Review of Jack Londons Short Story, The Law of Life Essay Example

Review of Jack Londons Short Story, The Law of Life Essay The Law of Life  follows Koskoosh, an elder member of an indigenous tribe in the Klondike, through his final living hours. Because of the harsh environment, scarcity of food, and the importance of the groups survival, the tribe abandons the blind, old man in the tundra with only a fire burning nearby and a few pieces of wood to sustain it. While the man waits for death, the reader learns, through Koskooshs memory, of his life, his tribes traditions, and the laws of nature to which hed always known he was subject.This essay will explore Londons tale by explaining its attractiveness to a broad audience; by detailing Koskoosh as a character; and by illustrating some laws of life to which London introduces the reader, both explicit and implicit. If the description of The Law of Life read simply The Death of an Indigenous Tribesman in the Klondike, many readers would immediately turn away. Worded like that, the topic appears irrelevant to the average American audience.Still, London mana ged to bring an audience whose lives are vastly different from the storys main character, people who would never find themselves in Koskooshs situation, into the story by focusing on a something all human beings eventually face regardless of their lifestyles: the inevitability of death. The reader does not have to know anything about the tribe to relate to the character; the thoughts before death of this man reflect what many imagine their own thoughts will include: memories of youth, life, and family mixed with fear.In addition to the common ground upon which both the reader and the character stand, the story itself is written in a manner that allows for widespread readership. Though the topic is complex, the words themselves are not. London does not use flowery language nor does he over-complicate to get his point across. Instead, he opts to tell his story naturally and simplistically. This straight-to-the-point technique works well in a story that deals with abandoning something unnecessary for the good of the whole. To convolute it would injure the story itself and discourage the audience from reading it in the first place.Although the storys length limits the amount of growth one can expect to see in a character, the reader understands that the dying, old Koskoosh in the story is not the same Koskoosh of his youth. While he did not complain about his fate, he becomes sympathetic to other living beings that were abandoned when the group deemed them a burden, though in his childhood he would not have given further thought to leaving an old tribe member behind to die. He had even left his own father when it was his time (London 392. ) The reader witnesses this change of perspective the most when he relates the tale of the moose being chased by wolves.When he was a child, Koskoosh and his friend wanted to watch the moose die, and were even excited about it, remembering, How Zing-ha and he felt the bloodlust quicken! The finish would be a sight to see! (393. ) He then goes on to tell about how the moose, against the odds, fought the wolves because it wanted to live. When the wolves encircle Koskoosh in the end of the story, he again recalls the mooses final stand (394. ) While he decides that fighting the wolves in his case is hopeless, hes still very sympathetic to the mooses desire for life.Even he had been upset that his granddaughter did not bring him more wood, despite her duty to the tribe. Likewise, he still held out hope that his son would return for him. (393) But in his own youth, he would have done the same as they had, but as death gets nearer, he gets a bit upset that they are following tradition. Though as a person, I did not want Koskoosh to be devoured by wolves in the end, as a reader, I understand that that was the only way to end the story without losing its legitimacy. Had his son returned or had Koskoosh died peacefully, the entire law of life theme would have been rendered irrelevant.To make such a bold statement a s nature did not care(391), and then end with a rescue or a quiet death would have shown some benevolence on behalf of the environment, contrary to the whole story from the beginning. Though Koskoosh feels some sympathy for those who have been through what he is going though, he does not feel regret because deep down he understands the death is a law of life, and, like the ending of this tale, it is merciless. It could not have been written any other way. Besides illustrating to the reader that death is an inevitability, there other lessons one can draw from this story.First, there is the fact that while Koskoosh grew up understanding the laws of nature, most Americans do not live close to the earth in a sense and may not know these laws (391. ) Despite this, all humans, whether they know them or not, are still subject to them. Second, the survival of man relies on nature. When there was a great famine, the tribe almost did not make it (392. ) Likewise, industrialized society would not make it if not for agriculture in rural areas or in other parts of the world. Although it is not seen everywhere, nature still has a huge hand in the lives of all humans.One major theme that stands out in the story is the question of the ethical treatment of the elderly and dying. London does an expert job at allowing the reader to pity Koskoosh without viewing his tribe as cruel. While it is understood that this must happen to ensure the survival of that particular group, the reader still sees the functioning and living mind of this old man. According to the philosophy of dualism, a human being is a combination of two distinct parts: a body and mind (Creel 240) This is a very common assumption. Most people believe that a person maintains their personhood so long as their mind still functions.One can presumably go blind, lose the ability to walk, and become in other ways unproductive, but as long as there is comprehension, then there is a person that requires treatment suita ble for a person. Koskoosh did not lack comprehension; and while his society had little choice but to leave him behind, that does not explain why members of modern Western society can live plentiful lives and afford many luxuries, but still throw their dying elderly to the wolves by either talking about old age in a negative light, devaluing them when they want to contribute, or simply ignoring them.According to Podgorski, Langford, Pearson, and Conwell, although adults over age 65 compose 12. 4% of the U. S. population, they account for 14% of all suicides. While mental illness will account for some of this, societys low opinion of the elderly does not help. The APAs  Monitor on Psychology  included the following quote in its article  Fighting Ageism: My peers and I are portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving, Roberts testified. In reality, the majority of seniors are self-sufficient, middle-class consumers with more assets than mos t young people, and the time and talent to offer society. It is interesting how, although there are the resources to care for the elderly in this society, for some reason Westerners still think of them as useless, even when their minds fully understand every insulting statement or behavior toward them, as Koskoosh understood everything happening around him, although he could not physically see it. Jack Londons  The Law of Life  is more than just an entertaining story. All humans can relate to its most apparent topic: death is unavoidable. Likewise, there are other parallels a reader draws as well.These morals are timeless and can easily be applied to day as is apparent in that we still rely on nature for survival, there are still ethical questions of abandoning the elderly both physically (as in the story) or symbolically (as our society has in many ways), and we are still subject to natures laws, no matter how far away from the earth we feel we are. Sources: London, Jack. The L aw of Life.   The Bedford Anthology of American Literature Vol 2. Ed 2008. Susan Belasco and Linck Johnson. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008.Creel, Richard E. Thinking Philosophically. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2001. 240. Podgorski, Carol A. , Linda Langford, Jane Pearson, and Yeates Conwell. Suicide Prevention for Older Adults in Residential Communities: Implications for Policy and Practice.   PLoS  Med7. 5 (2010): n. pag. Web. 27 Mar 2011. 4;gt;. Dittmann, Melissa. Fighting Ageism.   Monitor on Psychology. 34. 5 (2003): 50 More from  Z. J. Ascensio: How to Keep a Grandmother Happy on Thanksgiving Grandson Scam Targets Seniors Seven Excellent Childrens Books Recommended by a Child

Air Pollution Essay Example Essays

Air Pollution Essay Example Essays Air Pollution Essay Example Essay Air Pollution Essay Example Essay Air pollution essay writing Air pollution gets defined as the situation in which there are contaminants in the air including the mist, smoke and the dust in the atmosphere. The contaminants mention are very dangerous to human life when present in the atmosphere. The air pollutants get classified into two which are the primary and the secondary pollutants. The classification is based on the form of the pollutant which is in the environment. The source of air pollutants is of two types which are the artificial sources caused by man and the natural sources which are resulting from the natural cases. Air pollution has a lot of the health effect of a human being and other animals. It should, therefore, become control by application of various measures. In the United States, air pollution could be controlled through the application of the following measures. Sources control The measure which can be applied to direction includes; 1. Making the use of the unleaded petrol 2. Usage of the fuels containing the low content of sulfur and ash 3. Encouraging the individuals to use the public transportation instead of private transport or even exercise the nature walk. 4. Planting of the trees along the bush as they remove some pollutants including carbon dioxide 5. The waste disposal site in the industries should be located on the outskirts of the cities 6. The catalytic converters need to get used to assist control the emission of the gases including the carbon monoxide The control activities in the industrial areas 1. The rates of emission need to get restricted to the allowed levels by each industry 2. The incorporation of the equipment of controlling air pollution in design of the plant layout should be mandatory 3. Monitoring of the atmosphere in the united states for the pollutants must be put in place to understand the level of emission. Air pollution gets defined as the situation in which there are contaminants in the air including the mist, smoke and the dust in the atmosphere. The contaminants mention are very dangerous to human life when present in the atmosphere. The air pollutants get classified into two which are the primary and the secondary pollutants. The classification is based on the form of the pollutant which is in the environment. The source of air pollutants is of two types which are the artificial sources caused by man and the natural sources which are resulting from the natural cases. Air pollution has a lot of the health effect of a human being and other animals. It should, therefore, become control by application of various measures. In the United States, air pollution could be controlled through the application of the following measures. Sources control The measure which can be applied to direction includes; 1. Making the use of the unleaded petrol 2. Usage of the fuels containing the low content of sulfur and ash 3. Encouraging the individuals to use the public transportation instead of private transport or even exercise the nature walk. 4. Planting of the trees along the bush as they remove some pollutants including carbon dioxide 5. The waste disposal site in the industries should be located on the outskirts of the cities 6. The catalytic converters need to get used to assist control the emission of the gases including the carbon monoxide The control activities in the industrial areas 1. The rates of emission need to get restricted to the allowed levels by each industry 2. The incorporation of the equipment of controlling air pollution in design of the plant layout should be mandatory 3. Monitoring of the atmosphere in the united states for the pollutants must be put in place to understand the level of emission.

Wedding Blessings and Quotations for Newlyweds

Wedding Blessings and Quotations for Newlyweds Till death do us part. This section  of the wedding vows, or something like it, is the highlight of many wedding ceremonies. As you exchange rings with your beloved, you feel a sense of oneness, a union of souls. For the newlyweds, the journey has just begun. If you want to bless the young couple with a lifetime of happiness, here are some special wedding blessings. John Lennon: 1940-1980; English singer-songwriterwith the Beatles and solo Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear. Oscar Wilde: 1854-1900, Irish poet and playwright Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring. Antoine de Saint-Exupry: 1900-1944, French poet, journalist, and aviator Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. Aristotle: 384 B.C.-322 B.C., Greek philosopher and scientist Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.: 1809-1894, American physician, writer, and humorist Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness. Helen Keller: 1880-1968,American author, political activist, and lecturer. The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart. Leo Buscaglia: 1924-1998, Americanprofessor, author, andmotivational speaker The life and love we create is the life and love we live. Mignon McLaughlin: 1913-1983, American journalist and author Love is the silent saying and saying of a single name. Andre Maurois: 1885-1967, French author A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day. Amy Grant: 1960- present, American singer-songwriter The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.

Personal and profesional development Assignment

Personal and profesional development - Assignment Example The management decisions of the learning process need to balance between the teacher and the student. Some decisions keep revolving in the whole process. Some of the decisions will come from the teacher who guides the student while some will originate from the student since they involve the personal values and what the student will feel needs inculcating in them. Although these decisions balance between the teacher and the student, some will entirely lie in the teacher’s hands. These may involve decisions with the study curriculum, low structure tasks lie in the student’s decision line and they may have the student rely the decisions basing on the teachers guidance. Three essential dimensions need involvement in all the aspects of training and self-management. These are planning, implementation, and the evaluation processes (David, 1996, p.3). Lifelong learning process stems from a system that develops in the student from the learning stage. Evidence to this determined by how the student handles and controls his activities and decisions during the learning process. The planning process runs and develops as the student grows and the time this person takes to depends on the level of experience and personal controls of life. Life continues in the series of learning processes that only end when one decreases from the world. The learning process continues and so the need to develop a person in life features and the needs that they may have on their life and planning. Self-managed learning is about the individuals managing their own learning. This involves dealing with taking responsibility for decisions in their learning processes. This involves the decisions of what they learn, when they do the learning, how they do learn and where they learn. The most fundamental of them being why they learn that leads to the answers that give the student their quest. This involves the students deciding the learning goals and objectives that help the

Biology Unit 5 DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology Unit 5 DB - Essay Example The leaves grow from a basal rosette, and a ‘keel’ provided the required structural reinforcement to each pitcher so the the opening is always upright. Foraging, flying or crawling insects such as flies are attracted to the cavity formed by the cupped leaf, often by visual lures such as anthocyanin pigments, and nectar bribes. The sides of the pitcher are slippery and may be grooved in such a way so as to ensure that the insects cannot climb out. The small bodies of liquid contained within the pitcher traps are called phytotelmata. They drown the insect, and the body of it is gradually dissolved. This may occur by bacterial action (the bacteria being washed into the pitcher by rainfall) or by enzymes secreted by the plant itself. Furthermore, some pitcher plants contain mutualistic insect larvae, which feed on trapped prey, and whose excreta the plant absorbs (Wikipedia). During digestion, trapped prey are converted into a solution of amino acids, peptides, phosphates, ammonium and urea. The plant obtains its mineral nutrition, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, from this solution. Common habitats of the pitcher plant are bogs, savannas and flat woods. The wettest parts of the bogs are favored, often restricting the species to the edge of the bogs. Pitcher plants form dense floating mats on the water on the edge of bog ponds or lakes and acidic streams. The carnivorous form of nutrition of the plant is an adaptation to the poor mineral content or acidic nature of the soil in which it grows. The soil in which it grows is usually deficient in trace elements such as molybdenum. Such soils are usually highly acidic and unsuitable for many other plants. The modified leaves of the pitcher plant help it to catch preys that comprise not only insects but also isopods, mites, spiders and the occasional frogs. What the plant does not get from the soil it grows in, it obtains from the living prey it catches

Womens Role :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

A housewife and mother are words that describe the typical woman in the 1950's. The mother and wife was seen to have a very specific set of responsibilities to fulfill. Those roles and responsibilities have drastically changed since then. An excerpt, from a 1950 home economics textbook, was founded on "How to Be a Good Wife." It gave nine suggestions to women on how she could please her husband. Before her husband came home from work, she was expected to have dinner ready and on the table. She was also anticipated to prepare herself by putting make up on, doing her hair, anything that could make her look refreshed upon his arrival ("The Good Wife"1). Not only was she to pamper herself, but she was supposed to coddle her children, whether it be giving him/her a bath or changing his/her clothes. Since she was a housewife, she was to insure the house was spotless. The noise level was to be minimized. This did not only mean for the children to be quiet, but rather all noise from the washer, dryer, dishwasher, and vacuum were to be eliminated ("The Good Wife"1). The woman was to remember that her husband just spent a long, hard day at work. If he wasn't present, she would have no source of income and therefore would be at a state of financial ruin. Therefore, she was to avoid bothering him with problems or complaints. Her duty was to listen to him ("The Good Wife" 2). She was to guarantee that the evening would be peaceful, relaxing, and catered towards him. The main goal for the woman was to make the house a place of serenity and order where her husband could renew himself in body and in spirit. Women's roles were confined to a small list of responsibilities. As a result, they were seen as a minority. Society convinced women that they weren't capable of performing any work outside of the home. They were to stay home to cook, clean, take care of the children, and any other aspect involving the home. This was their sole responsibility. There wasn't anything else they were allowed or expected to do. Unfortunately this frame of mind developed in women and until only recently has this mindset been challenged by the female gender.

4ps of Ryanair Budget Airline

Ryanair was the first budget airline in Europe, modeled after the successful U. S. low cost carrier, Southwest Airlines. Ryanair is one of the oldest and most successful low-cost airlines in Europe, the third largest airline in Europe in terms of number of passenger and the largest in the world in terms of international passengers’ numbers. For this article, I had provided the 4 Ps, which is Product, Price, Place, and Promotion for Ryanair. PRODUCT Ryanair was a brand for the budget airline.It also can define as a product because when people want to buy the airline ticket in cheaper price, they will automatically think about Ryanair. Transportation is the main product for Ryanair. It provides services of travel from one location to another location with comfortable environment and shortest duration as well. Moreover, passengers feel convenient to make booking through the internet or phone call at any time. Besides, food and beverage is another product of Ryanair.Ryanair offer the food and beverage to passengers throughout the flight who purchase on board programmed. At the same time, Ryanair also provide the services which are serve food and drinks to passengers or fulfill the passengers’ requirement if available. Ryanair not only offer the transportation and food and service to passengers, it also offer the experience to passengers which is sold the cheaper ticket to passenger to enjoy or getting experience to flight.PRICE Ryanair offer the lowest cost of fares than other competitors in aviation industry because Ryanair stand at the position that the price is the key element of its brand and the price is more important than the product itself to the passengers, so within the low price as the long term strategy, Ryanair use different pricing, which means that off- peak travelling and booking in advance can make a ticket cheaper compare with normal day.In the same time, Ryanair are discriminate massively, safe in the knowledge that nobody can buy u p loads of cheap tickets and flog them to people who would otherwise only qualify for the wallet-draining latecomers specials. On the other hand, Ryanair will continue to lower the fares and increase the percentage of seat for which it only charge for taxes and landing fees. For the boarding pass, passengers are required to print out their own boarding pass since the checking in services at the airport has been discontinued.Therefore, for passengers who arrive at airport without a pre-printed online will have to pay â‚ ¬40 for their boarding pass to be re-issued. The Ryanair has also replaced the free online check- in with a â‚ ¬5 online check- in fee which is charged per person, per flight. PLACE Ryanair emphasize that booking seat is only possible in website or â€Å"Ryanair direct† call- centre, no other possibilities are officially offered.The Ryanair has started the website in the year of 2000, the number of passenger who made online booking had been increased trem endously because of the lower flight prices are selling direct to the passenger and the cost imposed by travel agents are excluding. Besides, the airport also located at strategic place where passengers’ can take the transport from town area to airport directly which included coach, limousine and etc. PROMOTION The advertising that is made by Ryanair about charging passengers ? to use the toilet on their flights is actually to gain the media and public attention. Ryanair often use their advertising to make direct comparison and attack their competitor by comparing price. In one case, the Sabena sued the Ryanair because one of the advertisement that advertise by Ryanair are misleading and offensive, so that, the Ryanair was discontinued the advertisement and also publish the apology on their website. In the same time, Ryanair used the apologized for futher advertising to gain people attention.Because of this case, through the website, more and more people know Ryanair and Ryan air had come out more and more promotion to attract people, such as ? 8 seats for travel during September and October, including some taxes and charges. It is very worth for passengers because the price is very cheaper. Besides that, through the seasonality, Ryanair running a promotion which is current 30% off fares UK promotion runs from 22 – 25 January 2010 for flights departing from 5 February – 25 March 2010 to certain country.This message had been updated or post in the Ryanair website and it also become a headline of the newspaper. The passengers who want to make a book have to book at least 14 days in advance via Ryanair website or by phone call. At the same time, in order to pay the lowest quoted fare, the passengers need to pay by master card or prepaid debit card to avoid the ? 5 per person per flight admin fee, and the passengers can take one piece of hand luggage which lowers than 7 Kg.