How far is Odysseuss status Essay Example for Free

How far is Odysseuss status Essay Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as a Greek hero. However this can be contradicted. In many events Odysseus can be perceived as un-heroic at times. Therefore the above statement can be argued. Throughout this piece of work I will be discussing this statement and I will gradually draw closer to a conclusion. Odysseus shows leadership as he produces very clever ideas and performs quick-thinking actions. Throughout the narrative he has planned strategies, for example, every time Odysseus and his men reach an island he always sends his men first to investigate the surroundings. This quality can be seen as cunning and therefore he can be seen as a hero. His personality can be seen as caring and scheming. In many periods of the book this can be proved. He stays calm in situations and when his men die he thinks of them, and when in trouble he does his best to help them says quote, we travelled with heavy hearts, grieving for the loss of our dear friends.. (Book 10 Line 133) Odysseus can be seen as resourceful, for example, he tool the undiluted wine with him when going into the Cyclopss cave, which then later came into use as it saved his men and himself escape to safety. He is seen as shrewd as he uses a false name when speaking with the Cyclops which again later on takes its effect when the men are absconding from the dangers of the Cyclops. Even though Odysseus can be seen as a hero, in some cases he cannot be depicted as cunning. For example, he decided to ignore his crews suggestion to escape with the food in the Cyclopss cave. Even though he was right to do the hospitable and respectable thing to do, by staying in the cave to greet their host, he made the wrong decision as the by staying he risked the lives of his men. Odysseus can be thought of as violent as he blinded Polyphemus with a stake. This could be looked at as un-heroic and wrong, but it can also be seen as him being vengeful for his killed crew. Therefore these different situations can be looked at from two perspectives. He could be seen as hospitable and vengeful, which are true qualities of a hero, or he can be looked at as a violent person who has bad judgement. It all depends on the readers standpoint. Odysseus has a very strong relationship with the Gods, especially with Athenes and Hermes. For example Hermes helped Odysseus by giving him the moly flower. This can be looked at from two angles. Odysseus might seem not so heroic as he needs help from the powers that be, and he might be seen as dependent on the Gods. But this can be argued as only some people would think that only a hero can receive such gifts from the gods and that there has to be something special about him, and also Athene was known for helping heroes which could prove that he was one. Therefore, again, this line of reasoning could be argued. Odysseus and his men have lack trust and confidence in their relationships. This reflects badly upon Odysseus as it shows he is not leadership material. For example When Odysseus and his men sailed away from the Island of Aelia, Odysseus had received the gift of the winds. His crew did not trust Odysseus and opened the bag, thinking it was gold, and released the winds. This shows a lack of trust. Another example that shows a requirement of confidence in their relationship is when one of Odysseuss men, Eurylochus, says You will never come back yourself and wont rescue a single man of your crew. I am certain of it. Let you get away quickly with those that are left here. (Book 10 Line 268). This shows that his men think that their destiny with Odysseus will lead to death. They feel as if his leadership is endangering them which shows that they do not think of him as a hero and influences the reader to think the same, even though Odysseus tries his best and up most to rescue his men In my opinion, I think that Odysseus is a heroic figure. This is because in the book he is proved to be cunning, caring and an important figure. There are many events in the book that contradict this, but they can be argued to whether Odysseus was really in the wrong. For example, he wanted to stay in Polyphemuss cave because he wanted to be hospitable (which is the right thing to do), and he was not aware of the dangers that were at hand. He can be seen as violent, but revenge was his only motivation, when he blinded the Cyclops. Therefore, I think that Odysseus can be categorised under hero, and I think that Odysseuss status throughout the Odyssey all depends on how the reader interprets the events that take place as they always have two aspects to look at.

Creating Biofuels from Waste Essay -- Energy Fuel Environment

Biofuels from Waste Purpose Biofuels mark a great step into today’s efforts to slow down global warming. However, when food sources, such as corn and soy are used as derivatives for ethanol, the impact is far worse than using fossil fuels. Biofuels require more energy to do artificial refinery, cultivating, and collecting; whereas, fossil fuels already meet all the prerequisites through millions of years in the earth, and thus use less energy. On the social justice stance, the poor suffer through the sky-rocketed food prices because farmers are using their food to supply the ethanol demand. As technology becomes more efficient, society can rely on a source of energy that deters global warming, uses less energy to process, and betters the world economy. Question Which specific cellulase from fungi breaks down bleached paper waste efficiently? Why? Bleached paper is solely composed of cellulose (20-25%) which it makes it an ideal source for fuel because its lack in lignin makes it more efficient in the refinery process. Fungi serve as vital decomposers in the natural world. By channeling this idea to break down paper waste into sugars, the possibilities are endless. Terms to know †¢ Cellulase are enzymes that break down cellulose. Fungi and bacteria have special enzymes that are designed to decompose material. †¢ His-tag is a tag that helps the identification process by attaching to a protein. A His-tag is a small tag that aids the purification process by binding with a nickel NTA matrix. Materials -Agar plates -Sterile q-tips -Yeast -Incubator -Bleached paper waste -Fungi -PCR -Primers -Blue dye -Plasmid: pTrcHis-Topo -Wash buffer -Elution buffer -LB broth -E.Coli competent cells -Ice -Water -Filter .. ...15 July 2008. Biofuels: for Transport. United Kingdom: German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, 2007. Feldstein, Paul. "PCR." COSMOS. Hutchinson Hall, Davis. 10 July 2008. Lindsay, LeAnn. â€Å"Cellulase Assay.† COSMOS. Hutchinson Hall, Davis. 30 July 2008. Nag, Ahindra. Biofuels Refining and Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Pyles, Denver. Use of Biodiesel-Derived Crude Glycerol for the Production of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids by the Microalga Schizochytrium Limacinum. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blackburg, 2008. 13 July 2008 . Sticklen, Mariam B. "Plant Genetic Engineering for Biofuel Production: Towards Affordable Cellulosic Ethanol." Nature Reviews: Genetic(2008). BIOSIS Previews. 15 July 2008.

Reflection on “A Thousand Splendid Suns” Essay

â€Å"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs. And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.† Closing the book, I just feel real and hopeful. I will not say this story is a tragedy, and I hate when people generalise it as a book where everyone died except for Laila, Tariq and their children. Indeed, a depressing and melancholy mood is seemed to be perpetuated throughout the book, which has a large time frame spanning over decades (making it also a thought-provoking historical fiction); we agonise over the misfortune of the many characters, over their fickle lives under the most evil torture of the human rights. It’s not the kind of affliction or anguish that is easy to resonate with, as lives as well as the social norms in Afghanistan are unfamiliar to most of us. But somehow, no matter how this book is portrayed as a fiction, from deep inside my heart, I know this must be the reality, the bare truth of a brutal period of modern history. The first reason, I assume, is that Hosseini is a master of story-telling. When I marvelled at Mariam’s courage to stand up against Rasheed, moved by Laila and Tariq’s unfading hope for a brighter future, I wonder, aren’t they just people who cannot be more ordinary? Every time when a person died in the story, especially those who are not the crucial roles and their deaths were merely mentioned in one line, it occurred to me that there must be thousands of Lailas, Tariqs and Mariams in Afghanistan. Each one of them had been the hero in his/her own story. That’s why at the end of the story, I felt so real and so empowered – I might be the hero of my own story. The second reason, is that every character is created so real that you cannot simply love or hate anyone. I was really surprised that I didn’t cry for many of the sad scenes until I read about Jalil’s Disney tape and his letter. Jalil, the one who deeply broke or, more precisely, devastate Mariam’s heart, who once been a cold businessman and gave away his daughter without a dither turned out to be a father who really cared for Mariam for all those years, who still regretted the Disney movie he didn’t take her to watch. He realised that at the end of his life, the thing that should be cherished most is the opportunity of being a father, the thing that should be embraced most tightly is his daughter. This person, is just so real. Even Rasheed, who is the major cause of the two women’s misfortune, has showed his fatherly love when Zalmai was born. Everyone in this story is a three-dimensional person; none of them is perfect, but each one of them can be a splendid sun shining in the sky of Afghanistan. â€Å"Real† is definitely not the only feeling I have after reading it, the most overwhelming one must be â€Å"hopeful†. Hosseini has never intended to depress anyone since the very first beginning when he wrote down the title of book – â€Å"A thousand splendid suns†. Though the walls may seemed to be ashen and rough, I can still see the thousand splendid suns hide behind the walls. This is exactly the motto, the spirit that inspired everyone in this book to keep on struggling. For Mariam, she was able to have â€Å"a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings.† because she â€Å"has loved and been loved back†. For Laila and Tariq, their splendid suns are their children, children in Afghanistan and each other. For Laila’s Babi, his splendid suns are Laila and her Mammy. For Jalil, at the end of his life, he still possessed hope to take Mariam in his arms â€Å"as he should have all those years ago†. Even for Rasheed, he once lost a splendid sun in his life, that’s why he would never let it go once Zalmai was born, who turned out to be his new splendid sun. Yes, most of them died. But they were lucky; they died with hope. In the end, I feel so real and hopeful that I almost see a thousand splendid suns shining in the sky now.

Analysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein - 1615 Words

When one looks upon something, they typically see only the most immediately visible aspects of the object. Take a painting for example. Let us say that this painting is a fairly faithful representation of the Hudson River. When the viewer gazes upon this work, that is what they will see (provided of course that they are familiar with the landmark). What the average observer might fail to realize however, are the influences upon the work, or how the political climate the artist experience might have be visible, or to take it a level deeper, the chemical composition of the paints and the technical limitations and techniques that contributed to the creation of the complete image. While an uninformed audience might judge the work based off of†¦show more content†¦Perhaps it could be anticipated that upon his studies at university this would change, that maybe he would develop a deeper love for the subject upon being involved in the natural sciences in an academic environment whe re professors and peers would ostensibly be motivated at least partially by a sincere passion for the material. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Victor. Instead, he is motivated by messages delivered by those such as Monsieur Waldman, who relays that scientists can â€Å"ascend into the heavens [†¦] they have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows,† (49). Victor has no desire to understand the sciences for the sake of knowledge, collective or individual. Instead the idea of godlike power and the inevitable fame and recognition that would follow its attainment are his motivators. Rather than understanding science as a thing to be revered in and of itself, Victor is only capable of seeing scientific progress at its surface level, as a tool that will bring him and his family greater reputation. Perhaps the most egregious example of Victor’s extremely shallow, status driven understanding of life is visible in the actions he takes in defense of Justine, or the lack thereof. He is the only one that knows the truth of what happened to William andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1411 Words   |  6 PagesIn the early 1800s Mary Shelley set pen to a paper and started to develop a novel that little to her knowledge would become world renowned. In 1818 she finished and published the novel to sell to the European public. The novel caught the world off guard in the way that a female was able to write about such harsh, dark, and evil things in a European society whose authors like John Locke and Charles Montesquieu preached enlightenment, self exploration, and individualism all in an optimistic enablingRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1758 Words   |  8 PagesFrankenstein was published over 200 years ago. Ever since it was published, it has been one of the most famous books known to lite rature. History.com Staff states that this book, by 21-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, is frequently called the world’s first science fiction novel (History.com Staff). According to Wikipedia, Shelley was an English novelist. She was born August 30th, 1797. She died on February 1st, 1951 (Wikipedia). Shelley came up with the idea of Frankenstein as she andRead MoreBiblical Analysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1376 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature 16 November 2015 Biblical Analysis: Frankenstein Frankenstein by Mary Shelley often refers to the bible on a number of occasions. However, it is worth noting that many references used by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein can often be identified in Genesis. Much like Genesis, the story of Frankenstein is a viable creation story. The book of Genesis first explains the creation of man and woman, and also recounts the fall of humanity. Unlike Genesis, Frankenstein begins with the fall of humanityRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein And Frankenstein1410 Words   |  6 Pagescompassion and sympathy through the love of a person whom cares very deeply about them. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the three main characters Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein and Frankenstein (The Monster) are shown throughout the story, longing and in search for a companion. Throughout the story, the characters struggle with the battle of wanting either sympathy or compassion from a person or both. Mary Shelley shows the true indication of Human Nature by showing the importance of sympathy andRead MoreAnalysis of Mary Shelley ´s Frankenstein991 Words   |  4 Pagesalive. If it can learn, eventually speak, or came about because of another, it’s a person. The Creature of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is no exception. Victor’s creation needs nourishment, education, and morals, which should be provided by it’s creator, it’s parent, just like any other child. The way that needs of an individual are met shapes the outcome of their life. In her novel, Shelley demonstrates this impact that parents have on their child’s life through the contrasting upbringing of VictorRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1701 Words   |  7 Pages Frankenstein is a novel that is practically devoid of any female presence, yet author Mary Shelley pens a story that is lush with portrayals of feminine ideology. Throughout the course of this novel, the audience is introduced to three different female characters. The first is Elizabeth Lavenza— Victor Frankenstein’s wife. She is presented as a passive and weak woman who embodies the traditional role of women in the 19th century. Caroline Beaufort is present in the novel, but her role is limitedRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1038 Words   |  5 PagesAlexi Torres English III Dr. W.W. Allman December 1, 2015 Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein, she shows that good people can turn evil, but are not born this way. Humans being rude and isolating someone can make a person go insane and do things they are not proud of. Shelley shows this through the creature that Frankenstein creates and gives examples showing his evilness, but also shows that the creature tries to explain many times that he wants a friend and cannot find one becauseRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1088 Words   |  5 PagesCreature’s Argument In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature s only need is for a female companion, which he asks Victor Frankenstein his maker to create. Shelley shows the argument between the creature and Frankenstein. The creature says: I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself (Shelley 139). Shelley shows what the creature wants from Frankenstein and what his needs are. Shelley gives us an idea of the sympathy that Frankenstein might feel for the creature evenRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 843 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wretch Frankenstein is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley about a peculiar scientist named Victor Frankenstein. Victor, who is a scientist endeavoring to make history, engenders a monstrous but attentive creature in an eccentric scientific experiment. The monster that he engenders faces abnegation and fear from his creator and society. The monster is the worst kind of scientific experiment gone awry. The creature has compassion for society but additionally wants to take revenge onRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 966 Words   |  4 Pages Many of the ideals proposed in Frankenstein, written in the late nineteenth century by Mary Shelley, can be applied to modern day practices. She proposes that an abundance of knowledge and technology can be threatening to individuals and all of humanity if used incorrectly. Shelley s novel provided society with philosophical insight of the impact of morally questionable scientific and technological research. The popular belief of how Frankenstein came to be written is explained in the introduction