Dichotomies

The wind is frigid. Campus bustles with life—faintly stiffened by the cold bite. It is just another wintery day at the University of Michigan: salted sidewalks, slush-covered surfaces, in all, a snowy scene. While the squirrels hibernate cozily in their dens, the geese gaggle about campus—Canadian geese, specifically. What started out as a coat made for arctic expeditions, Himalayan quests, and Yukon excursions, has now blossomed into one of winter’s biggest fashion trends. Because, oui,…

Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest idea to choose my career path from a Barbie book, but as a four year old, Barbie skewed what little sense of logic I had. The year is 2004, and I am immersed in Barbie: Career Girl. I spend hours perusing the colorful pages, gesturing excitedly at Barbie in each of her occupations. There is one in particular that seems to repeatedly capture my attention: Barbie is dressed in a long white coat, a black stethoscope adorns her neck. She is surrounded by jars of…

The movie, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” was so intriguing specially because I am familiar with the fictional story by Tracy Chevalier. I read about it previous to watching the movie. The girl in the story, Griet, is 16 years old and becomes the maid of a painter called Johannes Vermeer, who is attracted by her. The painter includes her in his drawings that later on are a conflict within the household. She also attracts the attention of Vermeer’s patron. Little is known about the life of the…

is an auteur--issues of film auteur theory aside--then the Scottish director of Rob Roy, Michael Caton-Jones, bludgeons the audience with his pronounced nationalistic propaganda. A historical Scottish figure was chosen to create a black vs. white dichotomy of English vs. Scottish as is also seen in Braveheart. Historical accuracy is left dead at the wayside akin to Alan McDonald's fate in the film. This political reimagining of history is exemplified in the rape scene. There is no historical…

compelling argument explaining that once students discover the why of social inequalities; they actively discover the how of “civic citizenship and social justice” (p. 2). When educators attempt to tackle confrontational issues, they must focus on the dichotomy of the contrasting worlds students operate in—their home environment, their school community, and their global community (Bassey, 2016, p. 2). Throughout his article, Bassey (2016) bases his findings on culturally responsive teaching…

Euroculture: Historical and Religious Perspectives Assingment I Henri Pirenne is a historian of Late Antiquity, and one of his most important works is, undoubtably, Mohammed and Charlemagne. Pirenne argues that the sea is an important factor in historical significance and development of cities and establishments, by pointing out that "Carthage, Alexandria, Naples, Antioch- were on or near the sea." but most importantly, the Roman civilization itself1. It is true that coasts…

Informal fallacies appeal to the ignorance of an inadequately supported argument and can be observed in everyday scenarios. Although many are incognizant of their effect on communication, being aware of the format of an argument can aid an individual in reaching their desired conclusion to any situation they are encountered with. When an argument is presented with limited alternatives, the omission of other choices provides the argument with a false dilemma causing the arguer in the discussion…

In the brother’s Karamazov, Ivan’s Inability to analyze his own actions ultimately leads to his insanity, in contrast to Alyosha who is a reflective person able to show more compassion for people. The idea that those who are better able to reflect on their actions show better ability to make wise choices is a common theme in the brothers Karamazov, and can specifically be seen between Alyosha and Ivan, who both differ ideologically in their beliefs about god and humanity. Ivan is an atheist…

challenges doctors face and their opinions on the future of medicine. The integrity of medicine and medical ethics was particularly interesting. I was intrigued by the current position regarding euthanasia in the UK; I did further research on the dichotomy of the right to die and the right to refuse treatment. I attended a medicine workshop at Queen Mary University and networked with medical students, discussing their long term goals. I also enjoyed participating in the practical activities such…

strongly brings out the theme of incorruptibility of good. Batman does not seekto kill the people who do evil, though he has the power to do so, but he seeks to bring them to justice. The theme of justice features in the film too. The film sets up the dichotomy between Joker and Batman as that of evil versus good. The theme of incorruptibility of good is witnessed in the words that Harvey Dent speaks, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” (Nolan,…