Biblical allusion Essay Example for Free

Biblical allusion Essay The Stranger, Shawshank Redemption Existentialism The philosophy of Existentialism described in The Stranger by Albert Camus, and Shawkshank Redemption by Stephen King and Frank Darabont.What is unique about these two stories is the fact that the veiwer can view Existentialism in the lives of two men who are opposite in personality, yet do similar actions. Even though there are many varietes of existentialism can be categorized into six major themes: existence before essence, reason is impotent to deal with the depths of human life, alienation or estrangement, fear and trembling anxiety, the encounter with nothingness, and freedom. Both stories contain much of this existence before essence which in simple terms means we gotta live we cant just is. Like in the beginning of the two stories both characters expressed the same bland and dull emotion. When Andy Dufresne, Shawshank, was at his trial and when he arrived at the prison for being accused of murdering his wife and lover. The emotion that he expressed was as if at the time he was simply ising and not living. Similar to that of Monsieur Meursault or M. from The Stranger, who also showed the exact emotion for when his mother died and his trial later on. These examples are probably the best because it clearly shows that at the time, they didnt really care about anything in life which is what existence before essence is. Other prime examples would be when M. and marie are getting ready to leave for the beach, Marie is all cheerful and excited, while M. doesnt look very thrilled (pg.47). For Andy, it would be when he was getting sexually assualted his first two years in prison. At the time even though he resisted a few times, he still didnt know his purpose in life. Even though they sound similar there was one thing that made them different and that was that when M. was to be executed he was fine with it because he had the mentality of my life is now meaningless. While for Andy, if he didnt do what the warden said, he was going to the hardest of time than anyone else. Andy had much time to think about his next move. One day while speaking with ,Red his best friend, he said to him get busy livin or get busy dyin' Andy managed to escape that same day. During the opening scene of the film, Andy was shown sitting in his car in  front of what was believed to be his wifes lovers house. At this time Andy was destroyed by the fact that his wife had been cheating on him and takes his gun and bullets out of his cars glove compartment. Without any thought we then see Andy get out of his car and smash a bottle of liqour and then see him make his way to the house. After that the scene fades out and leaves us wondering if Andy really did shoot them both out of grief. This leaves us off that Andys emotions got the best of him instead of sitting down and reasoning with what approach he should take for his current situation. Raymond friend of M, had done a similar action. Raymond too committed a crime of passion for when he beats his girlfriend for also believing she was cheating on him. Instead of confronting her about it, he instead beats her like a punching bag and pays the price. In my opinion this probably the greatest example for reason is impotent to deal with the depths of human because it happens so often and its easy to understand. M. the perfect person to think of when talking about one who alienates himself. M. was an interesting fellow because he hated to be around people, but at the same time loved to watch society from hisbalcony with wine and a cigarette in hand. There were countless times when he just perfered to be alone, awkwardly enough that was one of the main reasons he didnt mind being in jail. Even at his own mothers death, instead of sitting next to her friends from the Home, he sat across from them and just hated the idea that they were some sort of jury judging him. Andy too isolated himself from the other inmates when he first arrives to jail. Smart of him to do so. The last thing you want to do is piss someone off while youre in the same place as them 24/7. But once he got the hang of how things worked, Andy was more social and interactive in his new home. Old Salamano, friend and neighbor of M. was so scared for his dog who was missing. Salamano was scared and nevous for his old companion, he had no one else in his life besides his best friend. the thought of the police getting a hold of him made matters even worse, Salamano knew the dog was in terrible condition and if someone were to find him they would just kill him. Thoughts like these are what makes people go mad and end up committing suicide just like Brooks, from Shawshank. Brooks, an elderly man who had spent most of  his lifetime behind bars finally got the news he had been wanting for a very long time, his release date. When Brooks first got news of his release he feared of the outside world. He had been locked up for so long that he ended up depending on the walls themselves. With such fear and anxiety of the thought of him leaving everything he knows and loves, he gets a sharp object and about kills a man just so he can be there longer. Eventually his friends talk him out of it and ends up leaving. Later on we see Brooks depressed and ends up hanging himself in his apartment building. The encounter with nothingness, people who feel that are left with nothing. The reason why M. was ok with his execution. M. had felt as if there was just nothing for him to be in the world and was ok with his death. Throughout the time of the death of his mother M. has this what is left attitude. Even Andy, pondering his thoughts while he was thrown in the hole for two months. Wondering what he would have left if he didnt obey the warden. Throughout movie and part of the book it has that feel of once youre in prison you dont really have anything left, they practically own everything about you. Freedom, the word that has many meanings. Freedom can mean a variety of things but for the movie it meant escaping jail for the most part. As for Brooks, freedom meant finally being at peace with himself. For Andy, it meant escaping that terrible place and following his long dream of going to Zihuantanejo and opening a small hotel. Even if it meant that he had to escape throught a 500 yard long sewer. Red, the man who thought he would never see the outside world again, saw freedom when he walked out the gates of Shawshank and met up with long time friend, Andy. As for M. it meant dying also. M. felt that he was never going to be free until he took full responsibility for his actions and faced death. For this Existentialism can be seen in many ways, fashions, symbols and through innovations in conventional form.

The Impact of European Diseases in the New World Essay -- American Ame

The Impact of European Diseases in the New World If science has taught us anything, it is that one event invariably effects countless others. This is no more evident than when a species is introduced into a new environment. Once a foreign species finds itself in new surroundings, it can either die or adapt. Often, these introduced species take over the environment, irrevocably changing it to fit their needs. This usually leads to a serious deteriorating in the well being of species currently existing there. Such is the case as when the Europeans introduced themselves to the New World. The new arrivals not only brought themselves, their technologies, and ways of life, but, most disastrously, their diseases arrived as well. When the Europeans crossed the Atlantic, they not only fought and killed many natives; they slaughtered countless more without even knowing it, signing the death warrants of millions simply by meeting . The real detrimental effect to the Indians was their exposure to the diseases inadvertently brought over by the colonists; these "most hideous enemies†¦invisible killers which those men brought in their blood and breath." (Stannard, xii) The effect of these diseases in the New World (and in fact, many diseases have in general) is rather ironic. The pathogens that cause disease are not out to kill anything, quite the opposite. The whole purpose for anything existing in this world is to pass its genetic material on to offspring. This concept is called fitness. For an organism to be optimally fit, it must survive so it can successfully multiply as often as it can, creating numerous kin so that its genes will live on generations past its own death. For viruses to live, they need a host. They infect an org... ... Stannard, David, E. 1992. American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World. Oxford University Press. 385pp Cowley, Geoffrey. 1992. "The Great Disease Migration." Newsweek. Fall/Winter, vol. 118. Pg. 54(3) Crosby, Alfred, W. 1986. Ecological Imperialism. Cambridge University Press. 368pp Meltzer, David J. 1992. "How Columbus sickened the New World." New Scientist, Oct. 10. Vol.136, pg.38 (4) Linton, Alan. 1982. Microbes, Man and Animals: The Natural History of Microbial Interactions. John Wiley & Sons. 342pp Sale, Kirkpatrick. 1991. The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy. Plume. 453pp. Unknown, Discover Staff. 1996. "The origin of Syphilis." Discover. October. Vol. 17, n10, pg23 (3) Glick, J, Schaffer, C. 1991. "The Indian Homeland." U.S. News and World Report. July 8, vol.111, n2, pg26 (6)

History of Tattoos Essay

In today’s world, it is not uncommon to see people covered in all types of body art, such as tattoos. Arms, legs, sometimes even faces, all painted with permanent ink. For what reason, some people ask. What’s the point having words, designs, or pictures permanently drawn onto your skin? I personally love tattoos; they’re an artistic way for people to express who they are and their originality. Tattoos are a way for people to showcase their inner differences. But the question is, where did tattooing start, and why? The word tattoo originates from the Tahitian word tattau, which means, â€Å"to mark.† An explorer James Cook, in his records from his 1769 expedition to the South Pacific, first mentioned this word. However, many scientists believe that the earliest known evidence of tattooing dates back 3300 B.C. due to 59 markings found on the skin of a mummified human body known as The Iceman (Demand Media Inc.). In 2160 B.C., tattooing became prevalent in Egypt. Several mummies displaying lines and dots tattooed all over their bodies have been recovered that date to as early as the XI Dynasty. Though these people had been mummified for thousands of years, the tattoo markings were still completely visible (Hemingson). The main reasons for these Egyptian tattoos are to connect with the Divine (like god, or God); as a tribute or act of sacrifice to a deity; as a talisman, a permanent amulet that cannot be los; or to provide magical or medical protection (Hemingson). Around 700 B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans began tattooing, but for an entirely different reason. The use of tattoos, or â€Å"stigmata† (marks upon the body, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ), were mainly used to mark someone as â€Å"belonging† either as a slave to an owner or to a religious sect or sometimes even as a disciplinary measure to mark people as criminals (Designboom). When the dynasty of Macedonian Greek monarchs ruled Egypt, the pharaoh Ptolemy IV was said to have had ivy leaves tattooed on himself. These leaves symbolized his devotion to the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. This fashion was also adopted by Roman soldiers, which then spread across the Roman Empire (Famento). During the rise of Christianity in 600 B.C., there was a widespread temporary standstill to tattooing in the Middle East and Europe. Saint Basil the Great, one of the most notable doctors of the Christian Church, warned: â€Å"No man shall let his hair grow long or tattoo himself as do the heathen, those apostles of Satan who make themselves despicable by indulging in lewd and lascivious thoughts. Do not associate with those who mark themselves with thorns and needles so that their blood flows to the earth† (Hemingson). During the gradual process of Christianization in Europe, tattoos were often considered remaining elements of paganism and generally legally prohibited. In the years 306-373, the Christian emperor Constantine completely banned tattoos. He felt that tattoos disfigured what was made in God’s image (Hemingson). Though this ban of tattoos was very powerful, it couldn’t completely eliminate tattooing from Europe or the Middle East. Tattooing worked its way back into these two religions between 500-1500 by holy pilgrims. During the Middle Ages, people would go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and the only proof that they had actually been there would be the tattoos they received from the Coptic priests. The basic tattoo the pilgrims usually returned with was a simple cross, but the more outgoing people returned with portraits of historical events from the bible inked into their skin (Hemingson). The earliest reference to British royalty being tattooed was King Harold II sometime between 1022 and1066. After King Harold II was killed in the Battle of Hastings, the only way his sister Edith could pick out which body was his was from the words ‘Edith’ and ‘England’ that were tattooed upon his chest (History of Tattooing). Tattooing started evolving into a form of art in the 1600’s. The Japanese word irezumi refers to the insertion of ink to the skin leaving a permanent, decorative mark, which in other words, means tattooing in how we see it today. Tattooed marks were still used as a punishment during this time, but there were fads of decorative tattoos coming and going throughout the years. The release of the popular Chinese novel Suikoden, a story of bravery illustrated with extravagant woodblock prints demonstrating heroic men with their bodies permanently painted with mythical creatures, flowers, and other images, inspired many people to get tattoos similar to what they had seen. Woodblock artists began tattooing their designs onto human flesh just the same as they would create their woodblock prints, using chisels, gouges, and ink known as Nara ink. This ink turns blue-green underneath the skin (Irezumi). Between 1766 and 1779, Captain James Cook voyaged out into the South Pacific three times After these voyages to Polynesia, Cook and his crew told stories of people covered in tattoos that they had seen, referring to them as â€Å"tattooed savages†. Cook’s Science Officer, Sr. Joseph Banks, returned to England with a tattoo. Many of Cook’s ordinary men came back with tattoos, a tradition that soon became associated with men of the sea. These sailors and seamen re-introduced Europe to tattooing (History of Tattooing). As soldiers and sailors began returning home from conquest and trade wearing tattoos in various places on their bodies in the early 1800’s, tattooing starting to become very popular among Western societies. These men had imitated the tattooing practices they had witnessed from the people of Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific. Ordinary working class men wore tattoos on their body to symbolize their pride (Hemingson). Also in the early 1800’s, doctors and others in the medical field began voicing their concerns of tattooing. Many doctors felt that tattoos could cause many complications to ones well-being. A leading doctor wrote about a woman who had died from an infection caused by a tattoo in 1837. In 1853 a physician reported the first case in which syphilis was transmitted by tattooing. Back in these days, tattoo artists had no knowledge that using the same needles for multiple customers without cleaning them spreads diseases. It wasn’t uncommon to clean off a fresh tattoo with saliva, tobacco juice, or even urine (Hemingson). Several tattoo artists found jobs in Washington DC during the Civil War. A man who was German born, Martin Hildebrandt, started his tattooing career in 1846 and was considered the best tattoo artist at that time. He tattooed military members from both Union and Confederate camps. In 1870, the first American tattoo studio was opened by Hildebrandt (Hemingson). Samuel O’Reily opened tattoo studio in 1875. During this time, tattoos were done by hand, using needles attached to a wooden handle. The tattoo artist would dip the needles in ink and move their hand up and down, puncturing the skin with 2-3 needles per second. Tattooing by hand was a very slow process, and required good manual skill. Since O’Reily was not only a great tattoo artist, but also a mechanic and technician, he began to work on a machine that could help speed up the tattooing process. O’Reily created a hand-held machine where the needles could move up and down automatically. This invention made tattooing as fluent as drawing. In 1981 O’Reily patented his invention and offered it for sale. Tattooing in the US was revolutionized over night. Sailors lined up to be tattooed by O’Reily and his apprentice Charles Wagner. At this point in time, over 80% of the US Navy was tattooed (Hemginson). During the Holocaust in 1939, concentration camp prisoners received tattoos at the Auschwitz concentration camp complex. Over 400,000 prisoners were assigned a serial number and branded, or tattooed, with that number (History of Tattooing). In 1961, New York City banned tattoos and tattoo parlors due to a hepatitis outbreak. This ban wasn’t lifted until 1997. Recently, many towns in New Jersey have removed the bans to avoid legal challenges and have applied rules to regulate tattooing (James). Starting in the 1990’s, tattoos had started being linked to the American fine art world. The number of academy trained artists entering the tattooing profession seemed to be growing each year, doubling since the 1980’s. Art schools and programs started turning out more trained artists than the mainstream art world could absorb, so many art school graduates migrated towards the tattooing industry (Hemingson). It is apparent that tattooing has been widely practiced in all parts of the globe, dating back to ancient times. Throughout history, tattooing, as well as other types of body art, has been related to religion, emotions, inner expression, and even punishment. Tattooing has occurred and still occurs in cultures everywhere and is widely popular in todays American society.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain - 971 Words

Throughout the years, authors have been influential figures in society who push change through the use of their novels. Usually they shed light on topics that are not well discussed and/or try to correct a social norm which is unjust. In Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, slavery and racism are portrayed in a humorous light through the eyes of a child. Twain could have narrated his own story about critiquing American society, but when he uses Huck to recount, he is given the freedom to write about the obvious injustices of slavery and racial discrimination which, the South shied away from. Twain utilizes satire throughout the novel to mock the norms of society throughout the many amusing experiences Huck has with†¦show more content†¦This illustrates the fact that even though Ms. Watson is a â€Å"good christian women† she still believes that owning another human being and considering them as property is alright in the eyes of the bible. T wain uses satire to show how hypocritical a good Christian woman can be when it comes to owning slaves and treating them as property. Later on in the book Pap goes on a unintelligent ran on how the government is corrupt and how â€Å"free nigger there, from ohio†(Twain 27), is allowed to vote even though it is obvious that the man has had more education than Pap. In this scene, Twain attacks the ignorance of a man in this time period, and showing how uncultured he is. He does this with Pap because Huck s father is simpleminded. Another key example of satire in the novel is the Sherburn-Boggs incident. Boggs enters the story and says that he has come kill Sherburn for some reason. The situation escalates and Boggs is shot and killed. The townspeople become furious and form a mob to lynch Sherburn. The townspeople arrive at Sherburn’s home, and he is sitting on the roof with a rifle. Sherburn states how the whole crowd is a coward for being in a mob wanting to lynch a ma n. The mob eventually disperses and Huck adds that â€Å"... the pitifulest thing out is a mob† (Twain 142). Twain mocks Southern bravery and the justice system. An example that really shows Hucks innocences and