in which they desire. Heller highlights the essential nonsensicality of our existence through the use of absurd, and yet somehow depressingly realistic circumstances

A hero is a symbol of courage, hope, and victory. When I think of a hero, I think of firefighters, polices, nurses or doctors which are all people skilled in helping people in need. Anyone can be a hero. I have a friend who I recently met who has become my hero. He's always there when I really need a true friend. Once, I was in a tight position where I got into a car accident and needed some help to get my car fixed and paid off. I was stressing and going to work, taking long shifts that way my paychecks would come out good; that way I could pay the damage getting fixed on my car. Without questions and knowing what I was doing my friend helped me and thanks to him I have my car back. What is a hero? How does a hero come to be? Why does a hero come to be? In my opinion a hero is somebody who is caring, intellectual, and puts him or herself before others. Someone who goes out of their way and reaches out to those in need of help. A hero to me can be anyone from any race, age, rel