Category: Dream

“Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of storytelling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is wrenched out of by the aching, broken world I wake up to every morning”. Arundhati Roy in ‘Come September’

Arundhati Roy’s first novel, The God of Small Things has become a highly admired and immensely popular work. On one occasion, she even declared that The God of Small Things is her first and last novel. It was difficult to predict whether she would write a second novel. Her second novel, a political allegory, However, she is definite that she does not want to write about the village Ayemenem again. She felt that the sense of loss is re-located through her novel. It is clear from the affirmation that the novel The God of Small Things is about the sense of loss-the lost ethos. The sense of loss is relocated, in the sense that Arundhati Roy had widened her sensibility and activity beyond the village, onto national and global levels. Hereafter Roy would fight to identify and relieve the sense of loss in the larger perspective and issues elsewhere. Her later political activism was its manifestation. Nevertheless, the novel is still the nucleus from where the writer located the micro-source of the lost pathos.

As the novel, The God of Small Things is her first work of fiction; readers become curious to understand more about the novel as well as its writer. It is to be acknowledged that a work of art, especially a novel does not necessarily supply the remedial measures for the problems dealt with in it. Arundhati Roy reveals the excruciating sense of lost ethos in her superb novel The God of Small Things. She attempts to suggest the remedial measures for such irreparable situations in life through her non-fiction. She has emerged as a serious social activist, participating in the protests against political, social and religious suppressions of human rights in any form and anywhere in the country and abroad. Her concern and empathy with the victims and her indignation against those causes of oppression are well known. Her commitment is clearly manifested. This peculiar stature of the novelist encourages us of The God of Small Things to probe into beyond her first work of fiction. In fact, Arundhati Roy enjoys semi-formal methods, outside fiction. For her, these semi-formal instruments like conversations are “a flexible way of thinking aloud, exploring ideas, personal as well as political, without having to nail them down with an artificially structured cohesion and fit them into an unassailable grand thesis”.2 Arundhati Roy concedes that there exists a vast world of materials, somewhere between the spoken and the written word. The curious student is in need of this material to explain the lost ethos and its possible reclamation. In such a predicament, the only source available to him is Roy’s non-fictional writings, free-lance essays, articles and her vibrant outbursts.

It must be admitted that Roy’s novel The God of Small Things can be enjoyed and admired as it is, without resorting to her other works of non-fiction. However, it is equally true that the knowledge of Roy’s political stands, social attitudes and human concerns, shall enable us to derive more aesthetic enjoyment and intellectual satisfaction. Hence, in this article, all possible efforts are made to enlarge and enlighten the implied issues found in her fiction, with the help of Roy’s pronouncements found in her non-fiction.

For Arundhati Roy, as she confesses that fiction and non-fiction are different techniques of storytelling. However, at the same time she says that fiction dances out of me and non-fiction is wrenched out by the agony and suffering of this shattered society. She adds that the theme of her fiction and non-fiction is the same-the relationship between power and powerlessness. At the same time, the creative fiction and wrenched non-fiction suggest the qualitative difference between them. It is interesting to note that Arundhati Roy is not happy, when she is described as an activist. The term writer-activist, according to her, is strategically positioned to diminish both writer and activist. It suggests that a writer is shy to publicly take a political position. Similarly, the term activist implies a coarse and crude end of the intellectual spectrum. It can be easily understood as to why she deprecates the distinction. Her concern for the predicament of the present dalits and adivasies drives her to involve in every issue. She asserts that one is not involved by virtue of being a writer or an activist. One is involved because one is a human being.

Arundhati Roy, in her conversation with N.Ram, Scimitars of the Sun, reveals the underlying principles of her both fictional and political writings. She affirms that she was writing on behalf of herself. In her writings, if she romanticizes, it is the freedom. In answer to the accusation that she was not original, she comments:

When one is writing to advocate a political position, or in support of a people’s movement that has been yelling its lungs out for the last fifteen years, one is not trying to be original, one is adding one’s voice to them for them to be heard. Almost by definition one is reiterating what they are saying. My essays are not about me or my brilliance or my originality or lack of it. They’re not meant to be a career move-they are about re-stating the issue, they’re about saying the same things over and above…

If The God of Small Things is the statement of the problem, the non-fictional works are the possible solutions suggested to annihilate the problem. If the novel is the body, the political essays are its public apparel. In an exclusive interview by Urvashi Butalia, published in Outlook magazine, titled, I had two options writing or madness, Arundhati Roy said: “I’m not unduly worried-because I believe in literature. You judge a writer by her writings. My book is my best ambassador.” The statement is an explicit signpost towards understanding her fiction and non-fiction. The post-colonial literature in India abounds with the theme of marginalization and the oppression of subaltern groups and individuals. However, the authors of this branch of literature highlighted the desperate sufferings and the helplessness of powerlessness that these groups or individuals usually undergo in today’s world. Arundhati Roy also successfully draws such a picture in, The God of Small Things. What makes her different from others is her philosophy, a governing ideology, not diminished by either fame or wealth that came to her after the publication of the novel. In the novel, she has beautifully drawn a wonderful silhouette of a few oppressed and depressed characters in Ammu, Velutha, Rahel and Estha along with angelic Sophie Mol. These characters embody the social and political vision of the author. However, unlike other fiction writers, she unambiguously states her social and political stand without fear, favour or appeasement in her political essays.

Murari Prasad, in his essay, Articulating the Marginal: Arundhati Roy, writes: Characteristically, she enlarges on her concerns about the manifold maladies of the subjugated communities with focused energy, candour and ire in her recent opinion pieces. Notably in addition we notice the intersection of different discourses of marginality such as feminism, caste segregation and untouchability in the The God of Small Things, as well as her critique of the American domination, neocolonial imposition and global “financescape” in her incisive non-fiction.

In her non-fiction, Arundhati Roy seeks to resurrect the spirit of the dead characters–Ammu, Velutha and Sophie Mol, who epitomize the spirits of feminine aspirations and transgressions, subaltern aspirations and transgressions and artless innocence respectively. In the novel, their lives come to an abrupt and unlucky end. These characters embody the spirit of the writer. Hence, the writer does not wish to leave them dead. In her non-fiction, spanning several talks and essays, she seeks to kindle the flame of the burning spirit of these characters in the minds of not just the marginalized but also the humanity as a whole without any sort of discrimination.

While studying and evaluating Roy’s fiction and non-fiction, the most glaring aspect noticeable is her concept of politics and style. In the literary appreciation and assessment a convenient division is made as subject and style, or theme and technique. The theme of her work is the lost ethos but what is her technique in the larger sense. It may be stated that Arundhati Roy’s technique lies in the use of these two words politics and style. She definitely does not use these terms in their normal and current meaning. For example, the statement that politics and fiction are two sides of the same coin would not concur with the present conception of politics. She also does not show any interest in politics as a party-based activity to grab power or as participation in the governmental machinery. Similarly, she does not connote the term for that cunning intelligence or divisive craft to gain selfish and personal progress and profit. It is something germinal and intrinsic involving clash, encounter between individuals, classes, especially among the powerful and the powerless; to participate in this fight on behalf of the powerless seems to be her notion of politics. The most sorrowful thing is that politics has lost its meaning, its utility and method as conceived earlier. It was a local or national procedure for choosing a future and working towards one’, but now politics has been robbed of this primary function; it has become truly the last resort of the plebeian scoundrels, who mostly lives from opinion-poll to opinion-poll. The more far-sighted project to the end of their term of office, no further. This seems to be the reason why Roy wants to infuse the new term with new meaning and vigour. Roy hints at her conception of politics on one occasion that what we need to search for and find, what we need to hone and perfect into magnificent, shining thing, is a new kind of politics. Not the politics of governance, but the politics of resistance. The politics of opposition. The politics of forcing accountability. The politics of joining hands across the world and preventing certain destruction. Such cross-references between her fiction and non-fiction throw more light on each other. Such a study reveals the creative vision of the writer and her ideal of the world-order.

REFERENCES

1. Roy, Arundhati. The Shape of the Beast, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2008. P.242.
2. Roy, Arundhati. Preface in The Shape of the Beast, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2008. pp.viii-ix.
3. Roy, Arundhati Roy. The Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2005.p.30.
4. Roy, Arundhati Roy. An Algebra of Infinite Justice, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2oo2.p.210.
5. Dhawan, R.K. Arundhati Roy: The Novelist Extraordinary, New Delhi: Prestige Books, 1999. p.12.
6. Prasad, Murari. ed., Arundhati Roy: Critical Perspectives, Foreword, Bill Ashcroft, New Delhi: Pencraft International, 2006. p.7.
7. Roy, Arundhati. An Algebra of Infinite Justice, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2002. p.196.
8. Roy, Arundhati. The Shape of the Beast, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2008. Pp.17-18.
9. Prasad, Murari. Arundhati Roy: Critical Perspectives, New Delhi: Pencraft International, 2006. p.158.
10. Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2002. p.29.
11. Prasad, Murari. Arundhati Roy: Critical Perspectives, New Delhi: Pencraft International, 2006. p.162.
12. Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things, New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2002. P. 328.

Steinbeck’s 1937 Novella Of Mice and Men tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in America.

Mice and Men explore the subject of loneliness throughout the novella, with each character demonstrating loneliness to varying degrees. John Steinbeck has highlighted loneliness through the relationships between the main characters and how alienation can lead to loneliness. Another theme explored by the author is that even the poorest, loneliest, isolated, and even mentally disabled people of society can have big dreams.

George and Lennie begin with each other, as does the character Candy with his dog. Both ‘couples’ are scared of being alone, but the inevitability of being alone becomes all too real. Whilst George shares his companionship with Lennie, and Candy with his dog, all involved are avoiding loneliness. But the vulnerability of genuine companionship crumbles under the pressure of an unpredictable and unstable America. Steinbeck chooses to reflect upon the harsh reality of life. In order to avoid being lonely, Candy was not able to shoot his dog sooner, George was not able to leave Lennie despite Lennie’s behavior causing them to lose jobs.

George and Lennie’s relationship together is unique and unusual compared to the other characters. They seem to interest the character Slim who says, “you guys travel around together”. Throughout the novel, the reader sees how lonely the life of the

wandering worker usually is and in comparison, how special and unique the relationship between Lennie and George is. The reader is shown how Lennie and George’s closeness is maintained by their shared dream to be “livin’ offa the fatta of the land and have “a little house [with] a couple of acres” with a “garden with rabbits in cages” and how Lennie would tend the rabbits and a patch of alfalfa to feed the rabbits. This dream is important to both men because it represents the independence and freedom that they presently do not enjoy being migrant workers. The shared dream is the glue that holds Lennie and George together and keeps their relationship strong despite the harsh reality of the great depression.

Throughout the story, the characters perform various actions which assist the reader to understand the characteristics, personality, and motivation of each character.

Crooks is isolated from society and even from the other men on the ranch. He is forced to live in the poor conditions of the small room in the barn away from all the other men. He is not allowed to communicate with others. He was treated with disrespect such as being called a ‘nigger’ (a racially unacceptable word towards black people. Crooks is painted as a lonely man, isolated from the other characters because of both his disability and his race, ‘I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” “Why ain’t you wanted?” Lennie asked. “Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. …’ Steinbeck shows how isolated a black man is on a ranch where all the other people are white.

Women are portrayed in the novel as troublemakers that ruin lives. Steinbeck highlights this marginalization through a unique method of not even giving Curley’s a name, she is called a tramp and jailbait by the men on the ranch. She is living in a virtual cage after marrying Curley as a result of her loneliness and in an attempt to ‘breakout’, she becomes flirtatious. These actions only annoy the men who do not want her around as it could lead to trouble (Curley would get jealous). This only furthers her loneliness making her more isolated and lonelier. There is nothing for her to do on the ranch, with Curley’s wife saying “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once and a while? Think I like to stick in that house all time?”. Curley’s wife is portrayed by Steinbeck as an apathetic and lonely figure – with her own failed dream. Her dream was to become a movie actress. A man once told her he’d put her in movies, but Curley’s wife never heard back from him. She holds on to that dream and talks about what could have been. At a more basic level, her dream is about being able to escape the ranch and her dissatisfying marriage to Curley.

Steinbeck’s characters are also often underdogs, and the author shows compassion toward them throughout the body of his writings. Powerlessness takes many forms of intellectual, financial, societal, and Steinbeck touches on them all. Although Lennie is physically strong and would seem to represent someone of power, the only power Lennie possesses is physical. Because of his mental handicap and his child-like way of perceiving the world, he is powerless against his urges and the forces that assail him. For example, he knows what it is to be good, and he doesn’t want to be bad, but he lacks the mental acuity that would help him understand but doesn’t avoid the dangers that unfold before him. Hence, he must rely on George to protect him. George, in this regard, is also powerless. Although he can instruct Lennie on what to do and not do, he cannot be with Lennie every hour of every day and, therefore, cannot truly protect Lennie from himself. In the end, the only thing that George can do is protect Lennie from the others.

John Steinbeck presents the subject of Alienation and Loneliness throughout the story. He also presents the subject of how the poorest, lonely, and isolated people of society can have the biggest dreams. Steinbeck uses loss throughout the novel as a tool to allow the reader to understand the loneliness that results when individuals lose their most valuable companions, perhaps so as to highlight what was happening on a wider scale throughout America.

Personal Identity. We all have it, but we don’t all know what this actually is. Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personalities, and attitudes that make a person or group. We’ve all heard of “the Dreaming”, but what does this term actually refer to? The Dreaming is the Aboriginal World’s central and deepest reality. For Aboriginals, Dreaming plays a significant role in creating their personal identity. Dreaming is the spiritual dimension of nature that has existed from the beginning and continues to be present in all life forms. It is a met temporal concept, which includes the past, present, and future. The Dreaming includes four main components which together combine to build the identity of Aboriginals. These components are the origin of the universe, sacred sites, stories of the Dreaming, symbolism, and art. It reflects the period when the Ancestral Spirits moved across the country, producing not only life but also significant geographic physical structures, often known as sacred sites. For many Indigenous people, the land is much more than soil or rocks. It’s a living environment that sustains and is sustained by, people and culture. For the indigenous community, the relationship between people and land underpins all of the other aspects of life. Today, this relationship with the land remains central to many people’s identity as well as their way of life. The sacred sites in this land contain, holds many stories of dreaming, as well as symbolism and art, which allow generations to understand the origins of the universe and connect with their ancestors, significantly shaping their personal identity.

Ancestral beings emerged from the earth and seas and walked through the barren land. They created the land’s features, like plants, rocks, rivers, mountains, etc., as well as animals. Once the ancestral spirits created the world they then transformed into trees, stars, rocks, watering holes, etc. These features are known as sacred sites and hold a major significance in the lives of Aboriginals, as they contain certain aspects of the Dreaming. Since the ancestors did not vanish at the end of the Dreaming but stayed in those sacred sites, the Dreaming never ends, connecting the past, the present, the future, and the people. Uluru is just one example of a sacred site. For many people, Uluru is solely known as an Australian Landmark. However, to particular Indigenous groups, specifically the Anangu people, it is known as the living, breathing, cultural landscapes, which are profoundly sacred. Uluru is known as the resting place for past ancient spirits of the region. If this sacred site was lost, the personal identities of the Anangu people would be ripped away from beneath them. Uluru, as well as all other sacred sites, retains cultural traditions and beliefs that are passed on and connect the people with the land and the animals. Sacred sites greatly assist in the formation of an Aboriginal person’s identity through the beliefs, stories, and traditions that they hold.

The telling and learning of the Dreamtime is a process that will never end. It lasts a lifetime. These stories allow generations to build their personal identities and understand the creation of the world and the laws. Aboriginals are able to keep these stories alive through the use of symbolism and art which can be found within sacred sites. This can come in many modes. For example, symbolism and art can be shown through kinship, song, dance, art, rituals, paintings, and stories. The Aborigines have used imaginative designs and symbols for thousands of years to communicate stories and messages that are incredibly important in their culture. Collins Jones who is an Aboriginal said “art documents our belonging, our belonging to the land, the importance of the land because in aboriginal culture it’s not just the land, it’s what’s on the land and in the land, we become one with the land, so we understand the animals, the plants, the birds, the fish. We know when they migrate where they live when to hunt. So everything is part of a structure and a system that we need to understand and so symbolism and art help to document that history” Collins Jones demonstrates the way that symbolism and art have affected him as an individual and have assisted in the creation of his personal identity. Symbolism and art are ways that Aboriginals keep the dream alive and existing. They are able to do this through the use of the land and the way that they use this. Furthermore, symbolism and art allow Aboriginals to continue to learn and document their dreaming, through the way that they use the land and the resources that this gives off. By doing this, their personal identities are then formed.

Conclusion:

The Dreaming helps Aboriginal people to understand their place in society and nature and link their past spiritual world with the present and the future, creating a meta-temporal concept. The identities of Aboriginals are created and built up through dreaming and the different aspects that this idea contains. This consists of stories of dreaming, the origins of the universe, sacred sites, and symbolism and art. Together these significantly assist in the creation of an Aboriginals personal identity, as traditions and beliefs, which are shared through stories of the dreaming, symbolism, art, and sacred sites, connect people to the land and explain the origins of the universe, which then significantly assists shaping an Aboriginals identity.

Life is filled with adversity, lost dreams, and suffering. Thus, making life challenging and onerous. Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and Langston Hughes’s poems both use the themes of broken dreams, poverty, and determination to show the struggle that African Americans faced during the 1950s. The authors may have similar themes but their works explain them differently.

A dream is valuable, but also fragile. The authors Langston Hughes and Lorraine Hansberry use the American Dream as a theme to display the challenges of life. In Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”, it is important to realize “Yes, a fine man—just couldn’t catch up with his dreams, that’s all.” (Mama 49). To put it differently, Big Walter’s dreams never came true. Big Walter thought that if he could work hard enough he could achieve greatness, but it didn’t work out that way. Similar to “A Raisin in the Sun” Langston Hughes’s poem “Dreams” demonstrates the importance of holding on to a dream because it can die if you let it go. A significant detail is “Hold fast to dreams.” In other words, dreams are easy to find but if we don’t catch them in time they’ll disappear. While each author talks about lost dreams in their work Hansberry uses the life of a lower-class family to convey shattered dreams. In “A Raisin in the Sun” each family member has a dream for the future. In act two their dreams were taken away from them due to Walters’ careless act. Thus leading to “the future right out of my hands!” (Beneatha 134). Beneatha thinks that due to the loss of money, her dream is gone and she has no future. Still, Langston Hughes and Lorraine Hansberry share a common theme of broken dreams. Another one of Langston Hughes’s poems is “Harlem”. Dreams can drag a person down “like a heavy load.” Wanting something so much to the point where it becomes a burden. It causes a false reality that eradicates the mental state of mind. Generally speaking, the theme of shattered hopes in each work explains how barriers affect African Americans.

Life is filled with tests that will hold one back, but that doesn’t mean to give up. Langston Hughes’s poem “Mother to Son” shows the importance of never giving up. With this in mind “don’t you turn back.” (Line 14). The mother in this poem is telling her son to not let go and to strive for excellence. Like Hughes, Hansberry uses endurance to provide the obstacles that African Americans faced. In “A Raisin in the Sun” Lena realizes that Walter Lee won’t rest until he fulfills his destiny “And my boy is just like him.” (Act 2, scene 2). Walter is just like his father, determined. On the other hand, “Mother to Son” is mostly about a mother telling her son that life for her wasn’t easy but she kept going and she wants her son to do the same. “I’se still climbin’ “(line 19). The mother is still moving forward in life. Regardless of this minor difference “A Raisin in the Sun” is similar to the works of Hughes through the theme of determination. A key detail is” you need to slow down” (Act 3, scene 1). Lena talks about how she used to be tenacious as a young girl. That sadly changed when she lost all hope in this scene. Therefore, Hansberry and Hughes’s work both have a similar theme of perseverance.

Langston Hughes and Lorraine Hansberry both use the theme of poverty to indicate that it was difficult for African Americans to obtain a better life. In Harlem a poem written by Hughes states “Because we’re colored” (line 15). During the early 1900s, many African Americans were poor because they were either unemployed or their job didn’t pay very much. Also when payday came taxes would increase. Thus making them even more financially unstable. Corresponding to the poem “Harlem” in the play “A Raisin in the Sun” it is clear that the Younger family is not economically wealthy “Travis is asleep on the make-down bed at the center” (Narrator 27). The Younger family is in a dreadful state and because of this Travis, the youngest member of the family has to sleep in the living room. Of course, both authors illustrate the theme of indigence, but Hughes’s work isn’t just focused on one family but different people. In “Brass Spittoons” a man has to clean hotel spittoons to provide for his family “Buy shoes for the baby” He works during the weekdays cleaning and only gets paid very little and then uses what he has to buy his baby shoes. Nonetheless, “A Raisin in the Sun” has a connection to the works of Hughes. A point often overlooked is “Well, I ain’t got no fifty cents this morning,” Ruth told Travis that she didn’t have fifty cents because that’s all they have. In brief, African Americans during the 1900s suffered from poverty.

The many works of Langston Hughes are similar to the play “A Raisin in the Sun”. Even though they are slightly different they still share the same themes of determination, poverty, and the loss of the American dream. Illustrating how money and social status can affect the way people see their future. Showing the life of African Americans during the early 1900s.

The fine-tuned strings were checked. The vibrant noise rang through the tense air. The sound of my throat being cleared bounced off the mic. I could feel the sharp gaze of a camera judging me while I saw my reflection of myself through its lens. With that, I pressed the red recording button, began to strum, and sang.

Over the years, music has surrounded me like a safety blanket, a place where I felt more secure. I’ve always had the dream of becoming a singer. Later, this branched out to be an overall musician and dancer. Ever since I was young, I have played many instruments, with most of them being self-taught. However, despite my ambitions, I knew it took more confidence than I thought, and I was already terrified of the world that had the power to judge me. It was the anxiousness of seeing what other people thought, that caused me to hold myself back from showcasing my talent.

Before I started doing covers, I started live streaming on a website called YouNow. Computer in front of me, sitting cross-legged, I gave a shy smile to the camera. Hand slightly trembling, I wave towards the screen as viewers entered the stream. “Hey guys, it’s Ada here”. The process was very easy, where you could sit down and just talk to other people as they watch you stream. From then on, my confidence slowly grew. I wanted my hopes and dreams to become a reality. It was the idea of being able to make others feel or think by themselves. What drove me, even more, was the want to connect to others with one voice. With that in mind, I started a YouTube channel, live-streamed more, and did small covers on Instagram. After some months of recording, my YouTube channel had several singing covers. I remember looking back on the first couple of comments I received. “Killing it!”, “I can’t stop watching”, “You should do another one”, “You should sing more and go to America’s Got Talent, I’ll come there”. My eyes glazed over the sweet comments, emotions filled me, and my heart burst with joy and thrill. A feeling so indescribable and like no other, I knew I wanted to continue.

As of now, I steadily find new songs to cover. Putting myself out there influenced me and my decision of wanting to pursue a college education in music or doing music in my life as a norm. I’ve learned to grow stronger and braver and that playing it safe won’t help me. I began to believe that maybe nothing is impossible if we take small steps toward our hopes and dreams for them to become a reality. This impacted me because it changed my mindset about how I should take people’s thoughts about me positively. It feels like living a double life, a quiet yet smiley girl at school, and a confident and voiceful girl online.

The story of Gilgamesh reveals some aspects which were displayed during the time of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was the first city-state in southern Mesopotamia. They had so many achievements such as the development of writing. The story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu is known to be, “the story of their becoming human together.” The story shares how two friends from different social classes get together and show the real meaning of love of friendship. Gilgamesh was a king of Uruk, “a city set between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in ancient Babylonia”. However, Enkidu was just a peasant boy. The book highlights the differences in everything from food to religious beliefs, Rich and Poor, and enables readers to imagine what life was like at the top or bottom of the social class in these societies.

A young man, “Enkidu was born on the Steppe where he grew up among the animals” and we can tell, came from a low social class. Those with low social class are expected to have bad jobs and society was to look down upon them. Enkidu, as half animal and half man, ran with the animals of nature who, “hailed him as their equal and king.” Gilgamesh was called “a god and man” and had revealed to be called a “tyrant” which in other words means that Gilgamesh was a cruel and oppressive ruler due to his category of power (evil power). People look upon him as a representative of the Mesopotamian God on earth and had received respect from all those around him. For example, the book Gilgamesh states, “Sometimes he pushed his people half to death with work rebuilding Uruk’s walls, and then without an explanation let the wall go unattended and decay, and left his people dreaming of his past and longing for change. They had grown tired of his contradictions and his callous ways.” Relating to the Mesopotamian time kings/gods were above all, nobody dared to question a decision made by their king regardless of how they felt or who the king is using his power upon like shown in Gilgamesh. The social class gave an order, a set of rules, and expectations for those to follow and if it was to be broken, the punishment was all that was left.

Those who were ranked in high social class were allowed to do many things and had many more privileges, compared to those in a lower social class who had little to no privileges. Gilgamesh the king had, the “privilege of sleeping with their brides before the husbands were permitted” meaning Gilgamesh as a King claims the first right to sleep with the wife of every citizen male who gets married. On the other hand, Enkidu is considered a nature boy who rescues animals from traps that humans had set for them and also whom the animals consider one of them. In Gilgamesh, we see how those who are ranged in a higher social class do not think of others in a lower social class and are heartless. Yet, when Enkidu finds and learns how Gilgamesh takes advantage of the newly married woman, he did not hesitate to travel from the steep and stands between Gilgamesh and the house of the newly married woman, opposing his advance. Gilgamesh “lunged at Enkidu” and “their feet danced the dance of life which hovers close to death”. Gilgamesh “…stood still exhausted…turned to Enkidu who leaned again his shoulder and looked into his eyes and saw himself in the other, just as Enkidu saw himself in Gilgamesh.” “They began to laugh and clutched each other in their breathless exaltation.”

Mesopotamia had a very different religion. They believe that religion affected them in every aspect of life. The Mesopotamians believed in many gods, also known as polytheistic. For example, we see in the novel, “ Gilgamesh climbed up a mountain peak, made a libation of flour, and said: ‘Mountain, bring me a dream, a favorable message from Shamash.’ Enkidu prepared a sleeping place for him for the night; a violent wind passed through so he attached a covering. He made him lie down, and … in a circle. They … like grain from the mountain …”(31). This example represents how important religion is to Mesopotamian individuals. We see that people during this period would find a way to link both religion to dreams. We also see that religion is a very important aspect of their everyday life. In addition, the mesoscopic people feared the madness of the gods and believed that whatever was piety to the god, was good for them to do. Whatever that was impiety to the god was wrong to do because the god doesn’t approve of it. They also believed that gods have a certain respect and that if they are disrespected, you are no longer safe. People realized, disobeying god can also cause sickness and disease for those individuals. As shown in the novel, Anu says that, because Gilgamesh and Enkidu killed Humbaba, cutting down the most majestic tree in the Cedar Forest, and killing the Bull of Heaven, one must die. Therefore, Enkidu was diagnosed with fatal sickness because he had disrespected the god. This kept the people under strict religious rules and gave each individual rules to follow.

In addition, the population thought that Kings were chosen and sent by god. The people thought that they must have had a very close relationship with the god, to be chosen. According to the novel Gilgamesh was two-thirds divisible and one-third mortal, “he who saw the deep, the country’s foundation. Who knew…, was wise in all matters! Gilgamesh was seen as a wise, strong, brave, and heroic man to the society.” They believed that those were the characteristics of the kings that were sent by god. They also believed if they were to harm the people, it was because god had told them to do so which made people fear God and forced many to stay under control at all times following rules they do or do not like.

Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative is similar to The Kite Runner a novel by Khaled Hosseini.

The Kite Runner addresses issues regarding ethnicity, prejudice, religion, political unrest, friendship guilt, violence, and redemption. Though the novel only has three main settings which are Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States yet, these settings are depicted over different times. The setting in “The Kite Runner” directly affects how the main characters interact with one another at different points in their lives. In afghan culture, honor is everything. Hassan does not attend school while Amir refuses to openly acknowledge their friendship because Hassan comes from a lower social class. Hence, Baba (the father) does not tell Amir that Hassan is his half-brother because he is afraid of shame. If society had heard that Baba has slept with his servant’s wife, rumors would spread and destroyed his social standing more like Gilgamesh. He would not want to be looked down upon especially because he comes from a higher social class so he keeps Hassan a secret and made him a servant so he can still be under vision. Hassan would often take the blame if the two troublemakers get caught. Amir was a teenager and had looked down on his brother whom he did not know was to be his brother. He considered Hassan to be beneath him due to Hazara’s ethnicity. Amir thought of himself as superior to Hassan and when viewing someone less than him and not as a human equal, it becomes easier to victimize them. Since Hassan has threatened Amir with his slingshot, Amir has sworn he would get him back for this and saw that rapping is perfect to bring him down and show him how more powerful he is due to his high social class. Raping Hassan was not only about sex, it was more about power, humiliation, and revenge when he saw his father getting close to Baba than him. Amir tries to make himself feel better for his betrayal by viewing Hassan as “only a Hazara.” Even after when Amir started to like Hassan, social status and cultural conflict prevented Amir and Baba to express their love for Hassan. Guilt came along right after when Amir could no longer sleep at night for what he has done to Hassan. Also as an adult, Amir continues to suffer from the overwhelming guilt of not helping Hassan and ends up seeking redemption. Also, both Gilgamesh and The Kite Runner both portray dreams to be very important and both show them in two different ways. Gilgamesh told the future and often foreshadowed upcoming events. Gilgamesh and Enkidu both believed that they come from the Gods. Their dreams were highly valued and were also evidence that the Gods were trying to communicate with them. In Gilgamesh, the Gods were needed to cast a sense of importance on the dreams. In Kite Runner, dreams are put in a different context and represent the change of characters or of perspectives. For example, when Amir sees his father wrestling the bear, he pictures his strong, muscular, and bold father. Then, we learn that Baba is no longer the one wrestling the bear, but rather it is Amir. This shows Amir has finally faced his fears and his search for redemption is now over. The dream Amir had set for his father has shifted and went to the picture he now has for himself. Going back to Afghanistan, and saving Sohrab, Amir is now the hero, thus he becomes the strong-willed man who has vanquished the bear. Now, in Amir’s own eyes, Amir sees himself as the strong and proud man, the man he saw in his father. Both novels revealed how important dreams are but both were represented differently. This connection has shown me that dreams often represent something and go further by expressing something about a character or situation in a more metaphorical sense. While at first I did not realize it, looking at dreams and thinking about them in a less literal way, great development the plot, and helps me better understand the story.

Being president is not easy. Being president is a very large and significant role that would be given to someone who is worthy and deserving. It is more than any other job because being president is both being an effective speaker and a good listener. You have to be a good and responsible leader because you have a country to protect, feed on, and take care of, so it is a very difficult job. You have to have a good administration and connection to the people so that no one will be left behind. If I had such an opportunity, I would really like to be president, first of all, because I want to contribute to the well-being of the people of our country.

First of all, I want to be president so that I can contribute to the empowerment of women through my administration. A lot of women still suffer from inequality in their jobs. Most of them are being judged because some companies and industries think that they are easy and weak and therefore cannot do any work or task that is difficult. This already affects the level of poverty in a certain way, since the number of workers decreases, accordingly, poverty increases. Moreover, nowadays a lot of young girls are being raped and this is because of the thinking that they cannot fight themselves, even young adult women are victimized. As president, I would like to have a reform in terms of women’s protection and rights because most of them are ineffective, that empowers all women living in my country, to protect them and have an awareness program that helps them to be strong, have a brave soul but a kind heart, and to become a role model to others.

Our country is a political and social environment, so I believe it needs to be built and enhanced with strong support. I want to be president to create the reforms that carry out senior citizens who remain unconvinced and not properly specialized when it comes to buying medicines, chairs in vehicles, or lining up a line. In this position, I also want to build more and better supporting training programs that focus on change management and transformational leadership that can improve and develop my country.

Having active communication and relevant information is really needed for most people, especially those who live in a poor state. So I want to be president also because I want to improve it because it provides increasingly powerful process tools that can be lessened to address traditional development problems in innovative ways. This agenda does not consist only of electronic solutions, but it will develop and can help improve in most discussions and in the context of my reforms. Also, the focus needs to be less on the technology and more on the transformation and reorganization of functions and interactions that it provides. In addition to enhancing relations with the public, I also want to connect and have active relationships with other countries that are well-developed and have high technology. These will lead to public awareness, spreading relevant news and information to the public.

And finally, I want to be president to improve our educational system because I think it should be better. As of today, there are a lot of young children who are not able to go to school due to low financial status and other family problems. The government did this, but not all citizens have access and were given this solution. And so, if I had the opportunity to be president, I would like to have an agenda that all of our people, especially those who suffer from poverty, will have a free tuition fee in all public schools and also in all public and private schools, they must have an organization or league that encourage and support child’s opportunities to have freedom to join to any extracurricular activities conducted to the school. Better educational systems like better teaching skills and learning processes. It will have an impact on my country because higher education means great and successful administration.

Being allowed to have some adjustments in government is a big responsibility, so I believe that in the role of president, I would be able to really grapple with the problems of our citizens, and therefore improve and develop my country.

Thinking about my dream house, it would be a house located in a place near a lake. I chose this place because it is better to go natural than artificial, like making swimming pools. In addition, I have the opportunity to enjoy fishing on the lake. My dream house is not just like the biggest home and all emanations are available, but I just want all natural things nearby. Even in my home, I do not want a big gate because it would be inappropriate for a house near a lake. In my backyard, there would be a cricket playground where I could play cricket whenever I wanted. Then there would also be a wide place for my family.

My dream house would be a 2-story house with a basement. It would be made out of wood. Even though it is dark, there would be enough lighting to see everything in the basement. On the first floor, there would be a lot of space. Our living room and dining room would be located there. The walls would have my favorite theme that would look cool in my eyes. There would be paintings, family pictures, as well as achievements in our hall. The living room would be spacious, then in the living room, there would be a big sofa where all of us could watch our favorite TV serials and movies comfortably. The dining room and kitchen would be near each other. The dining table would be a masterpiece of someone who is good at carving wood. In the kitchen, all would be made out of stainless steel. These rooms would have a theme that has cream color or a color that makes us also hungry when we get there. On the second floor, my dream house would have 3 rooms with attached bathrooms, one for the master’s bedroom and one for the workout room. In the master bedroom, there would be a small balcony so that every time I wake up I can breathe some fresh air directly. Also, two other rooms would be intended for other family members.

In my imagination, my dream house is simple. It is a house where I think I can live happily and comfortably with my family. I chose it to be made out of wood so that it would be environment friendly, and to be appropriate with the location near the lake.

I have always had an idea of working in the nursing field because of the great opportunities and openings the medical field provides for its employees. And I have grown up to have a passion for helping people out. It truly sparks a good feeling in me every time I am able to help someone, even helping out only one person can make a huge difference, especially in that person’s life. I have worked in several work environments such as smoothie king, old navy, and a restaurant which all consist of customer service and one on one conversions, and socialization with other people. Working in environments like these has made me realize that I want to be in a work field where it consists of working and socializing with people one on one because I tend to get along with people I’ve just met and my peers. While doctors diagnose and prescribe, nurses help with the overall well-being of their patients. Nurses help care for and treat sick patients every minute around the clock. Nurses undergo different cases of patients and face new learning every day as part of the never-ending education in the medical field. Nurses also go through pressure every day knowing that are under the supervision of doctors and mentors and that it affects their ability to pass medical exams, boards, and competition between peers. It takes a lot of passion for medicine, dedication, hard work, and love for helping people to become a nurse. But I intend on passing those challenges and hope to perceive this career by attending the University of Arlington after finishing my first two years at Tarrant county college. Becoming a nurse has its benefits and well self accomplishments, especially knowing you might help and save the life of many people but the nursing field could be improved in ways. The nursing field like any other field does have its downsides that affect a nurse’s life and their patient’s outcomes. The nursing field has to become more reliable and improve the way things are run in the hospital, such as fewer overtime hours to not overtire nurses and affect their patient outcomes and better communication in order to improve the quality of care of all patients.

All around the world, nurses are putting in more overtime at work due to emergent stressful environments and being understaffed which leaves them no other choice than to stay longer than their shift was supposed to be. Nurses who put in more overtime result in getting sick more often due to tiredness and longer exposure to sick patients and dangerous situations. According to studies based on the major publication Medline, “For every ten hours of overtime a nurse works, their sick time is increased by 3.5 hours. And it has also been proved that more than 20 overtime hours as a result of 23% increased hazard rate’’(D’sa 53). Nurses who have experienced this many working hours have also experienced musculoskeletal injuries due to exhaustion, low immune system, insomnia, and hypertension. These injuries cost up to $100,000 just by doing their job but working more than they should. Not only do nurses suffer but their patients do too. Even though a nurse’s overtime doesn’t have any correlation with increased patient deaths, It does have a correlation with the increased number of patients getting sick after getting discharged from the hospital. Studies have shown that the more fatigue a nurse is the more risk factors there are of medication errors, medical misjudgment or treatment, and less reaction time which might increase infections or more sick time in the patient. This huge problem could easily be fixed by making a habit of hospital boards tracking nurse overtime and making sure every nurse gets overtime hours distributed evenly which could reduce the risk of nurse sick time and the percentage of errors in patient care. And another plan could be to advise part-time nurses to pick up more hours.

Besides the overtime factor, communication plays a huge role in the process of health care for patients. Good communication requires all of the attention of the one receiving the content and understanding the intention behind the communication given. The information may sound or be understood differently due to the tone, emotion, and voice of the one giving the content and also the one who has received the content based on their listening, perception, and attention. Communicating efferently has helped pass on information from a doctor or nurse to nurse and nurse to patient. It is a fundamental skill a nurse should master since they are always working with real-life people. If you aren’t communicating well with each other in the medical field you might end up causing complications in the patient and in the health committee. Such as giving the wrong treatment, readmission even when not needed, and discharge from the hospital even when they still need more treatment. Based on nursing economics, “One in five patients discharged from the hospital suffers an adverse event,” (Swan 78). If communication was improved these events wouldn’t happen as much.

Becoming a nurse has its obstacles to go through and overcome but in the end, it has its benefits and you get to care for people and help them feel better, which is a beautiful feeling. With better communication and overtime hours distributed equally among the nurses in every hospital, patient care could improve tremendously. Poor communication might be the cause of mix-ups of information about patients between nurses and between nurses and doctors. And a lot of overtime hours a nurse may take might end up causing costly injuries and sick time. Not only might the nurse be affected but a nurse could affect the patient’s outcomes because of their fatigue at work, which could cause misjudgment of treatment or patient care. Nurses serve a great part in a patient’s visit to a hospital or medical clinic which is why we need to be cautious and make sure the nursing field is reliable to make sure every sick patient is treated correctly and efficiently. Patient care is the number one goal in a nurse’s career. And I hope to reach that goal of becoming a nurse in order to help others.

‘Optimism’. We’ve all heard the word, but do we know what it means? Do we know how to apply it; what to do with it? Some of us are told we have a lot of it, and we take it as a compliment, but do we really know what we are being told we are equipped with? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word ‘optimism’ means “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome”. Simply put, an optimist is someone who finds the good in all situations and prepares themselves for the absolute best outcome. Optimism isn’t a bad thing. However, it may be less useful than it could be if we don’t know how to optimize it.

It is in human nature to be optimistic. Pessimism is not something we are born with, it is developed. However, much pessimism is instilled in us; however, we all still have that inner optimist somewhere inside us waiting to be found. It is our choice whether we want to search for it, but it will inevitably stay there, looking for the best in situations, looking for the light, the silver lining.

There is a less useful type of optimism. There is a kind that doesn’t help anyone and is not at all realistic. The kind that makes one believe that there is some supernatural force out there that makes life perfect for everyone, and one just needs to wait for it to show up. Imagination is one thing, but this is another altogether. This is unhelpful optimism that discourages work ethic and divides one’s attention from the real world. All this goes to say that optimism is a good thing as long as we know what to do with it. We can achieve greatness if only we knew how. We can achieve the dreams we imagine, if we know how to reach for them. There is a favorable route to success, and that is the one with helpful, realistic optimism to guide you along the path.

Now, you may be thinking, ‘So, this essay isn’t going to tell us how to be optimistic?’. To answer your question, it will not. Not exactly. Instead, it will tell you my method of what I have named ‘optimizing my optimism’ to find a better purpose and achieve one’s dreams. When an optimist dreams, they see light at the end of the tunnel. Once you optimize your optimism, you will learn to appreciate not only the light at the end but also the journey through the tunnel.

When I was eight years old, I started a business. During my years of business, I’ve learned so much. While my business hasn’t yet reached the point at which it can run on its own and can make residual income, I can feel my team getting closer and closer with the more effort we put in. I’ve learned to appreciate the process of losing a few times before you win to make the win more glorious. I’ve found that when we ‘lose’, we better ourselves. If we let the ‘loss’ bring us down, there will be two losses – one in the activity and one in self-esteem and confidence. This will inevitably make your journey so much more difficult in the long run.

If you look back now and realize that you haven’t been optimizing your optimism as you should, fret not. It is not too late, no matter how young or old you are. Just take a moment and be present in the here and now. Then look at your past, but only for a minute. Now focus on the future. Write your goals and plans. Dream big. What you dream, you’ll earn in time with hard work, effort, and a good work ethic. If you lose your focus, bring it back. This is what true legends do. The stories of other dreamers will motivate you. They will not tell you what to do, because no-one else’s dream is quite like yours, but they can lead you, no doubt. Look at Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Misty Copeland, Tyler Perry, Serena Williams – any of them. Find someone with a dream similar to yours. See how they persevere. Find a friend, a mentor, a running partner. Find your way to greatness.

As we optimize our optimism, we mustn’t forget to be reasonable. We mustn’t forget to spend time with our families and friends. We mustn’t forget to love, to care, to share. We should do all this as well. But most importantly, we mustn’t forget to dream. It’s true – optimism is the key to achieving the dreams we imagine.