Selfish Love Vs Selfless Love English Literature Essay

Selfish Love Vs Selfless Love English Literature Essay Thomas Hardys fifty-seven chapter pastoral novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, endeavors to catalog love identifying all of its varied forms in hopes of distinguishing between selfish and selfless love. Using rhapsodic prose, elevated diction, and a succinct writing style, Hardy beautifully identifies distinct models of love to which he ultimately leaves to the audience to assess and label. The most assiduous and perceptive reader might even juxtapose Platos theories on love, written about two thousand years prior, and Hardys pastoral opus together to find several overlapping models. Hardy depicts three disparately dissimilar suitors, Gabriel Oak, Farmer William Boldwood, and Sergeant Francis Troy, in pursuit of one comely dame, Bathsheba Everdene. Through his masterful use of diction, prose, and style, Hardy concisely portrays Bathshebas varying suitors and their traits, sequentially identifying several of loves deviating patterns and ultimately enlightening the readers on loves to m ain forms. Farmer Boldwoods character marks the introduction of the second division. Boldwood possessed a selfish affection for Bathsheba, obsessing himself with only her beauty and elegance. He exhibited his love in outwardly expressing his jealousy, often making impossible demands of Bathsheba. I feel that I do, said Bathsheba; that is, if you demand it. But I am a changed woman-an unhappy woman-and not-not (347). This exchange between Bathsheba and Boldwood demonstrates how despite her obvious discontentment with her situation, he ignores her and continues to press her in order to achieve his desired goals. He does not want to tame her, rather own her beauty, brandishing it as a trophy for all to see. Paradoxically, Hardys portrait of Boldwood foreshadowed the outcome of his love for Bathsheba: The phases of Boldwoods life were ordinary enough, but his was not an ordinary natureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.If an emotion possessed him at all, it ruled him; a feeling not mastering him was entirely latent. Stagnant or rapid, it was never slow. He was always hit mortally, or he was missed (118). Boldwoods obsessive love, synonymous with Platos mania or smothering love, supplemented by his originally deranged nature subsequently consumed him (Thomassie 8). Plato distinguishes, and Hardy affirms, Boldwoods love as being trademark of Fatal Attraction love', a possessive, dependent, [and] jealous love (Thomassie 8). Hardys depiction of Boldwoods mania towards Bathsheba directly contrasts Gabriels agape. Likewise, Sergeant Troys love of and marriage with Bathsheba was selfish in nature. Troy never loved Bathsheba. He tricked her into marriage, wanting to be with her only because she was beautiful and because he could. Similar to Boldwood, Troy wanted to brandish her as a prize, a token of a true womanizer. During their marriage, Troy was often insensitive and shallowly indifferent towards Bathsheba, frequently spewing harsh words at her:   Ah! dont taunt me, madam. This woman is more to me, dead as she is, than ever you were, or are, or can be. If Satan had not tempted me with that face of yours, and those cursed coquetries, I should have married her. I never had another thought until you came in my way. Would to God that I had; but it is all too late! I deserve to live in torment for this! (281). Hardy dyes Troy in dishonest colors directly contrasting him with the righteous Gabriel. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Troys deformities lay deep down from a womans vision, whilst his embellishments were upon the very surface; thus contrasting with homely Oak, whose defects were patent to the blindest, and whose virtues were as metals in a mine (180). Furthermore, Platos flirtatious, teasing love ludis abridges Hardys portrayal of Troys selfish love (Thomassie 6). Ludis, a fleeting type of quick romance, epitomizes Troys ideas of love and romance, which he believes to end with marriage. Troys portrait of ludis joins Boldwoods negative mania and together they clash with Oaks agape. The novels conflicting theme of selfless love versus selfish love is epitomized in Hardys portraits of Bathshebas suitors. Gabriels agape reflect his sincere love and desire to please Bathsheba. Boldwoods mania mirrors his greedy desires of having a comely dame at his right hand. Troys ludis symbolizes his game-like perception of love and romance affirming his status as a womanizer. Ultimately, these portraits serve as Hardys conjectures on love, highlighting that Hardy believes in the success of a selfless love guided by fate.

Legality of Suicide and Assisted Suicide :: essays research papers

Suicide has become a big part of American society, year after year more people are taking their own lives for many different reasons. A lot of philosophers have broken down all the reasons of suicides into two different categories, rational suicide and irrational suicide. A rational suicide has been given five basic criteria that usually must be met for the person's act to be considered rational. The five criteria which a person must show for their suicide to be considered rational are, "the ability to reason, realistic world view, adequacy of information, avoidance of harm, and accordance with fundamental interests."(Battin 132) Another opinion of rationality of suicide is, "it is the best thing for him from the point of view of his own welfare-or whether it is the best thing for someone being advised, from the point of view of that person's welfare"(Brandt 118). People have to characterize suicides because a lot of times they don't understand what that person is going through so by grouping them and placing criteria on them it allows them to accept it in an easier manner. A lot of suicides are grouped in the rational category because they are committed so the person can be saved from the pain they may be experiencing from a terminal disease. This seems to be just about the only true rational and morally correct reason why a person should commit suicide. Yet a lot of times these patients are "heavily sedated, so that it is impossible for the mental processes of decision leading to action to occur."(Brandt 123) In other words these patients have a rational reason to commit suicide, yet their mind is not capable of making that decision. So if terminally ill patients are the only ones who have a good rational reason to commit suicide, then where does that leave everyone else? Well just about everyone else commits suicide because of a little thing that enters everyone's life at some time and that thing is called depression. Depression can come from several different things, such as a loss of something like a job, a loved one, a limb such as an arm or leg, or anything else that might be held dear to that person. Other things could be rejection at home or in the work place, abuse, and sometimes even the thought of getting old and not wanting to know what tomorrow holds in store.

Of Mice and Men Character Analysis Essay

Write a study of the character of Crooks, showing how Steinbeck uses him to tell us more about the other characters, and about the social and economical context of the book? This novel takes place in the 1930’s, it was a time of great depression, there was racial prejudice towards coloured people and there were very few job opportunities making it hard for people to have a good standard of living. Steinbeck wrote this novel to show us the daunting and alarming conditions for workers at this time; he chose each character to represent a different type of person. For example, one of the characters Crooks represents coloured people. When reading the story of mice and man we learn that Crooks is a kind and considerate man â€Å"You told me to warm up tar for the mule’s foot. I got it warm† this tells us that Crooks is generous man and is always willing to help. â€Å"I can do it if you want Mr Slim† when Crooks is speaking to Slim, he is deferential towards Slim and treats him like a superior by calling him Mr Slim. Although Crooks is a kind man he is not treated fairly and adequate all due racial prejudice â€Å"they let the nigger come in that night† first of all he is not even called by his proper name instead they use racial discrimination to point him out as he is called intimidating and awful words such as nigger and stable buck. He does not bunk with the others workers because the other workers are racist towards him and all due to his colour Crooks has to live in a stable buck where all the other animals live as he is not treated as an equal, â€Å"had his bunk in the harness-room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn† this tells us that Crooks is treated inappropriately as he has to live in appalling conditions. We also get the impression that Crooks is isolated from the other workers making him feel lonely and deserted â€Å"Crooks said darkly: guys don’t come into a coloured man’s room very much† this tells us that Crooks has no true friends, this is not because he is a atrocious man, it is because of racial prejudice. Another reason why Crooks is lonely is that he segregates himself from the white workers as he’s the only black worker on the ranch. We learn that Crooks is well educated as he has books in his room â€Å"And he had books, too; a tattered dictionary and a maules copy of the California civil code for 1905.† This also tells us that although there is racial prejudice, Crooks knows his rights. We get the impression that Crooks is realistic and scornful and once dreams of owning his own farm â€Å"You’re nuts. Crooks was scornful. I see hundreds of men come by on the roads an’ on the ranches with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing on their heads.† This tells us that Crooks is like any ordinary man, he also has dreams to own a farm one day. â€Å"†¦If you†¦guys would want a hand to work for nothing – just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand. This suggests that Crooks is desperate to get out of this ranch and he is hoping he will one day own that farm. â€Å"Well, jus’ forget it, said Crooks. ‘I didn’t mean it. Jus’ foolin’. I wouldn’t want to go no place like that† Crooks now realises there is no way he will ever get out of the ranch and own a farm so he tries to convince himself he never wanted a farm in the first place. â€Å"The door opened quietly and the stable buck put in his head; a lean negro head, lined with pain, the eye patient.† This tells us that Crooks has to be patient when living with the workers as he knows he is below the other workers because he is a coloured man and if Crooks was to make a slight move out of line there will be problems and fights will break out. When Crooks is talking to Candy, Crooks has to treat him well otherwise trouble will break out, â€Å"you can come in if you want† Although Crooks does not want Candy to come in he has to treat the other workers with respect â€Å"Candy seemed embarrassed. I do know. Course, if ya want me to† We get the impression that Candy feels embarrassed to go into a coloured mans room. â€Å"I was born right here in California. My old man had a chicken ranch, bout ten acres. The white kids come to play at our place† this tells us that in Crooks past life, there was nor always racial discrimination and he was once treated as an equal and as he got older there was more racial prejudice. Most of the other workers treat Crooks with no respect except for Slim who treats Crooks like an equal and in return Crooks treats him like a superior . â€Å"Huh? Oh’ Hello Crooks. What’s ‘a matter?† First of all, this tells us that Slims treats Crooks with respect by calling him by his proper name, we also get the impression that Slims shows consideration to Crooks by asking him â€Å"What’s ‘a matter?† Slim is the only worker that respects Crooks for who he actually is. â€Å"Well, he ain’t doin’ no harm. I give him one of my pups.† This shows that Slim is kind and friendly towards everyone and not just Crooks. The majority of the workers at the ranch treat Crooks will no respect and show no consideration â€Å"where the hell is that God damn nigger?† the first impression I get is that the workers do not treat Crooks reasonably, as they do not call him by his name, they call him racial words such as nigger and stable buck. When the workers get angry all anger is taken out on Crooks, this tells us that Crooks is not treated like a human being all due to racial prejudice. â€Å"Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.† This shows us that not only a small amount of workers are racist towards Crooks, the majority of the workers are. â€Å"Smitty says he woulda killed the nigger† this tells us that the workers not only hate him but they want to kill him, this gives us the impression on the amount of racial discrimination. Even Curley’s wife who is not a worker at the ranch is racist towards Crooks â€Å"Listen, Nigger, she said. You no what I can do to you if you open your trap† Crooks is treat badly by the majority of workers on the ranch due to racial discrimination Crooks has to treat them well â€Å"Yes ma’am† Although Crooks knows his rights, he has very few of them and he always has to show respect towards the other worker The other characters show no respect towards Crooks as they are racist, unfair and cruel towards him, the majority of the workers do not even call Crooks by his name and call him racial words such as ‘nigger’ â€Å"where the hell is that God damn nigger?† The only character who shows any sign of respect towards Crooks is Slim, Slim treats him like an equal â€Å"Hello Crooks. What’s ‘a matter?† Although in the time this novel was set there was racial discrimination Slim was not racist towards Crooks because he was a fair and respectable man. In return Crooks treats Slim like a superior â€Å"I can do it if you want, Mr Slim† We get the impression that Lennie does not even no who Crooks is as he has a very immature behaviour and a childish mind

Democracy in Russia (1900) essays

Democracy in Russia (1900) essays There were no prospects for democracy in Russian in 1914. Tsar Nicholas II believed he had the god-given right to rule over his country absolutely. His power to govern was reinforced by the strongest institutions in Russia, The Orthodox Church, The Army, and the peasant class. Even the Tsars opposition unwittingly aided him in quashing all hope for democracy. While there were some small democratic institutions, they only helped reinforce the Tsars belief that the people could never govern themselves. Embodied in Stolypins reforms, these polices helped sustain the Stars rule until its eventual collapse. That couplep with the Tsars policies of oppression, brutality, censorship, and class separation all helped him further in his goal to hold on to supreme power. The concessions he made to the people only served to further reinforce his right to rule. Nicholas II used repression, propaganda, the Orthodox Church, religion, migration, anti-Semitism, and war to help sustain what he believe d to be his divine rule. Nicholas was educated by private tutors and the reactionary Pobyedonostzev. Alexander III gave his son little training in affairs of state, and Nicholas proved to be a charming but ineffective and easily influenced ruler. Soon after his accession Nicholas stated that he intended to maintain the autocratic system. Nicholas was convinced that he had an absolute, God-given right to rule...as he saw fit...he refused to grant democratic right even to the Russian nobility. (Kronnenwetter, 43) The Tsars belief in his religious right to power was pushed on to the people both by himself and the Orthodox Church, which had been a creature of the Tsar since Peter the Great. (Moynahan, 30) The Russian Orthodox Church dates from the conversion of the Slavs by missionaries from Byzantium, led by Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, in the ninth century A.D. In the tenth century Ch...

The Correct Use of Jamais in French

The Correct Use of Jamais in French Many people who have learned French know that its a language with many tricky spellings. When writing in French, jamais  is one word that can be easily confused with another. So, first things first: always watch your spelling with this one! Jaimais,  when spelled with the added i, means I loved, or I was loving/liking/enjoying and comes from  the verb aimer. Whereas the word being discussed here, jamais, means never. Jamais is confusing because it takes the place of the pas in a negation. But on top of this, it can also translate as ever or never in English, which are two quite different notions. When does the French adverb jamais mean ever, and when does it mean never? The short answer is that it depends on the context and construction of the sentence.   Ne ... Jamais Means Never In a negative construction, jamais means never. For example, in the sentence: Je ne ferais jamais à §a.I would never do that. Jamais is one of the few words that can replace the pas part of the negative in a negation sentence. Some of the others are aucun, personne and  rien which are  French negative pronouns. Jamais  doesnt necessarily need to be placed directly after the verb. For emphasis, you can start your sentence with it as well as shown in the example below: Jamais je nai vu quelque chose daussi beau.I have never seen anything as beautiful. Note that in spoken modern French, the ne part of the negation often glides, or even totally disappears. So you need to train your ear to focus on the second part of the negation rather than relying on the first, the ne. Je nai jamais dit à §a sounds like: Jnay jamay di sa or even jay jamay di sa, but both pronunciations mean the same thing.   Jamais on Its Own Means Ever When used by itself without a negative, jamais means ever. We always use it in a question which is a very formal use of the word, or with si, in the expression si jamais meaning if ever. An example of the formal use of jamais in this context would be: Es-tu jamais allà © Paris?Have you ever been to Paris?Today, its more common to use dà ©j meaning already.Es-tu dà ©j allà © Paris? Si jamais tu vas Paris, tà ©là ©phone-moi.If you ever go to Paris, call me. If modern spoken French frequently drops the ne, how do you know if its ever or never? As mentioned earlier, you have to take into consideration the context of the sentence.   Finally, jamais is part of many expressions, all having to do with ever and never. French Expressions with Jamais Tu es plus belle que jamais mon amour. You are as beautiful as ever my love.Maintenant, ils seront ensemble jamais. Now, they will be together for ever.Je laime tout jamais. I love him forever and ever.Cest maintenant ou jamais. Its now or never.  Je nai jamais rien dit. I have never told anything. When reviewing different types of  French negative construction you will see there is more to negation than just ne and pas.

IT and facilities functions by Schwartz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

IT and facilities functions by Schwartz - Essay Example However, these systems are of no use to facilities management team. Ironically, facilities management holds the responsibility of costs saving, of which energy saving is a critical practice and core area where costs can be saved. Energy consumption is the maximum in the data center, as explained by Schwartz (p.1). Role of IT in facilities management has bee highlighted throughout the article. Considering that data center consumes maximum energy, the virtualization technology helps in minimizing the number of servers required. Energy-saving virtualization technology is one reason IT is getting involved in energy infrastructure management (Schwartz, p.1). However, this system could be risky if the server fails. Here, facilities management comes into picture, which can help by involving in management of the data center. For this, the facilities manager should be equipped with IT working skills. Sharplin, the CEO of Site Controls, emphasizes the need and benefits of IT in facilities mana gement in the real estate industry, which include lower costs of energy, decreased equipment maintenance costs, reduce carbon footprint and increased efficiency (Schwartz, p.2). In this article, Schwartz clearly underpins the significance of involvement of facilities managers in IT functions and/or have substantial knowledge of IT that can be implemented for successful facilities management and cost-saving practices. Indirectly, Schwartz also indicates that facilities management can be accomplished by using sophisticated IT systems; this would require facilities managers to be equipped with IT skills and understanding. This process would also require successful integration of facilities management and IT infrastructure. Integration between these two functions would again mean that facilities managers obtain a thorough understanding of working of IT systems.

An insight into Japanese culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An insight into Japanese culture - Essay Example The essay "An insight into Japanese culture" discusses the novel "Snow Country" as an insight into Japanese culture which talks about two people, Komako, who is a geisha in the small village and Shimamaru, a wealthy visitor man from Tokyo. Shikamaru is shown to be unacquainted with the place, and refers it to as a ‘distant land’. The story revolves around the both of them, trying to establish a relationship and connect with each other; but they are unable to do so, in the long run, and they fail to realize this. The novel changed my thoughts regarding the Japanese culture as I got to know more about the customs and rules of the people over there. The restrictions imposed by them over the people who are living there comes as a surprise in this environment. Previously I presumed that geishas were fictitious but as I read the novel I came to know the importance of geishas in the Japanese culture. The hospitality in the Japanese culture can be witnessed by the actions of the individuals that play a role in the novel. Komako, although tries very hard to maintain the traditional geisha image, she is unable to. Her feelings for Shikamaru were too strong and she could not ignore them. This differed with the traditional role of a geisha. But Komako’s aim of becoming a geisha to pay for that man’s treatment aligns with the customary role of a geisha. Geishas are normally said to accept their professions, in order to provide sustenance to their families and to help out with the bills and payments.