List of Poets Laureate of the U.S.A.

List of Poets Laureate of the U.S.A. Who are all the poets who have served the Library of Congress as Consultant (the old title) or Poet Laureate Consultant (the new title)? Learn more about the lives and works of these distinguished artists through the resources listed below. 1937-1949 Joseph Auslander 1937-41: His sonnet, â€Å"To My Despoiler†Allen Tate 1943-44: His essay on writing poetry, â€Å"Narcissus As Narcissus†Robert Penn Warren 1944-45Louise Bogan 1945-46Karl Shapiro 1946-47Robert Lowell 1947-48Leonie Adams 1948-49Elizabeth Bishop 1949-50 1950s Conrad Aiken 1950-52: First to serve two termsWilliam Carlos Williams: Appointed to serve two terms in 1952 but did not serve.Randall Jarrell 1957-58Robert Frost 1958-59Richard Eberhart 1959-61: â€Å"A Student’s Memories of Richard Eberhart,† by David Graham 1960s Louis Untermeyer 1961-63: His poems â€Å"Prayer,† â€Å"Summons† and â€Å"On the Birth of a Child† and â€Å"Reveille†Howard Nemerov 1963-64Reed Whittemore 1964-65Stephen Spender 1965-66James Dickey 1966-68William Jay Smith 1968-70: His â€Å"Epigrams† 1970s William Stafford 1970-71Josephine Jacobsen 1971-73Daniel Hoffman 1973-74Stanley Kunitz 1974-76Robert Hayden 1976-78William Meredith 1978-80 1980s Maxine Kumin 1981-82Anthony Hecht 1982-84Robert Fitzgerald 1984-85: Appointed and served in a health-limited capacity, but did not come to the Library of CongressReed Whittemore 1984-85: Interim Consultant in Poetry  Gwendolyn Brooks 1985-86  Robert Penn Warren 1986-87: First to be designated Poet Laureate Consultant in PoetryRichard Wilbur 1987-88Howard Nemerov 1988-90 1990s Mark Strand 1990-91Joseph Brodsky 1991-92Mona Van Duyn 1992-93Rita Dove 1993-95: Her poem, â€Å"Lady Freedom Among Us†Robert Hass 1995-97:  Poems, translations, bibliography and articles about Hass’ workRobert Pinsky 1997-2000​:  His Favorite Poem Project 2000s Stanley Kunitz 2000-2001​Billy Collins 2001-2003: His Poetry 180 Project to bring poetry into American high schoolsLouise Glà ¼ck 2003-2004Ted Kooser 2004-2005: Excerpt from his book, The Poetry Home Repair Manual, Practical Advice for Beginning PoetsDonald Hall 2006-2007: His reading of, â€Å"Poetry Across the Atlantic,† in a historic joint reading with U.S. Poet Laureate Hall and UK Poet Laureate Andrew MotionCharles Simic 2007-2008Kay Ryan 2008-2010:  Her poems, audio readings and podcasts 2010s W.S. Merwin 2010-2011Philip Levine 2011-2012Natasha Trethewey 2012-

Bills, Bolls, and Bulls

Bills, Bolls, and Bulls Bills, Bolls, and Bulls Bills, Bolls, and Bulls By Mark Nichol The Latin noun bulla, meaning â€Å"knob† or â€Å"round swelling,† is the source of a family of words starting with b followed by a vowel and the l sound (and sometimes additional letters and sounds), which are listed and defined in this post. Ball (in senses pertaining to a round object) and related words such as ballistics are cognates of words derived from bulla; like that term, they stem from a proto-Indo-European root meaning â€Å"blow† or â€Å"swell,† though by way of a Germanic language rather than Latin. (The word for a fancy dance party, and its derivative ballet, by contrast, are from a proto-Indo-European root meaning â€Å"reach† or â€Å"throw†; though one can throw a ball that is an object as well as one that is an event, the roots are apparently unrelated.) Meanwhile, bell (and bellow) likely stem from the former root with the sense of â€Å"roar† or â€Å"sound† but are not descended from bulla. Bill, in all the senses pertaining to a document or other piece of paper, comes ultimately from the notion of a knoblike seal used to authenticate a document. (In the sense of a bird’s beak or an ax-shaped tool or weapon, however, the word is unrelated.) Billet, referring originally to a written statement and then by extension to the housing of soldiers in private homes, authorized by such a statement, is a diminutive of bill. (Billet-doux- literally â€Å"sweet note†- is adopted from the French term meaning â€Å"love letter.†) Bowl, and bowler (the word for a type of hat) and bowling (the term for a sport), derive from bulla, as does boll, which describes a pod of cotton produced by flowering of the cotton plant. Bollocks are testicles, and the word is British English slang for â€Å"nonsense† or a stronger retort; the spelling variant bollix is reserved for describing an act of bungling or messing up. Bolero, the word for a type of dance, comes from the extension of bulla to describe a circular motion; the name for a short jacket sometimes worn by participants in such a dance has the same origin. Bulla itself survives in medical usage to describe a bony or blistered prominence, while bull, in the sense of a papal decree, and bulletin, denoting a notice, are cognate with bill. (Bull, when referring to male cattle and, by extension, the adult male of various species, likely comes from the proto-Indo-European root from which both â€Å"blow† and â€Å"roar† are derived, though linguists disagree about which sense inspired the word.) Bullet, meanwhile, betrays that projectiles fired by guns were originally ball shaped. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of AdjectivesWhat is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?Sit vs. Set

Rainmaker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rainmaker - Essay Example It is quite obvious that the insurance company was dishonest in their implementation of a stratagem that compromises the health of the customers for which their company is concurrently built upon. The decision process that a company should use to draw its policies should be a 360-degree conscientious effort to ensure that none of its provisions violate the moral and ethical standards it wishes to adhere upon. Moral rules should be engaged in the forming of the corporate bylaws so that all are within the scope of what is legally permitted. This calls for legal advisers knowledgeable in the conjuncture of business and law as well as the company executives who have firsthand knowledge of how it operates. Moral principle is something that is formulated within the company and determined by the individual components of the organization. This is what differentiates one company from all of the other companies. Moral standard is identified by the industry for which the business belongs to. Th is is put together by practitioners of the said trade. Great Benefit Life Insurance neglected the moral rules and the moral standards in how they conducted their business. Motivated by the prospect of high profits, they were willing to deviate from legal and ethical standards which caused them an enormous stake in the end. The quest for profit was its downfall as the company declared for bankruptcy and many were left unemployed. Consequently, the Blacks who wanted none of the money from the civil case and Rudy ended up with nothing. It was a no-win situation instigated by corporate misjudgment and moral

Health and Aging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health and Aging - Essay Example This happens when the size of old retired population widens while the working population shrinks at the same time. Therefore, this puts more burden socially and as well as economically. Almost all countries mainly developed, like Australia, Japan and The United States of America, that have managed to increase their life expectancy rate by effective public health strategies are either presently suffering from this problem or anticipating future concerns over this issue. This change in the population structure has recently became a source for concern and now all the countries are doing whatever they can to deal with this problem as smoothly as possible. According to the Population Division of the United Nations, in 2006 the number of old persons (60 years or older) in the world passed 700 million. And it is estimated that by 2050, 2 billion older persons are expected to be living. According to this estimation, in a span of 50 years, the number of old people in the world will triple in number. The Population Division also gave the increasing rate of the aged people. According to them, the world aged population is increasing at a rate of 2.6 percent per year. When compared with the 1.1 percent increase per year in the total population, this increase of 2.6 is noticeably faster. (UN, 2007) The statistics show that this rapid increase in the number of aged people i... As a person becomes older, naturally he will become relatively unhealthy and would definitely be in need of some sort of medical assistance. In America, the health care costs for the older population have risen dramatically. If steps are not taken right now, then, in future, the standard of living and life expectancy rate will fall greatly. One problem with giving old people health care is that they usually suffer from chronic diseases which are the result of an unhealthy life style. The cost of curing these diseases is very high. Therefore, if these chronic diseases can be avoided, this will not only benefit the person but also the people who were supposed to provide for them. Now the question remains how can these diseases be avoided One way is to maintain a healthy lifestyle in terms of regular exercising, avoiding tobacco and alcohol etc. This includes making people aware of the importance of this. People need to be health literate but the statistics show that older people who need to be health literate are not. The statistics show that 39% of the people of age 75 or above have below basic health literacy. 23% of the people of ages 65 to 74 and 13% of people ages 50 to 64 have below basic health literacy. Therefore making them aware is very necessary. (NIH, 2008) Another way how this can be avoided and reduced is regular medical check ups. These measures would either prevent the people from suffering from these chronic diseases or would help in detecting the diseases when it is not too late. Most countries have not yet realized the importance of this. Only a negligible amount of funds are spent on prevention. The challenge for the society is to give people more

Art. 121 of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea

Art. 121 of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea Discuss the interpretation of Art. 121 of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea after the decision in PCA-Case N ° 2013-19, Philippines vs China. Are there general conclusions to be drawn which can assist in other similar disputes around the world? Siderakos Panourgias Introduction On the 22nd of January 2013, the Republic of Philippines commenced, under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an arbitration procedure against the Peoples Republic of China. The dispute concerned the South China Sea and is mainly known as the South China Sea Arbitration (PCA case number 2013-19). The arbitration was made before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The Republic of Philippines claimed the violation of the UNCLOS Convention as long as historic rights, the source of maritime entitlements, the status of certain maritime features in the South China Sea were concerned and also doubted the lawfulness of specific actions by the Republic of China in the specific area. In particular, Chinas rights were disputed over specific islands (island formations within the nine-dash line). However, China denied to accept the arbitration and did not participate in the whole procedure as it did not recognize the jurisdiction of the PCA in the spec ific case. Area of Interest The South China Sea is a sea in the west Pacific Ocean and covers an approximate area of 3.5 million km ². From north, it is surrounded by the mainland of China, Taiwan and Vietnam, from west there is Philippines, Malaysia and Sumatra and from south there is Borneo. Within this sea there are island and reef formations, from which the most important are the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands, Pratas, the Natuna Islands and Scarborough Shoal (fig. 1). The wider area of the South China Sea is very unique and interesting because annually, approximately one third of the global maritime traffic goes through these waters. The fishing stocks of the area are massive. Moreover, Japan and South Korea rely mainly on the South China Sea for their fuel and material supply and their trading, too. It is also believed by scientists that underneath the seabed, it contains huge reserves of natural gas and oil. In addition, the South China Sea is the area which contains highly considerable, ree f ecosystems of high biodiversity importance. All the factors mentioned above have obviously transformed the South China Sea into a very conflicting area with essential, economic and geostrategic benefits for decades now. Main Historical Background The general dispute over the South China Sea has begun many years ago, from the decade of 1940s after the WWII. More specific, in 1947 the Republic of China (Taiwan) published a map of the South China Sea with an eleven-dash line area, which included many island formations that claimed to be under its sovereignty. Two of the dashes at the Gulf of Tonkin were later removed in 1949, when the Communist Party of China took over the mainland of China, forming the famous nine-dash line area in the South China Sea (Wu Shicun, 2013). In 1951, Japan renounced all claims to the Spartly Islands of the Republic of China (Taiwan). As a result, the Chinese government proceeded to a specific declaration, reestablishing Chinas sovereignty over the wider area of the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands. The Philippines, from their side, based their claim for the sovereignty over the Spartly Islands to the geographical proximity. Over the years, many events escalated the dispute. One of these was in 1956 when the President of the Philippines, Tomas Cloma and a group of his people, settled on the islands, even stole the national flag of China from the Taiping Island, and declared the islands as a protectorate of the Philippines with the name of Freedomland. A couple of months later he returned Chinas flag to the Chinese embassy in Manila and wrote a letter apologizing and claiming that he would not proceed to any similar actions in the future. In the 1970s, some countries began to invade and occupy islands and reefs in the Spratly Islands. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) from its side claimed that it was entitled to the Paracel and Spratly Islands because they were seen as integral parts of the Ming dynasty. The Republic of China (Taiwan) took control of the Taiping Island (the largest one in the island formation) since 1946. Vietnam claimed that the islands have belonged to it since the 17th century, using historical documents of ownership as evidence. Hanoi began to occupy the westernmost islands during this period. In the early 1970s, Malaysia joined the dispute by claiming the islands nearest to it. Brunei also extended its exclusive economic zone and claimed Louisa Reef. Discussion The dispute, as mentioned in the introduction, begun in 2013 when Philippines started a tribunal arbitration with the PRC, complaining about the legality of specific actions in the South China Sea, the legal basis of maritime rights and entitlements in the specific region and the status of certain geographic features. The basis, on which this arbitration and all its results must stand, is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Philippines accused PRC that the historical rights over the Spratly Islands had no serious evidence, it was responsible for artificial-constructed islands that ruined the natural environment and also for the over-exploitation of the South China Sea from Chinese fishermen under its permission and tolerance. UNCLOS The UNCLOS is a convention that was signed in 1982. Both the Philippines and the PRC are members of it, having it ratified in May 1984 and June 1996, respectively. The most basic and essential aim of this Convention was the desire of the States Parties to settle, in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation, all issues relating to the law of the sea and aware of the historic significance of this Convention as an important contribution to the maintenance of peace, justice and progress for all peoples of the world (UNCLOS). The Convention was ratified by the number of 168 States. In its articles, a very wide range of issues are being analyzed. A small listing of them includes territorial and internal waters, transit and innocent passage of ships, to Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Continental Shelf and sovereignty on resources. More specifically, it provides the coastal States the framework in order to establish the zones and their limits, in which they exercise their national jurisdiction. Moreover, in the Convention, a specific organization is authorized in order to resolve peacefully any dispute that will arise between States in the future. This organization is the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The PCA was the organization that Philippines asked for its tribunal arbitration in the case of the South China Sea, using the Annex VII of the Convention. The most relevant, with our case, zones are the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Continental Shelf, the High Seas and the Area. However, the PCA was not responsible and of course could not address the sovereignty over land territories, in particular over the Spratly Islands or the Scarborough Shoal. A matter that was clearly stated in the South China Sea Arbitration Award of 12 July 2016. Article 121 Interpretation In this report, the article that has more importance is the article 121. According to the UNCLOS, the article 121 states that: 1. An island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide. 2. Except as provided for in paragraph 3, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of an island are determined in accordance with the provisions of this Convention applicable to other land territory. 3. Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf. The three paragraphs of the article 121 mentioned exactly as in the Convention above, play a major role in the arrangement of the jurisdictions and sovereignties all over the world, as long as there are waters and islands in them. Firstly, paragraph 1 states with great clearance the definition of the island. A naturally formed area of land, surrounded by waterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ automatically excludes everything that is artificially created. No artificial-constructed islands can be considered as natural. As a result, artificial islands cannot have any maritime zones around them (contiguous zone, EEZ, continental shelf etc.). The only zone that they can legally have is a safety zone that cannot extend to more than 500 meters from its outer edges. The purposes of this safety zone are completely for maritime safety reasons. Moreover, if an artificial island can be officially proved to be a maritime danger according to the international maritime safety standards due to abandoning or misuse, it will be completely removed on its whole. (unclos article 60) Secondly, in paragraph 2 it is clearly stated that natural-formed islands have all the legal maritime zones around them as all other land territories do. A very strong statement, that designates many rights but also obligations to the sovereign State as long as the maritime zones are concerned and all their characteristics. Thirdly, paragraph 3 gives the most important statement from the whole article. That is that any small island (rock) with no human habitation or economic life can have no EEZ. A statement that is both clear and logical, because having a small island with an oil platform, a casino or a military base on it, does not automatically make it a real island with an Exclusive Economic Zone. The human habitation could not be supported by its own powers and the economic life cannot be developed on a social basis. If a fact like this could be legal, that would extend the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the owning State 200 nautical miles even further into the ocean, interfering with other coastal States rights and jurisdictions. Chinas interpretation over Article 121 It was inevitable that Chinas interpretation over the article 121 would raise many objections from its side. The most important matter for China, that it referred to many times officially, was the Japanese Oki-no-Tori-shima rock. Oki-no-Tori-shima is an atoll, located in the western Pacific Ocean between Okinawa and the Northern Mariana Islands, of which only two small portions naturally protrude above water at high tide.(Award) Under that definition, and following directly the directions of the Article 121 (3), China denied the existence of continental shelf of the Oki-no-Tori-shima rock as it cannot sustain human habitation or economic life on its own. A rock that is currently under Japanese sovereignty and jurisdiction. A general acceptance of the non-existence of the continental shelf of the current rock, would automatically reduce the Japanese rights in the specific area by two hundred nautical miles. A huge area with many benefits, both social and economic, as it affects both the local life of people fishing in this area but also the exploitation of possible deposits in the seabed. A possibility, supported by many scientists and theories, which could easily bring in enormous amounts of profits to the owning State. Furthermore, China claims sovereignty both on the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal. Its actions imply that China considers Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao in Chinese) as a fully entitled island, naturally formed and with all the following maritime zones around it. Such actions (e.g. the banning of fishing north of 12 ° North latitude and the objection in petroleum surveys and concessions in the area) specifically signifies Chinas thoughts and considerations over the Scarborough Island in the wider area and its rights and jurisdictions on it. Tribunals decisions The CPA reached adjudication, mainly rejecting any claims of China in the South China Sea by historic title. Furthermore, in accordance to Article 121, the CPA did not recognize the Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal as naturally formed islands. Therefore, these low-tide elevations cannot generate maritime zones around them. Also, it declared that Subi Reef, Gaven Reef (South), Hughes Reef, Scarborough Shoal, Gaven Reef (North), McKennan Reef, Johnson Reef, Cuarteron Reef, and Fiery Cross Reef are not islands that can sustain human habitation or economic life, so they do not have the right of any maritime zone. Finally, it declared that the Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal are within the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines. In general, as seen above, the CPA did not recognize any sovereign rights or jurisdictions of China related to the nine-dash line area, claiming that this area is completely contrary to the UNCLOS and has no legality. It also stated the breach of Chinas obligations amongst environmental protection of the area and its biodiversity, and also illegal prevention of traditional fishing in the area from the fishermen of the State of Philippines. Similar disputes around the world As described above, from the dispute of the South China Sea between the PRC and the Philippines many general conclusions were made. These conclusions can be easily used in similar disputes around the world, however proper attention must be paid as each situation has its own unique parameters. Such areas are many; two of the most famous are the Aegean Sea and the Caribbean Sea. In the Aegean Sea, Greece and Turkey have disputes that have started many decades before. These disputes include sovereign rights and jurisdictions over islands in the Aegean and the right of Search And Rescue (SAR) operations in its waters. In the Caribbean Sea there is a dispute along the neighboring States about the environmental protection of the area and the general maritime safety. Firstly, the main conclusion from the South China Sea that is very useful to concentrate on is the fact that an adjudication from which one of the two States does not take part in, is considered to be non applicable. From the moment that China does not recognize the award of the PCA and its jurisdiction, no real facts and results can be expected in the region rather than a continuous conflict with unexpected incidents or accidents. So, almost in every similar case around the world, it is almost for sure that there will never be a unanimous agreement from all the sides of the dispute in order to reach a peaceful and cooperative agreement. For example, in the Aegean Sea, Turkey has been claiming (mainly under the presidency of Recep Tayyip ErdoÄÅ ¸an) that many islands are Turkish. The Greek government obviously does not accept that, referring to the UNCLOS and the Treaty of Lausanne, claiming that all Turkeys claims are illegal. As a result, Turkey has never accepted to discuss o ver the conventions and treaties mentioned above, as it serves its own aims and rights in the region of the Aegean Sea. Secondly, another main conclusion is the fact that no artificial islands can be considered to be natural. Therefore, they cannot have any maritime zones around them. This forbids the right to any State that builds an artificial island to claim any jurisdiction or sovereign right around the waters of the island, which could possibly collide to another neighboring States continental shelf from its mainland or a natural island with human habitation and developed economic life on it. Finally, the existence of a rock just emerging over the surface of the sea does not constitute a land, capable of having continental shelf or exclusive economic zone. A conclusion that can be very useful in many disputes around the world and could force many States to reconsider their continental shelves and EEZs. Conclusion In conclusion, the case of the Philippines against the Peoples Republic of China over the South China Sea is very interesting and its award and conclusions are very useful for the whole world and the society of the international maritime law. The articles of the UNCLOS Convention were strictly followed by the CPA, reestablishing Philippines rights and jurisdictions on specific regions of the wider area. Moreover, it recognized the illegal actions of China in the area, concerning the protection of the marine environment and the actions against the fishermen of other neighboring States. Although these conclusions can be used for the interpretation and analysis of other similar cases and disputes around the world (e.g. the Aegean Sea, the Caribbean Sea), many other factors must be taken into consideration for the final outcome. Factors such as the general geographic status of the area, the already signed Conventions or Treaties of the conflicting States and the geostrategic importance o f the area, can completely alter the final outcome of the dispute. In addition, special organizations must be formed in order to resolve similar disputes. Organizations that will be globally accepted, with representatives from all the binding States. It must never be forgotten that a dispute over an area with great profits and benefits, can easily end up in a combat clash with many casualties from both sides. An undesirable outcome that does not promote peace in the world between States, one of the most fundamental principles of the UNCLOS. Figure 1: Map of the South China Sea, including the nine-dash line area      Ã‚  

Life of Pi

In the novel, â€Å"Life of Pi† the author Yann Martel tells a story within a story about Piscine Molitor who is also known as Pi. He is the protagonist and the dynamic character of story. In the chapters that confine the main story Pi is a timid middle-aged man and is deeply spiritual after learning the teachings of Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam. He tells us about his childhood growing up in India as a son of a zoo keeper. He’s a vegetarian and he expresses his love for animals. Pi is a student of religion, zoology and is deeply interested by the characteristics of people and animals. Yet there is another side to Pi, and there is a constant switch between his thoughts and actions. Pi has learned about animal nature and its violent capabilities but it is not until he is faced with these circumstances. Not long after the ship sinks Pi and a tiger named Richard Parker are the only ones left on the lifeboat. Pi fears Richard Parker in some way but when he learns that his chances of survival are becoming very slim he uses his fear as a key to survival. Pi temporarily forgets all his other problems and manages through several courses to dominate Richard Parker. Pi The author uses indirect characterization to show how an awful position can bring out the worst in a man, and unexpected help in the most effective of animals. Pi becomes very quick and aggressive when it comes to finding and consuming food. I just didn’t have the time to consider what was before me. It either went into my mouth that instant or was lost to Richard Parker, who was pawing and stamping the ground and huffing impatiently on the edge of his territory. It came as unmistakable indication to me of how low I had sunk the day I had noticed, with a pinching of the heart, which I ate like an animal, that this noisy, frantic, unchewing wolfing-down of mine was exactly the way Richard Parker ate. † This compares t he close similarities between a man and an animal. Life of Pi The novel itself is inclined with philosophy and how different kinds of religion affected the life of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), the narrator of the story. It started when Pi was in a ship with his family when a mysterious incident led the ship to sink in the ocean, leaving only Pi the human who survived the incident. Along with him are the different animals whom he had discourse and interaction with in the lifeboat. Things started to went somehow out of control when the hyena ate some fellow animals. Long after, the tiger itself fed on the hyena but managed not to attack Pi. The two, Pi and the tiger whose name in the story is Richard Parker, continued to survive together and managed to keep each other’s company. After a long time, they found an island with a strange algae-dominated form. Soon they discovered that the algae were deforming themselves into acids at night and there’s this strange fruit that has a human-like teeth in it. Pi concluded that the island is an organism that eats humans. With these view of things, Pi and Richard Parker left the strange island and arrived in Mexico. There they departed from each other after keeping each other’s company for 227 days. Pi went to the hospital and he was confined there. Two Japanese officials named Okamoto and Chiba visited him and interrogated him how the ship sank. He told them the stories about the animals and his stay with the tiger, Richard Parker. However, the two officials did not believe him. Then he told another story where he was in a ship with his mother, a cook and a Chinese sailor. This story was a disgusting one where the cook is someone who is barbaric in actions. Pi let the two Japanese officials choose whichever version of story they want and the latter chose the one with animals which they wrote a story with. Pi was engaged in the three major religions in the world namely Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam where his life was patterned. He clearly portrays a character who did not believe in religion as a whole but in conviction in one sense. Belief as a human necessity could be seen through Pi’s character where Pi is a representative of human divinity.[1] His life, as well as his activities, is associated with god/s. For him, everything is related to god/s. Or may I say that everything can be related to god/s. His personality here can be viewed as an attachment to a belief which creates a form of survival. This can be compared to what Emile Durkheim said in his research that those who are in a strong attachment, say Christianity, had a lesser probability of committing a suicide than those who are more individualistic. Moreover, a strong hold to a belief can lengthen one’s life because there is a definite belief that serves as a guide for a person throughout his/her life. On the other hand, Richard Parker was also able to sustain the coexistence between them (with Pi) by his animal instincts. Example for this is the search and hunt for food, which is one of the physiological needs of human in order to survive and to perform everyday life functions. With this is a concept of the survival of the fittest portrayed by the hyena and tiger where they ate their fellow animals in order to survive. The weakest being can not handle to live longer while the stronger ones are those that have the capacity to hunt and kill for their own benefit in order to live. Another manifestation of this survival is when Pi and Richard Parker was the only one who was alive and they managed to live longer in the strange island and to go to Mexico where their lives were more secured. Life of Pi was a unique combination of social reality and religion. According to the author Martel, it doesn’t matter which was believed the truth but that belief should be present. Truth is only a matter of understanding. What really exist are evidences of a history, whether it was true or not. It was we who give the definition of what the social construction of reality means. And what people believed to be the truth is a matter of collective approval. Approval of those in the dominate classes. In the novel, stories were given. How can one say which story is true and which one is not? Martel says that ‘the facts do not always constitute the importance in the experience’.[2] Thus, one can say that unreliable facts which are given to us. We are the ones who will decide what is true and what is not. â€Å"Life’s story is one’s own, and faith trumps factuality.† What really matters for the truth to exist is the belief of people on it. Without the belief, a truth can not be truth. Works Cited Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Canada: Knopf Canada, 2001. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org [2] Ibid. Life of Pi Name- Htet Hlaing Hmee ( 1207C20609 ) Period- 1 Life of Pi Novel Proposal Theme- The Nature of Suffering Argument A Point 1- Pi can't imagine a God who suffers Quotation- â€Å"This son, on the other hand, who goes hungry, who suffers from thirst, who gets tired, who is sad, who is anxious, who is heckled and harassed† ( 91 ) Point 2 – Pi stops when he's working out the immediate detail of survival. Quotation – â€Å"I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain, weeping silently, my mouth open and my hands at my head. † (169) Point 3- The worst night of his lifeQuotation- â€Å"It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion. Still, that second night at sea stands in my memory as one of exceptional suffering† ( 188 ) Argument B Point 1- Suffering grief becomes carnivorous Quotation- â€Å"They were dead; I could no longer deny it. What a thing to acknowledge in your heart! To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, creatures to people the tree of your life and give it new branches. ( 194 ) Point 2 – Orange Juice's suffering to proportions Quotation- â€Å"She was beheaded. The neck wound was still bleeding. It was a horrible sight to the eyes and killing to the spirit. † ( 201 ) Point 3- Realizes his suffering is taking place in the middle of an ocean Quotation- â€Å"I saw my suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant, and I was still. My suffering did not fit anywhere, I realized. And I could accept this† (269) Argument C Point 1- No escape for poor Pi.Quotation- â€Å"Salt-water boils – red, angry, disfiguring – were a leprosy of the high seas, transmitted by the water that soaked me† ( 389 ) Point 2- Pi's suffering drive s him Quotation- â€Å"I ate some of his flesh. I mean small pieces, little strips that I meant for the gaff's hook that, when dried by the sun, looked like ordinary animal flesh† ( 386 ) Point 3- Pi turns to God at one of the points of his Pacific crossing Quotation- â€Å"The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar. It was natural that, bereft as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God. † ( 428 ) Life of Pi In the novel, â€Å"Life of Pi† the author Yann Martel tells a story within a story about Piscine Molitor who is also known as Pi. He is the protagonist and the dynamic character of story. In the chapters that confine the main story Pi is a timid middle-aged man and is deeply spiritual after learning the teachings of Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam. He tells us about his childhood growing up in India as a son of a zoo keeper. He’s a vegetarian and he expresses his love for animals. Pi is a student of religion, zoology and is deeply interested by the characteristics of people and animals. Yet there is another side to Pi, and there is a constant switch between his thoughts and actions. Pi has learned about animal nature and its violent capabilities but it is not until he is faced with these circumstances. Not long after the ship sinks Pi and a tiger named Richard Parker are the only ones left on the lifeboat. Pi fears Richard Parker in some way but when he learns that his chances of survival are becoming very slim he uses his fear as a key to survival. Pi temporarily forgets all his other problems and manages through several courses to dominate Richard Parker. Pi The author uses indirect characterization to show how an awful position can bring out the worst in a man, and unexpected help in the most effective of animals. Pi becomes very quick and aggressive when it comes to finding and consuming food. I just didn’t have the time to consider what was before me. It either went into my mouth that instant or was lost to Richard Parker, who was pawing and stamping the ground and huffing impatiently on the edge of his territory. It came as unmistakable indication to me of how low I had sunk the day I had noticed, with a pinching of the heart, which I ate like an animal, that this noisy, frantic, unchewing wolfing-down of mine was exactly the way Richard Parker ate. † This compares t he close similarities between a man and an animal. Life of Pi Name- Htet Hlaing Hmee ( 1207C20609 ) Period- 1 Life of Pi Novel Proposal Theme- The Nature of Suffering Argument A Point 1- Pi can't imagine a God who suffers Quotation- â€Å"This son, on the other hand, who goes hungry, who suffers from thirst, who gets tired, who is sad, who is anxious, who is heckled and harassed† ( 91 ) Point 2 – Pi stops when he's working out the immediate detail of survival. Quotation – â€Å"I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain, weeping silently, my mouth open and my hands at my head. † (169) Point 3- The worst night of his lifeQuotation- â€Å"It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion. Still, that second night at sea stands in my memory as one of exceptional suffering† ( 188 ) Argument B Point 1- Suffering grief becomes carnivorous Quotation- â€Å"They were dead; I could no longer deny it. What a thing to acknowledge in your heart! To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, creatures to people the tree of your life and give it new branches. ( 194 ) Point 2 – Orange Juice's suffering to proportions Quotation- â€Å"She was beheaded. The neck wound was still bleeding. It was a horrible sight to the eyes and killing to the spirit. † ( 201 ) Point 3- Realizes his suffering is taking place in the middle of an ocean Quotation- â€Å"I saw my suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant, and I was still. My suffering did not fit anywhere, I realized. And I could accept this† (269) Argument C Point 1- No escape for poor Pi.Quotation- â€Å"Salt-water boils – red, angry, disfiguring – were a leprosy of the high seas, transmitted by the water that soaked me† ( 389 ) Point 2- Pi's suffering drive s him Quotation- â€Å"I ate some of his flesh. I mean small pieces, little strips that I meant for the gaff's hook that, when dried by the sun, looked like ordinary animal flesh† ( 386 ) Point 3- Pi turns to God at one of the points of his Pacific crossing Quotation- â€Å"The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar. It was natural that, bereft as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God. † ( 428 )

Traditional Attitudes Towards Gender Roles - 905 Words

One of the general attitudes in traditional family cultures states that the father of the household is supposed to work everyday while the mother stays at home to cook and clean. However, with many immigrants from these cultures moving to Canada, there is a need for them to change their traditional attitudes toward gender roles. In most cases, having only the father of the household in the Canadian workforce will not be enough to provide for the entire family. By having two or more working family members, these families will be able to sustain the cost of living, prevent traumatic loss of income as a result of future disability, and provide the women of the family with more lifestyle choices. Traditional cultures often contain many families that are searching for better lives. In the cases of my mother and father, they both come from poor families in Iran that were living in horrible conditions. In both families, the father of the household went out to work for low wages in order to provide enough resources to survive another day. However, since both families were very large, sometimes they would have to go days without eating. Many poor families from these traditional cultures decide to migrate to Canada for better living conditions. However, as a result of Canada’s economy, this desired result cannot be met using the same traditional attitudes toward gender roles. Both of my parents came to Canada as young adults looking to provide a better life for themselves and anyShow MoreRelatedHow The Housework Is Divided Among Men And Women970 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent attitudes towards housework. However, what is even more interesting is how the attitudes have changed over time. 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