There are too many people, and too few human beings Robert Zend Essay Example For Students

There are too many people, and too few human beings Robert Zend Essay There are too many people, and too few human beings. Robert Zend Even though there are many people on this planet, there are very few civilized people. Most of them are naturally savaged. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, boys are stranded on an island far away, with no connections to the adult world. These children, having no rules, or civilization, have their true nature exposed. Not surprisingly, these childrens nature happens to be savagery. Savagery can clearly be identified in humans when there are no rules, when the right situation arouses, and finally when there is no civilization around us. We will write a custom essay on There are too many people, and too few human beings Robert Zend specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Without rules, savagery takes over. Without rules, man is free to do whatever he desires. Meaning, their true nature will be exposed. That nature is surely savagery. For example, when you watch little kids, you tend to notice that if one has a toy, the other will start a fight just to get a toy. Since the kids dont know the difference between rights and wrong, theyre just expressing themselves naturally, which happens to be savagery. Here is a quote from Golding from chapter 4 of his book that proves that rules are the basis to civilization. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. This quote shows that Roger is slowly losing the rules of the civilized world as time passes. In this passage by Golding, Roger is throwing rocks, but is still afraid of the societys rules. Later in the book he kills Piggy by rolling a boulder from the top of the mountain showing how his savagery has increased through out the novel without the books. Golding inserts a beautiful, short quote expressing them naturally, which happens to be savagery. Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" pg. 152 The kids dance around a slaughtered mother pig, excitedly spilling the pigs intestines on the ground and rubbing the blood on each others faces. Does this seem like something normal kids would do? No, its not because there would be a parent or a higher authority setting rules for them, to tell them otherwise. In the book by Golding, Lord of the Flies, when all authority is taken out of the picture, the kids are free to do whatever they want. This is where their true nature is exposed. The boys dont put into practice their teachings from church/school on the island, but become savage beasts. This shows us that man is civilized in our society, only because of the fear for higher authority, not because thats their nature. Man can only cover up inner savagery so long, before it breaks out, given the right situation. This states

Wilder Mansion Restoration essay

Wilder Mansion Restoration essay Through The Eyes of A StumpA gloomy dark green moss now grows on a concrete stump that remembers a day when its coat of paint was immaculate and it stood as the foundation for a burnished bronze statue of a woman and two children. Those days are long gone, and now everything the stump sees and hears seems dismal. The flagpole tells the stump that he is lucky not to be able to see the rusty jungle that has become the Wilder Mansion . The iron rails at the entrance, the medal pipes on the sides, even the flagpole himself, all display the years in their orange, rusted skin. For the past sixty years organizations, such as Save Our History, have fought to restore and preserve historical landmarks. The Wilder Mansion has stood predominantly in the Elmhurst community since 1868. The mansion is a part of the American heritage and to destroy it for a frivolous reason like a parking lot is to sell out ones heritage.Winnebago familyThe flagpole tells the stump that the pillars that once stood a t the entrance, all white and pristine, are now dirty with yellow rust stains from the hanging wires and rusted nails. The stump replies with an elaborate description of the green wood in dire need of restoration and the plants in dire need of taming. The cupola and the chimney sit atop the Wilder Mansion and stare at the tattered roof, that hasn't felt the touch of man in three years, and dwell on their own ragged appearance. They grieve over the fact that they used to hover over Wilder Park and flaunt the solid coat of white on their wooden surface which is now partially bare. The mansion shows the wear of time on its exterior but if it were...

Facing the enigma of Californias Water Crisis Essay

Facing the enigma of Californias Water Crisis - Essay Example These include water conservation, recycling and ground water desalination. The San Francisco/Bay Area's agribusinesses, wildlife habitats, and fisheries are gravely endangered by state and federal agencies' plans to increase water diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, rivers, and estuaries. Already, water exports are killing fish indigenous to the area and poisoning water quality in upstream rivers and the delta. Increasingly, these diversions will only add to the problem, while subsidizing corporate produce growers in the San Joaquin Valley and urban sprawl in Southern California. The planned diversion is unnecessary because there are possible solutions through conservation, water recycling, and ground water desalination. The growing demand for water, at a low cost, can be met without further imperiling Northern California's wildlife and water quality. Water use in California is very high due to a combination of factors. One, it being an agricultural state, and the other, is its population rate continues to rise rapidly. Keene's (2003) research finds that, "California's population is projected to increase by 600,000 every year." Water is a precious and limited resource. Yet there are few who are aware of this. We waste our water down the drain all the time. Since it is a public resource, we treat it as our property and not value it as much. California, like many other places, is well known to face problems related to power and oil. Yet what is much less known is the growing water crisis. As California's population keeps growing and new industries emerging, the demand for water and consumption also increases. So diversions were created in "the Bay-Delta Estuary, which includes the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Suisun Marsh and the embayments upstream of the Golden Gate. The Delta and Suisun Marsh are located where California's two major river systems, the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, converge to flow westward through San Francisco Bay" (State Water Resource Control Board, 1998). California diverts more than half of the water that naturally flows through this ecosystem. The water was drained faster than the rain could refill it. As billions and billions of gallons were diverted, there appeared to be concerns about the quality and shortage of water. This idea of water diversions is not something new. "For 150 years, the Bay-Delta has suffered from human activity. Frequent pumping from the Bay-Delta has made it no longer function adequately as either a water supply or a healthy habitat for fish and other wildlife" (The Bay-Delta, 2004). So what are these diversions According to the hyper dictionary the word diversions have three different meanings. 1. The direction of water in a stream away from its natural course. 2. The draft of water from one channel to another 3. The interception of runoff by something which discharges it through unnatural channels In plain words these water diversions are man-made and unnatural. The Delta is an important part of California. Reviews of research on the Bay-Delta (2004) find, businesses from Sacramento to the Bay Area and all the way down to southern part of California in San Diego--all rely on the Bay-Delta water. Whatever the kind of industry--computer sciences, healthcare or construction--most need large volumes of

Information paper on the XM-25 Weapon And Ammunition Essay

Information paper on the XM-25 Weapon And Ammunition - Essay Example With the increase in caliber the weight of the module grenade and ammunition also increased, so that the mass of complex weapon XM29 became excessive and it was decided to divide it into two separate systems. In general it is possible that in future, by reducing the masses the components again will be combined into one compact machine gun, grenade launcher and aiming module. In the current configuration of XM25 the grenade launcher operator must have an individual self-defense weapon – a pistol or a shortened machine gun. The main purpose of XM25 is expansion and enhancement of opportunities of infantry firing at the squad level. It is assumed that this system will complement such existing means of fire support as 40mm grenade launcher (M203 or XM320) and machine guns M249SAW. Through the use of a combined aiming system XM104, combining day and night channels, laser rangefinder, ballistic computer, compass and external interfaces, XM25 will greatly increase the efficiency of hitting compared to the existing 40mm grenade launcher. Sighting range of 25mm grenade will be up to 500 meters against point targets (window of a house, machine-gun, etc.) and up to 700 m against area targets. The main type of ammunition will be XM25 HEAB (High Explosive Air Bursting) grenade type. Programming the distance of the explosion will occur automatically according to the laser range finder just before the shot. If necessary (e.g. due to refuse of sighting system) HEAB type grenades can be impact-detonated. In addition to grenades of HEAB type XM25 can use the shots with warheads of other types, including thermobaric (air explosives), armor-piercing cumulative (armor up to 50mm), cluster for close combat (filled with arrow-shaped striking elements), non-lethal (tear gas or rubber bullets). By the present time samples of XM25 grenade launcher has already being field tested under combat conditions in Afghanistan. XM25 grenade launcher is a magazine-fed

Role of Marriage in Society

Role of Marriage in Society Culture is defined as the dynamic system of rules established by groups (Matsumoto Juang, p. 10). Marriage is one of the norms established by people, which reflect attitude, beliefs and behaviors. Marriage is an interpersonal relationship with communal or religious acknowledgment which is often created as an agreement. Marriage is rooted effectually in almost every society except where common law partners are recognized. It is the bond that exclusively consents a sexual relationship, especially in collectivist countries where sex before marriage is considered a sin, likewise some societies, especially collectivist countries also require official approval of religious or civil body. Across cultures, the anatomies of ancestral standards are different. Beliefs of what comprises a family are based on culture, dynamics, assets, and ethics. In many cultures, extended family which includes married couples staying in the home of their parents is a form of showing love and respect for exampl e in Pakistan; marriage is also basis for having children in those societies. Since issues like fornication and having children outside of marriage is considered taboo so to grow a family in collectivist cultures getting married is must. Our attributions, interpersonal and romantic relationships and group behaviors are all influenced by the culture we live in thus resulting in the attitudes we have towards a specific actions we take. Support gap, depression and illness including marital satisfaction, communication pattern and attitudes towards marriage, they all differ across cultures and will be discussed. Attitude towards marriage being the most important one, because the whole idea of relationship relies on the individuals perspective and preferences. It depends on the individual to see it as a social foundation which administer structure, support, growth and stability or see it as an economic arrangement or as a part of religious institution. The western society might pay more importance to love whereas collectivist cultures might see as an obligatory and as a religious foundation to have family. Spousal Social Support: Social support for women is greatly reduced in machismo cultures (Matsumoto Juang, p. 198). The conformity and obedience are expected by women and is related to traditional gender roles that females and males have occupied; with male traditionally being in power. Such differences result in loss of support especially in cultures where women tend to get married at a young age; since getting married at an early age is a form of economic survival it is also seen as a way to guard the female gender and to administer some adherence in settings where society is under pressure for example India. The support a married couple gets from their significant partner is substantial, because support from outside the marriage does not compensate for the lack of spousal support (Xu Burleson). Belle (1982) termed support gap hypothesis which is that women receive less support from their husband compared to men even though the study Belle did was in 1980 and it has been almost a decade, the study done by Xu and Burleson indicates that social change in sex role relations has not changed. The different kinds of support received are emotional support, esteem support, network support, tangible support and informational support. Research indicates that men are less comfortable and less skilled in discussing distressed emotional state (Burda Vaux 1987; Saurer Eisler, 1990; Trobst, Collins Embree, 1994). In Cross Cultural comparison of social support, Mortneson (1999) found that members of the American individualistic cultures viewed seeking of social support as more appropriate means of coping with problems than did members of the Chinese collectivist cultures. American individualists also rated the provision of emotional support as more appropriate form of emotional support than did Chinese Collectivists. Study done by Xu and Burleson, included 100 native born Americans and 102 native born Chinese; 45% of the sample were between 18-24 yrs of age and not exceeding 33 years. All participants were recently married i.e. not more than 5 years. The study tried to obtain desired and experienced levels of spousal support for the five types of social support (emotional, esteem, network, informational and tangible). Participants also responded to demographic questions that provided information on age, sex, race, national origin, length of time they had known their spouse and the time they have been married. The results indicated a vast difference between Chinese support system vs. American support system; Chinese men reported getting more esteem and network support from their spouse than Chinese women versus American women who experienced higher level of support from their spouse than did men. Sex differences were found amongst Chinese and American women, both face a support gap but Chinese wom en face an additional gap with respect to network support. The results provided Cross-cultural corroboration for the existence of support gaps, i.e. the less network support for Chinese wives that is because Chinese wives were reliant on their husbands for social contacts outside their home. Chinese also reported in getting more information support than did Americans, which could arise from Individualism-Collectivism; a cultural factor. Americans view intimate relationship in terms of personal affect changes whereas Chinese in terms of connection with community. American men reported getting low level of spousal support than Chinese men that is because in traditional value system, wives have an obligation to support the egos and social connections of their husbands and husbands have lesser responsibility. Results indicate that marriage remains more influenced by traditional values among Chinese men than Americans. Depression and Illness including Marital Satisfaction across Cultures In collectivist societies, marriage is the central reality of a womans life and the blue print on which her life depends. Epidemiological studies confirm the special vulnerability of women, especially married women, in South Asia (Johnson Johnson, 2001). High rates of domestic violence (Jejeebhoy, 1998); female illiteracy, malnutrition, anemia and maternal mortality are major public health problems (Buckshee, 1997). Psychiatric epidemiological studies consistently identify high rates of depression and other neurotic illnesses in women and the gender ratio of these disorders on the subcontinent is higher than the gender ratio in the West (Mumford et al., 1996). Among married women in Pakistan, especially among newly married women, attempted suicide (Khan Reza, 1998) and death rates from murder and suicide are higher than in are higher than in many other societies and are usually associated with in-law conflicts, especially dowry disputes (Kumar, 2004). Smaller scale studies of menta l health and illness have found that a variety of disorders such as depression and post-partum depression were strongly associated with marital problems, particularly maltreatment by husband or in-laws (Patel et al., 2002; Ulrich, 1987). Women immigrants report higher rates of depression and dysphoria than Native American women (Karasz, 2005). A study of traditional South Asian immigrant women and white European American women found that European American women viewed depressive symptoms as the result of personality structures shaped by childhood experiences, or by patho-physiological processes such as serotonin deficiency or hormonal imbalance. South Asian women, by contrast, viewed depressive illness as a normal emotional reaction to severe situational stress, especially marital distress, and to the vulnerabilities associated with womens gender roles (Karasz, 2005). The present study by Karasz examines how women understand the link of marital family problems and a wide range of health problems by examining their conceptual representations of the causal relationship between marriage roles, health and illness. Using qualitative methods and a model of illness representation from health psychology literature, 35 traditional South Asian immigrant women living in New York City were interviewed. Results indicated that problems associated with marriage roles, including marital and marital family conflict, domestic overwork and isolation were viewed as extremely serious and were associated conceptually with a variety of health problems. In another study done by Qadir, De Silva, Prince and Khan, tested the applicability of marital satisfaction scales developed in the West for use in Pakistan. The results indicate that, contrary to cultural beliefs regarding marriage, most women expressed the need to be satisfied within marriage, which was found to be extremely low because of variety of reasons such as living in an extended family background and low spousal support. Communication Patterns Rehman and Munroe did a study and used cross-cultural methodology to examine the demand-withdraw pattern of marital communication. In Western countries, women make more demands, whereas men are more likely to withdraw. This advanced marital structure hypothesis suggests that this pattern can be altered by gender roles and beliefs, particularly in traditional marriages (Rehman Munroe, 2006). To test such hypotheses, the authors conducted an observational study of marital communication across very different cultures, with varying levels of patriarchy (i.e., 50 White American couples, 52 Pakistani couples in Pakistan, and 48 immigrant Pakistani couples in America). A questionnaire was used to gather demographic information, such as age and education. The Short Marital Adjustment Test (SMAT; Locke Wallace, 1959); a standard measure of marital adjustment with well-established psychometric properties was the measure of marital satisfaction level. The Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS; Straus, 1979); was used to screen out violent couples. Modified General Ethnicity Questionnaire (GEQ; Tsai, Ying, Lee, 2000); only the immigrant couples completed this measure of acculturation to U.S. culture. Unable to find acculturation measures designed for The Desired Changes Questionnaire; the DCQ was used to choose topics for each couple to discuss during their marital interactions. Twenty areas are listed (e.g., Get together with my friends).3 For each area, spouses rated how much they wanted their partner to change (1- no change; 7- much more); they then listed at least two additional issues on which they wanted partner change and rank ordered their three most important issues. Each couple was also asked to discuss for 7.5 minutes, which were later coded. Across cultures, demand-withdraw communication was related to marital distress, extending previous findings to new groups. The results for demanding behaviors showed that Pakistani wives were significantly more likely to engage in unassertive demands than were American wives, whereas American wives were significantly more likely to use aggressive demands than were Pakistani wives. In addition, among Pakistani and immigrant couples, husbands were significantly more likely than were wives to use aggressive demands, whereas American wives were significantly more likely to use aggressive demands than were American husbands. There was a trend for American husbands to be more likely to withdraw than their wives. In contrast, in the Pakistani group, wives were significantly more likely to withdraw than were husbands. In addition, Pakistani and immigrant wives were significantly more likely to withdraw than were American wives, whereas American husbands were significantly more likely to with draw than were Pakistani husbands. Pakistani and immigrant wives showed increased withdrawal and made more unassertive demands, whereas Pakistani and immigrant husbands withdrew less and made more aggressive demands. Attitudes towards Marriage Attitude is one of the definitions in Jungs Chapter XI of Psychological Types. Jungs description of attitude is a readiness of the psyche to act or react in a certain way (Jung, [1921] 1971:par. 687). One of the types of attitudes Jung describes is, rational attitude, which is reason as an attitude (Jung, [1921] 1971: par. 785). Rational attitude is subdivided into thinking and feeling and irrational is subdivided into sensing and intuition. Attitude towards marriage involves, readiness to act in a certain way, whether you are capable of considering it rationally or irrationally. Why an individual chooses to get married? (voluntarily and involuntarily) differs across cultures. In collectivist cultures, it is seen as the only way of having family, fornication is not only considered a sin but also an individual can be severely punished which can lead to his/her death; some countries also have laws protecting it for example Saudi Arabia. Higgins, Zheng, Liu and Sun did a study to compare the attitude towards marriage amongst people living in China (collective culture) and United Kingdom (individualistic culture). The British sample consisted of 338 students and the Chinese sample consisted of 505 students. A questionnaire was devised by Chinese and English researchers working together. Respondent cultural differences in response style were noted (Higgins, Zheng, Liu Sun, 2002). According to Triandis, Brislin, and Hui (1988), people who belong to collectivist, group-oriented societies are more likely to value harmony, face-saving, modesty, and moderation and this may manifest itself in neutral answers to attitude scales. Respondents were asked for their opinion using a 5-point Likert scale. In this study, students were asked for their general attitude to sex before marriage. A total of 46.3% of Chinese men and 41.2% of Chinese women gave neutral answers, a higher percentage of Chinese female students (46.9%) were aga inst sex before marriage than were Chinese male students (29.9%). The next statements concerned the connection between premarital sex and marriage. Most British students (85.2% men, 91.3% women) disagreed with A couple who have had sexual intercourse before marriage ought to marry each other, whereas only a few Chinese (12.9% men, 11.4% women) disagreed. The belief that sex is designed for marriage is still firmly held by many Chinese people and exerts a strong influence on their attitudes (Higgins, Zheng, Liu Sun, 2002). When asked about their willingness to marry a partner who had had sex with somebody else, over half of the British respondents (54.0% men, 50.6% women) did not seem to worry about their partners previous sexual experience whereas their Chinese counterparts (34.0% men, 36.5% women) appeared to be less agreeable to the idea. 87.1% male and female 94.3% students were against freedom to have lovers within marriage. This attitude was also prevalent among the Chinese sample, with 65.6% of men and 72.5% of women against extramarital lovers, this study showed that these male-superior norms still exist in the U.K. sample but are more prominent in the Chinese sample (Higgins, Zheng, Liu Sun, 2002). Culture exerts a strong influence on peoples attitudes to love, marriage, and sex. People from a more traditional society (e.g. China) have more consensus about the gender roles of men and women; adhere more to traditional morality and values; and are less open about sexual freedom (Higgins, Zheng, Liu Sun, 2002). Hojat, Shapurian, Shafeyhain and Parsi conducted a study amongst 160 Iranian immigrants in the US in 2000. The immigrants were between 20 -50 years of age, questionnaires were given which included 25 questions regarding attitude towards marriage and relationship. Results showed that Iranian immigrant men were more likely than female partners to view premarital sex, marriage and family from a traditional point of view. Another interesting study done by Wiesel and Krenawi consisted of 150 participants of different cultural backgrounds i.e. 29 were Druze, 32 were Muslims and 33 were Christians; 44 were women and 50 were men with a mean age of 34. The questionnaires were designed to reveal attitudes toward love, the marriage expectation scale, potency scale, which will reveal the control of things, and mate selection scale which revealed how the person took initiative in getting married (love or arranged). Results indicated Muslims saw love as less important for marital quality than did Druze and Christians, Muslims more than other groups correlated independent decision making with marital quality, attitude toward love and marital quality were weakly correlated among Muslims, the necessity to beget off spring and unity between families were high amongst Muslims than other groups suggesting what might keep the families together in the absence of love. The results also suggested that arranged marriages are negatively associated with marital satisfaction and low level of marital satisfaction was related with low level of education. Discussion Through a variety of perceptions, one develops an exclusive analogue of what marriage is; and the ancillary ideals concerning marriage. My mother always said that successful marriage depends on two things: finding the right person and being the right person. Since I am a Muslim, I will give several quotations from Quran; which I support as my belief and my idea of a perfect family and what a perfect husband and wife should be like. Though I must admit with time, I have come to realize that to be perfect; one must have to sacrifice a lot and since marriage is a two way street one has to give a lot in order to get anything. In Islam, marriage is treated as half-faith. When a servant of Allah marries, he has completed half of his religious obligations, and he must fear Allah in order to complete the second half (al-Baihaqi). Prophet Muhammad has also said, Marriage is part of my *Sunnah, whoever runs away from my path is not from among us. Husbands and wives are compared as garments to each other (al-Quran 2:187) Marriage gives tranquility (al-Quran 30:21) of mind in the spouses. Allah has prescribed marriage as the only way for conjugal relationship and family life in human society (al-Quran 2:221, 5:5, 24:33). With enough being said of the significance of marriage in Islam, its a shame to see that Muslim women face higher suicidal rate than men in Pakistan (Khan Reza, 1998). Most marriages in Pakistan are arranged by parents and other elders of family, with the woman having little or no say in the selection of her partner. Premarital meetings between couples are rare. Many couples meet each other for the first time on their wedding night. Newly married couples share the house with the grooms family, having little time or space of their own. Once married, a woman is under increasing pressure from her in-laws as well as her own family to have children as soon as possible, preferably in the first year. If for some reason the woman cannot have children, the threat of divorce or the husband taking on a second wife (allowed in Islam) is not uncommon. The divorce rate in Pakistan is quite low 0.3 per 1000 population (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1996, p. 686) but this does not reflect the true state of marriages. There is considerable stigma to divorce, especially for the woman. In addition, few women work outside their homes or have jobs that give them economic independence. Because most of the South Asian and Middle Eastern countries give high power to men, the spousal support is something that men living in these countries expect from women. Being a housewife, taking care of kids and most of all thinking of women as inferior is something common amongst these men. Because the families live together, there is not privacy, which gives rise to poor communication amongst married couples. My marriage was an arranged, it wasnt that my parents didnt ask me of my approval; or if I didnt get a chance to talk to my husband, before getting married, that is something that a women in Islam has the right to do and people; who are uneducated living in impoverished societies, deprive women of these right which gives rise to many social and marital problems. I must admit though, that living in an extended joined family, gave my husband and me little or no time for us, our life was going around in circles to which I always thought was no ending. But, being educated and having a liberal thinking we always made sure there was at least if not all, some privacy left, some matters that only me and my husband would discuss behind closed doors. While doing research for this paper, I sadly have to confess that women living in Asian or Middle eastern countries do suffer more, which didnt come to me as a surprise because Ive lived in Pakistan and have seen it all, but my question and concer n was who will ever put a stop to all this nonsense?. Sadly, women is a victim in these countries but women are also who are perpetuating these hatred and violence in the household. A woman can take many forms, she can be a daughter, a mother in law, a sister in law, a wife, an aunt etc. most importantly she is the one who raises a child to be the kind of person she wants to see him as; unfortunately in countries like Pakistan and India, it is the woman (mother in law) who forces their child to be stern and harsh to their wives, I think its because of the fact that they cant stand the undivided attention of their sons or maybe they think keeping a women under control will only bring out the best for their sons. Who will ever think of these women who are ignored?

Essay --

â€Å"Cyrano de Bergerac† is a play about a man named Cyrano de Bergerac, a poet and a superb swordsman who contains a terribly giant nose. He’s in love with his cousin, Roxanne. Cyrano never tells Roxanne how he feels concerning her therefore she has no idea of his love for her. Within the play Cyrano is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a great, noble, heroic character. The dictionary.com definition of a tragic hero states, â€Å"All tragic heroes have a tragic flaw and since of that flaw the hero is destined for a downfall, suffering, or defeat: the tragic hero is the character that the majority readers will sympathize or empathize with.† Cyrano is different from the contemporary anti-hero however his death was foreshadowed by his actions. Cyrano has all of these traits. Heroic principles and values are necessary of a tragic hero. Whether its showing honor in battle, by charging at enemy lines to redeem his fallen friend Christian, or his loyalty to Roxanne by v isiting her each week and comforting her at the church until his death, displays why he was the hero. Cyrano's admirable traits may be seen as the cause of his downfall. His low self-esteem is why he's too afraid to inform Roxanne how he feels about her. He’s terrified of rejection. Not only is He to proud to ever except defeat in battle by never backing down from a fight but also he is too proud to tell Roxanne how he feels for he believes he will be defeated. This is often the reason why he has gained such a large amount of enemies throughout his life. His pride, along with his low self-esteem, is a burden that weighs him down throughout the play. Cyrano was an excellent example of a tragic hero; for he's a great hero but with tragic flaws, ultimately resulting in his defeat. His... ...ce, possesses admirable traits and characteristics, and has a tragic downfall. He’s strong and intelligent, however with a weakness over his sense of pride. His nose and how seriously he takes himself, makes him a tragic hero. He cannot believe that anybody is able to see beyond his physical characteristics. Cyrano de Bergerac does what he pleases and most actually says whatever is on his mind. He speaks through prideful actions, always thinking of how to make himself stand out or to look intelligent. He never backs down from a fight or a confrontation, and this is often where his pride will continuously persuade his sense. Cyrano only grows in pride, and his temper grows shorter, through the play so the characters don't even say the word 'nose' anywhere near him. Cyrano was a good tragic hero that the audience loves who sadly has tragic flaws that cause his demise.

Chinese Schools Essay

Chinese schools have come a long way since the colonial days. Over the years and with the evolution of the national education system, Chinese schools have had to face countless threats to their survival. Despite this, Chinese schools have gained popularity and have enjoyed high enrolments, even among non-Chinese students. It has been reported that at least 10 percent of students studying in Chinese schools come from non-Chinese backgrounds. A number of factors contribute to this growing phenomenon. First, Chinese schoolteachers are well known for their high level of commitment. For this and other reasons, students from Chinese schools often excel in public examinations especially in Science and Mathematics. The other attraction of Chinese schools is that students are required to learn an additional language, Mandarin, which is a highly marketable skill in the job market. Chinese Education: A Historical Perspective The beginnings of Chinese education in Malaysia can be traced to the early nineteenth century. It was recorded that by 1815, there were already three Chinese schools in Malacca. One was founded by the London Missionary Society. With regard to the other two, sociologist Yang Qinghuang suggests that â€Å"at least one would be a school founded by the Hokkien people. † Scholar Zheng Liangshu suggests that some old-type Chinese schools might have existed in the Straits Settlements since the end of the eighteenth century. For a long time, Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements received neither help from the British government nor assistance from the government in China. Despite this, they thrived —funded mainly by clan and dialect associations. When faced with political and financial difficulties at the turn of the twentieth century, the Ching government of China changed its attitude towards overseas Chinese and began to promote Chinese education outside of China. It implemented educational reforms based on a proposal by Zhang Zidong. Following the reforms, the curriculum was revised to include Chinese Classical Literature, History, Geography, Mathematics, Moral Education, Physical Education and other optional subjects like Commerce and Drawing. In Malaya, Chung Hwa Confucian School in Penang not only adopted this new curriculum (it was the first to do so), it went further to include English as a subject. Support from the Ching government, however, was short lived. It ended with the fall of the dynasty. Chinese schools that attempted to run modern educational programmes (with a modern curriculum and incorporating English as a subject) faced enormous challenges. On the one hand, they were constantly in need of more funds. On the other hand, they lacked competent teachers. Furthermore, they had to compete with the more established English schools. Even so, there were five hundred Chinese schools with modern educational programmes established in Malaya and Singapore in 1920. By this time, textbooks for these schools had departed from the classical into the vernacular Chinese language (baihuawen). Because of their impressive growth, the British government decided that it could no longer afford to ignore Chinese schools. On 29 October 1920, it introduced the Regist ration of School Ordinance to restrict the activities of Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States by way of registration and inspection. In 1935, control was further tightened: textbooks and teachers from China were prohibited. Only local materials and Malaysian-born teachers were allowed, and activities in Chinese schools came under strict scrutiny. Despite these challenges, Chinese education continued to thrive until it was suspended at the time of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya. After the war, Chinese schools resumed operation. By 1946, their number had ballooned to more than one thousand in Malaya. However, following the Barnes and Fenn-Wu Reports (June 1951) and the Education Ordinance 1952, Chinese education was exclude d from the national education system. The Chinese community rallied to form Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association of Malaya, UCSTAM) and Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaya, UCSCAN) to safeguard Chinese education. The Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) joined in. Its president then, Tun Tan Cheng Lock spoke these memorable lines, â€Å"†¦Chinese in Malaya †¦ should be given Chinese education †¦ The dialect or mother tongue can be likened to a person’s shadow, and is inseparable from the person himself/herself†¦ † (translated from Chinese). Efforts to safeguard Chinese education became even more difficult following the Razak Report in 1956 and the Education Ordinance in 1957. Thereafter, Chinese primary education was officially included in the national education system, classified as standard-type primary schools with Chinese language as the medium of instruction. However, Chinese secondary schools were excluded from the system when the Lower Certificate of Education examination (L. C. E) was introduced in English. This was not in accordance with the promise of fairness to other ethnic languages in the country as specified in the Razak Report. Furthermore, the Chinese community were horrified by the terms of reference in Paragraph 12 of the Razak Report: â€Å"†¦the ultimate objective of educational policy in this country must be to bring together the children of all races under a national education system in which the national language is the main medium of instruction. † Paragraph 12 was subsequently omitted following strong opposition from the Chinese community headed by Jiao Zong. Both the Rahman Talib Report (1961) and the Education Act (1961) reaffirmed the education policy as stated in the Education Ordinance 1957. Since government financial aid was vital to the survival of Chinese secondary schools, more than half of the 41 Chinese secondary schools then had little choice but to ‘convert’ itself into English medium national type secondary schools. On hindsight, many Chinese view this decision as a big mistake. The remaining 14 schools refused to give in, and have remained ‘independent’ to this day. The MCA facilitated this ‘conversion’ as it was satisfied with the verbal promises made by the Education Minister that â€Å"the government has no intention to exercise its authority granted under the Act to change Chinese primary schools to national schools† and that â€Å"Chinese schools are allowed to allocate one third of their curriculum for learning Mandarin and Chinese literature. † As a consequence of this concession made at the secondary school level, development of Chinese education in Malaysia was restricted thereafter to the primary school level. The New Education Act 1996 posed an even bigger threat. It threw into question the status of national-type schools that were not established under Section 28 of the new Act. In fact, prior to this during the initial stage of implementing the ‘3R system’ (Reading, Writing & Arithmetic) in 1980, Chinese schools had already been challenged to forgo their medium of instruction. Materials for learning all subjects except Mandarin were available only in Bahasa Melayu. In response, Dong Jiao Zong and various Chinese guilds and associations submitted a memorandum to voice their opposition to the Ministry of Education in 1981. The schools were given the assurance that the government had no intention of changing the character of Chinese schools. However in the ensuing years, Chinese schools were asked to consider the concept of ‘integrated schools’ (1985) and Vision Schools (proposed in 1995, implemented in 2000), in addition to the latest â€Å"2-4-3† resolution that sought to introduce the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (proposed in 2002, implemented in 2003). Despite these challenges, Chinese schools seek to maintain emphasis on the â€Å"Five Aspects of Formal Education in Confucianism (Wuyu Jiaoyu)† namely, moral (de), intellectual (zhi), physical (ti), social (qun ) and aesthetic ( ei) education. Until today, Chinese schools m continue to value discipline, respect for the elderly, courtesy, personal character and morality, rather than marketable skills such as computer literacy, Mathematics and Science. Some Reflections How does the development of Chinese education affect the church community i Malaysia?n Should we stake our claims to citizenry and defend our right to be educated in our own (mother tongue) language? What about racial integration? Is it possible to promote Chinese education without further polarising the different communities? First, we have a moral basis for defending Chinese education. Being given the choice and having the opportunity to be educated in one’s own language is a universal human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Chinese education ha s existed in this country since the nineteenth century. As such, I believe we ought to defend the right of its existence in the same way as we would for the education of other ethnic communities in their own languages. Second, there is value in the Chinese school culture that is worth speaking up for. Even though outsiders might consider the Chinese community uncompromising in its stand with regard to educational issues, it must be pointed out that it is not just about safeguarding the Chinese language but it is also about retaining the ideals of holistic education. Furthermore, Chinese schools have a tradition of nurturing dedicated schoolteachers, and the Christian community should be at the forefront to encourage this culture of service and excellence. In the past, many of them have had to pay a high price for their conviction and dedication by becoming ‘martyrs’: Zhuang Xiquan, Chen Taomin and others were deported for opposing the Registration of School Ordinance 1920; Lim Lian Geok and Yen Yuan Chang were deprived of citizenship in 1961; Lim Huang Sheng and Sim Mow Yu were jailed under the Internal Security Act in 1987. Chinese education aids evangelistic work among the Chinese community. It provides students with a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Whereas in the past, the content of Chinese education was often influenced by traditional beliefs and practices, the Chinese education system today is more open to intellectual discourse on rethinking and repositioning the Chinese identity. The main grouse against Chinese schools is the lack of racial integration since students come from predominantly one ethnic background. The question we must ask is, is this acceptable or healthy in a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia? Most advocates for Chinese education would argue that it is less than ideal but what choice do they have? If national schools were to adopt a more holistic philosophy, and their teachers showed a more credible record in terms of commitment and disciplining of students, and if they provided students with the opportunity to study their own languages, racial integration would be less of an issue and Chinese students would be more evenly distributed between national and Chinese schools. Despite this obvious shortcoming related to racial integration, I still advocate Chinese education for what it offers. Clearly, through its holistic philosophy and track record, it has produced many responsible citizens through the years. Chinese education continues to play a significant role in nation-building and church life in Malaysia. Florence Kuek lectures Mandarin at Universiti Teknologi Mara.