Lincoln Essays - Illinois, United States, Bleeding Kansas

Lincoln Abraham Lincoln, Honest Abe, is one of the greatest American Presidents. He is known today for his Presidency in which he fought the Confederacy during the Civil War and abolished slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation and later the Thirteenth Amendment. He was an intelligent, honest, and just leader who governed at a critical time in American history. PRE-PRESIDENCY Lincoln was born on the twelfth of February 1809 in a cabin three miles outside of Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was later forced to move to Indiana. As a child Lincoln worked on his family's farm clearing fields and tending crops. He liked to read but unfortunately received hardly any formal education. In fact, his entire schooling only amounted to about one year of attendance. (Brit. 23) In 1830 Lincoln's family moved to Illinois. Lincoln didn't want to be a farmer, so he tried other professions: rail-splitter, flatboat man, storekeeper, postmaster, surveyor, an army man, and a profession in Law. In 1932 Lincoln, at twenty-three years old, decided to run for the Illinois State legislature. Lincoln was to campaign for local improvements such as better roads and canals. However, a war with the Indians broke out before Lincoln's campaign could get going. In response, he joined the Army. After his short wartime, Lincoln returned to politics and lost the race of Illinois Legislature. In 1834 he ran again and was elected- second of thirteen. At the age of 25 Lincoln was a member of the Illinois Legislature. After his term in the legislature, Lincoln found he needed more money. So, he started studying law on his own. He accepted a job in Springfield at John Todd Stuart's practice. In the late 1830's Lincoln found the love of his life, Mary Ann Todd, the daughter of a rich banker. She got engaged to Abe in 1840 and the two were married in 1842. They had thee children together, Willie and Tad Lincoln. In 1946 Lincoln won the Whig nomination for a seat in the House of Representatives for Illinois and sat in Congress in 1847. The major issues of the time were the Mexican-American war, which Lincoln opposed, and slavery. Lincoln was not an anti-slavery crusader. However, he did vote in Congress to stop it from spreading. Morally, Lincoln hated slavery and said slaver was "founded on both injustice and bad policy." He wanted to abolish slavery over time because he thought dramatic actions to end slavery would lead to violence. Lincoln felt that Congress should not interfere with slavery in states in which it already existed. After his term in Congress, Lincoln left politics again for a full time law practice. In the early 1850's Senator Stephen Douglas opened the issue of slavery in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. In 1854, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska act, allowing the issue of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska to be decided by popular sovereignty. Lincoln was "thunderstruck and stunned." This act brought him back into politics. He felt obligated to speak out against the Kansas-Nebraska act. So, after Lincoln left law he traveled across Illinois campaigning for anti-slavery Whigs. In his campaigning Lincoln called slavery a "cancer" and a"monstrous injustice." He said he believed in the Declaration of Independence, which states "all men are created equal." However, he wasn't sure of what to do with slavery in the states where it already existed in. In 1856, Lincoln switched from the Whig Party to the Republican Party because the Whigs were weak and could never unite against slavery. Lincoln felt that if he wanted to make a point he would have to be with a strong party. In 1858, Lincoln won the Republican Nomination for the Illinois Senate seat. He wanted the seat of his long time rival, Senator Stephen Douglas. In Lincoln's first speech for his Senate campaign Lincoln said, "I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free." Lincoln warned his opponents that the spread of slavery must be stopped or else it would become "lawful in all the states; old as well as new- north as well as south." In July of 1958, Lincoln challenged Senator Douglas to a series of seven three-hour, public debates. Thousands of people showed up to watch the Little Giant (Douglas) vs. Long Abe. Douglas fought for white supremacy. He believed the country could endure half free and half slave. Douglas said whites made this country therefore they should run it. Lincoln wanted equality. During one debate Lincoln said: "There is no reason in the world why the Negro is not entitled to

Johnathan Edwards And Benjamin Franklin Essays - Benjamin Franklin

Johnathan Edwards And Benjamin Franklin Essays - Benjamin Franklin Johnathan Edwards And Benjamin Franklin Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin both wrote simply, directly and without aristocratic pretense. They felt writing was not an end in itself, but a work done in the service of something greater whether it be God or mankind. In his Personal Narrative, Edwards focuses on the ecclesiastical whereas Franklin, in The Way to Wealth appeals to the individual. Edwards wrote to understand what was happening around him and admits, I made seeking my salvation the main business of my life,. Franklin, rather, wrote on self improvement, similarly to an author of a modern day self-help book. He wrote to inform and would represent himself attractively with numerous aphorisms such as Lost time is never found and The sleeping fox catches no poultry. Edwards, in Personal Narrative, crystallized into language of permanent beauty one of the great mystical experiences of the race. His conversion at age 17, demonstrates his awareness of a meaningful world: I often used to sit and view the Moon, for a long time; and so in the daytime spent much time in viewing the clouds and sky, to behold glory of God in these things. . . Franklin would not sit quietly and view the moon for he reminds his audience that there will be sleeping enough in the grave. He encourages independence saying God helps them that help themselves. Franklin tried that strategy: I used to be continually examining myself, and studying and contriving for likely ways and means, how I should live holily, with far greater diligence and earnestness, than ever I pursued any thing in my life and he writes of his failure: but yet with too great a dependence on my own strength; which afterwards proved a great damage to me. To undue the damage, Edward later viewed that God shoul d govern the world, and order all things according to his own pleasure; and I rejoiced in it, that God reigned, and that his will was done. Bibliography The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 5th ed. Vol. 1. Eds Bayme, et al. New York: W.W. Norton. 1998

Franz Kafkas A Hunger Artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Franz Kafkas A Hunger Artist - Essay Example Insofar as his purpose is not understood and his act of starvation is viewed suspiciously, the hunger artist emerges as an absurd figure. The absurdity of the hunger artist, however, is the absurdity of the human condition and of life itself. To this extent, and despite the unrealistic nature of the story, "A Hunger Artist" can be interpreted as a metaphor for life, a realistic exposition of the human condition, and a parable. The Hunger Artist's inability to communicate the intent of his act of starvation to the people and his commitment to his art does not simply imply the absurdity of his life's work but highlights the meaninglessness of life itself. Kafka's protagonist, a painfully thin man, is locked in a cage by his manager, his impresario, with whom he signed a contract giving him the authority to lock up and starve the artist for a period of forty days. Day after day, for forty days, he just sits in his cage, fasting, watching others watch him, and admire his ability to starve. Meanwhile, three butchers supposedly watch over him to ensure that he does not cheat and break his fast but, instead of keeping an eye on him, they deliberately let him alone. Although they do this out of kindness and to give him an opportunity to eat from the food they believe he has hidden somewhere in his cage. However, the hunger artist views this as an insulting lack of appreciation for, and belief in, his art. When th e forty days are over, he is let out of his cage and led into the town with a marching band. After a few days of rest and food, he begins his fast again. In other words, he is trapped in a continuous cycle of forty days fasting, brief break, forty days fasting and so on. His work/art, insofar as it is not understood as an art, is absurd; his unique ability for self-starvation is absurd as there are many who do not believe he is truly fasting; and, ultimately, his life is reduced to an absurd and meaningless cycle of starvation. As incredible as "A Hunger Artist" and its protagonist are, it is a realistic, although metaphorical, representation of life and the human condition. The story is about the concept of achievement, of doing something incredible and, accordingly, attracting recognition and respect. The protagonist's unique ability, however, is not viewed as an accomplishment worthy of respect but as something fascinating which, at best, will only attract disbelieving stares. The point here is that we, as the readers, should not just see this incredible accomplishment as simply referring to starvation and fasting but as referring to many things, whether they are ideas, inventions or even services that one person has done for men. In other words, this story can be read as focusing on the fact that most people no longer give others, or great things, the appreciation that they deserve. In that case, doing something great or extending an important service to the world becomes absurd and meaningless. For one , people will search for the weak points in that great accomplishment or service, such as when the butchers assumed and believed that the Hunger Artist was cheating and eating. That is, some people will search for the flaws and bring that great thing down, making it loose some of its value. Others will exploit it, as the impresario did with the Hunger Artist. This is exactly what Kafka is saying and important to quote

Old english language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Old english language - Essay Example To begin with, the role of language in one's life is one that fulfils the need to belong. (Crystal, 2005) This sense of belonging springs from one's immediate environment where there is focus on the language one speaks along with complementary elements like accent, nuances and other such features that form the general social and cultural terrain of the particular place. Language offers people first hand knowledge of a variety of symbols that one comes to associate with a place. This in turn generates a more enriching quality to one's experiences. Experiences in various spheres helps in understanding the forces within society and how these forces define and alter language. (Mercer, 1996) In knowing and learning a language, whether by birth or subsequent settlement, there is a certain amount of satisfaction that helps contribute to one's sense of identity. This also has certain mental implications as it shows the person's basic aptitudes, besides brining him or her face to face with the challenges of implementing the language. This makes a person draw from experiences of the past, learn from present experiences and contribute to future experiences, which will shape his or her overall life experiences. This also renders a certain amount of creative and communicative competency to a person and his or her sense of confidence with which he or she carries out interactions with people. This creates a working relationship between centrifugal and centripetal forces in society towards the definition and alteration of language. (Crystal, 2005) Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces Formal and Informal Means of Learning: Centripetal Forces Within every society there are formal and informal means of learning that support the definition and alteration of language. Let us stop for a moment and consider the word "formal". This word has been used above in the context of generating the difference between theory and practice as it may be seen from a variety of perspectives. To begin with, a person's formal education begins at school and goes on into college and higher institutions thereon. Yet, there is a strong play of "informal education" in a person's life. (Byram, 1994; Pp 15 - 31) Informal education begins in a person's life from the time he or she takes birth. Many studies and scientists believe that informal education or orientation towards one's basic belief and value system begins once a child is conceived in a mother's womb. According to numerous studies, a foetus responds to every little sound while in the mother's womb. This is but a small example of informal training. Informal education by no means stops once a child enters an educational institution. Formal education through an educational institution simply sharpens the brains and prepares it to recognise those symbols that will bring a person towards actual worthwhile learning through external experiences. No theory is complete without practice. In fact, any theory that has been propounded without practice is a failure towards imbibing competency of any kind within any individual. According to Lea, "In efforts to help inform educational theory they (philosophers) have dealt extensively with concepts like knowledge, teaching, learning, thinking, understanding, belief, justification, theory, the discipline, rationality and the likes." (Lea, 2001; Pp 16 - 37) The power of

Characters in Relation to a Bee Hive Essay Example for Free

Characters in Relation to a Bee Hive Essay In Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Secret Life of Bees, the female community and the roles in a colony of honeybees go hand in hand in completing the underlying theme that assists the plot’s development. The characters throughout the novel present many parallels to the novel’s main symbol: bees. The aspects of a colony and how every bee, each with a different job works together for a common goal or purpose, reflects significantly on the plot and on the main characters. The symbol of bees is related to many extremely significant themes in the novel such as the power of the female community, and the need for a mother. The jobs of bees in a colony directly relate to and draw parallels to the main characters in the story and the strength of the female community. The brood or baby bee, the worker bees, and the Queen bee are all important roles within a hive of bees just as each different role is important within a household or community. Coming of age in an imperative theme within the plot. A brood or a baby bee characterizes initial innocence and growing up. Lily Owens, the antagonist of the novel, is on a journey of self-discovery, which is comparable to a baby bee in a colony learning its place in the hive. In her growing up, Lily learns important lessons, which help her in the coming-of-age process. Not only is Lily on a journey mentally but she is also on a voyage to find out if her mother truly left her when she was young. Finding out the truth was quite possibly the hardest part of Lily’s journey: â€Å"Knowing can be a curse on a person’s life. I’d traded in a pack of lie for a pack of truth, and I didn’t know which one was heavier. Which one took the most strength to carry around? It was a ridiculous question, though, because once you know the truth, you can’t ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now† (Monk Kidd 256). When she finds out the truth, although the insightfulness exemplified demonstrates her increasing maturity, the anguish in her tone characterizes that she is still a young person with extreme emotions. Lily learns that in fact, refusing to know something is bliss but bliss is not necessarily happiness. Lily, although would feel more comfortable not knowing the actuality of the issue, understands that now that she knows the truth, there is no â€Å"un-knowing†. She realizes that she can either dwell over fact or learn from it. The astute that Lily illustrates, demonstrates that she is in fact maturing, and becoming a large part of the community. When Lily’s extremely obnoxious father, who abused her both mentally and physically, intruded into the house where Lily was staying, storming in and demanding her to come home with him, Lily’s increasing maturity, once again overpowered her once young voice and eventually persuaded him to leave: â€Å"He drove slowly, not tearing down the road like I expected. I watched till he was gone from sight then turned and looked at August and Rosaleen and the Daughters on the porch. This is the moment I remember clearest of all-how I stood in the driveway looking back at them. I remember the sight of them standing there waiting. All these women, all this love, waiting† (299). Lily now understands that her biological mother, the one she has been yearning for her entirety, was in fact never going to be with her. Lily finally accepted this and saw that a mother does not need to be biological, nor does it need to be just one. A female role model, someone strong, courageous, and loving can be found in any women. The racist community Lily grew up in during the 50’s, where black women were looked down upon, was absolutely defied. Lily accepted that her biggest role models, her mothers, were a group of black women. The maturity required while overcoming a deep, racist thought surrounding one’s mind from the most thought-influencing time of development, is extensive and far-reaching. The power of love is finally understood by Lily and therefore embodying her hunger for knowledge of adult knowledge. Lily’s love interest, Zachary Taylor, a black boy is a seemingly outrageous thought for anyone who looked in on the tight night community of the Daughter of Mary. Zach and Lily shared a distant but true and pure love for one another: The silver rectangle dropped down under my shirt, where it dangled cold and certain between my breasts. Zachary Lincoln Taylor rested there, along my heart† (231). This type of love is a first for Lily. The perplexing, untouched and weakening bound of love between two individuals who are in love was something Lily had never previously sensed.

phonics :: essays research papers

PHOÂ ·NICS Phonics is the basic rules for translating written symbols into sounds. Emergent readers and writers should understand that there is a relationship between letter patterns and sound patterns in English (the alphabetic principle), and eventually develop an awareness of the separate sounds in words. Without the recognition of words, there would be an incomplete foundation for constructing meaning. Phonics, along with other the use of context, word parts, syntax, and automaticity enables a reader to recognize words. Learning the basics- relationships between letters and sounds- enables children to decode words they have never seen before. As this process becomes more automatic, it releases children’s attention to the higher-level activities involved in comprehending the text’s meaning. Children will use phonics along with the context and syntax of the text, the illustrations, and the words they recognize automatically. The most effective and efficient phonics instruction focuses on children’s attention on noticing letter/sound patterns in the major components of syllables: that is, on noticing the letter/sound patterns in initial consonants and consonant clusters and in the rime, which consists of the vowel of a syllable plus consonants, such as –ake, -ent, -ish, -ook. Students should not see the rules as fundamentals but rather as a way to note patterns within words. For example, the silent final e is not always consistent, but knowing about it does help the reader note the pattern. Rules should not be taught for recitation. When children have a context in which to learn the code system, instruction of phonics is most successful. Children who have been exposed to print during the early child development years have a solid foundation for learning to read. For children lacking this foundation, activities such as listening to stories, shared reading of Big Books, and matching print in nursery rhymes on charts provides them with a context of what reading and writing are and the uses that sound letter knowledge might have.

Othello and the Outisder Essay

The play Othello by William Shakespeare, the book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and the visual representation enrich understanding of the concept of the outsider through their use of both visual and literary techniques to depict outcast characters. The book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess enriches and explores the concept of the outsider through its use of first person narrative, motifs and rhetorical question and enriches our study of the outsider through its portrayal of Alex, the protagonist, as an outsider. â€Å"So I waited and, O my brothers, I got a lot better munching away at eggiwegs† A Clockwork Orange is written entirely in first person narrative, effectively making readers sympathetic towards Alex’s character and by repeatedly addressing the audience as â€Å"O, my brothers† as shown in the above quote, we are implicated in the actions taken by Alex. But in addressing the audience Alex separates himself from the action in the novel and presents himself as an outsider. Nadsat is a form of slang, a motif in this novel, created by Burgess solely for the novel. The effect of its use is a disjointed one, readers begin the novel feeling disoriented and confused. In turn, this alienates the audience. However as we begin to understand the language, it becomes a distinctive trademark of Alex, and thus estranges him from everyone else in the novel, as we begin to associate its use solely with him. â€Å"Like some bolshy gigantic like chelloveck, like old Bog Himself (by courtesy of Korova Milkbar) turning and turning and turning a vonny grahzny orange in his gigantic rookers† This quote is taken from the end of the novel. The use of nadsat at the end of the novel, when it has been discovered that his fellow droogs no longer use it, further alienates Alex. â€Å"What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses the bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him? † In this quote, Burgess uses rhetorical question to make the audience think about the reconditioning that Alex has been subjected to and how, because his ability to make choices has been taken away from him, his actions become meaningless. Forcing the audience to consider this highlights Alex’s outsider status. Using these literary techniques, Burgess establishes Alex as an outcast which in turn enriches our understanding of the outsider as in this novel we are able to explore the characterisation and actions of an estranged character. William Shakespeare’s Othello makes use of repetition, soliloquies and juxtaposition to depict Othello and Iago as outsiders, consequently enriching our study of the concept of the outsider. The repetition of racial epithets throughout the play cement Othello’s outsider status. Examples include: â€Å"a Barbary horse† and â€Å"an old black ram† The animalistic nature of these insults are a reflection of the racist attitudes that were commonplace in the society Shakespeare has created. Additionally, use of these epithets throughout the play continually degrade Othello and highlight his outcast status. Shakespeare uses soliloquies throughout Othello to reveal Iago’s plan. However, the use of soliloquy by Iago as a means to communicate with the audience casts him as an outsider as he connects more with the audience rather than his fellow characters, effectively ostracising himself. An example of this can be seen in Iago’s soliloquy in Act 2, Scene III: â€Å"And what’s he then that says I play the villain? When this advice is free I give and honest†¦ †¦ And out of her own goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all. † It is soliloquies like these, wherein Iago explains his actions, which also assist in estranging him from the audience, as the reader is never given a otive for Iago’s action – only what they entail. Shakespeare also makes use of juxtaposition to illustrate Othello’s alienation from society. In the quote: To fall in love with what she feared to look on? Shakespeare juxtaposes the ideas of love and fear to describe Brabantio’s disbelief that his daughter, Desdemona, would marr y a man like Othello. It highlights the racist attitudes of the Venetian society Shakespeare re-creates in his play, and emphasises Othello’s outsider status. Shakespeare’s use of a variety of literary techniques to portray estranged characters enriches our study of the outsider as we are able to study and analyse these characters and therefore understand the nature of the outsider. The visual representation uses visual techniques such as: gaze, motif, colour and tone and texture to depict the outsider. The use of direct gaze forces a connection between both the character and the viewer, influencing the viewer. The use of colour, or lack thereof, places emphasis on the window frame – hinting that the frame itself has a deeper meaning. The framing itself becomes a motif, as it is a depiction of how the way an alienated persona sees the outside world in the exact same way, no matter whether or not the person and surroundings change. In the visual representation, the use of colour on the framing only emphasises this feature giving it salience and it points out the fact that the framing is the only element that is repeated.. Additionally, the variety in tone and texture has a confusing and chaotic effect, reflecting the nature of the outsider. The visual produced, together with the original image, enriches study of the outsider as it passes comment (the nature of the outsider is perplexing and chaotic, yet is relatively the same no matter who is outcast) on the nature of the outsider, thus we develop a deeper understanding of this concept. The play Othello, the book A Clockwork Orange and the visual representation make use of both visual and literary technique to enrich the study of the outsider. The use of these techniques assist in the exploration of characters that have been alienated, hence we are able to learn more about the concept of the outsider.