Love and Other Impossible Pursuits

follow. If writing were as easy as walking thru an enchanted park, the writing process would be a breeze. In relation to Anne Lamott’s “ Getting Started” article. Writing is far from a walk in the park. “You clear a space for the writing voice, you are desperate to communicate, to edify or entertain, to preserve moments of grace or joy or transcendence, to make real or imagined events come alive” (Lamott). Lamott discusses how many students and great writers become overwhelmed with the writing process. Lamott gives plenty advice on finding ways to get started on writing for change. Author Ayelet Waldman in “Beware the Trap of ‘Bore-geoues’ Writing”, also gives advice on ways to bring your bring your powerful thoughts to life. Like many other common suggestions and advice you may receive in life; writing essays becomes easier when you stop obsessing about the process of writing, when you figure out what you want to say and say it, and when you get out of your…

Erotic love can be categorized as “two kinds of value [and] two kinds of knowledge” () from Plato’s Symposium; it’s content raises the decision between an abstract way of pursuing erotic love and the traditional pursuit of a soulmate. Aristophanes and Alcibiades share a common pursuit of wholeness through the physical form. Aristophanes uses a tale of traditional Greek mythology which teaches humans were once whole, but as punishment humans were separated into two beings and given the life…

not mean that non-materialistic items come at no cost, this simply means that the price paid is less physical than a copper coin or paper note. Tangible items require tangible cost; intangible items require an intangible cost. It is almost impossible to go through life without at some point having to rely on others and in doing that, a person automatically relinquishes a particular amount of trust to that person. When anyone gives their trust to another, they are simultaneously allowing…

construct love and desire in Sir Thomas Wyatt 's “Whoso List to Hunt”. However, from Petrarch 's perspective, love is transcendent and idealizes the beloved. The poet places his love on a pedestal. Desire, on the other hand, focuses on longing and frustration. The poet 's love is unwanted and injustice (Riddell). In this essay I will examine Petrarchan conventions such as the conceit, as well as illicit, thwarted, and unrequited love, and how they portray passionate pursuits. I will also explore…

Wallpaper, and The Open Boat share characteristics that are seen through common threads. The pursuit of goals such as social standing cause feelings of helplessness and isolation. Emotions such as love, friendship, and boredom cause the characters to find salvation in something that doesn’t exist. In these stories the pursuit of a fake “salvation” cause them to lose control of their fate. The main social system that has an impact in these stories is social hierarchy. In Gatsby, discrimination…

One’s true potential is on the other side of fear. As this anonymous quote elucidates, fear acts as a hindrance that essentially traps us in our comfort zone, limits our experiences, and holds us back from achieving our potential. In Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist, the protagonist, Santiago, demonstrates his fears as obstacles that divert himself from attaining his Personal Legend, and therefore he must overcome them. Throughout the book, Santiago displays common fears which hinder him from…

In his essay “Everything You Thought You Knew About L-O-V-E is Wrong,” Aziz Anzari tackles millennial dating. His purpose in this article is to reinforce the concept of investment and commitment in a relationship and to diminish certain perceptions regarding the pursuit of ‘love’ in modern dating. Aziz Ansari conveys this message by using anecdotes and extensive research. Ansari’s article opens with an anecdote from his father’s dating experience. In his lead in, Ansari informs the audience…

The development of the protagonist, Ariel, is quite different, but still falls within gender roles. Ariel’s character thinks independently and at times is rebellious, but the film has largely play on sex characteristics and gender roles. There is a scene in which after falling in love with Eric, Ariel picks flowers and plucks the petals asking if he loves her or not. This scene depicts Ariel being delicate and feminine through the picking of the flowers and questioning Eric’s love. The film also…

In The Death of a Salesman, Willy commits suicide in the final act of the play and in The Great Gatsby Gatsby is killed at the end of the novel. The death of both of these characters is highly symbolic in each novel. The deaths were the authors way of symbolizing the final step towards the American Dream—death. Fitzgerald and Miller had already conceded that attaining the American Dream was impossible so the final step for each character was to die. By killing the main characters the authors are…

norm and commonplace, they are frequently accompanied by a lack of pursuit of spiritual wisdom. TEMPERANCE (GLUTTONY) - Temperance is another redeeming virtue that is not given much credence in our current national mores. The word temperance itself is given very little use. Meism is an obstacle to temperance. Gluttony and the lack of temperance has become evident by the obesity which is now commonplace in our nation. Abstinence and moderation give way to self-indulgence. Self-control has…