Essay on Mark Twain a+ Grade Essay Example for Free

Essay on Mark Twain a+ Grade Essay Few people across america have not more than once come across the name of Mark Twain, a name spoken throughout the country for the 100 years since his death. Mark Twain is the best example of a great american author, foremost for his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Few people past the sixth grade have not at least heard of Tom sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Proving the impact this piece has had on America. Life wasn’t always peachy for Mark Twain though, Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain went through a cacophony of hardships on his way to fame. His father died when he was only eleven, and he was sent off to apprentice for a printer named Ament. He later got a job as a journalist which got him on his way to becoming an esteemed writer. Life after fame however brought more heartbreak than good with the death of his wife and later his wife. He took much pleasure in his four-legged friends however, and is well know as an avid cat lover. Twain is most well known for his piece The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It is an american classic, portraying young Tom sawyer and his friend Huck Finn in an adventure, ending in the capture of Injun Joe, a man who murdered the doctor and who had a cave full of treasures. Mark Twain pulls the reader in whilst keeping attention with chapters teeming with action, adventure, suspense and romance. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was followed by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, an exciting sequel that received just as much if not more praises from readers across america. Some may wonder what possessed Mark Twain as to why he became a writer, when the answer is quite clear. Upon his father’s death in 1846, Young Samuel Clemens was sent off to apprentice for a printer named Ament, in exchange for board and clothing. He then became a typesetter, setting the print for various newspapers in his hometown.He did that for another four years before writing small articles for his brother Orion’s small newspaper. Clemens moved to Nevada and worked as a miner in Virginia City before finding work at the local paper, The Territorial Enterprise, where he first used his pen name. Mark Twain was taken from the steamboat mans measuring cry that signaled water was deep enough for safe passage. Life after Fame was both sweet and sour for Mark Twain at this point. Though he rarely ever invited visitors into his home, Mark Twain truly enjoyed the company of his cats. It was even noted in an ad from Royal Crown Cola in the 1940s about Twains disposition and his love for his cats. It is stated that he lived with up to nineteen at one time. In 1905 one of Mark Twains cats, a big gorgeous black cat named Bambino, ran away and Twain was devastated. He offered a reward seeking the return of his cat. The cat was found by Twains secretary. Sadly, Twains last years were marked with depression, brought on by the death of a daughter, his wife and close friends. He began his autobiography in 1906, and it is unsure when it was actually finished after its recent discovery. He died of a heart attack on April 21, 1910, in Redding, Connecticut, where he was buried on his wife’s family plot. It is indisputable the impact Mark Twain’s writing has had on society as a whole, his name scattered across america and known by millions. His two most popular books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have gone down in history as priceless american classics, and continue to be treasured more than one-hundred years after their creation.Fame and fortune was bittersweet for him however, and though he took much pride and joy in his esteemed feline friends, he went through a period of extreme loss shortly before his own death. It is a well known fact, that Mark Twain has left his mark on American History, and will be remembered for centuries to come.

Ethics and the Cheating Epidemic :: Critical Thinking Essays

Ethics and the Current Cheating Epidemic There is an epidemic of cheating in American universities. Students are finding easier and more efficient ways to cheat. Morals and morality are changing. Students, members of the younger generation, and teachers, members of the older generation, differ on what is cheating. Morality even differs amongst students. Some students still adhere to the traditional sense of morality, and find what other students do an abhorration of morality. This essay is a mostly a pathos and ethos argument that attempts to appeal to the reader’s sense of right and wrong by using so-called â€Å"authorities.† The first section is filled with pathos arguments designed to make the reader believe that the majority of college students are cheaters. Multiple sources are brought in to prove this, each with their own ethos and pathos. First is a freshman named John Smolik, and his words are incriminating for all college students. He says â€Å"Cheating IS an answer† (Clayton 20). This is nothing new. Cheating has always been an answer for students. Most of them get caught, however. The fact that a student says this, however, makes people think that he has cheated or that it is widespread. In fact, he is just expressing a personal opinion, which he is entitled to. The next ethical source is something called â€Å"The Center for Academic Integrity.† This source interviewed a small sample of students, about 7,000, on 26 small campuses. Now, when analyzing this source, one has to wonder why they chose such a small sample. If we do the math, that’s only 270 students per campus. My high school had more than 270 students. One could easily ascertain that the institution doing this study picked out only the results that they liked. Next, the author uses some loaded language which stands out: Add to that a pervasive change in societal values, and students can easily be snared if they lack a strong moral compass - as well as a campus where peers and administrators take a firm stand against dishonesty. (Clayton 20). Do you have a â€Å"Strong moral compass?† Are you a victim in the â€Å"pervasive change in societal values?† The Christian imagery is thick here. But the author does not stop there. He quotes a provost at Vanderbilt as saying, â€Å"No one cheated [in the 1960s]† (Clayton 21).

Elections, Political Parties, and Civil Society in Authoritarian Regimes Essay

Within many Authoritarian Regimes, the conditions are very similar and the political participation becomes severely limited. The following essay will attempt to briefly capture a few key characteristics of two countries in terms of elections, political parties, and the role of civil societies within the state. The two countries that I will be discussing are Iran and China. First of all, after reading page 80-81 in our Comparative Politics textbook written by Carol Ann Drogus and Stephen Orvis, it soon became clear to me that Authoritarian Regime structuring has a heavy political saliency in terms of elections, political parties, and the role of civil societies. It seems that if elections even manage to exist in an authoritarian regime, they do not determine who holds the majority of power in the state. For example, on page 80, the textbook discusses how 1906 a new democratic state within Iran was created in order to provide a real legislature with elections. This democracy was soon polarized, and the central state has limited sovereignty over the other provinces and was able to control most economic profit and most of the military power. Although elections were ushered into Iran’s political system, they had little influence on the government itself. On page 81, the textbook discusses how a left-wing prime minister named Mohammad Mosaddeq was elected in 1951, but due the primary regime’s influence and power, they overthrew this elected prime minister because he did not support their interests. This example shows that even if an election determines something within an Authoritarian Regime, this determination may not last for very long or may not have any power in the first place. An elected official such as Mosaddeq can be overthrown at any point if the people that truly hold the power within a state decide too. This brings me to the next topic of political parties. Within the country of China, it is clear to me that the political system of the Authoritarian Regime has created an extremely powerful political party with little to no opposition. Elections have almost no affect and are just a disguise for the Chinese Communist Party to make the real decisions affecting their country, especially in terms of the economy. As discussed on page 86, after a series of wars ended, the Communist Party of China soon created a Soviet-style command economy with a huge bureaucracy that controlled most of the society. This society is interesting because as time went by, more and more economic freedoms were created, but political freedoms became increasingly denied. It is ironic that one can live in China and possess private property, but when it comes to the decisions governing that person’s society and economic policy, that same individual will have zero rights whatsoever. The book also discusses how these socio-political conditions have created a sense of political uncertainty and fear. This brings me to my final topic of civil society. It is a huge risk for citizens within an Authoritarian Regime to form organized and nonviolent groups in pursuit of political reform. Citizens tend to fear the consequences of their actions and punishment from their government, and when they do attempt to reform, it tends to end up violent. For example, many protests within China in the past century have ended in massive bloodshed or violence. I do not recall ever hearing of a widely successful nonviolent civil society causing politically salient changes within an Authoritarian Regime. I believe that I have never heard of such a thing because civil societies do not have much impact on a society that is restricted by an Authoritarian Regime’s influence and political/economic desires.

Themes in Macbeth Essay - 1822 Words

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth evil is conveyed in many ways through characters, themes and settings. Many themes are explored in detail contributing hugely to the sense of evil with characters being used along with these themes to create evil within the characters. These themes and characters are shown in different settings at different times consequently affecting the mood and atmosphere of the play. In relation, Shakespeare uses characters in order to raise the appeal of themes being presented. A character which has the largest influence on the play is Macbeth. Macbeth is someone who is tortured by the pain of the words of those around him. Macbeth is influenced heavily by the three witches who prophesize that he is going to†¦show more content†¦She tells the sprits ‘Come to my woman breasts/And take my milk for gall’ so that she can get rid of all the kindness within her-blood and milk form her breasts- Shakespeare uses ‘direst cruelty’ to express the desperation running through Lady Macbeth and with this Shakespeare creates a very hell-like picture for the audience. However, eventually Lady Macbeth persuasion overcomes Macbeth and finally he agrees to kill Duncan. ‘Let light not see my black and deep desires’, this shows Macbeths ambitions are not of good intention and turns to the universe to express this ambition (about how gr eat it is) It also shows that even though he wants to kill Duncan, the audience is still finding Macbeth arguing whether or not to do it. Shakespeare also uses alliteration to emphasize the amount evil involved in this deed. In relation, Shakespeare shows Macbeth willing to jump the hierarchy of position. ‘We’d jump the life to come’ show the willingness to jump the hierarchy, which instantly shows the relation to the archangel which went against God and the hierarchy of Heaven to create his own land of chaos which is better known as hell. Moreover, Lady Macbeth is shown with even more evil to represent her will for Macbeth to complete the deed, ‘I have given suck and know how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me: I would while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple fromShow MoreRelatedThemes in Macbeth742 Words   |  3 PagesWithin Shakespeare s famous Macbeth there are many different themes that make the play the captivating mas terpiece that it is. The role of the supernatural is a very important element of Shakespeare s Macbeth. Just as important, the theme of masculinity is very dominant. Both themes contribute to the play s unique and powerful nature, overall creating a very effective storyline, strong characters, and unexpected twists and turns throughout. In the time of William Shakespeare thereRead MoreMacbeth Themes899 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"What are the major themes in Macbeth† By Connor Maguire William Shakespeare’s Macbeth a play complete with many themes and viewpoints. The themes are exhibited by the main characters of the play, notably antagonist Macbeth. Themes seen in the play include ambition, where is is portrayed as both dangerous and unnatural. However, it does exist in both good and evil forms in the play. Another theme seen is whether Macbeths actions in the play are a result of fate, or free will. Although outsideRead MoreMacbeth Themes991 Words   |  4 Pagesimportant themes in Macbeth involves the witches statement in Act 1, Scene1 that fair is foul and foul is fair. 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