Existentialism Essay -- essays research papers

Existentialism is a philosophy about life that says being is more important than the indispensable everyday occurrences. It acknowledges an individuals freedom to choose and says with this knowing there comes an immense sense of responsibility. Despair, hopelessness and anxiety are characteristic of a person struggling with existential thoughts. Nihilism sums up this condition by stating that all values are baseless, nothing is foreseeable and that life itself is meaningless. The characters in A Clean Well Lighted Place and A Day’s Wait show signs of being both aware and unaware of these elements of existentialism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first story, A Clean Well Lighted Place, the old drunk man represents someone who realizes he has no actual plan or fate. His despair is over the realization that theoretically the afterlife does not exist. The drunken man and older waiter share this despair not only because they both realize a man’s need for a clean, well-lighted place but also because they both struggle to fill a void. The older waiter’s acknowledgement of nothingness in life is evident when he recites the prayer but fills in the perceived nouns God and heaven with nada or nothing. He feels a void with this realization that keeps him awake at night. His assumption that others share his insomnia is somewhat correct but what they, the drunken man and the waiter, actually share is a void. The young waiter has a wife to go home to and a bed, the old drunken man ...

Kaiser Wilhelm II and The First World War Essay

The British postcard illustrates Kaiser Wilhelm II in a bath, where he is about to grab a bar of soap labelled â€Å"Europe†, with a caption quoting â€Å"He won’t be happy till he gets it.† This suggests he is willing to use force to capture Europe. Wilhelm is wearing a military helmet and has a greedy expression on his face, which gives us the impression he is willing to fight for what he wants. Sources B and C both differ, but both of them agree that Wilhelm’s attitude towards the war was very violent. In source B, Wilhelm’s speech seems to be taken over by his emotions: anger, aggression, passion and lots of determination. He refers to certain phrases such as â€Å"take no prisoners†, â€Å"must be destroyed† and â€Å"ruthless violence.† Words such as these show us that he wants trouble. However in source C, there is more talk of peace. It seems to be a more subdued and more thoughtful speech. â€Å"I was always a supporter of peace.† But then he goes on to say how peace â€Å"has its limits.† And he can â€Å"no longer just look on, but must draw the sword!† This giving the final conclusion that Kaisers attitude towards the war has not changed since 1900 although he has become more diplomatic. This postcard may be biased, as the British whom were about to go to war with him produced it. Britain wanted to portray him in as much negative light as possible, therefore this postcard might not be truthful. But using my own knowledge, I know that Kaiser Wilhelm II was an aggressive man who came from an aggressive country and to control Europe was his sole ambition. Also, Britain was aware of Wilhelm’s objectives and to some extent holds him responsible for the Moroccan Crises. They therefore have a good reason to portray him in this way. â€Å"The Kaiser was a warmonger and caused the Great War.† The evidence given in the sources supports this statement and also disagrees with it. Source A clearly supports this view. The cartoon shows Wilhelm greedily snatching Europe, along with the war helmet, which indicates war. Source B backs this statement too. There is no sign of peaceful man in his speech. In this he says he wants Germans to acquire a similar reputation as Attila’s Huns did in the fifth century. Attila was the King of the German tribe the Huns who ravaged Eastern Europe. But there is talk of peace in his later speech (1913), although this hopeful thought is dampened by the indications of war â€Å"Must draw the sword.† However, using my own knowledge I know that the Great War was not only the fault of Wilhelm’s, there was many other reasons. In my opinion, rivalries were the main factor, which brought about the First World War. Without rivalries, no one would have a cause to start a war. There were many rivalries; Britain and Germany; France and Germany; Austria-Hungary and Russia and Serbia and Austria. These rivalries helped to cause war between the powers of Europe because they all wanted to fight for one reason or another. Another factor was alliances. With alliances, everyone was dragged into war, whether they liked it or not. In this case, it couldn’t be avoided. And lastly, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was the catalyst. This gave Austria a perfect opportunity to declare war on Serbia. With this, Austria and Serbia were at war along with their allies. It caused great destruction as most countries were involved. This is proof that the Kaiser did not cause the Great War, as you need two countries to have a war. Cause the war he did not, but a warmonger he may be.

The Period of the Great Depression and Political Issues in...

Chapter 32-The Politics of Boom and Bust The three conservative Republican presidents wanted to get back to serving the public with less direct government intervention and more co-managing with big business. After WWI, the United States turned and from its international interest to its traditional style of foreign policy such as military unpreparedness and isolationism. The â€Å"Old Guard† wanted to get back to its old business of laissez-faire business with government helping businesses push profits but keep their hands off business at the same time. Harding allowed corporations to expand again and regulation of trusts were less enforced. Harding appointed to his ICC Board men that were more lenient on the railroad industry. Government control over wartime decisions disappeared such as the War Industries Board and an act was passed to sell a majority of war ships for a reduced price. This would make our navies less prepared for war. The railroads were also turned back over to private industry. Labor organization un ions lost much of its power against wage cuts. Strikes were shut down with government injunctions like the Steel strike and the Boston Police strike in 1919. Labor membership suffered a decline of thirty percent for the next years. A Veterans’ Bureau was established to handle the veterans’ hospitals and rehab clinics for the vets that had returned from war. Veterans wanted to be compensated for their time in the war and a bureau was set up to pay an insuranceShow MoreRelatedThe Influence Of Political Films On Society And Behavior For Large Masses Of People1396 Words   |  6 Pagesof information about society and behavior for large masses of people.† Political films represent views and criticisms of certain times throughout history. Popular movies involving politics and the government have to ability to impact citizens’ beliefs, whether it changes them or certifies them. Films that focus on politics could inform audiences on any topics such as political i nstitutions and historical circumstances. Political films are useful resources when learning about particular societies andRead MoreFranklin D. Roosevelt : An Effective American President And Leader1509 Words   |  7 Pages1 Bernier Abby Bernier Mrs. Walden Sophomore Honors History Period 1 8 December 2014 The Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt Thesis: Franklin D. Roosevelt was an effective American president and leader. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a powerful leader and one of the most highly regarded presidents in American history. He connected well with American people, had a strong character, possessed a clear vision for America, had valuable political skills, and could lead people in challenging times. With recentRead More Reconstruction in the 20th Century Essay examples584 Words   |  3 Pagesbeginning of the 20th century was a memorable time in history for the United States. This time period drastically changed our country politically and socially by reform. The Presidents that ruled our country during this era were especially powerful and made many differences, women and African Americans were starting to take a stand, and our country was able to make it all the way through the Great Depression. All of these events that took place in the early 1900s helped our country regain strength andRead MoreThe Great Depression Of The 1930 S1476 Words   |  6 Pagesthe great depression of the 1930’s and the great recession in the United State of America. First, I’ll make a general overview of each of these two different periods and then focus on certain specific aspects during these different times. This will include the causes to the economic recessio ns witnessed, impacts of the economic recessions and the solutions that were introduced. When talking about any topic regarding American history, it would be hard not to mention the 1930’s great depression. AuthorsRead MoreWhat Does the Anniversary of Australia Means to the Indigenous People1323 Words   |  6 PagesAustralians to reflect on the progress Australia has made in the last 150 years. That anniversary was a time and opportunity for them to be proud of how Australia has thrived. Australia had recently made it through World War 1 and through the great depression. To the indigenous people the anniversary marked the landing of the first fleet 150 years ago which was renamed by the indigenous the day of mourning this marked 150 years of deprivation and abuse by the white settlers . It symbolised theRead MoreThe Cold War And The International Political Economy1076 Words   |  5 PagesWar and The International Political Economy in the 1970s The article that is going to be reflected in the following paragraphs attempts to describe the connection between the Cold War and the transfigurations of the political economy throughout that time period. In doing so, the article, â€Å"The Cold War and The International Political Economy in the 1970s†, examines various forms of scholarly literature on the topic. Often times, the Cold War and international political economy are disconnected,Read MoreAmerican Foreign Policy After The Great Depression1390 Words   |  6 Pagesshifted from the Isolationism to Interventionism for valid reasons. First the economic and socially challenging home front crisis of the Great Depression kept American citizens and politicians busy with domestic policy. Additionally the disillusionment of people with WWI caused America to avoid war at all costs. However, the rising threat of fascism in Europe forced America to defend democracy and help its allies. The first shift was seen when foreign po licy in the 1920s had moved to isolationism in largeRead MoreTheu.s. The Great Depression1548 Words   |  7 Pagesisolationists: the Great Depression. As this tragic event persisted throughout the decade, it persuaded many variety of citizens of United States to believe that Isolationism was the answer to fix this crisis. The favoring of isolationism in different parts of the country and people influenced the U.S foreign policies in such a way that the United States Government became an isolationist. They believed that with the various economic hardships in the country, their focus should be on domestic issues, insteadRead MoreThe Administration Of President Franklin D. Roosevelt1469 Words   |  6 Pagesthat this administration faced was the Great Depression, left over from late 1929. The Great Depression, and later the Second World War, resulted in political, social, and cultural changes throughout Roosevelt’s presidency, and throughout the country. Some of the main even ts that occurred as a result of The Great Depression and WWII, during Roosevelt’s administration were The first and second new deal, mass migration and immigration due to both the Great Depression and WWII, and new government agenciesRead MoreDBQ Questions781 Words   |  4 Pages____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Constitution Using information from the evidence below as well as your knowledge of the period, discuss the development of the United States Constitution as a document which ensured popular sovereignty. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________