Characterization in Albert Camus The Plague and Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot :: comparison compare contrast essays

Characterization in Albert Camus' The Plague and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot Characterization is an important aspect of Waiting for Godot and The Plague. In both works, the authors use characters to express their own views and enable the reader to understand themes and messages. In The Plague, Camus discloses a small part of himself in each of the primary characters. The main character, Dr. Bernard Rieux, represents Camus' own rejection of needless suffering and his overwhelming compassion and respect for people searching for meaning in life (Lebesque 80). He silently accepts all that happens in the course of the epidemic, waiting patiently for the pestilence to die away. His role in the book can be summed up when he tells Father Panaloux that "Salvation's much too big a word for me. I don't aim so high. I'm concerned with man's health; and for me his health comes first" (219). Rieux rejects any form of heroism, focusing all of his energy on his duties as a doctor. Dr. Tarrou, the other protagonist in the work, shares a smaller portion of the narrative duties. Unlike Rieux, Tarrou often gives a personal, more moral account of the events happening around town. He often gives his own opinions on something, rather than a simple impartial explication. Tarrou expresses a desire for simplicity and directness while also wishing to rid himself of all evil. He identifies the plague with the death penalty and launches into an elaborate story about how his father was a lawyer and regularly fought for the death penalty. His emotional reactions against capital punishment express Camus' own views of a world in which the murder of people is legal and human existence becomes worthless (Rhein 44). Characterization is key in establishing the theme of Waiting for Godot. Vladimir and Estragon seem to have two modes of existence: together and by themselves. One critic observes, "As members of a cross-talk act, Vladimir and Estragon have complementary personalities" (Esslin 29). Vladimir seems to be the more stable of the two, while Estragon is more of a dreamer. Vladimir pretty much makes all of the decisions, and he is the only one to remember significant events from the past. He is always the one to remind Estragon that they must wait for Godot, and he seems to be the only one who cares about the consequences of not waiting.

Three Dialogues Between Hylas And Philonous

The dialogues between Hylas and Philonous were written by George Berkeley, who was ordained as a Bishop in Cloyne. He was also a famous idealist and philosopher of the early modern period. His works reflects metaphysical ideas and concepts of idealism. Berkeley had written several books in his lifetime. All of his works reflected his views about life and spirituality as he makes arguments about the existence of things around us. He is very resilient in defending his claim by providing valid supporting evidences to support the argument.He is formulating arguments through proper use of words and concepts. He also made several critiques about the works of other philosophers who doubts in the existence of God. It was evident that Berkeley believes that there is a God, a Supreme Being who is responsible for the things we see. He is responsible for the sensorial qualities of the things around us. He explained the omnipotence of God from an idealist perspective. He made very strong argument s by questioning the nature of our sensory abilities and providing possible hypothesis for this.After making a series of hypotheses, he discarded each one by providing a counter-argument until he comes up with the last hypothesis that there is one capable being that is responsible for everything on Earth including the sensorial faculties of man. During Berkeley’s time, a lot of philosophers like the famous rationalist John Descartes, believed that material things existed even if it is not perceived by the human mind. They argued that the qualities of the object were inherent to the latter with or without human perception.They also believed that the objects around us help us to generate ideas about it as well as attributes. They also argued that human perception could be deceiving because not all concepts that were perceived by the senses were viable. Sometimes what we see in an object is not its real quality. A good example of this perhaps would be a pencil in a glass of wate r wherein a part of a pencil is submerged while the other is not. It can be observed that the submerged part appears to be bigger than the other half. Berkeley did not believe that material things existed. Rather, he believed in immaterialism and idealism.He argued with the apologists of materialism about this. He pointed out that materialism can be explained by the existence things around us through our own ideas but it cannot explain the nature of our ideas through the things around us. Maybe one advantage that Berkeley had at that time that made his argument firm was the fact that nobody could placidly explain to him what a material thing really is. Their description and exposition could not suffice the counter-arguments and inquisition of Berkeley. He believed that material things did not really exist. These were mere products of our senses.He expounded that material things are dependent on our mind and sensory abilities. Without our sensory-neural facilities, there will be no c oncept of things. Thus a material thing would not exist. In his work, â€Å"The Three Dialogues of Hylas and Philonous, in opposition to Skeptics and Atheists† Berkeley made a direct attack on the supporters of materialism by juxtaposing the claims of the materialist and his counter arguments. He used fictitious characters in this work in the likeness of Hylas and Philonous to explain his views about the perception of things and how these could be attributed to skepticism and atheism.He expressed his ideas on the words of Philonius, a character in his work, as he was conversing with Hylas, the character that represents the advocate of materialism. In the preface of his work, Berkeley explained that if the inferences he made would be validated, the concept of atheism and skepticism will no longer be applicable. He believes that if his ideas were applied, there will be a re-evaluation in the principles of science. The pointless part should be omitted keeping those that are plai n. The complex rationale for the things around us will be simplified.Also, he explained that instead of using paradox and ambiguous statement, man could simply apply plain common sense to explain the things around him. In the three dialogues of Philonous and Hylas, Berkeley used simple examples using the qualities that we perceive through our senses such as colors, sweetness of sugar, hot and cold and a lot more to support his inference that the qualities of material things does not exist per se. It is perceived through our senses and we associate the qualities. He even commented on the use of a microscope to see the qualities of things not visible in the unaided eye.I would like to share a particular scenario to illustrate my understanding of Berkeley’s views and how he inferred that materialism could lead to atheism and skepticism. As I was reading the lengthy debate of Hylas and Philonous, a particular instance came to my mind. What if three people were left in an isolated region with no initial knowledge of the common qualities of things? To intricate further, one of them could be considered color blind but can hear, the other can hear as well but could not see anything, and the third cannot hear sound but has normal vision. How do they describe a yellow chirping bird for example?Maybe in the perspective of the first person, it is a gray bird chirping. The second person perhaps might not have any ideas that there is a yellow bird but he could describe that he could hear a chirping sound, not exactly from a bird. The last one, however, could see a yellow bird with its beak moving, but there is no sound. Considering their three accounts, how would they know the real qualities attributed to the bird? Is the bird really yellow or is it gray? Does it really chirp or does it simply move its beak, or is there really a bird or is it just a chirping sound?In that example, who describes the most accurate qualities of the bird? How would the third person infer that he sees the correct color because he is normal if there are only three of them with different descriptions? Is it suffice hitherto to conclude that qualities of the materials are inherent to the subject with our without our perception if these qualities differ from one person to another? What if half of the world’s population had congenital color blindness and claims that the leaves of the trees are brown while the other half claims it is green.How can the latter defend that the leaves are green if the former does not have any concept of what the color green is? What then is the real color of the leaves? Is it brown or is it green? What then is the inherent color of the leaves with or without man’s perception and how can we prove it? How can we say that everything that we perceive is the inherent quality of that object? I believe that the scenario was as the same as what Berkeley wanted to point out. In this dialogue, Philonous enlightened Hylas about his percept ion on material things.Hylas believed that we cannot dissociate a characteristic of material to a material. We cannot say that a sugar will no longer be sweet just because we do not perceive it as sweet. However, if we are going to look for the history of sweetness as one of the characteristics of sugar, it will be easier to infer that this observation was based on the consensus of the people who tasted sugar. It was perceived by our taste buds. A lot of people sharing the same opinion established the authenticity in the statement that sugar is sweet. What if we could not taste sugar, does that mean that it is no longer sweet?If our taste buds failed to savor the sweetness in the chocolate bar that we are eating, does that mean that the chocolate bar is no longer sweet? However, one interesting argument that Berkeley laid through Philonous was that if it is true that qualities are innate to the object per se, why does food taste bitter to others while sweet to some? If our perceptua l rationale is arbitrary, how can we establish the fact that the characteristics of an object around us akin to the object? What will that characteristics be? How can we prove that objects would exist with or without us?I would admit that the challenging enigma that Berkeley posed in this dialogue is quite tedious to refute. I agree with Berkeley as he opposed the idea that the qualities of an object are inherent to the object with or without our perception of it because we have different perspectives. Our concepts of things are provisory on our capacity to view things. We cannot think of the unthinkable, of something that goes beyond our capacity to think. Also, on the Third Dialogue, Hylas asks Philonous about the story of creation wherein Moses described the creation of corporeal things, the sun, the moon, the plants and animals.These were not mere ideas existing only in the mind. These are tangible things. Hylas challenged Philonous on how he could make his claims consistent to the account stated in the story of Creation. Philonous defense was to define what he meant by ideas. Ideas are not fictitious. According to Philonous, ideas are based on the things perceived by the senses. Any object that could not be perceived by the senses could not be considered ideas or beyond human thought that it will be impossible to draw even a visual representation are not ideas. Thus, his claim is cohesive with the theories of creation because we can perceive these things.What Philonous disapproves is the fact that material things exist by itself with its characteristics distinct. In the last part of the third dialogue, Hylas was convinced with the explanation of Philonous. They made inferences and juxtaposed their claims and the notions of the materialist philosopher and their rationale for the claim. They inferred that matterare things that are perceived by the mind and its qualities are not akin to itself but on our perception of it. It is a common knowledge but through the philosophies introduced by other scholars seemed makes it more intricate.His main goal is to unite the â€Å"concept that the things we are the real things and these are ideas which exists only in the boundaries of our minds. † Berkeley believes that the principle of materialism could lead to skepticism and atheism because something beyond the capacity of our mind, we tend to conceptualize a material world without the sovereign of God. In my opinion, what the author wanted to say was that the moment we believe that a thing would exist by itself independent of our perception would imply that a material world could be expected to run without God.It would lead us to believe that material things exist the way they are and there are no spiritual being causing those things to happen. On the last part of the dialogue, Philonous connoted that some philosophers had the tendency to become skeptics and atheist with formulation of scientific and mathematical principles and of things with no empirical content. It should not be the case; the principles of science should not be a paradox to the existence of God. By believing that things exist beyond our perception is an outright denial that God does not exist.It is embracing the notion that things are just the way they and there is nobody that controls it. In the last part, he used the fountain as an example. Water was able to rise and fall because of gravity. This principle made others skeptics when in fact this could simply be explained in a lighter sense. Our perception makes us aware of the gifts God has endowed in our world, its existence is under the providence of God. Thus, thinking what our minds cannot conceive and our senses cannot perceive could led us to doubt that God is the cause of all these things. This skepticism in the long run could lead to denial of God

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

In the wake of the financial scandals that struck major corporations such as Enron, WorldCom and Tyco International, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted â€Å"to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures , made pursuant to the securities laws. † (P. L. 107-204, 116 Stat. 45) It aims to create new and enhance previously existing standards and practices for the boards of all publicly held companies as well as management and public accounting firms in the United States, delineating and clarifying rights and responsibilities with regards to auditing and accountability and emphasizing such points as auditor independence, corporate governance and responsibility and assessment of internal controls. Specifically, the Act stresses upon a more exhaustive disclosure of financial transactions as reporting requirements of companies based in the United States now need to be more thorough and more critical, and therefore more costly to implement. As such, this comes as a heavy burden to smaller companies who have to contend with the high costs imposed on them to complete their assessments, effectively forcing many of these small businessess to do away with public ownership, which in turn reduces valuable entrepreneurial activity. Ribstein & Butler, 2006, p. 101) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, known in full as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act, was enacted June 30, 2002 through the sponsorships of Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes and Ohio 4th District Representative Michael Oxley. The Act has 11 titles dealing with auditor independence, individual responsibility of senior executives for the accuracy and completeness of corporate financial reports, and enhanced reporting requirements for financial transactions. (P. L. 107-204, 116 Stat. 45, Titles II, III, IV) It also includes measures and practices designed to help restore investor confidence in securities analysts, as well as indicating violations and specific criminal penalties for fraud by manipulation of financial records or other interference with investigations. (P. L. 107-204, 116 Stat. 745, Titles VIII, IX, XI) In its establishment, the Act created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to regulate and discipline accounting firms as auditors of public companies. It also mandates the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to implement rulings on requirements in compliance with the Act. P. L. 107-204, 116 Stat. 745, Titles I, VI, VII) In his signing statement, President George W. Bush cl aims the Sarbanes-Oxley Act â€Å"the most far-reaching reforms of American business practices since the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. † He stressed that it ushers in a new era of integrity and responsibility in corporate America where dishonest leaders will be caught and penalized accordingly, a reference to the major corporate and accounting scandals that affected many large corporations during the '90s and well into the new millenium, shattering public confidence in the nation's securities markets. Office of the Press Secretary, 2002) Particularly enraging accounts that led to the creation of the Act are the scandals that involved Enron, WorldCom and Tyco International, where conflicts of interest, unusual and unreasonably justified banking practices, and problems in incentive compensation activities revealed massive fraud on the part of both the companies and their accounting firms, resulting in massive market downturns. (Patsuris, 2002) The Act combats such unscrupulous activities by emphasizing corporate controls and enhanced financial reporting to maintain credibility. Details of off-balance sheet transactions, pro-forma figures and stock transactions of corporate officers must be reported. To assure the accuracy of financial reports and disclosures, management assessment of internal controls must be thoroughly performed. Timely periodic reporting of material changes in financial condition is required, as well as specified enhanced reviews by the SEC of such corporate reports. (P. L. 107-204, 116 Stat. 745, Title IV) A specific part of the Act, Section 404, requires management and external auditor to report on the adequacy of the company's control over financial reports. This, however, is considered by many the aspect that costs most to implement as enormous effort is needed to document and test important financial controls. Since it requires both management and external auditor to perform assessment in the context of a top-down risk assessment, it must cover all aspects of compliance and thus needs much time, labor and cost. Ribstein & Butler, 2006, p. 100) Compliance with Section 404 of the Act has a much greater impact on smaller companies as there is a significant cost involved in completing their assessments. Ribstein and Butler (2006) contend that this necessitates many small businesses to spend much than what they actually earn, driving a huge percentage of their expenditure on compliance alone. This eventually forces them to forgo with public ownership. As an example, during 2004, U. S. companies with revenues exceeding $5 billion spent . 06% of revenue on compliance, while companies with less than $100 million in revenue spent 2. 55%. (U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2006) It is quite unfair that small companies should bear the brunt when they do not earn as much as their bigger counterparts, and the government must take steps and act on what can be seen as a drawback on such a well-intended regulation. In conclusion, while much of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was created and implemented to help put public trust back into corporations through recognizing and rewarding honest corporate leaders while discplining and fining unaccountable ones, much must be done to help alleviate the apparent burden on small companies who have to spend much on compliance, so that they may flourish and be able to compete without being compelled to spend too much on something that is beyond their capacity. And we should look forward in continuing the good work that the Act itself represents in defending the public from fraudulent and malicious corporate activities.

Arab Crusades essays

Arab Crusades essays Popular perceptions paint the Crusades as an act of Christian aggression toward as alien Eastern culture. Although this was an important catalyst to the declarations of the Crusades, it is in fact not the Arab catalyst of the crusades. Maalouf through Arab chronicles conveys the idea that the major factors that allowed the establishment of the crusaders was political rivalry amongst the Seljuk amirs along with the powerless Abbasid caliph who could do nothing to control the fighting amongst these rulers. The key factors that ultimately expelled the crusaders were the many victories of Saladin that left the crusaders with little land and few men. The rule of the Mamluks around 1250 also let to this expulsion. To begin you must clearly understand the definition of political rivalry to understand how the Arabs believed this to be a key factor of the invasions. Political rivalry is explained as fighting amongst political organizations in order to gain or overtake something or someone (Britannica 2002) . The Seljuks were a group of Nomadic Turkish Warrior Leaders from Central Asia who established themselves in the Middle East during the 11th Century as guardians of the declining Abbasid caliphate. After 1055 they founded the great Seljuk Sultanate. This was an empire centered in Baghdad and including Iran, Iraq, and Syria. During their rule DSlejuk princes struggle for the throne ...

Ford Essays - Dearborn, Michigan, Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford

Ford Essays - Dearborn, Michigan, Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford Ford Concept car today They can start out as simple as a dream, or a sketch on a napkin during lunch. But by the time you see them, vehicles from Ford Motor Company have been designed and tested to look and perform their best. Here are some stories that chronicle that process. Concept Cars From the Model T to the latest futuristic designs, the engineers at Ford have a long history of design innovation. Here you can get a glimpse of some of the latest visions of the cars of the future. Technology Keeping up to date with current technology is essential to ensuring reliability and safety. See how Ford puts cutting edge developments to work on important issues like Y2K compliance. Driven by Research All great innovations begin with a strong commitment to research. Meet the people behind some of our better ideas and visit places like the Ford Research Laboratory, where exciting new strides are being made in the technology that drives your car. On the Road Today Ford's commitment to the latest research and technology is evident in the cars you see on the road today. Find out more about the cars you want to drive. Best seller tomorrow Innovative solutions to keep you safe and secure. Of all the things we transport in our vehicles, the most important are our children. See what Ford is doing to help keep them safe. Learning to drive remains one of the biggest rites-of-passage for our youth. Read about some of the ways Ford is helping to train the next generation of drivers. When used correctly, they're one of the best safety devices on your vehicle. This section will answer a lot of your questions and explain how air bags work. Buckling up and making sure kids are properly restrained in the rear seat are two important ways you can help keep everyone safe. Here are some other ways Ford is helping to do the same. Dedicated to providing ingenious environmental solutions The new millennium is filled with exciting opportunities and challenges. For automotive manufacturers and their customers, there is no greater challenge than following a path that respects both the bottom line and the environment These are just a few of the ideas that ford motor company tries to keep in mind when producing their cars. Because of this they have seen overall increased sales and increases in production. They have recently purchased Volvo Ford started its production in Detroit Michigan in 1907, when Henry Ford produced the first Model T. It was a huge success and since that day Ford has been the largest car manufacture in the world Bibliography From Fords Website

An evaluation of human rights abuses and reconciliation of the past in Research Proposal

An evaluation of human rights abuses and reconciliation of the past in Nigeria 1966 -1999 - Research Proposal Example The formation of Truth Commissions to achieve transitional justice has been in vogue during the recent years, especially after the formation of the South African Truth Commission in 1996. The popularity that this South African TC achieved after the submission of its completed report in 1998 evoked much interest in the various academic circles and the human rights groups. It was hoped that this new process could be used in various transitional societies, for holding accountable those individuals that in the past took part in various deplorable acts of human rights abuse; while also assuring the victims of some sort of relief and justice. This chapter will mainly focus on the concept of Truth Commissions (TCs), its background history, and the contribution/ non-contribution of the Truth Commissions to the transitional societies, mainly in the African context. Background history There is no doubt that the formation of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs) have become fashionable after the 1998 South African TC, and is now seen as an instrument to make a memorabilia of an authoritarian past, which is replete with political repression and violent human rights abuse. It has become the centre point for the transitional justice stratagem, and by 2003, we find that there were more than 25 TRCs formed worldwide.

Personal Work Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal Work Experience - Assignment Example Since I was still new in the organization, I did not want to get into conflict with anyone, hence, the reason I would accept work from other people without objection. That notwithstanding, if I tried to report that matter to my boss I would create a misunderstanding with the concerned individuals, thus, resulting in workplace conflicts that are not ideal for my stay in the new job. Technically, I was in a dilemma but I pretended that things were moving on well by straining so much to accomplish tasks from my boss and the extra ones from my colleagues. Soon the vigor and excitement that I had about the job slowly but surely vanished since I would not long for the next morning given the kind of pressure that I was going to experience at the office. Ideally, as days went by I felt more overwhelmed by the job since my arrogant boss continued to introduce new tasks for me which she expected me to complete within the usual deadlines. At some point, I tried to explain to her how overwhelmin g the job was given the short and strict deadlines that she usually set but she rudely interjected yelling at me saying that if I cannot cope with the job I should find another one that suits me.