The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay When a conflict arises, many people stand back and watch as their beliefs are trampled on, but sometimes one person will stand up and die for what they believe and inspire all those with similar beliefs. Of the many people who died in the Salem witch trials, one man stands out as a true martyr who died in the pursuit of justice and whose actions served as a model for all the people in Salem. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrayed the character of Giles Corey as a martyr through his strong convictions, honesty, concern for justice, and his willingness to die for these causes. Giles Corey, a man of strong beliefs, refused to give the authorities the lie they demanded, therefore, he died a martyr. Unlike many of the people of Salem, Giles Corey held fast to his strong convictions. When he believed something was wrong, he refused to sit and passively accept the injustice, but instead notified the authorities and demanded a fair trial. When his wife was being wrongly accused of witchcraft, Giles stood up for her, yelling in court Youre hearing lies, lies! (84). Giles is clearly concerned with the truth and frequently pleads with the court to reject the girls statements and understand that they [were] telling lies about [his] wife (85). Again, he pursues justice when he urges the court to hear Mary Warren confess that she and the other girls had lied. He introduces her by stating she comes now to tell the truth (88). Giles Corey demonstrates his strong beliefs through his preoccupation with truth and justice in the witch trials. Not only was Giles Corey adamant about justice and other peoples truthfulness in the court, but also he showed that he was an honest man and therefore refused to give an untruthful confession. When Proctor was accused of plowing on Sunday, Giles reminded the court that there were other Christians that do plow on Sunday if the truth be known (91). Giles again offered honest information to the judges, explaining that he had been thirty-three time in court (95). Even if that information made him look bad during his trial, he always felt compelled to tell the truth. Because he had told the truth before and his wife had suffered because of it, Giles refused to speak in court explaining I mentioned my wifes name once and Ill burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute (97). Giles never  lied, but when he realized that the truth could hurt other people, he simply refused to give any information to the authorities. Following his strong convictions and refusing to lie, Giles Corey died a martyr, suffering a slow put painful death not for personal reasons but for justice in his community. The only words Giles Corey spoke when they placed the stones on his body and demanded a confession were More weight, symbolizing his refusal to lie and his intentions to die in the name of truth (135). Goody Proctor noted that he had remained mute and died Christian under the law making him an example in the community and keeping his name clear from guilt so that his children could keep his farm and continue their lives (135). After hearing the news of Giles strong character and martyrdom, John Proctor declared that he had to confess because he could not mount the gibbet like a saint the way Giles had done (136). Proctor revered Giles for his noble deed and was eventually inspired to give up his own life for the people he loved. Sometimes it is necessary to die so that beliefs and morals may live on. As a man of strong principles who refused to give in to the authoritys demands to sacrifice truth for a quick solution, Giles Corey died a martyr. He held strong to his belief in the importance of truth and chose to give no statements over one that could potentially condemn a friend, family member, or himself. He was a model for the people of Salem in that he accepted his punishment so that they could rid themselves of the plagues of a town wide witch hunt. When justice is in danger of dying, a human death often seems the only way to save such a cause.

Les Miserable Essay -- essays research papers

t  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Les Miserables   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Les Miserables is one of the most captivating plays of our lifetime! It grabs the audience and pulls you in head first. You can't take out eyes off of the stage, and even if you can, the music will take your breath away! I have seen the play 3 times and I don't think I enjoy anything in this world more than watching that play!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Les Miserables starts off on a chain gang in France. The sheriff comes out and gives one of the convicts his release papers. This convict is the lead role who name is Jeran Valjean, who has served 19 years on the chain gang for stealing a mouthful of bread. Jean Valjean leaves the prison and sets out to find work. But no one will give him work because of his tattoo which reads 24601, his prison ID number. Then in the time when he couldn't be more down a priest invites Valjean to stay with him. Despite the kind priest taking him in and feeding him, Valjean decides to take the silver from the table. In the run he gets captured be the police. But instead of telling the truth about Valjeans thievery, he gives the criminal more silver and sends the police away. He makes Jean Valjean promise that he will become an honest man with this silver.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next scene in 10 years later set in a factory where we meat the other main character, Fantine. As she is reading a letter her perverted boss snatches it up with his hands and re... Les Miserable Essay -- essays research papers t  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Les Miserables   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Les Miserables is one of the most captivating plays of our lifetime! It grabs the audience and pulls you in head first. You can't take out eyes off of the stage, and even if you can, the music will take your breath away! I have seen the play 3 times and I don't think I enjoy anything in this world more than watching that play!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Les Miserables starts off on a chain gang in France. The sheriff comes out and gives one of the convicts his release papers. This convict is the lead role who name is Jeran Valjean, who has served 19 years on the chain gang for stealing a mouthful of bread. Jean Valjean leaves the prison and sets out to find work. But no one will give him work because of his tattoo which reads 24601, his prison ID number. Then in the time when he couldn't be more down a priest invites Valjean to stay with him. Despite the kind priest taking him in and feeding him, Valjean decides to take the silver from the table. In the run he gets captured be the police. But instead of telling the truth about Valjeans thievery, he gives the criminal more silver and sends the police away. He makes Jean Valjean promise that he will become an honest man with this silver.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next scene in 10 years later set in a factory where we meat the other main character, Fantine. As she is reading a letter her perverted boss snatches it up with his hands and re...

Mind Styles examined in American Psycho

Desires and fears seem so different, yet are at the root of each other. If you say, â€Å"l want to be loved,† it's the same thing as saying â€Å"I'm afraid I won't be loved. † Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier manage to show how similar desire and fear truly are. Wuthering Heights is saturated with desire and fear and the two play off of one another in a way that makes them so homogeneous. Similarly, The Good Soldier draws on the desires of many of the characters and in turn the fears, which encapsulate them.Both Bronte and Ford engage with these deas through the use of character, theme, and in a more generic way narration. Desire is linked most commonly with the romance novel, which is what The Good Soldier and Wuthering heights partially allude to. Many scholars classify Wuthering Heights as a gothic novel, even though the story centers around romance and relationships.. Wuthering Heights engages with the concept of desire from its op ening pages. Bronte uses Lockwood's desire for sociability or what could be looked upon as companionship, as an early device for a theme that is continued throughout the novel.The opening lines show Lockwood's opinion of Heathcliff: .. Mr Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with Jealous resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name. (Bronte, 1847,2000:1) The opening lines of the novel show Lockwood relating his first visit to Wuthering Heights, and his initial meeting with Heathcliff. This extract shows the reader how much Lockwood yearns for companionship.The phrase suitable pair suggests that he and Heathcliff are quite similar. However we the reader know that this is far from the case. Heathcliffs abrupt and dismissive ma nner would be enough to deter any individual for want of his company, but this does not seem to perturb Lockwood. Lockwood continues to pay reverence towards Heathcliff coining him as ‘a capital fellow. Taken in its context this phrase suggests that Heathcliff is a first rate person. We can see that in this lonely secluded moor Lockwood seems to overlook Heathcliffs abhorrent nature in favour of his comradery.If we take the less obvious meaning of ‘capital' we can see that this word applied to Heathcliff is appropriate in the sense of someone who has the desire to acquire capital and Heathcliff is Just that, someone who wants to have money and land. Desires in The Good Soldier are similarly expressed through relationships. At the beginning of Dowell's narration he states: If for nine years I have possessed a goodly apple that is rotten at the core and discover its rottenness only in nine years and six months less four days, isn't it true to say that for nine years I poss essed a goodly apple?Ford, 191 5,2010:29) This quote encapsulates everything that is tlawed witn Dowell Narrating the story in retrospect Dowell is aware of all events that have passed, even if it is only through what he has been told from Edward and Leonora. The fact that Dowell compares the couple's relationship to an apple gives one the impression that it is something that will not last for very long. The shiny nature of an apple is the couples' fapde that Dowell does not wish to destroy.Even after learning of Edward's relationship with Florence he still thinks of him as the English gentleman' and has a high opinion of im throughout his narration. Not only is Dowell's desire that of stasis but also of nostalgia. He does not wish to think of the couples' relationship as rotten but only as it was seen from the outside, unblemished and oblivious. It is ironic that Dowell should describe the couples as ‘ four people with the same tastes, with the same desires' even though they are polar opposites of one another (Ford, 191 5,2010:29) .Dowell is a passionless individual whereas Florence will go to any lengths to obtain her sexual desires. Edward and Florence share the same desire of adultery and social status. It would seem that both Dowell and Leonora have the same desire to help facilitate their partner's secret affairs, although in Dowell's case he is completely unaware of it. Ford uses Dowell's naivety as a tool for his desire for things to remain as they are. In Wuthering Heights Bronte uses characterisation to build a foundation for a complex array of desires.According to Phillip Hill â€Å"Desire is marked by the use of language and signifiers, and is a ‘lack for something that is missing: the object of desire† (Hill, 1997:65). Bronte uses Cathys desire for Heathcliff as one of the main focal points of Nellys narrative. Cathys demand is to return to her childhood relationship with Heathcliff. Out of this comes her desire to be with Heath cliff. She states ‘ he shall never know how I love him†¦ because he is more myself than I am Once a desire is obtained then it is no longer remains the object of desire; another object will become substituted in its place

The 22nd Amendment Sets Presidential Term Limits

The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes term limits for persons elected to the office of President of the United States. It also sets additional eligibility conditions for presidents, who after assuming the office through succession, serve out the unexpired terms of their predecessors. Under the 22nd Amendment, no person may be elected president more than twice and no person who has already served or acted as president for more than two years of an unexpired term may be elected president more than once. The joint resolution proposing the 22nd Amendment was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification on March 24, 1947. The 22nd Amendment was ratified by the required 36 of the then-48 states on February 27, 1951. Section 1 of the 22nd Amendment states: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term. History of the 22nd Amendment Before the adoption of the 22nd Amendment, there was no statutory limit on the number of terms a president could serve. The Constitution merely stated that the president’s term in office lasted four years. The Founding Fathers had believed that the shifting political views of the people and the Electoral College process would prevent third presidential terms. After George Washington and Thomas Jefferson chose to limit their presidencies to two terms, the two-term limit became a respected tradition—sort an unwritten rule. The two-term tradition held sway until 1940 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt chose to run for a third term. With the nation facing the Great Depression followed closely by World War II, Roosevelt was elected to not only a third but a fourth term, serving a total of 12 years in office before his death in 1945. While FDR was the only president to be elected to a third term, he was not the first to try. Both Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt had run unsuccessfully for third terms. In the 1946 midterm elections, just 18 months after Democrat FDR had died in office, many Republican candidates made limiting presidential tenure a large part of their campaign platforms. In the election, Republicans succeeded in winning control of both the House and Senate and immediately pushed the 22nd Amendment establishing presidential term limits to the top of the legislative agenda when the 80th Congress convened in January 1947. In less than one month—on February 6, 1947—the House of Representatives, with the support of 47 Democrats, passed a joint resolution proposing the 22nd Amendment by a vote of 285-121. After resolving differences with the House’s version, the Senate passed the amended joint resolution on March 12, 1947, by a vote of 59–23, with 16 Democrats voting in favor. The 22nd Amendment imposing presidential term limits was submitted to the states for ratification on March 24, 1947. Three years and 343 days later, on February 27, 1951, the 22nd Amendment was fully ratified and incorporated into the Constitution. The Constitution’s Framers and Presidential Term Limits The Constitution’s Framers had little to go on as they debated how long the president should be allowed to hold office. The Constitution’s predecessor, the Articles of Confederation, provided for no such office, granting Congress both legislative and executive powers instead. Their only other example of a supreme national executive—the King of England—against whom they had just revolted, was a troubling model. Some of the Framers, including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, argued that presidents should serve for life and be appointed by Congress, rather than elected by the people. Of course, that sounded far to â€Å"kinglike† for others, like Virginia’s George Mason, who said it would make the American presidency an â€Å"elective monarchy.† Surprisingly, however, when Hamilton and Madison’s proposal for lifelong, appointed presidents came to a vote, it failed by only two votes.  Ã‚   With the â€Å"presidents-for-life† option off the table, the Framers debated whether presidents could be re-elected or be term-limited. Most of them opposed term limits, arguing for presidents who would be elected by Congress and could run for re-election an unlimited number of times. But that, warned Gouverneur Morris, would tempt incumbent presidents to make corrupt, secret deals with Congress in order to get re-elected. That argument led the Framers to adopt Article II of the Constitution with its complicated and still controversial Electoral College method of electing presidents with no term limits. Since the 22nd Amendment amended Article II in 1951, some politicians and constitutional scholars have argued that desperate circumstances, like the Great Depression and World War II faced by Franklin Roosevelt, warranted unlimited presidential terms. Indeed, some two-term presidents of both parties, including Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, lamented their constitutional inability to run for third terms. 22nd Amendment Key Takeaways The 22nd Amendment establishes term limits for the President of the United StatesUnder the 22nd Amendment, no person may be elected President of the United States more than twice.The 22nd Amendment was approved by Congress on March 24, 1947, and ratified by the states on February 27, 1951. References Neale, Thomas H. (October 19, 2009). â€Å"Presidential Terms and Tenure: Perspectives and Proposals for Change.† Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress.Buckley, F. H.; Metzger, Gillian. â€Å".†Twenty-second Amendment The National Constitution Center.Peabody, Bruce. .†Presidential Term Limit The Heritage Foundation. Updated by Robert Longley