Vincent Van Gogh Essay Example for Free

Vincent Van Gogh Essay Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born 30th March 1853 in Zudert, Netherlands. He is generally considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt ( known for his Baroque style painting ), though he had little success during his life time, Van Gogh produced all of his work (some 900 paintings and 1100 drawings ) during a period of 10 years before he succumbed to mental illness ( possible bipolar disorder) and committed suicide. His fame grew rapidly after his death especially following a showing of van Gogh’s paintings in Paris on March 17 1901 (11 years after his death). Vincent grew up in a very catholic area, he was the oldest child of Theodous van Gogh, a minister of the Dutch reformed church, and Anna Cornella Carbentus. He was given the name after his grandfather, and of a brother stillborn. As an adolescent Vincent was serious, silent and thoughtful he attended Zudert village school from 1860, where the single catholic teacher taught around 200 students, he was also home schooled with his sister and later attended a school 20 miles away. As a teen he was distressed to leave his family and on 15th of September 1866 ( 13 years old ), he went to the new middle school, Willem II College in Tilburg. Constantnijn C. Huysmans, an artist from paris taught Van Gogh to draw. He continued drawing through his teens and young adult hood until he decided to become an artist. In march 1868, van Gogh abruptly left school and went back home and in july 1869, his uncle helped obtain a position with the art dealer Goupil and Cie in the Hague. After his training, Goupil transferred him to London, where he worked at Messrs. This was a happier time for him and he was successful at work and was at a young age earning more than his father. He fell in love with his landlady’s daughter, Eugenie Loyer, but she rejected him. He became increasingly isolated, and his father and uncle arranged for him to ne transferred to Paris where he became resentful at how art was treated as a commodity, on april 1st 1876, Groupil terminated his employment . He returned to england for unpaid work, the arragments didnt work so he left to become a methdist ministers assistent. At christmas he returned home and found work at the local book shop. His religious state frew he felt he needed a vacation, to support his efforts to become a pastor, his family sent him to amsterdam to study theology in May 1877 he studied for an enterence exam, which he then took and failed, feeling like a failier he went in a post missonary in a tiny village, where he wasnt happy people would say they heard him crying at night in his hut. He was later dismissed fro his dutys, and travelled back home for a year then left because of frustrations with his parents and a slight conflict between him and his father.

God And The Problem Of Evil Essay -- Religion Evil God religious Essay

God And The Problem Of Evil Everyday it is possible to read a newspaper, or turn on TV or radio news and learn about evil going on in our world. Banks are robbed, cars are stolen, violent murders and rapes are committed. Somewhere in the world the aftershock of an earthquake is being felt. Cancer is killing millions of people each year, while other debilitating conditions continue to affect many with no cure to end their suffering. President Bush said that our country is fighting a war against evil. We all agree that evil is real and cannot be ignored; the problem comes when we try and rationalize the concept of God and evil coexisting. Two types of evil exist in our world today. Natural evil occurs when earthquakes, hurricanes, and storms occur causing devastation in the world. Moral evil occurs when a person makes a choice as to how he will act in a certain situation. Everyday moral decisions are made. People decide whether to steal, give in to anger and harm another, falsify information, and behave in a way unacceptable to society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem of evil is this; If God is loving, then he would want to end evil; and if he is all-powerful he would be able to do just that. Since evil exists, how can God be both omnipotent and loving? The Christian Science answer to this question is that evil is an illusion of the human mind. The Judaic/Christian faiths do not hold to this theory. The Bible is full of descriptions of good and evil in human life. Evil is pictured as dark and ugly. The ultimate example of evil for the Christian is the crucifixion of Jesus, a violent rejection of God’s Messiah. St. Augustine’s view is that the universe is good, (a creation of a good God and meant for a good purpose). He does not hold to the belief that matter is evil. He believes that there are higher, and lower, greater, and lesser goods in abundance and variety. â€Å"Everything is good in its own way, except that it may have become spoiled or corrupted.† Whether the evil is an instance of pain, or some disorder in nature, it is the distortion of something intrinsically valuable. Since evil is negative, logic would reason that it was not willed or created by God. Why does an all-powerful God allow suffering and pain? What about moral evil? Why was a world created in which such things exist? One defense for evil is the free-will defense. This says that peop... ...il depends on his definition of God and the word good. Most people think good means the best possible outcome, the absence of pain or problem, pleasure and happiness. Loosing is not good to us, even if loosing might help to develop good sportsmanship or a good work ethic. We do not consider being in need good, though it may help us to appreciate the times when we had plenty. A debilitating disease or handicap is not good, though any life has positive moments, and joy can be found if it is looked for. Our negative responses to all these things helps to create their outcome. How sad it would be if God has simply created a world devoid of any problems with people who never need struggle with making the right decision. Whether it is called â€Å"soul making† or character development the world is enriched by qualities such as love, compassion, generosity, and mercy. No definite answer can be reached as to why evil exists, but philosophy helps us to examine our own beliefs and consider why it is we think as we do. Sources: Augustine, St. Augustine’s Confessions VII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hick, John. Philosophy of Religion 2nd Edition. Mackie, J. L. â€Å"Evil and Omnipotence† Mind. April 1955.

Note-Taking Method

Any assignment that requires you to do research, will require you to take notes. The notetaking method you adopt is purely a personal decision. With the development of technology, there are more different methods used to take notes. In term of the media people applys, we can discuss three types of methods: handwriting, electronic note-taking, and copying materials. The handwriting method is a traditional way which takes much time and requires the audience listen to the speaker carefully. When writing the notes word by word on the spot, the audience may get much pressure and feel more tired, it demands them to focus on every words the speaker said, then pick up the points to write down. But th audience may learn more useful information at the same time, the efficiency is much higher. For example, the teacher is giving a lesson in the classroom, he lists some important points, and the students should listen to the teacher carefully, handwriting the notes. Electronic method is a new way coming to the note-taking world with the help of technology, including recording, taking photos, and so on. Pens, notebooks are coming to be replaced by voice recorders, camera, MP3, mobile phone and other electronic products. By this way, what the audience need to do is just recording in the beginning of the lecture, or take photos about some points in the blackboard and the Powerpoint. It reduces the burden of audience, and more convenient. However, it is difficult to require the audience to listen to the speaker carefully, they don't need to grasp any points, they can do other things at the same time, just remember taking their electronic goods. A company invites an expert to give a lecture to its employees, he talks about some important thesis. The employee may record this speech and take some photos, which is enough for most of them. Copying materials means the audience may do nothing in the lecture, but they copy the speaker's materials, or other audience's notes after the lecture. They may choose to just listen to the speaker carefully, or pay litter attention to the whole lecture. This way is gradually adopted by some audience, especially when the lecture is tedious in their mind. There is litter burden for the audience, but also less gains. Because they may lose some important points, and the opportunity to experience with the speaker. From what we have discussed above, we may get a result is: no pains, on gains. We can't deny the benefits brought by the technology, but we should learn to how to exploit them in right way. I prefer to handwrite notes, because I think it can motivate the audience to listen to the lecture carefully and learn how to pick up points.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Is Not a Racist Work - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2037 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/04/29 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: Huckleberry Finn Essay Mark Twain Essay Racism Essay Did you like this example? In spite of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn being the source of so much controversy, one can assume that no other piece of American literature has been discussed as heavily as this piece. Mark Twains novel has been regarded by many as the greatest literary achievement America has yet produced(Novels for Students), written in 1885 during the regionalism movement, this novel is probably one of the most analyzed books of our time, as well as Twains. Regionalism is a branch of realism that it is sought to portray life realistically, but through dialect and setting. (Mullis). In Twains art, specifically with Huckleberry Finn, he chose to write a novel that did not conclude with racism, slavery being accepted, instead, through satire mixed with realism, he concludes with this is how bitter and cruel it really is and I hope you see how ridiculous and unjust this reality is (Weebly). With Twain choosing to use regionalism as an approach to reflect what was happening during his time period, he decided to view life in its unpolished, ugly existence(Weebly) and did not try to convince himself that there is [was] a reason slave-owners [made] their slaves suffer (Weebly). He opted to use his own perspective to conclude the corrupt and unethical lifestyle and attitude many people had. The issue of slavery threatened to divide the nation as early as the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and throughout the years a series of concessions were made on both sides in an effort to keep the union together. One of the most significant of these was the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The disturbance began when Missouri requested to enter the union as a slave state. In order to maintain a balance between free and slave states in the union, Missouri was admitted as a slave state while Maine entered as a free one. And although Congress would not accept Missouris proposal to ban free blacks from the state, it did allow a provision permitting the states slaveholders to reclaim runaway slaves from neighboring free states. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Is Not a Racist Work" essay for you Create order Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was an American author who wrote two novels that are significant to American Literature, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain displays his experiences and feelings toward racism and slavery as well as his childhood suffering through the characters in the novel. Twain was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri and died April 21, 1910 in Redding, Connecticut (Mark Twain). He is best known as a famous American humorist and for his realistic views of America in the nineteenth century, through his novels and its characters. (citation) He had the whole world captivated through his expert writing and lectures(Finn). I never let my schooling interfere with my education(Seybold), said Mark Twain. Twain recognized that educational achievement was not a product of schools, and it is not always guaranteed by them(Seybold). In 1839, at the age of four, Twain and his family moved to a nearby town called Hannibal, Missouri, located next to the Mississippi River(Mark Twain), and this is where Twain grew up as a boy. Most of the inspiration for his books came from here, he witnessed things that made him the great author we know today. Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a key aspect to American Literature, All American literature comes from one book called Huckleberry Finn, Hemingway declared (Churchwell).Without this period in his life, a huge chunk of literary history would be missing from American Literature. Twain lived a pleasant life until he was twelve, at that age his father died and is life fell apart from there (Samuel Clemens). As expected, he was shocked to lose his father at such a young age, but he wanted to do whatever he could to help his family (Mark Twain). Twain dropped out of school around the age of 12 and found employment as an apprentice printer at the Hannibal Courier, which paid him with a small ration of food (Mark Twain). With the characters and the setting of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn being based off of Twains childhood, one cannot tell if they are real or symbolic. There are multiple characters and events that happened in the book that resemble Twains life. There was an examination of the biographical and historical context surrounding the novels composition [that] reveals Twain was influenced both socially and personally by the declining moral and social conditions of his family in the late 1800s which persuaded him to voice his concerns, cautions, and beliefs through the innocence of a young boy and his adventures. (Shrum). Twain based his character Huck off one of his childhood friends, Tom Blankenship. Paine says that Tom, was the son of an indigent family, exactly as pictured in [The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn]: a ruin of rags, a river rat kind of heart and possessing the priceless boon of absolute freedom. (23). This description is clearly noticeable in Huck after he escapes from Paps cabin in the woods. Furthermore, Tom Blankenships father was known as old drunken Ben Blankenship (Paine 23), the same as Hucks father in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Shrum). Moreover, Jim: Hucks Negro friend, is in regard to a former slave named Uncle Danl that Twains uncle John Quarles owned. Twain knew him in his boyhood and this is who made him appreciate the black race (Shrum). In 1851, he began assisting his older brother, Orion, in the production of a newspaper, the Hannibal Journal (Mark Twain). Twain started working at a newspaper called the Daily Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City, which is where he first adopted the pen name Mark Twain, by signing a humorous travel account with his new name (Samuel Clemens). He later began contributing his poems, reports, skits, and even humorous sketches to the newspaper for several years (Samuel Clemens). This adding to his education, it was an important piece that made Mark Twain the great American author that he is today (Mark Twain). Huck Finn was a young boy who had been living with Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson, in St. Petersburg, Missouri. The two have been trying to cultivate him with proper manners, religious outlooks, and dressing. Huck soon detects the compelling authenticity in the people around him and would rather be wild and free. When Huck inherits a large amount of money, his father kidnaps and locks him in a cabin across the river. To avoid his father and the beatings he gives him, Huck stages his own death to escape to Jackson Island. Once he meets Miss Watsons runaway slave, Jim, the two of them decide to hideout and undertake a series of adventures together. As the story progresses the duo exploit an array of episodic enterprises, while Huckleberry slowly changes his views of bigotry. Along the way, Huck and Jim meet the King and Duke, who ultimately send the protagonists towards a different route on their journey. Huck deters from their plan to swindle Wilks family out of their inhe ritance, but the king and the duke escape, and decide to sell Jim to Toms uncle, Silas Phelps. While visiting his aunt and uncle, Tom convinces Huck to join his ridiculous, intricate plan to free Jim. Huck disagrees with this, but he follows behind Tom, as he always does. Upon the conclusion of Toms plan being played out and Jim getting recaptured, Tom reveals that Miss Watson actually freed Jim just before she died, which was months earlier. Huck is faced with the moral dilemma between the worlds prejudice that he grew up with, and the stories Jim has told him and the lessons he taught him about slavery throughout the story as he begins to distinguish right from wrong. Being one of the most controversial books to ever be published, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first introduced December 10, 1884. Out of all of Mark Twains books, this novel had the greatest success. It is often looked upon as a work of art and as a cultural artifact others see it as degrading. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was one of the earliest pieces of American literature written relying heavily on regionalism. This novel has been the object of controversy since the day it was published, some may argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, and that the novel has no place in a highschool classroom, but the overall story and the meaning behind it is the exact opposite. Ever since The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first introduced, it has been looked down upon. Those who first condemned the novel as being trash objected to it on grounds of both literary merit and racial, social, and economic class.(James) But, That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they dont know nothing about it. (Twain 2). When the book was released, it was banned by multiple libraries across the south because of its portrayal of African-Americans being seen superior to caucasions and that is not what the story is even trying to tell. Granted the novel does describe white people as violent, stupid, or selfish then portrays Jim to be strong, brave, generous and wise but he is just one character being descried that way, the others are not. Some African-Americans see Huck Finn as a racist novel, others do not agree, the book came under fire from African-American groups for being a strong critism of racism and slavery.(History). Considering the time this book was written, Jim and Huck should not be associated with each other definitely should not be helping each other out. Huck used to only thought of Jim as an item and never as a real person until their travels together. Huck felt as if he were so full of trouble [that] [he]didnt know what to do.(Twain 161) because he was helping Jim escape. Despite Huck feeling guilty for helping Jim, he always does the right thing when it comes to him. Throughout the novel, an intimate relationship is built between the two. Jim states that he couldnt ever ben free ef it hadn ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim wont ever forgit you, Huck; yous de bes fren Jims ever had; en yous de ONLY fren ole Jims got now.(Twain 67). Huck always does the right thing when it comes to Jim, whether he feels guilty about it or not. He is honest and keeps his promises with him also. Loyalty is one of the most important, if not the most important quality when it comes to being friends with someone. Aside from this novel and all of its controversy, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been viewed as a masterpiece Looking back on Mark Twain, his life, and his novel, one could easily see how they intertwine with one another. Twain lived during a time where racism was still at large, yet he highly disagreed with the lifestyle and he showed this in his novel. His irony makes it hard for some to recognize how he really felt about slavery as well as racism, considering when and where he lived. This piece of American Literature has been objectified since its existence. Some may argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, but its meaning is the exact opposite. Works Cited A Webliography and E-Anthology. Virginia Agriculture 2007, www.longwood.edu/staff/lync hrl/English 203/american_realism.htm. Realism. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, huckleberryfinnib.weebly.com/realism.html. Mark Twain. Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017, www.biography.com/people/mark-twain-9512564. Seybold, Matt. The Apocryphal Twain: I Have Never Let Schooling Interfere with My Education.. Center for Mark Twain Studies, 16 Nov. 2017, marktwainstudies.com/the-apocryphal-twain-i-have-never-let-schooling-interfere-with-my-education/. Finn., The Adventures of Huckleberry. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed, Encyclopedia.com, 2018, www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/adventures-huckleberry-finn#Author_Biography. Churchwell, Sarah. Mark Twain: Not an American but the American | Sarah Churchwell. The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 29 Oct. 2010, www.theguardian.com/books/2010/oct/30/mark-twain-american-sarah-churchwell. Samuel Clemens. Ohio River New World Encyclopedia, New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Samuel_Clemens. Shrum, Heather M. Mark Twains Portrayal of Family and Relationships in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 6.03 (2014).