Chinese as ‘Otherness’ in Fleming’s Doctor No - Literature Essay Samples

Ian Fleming’s Doctor No was published in 1958, nine years after Mao Zedong and his communist party formed the PRC (People’s Republic of China). While the formation of the PRC united the long-time warring states within China itself, it also added another large communist country to the global community and thus intensified many fears of those in the West; these fears are both subtly and vividly expressed in Fleming’s sixth 007 novel Doctor No. Utilizing a post-colonial lens, Fleming’s depiction of the Chinese people and their culture in Doctor No corresponds with Edward Said’s recognition that the Western cultures have a â€Å"long-standing way of identifying the East as ‘Other’† (Barry 193); Fleming’s Chinese characters are represented as â€Å"anonymous masses, rather than individuals,† and the â€Å"cruelty, sensuality, [and] decadence† of their personality traits then becomes â€Å"the repository or pro jection of those aspects of themselves which Westerners do not choose to acknowledge† (Barry 193-94). The first mentions of Chinese people in the novel are the three blind men who are associated with an â€Å"oddness† and ‘anonymous otherness’. The three men, walking down Kingston by the Queen’s Club â€Å"walked in file†¦ they said nothing†¦except [for] the soft tapping of their sticks† (Fleming 002-03); â€Å"†¦in this quiet rich empty street, they made an unpleasant impression† (Fleming 003). The physical actions of the three men are both fluid and harmonious: they walk speechless in single-file, their arms on one another’s shoulders, all while tapping their white canes in unison. When Strangeways gives them a florin, the first ‘Chigroe’ in line says â€Å"Bless you, Master,†Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬Å"’Bless you,’ echoed the other two† (Fleming 006). The three men are depicted as an anonymous group; they are defined only in terms of their ‘odd mixture of bloods’ and their identical movements. They not only echo each other in terms of their â€Å"Bless you† to Strangeways, but also when it comes to his killing they again act as a single unit: the tapping of their sticks stops all-at-once, and â€Å"with disciplined precision the three men aimed at different points down Strangeways spine one between the shoulders, one in the small of the back, one at the pelvis† (Fleming 006). This first scene comments on the dangerous anonymity of the three, and Strangeways miss-underestimation of their â€Å"odd† group (as Strangeways puts it) ends up being the cause of his own demise. This â€Å"hybridity† or â€Å"cultural polyvalency† (Barry 199) of the Chigroes is defined as abnormal and unwanted near the vicinity of the Queen’s Club which Fleming describes as the â€Å"social Mecca of Kingston† (002), on e of the last few remnants of British authority and class. This mixing of Chinese and Jamaican blood is viewed as undesirable, and biracial peoples like the Chigroes are not just viewed as â€Å"odd† by characters like Strangeways, but they also come to constitute an immediate threat and menace to the Western ideology. Pleydell-Smith tells Bond that the Chinese are â€Å"solid, compact, discreet – the most powerful clique in Jamaica† (057-58); and that in the future, the Chigroes â€Å"†¦may become a nuisance. They’ve got some of the intelligence of the Chinese and most of the vices of the black man† (Fleming 058).With the ending of WWII just over a decade prior to the publication of Fleming’s Doctor No, the fears expressed through Pleydell-Smith about the Chinese people’s power and their inter-racial births on Crab Key are exemplified in the genetic make-up and physicality of Dr. No.His â€Å"half Chinese and half Germanâ₠¬  heritage (Fleming 28) makes him not only unusual, but a suspicious character to James Bond. Bond can be seen as the Western figure locked in an arduous struggle against these ‘Other’ or ‘Oriental’ (Barry 193) behavioral traits which both Bond and the larger Western community wish to deny. When James Bond finally meets Dr. No, his appearance is all the more reason for Bond (and the reader) to be frightened: â€Å"Doctor No was at least six inches taller than Bond, but the straight immovable pose of his body made him seem still taller† (Fleming 155); â€Å"The bizarre, gliding figure looked like a giant venomous worm wrapped in tin-foil† (Fleming 156). The hybridity of Dr. No is characterized as pure evil; he tells Bond â€Å"†¦I am, a maniac. All the greatest men are maniacs† (Fleming 161). His mechanical steel-pincers and his towering height transform him from a human being, into a monster; Fleming even places his heart o n the opposite side of his elongated body to dramatize this effect (164). This bizarreness or ‘otherness’ of Dr. No’s character threatens the Western ideology; it is only James Bond, the Christ-like figure, who can put a stop to Dr. No and save the Western world. After detailing the outlines of his diabolical plot to control airborne missiles and sell the information to â€Å"the Russians† or â€Å"Communist China† (Fleming 176-77), Dr. No reveals his â€Å"cruelty† and â€Å"decadence† that the â€Å"Westerners choose not to acknowledge† (Barry 193). He subjects Bond and Honeychile to scientific research whereby their limits of physical and emotional strengths will be tested before they are supposed to be killed during the experiments. Although Honeychile is unaffected by Dr. No’s test with the black crabs, Bond is sent through an obstacle course of extreme tortures: he is electrocuted, the skin on his hands and knee s is burnt-off, and he is almost ripped in half by a giant squid. During Dr. No’s series of tests for â€Å"scientific purposes†, Bond passes out four times only to then regain consciousness and be symbolically reborn. His resurrection signifies his resilience against this â€Å"odd† and â€Å"cruel† doctor whose violent natures and dictator-like strangle hold over his people on Crab Key must be stopped. Apart from these depictions of Chinese men as anonymous masses, strange ‘others’, and cruel and threatening, the Chinese women in Fleming’s novel are portrayed as sensual and exotic. The first Chinese woman we meet is Annabel Chung as Bond steps-off the plane into Jamaica. She is described as mysterious, and â€Å"pretty† with a â€Å"tinkling voice† (Fleming 034), and later, she wears â€Å"a tight-fitting sheath of black satin slashed up one side almost to her hip† (Fleming 041). Chung becomes violent towar ds Quarrell, smashing a camera flash-bulb in his face when he holds Chung against her will. In a masochistic act, Quarrel squeezes Chung’s â€Å"Mount of Venus† before Bond allows her to leave. Quarrel tells Bond â€Å"boy, was dat a fat Love Moun’†¦When him fat like wit’ dat girl you kin tell her’ll be good in bed† (Fleming 044). Like Annabel Chung, every other Chinese woman met by Bond in the novel is described as attractive. When Bond and Honeychile are captured by Dr. No’s men, they are led into a giant corporation/hotel-like reception area where they are greeted by two Chinese women who show them to their rooms; â€Å"The door opened at once. An enchanting Chinese girl in a mauve and white flowered kimono stood smiling and bowing as Chinese girls are supposed to do† (Fleming 138). She even speaks in a â€Å"low, attractive voice† (Fleming 138), and later, Bond states that he must brush aside her gentlenes s. Both Annabel Chung and the Chinese women servants are exotically dangerous to Bond. Bond finds himself in trouble from his very first step onto Jamaica with Chung, and the beautiful servants in Doctor No’s lair briefly distract Bond from the situation he is in; they even serve him a drugged breakfast which he and Honeychile willingly accept.Like the Chinese women who threaten Bond’s mission with their sensual natures and exotic appearances, Ian Fleming utilizes a strategic â€Å"hybridity† of genes (Barry 199) in his writing of Doctor No; by intentionally combining Chinese blood with various other nationalities, he creates characters who become odd, â€Å"anonymous masses† (Barry 193)—masses of killing machines who are at the disposal of the archetype Dr. No, who is Fleming’s own creation from German and Chinese blood. Playing off of the memories of WWII and the fears of expanding communism in China, Ian Fleming’s depiction of t he Chinese people strongly correlates with Edward Said’s classification of the Western view of â€Å"orientalism†. By employing this concept of â€Å"orientalism† or â€Å"otherness†, Fleming deliberately defines his Chinese characters as extremely intelligent, cruel, odd, and exotic in order to strike both suspicion into Bond’s mind and inject sources of conflict into the plot of his novel.Works CitedBarry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2002. Web. 27 Sep. 2009 .Fleming, Ian. Doctor No. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1958. Print.

Economic Reform in Russia Essay - 1265 Words

Economic Reform in Russia Formerly the preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Russia has been an independent nation since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Because of its great size, its natural resources, and its political domination, the Russian Federation played a leading role in the economy of the Soviet Union. In the years preceding the disintegration of the union in 1991, the economy of Russia and the union as a whole was in decline. In 1992, immediately after the separation, the Russian government implemented a series of radical reforms. Price controls were abolished as the beginning of a transition from a centrally controlled economy to a market economy. An immediate series of sharp†¦show more content†¦Almost an article of faith for Russian reformers and their Western supporters, an assumption made was that Russias salvation lay in tight monetary discipline, rapid economic liberalization and a massive privatization program. According to Richard E. Rawles, head of the Russian Psychology Research Unit, in University College London, western financial institutions were unaware of â€Å"the cultural traditions of Russia and complicated interactions of psychologies and mentalities with social structures† that had been largely ignored. E. Wayne Merry, who was head of the political section from 1991 to 1994, sent a telegram early 1994 which criticized Americas evangelical attempt to remold Russian society in its own image. Just as Rawles had argued that Russia was physiologically and culturally unprepared for a free market so suddenly, Merry argued that such efforts would almost certainly fail because Russia -- unlike Eastern European countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic -- had little tradition of free markets or the rule of law. The United States, in Merrys view, would end up getting blamed for the failure of â€Å"shock therapy†. Reformers were well aware of the risks -- unemployment, social discontent, and opportunities for corruption. Nevertheless, foreign investors disregarded these handicaps and invested in the Russian stock market toShow MoreRelatedEssay The Effectiveness of Wittes Economic Reform in Russia528 Words   |  3 PagesThe Effectiveness of Wittes Economic Reform in Russia When Sergei Witte became minister of finance in Russia in 1892 he recognised that the economy had to be modernised if Russia was to become a world power on a par with the west. The Industrial Revolution that had taken place in the west had led to its massive economic growth and an increase in power and Empire building. 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With such an economic catastrophe at their disposal, the government started taking steps to revive the economic situation and revival of its currency. It started subsidizing state owned enterprises in order to prevent unemployment which in turn caused more budget deficit. With the option of raising taxes running out, the government had no choice but to print currency, which further depreciated the currency against US Dollar and other major currencies. As part of an economic plan, the governmentRead MoreEssay on Did Alexander II deserve the title Tsar Liberator?1229 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Did Alexander II deserve the title â€Å"Tsar Liberator†? Taking control of autocratic Russia in 1855, Alexander II was the successor to his father Tsar Nicolas I having been trained his entire life to take on the role. During his reign as Tsar, Alexander passed many reforms all of which varied in political, social and economic stance. 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Unconditional Positive Respect - 1569 Words

Within the humanistic approach in counselling, unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy is crucial. Find. Conditional positive regard is based on whether if the client meets specific expectations, desire or requirements unlike unconditional positive regard. On the other hand unconditional positive regard can in some cases be difficult for the counsellor. Sometimes the counsellor may strong disagree with racist or prejudice views but in the counselling session they must understand the clients views without judgement (Wilkins). One key issue with unconditional positive regard is that if an client partakes in harmful antisocial behaviour,†¦show more content†¦Although Beutler (2000) found that therapeutic change is very effective within an environment that supports risk and provides maximal safety when exploring thoughts. However empathy is generally defined by western values hence lacks knowledge and awareness of other cultures ( ). Ibrahim (1991) stressed how important it is to convey empathy in a culturally consistent and meaningful manner. Finding that the credibility of with a therapeutic alliance increased if the counsellor demonstrated and communicated an understanding of clients views of the world and how they differ. Carl rogers approach to counselling challenged authoritarian tendencies, allowing clients to discover their own directions (Nelson-Jones, 2000 ). Hence Person centred approach allows the client to fully express themselves during the session with the therapist. The therapists nondirectivity within actions and attitude provided an opportunity for the client to direct their own life (Article 1). As the client knows which problems are significant and which problems have been deeply buried (Rogers, 1961). The therapist key focus is on the present issue but past issues can affect present hence they need to be addressed. Quote. 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Character Is Fate free essay sample

Meant that our personalities and actions shape the outcomes of our lives and therefore our destiny. This statement opposes the traditional view that mans fate is determined by an external force (name it god or even chance). This argument is basically one of faith: do you believe we shape our own futures by how we act, or are our lives programmed in a certain unchangeable way? In other words, do you believe in an omnipotent being that has our lives or at least our futures predetermined? As we shall see, a mans character defines his life (as his behaviour, emotions and ctions determine his daily life), but I believe that our fate is predetermined and unchangeable and that there is divine intervention, therefore a matter that we have no control over. To support the fact that we might be able to define our daily life but not our fates or futures there is the unanswered question of Why do bad things happen to good people? Furthermore, character is not the only aspect in deciding a mans fate: external events (chance and Nature) will also alter the processes and outcomes of our lives. To support the fact that we might be able to define our daily life but not our fates or futures there is the unanswered question of ‘why do bad things happen to good people? Furthermore, character is not the only aspect in deciding a man’s fate: external events (chance and Nature) will also alter the processes and outcomes of our lives. Heraclites and Novalis (German philosopher)[1] had an interesting argument, but unfortunately one that only applies in a utopian world. Many people believe that a person’s personality determines their place in life, therefore supporting Heraclites’ idea. Basically, this suggests that depending on how a person lives, what he does and how he deals with events the outcome of his life will be shaped accordingly. For example, in Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’, we understand that Mr. Henchard’s personality flaws (his temper and his naivety especially) lead him slowly to worse situations, which finally end up in him not wanting to be remembered once he is dead. On the other hand, Farfrae, a character which is much more appealing, sensitive, humane and kind is victim of fortunate events such as the prosperity of his business and his marriage to Lucetta. Both these cases can be attributed to the fact that life is working against Henchard while it works very well for Farfrae due to their aforementioned personalities. Unquestionably, the way in which we act will attract positive or negative outcomes respectively. In this matter, we could say that we are the architects of our fates[2] and that even though it might be very difficult to do so, we can manage to change our personality and therefore change our fates in a desired direction. Fate is in our hands (or should we better say in our character), as Scottish author Samuel Smiles words tell us: â€Å"Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. †[3] On the other hand, if we follow the argument discussed in the previous paragraph, then we could draw the conclusion that good things should always happen to good people and bad things to bad people. In real life, this is almost never true, and in many examples we can find quite the opposite: bad things happening to good people and vice versa. How many good and innocent people have been victims of the greed of evil people such as the Holocaust, the Iraq War or the bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima? If we want to narrow this to a theological explanation, then we can argue that God made us all in his image, therefore making us independent of moral choice and giving us total freedom (this suggests that we can control our characters in the way we decide because we have been given the freedom to do so. I don’t support this idea, but it is however the most rational to explain why bad things happen to good people: as there are also bad people in the world that act freely, then you can be a victim of their acts no matter who you are or how you are). However, as he has given everyone freedom, then we can all be victims of good and bad from other people. [4] Your character might determine your fate, but it is not the sole factor because as we can see, bad things can happen to good people and vice versa. I believe that this is a matter of chance (the fact that a good person might get in the way of a bad one and therefore have a terrible outcome which his/her character doesn’t reflect) and even tough we might have a certain personality that should lead us to a consequent destiny, unexpected and random variables get in the way and might change the course of our fates. Definitely our character will have an important role to play in determining the outcomes of our lives, but from this idea we can draw the idea that although character controls our life, we can’t control our fates: our fates are predestined. We can call these omnipotent force God, devil, providence or chance, but the fact is that our fate has already been planned for us and even if we could change our character (making us believe that we are changing our fate), we are only changing direction into a fate we think is new, but in reality is the fate that was always predestined for us. Furthermore, character is not the only factor in determining our lives. We must consider external factors such as the environment, nature and fortune. For example, in the novel ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ by Thomas Hardy, the main character, Mr. Henchard organizes a fair for the townspeople in order to show the people that despite what he appears to be, he is really kind and humane. Everything turns out wrong for him because heavy rain ruins the event (Nature intervenes) and later on in the book when he finally tries to redeem himself by taking good care of her daughter, he finds out that she is really not her daughter and that her real daughter died many years ago (fortune intervenes). We can’t attribute this ‘bad luck’ to Henchard’s character; this is simply a series of external factors that play against him in a random and unfortunate way. Yet another example is a Jewish story about a man, Moishe Lipsky, who moved into New York in the time of the Great Depression and when he applied for the only job he could find (a janitor), he was turned down because he was illiterate. So, he opened a little storefront and gradually became a rich and successful man. One day, when he goes to the bank to ask for a loan and he signs the papers with an X (as he was illiterate) and the loan officer tells him ‘Just think, in just a few years you have become a very rich man. It makes me wonder what you would have become if you could read and write’ and Lipsky answers ‘A janitor’. 5] It is ironical how things turn out in this story, but chance certainly plays a role in the success of this good and honest man. He arrives to America just in a difficult time and his predestined conditions make him illiterate. Without these factors of Nature, chance or omnipotence, the man could have actually turned out to be a janitor and not the successful businessman he turned out to be. Anyone who has a belief in an omnipotent body must understand that our nature is predestined and that our futures are set, so no matter what we do, we will always make our choices to lead the way to our predetermined fate. In an idealistic world, our character is certainly our fate, if no external factors (chance or nature) intervene. However, even though in practice we can definitely say that our personalities shape our destiny, I believe that God has a definite purpose for each one of us and therefore He has determined our destiny from the very first moment we were conceived. Furthermore, the fact that good things happen to bad people and vice versa reflects the fact that our fates must be predetermined, and therefore while our personalities might lead us in a certain way, our fate (whether good or bad) is already written. We can change our characters at free will and this will make us lead an ensuing life, but our destiny is set and no matter what we do, we will never be able to determine it. [1] â€Å"Character and fate are two words for the same thing† – Novalis [2] â€Å"Each man is the architect of his own fate. † – Appius Claudius [3] http://www. americanchronicle. com/articles/view/20750 [4] http://judaism. about. com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_murder. htm [5] http://www. petermalakoff. com/character_and_fate. html

Character Is Fate free essay sample

Meant that our personalities and actions shape the outcomes of our lives and therefore our destiny. This statement opposes the traditional view that mans fate is determined by an external force (name it god or even chance). This argument is basically one of faith: do you believe we shape our own futures by how we act, or are our lives programmed in a certain unchangeable way? In other words, do you believe in an omnipotent being that has our lives or at least our futures predetermined? As we shall see, a mans character defines his life (as his behaviour, emotions and ctions determine his daily life), but I believe that our fate is predetermined and unchangeable and that there is divine intervention, therefore a matter that we have no control over. To support the fact that we might be able to define our daily life but not our fates or futures there is the unanswered question of Why do bad things happen to good people? Furthermore, character is not the only aspect in deciding a mans fate: external events (chance and Nature) will also alter the processes and outcomes of our lives. To support the fact that we might be able to define our daily life but not our fates or futures there is the unanswered question of ‘why do bad things happen to good people? Furthermore, character is not the only aspect in deciding a man’s fate: external events (chance and Nature) will also alter the processes and outcomes of our lives. Heraclites and Novalis (German philosopher)[1] had an interesting argument, but unfortunately one that only applies in a utopian world. Many people believe that a person’s personality determines their place in life, therefore supporting Heraclites’ idea. Basically, this suggests that depending on how a person lives, what he does and how he deals with events the outcome of his life will be shaped accordingly. For example, in Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’, we understand that Mr. Henchard’s personality flaws (his temper and his naivety especially) lead him slowly to worse situations, which finally end up in him not wanting to be remembered once he is dead. On the other hand, Farfrae, a character which is much more appealing, sensitive, humane and kind is victim of fortunate events such as the prosperity of his business and his marriage to Lucetta. Both these cases can be attributed to the fact that life is working against Henchard while it works very well for Farfrae due to their aforementioned personalities. Unquestionably, the way in which we act will attract positive or negative outcomes respectively. In this matter, we could say that we are the architects of our fates[2] and that even though it might be very difficult to do so, we can manage to change our personality and therefore change our fates in a desired direction. Fate is in our hands (or should we better say in our character), as Scottish author Samuel Smiles words tell us: â€Å"Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. †[3] On the other hand, if we follow the argument discussed in the previous paragraph, then we could draw the conclusion that good things should always happen to good people and bad things to bad people. In real life, this is almost never true, and in many examples we can find quite the opposite: bad things happening to good people and vice versa. How many good and innocent people have been victims of the greed of evil people such as the Holocaust, the Iraq War or the bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima? If we want to narrow this to a theological explanation, then we can argue that God made us all in his image, therefore making us independent of moral choice and giving us total freedom (this suggests that we can control our characters in the way we decide because we have been given the freedom to do so. I don’t support this idea, but it is however the most rational to explain why bad things happen to good people: as there are also bad people in the world that act freely, then you can be a victim of their acts no matter who you are or how you are). However, as he has given everyone freedom, then we can all be victims of good and bad from other people. [4] Your character might determine your fate, but it is not the sole factor because as we can see, bad things can happen to good people and vice versa. I believe that this is a matter of chance (the fact that a good person might get in the way of a bad one and therefore have a terrible outcome which his/her character doesn’t reflect) and even tough we might have a certain personality that should lead us to a consequent destiny, unexpected and random variables get in the way and might change the course of our fates. Definitely our character will have an important role to play in determining the outcomes of our lives, but from this idea we can draw the idea that although character controls our life, we can’t control our fates: our fates are predestined. We can call these omnipotent force God, devil, providence or chance, but the fact is that our fate has already been planned for us and even if we could change our character (making us believe that we are changing our fate), we are only changing direction into a fate we think is new, but in reality is the fate that was always predestined for us. Furthermore, character is not the only factor in determining our lives. We must consider external factors such as the environment, nature and fortune. For example, in the novel ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ by Thomas Hardy, the main character, Mr. Henchard organizes a fair for the townspeople in order to show the people that despite what he appears to be, he is really kind and humane. Everything turns out wrong for him because heavy rain ruins the event (Nature intervenes) and later on in the book when he finally tries to redeem himself by taking good care of her daughter, he finds out that she is really not her daughter and that her real daughter died many years ago (fortune intervenes). We can’t attribute this ‘bad luck’ to Henchard’s character; this is simply a series of external factors that play against him in a random and unfortunate way. Yet another example is a Jewish story about a man, Moishe Lipsky, who moved into New York in the time of the Great Depression and when he applied for the only job he could find (a janitor), he was turned down because he was illiterate. So, he opened a little storefront and gradually became a rich and successful man. One day, when he goes to the bank to ask for a loan and he signs the papers with an X (as he was illiterate) and the loan officer tells him ‘Just think, in just a few years you have become a very rich man. It makes me wonder what you would have become if you could read and write’ and Lipsky answers ‘A janitor’. 5] It is ironical how things turn out in this story, but chance certainly plays a role in the success of this good and honest man. He arrives to America just in a difficult time and his predestined conditions make him illiterate. Without these factors of Nature, chance or omnipotence, the man could have actually turned out to be a janitor and not the successful businessman he turned out to be. Anyone who has a belief in an omnipotent body must understand that our nature is predestined and that our futures are set, so no matter what we do, we will always make our choices to lead the way to our predetermined fate. In an idealistic world, our character is certainly our fate, if no external factors (chance or nature) intervene. However, even though in practice we can definitely say that our personalities shape our destiny, I believe that God has a definite purpose for each one of us and therefore He has determined our destiny from the very first moment we were conceived. Furthermore, the fact that good things happen to bad people and vice versa reflects the fact that our fates must be predetermined, and therefore while our personalities might lead us in a certain way, our fate (whether good or bad) is already written. We can change our characters at free will and this will make us lead an ensuing life, but our destiny is set and no matter what we do, we will never be able to determine it. [1] â€Å"Character and fate are two words for the same thing† – Novalis [2] â€Å"Each man is the architect of his own fate. † – Appius Claudius [3] http://www. americanchronicle. com/articles/view/20750 [4] http://judaism. about. com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_murder. htm [5] http://www. petermalakoff. com/character_and_fate. html

Character Is Fate free essay sample

Meant that our personalities and actions shape the outcomes of our lives and therefore our destiny. This statement opposes the traditional view that mans fate is determined by an external force (name it god or even chance). This argument is basically one of faith: do you believe we shape our own futures by how we act, or are our lives programmed in a certain unchangeable way? In other words, do you believe in an omnipotent being that has our lives or at least our futures predetermined? As we shall see, a mans character defines his life (as his behaviour, emotions and ctions determine his daily life), but I believe that our fate is predetermined and unchangeable and that there is divine intervention, therefore a matter that we have no control over. To support the fact that we might be able to define our daily life but not our fates or futures there is the unanswered question of Why do bad things happen to good people? Furthermore, character is not the only aspect in deciding a mans fate: external events (chance and Nature) will also alter the processes and outcomes of our lives. To support the fact that we might be able to define our daily life but not our fates or futures there is the unanswered question of ‘why do bad things happen to good people? Furthermore, character is not the only aspect in deciding a man’s fate: external events (chance and Nature) will also alter the processes and outcomes of our lives. Heraclites and Novalis (German philosopher)[1] had an interesting argument, but unfortunately one that only applies in a utopian world. Many people believe that a person’s personality determines their place in life, therefore supporting Heraclites’ idea. Basically, this suggests that depending on how a person lives, what he does and how he deals with events the outcome of his life will be shaped accordingly. For example, in Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’, we understand that Mr. Henchard’s personality flaws (his temper and his naivety especially) lead him slowly to worse situations, which finally end up in him not wanting to be remembered once he is dead. On the other hand, Farfrae, a character which is much more appealing, sensitive, humane and kind is victim of fortunate events such as the prosperity of his business and his marriage to Lucetta. Both these cases can be attributed to the fact that life is working against Henchard while it works very well for Farfrae due to their aforementioned personalities. Unquestionably, the way in which we act will attract positive or negative outcomes respectively. In this matter, we could say that we are the architects of our fates[2] and that even though it might be very difficult to do so, we can manage to change our personality and therefore change our fates in a desired direction. Fate is in our hands (or should we better say in our character), as Scottish author Samuel Smiles words tell us: â€Å"Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. †[3] On the other hand, if we follow the argument discussed in the previous paragraph, then we could draw the conclusion that good things should always happen to good people and bad things to bad people. In real life, this is almost never true, and in many examples we can find quite the opposite: bad things happening to good people and vice versa. How many good and innocent people have been victims of the greed of evil people such as the Holocaust, the Iraq War or the bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima? If we want to narrow this to a theological explanation, then we can argue that God made us all in his image, therefore making us independent of moral choice and giving us total freedom (this suggests that we can control our characters in the way we decide because we have been given the freedom to do so. I don’t support this idea, but it is however the most rational to explain why bad things happen to good people: as there are also bad people in the world that act freely, then you can be a victim of their acts no matter who you are or how you are). However, as he has given everyone freedom, then we can all be victims of good and bad from other people. [4] Your character might determine your fate, but it is not the sole factor because as we can see, bad things can happen to good people and vice versa. I believe that this is a matter of chance (the fact that a good person might get in the way of a bad one and therefore have a terrible outcome which his/her character doesn’t reflect) and even tough we might have a certain personality that should lead us to a consequent destiny, unexpected and random variables get in the way and might change the course of our fates. Definitely our character will have an important role to play in determining the outcomes of our lives, but from this idea we can draw the idea that although character controls our life, we can’t control our fates: our fates are predestined. We can call these omnipotent force God, devil, providence or chance, but the fact is that our fate has already been planned for us and even if we could change our character (making us believe that we are changing our fate), we are only changing direction into a fate we think is new, but in reality is the fate that was always predestined for us. Furthermore, character is not the only factor in determining our lives. We must consider external factors such as the environment, nature and fortune. For example, in the novel ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ by Thomas Hardy, the main character, Mr. Henchard organizes a fair for the townspeople in order to show the people that despite what he appears to be, he is really kind and humane. Everything turns out wrong for him because heavy rain ruins the event (Nature intervenes) and later on in the book when he finally tries to redeem himself by taking good care of her daughter, he finds out that she is really not her daughter and that her real daughter died many years ago (fortune intervenes). We can’t attribute this ‘bad luck’ to Henchard’s character; this is simply a series of external factors that play against him in a random and unfortunate way. Yet another example is a Jewish story about a man, Moishe Lipsky, who moved into New York in the time of the Great Depression and when he applied for the only job he could find (a janitor), he was turned down because he was illiterate. So, he opened a little storefront and gradually became a rich and successful man. One day, when he goes to the bank to ask for a loan and he signs the papers with an X (as he was illiterate) and the loan officer tells him ‘Just think, in just a few years you have become a very rich man. It makes me wonder what you would have become if you could read and write’ and Lipsky answers ‘A janitor’. 5] It is ironical how things turn out in this story, but chance certainly plays a role in the success of this good and honest man. He arrives to America just in a difficult time and his predestined conditions make him illiterate. Without these factors of Nature, chance or omnipotence, the man could have actually turned out to be a janitor and not the successful businessman he turned out to be. Anyone who has a belief in an omnipotent body must understand that our nature is predestined and that our futures are set, so no matter what we do, we will always make our choices to lead the way to our predetermined fate. In an idealistic world, our character is certainly our fate, if no external factors (chance or nature) intervene. However, even though in practice we can definitely say that our personalities shape our destiny, I believe that God has a definite purpose for each one of us and therefore He has determined our destiny from the very first moment we were conceived. Furthermore, the fact that good things happen to bad people and vice versa reflects the fact that our fates must be predetermined, and therefore while our personalities might lead us in a certain way, our fate (whether good or bad) is already written. We can change our characters at free will and this will make us lead an ensuing life, but our destiny is set and no matter what we do, we will never be able to determine it. [1] â€Å"Character and fate are two words for the same thing† – Novalis [2] â€Å"Each man is the architect of his own fate. † – Appius Claudius [3] http://www. americanchronicle. com/articles/view/20750 [4] http://judaism. about. com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_murder. htm [5] http://www. petermalakoff. com/character_and_fate. html

Tatoos for Christians Essay Example For Students

Tatoos for Christians Essay It is quite popular these days to have a tattoo. It is not unusual even for people professing faith in Christ to have tattoos. Some Christians, however, have a problem with this. The issue came up recently at a Bible study my daughter attends, so I decided that a Fact Sheet on the subject was timely. Do the Scriptures prohibit tattoos for Christians? In a word, No. I realize that many fundamentalist and legalistic groups professing Christ will disagree with me on this (what else is new?), but the fact is, the Scriptures do not forbid Christians to have tattoos. Those disagreeing with me on this will no doubt cite various Scriptures to support their point of view, so lets have a look at some of the Bible verses they use as proof texts of their position. You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo KJV, print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28, NKJV There it is, brethren opposed to tattooing would say, pointing to this verse as the primary weapon in their arsenal. We will write a custom essay on Tatoos for Christians specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now A clear cut prohibition of tattooing in the Scriptures. It might seem that way to some, if the verse is just casually read without much attention to what is actually being said here and to whom this command applies. The reason behind the prohibition in this verse against tattooing had to do with ancient pagan practices in mourning the dead. As the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia puts it, Here the practice of tattooing is associated with mourning rites for the dead and is forbidden as a heathen practice. ISBE Vol. IV, page739 The ancient occupants of Canaan would make marks in their skin, either by incision or by burning the flesh to appease their gods, or, as Matthew Henry puts it, to pacify the infernal deities they dreamt of, and to render them propitious to their deceased friends. The Good News Bible in Todays English Version even renders this verse to show that both cutting the flesh and tattooing here apply to mourning rituals: or tattoo yourselves or cut gashes in your body to mourn for the dead. Those of the opposing view may say, Granted, but a prohibition is still a prohibition. Regardless of the historical/cultural reason behind it, this verse commands Christians not to get tattoos. Actually, thats not true. This verse does not command Christians to reject tattoos as unacceptable. This verse was a part of the Old Covenant given by God through Moses to the Israelites. It applied only to a specific period of Jewish history: from the time of the giving of this covenant at Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 5:2-3) until the covenant was made obsolete and taken away by the sacrifice of Christ (Hebrew 8:13; 10:9-10). The commands of the Hebrew Scriptures, therefore, are stipulations of covenant requirements, a covenant Gentiles were never under, a covenant that has been set aside as old for the sake of the new covenant in Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7-13). If an Old Covenant command is not repeated in the New, then it is not binding upon the Christian. The verse in Leviticus is the only place in most English versions where the word tattoo appears. However, those wishing to condemn the practice cite other passages to buttress their weak position. To my knowledge, the only other verses they use are found in the Revelation, which refer to the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16, 17; 14:9, 11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). These verses, it is claimed, refer to tattoos, which are marks of ownership or allegiance. These verses could indeed refer to tattoos. .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 , .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .postImageUrl , .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 , .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58:hover , .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58:visited , .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58:active { border:0!important; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58:active , .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58 .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0ec3ccefd3baaf348d52492f1a0eaf58:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: American Psycho College Essay Paper However, the aspect of having this mark that is condemned is not that it is a tattoo upon ones flesh, but that those possessing the mark are showing their allegiance to the beast, that they worship the beast and his image (Revelation 14:9, 11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). Once again, it is the purpose behind the mark or tattoo that is condemned in the Scriptures, and not the tattoo in and of itself. Within the book of Revelation there are nearly as many references to the mark of God on believers as there are references to the mark of the beast. Several times the Apocalypse refers to the Lord writing the name of Christ and God upon His servants (R evelation 3:12; 14:1; 22:4). Twice (ch. 7:3; 9:4) the phrase the seal of God upon the foreheads of His servants is mentioned (see Isaiah 44:5 and especially Ezekiel 9:4 for the OT background on this). When these verses regarding the seal of God on their foreheads are compared with ch. 14:1 and 22:4, it becomes clear that the seal of God is His written name. And what of Christ Himself? Twice in chapter 19, our Lord is depicted as having a name written on Him (verses 12 and 16). As unthinkable as it may be for some to picture our Lord Jesus as having a tattoo, the author of the Apocalypse had no problem with it. Some may argue that the seal of God/written name of God upon the foreheads of believers does not constitute a tattoo, and that the name King of kings and Lord of lords written on the thigh of Jesus certainly does not constitute a tattoo. If writing on the flesh here cannot refer to tattoos, then neither can the writing of the number of the beast (the mark of the beast) upon those who follow the beast. If not, why not? In conclusion, the Scriptures do not condemn having a tattoo per se. Tattoos are spoken of both positively and negatively in the Scriptures, and the message of or purpose behind the tattoo is what determines whether or not such a mark is good or bad. Those who would judge the salvation or Christian walk of others on the basis of outward appearance and Old Covenant commands should be reminded of two things. One, man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7, NKJV) Two, the basis of our covenant relationship to God in Christ is based, not upon rules and regulations or dress codes, but upon Gods grace, which is received by faith (Ephesians 2:8f.; Titus 3:4-5).