Saturday, October 12, 2019
Educational Goals and Philosophy :: School Teaching Learning Essays
Educational Goals and Philosophy I feel that education is the most important thing in a childââ¬â¢s life. From Kindergarten through high school, nothing has the impact like schooling. Whether it be their friends or enemies or teachers and principals, everything about it, both good and bad, will determine who that person will be. That is why I want to be a teacher. Many students, particularly high school students, lack a positive role model. Most teachers are either completely out of touch with students or live a lifestyle that the students should not emulate. I am close enough in age to be ââ¬Å"in touchâ⬠with the students I am teaching, and I would be a positive role model. Over time, my ability to connect with the students will likely diminish, but maintaining it as much as possible will be my goal. Another reason I decided to enter the profession is due to the subject I will be teaching, social studies. The core subjects in social studies, history, psychology, and civics, are often taught improperly or not taught at all, by which I mean the teacher serves as more of a baby-sitter than a teacher. Teachers in the subjects who do bother to teach it often do it in a strictly lecture style with little if any classroom participation. In history this is understandable, although there can be some participation. In my opinion, the reason for the lack of knowledge in civics and psychology can be explained by the fact that students are only supposed to digest the information rather than participate in a mock government in civics or open discussions in psychology. I think it is important that a teacher incorporate as many teaching styles as possible. One thing that my classroom will have that most classrooms do not is visuals and technology. It is more difficult for students to forget something if they have a concrete memory of it rather than just what the teacher said. I will take advantage of many promotional offers from networks such as C-SPAN that offer educational items for discounted prices or even free to educators.
Friday, October 11, 2019
What Was the Best Gift That You Have Given or Received?
Heather Nguyen Writing V Date: Sep- 19-12 Topic: What was the best gift that you have given or received? What make this gift special? ââ¬Å"The only way that you can ever know if something is of value to you is by the way it feels as you are receiving itâ⬠. We all would like to have a gift, even if the gift is invaluable or inexpensive; it also brings for all of us happiness and respectability. To me, the day I gave birth to my son is the gift I have received which changed my life forever.No word can describe how special my gift means to me. As someone quotes: ââ¬Å"Somebody said that a child is carried in its motherââ¬â¢s womb for 9 months. Somebody does not know that a child is carried in its motherââ¬â¢s heart foreverâ⬠. When he entered this world with the first sound of his crying, I knew that we blended for life. God brought my son to me as a non material gift. It was amazing while I was pregnant, the movement inside the womb, the kicks when he heard a noiseâ⠬ ¦My pregnancy was difficulty but I really enjoyed it.This gift made me stop and realize how precious and special life truly is. My house is filled full with his smiles, kisses, hugs, laughs, and loveâ⬠¦I cannot imagine what my life would be like without him. He is truly a gift. He means the world to me. I am very proud to have him in my life. Sometimes I get too much depression because of real life; I look at him, and forget what I have been though. He makes me laugh and reminds me to slow down and enjoy life. He is a miracle that makes my life happier.On the other hand, I do not have time for myself; I work harder to raise him. For example; I always wake up in the middle of the night because he is crying. Over all, even if I knew how difficult it was being, I will do anything I can do for him to become a good person. Gifts are something that are unforgettable and love the person who gives it to you. Gifts can bring people closer together. I thank God everyday for giving me t his wonderful gift. No gift that I ever received in my life can compare to this . My son is truly a special gift to me.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Hinduism and Christianity Essay
Hinduism and Christianity are two of the largest religions in the world today with nearly half of the worldââ¬â¢s population claiming one of the two as their own. Without a doubt, both religions have been extremely influential in the world. In the minds of most, this is about as far as the similarities between Hinduism and Christianity go; however, the fact is that the two religions actually have much more in common than is often perceived at passing glance. There are commonalities strung all throughout the two religions, from parallel texts of scripture to eerily similar viewââ¬â¢s concerning the nature of the divine. In this paper, I will thoroughly explore many these little known similarities. In an effort to do so as objectively as possible, I will use authoritative scriptures from the two religions themselves to state my case and provide evidence for it. First off, there are similarities in the ideas on cosmology, or how the cosmos came to be, in Hinduism and Christianity. In Christianity, God is seen as the creator of all things, in whom all things draw their very existence. This is evidenced in scriptures such as ââ¬Å"in the beginning God created the heavens and the earthâ⬠(Genesis 1:1) and ââ¬Å"in him we live and move and have our beingâ⬠(Acts 17:28). For Hindus, Brahman is viewed in quite a similar manner. The Katha Upanishad tells us that ââ¬Å"the whole universe came forth from Brahman and moves in Brahmanâ⬠¦ in Brahman it lives and has its being. â⬠Obvious similarities can be seen between the two religions view of creation from these passages (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, & Wolfe). Hinduism and Christianity also agree on the natural state of man, in that both believe that man is deluded, and can only be enlightened to the real truth by God incarnate. The bible says, speaking of man, that ââ¬Å"they are blind guides, and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pitâ⬠(Matthew 15:14). Jesus Christ is the solution for this problem though, as he says, in John 8:12, ââ¬Å"I am the light of the world: he who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life. â⬠The Hindu scriptures paint a similar picture as the Mundaka Upanishad says that men are ââ¬Å"living in the abyss of ignorance, yet wise in their own conceit, the deluded go round and round, like the blind led by the blind. â⬠Like Christ, the leading Hindu incarnation of God, Krishna, declares ââ¬Å"I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining light of wisdomâ⬠(Bhagavad Gita). The scenarios presented between man and incarnate God in the two religions bear a striking resemblance (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, Purohit, & Wolfe). The religions also seem to agree on the reason for the presence of sin and evil in the world. The Christian bible tells us, in the seventh chapter of the book of Mark, that evil comes ââ¬Å"from within, out of the hearts of menâ⬠¦ all evil things come from within, and defile the man,â⬠and that man is ââ¬Å"lured and enticed by his own desire; then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin,â⬠in James 1:14-15. The Bhagavad Gita offers a similar explanation when it asks, ââ¬Å"What is it that compels a man to commit sin, even involuntarily, as if driven by force? â⬠and replies to the question ââ¬Å"it is (human) desireâ⬠¦ all consuming and most evil; know this to be the enemy here on earth. â⬠It is evident from these passages that both religions find man and his desires to be the cause of evil and sin in the world (BibleGateway, Purohit, Rood, & Wolfe). Another similarity between the two religions can be seen in the idea of God dwelling within man. This idea is evident in Christianity through scriptures such as Luke 17:20-21, which states that ââ¬Å"the Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ââ¬ËLo, here it is! â⬠or ââ¬Å"There! â⬠for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. â⬠Also, God says, ââ¬Å"I will put my Spirit in you,â⬠(Ezekiel 36:27) and ââ¬Å"I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts,â⬠(Hebrews 8:10) speaking of his people. For Christians, this indwelling of God in man is a symbol of salvation. In Hinduism, Atman (God within) is ââ¬Å"the spirit dwelling within manâ⬠according to Swami Krishnananda, a highly respected Hindu philosopher nd monk. The Svetasvatara Upanishad says of Brahman, ââ¬Å"thou, lord of all, in the hearts of thy creatures thou hidest thyself,â⬠showing with clarity that Hindus believe God indwells people. Furthermore, the realization of this fact is linked with salvation in this religion as well. The key difference here is that for Hindus, God dwells in every man, while for Christians, God only dwells inside of those who belong to him (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, Pratte, & Wolfe). One particularly interesting similarity between the two religions is the fact that in both, God cannot be seen by all as he has concealed himself from many. Moses writes that ââ¬Å"Jehovah our God hides himself; but reveals himself to us and to our children,â⬠(Deuteronomy 29:29) and Isaiah speaks of a ââ¬Å"veil that is spread over all nationsâ⬠(Isaiah 25:7). Clearly the God of Christianity hides himself from certain people. The Bhagavad Gita declares that ââ¬Å"wisdom is veiled by ignorance, thereby creatures are deluded,â⬠and the Isa Upanishad states that ââ¬Å"the door of truth is covered by a golden disc,â⬠and asks for Brahman to ââ¬Å"remove it so that I may behold (truth). â⬠Also, both religions compare the truth of God to hidden treasure, alluding to the fact that it is concealed from humanity. Further contributing to the uncanny similarity of the two religionsââ¬â¢ positions on the matter, both also seem to claim that this truth about God can only be revealed to man by God himself, and man cannot discover God apart from this divine self-revealing (BibleGateway, Krishnananda, Purohit, Wolfe). Another similarity between Hinduism and Christianity is the idea that the material things of this world are not to be focused on because they will not last. Instead, the emphasis is placed on the eternal in both cases. In Christianity, 2 Corinthians 4:18 instructs us ââ¬Å"not to look to things that are seen but to things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. â⬠Likewise, the Hindu Katha Upanishad tells us that ââ¬Å"the wise, knowing the self as eternal, seek not the things that pass away. â⬠In each instance there is a devaluing of the temporal things of this world, and an emphasizing of spiritual well being, which will be of long-lasting importance (BibleGateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). Moreover, God is compared to both lightning and light in each religion. The bible tells us that ââ¬Å"as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day,â⬠(Luke 17:24) and claims that ââ¬Å"God is light and in him is no darkness at allâ⬠(1 John 1:5). In like fashion, the Chandogya Upanishad describes Brahman as ââ¬Å"he who dwells in the sky and makes lightning his home,â⬠and says that ââ¬Å"the world of Brahman is light itself. These comparisons to lightning and light signify the power, goodness, and truth of the God of both Christianity and Hinduism (BibleGateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). The two religions also contain stories of individuals within their scriptures which are largely parallel. For instance, the Katha Upanishad contains the story of Nachiketa, a tale which includes many similarities to the story of Christ. Like Christ, Nachiketa possesses the knowledge of truth of scriptures. Also like Christ, his father has given him over to die. The son accepts his fate and declares that ââ¬Å"like corn, a man ripens and falls to the ground; like corn, he springs up again in his season. Accepting his own impending death, Jesus Christ makes the eerily similar statement that ââ¬Å"unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it bares much fruitâ⬠(John 12:24). The similarities do not stop here either. Upon his death, Nachiketa spends three days in the house of the King of Death, and subsequently is granted a wish for the secret of immortality. In much the same way, Christ spends three days in a tomb after his death, afte r which he is resurrected to immortality. Furthermore, while in the house of the King of Death, Nachiketa is tempted by the King of Death to wish for power or riches, but he resists and gains the secret to immortality. This scenario parallels Jesus Christââ¬â¢s encounter with Satan while in the desert. He also is tempted by the ââ¬Å"king of deathâ⬠to ask for power or riches, but like Nachiketa, he resists each temptation. The congruence in the stories of Nachiketa and Christ is overwhelmingly apparent (Bible Gateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). Another intriguing parallel between the two religions is found in their moral teachings. The Ten Commandments are the basic moral teachings of Christianity, and they are paralleled by the moral teachings of the first two ââ¬Å"limbsâ⬠of yoga, yama and niyama, of which there are ten of course. However, the truly intriguing resemblance lies not in this fact, but rather in the fact that each set of moral guidelines is applied in practically the same way. In both Christianity and Hinduism, these teachings are expanded to include not only the realm of actions, but also of thoughts. For instance, the first yama, ââ¬Å"non-violenceâ⬠, means not simply refraining from acts of violence, but also not harboring internal thoughts of anger. Jesus Christ, speaking of the analogous commandment in Christianity, says ââ¬Å"you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ââ¬Ëyou shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment;â⬠but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says ââ¬Ëyou fool! ââ¬â¢ shall be liable to the hell of fireâ⬠(Matthew 5:21-22). The fact that these two religionsââ¬â¢ systems of morality are both expounded to include thoughts and motives is really quite remarkable (BibleGateway & Wolfe). Another source of correspondence between these two religions is found in the vast parallels between the lives, teachings, and purposes of Jesus Christ and Lord Krishna. First, both of these figures are the source of all being and order in their respective religions. Christian scriptures tell us that Christ was ââ¬Å"in the beginning with Godâ⬠and that ââ¬Å"all things were made through himâ⬠(John 1:1-3), and Paul asserts that ââ¬Å"in (Christ) all things hold togetherâ⬠(Colossians 1:17). Additionally, in Ephesians 1:10, God reveals his plan to ââ¬Å"unite all things in (Christ), things in heaven and things on earth. In much the same way, Krishna is described in the Bhagavad Gita as the ââ¬Å"source of all beings, Lord of all creatures, God of gods, Lord of the world. â⬠Also, Krishna claims that ââ¬Å"all this (universe) is strung on my like jewels on a string,â⬠and that ââ¬Å"the whole world of moving and unmoving things, united in my body. â⬠Consequently, each individual is set up as a foundational cornerstone in their religion. Take away Krishna and you really have no Hinduism; take away Christ and you have no Christianity (BibleGateway, Purohit, & Wolfe). Subsequently, both Christ and Krishna are the vessels through which the people are freed from their sins. Even prior to Christââ¬â¢s birth, an angel of the lord came to Joseph in a dream and said ââ¬Å"you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sinsâ⬠(Matthew 1:21). In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says ââ¬Å"he who knows meâ⬠¦ is undeluded and is freed from all sins. Furthermore, despite their immense contributions to mankind, these men were largely unrecognized by world around them. The bible states that Christ ââ¬Å"came into the world but the world knew him notâ⬠(John 1:10), and Krishna states in the Bhagavad Gita that ââ¬Å"this world is deluded and does not recognize me. â⬠In both the case of Christ and Krishna, God became a mere man and lived among the people, yet the world around them did not even realize it (BibleGateway, Purohit & Wolfe). Ironically, although the two religionsââ¬â¢ views on the divine may seem to be polar opposites, upon further inspection there is much more commonality between the two than most people realize. For starters, both religionsââ¬â¢ ideas of the divine include a holy Trinity. In Christianity, this Trinity is manifested in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although God is said to have these three different manifestations, he is still considered to be one, individual god. This is evidenced in the scripture, ââ¬Å"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lordâ⬠(Deuteronomy 6:4). Hinduism contains a divine Trinity that bares striking resemblance to the Christian Trinity. Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer, are the three personalities of the Hindu Trinity. As found in the Christian Trinity, the Bhagavad Gita tells us ââ¬Å"these three form one lord, or god, who is known by three different names according to his three functionsâ⬠(BibleGateway, Pratte, Purohit, & Roychoudhury). Also, the characteristics attributed to the divinities in each religion are similar. The God of Christianity is said to be omnipotent, or all-powerful. Mark 10:27 tells us that ââ¬Å"all things are possible with God. â⬠Similarly, Brahman is ââ¬Å"endowed with infinite powerâ⬠according to the Bhagavad Gita; therefore, both Godââ¬â¢s are omnipotent. The Christian God is also described as omniscient, or all-knowing. Psalm 147:5 tells us that ââ¬Å"his understanding has no limit,â⬠and he is described as ââ¬Å"perfect in knowledgeâ⬠(Job 37:16). Likewise, the Rig Veda tells us that Brahman is ââ¬Å"vast in mind,â⬠and has ââ¬Å"eyes on all sides;â⬠therefore, both Godââ¬â¢s are omniscient. Another attribute of the God in Christianity is his omnipresence, or ability to be all places at a single time. In Psalm 139:7, David asks ââ¬Å"Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? â⬠David then goes on to speak of how wherever he goes, God is there also. We are also told that ââ¬Å"the eyes of the Lord are in every placeâ⬠(Proverbs 15:3). Brahman, also, is said to ââ¬Å"pervade the universe;â⬠therefore, both Godââ¬â¢s are omnipresent as well. Furthermore, the Christian God is immutable as Numbers 23:19 tell us that ââ¬Å"God is not a manâ⬠¦ that he should change his mind,â⬠and in Malachi 3:6 God declares ââ¬Å"I the Lord do not change. â⬠Brahman is also immutable according to Bhagavad Gita scripture which describes him as ââ¬Å"the unchanging reality;â⬠therefore immutability is another trait both Godââ¬â¢s possess. Clearly, the two divinities have much in common with one another (BibleGateway, Brullote, Griffith, Purohit, & Rood). There are also several distinct ways in which the Godââ¬â¢s of Hinduism and Christianity are viewed in the same way. In Isaiah 45:18, God says ââ¬Å"I am the Lord, and there is none else,â⬠and in the Svetasvatara Upanishad, we are correspondingly told that ââ¬Å"(Brahman) is one without a second. â⬠In Revelation 1:8, God declares ââ¬Å"I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come. The Svetasvatara Upanishad tells us that ââ¬Å"at the periods of creation and dissolution of the universe, (Brahman) alone exists. â⬠Further, Christ himself, while being tempted by Satan, says ââ¬Å"for it is written: worship the Lord your God and serve him only. â⬠In the same way, the Chandogya Upanishad states ââ¬Å"let a man, freed from the taint of passion, worship Brahman alone. â⬠These are a few of the many areas of congru ence found in the way the Hindu God and Christian God are seen and treated by their followers (BibleGateway, Krishnananda & Wolfe). In conclusion, although Hinduism and Christianity developed in entirely different ways, in completely different locations, and around vastly different cultures and people groups, the two religions are filled with a series of wonderfully intricate and complex parallels. These interreligious parallels cover a wide variety of subjects ranging from the perception of morality to the concept of the divine. While Hinduism and Christianity are, without a doubt, two distinctly different religions, the multiple similarities found between them prove that they are not quite as diametrically opposed to one another as many would suspect. Bibliography http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/ http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/upanishad.html http://www.gospelway.com/religiousgroups/hinduism.php http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/hindu.html
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Beauty is not so easily measured
While love is something that can be sensed as being palatable and felt directly within oneââ¬â¢s self, beauty is not so easily measuredââ¬âan aesthetic that is judged by each person according to his or her own likes or dislikes. Kawabata Yasunariââ¬â¢s classic short stories ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smileâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Immoralityâ⬠both look at love and beauty and how they are measured, each in a poetic and colorful way.ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smileâ⬠is a 1929 short story, or ââ¬Å"palm of the hand story,â⬠as Yasunari called them (Ljukkonen, online), about a film writer and his relationship to beauty via his movie that is being filmed, and via his relationship with his wife and children.à It is a story about beauty and this manââ¬â¢s relationship to beauty, and the psychological relationship he has to the idea of beauty and what is behind the idea of beauty.Yasunari wrote ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smileâ⬠as a first-person account from the film writerââ¬â¢s standpoint.à The man is on location for a film he has written about patients in a mental hospital, and is in the process of discovering a final scene for his film.à He finds it one morning while ââ¬Å"gazing out on the Kamo River,â⬠(Yasunari, 1929/1990, p. 128) upon waking, finding himself amid the memories of a previous day and recalling a mask that he had seen in a display window.à It is that image that gives him the idea for his final scene of the movie, ââ¬Å"a daydreamâ⬠(p. 129) filled with masks of smiling faces.The search for the masks to be used in the film becomes the central drama of the storyââ¬âand the protagonistââ¬â¢s relationship to those masks once he takes them to his wife and children after the filming of the movie is complete.à The masks are delicate and the actors must handle them carefully.à Yet, there is some power within those masks.à The film writer decides to buy them so they can be handled with out fear of them being destroyed, and it is in the power of those masks that the protagonist realizes his own relationship with beauty.ââ¬Å"Well then, Iââ¬â¢ll buy them.à I did actually want them.à I daydreamed as if awaiting the future when the world would be in harmony and people would all wear the same gentle face as these masks.à (p. 131)His children love the masks, but he refuses to wear them.à His wife agrees to put one on, and it is in that moment that he discovers his true relationship to his wifeââ¬â¢s beauty.à ââ¬Å"The moment she removed the mask, my wifeââ¬â¢s face somehow appeared uglyâ⬠(p. 131).à It is as though he is seeing her face for the first timeââ¬âand his own idea of her beauty, or, in this case, the ââ¬Å"ugliness of her own countenanceâ⬠(p. 131).à As his wife lay in the hospital bed, he is faced not only with a new idea of beauty, but his own sense of selfââ¬âone that might appear as ââ¬Å"an ugly demonâ ⬠(p. 132) to his wife.à He would be exposed to his real self, his true nature.Psychologist C. G. Jung writes that the mask can be seen as the outer persona we show to the world, the way we want to be seen (Jung, 1929/1983, p. 96).à ââ¬Å"The mask is the ad hoc adopted attitude, I have called the persona, which was the name for the masks worn by actors in antiquityâ⬠(Jung, 1921/1983, p. 98).à The narrator is forced to confront not only what lies behind his wifeââ¬â¢s beauty/ugliness, but also his idea of his own beauty/ugliness.à The ââ¬Å"beautiful maskâ⬠(p. 132) reveals another question, too:à whether or not the face he sees on his wife could be artificial, too, ââ¬Å"just like the maskâ⬠(p. 132).à Itââ¬â¢s a perplexing question, but one that reveals, like the mask, much about the filmmakerââ¬â¢s relationship to himself and his world.While the idea of beauty colors Yasunariââ¬â¢s 1963 ââ¬Å"palm-of-the-handâ⬠story â⬠Å"Immortality,â⬠the concept of eternal love is the central theme.à In this short story, two lovers have reunited after being apart for at least five decadesââ¬âbut their reunion comes in the afterlife, as they are now each dead.à Yasunari presents a portrait of an eighteen-year-old girl and a man sixty years her senior walking through some woods in a land theyââ¬â¢d both known together while alive.à The scene is haunting as the girl is not aware the man has passed on into the afterlife until the end, when, upon that realization, the two ââ¬Å"go into the tree and stayâ⬠(Yasunari, 1963/2005, p. 326).The love between the two has been eternal, in a senseââ¬âthe girl killed herself because of her love for the man when they had to separate, and he wound up spending much of his life on the land overlooking that spot in the ocean where she died. The man has returned to the land where she died to reclaim her.à He wants to be with her forever.à However, he doesnââ¬â¢t know he is dead, and neither does she. Once she realizes he, too, is dead, they are able to reunite into eternity in nature, merging themselves into an old tree where they will live forever.Like ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smile,â⬠Yasunari uses the idea of beauty and the mask that we wearââ¬âJungââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"personaâ⬠ââ¬âas an aspect of ââ¬Å"Immortality.â⬠à The girl tells the old man, Shintaro, that she has lived in the afterlife with the image of him as a young man.à ââ¬Å"You are eternally young to me,â⬠(p. 325) she says, even though the man is now old.If I hadnââ¬â¢t drowned myself and you came to the village now to see me, Iââ¬â¢d be an old woman. How disgusting.à I wouldnââ¬â¢t want you to see me like that.à (p. 325)For the girl, memories are important.à Her spirit carries them as she lives in the afterlife.à Scholar James Hillman says that memories are important for the soul, carrying with them e nergy that thrives for the departed person.à The girl realizes this, too, in a way:à ââ¬Å"If you were to die, there wouldnââ¬â¢t be anyone on earth who would remember me,â⬠she says (p. 325).The soul, they say, needs models for its mimesis in order to recollect eternal verities and primordial images.à If in its life on earth it does not meet these as mirrors of the soulââ¬â¢s core, mirrors in which the soul can recognize its truths, then its flame will die and its genius wither.à (p. 159)The girl imagines ugliness representing old ageââ¬âthat ancient mask we all wear once we have passed from the prime years of our life.à Even though the old man is wearing that mask, she doesnââ¬â¢t see it:à she has only her memories carried with her at the time of her death, so she sees him as an eighteen-year-old, also.à For the man, he never experienced his lover as an old woman; thus, her youth is indeed eternal for him.Yasunari uses few characters in both stories, keeping each ââ¬Å"palm-of-the-handâ⬠short and simple.à The narrator in ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smileâ⬠is joined by the mask buyer, his wife, and his children in the tale, while it is only Shintaro and his young lover in ââ¬Å"Immortality.â⬠à We do not see deeply driven characterization in either story, as Yasunari essentially paints portraits of each actor through their thoughts and actions.à Like a beautiful painting of a sunset or sunrise, we must use our imagination amidst the texture and colors of the painting to grasp its deeper meaning.Indeed, Yasunariââ¬â¢s beautiful use of words shines in both stories in his colorful imagery.à It is simple:à ââ¬Å"An old man and a young girl were walking together,â⬠he writes to begin ââ¬Å"Immortality.â⬠à He ends that story almost the same way he begins ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smileâ⬠ââ¬âwith the picture of the sky.The color at evening began to drift onto the smal l saplings behind the great trees.à The sky beyond turned a faint red where the ocean sounded.à (p. 326).ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smile,â⬠on the other hand, begins with the image of the sky as well.à ââ¬Å"The sky had turned a deep shade; it looked like the surface of a beautiful celadon porcelain pieceâ⬠(p. 128).à It is a daydream of sorts, a beautiful portrait into which Yasunari takes the reader as he moves through the inner world of the film writer.Both stories are magical.à It is the ââ¬Å"magic of those treesâ⬠(p. 325) that captures the imagination of Shintaro and his young lover.à Those trees are part of land his family owned, and he later sold to the men who turned the land into a golferââ¬â¢s driving range.à The trees are on land overseeing the ocean where the girl jumped to her death.à Trees are sacred and magical in many mythologies.à Buddha gained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, and many myths use trees as the focus for rebirth (Anderson, 1990, p. 25).à In the same regard, the ocean, too, is a mythical place:à from where gods and goddess reside and in the Greek legend Odysseus sailed before being reuniting with his lover (Anderson, p. 25).The magic of ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smileâ⬠comes in the healing properties of the masks.à It is through the image of the mask that the film writer is able to create an ending for his storyââ¬âa ââ¬Å"beautiful daydreamâ⬠(p. 128) to conclude the ââ¬Å"dark storyâ⬠(p. 129).à The masks represent his own distrust of himself and the world around him, covering with an artificial beauty the truth that lies behind them.à The masks magically hide what is true and meant to be revealedââ¬âwhether it is an ââ¬Å"ugly demonâ⬠(p. 132) or an ââ¬Å"ever-smiling gentle faceâ⬠(p. 132).What is also interesting about ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smileâ⬠is in how the film writerââ¬â¢s screenplay is based on a sce ne inside a mental hospital.à We learn later that his wife is in a hospital of sortsââ¬âand we never learn the exact nature of her illness.à Could it be a mental hospital?à And might her hospitalization also be a reflection of his ââ¬Å"gloomyâ⬠personality (p. 129)?à Heââ¬â¢s afraid of what is hiding behind the masksââ¬âso much that his initial reaction to putting on the mask himself is fear.à ââ¬Å"The mask is no good.à Art is no goodâ⬠(p. 132).à Masks and art each reveal the hidden dimensions.à The film writer himself uses his films to balance his own ââ¬Å"gloomyâ⬠personality.à Yet the shadows of life are revealed through film and art, and are experienced in hospitals.à Each is an aspect of ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smile.â⬠Yasunari gives much to think about regarding our relationship to each other and ourselves in ââ¬Å"The Man Who Did Not Smile,â⬠and to our relationship with the magic of eternal love in ââ¬Å"Immortality.â⬠à Both reveal the hidden aspects of our existence on earth, offering us a short look at the feeling of living in a world of melancholy and loneliness amid what we call beauty.à Our own mortality rises from the depths of eternity through these stories, and it is in the hidden beauty of our daily lives that Yasunariââ¬â¢s works can be realized.BibliographyAnderson, William.à (1990).à Green man:à The archetype of our oneness with the earth.London:à HarperCollins.Hillman, James.à (1996).à The soulââ¬â¢s code.à New York:à Warner Books.Jung, C. G.à (1983). Definitions.à (R. F. C. Hull,Trans.). Inà A. Storr (Ed.). The essentialJung:à Selected writings.à (V. S. de Laszlo, Ed.) (Pp. 97-105).à Princeton:à Princeton University Press.à (Original work published 1921).Jung, C. G.à (1983). The relations between the ego and the unconscious.à (R. F. C. Hull,Trans.). Inà A. Storr (Ed.). The essential Jung:à Selected writings.à (V. S. deLaszlo, Ed.) (Pp. 94-97).à Princeton:à Princeton University Press.à (Original work published 1929).Ljukkonen, Petri.à (2005).à Yasunari Yasunari.à Retrieved November 19, 2005 fromhttp://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/Yasunari.htm.Yasunari, Yasunari.à (1990).à The man who did not smile.à (L. Dunlop, Trans.).à InPalm-of-the-hand Stories.à (J. Martin Holman, Trans.).à (Pp. 128-132).à San Francisco:à North Point Press.à (Original work published 1929).Yasunari, Yasunari.à (2005).à Immortality.à In (G. Dasgupta, J. Mei, Ed).à Stories aboutus.à (Pp. 323-325).à Nashville:à Thomas Nelson Publishers.à (Original work published 1963).
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Philosophy - Assignment Example He gets emotional because his son thinks he is a good dad but the society in general doesnââ¬â¢t believe that homosexuals can be good parents. Shaw tries to cheer up the mood. Brady reveals that his marriage is a fraud but he will continue to play along because it is the right thing to do. His wife is expecting another baby. Their conversation ends on a dilemma that if Brady reveals his sexual orientation he might lose his family but if he doesnââ¬â¢t he will abandon a part of himself. The conversation ends and they both depart. The essay is written in the narrative rhetoric, filled with dialogues and history about the characters. Giving insight to an adult homosexual male probably could not have been done with other rhetorical modes. It is more emotional than critical or argument-driven. As the famous philosopher says that one needs three things to convince someone; credibility, logic and emotional appeal. In this case the emotional appeal dominates the rest. It creates empathy in the readers for Brady. Shaw has not touched the philosophical debate on homosexuality as either right or wrong. She has only given an insight to the life a homosexual man who apparently has a wonderful family but his homosexual nature is restless. There are many instances where Shaw gives the narrative. For instance she brings in the comparison between Brady and David. David is mentioned to strengthen the narrative that he is a confident gay male while Brady is shy. Shaw calls him ââ¬Å"very gayâ⬠(paragraph 8). Just like a fictional story, the use of dialogues to describe personality has been used extensively. For instance Bradyââ¬â¢s own words are quoted to describe what sort of a person he is. On not telling his wife about his homosexuality he says; Had Shaw used any other mode like exposition, argumentation or description it would have either created a debate or it would have lacked the emotional appeal.
Monday, October 7, 2019
The Importance of Research in Assessing Educational System Essay
The Importance of Research in Assessing Educational System - Essay Example Through this process, the mandate on the capability of the administrators to create the most possible ways available to recreate an existing system of teaching for the sake of better learning procedures offered to the stakeholders of the situation, the students. Besides, the research proceedings designed to make the systems better are noted to make great impact on the ways by which teachers apply the efficacy in the profession that they have taken responsibility of. Education has and will always be an important aspect in the society. This idea is mainly true because of the fact that it ensures an individual sense of responsibility and it promotes independence by equipping individuals in the society valuable knowledge and skills for them to survive and become existent to their purpose. In general perspective, education significantly promotes the development and further advancement of the society as a whole by enabling the young people to become knowledgeable individuals capable of enhancing the current lifestyle and culture of the society. Thus, in like manner, the act and concept of teaching is indeed significant since it is one and the major link between education and the society. Teaching in either private or public educational institutions is always perceived to be a great and respectable profession however, challenges and problems also exist in this field. Personally, this author also recognizes the importance of the concept of teaching to the society because of its significant benefits it offers for the individuals seeking knowledge and education. Secular teaching in the established educational institutions is generally considered by this author as a profession that is well honored and valued by the people . However, many problems and issues are still needed to be address and developed to fully recognize the significance of this concept for the society. The constant change in the society then defines the importance of continuously developing the educational systems that are present in the society hence increasing the competence of teaching among the instructors of learning in support to the developments that the human community takes into serious consideration. Believably, the importance of choosing the right research design to assess the community from their willingness to approve the needed adjustments in teaching has a great impact on the manner of educating the society making each curriculum presentations rather comprehensively effective for the learners to grasp. Society has always been increasing and the population and likewise its number of students because of which, facilities in the educational institutions must also be expanded to accommodate the said increase. This author believes that every student has their own right to claim and have access to education thus they must be given a way for
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Will Your Passion Find Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Will Your Passion Find Purpose - Essay Example I have chosen these accounts as it hold relevance with my personal dilemma regarding professional life. In the passage presented by Sanyogita Aggarwal, she discussed about how proper leadership approach can ensure utmost satisfaction of the employees and enhance their performance even in a family owned business. It has also been learnt from this account that leaders must bestow care for the employees and followers, which will further make them realize about the importance of their presence in any business. The account of Andrew Goodman taught me about how leaders can reduce cultural division amid a diversified workforce. These vital understanding might act fruitful for me as a leader (Burns, 2012; Coleman & et al., 2012). In both the accounts, it is apparent that leaders must have their own values, which should be kept intact in any given situation. However, the accounts further showed that each leader must have their own work ethics that they can use to steer the followers or employees. Apart from that it has also been learnt that leaders must be goal focused in order to attain effectiveness in their approach (Coleman & et al.,
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