Todd Schwartzs American Jerk Essay

Schwartzs essay American Jerk is a rather accurate take on the state our society has found itself in lately. From each and every corner of social  or really, any other  media people present lengthy essays on as to why we all should be as non-problematic, tolerant, and polite as possible, sometimes communicated through memes. However, in reality, most of us are still jerks to each other  even if we might not realise it in certain moments and still deem ourselves holier than anybody in the immediate vicinity. As Schwartz (2009) states, it was the most civil of times, it was the least civil of times, it was the epoch of concern, it was the epoch of who cares (para. 1). The author captures well the dichotomy of the modern society with these words, pointing out the most glaring flaw of todays aggressive civility attitude. While we are definitely more involved in our world being more inclusive and accommodating towards more disadvantaged people, we still are not that considerate in our everyday lives.

Schwartz (2009) points out how there are tons of disturbing and violent content on TV and in media. How people turn up the volume on their phones and in their cars to let everybody know they are here; how we watch shows with predictable results of people harming themselves and others just for the weird fun of seeing them in pain or embarrassment. This strange duality of modern American is truly jarring when you finally recognize it: why and how did we become like this? The author proposes several theories, with the first one bringing a somewhat dystopian feeling: we have reached the peak of our civilization and are now headed downhill from here. Thus, we are desperately looking for comfort in our endless loop of entertainment to escape the looming fear of becoming nothing. Another one is more of a humorous idea that there are spores in the sunlight that are essentially converting people into self-centered zombies.

Finally, the last one is serious  Schwartz (2009) proposes a thought that most people are just clueless and self-absorbed, unable and unwilling to look past themselves. He is not judging; he states himself that he does not know what is better: civility or brutishness, and it is a choice everyone makes for themselves. Thus, Schwartz (2009) ends his essay on a thoughtful note about the great Civility War, providing foundation for further thought and self-reflection.

Work Cited

Schwartz, Todd. Utne, Web.

Tuta Wharepapa from His First Ball by Witi Ihimaera

Introduction

The story His First Ball by Witi Ihimaera is a story about social differences that sometimes put false boundaries between people. This essay is an analysis of the character Tuta Wharepapa from the aforementioned story that shows his usual behavior and how he interacts with the people in a way that demonstrates that he has to be himself to enjoy life.

Analysis

At the beginning of the story Tuta receives the invitation, and according to his reaction, it could be implied that Tuta does not belong to the class that is supposed to be invited to the governors house. Furthermore, the reaction of his mother is demonstrating that Tutu is not the most responsible person in the world, as she suggested that the envelope could contain summons to the court. The skeptical reaction of Tuta is his way to demonstrate his total surprise at such a fact that could rather be a joke than reality.

After he confirms the information about his invitation, everybody around Tuta got excited about the fact that someone they know will have the possibility to attend such an event. It could be noted that their excitement is rather about the class of the people that will be attending than the event itself, i.e. the ball. Possible hints made throughout the text imply that the governor and the guests that attend the ball in his house are of totally different classes and ethnicity.

This class put certain requirements on the people attending such events in terms of the overall look, dress, and behavior. This is where Tuta starts to obtain valuable knowledge on how to properly behave and dress, where it should be mentioned that this process involved the participation of all his friends to whom the idea was so exciting.

This excitement did not turn to Tuta, as his logic was refusing to accept the need for some actions. Why the need for many forks and glasses for different meals and drinks. Why should he abandon some of the habits that he got used to doing regularly that distinguish him from the others? E.g. drinking beer, keeping the long hair, wearing purple, and listening to hot rock music are the things that he should abandon to attend the party. While the reactions of others imply that they willingly would do all the aforementioned to be at his place, Tuta seems skeptical and unimpressed.

The action switches to the ball, where Tuta finds out that all his attempts mimicking the actions or the behavior of so-called prestigious society people bring nothing but laugh at him. Distortion of his name, his dance, and the way he eats amuse the guests who already know who he is and laugh at his poor attempts to imitate them. Tuta finds relief when he finds Joyce, who mentioned that she was at his place before him. Suddenly he acknowledges with Joyces help that they can beat them by not following their games.

Tuta is more relaxed with a girl who he can relate to him, as they both feel like outcasts in this ball. Tutas character has no objection to dancing with 6 feet tall girl, as he was taught to dance with a 6 feet tall transvestite, so he realizes that by acting naturally without mimicking the beautiful people they win in their own game.

Conclusion

The progress in Tutas character is obvious as he reaches his own conclusions rather than following what others want him to do. When he returns to his old self he acknowledges that this all was a false shell when he got into it he was laughed at, and when he got out of it he enjoyed life.

The Work Letter on Inoculation by Voltaire

Voltaire is a French writer and philosopher whose work Philosophical Letters has become one of the greatest works of the eighteenth century. Letter on Inoculation contains arguments on vaccination at the time when the English adapted the new method of curing smallpox. Voltaire supported the enlightenment in Letter on Inoculation through reason, happiness, and art.

Voltaires dedication to enlightenment can be seen through reason in his arguments. He presented the story of Lady Montagu and many other examples of successful inoculation practices in China, Turkey, and, most recently, England. Voltaire, through his argument, shows that adapting practice that has been implemented successfully somewhere else might be reasonable. Voltaire insists that people suffering from smallpox without any treatment are more significant than the number of people who died from the injection (16). Such a reasonable comparison is also an example of an enlightened philosophers thinking.

The Letter on Inoculation presents arguments tied to the enlightenments postulate on happiness. Happiness is an abstract term understood differently worldwide. Voltaire wrote the letter in England, where the happiness for people was education. He showed his ability to think critically by presenting arguments in both English and French, but he also led the desire to learn something new by charitably looking at ideas of English adoption of vaccination. Hence, he showed that vaccination brings happiness and a healthy nation by the end of his writing, which are the main factors for enlightenment.

Voltaire praises beauty and its importance which represents his dedication to enlightenment. The enlightenment period was not only about education but also a time when art flourished. Well-known artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and others left their mark on the human history of art. They were making art during the enlightenment in Europe, and this time is remembered through their works today. Their results show that the beauty of a human being is an art that gives the ultimate aesthetic experience. Voltaire similarly praises the beauty of Circassian daughters and the importance of keeping them healthy (Voltaire, 8). These arguments show that he was dedicated to enlightenment through the ability to value art and beauty.

To conclude, Voltaire was dedicated to enlightenment which can be seen in his Letter on Inoculation. The arguments in the letter show that he put rationality above all, and culture was of reason. He also values human happiness, which includes health and the desire to be educated. Both virtues were discussed in his writing. Voltaire also mentions the importance of beauty, which, as it is known from the enlightenments art, is an essential part of that time.

Work Cited

Voltaire. E. R. DuMont, 1733. Online Library of Liberty. Web.

The Theme of Love in the Myth of Cupid and Psyche

There are many examples of endless love in myths that give an example to people through the ages. The myth of the love of Cupid and Psyche is a good example. The hero overcomes a long way to the heart of his beloved; despite all the obstacles, they remain together. This myth can serve as an example of love overcoming all difficulties. In the myth of Cupid and Psyche, love is a force that unites beings that could not be together. Even though Psyche is a mortal woman, Cupids love elevates her to the rank of deities.

Venus decided to let the lovers meet only if the girl completed four tasks. All these tasks were thought impossible, but by some miracle, Psyche managed to solve them. Each completed task made the girl stronger and developed her. She acquired the knowledge and skills that were necessary to become a woman. Love made Psyche psychologically mature and, in a sense, worthy of becoming a deity. The legend about Cupid and Psyche comes down to one simple statement: only the union of love and soul gives rise to true pleasure and happiness. When Psyche sees her betrothed and falls in love with him, an image of her Cupid is created inside her. This is the image of her love, the highest expression of the being now in front of her in physical form. The myth of the love of Cupid and Psyche is filled with adventure and romance. It tells about the souls wanderings, longing to merge with love. Psyche became at last united to Cupid, and in due time they had a daughter born to them whose name was Pleasure (Apuleius, 1903).

Reference

Apuleius. (1903). Cupid and Psyche: The Story of Cupid and Psyche. (C. Stuttaford, Trans). David Nutt.

Etgar Kerets The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God

If literature is the magic of holding back time then writers are the magicians who captivate time in words. As time passes by several take birth and perish, but some people with their achievements and contributions leave their footprints on the sands of time. Such a creator is Etgar Keret and he created a completely new world through his stories along with the trademark approach of Israeli writers. Keret is trying to say in this story the manner how society approaches happiness. In addition, this story can be seen in a theological context, in particular, Judaism because Keret is Israeli and Judaism is the foundation of this nation.

Etgar Kerets short writing The Story about a Bus Driver who wanted to be God is a very simple piece about a man, who is a bus driver and his specialty is that he never opened the door of the bus, which he drove for any passenger. No matter how much the passenger needed to get up on the bus, he never cared about them. He always followed his own principles and never deviated from that path. Even if he saw some school kids, who would run along with his bus hoping that the driver would look at them and stop to open the door for them. However, he had no pity for the students and even their loving stare and innocent faces did not melt him. Sometimes a few uptight and nervy people, in jackets, would bang on the door of the bus to stop it pretending that they were perfectly on time and the bus was actually late. The driver did not even stop for elderly women, who had groceries in their hands and would struggle to stop him. The driver did this not because he was mean but it was due to his ideology (Keret, p. 1).

The bus driver can be viewed as a metaphor for the state of Israel where the republic is hounded by neighboring countries from the time of its foundation. The Jews, who had been persecuted for centuries by the Christian masses of Europe in possibly every conceivable manner from being blamed for natural disasters to being degraded publicly for belonging to that religion to being tortured in gas chambers, had finally reached such a precarious stage of their existence by the time World War II ended, that they were left with no alternative to carving out a homeland for themselves. The formation of a separate Jewish nation, they believed, was the only guarantee of their very survival (Brundage, pp. 145-7).

That homeland had to be the biblical land of Israel, or none else, given the primacy of this nation to their history and culture; unfortunately for them, this was now Palestine, into which Arabs had been ossified for a full 13 centuries, ever since the birth of their own religion, Islam. The declaration of Israeli independence on May 14, 1948, was the culmination of a nearly 19-century old cherished dream of the motherland and achieved after a lot of bickering in the United Nations and the US. To worsen matters the Arab-Israeli peace talks seem to have collapsed. Iran, another threat, of course, is one of the many states who refuse to accept the legitimacy of the state of Israel, and have referred again and again to its complete annihilation. As a result, the national approach of the state became extremely rigid and meticulous. Rules and laws became the order for survival. The ideology maintained by the bus driver is the manifestation of these aggressive and desperate measures taken by the nation for survival (Dos, pp. 47-48).

However, in the same notion, it can be stated that the story has a deep root in a theological context such as societys supremacy over individualistic concerns, human compassion. This becomes evident when we find that the Bus Driver abandons his ideology and allows Eddie to enter the bus. It should be noted that Judaism demarcates the central eschatological concerns of early Christianity, which gradually evolved into a structured religion. Thielman notes that both Paul and Peter emphasize the concept of the Mosaic Law and Jewish participation and Jewish Christianity, thereby bringing about perfect synthesis in the Catholic Church. Thus, the parameters of brotherhood and compassion become extremely relevant in this context (Thielman, p. 49).

However, it should be noted that the author is completely successful in achieving what he intended to do and that is to defend well against all anti-humanistic applications within the parameters of the state law. It is true that the laws and ideologies are important for the survival of the state but at the same time it should be mentioned that the essence of a humane approach should never be lost and thus the author made sure that the compassion and brotherhood, that is the central theme of Judaism, is unearthed from the prison of the necessary evil under the given condition, the law. This is because without the intricate views of a religious reviewer it is hard to get the loose parts of the fallacies in form of calculation of the bus driver. According to a calculation made by him, in the story, he had found out that if someone was late for around 30 seconds and he opened the door of his bus for him, then that person would actually be losing whole 15 minutes from his or her precious life. In addition, if all the people in the society did the same thing then being just 30 seconds late meant that they all lost 15 minutes of their life. Also, if there were, say, 60 people present on the bus at a certain time, who had reached their stop on time and, thus had done nothing wrong would be losing 30 minutes for the ones who came late.

This way, it is obvious that anybody, who is a general reader, would fall into the trap of deconstructions of all the basic observations put forward. On the other hand and seen from a Judaist perception, rather than our usual western outlook, it is also a certain truth that on a certain note the basic intention of this story is to present a rejoinder to the lawmakers of the state and proclaims a high note of humane solidarity under the parameters of religious essence.

Another interesting theosophical context of this story is in the context of human suffering with Eddies failure to attain Happiness and the bus drivers failure to become God. Eddie is engulfed by the pursuit of Happiness. He ran so fast that his chest started to pain but he was not prepared to lose Happiness. From the parameters of Jewish belief, it is obvious that the parameters of human suffering become evident with the experiences the characters face. The experiences have administered cruel shocks to that modernist prejudice. Some say that it is only through suffering that we learn the importance of critical evaluation, yet change is a certain thing. If one is to believe in a good creator, it is necessary to understand what kind of behavior leads to human fulfillment and happiness. There are those who believe that one way to do this is to treat others, as you would like to be treated yourself.

Both the suffering of Eddie and the willingness of the driver to become God are the manifestation of human wish and ramification of wish that is so evident in religious teachings. These elements came extremely close when Eddie asked the driver to stop the bus. The driver remembered the time before which he wanted to be a driver. Then he wanted to be God. It was a depressing memory for him as he could not become God but in some way, it was a joyful one too. He remembered that he had once wanted to be God so that he would be able to help people. He wanted to be kind and just to them and listen to their prayers and cries kindly. Thus, when he looked at poor Eddie begging him to open the door from the ground he could not take it anymore. He gave up his ideology and calculations and gladly opened the bus door for Eddie. Thus, the aspects of humane compassion won once the aspects of state view of the law were overlooked. The view of the aspects of compassion and humanistic appeal came full circle at the end of the story when, they started moving, he looked in the rearview mirror and gave Eddie a sad wink, which somehow made the whole thing bearable (Keret, p. 6).

Etgar Keret is an Israeli writer and his The Story about a Bus Driver who wanted to Be God is one of his most challenging and bold writings in English. It is completely honest, funny, and at the same time powerful and concise. It contains hidden facts intelligently entwined with the story. His writing style is irresistible and is a mixture of humor, tender but coarse language, and filled with cynicism. The story contains a little bit of random modern thoughts, the philosophy of Israel, and a lot of dark humor. It also has a little bit of anger, which is a trademark of most Israeli writers (Prawer, pp. 221-5).

However, the idea of the story is completely original and refreshingly good for people who enjoy dark, satirical humor. It is powerful and efficient on its own creating not only sadness but also a world of fantasy. It is a gem of a story, which leaves our minds with a wonderful but weird effect. It has a combination of a great vocabulary, which hits us straight in the heart and never loses its impact. It is out of the ordinary, quirky and amusing and where ideologies are all that society bread on, Keret shows us a satirical side of their thoughts and ideas. His characters represent everyday people from our lives recording their sour ironies of life.

They are mostly absurd and the characters are faced with challenges of love, justice, betrayal, and sadness. He leaves us to deal with tragic events of life with a light and soft touch. His plots deal with the stark realities of everyday life, create an atmosphere of fantasy, and are extremely simple. This story shows an obsessed bus driver who is strict with his schedule. However, his characters shift in their sentiments and are carelessly drawn. Since they are not strong, the story loses its stability and we sometimes even lose attention for general readers but from the point of view of the lust of happiness and the rigidity of the state, this story is a marvel of decentralized manifestation and exposure of emotions.

Works Cited

  1. Keret, Etgar; The Story about a Bus Driver who wanted to be God; pp. 1-6
  2. Thielman, Frank; Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach; Zondervan, (2005)
  3. Prawer, H A; The Kingdom of Mind (Dunedin: Allied Publishers 2004) pp. 221-5
  4. Brundage, C; War Canon Law (Melbourne: HBT Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2000) pp. 145-7
  5. Dos, M; Advent of Motivation (Dunedin: Allianced Publications; 2001) pp. 47-48

The Novel A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe

Authors share their works with the world in order to spread their personal beliefs and biases with people, as books always have diverse layers of meaning which reflect writers perception of things. Once readers submerge in the novels, they connect uniquely with the authors ideas and narratives, which can influence the way they think and evaluate whether they are aware of it or not. Thus, it is fair to claim that because of the open and creative expression of ones beliefs in books and readers general engagement with the novels, writers works generally have a meaningful impact on their target audience.

Following this thought, the comparison between writing novels and making political statements can be clearly justified. Essentially, the characters in books represent various social and political situations from an identified perspective. The element of fiction and defined narrative of characters makes the reader relate to diverse ideas that might be expressed in the books more easily, which allows an indirect communication between the authors perspective and the reader. Similarly, political acts consist of communication and reinforcement of ideas to the people. Hence, despite the obvious differences between writing novels and doing politics, the core idea of spreading a certain perspective is present in both, which makes it possible to compare one to another.

Within the work, A Man of the People, Achebe explores various topics related to classism, feminism, and colonization. Nevertheless, the major focus of the book remains on the theme of politics. Thus, the authors evident interest in the topic is reflected in the plot of his story, which emphasizes the unique connection between the writers bias and the way it gets shown in their works.

When it comes to politics, it is the area within which certain people tend to abuse power, others try to confront it, while some people prefer to stay ignorant of the overall dynamic. Ignorance is a major factor that surrounds politics, and it is present in different variations. For instance, people tend to look at the big picture, which is built according to a given political situation, and therefore let tiny details about it slide. It is not only an issue of ignorance but also an issue of defining the priorities within ones political view.

In A Man of the People, there is an illustration of the common type of ignorance. It occurs multiply, yet a bright example would be the moment when the protagonist gets sent away from a friends place because of the actions of his father. Although there are no obvious links to the politics at first, in the exchange between a friends parent and Odili, the protagonist refers to his father as a retired District Interpreter (Achebe 19). Further in the story, the author does not clarify the circumstances of these fathers conflict, and because of this, the focus remains on the position of Odilis father specifically. This might be a reference to a kind of ignorance that makes people avoid individual aspects of others while judging them. Hence, it explores the way people tend to disregard people as individuals in the context of politics and perceive them more as the general public.

Other subtle references to politics are traceable in the part where Nanga and Odili meet Jean and John in chapter 4. There, Americans call Nanga by the name which none of the local people dare to use (Achebe 28). It is a reference to the often-occurring abuse of power in politics, and it is presented within a friendly setting intentionally to enhance the sense of commonness. Thus, the way it is casually presented within the scene intends to mirror the political environment, where major figures intentionally create an image that appeals to people, and they proceed with overall ignorance. The protagonists surprise and confusion reflect the way people step out of ignorance and notice the things which remained hidden from them within the political situation before.

Additionally, once a third party within the same setting starts to give countless promises, the author points out that probably none of it was genuine (Achebe 29). This way, he completes the constructed association with politics by highlighting the often-occurring factor of empty promises that political figures give. This parallel subtly mocks both the intentions of such politicians and the ignorance of people who trust their words.

Essentially, Achebe uses subtle references throughout the whole book in order to communicate his view on many things, including politics. By making the comparisons unobvious and by creating a complexity of layers of meaning, the author encourages readers to think deeper and to draw parallels themselves. He does not simply create a story but also submerges his own view on politics inside it and leaves the space open for the readers to evaluate the ideas. He encourages critical thinking and rejection of ignorance by consuming somebody elses words without a single doubt, no matter if it would be a speech of a politician or a simple book. This way, writing a novel truly becomes a political act, as the ideas within it directly impact readers judgment and encourage them to be more conscious in all areas of life, especially politics.

Work Cited

Achebe, Chinua. A Man of the People. Heinemann, 1988.

Claims in the Girl Story by Jamaica Kincaid

Introduction

In the field of literature, the message is the most significant element that forms the basis of every artistic work. In these communications, writers may use various tactics like claims to make assertions about their messages to the intended audiences. A claim entails a statement in which a writer presents an assertion as truthful and logical to substantiate an argument. It may be a single argument by itself or may take the form of multiple claims made to support a larger argument. This paper seeks to analyze an evaluative claim on how girls should carry themselves in the community as they transform into adulthood, to be outstanding in the face of societys morals.

How Girls Should Carry Themselves in the Community

Kincaids story communicates desired personal traits that ladies should uphold when they become of age amid the dynamic world of moral challenges. The writer claims that the ladies should uphold neatness, have good cooking skills, ensure peaceful coexistence with others, choose good companies, and be God-fearing. Kincaid substantiates this by citing; cook pumpkin in very hot sweet oil; soak your little clothes right after you take them off; always eat your food in such a way that it wont turn someone elses stomach; dont sing benna in Sunday school; you mustnt speak to wharf-rat boys, so to prevent yourself from looking like a slut you are so bent on becoming (Kincaid 380). This depicts an evaluative claim as it highlights moral argument suggesting that good traits in ladies such as cleanliness, good ethics, and Christianity contributes to the ideal respect they receive from society. It is these personalities that differentiate them from sluts in the eyes of society.

Furthermore, the communication reveals some behaviors about the character, which are not in line with societys morals. For instance, in the story, the girls mother is convinced that the girl is almost lost because of how she conducts herself. The girl has a conflict within herself, she claims to be the type of girl who upholds the ideal traits of a domestic lady, while on the other side, she looks more determined to become a slut. She has started drifting away from the societies morals, yet she does not want to accept that reality. This is depicted in her reactions to the mothers teaching; But what if the baker wont let me feel the bread? (Kincaid 381). This only indicates her claim to defend her current situation. It shows a lack of self-drive to shape her traits to make her an ideal and respectable woman in the face of society.

Moreover, she only looks for excuses to justify her moral decadents and does not want to accept that it is because of her fault that she would not be allowed to feel the bread. As a result, her mother decides to encourage and motivate her on the ideal traits that a lady should uphold to fit in the moral society. This sends a message to the audience to learn from the girls mistakes and compel them to be responsible, and strive to be instrumental in helping people to live in the right way just as the girls mother.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this communication implies that not everything that an individual view as right is moral in the eyes of society. At times they might be wrong and on some occasions, they may be right. Therefore, whenever this happens, immediate corrective intervention is important to make a positive impact on individuals lives and society at large. As a result, this story strives to persuade and inspire the audiences to care for others and intervene in their lives whenever they are going astray, thus contributing to the theme of responsibility.

Work Cited

Kincaid, Jamaica. Where the Land Meets the Body. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994.

Sex Trafficking: Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd

Introduction

For the past decades, the issue of human trafficking has been debated rigorously since it ruins the lives of millions of people worldwide. As one of the most ignominious felonies in the world, it turns people of all ages and sexes from all parts of the globe into victims forcing them to do perverted acts daily. The most notorious type of human trafficking is sexual labor. Annually, millions of individuals around the globe are kidnapped for forced labor, organ extraction, or sexual abuse (About human trafficking, n. d.). Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale by Rachel Lloyd is an insanely moving story about the harsh realities of sex trafficking, which makes one appreciate life even more.

Girls Like Us

In the memoir, Rachel Lloyd provides an account of the events stating how she worked as a prostitute when she was only 13 years old in Europe. The author recalls how she has managed to change her life after all the pain she had been through by moving to America to get an education. Lloyd (2012) wanted to share her experience and established the non-profit organization GEMS  Girls Educational and Mentoring Services. She has successfully incorporated her own experience and accounts of the women she worked with. Such a combination of similar stories helped her tell the audience about the physical and emotional damage that the female sex faces.

Lloyd was left alone as a teenager; there was no responsible adult that would support her. Therefore, Rachel ended up in the streets selling her body. The sex industry devoured Lloyd as she had to survive and had no other choice. Three years later, she moved to the United States and kept working in the sex industry (Lloyd, 2012). Despite all the hardships the author has experienced, she has managed to impact the community by informing them about the dangers of sex trafficking. Lloyd earned money and received full scholarships to attend college and graduate school years later. In Girls Like Us, Lloyd (2012) revealed the dark truth of working as a prostitute, telling how much effort she put into liberating herself from a souteneur. It took much time and stamina to free herself with the help of the local church. Now Lloyd is the CEO of GEMS in New York, which has become one of the most influential non-profit organizations in the state.

This book was difficult to read because of the heartbreaking stories about many girls who were doomed to experience violence. Sex trafficking and CSEC (Commercial, sexual exploitation of children) are big issues in different countries, but sometimes it seems that the U.S.A. (Lloyd, 2012). faces it in a bigger proportion. However, it is not a statewide problem  it is a human problem. This means that some people are willing to take advantage of the weak, while the weak have no choice but to consent. It is painful that young girls and women suffer from such violence solely because their life took a wrong turn.

The suffering and torment of young girls described in a book in vivid detail could make one contemplate why they could not just escape or claim their rights. Why were they not enraged and determined to act? It is unbelievable that females had to undergo such torture and were not allowed to complain or report anyone for fear of being murdered. It proves that sex trafficking remains an issue to be revealed publicly. People should be aware of the consequences of such actions and report cases to promote public awareness and protect young girls, especially those living in disadvantaged communities.

The book raises the problem of sex trafficking in the context of the United States alone. An estimated 15,000 to 50,000 women and children are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation each year (Facts about human trafficking, 2020). The narrative encourages people, especially women from all over the world, to strive to change the situation and shape new values. Seeing this number makes one wonder what happens to those who survive. Perhaps, some live in reclusion after all the violence they have experienced; others may assimilate into society, yet the past trauma affects them till the end. Very few people can speak about it openly. Hence, this reading would be useful for reading not only in an academic environment but also in churches, schools, or just to gain personal knowledge and awareness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Girls Like Us discloses the relevant issue of sex trafficking and how much it affects peoples lives, especially womens lives. By sharing her private accounts, Lloyd raises awareness of sex trafficking and how it impacts the lives of innocent girls who had to experience violence due to unfavorable circumstances. Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. become victims of sex traffickers. The number is so large that it is difficult to imagine what happens to those who manage to escape the torturers. Promoting this issue and reporting cases to halt these terrible wrongdoings is vital.

References

(n. d.). U.S. Department of State. Web.

(2020). Deliver Fund. Web.

Lloyd, R. (2012). Girls like us: Fighting for a world where girls are not for sale: A memoir. Harper Perennial.

Sun Tzus The Art of War: Relevance to the COVID-19 Era

The paper discusses Sun Tzus The Art of War and addresses the relevance of the text to the current event, namely Covid-19. Dichotomies, such as life and death, emphasized in the book, might be connected to the tragic pandemic that caused severe health issues with fatal consequences. The concept of war is frequently employed in the realm of infectious illnesses, with its interspecies battle for existence; hence, The Art of War is pertinent to discovering solutions for world survival.

The pandemic can be related to the war because it caused global deaths and adverse consequences for communities. The responsibility of diagnosing, assessing, and managing the growing number of cases relies on the health industry, governments, and society in general (Maxwell et al. 2215). The coronavirus disease 2019 started in Wuhan, China, triggered by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS-CoV-2 and spread worldwide (Maxwell et al. 2215). Hence, with fast-growing cases and local communities spread in numerous nations, including the United States, the crisis has reached a new stage, necessitating a shift in primary fighting strategy away from China and toward worldwide mitigation. Tzu claims that the art of war is critical to the state because it is a choice between life and death, a path to safety or disaster (6). Furthermore, it is a subject of investigation that should not be overlooked.

The most crucial strategy while coping with a worldwide crisis like Covid-19 is to make proper predictions, preparations, and assessments. Tzu claims that the general who wins a war performs many calculations in his temple before the conflict (8). In contrast, the commander who loses combat prepares a few assessments ahead of time. As a result, preparations lead to triumph, and little calculations contribute to defeat. Maxwell et al. acknowledge that as COVID-19 cases spread globally, a tactical shift from confinement toward home-based mitigation and public health measures is essential (2215). The task demands swiftly scalable and sustainable techniques for the medical and public health sectors (Maxwell et al. 2215). Governments should perform studies to prepare for potential outcomes, optimize existing teams and resources, and increase capacity where it is insufficient. Tzu contends that leaders should treat the soldiers like their children to persuade them to follow into the darkest valleys (34). Similarly, governments should support, stimulate, and recognize healthcare professionals work because they regularly confront the infection and risk their lives.

In the battle for life, it is necessary to define weaknesses and disadvantages that may be exploited by the enemy. Tzu advises comparing and evaluating the enemy army to determine where power is abundant and weak (21). Maxwell et al. identify four significant vulnerabilities specific to the United States but have global implications (2216). First, a critical weakness that needs to be appropriately resolved is the medical arenas poor diagnostic testing capability for the virus. Immediate and verified testing at scale should be provided to assist medical professionals and public health personnel in patient separation, evaluation, and management. Second, proactive supply chain management is necessary during times of high demand. General anxiety and fright, particularly in the age of social media, can cause or worsen actual supply shortages. Third, initiatives should be targeted to establish and exploit margin and flexibility within healthcare personnel capacity. Finally, national and global financing commitments for public health and epidemic preparation should be increased and maintained.

As the global fight against COVID-19 intensifies, the whole international community must unite in solidarity, communicate constantly, and share their skills, resources, and knowledge. According to Maxwell et al., it is necessary to utilize the hard-fought lessons of this and previous epidemics and move quickly to implement established public health and IPC concepts to turn the course against this opponent (2216). Tzu explains viable techniques that may be used when the community affected by Covid-19 is on the path between life and death. Tzu argues that the fighter who applies his wisdom will win the wars and ensure life for his subordinates (34). In contrast, the opponent will prevail if neither information nor practice is used.

To conclude, The Art of War is relevant to finding answers for global survival in crises like Covid-19. The pandemic has revealed the worlds vulnerability and instability. As an outcome, societys way of life was turned upside down, and the planets population was seriously jeopardized. Preparing for additional phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and effectively responding, like in war, need a worldwide plan with defined goals, priorities, and urgent initiatives. Immediate actions should be undertaken based on clearly stated objectives and quantifiable targets, taking into consideration knowledge, previous mistakes, and potential scenario developments. A plan for determining the strategys strengths and weaknesses should be developed, evidence-based, and approved at the governments highest levels to counteract the viruss spread. As Sun Tzu advises, a commander requires measures and good planning to win a battle. As a result, a more comprehensive plan is necessary to terminate the pandemic; countries should prioritize well-defined targets, deadlines, and schedules.

Works Cited

Maxwell, Daniel N, et al. The art of war in the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clinical Infectious Diseases, vol. 71, no. 16, 2020, pp. 2215-2217.

Tzu, Sun. The Art of War. Rupa Publishing, 2016.

Shakespeares Influence on Arts

Introduction

Shakespeare is often referred to as The Bard although most people prefer to use his real name to refer to him. Many hail him although some dont think he deserves the acclaim he receives. But one thing that is irrefutable is that William Shakespeare has shaped and influenced the arts to a very great degree. The bard goes down in history as one of the largest contributors to the literary world with over thirty plays and hundreds of poems (Rubinstein 28).

Shakespeare is remembered for the voluminous contribution that he made on the arts through his literary works. The impact of his work is sometimes direct although in most cases, the impact is indirect but whichever the case; the impact of his work is felt in the arts all around us. Shakespeares impact is so significant that there is a concerted effort to recapture the original theater in London where his plays were staged for the very first time (The Shakespeare Globe Trust).

Influence on Music

The influence that Shakespeare has had on music is undisputable. It would not be possible to know just how many musicians and song writes Shakespeare has directly influenced but it would probably span to the thousands. There are at least twenty thousand songs that can be linked to the works of The Bard. The year 1999 saw the most impressive amalgamation of Shakespearean nights dream with some disco music. The idea was to capture Shakespeares fanciful play in the music themes reminiscent of the 1970s. This made it possible to have contemporary music which had the rich themes that were characteristic of Shakespeares works. This modernization of the classical themes of Shakespeare through youthful music has attracted an even larger following from the young generation who would otherwise have found Shakespeares work a bit boring.

Influence on Painting

Many of the painters today have been inspired by the work of Shakespeare in different ways. One of the best examples of an artist whose work was influenced by Shakespeare is Tuner. His most famous painting was the painting captioned, Juliet and her nurse. The theme comes from one of Shakespeares work entitled Verona to Venice. Tuner also painted one of Shakespeares Characters, Jessica. It was a painting that proved to be controversial due to his choice of the theme colors to use. Newton Stuart developed Tuners idea further when he later on painted a contemporary version of Jessica which he chose to title Shylock and Jessica (Wilton 14).

Freud Sigmund was a painter that focused on human psychology as the main theme for his works of arts. It is widely accepted that Freud used the concepts of Shakespearean Psychology for his painting. Many of the themes that are reflected in Shakespeares Hamlet have been recaptured by the artist in his painting.

Influence on Films

William Shakespeares works has not just remained in the theaters but they have found their way to the movie industry as well. In fact the film industry is one of the industries that have helped in the dissemination of the ideas that were developed by Shakespeare in his poetry and plays. The challenge of taking the play to the movie is that many a movie producer will be torn between modernizing the play to make it appealing to the target audience and capturing the play in the original setting to make it more authentic. Needless to say, the producer will often choose to make the play modern and this affects the authenticity of the message that is put across.

An example of a film based on Shakespeares work is the Juliet And Romeo movie which was produced by Luhrmann Baz. The movies emphasis is on violence although the theme of passion is also captured. The film may easily be deceiving. Reading the play and watching the movie might leave one wondering if the two movies and the play were the same thing. Holly woods goal is to entertain rather than to educate unlike Shakespeares goal which was to educate. As Combs and Durgnat (56) explain, The film is based on Shakespeares works usually do a good job of entertaining but may not entirely educate the audience.

Another movie that is based on Shakespeares work is the movie tilted Ten Things I hate about you The movie is based on Shakespeares play titled taming of the shrew The movie was however too keen on political correctness that the original message of taming was not captured well through the females as was put in the Shakespearean play. Shakespeare had a romantic comedy in mind but the movie toned it down to a high school love affair. The movie is indeed entertaining and enlightening as well but again, the significance of the play by Shakespeare is lost (Combs and Durgnat, 56).

Shakespeares plays have been very instrumental in translating important themes like love, romance and conflict through the movies. There are many movies that are based on the more than thirty plays of The Bard. Hamlet is one play that is loved by many movie directors since it is not only dramatic but it also captures many themes like love, deception, conflict and revenge. Hawke Ethan produces the movie based on Hamlet and he chooses the title, Dane. It is one of the movies that manage to do an impressive job of reflecting the emotions that were reflected in the original play.

Influence on Theater and poetry

William Shakespeare is probably one of the play writes that has the largest number of plays and poems that continue to be performed in theaters the world over through out the generations. The works of Shakespeare have left a lasting impression on the plot, genre and characterization of other plays. Shakespeare is reputed to be the first ever literary artist to use romance to portray tragedy. When Rome and Juliet was released, it paved way for many other works that now reflected tragedy in romance just like The bard had done (About the Globe 14).

Shakespeare also introduced a new concept in soliloquy. Whereas the concept had previously been used solely for the passing of information on characters and events, Shakespeare became the first person to use the concept to examine the minds of his characters. he paved thus paved way to a new technique in literature in which soliloquy was used in flashback and day dreams to reveal some important thoughts in the minds of the protagonist of the play as well as the minds of the other actors.

The bards voluminous contribution to poetry though his hundreds of poems has helped shape the poetry of the world to a great extent. many other poets have come up with sonnets that are based on Shakespeares works. Shakespeare introduced the verse drama to the field of poetry a concept that has continued to be used by modern day romantic poets. The standards of poetry that Shakespeare set are so high that experts believe that the attempt of the modern day poet is at best feeble (Wells 34).

Influence on literature and Language

Many novelists have been mentored by Shakespeares works. Some good examples of the novelist that have directly been influenced by Shakespeare are Melville Herman, Hardy Thomas and Dickens Charles. Melvilles use of soliloquy in his writings is a skill that he most definitely borrowed from Shakespeare. The other novelists have used different styles and themes that have been borrowed from the works of Shakespeare. Lear is a play that has inspired many books today. The play is about a tragic hero something that has been a good source for many other pieces by the contemporary novelist (Wells 30).

Shakespeare made a significant contribution to the standardization of the English language of today. The first English dictionary which was compiled Johnson Samuel quotes Shakespeare a lot. There are many expressions that were coined by Shakespeare which have found their way to the day to day communication that we use today. An example is the phrase bated breath which Shakespeare used for the every first time in the Merchant of Venice and which has become a common phrase in English. Another Phrase that was used in the same work (Merchant of Venice) that has become a common phrase today is the phrase foregone conclusion.

Conclusion

Shakespeare has indeed made a significant contribution on many areas of life. May people consider him a father of literature and it is perhaps the reason that he is sometimes referred to as the official poet of England. His work has influenced architecture, the music industry, theatre, the film industry, the painting industry as well as the standardization of the English language. William Shakespeare has without doubt made a contribution to the arts that will remain embedded in the sands of time for generations to come.

Works Cited

About the Globe. . 2008.

Combs, Richard and Raymond, Durgnat. Shakespeare: A Chaos Story. Film Comment, 37.4 (2001): 56.

Rubinstein, William. Who Was Shakespeare? History Today, 51.8 (2001): 28.

Wells, Stanley. Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Wilton, Andrew. Turner and Shakespeares Jessica. History Today, 44.4 (1994): 14.