“The Jamestown colony is a unique story about the hardship and failures an attempt at establishing a footing in the soil of the New World brought upon the settlers. It is filled with constant tragedy and suffering, but against all odds, a colony was erected and from it would surge the pillars of American life. “

 

 

 

“They acknowledge the power of nature, the magic, and the precious gift of beauty that it offers them. Seldom do I admire the beauty that it offers as I am speeding through the turnpike. Seldom do I look up into the sky and gaze at the royal cumulus clouds that float with the breeze on that beautiful blue mantle. Seldom do I look at the individual blades of grass and feel the grass, feel the earth, and feel nature. As I write this paper, I am becoming aware of my ignorance. I was blissfully unaware of the power of nature with its soothing beauty and its powerful roar. In comparison with our relationship with nature, the BaMbuti have achieved a bond that is considered unnecessary and weakening in my society. Spirituality is of no use in a thriving capitalist world, yet it provides for a fulfillment that cannot be explained. That is what the BaMbuti have done. They are fulfilled by nature, while I can only imagine what it may feel like.”

 

“Thanks to the BaMbuti I have embraced the truth that life comes in assorted colors, and little by little, one can begin to see them all.”

 

 

“Language is the key to culture. The Cherokee people understand this, and they have begun to plant the seeds that will one day restore their language and strengthen their culture. Their language is the voice of our ancestors who roamed these lands when America was wild and free. If the Cherokee language fades with the wind, America would lose a part of its entity, and the voice of our ancestors will echo no more.”

 

 

 

“By assembling a Constitutional Convention in 1916, Carranza began to plant a seed of change in Mexico that was desperately needed during a time when the country was vulnerable as a result of domestic warfare. People were “more concerned over finding their next meal than writing a new constitution.” The convention spearheaded what was to become a political, social, and economic transformation of enormous magnitude. The issues discussed are what mark 1916 as the year that changed a nation forever.”

 

 

 

“Edith Wharton expresses the faults of the American high class. The social ladder is broken because in order to climb up, one must reduce themselves to animals of vanity. Custom of the Country reflects on many classic clichés that pertain to the story such as money does not grow on trees and money cannot buy happiness. But the most important one is that beauty is only skin deep. Such was the case with Undine Spragg. She represented the high class. From the outside she was a beautiful rose, but unfortunately, roses have thorns.”

 

 

“Hemingway portrays a different type of soldier; a soldier who has no great war story to tell. A man who cannot cope with the real world, Krebs is a soldier who is misunderstood, and who at the same time, does not understand himself. This is the sad story of a good soldier who came back home and yet, cannot help but to feel homeless.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It was never just a game. The fact that the narrator still cries every time she thinks about how her father walked his first batter adds an emotional intensity to the image, and to the game itself, that is not otherwise natural. What would have happened if he struck him out? Why is failure so critical to the game? Pitching was more than pitching; it became an act of self-expression. The game was an escape from reality and a ground with which to stand on. The game “gave him rules to master, a history to memorize.” This means that the game gave him something from which to live by.  On the mound her father “could be anybody, do anything.”  Meaning, the game was a dream world. And then there is one small but significant detail that makes baseball a much deeper object. Her father rarely spoke “then”. The fact that he rarely speaks at the game adds some sort of pure sanctity to what is happening. Something words cannot express; something language would take away from, which then makes the game a phenomenon of indescribable feeling and adds to the emotional intensity mentioned earlier.”

 

 

 

“One of Derrida’s most important contributions to philosophical thought, if not the most, is the art of deconstruction. Deconstruction is to pick apart an ideology. It tends to use the binary opposition Western society is founded to expose the contradiction that exists within this opposition, or in other words, a more a deeper and denser opposition. What does all this mean? Well in basic terms it means that first, Post-Structuralism identifies the way in which society functions. The basic ideologies that govern life and society are binary. They exist under “rigid boundaries” that create separation and division. Deconstruction aims to destroy these binary ideologies by exposing the contradiction of such a societal foundation. One such binary frame by which western society relies upon is sense and nonsense. Derrida recognizes this opposition and deconstructs it. The traditional approach would say that there are some things that make sense, and others that do not; end of story. There is an inherent value, a notion of superiority, placed on the ability of something to make sense. Thus it is a hierarchical mindset. Derrida would take this and see it in a whole different way. He would say that nonsense is not inferior because the existence of “sense” depends on “nonsense”. One cannot be without the other. This relationship, similar to the presence and absence phenomena, is non-hierarchical. One is just as important as the other and both are critical to the other’s existence. How can something make sense if there is not something that does not make sense in comparison? There are no “rigid boundaries” only relationships that together create meaning.”

 

 

 

“Through excessive praise, Oroonoko actually becomes more of an object than a person. Though praise is practically on the opposite side of the spectrum from prejudice, when used to an extreme, it will lead to the same results. What is so interesting about the text is that it transformed Oroonoko into less than a human being long before he becomes a slave. The text claims to be an exaltation of the character when what it is really doing is progressively furthering Oroonoko from his humanity, ironically reinforcing the very institution the novel tries to shake.”

 

 

 

“William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night possesses a particular discussion on ignorance and the notion of the soul in Act Four, Scene Two that depicts a power struggle and a yearning for escape from social constraint. This discourse occurs near the end of the play, and it serves to illustrate how one’s life is defined not by actions, but by the circumstances that surround one’s birth. Every single character in the play must live within the boundaries of a certain social norm that is expected of them. Escape is futile.”

 

“Humor is the veil that covers the chains of social oppression within the play. Both Malvolio and Feste are subject to these chains. Malvolio just happens to suffer greater consequences because he refuses to acknowledge their existence. Though his insanity is a fabrication, Malvolio’s inability to accept his circumstances is peculiar. All other characters seem to grasp their social standing, even if they flirt with the boundaries a bit, except for Malvolio. He is aware of his situation but refuses to absorb it. He was victimized for this and underwent a period of humiliation meant to humble him. However, he emerged from this experience with resentment. His problem is not resolved. He wants revenge on the higher classes. This resentment is justifiable, but it will only lead to more suffering if he acts upon it. He still refuses to see his limitations, which then poses the question, is Malvolio actually insane?”

 

 

 

“Naturalization is a fool-proof way of looking at slavery with complete justification. Slaves are dehumanized and portrayed as an extension of nature, rather than as individual beings. By removing their human essence, slave owners can dispose of their sympathy. Naturalization is a psychological abandoning of reason for convenience. It is a framed perspective that ensures the prosperity of an agricultural economy, by overlooking the humanity of the black slave.”

 

 

“Earning money gave Prince some control of her finances. She was more than a tool of servitude now. Slaves did not work for money, and for a slave to find a way to earn money was against the peculiar institution. Money was the key to her release from bondage, and she was getting closer and closer to attaining this key. She was actively pursuing a way out of slavery. Prince did not just accept her fate; she sought to alter it.”

 

“During the early nineteenth century the paradigm of white dominance was being called into question. Brave souls dared to question society’s structures, in order to create a more balanced system. Eventually, enough questioning would lead to a rejection of paradigms and a more accepting society. People such as Mary Prince are figures of this resistance. Their stories are not only historical accounts, but are cries for revolution and exclamations of assertion. Their voices carry on today and have helped structure a new society that sees beyond race or gender. They are the voices of change.”