Ramayana and the Illiad

Yogesh Tekwani Professor November 22, 2011 Second Writing Assignment Ramayana and the Iliad are two important literature pieces from Greece and India, both plays are set in time when Gods were known to make appearance on normal basis. The plays are main characters are Achilles and Ram, Achilles is a demi god and Ram is an incarnation of God Vishnu. In the Iliad, Achilles is an arrogant warrior who goes to war to claim glory and fame. In the Ramayana, Ram is a prince who is exiled to the forest. So what is the nature of injustice to the hero in these epics?What customs/values inform the heroes’ responses to this injustice? How do differences in customs/values inform differences in Greek and Hindu literature? What do arete and dharma mean in these cultures? What roles do the gods play in these heroes’ predicaments? The Iliad starts off with sacking of a Trojan’s allied town and two maidens are taken as prized possession from the town, one for Achilles and one for A gamemnon. During a plague, Agamemnon is asked to return his prize and in anger asks Achilles to give him his prize.In anger Achilles draws sword toward Agamemnon’s men and is about to slay when Athena appears to control his anger. Achilles stops fighting for Agamemnon and tells his mother to ask Zeus for revenge on Agamemnon’s army. The Ramayana starts off with Ram, who was the prince of Ayodhya was on his way to get crowned to become a king. Ram who is known for his kind nature is asked by his mother in law to go the forest and live there for 14 years because she wanted her own son to be crowned king. Ram without hesitation accepts the decision and heads to the forest with his wife and his brother.In these two epics we can compare the customs/values that each individual have learned and how they use those customs/values towards their injustice. In the Iliad, when Achilles is told to give up his price, he angrily points his sword at Agamemnon and is ready to kill anyon e who touches his prize. Achilles’s is shown as a self-centered arrogant warrior who cannot accept authority and must use his sword to prove his point. Achilles reactions on this situation is based on his understanding that he a demi god who can easily kill many men and that e only went to war to claim glory. Achilles response though is shown normal in Greek tradition because if injustice is done to anyone, they can easily kill the person to regain justice. In the Ramayana, Ram who is shown as a noble prince who was brought up loving his parents and brothers, he is taught to always respect his elders and never question authority. Ram is told to exile in the forest for 14 years by his step mother; Ram does not question the injustice and accepts his fate. Ram is shown as the purest of men and one who respects his elders does not question authority.Ram is shown as person who lives life without jealousy and glory is not a part of it. When comparing Achilles and Ram, Achilles is s hown as a person who questions authority and does not respect his elders whereas Ram is a person who accepts authority and respects his elders. So how do these the differences in custom/values inform differences in Greek and Hindu Culture? The Hindu culture is more about purity and how a person gains that trait. In Hinduism a person must try to live life with no greed, selfishness and arrogance.A person must completely put all of their faith in the hands of God, as they are trying to gain wisdom and purity for their soles. The Gods play a big part in Hindu cultures because it is through worshipping them that you can be pure, the life that you live now is nothing but an illusion and true life can only be gained by living this illusion as pure as you can. The Greek culture is a little similar to Hindu culture when it comes to looking at the Gods for answers and help but, those are the only similarity between the two.The Greek culture is not based on an illusion and does not mention pu rity of souls to claim a higher standard in life. Greek culture is shown as more of a violent culture where the Gods themselves partake in these actions. The Greek culture also has more involvement from gods when it comes to living a daily life. The customs/values for the Greek culture were based on pride, glory and power because that how the gods motivated the people. In Hindu culture, purity is the only gain and is motivated through a better after life. Dharma also plays a big part in Hindu culture, as it is through dharma a person can become pure.Dharma’s true meaning is personal duties, when a person is born they are given dharma that they must follow to achieve next life. It is never told what your dharma is but it is claimed that you can achieve through doing the right things in life and once you achieve it you will realize it yourself. It can be more than personal duties too, it can also be your calling in life or what you are meant to do even are after you complete yo ur personal duties in life. Through dharma can you only achieve personal satisfaction or even enlightenment that even glory cannot provide.In the Greek Culture, arete is a little similar to dharma because it is also what a person is trying to achieve in their lifetime. Arete is more of excellence of sort that a person is trying to gain through self-improvement. Arete can be excellence in anything a person desires, it is not a self-duty or a calling like dharma. In the Ancient Greek though arete was more of inner strength and courage that one would try to gain in a battle. For example, Hector’s achieved arete when he battled to protected his homeland, his actions were based on his duty to protect his homeland. What roles do gods play in these heroes’ predicament?In the Iliad the gods are more involved and favor sides, Achilles who was a demi god has a god for a mother and she had already told him his fate. During the battle for troy when Achilles was going to slay Agame mnon, Achilles is visited by Athena to check his anger because that can alter the fate of the battle. In the Ramayana, gods never visited Ram when it came to him making a decision, it is only when he going to destroy heave that they visit him. The fate of Ram and Achilles is also predetermined in these epics, Achilles was meant to go to Troy and gain glory through its defeat.Ram’s fate was a little different though because in the Ramayana, Ram himself is an incarnation of Vishnu and he was born to kill Ravana. Both the warriors are gods in these epics but Ram in the Ramayana does not know that he is one. In both the Iliad and the Ramayana, there are injustice done to the heroes of the epic and it is through this injustice it is that these heroes gain glory and happiness. In the Ramayana, Ram is prince who is banished to the forest for 14 years and it is through this injustice that he recognizes his fate and kills Ravana.Ram is shown as a pure man in this epic and not an arrog ant warrior who questions authority and disrespects his elder, Ram’s response to his injustice is not extreme and his acceptance of his fate his is not based on him wanting glory. In the Iliad, Achilles is shown as an arrogant warrior who detests authority and his reaction to his injustice is shown as him drawing his sword towards Agamemnon. The meaning of dharma and arete is also different in these two cultures, dharma is a sort of purity a person is trying to achieve through self-responsibility and purity whereas arete is an excellence a person is trying to achieve abilities.The Gods in these epics play a major part because they are the controlling forces and their choices can alter the ending of each of these epics, in the Iliad if Achilles would have killed Agamemnon and not been stopped by Athena than the epic would have ended differently. In the Ramayana if Ram had questioned the authority for his injustice than the epic would be different. In the Ramayana virtue is sho wn through Ram’s eyes as being as pure as he can be and a happy life can be lived with nothingness. In the Iliad, virtue is shown through Achilles’s eyes gaining glory in the most toughest of wars and life without glory is incomplete.

Problem solving Essay

Problem solving refers to the process of tackling a problem to try and solve it. In mathematics problem solving makes use of mathematical processes which enable pupils to develop new insights, and sometimes new procedures. It involves exploration, discovery and analysis. Problem solving begins with a task which the pupils understand and are willing to engage in, but for which they have no immediate solution. It is associated with developing and learning ways to tackle and solve problems. According to Broomes, Cumberbatch, James and Petty (1995) problem solving should no longer be viewed as an activity in which pupils engage after they have acquired certain mathematical concepts and skills. Problem solving should be viewed both as means of acquiring new mathematical knowledge and as a process for applying what has been previously learned. George Polya has also propose a four-step process for problem solving. These four steps are understand the problem, devise a strategy/plan for solving the problem, carry out the strategy/ plan and check for results or look back and check. These four steps are important in helping to do problem solving. The first stage of Polya’s problem solving is understanding the problem. In order for the students to solve a problem in a mathematics classroom they must first understand the problem or understand what they are asked to find or do. The problem must be read carefully then analyzed. Polya taught teachers to ask students questions such as:Do you understand all the words used in stating the problem?What are you asked to do or show?Can you restate the problem in your own words?Can you think of a picture or diagram that might help you understand the problem?Is there enough information to enable you to nd a solution? Polya’s Second Principle: Devise a plan Polya mentions that there are many reasonable ways to solve problems. The skill at choosing an appropriate strategy is best learned by solving many problems. You will nd choosing a strategy increasingly easy. A partial list of strategies is included: Guess and check Look for a pattern Make an orderly list Draw a picture Eliminate possibilities Solve a simpler problem Use symmetry Use a model Consider special cases Work backwards Use direct reasoning Use a formula Solve an equation Be ingenious 1Polya’s Third Principle: Carry out the plan This step is usually easier than devising the plan. In general, all you need is care and patience, given that you have the necessary skills. Persist with the plan that you have chosen. If it continues not to work discard it and choose another. Don’t be misled, this is how mathematics is done, even by professionals. Polya’s Fourth Principle: Look back Polya mentions that much can be gained by taking the time to reflect and look back at what you have done, what worked, and what didn’t. Doing this will enable you to predict what strategy to use to solve future problems. So starting on the next page, here is a summary, in the master’s own words, on strategies for attacking problems in mathematics class. This is taken from the book, How To Solve It, by George Polya, 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1957,

Characteristics of Pure Competition

Characteristics of Pure Competition 1.0 Introduction Basic microeconomic theory states that firms should seek to maximize profits and that this is achieved where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost. A number of assumptions underpin this theory, including the assumptions that firms clearly understand the nature of the demand for their products, and why people buy, and that they are willing and able to control production and sales as the model demands. In reality, decision makers do not have perfect knowledge and production and sales are affected by suppliers and distributors. However, this basic theory has resulted in the development of market models and characteristics of these in respect of barriers to entry into the industry, the number of firms in the industry, whether those firms produce a standardized product or try to differentiate their products from those of other firm. At the early 1920’s, only two distinct market models are present in the economic studies which are Pure Competition and Pure Mon opoly. However, economist found out that most firms operate in markets that fall between the extremes of pure competition and pure monopoly. These firms do not face competition from numerous rival producers all selling a homogeneous product at a single price. Instead, most firms in the real commercial world face varying degrees of competition. In some cases, there are competitions offering more or less identical products; in other instances, firms produce and sell differentiated products. In the latter case, a competitor’s product is merely an attractive substitute. In the real commercial world, there may be numerous competitor, or there may be only a few other sellers in a given market. The need of for a more accurate world for markets of this type of this type led to the development of ‘imperfect market’ to refer to such markets. Imperfect competition refers to markets lying in between the two extreme forms of markets, pure competition and pure monopoly. In ord er to bridge the gap of these extreme forms of market structure, two economists, Joan Robinson of Cambridge University of England and Edward Chamberlin of Harvard University in the U.S.A., introduced independently a third market world to explain and illustrate the theory of imperfect competition in the year of 1993. In other words, their model of market organization is what as refer as monopolistic competition. As a result of the variations between the markets present, four distinct market structures are introduced: Pure Competition, Pure Monopoly, Monopolistic competition, and Oligopoly. Pure Competiton Pure Competition is a rarity as such as a theoretical market model. Pure competition involves a very large number of firms producing a standardized, non differentiated product that is exactly identical to that of other firms as perfectly competitive. Pure Competition is a market which firms will only make ‘normal’ profits, the amount required for them to stay in the ind ustry. In Pure Competition market there are no major barriers to entry into the industry so new firms can enter or exit the industry very easily. If a Pure Competition market reaches a situation which supply exceeds demand then the ruling market price is forced down and only the efficient firms survive.

Examine the view of British Class and society that Lindsay Anderson Essay

Examine the view of British Class and society that Lindsay Anderson provides in the films If....(1968), O, Lucky Man (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982) - Essay Example He later wrote for Sight and Sound, a journal for the British Film Institute and the New Statesman, a left wing weekly. He lashed at contemporary critics and their objectivity pursuit in one article for Sights and Sounds. Anderson went on to develop a philosophy concerning cinema, which was christened the Free Cinema movement in the latter part of the 1950s. This philosophy held that cinema in Britain needed to break off from the class-bound attitudes it projected and that the national screens needed to be adorned with stories of non-metropolitan Britain. This paper seeks to examine three of Anderson’s films: â€Å"If...†, â€Å"O, Lucky Man†, and â€Å"Britannia hospital† and the view of British class and society that they provided. The use of the word new wave to describe cultural phenomena is a vital metaphor that when extended and scrutinised further allows one to picture the deep up currents and swellings that formed the wave (Allon, 2007 p7). These films challenged the old norms and were driven by an amalgam of social-democratic and liberal sentiments, which can ironically be viewed as a portion of the success of the economic boom in Britain that allowed the era’s youth to dream, in relatively secure economic mind-frames, about futures other than those that had been held as the norm. Perhaps a perfect example is If†¦, which came at the tail-end of the New Wave’s phase of social realism and had a nature that was ambiguous in both its recognition of a rapidly changing and expanding British future and its style, both in technique and theme. After his vital role in the Free Cinema movement development, he was involved integrally in the social realist filmmaking of the British New Wave (Anderson et al, 2007 p45). His movie This Sporting Life, based on flashbacks, was viewed as having too much intensity and purely naturalistic. In 1968, Anderson made

Gender Discrimination in Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender Discrimination in Korea - Essay Example A United Nations report estimates that between 30 and 50 percent of all households in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America depend on a woman as their main provider. In addition, even in the more developed lands, an increasing number of women have had to become the main provider. This notion of gender discrimination is driven by the social development theories that explain the truth behind the existence of the capitalist idealism wherein people are more focused in gaining profit than that of providing respect to the ones that are due of the said recognition. (Peet, 1995) Rural poverty throughout much of the developing world is accelerating this trend. A husband who finds it a constant struggle to feed his family may decide to move to a nearby city or even another country to obtain work. He leaves his wife behind to care for the family. If he is fortunate enough to find a job, he sends paychecks home. But despite his good intentions, this often does not continue (Eiu-young, 1987). But difficult as it is, putting food on the table is not the only challenge women face. Why the sudden change on the role of women being at home Why the sudden direction of seeing women to becoming an epitome of a capitalist society that is better focused on the profits they are to gain than that of the morals that they are better able to establish to set a society that is able to withstand the changes of development that the modern human community itself undergoes at present. Through the theory of global capitalism, the growing difference on the gender status known to the human society and the changes happening to the status of women in connection with the recognition that they are receiving from the people of whom they are dealing with in the society that they are living in. (Peet, 1995) In Korea, this gender discrimination is indeed prevalent in the society. Moreover, this view of women has been strongly advertised through the use of media and continuous social display of discriminating attitudes. In fact, there is an implicit culture in the said country that the beautiful appearance and the physical attractiveness in women are essential stepping-stones for success. This culture really places women as a weaker gender having been able to do nothing without the existence of beauty. It is as if the talents and the considerably fine attributes of women are taken in no regard compared to their beauty. In this regard, the researcher aims to further study the issue on women discrimination existing in Korea through the use of survey. By basing the opinions of the people on how they comprehend on the theme sent out by the movie "Vanity Fair" after having them watch the said film. As said earlier, through this experimentation, the researcher hopes to evaluate the real impact of media in the society with regards to the issue of inequality, thus being able to formulate possible solutions to the said social plague. The Issues The theory of Marxian conception on the material conception of life has been the basic source of understanding used by the researcher of this paper in an aim of creating

Outline for Research Proposal Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outline for Proposal - Research Paper Example PAYDAY LOAN SERVICES IN A CONVENIENCE STORE Problem statement The writer will explore the feasibility of establishing a Payday loan service in Topeka, Kansas. The feasibility includes exploring options of locating the payday loan service in a convenience store that is accessible. The room will have a counter for disbursing funds and maintaining records. Research will include state and local requirements for establishing payday loan service as a sole proprietorship, competitors’ analysis for internal assessment for crafting payday loan service strategies, and a market analysis to study the lending rates and charges in relation to pay loan services in Kansas State. Research questions 1. Who are the users of payday loans? 2. Do the payday loans solve their financial problems? 3. What is the eligibility for obtaining a payday loan? 4. Who are the competitors in the market? Purpose statement To promote access to diverse, healthy and comprehensive financial services for households i n Kansas. This will be through offering cost-effective loan rates and innovative methods of loan applications for customer convenience. Literature Review What is a payday loan? Payday lending business will provide short terms loans for a maximum period of two weeks, to households who are in need of money or individuals that do not opt for other sources of credit.Caskey and John (2012), define a payday loan service as a loan gotten from a business that is not a bank. Thesebusinesses operate under different titles and take postdated checks as collateral. Hodson (2009) describes a payday loan as a short term borrowing where the borrower borrows money at a high interest rate. The borrower writes a postdated personal cheque in the month they wish to borrow including a fee in exchange for cash. The borrower does hold onto the cheques and cashes it on the agreed upon date. How pay day works The borrower visits a lending store and secures cash, which is due in full at the borrower’s next pay day. The borrower then writes a post dated cheque with the full amount including the fees. Upon maturity of the check, the borrower returns the loan and if he fails to, the lender redeems the cheque.The borrower incurs a bounced cheque fee from his bank plus the cost of the loan. The loan incurs additional fees and an increased interest rate for failure to pay (Schurter, 2012). The writer will have well laid down policies that govern mutual understanding between the business and the borrower, in that the borrower will pay the amount by the next pay day which will be after 14 days. Eligibility to qualify for the loan will be for persons with steady jobs and persons above the age of 18 years. This will be verified via pay stubs and bank statements. The process of loan involves the borrower securing a small cash loan pay, he then writes a postdated cheque which is a form of collateral to the business in the full amount plus loan fees to the business. When the cheque matures, t he borrower returns to the business to pay the loan in person. Advantages of payday loans Research by Payday Loan (2013) supports the merits that payday loans offer to its users. This service allows people with little no credit to get credit of $700 and above in a day. Less bureaucracy in application as the applicant only needs to provide proof of employment and recent pay stubs. Payday loans does offer quick cash for any reason and less paperwork is involved in the application as the

Megacities in Asia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Megacities in Asia - Assignment Example The slum owners aspire to get better houses, healthcare, infrastructure and social cultural facilities. The citizens are concerned with the general hygiene, how tax payers’ money is being used and the crime rates. The landowners on the other hand, are concerned with the financial loss and encroachment (Ruparel 2013). The residents of Mumbai are likely to benefit from the low cost houses that will be on offer once the redevelopment is completed. They are also set to benefit from the infrastructure that Dharavi will be offering. E.g. Recreation amenities, healthcare facilities, better infrastructure, including the railway line and the roads, this will make the city to be more accessible. The redevelopment of Dharavi will reduce the crime rates as most of the slum dwellers will get employed in the new marketplaces. The quality of life in the city of Mumbai will improve after this project is finally completed. The pollution from the slum will be highly reduced and this will reduce the rate at which diseases are spread and generally lead to a better living conditions (Ruparel 2013). There also plans to build several schools that will impart knowledge to both the slum dwellers as well as the residents of