Biography of Betsy Ross, American Icon

Betsy Ross (January 1, 1752–January 30, 1836) was a colonial seamstress who is usually credited with creating the first American flag. During the American Revolution, Ross made flags for the navy. After her death, she became a model of patriotism and a key figure in the legend of early American history. Fast Facts Known For: According to legend, Betsy Ross made the first American flag in 1776.Also known As: Elizabeth Griscom Ross, Elizabeth Ashburn, Elizabeth ClaypooleBorn: January 1, 1752 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaParents: Samuel and Rebecca James GriscomDied: January 30, 1836 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaSpouse(s): John Ross (m. 1773-1776), Joseph Ashburn (m. 1777–1782), John Claypoole (m. 1783–1817)Children: Harriet Claypoole, Clarissa Sidney Claypoole, Jane Claypoole, Aucilla Ashburn, Susannah Claypoole, Elizabeth Ashburn Claypoole, Rachel Claypoole Early Life Betsy Ross was born Elizabeth Griscom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 1752. Her parents were Samuel and Rebecca James Griscom. Ross was the great-granddaughter of a carpenter, Andrew Griscom, who had arrived in New Jersey in 1680 from England. As a youth, Ross likely attended Quaker schools and learned needlework there and at home. When she married John Ross, an Anglican, in 1773, she was expelled from the Friends Meeting for marrying outside the meeting. She eventually joined the Free Quakers, or Fighting Quakers, who did not adhere strictly to the historic pacifism of the sect. The Free Quakers supported the American colonists in their struggle against the British crown. Ross and her husband began an upholstery business together, drawing on her needlework skills. John was killed in January 1776 on militia duty when gunpowder exploded at the Philadelphia waterfront. After his death, Ross acquired property and kept up the upholstery business, making flags for the Pennsylvania Navy and tents, blankets, and other materials for the Continental Army. The Story of the First Flag According to legend, Ross made the first American flag in 1776 after a visit in June from George Washington, Robert Morris, and her husbands uncle, George Ross. She demonstrated to them how to cut a five-pointed star with a single clip of the  scissors if the fabric were folded correctly. This story was not told until 1870 by Rosss grandson William Canby, and even he claimed that it was a story that needed confirmation (a few other seamstresses from that era also claimed to have made the first American flag). Most scholars agree that it was likely not Ross who made the first flag, though she was a flagmaker who, according to historian Marla Miller, was paid in 1777 by the Pennsylvania State Navy Board for making Ships [sic] Colours, c. After Rosss grandson told his story of her involvement with the first flag, it quickly became legend. First published in Harpers Monthly in 1873, the story was included in many school textbooks by the mid-1880s. The story became popular for several reasons. For one, changes in womens lives, and social recognition of such changes, made discovering a founding mother to stand alongside the founding fathers attractive to the American imagination. Betsy Ross was not only a widow making her own way in life with her young child—she was twice widowed during the  American Revolution—but she was also earning a living in the traditionally female occupation of a seamstress. (Notice that her abilities to buy and manage land never made it into her legend, and are ignored in many biographies.) Another factor in the Ross legend was growing patriotic fever connected with the American flag. This required a tale that was more than just a business transaction, such as the (plausible but disputed) story of Francis Hopkinson, who allegedly created the stars-and-stripes design for the flag along with the design for the first U.S. coin. Finally, the growing advertising industry made the image of a woman with a flag popular and used it to sell a variety of products (even flags). Second and Third Marriages In 1777, Ross married sailor Joseph Ashburn, who had the misfortune of being on a ship captured by the British in 1781. He died in prison the following year. In 1783, Ross married again. This time her husband was John Claypoole, who had been in prison with Joseph Ashburn and who had met Ross when he delivered Josephs farewells to her. She spent the following decades, with help from her daughter Clarissa, making flags and banners for various departments of the U.S. government. In 1817, her husband died after a long illness and Ross soon retired from work to live with her daughter Susanna on a farm outside of Philadelphia. During the final years of her life, Ross went blind, though she continued to attend Quaker meetings. Death Betsy Ross died on January 30, 1836, at the age of 84. She was reburied in the Free Quaker Burying Ground in 1857. In 1975, the remains were moved once again and reinterred on the grounds of the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. Legacy After her death, Ross became a prominent character in the story of Americas founding while many other stories of womens involvement in the American Revolution were forgotten or ignored. Like Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan, she is now one of the countrys most prominent folk heroes. Today, a tour of Betsy Rosss home in Philadelphia (there is some doubt about its authenticity, too) is a must-see when visiting historical sites. The home, established with the aid of 2 million 10-cent contributions by American schoolchildren, is a unique and informative place. One can begin to see what home life was like for families in the early colonial era and remember the disruption and inconvenience, even tragedy, that war brought to women as well as to men during the American Revolution. Even if she did not make the first American flag, Ross was still an example of what many women of her time found as the reality in times of war: widowhood, single motherhood, independently managing household and property, and quick remarriage for economic reasons. As such, she is emblematic of this unique period of American history. Sources Glass, Andrew. â€Å"Congress Redesigns U.S. Flag, April 4, 1818.† Politico, 4 Apr. 2017.Leepson, Marc. Flag: an American Biography. Thomas Dunne Books, 2006.Miller, Marla R. Betsy Ross and the Making of America. St. Martins Griffin, 2011.

Medical Transition Reasonings And Challenges - 2461 Words

Medical Transition: Reasonings and Challenges When we think of transgender people, often the first picture that comes to mind is the physical aspect of transition. However, what many of us never bother to look into is the harsh reality of medical transition and the costs and reasonings that drive it. For many transgender people, medical transition is needed to both vastly improve mental health and increase chances of physical safety out in the world. Whether from lack of monetary income, unsupportive environments, or uninformed doctors, transgender people are often kept from easily and quickly accessing potentially lifesaving medical care. Gender dysphoria is one of the characterizing aspects of being transgender, and while not all transgender people experience this, for those who do mental health often suffers; for this reason many consider medical treatment necessary to improve their well-being. Gender dysphoria, as described by the DSM-5, â€Å"manifests in a variety of ways, including strong desires to be treated as the oth er gender or to be rid of one’s sex characteristics† (Kupfer). It’s often accompanied with distress, which can lead to depression, anxiety, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts. In fact, suicide is all too common in transgender people. A survey of over 6,000 transgender people done in 2010 found that 41% had attempted suicide at some point in their lives (Grant 82). This high number is a trend that continues to be reflected in other surveys, such as one inShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Nurse Practitioner1749 Words   |  7 Pagesand treating acute and chronic illnesses, the management of medications and therapies, ordering and interpreting tests results, and educating and counseling for patients of health and wellness (Giddens, et. al., 2014). 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Two Periods of Buddhist Art in India Essay Example For Students

Two Periods of Buddhist Art in India Essay Less than 1% of the population of modern India is Buddhist. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that Indias importance for Buddhism and its art is mainly its historical influence. Not only is India the country where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, lived and taught, but it is the land where the first images of the Buddha were produced and where Buddhist iconography and symbolism evolved. Being a student whose family originates in India, I am interested in some of the historical aspects and influences of Buddhist Art in India. Therefore, my study of this topic extends to two of the most important periods of Buddhist art in India, the Kushan and the Gupta Periods. The Kushan period is the period in which the first human images of the Buddha appeared. This paper will briefly discuss the Mathura region and will primarily focus on the styles and attributes of sculptures from the Gandharan region. This discussion will illustrate how regional differences contributed in developing two distinct styles of art within the same period. Therefore, I will briefly discuss the history and location of the Gandharan region. I will focus on the Gandharan Bodhisattva (2nd/3rd century, made of schist) displayed in the Art Institute. Next, the paper will discuss the Gupta Dynasty, this is period in which the culture of the period was more concerned with aesthetic values of sculpture, which I will illustrate through my discussion of the Preaching Buddha of Sarnath (c. 475 ad, Buff Sandstone). As a result, the art from the Gandharan region will show how regional location and influences affected this periods sculpture, and the art from the Gupta Period will illustrate how aesthetic preferences of the culture influenced the sculpture of this period. By discussing the Gandharan Bodhisattva and Preaching Buddha from Sarnath, we can see that the art of Buddhism in India reflects the ideals and the sophisticated aesthetics of the varied regions and periods in which it flourished. In early Buddhist art, the Buddha was merely symbolized by a wheel, a bodhi tree, or a stupa. Not until the Kushan period , during the reign of Kanishka I, was the historic Buddha represented in human form. The creation of a Buddha image in human form corresponded to the theological changes influenced by Mahayana Buddhism taking place in the religion. Two distinct styles of sculpture emerged during the Kushan period, one associated with the region of Gandhara and the other with the city of Mathura in northern India. There is much debate in which region these first images appeared, and such discussion is not relevant to my thesis. What is relevant is that these two regions developed two distinctly different styles of sculpture. While Mathuran art developed from local Indian artistic traditions, Gandharan sculptures were heavily influenced by the artistic traditions of the Hellenistic world, most probably as a result of Alexander the Greats colony in Bactria (western Afghanistan). Mathura school sculptures often share iconographic features with their Kusana-period counterparts in the northwest. But for the most part, they reveal a purely Indic stylistic heritage that must have evolved independently (Huntington 151). The Gandharan style of sculpture, on the other hand, combines an intriguing blend of Western classical and Indian influences. Gandhara was a region in the northwest of ancient India, known for its Greco-Buddhist school of sculpture. Gandhara corresponded to the modern Peshawar valley, but its more popular meaning today encompasses large portions of northern Pakistan and adjoining northeastern Afghanistan. Gandharas regional location was vital to this Hellenistic development. Gandhara was located just east of the famous Khyber Pass, comprising what is now north-western Pakistan. The art of the Roman Empire was probably brought to Gandhara because much of the Mediterranean trade with Asia was channeled through such mountain passes. This regions sculpture had some chief characteristics, especially its degree of realism inherited from its Greek antecedents in the area combined with ideals of its own native tradition. The stance of the figures, the style of the draperies, and even the proportions of the idealized features of the heads with their straight noses, oval eyebrows and tranquil expressions owe much to Greek prototypes (Penny 103). We can observe the Greco-Roman influence on the sculpture of Gandharan art by observing the Gandharan Bodhisattva at the Art Institute. As a beginning student in Buddhist Art, the stylistic differences in this sculpture are quite obvious. After conducting research on Gandharan sculptures, I found that the sense of volume conveyed in the outline of the Buddhas garment is characteristic of Gandhara sculptures. Both the folds of the clothing and the body underneath are modeled with a greater sense of naturalism compared to the sculptures can be seen in images from Mathura. It is important to note that although most sculptures from the Gandhara region share certain stylistic and iconographic features, a tremendous variety may be seen in its works. However, in general sculptures are characterized by naturalism in body forms, drapery, and pictorial scale, reveling a debt to Hellenistic, Roman, and other western influences (Huntington 134). This example of a Gandharan Bodhisattva probably once stood in a stupa or temple. This sculpture is made from the material schist. According to the book The Materials of Sculpture, Schist is a metamorphic rock of foliate character and dark silvery gray color, sometimes tending to blue or green. Used for the great school of Buddhist sculpture in Gandhara (Penny 310). The hard schist material allowed the sculptors of Gandhara to carve the folds of the garments and details of features and jewelry much more crisply and with greater volume than materials such as sandstone (Pal 152). Family values EssayThe Preaching Buddha of Sarnath is generally regarded as the quintessence of the Gupta aesthetic and a masterpiece of Indian art (Khandalavala 44). Although, I have been unable to see this sculpture in person, I was able to examine and evaluate a full page color illustration in the book The Golden Age by Karl Khandalavala (40). As one examines this sculpture, it is obvious that this sculpture is focusing on the meditative and serene qualities of the Buddha. The intent is to focus us on the meaning of the faith instead of concentrating on the person of the Buddha. His form is highly abstracted, extraneous details are eliminated and our attention is drawn to the focused gaze and to the hands, areas surrounded by smooth unadorned surface (Fisher 55-56). On a side note, the downcast eyes, so important for the concept of the image, may well derive from Gandharan art (Far Eastern Art 104). This image is supposed to depict the story of how after remaining in contemplation for some weeks, the Buddha traveled to Sarnath, near modern Varanasi, where he preached the first sermon to his five companions in the Deer Park. In Buddhist terminology he set the wheel of the doctrine (dharma) in motion, in art the wheel symbolize both the first sermon and the doctrine of dharma. Buddha is seated as a yogic ascetic, displaying the soles of his feet, and his hands in the dharmacakara mudra the turning of the Wheel of Law. This became one of the most common indicators of the historical event at Sarnath, as well as a symbol for Buddhist teachings in general. Behind his head and centered on the urna the tuft between his eyes, is the halo, the sun wheel, indicating the universal nature of the deity. This sculpture obviously goes beyond just representing this event, and more to the ideals of Mahayana Buddhism. Unlike the Gandharan Bodhisattva, this image is stripped of all the jewelry and other non-essential artifacts. Rather, this sculpture is more concerned with portraying an image that is removed from this world. The robe of the Gandharan Bodhisattva was large and volume with the pleats of the robe curling over the chest in waves. The Preaching Buddhas robe is much more transparent with loose drapery eloquently ending on his sides. The torso is also different in that the Guptas sculpture has a more triangular shape torso. The figure incorporates sandstone. This may partly be due to the notion that the material sandstone helps deliver a more smooth look. The grain of sandstone is barely discernible but enough to make its smoothness more sensuous that of a material without a grain (Penny 111). Other noticeable characteristics of this sculpture is that the Buddha is seated in a yogi ascetic pose. We see many common symbols in this image such as the lotus flower. The throne is decorated with lions, called leogryphs, which indicated a throne of royalty. Such images highlight the emphasis on a royal celestial Buddha, which is heavily influenced by Mahayana beliefs. The halo is decorated with borders of symbols, such as lotuses, and often give reminders of symbols associated with yakshas. The hands are sculpted more elegantly, the chest and shoulders are narrower, and the face has a softer outline than the Gandharan image. All in all the image is more silent in its delivery. The viewer of the sculpture is asked to think about the meaning of the religion rather than focusing on the clothing and accessories of the sculpture. They are asked to grasp the meditative and celestial ideals of the Buddha and understand his doctrine. In summary, the culture of the Gupta empire influenced sculpture in that its Mahayana culture demanded more aesthetic value in the artin which one can understand the meaning of the faith, rather than the figure of the Buddha. The Kushan and Gupta periods of Indian art are two of the most important eras of Buddhist sculpture in India. To analyze the Kushan period I focused on the Gandharan Bodhisattva in the Art Institute. The two major regions of the Kushan dynasty, Mathura and Gandhara, were less than 500 miles apart, nevertheless, they developed two distinct styles of art. The Gandhara region was more Hellenistic in style due to the Greco-Roman influences on this region. As we progress in time, we come to the Gupta period which was indeed influenced by the styles of the prior periods. However, by the 5th century AD, it becomes obvious that the culture of this period was more concerned with aesthetic value as illustrated by the meditative and silent sculpture of the Preaching Buddha from Sarnath. By analyzing these two works and the periods in which they were developed we can see that the style of one of the sculptures was influenced by the region in which it developed, while the other was more heavily influenced by the aesthetic preferences of the time. In conclusion, the Gandharan Bodhisattva illustrated how regional location and ideals influenced the style of sculpture, and the Preaching Buddha illustrated how aesthetic preferences and rising cultural tastes influenced the style of sculpture in the Gupta period. This analysis is important in that it shows how the Buddhist sculpture in India reflects the ideals and the sophisticated aesthetics of the varied regions and periods in which it flourished.

Hippie Story Essay Example For Students

Hippie Story Essay Once there was man who lived back in the seventies and was an extremely horny hippie. He lived in a village right outside of London, England where they lived off the land, smoked a hell of a lot, and had orgies every night. This particular hippie REALLY, REALLY enjoyed the nightlife, because he was so good at doing it that the group members gave him the name Riddlenut. After riddlenut got some extremely contagious STDOs, the group banned him from the village. Riddlenut had never gone outside the village walls, so he was frightened, and had no place to go. But he found his way to the ocean, where he hopped a boat, and was headed for New York City, a place that he had only heard about in folklore. When he arrived in New York, he immediately found out that he had to go get a job. Riddlenut went everywhere looking for a job, but no one would take him because of his fatal diseases. So finally, he ended up at Comiskey Park, where the New York Yankees play. Riddlenut had never heard of base ball before, but he sure had the right skills to be a janitor! So Riddlenut lived happily ever after at Comiskey Park, cleaning up after people and living in the dugout. As for the village right outside of London? Well, everyone contracted fatal diseases and they all died out, never getting to see the world like Riddlenut. Category: Miscellaneous

True Love Essay Example

True Love Essay Alex True Love This is something that divides us as humans, with quite a lot of gray area in the middle. You will find people that swear to the truth of this and others that try to finally prove it false. Right now I see myself in the grey area, questioning. Does true love exist? Is it possible for everyone? I am not sure even what this is seeing as I have yet to be in love. I have often asked myself if there was a one true love for me and if someone somewhere was pulling the strings just right so that I would meet them or not. In recent years the divorce rate in America has gone up. Some say this is because women have become more independent and no longer feel the need to stay with a man in order to survive. I think that Americans have lost faith in an Ancient belief, true love. Or maybe the problem is that we are searching for something that doesn’t exist. Can true love scientifically be proven? Is there something in our body that tells us when we are in love? If we could find a way to prove that true love exists can we tell when two people are really in love? Do we really want to know? If someone that we love dies can we get married again? We will write a custom essay sample on True Love specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on True Love specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on True Love specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Can there be more than one person in your life that you have loved, love, or will love? I want to look into why this is different for everyone. I expect to find what makes us believe in something when most of us can say we have never experienced it. How did this belief come about? Is it possible to fall in love no matter the appearance, gender, or race? I know we all have our prejudices but perhaps true love is the bridge over these barriers. Polygamists treat their wives like property but still say they love them. If you truly love someone how should you treat them? I think that scientific research will show that love does exist and that you can fall in love multiple times in a life. Fate is something that can’t really be proven. I also am hoping to find how the idea of a true love came about. I don’t think that an interview will help much because it varies so much from person to person. What I want to accomplish is to focus on three main points for my paper. First, can true love be scientifically proven? I also want to go into how it has proved the existence of love? (I believe they have)Second, why do we believe in true love in the first place? Third, has America lost sight of the idea of true love or are we focusing on it too much? There is a lot more I could go into but these are my main three. To begin, I first need to establish what true love is. While I am trying to figure out if this proposed phenomenon actually exists, for this section I will assume that it does. This basis will allow for proof or disproof. Getting everyone to agree on one definition is impossible, so I hope to highlight a couple. First, I wanted to find an article on the Christian view of how to find true love. Since most of the population in America is made up of Christians, I felt that it was important that this view was included. It begins with the famous verse from Corinthians, â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is a view that many people hold dear to their hearts. This article is more of a guide for Christians on how to find true love and tells that in order to find true love that we need to do three things. First, the article says to read the bible and find what to look for in love. Next, honesty is needed with ourselves and the one we love. Finally, to be ready to commit for a lifetime and understand what this commitment means. The view of this article is that love lasts forever and that unless you are looking for the right qualities that you won’t ever find it. While this is only one opinion, it is quite standard. The next definition needed comes from the opposite direction, science. This article from CNN states that researchers from Stony Brook University have proved the existence of lasting love. Their research focused on new lovers and couples that have been together for around 20 years. They analyzed the chemical reactions when the person was shown a picture of their loved one. Old research had found that the chemical reaction in new lovers fade within 15 months and is gone after 10 years. Somehow, these scientists managed to find a few couples that defied these statistics. !0 percent of the couples that had been together for twice the amount of time that their love was supposed to fade by had reactions the same as a new couple. This definition of true love is based on time and fact but it is just as real as an immeasurable definition. This next source is called â€Å"7 Myths of Happily Ever After† by Blair Justice. This is an article about how Americans view perfect relationships (incorrectly). Instead of looking at a definition, this looks at common misconceptions. The first is about how all people look for that person to live happily ever after with. It states that we all are searching for that unconditional love, futilely. We shouldn’t have that unconditional love between us and our partner in order to have that â€Å"perfect relationship. † Then, that when there is true love between two people that they should not have to tell the other what they want. Third we search for someone with the same problems that we have and that will make both of our problems disappear. Maybe he/she will even understand and that will be enough. Fourth, don’t go to bed angry. An unhealthy relationship would be if you never slept away from your partner after an argument. As long as you are not running away and can try and put the heat of the argument behind you. Fifth, we never talk. We actually talk a lot but we need to learn how to communicate better. Sixth, he will change after we are married. We need to get rid of the illusion of changing our partner later. This entire article tells pretty much what Americans view as true love. The question that is brought up by all these wrong beliefs is, if we change how we think about love can we find it? What the focus needs to shift to is recognizing this love. When you fall in love you head in full force. You devote all of your attention to that one person and nothing else. The passion and heat takes over. This is not true love, though. True love is the kind that lasts; this heat we all feel in the beginning of a relationship will always fade. If there were a device to prolong this feeling, it would be coveted by all. How do we act when we are truly in love? In this article from Christian Answers gives a list on how to know when you are in love. The first step to having a true relationship is establishing that what you have is exclusive. By telling your partner that you want to be with them and only them shows that you are ready to commit fully. Next you say that this is the best relationship that you have had. It is like starting a new chapter in your life where you can only go forward. Then, once you are past the lets go anywhere stage and the stage where you stand up for yourself, this article says that you can accept the other person’s interests to partake in them sometimes as well. The article says that you must accept the other person’s beliefs enough to not oppose them. You also have to just be able to enjoy the other person’s company enough that doing nothing together is like a break from the rest of the world, even though you are with him/her. Lastly, it lists that you have to show that you are comfortable being yourself in front of them. Overall I believe that this is a good list of how to recognize true love. There are many people loosing the sight of true love and this can be represented by the amount of divorces in the United States. When two people get married, most say that they will be married forever. Some hold on to the view of happily ever after, while others are more realistic about their life after marriage. One thing that we have to accept is the ending of marriage. While many people say that 50% of all marriages in America end in goodbye, this is not entirely correct, this article states. The facts do show that if the current trend continues that we may even surpass this number. We loose sight of the hope for true love for many reasons. The main reason in this short article is childlessness. â€Å"The absence of children leads to loneliness and weariness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This last article is called â€Å"True Love? Forget it! † This article argues that true love does not exist. The author, Lynn Truss, says that we often use the non-existence of a perfect partner as an excuse to not find love at all. If someone was â€Å"just looking for the right person† they might pass up on several people that might not be perfect, but are perfect for them. The definition of love is given as what you do with what you’ve got. We often have unrealistic views of love and this is because of two things. First, love is deeply placed in human nature and we see love as something we find. Actually, he states, love is something we create, an achievement. So this article is saying that we make up true love to fill a void in our life that everyone has. Love is something we make not something we just bump into. To turn this last topic around I would like to highlight a girl that never gave up on love, even if it hurt. Nancy Rue says in her book, Coping with Dating Violence that abuse happens in many ways. Sometimes the guy doesn’t want to lose the girl and sometimes he has anger issues. What I was interested in was why women tend to stay with these men when they aren’t treating them right. This book states that women often blame themselves for the abuse. What I am interested in is the fact that some stay because, in the beginning, it was perfect and they were so in love. Was this true love that just went wrong or a facade from the beginning? When girls fall in love with this boy they are really falling in love with him, she states. When a girl is being abused by the â€Å"mental illness† that the boy has. During this process I learned a lot, but not as much as I wanted to. Next year I will have to write a ton of papers. While this project was interesting, I don’t see it preparing me for the future. I already know how to research, so hat was one of the easiest parts. The main thing that I learned from this project was MLA format. I have worked with many kinds of formats before so it was good to be able to focus on just this one. What I really liked about what I did was the quality of research although I wish that I had the time to get more. I also make summaries daily for other classes which made it easier to do the summ aries in here. One thing that I really need to work on is my citations. Most of the times they need a little bit of tweaking, in order to be fully correct, there aren’t too many problems. What I learned in both this area and in MLA format will most certainly help me in later projects. During this particular project I liked it simply because it was different. It is not like the typical high school paper. One thing it could have benefited from was a little less structure. We were able to pick out our own topic which was nice but turning in our summaries every due date was a little confining. I believe that more freedom would have also been more responsibility, so I understand the structure somewhat. I began this paper with an idea. Actually, I had many ideas but my main one was my favorite. This idea has become a growing question in my own life. Does true love exist? Some people believe they can answer this question with a yes or no. This is not the answer that I want. I want a reason, explanation, but most of all information. I’m not researching that feeling you get when you see that cute guy a couple rows over in class smiling at you. I am looking at actual, forever love. I was hungry for information and began searching from many different angles. I found scientific evidence and put it right along side the religious. I read stories about terrible abuse and tales of enchanting love. The scientific evidence claimed its existence, if rare. Just by looking at divorce rates in America shows how wrong we can be about love. These are some of my favorite sources. My absolute favorite has to go to the book I read. This story speaks to me in a way that none of the articles could. One of the stories from this book tells of a girl that fought so hard for love, she almost died. The desperation that she feels is what makes this the best in my eyes. After all of this time I think I can finally say that I have an answer that makes sense to me. True love is out there for everyone somewhere. It is just up to you to find it and hold on tight. There will never be a world where everyone will find this connection but the first step is knowing what to look for. At the very least, you should know what to stay away from. This conclusion has helped me with my own life, even if it never helps another person. I wish that I could not change my question but instead write a follow up piece. If I could it would be on the history of love, how it has evolved. That topic intrigues me but the one I wrote this paper on was just right for me.

An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce - 1

An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce - 1 An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce – Book Report/Review Example An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge In what ways are the condemned mans perceptions of time and motion distorted as he is waiting to be hanged? (25%)As Bierce is describing the setting of which Farquhar was to be immediately facing his death in detail such as the beams, planks, ropes, and soldiers with their guns, ready to conduct his condemnation, Farquhar distorts his reality of time and motion when he imagines everything slowing down from the drift wood that is floating in the river to his death where he dreams of a long dream to prolong his life and granting his wishes of being able to see his wife (SparkNotes: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, n.d.).2. What is ironic about the fact that Farquhar agrees with the saying that, "all is fair in love and war?" (25%)The irony in the statement, "all is fair in love and war† made by Farquhar would be the fact aside from saluting soldiers who fight wars to be a hero of their generation despite the inevitable deaths, he still agrees t o this statement even when he is not involved in any war and yet his death is being asked of him. His death is unnecessary as compared to soldiers who are willing and prepared to die.3. What details in Part III suggest that Farquhars journey occurs in his mind? (25%)We can see that Farquhar’s journey occurs in his mind as the author used a very limited third-person point of view, making the story seemingly told by Farquhar himself. Also, the reality of Farquhar’s fear of leaving everything behind especially his loved ones and holding his life dear to him as he deems it undeserving of death is a human nature that proves Farquhar is thinking about the series of events he is undergoing. 4. Point of view refers to the vantage point from which the story is told. Why is the limited third-person point of view appropriate for this story? How might the story be different if Bierce had used an omniscient third-person narrator? (25%)The limited third-person point of view is very appropriate for this story because it allowed readers to actually understand what was going through Farquhar’s mind. It was also instrumental in being able to emphasize realism used as a technique in the story, especially when Farquhar tries to distort it by creating his own imaginations of being able to escape his death and being able to see and hug his wife. Bibliography:"SparkNotes: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." SparkNotes: Todays Most Popular Study Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. .

Parents vs. Peers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parents vs. Peers - Essay Example They cast it off like the dorky sweater their mother made them wear. The behavior of a child is both dependent on the internal genetic influence that he gained from his parents and the external influence that he has from his association with peers. Modern developmentalists admit that children are born with distinctive characteristics that make certain developmental outcomes more likely. In fact, the word heredity is rarely used nowadays; it has been replaced by words like nature and genetic, which acknowledge childrens genes without acknowledging their source. Children share 50% of their genes with each of their biological parents. Also not proved is the proposition that children learn things from one relationship or in one context that they automatically carry with them to new ones. If parenting behaviors do have lasting effects, the effects are specific to the context in which the behaviors were experienced. Because children are destined to play out their adult lives in other contexts, what they learn in these other contexts will be more important in the long run (Harris, 2000). Judith Rich Harris, in her book "The Nurture Assumption," is challenging the conventional wisdom of both Academic psychologists and parents alike: that parent have a large influence on how their children turn out.   Harris challenges this wisdom. If one can combine her points with some knowledge about temperament, it is most likely this synthesis will help in explaining the role of parents in raising their children.  Ã‚   She points out that trying to separate the effects of inheritance (genes) and the parents environmental effects is extremely difficult to do with any large degree of scientific validity.   In reality, the effect of childhood environment on the development of the individual to mature adulthood is still mysterious and is not understood. Peer groups can have a large influence in behavior while the child is in