Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The Social Differences of the Afghanistan People Essay Example for Free

The Social Differences of the Afghanistan People Essay In Afghanistan, there are many ethnic groups among whom segregation exists. Imagine being a part of one that’s really looked down upon. The life of that person would be so cruel that nobody would be able to even imagine the misery and the pain that they have to endure. Afghanistan is a country with immense diversity due to the different ethnic groups that it has had for a very long time. Despite living in the same country for hundreds of years, they have their own ways of living and what’s interesting is that there is discrimination among them due to the social class differences that exits in the Afghanistan society today. In the novel The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseni shows through the character of Amir, Hassan and Baba that the social differences of the ethnicities (Pashtuns and Hazaras) have made huge differences in their lives and has also led to the fading away of the moral codes that have been honored in their society for a long period of time. A major factor that makes up society is the environment. It contributes a lot to what the society turns out to be and how it’s seen. The Afghan society is a big impact to the way Amir saw the world. As he grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, he realized that all the people aren’t considered to be the same. At least that’s had the society had him thinking. Having grown up as the son of a highly respected Pashtun is considered a blessing. But Amir who spends time with Hassan who is a Hazara had a huge affect on his life. Pashtuns are socially considered to be nobility whereas Hazaras are like the peasants. For example, Amir’s public behavior and relation with Hassan was unacceptable and that always had him confused. The two of them were very close but there was always something getting in between that. When Amir says, â€Å"Never mind any of those things. Because history isn’t easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was a Sunni and he was a Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. † (Hossenini 24). Even though Amir had a brotherly relationship with Hassan, it just wasn’t that strong because he was afraid of the way he would be look upon by the others in the community. It becomes a part of his life that he can’t avoid. One of the things that stands in between the unity of all and any kind of people is the discrimination. All it ever does is cause conflicts and makes lives miserable. For example the discrimination of the African-Americans in the 1960’s. Sadly, even today, it is adapted and exists in many regions of the world. Afghanistan happens to be one of them. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini does a good job of strongly showing how a Hazara’s life can be affected in Afghanistan since they are considered to be a low ranking ethnic group. In Afghanistan society, Hazrara’s were not respected. Assef was an example of someone who agreed with this. He represented the evil in the novel, as for Hassan represented loyalty and innocence. However, since Hassan was a Hazara, his whole life wasn’t easy because he always cared so much for Amir, but in return he only got hurt and humiliated. In the novel Assef, Kamal and Wali trapped Hassan in an alley. â€Å"Assef unzipped his jeans. Dropped his underwear and he positioned himself behind Hassan,† (Hosseini 75). This shows that Hassan cared for Amir liked nobody else. He would do anything for him but the fact that he was a Hazara and this incident happened, it changed their lives forever. The lives of these two boys separated because of their social differences. It shows how the social class difference can lead to such horrible things such as separation from the ones they loved. The Afghanistan society’s social class differences really changes the way that some people live their lives because when there are people divided into different levels in a society and it has been a tradition and they are required to follow it. Afghanistan is a good example of this, especially the way Khaled Hosseni portrayed it in the novel. Baba was not just rich, but also a very well known man in Kabul, He was someone strong and truly dedicated to contributing to the good of his society. He was quite known for all the good deeds he did in his life, but the novel also views how he didn’t quite live his life respecting all the moral rules. According to the Pashtunwali, the family unit much be glorified under a sacred conviction of responsibility and duty for respect of all the members (Ronna). This is one of the rules that he does not follow and this is found out when Rahim Khan calls Amir over to Pakistan and says to him, â€Å"Baba and Sanubar had Hassan† (Hossieni 222). Baba had kept his secret his whole life and it hurts him to not call Hassan his son. However, it also affected Amir because he never knew about his own brother and had pushed him away from his life when they were young. In order to keep his dignity, he lived a life of a huge life, which always made him suffer. The fact that he was ashamed of letting everyone know the truth was because she was a Hazara and he was a Pashtun. Being someone from a different ethnicity was the problem and that clung to them for their whole lives. Because of the way that Hazaras are looked upon in the society, Baba was not able to tell anyone the truth about Hassan and it always bothered him. Amir wasn’t able to tell what was right and what was wrong because of what the society had taught him and Hassan was deeply hurt as problems between him and Amir started to rise. All of these conflicts happened due to one reason, the social differences between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras. The way that their society works has completely changed the lives of many people as it shown in The Kite Runner. Works Cited Tourism, SAARC. â€Å"Ethnic Groups of Afghanistan† Afghanistan Ethnic Groups, Tribes of Afghanistan. [emailprotected] SAARC Tourism. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. Ildenfoso, Catia, Psithurism, and Anacl â€Å"For You a Thousand Times Over. † Pashtuns and Hazaras. Blogspot. com, Apr. 2008 Web. 3 Apr. 2012. Ronna, Afghan. â€Å"Pashtunwali† The Codes of Pashtunwali. [emailprotected] Ronna. Web 3 Apr. 2012.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Female Gable Figure :: Essays Papers

Female Gable Figure Female Gable Figure (Dilukai), 19th- early 20th century; Belauan Wood, paint, Kaolin (Chinese Clay) The piece of work I selected caught my attention as soon as I set eyes on it. It is â€Å"Female Gable Figure (Dilukai)† a 25 2/3-inch high wooden figure of a nude woman with her legs straddled. The piece seemed to be very crudely done. It appeared to be chiseled, very abstracted and very unrealistic. Her hair appears to be in a bun, her face has no expression. The arms that lead down to her knees and upper torso look detachable. The breasts are triangular and the left breast is lopsided. There is also an additional piece of wood around the lower part of the left arm. The legs are apart and the under half of the leg in a darker color. The woman’s exposed genitals are represented by a large dark colored triangle. The artist carved the woman’s vagina in vivid detail leading me to believe this sculpture was used for some sexual purpose. The figure appears on a wall in the museum however, due to the name of the piece I imagine this piece would have been mount ed over the door of a building. I had two reactions to this piece. When I first saw this piece, it got me upset. Upset in that I did not believe someone would actually look at a woman and think that a sculpture like this one would be a good idea. I immediately thought this artist has no respect for women or a woman’s body. Then I found it somewhat funny and ironic that although I found this piece upsetting it was one of the few pieces that caught my attention. I found myself wanting to know more about this piece and the reason behind its existence. Thus making it the piece, I would write this paper on. My response to this piece came from my thinking that whoever did this sculpture must not have thought very highly of the woman this piece is representing.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Othello Is a Play About the Desperate Need for Certainty

Othello is a play about the desperate need for certainty The theme of certainty pervades the play from the opening scence, and as it progresses, the quest for certainty becomes more desperate and frantic; not only within the minds and actions of the characters, but also within the audience as we become desperate to know and understand the outcome of Iago’s malicous plan. Shakespeare introduces the protaginist, Othello, to the audience through the malicious and predujiced tongues of Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio.Iago condemns Othello for favouritism and shows obscenley to Brabantio that Othello is an ‘old black ram’, the ‘devil’, a ‘barbary horse’ copulating with his daughter. Rodergio too describes him as a ‘lascivious moor’ and ‘an extravagent and wheeling stranger. ’ This causes Brabantio to feel certian that Othello, repulsive in his blackness, must have seduced Desdemona by withcraft, magic spells or drugs.The picture echoes aspects of medevil and Elizabethan traditions about the devilish, cruel and lustful nature of moors, and Brabantio would most certainly rather believe these acceptable truths as opposed to reality- his ‘pure’ and virginal daughter is partaking in a sordid affair. Othello’s own desperate plea for certainty is also evident from the offset. Although he refuses to hide from Branbantio and denounce his frabrications, he suggests that Desdemona should testify freely how their love came about.Some may argue that Othello holds a number of insecurities about himself and this is a prime example of him desperatly needing Desdemona to justify her reasoning for marrying him. After all, he displays an incredible vulnaribilty, ‘a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so. ’ Iago works on these traits and his pretended disapproval of the relations between Cassio and Desdemona rouses Othello’s curiosity, thence his ins istance that he be told, and finally his fear that Iago’s information, got in his duty as an honest man, will harm him.At first, Othello appears to be confident of Desdemona’s love for him as he declares she ‘had eyes and chose me’. Iago however finds weakness in Othello’s certainty and seizing his oppurtunity, advises Othello to watch Cassio and Desdemona discreetly. He adds that, of his own well-founded knowledge, Venetian wives decieve their husbands; that Desdemona pretended to fear Othello, when in fact she loved him, and that she decieved her father so completley that he believed she was bewitched. Unable to deny these, Othello draws the disturbing inference.Suspicion takes root, and is revealed by his hesitant ‘I do not think Desdemona’s honest’, and his command that Emilia be set to watch Desdemona. He is desperate to find truth, and underlying doubts about his marriage may have escelated by Iago’s revelation and O thello is eventually driven to find this certianty in his own shortcomings- his blackness, age and unpolished manners. Iago’s evil has infiltrated Othello’s soul and has induced him, as Iago had hoped, ‘to renounce his baptism, all seals and symbols of redemmed sin. The noble image that Desdemona saw in Othello’s mind has become corrupted, and and not before long is he humiliating her through false prophecy, and he fails to see the unreason of punishing Desdemona for a crime she has not commited. In the end, Othello is desperate to relieve himself of all guilt and is certain the the demi-devil has ‘ensnared’ his soul and body.Desdemona is another charcter who clings desperatly on to her certainty that Othello is a kind and loving husband. Out of her generosity and loving-kindness, she continually makes excuses for Othello’s harshness: ‘some unhatched practice†¦ ath puddles his clear spirit’- an ironic perception. Othel lo’s vision of her is utterly distorted; and she in her faith and certianty to him is unable to percieve his spiritual overthrough. His fierce accusations that she is unchaste and a whore she meets by affirming that she is a ‘true and loyal wife’, and desperatly wants Othello to believe in this certainty. In her innocece, she finds it impossible to believe that there are women who are unfaithful to their husbands in spite of Emilia’s down to earth admission.In the last dreadful scence she maintains her innocence and pleads for mercy. Her chastity, loyalty, her whole- hearted commital to her husband’s welfare and to any good deed is the only pure certianty throughout the play, and Desdemona unfortunatly cannot make Othello see this. Emilia fiercy defends Desdemona throughout the play and is certain she would never disobey her husband. Ironically, she admits that she would ‘make her husband a cuckhold’ in order to ‘make him a monarc h’, however clings to her husband’s integrity as she testifies to his vileness and Desdemona’s virtue.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Analysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 - 1722 Words

Legendary rock singer Jim Morrison once said that â€Å"a hero is someone who rebels or seems to rebel against the facts of existence and seems to conquer them†. Morrison’s claim can be interpreted as meaning that heroes, whoever they may be, are people who have the courage to revolt against injustices that are viewed by most as fixed or unchangeable parts of their societies. In Ray Bradbury’s acclaimed 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist Guy Montag certainly qualifies as a hero as he rebels against the dystopian society he lives in, which has completely eschewed critical thinking and reading books. Montag begins to realize that this society is unjust, because it prevents free thought and expression, and chooses to do something about it. He starts secretly reading books, which sets him on a path to becoming the hero Morrison describes; he rebels against the facts of his existence, specifically the fact that reading is not tolerated in his society. Ultimat ely, Montag becomes a hero by first questioning his society and later revolting against it all out. Montag begins his hero’s journey by meeting Clarisse. Meeting her makes him start to question his society. He meets her after coming back from burning a house filled with books as he is a fireman, a man responsible for burning books, which is what the law calls for. While they are talking, Montag finds the girl peculiar; she is filled with ideas and thinks about so many things. For example, she tells Montag thatShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4511743 Words   |  7 PagesIn Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist, Guy Montag, suddenly realizes his overwhelming discontent with life when he meets Clarisse McClean, a seventeen year old girl who introduces him to beauty of the world and the notion of questioning ones surroundings. This novel, having been released shortly after the Second Read Scare, a time when fear of communism lead to the baseless accusation of political figures by Senator McCarthy, was received with mixed reviews. However, today more so thanRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 Essay2089 Words   |  9 PagesThe analysis of Ray Bradbury s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, shows that literature as books, education and alike is abused and criminalized in the hero’s reality, who is Guy Montag. The novel’s setting is when new things seem to have totally replaced literature, fire fighters set flames instead of putting them out, the ownership of books is deserving of the law and to restrict the standard is to court demise. The oppression of literature through innovation and technology can be analyzed throughRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4511633 Words   |  7 PagesBradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: Dissecting the Hero’s Journey to Dystopic World Each person has a perception of the world. People are capable of judging the place they live in, human beings often find it either satisfactory or not. Creative writers have displayed similar, albeit different worlds in their works. They are similar in the way they portray societies with varied amounts of good and evil which may be reflective of how we view our own. On the other hand, they can also be different, as creativeRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4511193 Words   |  5 Pagestrue today? In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, ideas such as dystopian society, the dulling of emotions, personal freedom, and government censorship are utilized to illustrate how technology, the advancement of society, and government control has blindfolded the population from the creativity, knowledge, and truth of the past. Bradbury employs each of these ideas frequently throughout the novel to further enhance the deeper meaning behind his masterpiece. When one looks at Fahrenheit 451 like a workRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4511241 Words   |  5 Pagesof the people who do not do anything about it† (Albert Einstein). In Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, the novel explores censorships role as a hindrance on individuality, and the severe toll it takes on society’s self-awareness. Academia has widely argued the reason behind Bradbury’s dystopian themed work of art. Most interpretations of the novel suggest the work resembles anti-censorship propaganda. On the other hand, Bradbury himself stated: â€Å"I wasn’t worried about censorship-I was worried aboutRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 1486 Words   |  6 Pagesthe story. The novel Fahrenheit 451 concludes with a corrupt censored society in which hundreds of oppressed individuals are killed by an atomic bomb leaving Guy Montag and a few others to rebuild humanity. Many will propose that the ending was not app ropriate because there were too many questions left unanswered. For example, â€Å"What happened to Professor Faber?† or â€Å"How will a couple of homeless men survive post from a nuclear war?† The conclusion of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 leaves the readerRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 Essay1311 Words   |  6 PagesAuthored by Ray Bradbury in 1953, Fahrenheit 451, a descriptively written science fiction, presents its readers with his bitterly satirical view of the foreboding future and the consequences that may come with it. The novel depicts a dystopian society in which freedom of expression and thought is limited and books are outlawed. Written after WWII, when book burning and the blacklisting or censorship of films was a common threat. Technological advances were beginning to spread and therefore, influencingRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 1815 Words   |  8 PagesRay Bradbury was a well-known author who happe ned to write several novels, books, and short stories. He was very famous and I have never read anything that he wrote, until I read this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I had no idea what it was about and what kind of story it told. Fahrenheit 451 told a breathtaking adventure, was relatable, and it was almost as if I was submerged in this dystopian society, who was forced to live without imagination, books and a sense of wonder. Mr. BradburyRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4512341 Words   |  10 Pagesrecognizable and typical patterns of behavior with certain probable outcomes†. While in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, water is used to represent death and rebirth, showing that our experiences can change us, and we can be re-birthed as a totally new person, while in Homer’s Odyssey, water is used to show that life is full of vast trials and adventures to overcome. The archetype of fire is also used in both novels. In Fahrenheit 451, it is used to show that even through destruction can emerge good; while inRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 875 Words   |  4 PagesGiridhar Batra Ross-1 Aug 29. 2014 Fahrenheit 451 Essay The Role of Technology as a Theme in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 The average person in our society spends 7-8 hours a day(The Washington Post) using technology; that is stuff like television, video games, surfing the web, etc. Let that set in; that’s a long time. Our society procrastinates also is constantly distracted by technology like no other. We are practically glued to technology; before we become slaves of technology we must change