The Scarlet Letter - Plant Imagery Essays - English-language Films

The Scarlet Letter - Plant Imagery Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses plant imagery to symbolize both the negative and positive character traits and to set the mood of the novel. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place during the age of Puritanism in Boston where a young and attractive Puritan woman commits adultery with the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. Chillingworth, Hesters' husband, whom everyone thought was captured by Indians comes to town, but only Hester knows his true identity. Chillingworth vows to figure out who Hesters' lover is and he succeeds. Ultimately, this novel contains deception and guilt which is in the form of plant imagery. Hawthorne uses many different negative variations of plant imagery to illustrate his ideas. First of all, living plant life, portraying the torturing of Dimmesdale by Chillingworth, remains evident throughout the novel. For example, when Chillingworth went to the forest to gather herbs he ?dug up roots and plucked off twigs from the forest trees? (111) which symbolizes how Chillingworth was ?plucking? the life out of Dimmesdale limb by limb. Also, Hawthorne describes grass as pure and without weeds to kill the grass; however, ?when poor Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking of his grave, he questioned with himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because an accursed thing must there be buried? (131). In addition, weeds symbolize secrecy and the impurity of society. During Chillingworth and Dimmesdale's covert discussion about ?the powers of nature call[ing] so earnestly for the confession of sin,[and discussing] that these black weeds have sprung up out of a buried heart, to make mani fest an unspoken crime? (120) illustrates the idea of weeds filling the heart with sin and guilt. Moreover, ?the black flower of civilized society? (45-46) refers to the Puritans harsh attitude towards sinners as they view Hester's punishment. Most importantly, the imagery used with leaves allows for different interpretations. ?Thou shalt forgive me! cried Hester, flinging herself on the fallen leaves beside him [Dimmesdale]? (178) illustrates that Hester begs natures' forgiveness for her sin by falling on the leaves. Similarly, Hester ?threw it [the scarlet letter] to a distance among the withered leaves,? (185) for that instant, her guilty conscience was dying along with the withering leaves. Although Hawthorne uses a great deal of negative plant imagery, the positive plant imagery balances the two. Initially, moss symbolizes the hardships that Hester and Dimmesdale have endured. Hester, ?[sitting] down on the heap of moss where she and Pearl had before been sitting? (174), shows that the moss acts as a comfort to Hester, and it is a place where she can forget her guilt. Dimmesdale and Hester, ?hand clasped in hand, on the mossy tree trunk of the fallen tree? (179) together rid themselves of their guilt for the time being. Furthermore, leaves also symbolize the positive aspects of plant imagery. Dimmesdale tells Hester that ?the forest leaves [have] risen up all made anew? (185) meaning that their guilt was forever gone, and God had forgiven them. Similarly, ?the yellow leaves will show no vestige of the white man's tread? (180-181) because they cover the trail of guilt left behind by man. Though Hawthorne places either good or bad plant images with his characters, Pearl stands as a blend of them both. Pearl possesses positive character traits exemplified by the plant imagery used. Dimmesdale perceives Pearl to be of great value because of her name and by comparing her a ?Red Rose? (101) . On the other hand, Pearl remains viewed as a demon child. For no apparent reason, Pearl ?threw one of the prickly burrs at the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. The sensitive clergyman shrunk, with nervous dread, from the light missile? (123). This shows Pearl's inconsideration towards others, and it also symbolizes how Dimmesdale dodged the missile filled with guilt that would have stuck to him had he not ducked. Pearl constantly reminds and tortures Hester of her mothers' sin by ?arrange[ing] them [prickly burrs] along the lines of the scarlet letter that decorated the maternal bosom?(123) Deception and guilt remained evident throughout the novel by the use of plant imagery. All of the characters related to at least one plant in the novel. For the most part, Pearl became

Free Your Inner Thinker Essays - Truth, Atheism, Agnosticism

Free Your Inner Thinker Essays - Truth, Atheism, Agnosticism Free Your Inner Thinker Free Your Inner Thinker Organized religions are laden with the debris of archaic, superstitious images. Everywhere people go they are submerged in biblical ignorance, religious illiteracy and historical stupidity (Edelen, The 10 Commandments). People are surrounded by cultic codes and images at every turn. This must stop! One organization that is taking a stand is called The Freedom From Religion Foundation. It is most commonly referred to as free thought. A freethinker is a person who forms opinions and beliefs on the basis of reason, independent of tradition, authority, or established belief (Barker). Freethinkers love to learn new ideas and are not satisfied with what is already known. Thus, all members must be free from the conformity of a bible, creed, or messiah. They must be allowed to think for themselves, rather than blindly follow tradition or cosmic absolutes. Freethinkers believe the truth and choose not to follow the lies and superstitions that are, inevitably, part of religion. Common mythological themes are saturated through out the bible, from the creation and flood myth to virgin birth and hero resurrection (Edelen, The Sin). Unlike conventional religions, Freethinkers beliefs are based on reality and reason. As defined in Nontract #11, What is a Freethinker, Reality is limited to that which is directly perceivable though our natural senses or indirectly ascertained through the proper use of reason (Barker). For an idea or belief to be considered true it must be testable, falsifiable, parsimonious, and logical. Every belief a freethinker has must have evidence or experiments to confirm it; all attempts to disprove it must repeatedly fail, require little to no assumptions, and be free from contradictions and character attacks (Barker). Freethinkers use the thinking part of there brain to understand the universe. Many people who dont understand free thought think that freethinkers lack morals. The morality of a freethinker can be summed up in one word, kindness. Morality is not a bunch of dos and donts but, instead, is based on human needs (Barker). Freethinkers try to be good and fair to everyone. They believe that all human beings should live in peace no matter what their race, sex, religion, what they think, who they love, or where they come from. They do their best to protect the earth and all its creatures. Religion promotes dangerous and inadequate morality based on blind obedience, rather than a careful use of reason to weigh the possible outcomes when faced with a moral dilemma (Barker). The most common philoshical question pondered is whether there is a meaning of life. Freethinkers know that the meaning of life must originate in the mind. Since the universe is mindless and the cosmos do not care, if you wish to have a purpose, YOU must care (Barker). Not all freethinkers believe in a meaning of life, as with all beliefs, individuals are free to accept or discard it. Where as many freethinker choose to believe there is no divine plan, most freethinkers find meaning in life. They find meaning in human compassion, social progress, the beauty of humanity, personal happiness, pleasure, joy, love, and the advancement of knowledge (Barker). Unlike convention religions, free thought requires an explanation rather than a designer to explain the complexity of life. One such explanation is Darwins theory of evolution along with natural selection. Freethinkers do not believe in a divine designer because the complexity of such a creature would be subject to the same scrutiny itself (Barker). Freethinkers also believe that religion is not only useless but also harmful. Historically, religion has always produced violence (Edelen Religion). From Moses to the Crusades, Henry VIII, Salem, Hitler, Kosovo. Edelen writes, it is the countries with out religion that are the least violent (Religion). He also stated in the same article that, America is the most religious of all industrialized nations, and yet is the most violent nation in the world. Many of the worlds most gruesome leaders believed they were performing gods work. Hitler himself wrote, I am completely convinced that I am acting as the agent of god. I am now a Catholic and will always remain so, in Mein Kampf (qtd in Edelen, Religion). Freethinkers do not believe that all religious people are

Global forces shaping the future of business and society Research Paper

Global forces shaping the future of business and society - Research Paper Example As the organizations build the vision plan 2020, there is whole sum opportunity to shape the emerging relationship between the society and business ventures. In order to do so it is required to take an uncomfortable step for the business planners. The planners infrequently make predictions for ten years. Today’s world calls for such stringent planning prospects. Being a difficult task for the planners they need to note the frequent twists and turns that are taking place between the interactions of business and society. The technological advancements have helped the entrepreneurs to stay connected across the globe even from the remotest corner. The transformations in relationships between the organizations and some other nonprofit organizations which were once on the contentious path are surprisingly beginning to be more collaborative. Now, forecasting is associated with fraught and significant costs have to be borne by the companies in planning cycles for the near future. Some of the analyzed trends are on track to take shape. The trends allow the organizations to make changes in their strategies with sufficient time. The trends pave the way for the companies to seize the opportunities for expanding the operation of the company into new product lines and markets. The companies that are able to take a proactive mindset and have the capability to rework on the several business strategies which were already undertaken with the aim of shaping a better future taste success. The aim of the companies is to devise a win-win situation that will benefit the communities as well as the corporate bottom lines in the same fashion. The most likely trends that are likely to come to the surface in the coming decade include The Great Rebalancing, the Productive Imperative, The Global Grid, pricing the Planet and The Market State. Research Questions The research questions are as follows: What are implications of corporate involvement in order to solve social problems issues? What are the ways through which the corporations can position themselves now with the view to maximize profits and societal impacts? Literature Review According to Dominic Barton, the operating environment of the businesses is under radical transformation. The trends that are influencing th e undergoing are demographics, technological as well as societal. It is quite obvious the trends discussed will affect the operating environment but the most striking point is the confluence of the trends. He expected a wave of transformation on its way. Elizabeth Stevenson opined to examine the size or the scope of the changes. The time calls for examination of whether the move is towards venturing into new markets, or ways to survive efficiently. The operating environment will get influenced in different fashion if the move is towards overcoming the scarcity of resources or interact with the authorities in a different way. According to Patrick Viguerie, examination f the demand pools will reveal that the revenue leaders of today will not be in a sustainable position in the coming years as far as unit leadership in emerging markets are concerned. This means that the new world will witness new leaders. He stated that companies opt to view the short term while deriving strategies. Se veral insertion points were put forwarded by Sven Smith. The strategies should be informed by some upfront section along with some trends that will contribute in promotion of new businesses. The section can be undertaken on monthly or annual basis. Research is required to determine the degree of the position of the resources against the trends as well make a second strategy if the undertaken strategy sinks (Belgard and Rayner, 2004, p. 4). The forecasted trends are easy to get embedded into

Smoking Cessation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smoking Cessation - Research Paper Example This prediction gives a great attraction to new ventures into the industry. At the present the industry is trying to grow and overlie most of its challenges. The industry is fragmented since it is facing stiff competition from the e-cigarrete industry and many of the smokers who want to quite do prefer diet way to quit or try other ways like tablet apps. There are several players in this industry who among them are food cessation products like gums, lollipops and drinks others are tablet and phone app users and now the cessations cigarrete. Examples of these players are prescription, nicotine inhaler, nicotine-free cigarettes and hypnosis acupuncture (Bloomberg, Thomson Financial, Reuters, Dow Jones). The largest player in the market is OTC nicotine spray product. The basis of competition in the industry is the pricing in that the cessations products should be cheaper than cigarrete and another factor is taste. The product should be easy to understand and leave no bad taste in the mouth. The major trends in the industry is that the cost is going up since new cheaper sensation products get into market daily and so cost of marketing must rise to keep a player in market. Due to high competition to prove to consumers that one product is best than others a lot of fund is spend on market and product modification to suit consumers interest. Technology is also a player in that some sensation apps are being developed in smart phones and tablets and are so cheap. Another upcoming trend is the class or status of smokers. People working in office do like products which will freshen their breath and kill the craving for nicotine cigarette. Government regulations like tax implication on nicotine makes cigarrete more expensive to consumers hence smokers opt to quit and start using smoking cessations. The winners of smoking cessation brands should proactively provide healthy solutions and

Equal Rights For The Children Young People Essay

Equal Rights For The Children Young People Essay A kids childhood should be filled with happy moments, laughter and lovely toys, not memories that make one shudder even at the thought of it. Being a child should not be a painful journey. After all, children are equal holders of human rights and they should not be denied a safe environment to grow and mature. However, many adults have failed to see the importance of ensuring the well-being of these young innocent kids. Every single day, almost five children die as a result of child abuse and at least one report of child abuse is made every ten seconds (National). Child abuse may take the form of physical, sexual, emotional or neglect, with physical abuse being the most common (Child). The incidence of parents and other guardians consciously, or even willfully, harming the children theyre supposed to be nurturing is a sad fact of human society that cuts across all borders of ethnicity and class (Joseph). Its high time for us to dig deep into the roots of this evil and look for soluti ons to combat the issue, before it continues to bring detrimental impacts to both the abused victims, and also, the society. Behind any action, there is always a purpose or reason. Same goes to child abuse. Child abuse is triggered by many factors. According to Dr. Joel Akande, among all the contributing factors, lack of insight is the main culprit. Child abusers lack insight into the value of the children and this leads to sexual, verbal or physical exploitation of these kids (Akande). This may be due to the fact that the children are unwanted from unplanned pregnancy or they may be physically or mentally impaired (Akande). When these adults are engulfed in frustration or anger, children become their easy targets as they are vulnerable objects. If they were to value their precious kids dearly, they would always place the childrens happiness as their utmost priority. A responsible parent will try his very best to protect his child from any form of danger at all times. Apart from that, some caregivers lack parenting skills and they might have unrealistic expectations about child care (Saisan et. al). Child care is a daunting task, especially for working adults who have the heavy responsibilities to juggle between career and family. Without necessary parenting skills and support from others, caring for a child can be very stressful. Caregivers who are unable to handle child care stress tend to abuse their children as an outlet of their emotions (Gibson). They unleash their anger on the children to make themselves feel better as they have little control over their own emotions. This is especially evident in teen parents who have unrealistic and immature expectations about how much care babies and small children need (Saisan et. al). Also, parents under the power of drugs and alcohol can be abusive and easily neglect their children (Gibson). Drugs and alcohol abuse increases the likelihood of violence, because it interferes with communication among family members and abusers have lower abilities in controlling their behaviors (Miller et.al 357). Underestimation of the consequences of vio lence takes place at the same time as a result of interference with the brain centers that control socially unacceptable behaviors when adults abuse drugs and alcohol (Miller et.al). They lose their ability to judge whats right or wrong when they are not sober. Parents who come home drunk or high on drugs are unable to take good care of their children, make good judgments and have control over often-dangerous compulsions (Saisan et.al). The neglected children are often left to fend for themselves and scavenge for their basic needs such as food under such harsh environment. Herbert Ward once said, Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime. Indeed, it is true that child abuse leaves deep and long-lasting impacts on the victims, be it physically or emotionally. Physical abuse leaves visible signs, such as frequent physical injuries or unexplained bruises, cuts and wounds. This is often done by slapping, spanking and caning by the caregivers. Some may even resort to harsher means such as using hot iron and leather belt to harm their children. The visible physical scars and wounds will heal someday, but the emotional scarring will be embedded deep down in the childrens hearts throughout their lives. Victims of violence may face trouble developing self-confidence and a sense of self in them (Saisan et. al). It is difficult to overcome the core feelings of being worthless and hopeless, if a child is being repeatedly told that he is good for nothing since young (Saisan et. al). They no longer believe that they worth more or stand a place in the socie ty. Abused children also cannot regulate and express their emotions effectively, in turn leads to unexplained anxiety, depression and anger in adult survivors of abuse (Saisan et.al). In addition, child abuse is a vicious cycle. Based on a literature review, Kaufman and Zigler have estimated that inter-generational transmission rate of child abuse is approximately 30 percent (186). This signifies that three out of ten people who were neglected in childhood will abuse their own children in the future (Kaufman and Zigler 186). They are more likely to raise their children in the way they have experienced as a child, repeating the horrible cycle unconsciously. This causes unfavorable effects to the society as a whole, as the future leaders of tomorrow are not empowered to fulfill their potential as productive human beings, said Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the prime ministers wife of Malaysia (Getting). Hence, it is essential to put a halt to this terrible chain of abuse. First things first, caregivers have to be equipped with good parenting skills and it is vital to be mentally prepared for all the child care stress and challenges that follow. Parents should set realistic expectations of what children can handle at certain stages of development as it can help avoid frustrations and anger at normal child behavior (Saisan et.al). Emotional control and developing emotional intelligence is equally critical especially when one needs to handle children with special needs. Society has a pivotal role to play in combating this issue as well. The mindset of not wanting to encroach into other peoples lives should be discarded. One should not be reluctant to make a report to the authority if a child is suspected being abused by his caregivers. Society must realize that a small act of kindness can actually bring light into the darkness of a childs life. The earlier the victims get help, the hig her chance they have to recover from the abuse and not perpetuate the vicious cycle (Child). Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind, quoted Yoshiharu Gotanda. Well aware of the detrimental impacts of child abuse, we can choose to make or break the lives of these innocent children. The power is definitely in our hands to end the pain and screams in their eyes. We are the cause, and also the solution. It is our responsibility as a caring member of society to bring hope into their lives and make them believe once again, that the world is colorful and life is beautiful. It does not take much to make a difference in a childs life. All in all, child abuse is to be eradicated, and not inherited. Word Count: 1228 Words

A Risk That Paid Off Essay

One of the biggest risks that paid off was my husband and I agreeing for him to join the Marine Corps. It required us to up and move our family from Utah to California with no friends or family around for support in times of hardship, which tends to come a lot with being a military family. I had to learn to take control of everything from paying the bills to taking care of the house and vehicles because of his training, field ops, and deployments which required him to be gone for weeks or months at a time. When he deploys I have to raise the kids on my own which is a challenge in itself. It creates chaos for the kids emotionally and they begin to act out at home and at school. They lose respect for both of us when he is gone. Having family time and alone time with each other becomes very limited because of his work schedule. We never know when our family time will be or even if there will be family time. With that being said you can only imagine how hard it is to get alone time together. I believe this all has and continues to pay off because I have created a whole new family within the Corps, I have made new friends that can never be replaced and only they can truly understand the struggles I go through better than any of my friends and family from home ever could. I have learned to be more self-reliant maintaining our household on my own. As far as our marriage it continues to get stronger with communication and we cherish each and every moment more than we ever have before as a family and as a couple.

Moon by Chaim Potok

Chaim Potok (35) loves to write about growing up pains and the conflict between family, the development of a Jewish young person and the way in which the young Jew seeks to integrate himself into the culture he is in while trying to preserve his own identity as a Jew. Throughout the passages of his stories, Potok manages to show the ugly social realities through the points of view of his characters. By dealing with such realities and through the interactions of the characters, they are changed and somehow, the world becomes a better place for the protagonist in his novels and short stories. This is also the same pattern he uses in his short story â€Å"Moon.† Moon tends to be reclusive and rebellious because of his own identity as part of the minority. Throughout all of these, he still wishes to be educated because he sees it as a means to become a somebody in the world. Chaim Potok makes frequent reference to his age as a part of the importance of adolescence and the struggles that they go through. Moon, as is the case with a lot of the characters in Potok’s collection â€Å"Zebra and Other Stories†, is disconnected with his parents. His parents tend to be foreign to him and they could not connect effectively. This also partly explains why Moon is reclusive and rebellious. The main character of the short story tends to enjoy music. This is one thing that most adolescents share with, hence, Potok writes an accurate characterization of Moon and his friends. Through the use of music, Moon’s life is taking a new turn and he gains a new perspective of his situation and the reason why he has to strive for his education even though it is hard. Moon’s life changes when he meets Ashraf, a Pakistani teenager who lives in a neighborhood wracked by strife and violence. Given the background of Ashraf and that of Moon, they still managed to establish a friendship that influenced them both. Through the visit of Ashraf to his home, he suddenly had an insight about life, about education, and the ugly realities that are confronting the life of Ashraf and that of his, too. The changes engendered in the life of Moon became even more pronounced when he learns that Ashraf has been murdered. This is the climax of the story yet the incident seems to have helped Moon become a better person and a more determined one. The differences in his lifestyle from that of Ashraf is also an important aspect of his learning. As a child belonging to the middle class, he enjoys a lot of things that Ashraf does not. With this, the main character also saw the vast oceans of differences separating the haves from the have-nots. With this, he develops sensitivity for people like Ashraf who are suffering from difficult circumstances in life. The relationship of Moon with his parents is not a perfect one. In fact, even his parents do have conflicting attitudes toward him. This is due to his rebellious attitude and his desire to be left alone. His parents try to win his affection and ask about his experiences yet he remains unresponsive. Because their life is comfortable and they suffer no lack, Moon developed a self-conscious and selfish outlook of life shared by middle-class teenagers. Although his parents wanted him to learn much about their heritage, he is a difficult nut to crack. Yet, only the loss of Ashraf jolted him to the painful reality of the need to learn about the world and the ugly realities that people have to face in order for them to have meaningful lives. Work Cited Potok, Chaim. Zebra and Other Stories. New York: Laurel Leaf, 2000.