"Benito Cereno" by Herman Melville
"Benito Cereno" by Herman Melville By Jimmy Jackson 6/03/2005 The novella Benito Cereno has been a topic of controversy amongst several critics. In their perspectives, some differ and others coincide on themes in Benito Cereno. The theme that we are concerned with is if violence, even if it was for a worthy cause, was justified in Benito Cereno. Violence, as depicted by these analysts was used as a median to control slaves and alternate subordination in the story. Several critics, such as Joseph Schiffman, Charles Swann, Eric Sundquist, and Kermit Vanderbilt assert this issue. This paper will analyze these most relevant critics and their positions on this theme in the story. One of the pro-justification critics for instance, Schiffman, justifies the violence by justifying Babo's position. He quotes Williams to assert his own position, Williams says, "Babo, after all, as perhaps his name suggests, is just an animal, a mutinous baboon."(32) Schiffman then, contradicting Williams, states his position by saying, "Though he was mutinous, as Williams says, he was no baboon."(32) Coming to show that Babo's malignity was not motiveless. Schiffman builds on Melville's understanding for men's desire for freedom to portray Babo, the leader of the slave rebellion in the fight for freedom, and all Babo's violent acts of cruelty, to be sincerely dictated by his purpose, the worthy
Depleted Uranium - What is it?
Depleted Uranium What is it? Depleted uranium is a toxic heavy metal. It is a by-product of the nuclear fuel and weapons industries. Where does it come from? Naturally occurring uranium is a mixture of two different kinds - uranium 235 and uranium 238. Uranium 235 is by far the most radioactive kind. Unsurprisingly, this is the one that the nuclear fuel and weapons industries try to extract from the naturally occurring metal. When extracted it called "enriched uranium". This is what is used in fuel rods and nuclear weapons. What is left over after the extraction process is called "depleted uranium". It is still a mixture of the two kinds (or isotopes) of uranium, but it is mainly made up uranium 238. Who is using it in weapons? The Americans and British have used vast amounts in both the recent and the last Gulf wars. They also used it in the Balkans. How does a depleted uranium weapon work? The use of depleted uranium in weapons has little to do with its hint of radioactivity, and everything to do with its high density. It is one of the more dense elements and that means a shell going at a particular speed carries an awful lot of momentum. It is that momentum which is useful. Depleted uranium is nearly two-and-a-half times more dense than steel and more than one-and-a-half times more dense than lead. This means that a typical 2ft-long missile tipped with
'If a Christian loved his neighbour he would not fight.' Discuss.
'If a Christian loved his neighbour he would not fight.' There are many arguments agreeing and disagreeing with this statement. The bible teaches Christians that they should not fight. An example of this is "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." This is telling Christians that they should love everyone and not fight them. Another biblical teaching is "If someone strikes you on he right cheek, turn to him with the other also." This is saying not to fight even in self defence. Although this is in the bible another teaching is "If you don't have a sword sell your cloak and buy one." This means that if you do not have a sword, or a weapon, get one. But this teaching contradicts and is contradicted most of all buy this teaching "All who draw the sword will die by the sword." This is saying that all who fights will die fighting. Another reason that Christians disagree with the above statement is that some are pacifists. This means that they will not fight. Pacifists are those who believe that violence leads to more violence and rarely achieves the results intended. They also believe that war brings out the worst in mankind and 'lays bare the dark side of human nature.' Quakers are a branch of Christianity that are also pacifists. They do not fight at all with any weapons for any aim whatsoever. They say "The spirit of Christ by which we are guided is not
Religion, Peace and Justice
Religion, Peace and Justice a) Describe the teachings of the religion, which you are studying about war and pacifism. (40%) mples of the teaching against war given from the bible. Although Christians refuse to fight at war, they can still be part of war in a non-combat way (e.g. a medical aid to the injured of war.), or they might use non-violent methods as a different approach to war, e.g. a sile Pacifism is the refusal to use violence in any situation. Many Christians are pacifists, as they believe that God doesn't want them to fight their neighbours and the Bible tells them this. "Do not kill" the Ten Commandments given to mosses from God in Exodus Chapter 20. "Love your neighbour as yourself". Mathew 22.37-39 which is one of the two greatest commandments given by God. Mathew 5 teaches people to take punishment and not to be quick to take revenge. "Turn the other cheek." Jesus tells people to be good. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," these examples are one of many different exa nt protest which Martin-Luther king successfully achieved when attempting to receive the equal rights of black and white men. Although many Christians believe that war is wrong, some Christians do take part in war as they believe that the bible teaches them teaching
Christians use the Bible, the Church’s teaching and conscience to help them make decisions about personal moral issues. Define each of these terms. Explain why Christians should use each of them.
RE Coursework: Personal Morality Question 1: Christians use the Bible, the Church's teaching and conscience to help them make decisions about personal moral issues. Define each of these terms. Explain why Christians should use each of them. Personal morality is based upon the person's philosophy and principles to differentiate between right and wrong. Morals are created by influences in our lives, such as, family, friends, religion, education and social aspects. Christians believe the bible is how God communicates with them. Through the bible God tells them what is right and wrong. They accept the Bible as the rule by which they will determine things. Therefore a Christian can be guided by the words of God through the book. 'Do not commit murder' and 'Do not commit adultery' are just two of the Ten Commandments recorded in the Book of Exodus, given to Moses by God. Christians live by these rules, they learn to recognise their dignity and rights as children of God. The bible also discusses many issues of personal morality, such as The Prodigal Son, through stories, it teaches Christians right and wrong, and so they are able to turn to the bible when they need help in certain issues of personal morality. The Church has a teaching role. The Church's responsibility was given to it by Jesus, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." Christians use the Church for help
Domestic Violence facts and statistics - What is Abuse?
Domestic Violence facts and statistics: By Luke Kyriakides What is Abuse? Abuse, which is also called domestic violence, is any behaviour that causes physical, sexual or emotional damage, or causes you to live in fear. Non-physical forms of abuse can be just as damaging as physical violence. Emotional abuse is when your partner * Constantly puts you down or criticises you * Threatens to stop you from seeing your children, or * Threatens to commit suicide if you leave the relationship. Social abuse may include * Preventing you from seeing your friends and family * Making you feel guilty about going to work or socialising * Constantly checking up on your whereabouts. Financial abuse is when your partner takes control of your financial affairs when you don't want him to, or prevents you from having access to money. Sexual abuse is making you do sexual things that you don't want to do. Forcing you to have sex is a criminal offence, even if you are married. Stalking is when a partner or ex-partner follows you around, or repeatedly tries to contact you, even if you've said you don't want this. Physical abuse includes pushing, hitting, throwing objects, or threatening to physically harm you, other people, or pets. How might this be affecting me? All forms of abuse have damaging consequences. Your confidence can become worn down by abuse. If you have been
Explain why the first Christians were persecuted
Explain why the first Christians were persecuted The persecution of Christians by the Roman Government was not a consistent policy that was enforced the same way by every Roman provincial governor or government official or even by different emperors. Most of the time, Christians were tolerated but were viewed as strange and somewhat antisocial by most of the Roman people The Romans who saw them as trouble and the Jews saw them as the "...mortal enemy to the Jewish Legalistic Tradition" (St. Paul). Because the Roman gods were actually a part of the state religion, and it was thought that they must be worshipped regularly in order for the Romans to have victory in war and prosperity at home, it was considered a roman's patriotic duty to sacrifice regularly to Jupiter, Mars, Juno, Vesta, and leave offerings out for the household gods, the Lares and Penates. The Christians, on the other hand, believed in one God and worship Him in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Making sacrifice to Jupiter or Poseidon was (and still is) abhorrent to a Christian. Because the Romans believed that the favor of the gods was necessary to the security of the state, the Christians were believed to be not only impious and anti-religious but unpatriotic as well. In addition, many Christians refused to serve in the army because they might have to kill other human beings and thus violate the
Nelson Mandela, "Little more than a terrorist" or "An abused leader of his people"?
South Africa 1945-1994: Was Nelson Mandela a Terrorist? Question 7: Nelson Mandela, "Little more than a terrorist" or "An abused leader of his people"? When the Nationalist Party came to power in 1948 in South Africa, the ANC were not that popular and many of the blacks lived in the country and not the towns and cities. Slowly many blacks moved to the towns to find work in the ever expanding industry. Ever since this time many white liberals and blacks joined the ANC and the movement against apartheid because they felt the rules were not fair on them, from this time the ANC were continually trying to make the country ungovernable by different methods such as the Defiance Campaign of 1952. In 1961 the ANC devised a different method, to blow up power stations and to disrupt the country. Many people thought that the ANC was resorting to terrorism, If Nelson Mandela was "little more than a terrorist" then it would mean that he was killing innocent people and causing unnecessary damage. But, on the other hand, if he was an "abused leader of his people" it would mean that he was discriminated, arrested and jailed for no reason. Many people might say that Mandela was "little more than a terrorist"; this is because in 1961 the ANC resorted to violence after the Sharpeville Massacre. Many innocent people died when groups under order from the leaders of the
We are in Iraq to liberate the oppressed population, and everyday the Iraqi people's confidence in us grows. They understand our mission; they understand this is not a war against them, or their people, or against the Islamic world.
The world is no longer a peaceful place. Terror factions, throughout the world of all ethnic persuasions, are holding the world hostage, with no moral code or regard for humanity. They commit the act deemed by the Bible as the most greedy and selfish of all sins, taking their own life, and to compound this they do it and take innocent bystanders, women and children with them. They are the worst kind of murderers; they don't have to take any form of responsibility, they don't have to think about the family of those they killed, they escape it all. And in these times of war, in Iraq, as we work to forge freedom for the people of Iraq, wrenching back from the clutches of an evil dictator whatever kind of life we can salvage. We are saving the oil wells, so vital for the sustentation of the Iraqi economy. We are dispensing food and aid to the people of Iraq. Saddam knows his days are numbered, and this may lead to employment of severe and desperate tactic, he may use Chemical and Biological weapons. This will simply prove what we have known all along, and it will not stop our campaign, it will only serve to strengthen our resolve, and our peoples resolve. And if he chooses the wiser option and does not use them, while trying to abscond these weapons to some remote location. The country that accepts these weapons in secrecy shall be held fully accountable for such actions. We
In this essay I am going to compare 3 scenes of violence from 3 different genres and analyse their certifications and effects on young people.
Violence In films essay In this essay I am going to compare 3 scenes of violence from 3 different genres and analyse their certifications and effects on young people and whether children are finding ways of viewing secretly, or are being allowed to see, too much violence in films, T.V or through any other median. There has always been violence in films, and there has always been public debate along with it, but as the violence becomes more shocking and more accessible to young people is violence in films becoming more of an issue? Or are we becoming less easily shocked and therefore less worried about violence in films and its effect on young people? Is violence less shocking when it is less realistic or fantasy based? It seems that this is what most people think. For example most parents will happily let their children watch violence in "Tom & Jerry" but would be much more reluctant in letting their children watch a war film. Is this right? We, at least, have come to expect certain types of violence in certain genres to have certain certificates and most people seem happy with this. For example, a sci-fi film with humans getting eaten and aliens getting blasted all over the place can expect at most a 15 certificate. But in a gangster movie one person can be shot and you can expect an 18 certificate. Is this because it is more realistic or influential to young people?