Fear in the Things They Carried

Tim O’Brien’s decision to go to Vietnam was out of the fear from disappointing his family and community. How does shame affect and play a role in the life of the soldiers in The Things They Carried? The Things They Carried is a book set in Massachusetts but the core of the book is based in Vietnam. A group of Soldiers go to war and Tim O’Brien decides to document the true effects of war but beneath his words, there were a lot of factors and double meaning to them.The motif ‘Shame† played a huge part in every character in this book as it was a trait they all shared in common Shame in this context is not necessarily a bad thing as with the power of hindsight, we found it to have been a motivating factor for them during the war in more ways than one. They could decide to inflict injury on themselves as a way to get discharged from their military service but the fear of shame further guided them to be heroes for their country. The interesting thing about this book is that shame was a common factor shared by all men.Their fear of shame and weakness propelled them to act braver than they were. It is not a secret knowing that the soldiers were a little bit afraid of the war but they all did a good job in masking their shame and fears. In The Things They Carried, â€Å"They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and perfect posture† (77).In analyzing this quote, their instinct to run or hide had to be restrained due to fear of being made fun of by colleagues and being called a coward. The chapter â€Å"On the Rainy River† summarizes Tim’s moral fight against being drafted into an unjust war. The Vietnam War was one he strongly opposed and his decision to fight is not down to his bravery or him being a patriot, but that of the ‘fear of sh ame’ and being tagged a coward. Therefore he succumbed to the pressure. â€Å"I survived, but it's not a happy ending. I was a coward. Related essay: Shame is Worth a TryI went to the war† (79). This statement is an example of how shame had him motivated. Him calling himself a coward was the fear of ‘shame’ out powering his principles. He initially thought of running off to Canada after being drafted but was scared that if he did not acknowledge the draft, he would be ridiculed/punished and that would be him disappointing his community and family. In order to avoid this shame facing him, he decided to be brave and go to war and fight for his country. He ended up going and survived the ains of the war due to shame being his motivating factor in his decision. Additionally, looking at Curt Lemons in â€Å"The Dentist†, shame was an igniting force leading to some of the characters bravery and heroism. Curt Lemon suffered an embarrassing fate in this chapter where he fainted before being observed by the visiting dentist. In fear of social acceptance and how the soldiers in the platoon would look at him, he decided to face his fears and shame by having his tooth removed although there was nothing wrong with it.One can attribute the survival of some of the soldiers to shame as it gave them the needed extra incentive to survive. With his renewed ego, this would make him feel stronger and ready for the worst (increasing his bravery while mitigating his shame). Shame, no matter how negative the definition seems to be, the characters in The Things They Carried made the most out of it by making it an unorthodox form of motivation for going to war and trying to survive it. Safe to say O’Briens characters (soldiers) value pride more than their life. Olumide Shodipo

Development Is Impossible Without Industrialisation Essay

Development Is Impossible Without Industrialisation - Essay Example This paper will critically examine the statement that development is impossible without industrialization. Development has been defined as the process of acquiring and securing the freedoms that we have reasons to value. They make our life richer and allow us to be fuller social persons (Amartya Sen cited by Oden 2001). Development is a complex multidimensional process which cannot be addressed by economic growth alone. It must be approached with a dynamic perspective and the process of development is not the province of one nation. Nations have to cooperate and coordinate with one another. In Africa a large number of people fall below the extreme poverty line, which affects income, education and health. Unless the problem of poverty is resolved, no development can take place. This requires effective sustainable development which translates into jobs creation, education and health amenities. Sustainable development requires efficient, established and regular institutions and processes but most importantly it requires efficient industrial sectors. History provides sufficient evidence that industrial civilization brought about sustained prosperity. The Industrial Revolution brought all the development goals set forth at the UN Conference - clean water and sanitation, the elimination of disease, plentiful food (Tracinski, 2002). Industrial capitalism could make man’s physical environment healthier. Nations with large populations demonstrate a marked transformation and higher income growth. Development may vary across nations and may also vary over time, but development is impossible without industrialization. Nations benefit when they step into industrialization. Virtually every country that has experienced rapid growth in productivity and changes in life style over the last two hundred years has done so by industrializing (Murphy, Shleifer, & Vishny, 1998). Countries like

Dead Men's Path Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dead Men's Path - Essay Example The basic and most difficult question to answer here is whether the people under consideration in this book adopt one culture or parts of it and simply and for surely reject the other one in the wake of trying circumstances, economic and socio-cultural pressures and so on and so forth. This paper speaks of the cultural clashes within the related domains. Cultural ramifications have haunted generations for a lengthy period of time and thus a need is discussed which significantly addresses the questions related with the social as well as the cultural facets present within any society in the times much like today. These linkages outline the need to understand the human psyche in a better and more cohesive fashion than was the case in the times gone by. In the work titled ‘Dead Man’s Path’, the author Chinua Achebe has discussed the role of Michael Obi and how his personal thinking of the topic at hand led to a conflict situation. His perception of the former culture resulted in disarray not only for himself but also for others as well. The writer has clearly shown that there was a certain sense of bad judgment on the part of Michael Obi from the onset in his thinking and understanding of the modernization in culture which essentially escorted its way through to a problem in the end. There was a general sense of bad approach being involved in the imposition of his views right from the very start. He has used the example of imposing modernization into traditional thinking and village-like beliefs. This, in all essence is a very bad example to say the least as he has been unable to come to terms with its understanding in the first place. Obi has mocked the beliefs and ideals of the village people which led to a fi ght with the priest. Thus it would not be wrong here to suggest that the attitude employed by Obi is not only insulting but also humiliating which in reality ends in nothing short of being remarked

Explain how human skin color reflects adaptations to varying amounts Essay

Explain how human skin color reflects adaptations to varying amounts of sunlight - Essay Example Rather, it is something that should be appreciated because it only shows how the human body naturally adjusts to the environment. It is believed that Africans and other races with similar skin color have darker coloration because of more melanin that the body produces as an effect of the warmth of the sun. Melanin is the pigment that determines skin color. When a person stays under the sun, more melanin is produced and therefore creates a darker skin color. That is why, when a white person tans or stays under the sun, there would be a darkening of the skin. The same happens in darker-skinned people but the effect is not as obvious as the one on white people. On the contrary, dark-skinned people who stay longer in colder places tend to have fairer skin than other people of the same race who live in warmer places. Since they are not often exposed to the sun, there is no need for more melanin so they tend to have lighter skin color

Working mothers shoudn't go back to work year aftergiving birth Research Paper

Working mothers shoudn't go back to work year aftergiving birth - Research Paper Example However, most countries limit such leave to six months after which mothers are expected to return to work. Various reasons have been cited that force the mothers to return to work. These include economic reasons as well as loss of work opportunities in case they delay the return. However, the positive impact that delayed return to employment has on the infant, on the mother, on the society, far exceeds the adverse impact of early return to labor market. Thus, working mothers should not return to work for a year after giving birth. Child-birth – the period of transition The birth of a child is a period of transition for the couple as it brings about significant changes in their relationship, responsibilities and preoccupations. Mothers are the primary caregivers of the family and their return to re-employment soon after birth of a child affects several factors – parental well-being, investment in parenting, marital relationship, attitudes towards the work and family, and the infant’s disposition and temperament (Feldman, Sussman & Zigler, 2004). It may be argued that childcare centers could be used when mothers return to work but low quality care can result in maternal insensitivity and feeling of insecurity in the child. The number of caregivers in childcare centers may not be adequate. Parents are better caregivers and feel more secure of their infants’ safety when they attend to the infants themselves. Breast-feeding leads to important and long-term health benefits for the infants and their mothers (Murtagh & Moulton, 2011). It also positively affects the cognitive development of the infants and their health as adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months of birth and continued breast-feeding till the infant is 12 months of age. If mothers work outside the home, it negatively influences the duration of breast-feeding. Unsupportive work environments reduce the breast- feeding duration. Adverse impact of early return US based studies find that maternal employment in the first year of life leads to poorer outcomes, later in childhood. In particular, poorer cognitive outcomes have been reported. The adverse effects are pronounced when mothers return to full-time work before the child is one year old (Gregg, Washbrook, Propper & Burgess, 2005). As participation of women with infants in the labor market has gone up, prevalence rate of breast-feeding has declined. In a study based in Taiwan, Chuang et al (2010) find that return to work within six months of giving birth, is a barrier to continuation of breast-feeding. This study was based in Taiwan where maternity leave does not extend beyond 8 weeks. Women were found to stop breast-feeding after this 8-week period during which they were confined at home. Role of legislation in early return Women are being forced to return to work soon after giving birth to the child for economic reasons. In addition, s elf-esteem and a sense of worth are associated with the paid worker status. However, this causes time pressure on family members and adversely impacts the welfare of the children (Smeaton, 2006). Men should be encouraged to perform more active roles in the family and child-rearing. Work-life balance and increasing nursery provision at workplace, part-time work for some months upon return to work should be given due consideration. In the UK before 1990, mothers were paid to stay at home for 18 weeks following child birth. They could return to work anytime up to 29 weeks of child birth. This study by Burgess et al (2008) found that legislation plays a vital role in the work return rates. Most women returned to work at the end of paid leave (18 months) and beginning of unpaid leave. If the partner’

St. Sernin Toulouse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

St. Sernin Toulouse - Research Paper Example Being a wonderful historical monument, the Basilica maintains worthwhile significance as a splendid religious structural design. Its vast chapel, outstanding ventilation system and exterior and interior art distinguishes it from its contemporary religious edifices and churches. It is therefore not only this that its spiritual importance attracts the pilgrims, but also the magnificence of its architecture fascinates them in such a way that they feel rejoiced to visit this historical place attributed to the exemplary life sacrifice made by St. Toulouse during the early years of Christianity. Its exterior and octagonal crossing tower can be viewed from SE. In addition, the tower added ca. 1250; spire completed 1478. (arthist.umn.edu) Since monasteries enjoyed the status of the relics of saints particularly during the Romanesque period, the cult of relics became a major cultural factor influencing architecture. (cartage.org.lb) It is therefore the Christians used to pay much heed to the design and structure so that the monuments could display the valuable services and sacrifices of the early saints during the teaching and preaching of their religious beliefs. By visiting the chapel of St. Toulouse, one is astounded by the art and skills proficiency applied by the expert contractors and builders while making the dream of a magnificent Basilica into reality. Romanesque Architecture 1000 – 1140

Four hour in my lai Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Four hour in my lai - Movie Review Example The U.S. servicemen expressed their experiences and their remorse in participating in one of the tragic events in the U.S. history which included murdering of old men, women and even children and rape and torture of young women and girls at the hands of the trained military personnel. The Pinkville massacre as it was popularly referred to, occurred in an quiet little village in Central Vietnam, which suddenly found itself caught in the center of a bitter war between the Americans and the Vietcong – a pro-communist guerilla army that was resisting the American advancement in their country. The Charlie Co., was hence given an order to kill everyone in the village including old men, women and children as they were perceived to be sympathetic to the Vietcong and weren’t helping or assisting the Americans in the war. The prevalent sentiment within the warring camps was that anyone who wasn’t supporting the Americans was automatically perceived as an enemy and a threat to the national security. The uncovering of the actual brutalities during the war by a former American GI Ron Ridenhour spurred the investigation of the massacre culminating into a huge public outcry and national anguish. Disturbing comparisons were made between the Nazis and the bru talities caused by the Charlie Co., in Vietnam. The movie highlights the pervasive fear of the Americans of the communists and their need to control as the only defense against