Just search in internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Just search in internet - Essay Example His ideas are highly imaginative and call for a deep insight on the issues that are prevalent in the society due to negligence on the impacts of our actions that others face. His ideas are, hence, not for the good of an individual but for the society as a whole. His views incorporate the broader picture of the society by focusing on individualistic actions and reactions. He emphasizes on the concept of ethics in the society and moral justifications for every aspect of life and activities involved. This paper critically analyzes the concepts of Aristotle’s civic relationships in accordance with the contemporary ethical values as proposed and implemented by the practitioners in various fields. Civic relationships are constituted on a number of elements as proposed by Aristotle. The concept of civic virtue is one of the most important concepts in this regard. Civic virtue refers to promoting habits and activities of individuals which take the community’s good in view. Acco rding to Aristotle, civic virtue is related to the concept of morality and gives rise to the righteous behavior for citizen’s contribution in the society and community matters. ... He believes that virtuous behaviors and the concept of virtues in the civic relationship context may be taught. Civic virtue opens a wide area of understanding the role of individuals in the society and their duties in relation to it. The concept of friendship, according to Aristotle is not linked with earning profits or gaining advantages but it is the relationship between the people who work in the best favor of the other. This way, the relationships between people are built stronger promoting the sense of trust and understanding. Friendship is based on the notion that each individual works and acts in way to benefit the other without any personal interest except for advantaging the friend. Aristotle clarifies that friendship is not a relationship which can be developed with every other part of the social institutions. Rather, he defines this relationship to be limited to a number of people who have the feelings of benefiting each other without any consent of acquiring some advanta ge from the other at present or future. The perfect friendship, according to him, is the one which binds the individuals in mutual tasks, activities and spending more time together. Not every person, according to this explanation, falls in the category of friend as it is impossible to some extent to spend time with every other person in a way explained by Aristotle. The notion to benefit others by one’s action is also controversial as people in the complex society today have their personal interests and benefits that seek and believe to attain using or involving with others. Such relationships are called as ‘imperfect friendships’ which lack pleasure, mutual understanding and trust in each other. Aristotle defines happiness as an

Explanation of theme

Explanation of theme Explanation of Theme The theme of this spring Carnegie Hall program is painful love. Whether unrequited, long distance, untimely ended, or secret, the types of love represented by the songs on this recital are painful to each of the narrators in a profound way. Program Notes Henry Purcell, an English Baroque composer, began his studies at a young age as a chorister in Westminster Abbey, later attending the Westminster School and receiving the position of organist at Westminster Abbey in 1676. He began composing at nine years old and in all, composed 65 strophic songs, 148 theatrical songs, and four main operas, including the famous Dido and Aeneas. By 1690 he was considered a full time composer for the theatrical stage. â€Å"Not all my torments,† the first song of the program, comes from Purcells Gresham Manuscript and is said to have been written around 1693. It is one of the early composers most melismatic pieces and only utilizes four lines of text from an anonymous source, describing a lovers despair at his unrequited love. The second song â€Å"What shall I do?† is derived from Purcells opera, Dioclesian, a tragicomedy in five acts written in 1622. The opera is based on the play The Prophetess by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. Th e librettist, Thomas Betterton, an English actor born around 1635, had an extensive acting career and collaborated efficiently with Purcell on Dioclesian. â€Å"What shall I do?† appears in Act III of the opera, at which point the character asks what he can to do show Aurelia, his love, the way he feels about her without pushing her away. The final Purcell song is â€Å"Draw near, you lovers,† poetry by Thomas Stanley. Stanley, English author and translator, wrote â€Å"The Exquies† in 1647, from which the text of the song is derived. The narrator describes the pure sadness he feels about his experiences with love and that even in death he feels the turmoil of his misery. The next set of songs is by Italian bel canto composer Vincenzo Bellini. He was a child prodigy and began composing at six years old, later continuing his studies at the conservatory in Naples under Nicolo Zingarelli. Considered the â€Å"quintessential composer of bel canto opera,† he wrote 12 operas, of which La Sonnambula and Norma are considered his greatest. The four songs on this program are all considered composizioni/romanze da camera, which are songs written for the amateur singer and comparable to miniature arias, with little thought to the fusion of poetry and music. Dedicated to Countess Sofia Voina, â€Å"Il fervido desiderio† describes the narrators longing to see his lover. â€Å"Il fervido desiderio† is no. 1 of Bellinis Tre Ariette. â€Å"Vanne, o rosa fortunata,† number 2 of Sei Ariette, tells the story of someone who envies a rose because, unlike him, it can rest on the bosom of Nice, his true love. In â€Å"Vaga luna,† an arietta also from Bellinis Tre Ariette – number 3 – the speaker sings to the moon of the longing he feels for his far away lover and asks it to relay those feelings to her. The final song of the set is â€Å"Per pieta, bellidol mio,† number 5 from Sei Ariette, in which the speaker begs for his lover to not say he is ungrateful and acknowledges the pain he feels because of his love. The piece that begins the second half of the recital, â€Å"Ah! Mio cor† from Handels Alcina, is sung by the character Alcina. Although the character is a soprano role, the aria can be sung by mezzo sopranos as well. Alcina is a sorceress who seduces every knight that arrives on her island and casts a spell on the knight Ruggiero, who then falls in love with her. The aria appears in Act II, Scene 1, at which point Alcina finds out that Ruggiero has escaped from her and describes her pain and unhappiness. Alcina is based on Ludovic Ariostos Orlando furioso, an epic poem set around the time of Charlemagnes rule and is an opera seria consisting of a prologue and four acts. The composer, G.F. Handel, was German-born and at a young age, was already proficient on the pipe organ and harpsichord; he studied composition and the keyboard with Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow. Later moving to Italy and working for the Medici family in Florence, the prolific composer is best known for his numerou s operas, oratorios, and concerti. The â€Å"La Maja dolorosa† songs are derived from Enrique Granados Coleccion de tonadillas, written in 1910, poetry by Periquet. Granados was a Catalan born Spanish composer influenced strongly by the painter Francesco Goya and is well known for his tonadillas, which are short songs and scenes about everyday life that are written in the vernacular and not danced. These three â€Å"La Maja dolorosa† songs trace the terrible feelings a woman experiences after her lover has passed away.

Bethany Hills, Omemee Esker and Fleetwood Creek :: essays research papers

Stop 2: Glacial Lake Peterborough Glacial Lake Peterborough had many attributing spillways attached to it, feeding meltwater and sediment from the ice margin and or other glacial lakes. Much of the sediment that was deposited in Glacial Lake Peterborough came from either from the stagnant ice blocks located on the Oak Ridges moraine or from the Lake Algonquin drainage system. Much of the deposition in this lake was dominated by sediment stratification, which may have been largely influenced by thermal stratification. As a result of thermal stratification occurring in this glacial lake sediment inputs were greatly influenced depending on the different sediment densities between the lake bottom water to that of the incoming meltwater and if the inflow density was less/more than the bottom water than the lake water bottom, than new transport and depositional paths were created Depending on the type of path that was created, it would largely influence the rate and distance to which the sediment was transported. Stop 3a: Kettleby Till The Kettleby till is considered to be younger than the main till in the area because it may have been deposited by ice contact stratified drift. Ice contact stratified drift is normally deposited by meltwater in contact and or in close proximity to the ice sheet. Stratification and some sorting do takes place. Stop 3B: Bethany Hills Deltaic sands on southern Flank Yes this feature is the result of erosion and depositional processes however, it is not associated with the current water course. This feature may be the result of a Gilbert type delta that once occupied this area. Gilbert type deltas have three main components; topsets, foresets and bottomsets. Topsets are fluvial sediments (primarily sandur deposits) that were deposited on the subaerial delta surface. Erosive events occurring on the upper forslope can result in downslope channels and chutes. These features are then eroded by either strong currents or by debris flow resulting in these channels and chutes to become filled. Foresets are a combination of sand and gravel facies. The are deposited by gravitational processes on the delta foreslope and the grains tend to become finer and more angular downslope. Bottomsets consist of fine grained silts and clay and are deposited at the foot of the delta front. Stop 3C: Drumlin in older northern/Newmarket Till I believe that this drumlin is closely related to erosion and accretion hypotheses of drumlin formation. This is because of its location being close to a steep valley wall.

An analysis of sigmund freuds level of consciousness Essay

Sigmund Freud, born in 1856, was an Austrian neurologist and physiologist. Today, Freud is known as â€Å"one of the most influential and authoritative thinkers of the twentieth century†(Berger). Throughout his lifetime, which had ended in September of 1939, Freud had many theories, however, his most well known as the â€Å"psychoanalytic theory of personality development,† which argued that the human psyche is divided into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. In the novel Lord of the Flies, many readers believed that the author, William Goldberg, applied Freud’s theory to the characters in the book. Based off of Sigmund Freud’s â€Å"psychoanalytic theory of personality development,† Jack Merridew was the id in the story, while Piggy was the superego, and Ralph was the ego. According to Freud’s theory, the id relies directly on instinct as they go through life, ignoring the logistics of reality and the possible consequences. Freud gives an example of an id by comparing it to an infant, who often demands immediate satisfaction, and will react poorly if their needs are not immediately fulfilled. In Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew is a representation of how a newborn child with power and motor skills could act. When Jack and his hunters leave to hunt for pig and neglected his fireside duties, there is a connection with Freud’s theory. Jack did what would give him direct pleasure, which was, at the time, to hunt. However, because of Jack’s needs, the fire had been allowed to go out and the boys missed one of their only opportunities of rescue, as a ship traveled by the island, but there was no signal smoke. This event highlights Jack’s connections to the id because he had no consideration or thought of what the outcome would be if he was constantly caught up in his own needs. Another time when Jack’s actions relate to Freud’s theory is when the boys are having an assembly to discuss the best sightings. During the assembly, Jack attempts to take Ralph’s power away by causing a disturbance and questioning Ralph’s leadership in front of the whole group. Once again breaking the rules of the conch, Jack shouts, â€Å"And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do. You can’t hunt, you can’t sing—†(Golding 91). Clearly, Jack is challenging Ralph’s authority in an attempt to shift it to himself, ignoring the fact that Ralph is a better leader. Jack’s overwhelming need for power convinces him that the position of the leader should be his. Before Ralph, Roger, and Jack start their climb up the mountain to see the beast, Ralph says something that highlights Jack’s connections to the id throughout the whole book. While Ralph was challenging Jack, the text reads, â€Å"For the first time since he had first known Jack, Ralph could feel him hesitate†(Goldberg 122). This quote backs up the fact that for the most part, Jack had gone through his days on the island acting on instinct without a single hesitation. It was only in this moment of time that Ralph could sense any sort of hesitation from Jack, and it would be the only time.

Marriage and Family Structure Essay

â€Å"Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner. † These were words of Army Bloom while commenting on the topic of marriage (Sardone 2010). Human race is a product of a family in one way or another. However, not all can be said to exist in the planet as result of marriage. They are those that were born out of wedlock and either live with one parent or have never known any of their parents. Nevertheless, marriages still take place and families continue to exist. With the development of society, both the marriage and family structure have undergone transformation and many have veered off from the traditional definitions of the same. This paper is aimed at showing that marriage and family are important parts of any culture despite there being different types of marriage and family structure. According to Goepfrich (2007, p 3) in his book â€Å"Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage, marriage can be defined as â€Å"the social institution under which man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments or religious ceremonies among others. † Goepfrich acknowledges that for people to be recognized as married, they must have witnesses and the ceremony conducted by either a civil servant or a religious minister. However such a statement by the author ignores the fact that there are so many people who claim to be happily married yet they have never been legally married. In some cultures especially in the places such as Africa, a marriage can be validated by traditional elders without the necessity of the couple being awarded a marriage certificate. However, one thing agreeable to all is that a marriage will lead into a family; since any couples get married to form a family. Types of Marriages Authors have classified marriage into different categories depending on the context. The Sociology Guide (2010) divides marriages in several types; polygyny (polygamy), polyandry, group marriage, monogamy; under monogamy there is serial monogamy and straight monogamy. Polygyny (Polygamy) In this type of marriage, a single man has more than one wife at a particular period (Sociology Guide 2010). There are different cultures that do not view this type of marriage as valid and therefore it is not encouraged. Civil laws in many countries do not recognize polygamous families and this leads the man to either live with the other wives secretly or without valid wedding certificate. Christianity as a religion teaches that a marriage should be â€Å"one-man one-wife† and thus one is required to declare that he has never married before and if he had done so, the wife had died. Some Christian denominations do not even join divorcees in the holy matrimony. However in Islamic cultures as well as in societies in South Africa, polygamous marriages are recognized. A good example is that of the incumbent president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma who has more than four wives. Sororal polygyny or sororate is a situation where one man has married blood sisters, while in non sororal polygyny, the wives are not blood sisters (Sociological Guide, 2010). Polyandry Though not as common as polygamous marriage, this type of marriage entails one woman having more than one husband. This is not recognized in many cultures and therefore those who involve themselves in such do not do it in open. However, some cultures allow blood brothers to share wives especially if the husband is impotent or he only sires children of one sex. This type of marriage is referred to as fraternal or alelphic polyandry and is very common among the Todas. In non fraternal polyandry, the husbands are not related in any way and the other men cannot claim the woman as their wife at that particular time when he is living with one of them (Sociological Guide, 2010). Monogamous Family This type is regarded as the ideal type of marriage in addition to being the most common and acceptable by nearly all cultures and religions, even those that accept the other types of marriage. It is a one-man one-husband marriage. Under this type of marriage, there is the serial marriage where a husband remarries after the demise of his wife. In such a situation, this is not regarded as polygamy. Of recent, it has become common for the spouse to get another wife/husband after divorce. However, some people chose to remain single after the departure of their spouses. In what is referred to as a straight marriage, the spouse may not be allowed to remarry under any circumstances (Sociology Guide, 2010). Forced Marriages In this type of marriage, the woman is abducted and the husband rapes her. In those cultures where forced marriages are practiced, there is a belief that once a man has intercourse with a woman, he automatically becomes her husband. This practice however is not very common in many societies of the world and is therefore detested in those cultures that do not practice it. In some African cultures, girls are married off to elderly men while they are still toddlers in exchange of livestock. The child continues to stay with her family until she reaches puberty and this is when she is taken to the husband by the parents, whether willingly or unwillingly (Sfetsu, 2009). Same sex Marriage The issue of same sex marriage has generated more heat than light in the contemporary society, with some supporting it while others demonizing it. However, same sex marriage has been legalized in different states of the world. Sexologists have used the term homosexuality to refer to people who have â€Å"a same sex gender sexual orientation† However, in the community, the term ‘gay’ has been used to refer to male homosexuals with the term ‘lesbian’ referring to female homosexuals; sometimes ‘gay’ refers to both women and men. There are some who are attracted to people of both genders and are referred to as heterosexuals (Cantor, 2006, p. xiii). Those who oppose the same sex marriage argue that they are unnatural and that they provide the nonconductive environment for the raising of children. They also argue that it threatens marriage as an institution in addition to going against religious principles among other reasons. However, proponents of homosexuality state that homosexuals are human beings and thus have their own rights (Bidstrup, 2000). Marriage in the Western Culture In this century, marriage in European and American culture is often legally defined as monogamous. This does not mean that there are no few societies that do still practice polygamy while others are in what is referred to as open marriages. In latter form of marriage, the spouse has the freedom to leave when he or she feels like. In the Western world, divorce has been made less complicated and thus has increased in rate. Marriage is seen as a legal covenant which recognizes the emotional union of the couples and can be terminated any time the partners feel like. In this world, it is the woman who is granted the custody of child and not the husband in case of a divorce or separation. In addition, all the partners have the duty of supporting their children (Sfetcu, 2009). When a child has been born out of wedlock, he or she is entitled to enjoy the same rights just like those that are legitimate. In the Western cultures, partners are protected by law from rape by their spouses and those who do so may find themselves in the court of law. Moreover, the law defends wives or even husbands from being physically abused or disciplined. In this culture, wealth that has been acquired since the couple married is often divided among the couple in case of divorce. What one gets however is determined by a court of law or community property law (Sfetcu, 2009). Marriage in the Eastern World In these cultures, marriage is regarded as being quite different from the way it is regarded in the Western world. For example in the former, polygamy is permitted; in fact men with many wives are generally considered as being wealthier than those with one wife. A large part of the population in the Eastern world is Islamic and though the religion advocates for the marriage of a man and woman, the Quran allows a man to have a maximum of four wives (Sfetcu, 2009). However in such societies, all the wives must be treated as being equal by the man. In states where the larger part of the population is Muslim, marriage is only permitted when both partners are Muslim; otherwise non Muslims must first denounce their religions and embrace Islam. In some societies in China, a man in the upper class would first be formally married and then later allowed to get concubines. However, the current communist regime does not permit polygamy but only monogamy (Sfetcu, 2009). Family Structure As years have come and gone, the society, including the family, has undergone great transformation. The term â€Å"family† has traditionally been used to describe the father mother and children as a unit. However, this structure has changed over time. The common types of family structure include childless, nuclear, extended as well single (Shelton, 2010). Nuclear Family Shelton (2010) defines a nuclear family as that family that â€Å"consists of a mother, father, and their biological or adoptive descendants, often called the traditional family† Many anthropologists usually regard this type of family structure highly than any other type of family and conducive one for the rearing of children. However, there must be emotional support, environment of love, economic support as well as enough time spent together. Single Parenthood Of the types of the family structures listed, this can be regarded as one the newest. This is because in the olden days, the society could not have imagined that a person could have lived without either a wife or a husband. In case of death or separation, remarriage would either take, place or the woman would be inherited by the brothers. However, with the economic independence of women, many usually decide to stay single after the separation, divorce or death. Some women are not interested in marriage and therefore choose to have children or one and raise them on their own. Research that has been done has shown that 25% of the children are born by women who are unmarried and mostly teenage mothers. Proponents of this type of family structure have stated that it has less pressure especially if it is formed after a divorce. However, some psychologists have claimed that this kind of marriage is disadvantageous especially to children as sometimes it is associated with juvenile delinquency (Shelton, 2010). Childless Family It is often the desire of many, if not all, couples to have a child or more after marriage; however, this is not always the case. A couple may also not be able to bear a child because of either social or biological problems. However, others may later get a child of their own in future or just decide to adopt one. Though many of such couples may opt to stick together, in some cultures however, lack of children after marriage is viewed negatively and the man if forced to remarry. The brothers of the husband may also be required to sire children for their brothers if it is realized that he is impotent. Others may however decide to rear a pet or two who acts as substitutes (Shelton, 2010). Extended Family An extended family can be described as a group of family members that is made up of adoptive or biological parents together with their children as well as other members of that family. In many global societies, an extended family has been described as â€Å"the basic family group. † In some cultures such as those with Asian origin, an entire extended family may live under the same roof. These may include; uncles, aunts, grandparents and even foster children. Sometimes children of parents who have died or separated may be raise by their grandparents (Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 2009). Conclusion Despite the many types of marriage and family structure, one thing that is clear is that, marriage and family are important part of the human race. This is why all cultures in the world have both. Marriage is often viewed as a gateway into a family, though there are those that form families without marrying formally. It is however important for people to formalize their marriages as it will be easier to deal with some setbacks in the families such as divorces or death. .

Free Essays on Emily Dickson

Elizabeth Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in the quiet community of Amherst, Massachusetts, the second daughter of Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Emily, Austin (her older brother) and her younger sister Lavinia. They were nurtured in a quiet, reserved family headed by their authoritative father Edward. Throughout Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s life, her mother was not "emotionally accessible," the absence of which might have caused some of Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s eccentricity. Being rooted in the puritanical Massachusetts of the 1800 ¡Ã‚ ¯s, the Dickinson children were raised in the Christian tradition, and they were expected to take up their father ¡Ã‚ ¯s religious beliefs and values without argument. Later in life, Emily would come to challenge these conventional religious viewpoints of her father and the church, and the challenges she met with would later contribute to the strength of her poetry. The Dickinson family was prominent in Amherst. In fact, Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s grandfather, Samuel Fowler Dickinson, was one of the founders of Amherst College, and her father served as lawyer and treasurer for the institution. Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s father also served in powerful positions on the General Court of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts State Senate, and the United States House of Representatives. Unlike her father, Emily did not enjoy the popularity and excitement of public life in Amherst, and she began to withdraw. Emily did not fit in with her father ¡Ã‚ ¯s religion in Amherst, and her father began to censor the books she read because of their potential to draw her away from the faith. Being the daughter of a prominent politician, Emily had the benefit of a good education and attended the Amherst Academy. After her time at the academy, Emily left for the South Hadley Female Seminary (currently Mount Holyoke College) where she started to blossom into a delicate young woman - "her eyes lovely auburn, soft and warm, her hair lay in rings of the... Free Essays on Emily Dickson Free Essays on Emily Dickson Elizabeth Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in the quiet community of Amherst, Massachusetts, the second daughter of Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Emily, Austin (her older brother) and her younger sister Lavinia. They were nurtured in a quiet, reserved family headed by their authoritative father Edward. Throughout Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s life, her mother was not "emotionally accessible," the absence of which might have caused some of Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s eccentricity. Being rooted in the puritanical Massachusetts of the 1800 ¡Ã‚ ¯s, the Dickinson children were raised in the Christian tradition, and they were expected to take up their father ¡Ã‚ ¯s religious beliefs and values without argument. Later in life, Emily would come to challenge these conventional religious viewpoints of her father and the church, and the challenges she met with would later contribute to the strength of her poetry. The Dickinson family was prominent in Amherst. In fact, Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s grandfather, Samuel Fowler Dickinson, was one of the founders of Amherst College, and her father served as lawyer and treasurer for the institution. Emily ¡Ã‚ ¯s father also served in powerful positions on the General Court of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts State Senate, and the United States House of Representatives. Unlike her father, Emily did not enjoy the popularity and excitement of public life in Amherst, and she began to withdraw. Emily did not fit in with her father ¡Ã‚ ¯s religion in Amherst, and her father began to censor the books she read because of their potential to draw her away from the faith. Being the daughter of a prominent politician, Emily had the benefit of a good education and attended the Amherst Academy. After her time at the academy, Emily left for the South Hadley Female Seminary (currently Mount Holyoke College) where she started to blossom into a delicate young woman - "her eyes lovely auburn, soft and warm, her hair lay in rings of the...

Richard Wright Essay Example

Richard Wright Essay Example Richard Wright Essay Richard Wright Essay Literary Distinctions through Ineradicable Scars His racial status, his poverty, the disruption of his family, and his faulty education allowed Richard Wright to grow into a novelist astonishingly different than other major American writers. Richard Wright was born on a Rucker plantation in Adams County, Mississippi. He was born on September 4, 1908 to Ella Wilson, a schoolteacher and Nathaniel Wright, a sharecropper. When Wright was about six years old, his father abandoned Ella and his two sons in a penniless condition to run off with another woman. This left Wright’s mother the difficult task of supporting herself and her children on her own, but left Wright with a humiliating kind of loss (Duffus). Soon after his father left, Wright and his mother moved to Memphis, Tennessee. His mother was forced to work as a cook in order to support the family; and during this period, Wright temporarily stayed in an orphanage. Wright’s mother became ill while living in Memphis, so the family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, and lived with Ella’s mother. His grandmother was a Seventh Day Adventist so she enrolled him in a Seventh Day Adventist school at the age of twelve. Wright went to a local public high school for a few years, but did not receive a higher-level education (Duffus). In 1925, he moved back to Memphis, Tennessee. He worked at menial jobs such as, carrying lunches for railroad workers, carrying firewood and trays for small cafes, delivering clothes for a pressing shop, sweeping floors, selling newspapers, doing chores for white families, etc. (Kinnamon, 6) He moved to Chicago in 1927 after securing employment as a postal clerk, he read other writers and studied their styles during his time off. Later in 1937, Wright moved to New York, where he began ties with Communist Party members there after getting established. He worked on the WPA Writers’ Project, and wrote the book’s essay on Harlem. Wright became the Harlem editor of the Daily Worker. Wright is considered the most esteemed spokesman for the oppressed African American in the 1930s and 1940s. Some of his several works include Black Boy, Uncle Tom’s Children, The Outsiders, Eight Men, American Hunger, and Native Son. (Duffus). His first fiction, Native Son, chronicles the effects of racism and bigotry in the life of Bigger Thomas, a young black man raised in the ghettos of Chicago. The narrator in Native Son speaks in a limited third-person voice that focuses on Bigger’s thoughts and feelings. Through this limited third-person voice, the narrator brings the reader into Bigger’s mind and situation, helping the reader gain a better insight on Bigger’s complex self. When Wright wrote Native Son, he expressed his belief that society was responsible for creating tragic characters like Bigger Thomas. Quickly, Native Son became one of the most controversial books during the 1930s. Native Son was a turning point in the evolution of black protest fiction (Moorer, 87). Richard Wright uses Fear, Flight, and Fate to explain Bigger Thomas’s inner-development through the themes of oppression, blindness, dehumanization, the illusion of freedom, and redemption. Ultimately, Wright indicates that the inner liberation will only come from within the self. THE INTELLECTUAL ENVIRONMENT: RACIST THOUGHTS Adams County was one of the most racist areas, of the most racist state in the country. Wright was subjected to racial discrimination and racial prejudice during his entire life in the United States. This is interesting because America has always been thought to be the land of freedom, where you can find happiness. However, it lacked in giving equality to African Americans. Many people wonder why most of his novels focus on social reality. Keep in mind that during his upbringing, racism was alive really live. In the early 1900s, suppression of black people was a dominant goal of Mississippi politics (Kinnamon,17). Many African Americans struggled to discover how to survive without fear in a world dominated by white men. Richard Wright’s unstable upbringing made him the novelist we admire today. A long-term irony of Wright’s life is that in spite of his belief in environmental determinism, he fulfilled his dream of success against all odds. In his essay How Bigger Was Born, Wright explains how he grew up surrounded by different types of Biggers, and that social reality determined his literary personality. (Applebee) Indeed, he was at different times in his youth an unstable child, but ultimately he became Richard Wright, and not Bigger Thomas. Fear- oppression and blindness Book One (Fear) of Native Son begins with an alarm clock ringing. We see Bigger, Vera, Buddy, and Mrs. Thomas in a small apartment in Chicago. Since the apartment only has one room, Bigger and Buddy are forced to turn around to avoid seeing his little sister and his mother getting dressed. Perhaps, the ringing alarm signifies a wakeup call, not only for Bigger, but for the readers and America as a whole about race relations in this era. Immediately, we are exposed to the unfortunate circumstances Bigger’s family live in when a huge rat runs across the floor, and Bigger is destined to wrestle the rat. During his struggle with the rat, Bigger smashes the rat’s head with a skillet, and then smashes his face with a shoe. The rat portrays fear book one is speaking about. The rat and Bigger immediately attack each other, hinting that they resemble each other and they fear themselves. In Fear, we also meet Gus, Jack, and G. H. after Bigger stands alone reflecting on the words â€Å"If You Break The Law, You Cant Win! † posted on top of campaign posters. Bigger and his friends have a tentative plan to rob a deli owned by a white man named Mr. Blum. They want to rob a white deli, because it would give them a challenge. They have always robbed black stores, because police do not focus on black-on-black crime. Here, Wright begins to develop the theme of racial oppression. We also start looking into Bigger’s thoughts and the theme of racial oppression when he tells his friend Gus that he could fly a plane if he were given the chance, but only if he had some money and were not black. Bigger complains that whites will not let blacks do anything, and he feels as if he were in prison. Bigger gets a job with the Daltons. The Daltons are a rich white family that offers Bigger a job as a chauffeur, because they feel that blacks deserve a chance. Mrs. Dalton is the blind wife of Mr. Dalton, and the mother of Mary. The Daltons portray themselves as supporters of black Americans. However, we see the reality when we learn that Mr. Dalton simultaneously benefits from keeping blacks like Bigger and his family in terrible housing by charging them high rents. On his first day of work, Bigger is a little nervous and fearful because he still sees whites as a threatening, powerful force that denies him control of his own life. On his first night on the job, Bigger secretly takes Mary and her communist boyfriend Jan to a restaurant. At the restaurant, Mary and Jan try to become close with Bigger, but Bigger is intimidated at the beginning, because no white person has ever treated him that way. Mary and Jan try to make a genuine effort in understanding racial problems in America, so they want to break the social barrier between them and Bigger. At the end of the night, they are all drunk, and Mary can’t make it to her room, so Bigger carries her. When Bigger finds himself in Mary’s oom, he knows that he has overcome the sexual separation between blacks and whites, and begins to kiss her. Bigger then feels Mrs. Dalton’s presence in the room, and is reminded of the whiteness that controls his life, leading to the accidental death of Mary. Richard Wright does not spare any of the gruesome details in Bigger’s disposal of Mary’s body. Through his disposal, we see the extreme pai n and rage that Bigger feels which would allowing him to do such thing. In Book One, Wright introduces the Fear that Bigger has obtained through oppression. We see that Bigger fears entrapment caused by the white glooming force. He is afraid that he will not be able to progress and escape his shameful circumstances because racism in Chicago will keep him down, and there is no way out. Interestingly enough, we see in Book One that oppression is caused by blindness. Mrs. Dalton is literally blind, but also metaphorically. Mrs. Daltons blindness plays a crucial role in showing the readers the vicious circle of racism in American society. Mrs. Daltons inability to see Bigger causes him to turn to violence, similar to the inability of whites to see blacks as individuals causes blacks to live their lives in fear and hatred. Mrs. Daltons blindness represents the inability of white Americans as a whole to see blacks as anything other than what the media portrays. Since they don’t see blacks as anything else than what the media portrays them to be, white intentionally or unintentionally keep them down. In Book One Bigger starts to realizes that, in a sense, even he has been blind, unable to see whites as individuals rather than a single oppressive mass. Flight- Dehumanization and illusion of freedom The opening of Book Two (Flight), opens up a new phase of Bigger’s life. Mary’s death is the key turning point in the book and in Bigger’s character. In Book One, Bigger is unable to analyze and understand his feelings or behavior. In Flight, Bigger begins to search for his new identity. Flight is an interesting book because we see Bigger’s life threatened by his actions, but he sees his life in a different point of view. His goal is to get away with the murder. Since Bigger’s goal is to get away with murder, he disguises his identity as a poor, uninformed, submissive boy. We start to see that he is manipulating his search for identity to his advantage. The Dalton’s do not suspect that Bigger is the murderer, because they don’t believe that Bigger can’t function as anything else but a chauffeur. In Flight, Bigger uses stereotypes for protection against whites. Earlier, in Fear we portray the alarm clock as a warning about the effects of racial oppression. This is becoming more evident. Bigger does not feel afraid to commit robbery against whites, as we saw in Fear, so he plans to collect ransom from the Daltons. This is working perfect for him, because his role-playing is leading others to believe that Jan committed the murder. Bigger begins to manipulate the anticommunist prejudices. However, this doesn’t play for long, after Jan confronts Bigger and the authorities find that Bigger is murderer of Mary Dalton. At this point, America is furious. America has been bombarding the newspapers, and news with anti-Bigger comments. Bigger is now on the run, and meets with his girlfriend Bessie at an empty apartment to hide. His girlfriend is terrified and paralyzes by fear, so Bigger sees no other option but to get her out of the way. Through Bigger’s flight, we see that his only way, ironically, of feeling complete and in control is through murder. At this point, Bigger’s innocence has been destroyed by racism, thus dehumanizing him. Wright shows Bigger’s dehumanization through the imagery of Mary’s murder. Biggers disposal of Marys body is atrocious, and Wright purposely does not spare any of the details. Wright wants to highlight the severe pain and anger Bigger feels that allows him to become insensitive and inhumane. After Mary’s murder, Bigger feels a sense of clear purpose. Even though Mary’s death was an accident, Bigger tries to convince himself that it was an intentional action, because this murder represents the ultimate rebellion against the white force that has been oppressing him. Fear supports the theme of dehumanization. Bigger Thomas is a product of the oppression in white society that has been caused and maintained through blindness. Dehumanization has caused Bigger to commit inhumane acts, but ironically, gives him an illusion on freedom. Bigger feels that Mary’s death gives him a new life, and self-control. In his eyes, he has become more human, because his life holds a purpose. Bigger feels free and in control of his life. However, this doesn’t remain for long. Fate- redemption Racism has limited Bigger’s prospects in life. The morass of racial discrimination prevented Bigger from feeling comfortable around whites. Because the environment he grew up in portrays whites as sophisticated and blacks as either subservient or savage, Bigger Thomas resented and feared all whites. He felt that the white society is an uncontrollable natural force. The one room apartment in which Bigger, his mother, sister and brother lived in was a tiny, dank, decrepit hole infested with rats owned by Mr. Dalton who was also white. All of these conditions made Bigger incapable to see (Jan, Mary, Mr. Dalton etc. ) as individuals. Bigger Thomas hid behind a wall, not allowing anyone to know and understand his actual feelings towards life and the cycle of racism in Chicago during the 1930s. The hate society brought into Bigger is an unavoidable part of his character. He doubted his own mind after being forced to be bad and live in bad conditions. Bigger tries to hide these emotions to the point where he becomes blind of his own persona. After Mary’s death, he felt empowered and relieved as though he has taken control of his own life and struck against whites. More specifically, it gave him an opportunity to truly evaluate himself in prison and figure out who he was on the inside after he had lost himself. Because he wanted to make his life mean something that he could claim for himself, he did not regret Mary’s murder. In Book Three, Bigger says â€Å"But when I think of why all the killing was, I begin to feel what I wanted, what I am†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (429). He realizes that in order to win the battle of his life on the outside, he must win the one in the inside. From there, he emerges from behind this barrier and begins to examine the world for what it really is. His new mentality gives him power to achieve victory within himself. During his first few days in prison, Bigger does not eat, drink, or talk to anyone. Jan comes to see him, and tells Bigger that he has taught him a lot about black-white relationships and offers him the help of a communist lawyer, Max. Bigger he decides to speak with Max and tells him the story of his life. Max learns about the sufferings and feelings of black people and Bigger learns about himself. He starts understanding his relationships with his family and with the world. He acknowledges his fury, his need for a future, and his wish for a meaningful life. He reconsiders his attitudes about white people, whether they are prejudiced, like Britten, or accepting, like Jan. Max is able to deeply understand Bigger’s emotions. Bigger then realizes that Max and Jan are really trying to help him. Bigger accepts his fate. When Max is leaving, he tells him to â€Å"Tell†¦. Tell mister†¦. Tell Jan hello†¦. † (430). He finally calls him by his first name. He begins to see whites as individuals rather than an intimidating mass of hate. Bigger now perceives himself and others in a way that he hasn’t before. Bigger has redeemed himself. Here, Wright indicates that the inner liberation will only come from within them. Native Son effectively portrays that in Fear, oppression leads to blindness, causing blacks and whites to reject and misunderstand each other. He then portrays in Flight (caused by fear), that oppression leads to dehumanization, causing Bigger to commit actions that gives him the illusion of freedom. Lastly, we see in Flight that his freedom is perhaps only an illusion, and that the only way to come clean and accept things for the way they are is through redemption. It is clear that redemption can only from within through understanding. In the end, Bigger sees himself equal to whites, and has looked past racism. [ 2 ]. Duffus, Matthew. Mississippi Writers Page. 26 January 1999. 12 April 2009 . 3 ]. Duffus, Matthew. Mississippi Writers Page. 26 January 1999. 12 April 2009 . [ 4 ]. Kinnamon, Keneth. The Emergence of Richard Wright. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1945. [ 5 ]. Duffus, Matthew. Mississippi Writers Page. 26 January 1999. 12 April 2009 . [ 6 ]. Kinnamon, Keneth. The Emergence of Richard Wright. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1945. [ 7 ]. Applebee, Flannery. Savannah Morning News. 29 March 2007. 16 April 2009 . [ 8 ]. Note that Double-consciousness is the actual term for the search of a Negro’s identity. This term derived from W. E. B. Dubois.