Knowledge Kills Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay

Albert Einstein once said â€Å"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.† Knowledge can be good because it makes one successful. Then, it can also be very bad such as a criminal being too smart for the police, he or she can keep committing crime. Too much knowledge is dangerous because it may harm many, which means that many die or get scarred for life because of one simple guy with an excess of knowledge. First of all, too much knowledge can cause one to judge. Victor states â€Å"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I have endeavored to form?† (Shelley 47). In this quote, Victor judges the monster as soon as he is born. Due to the monster looks and†¦show more content†¦This is parent-child conflict. Victor is the parent of the monster and he just leaves him to be hated and not raised correctly. This has irresponsibility all over it, because due to this stupid act hi s life is tortured by Frankenstein. This quote also has another way of showing irresponsibility. Victor created this creation and it goes around and kills many throughout the book. Though, if Victor were to be responsible for his own creation, then nobody would have died. This could have lead Victor’s life to be great. With all that knowledge Victor just wasn’t responsible enough, so he shouldn’t have even created the monster. In real life, many that have an excess of knowledge tend to be irresponsible such as they get too smart to use certain materials. There is always a procedure to go through when doing something and when someone is too smart they don’t follow the procedure and bad consequences can happen. Also, another example is that Victor knows he is really smart and he never thought of what could happen if he made the monster. In this case due to his irresponsibility he could not handle the monster and he starts killing and being a fear to many. A ll of that happens just because of one who is too smart and can’t take responsibility of his own creation. Too much knowledge can also be a weapon. Third, knowledge can be used as a weapon of harmShow MoreRelatedFrankenstein, By Mary Shelley1727 Words   |  7 Pages Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most well known gothic horror novels ever written. It was written during the Industrial Revolution, which explains why it explores the dangers of too much knowledge. This book serves as an ominous warning that warns us that the power of science, if not properly limited, will cause misfortune and unhappiness. Frankenstein s monster, although an incredible feat of science, quickly leads to one tragedy after the next, before ultimately leading to Frankenstein’sRead More The Concepts Of Knowledge And Happiness In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1001 Words   |  5 Pagesexample, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow† (Shelley 60). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she expresses her beliefs regarding the danger of pursuing happiness through the attainment of knowledge, because true happiness is found in the emotional connections established between people. The pursuit of knowledge is not necessarily an evil thing, but itRead MoreMonsters within a Young Girl’s Mind: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley1379 Words   |  6 Pages The interpretation of the young girl’s ghastly nightmare, fashioned by her own imagination derived the novel â€Å"Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus.† Mary Shelley began, putting pen to paper reveling her cautionary tale, a moral lesson hidden within a horrifying story that would awaken thrill and terror in her audience. Mary felt that if this was not accomplished, the novel would not live up to its title â€Å"The Modern Prometheus.† She relates to geographic elements that are subsequent the French RevolutionaryRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1601 Words   |  7 Pagessubstance itself.†(Mary Shelley) An author’s personal story and background has an immense impact on literature and culture. It affects the style of the writing and ultimately the topics and themes they write about. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is an exceptional example of how a person’s experiences influence literature and culture. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor, his monstrous creation, and the consequences both he and the monster had to live through. Mary Shelley’s traumatic earlyRead MoreFrankenstein by Mary Shelley640 Words   |  3 Pagessublime. Mary Shelley’s Romantic and Gothic novel, Frankenstein, opens with a series of letters from Robert Walton, an explorer, to his sister. Throughout these letters, Victor Frankenstein’s story is told. He was born into a wealthy family, and studies at a well-known school, where he develops an interest in biology. Eventually, Frankenstein is able to bring corpse back to life. He is horrified by his creation and abandons t he monster. The monster eventually kills everyone that Frankenstein loves andRead MoreComparison Between Frankenstein And Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1644 Words   |  7 Pagescomparing the creature in Mary Shelley’s original novel Frankenstein to multiple newer representations. The creature is portrayed differently in almost all illustrations; unfortunately, all modern representations of the creature tend to be wrong. The creature’s physical characteristics, intellectual abilities, morals, and actions are all drastically different when comparing modern representations to Shelley’s actual portrayal of the being, and these changes can ruin Shelley’s depiction of who the creatureRead MoreThe Intellectual Pursuit and Its Social Counterpart in Frankenstein1056 Words   |  5 PagesIntellectual Pursuit and Its Social Counterpart Victor Frankenstein, as a scientist, has a burning passion and an infinite curiosity for the science of reanimation. After spending years studying what is known of the subject, Victor makes a discovery that would have been considered an enormous scientific breakthrough. However, once Frankenstein applies this new science, the science becomes a detriment to society, never to be attempted again. Frankenstein ignored the social implications of the science ofRead MoreTheme Of Isolation In Frankenstein1077 Words   |  5 PagesIsolation in Frankenstein The consequences of isolation can be both physical and emotional. For the characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, isolation does both in varying degrees.Through Victor’s self-destructive path for knowledge and revenge, the creature’s descent from curiosity and benevolence to misery and revenge, and Walton’s journey to the Arctic, Mary Shelley explores the theme of isolation in that whether it is intentional or not, isolation only leads to negative consequences. Read MoreGood and Evil in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay853 Words   |  4 PagesGood and Evil in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley. She was born in 1797 and died in 1851. Her parents were also progressive writers, and their work would have influenced Shelleys work. Frankenstein is written in the gothic horror genre. The idea of Frankenstein actually came to Mary Shelley in a half waking nightmare. She herself said, When I placed my head on the pillow I did not sleepà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ My imagination, unbiddenRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein Nineteen-year-old Mary Shelley didn’t know when she began it that her â€Å"ghost story† would become an enduring part of classic literature. Frankenstein is an admirable work simply for its captivating plot. To the careful reader, however, Shelley’s tale offers complex insights into human experience. The reader identifies with all of the major characters and is left to heed or ignore the cautions that their situations provide. Shelley uses the second person narrative

My Ish Yi - 1189 Words

McCauley ENG – 102 8 April 2014 5-1-5-0 Somebody Call the Popo Katie, a freshman at East Carolina has a boyfriend, Jason who is a junior at East Carolina takes every chance he gets to call her names and degrade her. One Saturday afternoon I went over to Katie’s house to find her with her eyebrow slashed and bleeding, black eye, as well as bruises all over her. I stated â€Å"What happened to you? Are you okay? I am taking you to the hospital!† She had said that Jason had done this to her and not to tell anyone. I did as she told me to do and the situation only got worse. As I noticed the violence progressing I told authorities; I needed to help my best friend. Domestic violence is emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a†¦show more content†¦When police are notified of what is going on it is often too late. From being told how and what to do something can make people have psychiatric problems. Having mental problems is the cause of PTSD in domestic violence is from the abuser ma king the victim think that, that is the only way they should be treated and when they get out of it flash backs occur. The PTSD can come from being hit or yelled at all the time. Not only in the victim but the witness can develop psychiatric problems. When the child is a witness of the beatings going on it can make them skittish or often violent. Children who grow up in violent homes have much higher risks of becoming drug or alcohol abusers or even being involved in abusive relationships, as an abuser or a victim. Children do not have to be abused themselves in order to be impacted by violence in the home. When the child is at school they may seem to be depressed or have anxiety issues. The child can end up being so depressed on what has occurred in his or her life and think that suicide is the only way out of what they are feeling. When the male is the abuser in the relationship can kill his partner because she ended up pregnant and he does not want the baby and he thinks that is the only way for her to not have it. The abuser will kill the victim for anything that they do notShow MoreRelatedSubject and Verbs2081 Words   |  9 Pagesblacken madden soften harden sweeten †¦ A. The part of speech of the words in list A belongs to adjective category. The suffix â€Å"en† is attached to the words in list A. The other morphemes can be attached to the words in list A such as â€Å"er†, â€Å"est†, â€Å"ish† B and C. The words in list B are all the verbs E.g. sharp – sharpen The derived verb form â€Å"sharpen† means â€Å"to make sharp something†. The suffix â€Å"en† introduces a new element of meaning, roughly means â€Å"make something X†Read MoreThe Implementation Of A Pv Model Using Matlab / Simulink Software2894 Words   |  12 Pagesto (6) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Where; I: Output current of PV array Iph: Photo current Id: Diode current Ish: Shunt current Ki: Cell short circuit current temp. Coefficient Tc: Working temperature Tref: Reference temperature Is: Cell saturation dark current Q: Charge (1.6e-19C) A: Ideal factor Voc: OpenRead MoreCountry Notebook China49845 Words   |  200 Pagesat o n my gnrlcnis ft at o ee tn opoli l i hsad n wfad hde adhr ee l ostoal st gnri s fep n u n ubn ad i n cir n t e ay s e w ao e cd g e l n e ui r l eish peo eo ote gnri sf ree tn ad vni gnri sin udrh n e ay xtt hnm nn f r ee tn, ugnri s n ee fe ee tn li net v sl s e he ao o ao v ao v g e sm ro Ab f i ioe hlig aet m a eof i a l s fn e n r ts e . . g my t d e e Aui e hnm nn f e h eea i it oe hd oc t ta be ef cd ya it cut. n u peo eo ot C i s f l sh n ci plyh hs en n r b l nh ony q h n my e l i

Corporal Punishment Is Physical Abuse Essay Example For Students

Corporal Punishment Is Physical Abuse Essay Corporal Punishment Is Physical Abuse Essay Corporal punishment is the execution of a judicially imposed sentence that inflicts a manner of physical pain upon the offenders body without killing him. In the past corporal punishment included flogging, whipping, branding and facial or bodily mutilation of all types. Corporal punishment also refers to the discipline of children at home and in schools but it was made illegal for punishing schoolchildren in 1986. Historically, corporal punishment was used in the ancient law codes of Hammurabi and Moses, in laws of Sparta and other Greek city states, in early Christian church teachings and in Anglo-Saxon common laws. It is still used in many parts of the world and remains in the criminal codes of several European communities. In the twentieth century, corporal punishment has received severe criticism. Many people believe it is a barbaric relic of a bygone age, completely opposite with present day humanitarian ethics. With a rising crime rate many are favouring the reinstitution of physical punishment for very wicked crimes. It has been shown that many adults in England want the restoration of corporal punishment for certain crimes, hoping that it will effect the reaction against an ever increasing amount of crime. The use of corporal punishment on children has also dropped sharply. In many school systems of the United States, for example, corporal punishment has been outlawed, it is also illegal in countries such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. Corporal punishment for certain offences is very effective, because its done quickly and feared by all. Not only will it teach the offender not to repeat his violent actions but it will also discourage him. It teaches the school boy or convict that doing wrong will be followed by pain and suffering. When used justly and without anger the giver is not brutalised. In many independent schools where it still occurs it is thought of as a final punishment. It accustoms the pupils to the hardships of real life and no bitterness is left after it has been used for good reasons. It is always impossible to make the punishment fit the crime, with corporal punishment the amount can be adjusted to suit the offender. It is much better than other punishments which are deadening to the mind and the body. Schools which dont find corporal punishment essential, especially for young children, substitute it with other methods which are equivalent to terrorising. Detentions are also harmful because they increase the nu mber of hours a boy is forced to spend indoors in physical inactivity. His restlessness is increased by the enforced restraint which leads to further offences against discipline. Corporal punishment is humiliating and harmful to the sensitive victim, while it is no discouragement to the hardened culprit who often boasts about it to his friends and girlfriends trying to impress them as though it were a battle of honour. It appeals to the strain of cruelty that exists somewhere in everyone. If it were true that corporal punishment accustoms children to lifes hardships then every boy should receive its benefits daily. Corporal punishment is an excuse for laziness in teachers. By using terror instead of discipline, a bad teacher can continue his work when otherwise the impatience of the students would force him to change his method. Detentions are more effective because they interfere with the boys leisure time , which worries him far more than physical pain, and may give him an opportunity for impression. In modern schools there are many opportunities for physical exercise and its nonsense to imply that depriving a boy of this is physically harmful. The greatness of little red riding hood Essay The infliction of c orporal punishment on a person who regards violence as a means of achieving his ends is not likely to have any correct action; on the contrary, past experience has shown that it will lead to a deeper feeling of hatred towards authority and society. I believe that discipline is necessary in the raising and teaching of children so they can become social, productive and responsible adults. Punishment is a method of disciplining and corporal punishment is only one aspect of punishment. Parents and teachers who lower themselves to physical violence and aggression in order to control children are setting an example that children may try to follow (Bandura, 1967). This is the hypocrisy of Do what I say, not what I do, but the actions are often louder than the words. By refusing to use physical punishment, perhaps we can refine and develop other techniques which may prove more beneficial than the easy .

My Ivory Tower free essay sample

My earliest memory: I am watching my father in battle. The sun glints off his bronze armor, his red cape swishes as he raises his spear with its rounded duct-tape tip. I sit on my long hair, a flower wreath atop my head, pulling at grass with my toes. My parents have been medieval re-enactors since long before my birth. Week long medieval camping events across the country have shaped me into a girl who doesn’t quite seem to belong in the 21st century. I can juggle, belly dance, shoot arrows, sing lauds, recite ballads, barter, dine with a king and put a knight in armor. Until recently, however, I could barely turn a computer on or find my way through my neighborhood. This past April, my class flew to Mississippi for a week of Katrina relief work; reconstruction and interviewing victims. I saw a different world that week, one full of people who had never turned away from reality; theyd had to face it every day, relying only on their own strength to sustain themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on My Ivory Tower or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Meeting these people showed me that I had boxed myself into an outdated feminine ideal; I had kept myself essentially helpless. Because the medieval world was my childhood, I wanted to embody it forever. After Mississippi, however, I knew it was time to learn to fight my own dragons. I contacted a former teacher and asked if I could volunteer on his farm, and convinced my parents to let me visit our former Swedish exchange student. There was certainly nobody kissing my hand on the farm. I was getting exactly what I had wanted; an experience to show me that I could be strong and independent. I worked twelve hours a day for a month, my hair in long braids, tossing hay-bails, gardening, and carrying buckets of animal food. Although I sobbed the first night, homesick and intimidated by the work, I came to think of the farm as a second home. In July, I flew alone to Stockholm. During my month there, I struck out into the city many times. I knew I would get lost, and I often did, but I learned to read a map. On my last day there, I decided to get my first haircut. When I sat down in the salon chair, everyone in the shop stopped to watch. I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes. There was a sharp snip, and over two feet of blond curls fell away, lifting a weight I didn’t know was there. I reached up to feel my hair. It felt like I reached up forever. I don’t intend to forget of whence I came, but I do intend to become a part of where I am. While I will always love the old world, I want to be a woman of my time. My ivory tower has crumbled now, and I know I can never go back, but that’s all right, because Im ready to explore this new world.

What Matters free essay sample

Money, sex, cars, and clothes; these are things that are glorified in the world today and as what matter in life. You won’t hear a fifth grade teacher telling her students that these are the things that matter in life, but television, music, and movies do a great job at it. The American Dream is about becoming wealthy so you can have whatever you want. What is the definition of wealthy though? The only true wealthy persons in the world are the ones with morals. Without them, we are heartless fiends after material possessions. The United States of America prides itself on our compassion and willingness to help countries in duress. Aiding third world countries millions of miles away is a prime example of morality. Our conscious would not let us live with our fortunes while there are nations with their population suffering from malnutrition. We become so guilt ridden whenever seeing a picture of a person in that situation that we have to do something about it. We will write a custom essay sample on What Matters or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Without our morals, many of people would be dead due to its absence and the absence of our aid. If you think that the gap between the wealthy in the U.S. is big, just imagine what it would be like if there were no such things as welfare and medicare. Slavery would still be happening since there would be nobody how would stand up and say that it is wrong. I wouldn’t even be writing this paper if it weren’t for morals, which is why it is what really matters. What Matters free essay sample There was a time I hated him, when we were both very young. He was awkward to look at, all spindly legs and gangly arms. I had never before met someone so haughty, so incredibly rude, and just generally obnoxious. He produced a lot of saliva whenever he spoke, which in turn made him sound like the victim of a perpetual cold. The most exasperating thing about him, by far, was his inability to sit still. He would meander about the classroom, slinking from desk to desk, always making a scene out of avoiding contact with the floor. To know him then was a terrible misfortune. However, that period was brief, and is often forgotten about. Past affairs are exactly that: past affairs. Now is what matters, and to know him now is the greatest joy. He is still quite awkward to look atnow even more soas his limbs are twice as lanky and his gait three times as fluid. We will write a custom essay sample on What Matters or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page His face is uncannily boyish and doesn’t quite coincide with his antique attire. But I have never known someone with such a beautiful soul as his. He is the type of person that is not quite sure if he can be loved, yet still manages to give out more than anyone could reasonably afford. Happiness comes and goes for him in tidal waves. There are days when he erupts with blissfulness; there are days when he is catatonic. Most days he appears to be caught in between the two, lost somewhere within himself. These are the days when he always responds with an â€Å"I’m fine† and a meager grin, although his eyes betray his words, incapable of concealing the truth. The truth is that he is constantly on the brink of destruction. Never before have I encountered a person so tortured. His mind harbors demons he refuses to let anyone see, though the effect that they have on him is exceedingly clear. They haunt him, cloud his heart with doubt, fool him into believing he is worthless. The negativity follows him everywhere, pervading the surrounding air like thick black smoke, choking all who dare tread near him. I believe that there is a part of him that is tired of running, a part that wants to succumb, just to know what it is like not to live in fear. I also believe that there is a part of him that wants, more than anything, to be savedthough he rarely feels that he is worth saving. It is hard, at times, to determine which side will prevail. I will never tell him, but he has a way about him that is utterly captivating. He often studies me, head cocked slightly to one side, one eye squinted, and right when I feel as if I might melt under his scrutiny, he grins and murmurs something like â€Å"We should see each other tomorrow. We’ll drink coffee and smoke cigars and listen to old albums.† Then, when we meet the next day, we do anything but that. I live for waking up on gray mornings entwined in his arms, his breathing in time with my heartbeat; lazy afternoons in his living room, lying on the floor as he clumsily strums his guitar and half-sings something he wrote; nights that drag on and on as we drain bottles of wine and dance to his father’s old records. His presence awakens every cell in my body. He inspires me to be better, not just for him, but for the world. I strive to make him as proud of me as I am of him. He does not say goodbye. A glaring fault of his, I am driven mad by the lack of courtesy. Conversations on the phone are left open ended. Departures in person consist of a nod and a swift turn of the heel, at most. Whether this is his choice, or simply something he isnt capable of doing, I will never know. â€Å"It’s pointless,† he says to me whenever I try to argue. â€Å"Why make things harder for yourself? Think of how much happier everyone would be if they only ever said hello.† It frustrates me to no end when he says this. I am left sputtering, even as he rolls his eyes and leaves the room. â€Å"But you don’t understand,† I call after him. â€Å"Goodbyes are everything.† My words have yet to resonate with him, though. Even when he left to study abroad for a year, he refused to speak to anyone for two weeks prior to his voyage. I bring this up to him often; I tryin vainto articulate just how much it hurts when he does things like that. He replies with a you-know-how-I-am kind of look and an apologetic shrug. When he decided to leave again, this time for much longer than a year, he did so quietly and abruptly, as was his way. I remember waking up alone that gray morning, leaping out of bed, running through the house, screaming his name. Finding his body crumpled in the bathroom, finding his spirit no where. Wanting to peel off everythingfrom his shirt to the very nailpolish I was wearingand evaporate into the dawn. Never before had I felt so hollow. I remember tearing through his belongings, through my belongings, desperately seeking a note, a picture, a sign. Collapsing beside him, demanding a reason. His silence was deafening. I should have been used to it by then; he had always been that way. It was a glaring fault of mine to expect anything else. However, our past faults are just that: past faults. I had the great fortune of knowing him, of loving himand that is what matters. To love him was the greatest joy.

The Roots of Colorism, or Skin Tone Discrimination

The Roots of Colorism, or Skin Tone Discrimination How does  colorism  play out in America? An old children’s rhyme captures the definition of colorism and its inner workings: â€Å"If you’re black, stay back;If you’re brown, stick around;If you’re yellow, you’re mellow;If you’re white, you’re all right.† Colorism refers to discrimination based on skin color. Colorism disadvantages dark-skinned people  while privileging those with lighter skin. Research has linked colorism to smaller incomes, lower marriage rates, longer prison terms, and fewer job prospects for darker-skinned people. Colorism has existed for centuries, in and out of black America. Its a persistent form of discrimination that should be fought with the same urgency as racism. Origins In the United States, colorism has roots in slavery, because slave owners typically gave preferential treatment to slaves with fairer complexions. While dark-skinned slaves toiled outdoors in the fields, their light-skinned counterparts usually worked indoors at far less  grueling domestic tasks.   Slave owners were partial to light-skinned slaves because they often were family members. Slave owners frequently forced slave women into sexual intercourse, and light-skinned offspring were the telltale signs of these sexual assaults. While slave owners didnt officially recognize their mixed-race children, they gave them privileges that dark-skinned slaves didnt enjoy. Accordingly, light skin came to be viewed as an asset in the slave community. Outside the United States, colorism may be more related to class than to white supremacy. Although  European colonialism has undoubtedly left its mark worldwide, colorism is said to predate contact with Europeans in Asian countries. There, the idea that white skin is superior to dark skin may derive from ruling classes typically having lighter complexions than peasant classes. While peasants became tanned as they labored outdoors, the privileged had lighter complexions because they didn’t. Thus, dark skin became associated with  lower classes and light skin with the elite. Today, the premium on light skin in Asia is likely tangled up with this history, along with cultural influences of the Western world. Enduring Legacy Colorism didn’t disappear after slavery ended in the U.S.  In black America, those with light skin received employment opportunities off-limits to darker-skinned blacks. This is why upper-class families in black society were largely light-skinned. Soon, light skin and privilege were linked in the black community. Upper-crust blacks routinely administered the brown paper bag test to determine if fellow blacks were light enough to include in social circles. â€Å"The paper bag would be held against your skin. And if you were darker than the paper bag, you weren’t admitted,† explained Marita Golden, author of Don’t Play in the Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex. Colorism didn’t just involve blacks discriminating against other blacks. Job advertisements from the mid-20th century reveal that African-Americans with light skin clearly believed their coloring would make them better job candidates. Writer Brent Staples discovered this while searching newspaper archives  near the Pennsylvania town where he grew up.  In the 1940s, he noticed, black job seekers often identified themselves as light-skinned: â€Å"Cooks, chauffeurs, and waitresses sometimes listed light colored as the primary qualification- ahead of experience, references, and the other important data. They did it to improve their chances and to reassure white employers who†¦found dark skin unpleasant or believed that their customers would.† Why Colorism Matters Colorism yields real-world advantages for individuals with light skin. For example, light-skinned Latinos make $5,000 more on average than dark-skinned Latinos, according to Shankar Vedantam, author of The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives.  A  Villanova University study of more than 12,000 African-American women imprisoned in North Carolina found that lighter-skinned black women received shorter sentences than their darker-skinned counterparts. Research by Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt found that darker-skinned black defendants were twice as likely as lighter-skinned black defendants to get the death penalty for crimes involving white victims. Colorism also plays out in the romantic realm. Because fair skin is associated with beauty and status, light-skinned black women are more likely to be married than darker-skinned black women. â€Å"We find that the light-skin shade as measured by survey interviewers is associated with about a 15 percent greater probability of marriage for young black women,† said researchers who conducted a study called â€Å"Shedding ‘Light’ on Marriage.† Light skin is so coveted that whitening creams continue to be best-sellers in the U.S., Asia, and other nations. Mexican-American women in Arizona, California, and Texas have reportedly suffered mercury poisoning after using whitening creams to bleach their skin. In India, popular skin-bleaching lines target both women and men with dark skin. That skin-bleaching cosmetics persist after decades signals the enduring legacy of colorism. Sources Golden, Marita. Don’t Play in the Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex. Anchor, 2005.Staples, Brent. As Racism Wanes, Colorism Persists. The New York Times.Vedantam, Shankar. Shades of Prejudice. The New York Times.

Is there an afterlife and what would be required for an afterlife Essay

Is there an afterlife and what would be required for an afterlife - Essay Example Death has been considered the only certain thing in life. There is even consensus to the effect that a number of changes take place during the transition from life to death, which therefore follows that changes making up life are distinct from those making up survival. In distinguishing these two varying changes, we can give a number of personal identity criteria through time to explain death (Baillie, 1993). First, we can use a criterion that has been popularized by Hume, Plato and a multiplicity of world religions. According to this criterion, human beings are either immaterial souls or even pure egos (Hume, 1739). This can be construed to mean that human beings possess the physical bodies only on a contingent basis and therefore not a necessity as far as living (in this life and the afterlife) is concerned. This being the case therefore, it is proper to argue that human being continues to live even after death. If anything their bodies are contingent and not necessarily a must-hav e in their living and especially their afterlife (Ayer, 2006). The second criterion has to do with the claim that a human being has two distinct components namely a body and a mind. This criterion, the so-called Cartesian Dualism, named so in honor of Rene Descartes, claim that the two components namely, the material body and the immaterial mind are distinct and therefore can exist separately. In fact it goes on to claim that the immaterial mind can exist separately from the material body particularly when the material body dies. This idea has however failed to convince many people because of a number of obvious faults in the reasoning behind it. For instance, is it logical for an immaterial mind to effect any change in a material body? This is the main problem that this idea has been unable to address, a problem that has since assumed the name â€Å"the problem of interactionism† (Levine, 1989). The reasons that Hume advance in arguing that death is survivable are convincing in whichever one looks at them. For instance, I am convinced that there must be another component that leaves the body to rot, otherwise what happened when a human being is resurrected by a supernatural being. Does he/she resurrect with another body or the same body which at the time must have long decomposed. This clearly demonstrates just how probable a human being might possess a separate invisible component that is left behind after his/her fresh dies and subsequently decomposes (Jerome, 1966). In opposing the idea of an afterlife, Hume argues that every creature’s ability is always proportionate to the task ahead of it. This is best demonstrated in a Hare’s or an Antelope’s ability to out-run a fox or a Lion respectively. It is also the reason why a Hare have not been equipped with the ability to appreciate Operas, which would be superfluous to its life. Given that a match between abilities and tasks has been found to cut across all creatures, it is reason able to assume that we are also matched to the tasks before us (Hume & Sayre-McCord 2006). Looked in the context of our ‘design flaws’ as far as having the ability to anticipate an afterlife is concerned, one can only conclude that there is no afterlife. Look at the way we are normally less concerned with doing good for a reward in our afterlife. Look a