Cynic

Allan wears on his right middle finger is cold where it touches Jaxon’s skin. It somehow grounds Jaxon, but it also makes his stomach clench. He wishes he could be like Allan, whose life has been far worse than his own, who has every reason to be a cynic but isn’t. It’s just like he wishes that Allan wasn’t so calm and understanding when it came to him, because in a way it’s worse than pity and that makes his skin crawl. “You can hardly compare our childhoods, Allan. I at least had one as short…

Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a piece that provides ample fodder for the habitual deep thinker. With narrators of exceptional intelligence, the piece is elegant; their precision of vocabulary and depth of thought lends itself to various levels of analysis and interpretation. There is a compelling quality to the story, wrapped in and with literature. This book grounds itself in high intellect. The works of Husserl and Tolstoy appear significantly in the piece, coupled with…

Despite Hugh Hefner’s belief and early support of equality for women, Playboy has been constantly denounced as exploitive of women and their bodies. Are the centerfolds exploitive? Do they lead to casual misogyny? A 1993 study by researchers at The University of Western Ontario examined centerfold models in four hundred thirty issues of Playboy from 1953 to 1990. How explicit are the centerfolds? Playmates were only photographed with genitalia partially visible in six percent of all centerfold…

A person’s identity is not just their body that exists in this world for others to see; it is also how a person views themselves and how they express themselves to other people. In today’s society, one’s identity can be challenged by different factors such as social media, stereotypes, and/or racism. These factors may challenge different people’s identities in negative or positive ways depending on how the individual interprets it. Identities are personal, but they may be influenced by outside…

The federal government should devolve more power to state government because policymaking is more effective at the state level. By allowing each state to pass policies that benefit them in their favor allows for state to run efficiently. Each states has their own economy that would be affected if the a policy was put into place that hinder their ability to produce the products needed to boost their economy and the nations. Federalism throughout has changed and shaped our modern federalism. The…

A Simple Plan There is a great tragedy present in this country that is impeding our common desire of a world without conflict. This great obstacle to peace is something that the average citizen has to regrettably endure every day; this problem I refer to is violent, deplorable, crime. Every day, natives of this great land are plagued by fear for themselves, their property, and their families. This dread inflicts a mental and emotional toll on these innocent inhabitants, affecting their…

The ancient Roman Empire was one of the most successful civilizations to have ever existed. It stretched from the shores of modern day Portugal, to the deserts of modern day Turkey, from the mountain ranges of northern Italy, to the shores of north Africa, the Roman Empire was a massive undertaking filled with all older cultures and cultural traditions meshed into one. The government system was so complex and cutting edge, and in addition, the idea of a citizen was developed into the government…

Her name is Diana. I find it remarkable that she’s been in my life for a little over 18 years and that she hasn’t gotten completely tired of my antics and habits. At first glance, we’re a lot different and it’s painfully obvious to see I’m the duller of the two. With her blond, curly hair, her emerald eyes, and pale skin, she resembles the bright sun. With my dark mess of curls, grey eyes, and tan skin, I’m more like the dark moon. This comparison is also representative of our personalities as…

Rape Culture in Media; A Thicke problem Blurred Lines, written and performed by Robin Thicke, T.I, and Pharrell Williams, was one of the most popular songs of 2013, becoming the longest running number one single on the Billboard Top 100 that year. In spite of its catchy, popular tune, the song received a substantial amount of criticism and accusations of lyrical promotion and reinforcement of social attitudes about rape culture. Tricia Romano, a journalist for the Daily Beast points out that,…

Orhan Pamuk and Cosmopolitanism: An Analysis of The Silent House, The White Castle and Snow Nasir Butt Research Scholar Deptt of English Central University of Jammu Abstract: In today’s world, when no nation or culture can remain isolated and pure, it is imperative to expand the concentric circles of belonging to the global level. Cosmopolitanism, as Nussbaum believes means to expand one’s allegiance from local, ethnic and expand it from national through international. This is the possible way…