Lament

The Kagero Diary written in the 10th details life in the Heian Period. The author, addressed as The Mother of Michitsuna provides commentary towards her life as a married noblewoman. The Mother of Michitsuna’s writing provides a gendered voice in the text, effectively showing the text is by a woman and she is aware of her womanhood. The author effectively conveys this style through the subject matters focused and illuminated in the diary, and a sense of awareness of her place in society. The…

“What would you like to do if money was no object?” This is the question asked in a trending Youtube video narrated by the late philosopher Alan Watts. It encourages young people to live and dream as if money didn’t matter—as if money was no object. Inspiring, to say the least. The notion of dreaming and living without regard for financial reality can open the imagination to entire worlds that money had rendered unrealistic. But profound narrative, dizzying imagery and hypnotic music aside,…

In Shakespearean literature, the tragic hero is defined as “a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.” While not evil or unrighteous, their poor decision making skills create a terrible downfall usually for both themselves and the people around them. In Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, the actions of the characters are justified by the situations that occurred in their lives prior to these actions, but does not excuse them from what…

Charles Baudelaire’s “The Painter of Modern Life” and G.-Albert Aurier’s “Symbolism in Painting: Paul Gauguin” are key texts in understanding the creation of modern art in France. When looking at art produced from the 19th century, art changed forms from traditional, naturalistic styles towards modern styles is clear. Baudelaire and Aurier wield their conceptions of art and beauty against the Academy and its traditional style in the two texts. The different theories established in each article…

Majority of the people in the United States today have debts from their college education. The ridiculous amount of college tuition has put many Americans into a tough situation. Politicians and public figures have urged the youth of America to pursue a college education. However, private and public universities continue to inflate their college tuitions giving students no choice but to pay up for a “brighter” future. This continuous trend has buried newly grads with an uncontrollable debt.…

gathered around Sonny and Sonny played. Every now and again one of them seemed to say, amen. Sonny’s fingers filled the air with life, his life . . . . Then he began to make it his. It was very beautiful because it wasn’t hurried and it was no longer a lament. I seemed to hear with what burning he had made it his, with what burning we had yet to make it ours, how we could cease lamenting. (Baldwin…

Numerous veterans of the Vietnam War through Operation Enduring Freedom are faced with the disillusionment created by their enormous sacrifices and the slow removal of the U.S. military from the campaign. In turn, veterans and their families often lament the loss of friends, daughters, sons, lovers, spouses, parents, extended family members, sanity, and body parts in countries which are over-run after an American drawdown. This raises the question, do U.S. leaders have prior knowledge that a…

My grandmother is a woman of strong opinions, when (CS; opinions, and when) my siblings and I were young, most of her strong opinions was aimed squarely at us. She thought my mother was too permissive, allowing us kids to say, do, or decline to do far too much. In reprimanding either us or our mother, her favorite phrase was, “Back in my day, children just weren’t permitted to…,” and then she would start on her long list of grievances. I always vowed I would never be that way, full of…

claimed that if there wasn’t a problem he shouldn’t have to hide anything from her. She was showing that they should have both been part of the plan if it was only to gain a higher status for the family. When Medea is being left by her husband she laments and even contemplates suicide because of how broken her heart was. During her period of depression her nurse claims that she had a feeling that Medea was planning something vicious.(Puchner 746) After she gets past the emotional shock she goes…

While zoning out to our favorite late night television program, we notice a familiar commercial; with the sad, neglected, and abused animals. As much as we try to show no sympathy our heartstrings pull in every direction. However, this advertisement does not want us to feel sympathy, they want us to donate. In fact, they lead us to believe our small donation will make a lasting difference in this animal’s life. Surely, by the end of this advertisement we fight the urge to cry, by giving the…