Modernism

The idea’s that surrounded the Modernism evolution of literature, music, and arts in the American culture affected a very wide range of people. At this time America’s immigration of large populaces of many differently nationalities was at a very high rate. Many of who, just arriving in America had little or no wealth, which I think helped expand on the growing reality that America was not a place where everyone could live well in the American standards. This also has ties to second world war that occurred during the era. The devastating loss of a large percentage of any generation is enough to arouse discontent in the heart of many friends, family members, and loved ones into being disenchanted with the idea that America’s society was not out of reach to the effects of the happenings of Europe and the wars they occurred there. Such a strong example of the happenings in other parts of the war and the profound impact they can make on our semi-isolated position. The fact that it caused a nation as a whole to step back and think about how realistic the American dream was or what one might have to go through to obtain it was enough to disenchant many people under the "illusion." I hope to read a style of literature that reflects on people of a society suspending them within it but seeing it as some how flawed and possibly reclusive. The idea of not every American has a fair chance to the possibility of success in the nation where the pursuit of happiness is in many ways the advertisement logo of the country. This is why I wanted to read the disillusionment segment of the Modernism era.

In the story of Soldier’s Home by Earnest Hemmingway Harold Krebs has just returned from Germany, serving in last three years of the war. He joined the Marines in 1917. He served the last three years of the war. He was not sent as back as early as the draftees were and so was not welcomed by the same cheer and warmth that many of these called upon heroes had been. He returned and led a life of a calm reclusion filled with reading and enjoying his days watching pretty girls and reflecting on the drama that ensues with them. He had gone to college prior to the war and had not pursued a career after his return home. He spent most of the day when not reading playing pool in the local pool hall. He also practiced clarinet. He was very much a picture perfect pitch for the American dream, but he seemed dispatched to the culture some how.

His father sold real estate and provided for this mother and children. Harold had a younger sister named Helen. His whole family showed great amounts of support and love. His father who had never let Harold use his car prior to the war even told Harold through his mother that he could drive it any night he wanted. All of these signs still could not seem to get through the phase the Harold seemed to be behind. He felt no sense of love in this aspect of one of the core values of the American dream, family. He was left at the end of the story in a fork in the road of his life. He seemingly could not break off into any of the paths that life could have presented to him.

I think Harold Krebs’s strong sentiments of disillusionment where due to his past with his service in the war. It was noted often, such as; "A distaste for everything that had happened to him in the war set in because of the lies he had told." that he did not talk about the war unless at the pool hall. It was strange to see that he did find a place in the society of America that he did feel somewhat comfortable. It also only makes his separation from the culture even more felt in the story because it seems he would try to fit in but still had a hard time. His difficulties of his pursuing the females of his town came from the different impact the war had on them. Most of the young girls his age had been hardly affected by the war and it had been only a topic of conversation in its duration.

The illusion Krebs had once had portrayed in his mind of the American way of life had been wiped clean from whatever canvas it had been painted on. His loving family, prospective life options, and bachelordom would have been many American’s favorite time to look back on. For someone like Krebs’s I think he would have not seen much value in separating the eras of one’s life but more of a sense in the value of the person over their entirety. The idea of not getting a chance to lead the normal life of getting an education and directly pursuing in a career might off set any person on their path in life. Many Americans found their dreams that life might bring to them suddenly brought into a much wider world that could still harm their happiness and sense of balance. He reflected on the absence of a happiness in a environment one would feel in this passage, "All of the times that had been able to make him feel cool and clear inside himself when he thought of them; the times so long back when he had done the one thing, the only thing for a man to do, easily and naturally, when he might have done something else, now lost their cool, valuable quality and then were lost themselves."


In the poem "Richard Corey," I feel the strongest aspect of the modernism movement touched on was the separation of wealth. In this instance it was a burden on it’s wielder and caused him grief and guilt. He had what the poor didn’t and he was aware of it and became unsatisfied with life. He killed himself because of this. This phrase of the poem lets a perspective of Richard and his life style through. "And he was always quietly arrayed, 5 and he was always human when he talked; but still he fluttered pulses when he said, "Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked."


The poem "A Dream Deferred" is reflecting on the many ways the disillusionment felt could alter some one’s life. Could it kill the creative soul of the individual? Would it bring them to find fortunes in new places? Would it create hard times for people? Could it even awaken them to find out what their real dream is? These are just a few ways the poem hints at people’s lives being altered by the era’s realist taking on life.


The poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" I felt was a very reflective side of the young age of the American nation. This reflections strongly supports my ideas, "I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins." It was still early in its settling into the society it would melt together from all the different people who wanted to live freely. The people who had it taken from them, and what it had been before anyone was there to live upon it. It brought forth a sense of respect for the earth and what it provided for people.


Countee Cullen’s poem "Incident" is an emphasis on how incidents that occur around us are most remembered when the memory of the event is a bad one. He remembers spending a fall in Baltimore when he was eight. A teasing boy his age called him the n-word. He states that he was there for month but remembers little other than the occasion of being picked on for his race. This reflects greatly upon the Harlem renaissance and how a community of people that had certainly never been given the full rights to the American dream were emerging in culture as more equal but still unfairly treated citizens. He reflects upon his bitterness over the time in this phrase from his poem, "I saw the whole of Baltimore from May until December; of all the things that happened there that's all that I remember."


In Robert Frost’s poem "The Mending Wall" two neighbors and their yearly rebuilding of the stone wall between their two respective properties is reflected upon in the idea of disillusionment. "SOMETHING there is that doesn’t love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; and makes gaps even two can pass abreast." The wall is built in the spring and during the winter and other seasons slowly falls in many places. The neighbors have differing ideas on the yearly reconstruction of the wall. One neighbor is under the illusion that the wall is not needed and that both parties know their land and needn’t spend such a long time rebuilding their dividing wall. The other sees the rebuilding the wall as a reflection on his relationship with his land and his neighbor as a good thing and wants to continue the process.

Realism

“She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength. But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.” These were words written by Kate Chopin to describe Louise Mallard’s thought and expression as she reflected upon the news of her husband’s death. It details her character vividly by telling the reader of how her face moved to express the emotions she felt. It describes her seeing through her eyes and what they saw through the window she was sitting next to. Her feelings were reflected by the weather and view she saw through the window.

I felt that the social injustice described in this story was the pre-unionized rail road industry and the hazards to safety it presented to its workers. “It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard's name leading the list of "killed." The entire backdrop for “The Story of an Hour” is based on this event. Richards a friend of the Mallard family was working at the news paper office when the news arrived and even verified his “death” by another telegram. The social I think and could be wrong that the social problem being addressed in this short issue of unsafe working standards in an earlier era can also be tied to the less stable level of mass communication that had developed by this time period. I feel that there was a lack of communication due to the end of the story when it is revealed that her Husband’s death was actually a misunderstanding.

“Mr. Covey seemed now to think he had me, and could do what he pleased; but at this moment- - from whence came the spirit I don't know- - I resolved to fight; and suiting my action to the resolution, I seized Covey hard by the throat; and as I did so, I rose.” I felt this was the strongest action of Fredrick Douglas’s in his narration detailing part of his slave “career.” In this brief moment he choose not to be whipped and in an unpremeditated way. He said his spirit to resist came from inside and at a time he had not seen it coming. I think that once he began to trust his instincts like in this situation his actions began to speak for what he truly felt inside his heart. If his instincts were a reaction to a social injustice is something only Fredrick Douglas can tell.

The social injustice in this story is much clearer than the previous story by Kate Chopin. Slavery was a large topic of controversy when realism began as a literature writing style. It was previous to the civil war that people began to interpret things are sharply as reality described them. People had taken more of an interest in human rights and in turn saw injustice in practices such as slavery or women not being given the right to vote. The aspect of slavery was by far the strongest social problem in this era of writing. I think most would agree since a war had been caused by it. Some would disagree that the American civil war was started over slavery but I am firmly convinced that it was the majority factor to the separation of the union and the cause of the war.

In modern days there are probably more social injustices that aren’t given much attention purposefully to make them seem like less of a problem. Many country’s citizens find their jobs disappearing for instance and the level of unemployment on the rise. In some countries workers have decided to take a stand against such action against their lively hood. In Argentina for example a large corporation that was partially funded by the government was closing plants that provided employment for many working people. Many workers in other parts of the world would have accepted non-employment and poverty. In the case of this Fjora auto plant in Buenos Aires the workers chose that their work place should not be closed and that instead they should re-open by the workers for the workers, even if they weren’t allowed to. They occupied the factory illegally and even fought of police with sling shots using marbles as ammo. It is obvious that the need for work is becoming a more drastic problem especially in countries were there is a larger level of poverty. This event was made into a documentary called “La Toma” or “The Taking.”

Communites and Schools

Community in Schools organization is a revolutionary system being implemented in the school systems that Americans finds themselves enrolled in. With a more focused view on helping a student reach their goal in life there is a feeling of success. The smaller class sizes, community internships, and more one-on-one teaching occurring in every classroom and performance learning school show the results are going to show success very quickly.

Schools modeled after the Community in Schools standard find themselves as a more focused and in a more structured environment. Students have more time in a single class period to not only plan their work but, to also get an extra half hour to get more work done at school. These procedures result in less work having to be done during after school hours. This benefit could leave a student a more productive evening after school: such as reading required materials, writing papers ahead of schedule, and studying math material being covered in class, or maybe even participating in community sports leagues.

To further complement the academic schedule there is the schools mandatory internships in the community itself. Most students of any age in their high school career have the slightest idea of where they want their life to lead them. These internships in fields that a student thinks they may be interested enough to pursue as a career are truly eye opening experiences into the real world side of any job.

Young adults know that in thinking of their future they can name at least five to ten jobs that they could see themselves holding. All students regardless of type of seal they are attempting for their diploma will want some sort of insight that is usually not presented to them so easily. This program offers is the most realistic approach to a student’s dreams and admirations of their future. These types of expectations given to high school students compared to students fresh out of a four year research institute are highly profitable to be obtained at such an early phase of the education system.

Any student that has just graduated from a four year college will ask themselves what they will do now that they have completed their education. Many say a variety of things in response to the question of where to take life. Continuation of education or maybe a doctorate, these might be some people’s goal at first thought. Others will want to pursue the careers they have been studying to undertake for the past four years of their life. Not all but some of these students will be dissatisfied with the career path they have chosen and assumed was right for them. Communities in Schools has a chance to create a more accurate idea for what type of education one should pursue once entering post high school education facilities.

This connection not only forms a view of an individual’s path in life but also a view into the wide world of networking and how important it is to meet people and creating good impressions on those that you work with. On any level of any job good communication skills and ability to maintain a workplace relationship with co-employees is another valuable tool gained from communities in schools. It also opens doors in young student’s minds to allow them learn from others and their own actions and mistakes. These factors all collaborate together to create a career minded, hard working, fast learning work place with a good goal in mind for their future.

Dark Romantacism

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a figure of an anti-transcendentalist background. In Hawthorne’s case I believe that his falling into this perspective was because of his rational thought that provoked a strong reaction in him when a family member sentenced people to death during the Salem witch trials. His family member was convinced by the people that the accused were evil and I think this made Hawthorne see those that condemned them, to be no less evil then those on trial. I can only assume that he came to the conclusion of the people being accused of witchcraft did no deceive Hawthorne’s strong belief in rational thought. His being rational might have also provoked some dislike of the church and would explain his disagreeing with the witch trials.


Herman Melville I think was pulled into the anti-transcendentalist thought pool because of his raisings. He saw his family squander money, which some might think of a bad trait. He worked from an early age of twelve on boats. This was a good deal in the past and in an era where I would think being on your own from such a young age was probably much harder than it would be today in America. His youth probably showed him a much more down to earth side of life, which I think can example the similarities between transcendentalist and rationalist. The world was much different then as well, for instances if one were to go sailing around the world today they might not see cannibals at mealtime. Hawthorne witnessed this act and took it how ever he did, but I think seeing that at a young age for any person would be a terrible thing to see. I see a dark romantic sort of telling of this in Mobey Dick. Ahab is a picture perfect example of someone who doesn’t have God’s power for his mind to manage. His mind’s only obsession was to kill the whale that ate his leg, even if it cost many innocent lives.

Edgar Allen Poe was a very colossal figure in this era of literature. He was in my opinion the embodiment of a anti-transcendentalist and the only one of them worthy of being called a "Dark Transcendentalist." This I conclude is because of two major causes, dealing with a substantial amount of death of loved ones in his life. His mother died while Edgar was still very young and I think his father might not have treated him well if he disowned him for going to college. His other encounters with deceased loved ones was his three wives, all of whom died of the same disease, which must have seemed very ironic and terrible to Poe, something that would haunt me, but only maybe haunt Edgar Allen Poe. I think the other major cause for his literary style would be his dependence on alcohol and opium. I am sure that if he was using during his marriages, that they were the cause of the worsening habit. These two factors could easily create a human who would indulge in the romantic idea that maybe only view people had the voice of god in his head.


I think that I fall onto the transcendentalist side of the argument, with more of a rational background than a romantic one. My faith in the goodness of people can be blinding at times, but I keep it more to keep myself happily assuming that everyone in the world is content with finding their own happiness instead of pursuing money or other products of society that can tempt people to group themselves all into one pursuit of life. I continue my wide assumption that people would rather only merely entertain themselves with the pursuit of a new walk of life when one becomes dull to tread.

The story of "Hop Frog" is certainly well titled in the category of Dark Romanticism. It describes the life of two court dwarfs some ages ago in some mid evil land and they’re how they were treated. Hop-frog was never treated kindly and was brought into this life style by being kidnapped by the king’s army in some foreign land. Another dwarf had been kidnapped as well and the two became fast friends. Trippetta, the other dwarf was a female and helped Hop-Frog when he was being greatly picked on. The climax of the story begins when Trippetta has a cup of wine thrown in her face by the king her and Hop Frog are forced to serve.

The king made a fatal mistake by committing this act in front of Hop Frog. The dwarf was greatly angered. After the act was committed the king and his council of seven ministers stupidly asked the dwarf to help them get ready for a masquerade. The dwarf helped them to dress as savages or looked to have escaped from some sort of entrapment because they wore a singular chain that connected all of them. They also wore tar and flax at the advice of Hop Frog. They planned to come to the party let to start a ruckus among the party goers. Hop Frog took it to his liberty to re decorate the ball room before the king and his ministers were to make their surprise entrance. He set torches around the hall and removed a chandelier from its chain in the middle of the room. When the king and his ministers in their costumes Hop Frog used the chain the chandelier had been hung out to hang the king and ministers in mid air, where Hop Frog set flame to them.
This story is a great example of a Dark Romantic story because of the forced labor of the two dwarfs and their ability to find friendship in a place and time where they were treated poorly by people of the king’s court. The king is a character that I think embodies spite, greed, and ignorance. He persistently used Hop-Frog as a comic relief for his whole court and especially his ministers. His excessive drinking made him less sensible and crueler than anything. These characteristics reflect how a dark romantic might see people at times. "Dwarfs were as common at court, in those days, as fools; and many monarchs would have found it difficult to get through their days (days are rather longer at court than elsewhere) without both a jester to laugh with, and a dwarf to laugh at." This text from the story shows the view society had for dwarfs and fools. It shows that as a society a group of people can treat an individual badly if it is the normal behavior of a group of important people. The king and his ministers were very insensitive to the dwarfs and show a very terrible side of people. Hop-Frog’s actions are reflected by his reaction and show how people that are treated badly would see much evil in people’s hearts, a very dark romantic ideology.

Transcendentalist:Scenario Reponse

The situation of Susan and David would be dealt with differently today than it would have during the transcendentalist era. Their situation though could very easily have happened in such a time period. Susan has the aspect of living life as society provided for her, marrying young with a man with a stable job but without much ambition. Her chances of college make her unsure if she wants to marry this man. She applies and is accepted to college, but also aspects a proposal of marriage. She is accepting the life that society provided for her but is also curious of her future at college and where it could take her. She in my opinion should merely "Trust Thyself: Every heart vibrates to that iron string." Her heart is what can tell her to do best and I think she would find what would make her most happy by listening to it.

Transcendentalist: Self-Reliance

The theme of Self-reliance is strictly formatted after the essay’s title. Emerson speaks vividly about the maturity that one gains over time and the senses that it sharpens. With strong implications towards the idea that one only deserves that which he makes on his own. In this particular essay he refers to corn, or food in general and how it is only ideal to eat corn you grew on you own land, which reflects transcendentalist’s strong ideals about providing for one’s self and not depending on society’s means of providing for its inhabitants. Providing for one’s self is not the only similarities between transcendentalist and their God. Filling their life with the things that make them happy and by doing it themselves have more control over their own lives than say puritans.

The idea that humans and god are nearly one in some way is shown in Emerson’s writing and can be reflected on as an encouragement towards finding one’s personal use and fulfillment in life. The idea that characteristics similar to God could be found in a human is one of the core philosophies behind transcendentalist believes. It encourages people to live their life in a prospective way and to fill it with meaning and self-reflection. Transcendentalists believe that society operates more like a company that sells stock and only those who have a lot of stock may thrive in it. In this sense, transcendentalist want little to do with society, instead they seek more of a personal fulfillment.

"Trust Thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string" I think this is a firm statement of transcendentalist origin. The idea of trusting one’s self had come from the rational time period and had developed even more with the transcendentalist. The trust they place in themselves is similar to the type of trust puritans had to put into God. The main aspect that would imply this writing to be of transcendentalist thought is the aspect of suggesting that God’s influence can be felt in all individuals and that it can inspire them to take their own path, and not that of society.

Transcendentalist: Nature

The benefit of nature according to Ralph Waldo Emerson is an over whelming feeling of detachment from the world and it’s worries. A sense of calm and causality drapes over you in the form of the comforting wilderness. The effect that open land can impact on sometime can be very trivial or in other cases redeeming. The sense of redemption comes from the withdrawal from the society of cities and towns were people act business like in all their doings. Taking a vacation from this a city can arouse delight, fascination, and superstition in the viewers of nature. These people who are roused by these strong feelings when in nature could be transcendentalist or just merely natural people or enjoy their natural environment.

Emerson talks about the various aspects of nature that can appeal to the human soul and why. The colors of the trees during the various seasons can reflect the emotions of the people viewing them. The weather can impact the trees, grass, and other plants the same way life can impact it’s liver. The sky can embed all of nature’s feelings in one massive expansive view that all can see. The sky can seem forbidding or charmingly unreal depending on the eye that views it and how they feel at the time. Transcendentalists are very firm believers in nature’s characteristics and their spiritual benefits.

The text of "Nature" very strongly comes from Transcendentalist influence. The aspect of finding spirituality in nature is undoubtedly a common trait in transcendentalism. The feeling of being a god like figure can be found by reflecting on nature according to Emerson described in this text from "Nature." "I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of god." The feeling of being absorbed into a higher point of view from a faraway sense of seclusion. Like God’s sense of conclusion from the earth that he created.

Research Paper

Time and time again history has shown not everyone is given their fair share in life. It could mean people are not given the right to vote for their country’s leader. It could mean people are not allowed the rights other people are given. It could mean people face violence against themselves and others like them. These are all problems history has seen forced upon low income residents of countries worldwide.

Another problem similar to these is the unfair distribution of land. This might seem like a minor problem at first glance. If someone were to reflect on how important land is in the distribution of power and wealth it might seem like a bigger problem. There is such a problem in the South American nation of Brazil. The country has been in and out of many military dictatorships since it’s independence in 1822. These authoritarian governments are much more likely to unfairly distribute land than a democratic nation would. Military regimes often give out the business and land to those that support their forceful oppression of a nation with money, business deals, and other various means of supporting a government. (wikipedia)

Brazil was freed from its last dictatorship in 1985. With the collapse of such a regime came an era of democracy under the form of a republic state. The nation also adopted a constitution and began operating democratic elections, as most republics tend to do. This granted the oppressed poor to further organize and implement plans to gain their wealth and piece of the land.

The Landless Workers Movement (MST) also known as Moviemento Dos Trabalhadores Rurias Sem Terra had been started in 1980 in small grassroots political networks in the most southern state of Brazil, Rio Grande Do Sul. The movement began simply by farming families occupying land that was not being used to cultivate food by the overwhelming small minority that owned approximately two thirds of the land. In the first two years of the 1980s an estimated six thousand families joined the movement and began cultivating food on unused land. These families banded together too stand against the unfairly practiced laws about the occupation of unused land for agriculture development. They were the beginning sounds of a nation’s voice against unfair land laws and for the opportunity to provide food and shelter for themselves and their family. (wikipedia) (mstbrazil)

These families slowly spread to more states in the newly founded republic and gathered more supporters until in the mid-nineteen eighties when the last military dictatorship fell from power. Once the new republic’s government was organized and a constitution was written, the MST officially declared itself an organization. It was not allowed to declare itself under the oppression of the military’s strong hold over the government. Since then there have been numerous MST settlements declaring themselves in twenty-three of twenty-eight Brazilian states. (mstbrazil) (wikipedia)

They have found legal protection in many cases against landowners looking to evict them from their land. In many cases not only are the evictions rejected but the people begin to expropriate the pieces of unproductive land the MST families have settled on. The constitution declares land use must be used in rational and adequate sense, managed for the use of the natural resources and fair use for owners and laborers of the area. These laws in the constitution are one of the stepping stones that allow the MST to occupy land that is not in use and in turn provide for their communities. (mstbrazil)

The MST finds much of its legal help to battle the expropriating of land in court through family relations of MST families in law the progressive branch of the Catholic Church, and civil rights interested law firms in Brazil. The most frequent enemy of the MST in the legal since would be the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian reform (INCRA). INCRA evaluates and deems the land MST settlements have occupied as productive or unproductive for its current owners. The expropriating of land is not an easy process and any given settlement can take up to two years to be granted to the MST families. (mstbrazil) (wikipedia)

(Bibliography)
Website "Landless Workers Movement of Brazil", Laura Carlsen, 09/10/07,

http://mstbrazil.org/

Website: "Landless Workers Movement", 09/08/07,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landless_Workers%27_Movement

Persuasive Essay

Over the centuries there have been few who stood against the many. Few who stood against what all knew to be wrong and unjust. Few who would do anything for everything in a situation where they had nothing….? Attila Ambrus is one of those few, and undoubtedly in Eastern Europe the most renown and publicly liked of those few. As a man that grew up under the oppression of a communist regime who’s only destiny was to grow up to face to economic disadvantages of a free market under capitalism in an under developed country. He rose to meet the challenge that society burdened upon him and become an international folk hero and genuine badass. Despite these disadvantages of his birth place and childhood Attila was a success in his own standards and would grow up to become a Professional Ice Hockey Player, pelt smuggler, bank and post office robber, ladies man, alcoholic, womanizer, and excessive gambler; not to mention a genuine adrenaline addict, criminal mastermind, and world traveler. His reputation is that of a Ghangis Kahn, Attila the hun, or either Butch Cassidy or the Sundance Kid. All of whom are highly honored in their respective cultures and seen as icons by Attila.

He was born in the region of Transylvania, whose populace had the disadvantage of being minorities, in the communist territory of Romania, which I think developed his distinct and individual personality as a "lone wolf"(one of his many nick names given to him by the press as a bank robber). In a town called Fitod, located on the outskirts of Csikszereda, which eventually had it’s name changed to that of the then in power communist dictator, Miercurea Ciuc. Disowned by his father and mother at a young age of seven, he was adopted by his grandmother who faced death a few short years afterwards. His grandmother’s death stirred a great reflection of great sadness; despite being a tough guy, this showed a sincere humane side of Attila, that some journalist would argue about because they saw him as a terrorist. Soon after he was taken in by his aunt and uncle who raised him through his early teens and were even able to send him to a boarding school where he played hockey briefly. Later on in his teens a string of juvenile crimes located him in a detention center for youngsters for two years. This could easily be seen as a tell tell sign of a criminal to be, but would eventually be his foundation of learning to manifest his own destiny, a trait which very few have ever truly embraced. While in juvenile jail he got into many fights and also learned to speak Romanian with no trace of an accent, a very handy vice in communist Romania, where the secret police roamed the street in a not so secret fashion; armed with machine guns and possibly drunk which made Atilla’s nerves all the more stout and daring in the face of danger, which he would have to be in his line of work!

After briefly serving in the Romanian army and finding work as a church painter, he planned his escape from Romania. He had no hesitation of committing such an act due to his rebellious nature and unflinching amount of nerve. He fled his job and fellow workers at a church painting site near the border of Hungary, the least communist territory in Eastern Europe. To cross the border "safely" Attila Ambrus ran along side a train and wrenched himself onto on of the connectors between cars. To even further camouflage his hiding spot he latched himself to the bottom of the train using the most convenient latching devices at his disposal, his arms and legs! This is one of the many testimonies of Attila’s physical endurance and bravery. Once arriving in Hungary he was met by an only slightly less communist government, and an equally poverty ridden economy. Even though the odds stacked against him he would not be turned down to the future that nations of capitalism such as America promised to bring to communistic areas of the world. This gave Attila hope and ambition to pursue a career and blaze a trail on which he could set his feet to trek forward onto his glorious destiny.

After a series of odd jobs and various living arrangements Attila Ambrus was given a place on a Professional Hockey Team Újpesti Torna Egylet, though not given the job for his skill but the high level of determination and motivation he displayed at his try out. He was so tough and enduring during this tryout that even after being told to go home after half way through the try out he demanded to stay and continue his display of "skills." His official position was Janitor and lived in the stadium in a closet. Such a setting did not bother a man who had come to his "dreamland" under such extreme conditions, and only added the fuel to his fire. This was his foot in the door for his life in Hungary. He eventually found a second job as a building supervisor and lived free for little pay. After two years of living with a meager income Attila decided to find money in the way that most of the wealthy people in Hungary did, through crime. This at first bothered him but he eventually came to realize that he had to make his own way and that no communist or a falling Berlin wall were going to make it for him.

His criminal career spanned ten years and involved mass publication on television, news papers, and a whole department of the fledgling police department assigned to catch him. His first part of his career was spent smuggling animal pelts from Transylvania to Austria, this gig created enough money for Attila to buy fancy cars, liquor, and gamble the rest away, but his thirst was not yet satisfied. After a complication with the border guards he bribed and a their bosses finding a dead truck driver at the border Attilla passed through for his pelt smuggling operation, his career as a pelt smuggler came to an end. He then used his instincts to again come into a higher income pool than he was supposed to belonged in. Attila’s next ten years were his best, girlfriends, fancy vacations, cars, brothels, casinos, and wealth that he had never known. He was dubbed the "Whiskey Robber" due to his habit of holding up banks and post offices while drunk, He was so bold that he even sent the police department empty bottles of wine by leaving them at the scene of the crime in a direct sign of defiance to the police assigned to catch him, only something a true criminal mastermind could pull off. He usually did his drinking at the nearest pub to his heist location. He went on drinking and robbing for a decade which can only testify to his genius in the field of robbery and theft. It took ten years, and a three month period on the lam after escaping from a jail to land Attila in a security prison for fifteen years. This man was in my opinion the most profound figure of the late 20th century in his bold and self made fame and wealth in a world where no opportunities were given to him. This man was a genuine self made man who was given the worst possible scenario to live life with and despite that, he made his way to what he saw as the top!

Transcendentalist: "Resisting a Civil Government"

The details of “Resisting a Civil Government” can very easily express a lot about the author Henry David Thoreau, in a short amount of time. He summed up nearly six years of living his life as saw fit; in a single night in a jail in his hometown of concord, Massachusetts. He was in jail for not paying a tax charged to citizens for the right to vote. His basis for his argument in his defense of not paying the taxes was his anti-war sentiments during the Mexican war. His anti-war sentiments lied with his belief that Nations were not responsible enough to manage armed forces reasonably. He implied vividly the differences between how a government would conduct itself, and how neighbors would conduct themselves. Comparing a nation to a house hold of individuals really shows the gap between amounts of courtesy showed.

His argument that I spoke of lie with the state as he called it, in reality I think he was a very small minority speaking loudly out against near a whole nation’s majority. He may have figured, as many people were during this era that live can be lead in yet another way, as time can tell us. His arrest and jailing for his tax evasion did not make him feel at all guilty, shown by the little remorse he showed for his actions. Thoreau was a firm believer in personal rights and because his inclination was that his peace could be found in nature, he didn’t seek the things that life can give to those in cities and with jobs.

“I heartily accept the motto – “That government is best which governs least”; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically.” This is a very strong example of Thoreau’s political beliefs and what made him a well known writer. His writing always had ties to where he stood politically, especially in the Mexican war. His resentment of being governed by an invisible hand lead Thoreau to transcend the obedience installed in him by society and live by his actions and the results they created. His comment towards the end of his phrase about wanting to see the government acting faster and in a simpler refined manor showed his idea for a less strict, laid back government that only managed minimal affairs. Thoreau’s writings political themes made him a very strong Transcendentalist figure in his day and age. A man who felt that God’s influence would not always lead people down the same path and that all the paths that he made should be able for humans to embark down at their own free will.

American Romanticism

I felt the style used to tell the story of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was a unique one. I think Washington Irving used characters and their reactions to the situations in the story in a very good pace. The party scene was made more understandable for instance because you are told about the different parts of the party and how those people were engaging themselves instead than what they said. When characters move around you are told more about their facial expressions in response to what they have been talking about, instead of what they have said and heard.

The imagery of scenery is also very vivid. I think this is very smart of Washington to do because how a place looks really inspires how an individual feels about the area. He emphasized on creating a seemingly haunted rural town by detailing the terrain and the locations. The path along which Ichabod encountered "The Galloping Hessian" or "Brom Bones"; who ever it was certainty succeeded in emitting the feel of a supernatural encounter, and the assailants choice of location was very helpful. The late night timing along the path which first came to a large tree in the middle of the road created a sense fear of being in Ichabod’s situation.

At the point in the story when Ichabod has just left after the party ended especially created a feeling of suspense for the reader. His already bad mood from an argument is a clear and evident set up for things taking a turn for the worse. As the approached the tulip tree on his way home not only the reader but Ichabod too was getting the feeling of fear and suspension. The reader and Ichabod gathered in the tree, it’s outline in the nighttime, the white mark from the lighting, and the sense that no one would want to go past this spooky spot alone, especially at night.

"It was the very witching time of night that Ichabod, heavy-hearted and crestfallen, pursued his travels homewards, along the sides of the lofty hills which rise above Tarry Town, and which he had traversed so cheerily in the afternoon." The continuous flow used in this story is mostly the reflection of the characters and their attitudes at the time. In this text Ichabod creates his ill mood by having some argument or disagreement with Katrina Van Tassel. He is hence forth heavy-hearted and crestfallen. Not knowing what people say keeps the reader on their toes and encourages learning from they react creates more of a sense of emotion for the reader than a typical conversation would do. Also characteristics of the region are relayed to the reader to create more a feeling that you were somewhere you were very familiar with. Tarry town was the nickname of Sleepy Hallow and that allows a word to not become repetitive as well.

"As the enraptured Ichabod fancied all this, and as he rolled his great green eyes over the fat meadow lands, the rich fields of wheat, of rye, of buckwheat, and Indian corn, and the orchards burdened with ruddy fruit, which surrounded the warm tenement of Van Tassel, his heart yearned after the damsel who was to inherit these domains, and his imagination expanded with the idea, how they might be readily turned into cash, and the money invested in immense tracts of wild land, and shingle palaces in the wilderness." A vivid description of an area and the feelings it provokes in an individual is one of the oldest parts of romance. Everyone has a certain setting in which they feel the most emotion. Irving used these situations to let the reader get an idea of what kind of attitude a character is in different parts in the story. The effect of the land on the character is profound, considering Ichabod is moved so strongly as to try and marry a women just to have the land.

The Poem "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant was the longest expression of "Live every day like your last one" I have ever heard. I kept feeling the poem implied a up beat message of living life to your fullest and to reap friendship where you can. It was romantic in the sense that it made life seem so unburdening to its liver. This is always a pleasant thought but not commonly a reality. I think that because of the poem’s attempt to make live seem like a much faster paced game lacking of real responsibilities it creates a sense of hardiness and wellbeing.
When I read Henry Wadsworth’s "The Ropewalk" I figured the point of the poem was to appeal to a variety of people all of whom had to work. The image of a boat steadily flowing down a tropical river when I read the words "Ships rejoicing in the breeze" provoked a very strong image that I thought could easily be made romantic. Many of the scenarios Wadsworth describes in his poem describe situations of great amounts of fulfillment for many different reasons add a very real romantic feel in the story.

Art is made more romantic by developing a more drastic sense of lighting. A scene could be made to look ominous or delightful. The colors used could easily affect the type of feeling a painting would arouse in it’s viewer. A picture of a ship on a stormy sea would make one feel nervous and worry, while a picture of a sea on a calm ocean would create a sense of relaxation.

The painting I choose to respond to as why I think it is Romantic is non other than a picture of a boat floating in calm waters near a shore. The image has a abnormal amount of light in the back ground making the picture look surreal. The affect the sun has on the clouds makes them seem larger and defines their shape more. The land on the shore is also very unique and would make someone want to travel to seem them very much. These drastic elements are very eye catching and make more of an imaginary place come true.

The Rationalist

At the time of the birth of the American colonies Puritanism, along with other fledgling religions were a key to politicaly govern the people of the new found continent. As time progressed people showed less respect for the practices of the Puritans. This was reflected by lack of prayer, excessive sleep, drink, sexual scandals, and other various activities puritans were supposed to refrain from engaging in. As time progressed the colonies and cities within them expanded as did the people’s ideas of independence. Independence from their religions and a newfound self-dependence by using their own logic to govern their way of life and conduct themselves in society. The rationalists were still very religious people as any one in that day and age was. What made them different was their instinctive nature to take matters of importance into consideration of their own instead of depending on the word of the bible.

I think Benjamin Franklin made a good rationalist because of his keen sense of observation. He was never with out some insight as to how he or those around him appeared to be. He is very honest as to his appearances even if they weren’t his best at the time. I think the basis for his rationality was honesty, and to perceive things as honestly as possible can lead to a very accurate impression of many different situations. Franklin also used a good deal of self-reflection to steer his course through life. Always maintaining an accurate portrait of one’s self is important for one to use their ration logically and in the correct manor. I come to this conclusion due to supporting text from Franklin’s autobiography in two cases where he reflects upon himself and how he would appear. "I was in my working dress, my best clothes being to come round by sea. I was dirty from my journey; my pockets were stuffed out with shirts and stockings; I knew no soul, nor where to look for lodging." This is a self-observation Franklin has when he first arrives in Philadelphia with no work and little money. I’m sure he thought over his appearance and accordingly set his manor to reflect a good mannered person. On that first day in Philadelphia he paid passage on a boat that offered him passage for free for his rowing, but he paid anyway. He also bought and gave bread to a mother and her child who had been on the boat. I think he came to the conclusion that one must reflect a good sense of charity and good will, especially when it seems they should have no charity and little to give to create an image of goodwill.

Patience: Rush not to haste. What one does on the current day reflects the day and every day after.

Good-willing: Treat all and any with friendship to expect friendship. Treat any or all without friendship and expect none in return.

Truthfulness: Be honest to those you deal with. Be honest with others to be honest with yourself.

Justice: Up keep a justice for those who have been treated unjust.

Mercy: Spare those that would redeem themselves.

Dutifulness: Be faithful to yourself, your admiration, and fellow people.

Tenacity: Stick to your chosen path and take it’s course as it comes to the best of your abilities.

Gravity: Keep your mind on the task at hand and do not be distracted by other elements.

Wholesomeness: Keep a healthy and clean livelihood. Maintain a healthy attitude to keep this in line.

Sternness: Keep a firm sense of self-control. Do not be lead astray by wants.

Industriousness: Maintain a hard work ethic. Do not become idle in your workings.

Respectability: Maintain a relationship of respect between yourself and all peers. One bad
reflection of your respectability and all will see.

Prudence: Foresee the reactions of others. Use your actions to the wisest degree to their reactions.

Moral perfection is many people's goal in life. I think living a strict and continuos life style in the manner one sees fit for themselves will only merely guide them in that direction. I think the actual acceptance of moral perfection comes from the perception of others regarding one’s life and its practice. The actions one produces in his or her life reflect their virtues and sense of judgement to the eyes of their peers. I believe because of this that in many cases people achieve moral perfection but also are seen as a person of little or no character based on the past history with those one would meet in life.

I have convinced myself that one’s path of moral perfection in life is based on their own reflection of their values and the judgements of their peers on their lifestyle. I think that by placing judgement on other’s ways of life, one would find themselves less of candidates for moral perfection. To place judgement on another and allow its reflection you see to create a sense of poor thought of the other would lead to one disregarding their own moral ambitions and instead cloud their path with a calling to pass more judgements. In the passing of any judgement one would become less understanding to people’s individuals motives and reasons. I think that a rationalist would not only pass judgement but also take in reflections of the individual to try and guess their reasons and motives.

Rationalism came into play at a very important time for the American colonies. The revolution began and succeeded within this era and allowed many doors to be opened for the future of the colonies and the world. Rationalist wanted to create a world that would be less oppressive than the one they had all known and come from. They wanted to determine the laws to be the best possible from a rational view. I suppose looking back at the actions of the founding fathers people could say that they were rational, rational as rich old white people can be in a situation where all the power has been placed in their midst. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This is one of the most important phrases in the constitution of our nation. It shows a very rational thought they the founding fathers could say everyone could relate to in a rational sense. For example we all have the unalienable right to pursue happiness, no matter what that is, such as the founding fathers pursued their happiness by writing a constitution that a nation would be governed by, and field slaves pursued their happiness by working in the fields...that were owned by the founding fathers and their friends. These unalienable rights are what forged peoples burning desire to achieve their goals in the American fashion.

The founding fathers were full of ration in the interest of the nation....mainly its landowners. They broke down every part of life and way of living rationally. For example, they explained the relationship between a government and the people it represents and its reflected in the constitution as "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." This is a very standard and descriptive format to how a government operates and more essentially claiming its power.

With such a profound statement being made after such a shocking victory in a guerilla war fare style revolution it is not a surprise that the founding fathers used their ration to determine what should happen to a government that oppresses its people with heavy burdens. "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." They concluded that if and when a nation's populace found itself in a position under its government its majority public was opposed to, the government should be dismantled by any means necessary, force if it comes to it.

The Puritans

The puritans were a newfound religion in a time when religion weighed much more than it does in our current times. It was times were religion and politics tied together so tightly that if one followed another denomination of Christianity it was a plague on their social status. With the over bearing Church of England mandated membership the puritans and other smaller denominations of the English isle found themselves under persecution. Their believes that were very similar to that of the Church of England’s but still they were not treated as equals.

For writing their own beliefs and preaching them amongst puritans they defined their own beliefs. They were firm believers in the fact that all humans were born into sin. Their fore bearers Adam and Eve had doomed them to a life in which they must maintain a sin free live style and highly personal communication with God. They must keep their life in such a fashion because they believed that God only saved those he wished to save not those who had accepted him into his heart. They based that belief on the assumption that Jesus died only for those that he thought worthy and graceful in his father’s eyes. The saints amongst Puritans were the only ones deemed worthy to interpret God’s word, which lead to the upholding of a saints’ word over that of any common puritan.

In Jonathan Edward’s sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" an insight into puritan believes through the eyes of one of their declared "saints." The sermon initials details of the live style a puritan should be wary that they face. A life style that "implies, that they were always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction. As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning." This would greatly direct implication to a life lead on a pathway to almost certain and unforeseen damnation. Any puritan or any god fearing Christian who heard such a sermon would at once be stout with fear and overwhelmed by the possibility that they will "Be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the edge of a pit, he cannot stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost." This type of fear was Jonathan Edward’s greatest tool he used in his sermons.

"They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God's using his power at any moment to destroy them." From this words comes a since of guilt created in the listener of the sermon. To be accused of deserving to go to hell would amount great feelings of terror in any Christian in that day and age. These feelings provoke an overwhelming desire to be clean of sin and in any way redeem themselves in the eyes of God. I think this only adds to the use of control that religion can spawn when used by people who interpret any religion’s meaning and the will of it’s deity. This is misused in my opinion in almost all cases I can reflect upon. Maybe not directly by the interpreter but in transcending the message to as many people as religious leaders often do, many of those listening are susceptible to misinterpretation.

"Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth: yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation, who it may be are at ease, than he is with many of those who are now in the flames of hell." This is how I believe what I see as the narrow views of Jonathan Edwards. In so called great numbers in the congregation I would be lead to believe the numbers where no more than a few hundred in the most. Why would God be angry with the "great" numbers on earth when God would be able to fore see the future. The future that went along with god’s master plan that held problems of over population on many different continents. These factors were not even within the capabilities of Jonathan Edwards to see. This is what I wish more religious speakers would take into consideration, their inability to see the bigger picture God has planned for the human species, if he has taken the time to plan such a thing.

"It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand." This I think greatly reflects one of the puritan’s firm beliefs of being born into sin. It foreshadows a lifetime of retribution for the sins of the predecessors. To be told that there is no security from the approaching sin in its various forms would only discomfort puritans more. The amount of fear I would think could only make sin that much more tempting. The eventual size reduction of the Puritan congregation was directly in ties with these reasons that a puritan must lead a sin free life in the most virtuous way with no insurance of salvation.

The puritans were convinced that God saved only those he wished to save. He saved only the puritans he saw as truly virtuous and sin free. The others, which were many according to the high standards of puritans, were doomed to burn in the fiery gates of hell and to be a tormented soul for the rest of eternity. To further install this believe Mr. Edwards used such phrases as "They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They do not only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell."

Atonement is the term Christians used to describe the death of Jesus for the world’s sinners. The puritans felt that there was a limited amount of atonement Jesus would stand for. I suspect the puritans felt that the limited number of soul’s Jesus died for was their small congregation on a newly discovered continent…..For white people. The Puritans felt that those damned to hell rejected Christ from their heart through sin. Mr. Edwards rationalized these puritan beliefs in much more sensitive way. "All wicked men's pains and contrivance which they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from hell one moment." The puritans though brave and original in their concept of religion were no more ignorant to me then how they considered the native Americans.

Analytical Paper

In the late 19th century the populace of Italy found they faced extreme prejudice within the legal system of an oppressive, fascist, and nationalist government. There was a widely acknowledged need for a new system of justice that could protect the working and middle class from an unfairly practiced law system. To fight the injustice this government posed an organization was slowly secretly created through the country by word of mouth. The mafia was established widely in Italy by the late 1800s. The Mafia was a secret organization who took justice into their own hands for a price and acted much like a government without paperwork or the officially declared status. They were, in fact, the exact opposite, they never even declared existence. There was little or no justice administered by the government, and any mounted opposition to the governed justice was harassed and punished by the police. The Mafia was a system some would call vigilantism, and others would call a group dedicated to violence and profitable crime. The organizations spawned from men who at the time realized the opportunity that the unlawful government had presented for them. The lack of approval for the government by the populace left the people in need of a power to turn to so that true justice could turn to in times where the faced prejudice.
The Mafia molded its organization’s structure after the paramilitary government that occupied Italy at the time of the emerging fascist government. Any government of said structure had a strict chain of command to maintain a high level of order and efficiency. The first system that would be set up was the chain of command. This chain of command delegated measures of power to different members on different levels of the chain. The four levels of power maintained the operations from which all members of power profited along with the public that was protected from facing an uphill battle for justice. Any member depending on his actions along the path of his career, similar to the career path of any industry of government could reach the four levels of infrastructure. The Mafia, being such a drastically undermining organization, had to keep its members and practices shrouded in mystery. Their operational methods adapted to help complete such a difficult task. The four levels of command were never to relay information of their high levels of power to any outside of their group. This maintained a high level of security regarding information and even higher level of inner security.
At the bottom of the chain there were associates. These individuals were not considered quite members as they were considered profitable accomplices. They were those who assisted or were assisted by the Mafia in a sign of good faith to the organization. Associates were people who needed money to start a business or owned a business that needed help to keep its interest protected from competing businesses. These individuals were often not interested in a career in the Mafia but more in need of the assistance the services of the Mafia could provide. These associates could also be helpers to soldiers in enterprising illegal rackets for profit.
Slightly higher up the chain was the soldier of the Mafia. These individuals were trusted and guaranteed members of the secret order. They operated businesses the Mafia would assist or even operate businesses not considered legal, such as gambling, in some cases prostitution, and other profitable endeavors undermining the law. They were also guaranteed the privileges of support of the high command of the Mafia and all the benefits of power that accompanied that status such as assistance in hiding when the police or government was attempting to imprison a member. Soldiers also were the arms of the high end of the chain of command and received orders from their bosses on jobs to keep up the image and name of their organization in the viewpoint desired by the top boss or don, who sent the commands down the chain through a middle man.
Above a soldier was the captain, or capo. These were the Generals and took commands from only the highest end of the chain to distribute to soldiers who would then carry out the job required to whatever extent the captain made clear. They played a pivotal role in the separation between the troops and the command as a middleman. They kept a very essential layer between the high command and the commanded that was needed to ensure the safety of any organized Mafia. They were the buffer zone of making sure the Don was not implicated.
The boss or Don was the in command for the organization. How these men came to power was through their own actions to win approval of their soilders and more highly trusted capos. They also won the approval and more valued trust of the populace.They masterminded the actions of their individual Mafias through the chain of command to wield power that was considered fair to both his employees and his public in his respected territories. The level of fairness and protection offered to his men and public could be proved false in many cases in history. Such Dons with unfair practices often taxed the businesses he protected harshly or did not assist citizens in need of help.
The membership of this organization came at a heavy price for any desiring the rise to power in its ranks. A member’s allegiance came to their Mafia, or family, or organization, named many different things for many different legal and digressional reasons. Their allegiance was the stability of the secrecy of their livelihood and the livelihood of all that helped in the operational ends of the Mafia. Vows were taken to up hold the ancient laws of omerta, a rigorous promise of silence and non-cooperation with the police and government. If one should break the vow their lives would most certainly be forfeited to the vigilance of the Mafia’s long reaching influence.
These strictly enforced and widely understood ways were the operational language used by the Mafia to maintain respect from its beneficiaries. The close knit acceptance of these ways by the Italian culture allowed for such a way of life to migrate with normal civilians such as the mass immigration to the United States by many ethnic cultures in the dawn of the twentieth century. It began as a rumor heard from Italian immigrants and would prosper until decades after its arrival on the American shores. By the time the public was made aware of its existence lawmakers were able to rewrite and write new laws to fight such organizations. As its secrecy faded so did its level of protection from the heads of the Mafias developed in the United States.

Greetings

Dear Classmates, My name is Ben Joiner a senior at PLC. I hope that you will read and enjoy what I write in this class and all that. Hope to have a good class with you peeps.