Dreaming the Dream in The Great Gatsby, and Of Mice and Men

The American Dream has long been thought the pinnacle idea of American society. The idea that anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, or financial status, could rise from the depths and become anything they wanted to be with no more than hard work and determination has attracted people from all around the world. Two writers from America’s past, however, have a different opinion on the once-great American Dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck have given the public their beliefs on the modern Dream through the novels they have written, The Great Gatsby, and Of Mice and Men, respectively. One novel placed during the Great Depression and the other during the Roaring Twenties both illustrate how their author feels about the Dream†¦show more content†¦In a different, yet similar way, Steinbeck also uses irony to illustrate the American Dream. He too shows the problems of the Dream with his use of the literary device. â€Å"Before George answered, Candy dropped his h ead and looked down at the hay. He knew. George said softly, â€Å"- I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.† (Steinbeck, 94) After so much work and pain, George and Candy realize that their dream has been a lost cause. While kind, Lennie’s mistakes have ended their goal of purchasing their own land and having a better life. George still has a chance of attaining his goal, but it has been severely injured. In the honest efforts of George, Lennie, and Candy, Steinbeck presents some form of flaw in the American Dream with his use of the brutal irony that is the downfall of the trio’s dream. Both authors have an apparent detestation towards what the American Dream has become in their time, and irony proves to be an outstanding apparatus to capture their thoughts. The settings of both novels also help the reader observe the authors’ perspective of the faltering American Dream. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck places the events of his novel in California during the Great Depression; years after the events of Fitzgerald’sShow MoreRelated The American Dream in Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, Two Kinds, and Sophistication1537 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream in Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Two Kinds writer by Amy Tan, and in â€Å"Sophistication† by Sherwood Anderson. Working hard is the key to success. This struggle for success is most commonly called the â€Å"American Dream.† The aspect of the American Dream has been around forever and is often the underlying theme in many pieces of American literature. The theme of the American is especially presented in Of Mice and Men written by JohnRead MoreThe American Dream : A Concept Known By All1465 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream The American Dream: a concept known by all, but deciphered distinctly throughout time. Coined by historian James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America, the term American Dream was explained as the dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone . . . (214). People immigrated to America from all over the world in order to enhance their circumstances and eventually achieve this idealistic vision. However, realism has shatteredRead MoreObstacles Affecting American Dreams By William Faulkner2107 Words   |  9 PagesObstacles Affecting American Dreams Throughout the world, people have to strive for a better life. Not many of them acquire the life that they want. The reality of society affects their desire toward dreams. But not every dream are the same and can come true. There are times when something hard or even unexpected occurs, everything that they have been worked for can halt. In the story A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner, he uses imagery of a daughter with a dream of obtaining true love to describeRead MoreEssay about Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck3008 Words   |  13 PagesOf Mice and Men By John Steinbeck 1. How significant is the theme of loneliness in Of Mice and Men? 2. To what extent is it correct that The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman and Of Mice and Men explore important, but different aspects of ‘The American Dream’? 3. What is the importance of dreams and dreaming to the success of Of Mice and Men? A. Background Information Describe the historical background to the novel i.e. the USA in the mid/late 1930’s The USA of theRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1914 Words   |  8 Pages†©his†© or †©her †©back†© on †©all†© that †©has †©been †©worked †©for? †©In†© an†© American†© society,†© there†© is†© an†© idea†© of†© a†© dream.†© Most†© people†© have†© dreams†© that†© differ †©from †©one†© another. †©Dreams†© are †©not †©limited †©only †©to †©society. †©Countless †©numbers†© of†© times†© in†© American†© literature,†© there†© are†© moments†© when†© an†© obstacle†© slows†© or†© possibly†© halts†© progression.†© Dreams†© can†© also†© be†© found†© in†© American†© literature;†© however,†© like†© the†© reality†© of†© society,†© barrie rs†© can†© be†© a†© component

What Is It Like to Be a Bat by Thomas Nagel - 1343 Words

In â€Å"What is it like to be a bat?† Thomas Nagel argues that physicalism cannot possibly account for consciousness and quaila, or qualitative states. The objection in his article is target the flaws of both functionalism and physicalism with emphasis on the importance of consciousness and its subjective nature. In this paper, I will argue on Nagel’s argument but also focus on how a functionalist can respond to his objection. To explain what physicalism or functionalism stand for in philosophy, I will introduce an idea of mind-body problem first. The mind-body problem concerns with the relationship between the mind and the body, questioning how mind and brain are related. It is a mental description examining how each relate and interconnect. From this, many beliefs or solutions have formed, including a monism, a belief that mind and body are the same and not separate substances. Physicalism is a version of monism. The physicalists claim that the mind is ultimately something physical. In their belief, the nature of the whole world, including behavior and brain states, are physical. This means that behavior is something that you can measure, compare, or touch like an actual physical object. Every aspect of mind that is analyzable in means of physical senses are physical according to physicalism. Functionalism in philosophy defines mental states as internal states, individualized and differentiated in terms of different functional roles. It defines mental states in terms of theShow MoreRelatedThomas Nagel : A Summary And Critical Assessment1613 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Nagel: What Is It Like To Be a Bat?: A Summary and Critical Assessment Author: Daniella Soleimani Turnitin ID: 483308362 PHL 611 Philosophy of Mind Section 1 David Checkland Final Essay Friday, November 28th 2014 Common mistake that is often made is presuming the works of something or someone else’s consciousness. In fact, it is impossible to understand someone or something else’s consciousness without being them. In What Is It Like to Be a Bat, Thomas Nagel draws hisRead MoreThomas Nagel - How Is It Like to Be a Bat? Essays888 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Nagel (1981) – How is it like to be a bat? Why does consciousness make the mind-body problem really intractable according to Thomas Nagel? In his text â€Å"What is it like to be a bat?† of 1974 Thomas Nagel claims that consciousness is the barrier that makes the mind-body problem unique and so hard. He states that consciousness is rarely addressed by reductionists. Because there is no really persuading reduction available, implausible accounts of the mental have been developed to help Read MoreWhat is Physicalism?803 Words   |  3 Pagesthe body: a physical entity. Thomas Nagel is a philosopher concerned with consciousness and the mind-body problem. Nagel states that consciousness is overlooked from the physicalist standpoint of understanding the mind. Thomas Nagel believes that the inability to imagine what it is like to be a bat is a problem for physicalism. The human mind is capable of understanding what it would be like as a bat, but is incapable of thinking how a bat experiences being a bat. Nagel discusses the idea of subjectiveRead MoreThe Bats, the Blind, and the Butterflies Essay859 Words   |  4 Pagesdescribe the â€Å"mind-body problem.† In the article, â€Å"What Is It Like to Be a Bat?† author Thomas Nagel provides his own view on the mind-body problem. He begins by stating that consciousness is the reason why the mind-body problem is so controversial and difficult to solve. The reductionist (i.e. materialist) believes that every human’s mental states are simply the results of the physical components and chemical reactions of the brain. Nagel claims that every reductionist has a favorite analogyRead MoreThe Mind Body Problem : Nagel s Theory Of Phenomenal Consciousness834 Words   |  4 Pages We have all wondered and asked ourselves what it would be like to be something other than yourself. However, some experiences are just completely beyond human understanding. Thomas Nagel, in â€Å"What is it like to be a Bat? †, explains the importance of consciousness as well as the subjective character of experience by using multiple examples, defining this phenomenon of consciousness arguing that it is an essential part of the mind-body problem. This exegesis will be concentrated on exploring Nagel’sRead MoreThomas Nagel And Frank Jackson Do Not1006 Words   |  5 Pagesphilosophers divided in between the two. Philosophers Thomas Nagel and Frank Jackson do not. Both philosophers have found problems with physicalism that seem to make the theory less sound. However, functionlists who are physicalists can argue back in objection to Nagel’s proposal to make the physicalists approach more sound. Thomas Nagel believes that physicalism has a problem because it does not account for consciousness. He uses the concept of â€Å"what it is like† to show how the idea of physicalism has aRead MoreUnderstanding The Mind Body Concept1674 Words   |  7 Pagesfor giving one’s attention. Thomas Negal on the other hand, finds the problem rather interesting. Negal’s â€Å"What Is It Like to Be a Bat?† proposes a number of arguments, one of them which states that the subjective approach to the mind-body problem should be abandoned for a more objective approach (Nagel 1974, pp. 436). The purpose of this essay is to show that Negal’s arguments are sufficient in describing whether it is indeed possible to know what it is like to be a bat, portraying his arguments inRead MoreThe Mind Body Problem, By Thomas Nagel1352 Words   |  6 PagesConsciousness, Thomas Nagel states, â€Å"is what makes the mind-body problem really intractable.† Here he refers particularly to phenomenal consciousness, which Block defines as â€Å"perceptual experiences,† and Nagel describes as â€Å"something that it is to be.’ This experiential element appears to present a challenge to the physicalist assertion that all mental processes are explicable in terms of physical brain states, biochemical reactions and the laws of physics. Frank Jackson presents this argumentRead MoreWhat Does It Be A Bat?1570 Words   |  7 PagesAs stated by Thomas Nagel in his paper â€Å"What Is It Like to Be a Bat?† consciousness is what makes the mind-body problem really intractable (Reference). By this, he means that the relationships between the subject mind and the objective physical body are difficult to control or to deal with. Nagel states that without consciousness the problem seems less interesting, and with it, it seems impossible (Reference). Reduction has been a common method to attempt to link the relationship between the mindRead More The Mind Brain Identity Theory1689 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"considerable blow† to the Mind-Brain Identity Theory—a theory developed by J.C.C Smart—in which he [Putnam] stated â€Å"mental states are multiply realizable.† His argument is driven by functionalism. His functionalist account of mental states like pain differs from what is explained by the Mind-Brain Identity Theory. In turn, he also avoids the issue of multiple realizability, an issue that was proven to be problematic for the Identity Theory. This leads into John Searle s argument against Strong Artificial

Awakening By Kate Chopin Focus Essay Example For Students

Awakening By Kate Chopin Focus Essay Kate Chopins novel The Awakening relates the emotion-driven story of EdnaPontellier. Her story is a happy one. Not because of some typical fairy taleending where they all live happily ever after, but in that she accomplished hergoal in life. She never sacrificed herself for her children. (p. 115) Edna Pontellier remained an individual. The music that was brought to herby Mademoiselle Reisz stirred up a deeper meaning in Ednas life. This is thepoint at which she feels her new being forming. In the end, not only did sherealized that her new life had no place in this world, but that she would behappier in the sea, where there were no restrictions placed on her and thepossibilities could be endless. She achieved her goal of being a free spiritthrough her death. Both Robert and Edna are in love with each other, and bothknow that with the societal constraints that a romance could never be possible. Still with the combination of Mademoiselle Reiszs music and a newfound lovefor Robert, Edna starts the Awakening. An amazing transformationtakes place in Edna throughout the course of a few months. The people with whomshe interacts and the culture in which she is submersed play a significant rolein her awakening. Edna is able to break away from the restrainingworld of Adele and Leonce in which she will never find her place. Stirred by themagic and intrigue of Mademoiselle Reiszs world, she finds the strength toreach for that which is real for her, and she allows her true being to shine. ToMrs. Pontellier, the children appeared before her like antagonists who hadovercome her; who had overpowered her into the souls slavery for the rest ofher days. This is the complete opposite of what she wanted herrelationship with her children to be. She was willing to do anything for herchildren, except give her self up for them. Her individuality was preservedduring her life by her separations from her family. Edna bought the house aroundthe corner in order to go and be away from her children and paint. Towards theend of her life, Edna realizes that she is becoming consumed by her family. Theyare taking over her soul. But she knew a way to elude them. (p. 115)Her actions around her suicide greatly symbolize everything she hopes to achievein her life, and finally found in her death. As she walked down to the beach forthe last time she put on her bathing suit. When she arrived at the shore,she cast the unpleasant, pricking garments from her. That symbolizedthe shedding of her unpleasant and pricking life. For the first time in her life she stood naked in the open air.(p.115) She was on her way to being free. She felt like a new-borncreature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known.(p.115) Mrs. Pontellier had never known spiritual freedom. This was her releasefrom a controlling world. As she swam towards eternity, Edna thought of a lot ofthings. She thought of her children and husband. She knew then that theyneed not have thought that they could posses her, body and soul. Edna knewthat suicide was her only way of completely liberating her soul. Edna Pontellierunderwent a spiritual awakening. It was achieved through the endless physicalsleep of death. In the case of The Awakening, the title itself relates thecentral idea of the novel. Ednas spiritual awakening is significant becauseeverything else in the work is working towards that goal. Edna cannot haveanything she desires in this world, and therefore removed herself from it in afinal awakening of her soul.

WaterForPeople.org Tech Award Application

Lack of drinking water and water sanitation issues plague most third world countries. Sanitation related diseases and deaths is the number one threat to survival. The current conditions provide little or no regard to the long-term use of the land and the direct effects of dumping human waste in to the water table.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on WaterForPeople.org Tech Award Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Water for People uses current land surveying technology to map the lands available, viable water sources and create routing systems for drinking and sanitation to create long-term solutions for the residents. Water for People employs digital land surveying technology in addition to modern plumbing techniques to find viable sources of water and create irrigation for drinking and sanitation systems. Using a system called FLOW and android cell phone, Google earth mapping is used to monitor th e systems. They are able to gather data to see what is working, what is in disrepair, and what needs to be changed for optimal efficiency. Water for people uses community members, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, partners, staff, and World Water Corp volunteers to implement these systems in to the areas of need. Earlier on, Water for People tried to take on all the areas of need on a global basis, they quickly found themselves overwhelmed and the quality of the solution was not up to par. Water for People has now committed to taking on smaller areas of need in specific regions with a 10-year follow up plan. By concentrating their efforts in selected areas at one time, they are able to implement a long-term solution that is truly effective. The target market for this project of Water for People Involves people in regions where water is scarce and where the water used for drinking is not safe or even clean. This involves some regions of Asia like India, some regions of Africa su ch as Uganda and Rwanda, Central American countries such as Guatemala and Honduras, and some regions of South America such as Peru and Ecuador. In all these regions, there is no access to clean water and without the necessary help through such schemes, people would suffer from various infections and diseases. The FLOW is used as an efficient and effective tool for examining the status of the projects on water. This is however done in a technological manner using the Android technology via a cell phone, Global Positioning System and through the Software called Google Earth.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through the FLOW, the parties to the project, which include partners and workers, are able to collect information on the various water points. Then through such information, a project’s progress, that is whether it has failed or succeeded, or is ongoing, wrec ked or even requires repair, can be monitored through a worldwide map. FLOW has had several advantages as a technological tool in monitoring of water and sanitation projects. The information received through the FLOW can be used to come up with decisions on programming. Through FLOW, it is easier to supervise and check on the progress of the various water projects. FLOW also helps by identifying the advancement in the projects, the overall accomplishments of the projects and its major challenges1. Another advantage of FLOW is that data collection and gathering is simple and fast, and the information can be shared by a group of people and still be easily understood. With this technology, projects can be tracked and the efficiency process enhanced as instant reports on whether a project has failed or passed or requires repair are given immediately. This is not the case had the project’s progress was been checked by persons or supervisors who can lie on the progress. FLOW is the refore an efficient project management tool. FLOW should be awarded the Tech Award due to its applicability in helping to solve the issue of water and sanitation among individuals in regions such as Africa, South America, and Asia among others. The issue of water is one that is very pressing in some regions of the world and any efforts whether short term or long term like FLOW, should be recognized, and awarded accordingly. This therefore means that FLOW has helped to improve the health of individuals who are now protected from diseases that are caused due to lack of or taking dirty water. FLOW should also be awarded for its contribution in solving this global issue of water and sanitation. This issue of water may look like it is a minor issue but due to the importance of water to human life and to all natural habitats, the issue is one that is of global concern.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on WaterForPeople.org Tech Award Application specifically fo r you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More FLOW is an innovation that still has room for more improvement in terms of the modern technology and therefore meets the Tech Award criteria. The advantages portrayed by application of this technology are also many and thus FLOW should be awarded for its usage of the modern technology, android technology. The business model innovations for the FLOW project include the ease of project monitoring, and the use of the Google Earth to facilitate easier passing of data immediately as it is happening. The employment of the latest technology, android, in doing business is also a business model innovation. All these have benefits to the project apart from boosting and enhancing the image of the company through the technology. Often, many projects are started in Africa, Asia and other countries that are in dire need of clean water. What then happens is that those who are left with the responsibility of monitoring the progress of the projects, or to deal with the finances of the project escape their responsibilities and instead sue the money for their own personal gains. This is because those who are left with such responsibilities may not be in need of the water services and so may not be passionate about what those who are at ground level go through without having water or walking for long distances to look for water. Therefore, there have been massive failures of water and sanitation projects in areas such as Africa due to this embezzlement of funds by the leaders of such projects, which has seen many projects, fail and even the donors to such projects withdraw from offering help. The FLOW project is therefore one that can help overcome these problems since one can see the project’s progress technologically without having to receive false information from the project supervisors who sometimes lie about the progress. This technological innovation is therefore very effective and efficient2. The ma jor constraints and conditions that surround the implementation of this project are that the project requires adequate and unlimited internet access to be able to apply the android technology and Google Earth Software. This is because in order to be able to utilize these two, internet access must be there and it must be consistent. This means that FLOW cannot go on without internet access, as it is dependent on it. Another issue that can be cited as a constraint to this project is that it is quite expensive to run, but at least worthy for the purpose to be achieved3.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The most likely thing about the founders of this project regarding other innovation approaches is that if in the future they would want to carry out another project, they will still employ technology that is much more advanced. This is following the success and the efficiency brought about by the usage of the android technology. Even if they are not satisfied with the level of progress and the contribution of the android technology in implementing the FLOW project, I still think that a next attempt to come up with an innovation would still require modern technology, as the benefits that come with it are many. The demographic features of the target market for the FLOW project include; a very large population that comprises of women and children who suffer a lot to walk for long distances in search of water. This is mostly done by women and children irrespective of their age whether too old or too young. Another feature is that the areas have very harsh climates, which are characteriz ed by lack of rainfall. The populations are also very poor with small pieces of land, and lack employment opportunities. The distances between their homes and the sources of water are often very large and therefore the people walk for long distances in search of this important commodity. The psychographic features of the target market include very poor lifestyles. This is because the populations are generally poor and even lack most of the necessities of life. They therefore can just be considered as poor people who often receive relief food from donors around the world4. Another attribute of psychographics is personality, and although one cannot quite state the personality of everyone, the general personality of such a population is that they are peaceful people who perceive life as unfair and who think that they cannot make it in life without help from others either through food or water. Generally, such a population comprises of people who are desperate for help, and who in most cases, do nothing about their situation unless a third party comes in. Such people have embraced the practice of begging for help from others and believe that without it they cannot live well 5.Lack of education is also another major challenge faced by people of such populations as many of them have never gone to a classroom and do not know the value of it. Some even perceive it as a waste of money. The FLOW project utilizes the android technology as it primary source of the innovation. With the growing challenges faced by the android technology, FLOW may end up being affected in the long term due to the current increase in the android malware. It may take sometime after the project has succeeded or even affect the completion of the project. This means that there is some level of uncertainty regarding the usage of android technology since it is a new technology, which many software developers and technology experts are trying to face out. For the innovation to become a success, seve ral challenges will face it. This includes high costs of internet, hiring of experts to organize and make the project a success, and high legal costs for the innovation to be branded as a new one. Despite all these challenges, it is important to carry on with the innovation as it one that will reach out too many poor people and thus will be awarded in the Tech Awards Ceremony. Works Cited Grant, Allen. Beginning Android 4. New York: Springer, 2012. Print. Hammond, Allen, Koch James, and Noguera, Francisco. â€Å"The Need for Safe Water as a Market Opportunity,† Innovations—Technology, Governance, and Globalization, 4.3 (2009): 107-117. Print. Hart, Stuart, and Clayton, Christensen. â€Å"The Great Leap: Driving Innovation from the Base of the Pyramid,† MIT Sloan Management Review, 44.1 (2002): 51-56. Print. Koch, James. â€Å"Breaking Down Barriers to a More Equitable and Prosperous World,† STS Nexus, 8.1 (2007): 8-15. Print. Koch, James, and Thomas, Cara donna, â€Å"Technologies and Business Models that Work in Developing Countries.† International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD 2006), University of California, Berkeley, 2006. Print. Footnotes 1 Koch, James. â€Å"Breaking Down Barriers to a More Equitable and Prosperous World,† STS Nexus, 8.1 (2007): 8-15. Print. 2 Hart, Stuart, and Clayton, Christensen. â€Å"The Great Leap: Driving Innovation from the Base of the Pyramid,† MIT Sloan Management Review, 44.1 (2002): 51-56. Print. 3 Hammond, Allen, Koch James, and Noguera, Francisco. â€Å"The Need for Safe Water as a Market Opportunity,† Innovations—Technology, Governance, and Globalization, 4.3 (2009): 107-117. Print. 4 Grant, Allen. Beginning Android 4. New York: Springer, 2012. Print. 5 Koch, James, and Thomas, Caradonna, â€Å"Technologies and Business Models that Work in Developing Countries.† International Conference on Information and C ommunication Technologies and Development (ICTD 2006), University of California, Berkeley, 2006. Print. This research paper on WaterForPeople.org Tech Award Application was written and submitted by user Geraldine Flynn to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.