What is the Bubonic Plague? :: essays research papers

What is the Bubonic Plague?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Bubonic Plague is a disease that is caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis. It is spread to humans by fleas from infected rodents. In the 1300s, fourth of the population of Europe was destroyed. The disease causes swelling of the lymph glands (up to the size of a hens egg). The Greek word for groin is boubon, which is bubonic. The number of reported human cases of this plague in the United States has increased since the 1960s because the environment isn't staying clean.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How do you get this disease? When a rat is infected, the flea bites the rat then the flea gets infected. The disease fills the stomach of the flea making it so the flea can't digest any more blood. The flea then becomes so hungry that it bites the human. Now the human is infected. The first symptoms are headaches, nausea, vomiting and aching joints. Some others are fever, chills, the most horrible: the skin turns black.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1300s the plague spread so quickly in cities for many reasons. There were no regular garbage pick-ups. They let their food become rotten and kept them in their homes for weeks. Left over meals were thrown onto the ground for animals, also feeding rats and fleas. They had no running water, so bathing was every once in a while.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Galen's theory was that the disease was spread by poisonous vapors coming from swamps which corrupted the air. Heat was also believed to be a cause of the disease. People washed their feet and hands regularly but, not their bodies because this would open pores, another way for the disease to enter the body. Three Major Outbreaks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first plague was the Plague of Justinian. The plague followed trade routes to France and Italy. It killed 70,000 people. It killed 1,000 people weekly. Smaller out breaks occurred up until 1340.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second major outbreak was the Bubonic Plague. It was the most devastating. It occurred in Europe in 1346-50. The Bubonic Plague is also known as the Black Death. It began in Kaffa, a cathedral town on the Crimean Coast. By the end of 1348, the plague covered all of Italy and most of France. By 1351, the Plague reached Russia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third major outbreak was the Great Plague of London, in 1665 which killed 17,440 people out of the total population of 93,000. A fire burned most of the city and ended the outbreak. Human Cases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There have been cases of Bubonic Plague throughout the United States.

Renaissance Changed the Individuality of Humans

How the Renaissance Changed the Individuality of Humans The Renaissance changed how people viewed themselves from the Middle Ages when Christianity was so important. Human anatomy, man's temperament, man's role in the universe and people in art all show the decreased importance of Christianity and the increased importance of how individuals viewed themselves. The perception of human anatomy and its function from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance has changed greatly and diminished the importance of Christianity. The first theory, â€Å"Zodiac Man,† believed that each sign of the zodiac ruled a part of the DOD.A zodiac is a constellation, which is part of the universe that God created. With the importance of Christianity, people in Europe at this time surely did believe that these constellations were controlling the body (Document H). Belgian physician, Andrea Vesuvius, who actually dissected the human body to better explain what actually happened, made another theory about how the human body worked. He discovered this hypothesis over 30 years after Johann; this new notion better explained how the body actually works and was more realistic (Document I).After the announcing of this new theory, the importance of how individuals viewed themselves were increased while people were starting to question how important Christianity really was. Man's temperament through plays showed how Christianity was all that the people of the Middle Ages could think about but then there is a gradual change of how Christianity was viewed in the Renaissance. Plays were conducted for people who were illiterate, this play is written by an unknown author at the start of the Renaissance but the lines of the play carry a meaning straight out of the Middle Ages.Many at this time knew that God was perfect and people felt that they also needed to be flawless in order to go to heaven and live an eternal life. The author starts the play off by saying that sin in the beginning is â€Å"ful l sweet† but in the end â€Å"cachets thy soul to weep† (Document D). The author is saying that people should not commit a sin otherwise they will go to hell. He also states that the individuals should listen to what God has to say in order to live a good life. Otherwise, Shakespeare states, â€Å"what a piece of work is man† (Document E).This line, along with the rest of he excerpt is dictating that men do make mistakes; they aren't perfect because no one is. These two passages from the plays show the different perception of religion, the excerpt from the Middle Ages is stricter on Christianity and how it is perceived thane excerpt from the Renaissance, where how sin is morally accepted because of everyone's imperfections. Man's role in the universe shrunk the importance of Christianity and amplified man's sense of individuality from the different drawings of the universe and how the two developed and changed people's understanding it.Ptolemy developed a theory f the universe that he himself and other scholars believed during the Middle Ages, and that was that earth was the center of the universe. God, having created the universe and the world in which the nation lived, the scholars believed that it would be â€Å"geocentric† (Document F). A new concept came along by Copernicus; he believed that the sun was the center of the universe by only relying on mathematics (Document G).Since the universe had been noted as being â€Å"heliocentric,† people started relying less on Christianity and started trusting themselves as individuals. People in art developed more knowledge on paintings and developed new artistic tales at the time of the Renaissance, which caused them to lead off of Christianity in their paintings and focus more on people and how they are perceived. Faces in the paintings from the Middle Ages through to the end of the Renaissance changed, scenes became less biblical and more realistic.In the Middle Ages, the painti ng was very religious. This biblical scene shows Mary and Jesus surrounded by angels, her face does not look accurate, especially not as accurate as a face that one would see in present time. Also, Jesus does not resemble a baby but looks more like a miniature an (Document A). With a drastic change, the Mona Lisa shocked many people with how realistic her smile is. Whenever in a room with this painting, the eyes will always follow which is a relatively new artistic style at this time (Document B).The real difference between these two paintings is that in the one from the Middle Ages, the artist does not know what Mary nor Jesus looks like because they lived in the biblical age, dying long before the Middle Ages therefore the artist trying to perceive the image of them is difficult. Contrarily, the Mona Lisa is a real model posing for the painting. In dad Vine's work, there is no sign of a biblical scene in his objective. Leonardo portrait helped people in the Renaissance stray from Christianity and appreciate themselves as individuals.Literacy at the time of the Renaissance started to spread, more educated people started questioning the teachings of the Church. Humanism, a movement where people developed, praised the beauty and intelligence of the individual started to advance at this time. Humanism worked its way into the arts, literature, the sciences and medicine. It started to change the individuality of humans through the human anatomy and how the constellations that ere first controlling the body but have now learnt that humans are the ones to actually control themselves on what they do and say.Man's temperament and how plays taught people that sometimes people sin because no one is perfect. Man's role in the universe and the two different drawings show that the earth is not the center of the universe but the sun is. People in art drifted from biblical scenes and started to focus more on people and the realism in painting real figures. These things all s how the decreased importance of Christianity and the increased importance of how individuals viewed themselves.

Critique an Article

Introduction In order to benefit and fully understand what exactly a certain article is researching or auguring it needs to be analysed and critiqued to the point of understanding so to demonstrate this, the author of this material is going to analyse and critique the article, Factors influencing the food choices of Irish children and adolescents: a qualitative investigation. To achieve this in a well structured, well laid out piece of literature the author will use a checklist devised to critique a qualitative research study, in which it will be clear to recognise under appropriate headings.To conclude this assignment the author will mention any difficulties or problems that occurred through out the assignment. Title The title is very short but clearly states what the article is about. Parahoo (2006) mentions that the title should indicate the exact area of study and mention the population from who the information was collected. The title also is very informative with regards to the research method used as it's clearly stated. Author As indicated on the article, the authors have well recognisable qualifications.Amanda Fitzgerald is from School of Psychology, national University of Ireland, Galway, and is also corresponding author. Caroline Heary is also form School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway. Elizabeth Nixon is from School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and Collete Kelly is from the School Of Health Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. Abstract There is an abstract as such but titled summary which acts as the same purpose, as Parahoo (2006) states that an abstract is a short summary of a study.The research problem being that there is relatively little research done to explore the factors that influence the food choices of children and adolescents form their point of view is mentioned in this summary. The methodology of this study uses focus group discussions of 29 young people, in different age g roups, ages ranging from 9-10, 13-14 and 16-18 years. From these discussions an inductive thematic analysis identified three key factors influencing food choices.Parahoo (2006) suggests that the abstract should mention the main findings which are referred to in this summary as, that their were developmental differences between children’s and adolescents perceptions of factors influencing food choice. Statement of the Phenomenon of Interest The phenomenon of interest is stated in the introduction as the author clearly mentions that this study was to understand the processes used to make food choices from the participants perspective.The researcher has mentioned that few studies have set out to qualitatively examine young people's own views so this is an indication that the researcher wants to explore the participants own experiences through a qualitative method i. e. Focus groups. The philosophical underpinnings are clearly that the author has identified that few qualitatively studies have been carried out to examine the factors influencing the food choices of Irish children and adolescents from their own perspective. Also the researcher wants to access how they interact with others in the environment about food choices.Purpose The purpose of this study was evident from the title and clearly explained in-depth through out the article. The purpose of this study was to explore differences between children’s and adolescents’ views regarding influences on their food choices. The researcher doesn't go too much into detail about how this research helps nurses but does mention that this study has useful implications for clinicians. Overall the use of the information obtained in this research would be of use to nursing in nutrional education for similar each groups in hospital.Method The researcher obtained the information from the participants using semi-structured interviews to guide focus group discussions. The use of focus groups is very suitab le in this qualitative study. Parahoo (2006) mentions that choosing focus groups as apposed to individual interviews helps to get more in-depth information from the participants' experience about a certain topic, it aids the researcher to get a wider view from all different experiences and leads participants to freely discuss and share their ideas.The use of focus groups enabled all the participants to share their own experiences and opinions about the phenomenon. Sampling The researcher mentions the participants selected and states the ratio of males and females and gives the age groups. The location or venue isn't mentioned at all. Purposive sampling is indeed used and as Parahoo (2006) points out that researchers use this type of sampling as they select the most appropriate candidates to be able to answer the questions being asked.The questions being asked were aimed at children and adolescents so the aged group selected was between 9-18 years, so they were suitable. Data Collect ion The data collected is focused on human experiences as the researcher mentions the use of focus groups which were semi-structured to guide the participants to share their own ideas. The focus group discussions were tape recorded, transcribed and double- checked for accuracy. Ethical approval was obtained from the research ethics committee and parents had to provide written consent as well as consent from the participants themselves.The researcher didn’t mention if data saturation had occurred but did mention that following the inductive analysis procedure, categories emerged following repeated readings of the transcripts which identified key concepts. The researcher explains how the data was obtained using an inductive analysis procedure that were transcribed resulting in emerging categories. Data Analysis The focus group discussions were analysed separately and the researcher explains that an inductive thematic analysis was used and explains what this method does.The rese archer has remained true to data by using semi-structured interviews which are used in qualitative research and also by using direct quotes which in-riches the data. The researcher does not give direct headings and emphasis to the creditability, audibility and fittingness in the article but they are evident from reading the article. Credibility According to Parahoo (2006), credibility is when a study carried out shows the participants ideas from their perpespectives about the research.The participants do recognise the experience as their own as they explain their answers using scenarios. Audibility Audibility refers to the data produced in a certain study that enables readers to understand the original methods and conclusions used in previous research ( Parahoo, 2006). The reader can follow the way the researcher has carried out the research as the researcher sticks to the qualitative method used to collect information from the participants, through semi-structured interviews.The re searcher does mention that the research process used is that of a qualitative process. Fittingness The findings can be applied to people outside the study as the researcher mentions that this study gives a detailed account of young people's food choices from their view points so this information can be used to help other people in understanding. The results can benefit parents along with health care workers, working with that age group, towards building nutrition among children and adolescents.The researcher clearly states that the data in this research piece does support the compatible use of an integrated theoretical framework as its based on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and ecological theory so young people's food choices can be explained, as the researcher wanted to understand how the participants engaged with others in their environment about food choices. Findings The reader can gather that the findings are broken down into three different categories, intra-individual fac tors, intra-familial factors and extra-familial factors. The researchers use of semi-structured interviews long with direct quotes containing scenarios made the data more rich. In the introduction great amount of detail is given to mention about other research and interventions. The researcher highlights that the results from this study helps in previous research. Also mentioned was that other research had found similar ideas among young people. Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations It provides a clear conclusion from the in-depth data received from young people about their perceptions of factors influencing their food choices and gives us an understanding of differences between the age groups preferences.The researcher does state that the findings are useful in passing on information to nutrition education providers with regards to the factors that do effect children and adolescents food choices. As mentioned previously, its not out rightly stated in this study that the fin dings are made explicit to nurses but one could argue that the findings can be used by a registered nurse in providing nutritional care to this age group. Conclusion This article was very informative and the researcher did make clear from the very beginning, the research method used.This research study was made more rich and descriptive through the use of direct quotes to describe scenarios. This research study had many strengths as well as limitations. The format in which the summary was presented wasn't very appropriate as its font size and style made it hard to read. Also the researcher failed to mention the exact location and venue where the focus groups took place, along with that, the ratio of girls to boys wasn’t equal, 13 boys to 16 girls.No opt out option was mentioned to the participants. The researcher did use explanations very well as certain terms were defined but too much detail was given in the introduction and discussion. Also too much referencing was used in one paragraph in the introduction. Overall this assignment made me aware of the procedure and method involved in critiquing an article and helped me understand the research process in general.

The Charles Martin – Case Analysis

On the surface, the diverse culture could be seen as a turnoff to foreign impasses, but HAG, with the help of Charles Martin's life experiences and scholastic knowledge of the region saw an opportunity to grow In Uganda. But at first glance this may prove to be difficult for HAG. This was HAG'S first pursuit of business In Africa, so growing pains were almost certainly to be felt. Like many African countries, Uganda has a tumultuous history. With the dictatorship of Idol Main ruling with an iron fist, life in Uganda was difficult (Daniels, Redheaded, Ramp; Sullivan, 2011).A diverse country in terms of religious sects, Christianity is the majority, though there is large number of Muslims among many other religions (Daniels, Redheaded, &: Sullivan, 2011 In terms of language spoken, English is the official language, however many speak only an indigenous language such as Bantu or Miltonic (Daniels, Redheaded, & Sullivan, 2011). In addition the history, language, and religion, HAG Comp any had to also take into consideration the tribal normalizes as well as the business normalizes of the Uganda culture.With the pending displacement of 700 villagers (Daniels, Redheaded, & Sullivan, 2011), HAG was now faced with its first ajar hurdle that most companies will face when expanding globally. This hurdle is best described in how to best coexist with the cultural norms of a country. Instead of trying to simply impose the will of HAG Company, they assembled a package that they felt would best benefit those being displaced. That feeling was quickly changed when Charles Martin arrived because those being displaced now wanted more.This quick change of feelings by the tribe members brought to the forefront that the biggest hurdle to global expansion for HAG Company was going to be Agenda's business raciest that borderline bribery. In order to facilitate the wants and needs of the tribal members and the Uganda government, Charles Martin did everything he could to conform to and understand their culture. Charles Martin went as far to shun the high class living that other expatriates enjoyed, he stayed In a typical Uganda middle class neighborhood (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011).He also avoided the prototypical nightlife at the local night clubs; Instead he participated In tribal rituals (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011). Of the many things Charles Martin did to conform to the Uganda culture, perhaps the biggest was understanding and participating In what many In the U. S. Would consider to be bribery. He often found himself paying people who either controlled or were related to someone who controlled various aspects of the government In order to get things done quickly. Some consider it bribery, but in Uganda it is merely called a tip.By long tense types AT tongs, snares Marten gauntleted a polypropylene Attlee. I Nils attitude was attributed to his past experience in the Peace Corps, his vast knowledge of Africa, having majored in African stud ies. Even on a personal level, Charles Martin despised those who isolated themselves (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011) instead of embracing the culture of Africa. In addition to his schooling and life experiences, HAG Company promoted independence in their managers, which is in line with a polytechnic attitude. In stark contrast, James Green exhibited a geocentric attitude.Though Charles Martin had shown the ability to complete each and every task he was given to the standards of HAG Company, James Green often questioned and found issues with the way in which he accomplished those tasks. He felt that much of what Charles Martin did was in direct conflict with the core values of HAG Company (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011). James Green faced a conflict because though HAG Company promoted freedom and responsibility among its workers, it also wanted to ensure it was in line with their corporate culture.So, Just about everything Charles Martin did to accomplish the task set b efore him was in contrast to what HAG Company felt was right and also how it would be viewed in the international community. With Charles Martin participating in tribal rituals, providing he tips that so many would be view as bribes were all opposite of the culture that HAG Company, a U. S. Company was used to doing. Looking back at how Charles Martin achieved the task presented to him, one would be comfortable in saying that he was correct.Being placed in a different culture and expected accomplish difficult tasks can seem insurmountable. But, by accepting, conforming, and being flexible enough to adapt on the fly made this entire project possible. One can not attribute all of the success to Charles Martin though, HAG Company is also responsible in that it allows it braininess to act freely enough to make the decisions and be held accountable for them (Daniels, Redheaded, ; Sullivan, 2011). Though James Green had many reservations concerning the ways in which Charles Martin was acc omplishing the tasks, he never stepped in to change him.Had he done so, maybe with such an extreme action as replacing him, or even forbidding him from the start of the project to do things his way would have been disastrous. Charles Martin had the life experience and scholastic knowledge to be open to a new culture. He not only adjusted to, but embraced the Uganda culture. This benefited him growing as a person and also HAG Company by accomplishing their goal of building a dam and providing electric services to those who need it most.The next phase of the project will prove much easier to manage. Charles Martin again is the right person for the job. He has not only established a trusting relationship with those in the area as well as the government, he will be able to handle the ever changing demands of the Uganda people involved in the project. Concerns of those who think the l

Rabindranath Tagore Essay

Rabindranath Tagore] ( 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), sobriquet Gurudev,was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region’s literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its â€Å"profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse†, he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. In translation his poetry was viewed as spiritual and mercurial; his seemingly mesmeric personality, flowing hair, and other-worldly dress earned him a prophet-like reputation in the West. His â€Å"elegant prose and magical poetry† remain largely unknown outside Bengal. Tagore introduced new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on classical Sanskrit. He was highly influential in introducing the best of Indian culture to the West and vice versa, and he is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern India.[5] A Pirali Brahmin from Calcutta, Tagore wrote poetry as an eight-year-old.[10] At age sixteen, he released his first substantial poems under the pseudonym BhÄ nusiá ¹Æ'ha (â€Å"Sun Lion†), which were seized upon by literary authorities as long-lost classics. He graduated to his first short stories and dramas—and the aegis of his birth name—by 1877. As a humanist, universalist internationalist, and strident anti-nationalist he denounced the Raj and advocated independence from Britain. As an exponent of the Bengal Renaissance, he advanced a vast canon that comprised paintings, sketches and doodles, hundreds of texts, and some two thousand songs; his legacy endures also in the institution he founded, Visva-Bharati University. Tagore modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced), and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: the Republic of India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla. The composer of Sri Lanka’s national anthem: Sri Lanka  Matha was a student of Tagore, and the song is inspired by Tagore’s style.

Literature in Question

The outsider, written by Albert Camus and Perfumer by Patrick Suskind are two books that have addressed critically the concept of rationality and absurdity. The protagonist in the outsider is a controversial one, since he apparently does not have feelings even to his own mother. He goes undeterred even with her mother’s death. He does not care about Marie- his girl friend- and even God. He wonders why the priest worries himself by visiting him. In a way he has created a world that he himself can understand.   It is absurd that Meursault’s inability to lie and his insensitivity make the authority to perceive him as a threat. The concept of reason for any action he does is irrelevant. It is in this breath that the author of The Outsider perhaps wants the readers to believe that it is not always that we have emotions that we ought to have had. And sometimes we play up an emotion that was expected to exist but in actual sense the emotion did not exist within us. It is to this effect that Mersault’s only acknowledgement of life is tangible, physical things rather than corruptible emotion. He is, in this case, a model in which the author shows the principle of existentialism where individuals have full responsibility for creating the meaning of their own lives. He does not need to rationally think with the rest of the society. Camus becomes an existentialist in this case by showing that conscious human beings will always find in themselves a world of their own. Existentialists believe that the ultimate and unquestionable is not reality, is not thinking consciousness but being in the world. Mersault is just in the world. In fact no one- even the society- can give a reason for Meursault to be in the world.   He does not need a justification to exist in the world. Camus wants to show us that a person cannot go against the society and the majority, be it good or bad, will always win; this is shown by the change of attitude by Mersault at the end of the novel. At this point the society has won by converting Meursault to its side but still there is no justification in the way the society perceives what transpires in Mersault’s life. He has got the right to think the way he thinks and do whatever he does. The book focuses on absurdity of life and death, as well as the society. It is in this sense that Camus expounds on the theme of existentialism and rationalism. He addresses the concept of subjectivity, individual freedom and choice, where life becomes a choice. Mersault’s behaviours might be attributed to his choice in life rather than subjecting it to societal conventional reasoning. For him, apparently, rationalism is relative and depends on individual. He does not even succumb to the mercies offered by the priest while he awaits his execution. It is the choice of an individual to choose to believe in God or not; he has chosen not to believe and even death does not give him a reason to believe in God. Meursault does not seem to care whether he lives or dies- he is not remorseful even at a time he could be seeking repentance; all seems to be absurd and vanity to him. Mersault emotions are at most of the time switched off, which makes him possible to be an observer of his own life – watching it as an outsider. Camus writes the book in the first person so that the main character describes everything that happens to him in a very elaborate way but does not talk about his sentiments. The writer creates a cathartic effect by making the reader put himself in the position of the main character, yet at the same time creates a disturbing effect increased by the recurring deaths. (Three deaths in the book includes that of the mother, climax produces the Arab man’s death, then Meursault execution.) The character starts showing emotions at the end- by recognizing his love for his girlfriend Marie. This gives a new lease in Mersault’s life. He, at least, though late, revives his emotions, changes his attitude and has a reason to live. The societal absurdity wins over Mersault; he has conformed to the societal norms- which include showing emotion. At this point, Camus shows that regardless of someone’s stand, life is paramount beyond reason and rationalism. By referring to his past regarding how he gave up after having given up ambitions when he was a student. This reflection of the past shows that at a point Mersault did everything as per societal expectation but later realized the need for being who he was regardless of what the society would think of him-he could not figure out why he ought to do things to the societal satisfaction and not for his own satisfaction. Patrick Suskind, on the other hand brings out the issue of absurdity in his novel Perfume by showing how Jean Baptiste Grenoulle engages in his great passion-in his sense of smell leading him to become a murderer. Jean-Baptiste Grenoulle born with one uplifting gift of smell; and this being a gift that nothing can be done to stop-we as readers are left doubting if we have to blame him for the iniquities that come along with the gift.   The fact that he survives his birth by default complements this. The reader asks himself if indeed fate has destiny.   His identification of his gift to isolate every kind of smell is also an important aspect that comes in his infancy. It is irrational for the society to isolate an innocent person because of an inherent, unique gift. For Grenoulle, he needed not to persuade the society to like him because all he got was an inborn gift. It is absurd how people in the society tend to give reasons as to why the society has to like them instead of living their own lives. He is rejected by the society, grows up in an orphanage, unloved and malnourished.   If indeed rationalism was to be applied in this case, no substantial reason can be given for the tribulations that Grenoulle undergoes. It is equally irrational for the society to treat him the way it does instead of sympathising with him and according him a chance to exploit his gift. Isolation from the society is the reason for him developing disgust for fellow humans and hence distinguishing himself by the uncanny sense of smell. It is amazing how he even uses his gift to find the beautiful girl. He could not believe his nose and was threatened that the nice smell was from human race, which he had come to despise. It is quite paradoxical that he hates human race which he is part of. It is due to the absurd situation he finds himself in and with the intention of preserving his sense of scent he kills the beautiful girl. This shows his effort to find meaning to the universe and of course a place since, humans to him, are a threat. Though tortured by the scent he continues to search the scent and this keeps his survival going- a weird way and reason to survive. This scenario creates an absurd and irrational situation whereby Grenoulle is sandwiched between the nice smell and the repugnance of human beings. He develops an even greater disgust for human as he goes through the journey in the forest to the extent of being repulsed by the scent of human of human existence. It is quite irrational and absurd how the greed to find this perfect scent drives Grenoulle into the forest. He lives for seven years in a dark cave where he was intoxicated by smells he preserves in his internal   ‘palace of smells’ His high aptitude for mixing strange and exotic perfumes would be an asset in the rational world but instead, in his apparently irrational way, he takes responsibility for creating the meaning of his own life. The skill and gift leads him to his desire to cover his own lack of smell and quest to create the most unique perfume the world has ever known.   This in essence explains the passion the protagonist lives for- creating most unique perfume- but unfortunately, a human being has to be killed for the perfume to be made. It is absurd that this passion supersedes even the life of humans. To the society, Grenoulle’s acts are unacceptable but then when he is supposed to be executed the same society becomes remorseful and throws his deeds to the dogs in the expense of the perfume. It is equally illogical or irrational for Grenoulle to be engulfed with the power of dissatisfaction because the society does not love him but his perfume; he instead ought to be celebrating! Patrick Suskind has succeeded to show that it is not right to judge individuals in the society and yet the society itself is irrational in its thinking.   Grenoulle’s situation is inexplicable to the society but he has all the justification as to do what he does. He tries to find meaning in the universe but fails. It is absurd that he becomes a murderer from being a scent smeller. He does not comprehend why he should not act in the case where his reason, his power of reflection tells him. He is being only himself by doing all he does; after all it is the same society that made him who he is by isolating him. In deed he uses his power of following his favorite scent only to find out that it is for human beings who he loathes and kills them one by one, eventually turning out to be a dangerous murderer.   This complements the fact that life is more than the rational thinking. This in essence is a case where man has chosen to embrace his absurd condition instead of following the rational thinking of the society. The protagonists in the two novels evidently show that man’s freedom and the opportunity to give life meaning lies in the acknowledgement and acceptance of absurdity. The freedom of man is therefore established in man’s natural ability and opportunity to create his own meaning and purpose. Mersault and Grenoulle, both create a world of their own and a purpose to live in it. The individual becomes the most precious unit of existence, as he represents unique ideals that can be characterized as an entire universe by itself. The two writers have succeeded in bringing out the principles of absurdism, rationalism and existentialism. They have managed to create characters that have stood out of the society by defying the societal norms. These characters enable the readers elicit some crucial questions on about their existence.   The writers manage to bring out the irrational way the society thinks of individuals who are only but living their lives. The rejection of reason as a source of meaning dominates the two works by focusing on the feelings of fear and dread -by the protagonists- that are felt in their own radical freedom and their awareness of death. The writers succeed in showing that indeed human counter their fear of being in the world by believing that they are rational and everyone else is; they do not have the anything to fear and no reason to feel anxious about being free. They make the reader to view human beings as subjects in an indifferent, objective, often ambiguous and absurd world, in which meaning is not provided by the natural order, but rather created by human being actions and interpretations. Reference Camus, A. (1983) The Outsider. Berkshire: Penguin Books Coleburt, R (1968) An Introduction to Western Philosophy. New York: Sheed & Ward Jean, P (1946) Existentialism is Humanism. London: Routledge Soren, K (1849) The Point of View of my Work as an Author. Journal [27, 1849] Suskind, P. (1985) Perfume. Berkshire: Penguin Books   

The Chinese Zombie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Chinese Zombie - Essay Example . Zombies are portrayed as â€Å"beings† operating in the universe that hardy understand or care to understand. In this speech, I focus on Chinese Zombie, also known as jiangshi, and how they influence Chinese cultural identity. The account is based on chapter eight, Gothic monster and Chinese cultural identity: analysis of the note of ghoul, from the book "Thinking Dead: What the Zombie Apocalypse Means." In the Chinese culture, the Chinese zombies are categorized as either male or female for particular reasons. In the Note of Ghouls, resurrected zombies have their gender as male. The female zombie that existed was later on adjusted to a ghost. A reason for this could be that it was only those bodies that had least deterioration that could be resurrected back as zombies. In most cases, it was only the bodies of tomb owners that were well preserved. Historical accounts of Chinese society indicate that it was of patriarchal nature, thus implying that tomb owners were male. Women ended up being buried alongside the owner just as mortuary bodies. It is thus presumed that the feeling of resentment for being sacrificed in favour of the tomb owner drove them to convert into lingering ghosts upon their deaths. Also, there exist accounts that assert that women bodies were used to cultivate the male zombies. Generally, female gender was not given much credit as to the male gender.