Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic Poem of Gilgamesh Essay -- Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic Poem of Gilgamesh In this paper, I seek to explore the identities and relationships between Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the epic poem of Gilgamesh, up through Enkidu’s death. I will explore the gender identity of each independently and then in relation to each other, and how their gender identity influences that relationship. I will also explore other aspects of their identity and how they came to their identities as well, through theories such as social conditioning. I will investigate the possibility that Gilgamesh and Enkidu enjoy a homosexual relationship, since modern times allow such investigations which only 20 years ago were considered extemporaneous to ancient texts by traditions western conventions. Conversely, I will also consider the possibility of a heterosexual male-male relationship in the terms of Platonic love. In addition to this, I will touch briefly at times on the unique relationship each has to a world that is caught up in a change from nature and natural things to what we cal l a civilized life, or an urban life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the epic poem Gilgamesh, the main character Gilgamesh is conveyed as a generally immoral human, his genesis mythically coming from the gods. â€Å"Two thirds they made him god and one third man.† (19, Norton; â€Å"Gilgamesh†). He also is said to have a perfect body, which is a trait of godliness in many ancient cultures. â€Å"When the gods created Gilgamesh they gave him a perfect body.† (18, Norton; â€Å"Gilgamesh). Here again it is obvious that the myth says Gilgamesh is from the same stuff as the gods. He is known for taking whatever he desires â€Å"His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warriors daughter or the wife’s noble.† (19, Norton; â€Å"Gilgamesh†). He has the arrogance and audacity to simply take anything that he considers in his kingdom. Clearly, at least early on in the story, the actions of Gilgamesh mirror that of his mythical genealogy from the gods, who live by a dif ferent moral code than that of civilized humans. At the same time however, Gilgamesh is certainly portrayed in the story as magnificent and capable of incredible things, such as the building of the walls and Rampart in Uruk. â€Å"Climb upon the wall of Uruk; walk along it, I say; regard the foundation terrace and examine the masonry: is it not burnt brick and good?† (19, Norton; Gilgamesh). So at the ... ...ith the fact that it seems death simply can not be escaped. This helps to change Gilgamesh a great deal, and in fact it is after this that Gilgamesh begins to change his way and is truly a â€Å"shepherd of the people.† In the end, Gilgamesh veils Enkidu like a woman (35, Norton: â€Å"Gilgamesh†). In fact, the text describes this as being veiled like a bride in this translation. So once again, even in death, it seems that Enkidu and Gilgamesh have moved to a very close and personal relationship with each other, which is certainly Platonic in nature, and even possibly sexually oriented in some way or another. In the end, it is unavoidable that in some way each is affected by the other, either to serve or remember the other and to be the fulfillment of each other. Works Cited Uknown Author. â€Å"Gilgamesh.† In The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Western Tradition, Seventh Edition, Volume 1. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1999. 18-35. Doty, William G. Myths of Masculinity. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1993. 73-78. Sayers, Janet. Sexual Contradictions. New York: Tavistock Publications Ltd., 1986. 23-34.

Brave New World and Blade Runner: Concern for humanity and its relationship with the natural world

Welcome to the second session of the â€Å"Reach to the Future† student conservation conference. The ethical issues reflected in this graphic are representations of humanity's interaction with nature in two futuristic literary creations; novel â€Å"Brave New World,† by Aldous Huxley, 1932, and film â€Å"Bladerunner: The Director's Cut† directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1992, a decade after its original. It has been in my experience in my post-graduate study of ethics and nature in futuristic texts, that many composers expose technological advancement and economic pressure as origins of environmental degradation. However, Huxley and Scott expand this concept, creating imaginary worlds where technology has also caused a loss of humanity and change in ethical standards. But are the concerns of these worlds purely imaginative? Or have Huxley and Scott simply analysed the advancement of technology and consumerism in their own contexts, in order to create a future world that is dehumanised and unnatural? Consider our context Year 12, and welcome to the future. By deliberately contrasting the setting of the ‘conventional' world state, to the ‘wild' Malpais, Huxley challenges the humanity's value in a genetically engineered world. In Chapter One, we are oriented to the technologically ‘perfect' world state of â€Å"Community. Identity. Stability (BNW, pg. 1) ,† 632 A. F. Imagery like â€Å"Cold for all the summer beyond the panes (BNW, pg. 1),† helps to describe a world that is natural to its inhabitants, but ethically disfigured for readers. However when Bernard and Lenina enter the Malpais in Chapter Seven, we adjust to a world that is similar to ours, yet is deemed â€Å"Queer (BNW, pg. 96)† by Lenina, a product of the genetically engineered World State. A birds eye view, accompanied with sensory imagery of sound, â€Å"rhythm of †¦ heart, (BNW, Pg. 96)† and touch, â€Å"eagle flew †¦ blew chill on their faces, (BNW, Pg. 96)† produces the contrast that enables Huxley to express that science and stability occur at the expense of humanity. This concern was evoked by his father's work in science, and also the 1930's Victorian view that science was developing at the same rate as humanity, later encapsulated in Orwell's novel â€Å"1984. To illustrate the erroneous nature of the contextual view, Huxley presented ethics and a connection with nature in a human, but diseased land that has been marginalised due to global advancement. In our context, scientific advancement at the expense of humanity is questioned in creating ‘designer babies' through IVF. Our ethics, and connection with natural practises are queried when numerous embryos are disposed of in the process of creating one ‘perfect' human. It seems much too like the marginalisation of the Malpais and nature to create a ‘perfect' society in the World State of BNW. Similarly, a contrast of scenes is used in Bladerunner to illustrate Scott's concern that consumerism is a primary cause of inequality in humanity and nature. The atmospheric setting in the opening montage illustrates a pervading darkness, with fearful synthetic sounds and a high camera angle zooming down onto the streets of fiery urban decay titled â€Å"Hades, Los Angeles, 2019. † The bird's eye view, like in BNW presents a dystopic vision, soon contrasted when Deckard visits Rachael at the Tyrell Corporation building. As Deckard's lift ascends, the camera scales the building from a slight angle of depression. The rain and lack of natural light is replaced with a golden glow, and once inside, musical director Vangelis ensures a soundtrack shift to peaceful wind chimes which successfully juxtapose the tranquillity of the corporate elite to the dystopic array of the cityscape. Globalisation, a 1980's contextual fear is expressed through setting as the essence of the destruction of humanity and nature in BR. The ‘little people' in Bladerunner, live with the pollution and unequal spread of resources that globalisation has caused. Similar is our own context, as due to economic globalisation more than half of the female population in Latin America live below the poverty line1. Advanced behavioural conditioning for economic capacity occurs in the World State of BNW, regardless of its effects on nature and humanity, which is another of Huxley's contextual concerns. After learning of ‘hypnopaedia' and the ‘neo-Pavlovian' conditioning of children to ensure an association of pain with nature, the structured juxtaposition of two conversations in Chapter Three further explains Huxley's concern. In Chapter Three, the hypnopaedia of the conditioning centre â€Å"I do love flying†¦ new clothes,(BNW, pg. 43)† is reiterated in Huxley's narration, â€Å"The voices were adapting †¦ future industrial supply (BNW, pg. 43). † This is further expressed in Mond's teachings in the garden as he states â€Å"under production†¦ a crime against society. (BNW, pg. 46)† Through structure, Huxley's concern that manufactured goods are deterring humanity's interaction with nature is unequivocal. Contextually, Huxley is criticizing the era of Fordism and the loss of values experienced in post WW1. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, initiated an era of mass production of goods in the 1920s, advancing society's consumerism. Ford and economists grasped the level of spiritual emptiness apparent after WW1 and suggested purchase as a method of relief. Huxley witnessed human behaviour change as the appreciation of nature was noted as disadvantageous for industry. Huxley's concern advanced to Scott's era as well as our own where globalisation and mass production are the basis of our economy. Furthermore, our current level of technology allows many to live without human interaction, and much human behaviour involves expenditure, not the conservation of nature. Like structure in BNW, Symbolism works in Bladerunner in illustrating behavioural conditioning as detrimental to human behaviour, a concern that continued from Huxley's era to the 1980's. In the opening sequence, a long camera shot places our focus on a symbol of consumerism, epitomised by the ‘geisha' Asian woman ‘pill popping' on an animated billboard. When considering BR's setting, the continual reappearance and placement of the billboard on a skyscraper, Scott typifies consumerism as holding precedence over nature and humanity in Los Angeles, 2019. This consumerism symbolises the rise of the Asian trans-national corporations of the 1980s which was feared as an economic form of communism. The world was constantly reminded of the benefits of purchasing yet was rarely informed about the state of the environment which led to the considerable level of environmental degradation, including acid rain. Today, most developed countries have signed treaties regarding the environment. For example, the ‘UN Kyoto Protocol' urges all developed countries to reduce their Greenhouse Emissions by 5% every five years starting from the year 2008. However, the lack of ratification of this treaty, our material world, and the inescapable nature of advertising are still threats to our environment and also to the natural behaviour of human beings in the year 2004. Each character in BNW has a definite purpose in exploring Huxley's warning about humanity's detachment from the natural world. However, Mustapha Mond further explores Huxley's notion by also articulating the loss of humanity's values in a scientifically advanced setting. Mond is the mouthpiece of the World State, devoid of human values and thus his expressive dialogue and mannerisms clinically justify a society where everything can be standardised, mass produced and therefore stabilised. In Chapter Three, Mond talks with the students about families and the plight that emotional freedom caused in times before ‘Our Ford. Mond devalues emotion as â€Å"reeking (BNW, pg. 35),†and describes natural reproduction, families and monogamy in language â€Å"so vivid†¦ one boy†¦ at the point of being sick. (BNW, pg 32)† Dismissive nonetheless, Mond is merely encapsulating the change in human behaviour that scientific advancement has caused, and therefore communicating Huxley's concern. As Huxley toured Europe before completing BNW, Mond is modelled on post WW1 dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini. His personality also portrays the loss of values and spiritual emptiness experienced by many people in post WW1. In BR, Deckard is devoid of human values like Mond but unlike ‘John the Savage' from BNW, it is a replicant with no connection with nature, who exerts human values in Bladerunner. The rise of robotics in the 1980's influenced the character of Batty, and also Deckard. Batty exemplifies the ‘human robot' that science dreamed of in the 1980's, whereas, Deckard symbolises the loss of humanity that ethicists feared because of robotics. Roy Batty's â€Å"more human than human† genetic disposition allows him to exert intelligence, evident in his quotations of Blake â€Å"fiery the angels fell†¦ their shoulders roared,† and to exert physical duress, but only in the course of his four year life span. In the last scenes of the film, Batty's heightened self awareness and desire for emotion and life surpass his genetic limitations casting him as a Christ figure and also a fallen angel as he looks fruitlessly to his creator for a sense of meaning. With his final words, â€Å"Memories †¦ ost like tears in the rain,† Roy is cast as a tragic hero, and allows Scott to illustrate that when there is no longer an environment to exploit, like in the world in LA, 2019, those who possess desirable qualities will be oppressed, this ultimately leaving the world more inhumane. In our context, the empathy we feel for Batty, questions our ethics, asking what makes us human. Huxley skilfully satirises the social construct of the 1930's using ‘Soma' to express his concern for the conditioning of humanity against nature. The World State in London is a strangely benevolent dictatorship through Mond, where all aspects of an individual's life are determined and controlled by the state in the name of, â€Å"Community. Identity. Stability (BNW, pg. 1). † Another way to ensure stability is the encouraged use of the mind-numbing drug ‘Soma'. In the Malpais, Chapter Nine, Lenina â€Å"embarked for lunar eternity(BNW, pg. 127) † on an eighteen hour soma holiday to escape the reality of nature and humanity. ‘Soma' satirises the post WW1 regimes of Totalitarianism throughout Europe. The doctrine of Totalitarianism denied people intellectual stimulation, freedom of thought and a relationship with nature. Huxley introduces ‘Soma' to show a future world where the denial of a relationship with nature can be self induced. In BR's 1980's context, severe industrial pollution and urbanisation resulted in the detachment of people from nature In 2004, though Totalitarianism is a violation of basic human rights, many people choose to deny themselves' a qualitative relationship with nature by choosing to live in environmentally isolated, but grossly populated urban areas. The use of contextual irony in Bladerunner is contrasting to the use of satire in BNW as Scott's irony questions the ethical behaviour of humanity regarding technology. In the 1980's, robotics and computers were the result of technological advance, and robots were promised to take the place of humans in the workforce. In Bladerunner, Ridley Scott epitomises technology and humanity through the Nexus-6 Replicants, who are â€Å"more human than human† Human beings in Bladerunner live as second class citizens in desolate, socially inept conditions as we see J. F Sebastian and Deckard both living in solitude. Humanity in 2019 has no sense of the value of interaction, and consequently Ridley Scott placed the capacity for these human qualities in the Replicants. Ironically though, when the Replicants begin to show human emotion and need, such as Batty's need to ‘meet his maker,' they are ‘retired' by the human, by ultimately inhuman character, Deckard. This irony illustrates Scott's concern for a scientifically advanced world, with a dismal appreciation of human qualities and value. The same concern is expressed in the 1997 futuristic popular culture film, â€Å"Gattaca,† where your personality is irrelevant as genetic composition guarantees an you an occupation. Huxley and Scott have established quite a few concerns for our future. Strangely though, they have also warned about issues that are in need of conservation now. Again, close your eyes and imagine the natural world that you want in the future. Consider our context year 12, and help to create an ethically harmonious world for the future.

Poetry and Time Essay

Slessor’s compact oeuvre details his struggle with time. However, his longing to be out of time merely highlights the supremacy of time over human life and nature. Slessor utilises familiar elements in an attempt to gain a better understanding of what he cannot comprehend. Moments captured out of time are short-lived illusions, though despite their brevity Slessor believes they are beautiful. In Out of Time, the first two stanzas in the third sonnet are Slessor’s illusions of a moment captured in ‘the sweet meniscus of time’. This moment is captured as Slessor remains ‘with the golden undertow’, moving against time for a brief moment. In this moment out of time Slessor observes a scene, which defies not only time but also other conventions such as gravity as the gulls rise ‘backward’. Slessor’s language in these stanzas (‘golden’, ‘sweet’ and ‘bubbled’) are contrasted against the harsh words (‘stabbed’, ‘pale’ and ‘faceless’) through the remainder of the poem and show through contrast Slessor’s awe at the beauty of the ‘moment’s world’. However Slessor is taken back to reality at the end of the third stanza by ‘the suck of sea’. When Slessor is ‘Out of time’ his disobeying time which has power even over nature. Consequently, under the instruction of time, the sea brings Slessor back to the constraints of time and reality as it continues its relentless pursuit of fate. In Five Bells Slessor struggles to comprehend the death of his friend: Joe Lynch. At the beginning Slessor is under the illusion that he may be able to ‘hear the voice’ of the ‘dead man’ despite the impenetrable ‘pygmy strait’ that he knows exists between life and death. Slessor is frustrated that Joe is trapped in a flood of time and that he himself is taken away by time, leaving Joe ‘anchored’. Despite this knowledge Slessor employs illusions and imagery as he tries to break the constraints of time and reach his friend. The first illusion is that of Joe ‘beating at the ports of space’, ‘bawling’ and ‘crying out [his] name’. This is Slessor trying to imagine what is beyond death. The second illusion is Joe trapped at the bottom of the sea as the ‘wet presses it’s dark thumb balls in’ and the ‘sea pinks’ growing between Joe’s teeth. Despite these attempts to bring Joe back to life so Slessor can ‘hear his voice’, Slessor is unable to be out of time and reanimate his friend. Rather all he hears is ‘bells, five bells coldly ringing out’, bringing Slessor back to reality. Slessor very effectively utilises illusions and strong imagery in an attempt to break the constraints of time in order to capture a moment or remember a loved one. However, inevitably Slessor is forced back to reality by the power and necessity of time and it’s relentless nature. Time is continuous; its relentless nature causes Slessor to leave memory behind as he is swept up in the ever-continuing tide. Out fo Time is structured as a poem composed of 3 linked sonnets, the first sonnet ends with ‘the golden undertow’ and the second begins with ‘the golden undertow’. This linkage is consistent throughout the remainder of the poem, with the last line of the last sonnet linking to the ‘yachts’ in the opening line of the first sonnet. This structure very effectively portrays Slessor’s belief that time is relentless as it continues onwards. Similarly, Slessor has used Iambic pentameter throughout the poem so that it is read consistently. This creates a measured rhythm and a sense of urgency that portrays time is measured and hurried. It is for this reason Slessor is unable to remain ‘out of time’ as we must obey time and time must continue in its pursuit of fate. Though Dutton claims of Five Bells, ‘the time of this poem is quite different to the time of all the others’ Slessor still discusses the continuous nature of time in this poem. He describes time as ‘moved by little fidget wheels’ consistent with Out of Time in its suggestion that time is measured. Slessor utilises the sea to comment on times continuous nature. This is appropriate as Slessor is very familiar with the Harbour and water and using this element helps him and his readers to grasp a better understanding of the incomprehensible. Joe and those dead are described in a metaphor of weed, as Slessor suggest ‘time bends the weed’ continuing on, whilst leaving Joe and the weed in it’s wake. Similarly, he states the ‘tide is over you’ and ‘the waves go over you’, using the constancy of a waters tide to effectively portray times continuous nature. Slessor effectively conveys his longing to be ‘out of time’ through his poetry. Although in exploring this using illusion he realises the continuous nature of time means that one cannot remain out of time for long periods of time.

Free Essays on Edward Abbeys Deep Ecology

in defense of the American West, Provides us with his look specifically correlating with the ideas of deep ecology. We need wilderness because we are wild animals... Because... Free Essays on Edward Abbey's Deep Ecology Free Essays on Edward Abbey's Deep Ecology Edward Abbey’s Deep Ecology In a growing world of consumerism, some questions exist on the horizon of our generation. Is our population growing too fast? Should we save the wilderness? Should we take measures now to save the wilderness? Consequently when pondering these, some new questions arise. Do we value consumerism more than our natural habitat? Are our non vital needs more important than the earth’s needs? These questions are the basis of the philosophical theory of deep ecology. A theory developed by philosopher Arne Naess and George Sessions in 1984 (McLaughlin, pg 2). An idea that human non vital needs are not more important than nature’s needs ( Palmer,299). Deep ecology is centered around two basic principals: First that we must see the world in a ecocentric view rather than an anthropocentric view. This would allow us to focus on the needs of every life system on the planet rather than just human needs. Second, that all humans need to experience some self realization: â€Å" Inst ead of identifying with our egos or our immediate families, we would learn to identify with trees, animals and plants, indeed the whole ecosphere.† (Zimmerman) Perhaps one of the most influential philosophers of deep ecology is the author Edward Abbey. Decades ahead of his time, Abbey addressed and provided his answers to those questions that our society will most certainly be facing in the future. He has written twenty books, twelve of which are non fictional, describing his experiences in the american wilderness. Born in Pennsylvania, Ed Abbey spent most of his adult life in the wilderness of the American west writing to defend it from being turned into another human settlement. The essay â€Å"Freedom and Wilderness† from The Journey Home-some words in defense of the American West, Provides us with his look specifically correlating with the ideas of deep ecology. We need wilderness because we are wild animals... Because...

Dan Rathers Apology essays

Dan Rathers Apology essays I caught the Dan Rathers apology the other day; I was glad to see him apologize like a man. However it still seemed as though Dan was trying to split the blame fifty-fifty with Mr. Burkett. The apology still seemed sincere, but he did not apologize to President Bush for the damage that he may have caused. Although I think that this mistake by Dan Rathers will actually help President Bush in the polls. Overall I believe that CBS will get a very negative reaction from this. The story here is that Dan Rathers, a very well known and respected reporter for CBS, aired a story on 60 Minutes II based on documents that were questionable at the time. Dan Rathers decided to go ahead with the story that said that President Bush was given preferential treatment while giving service to the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. The documents were given to CBS by Bill Burkett, who served with President Bush, and was asked how he attained the documents and his answer was that he could not give out that information. That seems to be very suspicious to me that a strong supporter to Kerry would not be able to give a source and that the documents were written in a computer font when during the time period of the Vietnam War only typewriters were used for things like this. I think that because of the length of time that CBS has been working on this story and just waiting for proof, which they thought they finally had, they just went ahead and aired the story a nyway despite several gleaming issues against the documents history and make. Bill Burkett purposely gave CBS fake documents to make an attack on Presidents Bushs character and failed in my opinion. After reading one of those blogs that you talked to us about in class on Thursday, I found that there are several people that are very angry with CBS and think that CBS still believes the story to be true and is still waiting for proof. I think that the apolog...

Biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, Military Commander

Biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, Military Commander Napoleon Bonaparte (August 15, 1769–May 5, 1821), one of the greatest military commanders in history, was the twice-emperor of France whose military endeavors and sheer personality dominated Europe for a decade. In military affairs, legal issues, economics, politics, technology, culture, and society in general, his actions influenced the course of European history for over a century, and some argue, to this very day. Fast Facts: Napoleon Bonaparte Known For: Emperor of France, conqueror of much of EuropeAlso Known As: Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon 1st of France, The Little Corporal, The CorsicanBorn: August 15, 1769 in Ajaccio, CorsicaParents: Carlo Buonaparte, Letizia RamolinoDied: May 5, 1821 on Saint Helena, United KingdomPublished Works: Le souper de Beaucaire (Supper at Beaucaire), a pro-republican pamphlet (1793); the Napoleonic Code, the French civil code (1804); authorized the publication of Description de lÉgypte, a multivolume work authored by dozens of scholars detailing Egypts archeology, topography, and natural history (1809-1821)Awards and Honors: Founder and grand master of the Legion of Honor (1802), the Order of the Iron Crown (1805), the Order of the Reunion (1811)Spouse(s): Josephine de Beauharnais (m. March 8, 1796–Jan. 10, 1810), Marie-Louise (m. April 2, 1810–May 5, 1821)Children: Napoleon IINotable Quote: Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it m ay perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them. Early Life Napoleon was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, on August 15, 1769, to Carlo Buonaparte, a lawyer and political opportunist, and his wife Marie-Letizia. The Buonapartes were a wealthy family from the Corsican nobility, although when compared to the great aristocracies of France, Napoleons kin were poor. Napoleon entered the military academy at Brienne in 1779. He moved to the Parisian École Royale Militaire in 1784 and graduated a year later as a second lieutenant in the artillery. Spurred on by his fathers death in February 1785, the future emperor had completed in one year a course that often took three. Early Career Despite being posted on the French mainland, Napoleon was able to spend much of the next eight years in Corsica thanks to his ferocious letter writing and rule-bending, as well as the effects of the French Revolution (which led to the French Revolutionary Wars) and sheer good luck. There he played an active part in political and military matters, initially supporting the Corsican rebel Pasquale Paoli, a former patron of Carlo Buonaparte. Military promotion also followed, but Napoleon became opposed to Paoli and when civil war erupted in 1793 the Buonapartes fled to France, where they adopted the French version of their name: Bonaparte. The French Revolution had decimated the republics officer class and favored individuals could achieve swift promotion, but Napoleons fortunes rose and fell as one set of patrons came and went. By December 1793, Napoleon was the hero of Toulon, a general and favorite of Augustin Robespierre; shortly after the wheel of revolution turned and Napoleon was arrested for treason. Tremendous political flexibility saved him and the patronage of Vicomte Paul de Barras, soon to be one of Frances three Directors, followed. Napoleon became a hero again in 1795, defending the government from angry counter-revolutionary forces; Baras rewarded Napoleon by promoting him to high military office, a position with access to the political spine of France. Napoleon swiftly grew into one of the countrys most respected military authorities, largely by never keeping his opinions to himself, and he married Josephine de Beauharnais in 1796. Rise to Power In 1796, France attacked Austria. Napoleon was given command of the Army of Italy, whereupon he welded a young, starving and disgruntled army into a force which won victory after victory against theoretically stronger Austrian opponents. Napoleon returned to France in 1797 as the nations brightest star, having fully emerged from the need for a patron. Ever a great self-publicist, he maintained the profile of a political independent, thanks partly to the newspapers he now ran. In May 1798, Napoleon left for a campaign in Egypt and Syria, prompted by his desire for fresh victories, the French need to threaten Britains empire in India and the Directorys concerns that their famous general might seize power. The Egyptian campaign was a military failure (although it had a great cultural impact) and a change of government in France caused Bonaparte to leave- some might say abandon- his army and return in the August 1799. Shortly after he took part in the Brumaire coup of November 1799, finishing as a member of the Consulate, Frances new ruling triumvirate. First Consul The transfer of power might not have been smooth, owing much to luck and apathy, but Napoleons great political skill was clear; by February 1800, he was established as the First Consul, a practical dictatorship with a constitution wrapped firmly around him. However, France was still at war with her fellows in Europe and Napoleon set out to beat them. He did so within a year, although the key triumph, the Battle of Marengo, fought in June 1800, was won by the French General Desaix. From Reformer to Emperor Having concluded treaties that left Europe at peace, Bonaparte began working on France, reforming the economy, legal system (the famous and enduring Code Napoleon), church, military, education, and government. He studied and commented on minute details, often while traveling with the army, and the reforms continued for most of his rule. Bonaparte exhibited skill as both legislator and statesmen. Napoleons popularity remained high, helped by his mastery of propaganda but also genuine national support, and he was elected Consulate for life by the French people in 1802 and Emperor of France in 1804, a title which he worked hard to maintain and glorify. Initiatives like the Concordat with the Church and the Code helped secure his status. Return to War Europe was not at peace for long. Napoleons fame, ambitions, and character were based on conquest, making it almost inevitable that his reorganized Grande Armà ©e would fight further wars. However, other European countries also sought conflict, for not only did they distrust and fear Napoleon, but they also retained their hostility toward revolutionary France. For the next eight years, Napoleon dominated Europe, fighting and defeating a range of alliances involving combinations of Austria, Britain, Russia, and Prussia. Sometimes his victories were crushing- such as Austerlitz in 1805, often cited as the greatest military victory ever- and at other times, he was either very lucky, fought almost to a standstill, or both. Napoleon forged new states in Europe, including the German Confederation- built from the ruins of the Holy Roman Empire- and the Duchy of Warsaw, while also installing his family and favorites in positions of great power. The reforms continued and Napoleon had an ever-increasing effect on culture and technology, becoming a patron of both the arts and sciences while stimulating creative responses across Europe. Disaster in Russia The Napoleonic Empire may have shown signs of decline by 1811, including a downturn in diplomatic fortunes and continuing failure in Spain, but such matters were overshadowed by what happened next. In  1812 Napoleon went to war with Russia, assembling a force of over 400,000 soldiers, accompanied by the same number of followers and support. Such an army was almost impossible to feed or adequately control and the Russians repeatedly retreated, destroying the local resources and separating Napoleons army from its supplies. Napoleon continually dithered, eventually reaching Moscow on Sept. 8, 1812, after the Battle of Borodino, a bludgeoning conflict where over 80,000 soldiers died. However, the Russians refused to surrender, instead torching Moscow and forcing Napoleon into a long retreat back to friendly territory. The Grande Armà ©e was assailed by starvation, extremes of weather and terrifying Russian partisans throughout, and by the end of 1812 only 10,000 soldiers were able to fight. Many of the rest had died in horrible conditions, with the camps followers faring even worse. A coup had been attempted in Napoleons absence from France and his enemies in Europe were reinvigorated, forming a grand alliance intent on removing him. Vast numbers of enemy soldiers advanced across Europe toward France, overturning the states Bonaparte had created. The combined forces of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and others just used a simple plan, retreating from the emperor himself and advancing again when he moved to face the next threat. Abdication Throughout 1813 and into 1814 the pressure grew on Napoleon; not only were his enemies grinding his forces down and approaching Paris, but the British had fought out of Spain and into France, the Grande Armà ©es Marshalls were underperforming and Bonaparte had lost the French publics support. Nevertheless, for the first half of 1814 Napoleon exhibited the military genius of his youth, but it was a war he couldnt win alone. On March 30, 1814, Paris surrendered to allied forces without a fight and, facing massive betrayal and impossible military odds, Napoleon abdicated as Emperor of France; he was exiled to the Island of Elba. Second Exile and Death Napoleon made a sensational  return to power in 1815. Traveling to France in secret, he attracted vast support and reclaimed his imperial throne, as well as reorganizing the army and government. After a series of initial engagements, Napoleon was narrowly defeated in one of historys greatest battles: Waterloo. This final adventure had occurred in less than 100 days, closing with Napoleons second abdication on June 25, 1815, whereupon British forces forced him into further exile. Housed on St. Helena, a small rocky island well away from Europe in the South Atlantic Ocean, Napoleons health and character fluctuated; he died within six years, on May 5, 1821, at age 51. Legacy Napoleon helped perpetuate a state of European-wide warfare that lasted for 20 years. Few individuals have ever had such a huge effect on the world, on economics, politics, technology, culture, and society. Napoleon may not have been a general of utter genius, but he was very good; he may not have been the best politician of his age, but he was often superb; he may not have been a perfect legislator, but his contributions were hugely important. Napoleon used his talents- through luck, talent, or force of will- to rise from chaos and then build, lead, and spectacularly destroy an empire before doing it all again in a tiny microcosm one year later. Whether a hero or tyrant, the reverberations were felt across Europe for a century. Sources I, Napoleon. â€Å"Description of Egypt. Second Edition. Antiquities, Volume One (Plates).†Ã‚  WDL RSS, Detroit Publishing Company, 1 Jan. 1970.â€Å"16 Most Remarkable Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes.†Ã‚  Goalcast, Goalcast, 6 Dec. 2018.Editors, History.com. â€Å"Napoleon Bonaparte.†Ã‚  History.com, AE Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009.

Literature Review for research on benefits of prekindergarten programs Essay

Literature Review for research on benefits of prekindergarten programs on literacy readiness - Essay Example The paper tells that Assel, Landry, Swank, and Gunnewig (2007) conducted an investigation to prove that American pre-school children lack sufficiency in language and literary skills to move forward to kindergarten. Prior to conducting this, they have their reference from two language and literacy curricula. In order to justify their point, Assel, Landry, Swank and Gunnewig created a pre and post-test design and initiated them to 603 children as chosen respondents plus a control group. In the data analysis, they formulated a multilevel growth curve modeling having child outcomes as dependent variables, while child’s level performance and rate of growth between pre and post test as independent variables. Based on the result, compared to those in the control group, the skills of children under language and literacy curricula have significant improvement. Thus, the proponents concluded that a well-specified curriculum in prekindergarten programs has a substantial impact on childre n’s learning. In conclusion, it is obvious that prekindergarten programs have remarkable impacts on children’s literacy. However, understanding this aspect requires careful evaluation of the subject matter itself. The entire issue is not only confined in the actual evaluation of children’s literacy skills but including their environment and especially the entire prekindergarten program itself. At this point, it would be remarkable to consider the most obvious about how prekindergarten programs could be maximized for children’s literacy benefits.