Definition of Science Fiction Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps one of the most versatile genres in films, television, books, artwork and any number of things today is science fiction. Many times I have seen a sci-fi movie filed under comedy or drama. That is one of the major things that has led to my love for science fiction, the simple fact that it can be so much more than just science fiction. I would like to present a definition of what science fiction is in this paper. My definition will not be exact, because so many people have a different idea of what counts as sci-fi and, not only that, but we may have found yet another venue for science fiction by the time this paper is complete. In order to define what science fiction is and to support my definition, I am going to give some examples of stories that I think fall into this genre first and then give a semi-solid definition of what I think science fiction is. The first example of science fiction I’d like to take a look at is Alien. A prime example of straightforward science fiction would be this movie. Space miners (or merchants†¦something like that) are awakened from their cryogenic sleep-state much earlier than was originally planned. A distress/warning beacon on an unfamiliar planet caused their ship to awaken them so that help could be dispatched. Of course, it turns out to be a ship that was taken over by the Aliens and the Earthlings’ ship was soon to be infested. No questions about this one; it is most definitely science fiction. Humans meeting up with aliens and, of course, space travel, instantly places this film into the science fiction category. Another example of science fiction, and one that proves science-fiction’s elusive nature, is Tarzan. This is a fantastic example of a popular story that nobody would normally think of as being sci-fi. Everyone knows the story: A baby is lost in the jungle, raised by apes, and then is discovered years later by some jungle-adventurers. It sounds sort of questionable as to whether this should be considered science fiction, but it remains a fact that this story takes place on Earth and involves a character that has adopted ape-like qualities. One could argue that this is just a fictional story or even fantasy, but it still retains an element of science and, therefore, falls into the category of science fiction. Time travel: is it really science fiction? Some people would not agre... ... is. Science fiction (adj.) [sy-ens fik-shun]: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some fictional event that was brought about using logical, scientific methods or caused by logical, scientific events. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sentence use: I watched this science fiction movie the other day that scared the heebie-jeebies out of me! Needless to say, science fiction is a wonderful genre that encompasses a vast number of stories, even ones that we don’t really think of as sci-fi at first. As I have illustrated in these examples, science fiction can be the major genre of a story or it can be merely a piece within a story. Such a debatable concept as this one can be extremely difficult to completely define. For now, we’ll have to settle for a general definition such as the one I have written above, but perhaps in the future someone will define science fiction more clearly. Of course, if we limit the term science fiction to a clear-cut definition, will science fiction have such wonderful stories as it does now or will they end up being bland, repetitive stories? I believe that science fiction will never have a single definition because that just happens to be the nature of the genre.

John Stuart Mill Essay

In the ethical simulation Aaron Web an employee in the IT department of the company we worked for wrote a blog about some confidential information within in our company. It is against company policy for employees to release confidential information about our company. In this company it is my duty not to reward employees who violate the code of conduct or break the law, to honor employees’ right to free expression even when they are critical of the company, and to ensure that privileged information about the company is not made public. After some investigation and an anonymous tip from another employee that hacked into Aaron’s home computer I decided that it would be best for our company to let Aaron go, because I felt that simply letting him off with a warning would not send a strong enough message to him and other employees about the seriousness of breaking company policy. Although Jamal Moore who I was told is a good employee and was diligent in investigating the situation to prove that our company network is not secure enough I thought it was best to let him go as well, because hacking into another employee’s personal computer is also against company policy and two wrongs do not make a right, nor did I think it would be ethical to fire one person for breaking company policy and not another. Personally I would have preferred to let Jamal off with a warning, because his supervisor did tell me that he is a good employee, and without the information he provided it would have been hard to catch Aaron, but to protect the company from a law suit I thought it was best to let him go as well. It was more important for me to think of what would be best for the company as a whole using Utilitarian ethics which focuses on the greater good for the greatest number of people in the company as well as Consequentialist Ethics which focuses on the consequences of a decision or action. I had to think about how other employee’s would react if this situation was taken lightly, as well as the reputation of our company. I didn’t want the situation to be taken lightly, because I wanted to send a message to any employee working for our company that it is not ok to break company policy for any reason, and I wanted our shareholders to feel that their investment is being protected at all costs. It does personally bother me that I had to make such a drastic decision that may negatively affect the lives of 2 people, but I felt the need to make that decision to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again. At my job at the West Palm Beach Veteran’s Hospital my supervisor has a no nonsense approach to employees being late, because in the past she has seen that if one person gets away with it there is usually someone one else that might try it, and not only does it make the company look bad, but it effects productivity. Doing this ethics simulation showed me how hard it can be to make ethical decisions in the work place, because they don’t always agree with your personal ethical values. One personal experience where my personal ethical belief did not agree with the policy at my job is when a patient in a wheel chair had to be at another appointment within in the hospital, and needed assistance getting there so that he would not be late. As a medical support assistant it is my job to call aid and assistance to come pick the patient up to take him to is next appointment. It is against company policy to assist in moving a patient unless you are a part of the clinical staff. I know that the people that work in aid and assistant are usually late to pick patients up for their next appointment, and didn’t want te patient to be late, because in many cases when a patient is more than 15 minute their appointment is cancelled. I would have liked to help him get to his appointment, but I did not want disciplinary action taken against me if my supervisory discovered that I had left my desk without consent. Although I was not able to physically help the patient I was able to call the clinic where his next appointment was located and let them know that he might be running a little late. Although I felt it was not ethical for me to not be able to help the patient get to his next appointment I understood why it was company policy, and I followed the rules, but still found a way to help the best I could. I think that there are a lot of things we have to take into account when making ethical decisions, and doing the ethics simulation showed me how to evaluate situation in more depth to reach a decision that is best for everyone involved.

Critical Thinking and Reasons Essay

Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Secon d, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons. Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Secon d, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons. Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Secon d, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons. Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Secon d, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.Notice what the details in this paragraph have done. They have provided you, the reader, with a basis for understanding what the writer made the decision she did. Through specific evidence, the writer has explained and communicated her point successfully. The evidence that supports the point in a paragraph often consists of a series of reasons introduced by signal words (First of all, Second, and the like) and followed by examples and details that support the reasons. That is true of the sample paragraph above: three reasons are provided, followed by examples and details that back up those reasons.

“How to Tell a True War Story,” by Tim O’Brien Essay

In the essay, â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† Tim O’Brien tells several stories of war to illustrate to his readers the criteria for truth in storytelling. O’Brien offers his readers a guide to telling and determining war stories that are true, for the author, true does not necessarily mean actual or real. Instead, O’Brien tells us what a true war story is, but his requirements are not always clear precise—a true war story â€Å"never seems to end,† (O’Brien 273) â€Å"embarrasses you,† (270) â€Å"are contradictory,† (275) and have an â€Å"uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil† (270)—they are defined and given context by the author through the telling of his own accounts. The essayist Jon Krakauer offers up his own version of a war story, of sorts, in his telling of the story of Chris McCandless, a young man not participating in a war of nations, or a conflict with others; he, in his own wor ds, was involved in â€Å"the climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage† (Krakauer 207). The battlefield for McCandless was not a booby-trapped jungle, saturated with enemies and soldiers for the opposition; no, McCandless’s battlefield was the Alaskan frontier. Like a soldier going to war, McCandless knew that where he was going was dangerous. Krakauer remarks that â€Å"he was fully aware when he entered the bush that he had given himself aperilously (emphasis added) slim margin for error. He knew precisely what was at stake† (Krakauer 219). One can draw many parallels between the essays, or war stories, of Krakauer and O’Brien; they are both provocative, and both use descriptive language and paint vivid pictures in the minds of their reader, they both write of young men in the midst of a conflict—emotional or physical—but the stories differ as well. O’Brien presents his ideas of what makes a true war story; based on these ideas, we can determine that the war story told by Krakauer is not a true war story because it is committe d to morality. There are no lessons in true war stories (O’Brien 269); Krakauer offered a lesson in youth and growth in his story about Christopher McCandless. O’Brien and Krakauer are similar in that they both place importance on relaying to the reader the fact that youth and war go hand in hand. It is mainly the young who serve on the frontlines in battle and who are willing to accept the risks associated with war, and it is also the young who become victims of their own inexperience and succumb to the perils  war—being involved in war does not equate to readiness for war. For instance, O’Brien tells a true war story of two young men, soldiers in the Vietnam; he writes, â€Å"They were kids; they just didn’t know. A nature hike, they thought, not even a war †¦ they were giggling and calling each other yellow mother and playing a silly game they invented† (O’Brien 270). Here, O’Brien sets up his readers with words reminiscent of childh ood, the soldiers could have just as well been two kids at summer camp or in a school yard, or any place where kids play, laugh, and call each other names. O’Brien then takes that childhood scene and infuses it with the brutality of war. He describes how one of the young soldiers who, while playing and laughing, detonated a landmine and was killed. True war stories show the gruesomeness of war—kids die horrific deaths, and life is lost in the blink of an eye. War forces â€Å"kids† to grow up quickly, and not on their own terms. Goofing, giggling, and silliness have no place in war; death is a consequence of playfulness, and youth must quickly give way to maturity. In a true war story, a young man may never have the opportunity to figure out life for himself, war does not afford him the opportunity to come to appropriate conclusions about what is right, wrong, moral, or immoral; he will either die, or he will be so exposed to the death of his friends that his moral compass will be disrupted, and he will engage unconscionable behavior. Krakauer presents a similar of theme of youth in the face of danger. Like O’Brien, Krakauer uses words that construct a rich mental image for the reader; in this case, the image is that of an overly eager child. Krakauer writes, â€Å"The boy could hardly contain his excitement. He was about to be alone in the vast Alaska wilds† (Krakauer 206). Krakauer refers to his subject, Chris McCandless, as â€Å"the boy,† conveying the inexperience and ineptitude and childlike enthusiasm of McCandless who, because of his bubbling excitement, sounds more like a kid in a candy store or a child on Christmas morning, than he does a like man about to confront the isolation and bitter cold of the wilderness. Later on, that excitement would turn to desperation and eventually death—like the soldier in O’Brien’s story, the boy meets an early end to his life. In spite of this similarity, Krakauer does not tell a true war story. For some young warriors, adulthood is thrust upon them, maturity it is meted out with no opportunity fo r choice or deliberation; there is no rite of passage. This is not so for McCandless;  Krakauer recognizes growth and maturity arising in McCandless, noting that he made the decision to postpone the river crossing â€Å"after weighing his options,† then â€Å"settl[ing] on the most prudent course† (Krakauer 212). Learning to tame impetuousness allows one to make moral choices, choices that show respect for oneself and one’s surroundings. This type of learning happens with contemplation, introspection, and time. It is not a true war story; not because Krakauer authored a majestic death for McCandless, but because it seemed McCandless lost his war, and it appeared that the battle was too much for him in the end; because Krakauer wrote of a young man who was able to mature during his war, and was able to learn lessons of humility, morality, and caution during his time alone in the Alaska wilds. Imagery in a war stories can be graphic, but in a true war story there is no redemptive value in the gratuitousness of violent acts. O’Brien writes about Rat Riley’s who after witnessing the death of his best friend, encounters a baby buffalo in an abandoned village, â€Å"He opened up a can of C rations, pork and beans, but the baby buffalo wasn’t interested. Rat shrugged. He stepped back and shot it through the right front knee. It went down hard, then got up again, and Rat took careful aim and shot off an ear. He shot it in the hind quarters and in the little hump at its back. He shot it twice in the flanks. It wasn’t to kill; it was to hurt. He put the rifle muzzle up against the mouth and shot the mouth away†¦. There wasn’t a great deal of pity of the baby water buffalo† (O’Brien 274).† O’Brien uses the graphic details to give his reader a glimpse into the mind of soldier who has lost his innocence, one who has l ost empathy because of the grotesque things he has witnessed. The killing of the baby buffalo was not only a response to the pain (or numbness) felt by Rat, but was also a response to rejection. War makes people to terrible things, things that they may not do otherwise. In a true war story, there is little or no remorse for the terrible act. For a soldier, terrible acts and normal acts may become indistinguishable after a while. Death, killing, and suffering is an expectation in war, in a true war story, virtue does not exist; therefore, remorse and empathy cannot exist either. O’Brien clearly illustrates this idea, when writing about the buffalo. Krakauer also uses graphic imagery to show the grisly reality of war. Krakauer tells a story about a moose shot by  McCandless, â€Å"He butchered the carcass under a thick cloud of flies and mosquitoes, boiled the organs into a stew, and then laboriously excavated a burrow in the face of the rocky stream bank directly below the bus, in which he tried to cure, by smoking, the immense slabs o f purple flesh (Krakauer 209).† The shock and gore of cutting up a dead animal with insects biting and flying about could lend itself well to a true war story, but here, it does not. What differentiates this story from O’Brien’s is that Krakauer writes that McCandless felt â€Å"remorse soon after he shot the moose† (Krakauer 209). Because of this remorse, this is not a true war story. If this were a true war story as identified by O’Brien, there would be no sympathy for the animal, no moral outrage by the killer that every part of the animal could not be used. A true war story would not show the level of respect for life, for human and animal value; a true war story disregards life. O’Brien writes that when the buffalo torture was over, it was simply thrown in a well with no regard for the animal, an act that not only punished the animal, but demonstrated a lack of respect for human life as the drinking water from that well would be contaminated. Conversely, Krakauer emphasizes t he great measures McCandless took to preserve the moose meat, and the moral dilemma McCandless faced because he was not successful. O’Brien leaves little room for a story that has any moral significance to be considered a true war story. The author contends that â€Å"If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude whatsoever† (O’Brien 269). War, for O’Brien, is inherently devoid of morality; so any action occurring as a part of war is fruit from a poisonous tree—it is tainted and cannot be separated to be made clean, or right. True war stories acknowledge this. To say that there can be moral action as two sides are determined to kill more of them while they are trying to kill more of you, is an absurdity. The fighting and conflict, the struggle to maintain one’s humanity in the face of death and dying is challenging to say the least. Four times within â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story† Oà ¢â‚¬â„¢Brien tells the story of Curt Lemon being killed by a landmine. Each time the story is told, there is a new variant, or one taken away; his changes in language, words,  and details range from revolting to beautiful. Certain things change, but the story stays the same—there is death and loss everywhere. That is the story, the true war story. No matter how it is told, Lemon dies and Riley will never laugh with him again. Contrast this with Krakauer who writes Into the Wild after having already written a magazine article on Chris McCandless. Krakauers â€Å"Selections from into the Wild† could not be considered a true war story in the way that O’Brien defines it, because the selection itself is an act of morality. The magazine article Krakauer wrote prior to his writing of the essay can arguably be considered a true war story as it portrays an ill-prepared young man who is done in by his own arrogance. Many who read the article lacked sympathy for the fallen, and instead ridiculed him. People love stories of heroes, but they l ove stories of failures just as well, as long as the failure is some arrogant jerk getting his just deserts. Krakauer could have left the story there, but he did not, he chose to look deeper to get to the truth, to get to the â€Å"absolute occurrence† (O’Brien 277) that O’Brien warns is irrelevant in a true war story. Krakauer wanted to experience what the subject of his story experienced, and make right the wrong he had done with his article—he wants to do the morally responsible thing. Krakauer writes of his journey to set out on the path blazed by McCandless, â€Å"I, too, hope to cross the river. I want to visit the bus. I want to see where McCandless died, to better understand why† (Krakauer 213). Crossing the river—a metaphor used by O’Brien as well—meant facing the unknown in order to learn more and continuing the search for whatever was lost or missing. In some war stories details are important. They can change they the story altogether. They can change an incompetent, arrogant, boy into a disciplined young man who was willing to take up a dangerous challenge just to prove to himself that he could, even if he did not. Krakauer used the essay as tool to change perceptions to ones based on truth; in changing the details he changed the story. Not all war stories are true, in â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† Tim O’Brien lays out the elements needed in a war story to be considered true. Jon Krakauer tells a war story, but it is not a true war story by O’Brien’s standards. Morality is the dividing line between Krakauer telling a war  story, a true war story.

High School Essay

I like to believe that everyone has their own goals and dreams they would like to accomplish. Every person’s dreams and goal differ from one another. My name is Gwendolyn Pavon, and I too, have goals and dreams that I hope to accomplish. Having a future and a good career is something I have always dreamed about. My current academic goals are to stay in school. Being in school is my main priority, and focusing on my schoolwork is important to me. I have the opportunity to be in school and receive financial help and I won’t let this opportunity pass by. I realize how hard things are getting in the real word. Careers are becoming harder to find and to keep, therefore I’m willing to get an education to get a good career. I never really had people to motivate me to stay in school until my senior year in high school. I opened up to my English teacher about a couple things, and she made me realize a lot. I remember being younger and my father telling me to say in school, but after he left I didn’t have much motivation. My English teacher always pushed me into doing my work and staying in school. It felt nice knowing she cared about me getting an education. She helped me with scholarship applications, with getting everything done to get into college and helped me out with anything I needed. College isn’t as easy as high school, but I’m honestly willing to do anything to get a degree and hopefully become a nurse one day. All the work, and waking up early will be worth it in the future. Soon I will have to get a job and save money for my own car. I’m not so sure if having a job and being in school will be so easy, but if it gets tough I will not give up. I have understood that there will be complicated times in life, but the one thing I will never do is give up. I don’t have much people to push me into doing what I want, but I push and motivate myself. I want the best things in the world, and having the best things means working hard to get them. I’m not the smartest person out there, but I know that I’m a pretty bright person. Although being in school isn’t something I like so much, I have decided to continue going. My weaknesses as a learner outweigh my strengths. I can get very distracted easily and I have trouble staying focused on a topic. I have to constantly remind myself to get back on topic. Getting  distracted interferes with my learning, but I work at it every day to try to focus on my work. The good thing is that if something really interests me, I give it my full attention. Being in school and sitting through fifty minute classes isn’t something I always enjoy but I do have days where I enjoy the classes. Focusing on my school work will be a little complicated for me, but I’m willing to put in all my effort to continue my education. Getting an education, being successful, and accomplishing my goals and dreams are really important to me. I will prove to people that I will be successful and continue getting an education.

Voting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Voting - Essay Example Americans have more opportunities to vote then any other country in the world, and the impact of voting is felt in every aspect of American life. From the beginning of American history, it has been proven that voting is important. History highlights the importance of voting and the terrible conditions that occur when this right does not exist or is suppressed. During the Revolutionary Era the French, Haitians, and Americans recognized the destructive power of living under a government without a voice. The French masses starved while the aristocrats dinned well under the regime of Louise XIV. Like the Americans, the masses were taxed heavily without representation. No taxation without representation was an ideology that spurred on the American Revolution once the Stamp Act was enacted. In addition, after the implementation of the Stamp Act, "ordinary people came together to call for the boycotting of British goods" (Woods, 1992, p. 244). People began to understand how coming together to influence policy would make a difference in government. The Haitian Revolution demonstrates the biggest impact of living under a government without representation. There were 600,000 black slaves living in Haiti (Girard, 2005). The other ruling groups were comprised of French Officials, white planters, and free blacks total population was approximately 60,000 (Girard, 2005). As the Americans and French lived under unfair laws, the Haitian slaves lived under the Black Codes (Ros, 1991). The Black Codes invited white men and women planters to decide the fate of a black slave on a whim. One woman burned her slave alive in an oven, because of a slightly burnt pie (Ros, 1991). There weren't Civil Rights for the 600,000 slaves, who were bound to the earth and deprived of social mobility. They lived in dirty huts in a society where torture instruments were hung in the windows of prominent businesses (Girard, 2005). The Haitian, French, and Americans eventually won their freedom, but it was at great risks and many deaths. The sacrifices made the n and the perils the people endured emphasize the importance of the average person participating in the government. Common people must remain vigilant to the new laws created and make sure they benefit the entire society. No pure democracy is in existence. Democracy is a work in progress. Constant participation by the public is vital to ensure there is a balance in society, where the average person has a voice. Next, with the protective laws passed such as the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the American with Disabilities Act, many Americans feel they are safe from unfair treatment. They don't need to participate in the government or provide balance. The current governmental system will simply take care of itself and them. Voting isn't necessary. Yet, there are a growing number of individuals that don't believe that we need regulatory laws that will govern discriminatory behavior. A very popular American President, Ronald Regan supported this notion. He "enacted the Executive Order 12991 in 1981, where no regulatory action can be undertaken unless the potential benefits to society outweigh the potential cost" (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007, p. 4). Supporters of this policy state that businesses want to make profit. They will hire the most qualified person without discriminating, because it will give them a strategic

Network letter Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Network letter - Article Example end the show for further strengthening that persona within the character during the â€Å"Dead Again† episode that dealt with the underground zombie lifestyle of New York City. In this particular episode, we saw a significant character development for Kate Beckett as she finally came close to the full understanding and acceptance of the events that happened in her life during the past year. That includes being ready to put her emotions on the line and accept the love being offered to her by a man who has stood by her for the past 4 years of her life. It was important to me, as a person who believes in the healing powers of psychiatry, that the episode portrayed her visits to a psychiatric professional as one that truly helps her get her life back together after her shooting in the previous season. By showing the analytical aspect of the doctors visit and allowing her to figure things our for herself with her doctor acting only as her guide, her character as a strong, intelligent, and logical woman is further reinforced. I applaud the team behind the show for such an accurate and convincing portrayal of the true way that a psychiatric visit takes place. In closing, I would like to encourage your program to continue its true to life portrayals of the steps that Kate Beckett must take in her life in order to become a truly whole and well person, finally capable of accepting a special kind of love and giving back the same to Richard Castle. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I realize how busy a person in charge of a network must be as you receive numerous letters and communications regarding all types of matters pertaining to your programming. I look forward to possibly hearing from you in the