Dresden

Tom Ford once said, “We live in a material world. I 'm not saying that beautiful things don 't enhance our lives. But, in our culture, we 're never happy” (Brainy Quote). Simply put, Ford claims that the outside world is a tempting solution to problems that ultimately end up never satisfying, as the human race is never eternally happy. The idea of material wealth in society is present from Billy Pilgrim’s lifestyle in Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. In the novel, the protagonist Billy…

The Romanticism Period started in 1800 and ended around 1850. The elements were often individuality and personal freedom, nature, life, simplicity personification, and the poet's feelings. Edgar Allan Poe (poet), Richard Wagner (composer), and John Constable (Artist) were all famous artists during this time that used romantic characteristics in their work. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a writer, poet, and editor. Poe's tales of horror lead to many…

A Formalist critic is someone who analyze and study features of a text that is repeated or a symbol. In Slaughterhouse V, Vonnegut’s repetition of “blue and ivory” represents loneliness, sterility, cold, and death to show the impact of war on soldiers. Blue ivory symbolizes loneliness and sterile. Billy was working on a letter and was typing it on an old typewriter in a rumpus room. Billy’s heat source was broken, the house temperature was below fifty degrees, and he wasn't wearing warm clothes…

Colton Cahill ENG105 02/19/2016 Mayan Astronomy When you think of “Mayan Astronomy” you probably think “End of the world in 2012,” but there is more to it than that. You might even say they were crazy, and didn’t know what they were doing. Their incredibly accurate astronomical calculations and sophisticated mathematics would probably prove you wrong though. Those calculations were all steeped in religion and omen, their priests discerning the very will of the gods behind the occurrences of the…

Merricat Blackwood is an unreliable narrator in We Have Always Lived in the Castle, based on many of her actions described throughout the story. Due to the unusual way she behaves, it is fair to question if she is capable of being a reliable narrator. In the beginning of the story, Merricat describes herself and her family. For instance, Merricat says, “I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same…

still did not get the position as the Munich General Music Director. He reacted to this in his own way – but by going to Berlin and composing his own Symphony based upon his own life: the “Sinfonia Domestic”. With the premiere of “Salome” in Dresden in 1905, Strauss defined his term modern opera music for his own supporters as well as his own…

Billy Pilgrim is born in Ilium, New York in 1922 to an optometrist and his wife. He does well in high school and goes to optometry school. Soon afterwards, he is drafted into WWII where he becomes a chaplain’s assistant to avoid fighting. Shortly before Billy is sent to Europe, his father is killed while hunting. Upon his arrival, Billy is sent to the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and taken prisoner by Germans almost as soon as he got there. Soon before being captured, he experiences his entire…

Writing is an effective way for people to cope with tragedy. In Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, three characters, Oskar Schell, his grandmother, and his grandfather are each experiencing grief and are trying to cope with their personal tragedies. Written after the events of September 11th, readers of this novel are exposed to a melancholic yet intricate story about dealing with any sort of tragedy. The first main character in the novel is Oskar Schell, a…

Christians should consider that pacifism, which is the belief that violence cannot be justified under any circumstance, is interpretable from Christianity. While this is a strong stance, there are compelling arguments connecting faith and nonresistance. John Howard Yoder lays out the argument that violence is an offense directly against God that cannot be justified. Just War Theory is often raised as a sway for Christians to commit to nonviolence except in certain circumstances. Even if violence…

It is January of 2005, and I am on my way to Columbus for my first chemotherapy. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October of last year. My two sons, Jeff and Jason are coming with me. Jeff driving, Jason sitting in the passenger seat and I 'm in the back seat of the 2002 GMC Envoy. I glance out the window and watch as we pass the Shoe. It is chilly outside and the winds were powerful on this winter day, snows covering the trees and the ground, it’s a beautiful sight of a winter wonderland.…