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Table of contentsAbstract: ::  : :SynonymBiological SourceDescriptionCultivatio ...

Table of contents

  1. Abstract: ::  : :
  2. Synonym
  3. Biological Source
  4. Description
  5. Cultivation Detaials
  6. Phytochemical Analysis of Plant Parts
  7. Ash value of plant parts:
  8. Therapeutic Properties of Pithecellobium Dulce
  9. Anti-inflammatory activitiesAntibacterial-activitiesAntioxidant- activitiesAnti-diabetic-activitiesAntimicrobial activitiesAnticonvulsant activitiesCardio protecting activitiesAntidiarrheal activitiesLarvicidal and ovicidal activitiesAnti-ulcerogenic activitiesAntifungal Activity
  10. Conclusion

Abstract: ::  : :

Phytochemical screening of plants has revealed the presence of diverse chemicals together consisting alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, saponins. Several plants extracts and phytochemicals show antioxidant free radical scavenging properties. Secondary metabolites of plants function as unconscious process against predation by several microorganisms, insects and herbivores.

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Plant merchandise is a part of phytomedicines since yore. These may be derived from any elements of the plant like bark, leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, seeds. Any part of the plant could contain active compound. Information of the chemical constituents of plants is fascinating as a result of such data is going to be important for the synthesis of complicated chemical substance. Such phytochemical screening of assorted plants is reportable by several analysts. In the present work, qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis was dispensed within the leaf, fruit and fruit quit Pithocellobium dulce.

Pithecellobium dulce plant has many uses that has versatile role in ancient system of medication. Many studies are being conducted relating to the effectualness of whole plant or its components for treatment of various diseases and aliments. The active compound of the plant includes flavonoids, sterols, tannins, tri-terpenoids etc. The health promoting properties because of the presence of proteins, carbohydrates, steroids etc. and diseases preventing properties like antifungal, antiviral, bactericide, anti- diabetic, diastolic, diuretic, anthelmintic effects antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and sedative activities that has been investigated and verified by the research. The assorted properties of therapeutic properties of tree (P.dulce) are mentioned in this report.

Synonym

Inga dulcis (Roxb.) willd, manila tamarind, Khoi babla (Bengali), Dekhani babul (Bengali), madras thorn, Quamochil, Bakhoi ambli (Gujrati), Huamuche (Japan) etc.

Biological Source

It is obtained by the ripe fruits, leaves and pod of Pithocellobium dulce which is belonging to family: Fabaceae.

Description

  • It is small sized or medium tree having straight blanch spine.
  • Leaves are bipinnate in nature & each pinnate having a pair of leaflets; leaflets are bias; dense; long & obvate. The size of leaflets is approximately 2.5cm in length and it is sub-sessile.
  • Flowers are tiny, white in color and having small ball-shaped heads. Diameter of flower is 1cm.
  • Pods are distorted, they are 10-20cm in length, fleshy, turgid and become reddish in color when it matures.
  • Pods are edible and consists a fleshy sweetish acidic pulp.
  • It can be eaten naturally or raw or processed in beverage similar to lemonade.
  • From seeds, oil can be extracted and used for the cooking purpose or for making soaps.

Cultivation Detaials

  • The tree grows at low altitudes and medium altitudes in wet regions as well as in dry region of the tropics.
  • This tree grows in a region where the average temperature is between 18-27.9oC.
  • It requires drained soil in a sunny position and it can easily grow plants.
  • It can also grow in heavy clay soil.
  • This tree can also grow in poor soils.
  • It begins flowering when the tree is 1-2 meter tall.
  • In 40 years, the tree can reach a height of 12-15metres.
  • The tree may reach a height of 10 meters in 5-6 years if the soils condition is favorable.
  • The tree copse vigorously and produce root suckers upon injury to the roots.
  • Once it plants in the field then after it does not require any kind of treatment except the occasional trimming.
  • This species form interaction with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen.
  • This tree uses some nitrogen for growing but some nitrogen utilized by the other plant which are nearby this tree.
  • The tree can tolerate a pH as high as 8.3.

Phytochemical Analysis of Plant Parts

Phytochemical screening of plants has revealed the presence of diverse chemicals together with alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, saponins. Several plants extracts and phytochemicals show inhibitor atom scavenging properties. Secondary metabolites of plants function unconscious process against predation by several microorganisms, insects and herbivores.

Plant merchandise is a part of phytomedicines since yore. These may be derived from any elements of the plant like bark, leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, seeds. Any a part of the plant could contain active compound. Information of the chemical constituents of plants is fascinating as a result of such data is going to be important for the synthesis of complicated chemical substance. Such phytochemical screening of assorted plants is reportable by several analysts. Within the gift work, qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis was dispensed within the leaf, fruit and fruit quit Pithocellobium dulce.

Ash value of plant parts:

The total ash is the residue remaining after incineration. The acid insoluble ash is the part of the total ash which is insoluble in diluted Hydrochloric acid. Ash values are helpful in determining the quality and purity of the crude drug in powder form.

% Total ash = Weight of total ash ?— 100

Weight of crude drug

% Acid insoluble ash value= Weight of acid insoluble ash ?— 100

Weight of crude drug

Plant parts Ash value

  • Fruit (100gm) 0.6gm
  • Whole fruit with husk and seeds (100gm) 0.2gm
  • Seeds (100gm) 2.6gm
  • Foliage (100gm) 15.34gm

Therapeutic Properties of Pithecellobium Dulce

Anti-inflammatory activities

Anti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. The ethanolic extract of tree showed the presence of secondary metabolites resembling alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, steroids, tannins, terpenoids and saponins had showed increase in response proportion of inhibition of macromolecule denaturation and HRBC membrane stabilization when put next to the quality drug Aspirin of regarding 62.80 and 59.25% respectively. Ethanolic and binary compound leaf extracts of P. dulce were studied for its medicament activity victimization carrageenan induced paw puffiness in rats. Each extracts showed important medicament activity by lowering paw volume at the tested dose level. The binary compound extract showed a lot of activity than the alcohol extract that was cherish non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, a typical anti- inflammatory drug.

Antibacterial-activities

Ethyl acetate of Camachile fruit peel was found to be effective against S. epidermis, E. coli, K. pneumonia, S. aureus, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa and P. putida, whereas the methanolic extract was active against K. pneumonia, S. aureus and P. putisda. The binary compound extract was found to be effective against K. respiratory disease and S. aureus solely, whereas rock oil ether extract was active solely against P. Putida. The results conjointly indicated that the peel extracts, significantly the methanolic, ester and binary compound extracts, exhibit the ability to quench DPPH radical, suggesting that the extracts are smart antioxidants with radical. The P. dulce pod pulp extract disclosed that the effective repressing activity against gram-positive microorganism, Bacillus and Gram negative microorganism, entero-bacteria respiratory disease. B. subtilis showed a bigger diameter of clearance than that of alternative Gram positive microorganism. Similarly, extract showed a most zone of clearance within the Gram negative microorganism, K. pneumonia than that of alternative Gram negative microorganism.

Antioxidant- activities

Oxidative stress has been known because the root explanation for the event and progression of many diseases. So plants containing secondary metabolites adore phenoplast compounds are reported to possess sturdy inhibitor activity of P. dulce leaf extract ready in numerous solvents (acetone, methanol, and water) was evaluated for its inhibitor activity by analysis of phenoplast content, FRAP, DPPH, and gas radical scavenging activity assays. The results showed that the presence of phenoic content (alkaloids, terpenoids, phlobatannins, coumarins, tannins, and flavonoids) within the extract however higher content was found in methonic extract. IC50 price for FRAP, DPPH, gas radical scavenging assay for dissolving agent (72.17, 13.70, 50.7), alcohol (49.77, 74.89,) and water extract (91.5, 67.41, 81.80) were reported authenticating the inhibitor activities and antifungal activity. Alcohol and seventieth dissolving agent extracts of wood bark and leaves of P. dulce were evaluated for inhibitor activity and results revealed that the wood bark and leaves of the plant are the many supply of total inhibitor activity with smart content of total phenoplast and flavonoid content. It's conjointly found to be an honest iron. so all over that the plant may well be useful in preventing the progress of various oxidative stresses.14

Anti-diabetic-activities

In this study, alloxan treated rat, there was important increase in glucose, sterol and glyceride levels. Oral treatment with two hundred mg/kg.b.wt and four hundred mg/kg.b.wt of hydro alcoholic extract of bark of huamachil considerably reduced the glucose, sterol and glyceride in comparison to the quality glibenclamide. Thus the anti-diabetic activity is also because of this presence of phyto constituents like sterols, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates, proteins, synthetic resin compounds and flavonoids in alcoholic extract of bark of P. dulce. Oral administration of P. dulce fruit extract (300 mg/kg b.w. /day) to diabetic rats for thirty days considerably reduced the degree of glucose, glycosylated Hb, carbamide and creatinine. The altered levels of humor aminotransferases and alcalescent enzyme were normalized upon treatment with the fruit extract it conjointly determined that the decrease within the levels of protein, plasma endocrine and Hb within the diabetic rats were elevated to close traditional. The amount of polyose content was improved upon treatment with the extract. Thus the results of the study showed that the fruit extract is nontoxic and possess anti-diabetic nature.

Antimicrobial activities

The silver nano particles ready biologically from the plant huamachil developed sensitivity against the microorganism strains E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeuruginosa and C. albicans showed the very best sensitivity among the various concentrations used antimicrobial activity of leaf of P. dulce against twenty infective microorganisms. Leaf extracts of P. dulce were ready in H2O and organic solvents. Agar well diffusion technique was accustomed assess the antimicrobial activity of leaf extracts against 5 Gram- positive (Bacillus subtilis, E. faecalis, M. luteus, S. aureus and S. epidermidis), seven gram-negative (Aeromonas hydrophila, A. faecalis, E. aerogenes, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and S. typhimurium) bacterium and eight fungi (A. flavus, A. niger, A. oryzae, A. terreus, A. alternata, Alternaria brasicola, A. solani and A. vitis). The extracts showed variable inhibition zone (ranging between seven to twenty seven mm) against most of the tested microbes. Solvent extracts were found to be simpler than the liquid extract. The foremost inclined being was E. faecalis exhibiting a zone of inhibition of 27 millimeter. Rock bottom MIC values were obtained against E. faecalis, indicating the condition of the strain for all the extracts. The results of the study indicated that the P. dulce extracts possess bioactive compounds having antimicrobial properties.

Anticonvulsant activities

Epilepsy is characterized by return of seizures related to loss or disturbance of consciousness, typically however not invariably with characteristic body movements (convulsion) and invariably correlative with abnormal and excessive graphical record discharge. Anti-convulsing drug activity of the crude flavonoid fraction of the leaf of P. dulce (CFFPD) victimization the body covering Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and outside shock treatment take a look at (MES) models in rats, the crude flavonoid fraction exhibited important reduction within the period of hind leg extension and onset of convulsion dose in each outside shock treatment take a look at and Pentylenetetrazole model. Ethanolic and liquid leaf extract of huamachil were studied for its anticonvulsant drug activity victimization outside electroshock-induced seizure (MES) in rats. Each extracts showed important anticonvulsant drug activity by lowering the period of extension part at the tested dose level. The liquid extract showed higher result resembling Dilantin metal, a regular medicine.

Cardio protecting activities

The cardio protecting result of grain alcohol and liquid extract huamachil fruit in Isuprel (ISO) iatrogenic organic chemistry and hista pathological changes mistreatment rats disclosed that the ISO-induced rats showed a big increase within the activities of marker enzymes comparable to bodily fluid salt pyruvate aminopherase (SGOT), bodily fluid salt salt aminopherase (SGPT), internal organ marker enzymes comparable to amino acid phosphokinase (CPK) and nurse dehydrogenase (LDH). Pretreated with liquid and ethanolic extract of P. dulce fruit peel, completely altered the activities of marker enzymes and therefore the organic chemistry parameters in ISO- iatrogenic rats. The liquid extracts of P. dulce fruit and flower reverses the internal organ harm iatrogenic by (ISO) Isuprel. In comparison with the quality cardioprotective agent Isoptin, the plant extracts were nearly having same effects against infarction.

Antidiarrheal activities

The ethanolic and liquid extract of leaves of huamachil for its antidiarrheal activity mistreatment cathartic iatrogenic looseness of the bowels model in wistar unusual person rats and reported that the extracts reduced the frequency and wetness of excreta in comparison to manage cluster. The liquid extract showed additional vital activity than the grain alcohol extract at the tested dose level. Evaluated the antidiarrheal result of grain alcohol extract of P. dulce mistreatment cathartic iatrogenic looseness of the bowels in rats and reported that the Loperamide, the quality antidiarrheal drug, was same in reducing the quantity of excreta by 70.94%, while P. dulce extract was found to be handiest, reducing diarrheic muck by 70.90%. The extract considerably (p<0.01) reduced the wet excreta and total range of excreta, in comparison to manage cluster and finished that the P. dulce had antidiarrheal activity in dose dependent manner.

Larvicidal and ovicidal activities

Larvicidal and ovicidal potential of the crude solvent, benzene, chloroform, ester and methyl alcohol solvent extracts from the medicative plant huamachil against disease vector dipteran, Culex quinquefasciatus studied and reported that the methyl alcohol extract of the leaves and seed of P. dulce was the foremost effective against the larvae with LC50 and LC90 values 164.12 mg/L, 214.29 mg/L, 289.34 mg/L and 410.18 mg/L being discovered when twenty four h of exposure. The effectualness of methyl alcohol was followed by that of the ester, chloroform, aromatic hydrocarbon and solvent extracts. Concerning 100 mortality was discovered at five hundred mg/L for leaf and 750 mg/L for seed methyl alcohol extracts of P. dulce. Similar results were discovered against larvae of AN. stephensi and Ae. aegypti and so finished that seed extracts of P. dulce have the potential to be used as a perfect eco-friendly approach for the management of mosquitoes.

Anti-ulcerogenic activities

Peptic ulcer illness (PUD) could be a major chronic food poisoning caused thanks to secretion of viscos acid and enzyme. huamachil exerts exerted a nucleon pump substance like activity. It absolutely was discovered that the expression of MUC6 and MUC2 genes within the viscos and small intestine tissue layer of the P.dulce pre-treated rats were considerably higher (p<0.05) as compared with the illness models. It absolutely was conjointly discovered that the expression of those gastroprotective proteins is up regulated within the P. dulce pretreated animals and therefore the result is analogous thereto of the management animals. The western blot and densiometric analysis of the expression of H+, K+- ATPase ?? fractional monetary unit within the gastric mucosa of the control, peptic ulceration model, drug management teams and drug pretreated animal teams of peptic ulceration model shows down regulated.

Antifungal Activity

MIC against tested flora, and extract was any fractionated by solvent-solvent fractionation and MIC was tested. MIC for A. fumigatus was zero.62 mg/ml and for A. niger was one.25 mg/ml, and therefore the results were comparable effective artificial drug antibiotic drug B. Isolated, refined and known an enzyme from wild tamarind seeds by exploitation natural process techniques and bicycle-built-for-two mass spectroscopy with organism info looking resulted that P. dulce enzyme had molecular mass of fourteen.4 kDa, that is on the point of the molecular mass of chicken ingredient enzyme (14.3 kDa), with that it conjointly shares a high degree of partial

amino acid sequence similarity. Moreover, plant enzyme showed the antifungal ability against Macrophomina phaseolina with a rather high thermal stability at up to 80?°C for fifteen min (at pH=8.0).

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Conclusion

Pithecellobium dulce contains a strong potent in health promoting, unwellness preventing and life prolonging properties that has been described, investigated and verified by modern researchers. However, the intrinsically active compounds and therefore the chemical accountable are determined yet, and a few mechanisms of the action of P. Dulce are still unknown. Thus, bioassay-guided isolation and identification of the bioactive elements should be developed to reveal the structure-activity relationship of those active elements, but a lot of studies needed to explore the application of the plant for development of active ingredients of biological and herbal medication applications.


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Throughout all of time and society in medieval japan, women have never had the o ...

Throughout all of time and society in medieval japan, women have never had the option in what they wanted to proceed in their future life they had to do what the emperor wanted. The women in medieval japan were all brought up being a home wife and taking care of everything while all the men go out and hunt, protect the king and supply for their own family. The jobs and roles that women were assigned were not the hardest jobs or the easiest however, they were difficult and not something you would be wanting to do every single day.

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The roles that women had varied between all families back then. However, there were two or three main jobs, which women had to fulfil to stay in your family. One of the roles they were forced to do was a cleaner. If you were women in medieval japan every day, you would stay at home and clean everything every single day. While at home, they also had to teach their children what to do and how to do it. Because they have no choice and if they do not know the essentials they would never be able to get married or have a family. The reason for this was that women were a lot less important than men were and that is why they did not get to choose anything in their entire life. This meant that there were not as many women as men in the higher social classes. Furthermore, the degree of freedom women in japan because it was typically low. The roles changed if you were a higher social class you would have easier roles than people would in lower social class.

There were very few samurai women in medieval japan however if you were a samurai women you were allowed to carry weapons to defend and protect yourself and your family. The most common weapon they had was a dagger they usually placed it in their sleeves because it was extremely easy to access if they needed to stab or throw it at someone. One other weapon, which they used, was the Naginata. This weapon was shaped as a long poled sword however it was extremely light compared to other swords like the katana. Because this weapon was so big, they could really hide it on them so they usually kept it in an easy access space in case they needed it urgently. Women of medieval japan were not all like this so there, husbands normally would have to protect their family.

As geisha women in medieval japan your main role and purpose was to perform and entertain people. The skills that geisha women needed to have in order to carry out their job included traditional Japanese dance, playing musical instruments and being able to speak to the guests who were mainly men. Geisha women were highly were highly respected for what they did and the skills they possessed, also sometimes, they were respected for their wealth I do not know why but they were. There is also a term used for geishas who are young and are often still in the training process called the Maiko.


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Things are not always as they seem. A hero may be more than the sum of his deeds ...

Things are not always as they seem. A hero may be more than the sum of his deeds, or perhaps much less. Throughout Greek mythology, heroes wage war and titans clash, often resulting in the praise and immortalizing of the names of great men who triumph in glory. However, when examined closely, that glory may be undeserved. The heroism of Akhilleus and Odysseus in Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey is simply a byproduct of the intervention of the gods.

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One of the mightiest warriors in The Iliad, Akhilleus, is well known for his courageous actions and headstrong, unwavering leadership. To many, he seems to be part god, and the gods usually favor him, perhaps because they see something familiar in him. However, Akhilleus' courage and valor are only a facade that masks the true directors of his action.

After a heated argument with Agamemnon, Akhilleus plans to kill his foe right away, yet the goddess Athena steps in to advise Akhilleus to put away his sword, saying: "Here is my promise, and it will be kept: winnings three times as rich, in due season, you shall have in requital for his arrogance. But hold your hand. Obey" (138). Clearly, it is Athena that is responsible for this wise decision that later gives Akhilleus the upper hand. Had Akhilleus acted on his own impulses, his revenge would have been significantly decreased.

As part of his payback, Akhilleus decides to withdraw from the fighting and wishes ill upon his own people, the Akhaians, in hopes that they will see how crucial his role was in war. He petitions his immortal mother Thetis: "If you can, stand by me: go to Olympus, pray to Zeus... cling to his knees and tell him your good pleasure if he will take the Trojan side and roll the Akhaians back to the water's edge, back on the ships with slaughter" (143-144). Zeus agrees to this and puts in motion a plot that will bring glory to Akhilleus by aiding the Trojans. This shows Akhilleus' dependence on his mother and the gods to come to his aid, thus proving him to only be a hero through divine conspiracy, rather than dealing with matters himself.

In addition, Akhilleus' goddess-mother Thetis also pleads with the gods' metalsmith, Hephaestus, to design a new suit of armor for her son. Hephaestus is glad to help Akhilleus, replying, " No trouble about the arms. I only wish that I could hide him from the power of death in this black hour - wish I were sure of that as of the splendid gear he'll get, a wonder to any one of the many men there are" (219). Akhilleus is once again lent a hand of protection in the form of a marvelous armor suit that helps to protect him on the battlefield, making him seem like a mighty warrior to the Trojans. Without this "handiwork of immortals" (224), Akhilleus would not have instilled such fear in the hearts of the Myrmidons, causing them to tremble and revere him as their mighty leader (223).

After Akhilleus makes known his return to the war, the Akhaians decide to feast before making their next attack. However, Akhilleus is filled with such remorse for his dear friend Patroklos that he cannot bring himself to eat. The gods observe him and have pity on him as Zeus speaks to Athena: "There he sits, before the curving prows, and grieves for his dear friend. The other soldiers flock to meat; he thirsts and hungers. Come, infuse in him sweet nectar and ambrosia, that an empty belly may not weaken him"(232). This shows that Akhilleus, by himself, did not contain the strength to fight in the battle, for his stomach would have given into its hunger. However, because of the Zeus' pity on him and his instruction to Athena to fill his body, he is only then fully prepared to fight heroically.

Akhilleus is filled with revenge, killing almost every soldier that he comes in contact with, causing many to fall into the river of the god Xanthos. The pollution of the river angers the god, who attacks Akhilleus and threatens to drown him. However, "Poseidon, Athena, and Hera come to Akhilleus' aid, and the fire god Hephaistos uses his flames to overcome the raging river" (235). Akhilleus would have drowned had it not been for the intervention of the gods.

Lastly, Akhilleus' most admirable act was to finally slay the Trojan leader Hector. Although it was the spear of Akhilleus that wounded his enemy, it was actually Athena who was responsible for his downfall, having posed as Hector's "good soldier, Dephobos," who failed to supply him with his spear at a critical moment in his battle with Akhilleus (243). In his last words, Hector comes to this realization, crying, "Athena tricked me" (243). Ultimately, the gods were behind every courageous act of Akhilleus, shaping circumstances to favor him and giving him aid in time of need. Thus, not Akhilleus, but the gods are the true heroes in this story of The Iliad.

In the same way that Akhilleus is known for his courage, Odysseus is known for his keen mind and cunning strategies in Homer's The Odyssey. In this piece of literature he is depicted as an epic hero, characterized by his deceit that aids him in his many endeavors. However, similar to Akhilleus, it is the intercession of the gods that make Odysseus appear heroic, rather than his own merit.

After Odysseus has been held captive on Kalypso's island for over eight years, Athena petitions Zeus to order his freedom. Hermes delivers the command to the nymph: "send him back in haste. His life may not in exile go to waste. His destiny, his homecoming, is at hand, when he shall see his dearest, and walk on his own land" (333). This shows that Odysseus is incapable of completing his quest on his own; he requires the authority of Zeus and the aid of the other gods to grant him his freedom, allowing him to continue on his "heroic" journey home.

Following his departure from Kalypso's island, Odysseus has a deadly encounter with the wrath of Poseidon, who engulfs him in the waves of the sea. Had the god Ino not stepped in and offered Odysseus help, saying: "make my veil your sash; it is not mortal; you cannot, now be drowned or suffer harm" (338). Again, the gods supply much-needed aid when Odysseus is faced with disaster. Without it, he would likely have perished, putting an untimely end to his heroic reputation.

On another leg of his journey, Kirke transforms Odysseus' men into pigs. When Odysseus goes to investigate, the god Hermes meets him on his way, giving him vital information, saying, "But I can tell you what to do to come unchanged from Kirke's power and disenthrall your fighting crew: take with you to her bower as amulet, this plant I know---it will defeat her horrid show . . ." (394). This shows that only with the help of Hermes was Odysseus able to overcome Kirke's spell and daringly rescue his men.

Having overcome the many obstacles along the way and finally returning to Ithaca, Odysseus is again in need of assistance from the gods to carry out his revenge and free his wife from the suitors. In this final stretch of Odysseus' journey, he is extremely reliant on Athena to retake what is rightfully his. Odysseus asks of Athena: "Breathe valor in me the way you did that night when we Akhaians unbound the bright veil from the brow of Troy! O grey-eyed one, fire my heart and brace me! I'll take on fighting men three hundred strong if you fight at my back, immortal lady" (444). Clearly, even Odysseus gives Athena the credit for supplying him with the courage and "valor" needed to carry him this far. He claims that it is only with her at his back that he will confront the large number of suitors ready to fight should he return to his home. So, Athena devises a plan for Odysseus, saying, "Now, for a while, I shall transform you; not a soul will know you..." (444). This allows Odysseus to observe the occurrences of his household so he can distinguish the faithful from the rest and so he can meticulously plan revenge within his own home. Without the powers of Athena, he would not have had this advantage over the suitors, and the resulting triumphant battle would not have taken place as it did.

A hero is someone who is able to stand alone in the face of adversity and to boldly and independently meet trying circumstances with courageous actions and the wisdom necessary to make difficult choices. Clearly, there is a discrepancy between who the Greeks esteemed to be a hero and who truly acted heroically. The gods played an essential role in the success of Akhilleus and Odysseus. Therefore, the gods deserve credit for the heroism of these men. Without divine intervention, the names of Akhilleus and Odysseus and the records of their heroic deeds would have been nothing more than forgotten tales of mediocre men.

Works Cited

Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Literature of the Western World. Volume 1. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. Pages 127-272.

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Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Literature of the Western World. Volume 1. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. Pages 273-594.


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One might say that Dante’s meeting with Lucifer is an anti-climax because of t ...

One might say that Dante’s meeting with Lucifer is an anti-climax because of the contrast between it and the trials he has faced throughout the rest of Hell. Having been shut out of the city of Dis and only allowed in through the intervention of a heavenly messenger, carried into the Maleborge by Geryon himself, manipulated and later pursued by the Rotklors gang of demons, and finally lowered into the Ninth Circle by the giant Antaeus, Dante’s adventure has been action-packed and dangerous throughout, becoming increasingly more so as he descends further. Therefore, although he does very little to describe Lucifer or to predict what their encounter will be like throughout the Inferno, it is easy to get the impression that there will be a showdown or a tense encounter of some sort, as it would be a fitting end to the Cantica. In fact, by both avoiding a premature description of Lucifer (to the extent that is almost a shock when Virgil finally announces ‘Ecco Dite…ed ecci il loco/ove convien che di fortezza t’armi’ (Now see! Great Dis! Now see the place where you will need to put on all your strength (34.20-21))) and placing him in the deepest, least accessible region of Hell, Dante cloaks him in mystery and thereby creates a good deal of anticipation and suspense, which Lucifer’s passive nature fails to satisfy; the fact that Dante is simply able to climb up his fur and leave without resistance is a disappointment to any who would have expected some form of showdown or finale with Lucifer. Therefore, Dante’s encounter with Lucifer initially seems to be an anti-climax because of its brevity, lack of intensity and the ease through which Dante leaves Hell at what one would imagine to be the final trial, having made such a precarious descent.

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However, Dante’s meeting with Lucifer is extremely poignant because it acts as the culmination of the image of evil that Dante has painted throughout the Inferno. Dante’s evil is not a powerful force that is alluring through its potential to seemingly augment human lives at the cost of morality (an impression which we easily may receive from both the context of most modern depictions and older texts, including the Bible itself (‘8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”’ – Matthew 4.8-9)), but rather a void of goodness, productivity and creativity that is tempting through how easy a path it is to turn to. Whilst he does examine wicked deeds themselves in no small detail, Dante’s underlying focus is the detrimental effect that these deeds have on human potential. As Dante says through the mouthpiece of Brunetto Latini, ‘ed è ragion, ché tra li lazzi sorbi/si disconvien fruttare al dolce fico’ (That much is logical: no luscious fig can rightly thrive where small, sour sorbus grows. (15.65-66)); evil is not just another word for ‘malicious occurrences’, it is a force that restricts human capacity for goodness. Lucifer is devoid of all goodness and potential, so his encounter with Dante is by no means underwhelming because Lucifer is the definition of evil as Dante sees it – scorned by God and empty of all good things.

This approach adds further poignancy to the words on the door in Canto 3 through which Dante and Virgil enter Hell - ‘Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate’ (surrender every hope you have as you enter (3.9)) – since it becomes clear that this instruction refers not only to the despair and inescapability of Hell, which makes hope futile (and therefore a torment), but also to the fact that evil is so devoid of constructive feelings that there is literally no place for hope, only resignation; Satan does not behave as though he has any aspirations of salvation or escape, but does nothing but mindlessly flap his wings to keep the Ninth Circle of Hell frozen and chew on Judas, Brutus, and Cassius.

In order to understand Canto 34 as a climax, one must first understand Dante and his mission – Dante is not a hero, but only a narrator; it is easy to get the impression that he is on some form of valiant quest but he is actually imagining himself as a pilgrim making his way through Hell and recording what he sees (the two are quite firmly differentiated when Virgil instructs Dante to hide behind a rock while negotiates with the Rotklors gang – and instruction that Dante willingly obeys due to his fear (‘Accio che non si paia/che tu si sia…giu t’acquatta/dopo uno scheggio, ch’alcun schermo t’aia (Seem not to be here, just hunker down behind a spur of roc. It may still offer you some place to hide (21.58-60))). The difference between Inferno as a quest and Inferno as a journey is that the quest demands a finale or showdown, whereas the journey is simply a purposeful, unpretentious occurrence. Therefore, Dante’s meeting with Lucifer can easily be viewed as an anti-climax if one perceives it as the conclusion of Dante’s quest through Hell since it is not an epic finale and Lucifer is not portrayed as an arch-villain. However, since this perception is invalid due to the falsity of the quest Inferno, so that there is no real reason why Canto 34 could be seen as an anti-climax. In fact, from the perspective of Dante the pilgrim, it is poignant to the extent that it could easily be considered a climax; the Catholic Church defines Hell not primarily as a place of evil, but as a place for those abandoned by God’s grace. Out of all the characters Dante encounters in Hell, Lucifer is the starkest example of a being that has been completely forsaken by God, for the simple reason that he completely lacks purpose. Every single other denizen of Hell that Dante encounters, regardless of how severely damned they are, retains a degree of purpose, from the insolent defiance of Vanni Fucci (‘Togli Dio, ch’a te le squadro!’ (Take that! I’m aiming, God, at you! (24.3)) right up to Ugolino in Circle 9, who still has the determination and resolve to gnaw on the skull of Archbishop Ruggieri ‘denti/che furo a l’osso, come d’un can, forti’ (his teeth, like any dog’s teeth, strong against the bone (33.77-78)) despite the fact that he is frozen in ice.

However, Lucifer has no true purpose (his endless flapping and chewing are mindless functions) and, despite the fact that he is neither remarked on as being unintelligent or illogical (he is, in fact, sentient enough to weep (‘Con sei occhi piangea’ (he wept from all six eyes (34.53))), this reduces him to a meaningless husk. He is not a beast – the hideous aesthetic is arbitrary and most likely used to be in keeping with the Church’s usual demonic imagery, and therefore to ensure that Dante’s Lucifer is easy to identify – or an antagonist in an actively malicious sense, but rather a terrible and terrifying example of what evil truly means and what it can do to a person – one of the most important lines in the whole poem is ‘S’ell fu si bel com’ elli è ora brutto…ben dee da lui procedure ogne lutto.’ (If, once, he was as lovely as now vile…then truly grief must all proceed from him (34.34-36)), since it conveys not only Lucifer’s current, deplorable state, but also the amount of potential and greatness that evil and God’s total withdrawal of grace and salvation reduced him to. In this way, Dante’s encounter with Lucifer is not only starkly poignant, but also a reflection of his disgust at Florence (and, indeed, Italy) for also squandering potential – the lines ‘La gente nuova e i subiti guadagni/orgoglio e dismisura han generata,/Fiorenza, in te, sic he tu gia ten piagni’ (That race of newly rich, and rapid gains, these seeds, Fiorenza, bring to flower in you excess and pride. And you already weep for that (16. 73-75)) are just as meaningful here as they are in Canto 16.


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Mekong Delta has been favoring Vietnam tourism for many years with its beautiful ...

Mekong Delta has been favoring Vietnam tourism for many years with its beautiful landscapes filled with rice paddy fields and other green luxuries. There are many different adventurous activities one can unleash in Mekong Delta, which has indeed made Mekong Delta tour packages a popular one among tour operators. The Mekong Delta has a whole new world of floating markets, rugged and rustic houses, mud-colored waters, clusters of boats, the bunch of coconut palms and other trees along the riverside which are more than enough to get immersed in natural life.

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Although Mekong Delta can easily reach by taking a bus from Hanoi city, the travelers are advised to take over a boat ride as they can experience the Delta regions before even landing upon the destination. Although reaching your destination around Mekong Delta can take some time while traveling in a boat, you are about to get into a whole new life experience that you can cherish forever.

Cai Rang Floating market:

This biggest floating market in Mekong Delta is best to visit between 6 AM till 7 AM in the morning, as one can avoid getting crowded and get to witness the real beauty of the market along with some spellbound nature surrounding them. This wholesale market is run by every other small trader and the products that are available are reasonable in terms of price rate.

Cajuput Forests:

Other than floating markets and boat rowing around Mekong Delta, visit Cajuput forests where you can witness a wide range of fish species and wild birds euphonic chirping around the forest. Set out a journey on this particular forest and float through the narrow channels surrounded by thick and tall trees.

Taste these local foods:

A visit to Mekong Delta will be incomplete without tasting bun mam which is said to be the most popular and famous local food. The bun mam has vermicelli cooked along with some fish sauce and topped with fish, shrimp and some slices of aubergine and onions. This particular dish is available anywhere along Mekong Delta, and it does taste unique and delightful. The ca loc nuoung (a grilled snakehead fish), banh cong (a Vietnamese cake) is a tasty food, cooked with a mixture of beans, rice flours, wheat flour, minced pork, and shrimp. The local delicacy is delicious, and you should try this to enjoy the soul of Mekong. The rice noodle factory showcases the methods followed behind creating perfect rice noodles that are mostly consumed by both local people and by the tourists visiting Vietnam.

Visit the Pirate Island:

Mekong Delta has a small spot on an island that has been covered with lush vegetation and with blue waters holding about five hundred-year-old histories behind the origin of the pirate island. The island has a hill temple where trekkers can take over and hike up to reach the mountain. As fishing is the major activity of the local people in this pirate island, one can even go for fish hunting along with a tour guide, which will make things easy for you to know the culture and other etiquettes of ethnic group and help you to mingle with them. To enjoy the trip to its optimum, make sure to have an experienced tour guide. Your tour operator can take care of it. Being a pirated island power outage is common, and it happens every day after 10 PM. The power cut is a gift for travelers, because during the night if you take a boat ride, you can see the sparkling fishes swimming in the water.

Tra Su Bird Sanctuary:

The dense forest is a home for many numbers of wading birds, and it does have a limit to visit, as the birds need to be left undisturbed for breeding. By visiting the bird sanctuary, one can get in a short and speedboat ride or paddle along the narrow channels and get immersed in the rhythm of nature. Best time to visit this particular bird sanctuary is from December to January, during which the baby birds get hatched.

Sao Beach:

This beach is entirely covered with picture-perfect pristine white sands and known to be the shipping port of Mekong Delta. Adventurers can get into water sports and explore the sea with proper guidance provided by the tour operators. Also, there are plenty of beach restaurants offering sea front rooms. The kinds of seafood in these beachside restaurants taste excellent and living a day around them can surround yourself with the beach aroma.

Take a walk through the countryside:

While most places surrounding Mekong Delta can reach through boats, you need to walk through the green rice fields, banana trees and converse with the local people, who are indeed friendly and shall guide let you know more about their livelihood. The countryside has many fruit gardens with large quantities of pineapples growing around them. Never miss tasting pineapple soup while you are in Mekong Delta.

Planning your trip:

As Mekong Delta has many tourist spots and things to explore with, one must take over the three to five-day tour packages that are offered by tour operators. By getting the help from a tour operator, you can pay for the boat tickets in advance and reach your desired destination on time. Moreover, the tour operators can arrange a guide who can let you know about the historical significance and other adventurous activities that you can explore along Mekong Delta. Make sure to reach Mekong Delta a day before, so that you can capture the vibrancy and liveliness of the place starting from sunrise till sunset on upcoming days of your stay at Mekong Delta.

When to visit:

Most tourists visit Mekong Delta region during the dry season, which is between the months November till April every year. During the dry season, you can experience a warm climate without troubling under the hot sun, which can be a trip spoiler. The popular Khmer festival falls during this season, which will be a fantastic experience, as there will be longboat river races and other traditional cultural activities.

Vietnam is an incredible tourist destination with authentic traditional bounties. Lovely beaches, fantastic coastline, lots of rice fields, the lovely Mekong River, you got much reason to fall in love with Mekong Delta. The floating market holds the glam of Mekong, is the lifeline of Mekong, where people come for shopping, meeting point, sell, eat and live. It is a springboard, to let you know the inside life of Vietnam and its tradition from a close angle.


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Table of contentsIntroduction to Malignant Melanoma:Melanoma in Situ:Distinguish ...

Table of contents

  1. Introduction to Malignant Melanoma:
  2. Melanoma in Situ:Distinguishing Factors Between Benign and Malignant Moles:Superficial Spreading Melanoma:Nodular Melanoma:Lentigo Maligna Melanoma:Acral Lentiginous Melanoma:
  3. Conclusion:
  4. References:

Introduction to Malignant Melanoma:

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, this cancer develops from melanocytes, which are the cells that produce melanin and are found in the basal layer. One of the most common causes of skin cancer is exposure to UV radiation from the sun. Overexposure results in damage to the DNA, when the DNA is damaged and is allowed to multiplicate mutations make occur which cause skin cells to replicate rapidly forming a tumor.

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Melanomas usually resemble moles and as such, it is very easy to mistake one for the other, though they do have some key difference which helps to identify whether it's a melanoma or not. This is crucial as in its early stages it is almost always curable, which makes it a lot more important that practitioners know how to identify it. If it is able to be diagnosed early it may save a person’s life. There are 4 primary types of malignant melanomas, these being Nodular melanoma, Lentigo maligna melanoma, Acral lentiginous melanoma, and superficial spreading melanoma. Melanomas don’t always look the same which makes it important for practitioners to know all the different ways they can look.

Melanoma in Situ:

If the melanoma is diagnosed early there is a chance that the melanoma is still in situ. This is the earliest stage and it means that the cancer cells haven’t spread around the body yet and are still confined to the area where they started to develop. This is the most important time to make a correct diagnosis as the cancer cells are still localized. If some skin is suspected to have a malignant growth (due to showing some symptoms of a melanoma), the entire affected area would be removed by a process called excision and if the area is too big an incision biopsy will be taken. The sample is then examined under a microscope and a pathology report will be made which will help to plan the next step if it is found to be malignant.

Distinguishing Factors Between Benign and Malignant Moles:

Moles are very common and are usually benign but in some cases, they can evolve or change. There are a couple of warning signs for melanoma that differentiate them from benign moles. The warning signs are known as the ABCDE rules. These are Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour variation, a large Diameter, and Evolving. Normal moles are usually symmetrical while malignant moles are usually asymmetrical in shape. A benign mole usually has a defined smooth even border. In the case of melanoma, the borders tend to be uneven and notched edges. Benign moles usually have the same colour all around, usually, a shade of brown, malignant moles may have multiple shades of brown and black. It can also become a shade of red or white. The diameter of moles is also smaller than that of melanoma, its diameter can be as large as 6mm, though they may have been smaller when initially detected. Over time melanomas start to evolve and change. It is important that if the person notices any changes, they are reported immediately as this isn’t exhibited with normal benign moles.

Superficial Spreading Melanoma:

This is the most common type of skin cancer, making up around 70% of all cases. This melanoma grows on the top layer of the skin until eventually, it penetrates deeper into the skin though it usually takes months. It usually appears as a flat or slightly raised patch of skin with irregular borders and an asymmetrical shape. It may appear as a variety of colours including, red, blue, black and brown. Figure 2 shows how different the same type of melanoma can look. This type of melanoma has a chance to develop from a previously benign mole, though it may develop as a new lesion and not necessarily on a mole. This type of melanoma first has a stage of horizontal growth which means that initially, it looks like a discoloured slowly enlarging flat area of skin. It is very often mistaken for a mole, lentigo or freckles. When a patient is suspected to have superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) the practitioner can diagnose the melanoma using a skin biopsy or dermoscopy. If the suspected melanoma is 0.8 mm thick a blood test and a lymph node biopsy are advised. In the pathology report, there will be the following if melanoma is present. There should be, the rate of proliferation, the Breslow's thickness and Clark level invasion which shows the anatomical plane of invasion (the deeper the Clark level is the greater the risk).

The report may also have the cell type, growth pattern and whether the disease is in-situ or associated with an original mole. (These steps are always necessary to confirm the presence of cancerous cells). People with darker skin have a smaller chance of getting melanoma, it is as common in men as it is in a woman and only 15% of people get melanoma before the age of 40 and only 1% of people get it before the age of 20. Other things that may put a person at risk is, having a lot of moles, having easily burned skin and previously having melanoma.

Nodular Melanoma:

Nodular melanoma grows vertically instead of horizontally like SSM. It can arise from normal-looking skin or from an already existing melanoma, it can develop from superficial spreading melanoma if the malignant cells cross the epidermis into the dermis. Within a few months, it can penetrate deep into the skin. People with Nodular melanoma (NM) tend to have fair skin and tend to tan easily, as opposed to people with darker skin who are less prone to getting it. Though there is a stronger correlation with sun exposure and SSM and Lentigo than with Nodular melanoma. An increase in age, any previous cases of melanoma and having a lot of moles or birthmarks. The melanoma can develop anywhere though there is a higher chance of it appearing on exposed areas of the skin. Nodular melanoma sometimes doesn’t follow the ABCD rules in its early stages as it is typically symmetrical in shape, has regular borders, uniform colours and has a relatively small diameter (less than 6mm) because of this, the EFG rule has to be used.

The EFG summarises the clinical features of NM, these are elevation, firm on palpation and constant growth over a month. It is important that during history taking the patient can give any information about the lesion in question. In this case, the lesion may bleed or change in elevation, therefore these questions must be asked to the patient to see if he has observed those changes. Under normal circumstances, the NM will follow the ABCD rule and will be asymmetrical, have irregular borders, a large diameter (larger than a mole) and may have different colours like black, brown or red. The melanomas seen in figure 3 all follow the rule.

Lentigo Maligna Melanoma:

Lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) is an invasive skin cancer that develops from lentigo maligna. Lentigo maligna is confined to the epidermis and thus stays on the other surface of the skin. It is only when the lentigo maligna invades the dermis layer that LMM is diagnosed. The chance of this happening is very low, around 5%. The number increase if the lesion is larger than 4cm, in which case the chance goes up to 50%. Usually, people that work outside in the sun, people with fair skin and the elderly have a higher chance of getting lentigo maligna. Males also have a higher chance of getting it, but this may be due to sun exposure due to their work. Areas on the body that are normally exposed to the sun, especially the face and nose have a greater chance of being affected. Lentigo maligna grows slowly were as LMM spreads very quickly and aggressively. Lentigo maligna and LLM also share a very similar appearance but it is important that the practitioner can distinguish them. Figures 4 and 5 show how easy it is to mistake one for the other. The ABCDE rule can be used but they both share the same characteristics as they are both asymmetrical, have irregular borders, they have abnormal colour variation (dark brown-red or pink), have a large radius and evolve.

There are only a few characteristics that they don't share, these being that the lesion can start bleeding, and itching, it may start to thicken, and it may exhibit some abnormal colours like blue or black. Figure 4: This is the presentation of LLM://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/lentigo-maligna-and-lentigo-maligna-melanoma/ In a study conducted by lentigo like melanomas have a high chance of being identified by the patients themselves, the dermatologists also recognized this kind of lesion as being malignant, especially when they have their typical appearance. Patients with this kind of melanoma usually have sever dermatoheliosis (up to 30%) and also have a history of sunburns (up to 90%). This data could help practitioners to make a correlation with the patient’s history and the lesion being presented to them.

Acral Lentiginous Melanoma:

Acral lentiginous Melanoma (ALM) is the only type of melanoma mentioned that has no correlation with exposure to the sun, as the areas where ALM appears aren’t typically exposed to the sun. In a study conducted by Al-Hassani, F., Chang, C., Peach, H., they came to the conclusion that this type of melanoma is connected with microtrauma, more specifically, trauma on weight-bearing areas as that is where the highest concentration of ALM was found (83.5% of it was found on the weight-bearing areas of the foot). ALM typically affects the palms and soles but is more frequently seen on the feet. In its early stages, it looks like a flat patch of slowly expanding discoloured skin. Initially, it stays in the epidermis, which is the tissue of origin of ALM, but as months go by it starts expanding and eventually becomes invasive (which is when the dermis is penetrated). ALM is relatively rare in comparison with the other melanomas, there is no correlation between the skin colour and the rate of occurrence. Since skin colour doesn’t affect ALM there is a higher chance that a person with darker skin gets this type of melanoma as they have a lower chance of getting the other types. ALM can be recognised by the ABCDE rule as it is asymmetrical, has irregular borders, it has an abnormal colour, it has a large diameter and it evolves. Figure 6 shows these characteristics.

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Conclusion:

As has been discussed above melanoma can present itself in different forms and all exhibit different characteristics. It is important that practitioners are able to identify and diagnoses these lesions as early as possible to ensure the best outcome for the patient. The practitioner may try to identify the lesion my its appearance by following the ABCDE method, the Dermatoscope is very useful in order to examine these lesions. It allows for the practitioner to have a closer and thus more detailed look at the presenting lesion. After the practitioner makes his decision after making a diagnosis a biopsy or a tissue sample is taken, to confirm whether the lesion id malignant or not. After which the proper steps are taken to remove the malignancy if the lesion is confirmed to be malignant by the biopsy.

References:

  1. Al-Hassani, F., Chang, C., Peach, H., (2017) “Acral lentiginous melanoma- Is inflammation the missing link?” JPRAS Open, Volume 14, pages 49-54
  2. British Association of Dermatologists. (November 2011) “Melanoma in situ”, retrieved January 3, 2019, from: http://www.bad.org.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?id=2126&itemtype=document
  3. Klebanov, N., Gunasekera, N.S., & Lin, W.M. (2018). Clinical spectrum of cutaneous melanoma morphology. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
  4. Oakley, A, Dr. (2011). “Acral lentiginous melanoma” Retrieved January 4, 2019, from https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/acral-lentiginous-melanoma/
  5. Oakley, A, Dr. (2011). Lentigo maligna and lentigo maligna melanoma. Retrieved January 4, 2019, from https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/lentigo-maligna-and-lentigo-maligna-melanoma/
  6. Oakley, A, Dr. (2011). Nodular melanoma. Retrieved January 4, 2019, from https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/nodular-melanoma/
  7. Oakley, A., Dr. (2011). Superficial spreading melanoma. Retrieved January 4, 2019, from https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/superficial-spreading-melanoma/
  8. Sara Kalkhoran, BS; Olivia Milne, MBBS; Iris Zalaudek, MD; et al (2010). Historical, Clinical, and Dermoscopic Characteristics of Thin Nodular Melanoma,
  9. Skin Cancer Foundation . Retrieved January 3, 2019, from: https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma#panel1-2

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Table of contentsAbstractIntroduction – Tenets of the DeclarationReview of the ...

Table of contents

  1. Abstract
  2. Introduction – Tenets of the Declaration
  3. Review of the Declaration (essay about education goals) 
  4. Statistical Evidence
  5. Empirical Evidence
  6. Conclusion
  7. References

Abstract

This essay about educational goals will outline the tenets of the Melbourne Declaration. It will address the policies of the Declaration and critically examine the implications and the impact it had on the education of Australia’s young after ten years of national educational reforms. Based on statistical and empirical analysis, the evidence presented will show why the Declaration did not adequately fulfil its vision and aspirations to enable all learners to reach their full potential.

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Introduction – Tenets of the Declaration

The signing of the Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians (Melbourne Declaration) in 2008 sets the agenda for Australia’s educational future. There are two main goals and its purpose is to provide a long-term vision for schooling where all young Australians are “provided with the opportunity to reach their full potential” (MCEETYA, 2008, p.18). They are:

Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence.

Goal 2: All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens (MCEETYA, 2008, p.8).

The Melbourne Declaration also includes a ‘Commitment to Action’ in eight interrelated areas to support the achievement of the educational goals. They are:

  1. Developing stronger partnerships
  2. Supporting quality teaching and school leadership
  3. Strengthening early childhood education
  4. Enhancing middle years development
  5. Supporting senior years of schooling and youth transitions
  6. Promoting world-class curriculum and assessment
  7. Improving educational outcomes for Indigenous youth and disadvantaged young Australians, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds
  8. Strengthening accountability and transparency

In addition, the Melbourne Declaration supported by its companion document, the MCEETYA produced a four-year plan (2009–2012) that identifies the key strategies for each area of the educational goals. It also provides the framework for significant national reform for The Australian Curriculum, The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care, Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and Australian Professional Standard for Principals.

Review of the Declaration (essay about education goals) 

In this part of the essay about education goals, the question of whether promoting equity and excellence can be achieved with equivalency will be explored and analyzed. On the surface, the educational goals are simple and easy to understand. Yet, the goal of promoting equity and excellence seems to contradict itself. The issues in question are, can excellence and equity be achieved with equivalency? Is it even realistic or practical to have both seemingly opposing attributes within the same goal? It may infer that this conceptualisation draws on a false distinction (Buchanan & Chapman, 2011).

While there was some progress in delivering education services for the past 10 years, research from the National Assessment Program (program that tracks student performance in key learning areas such as literacy and numeracy) and the National Report on Schooling in Australia from the Education Council (report that highlights the progress on Australian community towards the Melbourne Declaration goals) show that, after 10 years of government policy reforms and targeted improvement strategies, the education system did not adequately achieve equity and excellence outcomes in creating educated citizenry for all young Australians (Lamb & Huo, 2017; O’Connell, Fox & Cole, 2016).

Statistical Evidence

The above assertion is confirmed by the following statistics:

  • PISA performances showed that 40,000 Australian 15 year olds (14% of students) lack reading skills to participate adequately in the workforce and contribute as productive future citizens. 57,000 students (20% of students) fail in mathematics (Thomson, De Bortoli, & Buckley, 2013).
  • 22% of (or 60,000) children are developmentally vulnerable in one or more of the Australian Early Development Census (physical health and wellbeing; social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive skills) domains upon entry to school. They are at risk of poorer educational outcomes (AEDC, 2015; Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015).
  • 28% of Year 7 students do not meet achievement benchmarks in key academic skills. Approximately 78,000 students are below expected achievement benchmarks in literacy and numeracy in Year 7 and an estimated 62% of Indigenous students do not meet this milestone (Lamb, Jackson, Walstab & Huo, 2015).
  • 26% of students do not attain a Year 12 certificate or equivalent by age 19. Approximately 81,000 students, with significantly higher percentages for Indigenous (42%) and low SES students (39% for the lowest SES quartile) (Lamb et al., 2015).
  • 27% of 24 year olds (approximately 93,000 young adults) are not engaged in fulltime employment, education or training, and with higher proportion for Indigenous and low SES people (Lamb et al., 2015).
  • One-quarter of children and young people are not adequately supported to meet key educational milestones; and one in eight of those missing out at age 24 are likely to remain disengaged for most of their working lives (Mitchell Institute, 2017).
  • 42% of Indigenous children are identified as developmentally vulnerable compared with 21% of non-Indigenous children. 33% of children from the lowest SES quintile are identified as developmentally vulnerable compared with only 15 per cent of children from the highest SES quintile (Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017).

Fundamentally, ‘Human Capital Theory’ underpins the Declaration where expenditure is aligned with an increase in economic prosperity (Becker, 1962, 1964; Schultz, 1962). The government’s neoliberal, capitalistic agenda for economic reform is concealed under the pretext of educational advancement. A 2012 Deloitte’s report showed that by investing in Early Childhood Education (MCEETYA, 2008, p.11), student participation would increase by 0.7% and productivity up to 1.2% by 2030. The percentage increase may look minuscule, but this would translate to a GDP increase of about 2.2% or $25 billion in today’s dollars (Deloitte Access Economics, 2012).

Since 2015, the Government has committed to improving STEM skills of young Australians by placing an emphasis on STEM education through the Australian Curriculum. It has allocated $64 million to fund early learning and school STEM initiatives (“Support for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) | Department of Education”, 2019). According to a PwC 2017 report, if the Government were to shift 1% of the workforce into STEM roles, the country’s GDP will realise an increase of $57.4 billion (PwC Australia, 2017). It is apparent that the government’s neoliberal agenda possesses the power to “dehumanise education and reduce it to an equation of inputs and outputs” (Smith, 2019).

Empirical Evidence

In 2010, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) was established to presumably support quality teaching and school leadership. It is a regulatory mechanism that was setup to monitor teachers’ work (Brennan, 2009; Rizvi, 2008). Control over teaching was transferred from states and territories to the federal level. New policies like DER, NAPLAN, PISA (to name a few) were introduced and that changed the nature of teachers’ work. As a result, the bureaucratic and neoliberal policies negatively impacted the teachers and teaching becomes the “objects of scrutiny and critique” (Luke, 2006).

Progressively, the government is reinforcing its control and authority over educational matters by imposing accountability and efficiency of a national curriculum and standardised testing system through ACARA and AITSL (Ball, 2008). This outlines how the Declaration interacts with the other commitments, adhering to a coordinated and collaborative federalism (Blackmore, 2004). The federal political structure and different ideological perspectives effected this shift and now has control over the educational restructuring in Australia.

Schools are filled with tensions as policies are implemented to centralize school-based management and decision-making (McInerney, 2003). The purposes of schooling are expressed through the funding, structure, organization and curriculum of an education system (Cranston, Kimber, Mulford, Reid, & Keating, 2010). These managerial and marketization agendas replace the public purposes of school education with political ideology and influencing them through power, control and efficiency (Labaree, 1997). The national curriculum is consequently streamlined to focus on the narrowly defined learning outcomes, excludes the broad range of skills, capabilities and priorities of school leaders and teachers (Jackson, Adam & Turner, 2017) and disregards the learning needs and aspirations of the students (Bentley & Cazaly, 2015).

In essence, schooling has become a ‘national economic reconstruction’, as a means to generate greater national productivity and international economic competitiveness (Knight and Warry, 1996). The emphasis is placed on the individual, private sector practices, market, economy and competition. There exists a clear divergence between education and political ideological practices where politics overshadows the purposes of schooling (Singh and Taylor, 2004). Based on the evidences presented, it is difficult to ascertain that progress towards the goal that “all young Australians become successful learners” is achieved.

Conclusion

The Declaration implies a “formal commitment” to the public purposes of education (MCEECDYA, 2008, p.4). However, it did not adequately provide the overall development and holistic growth of the student. National assessment results show large social gaps (Thomson, De Bortoli & Underwood, 2017) and an exaggerated equity gaps between the most and least advantaged students (Goss, Sonnemann, Chisholm & Nelson, 2016). The Catholic educators sum this up as “a lack of understanding of human dignity” (Catholic Education Commission, 2014, p.6).

Australians today need to learn more continuously than any generation before them. Schools need to prepare students for a lifetime of learning and incorporate effective social and economic participation. It has to prepare and equip them with skills like critical and creative thinking, intercultural capability, and personal and social capability; skills that are beyond academic competences (Education Council, 2014).

The Declaration will have a greater impact on system improvement if it is built upon a collaborative commitment between policy-makers, practitioners, students, families and communities (Fullan, Gallardo & Hargreaves, 2015). It has to focus on continuous improvement, collective responsibility, shared leadership and accountability towards a shared set of educational goals that will meet the full learning potential of all learners.

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The Declaration will need to embrace a holistic vision and provide values pedagogy (Lovat, Dally, Clement, & Toomey, 2011) with educational goals that serve the public good (Martin, 2010) and schools to serve and build a socially cohesive society (Loader, 2008). It is hopeful that the 2019 review to update the Declaration will aspire all stakeholders to transform the educational experiences and opportunities of our young people, their citizenry and future in society.

References

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  3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2015). Australia's welfare 2015: in brief. Canberra: AIHW.
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  5. Ball, S. (2008). The Education Debate. Bristol: The Policy Press.
  6. Becker, G.S. (1962). Investment in Human Capital: A Theoretical Analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 70(5), 9-49. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1829103
  7. Becker, G.S. (1964). Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. 
  8. Bentley, T., & Cazaly, C. (2015). The shared work of learning: Lifting educational achievement through collaboration. Mitchell Institute.
  9. Blackmore, J. (2004). Restructuring educational leadership in changing contexts: a local/global account of restructuring in Australia. Journal of Educational Change, (Vol. 5, 267-288).
  10. Brennan, M. (2009). Steering teachers; Working to control the feminized profession of education. Journal of Sociology, 45, 339 – 359.
  11. Buchanan, R.A. & Chapman, A.K. (2011) Utopia or Dystopia?: a critical examination of the Melbourne Declaration. Paper presented at the PESA Conference 2011, Auckland, New Zealand.
  12. Catholic Education Commission. (2014). Submission to the Review of the Australian Curriculum. New South Wales, 2014.
  13. Cranston, N., Kimber, M., Mulford, B., Reid, A., & Keating, J. (2010). Politics and school education in Australia: a case of shifting purposes. Journal of Educational Administration, 48(2), 182 – 195.
  14. Deloitte Access Economics. (2012). Youth Transitions Evidence Base: 2012 Update. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
  15. Education Council. (2014). Review of the Melbourne Declaration - Discussion Paper. Retrieved from https://uploadstorage.blob.core.windows.net/media/education-au/20190415_FINAL_Melb%20Dec_Discussion%20Paper.pdf
  16. Fullan, M., Rincon-Gallardo, S., & Hargreaves, A. (2015). Professional capital as accountability. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23(15). Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v23.1998
  17. Goss, P., Sonnemann, J., Chisholm, C., & Nelson, L. (2016). Widening gaps: what NAPLAN tells us about student progress. Grattan Institute. https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/937-Widening-gaps.pdf
  18. Jackson, J. Adams, R., & Turner, R. (2017). Evidence-based education needs standardised assessment. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/evidence-based-education-needs-standardised-assessment-87937
  19. Knight, J., & Warry, M. (1996). From corporate to supply-side federalism? Narrowing the Australian Education Policy Agenda. 1987-1996. AAER/ERA Conference, Singapore.
  20. Labaree, D.F. (1997). Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle Over Educational Goals. American Education Research Journal, 34(1), 39-81.
  21. Lamb, S., & Huo, S. (2017). Counting the costs of lost opportunity in Australian education. Retrieved from http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/reports/costs-of-lost-opportunity/
  22. Lamb, S., Jackson, J., Walstab, A., & Huo, S. (2015). Educational opportunity in Australia 2015: Who succeeds and who misses out. Retrieved from http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/reports/educational-opportunity-in-australia-2015-who-succeeds-and-who-misses-out/
  23. Loader, D. (2008). Teach values and skills? Yes, Ministers. Teacher Journal Archive, 2008-2011.
  24. Lovat, T., Dally, K., Clement, N., Toomey, R. (2011). Values Pedagogy and teacher Education : Re-conceiving the Foundations. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(7), article 4.
  25. Luke, A. (2006). Teaching after the market: From commodity to cosmopolitan. In L. Weis, C. McCarthy and G. Dimitriadis (eds), Ideology, Curriculum, and the New Sociology of Education: Revisiting the Work of Michael Apple. London: Routledge, pp. 115-141.
  26. Martin, P. (2010). Outdoor education and the national curriculum in Australia. Journal of Outdoor Education, 14(2) 3-11.
  27. McInerney, P. (2003). Moving into dangerous territory? Educational leadership in a devolving education system. International Journal of Leadership in Education, (Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 57-72).
  28. Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. MCEETYA: Melbourne. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf
  29. Mitchell Institute. (2017). Submission to Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools. Retrieved from http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/papers/submission-review-achieve-educational-excellence-australian-schools/
  30. O’Connell, M., Fox, S., Hinz, B., & Cole, H. (2016). Quality Early Education for All: Fostering creative, entrepreneurial, resilient and capable learners. Mitchell Institute. Retrieved from http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Quality-Early-Education-for-All-FINAL.pdf
  31. PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting Australia. (2017). Education will be the engine room of Australia’s future prosperity. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com.au/education/education-reform-mar17.pdf
  32. Reid, A. (2010). Accountability and the public purposes of education. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30682475.pdf
  33. Rizvi, F. (2008). Rethinking educational aims in an era of globalization. In P.D. Hershock, M. Mason, & J.N. Hawkins (eds), Changing Education – Leadership, Innovation and development in a Globalising Asia Pacific. Netherlands: Springer.
  34. Schultz, T.W. (1962). Reflections on Investment in Man. Journal of Political Economy. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  35. Singh, P., & Taylor, S. (2004). The inclusive mantra of educational reform: a critical analysis of Queensland State Education 2010. Paper presented at the AARE National Conference, Melbourne, 2004.
  36. Smith, A. (2019). STEM has become a buzzword and a fad: NSW education minister. Retrieved 11 September 2019, from https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/stem-has-become-a-buzzword-and-a-fad-nsw-education-minister-20180321-p4z5iw.html
  37. Support for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) | Department of Education. (2019). Retrieved 11 September 2019, from https://www.education.gov.au/support-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics
  38. Thomson, S., De Bortoli, L., & Buckley, S. (2013). PISA 2012: How Australia measures up. Camberwell: Australian Council for Educational Research.
  39. Thomson, S., De Bortoli, L., & Underwood, C. (2017). PISA 2015: Reporting Australia’s results. ACER: Melbourne.

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Melville's Political Thought in Moby-DickGet original essay Herman Melville was ...

Melville's Political Thought in Moby-Dick

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Herman Melville was heavily influenced by the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Because Rousseau died in 1778, 41 years prior to Melville's birth, Melville had access to all of Rousseau's writings. Rousseau's political philosophy evolved as he grew older and there is evidence of a tension in Moby-Dick between the earlier and the later philosophy. Rousseau's early work discusses the ideal of the noble savage, which is epitomized by Queequeg. His later works, in particular the Social Contract, espouse the belief that all people must band together for the common good; this idea appears upon the Pequod as crew members must abandon differences such as race in order to ensure their own safety. While Melville is always vacillating between the two dominant theories of Rousseau's philosophy, in the end, he seems to choose the latter. Queequeg, who epitomizes the ideal of the noble savage, and Ahab, who represents a savage in the state of war, both die. The character that portrays his early philosophy as well as the character that impedes upon his later philosophy are both killed. It is only Ishmael who survives; it is only Ishmael who unfailingly upholds the Rousseauean social contract.

Melville was heavily indebted to arguably the three most influential 17th and 18th century philosophers: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. While Melville relied mainly on Rousseau, Rousseau was himself very reliant on Hobbes and Locke. In his early philosophy, Rousseau discarded the idea of original sin and believed that all people are born completely pure and free of sin. This was informed by Locke's idea of the tabula rasa, which is simply a Latin phrase meaning "blank slate." Rousseau took this idea to mean that one cannot come into the world with any prejudices or evil tendencies. In Ã?mile, he writes, "Let us lay down as an incontestable maxim that the first movements of nature are always right: there is no original wickedness in the human heart. Not a single vice is to be found there which one cannot say how and where it entered" (Cook 1). Because humans must be inherently good, the corruption that is evident in the world must come from somewhere; Rousseau believed that society, education, and government were all corrupting forces. He explains in Fragments of Freedom that

One of the greatest chimeras of philosophy is having to seek some form of Government in which the citizens can be free and virtuous by the force of the laws alone. It is only in the solitary life that freedom and innocence can be found, and we can be certain that the epoch of the first establishment of societies was that of the birth of crime and slavery. (Rousseau 12)

It should be noted that he believes perfection only to be possible in the "solitary life," as this will become important in developing his later ideas. Strife and corruption occur when there is an imbalance between desires and the ability to satisfy those desires (Cook 21). Society, government, and education were seen as causing, exaggerating, and exacerbating the imbalances between people's desires and their ability to satiate their desires by giving them an increase of knowledge without an increase of power.

Rousseau's later philosophy was influenced by the work of Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes believed that people are driven solely by self-interest and selfish pursuits. In his work Leviathan, Hobbes states: "it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man." Unless people give up certain rights to a governmental power, they have the ability to do whatsoever they please without fear of governmental repercussions. However, people become so protective of their rights without regard to the rights of others that every person is at war with everyone else. This is where Rousseau "set out in the Social Contract to reconcile [self] interest with freedom and common good" (McKenzie 209-210). By having people surrender certain rights and freedoms, they can all be better off. People will work to create a better society because it is in their best interest to do so. Also, people will only surrender their rights if there is a guarantee of protection, which usually takes the form of government. It should be remembered that Rousseau never abandons his ideal of the man in the state of nature; he realizes that the ideal can only exist in isolation. Since humans do not, by nature, live in isolation, they must work together, even if it is only for their own protection.

The character that most clearly exemplifies Rousseau's early philosophy in Moby-Dick is Queequeg. While other characters, such as Daggoo, Tashtego, Pip, and Fleece, also come close to typifying Rousseau ideals, none are as indicative of them as Queequeg. One of the ways in which Melville shows the nobility of the savages is through the juxtaposition of Christian-like and non-Christian characters. The term Christian-like is used because not all of the crew or background characters are necessarily Christian. They do, however, live in a predominantly Christian society and have been influenced by a supposedly Christian morality. While the Pequod has representatives of nations from around the globe, most of the Caucasian characters are from traditionally Christian countries, such as America and Spain. Because of this, they necessarily have been subjected to the morals and mores of their societies. Thus, they can be seen are representatives of Christian morality. The behavior exhibited by each of the groups rarely meets the expectations placed on them. Christianity, although its teachings are very peaceable in theory, is not the most peaceful religion in practice. However, one still expects Christians to act in a manner that is in accordance with their own professed beliefs. On the other hand, idol worshippers, such as Queequeg, are expected to be inherently vicious and carnal people to whom the concepts of compassion and mercy are completely foreign. In the novel, this is in direct opposition to the actions of the characters.

For example, on the ship the Moss, which was taking Quequeeg and Ishmael to Nantucket, a young man was mimicking and making fun of Quequeeg behind his back. The young man "marvelled that two fellow beings should be so companionable; as though a white man were anything more dignified than a whitewashed negro" (Melville 76). Queequeg, realizing this, threw him in the air. He set him right again and did not give him another thought (76). This scene tells a lot about Queequeg and the westerners in this novel, most of whom have a tendency to speak before they think. The young man here is similar in many ways to most of the westerners in the novel. This scene foreshadows a more intense one between Daggoo and the Spanish sailor. He verbally attacks Queequeg unprovoked. Then, when Quequeeg gains the upper hand, he runs away to the captain. There is very little brave or noble about him. When Ishmael explains that the captain thinks that he meant to kill the young man, Queequeg scoffs and says "him bevy small-e fish-e; Queequeg no kill-e so small-e fish-e; Queequeg kill-e big whale" (76-77)! Having said that, not killing the young man shows that Queequeg does not hold a grudge and that he is capable of forgiveness, neither of which can be said about most westerners in the novel. It also introduces a theme that will be present throughout the novel - that is that people are conscious of their own inherent dignity and humanity, and they will respond when that dignity is encroached upon. While this is not necessarily a point taken directly from Rousseau, it derives from his political philosophy in that it speaks of the inherent nobility of the savages.

Immediately following this scene, the main-sail breaks loose and knocks the young man overboard. Queequeg, after securing the main-sail, jumps overboard as well, recklessly ignoring the possible consequences to himself, and proceeds to save the young man. He does not think that he deservs any special merit for the saving of another life - a life that had moments ago insulted his own; all he asks for is some fresh water to clean himself off with. He lived the unspoken philosophy that, "we cannibals must help these Christians" (78). In just a few pages, Melville gives a sketch of Rousseau's ideal. Queequeg is shown to be self-sacrificing, and he does what is right simply because it is right, as opposed to doing it for material or political gain. He is also ignorant, a positive trait from the point of view of Rousseau's philosophy. Queequeg has a complete lack of scholastic knowledge; he knows enough to live without possessing unnecessary knowledge that would result in his having desires beyond his means of attainment.

While it is an anthropological error to judge another culture by one's own standards, this does not mean that it does not occur. On the social microcosm that is the Pequod, the savages are forced to keep company with a fairly homogenous, mostly western society. The westerners, even Ishmael, have a sense of their own superiority when they are exposed to the ignorance of the savages. For example, Queequeg related to Ishmael the story of the first time that he saw a wheelbarrow. Not wanting to appear ignorant, he lifted up the wheelbarrow and carried it. Ishmael responds, "Didn't the people laugh" (74)? This shows that even Ishmael still retains some prejudices, even if they were unconscious. This example does not redound to any superiority on the part of the Christians. It actually works towards equality. Using another anecdote, Queequeg proves that the Christians would be just as out of place in his kingdom as he is in their realm. It is the story of a sea captain who unwittingly washes his hands in the punch at the wedding of Queequeg's sister. Ishmael, in Rokovoko, would be no more or less out of place than Queequeg is in Nantucket. One's being different is not an attribute that can be used as a value judgment. This is forward thinking on the part of Melville. Also, Queequeg is of royal blood. By having the heir apparent and last of a royal bloodline die, Melville could be expressing his preference for governments in which the power is not passed down through bloodlines. If Melville believes that all men are equal partners in the social contract then it would make sense that he would prefer a republic over a monarchy. In an ideal republic, all men have an opportunity, even a duty, to contribute to the well-being of all. In a monarchy, one family, one bloodline, is elevated beyond everyone else. In the ideal, one family or even one person has the burden of maintaining the well-being of an entire people while that very same people is excluded from the political process. Because of the absolute investment of power in a central body, corruption and tyranny can easily develop, while in the republic the power is dispersed among a larger number of people and leaves a smaller chance for oppression.

It is not only the standards of American and Christian society that are placed on the savages, but their morality as well. Queequeg, who is the son of a king, came to Christian lands to learn how to make his people better and happier than they were. Upon arriving, though, he realized that Christians could be "miserable and wicked; infinitely more so, than all his father's heathens" (72). The only reason that Queequeg does not return to his home is that Christianity has actually degraded him and he does not want to defile the pure throne of thirty pagan kings by having been so long in the company of Christians. As is evident during the scene at the Spouter Inn, Queequeg has been slightly civilized by living so long in the company of westerners. He has become civilized enough to be self-conscious, but still too much of a savage to know what to be self-conscious of. He gets undressed in front of Ishmael, but has to put his boots on under the bed. Society is acting as a corrupting influence on him. While he resists the corruption more than anyone else in the novel, it does not avail him. He dies. His death is equivalent to Melville's resigning himself to the impossibility of human perfection in its current state. Rousseau necessarily came to the same conclusion since he went on to develop his philosophy further in the Social Contract. Man, because he is a social being by nature, cannot revert back to the solitary state of nature. Because of this, man is inherently incapable of being perfected

After Melville gives up the pursuit of man's perfection, he subscribes to Rousseau's later philosophy. This is not, however, immediately apparent at any one point in the text. Melville is struggling with and vacillating between the two ideologies throughout the novel. It is only in the epilogue that it becomes clear that he has chosen the Social Contract over the idea of noble savage. One of the first key scenes in which the ideas of the Social Contract are identifiable is in Chapter LXXII. The belief that all people are dependant on each other is demonstrated in this chapter. It is shown that they are dependent on one another because they have surrendered their natural freedoms for their mutual survival. Queequeg has to descend onto the whale's back. There is only a small portion of the whale above water, and he must manage to stay balanced on the whale and not fall into the shark-infested water or hit the ship a few feet away. To try and secure Queequeg, a monkey-rope is tied between him and Ishmael. That their fates are joined as one symbolizes how all people are dependent on each other (Grejda 97). Ishmael comes to a similar conclusion when he realizes that his fate is inexorably tied to that of Queequeg. He sees that no matter how careful he may be, a mistake made by Queequeg could result in his death. He follows the logical procession of this line of thought to its inevitable end: everyone is dependent on everyone else even if they are unconscious of that dependence (337). Ishmael is a perfect example of Rousseau's philosophy. He shows that for the necessities of life, people are completely subject to the actions of others. One person's mistake often influences more than himself. Also, Ishmael shows that humans can never be perfected. Near the end of his discourse, he seems to state that while a person may escape being influenced by the actions of others, one cannot escape them all. Humans are inherently social, but humanity never has and never can exist in a state where circumstances would allow for its perfectibility.

If Queequeg is the personification of Rousseau's idea of man in his natural state, then Ahab is the epitome of Thomas Hobbes's. All of the men of the Pequod have entered into a contract, both literally and figuratively. They have surrendered their natural rights to Ahab, who is the common power that holds them in awe, for their protection. According to this social contract, Ahab has power over them so long as he uses his power for their benefit and protection. In his monomaniacal pursuit of Moby-Dick, Ahab has reverted back to the state of nature. The state of nature in the midst of society creates a state of war. Unbeknownst to the crew, with the exception of Starbuck, there is a state of war between the members of the crew, who are still participating in the social contract, and Ahab, who is not, because Ahab is only concerned with his natural rights to do as he chooses. He breaches the contract because he subjects the crew to his will for his own purposes as opposed to for their benefit.

Starbuck is not the new ideal, but he comes more closely to it than anyone else in the novel. He picked up Ahab's musket while Ahab was sleeping, decided that it was the best course of action because he would be saving so many lives, then he decided against killing his captain in cold-blood. He subjects his actions to the totalitarian will of Ahab (Melville 527-529). Starbuck would have been the ideal if he had had the power of Ahab. Without power, Starbuck's righteousness is as useless as Queegqueg's nobility - neither can prevent his inevitable demise. Also, if Starbuck had possessed the power to begin with, there would not have been the same opportunity for him to show his lack of resolve and ability to protect both himself and his fellow crewmen. As first mate, Starbuck is almost as responsible for the protection of the crew as Ahab. While his failure is not as overt as Ahab's, it is still a failure. He cannot be the complete ideal because he did not fulfill his part of the social contract.

In the epilogue, it is revealed that Ishmael is the only survivor of the sinking of the Peqoud. There is a twofold reason for Ishmael's survival. Besides the obvious reason that someone must live for the story to be told, it shows the ultimate triumph of Rousseau's later philosophy for Melville. Ishmael is the only true portrayal of the idea of the social contract. While it may be true that the savages contributed most to the society of the Pequod, they still represented Rousseau's early philosophy for Melville. Starbuck came close to being the ideal, but he betrayed that ideal by consciously allowing the crew to perish in Ahab's pursuit of the whale. Ishmael represents the idea of the social contract for several reasons. First, he understands it and is able to explicate it to a degree, as is evident in Chapter LXXII. Second, he does what he can and works for the protection of everyone. He does whatever is commanded of him by the higher power, which is in this case Ahab, often by way of Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask. This is a requirement of the social contract. If one's rights are surrendered to a governmental authority, that authority now has those rights over its citizens and can force them to conform to its will for the protection of the whole. While the tasks that are given to him may seem trivial or menial at times, they are nonetheless tasks that must get done for the ship to operate smoothly and safely. Third, he recognizes, as the book goes on, that all people are equal. In the state of nature, they are inherently equal, as Hobbes says in the opening lines of Leviathan:

Nature hath made men so equal in the faculties of body and mind as that, though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body or of quicker mind than another, yet when all is reckoned together the difference between man and m an is not so considerable as that one man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit to which another may not pretend as well as he (Hobbes).

If they are equal in nature, they must still be equal when they enter into a contract together.

Ishmael undoubtedly has flaws - he is not an ideal and does not claim to be. However, he consistently does the best that he is able, is concerned about the welfare of his fellow beings, sees past racial lines, and remains unhypocritical. Ishmael grows and develops more than any other character in the novel, and yet the positive traits above remain with him at the end of the novel. He is still a flawed character, but he has worked through many of his flaws by the conclusion of the novel. No other character possesses all of the positive traits that Ishmael does.

In short, Melville was struggling between two different philosophical ideas espoused by Rousseau at different points in his life. The novel shows a definite tension between the two ideas, both of which find expression at various points during the novel. The end shows that Melville finally chose the later of Rousseau's ideas, which were developed in the Social Contract. This shows that all of society must live and work together for their own protection from each other. Queequeg's death proves that Melville has abandoned the early philosophical idea of the noble savage; he has done so because of the nature of humanity, which prevents it from ever reaching that ideal state. Likewise, Ishmael's survival shows the triumph and ultimate possibility of the social contract. The only reason that the social contract failed is because Ahab, who had the most important role in the contract, violated it. Violation and manipulation of the social contract can have disastrous consequences. Ahab's breach of the contract is that which directly results in the death of the crew that he was supposed to have been working to protect. This is evidence that Melville realized that the social contract is possible, but it is only possible if all of its member adhere to the standards of that contract.

Works Cited

Cook, Terrence E. "Rousseau: Education and Politics." Journal

of Politics 37 (1975): 108-129. 17 Oct. 2005.

Grejda, Edward S. The Common Continent of Men. Port

Washington, New York: Kennikat P, 1974.

Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Oregon State University. 1 Nov.

2005 http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/hobbes

/leviathanc.html#CHAPTER%20XIII>.

McKenzie, Lionel A. "Rousseau's Debate with Machiavelli in

the Social Contract." Journal of the History of Ideas

43 (1982): 209-210. 1 Nov. 2005 <http://links.jst-or.org

/sici?sici=00225037%28198204%2F06%2943%3A2%3C209%3ARDW

MIT% 3E2.0.CO%3B2-8>.

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. New York City: Bantam Books,

2003.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Collected Writings of Rousseau. 1st

ed. Vol. 4. Hanover, NH: University P of New England,

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1990.


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This journal is a place for me to record and reflect on meaningful passages in m ...

This journal is a place for me to record and reflect on meaningful passages in my selected memoir - “Born a Crime”. The passages I choose for this journal reflect my unique experience as a reader, which means that I do not select the exact same passages as a classmate or website. The forst selection is about narrative voice.

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Because these are memoirs, these books are written in first person narration. However, each writer has a very unique voice that echoes through the pages of his/her writing. Narrative voice is developed through diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence structure). Select a passage that is representative of the narrative voice in your memoir and analyze the effect that the narrative voice has on the memoir as a whole.

In Trevor Noah's memory, he utilizes chuckling as one of his central matters to concentrate his story on. Trevor Noah utilizes sentence structure that is longer then typical so he can be progressively explicit. He additionally references how you should mix in with society. At whatever point Trevor is in high discourse minute, he begins sentences to get is point over.

From the journal “Born A Crime, Chameleon” there are portions of the journal that Trevor doesn't comprehend why he isn't in classes with is companions. He goes down to his councilor and requests to be in classes where his companions 'are so he could have a relationship. His voice enables him to pick his companion's over harder courses since he was needing to forfeit his future for his companions' at the time. He discusses how he never under any circumstance needed to pick what race he was growing up being. He felt like in the event that he needed to fit in, he needed to improve his existence with his family, and his tutoring. Furthermore, was continually considering the bigotry he's continually managing in school, and at home all through the storyteller's talking. In spite of the fact that Trevor was stressed of not fitting in all through the story it has been appeared in the story that his perplexity is clarified genuinely well.

The secon section is about characterization. Literary writers, including writers of literary nonfiction, strive to develop rich characters through dialogue and narration. When we analyze characterization, we look at the things characters say and do and use inferencing to draw conclusions about those characters. Select one characters from your memoir excerpt and locate one passage that provides key details for analyzing that character.

Since I don't have the foggiest idea how to hit a white kid. She said “A dark youngster, I comprehend a dark kid, you hit them they remain dark. Trevor, when you hit him, he turns blue and green and yellow and red. I've never observed those hues. I'm frightened I'm going to break him. I would prefer not to murder a white individual. I'm so apprehensive. I'm not going to contact him”. And she never did. My grandma treated me like I was white. My granddad did to, just he was increasingly extraordinary.

  • Discourse

He talks desirous and uncertain, and unreliable towards the contrary race. 

  • Contemplations 

He is frightened that he will hurt somebody 'White', so he chooses not to act. Impacts He is uncertain and is reluctant to hurt or do anything to someone else. 

  • Activities 

He needs to do the activity of hitting yet is hesitant to do as such. 

  • Looks 

The character is dealt with white by his grandparent's indicating the perusers that the character more likely than not been dark, however 'treated White.' Therefor the manner in which he talks and thinks, acts, and look show the perusers that he is shaky, and makes some hard memories pondering what's correct. He's a dark youngster, and lives in a white family unit, and shows us all through the portion on the manners in which he was dealt with, the great, and the awful. He's still weirded out that the reality of him treated 'white' is observable. All through the book Trevor state he needs to fit in and not be a champion, like a Chameleon.

The third section is about the literary language. All literary writers use a variety of literary elements to create rich images and apt comparisons, to deepen the impact of the writer’s message, and to strengthen the overall effect that the writer seeks to create. Select one passage that you feel contain particularly powerful language and analyze the impact of that language on the memoir as a whole. You may choose a passage that contain figurative language, sound devices, imagery, or other literary elements that enhance the writing.

I became Chameleon. My shading didn't change, yet I could change your view of my shading. In the event that you addressed me in Zulu, I answered to you in Zulu. In the event that you addressed me in Tswana, I answered to you in Tswana. Perhaps I didn't seem as though you, yet on the off chance that I addressed you, I was you.

At last all through the statement Trevor is stating he didn't change what he resembled, yet what individuals state in him. By saying or utilizing Chameleon for instance he's idiom any place he will be he's as yet going to attempt to not stand apart yet fit in also. For instance,' on the off chance that you addressed me in Zulu, I answered to you in Zulu.' This is implying that when Trevor is drawn closer with a particular goal in mind he will react similarly. Along these lines, he discloses to us that he fit in so well, and never stood apart he resembled a chameleon, saying he needs to stick out and fit in at the same time would be the ideal answer for Trevor. “Chameleon” is utilized in light of the fact that they champion, or don't at all and that is the thing that Trevor will clarify all through the story. Disclosing to us you never truly saw him regardless of whether you attempted.

The last section is about thematic development. Themes involve the universal messages or truths that an author seeks to communicate through his/her literature. Select one passage that you feel best expresses the universal message or truth that the author of your memoir expresses through his/her writing, and then analyze how that passage reveals a theme of your memoir.

At that point break came. We went out on the play area, and dark children were all over. It was a sea of dark, similar to somebody had opened a tap and all the dark had come spilling out. I resembled, where were they all stowing away? The white children I'd met that morning, they went in one course, the dark ids changed course…

All through this statement in “Born A Crime” Trevor discloses to us how he feels on a regular involvement with, and out of school. He discloses to us that it appeared the dark and the white children avoided one another, and what it resembled at break with that equivalent issue. He couldn't help suspecting that they were escaping one another however that is the means by which exactly how the whites, and the blacks used to be in those days. He appeared to be disturbed in light of the fact that the things in school that were ordinary to every other person, was not typical to Trevor, and that is the reason this book is from his perspective giving us how risible the isolation truly was. Regardless of whether it appeared to be changed to every other person, Trevor needed everybody to stay nearby each other regardless of the race, White and Black were only two unique hues to him, not two distinct social orders.


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The legend of the Gordian Knot stated that any man who could untie the knot woul ...

The legend of the Gordian Knot stated that any man who could untie the knot would destined to rule the world. Alexander drew his sword and slashed the knot in two releasing the knot. Alexander's destiny would become true.

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Alexander was born on July 20th 356 B.E.C. to the parents Phillip and Olympians. Phillip was the King of Macedonia and someday Alexander was going to rule his father's kingdom. Alexander received his first teacher when he was seven. The tutor was Leonidos, a very strict disciplinarian. When Alexander was thirteen he got a new tutor. The tutor was a very wise man called Aristotle. When Aristotle was Alexander's tutor he taught him Philosiphy, ethics, politics, and healing. He also instilled a love for Greek literature, and a sense of scientific method and logic. Also when he was thirteen he received his first horse named Bucephalas. Three years later Alexander fought in his first battle at Macedonia. Alexander's parents also were no separated by this time.

When Alexander was Twenty-one years old his father was murdered. Alexander become the King of Macedonia. He became Alexander III, king of Macedonia. Alexander had his father's creative fighting power and the army was well prepared thanks to Phillip. Alexander's first duty as king was to drive out the barbarians out of Thebes and Athens. After doing this it probably gave Alexander a taste of glory.

Alexander began his conquest. He lead a Phanhellenic invasion of the Persian empire to eliminate tyranny and oppression. Alexander sought revenge on Persia for its incasion on Greece in 490 B.C.E. Him and his army conquered lands outside of the Persian empire. In 334 B.C.E. Alexander crossed the Hellesport with his army into Asia Minor. He landed on the shore of Troy like his hero Achilles. He then crossed the river of Granicus near the Aegean coast. Him and his army came across Darius the king of Persia. The Persians and the Macedonian army fought. Alexander was victorious. The Macedonian army then marched through Ionia to free Greek cities from Persian rule. Spring of November 333 B.C.E. Alexander and his army battled Darius and the Persian army at the mountain pass at Issus. Again Alexander and his men won but Darius had escaped. Alexander then entered Damascus and captured Darius's war cheat and his family. Alexander went on his conquest and captured all the cities down the Phoenician coast. To capture Tyre it took seventeen months but the Tyrians eventually gave up. In 331 he left Egypt to pursue Darius. While doing this he conquered the lands between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Alexander finally located the Persian army at the plains of Guagamela. Yet again he conquered the Persian army but Darius escaped. After this battle Alexander was named King of Asia. After this it was 331 B.C.E. and Alexander and his army traveled the Phoenician coast. He was welcomed by the people and a city was named after him. He then Journeyed across the river to visite the oracle of Zeus Ammon. Alexander was told he would be the ruler of the World. During this stay at Egypt they made him the Pharaoh. Alexander continued and conquered Babylon and Susa. The now great army of Macedonia fought its way into Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Empire. Alexander stayed several months and rested his army. His army then burnt down the royal palace. In 330 B.C.E. there was a plot to assassinate Alexander. Alexander totured and executed the his friend Pilotas because he was accused of being the leader of the plot. After this Alexander became paranoid. After Alexander had solved that problem he continued his pursuit to catch Darius. When Alexander caught up to Darius he found the Darius dead because he was murdered by his own men. Alexander gave Darius a royal burial and he killed the Assassins of Darius. After this he and his men marched into Parthia. When in Parthia Alexander tried to mend the gap between the Persians and the Greeks. Alexander began to wear Persian style of dress, and he started a trainging program to teach Persians Greek and Macedonian culture. He also married a Persian dancer name Roxane. In 327 B.C.E Alexander left Parthia and Marched into India. Once he reached India he reshaped his army. On July 326 B.C.E. Alexander and his Army had their greatest battle against India. India was lead by a powerful Indian leader Porus. The battle occurred at the river Hydaspes. The Indians faught with elephants and Alexander's horse was injured but Alex was victorious. Porus was captured but Alexander let him govern his territory. Alexander's horse he had since he wast thirteen died also. Alexander named a city after his beloved horse. After all this his next goal was to reach the Ganges river which was 250 miles away. But his men refused to go further. They have conquered to the Indus river and now they were tired. Alexander persuaded them to travel the Hydaspes and Indus rivers on rafts. His men and him stopped at a village belonging to the Malli, one of the most warlike of the Indian tribes. During the battle Alexander was wounded. An arrow had pierced Alexander's breastplate and ribcage but luckily Alexander was rescued by his men. In 325 B.C.E Alexander and his men sailed to the mouth of the Indus River and marched across the Gerdrosian Desert. This was a big mistake. Alexander lost three quarters of his men to starvation. Alexander's and his men's fortune changed. They reached Carmania where they were welcomed. They then traveled to Harmezeia where the met the other men who took a different route. They then marched inland to Persis to rest. In 324 B.C.E Alexander arranged thousands of marriages between the Greek soldiers and the Persian women in susa. It was there also that Alexander took a second wife, Stateira. Ironically, She was one of Darius's daughters. Alexander traveled with his men to Babylon where. Little did Alex know that this would be the last city he would live in. Many bad omens happened before his death but he ignored them. On June 19th 323 B.C.E. Alexander the great died of fever.

Though Alexander died his name will go down in history as the great. Many signs said he would rule the world. Alexander died at age thirty two but he managed to conquer most of the world in that time period. If he did not die of such an early age there no telling what other amazing feats he could have accomplished.


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