Themes Joseph Merrick and Elephant Man Essay - 940 Words

Breaking through the Blindness: A Fight for Freedom The three short stories we read, The Elephant in the Village of Blind, 20/20, and The Cathedral, all have many common themes with the movie The Elephant man. What intrigues me the most is the hidden underlining meaning each and every story carries. There are three prominent themes I would like to discuss, the figurative and the literal blindness of the characters in the works, enlightenment, and the freedom the characters experience throughout each individual piece. The themes also go hand in hand because one cannot learn a lesson without achieving enlightenment, and cannot free themselves if there is no blinding barrier. The one prominent similarity in all the works is the blindness†¦show more content†¦Even though sometimes people are deceived by other aspects and judge hashly by first impression, eventually they will surely change their perspective to understand things more clearly. There are times when ones vision is blinded due to the lack of experience, but once they cross that barrier they surely reach enlightenment. The four young mothers sitting on the bench, in the story The Elephant in the Village of the Blind, came to a realization that the elephant in fact is not a scary creature but an enormous, gentle ox with a stretched nose. If the villagers would have never given the elephant a chance, they would have been blinded from the idea of a dangerous elephant and probably would not have been delightfully enlightened to find out how gentle the elephant is. Bill, in 20/20, gets enlightened towards the end of the story. Even though at first he found Ruthies imagination and her vision naive, he decided to drive and try t see the world from Ruthies perspective. At the end of the story The Cathedral, Robert says Its really something to the experience he received by drawing the cathedral blindfolded. He judged the blind man from the beginning and did not like the fact that the man was in his hou se, but eventually he realizes how much he was missing out on and was enlightened by the experience of drawing blindfolded. We also see the same occurrence in the movie The Elephant man, the whole townShow MoreRelatedThe Life Of Gregor Samsa1383 Words   |  6 PagesLauren Johnson Ariel McCarter English 2B 3 April 2017 The Life of Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis vs. Joseph Merrick, â€Å"Elephant Man† One person who lived a life that greatly resembled Gregor is Joseph Merrick, the â€Å"Elephant Man.† Merrick was afflicted with a genetic disease, possibly Proteus syndrome (James 554), that deformed him to the point that his skin resembled an elephant. There were bony growths on his face and body. From difficulty moving around to challenges with communications, there

Vietnam Essay - 1320 Words

After thinking about all the things we would learn this year in American history I decided to do my project on the experiences of Vietnam War veterans. There is a lot of controversy as to whether or not the Vietnam War veterans are given enough recognition for what they went through. I have heard horrible stories of US soldiers dying from US bombs, shell shock, and soldiers returning to America and not being able to function as active members of society due to the horrors of the war. All I really know about the war is what I have seen on television. I wanted to learn about the war through the firsthand accounts of those who were there. The Vietnam War was a military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. It began as an†¦show more content†¦Many, especially those who suffered physical trauma, have no jobs and are forced to beg for food on street corners and live under bridges. The first book I read was Bouncing Back. It was a collection of the experiences of a group of Air Force pilots who were gunned down and taken as prisoners of war. The post-POW lives of the Air Force pilots I read about contrasted greatly with those of the Marines I read about in The War In I Corps. The Marines lived dirty lived in the Jungles of Vietnam. One of the best things about The War In I Corps was its great descriptions of the things the Marines had to go through. As Richard A. Guidry put it : â€Å"In a driving rain, laden with heavy packs, our platoon lumbered toward its place in the long line of men sprawled in the thick sticky mud.... The rain added a slimy quality to the crust of dirt and fungus that encased my body. Running my fingers across my arm was like following the tracks of a snail.†3 It really gave me a feel for what they were going through. It made me wonder how they didn’t just not fight. The war wasn’t theirs, but due to bad luck they were stuck in this horrible jungle forced to fight an enemy they had no reason to hate. Living like animals with practically no food and little or no contact with Their families. Under the same conditions I think I would sit under a tree and wait it out. WhileShow MoreRelatedVietnam Culture Dimension Of Vietnam Essay1429 Words   |  6 PagesVietnam Culture Dimension Each country will have the own culture. As the country Vietnam is a country living in feudalism. Vietnam has a distinctive culture and ancient associated with the history of the formation and development of the nation. Vietnam has a rich culture and diversity in all aspects. Vietnamese people have many different festivals along with community significance, and sustainable confidence in the different beliefs about religion. Ability to Influence Power distance dimensionRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam920 Words   |  4 Pages1940’s Vietnam was trying to break free of French reign over their country. During this time period Vietnam was split into two parts, north and south. The Japanese had decided to take over Vietnam in 1942. They couldn’t capture all of Vietnam, so they decided to retreat. North Vietnam proclaimed independence on September 2, 1945 as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The State of Vietnam declared independence on June 14, 1949, but remained under French rule until August 1, 1954. South Vietnam was theRead MoreThe Vietnam War On Vietnam1725 Words   |  7 PagesThe War on Vietnam Many believe that the way Americans entered the war against the North Vietnam communists was unjust. The United States got into a war that they had no clue on how to win. â€Å"The Vietnam War was a long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The divisive war, increasingly unpopular at home, ended with the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973Read MoreVietnam And The Vietnam War3709 Words   |  15 Pageswhenever you ask an American about Vietnam there first thought ultimately goes to the Vietnam War. Little do they refer to modern day Vietnam or are aware of current events. I know this because I conducted a 25 person questionnaire. Yes, 25 people is a very small amount and doesn’t extend through every age group I am aware of this, but over the years from my personal prospective of Americans that is all I have really ever perceived. It is important to realize that Vietnam like any other country in theRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam1573 Words   |  7 PagesA. The Vietnam War occurred from 1955-1975, this included the North and South fighting over government structure of the newly independent state of Vietnam, having recently become independent from France. However, the USA was in Vietnam as a sort of protection for the South Vietnamese people, who had a weaker army force, but only a few thousand Americans were in Vietnam for that purpose at the time. On August 7, 1964, the USA entered the war for the purpose of fighting the North Vietnamese due toRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam1540 Words   |  7 PagesMany Americans know about the war that was held in Vietnam, known as The Vietnam War. What Some Americans may not know is the side of Vietnam, and how they were affected with the aftermath. Originally The Vietnamese were controlled by France from 1859 until the defeat of France in World War II (The Vi etnam War). Though conflicts had been occurring for many years with France, the Vietnam war didn t actually happen until 1946 the first Indochina War fought between France and the Viet Minh VietnameseRead MoreVietnam And The Vietnam War1711 Words   |  7 Pages â€Æ' The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in the history of Vietnam. Vietnam use to be a peaceful country until the idea of communism started spreading across Vietnam. Many wanted to stay democratic but saw what happened to the Germans and started to lean towards communism. Many also wanted to stay democratic and still had it hopes high that it will soon get their lives and economy back on track. It later exploded into a huge argument and then leads to a civil war spurring between NorthRead MoreVietnam : A Look Into Vietnam1133 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A Look into Vietnam† Vietnam resembles the shape of a seahorse that stretches southeast into the Pacific Ocean; Vietnam is known as to as the â€Å"balcony of the Pacific.† By way of its water transportation links that were developed prior to rail and road networks, Vietnamese migration pressed southward (Nam Tien) along the coast. (Taus-Bolstad, 2006) Distinct regions meant that trade was more than a means to establish national unity within a dispersed settler society. (Taus-Bolstad, 2006) A geographicalRead MorePEST vietnam1225 Words   |  5 Pages On Vietnam PEST analysis of Vietnam  ·Political factors:  · government type: Vietnam is known as a Socialist Republic.  · freedom on economy: Vietnam has not high economic freedom, which score is 51.0. Even though the index of Vietnam can not compare with western developed countries’, however since 1986 the government implement open-door to the outsider world policy, making Vietnam becoming to an open country and attractingRead MoreHonda Vietnam1218 Words   |  5 Pages1-Introduction to Honda Vietnam 2-Vietnam’s potential powers for developing motorcycle industry 3-The distribution of Honda Heads 4-Prices 5- Case: Price of Honda Vietnam vs Honda Thailand motorcycle 6-Competitive abilities of Honda verse other firms 7-Development since establishment 1-Introduction to Honda Vietnam name:  Honda Vietnam Corporation. Honda Vietnam Corporation was established in 1998. Head office: Phuc Yen district- Vinh Phuc province Honda Vietnam (HVN) is a joint venture

Conflict critique Free Essays

A conflict is a disagreement between individuals or groups which when remain unresolved, may need the intervention of a mediator to prevent escalation of the dispute. Conflict transformation on the other hand is when an individual mindset, attitude, skills and capabilities changes so they can deal with conflict resolution Issues. Indispensable in the process Is the modeling of spiritual lessons as taught In the Bible. We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict critique or any similar topic only for you Order Now In our everyday lives we face some kind of conflict this Is because we are surrounded by different individuals with different personalities and believe when efferent Individuals come together these personalities clash. The problem of conflict happens especially in schools and this Is why a course Like conflict transformation Is Important especially for school children. The course of conflict transformation seeks to provide students with knowledge and understanding of the nature of conflict. The course gives students ways of how they should manage conflict and successfully deal with conflict In different circumstances. During this semester the course have thought me some valuable things such as: the nature and causes of conflict, we have articulated in different conflict situation, developed skills and attitude towards solving conflict. The different skills that I have learnt have brought transformation in my life. Before learning skills of which to deal with conflict my ways of handling conflict was unhealthy. Whenever I had an issue with someone I would blurt it out in front of a crowd instead of doing it in a peaceful and respectful way. I would not listen when persons try to come to an agreement but since I have been introduced to this course I have learnt how to handle my disputes in the right way. Great impact as been made in my personal life. Now I understand the nature of conflict and that emotions play an integral part in conflict. Usually I let my emotions take control of me during a conflict, but conflict transformation as thought me the skill of emotional intelligence. This is where you learn to control your emotions and do not let your emotions take control so to let you make wrong decisions without strong feelings. Anger is an emotion which when expressed, causes a person to acts out of character and sometimes loose self-control, resorting to verbally, emotionally, and sometimes hectically abusing another person or persons. Sometimes, anger may be expressed for self-defense and â€Å"righteous indignation. This is one emotion which I had problems with. When I was angry, my anger over powered my thoughts. Instead of letting an emotion like anger cloud my thoughts now, I control my feelings, express my emotions in a non-aggressive way. Another Impact the course had made In my personal life is that it reminded me of an Important thing, which I must learn and always do, listen. When you do not listen to Indiv iduals you tend to misinterpret what they had said. This causes conflict and also put a halt In solving some conflicts. Not listening caused me to be In many conflict In the past. I did not stop to listen and understand. I now listen to Individuals as to show them that I care, that I have respect for them In addition to showing them that I have Interest In the Issue at hand. Due to this course I am now a better person because my life has been transformed. It has made some significant impact on my life. To avoid conflict I 4)Attacking the person, not the problem 5)Establishing objectivity 6)Use of Sarcasm 7)Tone of voice. Instead of not caring and wasting time arguing I am now†¦ ) Being aware of the emotional atmosphere. 2) Being sensitive of what we say and how we say it. 3) Seeking to be a peacemaker. 4) Being willing to negotiate your position on an issue and show respect for the opinion of others. 5) Being compassionate. 6) Practicing fair play and objectivity. 7) Seeking to create a win-win situation in a conflict. I am glad I was able to do a course such as this because it has given me a new perceptive o how to deal with people. I now can make myself to be a healthy, kind hearted person in addition to helping others. How to cite Conflict critique, Papers