One Hundred Years Of Solitude Essays (1610 words) - Thousand Cranes

One Hundred Years of Solitude Since the beginning of time, man has clung to the notion that there exists some external force that determines his destiny. In Grecian times, the epic poet Hesoid wrote of a triumvirate of mythological Fates that supposedly gave "to men at birth evil and good to have". In other words, these three granted man his destiny. Clotho "spun the thread of life", Lacheis distributed the lots, and Atropos with his "abhorred shears" would "cut the thread at death"(Hamilton-43). All efforts to avoid the Fates were in vain. In every case their sentence would eventually be delivered. And it appears that once the Fates' ballot had been cast, the characters in Greek myths had no chance for redemption. One must wonder if man, like the Greeks portrayed, has any real choice in determining how he lives. That issue of choice arises when comparing Gabriel Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and Yasunari Kawabata's Thousand Cranes. The men in Yasunari Kawabata's Thousand Cranes and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude forever seem to be repeating the lives of their male ancestors. These cycles reveal that man as a being, just like the mythological heros, has no true choice in the ultimate course his life will take. The male characters' personal development is overshadowed by the identity of their ancestors. Clotho, it appears, has recycled some of her spinning thread. The new male generations, superficially, are perceived to be woven of like design. Kikuji Mitani and the male Buendia's face communities that remember their ancestors. As a result, their unique communities inadvertently compare the actions of the sons to their respective fathers', having recognized the apparent similarities. Eclipsed by his father's aura, within his village, Kikuji's identity has no separate definition. To most townsfolk, like those at Chikako's tea ceremony, Kikuji exists as "Old Mr. Mitani's son"(16). He and his father are therefore viewed as essentially the same person. Kikuji can take no action to change the village's preformed perception. In contrast, The Aurelianos and Jose Arcadios have been set into a self that their name, not their upbringing, dictate. Ursula, after many years drew some conclusions about "the insistent repetition of names"(106) within the Buendia family. While the eldest Jose Arcadio Buendia was slightly crazy, his raw maleness is transferred to all the Jose Arcadio's that follow. They tended to be "impulsive and enterprising" though "marked with a tragic sign"(186). On the other hand, the Aurelianos, corresponding to the open-eyed Colonel, seem to be "indifferent"(15) and "withdrawn"(186) yet sparked with a "fearless curiosity"(15). The Aurelianos' tendency towards solitude that shut the Colonel away in his later years, would generations later, give his distant descendant Aureliano Babilonia the stamina to decipher Melquiades scriptures(422). Together, this perfunctory family tradition seemed to influence the course these men's live's would take in the same way that Kikuji's perception by his community lopped him into the path of his father. And just as Kikuji could not change the villages preformed opinions, the named Buendia males can have no hand in changing their given characters. The men's selection of lovers, in turn, continues to perpetuate their cycle of behavior shared with their relatives. Despite warnings, Kikuji Mitani and the Buendia men engage in hazardous sexual activity that harbors grave consequences. Lacheis' lots, in this case, are inevitable. Choice and independent action are impossible for these men since Lacheis has distributed the familial key to their female attractions. There is an eerie twist in Kikuji's Mitani's love affairs with his father's mistress and her daughter. His first encounter with Mrs. Ota leaves Kikuji suspicious of the affair where agewise, "Mrs. Ota was at least forty-five , some twenty years older than Kikuji"(28). However, despite the generation gap, during their encounter Kikuji had felt that he "had a woman younger than he in his arms"(28). Mrs. Ota had substituted Kikuji as his father, thus forcing Kikuji to follow in his fathers footsteps. Kikuji is not oblivious to the strange path his love life seems to be taking, yet he does nothing to resist. Instead, a defiant Kikuji asserting that he had not been seduced determines, it was something else that had drawn him to her. The "something else" was

Quest For Fire Essays - Films, Quest For Fire, The Tribe

Quest For Fire Essays - Films, Quest For Fire, The Tribe Quest For Fire Quest for Fire This story happens 80,000 years ago when our ancestors first discovered the power of fire, but did not know how to master it. One day, a peaceful tribe is attacked by apes and wolves. Many die in the fighting and the tribe is forced to leave their territory. They move to a small island, and on their way, they lose their treasurefire. Fire to them is like the door to a house. Without the door, the house will not collapse. But when a robber comes, the house has no protection. Without fire, men can live, but they lose their most powerful weapon when they are attacked. Thus, the tribe is in a great danger. An attack of wolves or other beasts can easily kill them. Because they don't know how to make fire, they send out three members of the tribe to look for fire. On their way, they save a girl but she runs away later. Then the three men are captured by another more advanced tribe (everyone in the area seems to be evolving at a different rate). In the tribe, they meet the girl who they saved earlier and one of them fell in love with the girl. They also learn how to make fire on their own. The three men and the girl flee one day and return to the small island where their tribe is. The people of their tribe are very excited about their return and they are even more exciting when they learn that they can make fire by themselves. From now on, humans life is no more depends on Gods favor. They can manage their own life. In spite of causing me nearly to vomit, this movie has some good aspects. It uses excellent sound effects and perfect makeup technique to make this movie very realistic. There is no dialogue throughout the whole movie, but the body language and gestures of men well explain the story. This movie makes you think a lot about our ancestors, where we came from and how we would survive in a world where the secret of how to make fire is as momentous as we would regard the moon landing today . . . This movie also makes me feel grateful that I do not live 80,000 years ago. Their life is brutal and savage. They have no houses, no cars and they have to fight with animals face to face. Compared to them, we are living in a paradise right now. Bibliography a review of movie quest for fire

As a consequence of the recent recession, firms will concentrate on Essay

As a consequence of the recent recession, firms will concentrate on reducing their costs. Therefore the emphasis put on Corporate Social Responsibility is doomed to end. Discuss - Essay Example Many imaginative business corporations went a step ahead. They integrated CSR initiatives as part of the total business strategies which produced sterling results, and created enormous goodwill for the products of the company. The range of loyal clientele gradually widened. Business leaders thus got an opportunity to learn how to align business goals with social and cultural goals. But suddenly the business world found itself engulfed in recession. It came like the avalanche and the organizations were not ready to face this serious eventuality. The wise saying goes, â€Å"When the Going gets Tough, the Tough get Going!(Ocean,1985) This is the testing time for the grit and heroism of the Corporate Sector. Toby Radcliffe comments upon the issue thus: â€Å"Global recession, embedded in the financial sector, is creating an environment of cost-cutting and streamlining. For leading international saving and wealth management groups, the current economy has produced a particularly challenging environment in which to operate. It has also produced a challenge for sustainability.† When a child is sick, one tends to take care of it more. Ethically speaking, corporate social responsibility is an important part of the business establishment, during recession. The case for CSR is the truest, even when the economy is passing through a period of crisis. To prioritize business in the face of recession, is a prudent function. That approach is just; no questions about it. To think of pruning the CSR budget while things are comfortable, is harmful from the long-term perspective of the growth of an organisation. Funds earmarked for CSR, in addition to direct donations to Non-Governmental and philanthropic organisations, are linked to HR and training programmes, experimental and innovation budgets, promotional and marketing budgets, research and other non-core activities. The management thinks of the cuts in these areas first. But it is again

I Am Legend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I Am Legend - Essay Example Neville keeps sending radio messages to track any survivors as he continues with his research, his only companion being his German shepherd. The vampires keep hunting for him but he eventually manages to trace two more humans that are normal and finds an antidote for the virus. This paper is a review of the film Am a Legend directed by Francis Lawrence and scripted from Richard Mathesons 1954 novel  bearing the same title. The film shows some unwillingness to venture preceding happenings and offers limited portrayal of issues like bioethics. The film somehow portrays the  dangers  that modern scientific research practices may pose to the future of humankind. Most current researchers especially in the medical division carryout a lot of drug trials using human subjects as guinea pigs believing that such actions cannot result in pandemic since the researches are meant to help people. To them, the film is mere fiction and full of utopian ideologies. However, the movie can be considered both utopian and dystopian at the same time. It is Utopian when it depicts Neville as a legend who is immune to the disasters that wipe out everybody else. The dystopian aspect is demonstrated by the unimaginable circumstances faced by the actors, or the entire New York (Matheson 22-30; Scott Web; Jolin Web). The movie somewhat puts forward the impacts that modern medical practices such as genetically modified crops which are susceptible to gene mutation could cause. Pandemics such food insecurity, which could result are capable of wiping out a large percentage of the population like in the film, which is not fiction (Adams Web). Other researches such as in biotech which entail experimenting with human genome in the attempt to create drugs aimed at altering human genome so as to cure diseases could result into a dystopian world (Adams Web). The film depicts a lot about our future. Human might not turn

Issues In Corrections Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues In Corrections - Research Paper Example In America, prisons are overcrowded with a large number of people from different races and cultures. Statistics and researches show that America has the highest number of prisoners in the world. Vicini (2006) states, â€Å"The U.S. incarceration rate of 737 per 100,000 people in the highest, followed by 611 in Russia and 547 for St. Kitts and Nevis†. Almost 25 percent of the world’s total imprisoned population belongs to the United States of America, which is really a very high percentage. Some prisons are overcrowded as much as 33 percent higher than their actual capacities (Montaldo, n.d.). On the other hand, the number of prisons in the United States is not big enough to meet the requirements of the incarcerated population. A couple of issues associated with overcrowding include increased costs and less number of proficient prison officers. Increased Costs An increased cost of prison management is one of the major problems associated with the issue of overcrowding or overpopulation in the American correctional system. It is a fact that, in prisons, costs increase with increase in the number of people incarcerated in the prisons. Costs, which include provision of appropriate living conditions, proper meal, and clothing of the prisoners, exceed the normal budgeted cost when the number of prisoners exceeds the calculated number of total prisoners a prison can accommodate. It is very big issue in the United States because it puts a direct impact on the overall economy of the country. Less Number of Prison Officers Another issue associated with overcrowding in prisons is the availability of professional prison officers. The problem is that a prison is sometimes unable to find proficient officers when the demand for officers increases. This gives rise to the issue of delayed and improper rehabilitation of the prisoners. Overcrowding gives rise to violence in prisons. Overcrowding also creates stress and tension among the prisoners. Prison officers ha ve the responsibility to take care of the prisoners’ activities and rehabilitation process. When less experienced officers are hired to manage the prisoners, rehabilitation process is affected and prisoners do not get the facilities that they need to develop good behaviors. How to Overcome the Issue of Overcrowding Let us now discuss the ways, which can be used to overcome the issue of overcrowding associated with the American correctional system. First, the administration should take steps to reduce noise pollution caused due to overcrowding. Carpet and acoustic tiles should be used instead of hard surface floors. Cushioned chairs and wall decorations can also be used in the correctional settings to reduce noise. Housing units should be built within the prison areas, which should accommodate 6 to 7 prisoners instead of accommodating 40 to 50 prisoners in a single unit. Increase in the number of private prisons is also an outcome of overpopulation in the state and federal pri sons. In America, the number of private prisons is increasing because the state and federal prisons are being unable to meet the requirements and costs of holding large number of prisoners. To reduce the costs of prison management, proper training and rehabilitation centers should be built which should be able to eradicate negative behaviors and promote positive behaviors among the prisone

Missing Children Essay -- Law, Adam Walsh

The case of six-year old Adam Walsh is perhaps one that will never leave the minds of anyone initially horrified by its details. In 1981 young Adam was kidnapped from a local mall and regardless of tireless efforts by his parents John and Reve Walsh, volunteers, and law enforcement; Adam fell victim to murder. Two weeks after the boy went missing, his decapitated head was located, but his body was never found. This prompted his father John Walsh to start a campaign and legislature policy submission toward more stringent accountability for child crime offenders. â€Å"The murder transformed John Walsh's life, turning him from a middle-class hotel marketing executive into one of country's best known advocates for missing children† (Thomas, 2008). In this paper, the initial legislative policy signed into law by President George W. Bush and the current policy addition initiative sought by Mr. Walsh is examined. The Scope of the Initiative With the signing of the initial policy by President Bush in 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act became law. Aforementioned, the policy directive was to enact tougher laws on child predators however; the policy contains two additional provisions that would violate states rights and state policy’s currently in place for adoptive, foster, and relative caregivers. The two provisions contained in the Adam Walsh law are to follow. 1. Modified existing requirements for conducting criminal background checks 2. Created a new requirement to conduct child abuse registry checks of prospective foster and adoptive parents. (Miller, 2007). The policy provisions left the states the discretion of choosing placement however, if those in the household filing for adoption or fostering o... ...l, such as in Morse’s report cited, now have the opportunity to voice concerns and suggestions. Conclusion The Adam Walsh Act while regulatory and legislative, still requires changes before all parties affected stand united in approval. Whereas Congress could use its spending power to encourage state compliance, not all states would view this as constitutional. There is much to do concerning this act, but the outcome is unpredictable. Current filings to repeal or revise the entire Adam Walsh Act exist such as by Citizens for Change in America, represented by Michael R. Handler. The repeal document cites the AWA as being draconian and going against Due Process and the Bail Reform Act of 1984. Only time will prove the Adam Walsh Act is successful as currently written, but undoubtedly there are changes to come with such opposition and reasoning.

Racism †Will it ever end? Essay

Racism has been an issue that has been around for hundreds of years. Since back from when people of color used to be slaves until now, it has been quite interesting watching all of it unfold and witnessing how the world has become a more united front. But with that said, has racist really ended? I mean with groups like the KKK amongst other hate groups that discriminate against people of different ethnicities, will hate and racism amongst other racists really ever be abolished? For my paper I will be focusing on Racism and the changes that have taken place throughout time. Although, these changes have played a huge role in regards to getting rid of slavery and helping to eliminate some hate, will racism ever completely end? I find that my topic is relevant to the course, in regards to the fact that it does follow the theme of racism and looks at it from more of a skeptical view. The central question that I will be answering throughout this paper is that racism still does in fact exist today and will probably never end within any of our lifetimes. I believe that by answering and bringing light to this question that it would help make sense of our course themes because the contents of this question is basically everything that we have learned throughout this course (race, racism, ethnicity, whiteness) and putting it into a working question that I can look at more closely and show results that racism will in fact never end for the rest of our lives. After growing up in a small, rural, predominantly Caucasian town where I have fell the victim to/witnessed racism and although the media may portray racism as diminishing and claiming that it’s existence is little to none, I know that it still does exist and in fact plays a big role in many peoples lives whether they notice it or not. There have been some secondary academic sources that do in fact agree with my thesis. One of the sources I found is a book called, â€Å"Racism out of Place: Thoughts on Whiteness and an Antiracist Geography in the New Millennium†. This book discusses racism within the new day and age. It gives us the example of two young white males who go on a killing spree of African-American and Hispanic individuals but were made to look like victims  in the media. The economics of Racism is another source that I find supports my theory by discussing in the 1970’s after the civil rights movement that the government was moving black people to the North because there was suppose to be no racism but that turned out to be completely false. The reading also looks upon how the media was portraying racism as gone when it really was not. The last source that I have found that supports my theory is a study based on anger in regards to African-American’s dealing with racism. The title of the study is called, â€Å"Getting Mad But Ending Up Sad: The Mental Health Consequences for African Americans Using Anger to Cope With Racism† This looks at how black people cope with dealing with racism and how it has negatively effected their well-being. Bibliography â€Å"Getting Mad But Ending Up Sad: The Mental Health Consequences for African Americans Using Anger to Cope With Racism.† Getting Mad But Ending Up Sad: The Mental Health Consequences for African Americans Using Anger to Cope With Racism. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. . â€Å"Racism out of Place: Thoughts on Whiteness and an Antiracist Geography in the New Millennium.† – Kobayashi. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. . â€Å"The Economics of Racism.† The Economics of Racism. Web. 4 Nov. 2014..