The Ethics of Suffering in Saul Bellows Herzog - Literature Essay Samples

Saul Bellows Herzog is a complicated and multifaceted novel. Moses Herzog, the protagonist, has a powerful though meandering intellect which does not seem to discriminate much in its choice of object. These myriad reflections can make the novel appear chaotic and undirected, a patchwork of loosely associated letter fragments and thoughts or observations begun but never finished. There are, though, some deep concerns which structure the novel, such as a concern with the nature and value of human suffering. In this paper, I will argue for a reading of Herzog as a meditation on the role of suffering in the cultural landscape of postwar America. I think the key to such a reading is Herzogs discussion with Dr. Edvig on page 54 of the novel. Here, Herzog is commenting on Madelines supposed Christian outlook through the lens of Nietzsches work. He says,ŠNietzsche himself had a Christian view of history, seeing the present moment always as some crisis, some fall from classical gr eatness, some corruption or evil to be saved from. I call that Christian. And Madeline has it, all right. To some extent many of us do. I read this last sentence as a great understatement. Seeing the present as some crisis of spirit is a hallmark of the intellectual culture in which Herzog was raised and to which must inevitably respond. Whether it is a concern with the enervating effects of a resentment-driven herd morality or the alienation caused by capitalistic exploitation or the modernist hollowness of the Wasteland world, the now is always a moment of crisis.The heart of crisis is suffering; ubiquitous crisis yields ubiquitous suffering. What is unique about the way suffering figures in this novel and the intellectual culture it represents is the way greatness of suffering is equated with greatness of character. The more one suffers, the better person one can be (though not always becomes, of course). This conception of suffering comes out through Herzogs recurring c onsideration of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. This particular ethic of suffering is represented by Valentine Gershbach. It is through Herzog and Madelines responses to Valentine that we see how deeply ingrained this ethic is in the intelligentsia of Herzogs day.Valentine is in many ways a Nietzschean ideal, embodying the sublimation of suffering. Considering Valentine, Herzog remarks, Valentine spoke as a man who had risen from terrible defeat, the survivor of suffering few could comprehendŠHe spoke of death majestically‹there was no other word for it‹his eyes amazingly spirited, large, rich, keen, or, thought Herzog, like the broth of his soul, hot and shining (61). Valentine is a large, emotional man with a commanding demeanor. He is, as Herzog says, Šan emotional king, and the depth of his heart was his kingdom (61). This control, though, was not only over his own person for he appropriated all the emotions about him, as if by divine or spiritual right. He could do more with them, and therefore he simply took them over (61). Herzog admits that the source of Valentines remarkable manner is the immense suffering he has endured, suffering hewn not only into his soul but his body as well, with his amputated leg and natively rough features. Herzog admits his acceptance of this ethic of suffering, recogniz[ing] that under his own rules the man who had suffered more was more special (62). Valentines suffering left him stronger, more vibrant, more alive, emotionally and physically than Herzog. (The relation of Herzogs view to Nietzsches is brought out well in his later letter to Nietzsche. He says, I also know that you think that deep pain is ennobling, pain which burns slow, like green wood, and there you have me with you, somewhat (319).) Herzog relates suffering not only to strength of character but also to the appreciation of truth. He says that truth is true only as it brings down more disgrace and dreariness upon human beings, so that if it shows anything except evil it is illusion, and not truth (93). Given this understanding of truth, Herzogs view of Valentine as a big man, too big for anything but truth, makes perfect sense (61). Suffering, then, becomes not only the path to a robust and admirable personality but also to a deeper apprehension of lifes mysteries. Herzogs view of suffering, though, is not a simple endorsement of a life akin to Valentines. Indeed, as the novel move on, he is more critical of such an ethic of suffering. In his letter to Shapiro in the final chapter, he seems to denounce such a view altogether. There, he asserts that we must get it out of our heads that this is a doomed time, that we are waiting for the end (316). Moreover, the advocacy and praise of suffering take us in the wrong direction and those of us who remain loyal to civilization must not go for it (317). At first, this appears to be a contradiction, for how can Herzog idolize Valentine as he apparently does and de cry praising the suffering by dint of which Valentine is special, as Herzog calls him?I think the answer lies in the different types of crises which provoke suffering. Herzog seems to differentiate two types of suffering, which I will call corporeal and intellectual suffering. Corporeal suffering is suffering of the body and emotions. It is this type of suffering which characterizes Valentine. While we are told he is smart, he is certainly not an intellectual in the same vein as Herzog or even Madeline. His pains are the pains of the immediate reality of life and not of the deferred reality of thought. This is part of Herzogs valorization of ordinary, lived life. We can see this in Herzogs repudiation of the Heideggerean idea of a second Fall of Man into the quotidian. In opposition to Heidigger, Herzog accepts Montaigne and Pascals view that the strength of a mans virtue or spiritual capacity is measured by his ordinary life (106). This judgment is also demonstrated in Her zogs recollection of Shapiros father in which he says, there was more of the truth of life in those spotted, spoiled apples, and in old Shapiro, who smelled of the horse and produce, than in all of these learned references [of the younger Shapiro] (70). These learned references are the matter of intellectual suffering. This type of suffering is best represented by what Herzog calls the Wasteland outlook. According to Herzog, this outlook is characterized by the cheap mental stimulants of Alienation, the cant and rant of pipsqueaks about Inauthenticity and Forlornness (75). Herzog seems to have two objections to this kind of suffering and the crisis from which it stems. First, he believes that this manner of spiritual suffering and the disillusioned passivity of those who accept it led, in part, to the horrors of totalitarianism. He says that it was easy for the Wastelanders to be assimilated to totalitarianismŠ.To have assumed that, for instance, that the deterioration of language and its debasement was tantamount to dehumanization led straight to cultural fascism (76). As he notes exasperatedly, Weve reached an age in the history of mankind when we can ask about certain persons, ÂÅ'What is this Thing? No more of that for me‹no, no! (317). Besides this, Herzog believed that thought itself could lead us into negative illusions. But can thought wake you from the dream of existence? Herzog asks himself. Not if it becomes a second realm of confusion, another more complicated dream, the dream of intellect, the delusion of total explanations (166). I believe that it is primarily intellectual suffering which Herzog denounces in his final letter to Shapiro. That is not to say that the corporeal suffering of Valentine is untouched by Herzogs final critique. Herzog acknowledges that pain can serve positive purposes in certain special instances, such as in the case of the truly religious. However, as he notes, more commonly suffering breaks people, crushes them, and is simply unilluminating (317). It seems, then, that Herzogs initial view of measuring someones special-ness by the suffering he or she has endured is simplistic and must be modified. Herzog offers an interesting alternative in the same letter, allowing pain to awaken those whose imaginative dreams have obscured their connection to reality. Pain is a possible antidote to the excesses of Romanticism, but it is not a requirement for a life well led. As Herzog says, I am willing without further exercise of pain to open my heart. And this needs no doctrine or theology of suffering (319). The crises of life are not metaphysical in scope and do not need metaphysical suffering in response. Life is filled with challenge and pain, but these are the challenges and pains of daily existence in our social world. When we forget that, we exaggerate our crises, exaggerate our suffering and welcome a disillusionment which obscures the beauty of our lived lives.

Racial Profiling in Canada Essay examples - 1300 Words

There is dispute regarding what defines racial profiling. Critics ask Is it racist, or is a necessary part of law enforcement. Racial profiling is identified by Adele Cassola in her article as unjust whereas Denyse Coles argues that racial profiling is necessary and is not considered racism. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission â€Å"Racial profiling is based on stereotypical assumptions because of one’s race, colour, ethnicity, etc.† whereas criminal profiling â€Å"relies on actual behaviour or on information about suspected activity by someone who meets the description of a specific individual† (Facts Sheet, para 2). This definition is also shared by Casola but Coles considers them as the same. It is important to separate fact†¦show more content†¦When racial profiling is used as a policing tool, Cassola maintains there is no evidence that one race over an other will take part in illegal activity. When using statistics to prove one race may commit a crime more often than others, she claims the results of this â€Å"are unreliable because they are themselves a reflection of racial profiling†. Due to this unreliability, she asserts that racial profiling is a useless policing tool. She continues to claim that by using race rather than personal behaviour, it allows those who do not fit the racial profile to be de-criminalized. In addition to this, she emphasizes that racial profiling â€Å"violates [our] constitutional right to be free from arbitrary detention and unreasonable searches, to be treated equally in front of the law, and to be treated without discrimination, stereotyping or prejudice†. To do this, she explains it can cause great apprehension of law enforcement, deter minorities from entering a law enforcement career, and further deepens the divide between police agencies and minorities. 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She explicates on racial stereotypes through crime rates, black involvement in crimes, media, and racial hoaxes. For instance, young black males in America are commonly perceived as violent, gang affiliated, and sustain by other lab els everywhere. She mentions â€Å"talking about crime is talking about race† whichRead MoreThe Relationship Between Race and Crime Essay668 Words   |  3 Pagessource of crime. I am going to show the relationship between race and crime. More specifically, I will be discussing the higher chances of minorities being involved in the criminal justice system than the majority population, discrimination, racial profiling and the environment criminals live in. It is a stereotype that black people are more likely to be criminals than white people. Does this stereotype have any truth to it? A black male born in the United States of America today would have a

Financial Analysis of Carrefour Essay - 6897 Words

Chapter 5 Carrefour S.A. Teaching Note Version: March 2007 Introduction The Carrefour case is a financial analysis case. Carrefour S.A. is one of the world’s largest retailers. During the first half of the 2000s, the company’s share prices steadily declined, despite the fact that the company reported above-average returns on equity. Students are asked to analyze Carrefour’s financial statements and segment data to find explanations for the company’s poor share price performance and to make recommendations for the future. The discussion of the financial analysis is preceded by a discussion of Carrefour’s strategy and accounting. Both the accounting analysis and the financial analysis are affected by Carrefour’s switch from French GAAP†¦show more content†¦International growth. When large companies such as Carrefour start to obtain a dominant position in their domestic markets, they may be â€Å"forced† to expand overseas or enter other industries. Carrefour’s corporate strategy is to expand overseas rather than diversify. More importantly, as indicated above, achieving growth is an essential part of Carrefour’s strategy because (international) growth helps the company to obtain economies of scale in purchasing, logistics and the development of Carrefourbranded products. For example, Carrefour sells its own branded products in the same packaging worldwide (of course printed in different languages). The company’s overseas retailing operations are, however, more risky than its domestic operations. First, to some extent retailing remains a local business because consumers’ tastes differ substantially across countries. Profitable expansion outside Carrefour’s domestic market is only possible if the company has good knowledge about local customers’ preferences and tastes. Consequently, a slightly safer way to expand abroad is to acquire local supermarket chains. A disadvantage of this strategy is, however, that acquisition prem iums have to be paid, which can also drive down profits. 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Music Comparison free essay sample

Fanny Mendelssohn Hansel and Ludwig van Beethoven Inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven and the ideas of Romanticism, the new group of composers in music were born. One composer, Fanny Mendelssohn Hansel, grew to love composing music, like Beethoven. The child prodigies both delighted in learning and performing music at a young age. Hansel learned music from many different teachers, but Beethoven was taught by more known Instructors. Although the two composers both lived In Germany. Hey created very different compositions. While Hansel and Beethoven have many differences between them, there are also molarities, which are sometimes over looked. Music was always a large part of both Hansel and Beethovens lives, beginning from when they were children. The composers grew up only four hours away from each other, yet in both households, they were composing music at a young age. The first person to teach Beethoven music was his own father. We will write a custom essay sample on Music Comparison or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hansel first teacher; her own mother.At the age of twelve, Hansel started writing her own music, while Beethoven was composing by eleven years of age. These composers started writing at a very early age, proving that they are musical geniuses. Considering the many teachers the composers had, it loud explain how they could create such beautiful music. Beethoven had many noteworthy teachers while Hansel was taught by many lesser-known, but Just as talented, educators. Once Beethovens fathers teachings had reached Its end, he was taught by Cotton Neff. Neff taught mainly the organ and compositions to Beethoven and made a comment saying that If he continues like this, he will be, without a doubt, the new Mozart Although his teachers helped him greatly, Beethoven gave his first performance before any educator had taught him, when he was seven and a half, at Cologne, a large city in Germany. Her parents first taught her what was normally expected from a child, but later Hansel was taught by tutors the aspects of music. Some notable teachers that Hansel studied under were Marble Bigot, Ludwig Berger. And Carl Frederica Seltzer.Hansel only performed once In public when she was twelve years old, from memory. Although she was very talented, Handels father demanded that she never play music for a living, but maintain the role of a normal woman in their time. Hansel obeyed her father, but Felix Mendelssohn, her younger brother, was willing to help in her career. Mendelssohn was also musically lamented and performed for the courts, sometimes playing Handels works that she composed. Once when Mendelssohn was performing for Queen Victoria, she was very impressed and mentioned that the work Italian was her favorite.Mendelssohn then admitted that that was his sisters work. Hansel often composed lieder, bagatelles, fugues, preludes, sonatas, and choral and instrumental ensemble music, showing her versatility of music that she could perform and compose. One of her more famous works; Oratorios nacho den Builder deer Bible was a cantata. Another example of Handels compositions Is one of her lieder, Swan Song. Beethoven, mantas, symphonies, songs, quartets and more. He was almost completely deaf when thieving wrote his third to eighth symphony.Many of Beethovens works are more famous than Handels, but his most famous symphonies are the fifth and seventh symphonies. The many works that Hansel and Beethoven wrote were different than each others, but Beethoven is often known to help inspire the Romantic period composers. These two composers inspire many others to write and perform music throughout the world. There are many similarities between the two composers, even f Beethoven died only twenty-two years after Hansel was born. The two were great imposers and musicians starting in childhood, increasing their knowledge of music early on.

Seven Faces of Persuasion Essay Example

Seven Faces of Persuasion Essay Chapter 1 notes Seven Faces of Persuasion- Interactive media – media in which the receiver is able to actively participate in the communication process. Cultural diversity – the increasing numbers of persons from other cultural backgrounds, races, ethnicities, sexual preferences, educational levels, political and religious beliefs, etc. Propaganda – set of messages designed to influence large numbers and warns that it is selective and that it â€Å"†¦presents facts selectively in order to†¦produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information provided†. Advocacy – to promote a given belief or course of action. â€Å"arguing on behalf of a particular issue, idea, or person. † Response-ability – your ability to wisely and critically respond to the persuasion you encounter and to make wise choices and ethical decisions when you both process and craft persuasion. Doublespeak – NCTE defined as deliberate miscommunication and which the American Heritage Dictionary defines as â€Å"evasive, ambiguous, high-flown language designed to deceive. Scam – A fraudulent business scheme- a swindle. To deprive by deceit† The typical scam relies heavily on persuasion first in convincing the person to be scammed that the persuader or scammer is credible or believable. Identity theft – Most commonly accomplished by phishing or representing oneself as a trustworthy financial institution in order to gain sensitive information that can be used to masquerade as someone else. Self-protection – Rhetoric Aristotle defined rhetoric as â€Å" the faculty of observing in any given case, the available means of persuasion. † Artistic proof the choice of evidence, the organization of the persuasion, style of delivery, and language choices. We will write a custom essay sample on Seven Faces of Persuasion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Seven Faces of Persuasion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Seven Faces of Persuasion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Inartistic proof – includes things not controlled by the speaker, such as the occasion, the time allotted to the speaker, and the speaker’s physical appearance. Ethos – The sources credibility, the character of the speaker. Pathos – emotional appeals, usually found in the kinds of colorful language and imagers used by the persuader or in the emotional level of evidence cited. Logos – using logical or rational appeals. Aristotle defined this as a persuasive tactic as well as the use of statistics on behalf or against a given policy of government or a brand or other issue. Common ground – Shared beliefs, values, and interests between persuaders and persuades that could be established by all of the tactics. Enthymemes – defined as â€Å" a form of argument in which the first or major premise in the proof remains unstated by the persuader and, instead, is suppli9ed by the audience. † Identification – Burke believed that if receivers feel they are being spoken to in their â€Å"own language† and hear references to their own beliefs and values, they will develop a sense of identification with the persuader, believing that the persuader is like them. Co-creation – this definition implies that persuasion requires intellectual and emotional participation between both persuader and persuade that leads to shared meaning and co—created identification. Self-persuasion – (ELM) Elaboration Likelihood Model – is a theory that serves as an organizational model of persuasions and has resulted in significant changes in the way theorists view persuasion. Central information processing route – one of two routes taken from the ELM, the receiver consciously and directly focuses on the persuasive communication while mentally elaborating on the issues and actively seeking more information. This requires significant effort on the part of the receiver. Peripheral information processing route – one of two routes taken from the ELM, information may be processed almost instantly or just by the senses, without direct focusing on or researching of the decision. SMCR model : A source (S) (or persuader), who or which is the encoder of the message. The code can be verbal, nonverbal, visual, or musical, or in some other modality. A message (M), which is meant to convey the source’s meaning through any of the codes. A channel (C), which carries the message and which might have distracting noise. A receiver (R) (or persuade), who decodes the message, trying to sift out channel noise and adding his or her own interpretation. Influence – refers to the ways in which some kinds of things alter a person’s attitude or behaviors. Coercion – another form of influence, always uses some level of force-physical or psychological- to gain compliance. Propaganda – is also another form of influence-usually psychological versus logical. Hugh Rank’s model of persuasion – this gives four major persuasive strategies and six associated tactics frequently used by persuaders which critical receivers can identity. 1. Intensify their own good points 2. Intensify the weak points of the opposition 3. Downplay their own weak points 4. Downplay the good points of the opposition The six tactics are: Repetition, association and composition to intensify their own good points or the bad points of the opposition Omission, diversion, and confusion are used to downplay their own bad points or the good points of the opposing brands, candidates, causes, or ideologies.

Drunken walk Essay Example

Drunken walk Essay Example Drunken walk Paper Drunken walk Paper â€Å"The Drunkards Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives† by Leonard Mlodinow was appreciated as one of the best book in 2009. People say this book can change the way of thinking and looking at things forever. The main idea of the book is the significance of the chance and its influence on the life. The author gives his reader the fresh insight on the political votes, different ratings, the rises and falls of celebrities, and related this with the common things in the life, from the morning conversation to the financial setback. The book could be even considered as scholar source but the brilliant writing style and the sparkling humor made it the bestseller. â€Å"The Drunkard Walk† Generally, the idea of Mlodinow isn’t new: the author proves it citing the book of the 16th century author Gerolamo Cardano. The book â€Å"Book on Games of Chance† describes the importance of Fortune, and Mlodinow just develops the idea. Probably the most valuable feature of this book is the feeling of control that the reader can obtain after finishing reading. The experiments proved that the person, who is in control on his or her environment, can live longer – even if the control is less that this person thinks. However, the author warns his reader from overestimation of the control. He describes the story of a Paramount studio executive, Sherry Lansing. She was the head of the studio in the times of its successful blockbusters, like â€Å"Titanic† and â€Å"Forrest Gump†. Suddenly the streak of a good luck finished, the studio released some unsuccessful movies and Sherry Lansing was fired. After her discharge Paramount had the best summer in a decade. From the cause-effect relationship point of view the relation is obvious: Lansing was discharged, the success retuned to Paramount, ergo, her discharge was justified. However, the author remains us that the movie production is rather long process, and the most successful films like â€Å"War of the Worlds† and â€Å"The Longest Yard† were already in production in the moment of Lansing discharge. Thus, Lansing was sure she controlled the situation, and her management was sure she was the reason of slowdown. The story proves they both were mistaken. Mlodonow warns his reader against the hasty conclusions, especially based on the â€Å"statistics†. The problem is people usually undervalue the importance of the perception. â€Å"†¦in all aspects of our lives we encounter streaks and other peculiar patterns of success and failure. Sometimes success predominates, sometimes failure. Either way it is important in our own lives to take the long view and understand that streaks and other patterns that don’t appear random can indeed happen by pure chance. It is also important, when assessing others, to recognize that among a large group of people it would be very odd if one of them didn’t experience a long streak of successes or failures. (Mlodinow, 2009)† Our perception have the impact on our decisions, and â€Å"human perception, Faraday recognized, is not a direct consequence of reality but rather an act of imagination. (Mlodonow, 2009)† Besides, Mlodinow explains the laws of math statistics, making his reader understand that 50-50 probability is almost the pure abstraction, which doesn’t exist in reality due to randomness. However, his conclusions are rather optimistic. It is impossible to predict the outcome of a single coin toss or a given trade, but it us real to describe the results of a series using the laws of statistics and probability. Conclusion The book of Mlodinow is a mix of author’s opinion about the randomness and the historical narratives on statistics. The author concludes that though the randomness is everywhere, it is almost impossible to manage it. The only way to manage the randomness is to create it, but it also doesn’t guarantee the success. However, the understanding of basic math statistics laws together with the feeling of confidence makes the book worth reading. References Mlodinow, L. (2009) â€Å"The Drunkards Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives†. Vintage Books. ISBN: 0307275175.

US government assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US government assignment - Essay Example The bill necessitates freezing the Ohio Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard at existing degree, by the end of 2016. Senate Bill 310 also intends to minimise the general renewable energy targets by 2025 and permit every Ohio renewable energy source to be acquired from efficient plants, even if they are positioned outside Ohio. The bill controls the state energy effectiveness and mandates in minimising the use of renewable energy. The proposed bill has therefore been argued to require creating a special committee, which will determine the level of cost to the customers for mandated energy efficiency plans and renewable energy plants such as wind energy and solar energy. The bill also necessitates state regulators to enact new regulations for unveiling the expenses for electric utility on every customer’s electric bill. The bill requires implementation of electric utilities (such as energy efficient equipments and lighting) for assisting customers to minimise their overall ener gy consumption. The bill also mandates energy generation organisations to reduce overall demand and peak demand of power by efficiency measures by 22% within 2025 (Funk, 2014). Renewable energy in Ohio signifies electricity generated by wind turbines. Nevertheless, ending Ohio’s inner state energy mandate would permit state’s energy utilities to seek inexpensive wind generated power from other states, such as Minnesota and Iowa. Such movement in turn would force wind energy manufacturers in Ohio to compete for better and inexpensive energy generation or find other markets to sell the energy. The bill can therefore be regarded as a compromise between those who desire to eradicate energy efficiency regulation and those who desire no change in regulation (Heindl Server GmbH, 2010). Apart from ending in-state mandate of energy, SB 310 would freeze the renewable energy effectiveness standard. In relation to the bill, several legislators stated that wind energy