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Thursday, September 3, 2020
Manta rays Essay Example For Students
Manta beams Essay Since the time I originally went Scuba Diving I have for the longest time been itching to see a manta beam very close. I have heard such a large number of anecdotes about them, and that it was so marvelous to plunge with them. Individuals have let me know, ââ¬Å"manta beams are delicate animals, and their size is overpowering. They will come up to you as though you had called them like a pooch, and take off nimbly over your head as you gaze at them in disbelief.â⬠Right after I heard this I realized that I needed to jump with, and pick up every little thing about them. With the goal for me to plunge with them Iââ¬â¢m going to need to know when the best time is to see one, and where I can see one. It additionally couldnââ¬â¢t hurt to know some broad information about them since I wouldnââ¬â¢t need to upset or chaos up anything that is occurring. Other than simply foundation data, I might want to discover how large they can get, and to what extent they can live. Additionally, I need to know how they produce their posterity, and how enormous their posterity are during childbirth. Too, I might want to discover what they eat, and who their predators are. Answers to these inquiries will give me a superior comprehension of manta beams, and ideally make my experience will them more fulfilling.Since today is my first day looking for my I-search report on manta beams, I chose to utilize the Internet. To start with, I went to yahoo.com and composed in manta beams. At that point, I tapped on manta beams, and it carried me to the site tripod.com. It was a decent wellspring of data, so I printed it out. Next, I returned to yahoo.com, and tapped on manta beams delicate mammoths. This carried me to a site, which I likewise printed out. After that I chose to switch web crawlers, so I went to google.com to check whether distinctive data woul d come up. I again composed in manta beams and it gave me a lot of locales to look over. I tapped on manta beams Cayman Islands, and printed that out also. Today I chose to go to the electric library to check whether there was any acceptable data there. I composed in manta beams and it gave me a lot of books, magazines, and pictures on them. I tapped on Rays-1998 Canadian Encyclopedia, and it gave me valuable data, so I printed it out. At that point I continued to tap on Rays-World book Encyclopedia, and I printed that out. Today I again chose to utilize the electronic library to check whether I missed anything. I tapped on a lot of news communicates, yet there was nothing of utilization. I glanced through the rundown of books that they gave me, yet at the same time discovered nothing that I could utilize. At that point, I chose to glance in the electronic card list on the PC. I composed in manta beams, scuba plunging, and marine life each independently, yet they all gave me no data that I could utilize. From that point onward, I attempted the customary card index, yet that likewise didn't help. If all else fails, I asked the custodian where she thought the best spot to search for manta beams was. She advised me to go to the hurricane database on the PC, and take a stab at looking there. Thatââ¬â¢s what I did, and I wound up getting an article in a skin plunging magazine. ââ¬Å"Mantas are the biggest of the beams, can develop to a wingspan of 20 feet, and can gauge well more than 3000 poundsâ⬠(Cayman.org). Along these lines, and their delicate nature, these animals have become a most loved fascination for jumpers. Manta originates from the Spanish word-importance cover, which portrays their one of a kind body shape (Reef Briefs). Their skeletal structure is fundamentally the same as that of a shark, which is made out of ligament (McEachran). On account of this numerous individuals describe them as ââ¬Å"Flattened out sharksâ⬠(Reef Briefs). Despite the fact that, they are firmly identified with the shark, they are altogether different (Scott). The one primary contrast between the two is the way that the manta beam is known to be probably the gentlest animal in the ocean. Whatââ¬â¢s unexpected about this is angler use to consider them the ââ¬Å"devil fishâ⬠(tripod.com), and imagined that they were equipped for decimating their vessels. This isnââ¬â¢t difficult to accept due to their gigantic size, and their balances on their head that seem as though horns (Reef Briefs). .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 , .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .postImageUrl , .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .focused content region { min-tallness: 80px; position: relative; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 , .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32:hover , .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32:visited , .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32:active { border:0!important; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 { show: square; progress: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-change: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; darkness: 1; progress: obscurity 250ms; webkit-progress: mistiness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32:active , .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32:hover { haziness: 1; progress: murkiness 250ms; webkit-change: haziness 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .focused content zone { width: 100%; position: relativ e; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .ctaText { fringe base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: intense; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; text-improvement: underline; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; outskirt: none; fringe sweep: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; text style weight: striking; line-stature: 26px; moz-outskirt range: 3px; text-adjust: focus; text-adornment: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-tallness: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/straightforward arrow.png)no-rehash; position: outright; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .u2312dba86671fb3 fd4e9bdba392c6c32 .focused content { show: table; stature: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .u2312dba86671fb3fd4e9bdba392c6c32:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: Genetics In Life EssayDespite their size and appearance they eat moderately little food. A portion of the things that they feed on are microscopic fish, little fish, and shellfish. Since they are base inhabitants their mouth and gills are situated on the underside of the body (tripod.com). ââ¬Å"The Manta beam uses its gills when it takes care of by sucking water through its gills, permitting microscopic fish to stay in its mouth, while water is siphoned out. At that point, through gill curves, the microscopic fish is diverted to the rayââ¬â¢s stomach for digestionâ⬠(Reef Brief). The cephalic balances, or ââ¬Å"hornsâ⠬ which individuals called them, are balances that reach out forward from the eyes, which enables the manta to direct a lot of microscopic fish into its mouth (cayman.org). The manta beam is explicitly full grown when its pectoral balances arrive at a length of 13 to 15 feet. In contrast to most fish, the female manta rayââ¬â¢s egg is prepared within her body, so their young are brought into the world like a mammalââ¬â¢s youthful (McEachran). ââ¬Å"Female rayââ¬â¢s bring forth a couple of beams for each litter, each weighing as much as 25 pounds at birth!â⬠(Reef Briefs). These beams, regularly called little guys, figure out how to keep away from predators by remaining on the base, and by tossing sand on their body utilizing their pectoral balances. The main predators that they truly face are the executioner whale and the shark (Reef Briefs). Along these lines, the species is permitted to thrive, and can live in numerous spots. Manta beams are known to be pelagic, which implies that they like to live in the vast sea. Incidentally, they like to approach the land to take care of, or just to swim around. These beams, for reasons unknown, as to invest a great deal of energy in the surface, or hopping totally out of the water. Some scientistsââ¬â¢ believe that the purpose behind this is to dispose of parasites that stick to their body, or that they do it for no reason in particular (cayman.org). Individuals have revealed that they have seen the manta beams bounce 15 feet out of the water (Reef Briefs). One of the most well known spots to see manta beams very close is at Yap Island, which is in the southwest corner of Micronesia, close to Guam. This island was one of the primary places that individuals had the option to draw near enough to photo the manta beams. When jumpers knew about this they went there to see the mantas for themselves. As a result of this a considerable lot of the jump aces there were worr ied about the possibility that that the convergence of jumpers would drive the mantas off, yet the specific inverse occurred. The manta beams were interested of the jumpers and came nearer to them than previously. Throughout the years the island has announced an expansion on the quantity of manta beams seen on day by day jump trips. A researcher named Bill Acker accepts that mantas are pulled in to Yap Island since it has shallow inward land mangroves, which are an ideal birthing region for the females. This has made the island probably the best spot to jump with the manta beams (Murphy 42).The biggest and most uncommon types of manta beams, Manta Alfredi, or Prince Alfredââ¬â¢s Manta Ray, is known to stay nearby the Yap Islands. It was named after ââ¬Å"Prince Alfred Ernest (1844-1900), the fourth offspring of Queen Victoria of Great Britainâ⬠(tripod.com). This beam intently takes after the other manta beams except for sporadic dark dim spots on its underside, and the way that its wingspan is in any event 12 feet (tripod.com). All in all, the manta beam is one of the most smooth, and delicate animals of the ocean, which has become an ideal fascination for jumpers. Its gigantic size bewilders the psyche
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Youth Empowerment Scheme for Poverty Reduction
Youth Empowerment Scheme for Poverty Reduction The portrayal of Nigeria as a mystery by the World Bank (1996) can't be blamed. The Catch 22 is that the degree of destitution is an inconsistency of the countrys gigantic riches. Nigeria is massively invested with human, oil, gas, rural, and undiscovered mineral assets, just to make reference to however a couple. Tragically, in spite of these blessings, the nation stays one of the most unfortunate on the planet. In its 2000 Human Development Report, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) put Nigeria among the 30 least created nations (LCDs) of the world (UNDP, 2000). In spite of the fact that destitution is widespread in Nigeria, it is progressively predominant in specific territories; and with a considerably more destroying measurement in country networks. One of these zones is the Niger Delta district, which is the backbone of the Nigerian economy due to its essentially significant level of oil holds. The district has tremendous oil holds however stays poor, immature and destroyed with struggle (Eweje, 2007). Reprieve International (2005) affirmed that the Niger Delta stay among the most denied oil networks on the planet with 70 percent living on under US$1 every day, which is the standard monetary proportion of outright neediness. Many years of political and monetary minimization that came about because of the disregard of the Niger Delta locale by progressive Nigerian governments, and the underlying wavering of worldwide organizations (MNCs) to take care of their social duty and add to social turn of events, cherished neediness in the district (Idemudia, 2007). As per Orogun (2009), the numerous long periods of oil creation has profited the administrative, state, and neighborhood governments just as the worldwide oil organizations, yet this enormous benefit still can't seem to improve the wretched human condition, hopelessness record of the indigenous occupants; nor has it encouraged maintainable financial advancement in the oil delivering networks. Spin-off of this, the young people of the district have perpetually communicated their complaints by assaulting conveyed law authorization and security operators, vandalizing oil establishments, grabbing and kidnapping remote oil laborers, carrying weapons against the state, and framing volunteer army bunches so as to cause governments and multinationals to notice their situation. All inclusive, there have been developing requests on MNCs to give network advancement projects and help to their host networks, particularly in creating nations as such, meeting privately characterized social and financial objectives. This is principally in light of the fact that formative undertakings and other social foundations are inadequate in the vast majority of these nations; and more often than not they are not given by the state. Worldwide enterprises, as Etheredge (1999) accepts, have a commitment to go about as dependable individuals from the social orders which award them lawful standing. He proceeds to state that MNCs great corporate lead doesn't just suggest obligations that are just inside the limits of least legitimate prerequisites yet in addition social duties that are both satisfactory and useful to different social voting demographics that encompass business endeavors. In creating nations, MNCs are relied upon to offer some social types of assistance and government assistance programs notwithstanding their typical monetary exercises. In spite of the fact that these are not the elements of organizations in monetary terms; however in the creating nations, as Eweje (2006) stresses, these jobs are normal from MNCs as a statement of exhibiting corporate social duty (CSR). Explaining this view, Wasserstrom and Reider (1998) keep up that oil and gas organizations in Asia, Latin America and Africa, for example, are confronting requests from the neighborhood network to give instruction and medicinal services programs. They kept, saying that, these projects are not give-aways, however include preparing and working with network individuals to permit them to get ready for addressing their own needs later on. Wasserstrom and Reider (1998) further noticed that by building up such projects and working with the requests of the network, firms find less protection from their tasks, from the nearby network as well as from natural and human rights particular vested parties also. Against this foundation, the Multinational oil organizations in the Niger Delta have shown duties to the decrease of destitution through their particular network advancement activities. The examination, accordingly, assesses the adolescent advancement techniques of Shell (ordinarily called Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC) in the Niger Delta. From the prior, it does the trick that MNCs have a job being developed through capital venture as well as more significantly by putting resources into human capital and giving neighborhood individuals the instruments to drive their own monetary turn of events (Nelson, 1996). Articulation of the issue The high frequency of destitution in the Niger Delta is in sharp differentiation to the areas basic significance to the Nigerian economy. The Niger Delta oil contributes gigantically to the prosperity of the Nigerian state, which relies upon the oil business for roughly 95% of fare income and 80% of government income (SPDC, 2009); yet the neediness level in the district is higher than the national normal (Clark et al., 1999; NDDC, 2004). Zandvliet and Pedro (2002) delineated the image of the area in the accompanying words: Around 70 percent of the network need access to clean water, has no tolerable streets or power flexibly, a deficiency of clinical offices, countless run down schools and experiences extreme natural debasement because of oil creation. After more than 40 years of oil investigation and many billions of dollars of oil income, the oil creating networks have gotten little consideration from progressive organizations, especially in the regions of financial and infrastructural improvement. The aggregate conditions have prompted seen estrangement, and the aftereffect of which is the regular social issue as the main methods by which consideration could be attracted to them. Obi (2008) states the accompanying as being liable for the areas fomentations: Oil contamination, outrageous neediness, significant levels of youth joblessness, contamination, saw oppressive business rehearses against local people by oil organizations and socio㠢â⠬â economic and political underestimation and disregard by progressive organizations comprise the fundamental complaints against the oil organizations and the administration. The pervasiveness of neediness is exceptionally high in the Niger Delta, with over 70% living on not exactly a dollar for each day in the rustic zones. This taking off occurrence of destitution is in sharp complexity to the areas position as the fortune base of the country. This, regardless, it is a political culture of governments at all levels in Nigeria and the elites to lay fault on the global organizations for the neediness circumstance in the area. Such culture of fault goes further in affecting the network individuals into accepting that the MNCs are the designers of the areas neediness, and accepting that the organizations are enormously abusing them, yet giving close to nothing or nothing consequently to them in type of advancement. Therefore this has occasioned tenacious network fights, tumults and clashes. The across the board destitution tormenting the individuals of the locale has prompted a state of hopelessness and the plan of action to viciousness against the state and multinationals by the young. The young people disdain originates from the districts loss of their conventional methods for occupation which are cultivating and angling, brought about by the exercises of the oil organizations, for example, ecological debasement, oil spillage and gas flaring. Likewise, confronted with gigantic joblessness and a somber future because of nonappearance of both government and private business, the adolescent, which comprise a bigger extent of the district, have constantly communicated their disappointment through prisoner taking, fire related crime coordinated at oil establishments and assaults on the Nigerian state. Albeit progressive Nigerian governments at various occasions have set up a ton of destitution lightening programs, yet all endeavors to put the Niger Delta on course of improvement have been useless. Among the ills that hamper the improvement of the locale are debasement and awful administration. For example, while the foundations of the state at all levels (bureaucratic, state and neighborhood governments) are extremely degenerate, making it hard for planned assets to stream down to the objective populace; legislative issues then again is utilized to advance individual and sectional interests, as against the quest for open great. Accordingly, because of this absence of huge government promise to the advancement of the district, destitution has stayed an unavoidable issue in the Niger Delta. Henceforth, conditions have kept on exacerbating and neediness has become a significant issue in the area regardless of her rich asset base. This inability to give the formative needs of the networks has prompted the dependence by the district on the worldwide oil organizations to step in and fill this wide improvement hole. Likewise, MNCs in the Niger Delta have reacted to this test by utilizing network improvement procedures outfitted towards neediness decreases in their host networks. The requirement for MNCs contribution in neediness decrease can't be overemphasized. As Ite (2004) called attention to, remote direct speculation streaming to creating nations can possibly make significant commitments to the advancement of neighborhood economies, including making occupations, limit building, and the exchange of innovation. Therefore, worldwide partnerships (MNCs) can have a positive effect in creating nations, particularly through corporate social obligation (CSR) activities concentrating on economical turn of events and co-activity with common society. As corporate residents, global organizations have contributed in different ways
Friday, August 21, 2020
Case Study: Impact on Children of Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, a
Studies have shown that youngsters who experience childhood in families where there is substance abuse, psychological sickness or aggressive behavior at home are increasingly powerless against noteworthy damage (Kendall-Taylor and Mikulak 2009).Childrenââ¬â¢s powerlessness for the most part comes from the impacts of substance abuse, abusive behavior at home or dysfunctional behavior on child rearing capacity. Substance abuse, aggressive behavior at home and dysfunctional behavior can result in parentââ¬â¢s thinking that its hard to sort out their lives to meet both their own needs and their childrenââ¬â¢s physical, enthusiastic and social needs. Guardians may likewise think that its hard to control their responses and unfriendly mind-set changes, along these lines, numerous kids are frequently influenced and some in any event, for an actual existence time .Naturally this can unnerve youngsters and leave them feeling unstable, dubious and over careful. Defenselessness, for ex ample, the impacts of maternal medication or liquor abuse or direct physical assaults on the stomach area of a pregnant lady, may even stretch out to the unborn youngster. Substance Misuse The term 'abuse' has diverse relevant applications. At the point when applied to substances such medications (regardless of whether endorsed or illegal) or liquor, it just implies that the utilization of the substance being referred to is excessively (over the top) and may make hurt the concerned individual either by legitimately influencing every day tries, or by progressively decimating an ordinary life. Use of legitimate medications, for example, nicotine, caffeine, or liquor absent a lot of thought is frequently basic with numerous individuals (National Alliance on Mental Illness USA 2011). It might cause troubles seeing someone or influence execution at home and at work. As indicated by discoveries, tenacious utilization of at least one of these substances frequently prompts some degree of resilience in the influenced person. Thi... ... to cause them to feel significant and needed which would thusly serve to make them metal open and helpful. List of sources Eastwood, Paul. Insights on Drug Misuse: England. pdf, England: UK NHS Information Center, 2011. Kendall-Taylor, Nat, and Anna Mikulak. Systems Institute. Feb 2009. Retrived on 15 Aug, 2011 from http://www.frameworksinstitute.org/resources/records/PDF_childmentalhealth/childmentalhealthreview.pdf Psychological wellness Foundation . 2011. Recovered on 15 Aug, 2011 from http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ National Alliance on Mental Illness USA. Psychological maladjustment. 2011. Recovered on 15 Aug, 2011 from http://www.rethink.org/about_mental_illness/dual_diagnosis/what_is_substance_mi.html WHO. The executives of substance misuse . 2011. Recovered on 15 Aug, 2011 from http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/productions/liquor/en/(got to Aug 08, 2011).
Sunday, June 14, 2020
The Downfall of Madame Bovary - Literature Essay Samples
Flaubert utilizes the character of the blind beggar to mirror Emmaââ¬â¢s descent into corruption. Typical of Flaubertââ¬â¢s realist style, the beggar is described in detail as a needy, terrifyingly ugly man, which reflects Emmaââ¬â¢s inner state. Emma has been needy for ââ¬Å"trueâ⬠love and happiness all her life, and in her search for it her thoughts and actions turn truly ugly. Moreover, she also lacks insight into her own moral behavior, which is mirrored in the blind figure of the beggar. Emma spends herself into debt and poverty without care, the state the beggar occupies. Flaubert purposefully includes the beggar to undoubtedly link Emma and him in the readerââ¬â¢s mind. The beggar seems almost prescient; his foreshadowing presence becomes more prominent in the novel as Emmaââ¬â¢s situation becomes more and more uncontrollable. Thus, the blind beggar is Emmaââ¬â¢s character foil in Madame Bovary. Yet Homais in many ways is a character analogous to Emma. The blind beggar is his antithesis too, as a diseased outcast whom Homais looks down upon. Homais cannot cure the manââ¬â¢s blindness, which threatens to ruin his reputation and belief in scientific progress. Both Homais and Emma are ignorantly wrapped up in their own lofty ideals and fantasies, and are blinded by the reality of their lives. Even Charles is duped and figuratively blind to his own wifeââ¬â¢s transgressions. The beggar is thus a bitter, hyper-realistic reminder of a plagued, imperfect world that neither Emma or Homais can escape, and his physical blindness is a powerful, ironic symbol in the novel, as it represents the metaphorical blindness of these characters to their situations. The blind beggar shows up in the third part of the novel, when Emma is coming home from seeing Leon. His hideous state offends the travelers in the Hirondelle as they pass from Rouen into Yonville. In this passage, Flaubert describes the beggarââ¬â¢s bloodshot eyes, and uses fabric metaphors to describe his loose, sagging skin. There is a special emphasis placed on the beggarââ¬â¢s eyes, when ââ¬Å"il le retirait, il dà ©couvrait, à la place des paupià ¨res, deux orbites bà ©antes tout ensanglantà ©es. La chair seffiloquait par lambeaux rouges, ââ¬â et il en coulait des liquides qui se figeaient en gales vertes jusquau nez, dont les narines noires reniflaient convulsivement. Pour vous parler, il se renversait la tà ªte avec un rire idiot ; ââ¬â alors ses prunelles bleuà ¢tres, roulant dun mouvement continu, allaient se cogner, vers les tempes, sur le bord de la plaie viveâ⬠(340). The man is horrifyingly ugly, in sharp juxtaposition to Emmaââ¬â¢s beaut y. Throughout the novel however, the narrator places a specific focus on Emmaââ¬â¢s eyes: ââ¬Å"Ce quââ¬â¢elle avait de beau, cââ¬â¢Ã ©taient les yeux : quoiquââ¬â¢ils fussent bruns, ils semblaient noirs à cause des cils, et son regard arrivait franchement à vous avec une hardiesse candideâ⬠(74), yet as the novel progresses, and Emmaââ¬â¢s decisions become morally unsound, her eyes darken to black. During her affair with Rodolphe they are often narrowed: ââ¬Å"Emma fermait à demi les paupià ¨res pour reconnaà ®tre sa maison,â⬠(225) and later, ââ¬Å"Rodolphe lââ¬â¢interrompait par ses baisers; et elle lui demandait, en le contemplant les paupià ¨res à demi closes, de lââ¬â¢appeler encore par son nom et de rà ©pà ©ter quââ¬â¢il lââ¬â¢aimaitâ⬠(230). Emmaââ¬â¢s half-closed eyes during her affair are a metaphor for her blindness to reality. Rodophe clearly doesnââ¬â¢t love her, yet she lacks the insight to see that h e is only interested in a sexual relationship, and only values her for her physical attributes. Charles is the only man who truly cares for her, yet Emma fails to see this; in a way she is just as blind as the beggar. Emmaââ¬â¢s disgust with the blind beggar reveals her moral and psychological deterioration. Emma at first appears ignorant and blind to her own ruin, an obvious comparison to the blind man. She spends over 8,000 francs, yet is ââ¬Å"ne sinquià ©tait pas plus de largent quune archiduchesseâ⬠(357). She regards the beggar absolute repugnance, and even appears afraid of his presence: ââ¬Å"Elle se retirait avec un criâ⬠(340), perhaps because he represents poverty, disease, and ugliness, all which do not exist in her vision of a romantic, aristocratic life. However as the beggar sits on the streets in rags, penniless, Emmaââ¬â¢s anxiety over her current affairs deepens. His voice ââ¬Å"descendait au fond de là ¢me comme un tourbillon dans un abà ®meâ⬠and transports her to ââ¬Å"les espaces dââ¬â¢une melancolie sans bornesâ⬠(340). Clearly she fears the blind man because he stands as a living threat to her dreams; the exact opposite of what she desire s and feels entitled to, which is an idea that haunts her. In an ironic moment Emma, ââ¬Å"prise de dà ©goà »t, lui envoya, par-dessus là ©paule, une pià ¨ce de cinq francs. Cà ©tait toute sa fortuneâ⬠(374). Here, despite being flat broke, she stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the similarity in her and the beggarââ¬â¢s situation. She is still pretending, and clearly full of fear as, ââ¬Å"Le spectacle des objets connus qui dà ©filaient devant ses yeux peu à peu dà ©tournait Emma de sa douleur prà ©sente. Une intolà ©rable fatigue laccablait, et elle arriva chez elle hà ©bà ©tà ©e, dà ©couragà ©e, presque endormieâ⬠(374). While Emma constantly tries to escape her reality, the beggar, on a symbolic level, represents her inability to do so, and subsequently the real-life consequences of her attempted transcendence of the normal world into the romantic world of her novels. The song the beggar sings is a powerful and important device in the novel, as it reveals Emmaââ¬â¢s moral consciousness and ridiculousness of her romantic ideals. The songââ¬â¢s meaning and diction stand in sharp contrast to the beggarââ¬â¢s personal situation (he sings of happy things like ââ¬Å"des oiseaux, du soleil et du feuillageâ⬠(340) even though the public shuns him as ââ¬Å"un pauvre diable vagabondant.â⬠(340) Emmaââ¬â¢s romantic ideals are fantastical and unrealistic, which Flaubert juxtaposes with the ugly, obscene description of the beggar with his decaying skin. Her longing for a magical, idealized existence is ironized through the image of the beggar, someone who would certainly not exist in Emmaââ¬â¢s perfect, aristocratic world. It is not a coincidence that the beggar shows up as she returns from visiting Leon. He sings about a girl dreaming of love: ââ¬Å"Souvent la chaleur dââ¬â¢un beau jour / Fait rà ªver fillette à lamour,â⬠(340), which is most certainly meant to represent Emma and her dreamy, romantic trysts. The blind man, however, is the antithesis of Emmaââ¬â¢s dream world, as his ugly, beggared presence is a reminder of a lower-class, peasant reality. Although the beggar is hideous, and the pitch of his voice is horrible, there is a certain beautiful quality to his words. Flaubert directly mirrors this contrast between beauty and ugliness in Emma. She certainly is beautiful, yet her inner moral compass decays just like the blind manââ¬â¢s skin. Flaubert collides this unflinching, real-world image of the beggar with Emmaââ¬â¢s fantastical ideals to show the incompatibility of the two. For Homais, his inability to cure the beggarââ¬â¢s ailments reveals his medical ineptitude, and poses a threat to his reputation. Homais obsesses over ridiculous notions of science and treats medicine as a cure-all for everything in society that he finds unpleasing, even social problems such as poverty. Yet as a mere pharmacist rather than a doctor, he is actually unfit to treat anyone; he is blind to his own form of stupidity however. We see with Hippolyte just how dangerous Homaisââ¬â¢ foolhardy belief in far-fetched science is, and the disastrous results that stem from his overreaching behavior acting as an informed doctor, instead of the simple pharmacist he is. Homais believes that the cure for the blind man involves a new diet and a salve, and attempts to use a ââ¬Å"pommade antiphlogistiqueâ⬠(374) on the beggar that has no effect. When it doesnââ¬â¢t work, and the beggar informs everyone of his incompetence, Homais seeks to commit the beggar to an asylum to pro tect his reputation. He states ââ¬Å"Sommes-nous encore à ces temps monstrueux du Moyen Age, oà ¹ il à ©tait permis aux vagabonds dà ©taler par nos places publiques la là ¨pre et les scrofules quils avaient rapportà ©es de la croisade?â⬠(419). The narrator describes Homaisââ¬â¢ motivation, stating, ââ¬Å"dans lintà ©rà ªt de sa propre rà ©putation, voulant sen dà ©barrasser à toute force, il dressa contre lui une batterie cachà ©e, qui dà ©celait la profondeur de son intelligence et la scà ©là ©ratesse de sa vanità ©. â⬠(418). Flaubert uses the word ââ¬Å"scà ©là ©ratesseâ⬠to show Homais wickedness and diabolical nature when it comes to advancing himself in society, at the cost of others. The beggar served as a living example of disease which Homais could not cure due to his idiocy and lack of medical ability, so he has the beggar incarcerated to keep his selfish desire for esteem alive. One of the most critical scenes in the novel is while Emma lies dying, as the beggarââ¬â¢s song is last thing she hears before dying. Flaubert uses this final passage to cement the connection between the blind man and Emma. In her last moments, she ââ¬Å"se mit à rire, dââ¬â¢un rire atroce, frà ©nà ©tique, dà ©sespà ©rà ©, croyant voir la face hideuse du misà ©rableâ⬠(401), and thus comes to the realization that the blind man was truly the antithesis to her grand illusions of an utmost romantic, exciting, and contented life. As Emma is in her last moments, convulsing, she hears the blind man sing ââ¬Å"Il souffla bien fort ce jour-là , Et le jupon court sââ¬â¢envola!â⬠(401). This directly alludes to Emmaââ¬â¢s situation, as the petticoat flying away shows Emmaââ¬â¢s loss of innocence, in comparison to the first, dreamy lines of the song. Flaubert couples this loss of innocence with intense corruption; as Emma continued on the path of adultery, she ends up spending lavishly and running her family into ruin, and finally loses her last ounce of self-respect when she begs Guillamin and Leon for money, and attempts to seduce Binet and Rodolphe to escape financial ruin. Emmaââ¬â¢s remaining innocence is lost because of her desperation, just like Nanetteââ¬â¢s petticoat. While the song starts off with an innocent girl, it progresses into a song about promiscuity. Likewise, Flaubert takes the reader on a journey down Emmaââ¬â¢s moral path. In the beginning of the novel, she appears pure and beautiful, yet by the end we see her become an adulterous, pathological liar. To escape her woes, Emma thinks suicide is the easiest, most romantic solution, yet her death is incredibly drawn-out and horrid. The beggarââ¬â¢s presence in Emmaââ¬â¢s death scene once again solidifies the discrepancy between Emmaââ¬â¢s romantic ideals and the bitter truth of reality. Flaubert continuously suggests in the novel that there is strength in deformities; they do not have to be limiting. While Hippolyte was perfectly able to work with his clubfoot before the disastrous operation, the blind beggar is inadvertently insightful and carries much wisdom despite his impairment. Although he appears to be an idiot, the beggar correctly predicts Emmaââ¬â¢s future through his song. Emma transforms from an innocent young woman into a liar and a cheater, which she rarely feels remorse for. Flaubert uses the character of the beggar to foreshadow Emmaââ¬â¢s ruin, and thus promotes the idea that although blind, perhaps the beggar has surprisingly more insight than Emma or Homais. In Madame Bovary, Flaubert features the character of the blind beggar to reveal the degradation of Emmaââ¬â¢s and Homaisââ¬â¢ romanticized ideals in the novel. Both characters have an idealized perception of the world around them. Emma wants to believe that the romantic vision of life present in her fiction novels actually exists, and she eventually dies trying to create it. Homais, on the other hand, pretends he is a doctor despite being only a pharmacist, and through this wishful thinking he harms other individuals in the novel. Both characters, and even Charles, are blind to their situations through their own forms of idiocy. Flaubertââ¬â¢s use of rich detail complements his realist style, and his novel seems to suggest that only harm can come from attempting to escape reality.
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Foreign Language Learning And Shifting Identity A Cross...
A Proposal on the Relationship between Foreign Language Learning and Shifting Identity: A Cross Gender Study on Iranian EFL Learners Nahid Nasseri Recent research has abundantly been done on the effects of English as a foreign language on the cultural identity of ESL and EFL learners in various contexts (Seppà ¤là ¤, 2011; Norton McKinney, 2011; Blommaert; 2010, Norton, 2000; Hall, 2003). By the same token, this research aims to delve into the different effects of EFL learning on the cultural identity of Iranian EFL students to see how English may change or modify their ideas regarding their own native language and culture as well as the foreign ones. With the rise of globalization and the importance of English as an international language, the majority of people in the world have felt the urge to learn English. This gradual but consistent desire to learn English has raised certain potential sociolinguistic and sociological concerns, one of which is pertinent to the identity of language learners after being exposed to English as a Foreign/Second language. Different positions are held by different scholars, but the most favorable one is the move toward transnationalism and avoiding dogmatic nationalism. By transnationalism, it is meant to possess the norms and values of both your own and target language and culture and hence develop a more complete self (Seppà ¤là ¤, 2011). The key theoretical term for this study is cultural identity. The subject of identity ââ¬â andShow MoreRelatedTeaching Second / Foreign Language From Contractive Analysis Point Of View And Discusses How It Helps Develop Learners5957 Words à |à 24 PagesIn this study the author reviews the role of code switching in teaching second/foreign language from contractive analysis point of view and discusses how it helps develop learners interlanguage pragmatics. To this end first contrastive analysis hypothesis and its implications in teaching foreign languages as well as he notion of L1 transfer are reviewed. Then learner s language system and the way it changes over time is investigated. The importance of pragmatics in language use and how it can
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Feeling the Power of the Book, The Odyssey Essay - 544 Words
No one ever told me to read The Odyssey--and that was the greatest educational travesty of my life. I first read it after High School while working at Colonial Motors in West Concord. I didnt get it any more than the most confused among you, but what I did do is feel it: I felt its primordial power and emotional bareness; I felt another world, another age and another human journey come alive inside of me. It made me feel that I was a part of long and unbroken lineage of humanity searching for truth and purpose in a world--especially my world, a world not always blessed with clarity and opportunity. I had always been the kid in the back of the class staring out the window dreaming of a better world--and scheming a way to get there. Iâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦You probably wonder why I feel it is worthwhile to read this book during your 8th grade year. Why dont we just watch Star Wars or24 or Wizard of Oz? Why? Because Star Wars, 24 and Wizard of Oz are archetypes; they are a varia tion on an experience infinitely more real; they are built on the backs of hundreds of books and movies that came before them. But The Odyssey was built on human experience; it was created out of our most primal need for the wisdom, hope and guidance that will get us through life. The Odyssey doesnt give us the tools we need to tackle the problems of life, it simply shows us the heroic nature required to deal and cope the setbacks, sorrows and tragedies of every life. Bright-eyed Athena might not be at our side helping us through the day, but The Odyssey shows us that Athena comes in many guises and seldom reveals her true self; and we, too, need to accept wisdom at the opportuen time in its many forms. As much as we are taught to stay away from strangers we still must turn our ears to the words they speak--for it might be the very truth we long and need to hear. We might not have a six headed monster on one side of the hallway and a deadly whirlpool on the other, but we do have to make tough decisions where the outcomes range from bad to worse. Dont despair or even allow for frustration; If you wonder what is going on, then you are doing theShow MoreRelatedAncient Greece : Book Review1583 Words à |à 7 PagesAncient Greece Paired Book Review By Rohan Ahluwalia Core 2 What were the most memorable moments in the books for you? Why? The Odyssey and the Hatchet were both great books. The most memorable moment in the books were hard to choose as there were many interesting parts. In the book, The Odyssey, the most memorable moment for me was when the wife of Odysseus, Penelopeia, organizes an archery contest.The contest was to string the bow that belonged to Odysseus and fire it through the opening ofRead MoreMale Stereotypes In The Odyssey Of Homer701 Words à |à 3 Pagesexpectations are still maintained in society today. In the book ââ¬Å"The Odyssey of Homerâ⬠written by Richmond Lattimore, there are many of the male expectations that the ancient Greeks said to be true can be found in this book. According to the ancient Greeks, men were superior to women and held more power. This can be illustrated in ââ¬Å"The Odyssey of Homerâ⬠when Athene gives Telemachos determination and courage to act as the role of the man in power of his household since Odysseus is gone. Therefore, TelemachosRead More Descent to the Underworld in the Aeneid by Virgil and the Odyssey by Homer1534 Words à |à 7 Pages Descent to the Underworld in the Aeneid and the Odyssey I chose to compare the Odyssey written by the Greek poet Homer and the Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil. I will focus my interest on Book 11 of the Odyssey and Book 6 of the Aeneid, since that is when both of the main characters make an educational visit to the underworld. The description of the underworld created by Homers wild imagination, inspired Virgil eight centuries later. Virgils masterpiece was plannedRead MoreFeminism and the Power Struggle of Women in Ancient Greece Essay1350 Words à |à 6 PagesFeminism and the power struggle of women in Ancient Greece Women are a very prominent part of the Greek society. Their role has influenced and shaped the Greek society to a very large extent. Women have been shown in many different lights in the Greek works of Odyssey and Iliad which we have covered in our class. The works that I will be citing in this essay, namely Homerââ¬â¢s poems Odyssey and Iliad talk about many prominent women such as Helen of Troy, Penelope and also many other Goddesses. Homerââ¬â¢sRead More Essay on Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible1544 Words à |à 7 PagesRole of Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible Much is known of men in ancient civilizations, from the famous philosophers and mathematicians of Greece to the patriarchs and subsequent kings of the nation of Israel. It would seem, however, that history has forgotten the women of these times. What of the famous female thinkers of Ancient Greece, the distinguished stateswomen of Rome? What power did they hold? What was their position in societies of the distant past? A glimpse into the roles andRead MoreThe Odyssey : The Role Of Women In Homers Odyssey966 Words à |à 4 Pagesmonsters, and people, but it was a story that showed different kinds of human interactions. The Odyssey portrays what is right or wrong in relationships between god and mortal, father and son, and man and woman. In the epic poem, the role of women is a vital demonstration of Ancient Greece. The women in the epic are unique in their personality, motives, and relationships towards men. In Homers, The Odyssey, all women are different, but all of them help to rep resent the role of the ideal woman. HomersRead MoreThe Odyssey And The Symposium1620 Words à |à 7 Pagesenvironments pour into us. Friends, family, media, books and experiences shape our way of thinking. Friends give opinions on what they think should be, family will tell you right from wrong; or at least what they consider right from wrong, media will paint an elaborate picture and give visuals of how to, when to and what to expect, and books open our minds to fairy tales, realities and possibilities. After indulging in some of the ââ¬Å"great booksâ⬠that include The Odyssey and The Symposium, I can say that theseRead More Elements of Homers Odyssey in the Coen Brothers Oh Brother Where Art Thou646 Words à |à 3 PagesThe Coen Brothersââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"Oh Brother Where Art Thou?â⬠, loosely based on Homerââ¬â¢s classic adventure The Odyssey, is a film amusingly filled with themes of symbolism similar to those found in Homerââ¬â¢s epic, while still maintaining a sense of originality and style that t hey have become so renowned for. An exciting and entertaining blend of high adventure, humour, and heartfelt emotion, at first glance, the film barely resembles Homerââ¬â¢s poem: only certain elements are obvious, such as the main characterââ¬â¢s nameRead More herody The Imperfect Hero of Homers Odyssey Essay1434 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Imperfect Hero of The Odyssey à à à à In literature, a bold character or hero is often the principle character. In the epic poem The Odyssey there are many immortals, but only one hero, Odysseus. The differences between the immortals and the hero are few. The god-like Odysseus is plagued with the human weaknesses of pettiness, self-doubt, and dependence on the pity of others. Odysseus reveals his pettiness when he amuses himself with humorous guile. Odysseus not only uses his cunning atRead More Growing Up With Greek Literature Essay1456 Words à |à 6 PagesTheban Plays in particular, left me awestruck. I quickly began to realize that many of the new and inventive books and movies I had seen, had actually been written in one form or another, generations ago. I suppose my interest was first piqued when my father brought home the movie Hercules in the early 80ââ¬â¢s. As a young boy, I was entranced by the idea of a god-like man, with superhuman powers, doing remarkable things on earth. Of course, my knowledge of Greek gods and goddesses was limited, but
Old Testament Essay Example For Students
Old Testament Essay The Old Testament is a compilation, and like every compilation it has awide variety of contributors who, in turn, have their individual influenceupon the final work. It is no surprise, then, that there exist certainparallels between the Enuma Elish, the cosmogony of the Babylonians, andthe Book of Genesis, the first part of the Pentateuch section of the Bible. In fact, arguments may be made that other Near Eastern texts, particularlySumerian, have had their influences in Biblical texts. The extent of thisborrowing, as it were, is not limited to the Bible; the Enuma Elish hasits own roots in Sumerian mythology, predating the Enuma Elish by nearly athousand years. A superficial examination of this evidence woulderroneously lead one to believe that the Bible is somewhat a collection ofolder mythology re-written specifically for the Semites. In fact, whatdevelops is that the writers have addressed each myth as a separate issue,and what the writers say is that their God surpasses every other. Eachmyth or text that has a counterpart in the Bible only serves to further animportant idea among the Hebrews: there is but one God, and He isomnipotent, omniscient, and other-worldly; He is not of this world, butoutside it, apart from it. The idea of a monotheistic religion is firstevinced in recorded history with Judaism, and it is vital to see thatinst ead of being an example of plagiarism, the Book of Genesis is ameticulously composed document that will set apart the Hebrew God from theothers before, and after. To get a clear picture of the way the Book of Genesis may have been formed(because we can only guess with some degree of certainty), we must place insomewhere in time, and then define the cultures in that time. Theinfluences, possible and probable, must be illustrated, and then we maydraw our conclusions. If we trace back to the first appearance of the Bible in written form, inits earliest translation, we arrive at 444 B.C.. Two texts, components ofthe Pentateuch referred to as J and E texts, can be traced to around650 B.C. Note that J refers to Yahweh (YHVH) texts, characterized by theuse of the word Yahweh or Lord in accounts; E refers to Elohisttexts, which use, naturally, Elohim in its references to God.1 But 650B.C. isnt our oldest reference to the J and E texts; they can betraced, along with the other three strands of the Pentateuch, to at least1000 B.C. Our first compilation of these strands existed in 650 B.C.. Wemust therefore begin our search further back in time. We can begin with the father of the Hebrew people, Abraham. We can deducewhen he lived, and find that he lived around 1900 B.C. in ancientMesopotamia2. If we examine his world and its culture, we may find thereasons behind certain references in Genesis, and the mythologies theyresemble. The First Babylonian Dynasty had begun around 1950 B.C. and would lastwell into the late 16th century B.C.. The Babylonians had just conquered aland previously under the control of the Assyrians, and before that, theSummering. Abraham had lived during a time of great prosperity and aremarkably advanced culture. He was initially believed to have come fromthe city of Ur, as given in the Bible as the Ur of Chaldees. Earliertranslations read, however, simply Land of the Chaldees; later, it wasdeduced that Abraham had come from a city called Haran3. In any case, helived in a thriving and prosperous world. Homes were comfortable, evenluxurious. Copies of hymns were found next to mathematical tabletsdetailing formulae for extracting square and cube roots.4 The level ofsophistication 4000 years ago is remarkable. We can also deduce that itwas a relatively stable and peaceful society; its art is characterized bythe absence of any warlike activity, paintings or sculptures.5 We also have eviden ce of an Israelite tribe, the Benjamites, in Babyloniantexts. The Benjamites were nomads on the frontier of its boundaries, andcertainly came in contact with Babylonian ideas- culture, religion, ethics. .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 , .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .postImageUrl , .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 , .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6:hover , .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6:visited , .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6:active { border:0!important; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6:active , .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6 .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8a2c5cac7de58c58f52b8796fd26f9c6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: To Kill A Mockingbird: Man Versus Society EssayThe early tribes of Israel were nomadic, taking with them the earlytraditions, and in varying latitudes have modified it6 according toexternal influences. The message remained constant, but the context wouldsubtly change. In addition to the Benjamites in Mesopotamia, there weretribes of Israel in Egypt during the Egyptian Middle Kingdom period7, whichcertainly exposed these people to Egyptian culture as well as Babylonianculture as a result of trade between the two kingdoms. Having placedAbraham and certain early Semites in this time, we can now examine theculture they would have known. The Babylonian Dynasty had as one of its first leaders a man known asHammurabi. In addition to being the worlds first known lawgiver, heinstalled a national god for his people named Marduk 8. Marduks story isrelated in the Enuma Elish:It begins with two primordial creatures, Apsu and Tiamat. They havechildren, who are gods. These children became too noisy and disruptive toApsu, who wished to kill them. One of these gods, Ea, kills Apsu first. Tiamat becomes enraged, and increasingly threatening towards Ea and theremaining gods for killing her mate. One by one, the gods seek to quietTiamat, but each fails. However, one god, Marduk, agrees to stop Tiamat,but only if he is granted sole dominion over all other gods. They agree,and Marduk battles Tiamat, killing her and creating the world from hercorpse. In addition, Marduk slays one of the gods who allied himself withTiamat, and from this dead gods blood, Marduk creates man. 9On the surface, it looks and sounds nothing like Genesis. Howe ver, we canbegin to draw our parallels as we go into more detail. For example,Babylonian poetry has no rhyme, but it has meter and rhythm, like Hebrew10. Notice the similarity in the next two passages:Half of her he set in place and formed the sky as a roof. He fixed the crossbar posted guards;He commanded them not to let her waters escape 11andThen God said, Let there be a dome to separate one body of water from the other.' Genesis 1:6All the fountains of the great abyss burst forth, and thefloodgates of the sky were opened Genesis 7:11 Also compare the creation of days and the special significanceconferred upon the seventh:Thou shalt shine with horns to make six known days, onthe seventh with a tiara. 12From Genesis (1:31-2-1):Evening came and morning followed- the sixth day So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it Herested from all the work he had done in creation. We can summarize the similarities like so: each created the firmament, dryland, the celestial bodies, and light. Each makes man the crowningachievement. On the seventh day, God rests and sanctifies the day. In theseventh tablet of the Enuma Elish, the gods rest and celebrate. Thesesimilarities strongly suggest a common knowledge of the Enuma Elish amongwriters of the Book of Genesis (each section of Genesis is composed of fourdifferent sets of writers). In addition to Babylonian influence, look atthe following taken from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which can be tracedback to 3000 B.C.: I am Re.. I am the great god who came into being by himself13Compare that to the familiar I am who am. These similarities are ofsecondary importance, however; we now begin to see the departures. Forone, if Marduk is all-powerful, why does he do battle with Tiamat, when aword would suffice? For example:Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Then God said, Let there be a dome in the middle of thewaters, to separate one body of water from the other. And so it happened Genesis 1:3, 1:6Gods word alone is sufficient to render unto the world any change Hewishes. This is a radical innovation in a world where pantheistic religionmore closely resembles a super-powered family that doesnt get along verywell. The Egyptian god Re may have been self-created, but he is by nomeans all-powerful, and not at all the only of his kind. Marduk is awarrior who can defeat primordial serpents, but the Hebrew god has but tospeak:and it was; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psalms, 33:9The word of God is all-powerful.. And here we begin to see our greatestdepartures. We have a monotheistic religion, the first of its kind,created amidst a culture that, in the case of the Babylonians, has up tofifty gods!14 Not only is there but one god, but he is all-powerful, somuch so that he does not find it necessary to wrestle with nature or defeatmighty prim ordial gods. He simply speaks and it is done. It is our firstoccurrence of divine will impose upon the world. Furthermore, it is a godwithout a precursor, without creation. He is something apart from thisworld. Tiamat and Apsu lived in a world already created (and by whom?);the Egyptian gods have a multitude of births of gods in their texts15. In fact, there was once a debate on the translation of a single verb inthe Bible, bara, meaning to create. Later translations modify this tobero, meaningto create from nothing. When written in Hebrew, only careful scrutinywould distinguish the two. The distinction is important, however, becauseit changes the implications involved in creating. Does God create theworld from something or nothing? In the following passage,When God began to create heaven and earth- the earth being a desolatewaste, with darkness upon the abyss and the spirit ofGod hovering over the waters- God said, Let there be light! Andthere was light.it is inferred that God is c reating with something. The next translation,When God began to create the heaven and earth, the earth was adesolate waste and darkness was upon the abyss and the spirit ofGod was hovering over the waters. And God said, Let there belight!And there was lightimplies that God began by creating a desolate waste, then creating light,then shaping the waste, and so forth. All this as a function of oneverb16. As another departure, examination of creation stories bySummering and Babylonians show that they begin with subordinate clausessuch as when or On the day of.17 Genesis clearly diverges from this:In the beginning clearly sets apart the text from any other, making itthe actual start of all time and space as we know it. It also puts theHebrew god outside of time and space. There would be no point in arguing that the Old Testament wasinfluenced by the contemporary cultures of its writers; the facts clearlypoint to innumerable external sources of inspiration. But while we canacknowledge thes e similarities, we must also acknowledge that the writersof the Book of Genesis are making a radical departure from the norm: theyhave created a monotheistic religion, and their god is all-powerful, beyondthe scope of human comprehension. Typically, gods are represented assomething akin to humans on a grander scale; the Hebrew god is simply notmeasured or scaled; He is an unknown quantity, set apart from the bounds ofhuman knowledge. These similarities serve a function as a contrast to thedifferences between these religions. It would seem that the writersacknowledged these other religions, and addressed each one by creating agod that surpasses all others. The god that creates himself is one ofmany; the Hebrew god stands alone in his might. The god that created theworld defeated another god, and formed the earth from the corpse; inGenesis, God speaks and his words transform into actions. God existsbefore the matter He shapes to His will. The writers have then, in fact,minimized the a ctions of all other gods in comparison to one all-powerfuldeity such as this. By drawing comparisons to other texts, the message canbe lost in attempting to find the roots of certain ideas. But the originsof the stories are not nearly as important as the overall message beingstated, and while the ideas they resemble may be old, the message is clearand unique: there is but one, and He is beyond all that is. His will alonesuffices, and He predates even time itself. And that message has changedthe world.
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