Fires on the Plain a Reflection Free Essays

Fires on The Plain: A Reflection Fires on the Plain is truly the most depressing, haunting, and sad story I have ever endured reading. The complete abandonment of the Japanese soldiers on the island of Leyte by the Japanese Army is revolting, as well as the complete disregard for each others well being among them. It becomes a battle between one another for survival. We will write a custom essay sample on Fires on the Plain: a Reflection or any similar topic only for you Order Now The lack of comradery among the Japanese soldiers is dumbfounding, and leads me to believe that it may very well have been there demise. The weaknesses we see in Tamura and the other soldiers not only have a great impact on their unfortunate outcome, but are also a result of a weakness within the Japanese Army itself. The awful fate of these soldiers, at the hands of their own command, is infuriating. Shohei’s story holds powerful, and several dangerous implications of what war is like and what it’s effects can be on those who fight in them. I would like to start by talking about comradery. Comradery can be defined as the spirit of friendship and community in a group, like a group of soldiers. Tamura’s story shows zero evidence of any sort of comradeship, he even describes the way in which it he saw it disappear on Leyte, â€Å"Before long any comradeship that we once felt for each other had virtually disappeared. †(pg. 9). I could also see this in the way they treated each other. Initially, Yasuda and Nagamatsus’ relationship could be mistaken for comradeship, but I realized that they were only using each other and did not care at all about the others well being. Which becomes quite clear at the end of the book. I have no doubt that this complete lack of comradery was mostly a result of their horrific situation, but I also believe that it could have existed before it. The way in which Tamura laughed while watching his fellow soldiers run around like â€Å"insects†(pg. 59), and the fact that Nagamatsu would hunt, kill, and eat his fellow soldiers are disturbing examples of the complete disregard they had for one another. These instances serve as proof to me that there couldn’t possibly have been much of a comradeship between these men at any point. One dangerous implication that this story holds expressed directly by Shohei, â€Å"For people like us, living day and night on the brink of danger, the normal instinct of survival seems to strike inward, like a disease, distorting the personality and removing all motives other than those of sheer self-interest. †(pg. 9). While this certainly seems true for the Japanese soldiers in this story, I refuse to believe it to be true for all men. My personal experiences from being a Marine and doing two tours in Afghanistan have showed me what true comradery is. My fellow Marines and I would have gladly died for one another, and some did. In class, we discussed how the way in which these Japanese soldiers turned on one another when torn down to their most animalistic nature, could be true of all men or soldiers when under the same circumstances. The fact that somebody could believe that to be true is not only offensive, but scary. It is scary to me that examples from a book written by someone who is clearly insane, could be generalized to all men or all soldiers of every kind. What really irks me about this is that Shohei, portrayed through Tamura, shows absolutely no characteristics of a soldier. I think his most accurate depiction was when he said they resembled domestic animals â€Å"helplessly uprooted and perplexed†(pg. 35). I believe that he portrays someone with certain mental weakness. He wonders about the island countryside, it seams, waiting for his death to come. He has no plan but death. I understand that his circumstances are beyond my understanding, but they way in which he so easily abandons any hope of surviving, and doesn’t put up any real fight for his survival, doesn’t sit with me. It makes me realize that this weakness is most likely due to reasons beyond his control, such as the way in which, and the culture in which, he was brought up. As well as the poor military training and/or lack there of, did not properly prepare him for the nightmare of a situation he was put in. Which forces me to re-evaluate my initial reaction to write him off as a pathetic, weak individual who should have shot himself right then and there after he murdered the Filipino women. I am sympathetic for poor Tamura, who was drafted into the army and clearly given incredibly insufficient training. Tamura did not belong there and, I feel, none of them belonged there. The infuriating part of this story is the way in which these men were sent to what any person with intellect could tell was a certain, horrific death. Not only were they ordered to go that island, to that shit hole of a situation, it seams as if the people who ordered them there just left them for dead. Even his commanding officer told him that the best thing he could for his country was kill himself. They were given absolutely no support against an enemy whose support was rivaled by none. Which resulted in them fighting each other for survival. Fires on the Plain is a very disturbing story from a war that resulted in many awful things. It has many implications of what war can be like, but I want to emphasize that not all wars are the same, and the men and women who fight in these wars certainly are not either. I would hope that those who read this understand that they shouldn’t generalize the behavior of these poor Japanese soldiers to all soldiers or fighting men. I believe that the circumstances surrounding this horrific example of what war can be like are incredible and the ingredients that went into making this shit sandwich are hard to come by all at the same time. My final thoughts of this story are wrapped around Shohei’s idea that life is nothing more than â€Å"a mere succession of chances†(p. 233). I have been debating over this idea with myself ever since I came back from my last tour in Afghanistan, and I can’t say that Shohei’s story has helped me in making a decision. How to cite Fires on the Plain: a Reflection, Essay examples

Fires on the Plain a Reflection Free Essays

Fires on The Plain: A Reflection Fires on the Plain is truly the most depressing, haunting, and sad story I have ever endured reading. The complete abandonment of the Japanese soldiers on the island of Leyte by the Japanese Army is revolting, as well as the complete disregard for each others well being among them. It becomes a battle between one another for survival. We will write a custom essay sample on Fires on the Plain: a Reflection or any similar topic only for you Order Now The lack of comradery among the Japanese soldiers is dumbfounding, and leads me to believe that it may very well have been there demise. The weaknesses we see in Tamura and the other soldiers not only have a great impact on their unfortunate outcome, but are also a result of a weakness within the Japanese Army itself. The awful fate of these soldiers, at the hands of their own command, is infuriating. Shohei’s story holds powerful, and several dangerous implications of what war is like and what it’s effects can be on those who fight in them. I would like to start by talking about comradery. Comradery can be defined as the spirit of friendship and community in a group, like a group of soldiers. Tamura’s story shows zero evidence of any sort of comradeship, he even describes the way in which it he saw it disappear on Leyte, â€Å"Before long any comradeship that we once felt for each other had virtually disappeared. †(pg. 9). I could also see this in the way they treated each other. Initially, Yasuda and Nagamatsus’ relationship could be mistaken for comradeship, but I realized that they were only using each other and did not care at all about the others well being. Which becomes quite clear at the end of the book. I have no doubt that this complete lack of comradery was mostly a result of their horrific situation, but I also believe that it could have existed before it. The way in which Tamura laughed while watching his fellow soldiers run around like â€Å"insects†(pg. 59), and the fact that Nagamatsu would hunt, kill, and eat his fellow soldiers are disturbing examples of the complete disregard they had for one another. These instances serve as proof to me that there couldn’t possibly have been much of a comradeship between these men at any point. One dangerous implication that this story holds expressed directly by Shohei, â€Å"For people like us, living day and night on the brink of danger, the normal instinct of survival seems to strike inward, like a disease, distorting the personality and removing all motives other than those of sheer self-interest. †(pg. 9). While this certainly seems true for the Japanese soldiers in this story, I refuse to believe it to be true for all men. My personal experiences from being a Marine and doing two tours in Afghanistan have showed me what true comradery is. My fellow Marines and I would have gladly died for one another, and some did. In class, we discussed how the way in which these Japanese soldiers turned on one another when torn down to their most animalistic nature, could be true of all men or soldiers when under the same circumstances. The fact that somebody could believe that to be true is not only offensive, but scary. It is scary to me that examples from a book written by someone who is clearly insane, could be generalized to all men or all soldiers of every kind. What really irks me about this is that Shohei, portrayed through Tamura, shows absolutely no characteristics of a soldier. I think his most accurate depiction was when he said they resembled domestic animals â€Å"helplessly uprooted and perplexed†(pg. 35). I believe that he portrays someone with certain mental weakness. He wonders about the island countryside, it seams, waiting for his death to come. He has no plan but death. I understand that his circumstances are beyond my understanding, but they way in which he so easily abandons any hope of surviving, and doesn’t put up any real fight for his survival, doesn’t sit with me. It makes me realize that this weakness is most likely due to reasons beyond his control, such as the way in which, and the culture in which, he was brought up. As well as the poor military training and/or lack there of, did not properly prepare him for the nightmare of a situation he was put in. Which forces me to re-evaluate my initial reaction to write him off as a pathetic, weak individual who should have shot himself right then and there after he murdered the Filipino women. I am sympathetic for poor Tamura, who was drafted into the army and clearly given incredibly insufficient training. Tamura did not belong there and, I feel, none of them belonged there. The infuriating part of this story is the way in which these men were sent to what any person with intellect could tell was a certain, horrific death. Not only were they ordered to go that island, to that shit hole of a situation, it seams as if the people who ordered them there just left them for dead. Even his commanding officer told him that the best thing he could for his country was kill himself. They were given absolutely no support against an enemy whose support was rivaled by none. Which resulted in them fighting each other for survival. Fires on the Plain is a very disturbing story from a war that resulted in many awful things. It has many implications of what war can be like, but I want to emphasize that not all wars are the same, and the men and women who fight in these wars certainly are not either. I would hope that those who read this understand that they shouldn’t generalize the behavior of these poor Japanese soldiers to all soldiers or fighting men. I believe that the circumstances surrounding this horrific example of what war can be like are incredible and the ingredients that went into making this shit sandwich are hard to come by all at the same time. My final thoughts of this story are wrapped around Shohei’s idea that life is nothing more than â€Å"a mere succession of chances†(p. 233). I have been debating over this idea with myself ever since I came back from my last tour in Afghanistan, and I can’t say that Shohei’s story has helped me in making a decision. How to cite Fires on the Plain: a Reflection, Essay examples

Lord Of The Flies Creative Story Essays - Allegory,

Lord of the Flies: Creative Story Our boy scout troop was on a white river rafting trip when the boat went off course in foggy, hazy, and wet weather. The leader of the scouts fell off into the sea with no hope of revival. Now the boys are stranded on a deserted island. Suddenly the troop of scouts turn to me for help. I start saying, "First, we all need to make tents to sleep in so everyone would have there own privacy and shelter. Next, to make some bonfires for warmth and in hopes of passing ships seeing it. I will send out a bunch of people to find food, good sleeping grounds, and high hills good for fires. Then set up posts so that people could watch out for passing ships. We can ration the food and everyone's belongings because there's no telling how long we all could be stranded. Everyone who has glasses, take out your lenses to facilitate starting fires. Pig, fish, and whatever else anybody can salvage off this deserted island will be divided up equally so everyone has a fair share. Anybody who violates any 'rule' will simply not receive their fair share. Each of the 9 adults is in charge of the welfare of 4 little scouts. The purpose of this is so that the little ones become more effective at the work on the island and that they're safe with an older person watching." By dealing with current circumstances such as hunger and shelter, as well as looking at the long term of taking precautions to be rescued, I feel we have taken full advantage of the situation and dealt with it in the most logical situation.

Various Genetic Disorders Essays - Cytogenetics, Free Essays

Various Genetic Disorders Essays - Cytogenetics, Free Essays Various Genetic Disorders Various Genetic Disorders Alterations in human chromosomes or the deletion of an important gene product are often due to a mutation, which can spring an abundant strand of genetic mutations and improper coding. Mutations can spring from deletion, duplication or inversion of a chromosome. This improper deletion is the factor that leads to complications and ultimately genetic disorders. Turner Syndrome and Cat-cry Syndrome are both alterations of chromosome structure due to deletion. In Turner Syndrome, there is a missing X chromosome and in the Cat-cry Syndrome chromosome-18 has been lost or deleted. Other genetic disorders that give rise to discussion are point mutations which include Sickle cell anemia, Maternal PKU and the genetic disorder of The D1 Trisomy syndrome. Turner Syndrome was described first by Turner in 1938 (Jack H. Hung 1989 p.45) and it was established that this disorder was due to the deletion of an X chromosome in 1959 by Ford, Jones, Polani, de Ameida and Briggs. The most predominant traits of those who have this disorder consist of being short, having neck webbing with a low hairline and having a widely spaced chest. Turner Syndrome disease is not a fatal disease as long as there is management of possible heart problems and ovarian dysfunction. Early support and counseling are the key in dealing with psychological problems that may arise such as infertility and potential hearing loss. Cat-cry Syndrome is another deletion disorder in which inhibitor survives quite well. Lejeune recognized this disorder in 1964 and he gave it the official name of La Maladie du Cri-du-Chat. The physical characteristics are evident in this disorder. There is a round moon-face, a low birth weight and a transverse palmar crease. When infants are born, it is their cry that stands out the most. It embodies a plaintive high-pitched wail, weak, and with a hint of stridor that sounds like that of a cat (Valtine 1969 p.113). This cry is the result of small vocal cords and a curved epiglottis. As these infants grow older their voice will eventually deepen and become more normal. The chromosome deletion is part of the short arm of a B group chromosome. It seems that the deletion comes about as a chance mishap, a break and then a loss at anaphase (Valtine 1969 p.114). Sickle cell disease is another disorder but is not caused by the deletion of a chromosome. Instead there is an abnormal type of hemoglobin S that is inherited as an autosomal inherited trait. This disease produces chronic anemia, which may become life threatening when hemolytic crises (the breakdown of redblood cells) or aplastic crises (bone marrow fails to produce blood cells) occur (wcu.edu/library/online/index.htm). The incidence of this disorder is 1/400 African Americans and 8/100,000 people. The manifestations of this disease are a result of the fragility and inflexibility of the sickle red bloodcells. When exposed to a lack of water, infection, and low oxygen supply, these delicate red blood cells take the shape of a crescent. This then causes blood cell devastation and thickening of the blood. Sickle cell anemia has the potential to be life threatening and can affect other body systems and parts of the body. Those included are the nervous system, bones, the kidneys and the liver. Maternal PKU is a genetic disorder that stems from point mutation. 1/15,000 people fall victim to the disorder. Phenylketonuria (PKU) has been shown as a cause of retardation in infant fetuses. Children in the fetus begin with a normal amount of phenylalanine hydroxylase but are affected by the mother's elevated phenylalanine level due to the imbalance of prenatal amino acid (Kenneth Lyons Jones, M.D. 1988). Mental deficiency is clearly evident in disorder and usually consists of I.Q.s of 50. There are frequent mild manifestations of dysfunction and there are mild characteristics of a round face, thin upper lip, a small upturned nose and a deformed maxilla. Occasional abnormalities that are frequently associated with this disorder are sacral spine anomalies, cleft lip and irritability. The D1 Trisomy Syndrome is a very rare hideous disease that occurs during the time of infancy. Only just over a dozen cases on record. This diagnosis can often be made at birth due to the consistent abnormalities. The baby is frail, puny, and

Listen to the Radio in French is Écouter la Radio

Listen to the Radio in French is Écouter la Radio Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them. The verb  Ãƒ ©couter  does not need a preposition to connect it to the next word. So when youre listening to the radio or anything else in French, you would not add a preposition, as you would in English:      Jà ©coute la radio.   Im listening to the radio.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il aime à ©couter les discours. He likes listening to speeches.  Ã‚     Ãƒâ€°coutez la voix de la sagesse. Listen to the voice of reason.     Elle va te faire à ©couter un chanson.   Shes going to play you a song.       Verbs and Prepositions: To Add or Not To Add Many French verbs do need a preposition such  as or de- by far the most common- to connect them to the next verb and complete their meaning. Its this way in English, too; consider to look at and to take care of. But many of the most common French verbs, such as aller, croire, faire, falloir, penser, pouvoir, sentir, savoir, venir, voir and vouloir,  do not need a preposition at all and are usually in constructions that go directly from conjugated verb to infinitive or conjugated verb to direct object: no preposition   infinitive no preposition   direct object The confusion arises for English-language speakers when the prepositions required for French verbs are not the same as the ones required by their English equivalents, or when some verbs that require a preposition in English dont take one in French, and vice versa. couter Doesnt Need a Preposition Écouter  is one of those French verbs that are  not followed by a preposition whereas their English equivalents are.   The explanation? The French verb à ©couter means to listen to, which cancels the need to add another preposition. Beginners often mistakenly add after à ©couter, in effect saying to listen to to something. And that is a classic French learners mistake. Some French learners find it helpful to memorize lists of verbs by the prepositions they require, while others prefer a master list of  alphabetized verbs. Additional Resources How to Use French verbs with and without prepositions  Ã‚  List of correct prepositions that follow French verbs, if anyMost common French prepositionsFrench infinitives

Brief a case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Brief a case - Essay Example Once the work under the second contract was completed the defendant called the plaintiff’s computer operator once monthly to enquire as to how the computer system was working and asked for the claim number had been arrived at. The software program modified by the defendant contained insurance claims by the plaintiff’s clients and each claim was identified by a specific number. As it turned out the computer system crashed when it reached claim number 56789. The crash had been orchestrated by the defendant who had been losing clients. The defendant had deliberately and secretly entered a â€Å"conditional statement† in the plaintiff’s software program which directed the program to stop working when it reached claim number 56789. Satisfied that the plaintiff had already paid the defendant more than enough money for his services, the plaintiff hired another expert to fix the problem. It was this expert who discovered the conditional statement entered by the de fendant. In any event, the second expert fixed the plaintiff’s computer and was paid US$7,000 for his troubles. The plaintiff subsequently sued the defendant for breach of contract with respect to the second contract. The plaintiff sought compensatory and punitive damages against the defendant. Specifically, the plaintiff sought US$18,000 in punitive damages and US$7,000 in damages, the amount paid to the second expert to remedy the problem deliberately created by the defendant. RULE: As a general rule in the law of contract, punitive damages are not awarded. However, under breach of contract claims, punitive damages may be awarded where the award is necessary for deterring â€Å"morally culpable conduct† (Halpin v Prudential Ins. Co. 48 N.Y. 2d 906). Although the plaintiff specifically requested punitive damages, punitive damages can be awarded even when it is not

Television and Citizenship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Television and Citizenship - Essay Example With these theories combined, we can now progress to a real-life example of these theories in action. Audiences who watch the television show The Biggest Loser are introduced to a panel of morbidly obese contestants at the beginning of each season. As the weeks progress, the contestants and their professional trainers work to transform their bodies into healthier versions of themselves. Within the context of the show, the areas of neoliberalism transcend to audiences through the idea that these contestants are chosen and represent extreme cases of unhealthy living habits. While a plausible view, thanks to the constructs of neoliberalism, viewers of The Biggest Loser may forget the mass epidemic that obesity has within this country. Through combining this viewpoint with the democracy game of television, The Biggest Loser can help the political movement of working to help the nation gain greater awareness about the dangers of obesity. With the publicity of this show shedding light on t he growing problem of obesity among Americans, the political realm can capitalize on the popularity of this movement and work with health institutions to create new awareness campaigns and programs to combat obesity in society. By understanding how these tangible possibilities can stem from society’s enthrallment with popular television, it is clear that these theories have pros and cons about them. While it is good that a high degree of followers for a particular television program can spur social change, it is also dangerous that neoliberalism can make it seem a social issue is less widespread than it truly is. Question 2b According to Stuart Cunningham, the public sphere is a symbiotic place for free debate within the constraints of society. The... According to Stuart Cunningham, the public sphere is a symbiotic place for free debate within the constraints of society. The purpose of a public sphere is to create an environment where issues, regardless of social class or community can be discussed. It is because of these public spheres that ‘public sphericules’ exist. Allowing for smaller sub-groups or diasportic communities to discuss issues pertaining to their needs, public sphericules can create awareness for issues that need to be brought to the center of the national forefront. While public sphericules are the catalyst for an increasing debate in community-specific issues, there can be difficulty in relating these specialized ideas back to the mainstream of national public thought and opinion. An example of this theory in action can be seen in the movie, â€Å"Slumdog Millionaire.† The plot of this film concerns a young Indian man who was raised in the slums of the county. With the chance of a lifetime to be on the show, â€Å"Who Wants to be a Millionaire,† the young man wins the monetary prize and finds himself with more money than he could ever imagine. In translating this idea to public sphericules, we can see where the smaller community affected by the poverty in Indian culture strives to gain awareness for the problems this country is facing in regard to the abject living conditions of a large population of its citizens. Once this film became popular throughout America and entered into the national public sphere, society’s awareness.