Journey to the West Essay Example for Free

Journey to the West Essay In The Journey to the West, Pilgrim and the woodcutter seem to be similar where they both feel that they have a purpose in life. However, their situations are different from one another. For instance, Pilgrim tries to better himself by seeking the immortals, as well as, gaining eternal youth. He is full of passion, desire, and excitement, which has lead him to have no worrisome thoughts. He has nothing holding him back from the tasks that he wishes to accomplish. Unlike the Pilgrim, the woodcutter continuously is concerned about his mother and how he is going to make enough money each day to take care of her. The immortals even taught the woodcutter a poem that would help him to calm down because of his worrisome feelings. Pilgrim is someone that follows his curiosity to find newer and bigger things, while the woodcutter is merely a slave to his obligations of making a decent living. Due to his obligations, the woodcutter does not have any dreams for his future, and even if he did, he would never dare follow them. Pilgrim only cares about himself and the benefits that he will receive due to his journey to find the immortals. The woodcutter is not as selfish or as motivated with what he wants to do with his life. Since the woodcutter was a child, he has taken on the responsibility of being an adult. Woodcutter approaches Pilgrim by saying, â€Å"when I was young, I was indebted to my parents’ nurture until I was eight or nine. As soon as I began to have some understanding of human affairs, my father unfortunately died, and my mother remained a widow. I had no brothers or sisters; so there was no alternative but for me alone to support and care for my mother. Now that my mother is growing old, all the more I dare not leave her† (Wu Cheng’en 433). Even after the woodcutter’s explanation, Pilgrim still asked him to come along on his journey with him to find the immortals. Pilgrim does not have any concern or regard about the woodcutter’s problems and his responsibility to take care of his mother. According to Pilgrim’s actions, he continues to prove his selfishness while the woodcutter dedicates his life to taking care of someone other than himself and proving his unselfish ways. Pilgrim is the type of individual that will jump at any opportunity that comes his way. He takes every chance that has any possible potential for him to improve. Consequently, the woodcutter has an immortal neighbor and has no desire to learn anything from him. If Pilgrim had that opportunity, he would be grateful and take advantage of such a connection. Pilgrim has to go on an arduous quest for what the woodcutter has in the palm of his hand. Overall the woodcutter does not think very highly of himself like Pilgrim does. Pilgrim calls him a â€Å"gentleman† and â€Å"honored brother,† while the woodcutter refers to himself as a â€Å"foolish fellow.† He lives a mundane life with no goals or ambitions. He is stuck in a rut, because of the duty to his mother to which he holds himself accountable. Pilgrim lives freely and open minded, unlike the woodcutter, but then again, Pilgrim has nothing restraining him.

The Ghost Story of the Banshee Essay -- Urban Legends Ghost Stories

The Tale of the Banshee On a dark and stormy night it happened. Not too far in the recent past, two teenaged girls were out camping in the woods. There, they sat in their tent while exchanging frightening ghost stories by the flickering candle-light. What began as a normal, cool, summer’s night, took an eerie turn for the worse when, in the middle of one particularly terrifying tale, an ominous howl rang out too close for comfort and a thunderous crash was heard. As they scrambled to be near each other for warmth and security against the tingling feeling arising on the backs of their necks, and the fear of their impending doom, what jumped out at them was a horrifyingly great big... just kidding. This all started with two teenaged girls telling stories one night, but it was spring, not summer, in a dorm room, not at a camp site, and completely calm, not alarming in the least. For this assignment, I chose to ask a friend to tell me a story regarding ghosts, magic, or the supernatural, and what she came up with I considered to be very helpful for this project. I collected a version of the Tale of the Banshee from my roommate here at the University of Maryland, who is also a college freshman. This young woman is a 19-year-old from Montgomery, New Jersey, with a very diverse and complex background. Her father is from Pakistan, her mother is a European-American Christian, and she herself is Muslim. What she told me was told to her by older relatives when she was just a child, and accused of â€Å"screaming like a Banshee.† The curious little girl that she was, she asked what it meant; based on the explanation she received she never wanted to scream like that again. In her retelling she presented the story with a straigh... ...fter an attack, the yowl could have been considered a warning cry. All peoples across cultures and time need things to believe in and to trust. The people of ancient Ireland chose to believe in a deceased, friendly relative to warn them of tragedy. That is a much happier belief than the evil, menacing idea of Banshees that I had prior to this assignment, so I am happy for having learned more. Works Cited Ireland Now  ©1997-2005 http://www.ireland-now.com/banshee.html Irelandseye.com and contributors  © 1999-2004 http://www.irelandseye.com/animation/explorer/banshee.html Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd Copyright  ©2000 - 2005 http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=229025 Morey, Eibhlin: Submitted on Thursday 17th of March 2005 http://www.constant-content.com/article/1788/The-Banshee/ Susan Sheppard http://magick.wirefire.com/newpage5.htm The Ghost Story of the Banshee Essay -- Urban Legends Ghost Stories The Tale of the Banshee On a dark and stormy night it happened. Not too far in the recent past, two teenaged girls were out camping in the woods. There, they sat in their tent while exchanging frightening ghost stories by the flickering candle-light. What began as a normal, cool, summer’s night, took an eerie turn for the worse when, in the middle of one particularly terrifying tale, an ominous howl rang out too close for comfort and a thunderous crash was heard. As they scrambled to be near each other for warmth and security against the tingling feeling arising on the backs of their necks, and the fear of their impending doom, what jumped out at them was a horrifyingly great big... just kidding. This all started with two teenaged girls telling stories one night, but it was spring, not summer, in a dorm room, not at a camp site, and completely calm, not alarming in the least. For this assignment, I chose to ask a friend to tell me a story regarding ghosts, magic, or the supernatural, and what she came up with I considered to be very helpful for this project. I collected a version of the Tale of the Banshee from my roommate here at the University of Maryland, who is also a college freshman. This young woman is a 19-year-old from Montgomery, New Jersey, with a very diverse and complex background. Her father is from Pakistan, her mother is a European-American Christian, and she herself is Muslim. What she told me was told to her by older relatives when she was just a child, and accused of â€Å"screaming like a Banshee.† The curious little girl that she was, she asked what it meant; based on the explanation she received she never wanted to scream like that again. In her retelling she presented the story with a straigh... ...fter an attack, the yowl could have been considered a warning cry. All peoples across cultures and time need things to believe in and to trust. The people of ancient Ireland chose to believe in a deceased, friendly relative to warn them of tragedy. That is a much happier belief than the evil, menacing idea of Banshees that I had prior to this assignment, so I am happy for having learned more. Works Cited Ireland Now  ©1997-2005 http://www.ireland-now.com/banshee.html Irelandseye.com and contributors  © 1999-2004 http://www.irelandseye.com/animation/explorer/banshee.html Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd Copyright  ©2000 - 2005 http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=229025 Morey, Eibhlin: Submitted on Thursday 17th of March 2005 http://www.constant-content.com/article/1788/The-Banshee/ Susan Sheppard http://magick.wirefire.com/newpage5.htm

The Relationship Between Judged Attraction and Assumed Wealth

The Relationship between Judged Attraction and Assumed Wealth A Psychological Study Whether a person is aware of it or not, everywhere they go, they are mentally judging people and creating an opinion about others without necessarily ever even meeting them. These judgments can be based off of simple appearance, or actions, or any other sort of visible aspect of a person. Simply put, humans are judgmental creatures. One of the most common aspects of a person’s life that is judged from outside appearance is wealth.Assumedly, if a person dresses well, they must have money to buy such a wardrobe. Though this is certainly not always the case, people generally assume that what is on the outside is reflected on the inside. In this study, people’s visual interpretation of a person and the person’s assumed wealth will be examined. The participants will be shown pictures of random people of various wealth and asked to judge their monetary net worth. The variables being stu died through this experiment are conceived attractiveness and monetary success.The goal of this experiment is to find a correlation between the two. Many studies concerning this phenomenon have been performed in the past and many books on the subject of attraction have been written. The relationship between physical attractiveness and monetary worth has been an interest for scientists for many years. As long as there has been social class, people through the ages have been judging other’s wealth by their appearance, whether people have been conscious of it or not.These studies have been important because these two variables (attractiveness and wealth) have also been linked to desire and favorability, two of the most unique and profound of human emotions, as will be discussed in the following In an experiment conducted at Georgia Southern University by researchers Dawson and McIntosh, the relationship between wealth, attractiveness, and desirability was examined (Dawson & McIn tosh, 2006). Dawson and McIntosh believed that men looked for physical attractiveness in women, whereas women looked for material resources (wealth) in men.Alternatively, the experimenters predicted that if men and women were less advantageous in these physical and monetary traits, they would compensate with other personal traits, such as personality. Participants to be judged for the experiment were randomly chosen from Yahoo Personals. Members of the opposite sex then rated the attractiveness of the participants and generated adjectives that were believed to describe the participant. For the male participants, it turned out that if they were considered less attractive or wealthy by the raters, their profile would emphasize of other positive personal characteristics.On the other hand, for the females, there was a trending phenomenon that if a profile emphasized greatly on the woman’s physical attractiveness, it concentrated little on other personal characteristics. However, there was no relation between how physically attractive the rater found the participant and what other positive characteristics were used to describe the participant. Dawson and McIntosh (2006) believed that their hypothesis was moderately supported. The judgments that people make on a person’s physical attractiveness can influence much more than the assumed size of his or hers wallet.These judgments can influence decisions as important as whom to vote for in government elections. This phenomenon was studied by Hart, Ottati, and Krumdick at the University of Alabama and Loyola University. They hypothesized that the more attractive a candidate was, the more memorable their campaign was (Hart, Ottati, & Krumdick, 2011). Hart et. al. (2011), explored this by showing participants photos of potential candidates (all Democrat) along with campaign policies.The photos and information was then removed and the participants were asked to recite all the information that they could rememb er about each candidate and answer various questions regarding their attitudes and standpoints about the candidate and his or her campaign. The results show that those who were considered novices on the subject matter, being those that were unable to remember the candidates’ specific campaign and policy points, seemed to favor those that they found more physically attractive. Alternatively, those that were considered experts on the campaign material seemed to favor the less attractive of the candidates (Hart et. l, 2011). One might ask, however, what exactly is it of a person physique that lead people the judge them as attractive? While most people look at a person’s overall appearance and make judgments based on that, there are much subtler cues that a person subconsciously picks up on. Each person’s tastes are unique, and different cues appeal to different people. Author Gordon L. Patzer Ph. D. described some of these cues in his book The Physical Attractivene ss Phenomena (1985). Overall Patzer believed that personality was the main contributing factor. While physical first impressions are important, personality is what a person really remembers.A good impressions is key. If a person makes a bad impression of themselves upon meeting someone, their negativity or foolishness will forever live on in he or she’s new acquaintance’s eyes. After personality, however, traits that spark attraction become much more minute and specific. First, Patzer believed that height was a key contributor. Women have a tendency to be attracted to a man taller than herself, though not towering. Men, on the other hand, are attracted to women who are shorter than himself, but not unproportionately so. Even if one does not consciously acknowledge it, they are taking note of everyone’s height that they meet.People also take notice of someone’s facial aspects, such as shape of the jaw, hairline, etc. (Patzer, 1985). Specific combinations o f all of these aspects, plus many more, determine how attractive a person finds another. Whereas none of these traits have an scientific relation to personal wealth, they do play a key role on how attractive someone is initially judged as. Whenever a person meets someone new, they subconsciously judge the stranger’s appearance and determine what level of attraction if had towards the stranger, even if there is no intent to pursue romantically.Other assumptions then stem off of this initial judgment of attraction. One of the most common is the attempt to judge a stranger’s wealth by their appearance and personal attraction. Scientists have been exploring the relationship between attractiveness and monetary value for years. The following study attempts to spread more light on the subject. Methods This study was designed to determine the correlation between ‘attractiveness’ and perceived wealth. Variables were defined as how personally attractive the surveyor s found the estranged participants pictured versus how monetarily wealthy the stranger was based on the surveyors’ attraction.The data was collected using a Likert Scale to represent attractiveness and a scale with different levels of wealth. The results from the experiment allowed for the ratings of ‘perceived wealth’ to be compared to the rating of ‘attractiveness’ and discover if a correlation did in fact exist between the two. Based on the results of the previous study, â€Å"Attributions of physical attractiveness† (Johnson, & MacEachern, 1985) ‘attractiveness’ should influence the perception of desirable traits, such as wealth.This may result for a multitude of reasons to be discussed in the future. Participants The participants sampled were the 10 females and 10 males pictured in the slide show. The participants varied all ages, ethnicities, and states of wealth in an attempt to make the sample’s characteristics repr esentative of the public and mildly random. All participants were retrieved off of Google with some strategy to make sure that characteristics were varied in an attempt to be representative, making it a stratified sample.Also participating were the surveyors who rated the sample of participants. The surveyors consisted of a cluster sample of the Flagler College PSY 253 class. The sample totaled 17: 12 females and 5 males. Considering that the sample consisted of college students, assumedly between the ages of 19 and 22, the surveyors were not necessarily representative of the public but rather of college students in general. The participating surveyors received no compensation other than class participation and attendance points, which were awarded simply for showing up to the class. MaterialsFor the experiment, a Powerpoint was used with 20 photos of participants, strangers to the surveyors, obtained off of Google: 10 pictures of females and 10 pictures of males, one per slide. Mat erials also included a paper survey handout on which the participants would record their responses. The survey consisted of two scales, one Likert scale rating attractiveness and one rating wealth. The Likert scale ran from 1-10 with one with the least attractive and ten the most and the scale for wealth ran from Poor($0-1000)-Average($1000-999,999)-Millionaire-Billionaire (See Appendix A).The participants provided their own writing utensils (pens and pencils). Procedure All participating surveyors were given a single handout survey (See Appendix A) by the administrators and then instructed to record their gender on the handout. Each surveyors’ gender determined whether they would be in Group A (Females) or Group B (Males). Both groups were instructed that they would be shown a slide show consisting of pictures of different individuals of the opposite sex and asked to record their opinions on attractiveness and wealth on the paper survey provided for each picture shown.Each p icture was shown for approximately ten seconds and a totally of ten pictures were shown for each group. Group A was administered the survey first. The surveys were then collected by the administrators and a slideshow with ten different pictures was shown to Group B and the participants were asked to fill out the same survey as the prior group. The surveys were then collected by the administrators, concluding the experiment. Results Data was collected using a between subjects design. This experiment examined the correlation between how a person perceives attractiveness and how wealthy the person is then assumed to be.The experiment had two variables: Variable 1, perceived attractiveness, and Variable 2, assumed wealth. Participants were administered a survey listing the two variables, Variable 1 was measured on a Likert Scale of 1-10, when Variable 2 was measured on a scale of 1 (Poor, $0=1,000), 2 (Average, $1,000-$999,999), 3 (Millionaire), and 4 (Billionaire). The mean value for V ariable 1 was M=4. 12 with a standard deviation of SD=1. 13314 and the mean value for Variable 2 was M=2. 36 with a standard deviation of SD=. 33066 (refer to Table 1).The median for Variable 2 was 3 and the mode is 2. The median and the mode for Variable 2 were both 2. The Pearson Correlation for the experiment was r=. 05 and the significance for each variable was p=. 891. This made the study’s finding significant and that there is a strong correlation between our variables. Discussion At the beginning of the experiment, it was hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between how physically attractive someone was conceived as by a stranger and how wealthy they were assumed to be, judged on their rated attractiveness.At the end of the experiment, the results support this hypothesis. The significance of the variables was p=. 891, demonstrating that there is a high correlation between how attractive someone perceives a stranger and how wealthy the stranger is ass umed to be, confirming the hypothesis. The positive correlation of the results suggests that the more attractive a person finds a stranger, the more monetary value the stranger is assumed to have. The Pearson Correlation was r=. 05 which proves that these results were reliable.The fact that r=. 05 means that the results were very specific, with few outliers, and can be condensed to a confined ranged of results, which all fit in together to support the hypothesis. Also, the low standard deviations of SD=1. 12212 and SD=. 33066 show how little overall variation there is to the variable means among participants. The results of this study can be interestingly related to the results of other studies previously performed, while the studies themselves may not mirror each other.As discovered by Dawson and McIntosh (2006), men and women on dating websites, if considered less attractive, emphasis more of their personal traits (Dawson & McIntosh, 2006). Though it was not a component of the stu dy being examined, some participants in the photos, when less attractive, dressed better, in fancier clothing, while those who were deemed more attractive tended to wear less flashy clothes. Perhaps if a person does not consider themselves to be physically appealing, they will try to look nice in other ways in public, such as clothing.Previously discussed, an experiment by Hart, Ottati, and Krumdick (2011) revealed that voters are more likely influenced by and likely to remember candidates that are perceived as more physically attractive and tend to think higher said attractive candidates (Hart et. al, 2011). This could have a relation to the current experiment in the respects that the survey takers may have had higher expectations of the participants’ monetary value if considered more attractive. This could be because people have a tendency to hold high hopes and expectations for those they find desirable.The experiment at hand has no relation, however, to the third theory P reviously discussed by Patzer (1985). Patzer (1985) believed that there is a combination of specific attributes that causes a person to be attracted to another person. A specific feature that Patzer discussed was height, being that females prefer taller men and males vice versa (Patzer, 1985). However, there was no way for the surveyors to judge the participant’s height to their own through the pictures shown during the survey. For this experiment at least, height had nothing to do with personal attraction or attraction’s relation to wealth.There were very few flaws to this experiment that would have altered the results. The only obvious flaw was the issue of sexual orientation. For surveying ease, the experimenters divided the groups into male and female, rather than by sexual orientation because while attracted to males and attracted to females are two clear groups, there may have been bisexuals in the population and they would not have been able to take the survey t wice. So though some surveyors may have felt that they were in the wrong group and it may have had an effect on the results, it effects were nothing detrimental.If repeated in the future, perhaps the experiment would involve surveys more catering to sexual orientation rather than being limited to division of gender. On the other hand, while there may have been a flaw, there was no experimenter bias because each participants’ correct wealth was never hinted at until the end. Also, it was impossible for the surveyors to develop practice effects because the survey involved no technique or talent. Also, there was no difficulty level so there was no floor or ceiling effects. In conclusion, the original hypothesis was supported.There was a positive correlation between perceived attractiveness and assumed monetary wealth, this meaning the more attractive a person found a stranger, the person then tended to assume the stranger proportionately more wealthy. There may be more triggers behind this phenomenon but judging by the survey results, the correlation was at least fueled by the attractiveness variable. References Dawson, B. L. , & McIntosh, W. D. (2006). Sexual strategies theory and internet personal advertisements. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9 (5). Retrieved from http://research. flagler. du:9005/ehost/detail? vid=11&hid=110&sid=29028bce-cb55-42c1-b1e2-571b81dcc38f%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=22677445 Hart, W. , Ottati, V. C. , Krumdick, N. D. (2011). Physical attractiveness and candidate evaluation: a model of correction. Political Physology, 32 (2). Retrieved from http://research. flagler. edu:9005/ehost/detail? vid=5&hid=110&sid=29028bce-cb55-42c1-b1e2-571b81dcc38f%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=58702305 Patzer, G. L. (1985). The physical attractiveness phenomena. Los Angeles, CA: Plenum Press

Persuasive Speech Is There a Need for More Gun Control

Persuasive Speech: Is There a Need for More Gun Control? At present we often find ourselves in flight or fight situations where our lives are under threat. No wonder, there are people who support the idea of owning a gun as a means to protect themselves and their possessions. But does gun ownership really make the world a safer place to live in? The Gun Owners Foundation claims that guns are mostly used as a means of self-defence. It is rather misleading, as the correlation between the usage of guns for self-defence and less peaceful purposes is currently 1:22. The advocates of gun ownership use this figure, however, to show that forbidding guns has no effect on the criminal world, because perpetrators still manage to get their hands on the arms. We all know that violence gives rise to more violence, so the best way to address the problem would be to establish better and stricter gun control instead of eliminating it all together. In addition to this, having a gun at home raises the risk of a homicide or a suicide. Not all people who have a gun in their possession are trained to use it, which sometimes results in accidental shootings and injuries. Besides, as statistics shows, one in ten of the guns owned by private households is loaded and only one in eight is equipped with a child safety lock. As you can see, failing to ob serve some safety guidelines of guns’ conservation is really unsafe and might be a cause of accidents. All in all, guns are highly dangerous, as they take away thousands of lives each year. Consequently, stricter gun control laws should be introduced to reduce the number of people dying because of gunshot injuries and make our world a safer place to live in.

The Names of Colors in Italian

You want to tell your friend the color of the Vespa you want to buy, the type of wine you were drinking, or the hue of the sky while you were on a hilltop in Florence, but how do you say the colors in Italian? To start, here are the most common thirteen along with a list of subtle and unique  blends. Basic Colors Red – Rosso Lei porta sempre un rossetto rosso. - She always wears red lipstick. Pink – Rosa Ho comprato un vestito rosa per la festa. - I bought a pink dress for the party. Purple – Viola Ho dipinto le unghie di viola. - I painted my nails purple. TIP: Unlike other colors, you don’t have to change the ending of â€Å"rosa† or â€Å"viola† to match the object it’s describing. Orange – Arancione La sua macchina nuova à ¨ arancione ed à ¨ troppo sgargiante per i miei gusti. - Her new car is orange, and it’s too bright for my tastes. Yellow – Giallo Stava leggendo un giallo con una copertina gialla. - He was reading a mystery novel with a yellow cover. TIP: â€Å"Un giallo† is also a mystery novel or thriller. Green – Verde Mi piace vivere in Toscana, in mezzo al verde. - I like living in Tuscany, in the middle of the green. Blue – Azzurro Ho gli occhi azzurri. - I have blue eyes. Silver – Argento Gli ho regalato un cucchiaio d’argento per la loro collezione. - I gifted them a tiny, silver spoon for their collection. Gold – Oro Cerco una collana d’oro. - I’m looking for a gold necklace. Gray – Grigio Il cielo à ¨ cosà ¬ grigio oggi. - The sky is so gray today. White – Bianco Non voglio indossare un vestito da sposa bianco, ne preferisco uno rosso! - I don’t want to wear a white wedding dress, I prefer a red one! Black – Nero Calimero à ¨ un pulcino tutto nero con un cappellino bianco in testa. - Calimero is a black chick with a white little cap on his head. Brown – Marrone Mamma mia, lei à ¨ bellissima, ha gli occhi marroni e lunghi capelli castani. - Oh my goodness, she’s beautiful, she has brown eyes and long, brown hair. TIP: You would use â€Å"marrone† to describe the color of someone’s eyes, like â€Å"gli occhi marroni†, and you would use â€Å"castano† to describe the color of someone’s hair â€Å"i capelli castani†. Dark Colors If you want to talk about dark shades, you can just add the word scuro at the end of each color. Dark red – Rosso scuroDark green – Verde scuroDark blue - Blu TIP: â€Å"Blu† is understood all its own to be a darker shade. Light Colors Here are some lighter shades: Baby blue – CelesteBaby pink – Rosa confettoLight green - Verde chiaroLight blue - Azzurro TIP: Like â€Å"blu†, â€Å"azzurro† on its own is usually understood as light blue. Unique Colors Shiny/glossy red – Rosso lucido Stavo pensando di comprare una Vespa di color rosso lucido, che ne pensi? - I was thinking about buying a shiny red Vespa, what do you think? Vermilion red - Rosso vermiglione Rimango sempre affascinata dalla tonalità   di rosso vermiglione dei dipinti di Caravaggio. - I’m always attracted by the red vermilion shade used by Caravaggio in his paintings. Hot pink – Rosa shocking Non mi piacciono per niente i vestiti di colore rosa shocking, non sono eleganti. - I don’t like hot pink clothes at all, they’re not elegant. Blue green – Verde acqua Mi sono innamorato dei suoi occhi verde acqua. - I fell in love with her blue green eyes. Lilac – Lilla Il lilla à ¨ un colore davvero rilassante. - The color lilac is really relaxing. Maroon – Bordeaux Il mio colore preferito à ¨ bordeaux. - My favorite color is maroon. Hazel brown – Nocciola Ho comprato le lenti a contatto affinchà © potrei avere degli occhi color nocciola. - I bought contact lenses so that I could have hazel brown eyes. Italian Expressions with Colors Heart of gold – Cuore d’oroNot all that glitters is gold. – Non à ¨ tutto oro quel che luccica.Sweet dreams – Sogni d’oroBlack sheep (of the family) - La pecora nera

A Musical Parody Of Han Christian Andersen s The Princess...

I was really excited about the afternoon performance I was attending at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. This is essentially because I have always been obsessed with fairy tales and getting the chance to see one in action before my eyes was something to die for. Once Upon A Mattress centers around the â€Å" ‘shy’ Winnifred the Woebegone† who takes her chance at marrying Dauntless the Drab. However, she has to get through the tests prepared by the overbearing Queen Aggravain. In short, this is a musical parody of Han Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea. The play began with an introduction to the orchestra that will be performing live alongside the play. I was amazed to find out about this only now. In addition, seeing that the tickets to this show was also not that expensive, I was truly thankful that I could actually kill two birds with one stone, having seen a play and an orchestra at the same time. At the beginning, an inaccurate version of The Princess and the Pea was shown before hand as the minstrel points out that the truth was far worse. This was of utmost importance to the audience to know so that they could set their expectations early on. The true story essentially begins with a test of wit for an unfortunate Princess #12, who fails miserably. I particularly liked the riddles as they helped to engage the thinking skills of the audience as well. Having an affinity towards villains, I truly loved Queen Aggravain’s performance, which was

The Holy One of Israel in Isaiah Free Essays

The Holy One of Israel This essay concerns about the meaning of the divine title ‘The Holy One of Israel’ in the Book of Isaiah. It is going to state clearly the study approach before going into the discussion. Approach of this essay The book of Isaiah had been studied through different approaches of which three are quite distinctive[1]. We will write a custom essay sample on The Holy One of Israel in Isaiah or any similar topic only for you Order Now (1)A pre-critical, or traditional, understanding, still found in some conservative scholars. They keep the entire book of Isaiah connected to the prophet Isaiah of the eighth century B. C. E. There is nothing intrinsically impossible as the approach is ‘prophecy’. With the rise of ‘historical criticism’, such an approach has been commonly rejected in the interpretive world. (2)A critical understanding of the book of Isaiah is reflective of the intellectual world of the West in the 18th and 19th centuries that focused on historical issues. The dominant idea of this approach is the division of the book of Isaiah into, with short hand references, First Isaiah, Second Isaiah and Third Isaiah. However, the ‘three Isaiah’ only exist as an editorial convenience, but without integral connection to each other. 3)The canonical study of the book of Isaiah recognizes that the book is a literary complexity. It is a literary approach, draws upon historical-critical gains but moves beyond them toward theological interpretation. The last approach is used in this essay. Introduction The Holy One of Israel, as a description of God is a distinctive feature of the Book of Isaiah. The name appeared in the Old Testament 32 times, 26 times in Isaiah. The other six times in Jeremiah (50:29; 51:5), Ezekiel (39:7) and Psalms (71:22, 78:41, 89:18). It is hardly coincidence that in his vision in Chapter 6 Isaiah himself has heard the seraphim proclaiming â€Å"Holy, holy, holy is Almighty YHWH†, the whole book works out the implications of that vision. In chapters 1-12, and then 13-27, 28-39, 40-55 and at last 56-66, the message of this vision spreads in ever widening circles. Each part leads to the next, but each also relates to that key awareness that YHWH is The Holy One of Israel. The table below shows The Holy One of Israel appeared in the book of Isaiah at different periods of history with related scriptures. Part |Chapters |Motif |Historical Events[2] |Scriptures | | |1 |Prologue |In the days of 4 kings of Judah |1:4 | |1 |2-12 |Sign of Immanuel |Challenge to Judah: Time of Ahaz |5:19, 24; 10:17, 20; 12:6 | |2 |13-27 |Fall of a Great City |Calamity and Hope for the Nations |17:7 | |3 |28-39 |Siege of Jerusalem |Challenge to Judah: Time of Hezekiah |29:19, 23; 30:11, 12, 15; 31:1; 37:23 | |4 |40-55 |Light to the Nat ions |Comfort in Babylon |41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14; 45:11; 47:4; | | | | | |48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5 | |5 |56-66 |Return of the Prodigal Son |Challenge to Judah after Exile |60:9, 14 | The Meaning of Holiness The Hebrew word for holiness is qodes (Greek: hagios). It is used for what is set apart from a common to a sacred use[3], as the utensils and ministers of the sanctuary, and certain days (Ex 20:8; 30:31; 31:10; Lev 21:7; Num 5:17; Ne 8:9; Zech 14:21); for what is separated from ceremonial defilement (Ex 22:31; Lev 20:26) or immorality (2Cor 7:1; 1Thes 4:7) including false worship and heathen practices (Lev 20:6, 7: 21:6). In a larger sense God is holy, for He is separated from all other beings by His infinite perfections, by His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justices, goodness, and truth, the glory of which fills the earth (Isa 6:3). Israel acquires holiness by being obedient to God’s commandments and faithful to His covenant (Lev 11:44; Deut 28:9)[4]. The concept of holiness permeates the life of Israel. Even the land occupied by the people is considered holy (Zech 2:12). The capital city Jerusalem is designated as the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High (Ps 46:4). The Holy One of Israel The term ‘The Holy One of Israel’ reflects the dialectical relation between ‘The Holy One’ and ‘Israel’. It is a relation with the Holy One with a non-holy entity[5]. The Holy One requires Israel to be holy. ‘Be holy because I, the Lord Your God, am holy’ (Lev 19:2). The separate one becomes the attached one. Their relation is bound by covenant. The challenge of the relation is Israel’s unfaithfulness in worshipping other god’s. The most notable example is the imposition of Baal worship on the northern kingdom by Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel. Both the northern and the southern kingdoms suffered captivity. Any ‘rebellious’ from Israel side causes ‘discipline’ from The Holy One side. Exile’ from Israel causes ‘In the midst’ from the other, ‘punishment’ causes ‘redemption’, ‘go astray’ causes ‘teaches and leads’ etc. In the Book of Isaiah, the Holy One is the Lord, God. The Lord has passion. He is angry at Israel who rejects His laws (5:24; 31:1) but His compassion is good news more directly for the powerless (29:19). He is the Creator of Israel (43:15), the Maker of this nation (17:7; 45:11; 54:5). He is called the Holy One of Israel, and is in relation with Israel, like Husband and wife (54:5), Father and son (45:11; 63:16; 64:8). The Holy One of Israel is in the midst of the people of Israel (12:6), they will stay upon the Lord (10:20). The harmonious covenant relation between the Holy One and Israel is being challenged by the rebellious Israel. The people have forsaken the Lord, they have contemned The Holy One of Israel (1:4; 5:19, 24; 30:12; 37:23), they are turned away backward and they reject the law of the Lord (5:24). The people have been warned but they do not look unto The Holy One of Israel (31:1). Israel is being punished and exiled. This is the way that the Lord teaches and leads Israel (48:17) to restore the covenant relation. The Holy One of Israel, their Redeemer and Savior (41:14; 43:3, 14; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5) rescues the people from exile so that they will understand the work of the Lord (29:23; 41:20), they will rejoice in the Lord and they will sanctify The Holy One of Israel (29:23; 41:16). He Himself works for Israel (43:14), through the redeeming work of the Lord, He has glorified Israel (55:5; 60:9, 14). YHWH’s majesty and authority is over Judah and other nations (49:7). On that day shall a man regard his Maker, and his eyes shall look to The Holy One of Israel (17:7). This is a sketch of a thread sewing The Holy One of Israel throughout the Book of Isaiah. It is discussed in more details below. Prologue (Chapter 1) Israel is called to be a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), now becomes a sinful nation (1:4). A people laden with iniquity, a people being the seed of Abraham become a seed of evildoers. They have despised The Holy One of Israel. The degenerated children have forsaken the Lord, their father. Nothing in human life is more tragic than an unsuccessful upbringing. God’s children rebel against God. ‘The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people does not consider’ (1:3). The knowledge to The Holy One of Israel is even worse than ox and ass to their master. The rod of the Holy One is upon Israel, like the Holy Father disciplining His son (Hebrew 12:4-11). One day, Judah will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city, Zion will be redeemed by justice, and those in her repent by righteousness (1:26, 27). Israel is like the prodigal son who returns to his father. Part 1 (Chapters 2-12) Sign of Immanuel Judah turns their back to God, the people think that the wealth is built by their power and might, they do not look up to their God, The Holy One of Israel, and they despise His words. They do not even know who they are before the Holy One of Israel. What a rebellious nation who tests and tries The Holy One of Israel. ‘Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it and let the counsel of The Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it’ (5:19). The people do not know themselves before the Holy One. Even do they not seek the Holy One of Israel, nor do they lift up their eyes on God, but rather they have taunted and blasphemed the Lord (37:23). The sinful nation is called the rejecter of the law of the Lord and despiser of the Word of God (5:24). They forget the laws of the Lord, those holy decrees, laws and regulations that the Lord established on Mount Sinai. (Lev 26:46). For that reason the fire of judgment would descend on them like fire that devours the stubble, and they would burn like chaff. The wicked are perished in the judgment. They are like trees with rotten roots and blossom torn off by the wind. They fly away like dust (5:24). His hand is raised and strikes them down. His hand is still upraised (5:25). At the time of King Ahaz, a sign of Immanuel is given to the people of Judah. No matter how unfavorable the circumstances is, The Holy One of Israel is with them when Damascus and Samaria are punished, and also God will be with them when Assyria comes up to destroy like razor (7:10-20). Part 2 (Chapters 13-28) Fall of a Great City: Calamity and Hope for the Nation YHWH’s punishment comes. ‘The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus’ (17:3a). Israel’s trouble comes from looking away from YHWH and disregarding YHWH’s governance and requirements. They have been excessively preoccupied with their own achievements and mesmerized by their own religious assurances. But now Israel would refocus their eyes back to ‘The Holy One of Israel’ (17:7). The theme is repentance and return to YHWH. Part 3 (Chapters 28-39) Siege of Jerusalem The Holy One of Israel is a Protector but the people of Judah do not seek Him. God has spoken to the leaders of Israel not to depend on Egypt, nor to return to Egypt to acquire more horses (Deut 17:16). However they opposed Him and turned their back on Him. ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many and in horsemen, because they are exceeding mighty; but they look not unto The Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! ’ (31:1) They are rebellious people, faithless children, who do not listen the instruction of the Lord (30:9). They do not like the true prophesy (31:10), nor the right path, nor listening to The Holy One of Israel (31:11). Therefore, the punishment of The Holy One of Israel is upon them, like a break in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse, whose crash come suddenly (31:13) its breaking is like a smashing potter’s vessel (31:14). The Holy One of Israel urged His people to return and rest (30:15), to be quiet like a weaned child at its mother’s breast, and to surrender trustingly to their father, to have childlike faith. However, Judah is constantly in fear, surrounding by enemies. The wicked man has no peace but grief. Judah does not have the love of God to cast out fear. They were nervous and ran to and fro without any accomplishment. They focused not on The Holy One of Israel but wrongly on Egypt’s chariots and horses. The city of Jerusalem finally falls down. The people become captives, being exiled to Babylon. Part 4 (Chapters 40-55): Light to the Nation During the period of exile, The Holy One of Israel is a Comforter. ‘Fear not! ’ the Lord speaks to Jacob three times in 41:10-14. That is indeed necessary because the poor exiles fear so many things. But the Lord, the faithful covenant God, uses all kinds of motives and inducements to comfort His people. In the exile, Jacob looks like worm, insect, dead man. The Lord’s comfort gives light to this nation. ‘Fear not, for I am with you, do not be afraid for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. (41:10) ‘For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, â€Å"Do not fear, I will help you†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(41:13). ‘Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you insect Israel! I will help you, says the lord; your redeemer is The Holy One of Israel’ (41:14). The Lord will hel p Jacob with His right hand. He will make Jacob a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth, to thresh, strike, punish and crush the mountains and hills, so that they are blown away as chaff before the wind. On that day Jacob will rejoice in the Lord, they will glory in The Holy One of Israel. Lord’s comfort brings hope to the nation. The desert people know what it meant to suffer thirst. The exile experiences are like the poor and needy seeking water. The Lord has heard their voices. He will not forsake them. To those perishing with thirst, much water supply was the most impressive metaphor of rich blessings. This abundance is described as the breaking forth of streams, even on the plateaus. Trees will come up in former deserts. On that day, they may see and know and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and The Holy One of Israel has created it. Redeemer and Creator (43:1-15) The Holy One of Israel is a Redeemer of Jacob. He has given Egypt as Jacob’s ransom, Ethiopia and Sheba in exchange for Jacob. Why? Because the Lord is the creator of Israel, for he will redeem His people (43:1). The Lord calls Jacob by name, showing intimate relationship between the covenant God and Israel. Israel was precious in God’s sight and honored, and God loved Israel. He gave people in return for Israel, nations in exchange for their life. Also, the Lord is their God, The Holy One of Israel, their Savior. He will protect them. The fire constantly purifies Israel, but it never consumes her; the water cleanses her, but it could never swallow up the Jews. ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; The flames will not set you ablaze. ’ (43:2) For the sake of Jacob, The Holy One of Israel will punish Babylon, He will bring down all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their shouting, because The Holy One of Israel is their Redeemer, their Creator, their King (43:15), their Maker and Husband (54:5). Part 5 (Chapters 56-66) Return of the Prodigal Son The Holy One of Israel participates in the Return of Jacob to Jerusalem. 60:9 and 60:14 mentions ‘The Holy One of Israel’. It is a scene of return of Jacob to Jerusalem from Babylon. In 60:9, ‘to bring your children from far away, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God’ refers to the return of Israel with the herald of the King Cyrus of Persia (Ezra 1:1-4). Verse 14 referred to the help of the Lord, Jerusalem is called the City of the Lord, the Zion of The Holy One of Israel. In the exposition of Chapter 60, Harry Bultema[6] writes that ‘some attempted to explain this divine oracle concerning the blessedness of the Israelites as taking place after the return from Babylon; others explained them wholly spiritually of the prosperity, growth and extension of the Christian Church during the days of the New Testament’. Bulterma further quotes the expositor Van der Palm statement ‘the former explanation must of necessity weaken the intended meaning of the words, and the latter violates all sound literal biblical exegesis. ’ Since it has been stated in the beginning that the approach of this essay is canonical literary one, it is not agree to take the traditional view here. From the structure of Chapter 60, it refers to the return from Babylon. -5Glory of the Lord is upon Jerusalem. 6-12Gold and frankincense and all the riches are brought to Jerusalem by sea and by land. 13-18Those who oppressed Israel shall come bending low to Israel. T hey would know this is the work of the Lord, He is their savior, Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 19-22God was the glory of Zion. One more discussion: Is Jesus The Holy One of Israel? From the above discussion, we can see that The Holy One of Israel is God who bears the following titles: Redeemer, Savior,Comforter,Protector,King, Creator,Maker,Husband,Father There are two questions arise. First, ‘Is The Holy One of Israel referring to Jesus and never in any way beyond Jesus? Second, ‘Is The Holy One of Israel referring to Jesus? ’ In response to the first question, Harry Bultema states that it refers to our Lord Jesus, ‘who is constantly indicated and further defined as the One who created and formed Israel and who one day shall deliver, protect, and glorify it as the Savior. ’[7] It is not agree with Bultema for two reasons, though The Holy One of Israel bears the above titles in the book of Isaiah. (1)In Isaiah, The Holy One of Israel is also refe rred to as a Father (45:11), which is contradict to the title of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. 2) The promise applies to Israel. The church should not rob the glory of the Jews. Da Costa complained once – our country, our cities, our glorious name and the church had robbed us of our promises. Did this not concern you, O Christians. ’ In response to the second question, the title is originally referring to God who comforts, redeems, creates, etc in the Old Testament time. It is very closed referring to Jesus, except for the title of ‘Father’ whose name exists in the triune God. Conclusion With the approach of the canonical study of the book of Isaiah, it is found that the Holy One is the Lord, God. He is the Creator of Israel, the Maker of this nation. He is the Father of this people. The following few lines summarize this essay. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Immanuel is Your name. Woe to those who despise Your Words, The Holy One of Israel they know not. Woe to those who seek help from Egypt, Protector, Comforter, Savior, Redeemer, they ask not. Your rod from Assyria is upon them, but You are in the midst of them. On that day, their eyes are upon You, They will see You are the Deliverer, the Maker of this Nation. On that day, the Creator will hear, Your are my Father, we are Your children. Bibliography 1. Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 1 – 39 (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville) 1998. 2. Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40 – 66 (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville) 1998. 3. John Goldingay, New International Biblical Commentary: Isaiah, (Hendrickson Publishers, Massachusetts) 2001. 4. John D. Davis, Davis dictionary of the Bible, 4th edn (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan) 1975. 5. Johannes B. Bauer, Encyclopedia of Biblical Theology Vol 1, (Sheed and Ward, London) 1970. 6. Stephen Lee, Lecture Notes on BSN304: Understanding Isaiah: An Exploration on the Spirituality of Exile, 2010. 7. Gordon C. I. Wong, The Road to Peace: Pastoral Reflections on Isaiah 1-12, (Genesis Book, Singapore) 2009. 8. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Volume II:E-J, (Grand Rapids, Michigan) 1982 ———————– 1] Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 1 – 39, (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville) 1998, 3-5. [2] John Goldingay, New International Biblical Commentary: Isaiah, (Hendrickson Publishers, Massachusetts) 2001, 8. [3] John D. Davis, Davis dictionary of the Bible, 4th edn (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan) 1975, 334. [4] Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Volume II:E-J, (Grand Rapids, Michigan) 1982, 725-726. [5] John Goldingay, New International Biblical Commentary: Isaiah, 15. [6] Harry Bultema, Commentary on Isaiah, (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Michigan) 1981, 584. [7] Harry Bultema, Commentary on Isaiah, 20-22. How to cite The Holy One of Israel in Isaiah, Papers