Martin Luther Kings Impact On The Civil Rights Movement

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American priest, activist, and important leader in the African-American Civil Rights movement. His main hope was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States, and he has become a human rights icon. King was a Baptist minister and activist. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King s efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. There, he raised public knowledge of the Civil Rights movement and made himself as one of the greatest speakers in U.S. history. Born in the early part of the 20th century in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King, Jr. was†¦show more content†¦Upset by the news of his grandmother s death, he attempted to commit suicide by jumping out of the second story window of his family s home. King was a very bright child. He attended Booker T. Washington High school where he skipped the 9th and 11th grades, eventually going to Morehouse College at the age of fifteen. In 1948, Martin Luther King, Jr. earned a sociology degree from Morehouse College. King enrolled at Boston University where he met his soon-to-be wife Coretta Scott. They were married in June 1953 and had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott and Bernice. In 1954, King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery, Alabama. King was awarded his Bachelor of Divinity in 1955 at the age of twenty-five. On December 1, 1955, a 42-year-old black woman refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This woman was named Rosa Parks. At the time, black people were required to sit at the back of the bus. Rosa was arrested for her refusal to move and was later found guilty in a court of law. When this happened, King and several other Civil Rights activists planned to have a city-wide bus boycott. Martin was elected to be in charge of this boycott. On December 5, 1955, the bus boycott began and 90% of Montgomery s African-American citizens stayed off of city buses. As a result of the boycott, the city lost money. Over a year later, on December 20, 1956, the city gave in and allowed black people to sitShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King’s Quest for Equality1340 Words   |  5 PagesKing’s Quest for Equality Martin Luther King Jr. had a substantial impact on how the United States views civil rights. During his lifetime, Martin became highly educated and used his knowledge to help others in a positive way. King was not only an influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement, but also a catalyst and a leading figure of the 1960s. His leadership and practices still live on today, and the Civil Rights Movement wouldnt have been nearly as successful without his leadership andRead MoreMartin Luther King Essay1440 Words   |  6 PagesWas Martin Luther King the King of the Civil Rights Movement? Martin Luther King was an African-American Civil Rights activist, whose aim was to obtain equality between the races. He believed that this was best done using non-violence (inspired by Gandhi), and so he preached peace. Although he is widely recognised as the main face of the Civil Rights Movement, there were others who contributed in a crucial fashion to the progression of this movement. Rosa Parks, for example, ignited the match whichRead More Complexities of Dr. Martin Luther King Essay1254 Words   |  6 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr.’s impact on the civil rights movement was nothing short of monumental. To say anything less may be considered sacrilege in the history of the United States. King’s liberal and Christian upbringing, comfortable and educated childhood, and his theological education all played a large part in his contributions to civil rights in America. Perhaps one of his most sustained acts was his ability to represent the plight of African American rights while simultaneously portrayingRead MoreEssay about The Contribution of Martin Luther King to US Affairs1173 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ What was the contribution of Martin Luther King to US affairs? 1) Introduction: 1. Before 1945, the Negro community was regarded as socially inferior within the United States. 2. While slavery had been abolished in 1863 under President Lincoln, segregation was commonplace, especially in the southern sates. 3. The Jim Crow laws were in place to maintain this segregation and in 1896, the Supreme Court ruled these laws constitutional. 4. However, the growing discontentment among the NegroRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.: How Society Changed859 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the course of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, there were several black and white supporters who had brave roles. The most prominent and persistent activist of African American rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr. King’s ideas sparked the ideal perspective of equality. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equality by organizing marches, giving powerful speeches, and staying positive through adversity. Martin Luther King Jr. knew of the constant racism and cruelty in Birmingham, AlabamaRead MoreThe Fight for Freedom1312 Words   |  6 Pagesdid freedom for blacks come about? The Civil Rights Movement took place in the late 1950’s though the 1960’s, however; Tricia Andryszewski informs her readers that Black Americans had been working for change since before the civil war, but mainly beyond. Some of the most prominent civil rights leaders include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Philip Randolph, and Bayard Rustin. The two main goals of the civil rights activists being, equal rights and treatment for all races. As a resultRead MoreMartin Luther King Speech Analysis989 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King Jr gave what could be considered one of the most well known and most influential speeches in the entirety of time. His words sparked change for an entire nation and was an enormous factor in contributing to the African American Civil Rights movement. During the time of Martin Luther King Jr’s speech, the country was in a great state of distress regarding equal rights and equal opportunity for people of color. Riots, protests, and chaos seemed to be taking over the country asRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is unarguably the most famous civil rights900 Words   |  4 Pages Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is unarguably the most famous civil rights activist in American history. His story and legacy is taught in classrooms across the country. From birth to death, Dr. King impacted the lives of many people and changed the roles of society forever. Dr. King had one big dream and what shaped his dream begins in Atlanta,, Georgia, and ends in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born into a loving and caring family on January 15, 1929 inRead MoreDr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversy.† (Famous civil-rights†¦) As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, the â€Å"measure† of a man comes not when things are going well, but when things are times are challenging. In the time of the Civil Rights movement, lots of African American people were measured by how they managed difficult situations. The Civil rights movement had many influential leaders and events. The overall importance of the movement was the profound impact it had on American life. The Civil Rights Movement had many importantRead MoreAnalysis of Martin Luther King ´s Speech: I Have a Dream1309 Words   |  6 Pagesdid freedom for blacks come about? The Civil Rights Movement took place in the late 1950’s through the 1960’s, however; Tricia Andryszewski informs her readers that Black Americans had been working for change since before the civil war, but mainly beyond. Some of the most prominent civil rights leaders include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Philip Randolph, and Bayard Rustin. The two main goals of the civil rights activists being, equal rights and treatment for all races. As a result

The Themes Of Symbolism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin

Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is a short story that expresses the themes of alienation, identity, drugs, music, family, suffering, redemption, racism in society and imprisonment. Baldwin uses a lot of symbolism, allegories and imagery within the text. Music, alienation, drugs and suffering are the themes that are most clearly understood and show up the most. Music and drugs and perfect examples of symbolism. And when Baldwin talks about suffering and alienation they have the closest connection to being allegories. Music brings Sonny and his brother together but also tears them apart, so its a contradicting factor in this story. Sonnys music and his drugs play similar roles within the text as well. Sonny and the narrator suffered not only†¦show more content†¦This Passage is important because it shows a more vulnerable side of Sonny and shows that he really does care about them and he knows that they affect more than just him. Music and drugs go hand in hand in this short story. Sonny talks about how the drugs made him feel, â€Å"It makes you feel – in control. Sometimes youve gotta have that feeling† (Baldwin 67) Being someone who has to grow up in a constricting and condemning environment where you have no control over anything is rough. And sonny has felt that all his life from where he would live, what his job would be and on whether or not you see another day is something Sonny and his brother had to endure they just chose different ways to take control of their lives. Sonny feels this way when he plays his music but can also get the same feeling when taking drugs. The two things compliment one another well in this narrative. If sonny can’t play music he has to find some way to control his life. But music tears apart and repairs the brother’s relationship aw well. Sonny is having a talk with his brother and he tells him â€Å"when she was singing before, said Sonny, abru ptly, her voice reminded me for a minute of what heroin feels like sometimes – when its in your veins. It makes you feel sort of warm and cool at the same time (66). This passage is showing sonny trying his best to explain how it feels when he gets high. This quote is also being compared to music and how it makes him feel. Author John M. ReillyShow MoreRelatedSymbolism And Themes In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin1958 Words   |  8 PagesWhile reading â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin theme, symbolism, and motifs were discovered throughout the entire short story. Sonny one of the two main characters, is dealing with a drug addiction and is now following his dreams of becoming a jazz musician. The narrator, whose name was never given, does his best to keep the promise he made his mother years ago, to be his brother’s keeper. James Baldwin, an African American author, grew up in Harlem, New York. Baldwin had no one to share his loveRead MoreRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin993 Words   |  4 Pagesonly seems to be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes the lasting effect of racism throughout the story. While Baldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny, the audience infers the idea the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a significant factor of symbolism portrayed through the overall hometown setting, key events told throughout the story, and the overallRead MoreRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin935 Words   |  4 Pagesto be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes on the lasting effect of racism throughout the story. Ba ldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny. The audience has to infer the reasoning behind what the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a significant factor of symbolism portrayed through the overall hometown setting, key events told throughout the story, andRead MoreLiterary Canon Of The 21st Century1637 Words   |  7 Pagesthe midst of all those great literature works, there are some great standing out articles due to their strong composition and meaningful life messages that the authors try to convey to the audiences. One of them is the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, written by James Baldwin in 1957. This story shows us the reality as well as the complexity of life matters, and an overall picture of all the subcategories also really shows us the reason why it should be remained as a part of the literary canon of the 21stRead MoreSymbolism In Sonnys Blues1392 Words   |  6 PagesSonny’s Blues by James Baldwi n is a short story about two brothers that overcome many obstacles in their lives such as housing problems, death, discrimination, drug addiction, and imprisonment. Baldwin tends to use a lot of symbolism, allegories and imagery within the text as well. This story expresses the overall theme of suffering that Black Americans faced during the 1950s. The link between music, drugs, and environment play a large role when it comes to the characters suffering. Much of theRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s The Blues And Jazz Essay2185 Words   |  9 PagesBorn in Harlem during the mid-1920s’, author James Baldwin carved for himself a space in literary and intellectual spheres of influence ground in the assertion that â€Å"all art is a kind of confession† and that artists must be forced to â€Å"vomit the anguish up,† (Gates Jr. 390). Baldwin’s confessional vomit came from his spirit of evangelism with lyrical stylings of both the blues and jazz. Baldwin’s writings appropriate all three of these elements of African-American culture in both small, singular elementsRead MoreHow to Read Lit Like a Prof Notes3608 Words   |  15 Pagesgood, being based on Hamlet won’t save it. 6. When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare†¦ a. Writers use what is common in a culture as a kind of shorthand. Shakespeare is pervasive, so he is frequently echoed. b. See plays as a pattern, either in plot or theme or both. Examples: i. Hamlet: heroic character, revenge, indecision, melancholy nature ii. Henry IV—a young man who must grow up to become king, take on his responsibilities iii. Othello—jealousy iv. Merchant of Venice—justice vs. mercy v. King Lear—aging

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 2 Free Essays

string(51) " corner of my eye, I saw Seth shift uncomfortably\." I don’t really have anything against Canadians. They’re nice. Really nice. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Heat CHAPTER 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But that didn’t mean I wanted to go curling with them, and there was always a danger that if Jerome was in the right mood, he might decide to make this temporary assignment a permanent one. I didn’t think he would, though. Underneath all the gruffness, Jerome liked me-inasmuch as a demon could truly like anyone. Admittedly, he’d liked me a little less since Seth had turned my life upside down last fall, but when I wasn’t sporting massive attitude, I think I amused Jerome. Amusing things are few in the face of eternity, so hopefully that would be enough to ensure my job security. I left Belltown and headed over to Queen Anne, another Seattle neighborhood. I both lived and worked in Queen Anne, and if I was about to disappear for a while, my mortal employer should probably know. Unfortunately, going into work meant facing some unpleasant things that I wasn’t really in the mood for tonight. â€Å"Georgina! What are you doing here?† Maddie Sato, the Brutus to my Caesar, came scurrying up to me as I entered Emerald City Books and Caf? ¦. In Maddie’s defense, she hadn’t known Seth and I were dating when they’d slept together. So, it wasn’t like she’d knowingly stolen him from me. That didn’t really change my feelings toward either of them, though. â€Å"I need to see Warren,† I said, suspecting I probably reeked of vodka and smoke. â€Å"Is he here?† She shook her head, making her glossy black hair sway. It was worn in a long, sleek style I’d taught her how to do. â€Å"He left about an hour ago. Didn’t want to stick around for closing.† I glanced at a clock. I’d barely made it in before they locked the doors. I tapped my foot impatiently, wondering if I should call Warren at home. Finally, I asked, â€Å"You got a sec to go over some schedule stuff? I’m going to be out for a few days†¦or maybe more.† â€Å"Sure,† she said, smiling and showing dimples. â€Å"You want me to grab Doug too?† â€Å"He’s here?† Both assistant managers closing in one night. It was a stroke of luck. I headed off to my office while she went to fetch her brother Doug. My desk was organized for a change, and I found the clipboard bearing the schedule for the next couple of weeks. I skimmed it, relieved to see we had a full complement of staff for a change. My immortal friends didn’t understand why I cared so much about this job. There had been days recently-days when I didn’t want to get out of bed because I was so depressed-that I’d wondered the same thing. But the truth was, eternity was an extremely long time, and I’d spent most of my time always occupied with some activity. It was part of my nature; I couldn’t be idle. And sometimes- sometimes -I could get so caught up in the day-to-day affairs of the human world that I could almost pretend for a heartbeat that I was one of them again. â€Å"I don’t think we’ll need anyone to cover me,† I said when I heard the office door open a few minutes later. â€Å"Someone’ll just need to take over my-† I looked up. Maddie had returned, along with Doug, but they weren’t alone. Seth was with them. All the easy confidence I’d shown in the store, all the brashness and bravado I’d shown at the club†¦it all shriveled up into a cold, hard knot as I looked at him. Walls slammed down around me. How could he affect me like this, particularly while wearing a Buck Rogers T-shirt? It had been three months. Why wasn’t I over him? Why did I still want to cry or break something whenever I saw him? â€Å"Whoa, Kincaid,† said Doug, partially distracting me from my angst. He glanced at my outfit and raised an eyebrow. â€Å"We interrupting your social life?† I wore a knee-length black trench coat over a short red dress. My makeup was done to seductive perfection, whorish dark eyeliner and lipstick to match the dress. Shape-shifting in the car would have been a snap, but I didn’t feel like I needed to prove anything here. In fact, I kind of reveled in my tramp look tonight. â€Å"Apparently this is my social life, if I’m pathetic enough to come in on a Saturday night.† I forced myself to focus on Doug and Maddie only, trying hard not to look at Seth’s soft, coppery brown hair or gentle eyes. Why did he have to be here of all nights? The answer: he was here every night. He was an author and did his best work in coffee shops. When we’d broken up, he’d tried to tactfully find another and stay away from me, but Maddie-oblivious to his reasons-had begged him to stay at the bookstore’s. â€Å"Where are you going?† asked Maddie. â€Å"Is everything okay?† â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† I said brusquely. â€Å"Long story.† I beckoned Maddie and Doug to the clipboard, explaining again how I was pretty sure the store would be fine without my labor, so long as they could cover the tasks I did as manager. We sketched out a brief list of my responsibilities, like payroll and inventory, and began divvying them up. Doug tapped the list. â€Å"I’ve done all these before, at one time or another. They’re no problem. I’ll take the first half.† He elbowed his sister. â€Å"What about you? You gonna take the rest and pull your share here?† Maddie pursed her lips. She was immensely talented but suffered from bouts of insecurity, which I’d repeatedly told her was ridiculous. She’d improved a lot over the months-again, thanks to me-but still faltered. â€Å"I didn’t realize you did so much. I hope I can learn it all.† â€Å"Stop playing coy. I’ll teach you,† said Doug. â€Å"You’ll be as good as Kincaid in no time.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said dryly. â€Å"We’re practically interchangeable anyway.† Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth shift uncomfortably. You read "Succubus Heat CHAPTER 2" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"The whole thing seems kind of sketchy, though,† remarked Doug, tilting his head so that his black hair fell away from his face. â€Å"You’re going to be gone, but you’re not sure when or how long? I thought you were the reliable one around here.† â€Å"It’s†¦family stuff,† I told them. â€Å"Just gotta be dealt with. Besides, now you can have a chance to be responsible. You should be thanking me, Doug.† He stuck his tongue out at me. â€Å"Is Warren going to be okay with it?† asked Maddie, still fretting on my behalf. â€Å"Let me deal with Warren,† I assured her. Doug scoffed at that, but Maddie didn’t catch on. Warren, the store’s marginally moral owner, had been a longtime sex buddy of mine. He gave me about as much energy as Dante, but he was convenient and suited my mood lately. I’d stopped our tryst while dating Seth but had since returned to old habits. Doug had known about my affair with Warren then and now but was tactful enough to leave me to my own choices, aside from the occasional bit of eye rolling. I suspected Seth knew what was going on too, but I didn’t care. Warren wasn’t going to give me any grief about taking time off. I was too good at what I did, both at work and in the bedroom. We shuffled one shift where I was supposed to have closed, and then I tossed the clipboard back on its pile, suddenly needing to get out of there as soon as possible. â€Å"Alright. Thanks, team. I’ll leave you to your work.† â€Å"Off to hit the town?† asked Doug, still amused. â€Å"I can join you in about a half-hour. I know a killer party.† I shook my head. â€Å"Already hit the town. I’m heading home.† â€Å"Loser,† he called after me. Maddie wished me well with my mysterious time off, and then I left them, walking through the store and exchanging greetings with my other co-workers as they scurried around with their closing tasks. I’d nearly made it to the door when I heard someone call my name. I turned and saw Casey hurrying toward me. She was twenty or so and went to the University of Washington. She’d worked here almost the entire time she’d been in college and was one of our best employees. So, I stopped and forced a smile, my eyes straying longingly toward the door. â€Å"Hey, what’s up?† She grinned, dark eyes sparkling. â€Å"I wanted to know if you were going to go to my party next weekend,† she said. â€Å"You never answered the e-mail.† I didn’t remember any e-mail, but then, I’d been pretty trigger-happy with the delete key lately. â€Å"I didn’t get it,† I lied. â€Å"What’s going on?† â€Å"It’s my graduation party. This Sunday.† I frowned. â€Å"It’s April.† â€Å"I’m graduating early. I got all my credits finished up, so I don’t have to do spring quarter. Pretty cool, huh?† â€Å"Whoa,† I said, actually impressed. â€Å"That is cool. Math, right?† â€Å"Math and Latvian.† â€Å"Why on earth-never mind.† Now was not the time to pursue why someone of Filipino heritage was studying Baltic languages. â€Å"I wish I could go, but I’m leaving town tomorrow for some family stuff and don’t know when I’ll be back. I’m really sorry.† Casey’s face fell a little, but she told me she understood. And like Maddie, she wished me well and hoped my â€Å"family† business would be taken care of easily. That made two of us. She left me and went to finish her closing tasks. As soon as I cleared the store’s door and was outdoors, I stopped and exhaled. Breezy night air washed over me. Being in Seth’s presence was smothering. It stirred up too much in me. Even while talking business and numbers with Doug and Maddie, most of my attention had been on Seth-exactly how far away he stood from me, the way he smelled, the way his messy hair stuck up today. Everything else had been background noise compared to him. Reaching into my purse with shaking hands, I pulled out my cigarettes, desperately needing one for the walk home. I’d smoked for a century or so and stopped ten years ago, something I’d been very proud of, even though I was immune to the effects. Stress had driven me to pick up the habit again. I felt a little bad about subjecting others to secondhand smoke, but honestly, smoking was the least of my problems right now. â€Å"Fuck.† I flicked the switch on my lighter and got nothing. Three more flicks produced similar results. Holding the lighter up to my ear, I shook it. Nothing. It was out of fluid. â€Å"Fuck,† I repeated. I only lived a few blocks away, but somehow, that walk was now going to be agony. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like a boot scuff around the corner of the building. Frowning, I took a few steps forward, wondering if anyone was there. This area was pretty safe, but Lower Queen Anne still had its share of vagrants. Yet, when I glanced around the corner, there was no one there. There was, however, a pack of matches lying on the ground. Kneeling down, I picked the book up and examined them. Mark’s Mad Martini Bar. I’d been there a long time ago. It was in Upper Queen Anne, not too far away if you didn’t mind trekking up the hill. It wasn’t unreasonable that a pack of their matches would find their way here. What was weird was that the matches showed up right when I needed them. Behind me, I heard the store’s door open. â€Å"Georgina?† I rose and turned sharply around. Seth. â€Å"Hey,† I said, hoping for blandness. The smothering feeling returned. Light from inside the store lit up his features in the twilight, and I ate up every line and angle of his face. His eyes looked dark in the dimness, but in full light, they were brown infused with amber. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, and his gaze wouldn’t meet mine. It was painfully reminiscent of how he’d been when we first met, too shy to look directly at me. â€Å"I wanted to see if you were okay,† he said after several awkward moments. I turned the matches over in my hand a couple of times and then placed them in my purse’s outer pocket. â€Å"I’m fine,† I said, keeping my voice cool and distant. â€Å"It’s just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He relaxed slightly and gave a small, rueful laugh. â€Å"When you’re vague about your activities and mention ‘family,’ it usually means immortal business. And immortal business always means trouble.† I started to smile, then immediately squelched it. â€Å"Yeah, it does, and believe me, it’s a great one this time.† Even after everything that had gone down between us, there was such a comfort and familiarity with him that I immediately wanted to launch in and recap the story for him. I could already see us both laughing at the idea of Canadian Satanists. I could perfectly picture the way Seth would shake his head in exasperation. But it wasn’t to be. I was too hurt and too proud to even allow him friendship, so I just shrugged and said, â€Å"But it’ll work out. It always does.† â€Å"Yeah†¦but usually not without a lot of hassle. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.† â€Å"You don’t have to be.† Not anymore . â€Å"I’m not in any danger. Mostly just annoyed.† He opened his mouth to speak, and I knew the gesture. He wanted to argue that there was still cause for concern-but times had changed. He swallowed and let the comment go. More silence fell. I knew I should leave, but somehow, I couldn’t make myself do it. He apparently couldn’t either. â€Å"You†¦you look really great tonight,† he said at last, still fumbling for conversation. There was a catch in his voice. He knew my looks tonight had to do with more than just my body and outfit. The energy I’d stolen from sleeping with the therapist wreathed me. Life and its power were irresistible to all creatures, mortal and immortal alike. Immortals could literally see that life glowing around me. To mortals, I simply looked beautiful. Unearthly. Perfect. For the sake of politeness, I pretended he was complimenting me for normal things. â€Å"Thanks. I was out with the others when all this†¦stuff†¦went down. It’s kind of put a damper on my partying, though.† He nodded by way of answer and shifted so that he actually made eye contact. I wished he hadn’t. My heart melted inside me, and I felt a sob building in my chest. Desperate for something to do, I took out the serendipitous matches and lit the cigarette I’d been holding the whole time. I took a long drag and exhaled. Seth stepped back. He wasn’t a fan of smoking. It was like I suddenly had armor. â€Å"Well,† I said, feeling bolder, â€Å"I should go home and pack. See you around.† I turned and had only taken a step when he called out to me. â€Å"Georgina?† I glanced back. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Do you†¦um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He faltered, and again, I was reminded of that long-ago Seth. Bittersweet feelings burned within me. â€Å"Do you need someone to feed your cat?† I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. â€Å"No, but thanks. Cody’ll do it.† I spoke the next words, fully knowing they’d inflict damage. â€Å"Or Dante will.† Seth flinched, and somehow, I felt both triumphant and sad at the same time. â€Å"No problem,† he said haltingly. â€Å"Just thought I’d, you know, check.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said again. We held each other’s gazes a few more moments, and then I turned away and walked off into the night. How to cite Succubus Heat CHAPTER 2, Essay examples

Marx And Nietzsche Essay Summary Example For Students

Marx And Nietzsche Essay Summary Society is flawed. There are critical imbalances in it that cause much of humanity to suffer. In, the most interesting work from this past half-semester, The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx is reacting to this fact by describing his vision of a perfectly balanced society, a communist society. Simply put, a communist society is one where all property is held in common. No one person has more than the other, but rather everyone shares in the fruits of their labors. Marx is writing of this society because, he believes it to be the best form of society possible. He states that communism creates the correct balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of society. And furthermore thinks that sometimes violence is necessary to reach the state of communism. This paper will reflect upon these two topics: the relationship of the individual and society, and the issue of violence, as each is portrayed in the manifesto. Before expounding upon these ideas, it is necessary to establish a baseline from which to view these topics. It is important to realize that we as humans view everything from our own cultural perspective. Marx speaks of this saying, Your very ideas are but the outgrowth of the conditions of your bourgeois production and bourgeois property, just as your jurisprudence is but the will of your class made into a law for all, a will, whose essential character and direction are determined by the economical conditions of existence of your class. With this in mind, some perspective on the society of that time is vital. During this time the industrial revolution is taking place, a massive movement away from small farms, businesses operated out of homes, small shops on the corner, and so on. Instead, machines are mass-producing products in giant factories, with underpaid workers. No longer do people need to have individual skills. Now, it is only necessary that they can keep the machines going, and do small, repetitive work. The lower working class can no longer live a normal life following their own pursuits, but are lowered to working inhumane hours in these factories. This widens the gap between the upper and lower class-called bourgeois and proletariat-until they are essentially two different worlds. The bourgeois, a tiny portion of the population, has the majority of the wealth while the proletariat, the huge majority, has nothing. It is with this background that Marx begins. First, the topic of the individual and society will be discussed. This topic in itself can be broken down even further. First, the flaws with the current system in respect to the bourgeois and proletariat will be shown, which will reveal the problems in the relationship between individual and society. Secondly, the way that communism addresses these issues, and the rights of the individual, as seen through the manifesto, will be elaborated on in great detail. Quite clearly, Marx is concerned with the organization of society. He sees that the majority of society, more specifically, the proletariat, are living in sub-human conditions. Marx also sees that the bourgeoisie have a disproportionate amount of property and power, and because of that, they abuse it. He writes of how the current situation with the bourgeoisie and proletariat developed. The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. There has always been struggles the between two classes, an upper and lower class. However, Marx speaks of the current order saying, It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones. Our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, possesses, however, this distinctive feature: it has simplified the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. The very nature of the bourgeoisie causes it to grow in size and power while the proletariat shrinks, therefore increasing the gap between the two. Marx goes on to describe how this situation came about, with the industrial revolution and other factors. Modern industry has established the world-market, for which the discovery of America paved the way. This market has given an immense development to commerce, to navigation, and to communication by land. This development has, in doing so, reacted on the extension of industry; and in proportion as industry, commerce, navigation, railways extended, in the same proportion the bourgeoisie developed, increased its capital, and pushed into the background every class handed down from the middle Ages. We see, therefore, how the modern bourgeoisie is itself the product of a long course of development, of a series of revolutions in the modes of production and of exchange. With these thoughts in mind, a more defined view of the individual classes can be attained. First, the proletariat: in several places Marx speaks of how the proletariat is oppressed. He speaks of past societies and the current society when he says, Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed Bourgeoisie and proletariat could quite easily be added to this list of oppressor and oppressed. In every way the proletariat is oppressed, with no hope of improving their place in society. Rather, they are forced to live on hopelessly, knowing that they will not be released from their labors till death. Marx also writes of the relationship between the proletariat and the machines, which is a result of the split between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. He becomes an appendage of the machine, and it is only the most simply, most monotonous, and most easily acquired knack, that is required of himNot only are they slaves of the bourgeois class, and of the bourgeois State; they are daily and hourly enslaved by the machine, by the overlooker, and, above all, by the individual bourgeois manufacturer himself. Marx draws a picture of how the majority of the population is in an oppressed situation of slavery. The people of the proletariat are not to be envied. From here, Marx moves on to describe the oppressor, the bourgeois. He is quite eloquent in his description of this class: The bourgeois, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his natural superiors, and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous cash payment. It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervor, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom-Free Trade. Here Marx is speaking of how the bourgeoisie- controlled society takes every aspect of society and puts them in terms of an exchange value. They reduce all that is noble and admirable about humanity to monetary matters, all in the name of capitalism. Again, All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses, his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind. Marx uses very strong language in these passages, saying that the bourgeois profanes the holy, and drowns the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervor. The bourgeois removes the humanity from society, creating a system in which anything and everything is measured by its worth in the capitalist structure. Now that the roles of the bourgeoisie and proletariat have been established, it is possible to reconsider the communist ideal. Clearly, Marx believes that it is wrong for the majority of society, the proletariat, to suffer. He believes that individuals should be equal, not divided into two distinct worlds. Marx describes the current individual in society saying, In bourgeois society capital is independent and has individuality, while the living person is dependent and has no individuality. He also makes the distinguishing point that it is important for the reader to realize that objections have more than likely arisen from their own bourgeoisie background. You must, therefore, confess that by individual you mean no other person than the bourgeois, than the middle-class owner of property. The Power of Hurtful Words EssayNietzsche seeks all who read it to understand how this is the true exercise of will and how the world has been run down by people using their will in the wrong way. In order to understand Nietzsches sociological perspectives, it will help to be familiar with his background. Born in 1844 in Germany, he was the son of two generations of Lutheran priests. His father died when he was five, leaving young Friedrich to be raised by a family of women: his mother, sister, grandmother, and two aunts. At fourteen he was sent to boarding school and began his long academic career. He went to two graduate schools and received a teaching post when he finished at his second. He taught from 1869 to 1879, when he became to physically ill to continue teaching there. He managed to recover from his illness and actually produced the bulk of his work over the next decade, but his later years drew him so deeply into his philosophical theory that he lost his sanity. ietzsches The Will to Power is really a collection of his personal notes from 1883 to 1888. They were published in 1901 by his sister only a year after he died. During the period of time from which the notes are taken, Nietzsche wrote the bulk of his work including parts of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Geneology of Morals, The Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, Ecce Homo, and Nietzsche Contra Wagner. Nietzsches The Will to Power covers many various arguments, most of which are represented by one of these separate books. he Will to Power is divided into four books; each delving into a different debate. Individually they attempt to cover specific aspects of Nietzsches theory, but as the whole is truly based on his notebooks, many of his ideas cross books and interlace to help demonstrate his main hypothesis of the will to power. The books are: European Nihilism; Critique of the Highest Values Hitherto; Principles of a New Evaluation; and Discipline and Breeding. ietzsche begins the book with his coming to a nihilistic state about his life. Nihilism is the belief that any and all traditional morals, beliefs, and values are baseless. He then explains the step by step process that the modern world has gone through to reach the state where one comes to a belief in nihilism. He details every stage and the unfoundedness of the beliefs in each. He deftly illustrates the fault with each vehicle of hope that people have attempted to grasp onto. He discounts every movement from spiritual enlightenment to music and the arts to progress with incredible validity. ietzsches next section is an attack on the morals that the world has adopted, specifically the Christian values. He begins with a critical analysis of where religion comes from, sighting the need of priests to exercise their will over others and the denial of the self-knowledge of the will by projecting it as God. He continues with an analysis of the coming of Christianity and its appeal to the masses. He further points out the major problems with Christianity including the paradoxical views it projects. He discusses the herd mentality which religion grasps onto. He deconstructs those specific moral judgements that are popularly accepted. He then supplants them with his ideas for what mankind should uphold. My first solution: Dionysian wisdom. Joy in the destruction of the most noble and at the sight of its progressive ruin: in reality joy in what is coming and lies in the future, which triumphs over existing things, however good. (Nietzsche 224) Nietzsche aspires to have each person follow their own true instincts. ietzsche attacks the morality the world has adopted on the basis of perspectivism. He firmly states that everything that one has an opinion on is from a specific perspective, and is therefor askew to each persons own idiosyncracies. An attempt to think about morality without falling under its spell, mistrustful of the seductiveness of its beautiful gestures and glances. A world we can revere, that is adequate to our drive to worship-that continually proves itselfby providing guidance in the particular and the general: this is the Christian viewpoint in which we have all grown up. (Nietzsche 146) With this opinion of rationality, there is therefor no actual reality, since noone actually has a clear vision of it. Nietzsches will to power is the human spirit. According to Nietzsche, each of us has the same level of will power, but it is how we choose to utilize that makes the difference. The will to power can be used for evil doings to control and injure others but the truly powerful do not need to prove themselves to anyone and are comfortable just being. The next section of the book deals with how the will to power will apply to all aspects of life. It covers everything from metaphysics and science to reactions to natures rewards. Nietzsche basically states that there is a balance in this coming world where there is a Basic principle: only individuals feel themselves responsible. Nietzsche goes on to discuss his empirical view that each person is responsible for doing what they can. This is an empirical view because he discusses how some can do more than others and are therefor of higher ranking. He has very specific opinions of what makes one higher than another and what should be done concerning ranks. He actually states that who can and cannot reproduce should be regulated. Many people find offence with this and believe in equality for all. This is one of the debated faults in the work. There is also a flaw in Nietzsches theories when looked at from a sociological point of view. Nietzsche held up his ideal for the way in which people should behave but he took down all forms of social order in doing so and left an idealistic plan for how to continue a society with his ubermensch. Without some greater form of social construct, the likelihood that mankind would be able to support his principles does not seem likely. His argument would be that no one would fall out of line. However, his argument would be better supported should he have given a plan for social order with his liberated people. Despite its shortcomings though, Nietzsches theories seem firmly embedded in history. The concepts that he proposed allowed a number of great movements to follow. His theories on the Dionysian and Apollonian instincts opened up the deep psycho-analysis field to Freud, in addition to inspiring the existentialist movement. Unfortunately, his work was adopted and used to support the Third Reich when it was attempting to take over the world, and for a while no one would give his work any credit. Justly his work has recently been given the credit it is due, as well as all of his theories becoming again highly discussed, debated, and lamented over. The theory behind The Will to Power is incredibly well supported despite the fact that it is simply a collection of notes from Nietzsches later years. It is a wonderful compilation of the premise behind all of his other works and the summary of their individual points. The most amazing aspect of the book and the philosophy is the incredible validity of it even now, over a hundred years after it was written. The social order of his new world needed to be addressed more, but the principles proposed stand sturdily on their own two feet confident in their own will to power.