Romulus My Father Speech Essay Example for Free

Romulus My Father Speech Essay Understanding and acceptance are the building blocks for a good relationship, and Relationships are essential to finding a true sense of belonging. This sense of belonging can grow from the connections made with people, places and the larger world. It is these connections that influence where we search for meaning in our lives and ultimately, where we belong. Without understanding and accepting these connections, can you ever truly belong? The biography â€Å"Romulus My Father† and the short story â€Å"Up Taree Way† show how belonging is often deeply connected to place and for both Romulus and Millie there is an obvious dislocation from this place. For instance Romulus is a Romanian living in the unfamiliar landscape of Australia whilst Milly from Up Taree Way is an Aboriginal child living in the unfamiliar landscape of Sydney city. In both of these texts, Romulus and Milly eventually understand that no matter how long they live in their new environments they will always belong to their culture and in turn accept the values of where they originally came from. It is obvious that throughout both texts understanding and acceptance has strengthened the characters relationships with their friends, family and the larger world to which they belong. As much as understanding can increase ones sense of belonging, lack of understanding can decrease it. I mean how easy is it to misunderstand someone these days? For example after Niel Symon, an aboriginal story teller, comes to Milly’s school and shares his knowledge and experiences with them they begin to understand his culture and appreciate it. After this, Millie admitted to her school friends that Neil was her uncle, learning that when she stopped trying to belong she realised she, in fact always did belong. This is because her friends were always interested and impressed by her childhood stories and did not act any differently towards her when they found out that it was actually Taree where she grew up and not Brisbane like she had lied to them out of embarrassment before. Her mum was embarrassed of their Aboriginal culture but she definitely didn’t need to be as Millie was always accepted. Milly didn’t understand that it is not the actual landscape that changes, it is her attitudes and acceptance of it that changes and no the place itself. Millie’s mum has a biased view of the world and this is what shaped Millie’s lack of understanding about who she was. Millie’s mum would use short sentences to say things to her like â€Å"thats the past Milly. I wish you would stop harping on about it. Forget those places. Thats the past. Its dead. We live here now. Were new people now†. Unlike Romulus, Milly lost her moral compass and was constantly asking questions like â€Å"who am i? † and â€Å"who is it that I am allowed to be? † which shows her interest in exploring her past and also her lack of understanding to her background. When she realises she knows Neil Symon, she acknowledges that they are in fact family and accepts that she is from an aboriginal culture by proudly telling her friends about it. Words containing negative connotations are replaced by the positive where she describes Taree as the lovely country town that she used to love so much which shows her acceptance and appreciation of where she once belonged. Just like I understand that although Grays Point has 1 way in and 1 way out and people call it a hole, It is the lovely suburb that I have grown up in. Her ability to associate with Neil came as a result of their shared connection with the landscape. Whenever Neil spoke about the aboriginal dreamtime of his ancestors, memories came flooding back to Milly. However, In Romulus, the gentle European landscape is juxtaposed with the severity of the Australian one. He was always trying to find new ways to belong in Australia. He would seek other Romanians in an attempt to connect through language and culture. This shows that the need to belong to a group or a community shapes our behaviour, attitudes and actions. These themes also reappear in Up Taree Way, for example Millie’s mum wanted to hide the fact that they were from Taree and had an Aboriginal heritage because she was afraid that people in society including her new boyfriend or Millie’s school peers would not accept them. This is seen through the metaphor â€Å"The dreamtime had turned into her nightmare†. Her strategy to belong was to forget all about her aboriginal past and focus completely on making a new connection with the city. She tries to convince Milly to do the same and move on just like Romulus had convinced Raimond that the European landscape was better that that of Australia. Just like i could convince you that Grays Point is the best suburb in the shire. When the characters experience a strong connection to a place, the notion of belonging is strengthened and enriched. Therefore, understanding our past and accepting these identities can strengthen our sense of belonging, even if sometimes we have to disagree with the people we belong to. Throughout the study of Romulus My Father and Up Taree way we have learnt that relationships with people, places and past identities can grow through understanding and acceptance. The pathway to understanding and acceptance in these texts is very complex as we have seen characters like Romulus lose the will to live whilst other characters like Millie and her mum and also Raimond learn to understand their past and let it be a part of who they will become. This allows them to grow as people because they get a better sense of who they are, expanded knowledge of the world around them and deeper relationships with people and places can be developed. We belong when we ultimately feel connected to others and the world, so â€Å"until you accept who you really are you can never belong to yourself, and until you belong to yourself it is impossible to belong to anybody else†, proving that by understanding our inner selves, individuals are able to belong harmoniously in the world where they can mature and grow as people.

Citizen of the United States Essay Example for Free

Citizen of the United States Essay I would define a citizen as someone, who was born in, or to a certain place, who is guaranteed certain rights in the place that they were born in. Citizenship in the United States means that a person is a legally recognized member of the nation. Each citizen has equal rights under the law. All citizens have certain rights, privileges, and responsibilities. Americans who are not citizens have many of the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizens. However, they do not have such important rights as the right to vote in elections, serve on juries, or hold elected office. Means that a person is recognized as a legal member of the nation  gives each person certain rights and privileges, e.g., the right to vote and to hold public office  means each person has certain responsibilities, e.g., respecting the law, voting, paying taxes, serving on juries  explain that citizens owe allegiance or loyalty to the United States; in turn they receive protection and other services from the government Nothing is more important to America than citizenship; there is more assurance of our future in the individual character of our citizens than in any proposal I, and all the wise advisers I can gather, can ever put into effect in Washington. Warren G. Harding (1920) Rights of individuals. Citizens have rights.  personal rights, e.g., to associate with whomever one pleases, live where one  chooses, practice the religion of ones choice, travel freely and return to the United States, emigrate  political rights, e.g., to vote, speak freely and criticize the government, join organizations that try to influence government policies, join a political party, seek and hold public office  economic rights, e.g., to own property, choose ones work, change employment, join a labor union, establish a business  Citizens not only must be aware of their rights, they must also exercise them responsibly and they must fulfill those responsibilities necessary to a self-governing, free, and just society. No governmental action, no economic doctrine, no economic plan or project can replace that God-imposed responsibility of the individual man and woman to their neighbors. Herbert Hoover (1931) Citizens have rights. personal responsibilities, e.g., taking care of themselves, accepting responsibility for the consequences of their actions, taking advantage of the opportunity to be educated, supporting their families civic responsibilities, e.g., obeying the law, respecting the rights of others, being informed and attentive to the needs of their community, paying attention to how well their elected leaders are doing their jobs, communicating with their representatives in their school, local, state, and national governments, voting, paying taxes, serving on juries, serving in the armed forces

Transience And Eternity In The Elegy Theology Religion Essay

Transience And Eternity In The Elegy Theology Religion Essay Old English poetry can be divided into two main types: heroic poetry and Christian poetry. Christianity, as the most widely spread religion, is present in most literary works, including some of the heroic poems, although heroic poetry is considered separate from Christian poetry. There are many analogies to Christian themes in the poetry of the Old English period, since religion played a major part in peoples lives at the time. The Seafarer is an Old English poem which was recorded in the Exeter book, or Codex Exoniensis, a collection of Old English poetry, including The Wanderer and The Descent into Hell, which dates back to the tenth century. It is a poem which describes the lonely, full of hardship and suffering life of the seaman. It can be logically divided into two parts. The first is a typical elegy the speaker remembers his dismal life at sea, which he has chosen to the disturbing life on land. He knows he is alone, and he constantly has this internal conflict about choosing the sea to the land. The second part is more moralistic, or didactic. The speaker talks about the transience of wealth and fame on Earth, and how nobody will manage to outwit death and God, no matter how glorious a life they have led. Eventually all people will die, life will end for everyone at a certain point, and no amount of money will help them avoid their fate. In the beginning of the poem the seafarer makes a song about his travels and experiences at sea. He begins grimly with a description of the troublesome times and lonely life while hes sailing. This is a life which common people in the city know nothing about. They are safe on the land while the seaman risks his life at sea. The weather is cold and stormy, the terrible tossing of waves rock the ship, the seaman will soon freeze. He has to endure the fierce storms, the snow and the hail. The beginning of the poem is not only a description of a fierce weather. It is a description of the inner state of mind of the seaman the inner struggles and conflicts he has. He is not homesick, but he realizes he is alone in the sea. His troubles are represented as being caused by the sea, but in reality the sea only represents what is already inside him, in his soul. The seafarer feels grim sorrow at heart. He is unable to feel any pleasure from the surroundings; he does not enjoy it because of the darkness in his soul and heart. There are moments in which he holds life at sea in contempt. Yet there is something which draws him back to the sea. He can choose the safe life on land, at home, where there are his fellow men, possibly his family, and where food and warmth are ensured. However, he feels this constant urge to travel, to go back to the sea. The sea is mysterious it is wide and infinite; it holds many secrets; it offers a different lifestyle it draws one away from everything familiar and safe, and throws them into a new, different world the world of danger, uncertainty, constant change; a world with no boundaries or limits. This is what the seafarer seeks, this is why he constantly returns to the dangerous travels he needs the challenge of the hard life at sea; he needs the struggles either physical or emotional. His journey in the sea is not only a journey on the physical level. It represents the journey which his soul takes on the path to God. He has to go through hardship and struggles; he has to fight with the difficulties which God sends him; he has t o welcome the challenges of the sea as challenges which God sends to test his soul. He is sailing in the sea which suggests that he is going forward. His soul is, symbolically, about to walk the path which leads to God, passing through severe trials. His kinsmen, who live on land, stay where they are, they havent moved from their place not only physically, but figuratively as well their souls have not taken the path to God, but they simply enjoy the transient goods in life while they have them. They live a stable, secure life with no dangers or trials. They strive for the goods and the glory which earthly life offers, and never think of their spirituality and morality. They dont realize that everything on Earth is fleeting and that life as they know it wealthy, glorious and bountiful will only last until their death and not in the afterlife when their souls will meet God. This is a light transition to the second part of the poem which is a moral criticism of the people, especially the rich, who rely on their wealth and glory only. They may lead a sinful life, they may oppress the weaker or the poor people, but their deeds are the only thing which will accompany them in the afterlife, not gold or money, not friends and kinsmen. There is a similar concept in the English morality play Everyman, in which wealth and fellow men abandon Everyman on his journey to death, and only good deeds stay with him until the end. There is the Christian influence, which is present in almost every piece of work in the medieval literature. According to the Christian religion God is the only truly eternal and lasting thing in the Universe. The speaker strongly criticizes the sinful life of common men instead of living a good, honorable and humble life, they only rely on wealth and bounty, and they think these earthly goods will help them or benefit them in some way in the afterlife. They never challenge their souls, and they never even pray to God. The speaker tries to imply that the rich need to change their lifestyle but he realizes that they will not, because they do not understand how their sins and idleness will only harm them later. They dont realize that wealth is transient and they will not be able to take it with them after death. God will not take in mind how powerful a man was on Earth or how much money did he possess, but will only consider his good and brave deeds and his sins. Life in Heaven is eternal and Heaven is a sort of reward for leading a faithful, honorable life. The seafarer claims that earthly happiness will not endure. He mentions that age comes upon him eventually, which suggests that glorious life is only there for some time and then one gradually loses everything they possess, including their vitality, and outer things like their friends and kinsmen. The way one spends their life on Earth determines where they will spend their afterlife. The speaker urges people to think carefully what afterlife they would like to have and then decide what the right path to there is. He tries to explain to them that they will all be equal after death, no matter how wealthy some were and how poor the others were on Earth. Moreover, they all are equal even now in Gods eyes. It does not make a difference to God whether one is rich or poor; whether one is famous or not. What will differentiate them after death is how they led their life, what they did and what their deeds led to. This is the point at which some will be sent to Heaven and others will be sent to Hell. Afterlife will be eternal, that is why people have to think now how they want to spend it. The seaman has given up on all earthly goods and bounty because he has realized that they are not important, they will be lost in time and in the end nothing will remain, only memories of the glorious days and consequences from the deeds, good or bad. The Seafarer is not only a poem about life and death. It concerns transience in life and eternity as a concept mainly in the afterlife. It suggests that life on its own has no other meaning but to praise God and to prove that one is noble enough to go to Heaven. Moreover, life is a test for the soul whether it has to be sent to Heaven or to Hell. Life after death is what really matters, because it will be for eternity, in contrast to life on Earth which lasts only a few decades. The concept of eternity is important for the moral to reach the common people. If the common man does not fear God, or does not at least consider what will happen to him after his death, he will not try to live a better, noble life, but he will only keep in mind his earthly matters, and this will lead him to impious, even ignoble deeds. Thus The Seafarer can be considered a moral poem which teaches man how to live and how to save his soul, so that he deserves afterlife in Heaven.

Free Hamlet Essays: Lonely Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Lonely Hamlet Hamlet’s decision to keep the murder of his father a secret to himself, along with the betrayals of many of his close friends and family, leads to his eventual downfall. If someone was there for him, whether it was his mother Gertrude, his girlfriend Ophelia, or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, maybe his timeless death could have been prevented. Instead, his mother sides with Claudius who wants to kill him, Ophelia won’t go behind her father, Polonius’, back to be with him and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern go behind Hamlet’s back and spy on him for Claudius. Gertrude’s blindness to the whole situation is sickening. How she marries the brother of her former husband right after he kills him and never knows the truth is beyond me. She never cared about how her son felt before or after she married Claudius. She didn’t even wait very long after her husband died to get married again ( I; ii; 180-181. "Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables".). Therefore she is either a very slow, naïve woman or a very evil, coldhearted one. For someone to side with a person even after their own son has told them that the person they’re with has murdered their former lover is absolute lunacy ( III; iv; 29-30. "A bloody deed- almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king, and marry his brother".). Not knowing the truth in the first place is one thing, but turning your back on your own flesh and blood is another. Therefore without his mother on his side, Hamlet has lost all the fami ly in his life that could have helped him get through his terrible time and he sinks lower than ever before. Ophelia’s obedience towards her untrusting father is indescribable ( I; iii; 101-103. "Affection? Pooh! You speak like a green girl, unsifted in such perilous circumstance. Do you believe his tenders, as you call them"?). Why a grown woman would listen to her father and not help the man of her dreams in his time of need is disheartening. A man’s girlfriend should be there for him when a family member passes away, no matter what. If she had been with him on the plan to kill Claudius and knew about his fathers ghost who told Hamlet that Claudius was the one that murdered him, than neither one of them would have went crazy.

College Education vs. Technical Training Essay -- Argumentative Persua

College Education vs. Technical Training A few years ago, the DeVry technical institute released a commercial that compared two brothers in their educational pursuits. The younger brother started school at DeVry and graduated in two years. The older brother had chosen college and was still stuck in his dorm room studying history while his younger brother worked on the future. The question this commercial presented was obvious, why waste all that time in a university learning trivial facts which don’t apply to the real world when you can bypass it and still learn an important skill. That is an interesting question to consider, especially in such a hi-tech world. But is job training all one needs to know to be successful? What are the advantages of a college degree versus a technical degree? I would like to consider some advantages a college graduate might have in the areas of employment, family and community. For this paper, I would like to define a university education as that which enables students to expand their communication skills, evaluate problems using critical thinking, a general broadening of cultural awareness and a knowledge of history in relation to how their surrounding world came to be. A university education also provides students with a chance to appreciate and understand the arts, ponder philosophical questions and discuss the significance of works of literature. Students learn the relationship of science to the body, the Earth, the universe and role mathematics plays in all of this. Every student that obtains a university degree should be able to lay claim to a little knowledge in all of these areas. The definition of a technical education as given by DeVry reads, â€Å"To provide high-quality career-oriente... ...he United States, including the fundamental relationships of the federal system. Courses in economics study contemporary economic problems such as inflation, unemployment, poverty, and pollution. These courses help students better understand their place in the community and how to change their situation. They are less likely to feel helpless about their problems they facing Americans. College gives students the means to teach themselves long after their formal education is complete. At best a college education teaches us to think outside of the box. It gives us an appreciation of others differences, instead of a fear of it. College graduates should be able to digest the information around them and formulate their own opinion. Students should come away from their education with the ability to instigate change in themselves, their family, and their community.

France And Germanys Relationships From 1815-1917 Essay -- essays resea

Throughout the time period of 1815 – 1917 there was a vast number of changes. There were good and bad ones. The main principle of this time period was that people were starting to realize that peace should be prevalent throughout Europe. This paper will discuss the relationships between France and Germany during the time period of 1815 – 1917.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The paper will primarily focus on the Franco Prussian War, The Revolutions of 1848, the Dreyfus affair, the Austro Prussian War, imperialism and the beginning of World War One and everything that is closely related to those topics. The paper will have various pictures and primary documents for you to refer to throughout the reading. The Outcome of the Congress of Vienna   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Congress of Vienna was formed to keep a balance of power, and preserve peace throughout Europe. There were many territorial decisions that were made during this congress. These decisions effected the outcome of the Congress of Vienna. France was deprived of any land that was conquered by Napoleon. Prussia received much of Saxony and important parts of Westphalia and the Rhine Province.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Prussia received the Rhineland, it was not thought too much of a political gain. However in the long run it paid off. The Rhineland was full of coal and iron. This was very important during Prussian industrial revolution of the 1840s. Since there was this abundance of iron a plethora of railroad tracks could be produced. This led to a large free trade zone. Since King Fredrick William III eliminated all tariffs in the German states, a large free trade state was formed. This allowed the Prussian to have a large monopoly in the middle of the continent of Europe. However the Prussian success did not last forever. It ran into a small glitch. This glitch was the revolution of 1848.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France did not have the same luck. They were given no land and kept under watch by the other countries. The clever Tallyrand represented France at the congress and just tried to make sure that France could stay in the thick of things in European politics. France would soon also have their own problems just as Prussia would. France would also have their own revolution in 1848, as did almost every other country in Europe. The Revolutions of 1848   Ã‚  Ã‚  &nb... ...;  Ã‚   Nationalism is the overall feeling of a group of people to feel part of a group. This feeling was becoming more and more prevalent throughout these times. It was many times a cause of revolt or war just as imperialism was. The underlying causes of World War I were the spirit of intense nationalism that superfluous in Europe throughout the 19th and into the 20th century. The political and economic rivalry among the nations, and the establishment and maintenance in Europe after 1871 of large armaments and of two hostile military alliances. Refer to document â€Å"C† on page 714.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The times from 1815 – 1917 were a time of massive change. Many things went on that changed our world forever. One thing is the Dreyfus affair was a situation that any society has never encountered until this time. Just at the beginning of the Twentieth century was the First World War. This left an ever-impressionable impact upon our world. All of this change was good and need. Otherwise our society would not have turned out the way it has.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Forensic Science Essay

1. How are fire scenes different than regular crime scenes for investigators? Fire scenes are different than regular crime scenes because the evidence that was at the scene of the crime is most likely burned and destroyed, also the individual who committed the crime is not at the crime scene usually. This makes it hard to piece together who did it or why. You will also at the same time have to use a different type of evidence to piece together the crime, instead of the evidence at the scene of the crime. 2. What is the blast effect? The blast effect is the outward rush of gasses from the point of origin of the bomb, it can be over 7000 miles per hour or 3129.28 meters/s. It is related to Newton’s second law because the second law states that the acceleration of an object depends on the net force acting on it. 3. What are the two types of high explosives? The two types of high explosives are primary and secondary. The difference is very slight, primary explosives are easily detonated and are very sensitive to heat and friction, secondary explosives, like tnt or dynamite, are less sensitive to heat and friction. Primary explosives are usually not used in homemade bombs, because of their volatile nature. 4. What is a substrate control? Why is it done? Substrate control is an uncontaminated sample of a flammable liquid. It allows Forensic scientists to compare two samples to see whether a flammable liquid was present at the time. 5. How is the evidence from a fire scene collected? What should be avoided? Evidence from a fire scene is collected by being placed in an air-tight container to prevent the evaporation of flammable liquids. Glass cases as well as clean paint cans with airtight lids. Plastic bags should be avoided because they can produce dangerous gases when they are mixed with flammable liquids. Crit thinking q’s 1. What do you think would be the most challenging part of investigating a  fire or explosion crime scene? Why? The most challenging part of investigating a fire or explosion crime scene is probably collecting evidence, this is because there really isn’t any evidence left. Also the evidence left usually degrades quickly so forensic scientists usually have to be quick to collect the samples. 2. Do you think search warrants should be required for fire scenes? Why or why not? I do not believe warrants should be required for fire scenes because honestly what’s there really left to search, it’s not like I’m going through your house, I’m going through a scene of a fire. Although I understand why some may think you should require a warrant because of the fact that no one likes to be accused of a crime. 3. Do you think more countries should adopt the practice of putting color coded chips in explosive materials? Why or why not? I do believe that color coded chips should be used because using color coded chips can help catch criminals, also it makes it a lot easier to track where the materials go to and if they are used to make a bomb. 4. Why do you think crime scenes involving homemade bombs have increased? I think crime scenes involving homemade bombs have increased because the materials needed to make homemade bombs have been easier to get your hands on, 5. Why do you think the procedures are different from normal crime scenes to those involving fire and explosions? What benefits or challenges are there because of these different procedures? I think the procedures are different from a normal case to one involving fire and explosions, because of the amount of evidence that is left and the how dangerous the sites are even after a fire or explosive has gone off. Some of the benefits are that evidence can be collected faster because of the quicker response time.