The word I picked for my paper is "evil." I picked this particular word because people put a lot of emphasize on the "good," but I believe that "evil" is just as important. For example, there cannot be "good" if there is no "evil," meaning one would not have any perception of what is actually what. Therefore I think that "evil" is just as important as "good."As of now, the word means a lot to me, as we encounter it every day. There are a lot of movies which compare "good" and "evil," and we encounter it every time that we ask ourselves "what's the right thing to do?" If we simply changed the question, we would ask ourselves "what is the wrong thing to do?" and encounter "evil" in a much more direct way.
I am curious to learn about more definitions of the word and study the connections it has to history. I am looking forward to look at religious perceptions such as heaven and hell, and lstudy philosophical ideas about morals.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
A Book Report on Frankenstein from the Knight's Quartlery Magazine 3
My book report was published in August 1824 and interesting due to several things.
-the reason for which the author wrote the report was as follows: after reading Frankenstein, the author read Valperga and was completely dissapointed. He thought that he might have given Shelley too much credit for her work and therefore decided to re-read and re-evaluate Frankenstein.
-the author of the report has an interesting paragraph on whether it is possible to create such a monster. He introduces ideas from Darwin, who stated that it might be possible to introduce life into a dead human frame. The author himself is skeptic of the re-animation, but believes that it is possible to create a human frame.
-the author clearly states that his interest is entirely based on the monster and that he has sympathy for the monster due to his loneliness and sufferings. He then goes on to justify his point by stating that community is the most basic thing in humans and that isolation is one of the worst sufferings.
-the author criticizes Victor that he didn't consider the monster's happiness before he created him. Further, he argues that Victor should not criticize the monster for his ugliness as it was his own work. At last, the author makes Victor responsible for the monster's crimes.
-in the end, the author goes back to his conflict that he is absolutely disappointed by Valperga. He does have a thesis for this though, as he states that Percy Shelley might have actually written Frankenstein and Mary Shelley wrote Valperga. Next, he rejects his idea though and explains how Frankenstein does not fit into the scheme of Percy and that there is a possibility that Mary wrote it.
Source: Frankenstein, A Longman Cultural Edition, p.333
-the reason for which the author wrote the report was as follows: after reading Frankenstein, the author read Valperga and was completely dissapointed. He thought that he might have given Shelley too much credit for her work and therefore decided to re-read and re-evaluate Frankenstein.
-the author of the report has an interesting paragraph on whether it is possible to create such a monster. He introduces ideas from Darwin, who stated that it might be possible to introduce life into a dead human frame. The author himself is skeptic of the re-animation, but believes that it is possible to create a human frame.
-the author clearly states that his interest is entirely based on the monster and that he has sympathy for the monster due to his loneliness and sufferings. He then goes on to justify his point by stating that community is the most basic thing in humans and that isolation is one of the worst sufferings.
-the author criticizes Victor that he didn't consider the monster's happiness before he created him. Further, he argues that Victor should not criticize the monster for his ugliness as it was his own work. At last, the author makes Victor responsible for the monster's crimes.
-in the end, the author goes back to his conflict that he is absolutely disappointed by Valperga. He does have a thesis for this though, as he states that Percy Shelley might have actually written Frankenstein and Mary Shelley wrote Valperga. Next, he rejects his idea though and explains how Frankenstein does not fit into the scheme of Percy and that there is a possibility that Mary wrote it.
Source: Frankenstein, A Longman Cultural Edition, p.333
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Robin Hood and Beowulf
Robin Hood and Beowulf are two heroes that have several things in common. The most important similarity, is that both fought for the good of other people. In the tale of Robin Hood it is told that he lived during the 15th century in the woods of Nottinghamshire where he became famous for his deeds. It is said that he was of royalty and his real name is Sir Robin of Locksley. As Prince John decidede to raise the taxes for the poor, Robin Hood decided to protest this by stealing money from the rich and giving it to the poor. This caused him to be made an outlaw by the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Therefore he is fighting for the poor and their justice. Traditionally he and his supporters, who are called the “Merry Men,” are depicted wearing green clothes without any armor and they have excellent skills in sword fighting as well as shooting the bow, which the use to to overcome the rich. Beowulf on the other hand is supernatural, as his strengths exceed every human capacity. He is royal and famous for his deeds just as Robin Hood, though Beowulf is known mainly for the killing of monsters. Also, Beowulf is an excellent sword fighter, but he prefers using bare hands. After looking at the basic attributes of each one of the two heroes, one can see several similarities already. Even though, over-arching theme shows great parity, there are aspects that make them differ.
In the second paragraph I want to discuss the different ways in which Robin Hood and Beowulf are helping the weaker. I want to touch upon that Beowulf has supernatural strength, while Robin Hood has intelligence.
After analyzing Robin Hood and Beowulf one can see many similarities, especially in the main theme. To begin with, both of them are typical heroes, and fight for a specific reason, so the overall picture is identical. When examining the two stories closer though, one will find two major differences that set Robin Hood and Beowulf apart. First, the two of them fight for different motives, as Robin Hood is clearly helping the poor in a selfish manner, while Beowulf takes his actions with self-interest. Secondly, Robin Hood and Beowulf differ in their approach to fight for the poor. Evidently, Robin Hood is relatively weak compared to Beowulf, as he as no supernatural strength, but has other skills like his intelligence and that enable him to be just as effective. Even though the two are set apart though these two aspects, one can conclude that Robin Hood and Beowulf have similar roles in their societies, as they are great leaders and help the weak.
The first attribute one has to consider are the reasons for why Robin Hood and Beowulf are fighting for the poor. In these aspect, they do differ, as one is acting without self-interest while the other is not. Robin Hood's reasons is to fight the injustice that is coming from the ruling class. Due to this reason, his main deed is in capturing treasures and giving the money to the poor. He therefore does not act out of self-interest, but for justice. Beowulf on the other hand seems to have other objectives. At the beginning of the story, Beowulf is already famous for fighting sea monsters and creatures of other kinds. This makes him proud and it becomes evident that he seeks immortality. Then, as he hears that Grendel is terrorizing the Danish people he immediately sails of to help them. Throughout the whole story though, it seems like his immortality is his number one priority. This makes it questionable that he is fighting Grendel just to help the Danes. Further, after Beowulf has eliminated Grendel and Grendel's mother, he receives a great treasure, which he takes back home. Therefore, one is able to conclude that Beowulf is acting mostly out of self-interest and not selfishness like Robin Hood. Even though, the two differ in this aspect, it is evidence that they are protecting the weaker and therefore doing good.
In the second paragraph I want to discuss the different ways in which Robin Hood and Beowulf are helping the weaker. I want to touch upon that Beowulf has supernatural strength, while Robin Hood has intelligence.
After analyzing Robin Hood and Beowulf one can see many similarities, especially in the main theme. To begin with, both of them are typical heroes, and fight for a specific reason, so the overall picture is identical. When examining the two stories closer though, one will find two major differences that set Robin Hood and Beowulf apart. First, the two of them fight for different motives, as Robin Hood is clearly helping the poor in a selfish manner, while Beowulf takes his actions with self-interest. Secondly, Robin Hood and Beowulf differ in their approach to fight for the poor. Evidently, Robin Hood is relatively weak compared to Beowulf, as he as no supernatural strength, but has other skills like his intelligence and that enable him to be just as effective. Even though the two are set apart though these two aspects, one can conclude that Robin Hood and Beowulf have similar roles in their societies, as they are great leaders and help the weak.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great lived from 849-899, son of Aethelwulf and King of the West Saxons
-It is said that when Alfred was four years old he was send to Rome where he got appointed King by Pope Leo IV.
- Alfred is considered a Saint by some Catholics due to his tries to make Christianity more available to the public.
- During his reign, his main focus was on education, reformation the legal system as well as improving the military structure.
- Education; Alfred created a court school for his own children and the children of the aristocracy. He also aimed to open education up to the public. Alfred implied that schools taught primary in English.
-To achieve this, he ordered more texts to be translated from Latin into English.
-The fifth law in Alfred's new legal code issued translations of the Decalogue and a few chapters of the Book of Exodus
-From early on in his reign, Alfred had trouble with the Danes who were trying to invade England. Many times he forced them to surrender or set up peace treaties. The Danes though, did not stop invading until Alfred's end. He therefore protected the English language.
-One of Alfred's military reforms was that he issued the building of fortresses in southern England, which could be used as protection and a line of defense.
-It is said that when Alfred was four years old he was send to Rome where he got appointed King by Pope Leo IV.
- Alfred is considered a Saint by some Catholics due to his tries to make Christianity more available to the public.
- During his reign, his main focus was on education, reformation the legal system as well as improving the military structure.
- Education; Alfred created a court school for his own children and the children of the aristocracy. He also aimed to open education up to the public. Alfred implied that schools taught primary in English.
-To achieve this, he ordered more texts to be translated from Latin into English.
-The fifth law in Alfred's new legal code issued translations of the Decalogue and a few chapters of the Book of Exodus
-From early on in his reign, Alfred had trouble with the Danes who were trying to invade England. Many times he forced them to surrender or set up peace treaties. The Danes though, did not stop invading until Alfred's end. He therefore protected the English language.
-One of Alfred's military reforms was that he issued the building of fortresses in southern England, which could be used as protection and a line of defense.
Monday, August 29, 2011
A memorable book, "The Picture of Dorian Gray"
One of the books I read over the summer was “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wild. This book was one of the first that I looked up on the internet to read a short summary of it's plot, and I thought of it as interesting and exciting. I felt an immediate affection for the story, as I am interested in art and know what significance it has on the world. Especially portraits are extremely important to our perception of people in the past, as well as in the present...
Secondly, Wild adds lots of historical and mythical references, which adds to the intellect of the book. For this, he pulls from Roman and Greek history, but also from many plays from Shakespeare. As an example, Wild describes characters as “Titans” (p.39), which are Greek mythical characters, or as Messalina who was the wife of the Roman emperor Claudius (p.78)...
Another aspect in which the book excels in, are the characters. Wild does a wonderful job of creating different persona, each one of them having a special charm to them. Dorian for example, is described as one of the most beautiful and pure beings on earth...
Further, I liked the language Wild used for his book as it is very sophisticated and makes the book lots of fun to read. The book is written in third person, making it possible to observe what is happening from an outside point of view. Throughout the story, passages are very well and detailed described with many adjectives, making it very easy to imagine the scenery. For example, while reading the book one will get to know England in the late 1800s well, as Wild includes lots of places that were popular during the time period. Also, I felt like there was always something super natural or dark present in the book. It was partly due to the magic and the mysticism that was involved in switching the aging process between the portrait and Dorian himself. The dark shade made the story more appealing to me...
When I was done reading the book, I thought of it as an enjoyable read with an interesting plot, this was due to several reasons. Therefore, I consider “The Picture of Dorian Gray” to be a memorable book.
One of the most interesting things about the book is it's plot. In it, Basil Hallward, a known painter, becomes friends with Dorian Gray who starts to enhance the artistic imagination of Basil. Dorian is described as pure beauty and his genius is often compared to those of historical figures. One day, as Basil finishes a portrait of Dorian, Dorian becomes aware of the fact that he will age, while the painting won't. Over time, Dorian will notice that his wish came true, as he wont age anymore, but the picture will. After all, the story will become a true tragedy as Dorian accidentally kills Basil, and in the end kills himself by trying to destroy his own portrait. I thought that the plot was compelling due to the amount of excitement which was constantly building up. Further, I liked the deep message that Wild tries to deliver through his story. I belief that even though the book was written more than a century ago it contains values and morals that could not be more recent. It seems like in today's world people are more concerned about their beauty and age than ever before. For example, as one walks down the aisles of a grocery store one will recognize tons of anti-aging products, and as one drives on the highway one will see billboards of doctor's offices that advertise surgery to re-gain twenty years of one's beauty. One can interpret this as Dorian's industry, the try to achieve what he has done. In his book though, Wild is trying to teach an important lesson, that one should not sorrow after one's beauty...
Secondly, Wild adds lots of historical and mythical references, which adds to the intellect of the book. For this, he pulls from Roman and Greek history, but also from many plays from Shakespeare. As an example, Wild describes characters as “Titans” (p.39), which are Greek mythical characters, or as Messalina who was the wife of the Roman emperor Claudius (p.78)...
Another aspect in which the book excels in, are the characters. Wild does a wonderful job of creating different persona, each one of them having a special charm to them. Dorian for example, is described as one of the most beautiful and pure beings on earth...
Lord Henry is another main character who has a special charm to him. He seems to be very wise as he guides Dorian through life and gives him lots of advice. Many of his comments are very thoughtful and have an intellectual humor to them...
Further, I liked the language Wild used for his book as it is very sophisticated and makes the book lots of fun to read. The book is written in third person, making it possible to observe what is happening from an outside point of view. Throughout the story, passages are very well and detailed described with many adjectives, making it very easy to imagine the scenery. For example, while reading the book one will get to know England in the late 1800s well, as Wild includes lots of places that were popular during the time period. Also, I felt like there was always something super natural or dark present in the book. It was partly due to the magic and the mysticism that was involved in switching the aging process between the portrait and Dorian himself. The dark shade made the story more appealing to me...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
My Top 5 List Concerning Books
This is my list of the most memorable books:
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque: This book has shown me how brutal World War I was. I have always been aware of this fact, but reading the book has shown me to this even more. Especially this summer when i went to visit Verdun, one of the biggest World War I battlefields, I remembered the book and makes it therefore very memorable for me.
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Sallinger: I truly enjoyed this book. When I read it I felt like I was Holden Caulfield myself and went on his journey. I think there are a lot of interesting characteristics about him and it was easy to understand the things that he was doing.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wild: I read this book as my summer reading and it made me aware of a lot of things in life. It showed that youth does not last forever and that I have to enjoy my youth as long as I have it. Further, I think that the language Oscar Wild used was on a very high level, which made the book an own piece of art.
Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Daeniken: I read this book a couple of months ago because I saw von Daeniken on a TV show called "Ancient Aliens." His work is for sure one of the most memorable due to his completely new approach on history. His ideas on aliens building the pyramids and extraterrestrial spaceship airports are ideas one won't forget. It was a fun read, even though his arguments were hard to belief.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger: This read was the most fun I ever had. The book consists out of two parts, the first which is an auto-biography of him, and the second part consists out of fitness tips. Even though he has had some trouble lately, I am still a great fan of him and his story. I love how he came from a small village near Graz, Austria, changed to be the most successful bodybuilder ever, became a great movie star and even managed to become California's Governor. What a story, it is the American Dream.
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque: This book has shown me how brutal World War I was. I have always been aware of this fact, but reading the book has shown me to this even more. Especially this summer when i went to visit Verdun, one of the biggest World War I battlefields, I remembered the book and makes it therefore very memorable for me.
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Sallinger: I truly enjoyed this book. When I read it I felt like I was Holden Caulfield myself and went on his journey. I think there are a lot of interesting characteristics about him and it was easy to understand the things that he was doing.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wild: I read this book as my summer reading and it made me aware of a lot of things in life. It showed that youth does not last forever and that I have to enjoy my youth as long as I have it. Further, I think that the language Oscar Wild used was on a very high level, which made the book an own piece of art.
Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Daeniken: I read this book a couple of months ago because I saw von Daeniken on a TV show called "Ancient Aliens." His work is for sure one of the most memorable due to his completely new approach on history. His ideas on aliens building the pyramids and extraterrestrial spaceship airports are ideas one won't forget. It was a fun read, even though his arguments were hard to belief.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger: This read was the most fun I ever had. The book consists out of two parts, the first which is an auto-biography of him, and the second part consists out of fitness tips. Even though he has had some trouble lately, I am still a great fan of him and his story. I love how he came from a small village near Graz, Austria, changed to be the most successful bodybuilder ever, became a great movie star and even managed to become California's Governor. What a story, it is the American Dream.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
An Example of a Great Book
The book I chose was written by Marcus Luttrell with the help of Patrick Robinson. It is called Lone Survivor and tells the story of a lost Navy SEAL Team in nothern Afghanistan. Luttrell was part of the team, and the only one who survived.
p. 55
"General Douglas MacArthur once warned the cadets of West Point that if they should become the first to allow the Long Gray Line to fail, 'a million ghosts in olive drab, brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words, Duty, Honor, and Country.' No need for ghosts in the U.S. Navy SEALs. Those words are engraved upon our hearts,"
This passage is one of my favorite. It it is a great example of the book as a whole. First, I enjoy the imagination that is brought into the text. When I read it, I see MacArthur lecturing his students and daring them to surrender. Further, the quote Lutrell gave is an excellent one, because it shows what the U.S. Military stands for. After reading the book one will have a completely new sense of what it means to be a SEAL, and Lutrell delivered this message in a good way. On the one side he explains how amazing the SEALs are in what they do, physically and mentally, and on the other side he brings in the elements honor, camaraderie and duty. These are the reasons for why I really enjoyed the book and the passage is a great example to show this. Also, I am really interested in the subject, and the book was very informative.
p. 55
"General Douglas MacArthur once warned the cadets of West Point that if they should become the first to allow the Long Gray Line to fail, 'a million ghosts in olive drab, brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words, Duty, Honor, and Country.' No need for ghosts in the U.S. Navy SEALs. Those words are engraved upon our hearts,"
This passage is one of my favorite. It it is a great example of the book as a whole. First, I enjoy the imagination that is brought into the text. When I read it, I see MacArthur lecturing his students and daring them to surrender. Further, the quote Lutrell gave is an excellent one, because it shows what the U.S. Military stands for. After reading the book one will have a completely new sense of what it means to be a SEAL, and Lutrell delivered this message in a good way. On the one side he explains how amazing the SEALs are in what they do, physically and mentally, and on the other side he brings in the elements honor, camaraderie and duty. These are the reasons for why I really enjoyed the book and the passage is a great example to show this. Also, I am really interested in the subject, and the book was very informative.
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