Holocaust Essay Example for Free

Holocaust Essay Art: a true Holocaust survivor. Though he was born in Sweden after the war and did not experience the Holocaust personally, his life is deeply affected by the event, both directly and indirectly. To begin with, Art is troubled by nightmares and fears of the Holocaust, as he fantasizes when he was a child about certain degrading happenings. Secondly, he is impacted by the intense, traumatizing toll the Holocaust had on his father, which, subsequently, was transferred onto him. As a result of the trauma of his parents, Art was raised in a strict, decent manner that demanded he treat life with the highest regard and gratitude, being he did not have to suffer the horrendous trials which the previous generations went through. And lastly he feels guilt over not being a good son to his father, being that their relationship is rocky, arguments constantly break out, and he has a reluctance to help. Art feels deeply moved by the horrible danger of the Holocaust. For example , as a child, he would imagine that the showers in his house would pour down gas instead of water. Also, he would often ask himself which parent he would save if he could have only have saved one from Auschwitz. Most likely, he would reason, his mother would have occurred as first choice, due to the fact that he felt he had a part in her early death, because of the neglect he showed her, when he answered with a cold and dismissive â€Å"sure† to her question â€Å"do you still love me?† Vladeks personality and parenting style were clearly influenced by the war, as he forces his son to finish everything off his plate, advices ways to save money, and strictly refuses to agree. Therefore Arts character traits and lifestyle choices were in turn clearly guided by his fathers personality and parenting style. In chapter 5, he complains to Francoise, â€Å"He loved showing off how handy he was and proving that anything I did was all wrong. He made me completely neurotic about fixing stuffOne reason I became an artist wasit was an area where I wouldnt have to compete with him.† Art experienced a guilt over not sharing his parent’s experience of the Holocaust and therefore wanted to live a life untroubled by the same trauma. Art is full of guilt for claiming he’s not a good son to Vladek. Right from the first panel of the book, we are told that the two of them do not get along particularly well, and that they do not see each other often, though they live fairly close by. Art is always unsteady around his father, and when they speak, arguments sooner or later break out. For example, when Art drops some cigarette ash on the carpet, Vladek strongly rebukes him; or, Vladek’s revelation of the fact that he burnt Anjas diaries from the war sends Art into a fury. Furthermore, when Vladek asks his son for help around the house, Art is usually reluctant to do so and hesitant to give in. And, although Art, at the very beginning, tells the reader that he hasnt seen his father in a long time, as well as the fact that they are not particularly close, he gives his father an excited greeting a rare action, which probably results from the guilt and possible regret he feels over the neglect in which he gave his own father. In conclusion, I believe that Art is a true Holocaust survivor as not only does he suffer from a kind of survivor’s guilt, but he also grew up with the aftermath of the other survivors’ trauma. The misery portrayed in the pages of his father’s story, and most evidently in â€Å"Prisoner on the Hell Planet†, dictates that Art not only sympathizes with the Holocaust survivors, but even feels like he was an actual member with them in their torturous trials. His choice to even publish the novel and make everyone aware of his family’s suffering shows he believes that these shocking stories should not be ignored or forgotten, since doing so would only allow for the traumas to happen all over again.

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia :: Biology Biological Colony Essays

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia Abstract The colonization of each continent by modern human populations remains an important question in our history as a species. Studies of variations in mitochondrial genomes, Y-chromosomes, satellite DNA, and other genetic markers can be used to estimate the time of divergence of one population from another. Recent advancements in technology have advanced our capabilities in genetic analysis. In particular, PCR can be used to amplify, study, and sequence DNA from long-deceased specimens. Ingman and Gyllensten studied 101 complete mitochondrial genomes from contemporary populations in Australia and many other regions. The mitochondrial genetic diversity of Aboriginals is remarkably high, similar to that found in Asia. Ingman and Gyllesten estimated colonization of Australia at 40,000-70,000 years ago and supported multiple waves of migration. Another study by Adcock and others indicates that anatomically modern humans were present in Australia before complete fixation of the mtDNA lineage, but does not establish a colonization date. A study of Y-chromosome variation by Vandenburg and others in 1999 revealed two haplotypes unique to Australian Aboriginals. Most (78%) of Aboriginal haplotypes fell into two clusters, possibly indicating two original, separate lineages of founding Aboriginal Australians. As recently as the 1960’s, anthropologists predicted the colonization of Australia at less than 10,000 years ago. Advancments in thermoluminescence dating pushed back the estimated colonization time to 50,000-60,000 years ago in the early 1990’s. Improvements in thermoluminescence and carbon dating techniques adjusted previous colonization dates of 50,000-60,000 years to approximately 45,000 years. The results of morphological dating best-support the multiregional evolution hypothesis of modern humans, and further complicate the possible ancestry of modern Australian Aboriginals. Mitochondrial DNA analysis, recent thermoluminescence dates, and the history of ocean levels coincide roughly to indicate a colonization of Australia at approximately 50,000 years ago. Introduction Throughout recorded history, humans have been defined by a desire to know ourselves: Where did we come from? How did we get here? Where are we going? Many questions are directed towards our appearance as a species and subsequent populating of the earth, -- piece by piece. One particularly large piece of the earth is Australia: a continent, a country, and a mystery in human history. Though the major events in Australian natural history have been revealed, for the most part, human history remains a great topic of debate.

Essay against racial profiling in airports Essay

Stereotyping and discrimination based simply on a difference in race are two things that are continually discouraged yet continue even today in the most recent of times. Since the wake of September 11, racial profiling in airports has been heavily enforced in order to ensure the safety of Americans. In several instances, the stopping of virtually all Arab or â€Å"suspicious† peoples has proved to be advantageous in that those incriminated intended on causing harm to others. Furthermore, airport security has done a superb job in pinpointing the true terrorist, any person of a different race. This twisted view of justice must be recognized and must be stopped. The â€Å"random† stopping of people before and after they board a plane not only violates that person’s personal rights, but it creates an artificially induced hatred to a particular group of people as well as demonstrates the overall ignorance associated with racism. Racial profiling is the law-enforcement practice of singling out members of racial minorities as suspects. Heavily practiced in airports today, this procedure does much more harm than good. In suspecting Arabs or other minorities solely for the fact that they are of a different ethnic background strongly violates what our country stands for. Arabs and other minorities who once saw the United States as a place of freedom and equal opportunity now experience firsthand the true injustices it furnishes. Clearly, after September 11, individual rights took a back seat to what was promoted as the greater need of protecting America from further harm. In reality, Americans sought a scapegoat in an entire race of people instead of the few people who were involved. The sheer racism racial profiling constitutes clearly demonstrates the overall ignorance of those who find it to be a positive practice. By supporting racial profiling we are supporting racism, and by supporting racism, we are supporting hate. As this practice is becoming common procedure, entire groups of people are being discriminated against. This erroneous view of a complete race, induced by racial profiling, demonstrates the overall misconception and ignorance people have regarding people who are different from them. Labeling a particular group of persons as terrorists not only is unfair but it tarnishes the reputation of that entire race. By  practically making discrimination an acceptable action, it hinders Arabs and other groups from obtaining jobs and a respected status. Overall, racial profiling is merely another form of discrimination and a violation of individual rights. Its continued practice serves not to instill security in the minds of those that travel, but instead infuses hatred and fear towards those who are of Arab descent. The false sense of security it may produce in one person is merely a product of the unjustness it inflicts on another.

Analysis of The Film Gran Torino by Clint Eastwood - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1755 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/03/19 Category Art Essay Level High school Tags: Film Analysis Essay Did you like this example? The film, Gran Torino, by Clint Eastwood, follows the life of a Korean war veteran and his relationship with his Hmong neighbors as they battle to overcome the trials that they are faced with. The character that struggles the most in the film with fighting the social norms is Thao. Thao is constantly being pushed by the influences in his life to be their idea of a man. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Analysis of The Film Gran Torino by Clint Eastwood" essay for you Create order There are two cultures that have an active influence on Thao in the film which are Hmong and American. Within these cultures, Thao has individuals who are attempting to subject him to their notions of masculinity, which are Walt, his family, and the Hmong gang. Thaos experience with overcoming and sometimes conforming to these influences are put in an interesting perspective when analyzed through a the lens of panopticism. In Panopticism by Michel Foucalt, Foucalt believes that society works to mentally control people by creating institutions that act like the panopticon. These institutions, such as church, school, or hospitals, play a major role in subject formation in that they give you signals on what type of behavior and beliefs are acceptable in the society. These institutions are the governments way of watching and controlling you. We are essentially powerless to escape the social norms our society chooses to adopt. One major institution that plays a huge role in Thaos life is his family. A family is a socially constructed institution in that it teaches and prepares you for the behavior that is expected in society. Thaos family is described by his sister, Sue, as traditional Hmong and is shown in a scene where Walt comes over for a Bar-B-Que and Sue gives him a rundown of Hmong cultural behavior. Thao is shown in this scene doing housework and chastised by his family for doing womens work and mocked for his lack of a girlfriend or job. T his shows that in Hmong culture these are the attributes that make one masculine. Thaos family is working as the prison guards of the panopticon in this scene by letting him know that they are watching him and seeing that he is not doing what is expected of him and Thao is the prisoner because he is subjected to their watch and treatment. Like the Panopticon, Thao is aware that there is a higher authority watching him and wanting him to act in a specific way but he is unable to. In Panopticism a major idea is that the watchguard is a fear tactic used to scare the prisoners into behaving although theyre might not be guards present in the tower, there is also the possibility that there is . This is similar to Thaos encounter with his family in that they are not using actual force to get him to behave and do the things they want him to do but instead using tactics that emotionally harm him and maybe scare him into conforming to their ideals. An interesting thing about Thaos family dynamic is that there seems to be a lack of a male authority figure in their household, the audience never sees Thaos dad or even grandfather. It is possible that this lack of a strong male figure in the household creates an immense amount of pressure on Thao to fill the void where his father shouldve been present. Perhaps because they lack a man they overcompensate and push Thao to be something that he is incapable of being at the moment. This is one of the main controversies with Panopticism, does it seek to reform the person in the prison or just to keep them in their forever controlling them with no intentions of letting them out? Does Thaos family seek to just emotionally harm him while keeping him with them forever or do they actually want to see him become their vision of a man? In addition to his family subjecting him to their notions of masculinity, Thao is also pushed by Walt. Thao and Walts relationship is extremely unique because initially Walt has no respect for Thao as a person and thinks he is no good, but eventually he ends up taking Thao under his wing and being a mentor or role model for him. Walt is a retired auto worker and war veteran, and despite his old age he acts as the watcher in the neighborhood. Panopticism is a large system with many sublevels so Walt himself is not the ultimate watcher, there are others watching him to ensure that the neighborhood is not complete chaos or even maybe to ensure that the neighborhood stays in the shape that it is. The government does not always care about the troubles that plague urban youth so this shows that Panopticism in our society is a structure built for the higher authority to watch the people and keep them in their place, causing trouble but not too much that it will affect them. Walt is simultaneously subjecting Thao to the notions of masculinity that he himself has been subjected to. Walt is very patriotic, which is a characteristic that was installed in many Americans in the 1950s, along with his strong work ethic, intolerance for laziness, and distrust of foreigners. The morals and behavioral norms that Walt displays are the result of the society. Walts patriotism was most likely installed into him in school where they make children say the pledge every morning or by the media with action toys and comic books. Walts pride in his participation in the Korean War also shows that American society has created this ideal that a true man is one that will serve his country and be willing to sacrifice himself that Walt feeds into, describing the events that happened to him during the war whenever he wants to prove his manliness. Walts strong work ethic also may have come from behaviors associated with manliness in society. The typical household in Walts era consisted of a wife who tended to all the housework and a husband who worked and provided the income for the family. All of these qualities that Walt has are reflected in his advice that he gives to Thao telling him that a real man has a car, woman, or job. There are many instances where Walt calls Thao gender slurs such as pussy for doing behavior that is not considered masculine, like gardening. This shows the similarity in Hmong and American culture in their notions of masculinity and the activities they view as feminine. This also shows that Panopticism can be applied in many different sects of life and many cultures. Taking on his role as a mentor, Walt helps Thao land a contracting job and a date with a girl he likes. In this way, Walt is going beyond the role of a watcher and actually physically forcing Thao to conform to the actions of masculinity. In addition to the actions, Walt attempts to teach him the behaviors associated with being a man in a scene where Thao and Walt go to the barbershop. In this scene Walt shows Thao how men talk to each other, exchanging insults with the barber and instructing Thao to do the same. Walt advises Thao to talk about his girlfriend, car, or job when conversing with another man. This shows us that human behavior is not biologically determined but learned through society and cultural expectations. People are not inherently masculine or feminine, they are taught by society that these are the gender roles and this is what you should conform to if you wish to be normal, this is what Panopticism aims to do to the subjects. In the speech Aint I A Woman? by Sojourner Truth, she exemplifies similar struggles with battling gender roles. In the speech, Truth speaks on the common behaviors and characteristics that are considered feminine saying, women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Truth expels these notions by saying Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And aint I a woman? These lines challenge societys ideals and are an exclamation saying that she does not have to conform to their gender roles. Truth repeats multiple times in the speech And aint I a woman? deconstructing the normal that society has created for women and refusing to be a prisoner to their mentality. Sojourner Truth was a slave so she was in literal imprisonment; Truth knew firsthand the reality of being a subject and despite this she rose to speak out to the people who have oppressed her. Thao faces similar challenges in standing up to the people who are oppressing him in the film, which are his cousin and the Hmong gang he is a part of. Thaos cousin, Spider, is the leader of a Hmong gang in their neighborhood which try to get Thao to join them. They attempt to initiate Thao into his gang by making him steal Walts Gran Torino. The gangs ideas of masculinity include doing illegal activities that put your life in danger. Spider is peculiarly hard bent on getting Thao to join him although he has shown that he is not cut out or qualified to do gang activities. There is a struggle for dominance within Spider that is clearly shown through his persistence with harassing Thao. Spider is seeking to validate his own masculinity by subjecting Thao to be under his rule. This relates to Panopticism in that Spider and his gang are one of the lower levels of guards and believe they have power and influence over people through violence when in fact they themselves are merely just subjects of the system. They believe that they are separate from the influence of the law and government but are truly prisoners in the system, doing what the government expects of them. Spider is in fact losing the notion of masculinity he has by actively participating in the Panopticism system, whether it is unconsciously. We have moral systems, culture, behavioral norms, and socially accepted ways of thinking that control us. No matter where we go or what we do, these cultural patterns follow us. We cannot escape them. Thao was subjected to societies ideas of masculinity and his struggle to conform to these ideals was shown throughout the film. We as people are not inherently anything, our subjectivity is created for us by society and panopticism works as a way to ensure that we are behaving as such.