The Life of Jack London :: Essays Papers

The Life of Jack London John Griffith London, who is considered by many to be America’s finest author, was born January 12, 1876 in San Francisco, California to an unmarried mother of a wealthy background, Flora Wellman. His father is thought to have been William Chaney, a Journalist, lawyer and major figure in the development of American Astrology. Because Flora was ill, an ex-slave, Virginia Prentiss, who would remain a major maternal influence during the boy’s childhood, raised Jack through infancy. Late in 1876, Flora married John London, a disabled Civil War veteran. The family moved to Oakland, where Jack completed grade school and would develop his love of the outdoors. As a child Jack worked at various hard labor jobs, pirated for oysters on San Francisco Bay, served on a patrol to catch poachers, sailed on a sealing ship, joined Kelly’s Army of unemployed working men, was a toured the country as a hobo. Jack later returned home to attend high school at the young age of 19. During his travels he became acquainted with socialism, for which he was known as the Boy Socialist of Oakland. London would run unsuccessfully several times for mayor of Oakland on the Socialist ticket. Jack developed a love of reading and began writing to escape the horrors of his laborious childhood for which he wanted to forget. Jack became a highly disciplined writher who produced over fifty volumes of stories, novels, and political essays. Even though The Call of the Wild brought London lasting fame, many of his short stories are considered classic and also. London’s long voyage (1907-1909) across the Pacific in a small boat provided material for books and stories about Polynesian and Melanesian, which were instrumental in popularizing Hawaii as a tourist spot. London was an extremely publicized person in his day and used the media attention to his advantage. His strong support of Socialism, women’s suffrage and prohibition were often hot topics in his dealing with the press. He was also one of the first writers who worked closely with the movie industry, and had a good number of his novels made into movies. His first novel The Sea Wolf became the basis for the first full-length American movie. London was also one of the first celebrities to use his endorsement for commercial products in advertising.

Fading Away :: Short Stories Anorexia Eating Disorders Essays

Fading Away "Maddie, are you sure you don't want anything more? You didn't eat much," Mrs. Whitman turned from her dishes to ask her daughter. "I'm fine. I'll eat a big lunch," Stacie said, gulping down her last bit of water. "Maybe you do. But I never see you eat much. For breakfast it's a pancake with jam. Even if you did eat all your lunch like you say you do, when it comes to dinner time, you eat like a bird. Stacie, I think you need to eat more," Mrs. Whitman told her daughter, relieved that she had finally confronted her about her meals. "I eat enough. You don't see me all day long. I eat at other times during the day, too. Just because I don't eat chips when I come home from school or snack on cookies. Just because I'm trying to be healthy, you criticize me for making an effort," Stacie defended, raising her voice. "It's not about choosing healthy foods to eat. I admire your self control. I really do. You know I have difficulty saying no to deserts and different things. But Stacie, I can see you're not eating enough. Those jeans you're wearing, they fit you perfectly when you picked them out this summer but now you need a smaller size. I understood that you wanted to lose a few pounds; all of us can stand to shed a few pounds. But you've kept losing. You look good, I admit. You look very good but I'm worried. You need to eat more. You're so active, running every morning, school, volleyball. You need food to keep you going," Mrs. Whitman explained. Her heart was beating quickly now and her body became warm. Tears welled up in her eyes but she continued gazing at her daughter, hoping she had made a connection, a break through. "I said I eat enough!" Stacie shot back angrily. "I am fine. I've lost weight and thank you for noticing. Something you've never been able to do. You and your stupid Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers and diet pills and every other dumb T.V. trash diet you send away for. You're really going to lose weight when you eat out and catch fast food all the time! I heard Big Macs do wonders! 'Just eat these pills and they'll give you all the nutrients you need and reduce your appetite too, '" Stacie mocked.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Prologue

Ella I wonder if I can fly? With the wind and rain in my hair and my arms out to the side of me, it feels like it might be possible. Perhaps if I can get enough courage to jump off the thin ledge, I'll soar away into the night, like a bird with powerful wings. Maybe then I could reunite with her. â€Å"What are you doing?† Micha says, his voice higher than normal. â€Å"Get down from there. You're going to hurt yourself.† His aqua eyes pierce me through the rain and his hands are on the beams above his head, hesitant to climb out onto the ledge. â€Å"I don't think I will,† I say. â€Å"I think I might be able to fly†¦ just like her.† â€Å"Your mom couldn't fly.† He balances onto the railing and glances down at the murky water far below our feet. â€Å"What are you on?† â€Å"I took one of her old pills.† I tip my head back and bask my face in the rain. â€Å"I just wanted to see what it was like for her. Why she thought she was invincible.† He steps down on the beam with his arms spanned out to the side and his clunky boots slip on the wet metal. The lightning flashes above our heads and collides with the earth. â€Å"Your mother didn't know better, but you do.† Bracing one hand on the metal wire above our heads, he extends his other hand toward me. â€Å"Now come over here. You're scaring the shit out of me.† â€Å"I don't know if I can,† I say softly, raising my head back up as I rotate to face him. â€Å"I'm not sure if I want to.† He dares a step closer and his thick eyelashes blink fiercely against the down pour. â€Å"Yes, you do. You're stronger than that.† His hand begs me closer. â€Å"Please, just get over here.† Staring down at the black water, my body starts to drift. â€Å"I swear to God, Ella!† Micha shouts, his tone sharp, his muscles tense. â€Å"Give me your hand!† I snap out of my daze and tangle my fingers with his. His other hand captures my waist and he leads us swiftly back to the railing, lifting me over it. My feet settle onto the concrete of the bridge that is pooled with puddles. Lights on the beams illuminate the night and Micha's car is parked in the middle of the bridge with the driver's door open and the engine and headlights on. He hops over the railing and then his arms are around me, embracing me securely, like he's afraid to let go. For a second, it feels okay, weightless and uncontrolled. I tuck my face into his chest, the wet fabric damp against my chilled skin. The scent of him takes me to a place I wish I could go back to – my childhood. Back when things weren't as heavy because I was too immature to grasp the full reality of life. Micha pulls back and smoothes my wet hair out of my eyes. â€Å"Don't you ever do that to me again. I can't do this without you.† But he needs to figure out life without this perception of me, because I don't know how long I can keep doing it without drowning. â€Å"Micha, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The look on his face silences my lips. He knows what I'm about to say – he always does. He is my best friend, my soul mate. In a perfect world, full of roses and sunshine we'd be together, but this world is full of broken homes, drunken fathers, and mothers who give up easily. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I cling to him as I say my final good-bye. â€Å"I didn't want to think anymore. It was just too much and my mind wouldn't slow down. But it's alright now. I can think clearly again.† He cups my cheek, his thumb searing hot as he traces the pad lightly across my cheekbone. â€Å"Next time come to me – don't just run. Please. I know things are hard right now, but it'll get better. We've always made it through every single bad thing thrown at us.† Beads of water trickle in his eyelashes, along his cheeks, over his full lips. There's a shift in the air, one I've felt coming for a long time. His lips part. â€Å"Ella, I love – â€Å" I crush my lips against his, hushing him and melting our bodies together. I allow his tongue to caress mine, letting him suck the rain from my bottom lip and savor the taste of me. We arc into each other, like we can't get enough and heat flows through our drenched clothes, warming my skin. I could let it go on forever, but that would be wrong. The girl he thinks he loves needs to disappear. I don't want tonight to be irreversible, so I pull away, breathing him in one last time. Then I walk away, leaving him on the bridge in the rain, along with the old Ella.

Metaphysical Poetry Essay

The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic John Dryden to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by speculation about topics such as love or religion. These poets were not formally affiliated; most of them did not even know or read each other. Their style was characterized by wit and metaphysical conceits—far-fetched or unusual similes or metaphors, such as in Andrew Marvell’s comparison of the soul with a drop of dew; in an expanded epigram format, with the use of simple verse forms, octosyllabic couplets, quatrains or stanzas in which length of line and rhyme scheme enforce the sense. The specific definition of wit which Johnson applied to the school was: â€Å"†¦ a kind of discordia concors; a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike. † Their poetry diverged from the style of their times, containing neither images of nature nor allusions to classical mythology, as were common. Several metaphysical poets, especially John Donne, were influenced by Neo-Platonism. One of the primary Platonic concepts found in metaphysical poetry is the idea that the perfection of beauty in the beloved acted as a remembrance of perfect beauty in the eternal realm. Though secular topics such as scientific or geographical discoveries interested them, there was also a religious or casuistic element to some of their work, by which they attempted to define their relationship with God. John Donne (between 24 January and 19 June 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries. Donne’s style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations. These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of British society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism. Another important theme in Donne’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and theorising about. He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits. A Burnt ShipOut of a fired ship, which by no wayBut drowning could be rescued from the flame,Some men leap’d forth, and ever as they cameNear the foes’ ships, did by their shot decay;So all were lost, which in the ship were found,They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown’d. John Donne A Lame BeggarI am unable, yonder beggar cries,To stand, or move; if he say true, he lies. John Donne.

How do Prospero and two Other Characters of Your Choice Change in the Course of the Play? Essay

How do Prospero and two Other Characters of Your Choice Change in the Course of the Play? The Tempest is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s last plays written. It explores the concept of change and forgiveness along with power. In this essay I am going to explain how three characters, Prospero, Miranda and King Alonso’s attitude and behaviour change throughout the play. I will explore how Prospero goes from surviving off his magic and perhaps being a little over-protective towards his daughter, to realising that he needs to learn to let go and that there is more out there than just power. I will also say how Miranda goes from being quite shy and unaware of anything that isn’t related to the island, to discovering love; and also finally how King Alonso repents his sins after all this time. Firstly, I will discuss how Prospero’s attitude changes as the play unfolds. Prospero is the over-thrown Duke of Milan. He has a daughter called Miranda and an evil brother, Antonio. King Alonso, along with Antonio, helps over-throw Prospero but a loyal councillor, Gonzalo, saves him and Miranda by giving them food and water, and also Prospero’s magic books, which he prizes dearly. When Prospero first reaches the island he comes across a creature called Caliban, who, at first, he treats and cares for. This relationship continues until Caliban tries to disrespect his daughter. From then on he is Prospero’s slave. Caliban’s mother, Sycorax, has a spirit imprisoned, which Prospero rescues from a ‘clover pine’. Ariel, the spirit, now helps Prospero in his life. We first meet Prospero in Act 1 Scene 2, just as he is explaining to Miranda that the shipwreck he caused has hurt no one, ‘Tell your piteous heart there’s no harm done’. This shows that although he wants to cause these people complications, he is not a murderer. He then goes on to tell Miranda the truth about how they came to be on this island, ‘Tis time I should inform thee farther.’ The fact that Prospero is willing to let Miranda know more about her life shows that he is aware that Miranda is growing up and that he must let her know more about her past. As the play progresses we see that as well as Miranda being a big part in Prospero’s life, his magic also plays a very big part in it. He prizes this skill amongst all others, ‘above my dukedom.’ In this sentence we can see that maybe Prospero may have concentrated more on his magic than his ‘job’. This could have been one of the reasons why his brother wanted to over-throw him. Magic was not thought highly upon in the time the play was written. We also see throughout the play how Prospero’s relationship with Caliban and Ariel differ. Although Caliban and Ariel are both Prospero’s slaves, he treats Ariel with respect and trusts her. ‘Thy charge exactly is performed.’ Prospero’s praise shows that he is a kind person at heart as long as you can please him and stay on the right side of him. It also shows that perhaps he has more respect for creatures with magical talents. Prospero treats Caliban with no respect whatsoever and also sends him to do all the ‘dirty’ jobs. Prospero is like this obviously because Caliban tried to rape Miranda, he must now be punished. Further on in the play, when Ferdinand arrives, we see Prospero give a fine example of his protectiveness for Miranda. He calls Ferdinand a ‘spy’ and tells Miranda not to associate herself with him, ‘Speak not you for him: he’s a traitor.’ This now shows that although Prospero is starting to accept the fact that Miranda is growing up, by telling her about their past, he still cannot yet accept that she will find love and one day part from his company. It also shows that Prospero may feel threatened that Ferdinand may take Miranda away from him. Although Prospero seems to despise Ferdinand and Miranda being together, we see later on that they do in fact, play quite an important role in Prospero’s ‘plan’. At this point in the play he is still relying heavily on his magic. Finally, towards the end of the play we see Prospero giving in to the things he holds dear to him. He accepts that Miranda has fallen madly in love with Ferdinand and that he cannot stop her growing up, even with all his power. He finds that magic is not the answer to everything, ‘I have given you hear a third of mine own life†¦now my charms are all o’erthrown and what strengths I have’s my own.’ Prospero also recognises that forgiveness is greater than vengeance. ‘Sir, I invite your highness and your train to my poor cell.’ All of these things show that Prospero in being in this island has learnt some key things in life and about himself. It also shows that being marooned there for all those years helped him grow into a better person. I will now explore how Miranda’s character opens up throughout the play. Miranda is the son of Prospero and arrived on the island aged about three. She doesn’t remember much about her previous life in Milan. At first, Miranda appears almost in Prospero’s command, ‘O my heart bleeds to think o’th’teen that I have turned you to.’ As she knows nothing about her previous life and he is the only man she knows of, she looks up to him like a servant would to his master. It is clear that Miranda has utmost respect him. She is aware that he does not conceal to her about her past life in Milan, ‘You have often begun to tell me what I am, but stopped,’ but now she is ready to know more; she is more mature than Prospero takes her for. Prospero holds Miranda back. As the play moves forward, very slowly, Miranda starts to grow into an adult. She starts to challenge Prospero, ‘O dear father, make not to rash a trial of him,’ Miranda is now gaining confidence in herself instead of ‘just standing in the shadows’. She also finds love in the form of the King’s son, Ferdinand. She can never remember seeing a man other than Prospero before, so as she looks upon him, she thinks that he must be a spirit. Finally, by the end of the play Miranda has developed into a woman. There is still one thing that suggests Miranda still has a lot more to learn about real life; when she looks at the villains she still mistakes them from people of a ‘brave new world’. Apart from this she seems to be a ‘new person’: she is to marry Ferdinand and she can now speak out for herself as she wishes or sees fit, ‘If you’ll sit down.’ In saying this she indicates that she is very much more in command of her own life and what she says now. Finally, I will explore how King Alonso’s attitude and behaviour changes throughout the play. Alonso is the King of Naples who has a brother, Sebastian and a son, Ferdinand. He plays a part in helping Antonio over-throw Prospero. He is on his way back from his daughters weeding when we first encounter him and at once we get the feeling of great power, ‘Good Boatswain, have care where’s the master†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ordering one of the crew members about when it’s not his ship to control shows that he wants to/needs to know what is going on all the time. We do not meet him again properly until half way through the play, where he is roaming the island, having been separated from his son. At this point, although he does not know it yet, he is already part of Prospero’s ‘plan’. Gonzalo is trying to comfort the King but Alonso receives comfort like ‘cold porridge’. ‘Prithee, peace†¦I prithee, spare.’ By saying this he is showing that he does not like to be told what to do or what to feel, he does what he wants and doesn’t like anyone else interfering. He also assumes that his son is dead very quickly, ‘No, no, he’s gone.’ This shows that either King Alonso is very strong mentally and can accept the truth quickly or conceals his emotions very well. We Meet Alonso again at the end of the play where everyone is brought together, the King, assuming his son is dead all this time is over-whelmed with joy to see Ferdinand playing chess with Miranda In Prospero’s cave. ‘Now all the blessings of a good father compass thee about,’ even thought he assumed and accepted that his son had died very quickly we now see that he does care and love his son very much, as much as Prospero loves his magic and daughter. In the end King Alonso repents all his sins, ‘Thou pardon me my wrongs,’ by repenting his sins Alonso is showing us that he is a very mindful character and can accept that he has done wrong and is aware that he needs to take responsibility for his own actions. Throughout the whole play there is a great amount of change going on, whether it be Prospero giving up his magic or Caliban repenting his sins. I believe that this play is built with a moral behind it. At the end of The Tempest everybody is bought together and we find out how different everyone is as well as how they feel about each other truthfully. Although Prospero has been on the receiving end of so many wrong doings, he can still forgive them all, including his unrepentant brother, Antonio. Some of the characters: Gonzalo, Caliban and King Alonso ask for his forgiveness and repent their sins. Others: Sebastian and Antonio do not and still believe that he got all he deserved. This shows that they are in some ways ignorant and not as ‘big’ as those who asked for forgiveness, it takes a bigger man to own up to what he has done.

American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Government - Essay Example This is because the minority party can have powers to control the interests of the majority party in doing as they wish and desire. In addition, another reason for filibuster in the senate is to keep the senate from becoming a House, which may be succumbed to the passions of the day. In my view, I think filibuster should not be eliminated since it is a remarkably crucial and unique issue in the U.S. government. The filibuster should not be eliminated since it is a strong tool to the minority party. The minority can use the filibuster in making a point or trying to get their way. In the senate, a senator or his minority party can block a full nomination or senate consideration of a certain bill through unlimited debate of a proposal. The use of the filibuster by the minority ensures representation of the minority party in the senate, which creates a balance in the senate. Hence, the filibuster in the senate should not be eliminated since its withdrawal in the senate would threaten fre e speech and debate in the senate. List and explain some of the various roles (constitutional and extraconstitutional) that a president must play. Of these roles, which role do you believe is most important for a president, and why? The American president has both constitutional and extra constitutional roles with which he is associated. One of the constitutional roles of the American president is assuming the role of chief of state. Through this role, the president acts as a symbolic leader of America and abroad. When assuming this role, the president should be above politics. Another constitutional role assumed by the president is that of the chief administrator. In playing this role, the president is responsible for executing all rules and overseeing the bureaucracy. Another constitutional role is being the chief commander. In assuming this role, the president does not play a symbolic role; he decides what to do in times of conflict. The president is given a superior ability in a ssessing and reacting to situations. In addition, the president plays a constitutional role in assuming the role of a chief diplomat. In this role, the president determines countries to negotiate foreign policies and the ones to recognize officially. On the other hand, the president plays the role of a party leader as one of the extra constitutional roles. Another extra constitutional role played by the president is that of an economy manager. In taking this responsibility, the president directs the economy. In addition, another extra constitutional role of the president is being the voice of the people. The president represents all the people for the entire nation since it is the only position, which the whole nation has to decide who will be the leader. Of these roles, I think being the chief commander is the most vital role. This stems from the fact that the president is capable of analyzing situations and coming up with strategies to protect the nation. Describe the process wher eby the Supreme Court sets its agenda, makes its decisions, and delivers them to the public. The process of Supreme Court’s agenda-setting commences when a party loses a case in a lower court, desires the Supreme Court to evaluate the verdict of the lower court, and files a petition for an appeal with the court or a writ of certiorari. After the petition for certiorari and entire accompanying briefs are recorded, the office of the Supreme

Health and disease relation to cigarette smoking Essay

Health and disease relation to cigarette smoking - Essay Example port identify that â€Å"among men who smoke cigarettes the death rate from cancer of the lung was 1,000 percent higher than among nonsmokers† and that â€Å"the incidence of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, was 70 percent higher among smokers† (Brandt 494). Brandt points out how the clash between traditional American libertarian ethic and communitarian ethic has influenced debates on cigarette smoking in the nation. The author also provides an elaborate discussion on accountability for tobacco induced diseases and finally concludes that more attention should be paid to the social responsibility theory for addressing the issue. Proponents of cigarette smoking emphasize on traditional American libertarian ethic which stress on individual freedom and individual decisions. As such they regard governmental interference on smoking behavior as an â€Å"unjustifiable intrusion into individual decisions† (Brandt 500). They also hold that rather than regulating the smoking behavior of the public government’s duty is only to inform them of its potential dangers. On the other hand, communitarian ethic holds that exposure to other peoples cigarette smoke cause serious health problems to non-smokers in the community. Various researches on the risks of side stream smoke and the addictive nature of cigarettes also emphasize the need to delegitimize and stigmatize cigarette smoking. The communitarian ethic thus views smoking as a moral issue as its health effects on the non-smoking community are quite dangerous. This tension between traditional American libertarian ethic and communitarian ethic on cigarette smoking raises a number of questions on who should shoulder the responsibility of the risks associated with cigarette smoking. While many attribute this responsibility to the tobacco industry there are others who stress on governmental accountability. The first Surgeon Generals Report emphasizes on governmental intervention and