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Living in a society propelled by growth certainly has its advantages. Today, we are blessed to have the internet. The times of heading off to the library to take out books, and talking with an attendant at a desk for their aid in researching topics rarely happens anymore. Yet, the internet does not discuss everything to do with our history. It does not take into account that writing is a theoretical language of its own. Literature and writing have been communicated for quite a long time and all through various nations and societies. This being said, we can certainly see the great amount of history behind every piece of early ‘American’ literature, and the growth of our society as we know it through other people’s perspectives. This class has brought many themes to light that display features of American literature from all of what we have read. These characteristics include: aspects of religion, alienation and isolation, relationships with nature and society, societal constructs and ideas, and the overall focus on freedom (whether it be the topics of slavery, sexism, or free thinking). These different traits all encompass themselves in one major theme of the journey of being an American. Every author is on a path to not only discover themselves, but to discover key components of their society and the issues and growth that lie within it in order to achieve the ideals that America strives for.

Throughout history, we have seen consistent effort towards improvement (if we look at all the topics previously stated and sum them up), both for the public, and for the government. This constant improvement started from the beginning of our great United States. The American ‘journey’ started with the pilgrims leaving England in 1620. They left their home country in search of greater religious freedom, settled in New England, and engaged in “the first foundation of their government in that place,” as recorded by William Bradford in his writing entitled Of Plymouth Plantation. The life the Pilgrims sought to build was determined, bold, and an attempted improvement on their previous lives in England; these ideas run all throughout Bradford’s history of the colony’s first few years. To continue on the topic of improvement, one author of the 17th century in particular sticks out. Anne Bradstreet opposed the standards of her time by expounding on anything she desired including individual considerations, reflections, feelings, and occasions. Bradstreet was the first to expound on close to home issues, which is her most prominent scholarly commitment in early American writing. This could be viewed as an incredible improvement to writing, and helped impact the movement and voyage taken to achieve current American works. By perusing Bradstreet's work, a reasonable feeling of what Mrs. Bradstreet resembled can be gotten a handle on. She unmistakably expressed her conclusion of the individuals who questioned her composition: “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue, / Who says my hand a needle better fits”. Bradstreet wouldn't surrender her energy for composing regardless of whether it implied conflicting with the conclusions of anybody in her province, including religious pioneers.

Despite the fact that Bradstreet alluded to herself as being offensive, her composed works depict a completely unique Bradstreet. She looks for no reward or popularity for her writings: “Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays”. Even after her work is published, she is humble and does not look for much if any compensation. She is simply giving her writing to the public. Bradstreet was different than the average writer. She went against the common ideals at the time and quite possibly created a new era for women, starting the idea of the women’s rights movement. Yet another source that serves as an example of America’s growth as a people, is Benjamin Franklin's Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America. Within this essay, Franklin discuss multiple topics and introduces growth to the new American public by attempting to show that the Native American people are civilized as well. Benjamin Franklin seemingly attempted to open people’s eyes and show them that the Native’s were not savages. He says “perhaps, if we examine the manners of different nations with the impartiality, we should find no people so rude, as not to have some remains of rudeness”. The Native Americans were originally described as “savages” or “barbaric” because of their rules and differences between the ‘new’ American generations. Native Americans showed differences in religion, laws, and exceptional amounts of cultural normalities within their own society of common civility, which differed from that of the normal American culture. The Indians were also highly civilized people for the most part. Some Natives were even sent to college because Benjamin Franklin helped remove the blinds off of the ‘new societies’ eyes. For example, he says “if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their (i.e. the Native’s) sons, we will take great care of their education, instruct them in all we know, and make MEN of them”. Franklin continues, saying, “The politeness of these savages in conversation is indeed carried to excess, since it does not permit them to contradict or deny the truth of what is asserted in their presence”. Truly we can see that Benjamin Franklin helped the early growth of society by attempting to show people different cultures and improve our cultural boundaries, making us more diverse as a people. His writings may very well have started new forthcomings of American civilization as we know it. The last document that particularly seems to pinpoint America’s improvements over time, is Emerson’s essay entitled, Nature.

This essay in particular emphasizes ideals of uniqueness which can be found in everyone. Emerson attempted to help people transcend past their early beliefs in science, social practices, and rational thinking. The way in which he attempted to improve society was through his philosophies based off of individual experiences and intuition, which can be found when you are immersed within nature. Emerson claims that in order to find individual truth and freedom, one must take into account their own thoughts and how they interact with society, and nature as a whole. In Nature Emerson writes, “It will not need, when the mind is prepared for study, to search for objects, The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common… We make fables to hide the baldness of the fact and conform it, as we say, to the higher law of the mind”. Emerson attempted to show individuals how to confide in themselves and take into account their own adventures. He was pioneer in discussing individualistic tendencies that our society has become. Ralph Waldo Emerson was attempting to pinpoint people who were practically sheep just following what they were told and not taking into account individual wants. Everyone has different experiences which have created healthy, more free flowing and accepting communities of people in our day to day society. The writing of America has displayed all different forms of improvement and growth. From slavery to racism our society has overcome many difficulties. We have taken leaps and bounds to overcome any adversity and create diversity instead. While there have been many writers and many points made, early American literature has consistently displayed the continuation of development, and an effort to better our country and the world as a whole. Our way of life and country are not characterized by a solitary document. History contains multiple different layers of information such as religion, language, and culture. This can only mean that our country has had a consistent underlying end goal, and that is to extend and join racial and social classes to create a more diverse and well rounded society. The United States now is able to rely upon confidence, self-realization, and independence for all people, which creates unique paths and lifestyle choices for all people. These all are capable due to our history and the growth that our history has shown us.

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As we have seen, each writer throughout history has shown different areas of growth in our country. From Franklin and Emerson’s beliefs in individualism, to challenges from intense racial discrimination or sexism, their works remain relevant because they exemplify the resiliency of the American people in all different facets of success and failure. Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America, Nature, Of Plymouth Plantation, are all amazing examples of American Literature simply because each one of them demonstrates the promise of growth and learning throughout history while also displaying remnants of our people’s past. Each author has shown us how to overcome the barriers of race or social class in our society, and we have followed those examples that they have placed for us. As a whole, our country has learned and adapted, becoming a better place to live for diverse crowds. There are still definite hiccups here and there in the modern day world, yet as the test of time shows, our people can overcome most issues and resolve them for the betterment of the world; creating examples for future generations through literature, and experiences.

American Literature is important today because it helps us learn from past mistakes. For example, in the story of Sarah Good we see how people were wrongfully accused of something so ridiculous, that many lost their lives for it. Sarah Good was convicted in 1692 by two young women, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris, for causing them to act in weird ways. This is how the story goes for more than 200 people. They were all accused with little to no evidence, and were later murdered for no reason. After all of this, many would think the government would have changed its ways, but this is still happening today. A study conducted by Samuel Gross and his colleagues shows that there is a 4.1 percent error rate for those who are sentenced to death. If these people are lucky their sentence is lowered to life in jail, but for others they die knowing that they should be free and that’s just wrong.

During the Salem Witch Trials there were only a few things you could do to be completely proven innocent. One of these was the accused person would have to read scripture aloud and if they couldn’t, they were a witch. Sarah Good, not being educated at all and couldn’t read, was tested this was. With her having no reading ability at all, Sarah Good was not able to read scripture and was convicted guilty on the spot. This all shows us that government was too easily influenced and persuaded by those who accused innocent people for no reason. During the Witch Trials the government was given little to no evidence at all and it always seemed that they would always side with those accusing someone of something so ridiculous. All they relied on were what children and other unreliable sources were saying. Now today, the government looks more into the cases. If this hadn’t happened back then, maybe today our government would care a lot less about certain types of cases that they get. At that time the government didn’t care to look in depth in the cases that had to deal with witches because they were all so scared and convinced that witches were real that they would’ve believed anyone was a witch. Own families and friends would turn on each other so that they would not be accused of being a witch. Sarah's husband even testified against Sarah say that she had a mole on her back which interpreted a witch’s mark. Many had to watch their family and friends die because they were being wrongfully accused of something that wasn’t true. In the past government had too much power, and many are saying that the government still has too much power today.

According to Gallup’s annual Governance survey, conducted September 6-10, between 51% and 60% of people say that government is too powerful. Government is the biggest deciding factor when it comes to major events, including the death sentence. In Sarah Good's trial the government had the chance to save her and to look more in depth about her case. Instead they took what other people were saying and decided that it would be easier to just put her to death. All they did was accuse her of being a witch saying, “Sarah Good, do you not see now what you have done? Why do you not tell us the truth? Why do you thus torment these poor children?”. It was their laziness and idiocy that led to the deaths of Sarah and 200 other innocent lives. Even though the government hasn’t been the best, they still have changed a lot in the recent years. Without government today the world would most likely be more divided than it is already. The government helps to keep the majority of people safe and they protect our rights. Unlike the past they also help everyone get some sort of education. American Literature has influenced government to most likely take more time to look at court cases. Even though they do still convict innocent people, they also convict a lot of criminals as well. American Literature is an important factor in our society today. From government to the way people act today. It has helped us shape what the world is today. Without American Literature society might have been the exact same way it was back then. We now know how the events from the past should not be repeated today. How we needed to change to make the world a better place. The stories from the past will continue to be told so that all generations know how we need to continue to change and develop to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Throughout the years, climate change has been talked about in articles, news stations, and has even been a topic in movies. Due to the burning of fossil fuels, global warming has gotten much worse and has become a threat to all life on Earth. Since the rise of this issue, many Americans have debated whether it is a huge problem that needs action now or just a hoax that our Earth is slowly dying. In the article, “Understand faulty thinking to tackle climate change” by George Marshall, the author talks about having to make sacrifices now in order to prevent problems from getting out of hand in the future.

However, in the essay “Global Warming Feels Quite Pleasant” by Patrick J. Egan and Megan Mullin, they speak about Americans having a likeness to the idea of global warming due to winters being less cold and summers being less hot. I believe that it is important for not only Americans, but people in general, to stress the importance of tackling climate change. When looking at the different factors that can be affected, we must take precautions to ensure that the different situations taking place won’t escalate quickly. By looking at the different points of views from the people, we see the seriousness and opinions they have towards the issue of global warming. Expanding the idea of climate change can make others aware of the seriousness about the issue. It can help spread awareness about the major consequences at hand and the effects it has on life. For instance, since climate change has occurred, there have been droughts across different regions.

According to Richard Wike’s research “What the world thinks about climate change charts” there have been “59% droughts or water shortages” in Latin America alone and 44% globally. This includes other regions like Africa, Asia, and the U.S.. With these droughts, wildfires can occur destroying the homes of people and animals forcing them away from their environment. Not only has climate change caused droughts, but there has been a rise in sea levels. Because of this, more floods can occur on land and agricultural soil can become contaminated due to the salt in oceans.

Furthermore, it can destroy the habitats of fish and other aquatic plants. With this knowledge, mankind can step up and find ways to prevent these disasters from getting worse and saving all forms of life on Earth. Spreading the message about climate change can be more convincing depending on the different forms. Such as in movies and books. In the article, “Why Are Climate Change Docs So Boring? Because It Works” Sarah Kollmorgen explains the benefits of how watching post-apocalyptic movies can better teach others of what is to come. Movies like The Day After Tomorrow, speak about natural disasters happening because climate change. When moviegoers watched the film, it left them with high concerns and even made them take “environment friendly actions”. This shows how simple, yet persuasive, a film can have an effect on others allowing them to believe the outcome of a catastrophic event. Furthermore, another example of a film that can teach well about the effects of climate change is the documentary Seeds Of Time. In the film, agriculturalist Carry Fowler talks about the decrease of plants in the past couple of years. According to Fowler, the U.S. has had a “7% decrease of vegetables” in the last century. She introduces this idea to show that a further decrease in crops can cause a shortage of food supply in the nation. Viewers who see the documentary can realize how severe the consequences are; thus making them take further actions to ensure no future shortages can occur for the sake of all living creatures.

At this point, it is pretty much safe to say that the major cause of global warming is humankind itself. George Marshall in “Understand faulty thinking to tackle climate change” has brought up many points about the issue. One that stood out to me in particular, was the fact that we are the ones that brought this upon ourselves. Overtime, we had to face obstacles and challenges that we soon have evolved from them. Humankind has brought up ideas that can save us, but have caused more harm than good to our environment. Marshall mentions Stanley Cohen, a sociologist at the London School of Economics, that it has come to our attention that we know “very well” of the actions we have caused, but don’t take full responsibility of it. The idea of who to blame for such tragic events can be tough to admit. Especially having to figure out who should start helping by making a change. People who have already been affected by climate change believe that rich nations should take more action than those who are in developing nations. 54% of those who saw this statement agree with it, while others think that most everyone can do is “change policies and lifestyles”. With the help of other nations and limiting greenhouse gas emissions, we can decrease the probability of our Earth’s temperatures for the sake of our future.

On the contrary, spreading the dangers and harms of climate change doesn’t affect some from becoming afraid. Since global warming has occurred, the seasons have been a little off. Winters have become less cold and summers have become less hot. Because of this, Americans have been in favor of climate change and see no need to take action to stop it. In fact, many Americans have moved to different regions in the country where the weather isn’t as severe. Since they heard about climate change, their daily experiences of weather has been more positive than before.

Another reason some may not care or even want to try to reverse climate change is because we are “too late”. In the essay, “Global Warming Feels Quite Pleasant” Patrick J. Egan argues that in order to spread awareness is to not talk about the rising temperatures. He believes that when discussing temperatures, we should acknowledge the “pleasant side effects” of global warming rather than stress about it. Although his intentions are good, it doesn’t portray the urgency of climate change which can make others believe that it isn’t a big problem. Furthermore, there is less of a chance that people will make sacrifices or take action to reverse climate change if no one takes it seriously enough. Ultimately, it is important to spread awareness of global warming. If others see the severity of climate change, they are more likely to take action to slow down the effects of global warming. With everyone’s attention and participation, we can collaborate together and help keep our Earth clean for the sake of our future.

A big issue nowadays is the pregnancy among teens. They do not realize the consequences involved and just for a moment of fun they end up either pregnant or having to take care of a child at a really young age. Teen pregnancy involves having to think about abortion, any consequences such as medical issues and knowing how to continue living your life. Being a teen that is pregnant means getting involved into many consequences. We do not realize how hard it is at our young age to raise and be responsible for any other human rather than just yourself. We do not realize how many teenage girls are pregnant until we see all the different rates. Rates differ from ages and all ethnicities. Including girls below the age of fifteen get pregnant. Imagine having one of your family members going through teen pregnancy. It is honestly not the best thing to go through. All these girls really need is the support of their family members.

Teen pregnancy rates are not what we expect it to be. Even though it runs through different ethnicities, one of the highest is Hispanics. It is a common situation nowadays and it is one of the biggest things. According to HHS GOV, in only Texas hispanics have the highest teen pregnancy rates at a “65%”. Hispanics have the highest rate on teen pregnancy in the whole United States. According to the Office of Adolescent Health, Hispanics range number one in the state of Texas with most teen pregnancies. Texas is range 5 from all of 51 states in the United States. Teen pregnancy is more common than what we think it is. It has become a local issue because many young girls still in High School get pregnant and sometimes don’t even finish school.Adolescent pregnancy is more common than what we think it is. It went from being a small thing to a big thing. Teens do not realize it has been a problem. They only see the fun side of it. They do not see the consequences out of this situation.The amount of kids having kids has increased a lot lately. It has always been a major issue that teens have babies at a really young age and they do not know what to from there.

In El Paso the idea of teen pregnancy is more common than in other cities. Reason being the amount of Hispanics and hispanics are rated to be on top of teen pregnancies. Moms are responsible to educated, but being a teen mom complicates all of that. Teenage mothers have it complicated because they themselves are still learning and now they also have the responsibility of another human being. Many of these teens decide to drop out of school just to be a full time mom. This honestly is not good because they do not finish their education as is. Education is a big decision they have to take as well. Teenage mother have a lot of decisions to make.Many teens believe the solution out of pregnancy is abortion. Reason being, they either just cannot take responsibility to take care of the child, their parents do not let them keep the child, and even in situations that involve rape incidents so they rather just abort. Abortions are huge part of dealing with teen pregnancy because it is always one of the choices. Teenagers believe that terminating the pregnancy is the way out of this one problem. 'It's a decision that's usually made in panic and in fear,' Taylor said. Teenagers do not think they just do it. Abortions do not happen in any simple clinic. There is special clinic for abortions and there is not many, so they are not just anywhere. Las Cruces opened an abortion clinic in 2014. Girls now don’t have to travel to get an abortion like they used too. “The clinic will be the second clinic in the Dona Ana County to offer abortions”. There are not many clinics that offer abortion.Teen’s solution is mainly always abortion and there’s limited clinics to abort in. Texas lawmakers want to close one of those abortion clinics. In the state of Texas, teenagers do not need parental permission for abortion. This makes it a lot easier for those teens who do not want their parents to find out about their pregnancy. In Texas all they need is a court approval.

Lately many abortion clinics have been closing down. “Recent state laws have forced dozens of clinics to close and left some regions without a place for women to go”. Closing Bypass is going to make things more complicated for those girls who want to have an abortion. Texas is having a striker law now which means teenagers will need more of a parental approval for a termination of pregnancy. Abortion has made a huge impact in pregnant teens’ lives. Many do not now, but there are programs to prevent teen pregnancy. In those programs they are encouraged to be better persons and do the right things. They can start as soon as in a kids program with a parent’s permission. Teen programs are very beneficial. Helps them understand the consequences they can lead too. As any other program, a program to prevent teen pregnancy is expensive. “The Trump administration cut more than $200 million from teen pregnancy prevention programs and research across the country last week. It was a surprise to a lot of people on the receiving end of those grants – including many here in Texas, where teen pregnancy is a big problem.” This makes it more complicated because the programs need that money to be able to run as a whole program. Not only are these programs beneficial, but they are really worth it. Teen pregnancy is a major issue now a day. Motherhood is not as easy as it seems it is. The first time as a mother is really complicated. Even more complicated when you’re a teen mom. Being a mom involves dedicating a lot of attention and time to the baby, and still has enough time to take care of your own. As a teen mom you have to include your education and maybe a job to get everything you need for the baby.

Dealing with teen pregnancy is not easy not many are capable of doing it. Either they are terrified of doing it or they just can't handle it with all that is going on. Pregnancy is a big thing to deal with due to the fact that it is not easy to take care of a child. Children are expensive to begin with. All the things they need are not cheap. Consequences involved the health of the baby as well as the teen. The teen if under the age of 17 is at a higher risk of any sort of illness. They will get any medical complications. They are in the risk of it. “ The majority of mothers ages 15-24 gained excess weight during pregnancy, a strong risk factor for later obesity”. Teen pregnancy involves many consequences.

Pregnancy is not as easy as it seems. Sometimes pregnancies can be dangerous and they are always in any risk. Being pregnant means having more responsibilities. Reason being you are responsible for yourself and another human being. It really is a lot of responsibility. Consequences are more at risk if you’re under the age of 17. Teens at the age of 15 are in more risk. Reason being their bodies are still developing. Having a baby does affect you. Not in the reason that you won’t continue to live. Reason being that you will not have as much freedom as a teen does. You won’t be able to live the same way other teens do. You will have more responsibilities.

Teen Pregnancy has become an issue nowadays. They only thing of the fun at the moment, but do not realize the consequences involved or the changes that may occur in their lives. Once they realize they are having a baby they have to start thinking about living life as parent, any medical issues and even the possibility of aborting. Risks involved are hard to believe until being in that situation. Teenagers and pregnancy is not easy at all.

Works Cited

1. Chang, Tammy, et al. “Characteristics of Women Age 15-24 at Risk for Excess Weight Gain during Pregnancy.” Plos One, vol. 12, no. 3, 2017, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173790.
2. Lopez, Ashley. “Texas Programs To Prevent Teen Pregnancy Scramble After Federal Funding Cut.” KUT, kut.org/post/texas-programs-prevent-teen-pregnancy-scramble-after-federal-funding-cut.By: EVA RUTH MORAVEC, Associated Press.
3. “Texas Lawmakers Want to Close 'Bypass' for Teen Abortions.” KFOX, kfoxtv.com/news/local/texas-lawmakers-want-to-close-39bypass39-for-teen-abortions-01-21-2016.
4. Health, Office of Adolescent. “Texas Adolescent Reproductive Health Facts.” HHS.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services, 30 May 2017, www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/facts-and-stats/national-and-state-data-sheets/adolescent-reproductive-health/texas/index.html.
5. Ortegon, Josie. “Clinic Offering Abortions to Open in Las Cruces.” KVIA, KVIA, 24 Aug. 2016, <a>www.kvia.com/news/clinic-offering-abortions-to-open-in-las-cruces/56276911.

Why volunteer at a hospital? Volunteering at a hospital offers numerous benefits, not only for the community but also for the individuals who choose to give their time and energy. It's a pathway to increased self-esteem, the formation of meaningful social connections, and personal growth. Beyond these personal advantages, hospital volunteering presents a wide array of activities, from direct patient care to administrative support and community outreach. Furthermore, it provides opportunities for networking, career exploration, and professional development. In this essay, we will explore these multifaceted advantages, emphasizing how they impact both the individual volunteer and the broader community.

One of the significant benefits of hospital volunteering is the boost it provides to self-esteem. By dedicating your time and effort to help those in need during vulnerable moments, you gain a profound sense of purpose and accomplishment. Witnessing the positive impact of your contributions on patients and their families reinforces the belief that you can make a difference. This newfound self-assuredness extends beyond the hospital setting and influences your confidence in various aspects of life.

In addition to bolstering self-esteem, hospital volunteering is an excellent avenue for building social connections. Hospitals are bustling centers of human interaction, offering ample opportunities to meet diverse individuals, including fellow volunteers, healthcare professionals, and patients from varied backgrounds. These interactions broaden your social circle and expose you to diverse perspectives and experiences. The friendships formed in a hospital setting can be both personally enriching and professionally advantageous, extending your network far beyond initial expectations.

Furthermore, hospital volunteering serves as a catalyst for personal growth. It challenges you to step outside your comfort zone, adapt to dynamic environments, and develop essential life skills. Effective communication, collaborative teamwork, and the ability to exhibit empathy and compassion are just a few examples. These experiences are invaluable for personal development and significantly enhance your ability to navigate life's complexities with grace and resilience.

Engaging in diverse activities is another hallmark of hospital volunteering. Hospitals are multifaceted institutions with a wide range of activities. Volunteers can choose from various roles, depending on their interests and skills. Whether you are drawn to direct patient care, administrative support, or community outreach programs, there is a role tailored to your preferences. These diverse opportunities allow volunteers to find a niche that resonates with their passions and talents.

Moreover, volunteering at a hospital opens doors to valuable networking opportunities. You collaborate with healthcare professionals, ranging from doctors and nurses to administrators and technicians. These connections can prove instrumental in your future career pursuits. Whether you are considering a career in healthcare or any other field, the relationships you cultivate during your volunteer service can provide insights, mentorship, and potential job leads.

For those contemplating careers in medicine, nursing, or allied health fields, hospital volunteering provides a unique window into the world of healthcare. It allows you to gain firsthand experience and insights into various healthcare professions. Witnessing the daily challenges and rewards of healthcare professions informs your decision-making process and guides you toward your future career path.

Even for individuals already established in their careers, hospital volunteering contributes to professional development. The skills acquired through volunteering—such as teamwork, effective communication, and problem-solving—are transferable to many professions. Additionally, the commitment and dedication demonstrated through volunteer service can enhance your resume and job interview performance. Employers often value individuals who are socially responsible and community-oriented, making your volunteer experience a valuable asset in your professional portfolio.

In conclusion, hospital volunteering is a transformative experience that offers a multitude of personal benefits while simultaneously contributing to the well-being of others and the broader community. It elevates self-esteem, fosters meaningful social connections, and nurtures personal growth. The diverse range of activities accommodates individual interests, and the networking, career exploration, and professional development opportunities benefit volunteers at various life stages. Ultimately, volunteering at a hospital exemplifies the profound impact that collective altruism can have on individuals and society as a whole.

Did you know that a loaf of bread costed a week's salary for 98% of the population, which mainly included peasants, in France during the French Revolution? The French Revolutions, one of the major Revolutions in all of Europe showing a concept of inequality, started in June 1789, under King Louis XVI’s rule, when revolutionaries stormed a prison called the Bastille. It ended ten years after, with Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule. One of the causes of the French Revolution started due to the social structure. The French people were separated into three social groups, often called the “Estates”.

The First Estate was made up of entire clergy (leaders of the church), who were responsible for the spiritual and moral welfare of the nation, including educating the children. They also owned the land but were not responsible for paying taxes on this land. However, they did send a small amount of money to the government each year as a gift. The Second Estate consisted of nobles, who were born into this prestige.

Despite their wealth, this class paid very little amounts of taxes. The nobles had rights over peasant lands and received priority in getting top jobs in government. The Third Estate consisted of 80% peasants, which made most of the population. People in this Estate varied from the middle class to the poor. Some people could be doctors and lawyers to the homeless. Since the French exempted the clergy and nobles of taxes, the burden was put on peasants. Peasants paid a land tax to the state and a 5% property tax. One of the general causes of the French Revolution was the social structure and the inequalities of the French Revolution, causing a social and political rebellion in France. The cause of this was the American Revolution.

When King Louis XVI became king, France had helped America’s 13 colonies in their struggle for freedom of Britain. France had also wasted money on past wars and the maintenance King’s Court in the palace in the city Versailles, which was made with expensive goods and had about 700 rooms, and about 700 people could live comfortably here. This caused France ending up being financially unstable. So, King Louis VI decided to increase the tax rates for only the Third Estate, to help his financial crisis. Because of this, it was very hard for the Third Estate to live. It was even becoming difficult to buy bread. This is why then the middle class and the philosophers began to stand up. In 1789, the estate general assembly was called to discuss the tax issues. On May 5, the third estate demanded a one man one vote right.

Due to the right not being granted, on June 20th, 1789, all the third estate declared itself a National Assembly at the tennis court. The food prices were also increasing, and so the third estate attacked the Bastille Prison on July 14, 1789. Then King Louis realized that the French society wasn’t going to keep quiet. Even women had started revolting at this point. This has caused King Louis’s situation to be so miserable that he had to leave the palace and go live in Paris. At this point then, the food price and tax situations were over, and all the privileges of the first and second estate were also removed. In 1791, the National Assembly weakened King Louis’s power and divide his powers equally into different institutions. They divide it into the legislative, executive, and judicative branch. Franch had started becoming a constitutional monarchy from a monarchy.

In the French Society, men had also started getting back basic human rights, such as right before life, freedom of speech, and equality before the law. In 1792, France had started to take the aid of political clubs. They were held for people who wanted to discuss government issues and wanted to plan forms of action. The most famous club was called the Jacobin Club and was lead by Maximilian Robespierre. On August 10, 1792, the Jacobin Club got together and attacked King Louis’s palace, and held him hostage. On September 21st of 1792, France became completely free of the monarch system and established a republic society. Later then in 1793, King Louis XVI got killed, and France was led by Maximilian Robespierre, a very strict dictator. Anyone who opposed him immediately got harshly punished. Because of his rule, France had some bad outcomes and led people to revolt against him as well.

In 1794, Maximilian Robespierre got killed from the guillotine, just like King Louis XVI. Now, the Jacobin power was abolished, and the rich began to get power again. A new constitution was made. Due to the constitution 2 legislative councils and a directory, with 5 men was also made. Soon after, the directory and the legislative council started having fights. Napoleon Bonaparte, a military officer, took advantage of these fights. Slowly making his way up, Napoleon Bonaparte finally ruled France in 1804. Bonaparte followed a strategic plan after he became the ruler of France. First, he conquered France’s neighboring countries and made his family members rule those lands. In 1815, Bonaparte lost the battle of Waterloo. His army had a crushing defeat, so he stepped down from his throne. He was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died at 51, due to stomach cancer. The French Revolution was caused by social, political and economic problems and left a huge impact on France. Since France spent more than it made, the third class was suppressed with taxes while the first and second class laid back. However, in the end, the result favored the Third Estate, and their problems, regarding inequality, were solved and had an official end in 1789, ending with Napoleon Banopartes’s rule.

Nearly all 90% members reported that they have gained useful skills in a survey about the benefits of volunteerism. Volunteering creates the sense of self worthiness and instills self-esteem. It is the practice of serving time and skills for the welfare of other people and motives and not for financial gain. From that, it offers the crucial feeling of being needed, which by itself is a very rewarding attainment for the helper. Even though volunteering has finite factors, it has many perpetuating effects on the volunteer and society itself. First and foremost one of the paramount causes for volunteering is to gain school credit.

Most students today volunteer in favor of school credit and to improve their academic skills. This service is integrated into the young person’s academic structure; provides structured time for a young person to muse. Young people may learn and develop through active participation that meet real community needs. This may lead to the enhancement of what is taught in school, as a result; it extends learning beyond the classroom. This improves the person’s academic skills and knowledge about life situations in our community. Second another main cause is to combat social exclusion. According to Putman (2000) raised levels of volunteer service advocates an overall sense of communal responsibility, forms coherent relationships, and commits to an active community. Several people volunteer to meet new people and familiarize with the surrounding environment. Many results can blossom from this such as: it can help in developing meaningful relationships with people from different fields (adults, role models, teachers, etc.). It may also increase a person’s self-esteem, therefore; it will help to overcome difficult situations, which generates a healthy well-being for people and their communities.

Finally, another specific reason for volunteerism is the importance of helping the unfortunate. The symptoms of climate change have a severe impact on the poor and unfortunate coercing them into bearing the burden of being helpless. As expressed in the United Nations Charter, volunteers are motivated by values like those of justice, equality, and freedom. The effects that follow are: it nurtures the act of citizenship within the volunteer, builds a cohesive society for the community, and raises awareness about the dangers of natural disasters that may occur in our environment. In conclusion, although there are limited causes for volunteering, the results are several and impact both the volunteer and society. In spite of the stress of life go out there and take part in the service. Do good, feel happier, build relationships, gain new skills, and most importantly have an impact on something meaningful to you.

Trickery is common in Greek mythology. Especially among Gods and Goddesses. They use their power of trickery to trick and deceive humans, to fulfill their wishes. An important figure in Greek mythology is Metis. She is the Goddess of wisdom and intelligence. Interestingly enough, Odysseus has been blessed with wisdom and intelligence, which gives him the ability to trick and deceive humans. Odysseus represents the idea of metis. The ancient Greeks admired metis: intelligence.

However, an important question to ask is: What skills does Odysseus possess that make him the archetypal trickster in The Odyssey? Odysseus uses skills such as disguise, storytelling and trickery, which makes it possible to recognize him as an archetypal trickster. Being a trickster is what characterizes Odysseus. As Oxford Dictionary defines a trickster: A trickster deceives and cheats people. Tricking is the ability to deceive and trick people by using skills and intelligence. This definition can be applied to Odysseus. Odysseus went by the epithet “resourceful man”, given to him by Homer. Homer used these phrases or names to describe a quality of his characters. Chris Northcott writes in his book “So only a brilliant ruler or a wise general who can use the highly intelligent for espionage is sure of great success”. This quote can be used to describe the importance of intelligence and wisdom in terms of achieving success. Odysseus is capable of achieving success through his intelligence. He uses intelligence as a way to trick humans. This is what makes it possible to call him an archetypal trickster.

This essay will focus on three different skills that Odysseus uses: firstly, trickery in terms of fooling the Cyclops into getting drunk, secondly disguising himself as a beggar to get past the suitors, lastly using storytelling as a way to get the Phaeacians to help him reach home.

Odysseus offers the cyclops wine. “Here, Cyclops, have some wine to wash down that meal of human flesh…”. He does this by showing hospitality, also known as xenia, which the Greeks adored. However, Odysseus uses this act of gesture to stab a drunk Cyclops in the eye with a pole. Odysseus combines xenia with his tricking, as he is certain it is going to work. Since an act of gesture and hospitality is received greatly by the Greeks. Along with hospitality a lot of planning is also put into getting rid of the Cyclops. Odysseus could have easily decided to kill the Cyclops, but he would be taking the risk of losing his men. His physical strength might not have been enough to kill the cyclops, but his mental strength surely is. This is important to understand because a Homeric hero like Odysseus, needs to act wisely, as his circumstances require it.

Homer shows the audience through this episode, that physical strength is not always what defines a Homeric hero. Mental strength can be equally significant in defeating your enemy. Odysseus uses the Cyclops’ stupidity against himself. “It’ Nobody’s treachery, not violence, that is doing me to death”. The Cyclops is too caught up with handling his own drunkenness, that he does not recognize there is no way Odysseus’ name could possibly be “Nobody”. Another thing is that the Cyclops is considered a savage. This is a trick played on a stupid person, by an intelligent person. It results in the defeat of the savage. Odysseus’ defeat of the Cyclops shows that sometimes, intelligence works better than muscles.

Homer has given several parallels between characters in this book, such as the parallels between Athena and Odysseus. Athena is Odysseus’ mentor, and she represents wisdom. Wisdom is a gift handed over to Odysseus. Homer has given the Homeric hero a chance to show his wisdom, through his trickery. Another piece of supporting evidence which shows Odysseus’ skills of trickery, is this passage: “My name is Nobody”. As the Cyclops calls out for help, he is unable to receive any help, because Odysseus told him his name was “Nobody” earlier. Odysseus plays it clever by hiding his identity to the Cyclops. However, the importance of this passage is that Odysseus is well aware of the fact that he cannot kill the Cyclops, due to his men being stuck. Therefore, he turns it around by taking advantage of the Cyclops’ stupidity. Along with this there lies an irony in the word “Nobody”. Odysseus is not a “Nobody”. He is indeed somebody. He is a significant hero in Greek mythology. The Greek word for nobody is outis, which is interesting because it has a similar sound to metis, which means wisdom, skill and craft. Mentor is a word derived from the word metis. Athena is Odysseus’ mentor. She is herself the Goddess of wisdom. And this gift of wisdom has been handed over to him. It is due to his intelligence and wisdom that he is able to trick and deceive others. Therefore, the irony of the name “Nobody” can be spotted through this passage. In reality he is somebody. He has received metis (wisdom), from the two goddesses: Metis and Athena. They are both Goddesses of intelligence and wisdom.

Throughout The Odyssey disguise plays a huge part in why Odysseus returns home to Ithica. Disguise is not only used by Odysseus. Athena, the goddess, used disguise in The Odyssey to approach Telemachus as his father’s old friend. Since Gods and Goddesses hold the power of disguise, and are able to trick and deceive humans, it suggests that Odysseus is quite powerful in terms of his trickery. Odysseus is not a God, but is blessed with the same powers as the Gods and Goddesses. This gift of his makes him comparable and equal to the Gods. Odysseus dresses up as a beggar to get the approval of the Suitors. “Your health, my ancient friend!” he said. “You are having a hard time now; but here’s to your happiness”. Odysseus is able to receive the approval of the suitors, after he defeats one of them. Through disguise, Odysseus is able to make the suitors do as he wishes. This is the art of disguise and trickery.

As Odysseus’ long tale about not being able to return to Ithica goes on for about 4 chapters, it makes the reader wonder what his motive with the tale was. At the end of the tale, Alcinous says, “I feel assured that you will reach your home without any further wanderings from your course, though you have suffered much”. Odysseus is able to win over the Phaeacians. They sympathize with him by helping him reach home. Once again, Odysseus makes use of his gift, by making people do what he wishes. This might not have been done by deceiving anyone, but he still tricked the Phaeacians into helping him get home to Ithica. Another important factor is Odysseus’ ability to make others appreciate the art behind his tales. If he had not been able to make them exciting and full of emotions, perhaps this would have never won over the Phaeacians. Even though the Phaeacians already had Demodocus the poet, to perform songs, Odysseus seems to stand out. His tales revolve around him. He is the poet of his own tales, and he successfully makes use of lies in his storytelling. He certainly exaggerates “Odysseus you are one of those men, whose spirit never flags and whose body never tires”. He exaggerates by complimenting himself through his tale. This makes him appear important in terms of a hero, and strong minded.

Homer portrays trickery and wisdom as important factors in the Odyssey. Homer makes it quite apparent that factors such as being mentally strong are as equally important in terms of being considered a hero, as being physically strong is. As the thesis states: Odysseus uses skills such as disguise, storytelling, and trickery, which makes it possible to recognize him as a trickster. These are all skills Odysseus possesses that makes it possible to call him a trickster. Even more importantly, without these factors Odysseus perhaps would have not been able to return home, due to the complications and events that required for him to use his intelligence and wisdom. Odysseus is a great example of a character who characterizes the idea of being a trickster. Therefore, it is important to recognize that Odysseus needs to be wise and intelligent, in order for him to trick and deceive others.

Shirley Jackson, well known for her 200 plus short stories, 6 novels, and 2 memoirs was a very profound author, one of her most popular short stories being “The Lottery” (1948) enlightens us of how some people can commit evil acts towards their peers showing no remorse and just to keep a tradition going. Her argument is supported throughout the story because multiples acts are put on to show about how important this tradition is to them. Shirley wrote this to show how far people would go to keep a tradition going. The audience Jackson writes for is teenagers and adults, but not readers to young to learn about death.

When you think of winning a lottery most people think of winning a grand prize, but in this case it is the total opposite and can end very drastically. It has no designated nor positive purpose and all throughout the short story instead of wanting to end the lottery everyone wants to keep it a tradition. Old Man Warner and other characters from the short story at many points state that the lottery should not be put off even though in some places it is. When Warner found out about this his first words were, “Pack of fools” he also says, “Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them.” This gives off the perception that the author believes that there is no problem in harming innocent people. Jackson opens the story by showing that this ritual is practiced by everyone in town and has been going on for decades now. The story shows how the children of the town were just as much a part of the ritual as everyone else.

Once they had gotten out of school “Bobby Martin gathered some of the smoothest and roundest rocks and his peers proceed to do the same” as if they had been excitedly waiting for this day to come. Equally important, Old Man Warner continuously talks about how he has survived the lottery for 77 years, this goes to show how long this ritual has been in existence and also how many years he has survived it. It is very disturbing knowing that even children at younger ages participated in these brutal acts. To say nothing of it seems as though in this small village every family is for themselves. As the story continues to escalate and the lottery starts names are drawn and it has come down to the Hutchinson family Tessie, wife of Bill Hutchinson starts to act out of control in fear of knowing that either or husband or one of her children are about to be stoned to death. Her husband acts out against his wife telling her “shut up” when she was trying to defend for him once she had found out that her family’s name was the chosen one. In the end, Tessie ends up being the chosen one. Everyone gathers their stones as they begin to stone Tessie, including some of the women she was close with within the village.

Mrs. Delacroix and Tessie had an entire conversation before the lottery had begun, but in the end, Mrs. Declacroix ended up playing a part in the stoning of Tessie. In the text, it states that “Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large that she had to pick it up with both hands” this just goes to show that people cannot be trusted because even your own friends will turn their back against one another. Both quotes are examples of direct evidence, meaning it requires no justification and the evidence alone is enough to prove the statement. Your closest friends can sometimes be one’s worst enemy and you may never know. All in all crime or hatred ness should not be committed upon by any human being for no reason. Throughout the short story, Jackson shows how a tradition is so important in this village that they are willing to go to whatever extent possible to keep it alive. This is commonly known as a sociopath and many of the people in the village are direct examples of just that. Violence should never be the key especially when there has been no crime committed.

Ernest Hemingway was an influential American novelist and short story writer who is well known for his consistent portrayal of women as a necessary presence but the weaker of the two genders. Throughout his short stories, Hemingway focuses on issues related to masculinity, and gender themes are central in his works. The question of how women are represented in Hemingway’s works can be explored by analyzing one of his short stories, Hills Like White Elephants. This critical essay will explore the representation of women throughout Hills Like White Elephants and determine why Hemingway decides to present women in this short story as pitied rather than respected. Hills Like White Elephants is a conversation between an American man and a girl waiting for a train in Spain.

As the story unwinds, the Iceberg technique displayed in the story shows the couple discussing the girl’s pregnancy. The man is coolly working to convince her to have an abortion. Throughout this work, the American presents Hemingway’s rigid concept of masculinity; The American is portrayed as omniscient and wise. He is worldly and in control of himself as well as the situation. He is presented as a cool man who feigns indifference. His insensitivity is evident when he tells the girl that he doesn’t care or not the girl has an abortion. He oversimplifies the operation as just a simple medical procedure to convince the girl to abort. He is relentless and aloof, never actually engaging with her but trying to blind her with simplistic logic. The American lacks sympathy and understanding of her needs and ignores her behavior. It displays how the girl is, in contrast, less assertive. She is perceived as helpless and confused, as well as nameless; though the man is referred to as The American, he at least has a nationality and a maturity, while 'the girl' is young, vulnerable and without any other outstanding characteristics.

During the time of this work, the liberated post-war American society is one of which is highlighted. The stereotyping of masculinity seeking solutions to the problems caused by women in his stories illustrates his patriarchal attitudes. Hemingway displays women as so unintelligent as to be malleable; in this story, The American decides he has to oversimplify the “painless” abortion in order to get rid of this obstacle to his continuing life as he wants it. The dehumanization of women in this short story is abundant, and the themes of discrimination and patriarchal values are smeared throughout the work. Hemingway presents women in this story as objects trying to attract attention and please others to strengthen the idea of the Code Hero. Hemingway defined a Code Hero as “a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage, and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful.” He is an ideal man with courage, knowledge, chivalry and an individualist attitude who enjoys many drinks and women. The presentation of women in his works amplifies the patriarchal image of the Code Hero. The Code Heroes remove any possible strengths of women surrounding them and become a man with defined codes.

By including passive and child-like women in his story, Hemingway further asserts the role of the Code Hero. In Hills Like White Elephants, the man has total power over the relationship. One example of when this is shown is when, between the two of them, the American is the only one who can speak Spanish. Because of this, Jig has to rely on him continually and even clears with him which drinks they will order before doing so. This displays the dominance of the man as the Code Hero and the submissive, dependent woman in the relationship. Furthermore, the audience is introduced to Jig as the name the American calls the girl. She is a girl who cannot make decisions easily without constant approval and recognition from a man. This particular man from whom Jig seeks approval is one who has impregnated her. Jig is a woman who cannot make decisions on her own which is shown throughout the story. She is depicted as dependent, weak and without independent thoughts or feelings throughout the story. Jig asks, “What should we drink?” in the opening line of the story. Just from this opening question, the audience gets the impression that Jig is a character who questions rather than acts. This shows that she is a person who is unsure of herself and also unaware of what she wishes in the relationship.

Although this is a simple question to ask and can often appear as common politeness, this is the time in the short story where the audience meets Jig. Also in the opening scene, she imagines white elephants in the surrounding hills. These white elephants symbolize an unwanted gift, and to Jig, the baby represents the gift. It is unwanted in the eyes of the man, which in turn causes Jig’s unhappiness and desire for an “imaginary life.” Many other examples demonstrate her inability to make life decisions. Further on in the short story, Jig questions her life’s purpose by saying, “That’s all what we do, isn’t it - look at things and try new things?' She believes her life is empty and she is unsure of her ability to create her own purpose. Jig seems to have exhausted her relationship with the man and craves change in her life. Hemingway presents women as feminine objects regarded by men as passive and insipid tools in Hills Like White Elephants.

As a central though unspoken theme in this story, women are portrayed as helpless and unstable. The weakness of women is contrasted with the power and clear-thinking male characters. The contrasting gender roles represent how men are the pivotal characters in this short story and women hold only roles that support the thesis of the Code Heroes. The prominence of unstable female characters highlights the importance of the male characters. The contrasting differences in the gender roles represent how men hold the central significance in Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants and display how women are suppressing roles which add to the ambience of the Code Heroes.