The Rite Of Manhood Essay -- All the Pretty Horses Maturity Essays

The Rite Of Manhood At some point in childhood, most people consider running away, most for a few days but, in some cases, forever. Many causes influence a child to run away, including fights, abuse, and unhappiness. In All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, two boys run away into the Wild West to find a life you can only read about. Though they can never find this perfect place, the journey itself is extraordinary. The reader is taken on a ride that entails danger, love, and, ultimately, self discovery. This ride has rite of passage written all over it. The novel builds and destroys a surreal adventure that describes the transition from boyhood to manhood. The novel describes the transition of John Grady from a surreal, inocuous youth to a real and painful manhood. The reoccurring theme of John Grady’s rite of passage begins with a simple conversation between father and son, a relationship in which the unsophisticated, young boy looks up to a figure of superiority. The youth of this boy is first illustrated by a conversation between the two in which John Grady’s father says, â€Å"When I come around askin you what I’m supposed to do you’ll know you’re big enough to tell me.† (McCarthy, 8) The inferiority and youth of this boy in the shadow of his father is clear here. This can also be seen when John Grady asks if he can run the ranch and his mother says, â€Å"you’re sixteen years old, you can’t run a ranch.† (McCarthy, 15) This is particularly intriguing because we are introduced to his bright, ambitious character which is only marginalized by his age. These early indications of John Grady’s youth set up a motive for running away. He is not getting the respect or recognition he feels he deserves. The latter quotation is in fact... ...at last seeing the harsh reality of the world and not the fairytale he was used to. It is unfortunate that he flung himself wholeheartedly into his adulthood because he now has to face the painful realization that youth is a gift which protects those innocent ‘heart[s]’ from a world of troubles. John Grady’s heart was not that lucky. It craved the surreal adventure and got more than a spoonful of life. In All the Pretty Horses, John Grady’s passage to manhood is symbolized by a surreal adventure that is destroyed in the end by the harsh reality of this manhood. At first it does not seem possible that John Grady could mature so quickly but the reader definitely sees him shed his happy, boyish nature by the end of the novel. And though this seems sad, it doesn’t truly matter because the lessons learned on this journey were more important than the journey itself.

The Miller Inside and Out Essay -- Character Analysis, Miller, Alison

The relationship between the Miller and the Miller’s Tale is close, for the tale is a reflection of the teller. The Miller’s tale is a fabliau, a genre best described as a short story full of ribald and humor. The Miller’s tale consists of events of â€Å"cuckoldry† (Chaucer 1720), â€Å"foolishness† (1718), and â€Å"secrets† (1719). Telling such a story, the Miller can immediately be classified as a man of low social status with a vulgar sense of humor full of shrewdness. However, as the tale continues, it reveals the unexpected soft side of the Miller as he sympathizes with the distressed woman trapped in the norms of society. Thus, the Miller’s characteristics of obscenity, deception, and sympathy drive the plot of his tale. In his attempt to surpass the Knight, the Miller sacrifices decorum for the sake of entertainment, reflecting his bawdy nature. When first traveling with the Miller, Chaucer listened to the Miller bellow â€Å"his ballads and jokes of harlotries† (1712). Scandalous topics appear throughout the Miller’s tale of a young girl â€Å"so graceful and so slim† named Alison who cheats on her husband, John, with his student, Nicholas (1720). When â€Å"handy Nicholas† first encounters Alison, he â€Å"[catches] her between the legs† and woos her, and they devise a plan to sleep with each other secretly (1721). This lecherous scheme fuels the entire plot of the tale. However, the parish clerk Absolom with his â€Å"gray eyes† and â€Å"nightingale† nature, typical attributes of lusty men, attempts to win Alison’s heart (1722, 1723). Although Absolom utilizes every method to win Alison’s heart even chewing â€Å"licorice and carda mom,† he ends up kissing her â€Å"bare bum† whereas Nicholas sleeps with her (1729, 1730). Chaucer’s initial encounter with the drunken Mi... ...nsequences (1732). By justifying Alison’s actions and letting her remain unharmed, the Miller sympathizes with the helpless Alison, revealing his unexpected sensitive quality. The drunken Miller tells his tale of obscenity, deception, and sympathy in his attempt to surpass the Knight. Although his physical traits and actions characterize the Miller as bawdy and dishonest, his hidden sympathy for Alison reveals he is somewhat gentle. Each character resembles the Miller’s attributes. Nicholas is both deceitful and lusty while Absolom is just lusty. Alison’s helplessness may exist since the Miller is helpless in his own life, causing him to steal in order to survive in the medieval society since it was harder for poorer men to make a living. Thus, the manifestations of the Miller’s characteristics and their outcomes bring light to the Miller’s true humane nature.

Aristotle the Great Philosopher Essay

Aristotle was one of the most profound philosophers of all time. He was a pupil of Plato; he adapted many of Plato’s concepts into his own. Aristotle follows in the footsteps of Plato and Socrates idea of taking the virtues to be vital in a well-lived life. Based on the precise nature, true happiness can be found. In this paper, I will discuss Aristotle’s beliefs of human good and human flourishing. Aristotle’s most influential work was Nichomachean Ethics. No one is quite sure where Nichomachean Ethics originated from; they assume it is either, a combination of lecture notes from Aristotle or his students. He believes that every human activity aims at some good; every human activity aims at some end. He believes that good equals end. Aristotle refers to good as being the object of an action. He believes people should be goal oriented no matter if the goal is morally good or bad. Aristotle thought that human actions are not haphazard, random, gratuitous, and purposeless. Otherwise, they’re relevance is the distinguishing mark of human rationality, as opposed to the instinctive ness of animal conduct or an unintentional sequence of natural events. He believes that humans seek rational means to attain their goals. (Zunjic, Books 1 & 2) Aristotle was born in 384 BCE and later died in 322 BCE. He grew up in Stagirus, which was a small Greek colony. His father was a physician to King Amyntas of Macedonia. The Macedonia Court would influence Aristotle’s life, greatly. Aristotle’s father died while he was still a child. His guardian, Proxenus, sent him to Athens. While in Athens, he became a pupil of Plato; he attended Plato’s lectures for twenty years. He then began to lecture himself, particularly about rhetoric. (Aristotle’s Biography) After Plato had died, Aristotle may have become the leader of the Academy, except his differences in teaching. They gave the leadership role to Plato’s nephew, Seusippus. Aristotle then left Athens and went to a different court. He married Pythias and then a short while after he moved to the island of Lesbos. Some years later, Aristotle was invited back to Macedonia by the King to tutor the young Alexander. Their ideas differed, which lead to an interesting relationship. (Aristotle’s biography) Aristotle taught and managed the Lyceum for twelve years, producing, during this time, his lecture notes. Only a small amount of Aristotle’s works had survived over the years. Aristotle’s works included all the major areas of thought: logic, science, metaphysics, ethics, and politics. He developed a new theory of form that differed from Plato, created a system of deductive reasoning for universal and existential statements, and produced a theory of the universe, matter, life, and mind. (Aristotle’s Biography) Aristotle expanded his knowledge significantly when he studied under Plato, if his guardian had not sent him to Athens he probably would have never studied under Plato. Though Aristotle learned a lot from Plato, his ideas also differed greatly, and he was a great thinker all on his own. Aristotle might not have been the great philosopher that he is without the guidance of Plato. â€Å"Aristotle’s style of lecturing involved walking around in in covered walkways, for which reason Aristotle was called ‘Peripatetic’ meaning walking around. † (www. about. com) Greek influences helped shape what Aristotle believed. His education under Plato was also a huge influencing factor. He believed that there were only two causes in the universe: form and matter; form and matter leads to intelligence. Aristotle was a firm believer that education and morality went hand in hand with each other. He thought it was the duty of the state to produce well rounded citizens who would lead good lives. The realization of oneself is the main way to reach goodness. Aristotle has been recognized as one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He has had essential time working with other top philosophers of his time. Years after his death, people still learn and adapt his beliefs. Aristotle was a teleologist, meaning, he believed that all existing things have a purpose. Aristotle was way ahead of his time, in his thinking. Many of the ideas he had were completely baffling to others around him. They still take a great deal of thought to grasp what he means but it is worth examining. Aristotle believes in instrumental goods and self-sufficient goods. Multiple instrumental goods are needed to achieve ourselves; they include health, friendship, wealth, knowledge, and virtue. The ancient Greek word for virtue is, ‘Arete’ meaning excellence. The excellence a person demonstrates when acting towards virtue. Virtue, when practice, begins to make us who we are. Aristotle believes that virtue must be practice habitually, so that everyone has the capacity to perfect their own character. (Aristotle Ethics Podcast 1) He believed that every idea can be traced back to the very beginning. This is known as finite regress: finite, meaning an end, and regress, meaning to trace back. Objects of thought can be traced back to the very beginning; many consequences lead to the knowledge of the object of thought. He thought that the idea in your head can be traced back, because the idea in your head is a product of everything else, even what people earlier had in their head. Once the thought reaches the corner stone, you cannot go any farther, showing it has one clear beginning. He does not believe in infinite regress that would mean there would be no defined order. (Aristotle Ethics Podcast 2) Aristotle was not concerned with his own good but, rather, the good for all humans. He called this good, eudaimonia, meaning happiness. Eudaimonia serves as the one, final self-sufficient good. He did not believe happiness was just a feeling; he believed it was also a way of living. Many have adapted this idea as human flourishing. Human flourishing involves achievement of excellence. He believes that everyone aims at some good, but different people have different ideas of what good is. The product of the activity should be better than the activity, says Aristotle. The end is the achievable good. (Kessler, 80-87) Aristotle’s beliefs can be used to view life today. His ideas of what a good is and how to reach human flourishing influence life today. When examining any thought, it is almost possible to try and trace it back to where it originated. Aristotle showed that everything has a clear beginning and end, and that everyone should try to have a life full of virtues. Aristotle’s ideas influenced many other philosophers for years after his time. He was a great influence on medieval scholasticism: much of the Roman Catholic theology shows his ideas of teleology. It was also a big influence to biology; but it was banished from physics by the scientific revolution. Aristotle is a firm believer that happiness is the most important thing in life. Ethics was the main topic Aristotle focused on, the difference between what is a right or wrong, good and evil, rule and virtues, character and vice, success and happiness. Works Cited â€Å"Aristotle – Greek Philosopher Aristotle. † About. com Ancient / Classical History. N. p. , n. d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. . â€Å"Aristotle of Stagirus – Biography. † Aristotle. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. . Flip4Learning. â€Å"Aristotle’s Ethics (Part One). † YouTube. YouTube, 04 Mar. 2012. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. . Flip4Learning. â€Å"Aristotle’s Ethics (Part Two). † YouTube. YouTube, 04 Mar. 2012. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. . â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics. † Nicomachean Ethics. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. . Kessler, Gary E. Voices of Wisdom: A Multicultural Philosophy Reader. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2010. Print.

Policing in the Modern World Essay

Law enforcement work has evolved greatly over the years – from its early introduction in Colonial America with the use of Sheriffs, who collected taxes and enforced colonial laws, to today’s sophisticated large and widespread local, state, and federal agencies. Relative to the evolvement of law enforcement work, the type of candidate that police agencies seek to fill these employment slots has also changed drastically. Today in the United States candidates for police officer positions are put through a rigorous and strict hiring process to ensure strong applicants are picked for the openings. The hiring process is lengthy and usually includes written and physical exams, oral boards, a background investigation, medical and psychological screenings, and a polygraph test. All these steps are designed to remove unsuitable applicants. I feel that I possess several character traits and leadership qualities that would help me as a sworn police officer and a leader. However, th ere are aspects of my personality that could be improved to better my chances at being successful in that particular line of work. Look more:  perseverance essay Some aspects of my character that I think would help me in a possible career in law enforcement are flexibility, intuition, patience, common sense, and I am a team player. Additionally, my leadership qualities, specifically integrity and perseverance would also benefit me in a possible career in law enforcement. Flexibility is important in the context that you never know what you will be asked and/or required to do. Every call you go on will differ from the last in some sort of aspect. Things could change moment by moment and you have to be able to adapt to those changes to effectively do your job. Flexibility also includes being able to deal with new equipment, new procedures, administrators that come and go, and politicians that come and  go. I learned very much about flexibility in the while serving as an Infantry team leader in the Marine Corps. You had to be able to adjust to changing orders and missions on the fly. I quickly realized there was no typical day while deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Learning to adjust to the situation at hand and being ready for anything played a large role in mission success and survival. Intuition is a quality that is needed by law enforcement personnel. The ability to take in a great deal of information and calculate a conclusion based upon it is extremely important in police work. As a police officer you respond to a call, talk to victims/witnesses, collect statements and evidence, and then form an educated conclusion on what happened all in a timely manner. This conclusion may even lead to the arrest of an individual. A lack of intuition could ultimately lead to the arrest of innocent people or the release of criminals. Another important aspect that one in a law enforcement capacity should have is patience. Chances are you are going to come across people, both who you work with and come in contact with on the street, which will require you to exercise extreme patience. Everyone has had a co-worker that you just cannot stand to be around. It takes patience to deal with this person and not create a hostile work environment. Then there are the people that you will meet on the streets that will be intoxicated or under the influence drugs. People under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs may act in ways that will test the patience of even the most veteran and seasoned officers. However much you are tested, by some of the people you may come in contact with, it is in the officer’s best interest to approach them in a professional manner and use tact and patience in resolving these situations. Losing your patience and possibly mistreating these people, no matter how ridiculous they behave/act, is unprofessional. These days common sense plays a large role in the policing community. Common sense knowledge is highly valued in police culture as a means of dealing with the many ambiguous situations that officers face (McNulty). Applying common sense while on the job and in your private, off-duty, life  is equally important. The use of common sense will often tell you the difference between what is right and what is wrong. This practice can help eliminate problems that may arise with the use of poor decision making. My ability to work in a team is a strength that I have learned through years of sports, employment, and the military. Being part of a team means accepting the leadership and the opinions of others regardless of your own beliefs and feelings. Teamwork is the keystone of any successful organization. Each individual must be dedicated to the whole team, be willing to act unselfishly, and communicate problems and ideas to solve them. A productive team has individuals that share common goals, a common vision and have some level of interdependence that requires both verbal and physical interaction (Sugarman). I have many strengths that I feel will make me a strong candidate for a career in law enforcement. Yet, there are some aspects of my character that need improvement; to improve in these areas would make me an even better police officer. I tend not to be candid at times, excessively trustworthy, and often I am my biggest critic. I have a tendency to not be candid at times because I am inclined to keep my opinions to myself. I think that a law enforcement officer has to have a certain level of assertiveness when making contact with offenders and members of the community. There is no room for being soft spoken when on patrol. This could be picked up as a sign of weakness by career criminals who have had dealings with law enforcement before and know what to look for. A sign of weakness can be enough for a criminal to try to exploit it to keep his or her freedom. To overcome this weakness I need to work on improving my self-confidence. I can improve my self-confidence skills by being more outgoing with my coworkers and in social situations. Excessive trust is another shortcoming of mine. I tend to not necessarily believe everything from everyone’s mouth. Still, past experiences have shown that I would never dispute them. Everyone you come in to contact with will not always be the most reliable source of information. This becomes a problem when you take every word for face value or to avoid confrontation. To  defeat this flaw I feel that sometimes disagreeing with people’s views or recollection of past events, when appropriate, will help me to express my own opinions. By expressing my own opinions I can set the facts straight as opposed to just accepting someone else’s misinformation. Perhaps my greatest weakness is that I am my own worst critic. I can beat myself up more than anyone else. Only I know all of my strengths and weakness. Typically, I will down play my strengths in a modest fashion and exaggerate my weakness. I do not think it is always a bad thing to criticize yourself if you do so in a constructive manner. It becomes a problem when the self-criticism becomes too great to effectively manage your weaknesses and learn from your past experiences. To conquer this weakness I need to learn how to not be so hard on myself. The only way to do this is to first realize that I have many qualities that are strong suited for a career in law enforcement. Secondly, by pinpointing my weakness I can explore constructive ways to improve them. As far as leadership goes, I have always prided myself on having a positive working relationship with fellow employees or teammates all while maintaining the highest possible standards for mission success. The two aspects are very important to any organization. I believe the Team Style Method of leadership is the most rewarding. A person who feels they are a constructive part of the unit is more likely to produce a higher level of output for the success and overall gain of that unit. Using this method increases both the individuals’ and the unit’s chance to prosper from the accomplishments made. In my opinion it is a win-win situation. There are many traits that a great leader will possess. The most essential traits I feel a good leader should have are integrity and perseverance.   Integrity can be defined as owning and adhering to high degree of moral values and professional standards. The function of integrity serves leaders well in the aspect that they are incorruptible and incapable of breaking the trust of those who have confined in them. Leaders with integrity must have an unwavering commitment to culturally accepted values and be willing to defend them (McCrimmon). This requires them to do the right thing even if it is not in their personal interest and when no one else is watching them. Leaders with integrity are responsible, trustworthy, and consistent. Should a leader ever lose their integrity it is virtually impossible for them to get it back. A second aspect of leadership I feel is very important for any leader to have is perseverance. Perseverance is the desire to continue under any circumstance that may emerge. A Master Sergeant once told me that, â€Å"You have to be at your best, even when your men are at their worst†. This quote has remained with me for many years and, to me, exemplifies the very meaning of perseverance. Someone who displays this character trait keeps their eyes on the goal and pushes themselves to accomplish the objective at hand. I look forward to starting an exciting and successful career in law enforcement. While I know I possess many attributes that would make me an excellent officer, I realize that there are some traits that are in need of attention. I can only work to improve weaknesses I have by admitting to the problems and uncovering positive solutions to set them straight. To be successful at this task will take a great deal of dedication and self-reflection. In addition to my weaknesses, I must keep my good characteristics strong. Works Cited McCrimmon, Mitch. â€Å"What Is Leadership Integrity?† Suite101. Suite101, 11 2008. Web. 20 Nov 2012. . McNulty, E. W. (1994), Generating Common Sense Knowledge Among Police Officers. Symbolic Interaction, 17: 281–294. doi: 10.1525/si.1994.17.3.281 Sugarman, K. (2004) Understanding the Importance of Teamwork [WWW] Available from: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni13a2.htm [Accessed 20/11/2012]

Describe your son room Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe your son room - Essay Example The furniture rises out of this mess as varying levels of more of the same. The bed I gave him was a wooden framed futon with a full-sized black mattress but all one can see of this is one side of the wooden frame closest to the wall where an inexplicable and largely inaccessible hole exists in the mess reaching all the way to the floor – only a few wrappers here and a couple other pieces of trash. The rest of the bed is more of the same scattered blankets, clothing and pillows. The desk is recognizable thanks to the computer monitor and keyboard, but these are crowded as well by piles of papers and unopened mail. A standing lamp rises disdainfully out of the boxes and bundles piled up against one wall that haven’t moved since we moved here more than a year ago and a TV set peeks out from under yet more clothes slung over its top as if it were a waiting valet. I don’t dare peek in the closet for fear of what monsters might exist in there. At one point in time, I would have thrown a fit for him allowing his living space to become such a danger zone but over the years I have determined that I have other things to spend my energy on. He is uncomfortable in his room but I am allowing him to discover on his own the joy and the relaxation available when one can simply rest in their own quiet, private, clean space – something not at all possible in the room’s current state forcing him to frequently invade his cleaner sister’s room or vacate the house altogether in order to find a place to relax. As long as he keeps his door closed so none of his disaster spills into the rest of the house and he avoids destroying the rest of the house as he has his room, I try to stay out of his business. He had an entire childhood of having to keep his room clean; now that he’s a teenager, it’s time for him to choose when he wants to actually grow up and take care of his

Canadas Electoral System at the Federal level. Political Participation Essay

Canadas Electoral System at the Federal level. Political Participation in Canada - Essay Example This has not been the situation in Canada. Appointive change has been an exceedingly wrangled about the issue all through Canadian legislative issues. As of now, Canada's appointive framework is being addressed for its powerlessness to mirror the political perspectives of its residents. The single member plurality system (SMP), which Canada utilizes to create a just election, can make agents be chosen without most of the well-known votes. Interestingly, the arrangement of proportional representation disposes of a disparity in parliament synthesis by guaranteeing representation from each gathering that got votes. Despite the fact that this framework would unavoidably bring about minority governments, it would properly take into account the perspectives of the constituents. To create a more successful government, Canada's single member plurality framework ought to be supplanted by an arrangement of proportional representation (PR). Single Member Plurality framework vs Proportional Representation Canada's present single member plurality appointive framework is frequently depicted as a "first past the post† framework. The path, in which this framework capacity works, is that every voter is permitted one vote and the competitor with the most votes (or a majority) gets to be chosen. Then again, proportional representation can be expert through a large number of discretionary strategies. However, for accommodation, we will concentrate essentially on the two most outstanding frameworks: party list framework, and mixed member proportionality. Finally, we will conclude with answering which electoral system would be best for Canada at the federal level?

A Profile of Mr Bean's Carrier in Comedy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Profile of Mr Bean's Carrier in Comedy - Essay Example Mr. Bean’s humor is atypical for a British sitcom. For example, British comedy series usually employ satire, parody, sarcasm and dry humor. But breaking away from this tradition, Mr. Bean thrives on a mix of visual and physical humor. While it is logical to believe that this type of slapstick humor appeals to children and adolescents, Mr. Bean’s appeal is near universal spanning across age, gender, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Described as â€Å"a child in a grown man’s body†, the endearing character goes about everyday tasks in a disruptive yet funny manner. Mr. Bean, or for that matter any other character in the series, speaks much. This adaption to the ‘silent movie’ genre works very well, as it resonates with classic comic works of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, etc. Background laughs are added to accentuate the effect and to imply humor. The recurring motifs of the show, in the form of the troublesome car, the tenuous love affair with Irma Gobb, his most intimate companion the Teddy bear, etc, all help to heighten the humor. Childlike in his behavior and thoughts, Mr. Bean gets himself into various sorts of crises. Though some of the situations he gets himself into are serious, most of them are light and trivial. Moreover, Mr. Bean is always finding new ways of annoying and offending people around him. The plots are constructed in such a manner that comedy takes precedence over realism or credibility of situations. This is not such as bad thing for the audience as they get maximum worth out of the time spent. It is a testament to the success of the TV series, that movie and animation adaptations followed - Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie and Mr. Bean (animated) respectively. Books and DVD’s inspired by the original show also came forth. The outstanding commercial success of the show and its adaptations are complemented by critical appreciation as well.