Platos The Allegory of the Cave Essay Example for Free

Platos The Allegory of the Cave Essay Even in this abridged version, Platos fable The Allegory of the Cave reflects the vast wisdom of Plato, his teacher and the philosophers of his time. The storys meaning and lessons are as significant today as they were then, and its inclusion in The Republic is well earned. The intentions of Plato in sharing this story seem to be fairly simple. As with all of the works that he included in The Republic, he is attempting to convey a message that relates to government and leadership. I also believe that this story conveys a message to, not just leaders, but people in general. The message that is expressed by this work is that, A lie told often enough becomes the truth.(-Lenin), and when someone is convinced of this lie, the liar can control them. This fable also tells us how, what some people believe to be true may be in fact the exact opposite to truth, and that people must always be open minded, just in case their beliefs are wrong. In the story, the prisoners are convinced that the shadows they see are alive, real and able to speak to them. In fact, however, they are being lied to by puppeteers. Because they have seen this lie so many times, and because it is all that they have seen, for them, it has become the truth. As such, the puppeteers are able to control their lives, by speaking to these prisoners as the shadows. This lesson becomes quite relevant to todays society. It is portrayed in works such as The Matrix and Animal Farm, where the characters are lied to, but because they hear the lie so often, they perceive it as truth. In reality, we find this message to also be evident in the forms of such things as propaganda, in which a message is repeated by so many times, that each person hears a relay from numerous sources. Eventually, because of the numerous sources and repetition of the message, it seems to them to become normal to hear and hence believable. This of course relates to our leaders and government. If such administrations were to use methods like propaganda to convince the public that, for example, the stock market was free trade when in fact it was government controlled, then the government would be able to effectively control the flow of money, and hence peoples lives, without anyone being the wiser. In the end, the ultimate message is that people are able to use lies to exploit others and so we must all be wary. This then relates to the second message conveyed by the work. The piece tells us that the prisoners have extreme difficulty in accepting the reality that the shadows they had seen werent real and how these prisoners would rather return to the shadows over staying in the light. At the end of the story, when a prisoner who has seen the truth returns to tell others, it is implied and can be seen from the reactions of the freed prisoners, that those who still believe in the shadows would prefer to keep doing so. These parts of the story bring to mind two intertwined messages. The first is that, in general, all people have their own views and beliefs on life, and they are happier living under whatever delusions they have convinced themselves of, rather than considering contradictory beliefs. Essentially, for most people ignorance is bliss. Just like the prisoners who are freed from the cave and forced to see the real world, people fear the knowledge of something that might interfere or contradict the beliefs they rely upon. For the most part, they would much rather go on not knowing, and turn from the light and long to return to the shadows. The second seems to be a warning to do the exact opposite of what has been stated above. The fact that the characters in the story, whose views are wrong, are prisoners is very symbolic. Not only are these people prisoners of the puppeteers, they are also prisoners of their own beliefs. Because they do not want to find out about what is real, they are condemned to believe in what is not. The piece warns us that we must not blindly follow our own beliefs, without continually viewing and considering other views that may be true as well. If we do not always consider the ideas of others, we will essentially be trapped by our own adamant conviction in what we think is real. This lesson has become evident in countless cases throughout history, where beliefs about a geocentric universe, a flat earth, etc. were all held to e true and the introduction of the ideas we hold as true today was ridiculed and deemed ludicrous. Today, we believe that the galaxy is heliocentric and that the world is round, but we must always, at some point, question that which believe in. Through this simple story, we are able to see a seldom-realized aspect of human nature, in that many of us blindly follow what we are told, and consequently believe. We can relate deeply to the fable, because, like the prisoners, we as a whole prefer to not know some truths, believe some lies, and have difficulty accepting some realities. By the end of the work, we are left with new thoughts about the reality of our beliefs and faith and are encouraged to re-evaluate our paradigms.

The Lizard King Essay -- Jim Morrison Music Essays

The Lizard King Some may see The Doors front man and offbeat poet extraordinaire Jim Morrison as the epitome of American culture, while countless others may see him as the complete antithesis. Rising to fame as American involvement in the Vietnam War reached a pinnacle, Morrison’s acclaim grew in a time of great American turmoil. The war in Vietnam was held as an issue of high controversy amongst many Americans. Many saw our involvement as utter ludicrousness and did not comprehend the need to send U.S. troops overseas to fight a war they had nothing to do with. As a result, certain Americans began both directly and indirectly rebelling against the beliefs and norms of the time, and thus, the counterculture movement was born. Jim Morrison became an icon of this rebellious revolution against a confused American government. James Douglas Morrison was born on December 8, 1943 in Melbourne, on Florida’s east coast. He was the eldest child of George Stephen and Clara Clark Morrison whose latter two children were Anne and Andrew respectively. By order of his father, a career Navy man, Jim attended naval academy for his elementary and high school years. He later attended St. Petersburg Junior College and Florida State University before finally graduating from UCLA in 1965 as a film major with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. The symbol that was Jim Morrison had been bred completely by the society that he grew up in. Fueled by an era of governmental protest and an emerging counterculture movement, Jim Morrison lashed out in his own way against the injustice he saw in America. The entire concept of being able to speak one’s own mind is a thoroughly American ideal in itself, obviously dating all the way back to the Bill of Rights. H... ...see as wrong. Jim Morrison personifies this ideal. Over the years since his tragic death, Morrison has become somewhat of an American Legend, a myth. His tale seems to exist amongst those of other American legends like Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, and Paul Bunyan. The Jim Morrison story, however, is as real as they come. Many Americans of today look to him as a symbol of rebellion and as a constant reminder that we as a nation and as individuals are free to follow and shape our own destiny. Molded by a culture that often questions authority, Morrison left behind him a legacy of maintaining that ideal. Jim Morrison was and always will be a true American. WORKS CITED Lang, Joe (2001). JimMorrisonBiography. "http://www.hotshotdigital.com/ WellAlwaysRemember/JimMorrisonBio.html" Mr. Mojo Risin’ – Jim Morrison. (2000) "http://www.mojorisin.net/jima1.html"

Compare and Contrast: ‘Always a Motive’ and ‘Gentlemen, Your Verdict’ Essay

Recently I’ve read two very good short stories: Always a Motive (by Dan Ross) and Gentlemen, Your Verdict (by Michael Bruce). Always a Motive is about a young man, named Joe Manetti, who is accused of kidnapping. Gentlemen, Your Verdict is about five men who are questioned about the murder of sixteen crewmembers. While both Always a Motive and Gentlemen, Your Verdict are written in third person and pull at the readers emotions, Always a Motives theme is how people tend to see things only from one perspective and things can change in an instant while Gentlemen, Your Verdicts theme focuses on the justification of murder in certain circumstances. Gentlemen, Your Verdict is a story that teaches us that sometimes in life we have to kill, or let someone die to ensure the survival of others. In this story Lieutenant-Commander Oram (who’s in charge of the submarine) is forced to play god when his submarine goes down. There is only enough air for two days and rescue won’t come until five days after their oxygen supply will run out. Lieutenant-Commander Oram would rather let some of his crew survive than have them all die. But he has a hard choice to make: who will be the ones to survive, which I believe is also a part of the theme. He makes a solemn choice to kill sixteen men, including himself, to save the lives of the five married men on-board; because they have a wife and possibly even children that would live sorrowfully if their father was gone. This statement is turned around in Always a Motive, where a father loses his son and wife and is forced to live a miserable life alone. Joe Manetti was a father to a little boy and a happy husband, but tragedy struck when his son was ran over and killed by a truck. After that Joe’s life fell apart; his wife left him, he doesn’t work anymore, he barely eats, and he runs away from his problems by driving , driving for however long until he feels okay. One day during one of his driving ‘spells’ he comes back from getting groceries and finds a baby on his backseat. He finds a note on the baby saying he belonged to the Millers. Joe takes care of the babe and brings him home to a worried father; but he suddenly finds himself getting questioned about kidnapping the Miller boy. Now, the inspector who questions him finds out Joe’s story and he feels for Joe; but he knows that when there’s â€Å"[people] like [Joe] involved† (Tigers of the Snow p109), people who  have lost their children, they usually are the culprits. Abruptly an expressway toll station worker comes bearing an alibi for Joe, saying that at the time the Miller boy was kidnapped Joe was at the toll. This reveals the themes of the story: how people tend to see things only from one perspective and things can change in an instant. The inspector only saw the side of Joe that made him a kidnapper and suddenly Joe is an unsuitable kidnapper. But there is one thing that lacks from Joe’s story, his motive for returning the Miller boy without the help of the police. But the man who lost his boy only wanted to see the man who found his. The moment that Joe says this is one of the most heartbreaking pieces of literature that I have read. Both Always a Motive and Gentlemen, Your Verdict have their moments where, as a reader, you feel for the characters. However different these stories are, they both pull at the readers heartstrings.

American Authors Tributes for Memorial Day

Siddhartha And The Stranger By Albert Camus - 1753 Words

Sitting across from a petite Chinese woman, a reparative therapist my mother found for me, I confided in her that I did not see any point to my existence. I explained to her that according to my church and family my purpose on this terrestrial ball was to serve God and that instead my â€Å"lifestyle† was serving Satan. Pouring out my heart, I told her that I did not want to live anymore if just being alive sentenced me to hell. She candidly responded, â€Å"Well enjoy your life the way you want and then go to hell.† Heart-broken I smiled, said thank-you, and left her office. Later that night, I went to the garage and tried to hang myself. Soon after, I began a journey to search for the meaning of my existence. The following year in my AP English class we read two books that helped me ponder the meaning of my existence: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, and The Stranger by Albert Camus. At Siddharth’s lowest point while he is contemplating suicide he is spiritually awaken, reaches Nirvana, and realizes that the meaning of his existence is to be one with the universe recognizing the sacredness in everything. This Buddhistic philosophy teaches that the primary purpose of life is to end suffering. This can be accomplished by rejecting worldly pleasures (money, friends, etc.) and following the Eightfold Path to find eternal joy. This philosophy was extremely similar to my Christian aesthetic upbringing of rejecting worldly pleasures (t.v., parties, dancing etc.) and seeking eternal salvation.Show MoreRelatedIB Student Reflection 1519 Words   |  7 Pagesopportunity to study a lot of material that relates to other countries and cultures different from their own. By studying these materials, t hey are able to gain more knowledge about them. For example, one popular novel is The Stranger, also known as L’etranger, which was written by Albert Camus. This novel was originally written in French and translated into English. It discusses the life of a character known as Meursault and the events that occur during a short period in his life. Through the authors writing

The Fall Of Roman Empire - 1185 Words

The Fall of Roman Empire Roman Empire was considered as one of the most influential and dominant Empire in the history that has ever existed. â€Å"The Roman Empire at its zenith in the period of the Principate (roughly, 27 BC to AD 235) covered vast tracts of three continents, Europe, Africa, and Asia† (Garnsey). It was an ancient, modern Empire, and it supported anyone who made discoveries and technological improvements. The Empire was the strongest governing body in the Mediterranean. If the Roman Empire had not collapsed, the world, from a logical outlook would be something else in this era. The Empire would have made breakthroughs and scientific progress before the Dark Ages. During Dark Ages, the growth of the empire was still; there was no advancement in the fields of arts and science for a very long time and until the Renaissance the knowledge was not resurrected. The technological improvement was at a halt, and if the Roman Empire had not fallen, Europe would not have faced dark period. Today, the world would be at a technological level which we may not achieve for several years. The empire would have made progress in the field of medicine and today numerous cures would be available for many diseases if the Empire had not fallen. The Roman Empire was a democracy. It could have acted as a model for the Kingdoms all around the world. Rome has always stood first were Human rights existed before any other place in the world. The Roman government included its peopleShow MoreRelatedFall of the Roman Empire1288 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pax Romana was a two hundred year time period where the Romans had peace and prosperity under Augustus. The Roman empire started to decline at the end of the prevail of the last five emperors, Marcus Aurelius in 161-180 A.D. The rulers in the next century had no idea how to deal with the problems the empire was having. There was many reasons to the fall of the Roman Empire but three stood out the most. The preliminary r eason was the economy begins to decline. The alternative reasoning was RomeRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1537 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Rome was an empire so dominant, wealthy and economically- stable which came to a dramatic fall in the period of 250AD- 500AD. Ancient Rome faced unexplained unfortunate events which crumbled the Great Empire from the affluent empire to a impoverished society. For centuries historians have timelessly theorised and analysed many debates and research in relation to the Fall of the Roman Empire. What really caused the predominate Roman Empire to fall? Did Rome fall naturally? Was disease, suchRead MoreFall of the Roman Empire758 Words   |  4 PagesTaylor Davino Professor Horsley HIS 126 3 March 2010 The fall of the Roman Empire Political, economic and social aspects were all involved in the fall of the Roman Empire. In 395 A.D., Rome was divided into two empires, with one capital in Rome and the other in Constantinople. During that time, the western Roman Empire was being invaded by barbarian tribes from the North. In 410, the Visigoth tribe succeeded in conquering the western capital in Rome. In 476, the western EmperorRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire was a powerful governing body of extensive political and social structures throughout western civilization. How did this empire fall and were internal factories responsible? Slow occurrences in succession to one another led to the fall of the empire rather than one single event. The fall of the Roman Empire was a combination of both internal and external pressures, not just one, leading up to the complete decay of the cities—Rome and Constantinople. However, one could argue how oneRead MoreThe Fall Of Th e Roman Empire1440 Words   |  6 PagesSophie Loren Plays a Leading Role in the Fall of the Roman Empire? The reason for the fall of the Roman Empire is a controversial topic under much historical debate. How did such a great empire, known for being one of the largest that lasted over a millennium, fall? The Roman Empire transitioned from a republic to an empire in 31 BCE. Augustus Caesar was the first emperor. He created harmony in Rome, but not in calendars as he added August as the eighth month to follow July, which was named afterRead MoreFall of Roman Empire1175 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fall of the Roman Empire The Ancient Roman empire was one of the most prominent and successful societies of its time period. By the end of their reign, the Romans had conquered almost all of the Mediterranean including parts of present day Europe, Asia, and Africa. Rome was at its strongest during the rule of Augustus Caesar, this time was known as the â€Å"Pax Romana† or Roman peace. It wasn’t until later, when Emperor Trajan took over in about 98 C.E. that the Empire reached its peak. AfterRead MoreThe Fall of the Roman Empire609 Words   |  3 PagesThe Fall of the Roman Empire There are adherents to single factors, but more people think Rome fell because of a combination of such factors as Christianity, and economy, and military problems. Even the rise of Islam is proposed as the reason for Romes fall, by some who think the Fall of Rome happened at Constantinople in the 15th Century. Most people think it occurred during the fifth century, after the western division of the empire. There were several reasons for the fall of the Roman EmpireRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1438 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires in the history of mankind. In 476 CE Odoacer defeated Romulus Augustus to capture Rome; most historians agree that this was the official end of the Western Roman Empire. There is much debate on how exactly Rome declined and eventually fell. The fall of Rome was a long process that took place over many centuries. There are five main schools of thought on why Rome fell. First, Christianity, offered by Edward Gibbons; He suggests that ChristianityRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1495 Words   |  6 PagesFor a long period of time, the debate about the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire has been a popular topic amongst historians. Most of these historians look at the issue from a standpoint that accepts that there were most likely several causes. The main root of the issue is whether or not these causes were internal or external. Some historians even go more in depth and try to hypothesize what the internal or external causes were. In fact, Adrian Goldsworthy and Peter Heather do just this whenRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1430 Words   |  6 Pages While the fall of the Roman Empire is well known, the exact causes of why it fell can be difficult to pinpoint. Many historians believe that Rome s downfall was due to poor leadership, weakened economics, or perhaps a combination of the two along with other seemingly unrelated factors. However, there is a string of evidence suggesting that there were three main components that took place to bring about the fall of the Roman Empire. These determinant attributes did not happen all at once, and there

The Street Free Essays

In Anne Petry’s novel, The Street, the wind wreaks havoc on the city and puts the city and its pedestrians in an overwhelming and chaotic state. The wind is the antagonist in the story as it tortures the pedestrians with its pesky ways and coldness. The wind establishes a negative relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting and Pettry’s use of literary devices aptly displays this relationship. We will write a custom essay sample on The Street or any similar topic only for you Order Now Petry starts out by letting the reader know there as â€Å"a cold November wind†.This wind terrorizes the street by blowing â€Å"bits of paper to dancing high in the air† such as â€Å"old envelopes† and â€Å"newspapers†. Pedestrians were â€Å"bent double† as they tried to walk through the wind and street to â€Å"offer the least possible exposed surface to its violent assault†. This use of imagery begins to give the reader an understanding of how the relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting will play out.The selection of detail that the reader is given further shows how the wind is a negative element in the novel. The wind â€Å"drove most of the people off the street in the block between Seventh and Eighth Avenues†. This leads the reader to believe the wind is fierce and that one shouldn’t try to withstand it. The wind also blew more than just paper around, it blew things such as â€Å"dirt†, â€Å"grime†, â€Å"dust†, â€Å"chicken bones and pork-chop bones†. All of these things blowing around can definitely bring a city to a state of chaos.These details also enhance the urban setting give allow the reader to understand what the experience is like for Lutie Johnson. Petry’s use of figurative language also made the reader’s understanding of the urban setting more pertinent. The wind was â€Å"fingering its way along the curb† and the wind also â€Å"wrapped newspaper around their feet†, entangling the pedestrians and forcing them to bend down and remove the newspaper with their hands. This shows the reader how the wind has power over the pedestrians and Lutie Johnson.Petry’s use of personification really makes the relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting more apparent. Petry personifies the wind by stating, â€Å"The wind lifted Lutie Johnson’s hair away from the back of her neck† and â€Å"the cold fingers of the wind touched the back of her neck†. This use of personification makes the reader feel like their experiencing the tortures of the wind for themselves with Lutie. The wind also took on the role of a bully by making a simple task very difficult. Lutie Johnson was looking for a room to stay in but she couldn’t read the sign with the wind blowing. â€Å"Each time she thought she had the sign in focus, the wind pushed it away†. In conclusion, the urban setting has a negative relationship with Lutie Johnson. The wind made everything hectic and overwhelming. The wind kept antagonizing Lutie while she looked for a place to stay and all she could do was try to deal with it as best as she could. How to cite The Street, Papers