John Steinbecks East of Eden - The Gift of Free Will :: East Eden Essays

East of Eden - The Gift of Free Will An excellent benefit of choosing to major in English is that it has allowed me four years to dig deeply into my love of the written word. This involves looking beyond the surface of literature and studying its effects in the course of my everyday life. Some books are easy to read quickly, enjoy, and forget, but others exert an influence that is not easily discarded or forgotten. In my mental library, the classic American novel East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, falls into this category. I believe East of Eden has helped shape me morally by illustrating the power of free will in a world caught between a constant battle of good and evil. I decided to read East of Eden after hearing a friend share a short passage from it in his valedictory address. Although I do not remember the contents of that particular passage anymore, I remember that it was the power of Steinbeck's simple, direct language that urged me to take it on as my next big foray into what my high school English teacher called "real literature." The Cain and Abel story, possibly the most enigmatic story of good and evil in the Bible, is the basis for East of Eden. Although allegorical elements are scattered throughout the whole novel, the most evident theme struck me as three of the main characters discussed the ramifications of God's words to Cain after Abel's death. Lee, a Chinese servant to one of the novel's main families, explained to his two companions a little-known conflict between the translations of Genesis 4:7 in two versions of the Bible. In one translation, God tells Cain that "thou shalt" rule over sin. In another, God says to Cain, "Do thou" rule over sin. The first is a promise, and the second is an order. Lee concluded that the ambiguity presented by the two translations is at the heart of the universal human story. I agree. I know some people who surrender themselves to the fatalistic belief that everything in life has been mapped out by God. I also know people who believe that God is a harsh drillmaster who issues demands under the constant threat of damnation. Until I read this book, however, I never wondered where the dispute originated. As the characters in Steinbeck's novel discussed the discrepancy of Genesis 4:7, I also wondered at the intended meaning of the verse.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was grown, he wrote that he came from a family â€Å"where love was central and where lovely relationships were ever present† (Colaiaco, 1984). He could never remember his parents fighting, and he was surrounded by people with deep religious beliefs and a profound sense of human dignity. His father was pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and his mother had been a teacher. Her father had been pastor of Ebenezer before his death. Martin had an older sister; Christine, and a younger brother, A.D. Martin grew up during the Depression, a time when many were without jobs and had to struggle to make a living. His family wasn't wealthy, but they were comfortable and had enough to eat.Discussion and BackgroundHans Luther sent his son to the University of Effort to maintain the dream of him becoming a lawyer. By 1505, Luther had completed the Bachelor s program and received his Master s degree. He was on his way to becoming the lawyer that his father had always dreamed of, until June 1505. On his way back to the University after visiting his family, Martin was caught in a thunderstorm and a flash of lightning hit him. In the open field where he laid, he promised God he would join a religious order. (Leonard, 2002) When Martin s friends heard of his promise, they were shocked. His father was angered that he had spent a large amount of money to send his son to school, and his son was not going to be able to support the family.For the rest of his brief life, he inspired people to fight for their rights using nonviolent means (Lincoln, 2001). King paid a great price for his vision. From 1956 until his death in 1968, he was arrested, stabbed, stoned, and finally assassinated. And although he loved his family, he was often away from home, traveling tirelessly, from town to town, state to state, and even to Europe, Africa, and Asia to share his dream of peace and love.ConclusionIn 1964, Martin Lu ther King, Jr., won the Nobel Peace Prize. This important award is given almost every year to the person, people, or organization most responsible for promoting peace. King, at age thirty – five, was the youngest person ever to receive the prize. In December, he set off with family and friends to Oslo, Norway, where the award ceremony look place. On his return, King was shower with honors. The city of Atlanta, where he lived, gave him a dinner. Together blacks and whites sang the civil rights movement's anthem, â€Å"We Shall Overcome† (Lincoln, 2001). Only a few years before, King had been arrested in Atlanta for trying to eat al an all-white lunch counter. ReferencesColaiaco, James A. (1984).†The American Dream Unfulfilled: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the ‘Letter from the Birmingham Jail'.† Phylon.Leonard, Cowries, W. (2002) Martin Luther Jr. Leader of the Reformation. New York: Fredrick A. Pager.Lincoln, C. Eric, (2001). Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Profile. American Century Series. New York: Hill and Wang. P 156-159

Rape And Sexual Assault The White House - 1382 Words

For my second resource I picked â€Å"Rape and Sexual Assault: A renewed call to action†, from the website The White House, a report prepared by the White House Council on Women and Girls and the Office of the Vice President, analyzes the most recent data the government have about rape and sexual assault on not only women but men as well. The report was created to â€Å"identify those most at risk of being victims of these crimes, examines the cost of the violence (both to survivors and our communities), and describe the response, too often inadequate, of the criminal justice system.† (The White House 5) First, the authors of the report are presenting some statistic of how many women and men, girls and boys, are victims of sexual assaults. The†¦show more content†¦And last, the report presents ways to â€Å"redoubling the work† already being done to fight against the sexual assaults. In this last part, the authors focused mainly on continuing the fight o n university campuses, increasing the arrests and conviction rates, and trying to encourage everyone to help fight these vicious crimes. It is somewhat relief that even the Vice President of the United States is recognizing the problem we have in the nation and is trying to do everything possible in his hands to help the whole nation fight against the sexual assaults. We need to take the fight on every possible front, as it is something that is affecting everyone, if not directly, then definitely indirectly. With this report I am trying to show that rape is something that happens to everyone, everywhere in the world. With my first article, which was based on stats from England and Wales, now with this one I can show that it is a big deal in the United States as well. It does makes me happy that someone on higher level in the Government as the Vice President, took time away from his normal duties, to collect and create this report, to provide us with resources and ways to fight these crimes. This shows that someone does care, even though we don’t see dramatic changes, it is still light in the darkness. It is hor rific to read these statistics: some 12% of high school girls report having been forced to have sexual intercourse. And up to 38% of runaway teens say that sexual