Wednesday, January 29, 2020

A Worn Path Essay Example for Free

A Worn Path Essay The short story ‘A Worn Path’ by Eudora Welty emphasizes the importance of patience and persistence. The protagonist of the story, a very old African-American woman, Phoenix Jackson is presented by the author as a study in perseverance, stamina and life in the face of hardship and death. The story is rather deceptively simple and deals with an old woman’s journey on foot through the woods of Mississippi to the city of Natchez, motivated by the need of medicines for her ailing grandson. However, structured upon this journey motif, the story has a rich veneer of symbolism that turns Phoenix Jackson an everyman, while her journey, transcending every boundary becomes the very emblem for the eternal human quest through the wildernesses of life. The landscape that the protagonist has to cross to reach her destination is at once evocatively beautiful and hauntingly dangerous, threatening at every moment to jeopardize the journey. The old and worn out woman is acutely aware of the dangers and hardships that lie in her way and as she walks steadily she mutters under her breath: Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals†¦ the big wild hogs out of my path. Dont let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way. Her feet feels chained as she negotiates a particularly steep uphill path and gets entangled in a thorny bush that looks harmless from the distance. As soon as she overcomes this other impediments follow: narrow logs across a creek, ghosts which turn out to be nothing but scarecrows, dog and his white master crosses her path. But she braves it all with a determination and patience that bespeaks of the invincibility of the spirit that burns within her breasts. The solitary journey of the protagonist through the wildernesses is further complicated by her old age, her acute physical exhaustion and her failing vision. However, walking against these innumerable odds, Phoenix Jackson emerges victorious with the aid of her sheer fortitude and capacity for self-sacrifice for the sake of her grandson. Even when a bounding black dog pushes her over into a ditch, Phoenix Jackson does not lose her infinite patience. In fact lying by the roadside in a ditch, incapable of getting up on her own, she seems quite happy and soon loses herself in a dream and goes on talking to herself. After being rescued, she calmly declares the rationale of her journey to the hunter who advises her to go back home: I bound to go to town, mister, said Phoenix. The time come around. The protagonists zest for life is revealed in her intense awareness of every natural object around her and the wilderness seen through her failing eyes, takes on a dream-like quality; a dream in which every object quivers with symbolic or allegorical significance. The real journey transcends its limits to reveal a religious pilgrimage or a quest with Phoenix Jackson as the lonely knight whose only true weapons against adversities are her infinite patience and persistence. Interestingly, the story is actually set during the Christmas season, suggesting that the protagonist is out on a pilgrimage where her endurance and fortitude will be tested to the extreme. The theme of patience and persistence is also reiterated in the mythological significance of the name, Phoenix, a bird that rises again and again from its own ashes asserting the victory of life over death. It is to be noted that it is not only the natural world that poses an obstacle for the old protagonist, but the society too that refuses to giver her the due respect. Thus we see the White man condescendingly concluding that she is going to the town merely to see Santa Claus or the nurses at the great big building dismissing her as a case of ‘charity’. But all these barely touches the old lady, who has surely earned the medicine a thousand times over; the medicine that is given away to her as ‘charity’. She once again walks out into the street starting her long journey back home through the wilderness. Thus it might be concluded that Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path is a powerful assertion of the victory of the human spirit against all conceivable odds. The victory is undoubtedly hard earned, neither does it promise much spoils (the old woman is rewarded with a paper windmill and medicine for her grandson at the end of her almost epical journey). But it is a victory of patience and persistence. The battle too is worth fighting whatever be the spoils.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Essay --

A camp focused on not only torture but death. something so permanent, so final. thousands of prisoners thrown in this camp every day just to be killed (about 800,000). With no rhyme or reason, besides the thought of the jews being completely worthless and not even deserving of living on this earth and breathing the air. The logic in this time is completely lost, they jews were treated no better than dirt under the guards shoes. On a list of the nine worst concentration camps Treblinka is the second. ( the first being the worst.) This camp in particular has gas chambers made to look like showers. even including shower faucets and tile.With pipes running across the ceiling which of course was designed to appear as pipes for the water when in reality the pipes were filled with carbon monoxide gas ( a deadly gas). When the prisoners piled in they were gassed to death.The guards often referred to the tunnels to the chambers as â€Å" the road to heaven†. The other prisoners were sometimes just machine gunned or even â€Å"spilled onto the railroad platform† Bodies were often thrown into huge ditches located east of the chambers. Containing nothing but filthy, scrawny, and hopeless bodies. Five thousand to seven thousand Jews arrived each day increases to about 12,000 a day, though thousands were dead on arrival. This camp was the the last camp whose sole purpose was â€Å"extermination†. It was only fifty miles from the large city of warsaw, which blows my mind that people will still fully confidently try to convince people that the camps never happened. It became known as Treblinka I when the death camp, Treblinka II, was built. The camp was laid out in an irregular rectangle, 400 m by 600 m, surrounded by barbed wire and anti- tank spanish hors... ...revolt took place, approximately two hundred managed to break out. Only sixty of those who escaped were alive at the end of the war to tell the world about the horrors of the awful, terrific camp called Treblinka. When this final gassing was completed, the camp area was ploughed over and trees were planted. The camp was turned into a farm, a guard then settled with his family to protect the crime scene. Perhaps because people were very interested in the rumors they were hearing about what the germans had been conducting in this camp. I would find it hard to believe too, in order to take in all the cold hard facts I also would want to see it with my own eyes. It was because of all the other people who also felt this way that the retired guard felt obligated to â€Å"protect and or guard† the historical area of land where the unforgettable and unbelievable took place.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Chinese Culture Essay

The climate and temperature of China varies throughout the area of the country. Most of the country lies in the temperate belt, but the southern most part lies in the subtropical belt while the northern part is in the sub arctic belt. There is usually a lot of rain in the summer, and very little in the winter. China has the largest agricultural output in the world, while only cultivating 15% of its total area. Rice is China’s most harvested crop, while wheat is second. China also produces potatoes, other vegetables, and some fruits. By the end of 2000, China had 633 different cities, while 13 of them had a population of two million or more. The three biggest Chinese cities are Shanghai, Beijing, and Chongqing, in that order. Hong Kong is inside China, but isn’t considered part of the country. Confucianism used to be the main religion in China and help shape its history. However, Buddhism has the most followers and biggest influence in China than any other religion, now. Some other major religions throughout China are Taoism, Islam, and Christianity. Most people in China, now, play sports just like us such as ping pong, soccer, and badminton. These types of sports are fairly new to China, while different types of martial arts have been around much longer than team sports. China is a communist state. This means that everything is ruled and owned by the government. There is no private ownership, and all goods are shared by the people, who are all equal. Chinese education is required and free for ages 6 – 15, and can be continued longer if the person wants to and can afford it. Most of the jobs throughout China are related to agricultural businesses, or they do cheap labor for companies all around the world. The employment rules in China are much more relaxed than the U. S. so big corporation usually have Chinese factories make their goods for much cheaper. Stir fry is the most common cooking technique throughout China. It requires a small amount of oil in a heated pan, and the ingredients of the mea, usually vegetables and meat, are put into the pan and cooked until ready. The most used cooking tool is the wok. It is pretty much like a pan with rounded edges for stir frying. Chopsticks are by far the most used eating tools of the Chinese people, just like our forks and spoons. Chinese meals almost always have rice or noodles. The is usually vegetables in the meals, which could be many different types, such as broccoli, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, cabbage or eggplants. The meat is usually chicken, pork, or fish. Chinese meals are eaten pretty much at the same time as out meals. Breakfast is in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner is at night. There are much unusual eating etiquettes that must be followed in China. One is that your tea can never be empty. The host will always be refilling their guests’ cups, and the guests must tap their cup on the table as a showing of thankfulness. Another eating etiquette is that, when out with a group of people, you must order an even number or plates, even if there is an odd number of people, because odd numbers symbolize death. Bibliography Climate – http://www. chinatraveldepot. com/C149-China-Climate Major Cities – http://www. china. org. cn/english/feature/38093. htm Recreation – http://www. ajpanda. com/Articles. asp? ID=227 Types of Jobs – http://factsanddetails. com/china. php? itemid=366&catid Ingredients and equipment – http://www. china-family-adventure. com/chinese-food-ingredients. html Bourbon Chicken recipe – http://www. food.com/recipeprint. do? rid=45809 Chinese fried rice – http://www. grouprecipes. com/25313/chinese-fried-rice. html/print Chinese Almond Cookies – http://chinesefood. about. com/od/dessertcookies/r/almondcookies. htm Chinese Almond Cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: †¢ 2 cups flour †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda †¢ 1/8 teaspoon salt †¢ 1/2 cup butter †¢ 1/2 cup shortening †¢ 3/4 cup white sugar (can add up to 2 more tablespoons, if desired) †¢ 1 egg †¢ 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract †¢ 30 whole, blanched almonds (one for each cookie). †¢ 1 egg, lightly beaten Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (162. 5 degrees Celsius). 2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter or margarine, shortening, and sugar. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Note: The dough will be crumbly at this point, but don’t worry – that is what it’s supposed to be like. 3. Use your fingers to form the mixture into a dough, and then form the dough into 2 rolls or logs that are 10 to 12 inches long. Wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (this will make it easier to shape the dough into circles). 4. Take a log and lightly score the dough at 3/4 inch intervals so that you have 15 pieces and cut the dough. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a lightly greased cookie tray, approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. Place an almond in the center of each cookie and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining dough. 5. Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg before baking. Bake for 15 minutes to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and store in a sealed container.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The Issue Of Stem Cell Research - 1675 Words

What once was science fiction has become today s science reality. In this age, one can replicate many types of specific cells, such as blood, brain, tissue or muscle cells from a single stem cell. These stem cells, in theory can be used to heal or replace damage cells in our bodies thus curing us of certain diseases. These stem cells are the basic cells to develop any type of organism and its research is not allowed without incredible controversy. As one might imagine, such potential power has been seen as unethical and violating some of religion s most fundamental beliefs. Who are we to play God? and At what stage in development is a life considered a life? are two very common controversies surrounding stem cell research. Despite†¦show more content†¦Despite different views about stem cell research, on the scientific and technical level stem cell research does not breach ethical values. Many stem cell methodologies now circumvent embryo death which is at the forefront of th is ethical debate. In a process known as in vitro fertilization, â€Å"researchers mix a man’s sperm and a woman’s eggs together in a lab dish. Some of those eggs become fertilized and begin developing† which are then â€Å"implanted into the woman in hopes that she becomes pregnant† (CIRM). After the woman becomes pregnant and a family is started, the couple is given options in regards to the remaining embryos. They can â€Å"continue paying to store the embryos or they can defrost the embryos which destroy them or they can choose to donate the embryos for adoption. [They] can also choose to donate the frozen embryos for research† (CIRM). Embryonic stem cells collected in this way through in vitro fertilization may be viable alternatives to proceed with stem cell research. This very sensitive issue can thus be ethically remediated. In vitro fertilization might still raise some ethical alarms but there are certainly more methods that completely avoid the destruction of any embryo. For example, in altered nuclear transfer (ANT), an embryo is not created at all. Instead, â€Å"A derivative of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the nucleus of the somatic cell (any body cell other than an egg) is