``The Rise of Silas Lapham by Dean Howells Essay Example for Free

The Rise of Silas Lapham by Dean Howells Essay Argumentative thesis : In Dean Howells The Rise of Silas Lapham, Silas was a man victimized of the Gilded age as seem through the sudden immigration of his family to Boston and his obscure and ambitious attempt of permeating the upper social strata by means of having his daughters marry an elite of the aspired social ground, and having his business on a set back. All of which points a significance in the development of the Gilded age. Introduction The Gilded Age in American history is marked by the growth of industry and wave of immigrants along the territorial arena. Coined by Mark Twain, the age refers to the period of conspicuous luxury yet corrupted beneath. There was a development in railroad industry, and steel and oil production instantly were in great demand during this period. Some men, hence, has been prominently a subject to opportunities of formidable opulence and wealth. To name, there was John D. Rockefeller famed for his oil success and Arnold Carnegie renowned for his steel undertakings. known both as robber barons (people who acquired wealth and fortune through various ruthless business deals). While several people distinctively wore diamonds, there are however still a number of people who clothed rags. And as a consequence of the well-offs immodesty towards the working class of the time, revolts ideal of and accompanied by revenge were instilled upon the urban poors psyche. Point of view of Howells The Rise of Silas Lapham by W.D. Howells portrays the societal views of discrimination during the Gilded era. Furthermore, it highlights the changing roles of women in the context of traditional society, consequently partitioning rights unto feminists. W.D. Howells The Rise of Silas Lapham is a story about the materialist rise of an American man through the establishment of his fortune upon his fathers discovery of a vast amount of mineral grade. The narrative focuses on the societal differences distinctively acknowledged by both newly-rich and old-rich milieu. In addition, the book draws attention to the clashing and shifting of moral and financial profits of the newly-rich and the substantial growth of the old-rich society. The newly-rich social order has managed to rise above the old-rich yet still far less in culture and manners. on the other hand, it was the refinement and social sophistication that the old-rich tries and ventures to maintain. Howells’ protagonists The storys protagonist, Silas, despite being a man of affluence, still happens to possess no social standard typical of the rich ones. He still further finds it difficult to adjust his and his familys lifestyle into the new realm of wealth they have in their newfound place. Seemingly, this first and foremost conflict brought about by his sudden rise in the social class, puts him into a victims shoe during the Gilded age. Consequently, the blinding actuality of luxury and wealth deprives Silas of the notion of morality. Silas Lapham tries to attain such a social standard through the venture of having his two daughters marry an elite class from the Aristocratic family of the Corey. This particular area of the novel, however tracks down Silas fatality as a businessman. Apparently the distinct division or societal strata imposed upon by the time significantly poses the realist and materialist subjugation of Silas Lapham towards the nature and effects of the Gilded age. Archetypal of the Gilded age was the height of economic prowess among the people of America and the relocations to other places by the rich. This immigration flight is paralleled to Silas Laphams immediate acquisition of wealth and his familys resettlement to Boston. Subsequently, such reposition corrupted Silas Lapham of his previous moral obligations as seen on the first chapter of the book.   We quote a passage from the book most which most illustrative,   â€Å"she [mother] was a little frail thing, not bigger than a good-sized intermediate school-girl but she did the whole work of a family of boys, and boarded the hired men besides. Silas’ mother was depicted as frail yet did all the housework alone including taking care of the hired men. And still she managed to have time for church and teach her sons to read the Bible (Howells, 1993). Silas’ mother was good but apparently, the image and picture of a mother did not in anyway affected Silas. This despite the imagery which was highlighted by Howells wherein Silas narrated or viewing her mother kneeling while in a church service and it reminded him of his mother cleaning him up for bed on her knees washing his dirty feet. An non-immutable class Evidently, Silas at a younger age seemed to have a manner of neglect on his mothers moral inculcations while running bare all day and having then the luxury of being fixed decent for bed by his mother. This same attitude exuded by Silas appears to be distinguished upon his sudden fortune. Drowned in luxury, he administered his business in paint and ignored the goodwill of being such a business-oriented individual during the time. Furthermore, Silas Laphams extravagant objective of entering the class-above through the marriage of one of his daughters to Tom Corey, a wealthy Aristocrat in the truest sense, signaled the downfall of his entrepreneurship. This fall is significant also to the constituents of the Gilded Era. Howells’ prose is full of powerful imageries hence the book is not so a discourse but a depiction of the fundamental conflict which gave the Gilded Era its characteristic trait. Thus adversity is a friend but it took away the hope of a social success.   Wealth made the new rich but it is no guarantee of social acceptance. Hence redemption is through failure, a return to the fundamental trait and character.   Manhood to Howells’ Lapham was taken away by prosperity but prosperity was the alpha and the omega of the Gilded Age. Emptiness could be the thematic running through the lines of The Rise of Silas Lapham (Howells, 1993). This part of the book correlates the failure of Silas to belong and be among the respected class in his society. Despite the fat that Silass daughter Penelope, had accepted the marriage proffered by Tom Corey, it is evident that such means of penetrating the upper classs culture still is not enough to sustain his grasp from fortune. This could be due to the fact that the Coreys and Laphams are incongruent in class. Tom Corey could not let go of his class, could not betray class loyalty as if class is something permanent. We could see this on a passage of Howells depicting the feeling of Corey on their basic difference with Lapham. Howells offered an insight to the psyche of the aristocrat. Corey deliberated snubbed Lapham by going into the larger office, a symbolic place unreachable to Lapham.   In this scene, Corey was furious at Lapham for no other reason than culture as this passage described, â€Å"he thought of him the night before in the company of those ladies and gentlemen, and he quivered in resentment of his vulgar, braggart, uncouth nature (Howells, 1993).† The question of class of being born into was delved further by Howell. He explored allegiance to the â€Å"exclusiveness to which he was born and bred, as a man perceives his duty to his country when her rights are invaded (Howells, 1993).† The seeming innocence of Lapham, the simplicity of his social breeding has made the Corey character detest not Lapham personally but what he represents. Thus this passage of Howells depicting such social conflict connected pride, social traditions, suppressed emotions and feelings in the persona of Corey, we quote thus, â€Å"the stings and flashes of his wounded pride, all the social traditions, all the habits of feeling, which he had silenced more and more by force of will during the past months, asserted their natural sway, and he rioted in his contempt of the offensive boor, who was even more offensive in his shame than in his trespass (Howell, 1993).† As a matter of speaking in fact, one can view this attitude of Tom towards Lapham as the truth behind every breed man, that you can take an individual from his class, but you cannot take the class itself from the individual. Rather interrogating the value of his class as Why are there effective markers designated to delineate each class? Tom simply stitched himself up with his classs doctrine to have a delineation or barrier among other classes. This mindset was among the Gilded Ages contribution to American vista and notion of social stratification, unmistakably portrayed in W.D. Howells The Rise of Silas Lapham. As a player in the said age of mental framework, Silas, nevertheless, have been sightless of the potential features and indication of his forthcoming downfall. Because of being at hand with invariable riches, and mentally bolstered to acquire even more, Silas had failed to point the rationalities of his actions. He made his purchased wealth as the object of his desires, thus, casting a victimized light upon the identity of Silas himself. The way it began, hope for change To further apprehend the casualty on Silas Laphams life, we point the fall of his business and his suppression to bankruptcy. Moreover, we can aim at the abrupt shift of control over his household as he turned ill. His wife, Peris has to slot in as to what had befallen the business and run the household herself. This instance indicates the strength cultivation and advancement of women in the society. In general, the Gilded Era has been portrayed by W.D. Howell in his book The Rise of Silas Lapham. The typical recurrences of events, social state of mind and the distinction of classes of the time as participated by Silas in the story envelopes well the idea of how people have geared and approached the materialism of the present time. References Herring, R. (2005-12-05 ). The Business of Marriage in The Rise of Silas Lapham (Publication. Retrieved 20 July 2007: http://locus.cwrl.utexas.edu/herring/node/9 Howells, W. D. (1983). The Rise of Silas Lapham : Penguin Books. THE RISE OF SILAS LAPHAM by William Dean Howells Library of America PB (Publication.: http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Rise-Of-Silas-Lapham-by-William-Dean-Howells-1991_W0QQitemZ160138548936QQihZ006QQcategoryZ377QQcmdZViewItem (Publication. Retrieved 20 July 2007: http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~de271296/SilasLapham.htm (Publication. Retrieved 20 July 2007: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/gilded (Publication. Retrieved 20 July 2007: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/gilded_age/index.cfm (Publication retrieved 20 July 2007: http://infomotions.com/etexts/gutenberg/dirs/etext94/silap10.htm (Publication retieved 20 July 2007: http://locus.cwrl.utexas.edu/herring/node/9

All Quiet on the Western Front Essays: Two Years :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

All Quiet on the Western Front   Two Years      The book I chose to read was All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque. The story told in All Quiet on the Western Front occurs during the two years just before the Armistice ended World War I in November 1918. By 1916 when the story begins, World War I had already been underway for two years. From the beginning, World War I was fought in two areas, named for their geographical relationship to Germany. The Eastern Front extended into Russia, and the Western Front extended through Belgium into Northern France. The main character is a young man named Paul Baumer who is a 19 year-old private in the German army. It follows Paul trough the horrors of World War I. Paul joins the army after a recruiter named Kantorek pumps him and his friends full of glory and honor. Glory and honor they can get by joining up. Paul is excited that he is going off to war.   Once he arrives at the front he begins to understand the â€Å"terrible thing called war.† He realizes that war isn’t all glory, there is death and destruction. Paul learns to deal with the deaths of all his friends and how to keep his mind clear without turning into an animal. One of the big issues in the book was Kemmerich’s leather boots. At his death everybody was squabbling over who would get them. Remarque, in my opinion, shows you the pettiness between good friends because of war. Remarque kind of slips in these themes, some others are how terrible war really is, friendship is a must to stay alive on the battlefield, and World War I destroyed a generation.   During the time period of All Quiet on the Western Front the Russian were rebelling against Czar Nicholas II. Eventually him and his entire family were killed, and so began communist Russia. Also during this time European countries were colonizing Asia and Africa which was one of the causes of World War I. The Ottoman Empire collapses and the introduction of Henry Ford’s Model T.   If there was one thing that I learned from this book it is that war is not pretty. Despite what the recruiters and military personnel say, if there is a war you can die.

General Environmental Pollution and the KyotoProtocol

What is environmental pollution? It can be defined as the act of environmental contamination, usually caused by man-made wastes. The Environment and Opportunity Cost At first thought, these two concepts seem to be fairly unrelated. However, both of these concepts come down to one single principle – Scarcity. As economists, we have seen that society tries to make the best arrangements between various resources in order to gain maximum benefit. Unfortunately, these arrangements which provide maximum benefit to an individual or firm can have detrimental side effects to other individuals and/or firms. Environmental problems would not arise if there was a superabundance of resources. There would be no worries about running out of supplies. Most waste products could be easily and harmlessly dispersed if there were boundless oceans and atmosphere. Many of our environmental problems occur simply because we have tended to treat world resources as if they were limitless. Scarcity forces upon us the necessity of making choices by comparing alternatives. We are all aware that if limited resources are fully employed, an increase in the output of one commodity or service can only be achieved by having less of another – more resources being used to clean-up the environment will mean fewer resources available for consumer goods. (Explain opportunity cost and trade off) (Explain shifting of PPC inwards in long run due to unhealthy workforce and hence less productivity of workforce – should we locate at A or at B? – Most developed nations would aim for B whilst most developing nations would really produce at A) (Explain minimum consumption limited – why points below/above are unachievable) Economic Causes of Environmental Pollution Environmental pollution is basically caused due to economic actions of a firm – i.e. production of a good or service. Environmental pollution is a form of a negative externality. Most economic actions of firms contribute towards some external cost. This is illustrated below. The cost of producing oil, to a firm is C. However, this is only the private cost of production of oil – i.e. the cost of manufacturing oil to the firm, which includes its fixed and variable costs. The firm pays C to produce an output of Q. However, it does not take into account the social cost of producing oil. The social cost is the private cost plus any external costs. In this case, the external cost is the vertical distance between the two supply curves, E1T. The oil factory emits harmful chemicals which damages the environment. This, in the long run, causes health problems for the local residents, as it contaminates the air, soil and water. These infected inhabitants will need to be treated at the NHS. This is ultimately funded by the government, who pays the cost of cleanup. In order to bare this cost on the firm, the government must try to equate MPC with MSC, as the product is currently being overproduced, from society's point of view. In order to do this, it must set policies to shift the MPC curve leftwards to the MSC curve, by basically reducing supply. At this point, the cost to the firm will be C1 at an output level of Q1. At this reduced output level, a social optimum point will be reached. However, reducing production can lead to a firms cost increasing, as it moves leftwards on the AC curve. If such an increase in costs comes from a more vital product, say oil, it can cause cost-push inflation in the economy. We shall now take a real-life example of the French oil industry and a French oil company called TotalFinaElf. TFE has consistently been leading the list for the worst French polluters, followed by other French oil firms. The French government, a couple of years ago decided to implement more stringent policies in order to reduce pollution and environmental damage. The policies that were implemented have been discussed below. 1. The first policy implemented was a flat rate tax. The tax leads to an increase in the cost of production, a reduction in production and hence a reduction in pollution. The social optimum point of production is at OQ, where the firm pays tax equal to EQ. This is equal to its marginal profit in pollution and hence there is no profit on the last unit. However, the French government soon realised that such a policy was not very effective for a number of reasons. It placed the same amount of tax on producers regardless of their size and regardless how much they individually polluted the atmosphere. It was very difficult to place a monetary value on the extent of the damage and hence the tax rate. Oil is a necessity and has an inelastic demand. For this reason, the oil producers were able to pass on most of the tax cost onto the consumer and hence it had no effect on reducing pollution caused by these firms. 2. Another policy that was thought of, but not implemented was a form of regulation. Under this policy the French government would allow production of oil of OQ barrels. Beyond this limit, the French government decided to ban production of oil. However, this policy was not put into effect because of the fact that demand for oil is inelastic. Reducing supply, would lead to an increase in price and hence cost-push inflation. (Draw diag.) The French government has still not decided on an appropriate policy to implement. The French government is trying to implement a policy which combines property rights and environmental taxes. They have realised that it is very difficult to extend property rights and identify the polluter. The Kyoto Protocol The policies implemented by various nations, to limit greenhouse gas emissions have had a fairly adverse effect on their economies and industries. The Kyoto Protocol was set up to alleviate these adverse effects and to continue pursuing the goal of reducing pollution and environmental degradation. The purpose of the mechanisms described in the protocol, entails channeling investments in energy efficient and energy conservation to countries and projects where the cost per unit of emissions reduction is lowest. This concept would entail a large-scale resource transfer from relatively energy-efficient, high cost countries to energy-inefficient, low cost countries. The pact requires industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 8% of the 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012 The establishment of emissions reduction targets was a very complicated issue in the early phase of the international negotiations. Many countries could point to special circumstances that justified a more lax treatment of them compared to other countries. This argument was accepted to a limited extent. Notably, Russia and the Ukraine were given a zero target as opposed to the western industrialized countries that would have to reduce their emissions by 2010. The Kyoto Protocol uses a system of pollution permits which can be traded on an international market. The USA is opposed to this treaty, because it claims that it will have a devastating effect on its economy. It claims that it will lead to serious job losses, inflation and a fall in GDP. How – We have seen that pollution occurs because of overproduction and over consumption. Reducing production will lead to more factors of production becoming unemployed, and also a fall in GDP. This has brought various criticisms, especially from the UK. All nations claim that the USA, by a large margin, is the world's largest polluter and hence should sign the treaty for the well-being of future generations. â€Å"The US contains 4% of the world's population but produces about 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. By comparison, Britain emits 3% – about the same as India which has 15 times as many people† Source: BBC President Bush â€Å"Under the Protocol, the U.S. is supposed to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by seven percent. With four percent of the world's population, the country accounts for about 25 percent of the Earth's greenhouse gas emissions† European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m says ‘But this ignorant, short sighted and selfish politician, long since firmly jammed into the pockets of the oil lobby, clearly couldn't care less. The talks in Bonn in July must now concentrate on world action independent of the U.S.' â€Å"

Writing Prompts for 5th Gradeers

By fifth grade, students are developing basic fluency as writers. In order to hone their skills, fifth  graders should practice supporting claims with factual information, conveying information clearly, and writing narratives in a logical order. The following fifth-grade writing prompts encourage students to develop their skills through topics that are meaningful to them. Narrative Essay Writing Prompts Narrative essays tell a story based on a student’s personal experience. They encourage students to use descriptive writing to reflect on their experiences, explain them in a logical manner, and draw conclusions from them. New Beginnings.  This is your  last year of elementary school. What are you most excited or most nervous about when you think of starting middle school?Betwixt. Students in 5th grade are often referred to as â€Å"tweens,† meaning that they are between the young child and the teen years. What is the hardest thing about being a tween in today’s society?Besties.  What is the best book you’ve ever read? What made it so special?Reflections.  Do  you remember your first-ever day of school? Describe one vivid memory from that day.Bullies. Have you ever witnessed someone bullying another student? What happened and how did it make you feel?Man’s Best Friend.  Do you share a bond with your dog or other pet? Describe your pet, and explain what makes your relationship unique.Families.  A family isn’t always a mom, a dad, and their children.  Write about the ways your family is the same as and different from  other types of families  and wha t makes your bonds so strong.Holiday Memories.  Think about one of your favorite holiday-related memories. Write an essay describing it and tell why it is so unforgettable.Guilty.  Think about a time you did something that made you feel guilty. Describe what happened.The Ultimate Field Trip.  If you could choose anywhere in the world to go on a field trip, where would you choose and why?Family Game Night.  Do you enjoy playing games with your family? Describe your favorite family game or activity.Tasty Treats.  What is your favorite food? Describe it as if you were introducing it to someone who has never seen or tasted it.Someday.  Have you thought about what you want to be when you grow up? Write an essay explaining why you think you’d like that career. Persuasive Essay Writing Prompts Persuasive essays are those written to convince another person to agree with the writer or take action. These persuasive essay prompts inspire 5th graders to share their passions with an audience. Pets Day.  You’ve just gone to work with your parent for â€Å"bring your child to work day.† Write an essay convincing your school to have a â€Å"bring your pet to school† day.Yuck.  What is your least-favorite cafeteria food? Give three compelling reasons why your school should quit serving it.Let’s Trade.  Your friend’s lunches from home always look better than yours. Write an essay convincing  your buddy  that you should start swapping meals every day. Be sure to  highlight the benefits of the food you bring!Home Alone. Write an essay convincing your parents that you are old enough and responsible enough to stay at home alone.Sunny Day.  The weather outside is beautiful for the first time in weeks. Persuade your teacher not to assign any homework so that you’ll have time to go out to play.The Sequel.  The long-awaited sequel to your favorite book or video game is now available. Convince your brother or sister to do your c hores this week so that you have plenty of time for reading or gaming.Seating Chart.  Because of your teacher’s seating chart, you’re not going to be able to sit next to your friend all year! Persuade your teacher to let students choose their seats.Birth Order. Are you an only child, the oldest sibling, the youngest, or the middle? What makes your birth order the best?The Ultimate Game.  What is the best video game on the planet? Explain why it’s better than similar games.Life Lessons.  What are the three most important lessons parents should teach their children and why?Test Time.  Do you think standardized tests  are helpful or harmful? Explain your answer.Tunes.  Some studies have shown that listening to music can help students concentrate. Should students be allowed to listen to music using headphones during independent work times at school? Persuade the reader of your answer.Catch-22.  You’re not a big fan of writing. Write an essay   convincing  your teacher that you shouldn’t have to write any more essays this year. Expository Essay Writing Prompts Expository essays are often called how-to essays. They usually teach the reader something or provide facts about a particular topic. Let’s Play. Your family frequently attends community theater productions, but your friend has never seen one. Write an essay describing what he or she can expect during the evening.Band. Youre graduating elementary school, and a younger student is taking your spot in the school band. Explain to him or her how to clean and care for your  musical  instrument.Lessons Learned. Write an essay to a younger sibling explaining two or three key strategies for having a positive 5th-grade experience.Class Pet.  You’ve cared for your class pet this week, but now it’s another classmate’s turn. Explain how to feed and care for the pet properly.Upgrade Ahead.  You have an idea to improve your school. Explain it.Safety Zone.  Explain three of the best steps kids can take to be safe online.Family Traditions.  Does your family have any customs or traditions that might be unfamiliar to a classmate? Describe them.Pen Pal.  Describe for your pen  pal who lives in another state an  animal native to your area, including its physical characteristics, behaviors, and any sounds that it makes.Creepy Crawlies.  Compare and contrast two insects or animals that are similar, but have different characteristics such as a bumblebee and a yellow jacket or a horse and a mule. How are they alike and how are they different?Clean Up.  Your class is going to spend a day cleaning up at a local park. You’ve done this with another group before, but some of your classmates haven’t. Explain the process.Action.  Your favorite book was made into a movie. Compare and contrast the film and book versions.Team Players.  Explain how contributing responsibly helps or how it hurts a group when someone doesn’t do his part.Tell and Show.  Your class is having a â€Å"tell and show† day. You have to describe your item in as much detail as possible without naming it. Only when the class guesses or gives up can you show your item. Write out the description of your item. Creative Writing Essay Prompts Creative writing allows students to engage their imaginations and story-telling skills while also practicing vital writing skills such as sequence and description. Magic Lamp.  You’ve just found a  magic lamp. What happens when you rub it?Say Cheese.  You are given an exceptional camera. Everything you take a picture of becomes yours, but you can only take three pictures. Tell a story about the photos you take.Invisible Man. One morning, you glance in the mirror and realize that you don’t have a reflection. You’ve become invisible! Write a story about your day.Gone to the Dogs.  Write a story from your pet’s point of view.All Hail the King.  Imagine that you discover an uncharted land that you claim as a new country. And, you’re the ruler! Describe your country, its people, and your newfound position of power.Part of the Story.  One night, you doze off after reading the latest book in your favorite series. When you wake, you discover that you’re in the story! Write about your adventures.Before or After. Imagine that you live either 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future. What is yo ur life like?Dr. Doolittle.  You’re walking through a pet store when you  discover that you can talk to the animals.  What happens next?Meet and Greet. Imagine that you can meet anyone you’re studying in school right now from famous scientists to historical figures to the characters in the class read-aloud. Write a story about your meeting with that person.Switcheroo. If you could switch lives with anyone in your school, who would it be? Write about your day in the life of that person.Holiday Loop.  Imagine you get to relive your favorite holiday every day. What’s that like?Tall Tales. Tall tales are possibly true stories that contain  highly exaggerated actions or events. Create a tall tale about something that happened in your family.Teachers Pet. Imagine that your teacher is actually your parent. Describe a day in class.