India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

India - Essay Example (Andrea and Overfield, 71). The rock edicts of Ashoka reflect the emperor’s strong adherence to the fundamental teachings of Buddhism. He unequivocally asserts that all the benevolent actions he has undertaken as a king have but one objective: â€Å"that the people might practice the Dhamma† (Dhammika, the Seven Pillar Edicts, 7). He urges his subjects to respect and practice Dharma. Although Ashoka does not explicitly expound on Buddha’s teachings, his exhortations to his subjects are undoubtedly based on the Eightfold Path. Ashoka’s edicts list the dictates of Dharma: â€Å"proper behavior towards servants and employees, respect for father and mother, generosity towards friends, companions, relations, Brahmans and ascetics, and not killing living beings† (Dhammika, Fourteen Rock Edicts, 11). All this obviously falls under ‘Right Conduct.’ Again, Ashoka emphasizes â€Å"restraint in speech† (Dhammika, Fourteen Rock Edicts, 12) a nd that â€Å"the truth should be spoken† (Dhammika, Minor Rock Edicts, 2), in deference to ‘Right Speech.’ He urges is subjects towards ‘Right Endeavor’: â€Å"Great fruit will result from doing your duty† (Dhammika, Kalinga Rock Edicts, 1). Ashoka’s desire that his subjects practice â€Å"Kindness, generosity, truthfulness, purity, gentleness and goodness† (Dhammika, Seven Pillars, 7) expresses his hope that Buddhist Dharma will be adopted by all in his kingdom. Ashoka’s edicts define dharma as following the Eightfold Path. In the context of the Bhagavad Gita, Dharma is defined as â€Å"the moral imperative of caste duty† (Andrea and Overfield, 67). The performance of one’s duty, as prescribed by one’s caste, is the highest moral obligation, and the best way to worship God. â€Å"Every man intent on his own respective duties obtains perfection† (Andrea and Overfield, 68). Krishna states that the man who transcends the physical senses, and maintains detachment attains bliss. The way to eternal happiness is to

Importance of English Essay Example for Free

Importance of English Essay Good morning, teacher and fellow students.Today I would like to talk to you about â€Å"the Importance of English.† First, English is the language for communication more than 1.5 billion people speaks this language everyday. It is indeed one of the most widely spoken languages in this world. Second, English is the language for Science and Technology many books are written in English. Many research papers are presented in English. If you are good in English, you were be able to give up with it latest development. Third, English is the language for travel if you ever travel oversea, you will understand it is importance .For example, you go to the airport-you read signs and directions in English .You checked into a hotel-you speak English with the receptionists .You go shopping-you bargain in English .You go to a restaurant-you order you food in English. Imagine just how difficult things can be if you can’t speak English well. Finale, English is the language for international business and trade. If you want to do business internationally, you were have to commence with your business associates in English, the better your English is the more business opportunities you were have. My conclusion is that everybody must learn this importance languages .You want be successful, MASTER ENGLISH! ! ! You want to have good career, MASTER ENGLISH! ! ! You want to make friend with people from all over the world, MASTER ENGLISH! ! ! If you successfully master English, You were have many more opportunities in life so make up you mind, pick up your book, open your mouth and start learning English today.

Issues of Discrimination in Sports

Issues of Discrimination in Sports There are many different aspects that define the culture of a group of people. Whether it is the food or the music or the traditions, every single person in this world lives based on the culture that surrounds them. One vital part of a culture is sports. Games are a source of revenue, income, careers and entertainment. They create bonds between people who would otherwise have nothing in common, whether fans, athletes or administrators. A chance of healthy competition between individuals of a society is the basis for the games in which a select few participate and millions watch. Especially for the population of the United States, sports are so ingrained into the culture that it would be hard to imagine a country without them. Sports have been praised for their ability to be a melting pot (Lumpkin), an idea easily understood by the United States, which holds the same nickname. They are considered to be the great equalizer because more attention is given to the abilities of a person than to who they actually are (Humara). Most people believe that sports provide equal opportunities for both majorities and minorities alike (Kahn). But what if this is not true? Just as minorities are discriminated against in everyday society, there is speculation and debate that discrimination occurs in sporting institutes as well. Economists and the general public have become more interested in the issue of discrimination against minorities in professional sports (Kahn). This topic is easily pursued and assessed considering statistics are readily available for the public, such as the gender, age, race, ethnicity and salary of players in professional sports such as baseball, football and basketball (Kahn). A growing number of sports sociologists are focusing on these inequalities and trying to discover if there is an actual problem and if so how it can be corrected (Eisen 127). The general issue of discrimination in institutions was addressed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This article prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin (Hanna). Some people argue that there is still evidence of racial discrimination in sports today, though. Despite laws, the situation becomes sticky when it comes to racial discrimination. Is it really possible to prove that someone was not hired based on their race? In some cases, yes, but in others, no. The government cannot force people to hire certain candidates, but their ability to punish institutions for denying a position to a candidate based on race is limited (Hanna). Within the institution of sports, there are several ways that a person can be discriminated against, such as during the hiring process, what position he or she is allocated, or how much he or she is paid in salary (Kahn). Discrimination can come from employers, coworkers, customers, and people who hold prominent positions such as sportscasters, Hall-of-Fame selection committees, sports executives and franchise owners (Leonard). Discrimination not only affects if someone is able to be a part of a team, but how they are treated while on that team. Minorities are said to experience discrimination during the hiring process simply based on their origin and the fact that those in decision-making positions are more inclined to hire those who are similar to themselves. Since several administrators are white males, they are more likely to hire white males when given the chose between several well-qualified candidates. Those who are hired could possibly experience discrimination through the allocation of their positions; minorities may be given less-prominent leadership and critical-thinking positions such as pitchers and quarterbacks (Kahn). Salary is a difficult area to determine discrimination due to the fact that numbers may be biased, figures may be omitted, players perform different positions at different skill levels, veterans are paid more than rookies, and contracts may differ based on the number of years and the salary to be paid (Kahn). Customers may show their own form of discrimination by refusing to attend games or purch ase certain merchandise, as well as racial slurs said during taunting or trash talking (Lumpkin). The three sports that are voted as the most popular in the United States are baseball, basketball and football. These three only offer a handful of positions: 737 in Major League Baseball (MLB), 245 in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 1400 in the National Football League (NFL) (Eisen 230). The chances of someone securing a position on a team in these institutions is miniscule, with four out of every 100,000 Caucasians, two out of every 100,000 African Americans and three out of every 100,000 Hispanics successfully doing so (Egendorf 95). Professional sports organizations are required to submit a Racial and Gender Report Card to assess the hiring practices of women and people of color in each organization. These assessments ensure that minorities are justly represented in such prominent organizations by considering the composition of the players, coaches and administration. For example, if African-Americans represent twenty-four percent of the population then twenty-four percent of the positions held in a sports organization must be held by African-Americans. In the 2010 Racial and Gender Report Cards, the MLB, NBA and NFL each scored an A in racial hiring practices, with the MLB and NFL improving from an A- and the NBA dropping from an A+ in 2009 (CBA). The color barrier in baseball was broken by Jackie Robinson in 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and ended segregation in professional baseball (Kahn). At the start of the 2010 season, minorities composed over forty percent of the players in the MBL, including African-Americans, Latinos and Asian-Americans. Nine people of color (three African-Americans, five Latinos and the first Asian-American) hold the title of manager in the MLB, bringing the total managers of color to thirty percent. Thirty-two percent of coaching positions are held by minorities, and they are also well represented in administration positions as well (CBA). The National Basketball Association employs the highest percentage of minorities with eighty-two percent of their players being African-American, Latinos and Asian-Americans. Seventy-seven percent of those players are African-American. International players hold eighteen percent of positions on NBA teams. Michael Jordan is the only African-American majority owner of a professional sports team, but there are four African-American presidents in the NBA. Thirty percent of the head coaches are of a minority, with one American-Asian and eight African-Americans holding positions, while forty-one percent of the assistant coaches are of color (CBA). Administration in the National Football League hosts many positions for minorities as well, with twenty-five percent of the positions being held by African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans, but no person of color has ever held majority ownership of an NFL team. The representation of minorities is relatively high for African-Americans at sixty-seven percent, but Latinos and Asian-Americans are only represented with one and two percent, respectively. Out of all of the professional sports organizations, the NFL has the smallest percentage of international players with two percent. The coaching staff of the NFL boasts six African-American coaches and one hundred fifty seven assistant coaches of color (CBA). Based on the data collected from the Racial and Gender Report cards of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, minority representation fares well in these professional sports. Certain measures, such as this report card, have been taken to ensure that minorities are represented in sporting institutes (CBA). One such measure is the Rooney Rule, enacted by the NFL in 2002. The Rooney Rule was headed by Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and states that any NFL team seeking to hire a head coach must interview one or more minority applicants (Hanna). This rule is most likely accountable for the fact that one fourth of NFL teams have a minority coach. Measures like these enable minorities to have an equal opportunity to be represented in the sporting organizations in the country in which they reside. While the numbers show that discrimination is very low, if not nonexistent, in sporting organizations in the United States, they can only go so far. Discrimination is not just about how many players of color are on a sporting team, but what they had to do in order to achieve their position and how they are treated once they are a part of the team. Blacks were excluded from professional sports all together until the 1940s, after World War II (Kahn). Before this time, African-Americans began their own black leagues that mirrored the white-only versions of the sport. For example, Rube Foster founded the National Negro Baseball League in 1920 that offered an alternative for black athletes excluded from the major leagues (Eisen 138). These leagues were a chance for African-Americans and other minorities to play sports they loved, although they were far from equal to their white counterparts. Once minority players were allowed to become a part of professional sports alongside white people, it was an uphill battle. African-Americans were striving for success in institutions that were controlled and defined by white standards (Eisen 135). They had to face the fact that they were both black and American playing white sports (Eisen 133). They wanted to be classified equally with their teammates, but they were defined by their color and not their ability (Eisen 138). These players strove to gain acceptance but never completely broke away from being defined by their race (Eisen 136). Wins symbolized symbolic nails in the coffin of racial inferiority but losses were evidence of their limits as minorities (Eisen 133). Many prominent minority athletes used their social status to help those in their race that were less fortunate while they pursued their careers (Eisen 136). Some may argue that discrimination exists in sporting organizations in the United States today. Qualifications and abilities may be overlooked because of the race of the applicant (Egendorf 103). Since many controlling positions in both professional and collegiate sports are held by white males, minorities have less of a chance of being hired due to the fact that the employer is more likely to hire someone similar to themselves (Egendorf 99). Athletes who have played the sport should be awarded leadership positions, but more often than not whites are hired over minorities (Egendorf 98). Minority athletes, many of whom grow up in lower-income areas, are denied equal training facilities during high school and are therefore at a disadvantage compared to their white counterparts when it comes to trying out for spots on professional sports teams (Kahn). Others do not see discrimination present in organizations such as the MLB, NBA and NFL. These people look at the statistics and notice that minorities are represented more in sports than they are in the entire population (Kahn). They also notice trends, such as the fact that the NBA is representative of more minorities than whites and that the NFL is increasingly composed of Pacific Islanders and Latinos (Egendorf 97). Since white players have more opportunities in society after retirement, they are more likely to retire earlier and therefore will not be as valuable as a minority who will play for a longer amount of time (Kahn). Either way the situation is looked at, minorities are fast becoming a majority (Justice Reader 2). Since the United States have been considered a melting pot for people from so many cultures and the country offers so many more opportunities, more and more people are immigrating in search of a better life. Although America has been defined as white, that is slowly beginning to change (Justice Reader 2). So how is justice ensured to minorities wishing to pursue a career in professional sports? The principle of distributive justice should be followed, or rewards, rights, opportunities, services and treatments because of who that person is, what he or she has done or to which group he or she belongs (Justice Reader 40). If an African-American athlete and a white athlete train equally for a position on a team, they should be given an equal opportunity to try out for that position. Their chances should be fair and consistent. Justice should be understood as merit focused on what is owed a person by virtue of his or her actions, efforts and impacts (Justice Reader 49). In the Old Testament of the Bible, we are told that God loves justice (Isaiah 61:8). The sin of humanity creates injustice in the world, yet we are called to live just and righteous lives (Micah 6:8). A reoccurring theme in the Old Testament is the law that God calls His people to live by. When the law is followed, we are able to live in harmony with God and other humans. This law has been broken, though, creating the injustices that we are dealing with in our day and age. One of the main focuses of the New Testament is the teachings of Jesus. In these teachings, He calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). By treating our brothers and sisters in just ways, we are loving them as we love ourselves and treating them how we would want to be treated. The New Testament also tells us that we are all one body of Christ and therefore everyone is equal (Galatians 3:28). Why should some have privileges over others or be treated with injustice? Sporting organizations are very prevalent in the culture and society of the United States. The issue of minority representation has always been a controversy in the sporting world due to the fact that a successful career in athletics leads to success away from the athletic world (Eisen 221). Not only is minority representation important since they are a large part of the culture, but minorities are given more opportunities through a career in sports. Creating a system that gives equal opportunities and treatments to both majorities and minorities is one way to solve injustices in sporting organizations. Some actions to begin this system have been started, such as the Rooney Rule in the NFL. Individuals can voice their opinions when it comes to sporting organizations, such as protesting unjust actions and treatments. One voice may not be a lot, but many voices together can make a loud sound.

Mafia Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Mafia way of life may seem like a romantic updated version of the western movie played out on the streets of the big cities where the good guys and the wise guys who share the same instincts and values do battle before an enthralled public but it is actually very different. The Mafia is really just a group of uneducated thugs making money by victimizing the public. Initially, the Mafia was setup as a prominent supplier of bootlegged liquor, but it has spread into many different areas of crime. During this research paper I will discuss three aspects of the Mafia which are crime, structure and decline in leadership. The Mob siphons off public funds, rigs contracts, corrupts unions which many hard working people with legitimate jobs are a part of, smuggles drugs, and runs illegal gambling rings. These are some of the ways the Mob negatively affects our community and harms innocent citizens. Any illegal activity that brings in big money the Mafia is part of. Union corruption has been the primary focus of many federal investigations and by the end of the 1980’s, four unions, the Teamsters, Longshoremen, Laborers, and Hotel and Restaurant Employees union, had all been identified as mob dominated. Not only does the mob find money makers in the United States, they finds ways to bring money to them from other countries. Alien smuggling generates more than $3 billion a year for the mob. Mobsters will kill without remorse and threaten anyone who won’t go along with what they are doing. To keep free from the arm of the law "corrupters nullify the law-enforcement and political processes primarily by outright bribery and other rationally designed forms of ‘influence’ such as contributions to political campaigns and promises to deliver votes in a particular area." One might think that corruption and bribery is not a problem, but one noted political analyst suggests that "the underworld" contributes 15 percent of the 3 costs of local and state political campaigns which causes one to think that the mob may have a strong hold on many powerful politicians. Mafia involvement with legitimate business’s affects the public in many ways. Respectable bankers have become unwitting allies to the Mafia and most of the securities stolen in the United States during the last two decades are lying safely in the vaults of respectable banks, hypothecated for legi... ...ol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1997. Art. 29. McGarvey, Robert. "Global Organized Crime." American Legion Feb. 1996: 16. Crime. Ed. Trudy Collins. Vol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1997. Art. 64. McKillop, Peter. "The Last Godfathers?" Newsweek 6 Feb 1989: 25. Mueller, Tom. "Cosa Nostra." The New Republic 15 Apr. 1996: 17-18. Norland, Rob. "The ‘Velcro Don’: Wiseguys finish last." Newsweek 13 Apr. 1992: 34-35. Pistone, Joseph D., and Richard Woodley. "Undercover with the Mafia: ‘Respect’ Was the Watchword." Palm Beach Post 10 Apr. 1988: 1E. Crime. Ed. Trudy Collins. Vol. 4. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1993. Art. 8. Reid, Ed. The Grim Reapers. Chicago: Henry Regnery Company, 1969. Reuter, Peter. "The decline of the American Mafia." Public Interest Summer 1995: 89-99. Crime. Ed. Trudy Collins. Vol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1997. Art. 49. Viviano, Frank. "The New Mafia Order." Mother Jones May-June 1995: 45-54. Vulliamy, Ed. "Mafia INC." World Press Review Dec. 1992: 11-16.

Organization Structure

Sgagafga Fdgasf Fdga Dsg Dgfa G Qgfrsad 1. Function and Project Organization Structures * In a function organization structure, employees are organized according to the nature of their employment. For example, all employees who work with human resources are relegated to a department called human resources while all employees who work with the company's accounts are assigned to the accounting department. In a project organization structure, employees with different skills and responsibilities are put together in departments according to the projects that they are working on. Matrix Organization Structure Matrix organization structure is a hybrid of function and project organization structures where one employees has two or sometimes even more sets of responsibilities and oversight. Said employee is responsible not only to superiors in the department in which he works but also to the manager who leads the project to which he is assigned. For example, an engineer who is assigned to work on architectural plans answers to both the project leader and to his superiors in the engineering department. * Sponsored Links * Employee Performance Goals Employee Performance Goals S/W Download Free Whitepaper! ww. CornerstoneOnDemand. com Communication * Communication can be considered good when it is both effective and efficient in getting the intended meaning across to the intended recipient. Efficient means that the meaning was conveyed in a concise manner without bloat while effective means that the message was conveyed without its intended meaning being distorted in some way in the process. Poor Communication in Matrix Organizations * A matrix organization comes with a host of disadvantages, many of which have a negative impact on the efficacy and efficiency of communication within the organization.First, there is redundant management in the sense that there are two sets of management whose responsibilities overlap at times, meaning that their communication to higher-ups i s hampered by one another. Second is that each set of management is independent of one another; this can produce different analyses, which can lead to a confused assessment for higher-ups. Third is that redundant management is expensive and the two sets of information that they produce and communicate to their superiors is generally not worth that expense. Sponsored Links * Organizational ChartsMake Organizational Charts Fast See Examples, Free Download! www. SmartDraw. com * Create Org Charts Online Plan, Collaborate, Organize Start a Free Live Demo Now www. OrgPlus. com * Organization Structure Chart Quickly Find Organizational Development Theory Solutions www. Business. com * Accredited Sales Courses 100% Online Sales Skills Courses. Approved by IACET. Enroll Today! Universalclass. com Related Searches * Organisational Structure * Matrix Organization * Organization Structure * Matrix Management * Business Structure These 5 Things Will Destroy Your RetirementNewsmax 1% of American s Believe This Crisis is ImminentMoney Morning Before You Sneak That Bottle on BoardReviewed. com Billionaire Tells Americans to Prepare For â€Å"Financial Ruin†Moneynews   by Taboola References * FAO Corporate Document Depositary: Matrix Organization * FAO Corporate Document Depositary: Where the Matrix Approach Is Best * Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock. com/Getty Images ————————————————- Matrix management From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | This article  needs additional citations for verification.Please help  improve this article  by  adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be  challenged  and  removed. (October 2010)| A matrix organization Matrix management  is a type of organizational  management  in which people with similar skills are pooled for work assignments. For example, all  engineers  may b e in one engineering department and report to an engineering manager, but these same engineers may be assigned to different projects and report to a different engineering manager or a project manager while working on that project.Therefore, each engineer may have to work under several managers to get his job done. Contents  Ã‚  [hide]   * 1  The Matrix * 2  Advantages and Disadvantages * 3  Visual representation * 4  Clarification * 5  References * 6  Further reading| ————————————————- [edit]The Matrix Some organizations fall somewhere between the fully  functional  and pure matrix. These organizations are defined in  A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge(PMBOK) 4th Edition as  composite.For example, even a fundamentally functional or matrix organization may create a special project team to handle a critical project. Whereas project-ce ntered organizations (like those in engineering, construction or the aerospace industries) have structures built around project teams as their functional units, matrix organizations follow the traditional structures, with some adjustments to their hierarchy to support project units. [1] ————————————————- [edit]Advantages and Disadvantages Proponents of matrix suggest that two advantages exist to matrix management.First, it allows team members to share information more readily across task boundaries. Second, it allows for specialization that can increase depth of knowledge and allow professional development and career progression to be managed. The disadvantage of matrix management is that employees can become confused due to conflicting loyalties. The belief is that a properly managed cooperative environment can neutralize these disadvantages. Opponents of matrix managemen t believe that it is an outdated method to organize a company.One disadvantage of matrix management is that it doubles the number of managers when compared to  line management, and as the time to reach a decision increases with the number of managers the result may be an increase in management related overhead expenses. The advantages of a matrix include: * Individuals can be chosen according to the needs of the project. * The use of a project team that is dynamic and able to view problems in a different way as specialists have been brought together in a new environment. * Project managers are directly responsible for completing the project within a specific deadline and budget.Whilst the disadvantages include: * A conflict of loyalty between line managers and project managers over the allocation of resources. * Projects can be difficult to monitor if teams have a lot of independence. * Costs can be increased if more managers (i. e. project managers) are created through the use of project teams. ————————————————- [edit]Visual representation Representing matrix organizations visually has challenged managers ever since the matrix management structure was invented.Most organizations use dotted lines to represent secondary relationships between people, and charting software such as Visio and OrgPlus supports this approach. Until recently,  Enterprise resource planning(ERP) and  Human resource management systems  (HRMS) software did not support matrix reporting. Late releases of  SAP  software support matrix reporting, and  OracleeBusiness Suite can also be customized to store matrix information. ————————————————- [edit]Clarification Matrix management should not be confused with â€Å"tight matrix†.Tight matrix, or co-locati on, refers to locating offices for a project team in the same room, regardless of management structure. ————————————————- [edit]References 1. ^  Seet, Daniel. â€Å"Power: The Functional Manager’s Meat and Project Manager’s Poison? â€Å",  PM Hut, February 6, 2009. Retrieved on March 2, 2010. ————————————————- [edit]Further reading * Galbraith, J. R. (1971). â€Å"Matrix Organization Designs: How to combine functional and project forms†. In:  Business Horizons, February, 1971, 29-40. â€Å"A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge  (PMBOK)†,  Project Management Institute,  ISBN 1-880410-23-0 * R J Shepherd (2007). â€Å"Mentoring Soft Boundaries for Management†, MIDAS MDF 2007; 2:79-89 Categories: * Mana gement * Organizational theory * Types of organization ————————————————- Navigation menu * Create account * Log in * Article * Talk * Read * Edit * View history Top of Form Bottom of Form * Main page * Contents * Featured content * Current events * Random article * Donate to Wikipedia * Wikimedia Shop Interaction * Help * About Wikipedia * Community portal Recent changes * Contact Wikipedia Toolbox Print/export Languages * * * Deutsch * Francais * * Magyar * Nederlands * * Norsk bokmal * Polski * Portugues * Suomi * Ti? ng Vi? t * Edit links * This page was last modified on 4 April 2013 at 12:35. * Text is available under the  Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the  Terms of Use  and  Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the  Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , a non-pro fit organization. * Contact us * Privacy policy * About Wikipedia * Disclaimers * Mobile view * *

Free Essays on A Fine Line Between Body And Soul

In many different philosophies, the symbol of Yin-Yang can be described as two inseparable polar opposites or complementaries, the interaction between which determines phenomenal reality. However, one will eventually lead into another in an endless cycle. The interactions and balance of these forces in people and nature influence their behavior and fate. In many ways, William Butler Yeats’s â€Å"Crazy Jane Talks with the Bishop† can be compared to these symbols. The poem offers contrasting views on body versus spirit, physical versus emotion and sex versus love. â€Å"Crazy Jane Talks with the Bishop† is a short poem. The first stanza places Crazy Jane and the Bishop in a chance meeting on a road. The Bishop rebukes Crazy Jane for her promiscuous lifestyle and urges her to make amends. In the third and fourth lines, the Bishop suggests that, after all, her body is old now: â€Å"Those breasts are flat and fallen now/Those veins must soon be dry.† Soon her body will die, so she should ignore her body and emphasize her soul. The next two lines suggest that she should change her immoral ways and stop living in filth; â€Å"Live in a heavenly mansion/Not in some foul sty.† The Bishop is letting her know that in order to go to heaven she needs to get out of that ugly sty. Crazy Jane answers back in the last two stanzas. She notes in line seven and eight, â€Å"Fair and foul are near of kin/And fair needs foul.† She is telling the Bishop that in order to be a good person you have to experience the bad. The word â€Å"fair† represents her beauty and â€Å"foul† being her ugly side. She admits she’s old and her friends are either sick or have died; â€Å"My friends are gone, but that’s a truth/Nor grave or bed denied.† But her experience with both physical reality (â€Å"bodily lowliness†) and spirituality (â€Å"heart’s pride†) has given her insight- she is â€Å"learned.† The third stanza asserts that one has to undergo what some may s... Free Essays on A Fine Line Between Body And Soul Free Essays on A Fine Line Between Body And Soul In many different philosophies, the symbol of Yin-Yang can be described as two inseparable polar opposites or complementaries, the interaction between which determines phenomenal reality. However, one will eventually lead into another in an endless cycle. The interactions and balance of these forces in people and nature influence their behavior and fate. In many ways, William Butler Yeats’s â€Å"Crazy Jane Talks with the Bishop† can be compared to these symbols. The poem offers contrasting views on body versus spirit, physical versus emotion and sex versus love. â€Å"Crazy Jane Talks with the Bishop† is a short poem. The first stanza places Crazy Jane and the Bishop in a chance meeting on a road. The Bishop rebukes Crazy Jane for her promiscuous lifestyle and urges her to make amends. In the third and fourth lines, the Bishop suggests that, after all, her body is old now: â€Å"Those breasts are flat and fallen now/Those veins must soon be dry.† Soon her body will die, so she should ignore her body and emphasize her soul. The next two lines suggest that she should change her immoral ways and stop living in filth; â€Å"Live in a heavenly mansion/Not in some foul sty.† The Bishop is letting her know that in order to go to heaven she needs to get out of that ugly sty. Crazy Jane answers back in the last two stanzas. She notes in line seven and eight, â€Å"Fair and foul are near of kin/And fair needs foul.† She is telling the Bishop that in order to be a good person you have to experience the bad. The word â€Å"fair† represents her beauty and â€Å"foul† being her ugly side. She admits she’s old and her friends are either sick or have died; â€Å"My friends are gone, but that’s a truth/Nor grave or bed denied.† But her experience with both physical reality (â€Å"bodily lowliness†) and spirituality (â€Å"heart’s pride†) has given her insight- she is â€Å"learned.† The third stanza asserts that one has to undergo what some may s...

Juan in this novel represents the quintessential saint and martyr Essay Example

Juan in this novel represents the quintessential saint and martyr Essay Example Juan in this novel represents the quintessential saint and martyr Essay Juan in this novel represents the quintessential saint and martyr Essay Essay Topic: Fight Club Novel In The Power and the Glory, Greene presents us with a very unconventional protagonist: a fugitive whisky priest, the father of a bastard child, on the run from an overzealous lieutenant in a world where religion is illegal. Struggling to survive, he meets a scheming Mestizo, a Judas, who he knowingly follows into the hands of the lieutenant, and is subsequently executed. The novel examines the concepts of duty, persecution, compassion, and the idea of sainthood. The world of Mexico that Greene creates is a decaying, merciless, ungodly place, a place where one would not necessarily expect to find a typical saint. The storybook heroic saint in the novel, Juan, embodies all of the saintly stereotypes, whereas the priest does not. Greene is not interested in the typical, formulaic saint: he is far more concerned with the idea of finding spirituality in unexpected places, a good example of which is the prison scene.The prison scene is presented by Greene as being a microcosm of the world: This place was very like the world: overcrowded with lust and crime and unhappy love, it stank to heaven. This shows us Greenes acceptance of the world, overcrowded with inevitable human flaws, with the repetition of and increasing the pace of reading, giving a tone of relentlessness. The word crime linking the prison and the outside world implies that, just as the prison is full of criminals, so too is the world. Lust is a reference to the pair copulating in the prison, and the wider implication of this is that the world is full of such lust, which Greene accepts, as we are but humans. Indeed, the priest himself succumbed to lust, in conceiving Brigitta, his illegitimate daughter. Unhappy love in itself is an interesting binary pair, as one usually associates love with happiness; Greene is here subverting our expectations associated with the word love, perhaps suggesting that the archetypal connotations of love are often illusory.The priests time in prison also gives us an insight into his own views on martyrdom; when a prisoner suggests he is a martyr, he replies I dont think martyrs are like this Martyrs are holy men. The fact that he giggles first shows us that hes no Juan; giggling is a childish, unmanly thing to do. This shows us that he does not believe himself to be a holy man; he is in a state of mortal sin. This is because he has fathered a bastard child, which fills him with a miserable happiness, reminiscent of the unhappy love in the prison. He continues his self-deprecation, saying you must never think the holy martyrs are like me. I am a whisky priest. His repeated use of the word holy, and his dissociation from it, shows that the priest is humble, modest, and aware that he is not the typical holy man. The fact that he accepts the whisky priest label, whilst avoiding the label of martyr shows that he is modest, but also encourages the reader to question the nature of martyrdom; could a whisky priest also be a martyr?A martyr, or saint, in the p riests eyes should see beauty in suffering: Saints talk about the beauty of suffering. Well, we are not saints, you and I. This is regarding the people having sex in the prison, when he is discussing it with the pious woman. He says he is a bad priest and knows from experience how much beauty Satan carried. That he acknowledges beauty in sin goes against traditional Catholic ideals regarding sin; he has a more realistic attitude to life, discarding the idealistic view of sin as being ugly, accepting that it can be beautiful. Of course, Greene is subtly implying that the priest does possess saintly qualities, in that he knows what a saint should see. Indeed, even though he doesnt find beauty in suffering here, he finds peace, clarity and an irrational affection for the inhabitants of the prison: love.Love is something the priest values highly, and in the religious sense love is paramount. It is notable that in his innocence, he had felt no love for anyone; now in his corruption he h ad learnt Here, Greene shows us that the priests previous, pious, innocent way of life had been devoid of true love. Now, through suffering and corruption, he learns love, giving him a somewhat saintly quality. Typically, saints should learn through suffering alone, not corruption; but we know that the priest is no typical saint. Indeed, presenting us with a priest whose love stems from corruption questions the traditional nature of sainthood as epitomised by Juan.The way that the novel is written encourages the reader to sympathise with the whisky priest, in spite of his flaws. The priest shuffles in and out of scenes, with an air of nervous hilarity. He is diminutive, lacks presence, and refers to himself as a bad priest. This is in stark contrast with Juan, who was noted for his humility and piety; but yet, even the pious Catholic mother who is reading the story of Juan admits that the whisky priest is not despicable. The same cannot be said for Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, though, whom she does refer to as being a despicable man.Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ represents cowardice, abandonment of faith, and selfishness. In the graveyard, he refuses to pray for a couples dead child, confessing I am unworthy. Cant you see? I am a coward. This aspect of Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ is made clear on numerous occasions, and his life seems to be dictated by fear. The word coward rings true, as Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, unlike the whisky priest, gave in to public humiliation, marriage, in order to save himself. He is described by Greene as having given in to the unforgivable sin despair. Contrastingly, the whisky priest never yields to despair, and has an underlying moral code and sense of duty he puts his duty before his fear, unlike Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. It is no coincidence, then, that the priest who converted Greene to Catholicism, Father Trollope, was described by Greene in A Sort of Life, as driven further by some inner compulsion to the priesthood; it is clear to see that the whisky priest reflects this com pulsion Greene writes that the whisky priest had given into despair five years ago, when he conceived his child, and he returns to the scene of his despair with a curious lightening of the heart. For he had got over despair too. This is crucial, as it is the pivotal difference between him and Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½; Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ is unable to get over despair.Despair is a common theme in the novel, which is unsurprising given the setting. The Mexico Greene describes is one with blazing Mexican sun and bleaching dust. The words blazing and bleaching are very negative; blazing conjures up imagery of fire, and bleaching carries connotations of bones and arid land. Greene uses a filmic narrative technique, describing the visual aspects of the novel in detail; as Evelyn Waugh writes, His technical mastery has never been better manifested in his statement of the scene It is the cameras eye recording significant detail. It is this which gives the reader a clearer image of just how bleak the set ting is to live in.Living in such a place, despair seems almost inevitable for most, which creates a need for escapism. The story of Juan provides such escapism for the girls who listen intently to it: One of the little girls licked her lips secretively. This was life. Obviously, the story of Juan is not life at all; Greene is being ironic here, as the idealistic world of the tale is far removed from the harsh realities of life. It is also ironic that the mother says Juan was a true young Mexican boy, as children in this novel are typically cynical (such as Coral Fellows, Brigitta, and Luis, the boy who idolises the lieutenant), or in the case of the girls, gullible. These harsh realities outline the absurdities of Juans clearly fictitious world, and highlight the sheer dreadfulness of the world Greene has set the novel in, a world in which the word life was taboo: it reminded you of death. By telling the audience that the people of this place associate the word life only with death , Greene is emphasising the bleakness of the world, and the nihilistic attitudes of many that live there. In such a world, a heroic such as Juan seems ill-fitting and unrealistic: the whisky priest is a flawed, corrupted hero, for a flawed, corrupted world.This flawed hero, however, was not well-received by all of Greenes contemporaries; George Orwell wrote that Greene appears to share the idea, which has been floating around ever since Baudelaire, that there is something rather distinguà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in being damned; Hell is a sort of high-class nightclub, entry to which is reserved for Catholics only. Here, Orwell is trivialising the novel; the word floating is rather condescending, and the use of distinguà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ seems rather dismissive, and implies that the idea is somewhat pretentious. Mention of a nightclub further trivialises the novels message. Orwell is clearly accusing Greene of being unoriginal and pretentious, and the whisky priest as being nothing new. However, I disa gree; with the direct comparisons to sainthood and martyrdom between Juan and the priest, Greene puts this idea into a newer, more realistic and contemporary context.The world in which the novel takes place is one of people who doubt the priest: That is what everyone says all the time you do no good I can see them saying it all over the world. The fact that the priest is told this all the time shows that the opposition he faces is relentless, but he still does not give into despair. You do no good shows that his work is viewed as futile by the population. This is reminiscent of the nihilistic view expressed by philosopher Aleister Crowley in Towards The Golden Dawn, being appalled by the futility of all human endeavour. However, instead of being appalled by this futility, the priest acts in spite of it this is where his strength lies.Whilst nihilistic attitudes permeate many layers of this Mexican society, the priest seems to be determined, strong and stoic in his outlook,. He kno ws that his efforts are futile, that the easiest thing to do would be to hand himself in yet carries on regardless. He shows faith and courage, defies despair, and struggles on. Indeed, when he visits his home village, he realises that When he was gone it would be as if God in all this space ceased to exist, and finds himself shaken with the enormity of the problem, but still continues on regardless, driven by a sense of duty. That God would effectively cease to exist in the area without the priest outlines the magnitude of his responsibility: an immense load of responsibility: it was indistinguishable from love. This love is very like the love he feels for his fellow inmates in the prison scene.In the prison scene, the priest describes saints as people who see beauty in suffering, but doesnt see himself as such a saint. However, he certainly has a saintly appreciation of suffering. An excellent example of this is when he is about to leave his home town: He cried out stubbornly in a voice of authority, That is why I tell you that heaven is here: this is a part of heaven just as pain is a part of pleasure. He said, Pray that you will suffer more and more and more. Never get tired of suffering. The fact that he is stubborn shows how resilient and determined he is, and again gives us the idea that he is defiant in the face of despair. In his modesty, he proclaims himself not [a] saint in prison, yet clearly does appreciate the beauty in suffering. He links suffering to heaven, clearly associated with beauty, and his repetition of the word suffering shows us how passionate he is on the subject. It seems Greene is deliberately making the audience aware of the priests stance on suffering, so that we remember this moment when he later talks about sainthood in the prison. This is a technique Greene uses effectively, as we see the priest as humble and modest, yet still sees the world as a saint by his own definition; seeing beauty in suffering.The priest is in many wa ys a pathetic character, with his shambling from place to place, and his degradation. He is, in many situations, a powerless victim of circumstance. For example, when the wine he works so hard to purchase is drunk by the chief of police, he starts crying, and says he sees all the hope of the world draining away. Here, we see the pathetic side of the priest not only because he is crying, but because he is beginning to despair, and is a powerless victim of circumstance. However, this is by no means his most pathetic, undignified moment; this is without doubt when he fights with a dog over a scrap of meat. The absurdity of the situation is not lost on the priest, either: suddenly he laughed: this was human dignity disputing with a bitch over a bone. The phrase human dignity is clearly intended by Greene to be ironic, as the priest has lost any dignity he may have once had by fighting with the crippled bitch over a bone. He is clearly not a macho, true Mexican [man], unlike Juan Greene gives us such situations to show that humans Gods image will do what is necessary to survive, which should not affect their role as saints. He challenges the traditional view of sainthood, where upholding ones dignity is expected.A sense of responsibility clearly drives the priest to continue his struggle, his suffering; he knowingly walks into the mestizos trap He was quite certain that this was a trap probably the half-caste had suggested it but it was a fact that the American was there, dying. This fact gives the priest a sense of responsibility, even though hes heading to his death, which displays immense courage. Interestingly, the priest fails to see his own worth in this regard; after coming across the Native American woman, he thought God forgive me. I have no sense of responsibility: what can you expect of a whisky priest?.Greene makes it clear to the reader, by examples such as missing the boat at the start and following Judas into the trap at the end, that the pries t does have a sense of responsibility, despite being a whisky priest; this defies the stereotypes one might associate with the term, and shows that the priest has determination and courage. Of course, the priest is not completely courageous; he fears pain, and still fears death hes only human, unlike the seemingly supernatural Juan; he thinks you needed to be a little drunk to die, showing his flaws of alcoholism and fear. Juan, of course, was quite calm and happy when he knew he was about to die, and prayed for his enemies.Praying for his enemies, however, is something that the priest does, to an extent, share with Juan he pities the mestizo, thinking it was really shocking bad luck for the poor devil that he was to be burdened with a sin of such magnitude. Indeed, in his cell, the priest tries to pray for the half-caste, the lieutenant but in the moment of prayer he switched back to his child beside the rubbish dump, and he knew it was for her only that he prayed. The fact that he is unable to do as Juan and pray for his enemies is largely unimportant, as he at least attempts to pray for his enemies, and it is a sign of his flaws that he can think only of his daughter. He himself thinks that the people deserved a saint [but] God hadnt thought fit to send them one. Just by saying this, Greene is encouraging the reader to compare the priest to a saint, and is clearly challenging the preconceptions regarding sainthood.The priest, before death, thinks it would have been quite easy to have been a saint. It would only have needed a little self-restraint and a little courage. Here, Greene uses the word little twice, to show how the priest, by his own measure, has only missed sainthood by a small way. This encourages the reader to view the priest as a saint, and dismiss his sins as being too little, too trivial, to mar his piety. The mother of Luis even says that the whisky priest was a hero, one of the martyrs of the Church, and may be one of the saints. That eve n she considers him to be as such conveys Greenes message that sainthood need not be restricted to the absolutely, unattainably perfect. However, Greene seems to almost mock established ideas of sainthood when the mother says Of course, before we know he is a saint, there will have to be miracles and goes on to mention paying for relics. Such concepts seem ludicrous, given the priests own pragmatism, yet still persist. Greene is here questioning the Catholic definition of sainthood, and is satirising it critically.Critic David Lodge wrote that There is a good deal of evidence, internal and external, that in Greenes fiction Catholicism is not a body of belief requiring exposition and demanding categorical assent or dissent, but a system of concepts, a source of situations, and a reservoir of symbols. Clearly, he is supporting the notion that Greene challenges the categorical assent and dissent regarding sainthood, where assent represents the followings of the Catholic teachings, many of which the priest abandons. The assent is embodied by Juan, and the complete dissent by Josà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, giving into the ultimate sin, despair. The priest lies in the middle ground, representing what V.S. Pritchett refers to as a whole and memorable human being.In conclusion, Greene uses the contrast between Juan and the whisky priest to not only question, but also to criticise and challenge the idealistic Catholic views on sainthood. He uses the priests flaws and self-doubt to present us with a character who would not be considered a traditional saint, but possesses many saintly qualities. Greene gives us the priests ideas of sainthood, such as seeing beauty in suffering and having a sense of responsibility, with the priests own thoughts of how he is not fulfilling them. However, Greene subtly subverts this by having sections in the novel where the priest does fulfil these self-lain expectations of sainthood, allowing the reader to make the connection and realise that the priest is actually a very dedicated and dutiful Christian, even though he himself does not realise it; his humility serves only to augment his saintliness.