Euphemism

In the article ‘Fewer people would mean fewer worries’, (Geer 2008, p.1) biologist Allen Geer contended that 1. technological solutions to environmental problems are inadequate, and 2. that stabilizing the population at present or lower levels is a durable and easy solution to implement. Therefore, stabilizing the population should be implemented as a solution to environmental problems such as climate change, either in tandem with, or in place of technological solutions. 1.1 In support of main…

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” “Don’t knock it until you try it.” Both are mantras that are usually attributed to people who are being pushed to read or try something that is unknown or daunting. The point is that a person can only assess and make a fair judgement about something until they have experienced it for themselves. Unfortunately, it seems that these cliched sayings do not apply to racial interactions outside of their comfort zones. Sometimes even before one becomes part of…

War has plagued humankind for as long as history cares to ever recount. With war, has always come burdens, which lay upon the shoulders and hearts of those cast into its maw. In Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, the men of Alpha Company yield prime examples of the withering effects of the Vietnam War on the soul, body, and mind. Among the many hefty burdens borne by the various men of Alpha Company, the death of a friend or comrade is perhaps the heaviest; overwhelming those who are…

A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich examines the 1785-1812 diary of Martha Ballard, a midwife in Hallowell, Maine. Ballard composed concise daily entries that chronicle her domestic work, deliveries and nursing, as well as community events. These entries, coupled with Ulrich’s extensive archival research, show the complexity of the female economy and its interactions with the mercantile economy of the late 18th century. Ulrich presents the masculine and feminine economic interactions…

Smriti Kochhar James Rachel in “Active and Passive Euthanasia” tells us the difference between active and passive euthanasia and the role it plays in medical ethics. Being directly involved in the killing of an individual is more socially unacceptable than withholding treatment and watching someone die. However, according to Rachel, both are equally reprehensible. Rachel’s views on active and passive euthanasia are predominantly neutral. He does not defend active euthanasia over passive…

Death and dying is a part of our everyday life, death practices and rituals are all different depending on sex, age, and ethnic/religious backgrounds. As Kathryn Desmond wrote in a 2016 American Nurse today, she stated that “we first must be aware that cultures have different systems of belief around health, wellness, and practices”. We cannot expect for one person to handle the death of a loved one in the same way that you would or anyone else. For healthcare employees, it is of great value to…

Thomas Hardy wrote ‘The Voice’ and ‘The Going’ shortly after the death of his first wife, Emma. She and Hardy became estranged during the later years of their marriage. As a result of their estrangement, Hardy and his secretary began an affair that lasted through Emma’s illness, one that later killed her. Each poem is an ode to Hardy’s complicated relationship with human mortality. The skill with which Hardy writes infers that once does not need to concern themselves with background in which…

If only he were less awful, Dracula might have been half-decent. Originally written/published 1897, has become an incredibly well known and beloved classic. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the title represents an inversion of Christian values, particularly the act of holy Communion. Throughout the novel, this inversion and denial of common Christian beliefs and values is used to present Dracula, and anyone else lacks those beliefs, as “evil,” as well as to promote the “goodness” of Christianity.…

The novel, “Aquaboogie” by Susan Straight, depicts the art of survival through various short stories by piecing together the adversity that each character faces. Substantially, the aquaboogie is a euphemism for dancing under water, meaning that an individual can still make something out of their strife just as how one may “dance” under water to keep from drowning. Each story within this novel introduces a unique character dealing with their own internal struggle and, in progression, they learn…

The Dystopian Fiction genre is one of the most compelling genres of literature available to the average reader. This is because these types of stories often depict very high-stakes types of themes such as the future of humanity, the will of the individual, oppression, and the ability of individuals to come together to accomplish a singular goal. Generally these types of stories feature a totalitarian government that engages in mind-control and propaganda programs while also harshly punishing all…