Free Essays - A Prayer for Owen Meany :: Prayer for Owen Meany Essays

The main theme of A Prayer for Owen Meany is religious faith -- specifically, the relationship between faith and doubt in a world in which there is no obvious evidence for the existence of God.   John writes on the first page of the book that Owen Meany is the reason that he is a Christian, and ensuing story is presented as an explanation of the reason why.   Though the plot of the novel is quite complicated, the explanation for Owen's effect on Johnny's faith is extremely simple; Owen's life is a miracle -- he has supernatural visions and dreams, he believes that he acts as God's instrument, and he has divine foresight of his own death -- and offers miraculous and almost undeniable evidence of God's existence.   The basic thematic shape of the novel is that of a tension being lifted, rather than a tension being resolved; Johnny struggles throughout the book to resolve his religious faith with his skepticism and doubt, but at the novel's end he is not required to make a choice between the two extremes: Owen's miraculous death obviates the need to make a choice, because it offers evidence that banishes doubt.   Yet Johnny remains troubled, because Owen's sacrificial death (he dies to save the lives of a group of Vietnamese children) seems painfully unfair.   Johnny is left with the problem of accepting God's will.   In the end, he invests more faith in Owen himself than he invests in God -- he receives two visitations from Owen beyond the grave -- and he concludes the novel by making Owen something of a Prince of Peace, asking God to allow Owen's resurrection and return to Earth.   Of course, the thematic development of the novel is somewhat more complicated and cluttered than that.   The presentation of religion in the book is continually undercut with irony and the constant presence of sex.   Further the thematic development of the book is also inconsistent and indirect, in part because we are never able to obtain a secure view or outlook of Johnny's mind; he is such a subdued narrator that it is difficult to tell exactly where he stands during much of the novel, which often clouds our sense of his struggle with faith and doubt.   This ambiguity underscores the important point that Irving's basic intention for his novel is not to present a philosophical meditation on the nature of God, but rather to tell a clutching story.

The Way of The Warrior in The Tale of The Heike Essay examples -- Japa

The Way of The Warrior in The Tale of The Heike Heike Monogatari, with its multitude of battles and skirmishes, provides a wonderful chance to analyze the way of the warrior in ancient Japan. There aren't a great number of surviving works from this period that show in such great detail both the brute and the compassion of the Japanese warriors. They followed carefully a distinct set of principles which made up the well-rounded warrior. Loyalty to one's master, bravery and glory in any situation, strength, martial skills, compassion, and interest in the arts were all held with the highest esteem. Few warriors could become well known without possessing each of these skills. Religious beliefs shaped a warrior's behavior tremendously. Most warriors were heartfelt believers of both Shinto and Buddhism, and followed the ideas of karmic retribution, the four noble truths, the six realms, and the sacred rituals of battle and death. Examples of these, and many other religious ideas abound in Heike. Even before entering battle, warriors prepared mentally. "In the past, three commitments ha been required of a Commander who went forth from the capital to destroy an aenemy of the court. On the day when he received the Sword of Commision, he forgot his lineage; when he prepared to leave his home, he forgot his wife and children; when he engaged the foe on the battlefield, he forgot his life. Most lovingly, those same resolves must have been in the minds of the Heike leaders, Koremori and Tadanori.(p.186)" Formal battles often followed a standard procedure. First off, battles were typically planned with both sides knowing when the time of battle would be. This differs greatly from more strategic methods of battle such as surprise attack... ...g to their religious beliefs. When the Genji warrior Yorimasa suffered a grievous would to his knee, he asked his retainer Watanabe no Chojitsu Tono to cut off his head. Tono, Yorimasa's retainer, refused to do so until Yorimasa had killed himself. Whereafter "Yorimasa turned toward the west, chanted ten Buddha-invocations in a loud voice, and spoke his last sad words: 'No flower of fortune has blessed a life resembling a long-buried tree--yet how bitter is the thought that all should end like this.' Without another word, he thrust the tip of his sword into his belly and fell forward, his vitals pierced.(p.157)" Tono took his head, fastened it to a rock and sank it in the Uji River. Like Yorimasa does, it is imperitive at the moment of death if one wants to reach the Pure Land, that he completely forget his current life and pray towards the Amida Buddha in the west.

How Stevenson Depicts the Relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

How Stevenson Depicts the Relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson wanted to gradually show the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde in his story. It does not state until the end of the story that they are in fact the same person, he instead leaves it for people to work out for themselves, with a brief explanation at the end of the book. For most of the story, nobody can explain their relationship, as they are never seen together. People are confused as to how they know each other and became such good friends. Clues are given throughout the story that they are the same person; not enough to guess on your own, but so that it all makes sense in the end. These clues include the fact that Hyde once goes into Jekyll's home and takes out Jekyll's chequebook to pay out of Jekyll's bank account. People found this very strange, 'a man does not, in real life, walk into a cellar door at four o'clock in the morning and come out of it with another man's cheque'. This gives the idea that they must be very close friends to share a bank account, or that Jekyll would give Hyde entry to his account. Their relationship is depicted as business-like, and as if they have known each other for a long time. The latter part of this is true in a way. The have an interesting relationship, they need each other to live. Hyde uses Jekyll as a body to carry out his evil and Jekyll uses Hyde to get rid of his burning desires and stress, I think that Robert Louis Stevenson intended to use this in a way to show that they rely on each other and because one has begun to depend on the other, they could not live without each other even though they have so much hatred towards one another. At one point their relations... ... good idea from Robert Louis Stevenson as it gives a clearer impression to the readers about Jekyll and Hyde's relationship with each other and shows their personalities and how they differ. Another interesting way the existence of Hyde can be perceived is that he is the meaning of evil, 'that child of Hell' sent to destroy lives. One character saw himself as the person to hunt down evil, though in the end he was unsuccessful, 'If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek', a clever play on words suggesting evil against good. Black is often linked with evil, Hyde is only used during the night time when it is dark and he has dark hair, as opposed to Jekyll only being himself in the light and having fair hair; another difference between them. His general appearance also looks evil to those who see it; Hyde's visage is described as 'Satan's signature on a face'.

Nutrilon Advertisement

Nutrilon Advertisement Effectiveness and Limitations of Nutrilon Advertisement The Nutrilon advertisement was able to target the intended market segment in which is the parents of children from age 3 to 6 years old. The advertisement was effective in many segments. The first segment is looking at demographic and psychographic variables. Inside the advertisements, the demographic variable is clear in which is using age as the base. It target the age of small kids from 3 to 6 years old in which is effective as the milk is targeted to the segment of consumers. On the psychographic variable, the advertisement use the base in which is the things we value. The advertisement is targeted to the parents in whom the things that they value will be their children. Based on the demographic and psychographic variables, the advertisement was able to target them effectively. The second segment will be whether the advertisement has achieved the absolute threshold level or the minimum level in which the simulations can be detected on a sensory channel of the consumer (Solomon, 1994, p. 57). Looking at the advertisement, the sensory channel that will be affected through it will be vision and sound channel. The advertisement used interesting choice of background in which it evokes the interest of the natural scenery of the world. The sound channel that is used is muzak slower tempo in which it created relaxing mood to the viewers to watch the advertisement (Solomon, 1994, p. 54). The advertisement is effective in terms of the absolute threshold level in which the consumers will notice the advertisement. The third segment is the selective exposure in which will be one of the limitations to the advertisement. Consumers are more aware towards the advertisements that contain their current needs in which this will decrease the effectiveness of the advertisement in which it will go into waste (Solomon, 1994, p. 62). Besides, consumers actively seek out messages they find pleasant or are in sympathy with and tend to avoid painful or threatening ones (Schiffman, Bednall, O’cass, Paladino, Ward and Kanuk, 2008 p. 148). Nutrilon advertisement will be only be noticed to the newly parents in which they just had their new babies and will be less effective to the ld parents as they might already have their preferred brands of milk in which will become the limitations due to their selective exposure. The fourth segment is the information overload. When an advertisement contains information overload, it will decrease the effectiveness of the advertisements as the consumers will not encode all the messages of the advertisement (Schiffman et al, 2008, p. 199). Fortunately, the Nutrilon advertiseme nt does not contain many messages as the only important message that is given through the advertisement is â€Å"Living full life on the outside, starts on the inside†. The message means that to be able to live a full life on the outside, the kids should have a good nutrition on the inside through the milk. The fifth segment on the effectiveness of Nutrilon advertisement is the perceptual defence by the consumers. The consumers’ perceptual defence will be one of the limitations for the effectiveness of the advertisement. Some psychologists continue to claim that people may subconsciously screen out stimuli that are important for them not to see, even though exposure has already taken place (Schiffman et al, 2008, p. 48). The perceptual defence of this advertisement will be the consumers blocked the message that is left by Nutrilon in which is â€Å"living full life on the outside, starts on the inside†. Due to that, the perceptual defence will be one of the limitations of the effectiveness of the advertisement. Another segment to check is whether the Nutrilon advertisement is marketable to the children. The advertisement is marketable to the children in which it focuses on the children on how to achieve the dream. Children might get attracted towards the advertisement in which it shows a lot of children and said on what they want. Therefore, the advertisement is marketable to the children and one of the segments that increase the effectiveness of the advertisement. The last segment to see on the effectiveness of advertisement is whether it successful to counter advertising clutter, sensory overload, and whether it creates contrast. Nutrilon advertisement successful to counter the advertising clutter, sensory overload and it creates contrast. The advertising clutter can be avoided as Nutrilon advertisement is a TV advertisement and there are no others advertisements in the same time in which causes the advertising clutters. Sensory overload also does not exist in the Nutrilon advertisement in which it is shown through only two sensory which are sound and vision sensory. Nutrilon advertisement also creates contrast in which the advertisement is unique from its competitors. The usual milk advertisement will show on how they protect the children, contrast to the Nutrilon milk advertisement in which more focused on what the children might dream and how to achieve it. These are shown through the message which is â€Å"Living full life on the outside, starts on the inside†. In conclusion, the advertisement is effective although there are some limitations that limit the effectiveness of the advertisement. References Schiffman, L. , Bednall, D. , O’cass, A. , Paladino, A. , Ward, S. and Kanuk, L. (2008) Consumer Behaviour, 4th edition, Australia: Pearson Education Australia. Solomon, Michael R. (1994) Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being, 2th edition, United States of America: Allyn and Bacon.

The Disciplined Order of Christ: Dealing with the Storms of Everyday Life

In 1945, led by Dr. Albert Edward Day, some laity and clergymen have met and resolved to live a life of discipline in accordance to the teachings and life of Jesus Christ (www. dochr. org). Thus, on that meeting, an organization was founded and named The Disciplined Order of Christ whose members aim to live a life of discipline in the midst of the harsh realities of the world. Basically, the Order aims to incorporate self-discipline into the life of a Christian laity or clergy man.Although living up to the teachings of Christ is not a novel idea, the Order focuses on Christian Discipline. The once a hundred-member organization became a nationwide movement and still aiming to reach more other people as well (www. dochr. org). All members of the order strive to acquire the eight virtues of the organization; namely, obedience, simplicity, humility, frugality, generosity, truthfulness, purity and charity (www. dochr. org). In addition to these virtues, there are the seven fundamental dis ciplines that members live by.These are discipline of private prayer, discipline of personal commitment, discipline of small group fellowship, discipline of active church participation, discipline of witness and service, discipline of stewardship, and discipline of ecumenical fellowship (www. dochr. org). The Order’s ideals and vision are founded on the book written by the founder, Dr. Day, entitled â€Å"Discipline and Discovery† (www. dochr. org). Most of the preaching in the organization and the tips on how to live a disciplined life are based on this book.Although the ideals are based on the book, the organization still uses the bible, particularly the New Testament, as their primary reference for spiritual maturity. Nevertheless, there is less citations from the bible than from the founder’s book which makes it somewhat a practical guide rather than a biblical guide to a rich Christian life. The organization holds annual regional retreats as well as nationa l retreats every five years (www. dochr. org).This is the only activity that is explicitly presented in the website besides different articles regarding bible study guides and the organization’s basic doctrines. Although the Order also conducts small group fellowships, there were no presentations or exhibits regarding the retreats and fellowships. Such a defect is thus quite questionable. The organization wishes to impart disciplines of small group fellowship and active church participation and yet, there are no evidences of such events on the website. It would have been better if the organization presented places and schedules of fellowships.Furthermore, the Order only seems to offer suggestions and guidelines on how to live a self-disciplined life in the local church where the member is affiliated. One interesting feature, however, is that of the organization’s â€Å"Prayer Garden†. In the Prayer Garden, individuals can post their prayer requests and praise no tes while they can also view other’s prayer requests and join in praying for the many needs of the members of the organization (www. dochr. org). Such a connection of the different members through praying for one another is theologically noteworthy and yet original in its modern approach.The basic virtues that the order tries to emulate are actually all theologically based on the New Testament. And the disciplines are essentially practical means to attain such virtues. The practical approach of the organization’s ideals although not much proven by their own testimonial experiences is a helpful way for one’s spiritual growth. Its day-by-day advices and simplicity gives it an appealing way of living the life of Christ in the modern yet draining society people are currently dwelling in.Theologically, the ideals of the Order are theoretically and biblically acceptable. The practical guide it provides that fits the modern way of living in the world is very much helpf ul and charismatic. Upon reading on the basics of the organization, one can also find that the spiritual formation that the order offers to every individual is suitable for everyone. The very fact that self-discipline and discipline in general is the center of their ministry makes the order a viable and useful new way of living a life like that of the life Christ lived. References The Disciplined Order of Christ. (2008). Discipline and Discovery. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www.dochr.org/discipline.php. The Disciplined Order of Christ. (2008). Historical Moments. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www.dochr.org/history.php. The Disciplined Order of Christ. (2008). Albert Edward Day. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www.dochr.org/day.php.

For or against racial profiling Essay Essay

Write an essay that presents your opinion on racial profiling. Begin with a debatable thesis statement. Then follow the guidelines for writing an argument essay. As you write your essay, be sure you support your opinions with reasons. ESSAY OUTLINE INTRODUCTION (5-7 sentences) 1. Hook (1-2 sentences) 2. Background information (3-4 sentences) 3. Thesis Statement (1-2 sentences) BODY PARAGRAPH 1 (REASON 1) 1. Topic Sentence (1 sentence) 2. One piece of evidence with citation 3. Commentary sentences (2-3 sentences) 4. Second piece of evidence with citation 5. Commentary sentences (2-3 sentences) 6. Transition/ Closing Sentence (1 sentence) BODY PARAGRAPH 2 (REASON 2) 1. Topic Sentence (1 sentence) 2. One piece of evidence with citation 3. Commentary sentences (2-3 sentences) 4. Second piece of evidence with citation 5. Commentary sentences (2-3 sentences) 6. Transition/ Closing Sentence (1 sentence) BODY PARAGRAPH 3 (COUNTERARGUMENT AND REFUTATION) 1. Topic Sentence (1 sentence) 2. Opposing side’s argument evidence with citation 3. Refutation argument 1 (2-3 sentences) 4. Refutation 2 (2-3 sentences) 5. Transition/ Closing Sentence (1 sentence) CONCLUSION (5-7 sentences) 1. Restate your thesis statement 2. Sum up your two arguments 3. Ask â€Å"so what?† questions (2-3 sentences) BRAINSTORM ARGUMENTS Arguments for racial profiling Arguments against racial profiling *In persuasion, we use the term arguments to mean reasons. Which arguments do you find most persuasive? Which side will you argue in your essay? I will argue that __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________. My 2 arguments will be (choose 2 from the table above): The best argument for the opposing side is ___________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________. Thesis Statement (main idea of my essay): __________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. FINDING EVIDENCE Now that you have your thesis statement and your arguments laid out, you need to find evidence to support those arguments. EVIDENCE CAN INCLUDE: Facts from your sources (newspaper articles, USDA website) Statistics Quotes from experts like spokespeople for companies, university professors, scientists who study nutrition, and experts on psychology or advertising Personal experiences or observations Go through your articles in the racial profiling packet and put an arrow next to any evidence you may plan to use for your two main arguments and your argument for the opposing side. Write the number of the body paragraph (1,2,3) next the evidence you plan to use in your essay. TWO SAMPLE MLA IN-TEXT CITATIONS 1. Introduce the source and author In â€Å"If You Pitch It, They Will Eat† Davis Barboza argues, â€Å"Television, of course, remains the most powerful medium for selling to children† (39). 2. Put whole citation after the quote (author and page number) The article says, â€Å"Television, of course, remains the most powerful medium for selling to children† (Barboza 39). Never ever write (pg. 39)!!!!! MLA NEWSPAPER CITATION A works cited page always puts the sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name and is double-spaced. FORMAT Author’s last name, first name. â€Å" Title of the article †. Newspaper publisher. Day month year of publication, Pages. SAMPLE CITATION Barboza, David. â€Å"If You Pitch It, They Will Eat†. The New York Times. 3 Aug. 2003, 37-41. RACIAL PROFILING ESSAY: BODY PARAGRAPH 1 OUTLINE TOPIC SENTENCE EVIDENCE/QUOTE 1 with source (â€Å"article title† and author) COMMENTARY (Why is this evidence important? How does it relate to the thesis?) EVIDENCE/QUOTE 2 with source (â€Å"article title† and author) COMMENTARY (Why is this evidence important? How does it relate to the thesis?) TRANSITION/ CLOSING SENTENCE RACIAL PROFILING ESSAY: BODY PARAGRAPH 2 OUTLINE TOPIC SENTENCE EVIDENCE/QUOTE 1 with source (â€Å"article title† and author) COMMENTARY (Why is this evidence important? How does it relate to the thesis?) EVIDENCE/QUOTE 2 with source (â€Å"article title† and author) COMMENTARY (Why is this evidence important? How does it relate to the thesis?) TRANSITION/ CLOSING SENTENCE BODY PARAGRAPH 3 COUNTERARGUMENT AND REFUTATION The topic sentence for body paragraph 3 will be the opposing side’s argument and will include one piece of evidence to support their claim (the opposite of your thesis). For your two refutations you will explain why the opposing side is wrong. Use two pieces of evidence to support your argument. TOPIC SENTENCE (OPPOSING SIDE’S ARGUMENT) OPPOSING EVIDENCE/QUOTE REFUTATION 1 EVIDENCE REFUTATION 2 EVIDENCE TRANSITION/ CLOSING SENTENCE

Air Pollution: Causes and Effects

Air Pollution: Causes and Effects It keeps us alive but at the same time, it can also be harmful. We breathe air everyday. Air provides us with oxygen that is essential for living. Nitrogen, water vapor, and inert gases comprise air along with oxygen. Emission of substances that contaminate air results to pollution. Air pollution is both natural and human-based. Natural air pollution is caused by phenomenon such as volcanic eruption, wind erosion, decomposition and radioactive materials. Writing essay can only do as much in explaining each cause.Volcanic eruptions send sulfur dioxide, tons of ash, and soot into the air which mixes with water vapor to form acid rain. Dirt particles can also be carried to the atmosphere during wind erosion. This happens in areas with less vegetation where soil cannot be held together. Bacteria that feed on decaying organic matter like plants or animals produce methane and carbon dioxide, which are released into the atmosphere. Earth's crust is composed is composed of a radioactive element called Uranium. Uranium turns into Radium once it decays afterward forming Radon.Radon is a gas that combines with air through evaporation. Human activities or anthropogenic sources also cause air pollution. These activities mostly involve burning of fuel. Stationary sources include factories and power plants. Mobile sources, on the other hand, are motor vehicles, aircraft, and water vessels. There are still other human-based causes of air pollution. Landfills, where wastes get decomposed, generate methane. Use of aerosol sprays and the likes also contribute to air pollution. Air pollution spreads easily as it travels into the atmosphere.People get exposed to air pollution not just outdoors. Even in the comforts of our houses and workplaces, air pollution can also occur. This is known as indoor pollution. Our respiratory and cardiovascular systems get affected by air pollution. The health risk air pollution poses depend on the type of chemical o ur bodies were exposed to, and the degree of exposure. It can either be short-term or long-term. Examples of short-term effects are eye irritation, coughing, and sneezing. While long- term effects include heart disease, lung cancer, and damage to vital organs such as brain, liver, or kidneys.Air pollution can also worsen a person's medical condition. Humans are not the only victims of air pollution. Environment also suffers. You may have read about this over again as air pollution effects is a common topic in writing essay. Acid rain can be fatal to trees and plants once it penetrates the soil and raises its acidity. Acid rain also causes damage to properties. It corrodes materials made of stone like statues and monuments. Air pollution has long been a global problem. You can help increase awareness on how to protect air by writing essay . Take your part in lessening air pollution, and save lives.