Lafollettes

Lafollettes-licensing of paren Essay â€Å"Licensing Parents†Hugh LaFolleteWould the licensing of parents be morally right and theoretically possible? According to Hugh LaFollette in his essay â€Å"Licensing Parents,† it is and would be both right and possible to do so. I will attempt to argue LaFollettes point by using the different scenarios and analogies presented in his essay. I will also be looking at the different objections to LaFollette’s proposal and his rebuttal to each one. I will then show why I am in agreement with LaFollette and his belief that there is a need for some type of licensing program when it comes to raising children. In LaFollette’s essay â€Å"Licensing Parents,† he argues that all people should be required to go through some sort of licensing program before they are able to have children and then raise them. The goal of his essay is to show that it makes perfect sense to instate such a program and that it would actually be possible to put this program into use. The first thing LaFollette does to show that it is logical for a program of this nature to be used is he compares parental licensing to other forms of licensing in use today. â€Å"We require automobile operators to have licenses. We forbid people from practicing medicine, law, pharmacy, or psychiatry unless they have satisfied certain licensing requirements†(LaFollette 522). There is a reason that America requires its citizens to acquire licenses for driving, medicine, and law. This reason is to protect innocent people from being harmed by incompetent people who are not skilled in these areas. â€Å"Imagine a world in which everyone could legally drive a car, in which everyone could legally perform surgery, prescribe medications, dispense drugs, or offer legal advice. Such a world would hardly be desirable†(LaFollette 522). So why, asks LaFollette, should the parenting of a child be any different? If two incompetent people decide to have a baby, doesn’t that baby stand a risk of being harmed by the parents’ incompetence? Parenting, according to LaFollette, falls under the same licensing category as driving and the practicing of medicine. Just like a bad driver who shouldn’t be operating a motor vehicle has a greater chance of harming or killing an innocent person, an incompetent parent runs a greater risk of abusing or damaging their child. A good example of the injury that can be done to a child is explained by LaFollette while he is discussing the general licensing criteria used to license most things under regulation. He states the fact that parenting can be harmful to children if it is done improperly. He then goes on to state, â€Å"Each year more than half a million children are physically abuse or neglected by their parents. Many millions more are psychologically abused or n eglected – not given love, respect, or a sense of self-worth. The results of this maltreatment are obvious. Abused children bear the physical and psychological scars of maltreatment throughout their lives. Far too often they turn to crime. They are far more likely to abuse their own children. Even if the maltreated children never harm anyone, they will probably never be well-adjusted, happy adults†(LaFollette 523). If we as a society know these facts, and can see the cycle that is created, why then do we not attempt to correct the problem before it starts? It is much more difficult to fix a problem after it has started and set in than it is to fix it before it even gets started. That is exactly what the licensing program would do; stop the problem before it even starts. In his argument for the licensing of parents, LaFollette puts forth the criteria that is used in the licensing of any of the above mentioned activities. â€Å"Any activity that is potentially harmful to the others and requires certain demonstrated competence for its safe performance is subject to regulation†(LaFollette 522). Since parenting can be potentially harmful to others it meets the criteria for licensing according to LaFollette. Therefore, any person who rejects the claim that licensing parents is legitimate also rejects the idea that any other activity, such as driving, should be regulated by some sort of licensi ng procedure (LaFollette). Investigating Light and Photosynthesis EssayOverall I agree greatly with everything that LaFollette wrote in his essay. I too believe that some sort of licensing system is exactly what America needs right now. Way too often babies are being born into this world to mothers in their teens. In many of these cases the father is nowhere to be found and young girls are left to raise a child. Maybe a couple hundred years ago it was common practice for girls to be married early and having babies before they turned twenty. But that was then, in a time when ones average life span was near 40 years. In today’s society it is almost mandatory to have a high school diploma, if not a college diploma. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think to many fifteen year old girls with a baby are going to be able to complete high school, much less college, without any help. Unfortunately that help isn’t always there for many girls in this situation. Another example where a licen sing program would be desirable is in the instance of the â€Å"crack whore†. In many cities around the country there are women hooked on hard drugs, going no place in life but down. In many cases these women have been known to have more babies in order to receive a larger amount of welfare. This welfare money is then taken and sold on the streets for â€Å"crack† or other drugs. When this happens, the children are often left neglected because the mother is on heavy drugs and unable to care for her children and malnourished because the food money went to buy drugs (A;E). This is definitely a very sad situation, but it could be avoided if there were laws to either keep the woman from having more unloved, neglected babies, or at least take the babies out of the mothers care. It is cases like these, and I believe LaFollette would agree, that are exactly the reason why a parental licensing system is greatly needed in America. It would help reduce crime, which is often the result of improper upbringing, and reduce number of children that are abused each year. The only argument of LaFollette’s that I thought was a little weak was his rebuttal to the fifth practical objection that the program could never be enforced. To this objection LaFollette really can’t think of anything to say. His answer is much shorter than the rest of his rebuttals, and really carries no weight. I think he could have come up with a much better answer. In conclusion, LaFollette argues for the implication of some form of parental licensing to reduce the amount of abuse cases and crimes in America. In doing so he touches upon different aspects of his licensing system and fields both theoretical and practical objections to such a system. I also discussed my opinions on the subject of parental licensing and why I believe it would be a good idea to do.

What Means What Essay Example For Students

What Means What Essay Rudy YurkovichWho Said What MeansAsk yourselves these questions before you read Kincaids Girl, Do you know what a housewife is, being a student or child, getting advice from an elder, and being called something that you are not? What is this storys about is it a story at all or just a poem in essay form? What kind of mood are you in right now to decipher this story in your own words? The story depends on the mood you are in and change the whole perception of this story. Then again, isnt that what writing is about to begin with? Interpret the story as Mr. Hass told us to do, I did, but I analyzed it as a poem looking for an underlying meaning. There had to be much more than what there than what was told to us. I had a totally different perception. After the discussion, it seemed relevant for me to understand the story in a different way. But, I thought it was a mother to daughter talk. The daughter talk (my interpretation of the narration) was commands that her mom was saying. The adv ice told to her was not to become a slut, which was repeated several times in this story. But the question I ask you is, this present situation in the girls life, or was it a recollection of one that she had before with her mother?Is this story taking place in present time or in the past? It could be in the present with a young girl but I also came to the conclusion that this could be in the past and the italicized words could keep repeating in her mothers forgotten speech. Now is when she needs her mothers comfort and not only that what she wished at the time of the talk. In the other perspective though it could be in the present time and just be recalled by the narrator to opens ones imagination to make them draw their own conclusions. We will write a custom essay on What Means What specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Is story a poem or is it a story, isnt this story just a page with sentences making thoughts about a person to another person. Well that is what I got out of it and now I can only get more confused thinking of it, the story is so broad anyones interpretation could be perceived as correct. Not only that the story can change with each person, it also changes with the readers mood at that point time, not only that try to analyze it and your mind just wonders with the choices that Kincaid gives you. Besides that interpret it after all the thoughts thrown around in class. After reading the story I thought about it, and all the statements that were discussed. I sat back and tried to figure it all out. I came to the conclusion that the mother was upset at something that the girl had done. It could have been the first time the girl had a boyfriend, or maybe it was something a little more serious. For instance it seems like the mother is real hyper and frustrated at something. She keeps reprimanding the girl and saying, Dont become a slut and dont become a troublemaker, especially singing your music in church (Kincaid p. 430). But, the girl defends herself in the first italicized print saying I dont sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school (p. 430). Saying, No mom I do not do what you might think I do ever and never in the house of God (p. 430). This could be related to religion but I dont think religion has anything really significant to do in the story. There is a sentence in the story that makes me feel the way I do about it. .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 , .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .postImageUrl , .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 , .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5:hover , .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5:visited , .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5:active { border:0!important; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 { 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; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5:active , .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .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; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5 .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8d308f2eedd716802da50cbb8e2c3ec5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Procrastination and regrets EssayReligion might or might not be relevant in the story. I am leaning towards not being relevant because it is such a broad subject for such a short story. I just wasnt to touch on something like sex, which is all over the bible with premarital sex and with being sinners in general. Meaning nothing more than what common man is sinners and that is bringing her mother not to become something that will be regretful and cant be taken back. Meaning that whatever she does do she might look back at it and not have the same feeling like she did before whatever she did at that time. It is more just good parenting on the mothers side than anything else might be. Showing that tender loving care that a parent should have but with the sterness to make her think twice in the event of a situation brought upon her. Knowing what the mother has said and the outcome of the story I think strongly that she will think righteously. In closing the girl seems not to be what the mother makes her out to be. I believe the ending has a double meaning with a sexual connotation in it dealing with the baker and the bakers bread. My interpretation, the daughter will uphold her mother and fathers honor.In summary the mother is reprimanding the daughter for something that wasnt actually done. The daughter says something at the end to the mother. The mother is stunned with the reaction, giving the daughter a cleared name and New Hope. With the final conclusion ending up being that mother is narrating the story. Leaving the story so braid the interpretations is ones own personal view and also ones mood that day. This story is one that I can strongly say everyone can relate to with your parents lecturing on some subject either it is for the good or for the bad it is hard to tell. You can tell me your interpretation on the narrator and or the daughter situation. It would maybe shed more light on the confusion that I have in th is story. Having all the different choices you and I could make between the narrators who in it what they are trying to say and what they mean when they say what. Words/ Pages : 1,036 / 24

Free Essays on Subliminal Messages

Almost all people are exposed to some kind of subliminal message everyday throughout life. They’re supposedly used in almost every advertisement around us. But just because they are being used, does that mean these messages really work? That they are actually retained in our minds altering behavior, even for long periods of time. A subliminal message is an insufficiently intense message used to produce a discrete sensation by influencing one's mental process or behavior. Subliminal stimuli effect ones perception just below the threshold of consciousness. The theory behind subliminal stimuli is that human behavior can be controlled by messages that bypass conscious perception and operates directly on the unconscious, ultimately influencing ones behavior. The use of subliminal stimuli in advertising scares many; yet this technique is frequently used as a desirable means of contacting, tinkering with, and some may even say manipulating people’s minds. Advertisers frequently use subliminal messages because they find them successful in helping to sell products. However, there are those advertisers who do not use them or believe in there ability. Some are convinced that subliminal advertising is a myth, and when selling an adequate product there is no reason to us such messages. The actual term 'subliminal advertising' dates back to the 1950's and was coined by American market researcher, James Vicary. He claimed that he had â€Å"†¦discovered a way to reach people subliminally, by flashing advertising messages on a screen so briefly that although they weren't seen consciously they made the viewers do as suggested† (www.parascope.com/articles). Many people reacted skeptically when first hearing of the technique, asking, â€Å"what's the point of an ad you can't see?† (www.parascope.com/articles). Vicary then conducted a six week test run at a theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey that caused a noticeable increase in concession... Free Essays on Subliminal Messages Free Essays on Subliminal Messages Almost all people are exposed to some kind of subliminal message everyday throughout life. They’re supposedly used in almost every advertisement around us. But just because they are being used, does that mean these messages really work? That they are actually retained in our minds altering behavior, even for long periods of time. A subliminal message is an insufficiently intense message used to produce a discrete sensation by influencing one's mental process or behavior. Subliminal stimuli effect ones perception just below the threshold of consciousness. The theory behind subliminal stimuli is that human behavior can be controlled by messages that bypass conscious perception and operates directly on the unconscious, ultimately influencing ones behavior. The use of subliminal stimuli in advertising scares many; yet this technique is frequently used as a desirable means of contacting, tinkering with, and some may even say manipulating people’s minds. Advertisers frequently use subliminal messages because they find them successful in helping to sell products. However, there are those advertisers who do not use them or believe in there ability. Some are convinced that subliminal advertising is a myth, and when selling an adequate product there is no reason to us such messages. The actual term 'subliminal advertising' dates back to the 1950's and was coined by American market researcher, James Vicary. He claimed that he had â€Å"†¦discovered a way to reach people subliminally, by flashing advertising messages on a screen so briefly that although they weren't seen consciously they made the viewers do as suggested† (www.parascope.com/articles). Many people reacted skeptically when first hearing of the technique, asking, â€Å"what's the point of an ad you can't see?† (www.parascope.com/articles). Vicary then conducted a six week test run at a theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey that caused a noticeable increase in concession...

Master thesis proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Master thesis - Research Proposal Example The pandemic of HIV/AIDS threatens not only the local population but has widespread ramifications for the rest of the world and needs to be addressed urgently and incorporated as intrinsic part of business strategy and social responsibility by the global business community. Financial aids to the sub Sahara is critical for developing infrastructure for the development processes so as to enable the local population to become self reliant and become proactive participants. The regions boast of the huge natural resources, rich in minerals and precious metals like gold, platinum, diamond etc. which are presently being exploited by the foreign agencies with scarce regard to the welfare of the local population. Financial aid would serve as the major incentive for promoting democratization of the republics and reinforcing equitable distribution of wealth through programmes and policies. The approach needs to be focused on literacy and development processes to promote income generating activities designed to raise the standard of living. But the rampant corruption in the sub Sahara greatly dissuades the donors which may defeat the objective of aid. According to a BBC report, ‘corruption is costing Africa more than $148bn dollars a year, increasing the cost of goods by as much as 20%, deterring investment and holding back development’ (BBC, 2002). The corruption has been found to be the most insidious factor that infiltrates almost all strata of society of Sub Saharan Africa. From the high level political grafts to low level bribing of police and custom official has become the norm that de-accelerates the development process. It therefore, becomes the major instrument adversely impacts the objectives of financial aid and must be addressed to improve and improvise the outcome of the same. What is financial aid’s effect on the Sub Saharan

Responsibility of government for supporting the arts Essay

Responsibility of government for supporting the arts - Essay Example Classical example they can draw is governmental support of arts in the former Soviet Union. Soviet leaders have been carried out their control of arts in the Soviet Union, but they thought that there was necessity to control artists and for many internal ideological reasons. In spite of the control, Soviet government supported the arts through different state organizations and institutions, and many real masterpieces were created by the Soviet people in that period. Government must support arts, but not widely control it. There are some good examples of such supporting. The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) is a governmental organization the purpose of which is providing grants for different art organizations, institutions and festivals. "These grants generally are for the purpose of increasing their accessibility for people from other parts of the state or for people of lower income, but grants also may support special programs and exhibitions" (1). These programmes must be supported by government, because only state support can provide high level of arts development. Private organizations cannot always appropriate necessary funds for arts development.There are some more examples from the US history. "Government support was provided to artists during the Great Depression through the Works Project Administration (WPA). The purpose of this government largesse, however, seems to have been motivated primarily by the interest in providing work to the unemployed" (2). The governmental support of the arts also provides help for people who create masterpieces i n such trouble time as the Great Depression. Non-state organizations couldn't support artists in trouble time - only government can provide arts and artists with all means needed. Eloquent example of the necessity of governmental support of the arts is a copyright system which is established by the government. It allows "creators to retain the financial interests in their intellectual property, so the theory runs, they would be encouraged to create, which would be in the interests of the nation" (2). Government supports authors to gain material stimulus for their work and protects them from illegal use of their creations. Copyright system is widespread in all civilized countries that understand the necessity of the state support of the arts and artists who are always gold fund of any country and nation. Only government is able to support the arts and artists with the copyright system by all means of legislation.3. I have argued that government has a responsibility to support the arts, but if that support is going to produce anything of value, government must place no restrictions on the art that is produced. This view will become increasingly dominant in the coming century, because in our time it is especially important to provide high level support of arts. Many of these issues can never be resolved to everybody's satisfaction, but in the long run, promoting the idea that government is

The Greek God Zeus Essay Example for Free

The Greek God Zeus Essay In Greek mythology, Zeus has the most prominent name among all the gods and goddesses. This is because he is the most powerful and formidable of all the deities. From the beginning, legend had established his power since he overthrown his own father to become the leader of the Greek gods and goddesses. Zeus was also notorious for his numerous affairs with women and the countless children produced from these affairs. In Greek literature, he was shown to be fierce, vengeful and pitiful of mortals. However, the authority of Zeus is not absolute or unlimited. He is prone to deceit and trickery. Zeus is both a powerful god and a flawed revered entity, which makes him one of the most interesting personalities in Greek mythology. Before the life of Zeus can be discussed, it is important to discuss the origins of Greek mythology. This is because the origin of Zeus can only be understood from the context of the beginnings of Greek mythology. According to Hesoid, prior to the existence of all things, there was initially Chaos (Rose, 1991). The existence of Chaos was considered the beginning of all things, as it was the existence from which other beings were derived. Chaos gave birth to other beings. These were Night, Darkness (also known as Erebos), Love (also referred to as Eros), Tartaros and Earth. Night and Darkness were responsible for the creation of Day and Sky (also called as Aither). Meanwhile, Earth created the Sea (or Pontos), the Mountains and Heaven on its own (Rose, 1991). The account of Hesoid continued with the union of Heaven and Earth (Rose, 1991). Heaven, that which is also referred to as Uranos, is not really considered a god. On the contrary, Earth (sometimes called Gaia) is truly considered as a goddess. It was said that this unlikely couple produced several offspring. These were â€Å"Okeanos and his eddies, Koios and Krios, Hyperion and Iapetos, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne, Phoibe and Tethys† (Rose, 1991, p. 15). Kronos was the last offspring. He was the most frightful of all children, for he harbored hatred towards his father. Eventually, the family was torn apart by conflict. Heaven became overwhelmed by jealousy towards his children that he forced them all into Earth’s body. When Earth could no longer deal with the suffering, she asked her children to punish their father for revenge. Only Kronos answered his mother’s call; with a sickle, he castrated his father (Rose, 1991). Collectively, the children of Heaven and Earth are called the Titans (Rose, 1991). The Titans are also known as the Elder Gods (Hamilton, 1969). Among the Titans, six composed a different group (Rose, 1991). These include Iapetos, Okeanos, Kronos and their respective wives, Themis, Tethys and Rhea. The most significant couple in this group is Kronos and Rhea, as they were the parents of Zeus. According to legend, Heaven and Earth predicted that one of Kronos’ children would unseat him from power. Kronos was alarmed by the warning; as a result, he swallowed each of his children the moment they were born. Rhea disapproved of Kronos’ actions, so when she gave birth to her youngest, Zeus, she decided to hide him from his father. Rather than give the child, Rhea handed to Kronos a rock clothed like a newborn infant. The prediction of Heaven and Earth came true; when Zeus grew up, he became opposed to his father. While Rhea plotted to trick Kronos into throwing up his children, Zeus came to Tartaros to set free Kronos’ brethren who were jailed there. Cyclops was one of those who were saved, and he provided Zeus with lightning and thunder as gifts in exchange for their freedom. Eventually, the conflict between Kronos and Zeus intensified into a full-blown battle between father and son. The rest of the brethren, including Hekatoncheires and Briareos, were on the side of Zeus. Even Styx and her children proved to be Zeus’ allies. It was said that the battle lasted for a decade. Zeus and his supporters fought from Mount. Olympus, while Kronos and most of the Titans established their post from Mount Orthrys. Themis and Prometheus were the only Titans who did not participate in Kronos’ fight. The battle between the immortals disturbed both the earth and Tartaros; eventually, Zeus emerged as the victor, due to his thunderbolts and stone showers caused by Hekatoncheires. Kronos and his allies were kept in a prison located in Tartaros, with Hekatoncheires serving as the prison guard. The victory of Zeus against Kronos made him the leader among the gods and forced the Titans into lower positions (Rose, 1991). The origin of Zeus is uncertain, as the details of his birth vary according to different sources. Two stories state different locations as the birthplace of Zeus. One story stated that Zeus was born in Crete, while another claimed that the god was born in Arkadia (Rose, 1991). According to the tales that do not establish Crete as his birthplace, Zeus was brought to Crete and was concealed in a cave at Lyktos. Meanwhile, the Cretan legend claimed that Zeus was born in a cave located in either Mount Dikte or Mount Ide. In this cave, Zeus was cared for by local gods and goddesses. It was said that Zeus did not go hungry as a goat named Amaltheia brought him food. The bees also provided Zeus with their honey. It was also said that his cries were inaudible due to the loud war-dance performed by the Kuretes (Rose, 1991). There were various objects closely associated with Zeus. Two of the most prominent objects are the thunderbolt and the aegis (Rose, 1991). The thunderbolt was the god’s destructive weapon; its effect was similar to that of a sharp and powerful missile. Greek art represented the thunderbolt of Zeus as accompanied by flashes of lightning; sometimes, it was also depicted as having wings. As for the aegis, it was the god’s breastplate. It was illustrated by various authors as either a garment or a shield. In a mere mortal, the aegis may seem like an ordinary armor. However, in the hands of Zeus, the aegis served a mighty weapon with magical abilities. According to legend, whenever the aegis was waved at a foe, this individual will be overwhelmed with fright. If the origins of the aegis will be traced, one would find that it is simply a cloak created from the hide of a goat with the hairs still in it. To an ordinary human, the aegis is known for defensive purposes, especially against the weather and the attacks of the enemy. Nonetheless, the aegis is worn by Zeus is filled with his mana, or his deific force (Rose, 1991). Aside from the thunderbolt and the aegis, there were other things attributed to Zeus. The eagle is considered as the god’s bird of choice, while the oak tree was his favorite (Hamilton, 1969). The oracle of Zeus is situated in Dodona, where oak trees were abundant. It was established that the will of Zeus was shown by the movement of the oak leaves, which was later interpreted by the priests (Hamilton, 1969). Zeus belonged to the 12 Olympian gods who reigned after the downfall of the Titans (Hamilton, 1969). He served as the head of this family of divine beings. The group included the siblings of Zeus: his brothers Poseidon and Hades, as well as his sisters Hestia and Hera. The 12 divinities also included the children of Zeus, including Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes and Artemis. Hephaestus was the twelfth god in the group. After Zeus dethroned Kronos, he sought to distribute the universe among his brothers and himself (Rose, 1991). The sea became the official territory of Poseidon, while Hades became the ruler of the underworld. In the division of the universe, Zeus emerged as the mightiest among the three (Hamilton, 1969). He was called various names, such as the â€Å"Rain-god, the Cloud-gatherer and the Lord of the Sky† (Hamilton, 1969, p. 27). In fact, Zeus was more powerful than all the gods and goddesses combined (Hamilton, 1969). Despite Zeus’ status, there were territories which were not under his reign. The three gods agreed that Mount Olympus and the earth would be considered as common ground. It is important to note that the sisters were not included in the distribution of the universe (Rose, 1991). This exclusion was apparently due to the rules of ancient Greek law. After he defeated his father, Zeus had another objective: to search for a wife. He was soon married, but he was also involved in affairs with various women. The marriage of Zeus to Hera is most notable in Greek mythology, though it was suggested that this was not the only marriage Zeus was involved with. According to Homer, Hera was Zeus’ first choice for a wife, as their romance began prior to the defeat of Kronos (Rose, 1991). Ares and Hephaestus, the God of War and the God of Fire respectively, were the children from their union (Hamilton, 1969). However, several accounts stated that Hephaestus was the son of Hera alone. The divine marriage proved to be shaky, due Zeus’ infidelity. The supreme deity was often depicted as a womanizer, as he had this habit of falling in love with many women. His extramarital affairs were countless and often produced children, mortal and immortal alike. It was said that Zeus had to resort to all sorts of trickery to conceal his unfaithfulness, just as he had used beguilement as a means to lure women. However, Hera usually discovered about these affairs. Several accounts of Hera showed that she was mainly concerned with chastising the other females in Zeus’ life. She punished all those whom Zeus fell in love with, though they only submitted to him because of force or trickery. Regardless of their situation, Hera remained filled with hatred and she also punished their children (Hamilton, 1969). Some sources suggest that Zeus was involved in other marriages. Prior to his union with Hera, he was married to Themis, who was one of the Titans (Rose, 1991). This marriage resulted in the birth of the Seasons, as well as the Moirai. After Themis, Zeus was involved with Eurynome. According to Hesoid, she was an offsping of Okeanos and Tethys. The union between Zeus and Eurynome produced Charites, better known in the English language as Graces, based on its Latin origins. The Graces consisted of Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia; they were also known as Splendor, Mirth and Good Cheer respectively (Hamilton, 1969). In most accounts, the Graces were not considered as different entities; they were often depicted as a trinity of beauty and grace. Meanwhile, Themis was not the only Titaness whom Zeus married (Rose, 1991). Zeus also married Mnemosyne, and their union produced the nine Muses. This union was said to have occurred after Zeus’ relationship with Demeter (Rose, 1991). Initially, the Muses were similar to the Graces in the sense they were not distinctly identified from one another (Hamilton, 1969). Eventually, the Muses were distinguished to each other according to their respective fields. Calliope was the Muse of epic poetry, Clio of history, Erato of love poetry, Euterpe of lyric poetry, Polyhymnia of the songs for the deities, Thalia of comedy and Terpsichore of dance (Hamilton, 1969). A significant relationship is the union between Zeus and Demeter (Rose, 1991). The offspring of this marriage was Kore, who is better known as Persephone. According to an Orphic account, Zeus was also in love with his own daughter. He assumed the shape of a dragon or snake to mate with her. Their union produced a son named Zagreus, who was later killed by the Titans based on Hera’s orders. However, this account is rather obscure; the story is contrary to the tradition of Greek mythology which indicates that Persephone was married to Hades, the brother of Zeus (Rose, 1991). Some of the deities included in the 12 Olympians were children of Zeus from his affairs with other women. Apollo is recognized as the God of Truth and Light (Hamilton, 1969). His twin, Artemis, is known to be a brave huntswoman. Both deities were the children of Zeus from his relationship with Leto. Hermes, who is known as the Messenger of Zeus, was the offspring of the supreme god and Maia, the daughter of Atlas. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty and Love, was the offspring of Zeus and Dione according to the Homer’s The Iliad. Nevertheless, another account claimed that Aphrodite came from foam in the sea (Hamilton, 1969). The aforementioned gods and goddesses are only some of the identified children of Zeus. Zeus is known to be the mighty Greek god who had multiple romantic affairs. However, his other attributes were best illustrated in both The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. In these epics, the characteristics of the king of the Greek gods are exposed to the reader. While the stories present the extent of his power and personality, these also reveal his limitations and flaws. For instance, it is already a well-known fact that Zeus is supreme and powerful enough to overthrow Kronos. In Book VIII of The Iliad, he asserted that power by reminding the other gods and goddesses that he is the greatest of them all (Hamilton, 1969). The war between the Greeks and the Trojans had forced the deities to take sides and intervene with the mortal conflict. However, in a gathering in Mount Olympus, Zeus warned the other deities against interfering in the war. He reminded them that even in a tug-of-war between him and the others, he would still win. Homer wrote, â€Å"Fasten a rope of gold to heaven and lay hold, every god and goddess. You could not drag down Zeus. But if I wished to drag you down, then I would† (as cited in Hamilton, 1969, p. 27). Zeus was indeed the strongest among all Greek gods. Despite being the mightiest among all the deities, Zeus was depicted as a god whose will was not absolute. This was because his stand towards the war and divine intervention constantly shifted. When The Iliad began, Zeus wanted to have little or no involvement in the Trojan War. When Aphrodite became injured as a result of her involvement in the mortal battle, Zeus instructed her to stay way (Hamilton, 1969). In a similar instance, when Diomedes injured Ares, Zeus was more considerate to the former because he found the latter too impulsive. Also, there was a time in the epic when Hera and Athena wanted to participate in the war and Zeus was forced to threaten them just to prevent them from meddling. At one point, Zeus even seemed to want an end to the intensified conflict; when Paris disappeared from his duel with Menelaus, he suggested that the war should end because Menelaus was technically the winner (Hamilton, 1969). However, it is important to note that Zeus was already involved with the war early on in the epic. The problem with Agamemnon forced Achilles to seek his mother’s help in asking for Zeus’ intervention (Hamilton, 1969). As a favor to her son, Thetis did ask Zeus for the temporary victory of the Trojans just so Achilles can prove to the Greeks that they are ineffective in battle without him. While he insisted to the other gods and goddesses that they must not intervene, he himself was a divine participant in the war. He listened to the plea of Thetis and soon enough, he tricked Agamemnon through a dream. In Book XI, Zeus had informed Hector that he will become victorious after Agamemnon gets injured in battle. Zeus was also shown to provide omens to the mortal participants of the war. In Book XII, Zeus sent an eagle flying with a snake in its claws; later on, the eagle dropped the snake when it was bitten. This proved to be a bad omen which was ignored by Hector. Later on in the epic, Zeus did allow the other deities to meddle in the war. The divine intervention in the war even caused the gods and goddesses themselves to be at war with each other. Instead of being a participant, Zeus was merely a spectator in the divine squabble (Hamilton, 1969). The epics of Homer also depicted Zeus as a god of mercy. Whenever a mortal is placed in an appropriate situation, the powerful god took pity on them. After Achilles killed Hector in The Iliad, he continually dragged his enemy’s corpse (Hamilton, 1969). Zeus and the rest of the gods were not happy with this. Zeus was forced to approach Thetis to put a stop to this unfortunate situation. He asked the deity to talk to her son. In The Odyssey, Odysseus had not found his way home for two decades. For a time, he stayed in an island with the deity Calypso. Calypso refused to let him go and eventually became a prisoner of the island. Zeus knew Odysseus did not deserve this fate and he sought the cooperation of the gods to aid the mortal on his way home. Zeus asked Hermes to travel to the island and convince Calypso to set Odysseus free. Because no one can refuse the command of Zeus, Calypso was forced to do as the god asked (Hamilton, 1969). In The Odyssey, Zeus was also shown to be capable of wrath and vengeance. The supreme god was portrayed as having livestock in his possession (Rose, 1991). On the island of Thrinakie, some of Odysseus’ companions had killed some cattle and sheep to address their hunger. What these men did not know was that those animals were owned by the supreme god himself. Zeus punished these me by sinking their ship. However, he spared Odysseus from drowning (Rose, 1991). Zeus may be presented as powerful, merciful and vengeful god, but the leader of the Greek gods also has his share of imperfections. Zeus is devoid of omnipotence (Hamilton, 1969). He is a powerful god but his power is not unlimited. In addition, Zeus is not omnipresent either. His limitations as a god allowed other deities to deceive him and take advantage of his weaknesses. Because Zeus was not omnipresent, Poseidon took advantage of this limitation to further his cause as proven in The Iliad. Zeus had demanded that the other gods and goddesses should not be involved in the war. In Book XIII, Zeus was busy and was not able to follow the events in the war. In his brother’s absence, Poseidon helped the Greeks aboard his underwater chariot. Despite his brother’s warning, Poseidon went to the battle in disguise to inspire the Greeks (Hamilton, 1969). Hera also took advantage of Zeus’ limitations. The goddess had been against the Trojans from the start, since Paris chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess. From her post in Mount Olympus, Hera was overjoyed with the participation of Poseidon in the war (Hamilton, 1969). She wanted to guarantee that Zeus will not see them interfering in the affairs of the mortals. Zeus was busy in Mount Ida, so he was unable to prevent the other deities from participating in the war. Hera planned to distract Zeus so the other deities can continue their interference without being caught. She enlisted the help of both Aphrodite and Sleep to succeed in her plan. First, she prepared herself in her plot to seduce her husband; she bathed, wore perfume and got dressed. Aphrodite assisted Hera and made her so beautiful that Zeus would not be able to resist her. Then, Hera asked Sleep to visit Zeus. She made her way to Mount Ida and wished to greet Zeus first with flattery and lies. However, Zeus became so overwhelmed by her beauty that he immediately asked her to lay with him. Hera did not want Zeus to see what was happening to the war, so she insisted that they should go to her chamber underwater to avoid the being seen. Zeus refused. After they made love, Zeus fell into a slumber due to Sleep. With Zeus in deep sleep, Poseidon continued with his interference. When Zeus woke up, he realized what happened and reprimanded Hera (Hamilton, 1969). The case with Poseidon and Hera showed how limited Zeus’ power was, even if he was the most powerful god in Greek mythology. His brother Poseidon had undermined his authority when he intervened with the war despite his orders. His own wife Hera was capable of deceiving him, who was supposed to be the mightiest of them all. With the use of trickery, Zeus came under the control of deities more inferior to him. In the aforementioned incident, his love and lust for women proved to be his downfall. He was easily distracted by the physical appearance that he became unmindful of what was actually happening with the mortals. Hence, Zeus was a powerful god but not a perfect one. The limitations of his power allowed other gods and goddesses to deceive him. The reputation of Zeus as the most supreme among all Greek gods and goddesses is justified. He defeated his father Kronos to become the most powerful among all deities. He controlled the Titans and put them under their control. Whenever he was crossed, he sought revenge and severely punished those who had earned his wrath. Meanwhile, he took pity of those who deserved his mercy. Nonetheless, the supremacy of Zeus was not an assurance of his perfection. Zeus was also flawed like the mortals he governed. One of his weaknesses was his love of women, which resulted in many relationships and children. His will was not fixed; he constantly changed his mind. He was not a god of omnipresence or omniscience; this limitation caused him to be a victim of beguilement. Zeus proved to be the most interesting among all Greek gods. While he was mighty and formidable, he was also weak and imperfect. References Hamilton, E. (1969). Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Mentor. Rose, H. J. (1991). A Handbook of Greek Mythology. New York: Routledge.

O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones Essay -- O’Neill Emperor Jones Race Black

O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones In Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones, Emperor Brutus Jones is an African American male who has risen, â€Å"from stowaway to Emperor (of Haiti) in two years† (343). Jones looks down upon his subjects, viewing them as nothing but animals, even though they are African just like himself. As payback, Jones himself goes through a transformation which dehumanizes him and gives him very primal, animal related characteristics. Through this juxtaposition, O’Neill makes his play a critique of the dehumanizing effects people in power have had over the black race. One of the first characters introduced in the play, the old native woman, has been completely dehumanized by the Emperor’s reign. When she realizes she cannot escape or reason with the regime, which is represented in her scene through Smithers, she immediately dehumanizes herself. The woman, â€Å"seeing the uselessness of struggling, gives way to frantic terror, and sinks to the ground, embracing his knees supplicatingly† (340). The woman is no longer a human being. She is not on an equal playing field with those that have oppressed her. Words like uselessness, frantic, sinks, and supplicatingly, all serve to show she believes she has no other option but to allow the regime to dehumanize her. The fact that she sinks to the ground, shows that she is tired and has been dehumanized for so long, treated as property for so long, there is no point in hoping for anything different. She just accepts the dehumanization now. Struggling to be viewed as a human being is equ ated with a useless action. Later in the scene, the woman further proves the Emperor has complete control over her. She states, â€Å"Him sleep† (341). The use of the word Him is intere... ...anization has been completed. The scene directions of scene seven state, â€Å"Jones’ voice is heard from the left rising and falling in the long, despairing wail of the chained slaves† (359). He is unified with the slaves. His ability to speak along with the slaves has been taken away. They have been dehumanized to a wail, a sound or noise, much in the same way animals are reduced to speaking in noises. Jones does not fight or try to kill these rowers. He realizes this is his history, and how wrong he was to enslave and dehumanize his fellow members of the black race. This realization is shown when he states, â€Å"Oh Gorry, I’se skeered in dis place! I’se skeered. Oh Lawd, pertect dis sinner!† (359). He is afraid just like all blacks would have been in the slave ships. He no longer is trying to exert power over those members of his own race that are less fortunate than him.