Writing to save the world - Emphasis

Writing to save the world Writing to save the world If youre suffering from writers block at the moment, spare a thought for the civil servants behind todays G20 summit. By 3.30 today, they have to write the statement that could determine whether the recovery kicks off or crumbles. Mind you, there are some who suggest it was written days ago. See here.

Phytochemical Analysis of Amaranthus Viridis L. Essay Example

Phytochemical Analysis of Amaranthus Viridis L. Essay Example Phytochemical Analysis of Amaranthus Viridis L. Paper Phytochemical Analysis of Amaranthus Viridis L. Paper A Biological Research Submitted to the Research Center Alabel National Science High School Regional Science High School for Region XII Alabel, Sarangani Province Submitted by: Shaira Mae M. Yamon Fourth Year- Diamond Submitted to: SHIELA P. BUTIL, Ph. D. Research Adviser August 5, 2013 ? Chapter I Introduction A. Background of the Study Amaranth (Amaranthus) or Pigweed popularly known as Kulitis or Uray here in the Philippines is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs that has been used for many years here and in other countries. Amaranth has significant nutritious content and can be used in many tasty recipes in place of wheat or other grains. Amaranth can grow up to seven feet tall (about 2. 1 meters), although most plants are five feet (about 1. 5 meters) or less. Amaranth plants have broad leaves and a flower head, with tiny seeds galore. The leaves come in many colors, including white, green, orange, pink, and red. Amaranth grain has high fiber, calcium, and iron content. It has a relatively high concentration of other vitamins as well, including magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese, and a nearly complete set of amino acids, which you won’t find in many other grains. The leaves of amaranth are a good source of nutrition as well, with high concentrations of vitamins A, B6, and C; riboflavin; and foliate. Minerals found in amaranth greens include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese. Several studies have shown that amaranth seed or oil may benefit those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease; regular consumption reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while improving antioxidant status and some immune parameters. In traditional medicine Amaranth is especially recommended for people with a low red blood cell count. Amaranth is one of the most delicious leafy vegetables. It is a good crop for greens especially during the summer months when it is hard to grow and other kinds of vegetables. Amaranth is used in stews, sinigang and other dishes wherever spinach (Spinacea oleracea L). Many wild Amaranthus species are used as pot herbs. Used as ornamentals are A. tricolor forms with red, yellow and green colored leaves or leaf sections and A. cruentus with large bright red inflorescences. Amaranthus weeds are used as for fodder (pigweed). Vegetable amaranths are recommended as a good food with medicinal properties for young children, lactating mothers and for patients with fever, hemorrhage, anemia or kidney complaints. The wild A. spinosus L. used as a depurative against venereal diseases and as dressing on boils. B. Objectives of the Study Generally this study aims to identify bioactive compounds present in Amaranth or Kulitis by Phytochemical screening. Specifically, this study seeks to: a. Know the property of Kulitis plant b. Know the visibility of the plant in curing such complicated disease. c. Determines the capability of the plant as a herbal medicine. C. Significance of the study This study will be conducted and will undergo phytochemical screening examination. This is to determine its compound that in the future studies, it will be a great help for people in the society, especially to people who have snake bites and scorpion stings, acne, stomach problems, constipation, inflammation, eczema, bronchitis, anemia and leprosy. Snake bites and scorpion stings are dangerous because of the venom it carries. The information gathered in this study will also help the scientific community in analyzing the possibilities of making any pharmaceutical products out of the said plant. Finally, this study will help the future researchers to conduct other possible uses of Kulitis (Amaranthus spinosus L. ) that would also be beneficial to the human health. D. Scope and Limitation of the Study The study is focused only in the analysis of Kulitis Leaves Extract and why it can possibly cure snake bites and scorpion stings, acne, stomach problems, constipation, inflammation, eczema, bronchitis, anemia and leprosy. The study does not cover Feasibility study on the other plant extract and other toxicity level. E. Hypothesis H0: There is no component in the Kulitis Leaves Extract that can possibly cure snake bites and scorpion stings, acne, stomach problems, constipation, inflammation, eczema, bronchitis, anemia and leprosy. Hi: There is a component in the Kulitis Leaves Extract that can possibly cure snake bites and scorpion stings, acne, stomach problems, constipation, inflammation, eczema, bronchitis, anemia and leprosy. F. Definition of terms 1. Kultis -is a bushy plant with broad, green leaves. It grows up to 4 feet tall in the garden. They are ready to be harvested in 5 to 6 weeks after planting them in the garden. They grow practically wild in the garden because they have so many seeds when it matures. The seeds are grown as grain in other countries like India and is a valuable source of protein. It contains the amino acids lysine and methionine. 2. )Phytochemical Analysis -is peer review of a study. It is devoted to the publication of original articles on the utilization of analytical methodology in the plant sciences. The spectrum of coverage is broad, encompassing methods and techniques relevant to the extraction, separation, purification, identification and qualification of substances in plant biochemistry, plant cellular and molecular biology, plant biotechnology, the food sciences, agriculture and horticulture. 3). Amaranthus is the scientific name of Kulitis CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Kulitis Kulitis (Amaranthus viridis L. ) is alleged to originate from the lowland Tropical South and Central America and it was introduced into other warm places of the world. This weed is mostly found on roadsides and wastelands. It has a wide variety of distribution in all tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Southeast Asia, including the United States of America. Amaranth has significant nutritious content and can be used in many tasty recipes in place of wheat or other grains. Amaranth can grow up to seven feet tall (about 2. 1 meters), although most plants are five feet (about 1. 5 meters) or less. Amaranth plants have broad leaves and a flower head, with tiny seeds galore. The leaves come in many colors, including white, green, orange, pink,andred. It is highly adapted under lowland condition. Grow well at day temperatures above 250? C and night temperatures not lower than 150? C. Amaranthus are quantitative short day plants. It consumes high amount of water and uses 6 mm/day. Amaranthus prefers fertile, well drained soils with a loose structure. Amaranth is propagated by seeds. Depending on the cultivar, photoperiod and cultural practices, flowering may start 4-8 weeks after sowing then the seeds mature after 3-4 months (it will serve as the source of planting materials). However, A. dubius will continue its generative stage for a much longer period and when cut regularly, the plant may become shrubby and perennial but even at its mature stage the leaves are succulent which is suitable for consumption as vegetables. Amaranth is recognized as an easy to grow and very productive crop. It is probably the highest yielding leaf vegetable of the tropics with its excellent nutritional value thus of high importance for human consumption and as a cheap green vegetables for city dwellers. Research should focus on optimization of cultural practices, effective pest control with fewer residues and plant nutrition. Source: pinoy-entrepreneur. com/2010/08/03/amaranth-or-kulitis-production/ Uses and Importance of Kulitis Kulitis is one of the most nutritious leafy vegetables. It is used in stews, sinigang and other dishes whenever spinach (Spinaceae oleraceae L. is not available. Many wild Amaranthus species are used as pot herbs. Used as ornamentals are A. tricolor forms with red, yellow and green-colored leaves or leaf sections and A. cruentus with large bright red inflorescences. Kulitis weeds are used as fodder (pigweed). Vegetable amaranths have medicinal properties good for young children, lactating moth ers and patients with fever, hemorrhage, anemia or kidney problems. The wild A. spinosus L. is used as a cure against venereal diseases and as dressing on boils. Source:http://cagayandeoro. da. gov. ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/KULITIS. pdf Kulitis is very rich in iron therefore it is a good supplement of it. When someone has anemea, kulitis is just as good. It also contains Vitamin C which is the best immune system boost and calcium which is needed for strong bones. Iron is absorbed by the body in the presence of Vitamin C. Since this plant contains both, vitamin C supplement is not needed at all. Source:http://gaga-oly-herbalmedicine. blogspot. com/2011/11/chinese-spinach-kulitis. html Medicinal Uses of Kulitis Amaranth seeds and leaves are a very good source of vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, riboflavin, and folate, and dietary minerals includingcalcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese. Both the seeds and leaf are high in protein, including the amino acid lysine. Amaranth seeds, like buckwheat and quinoa, contain protein that is unusually complete for plant sources. Like quinoa, another staple crop of pre-Colombian cultures, amaranth contains the essential amino acid lysine, which is deficient in wheat and barley. Most fruits and vegetables do not contain a complete set of amino acids, and thus different sources of protein must be used. Several studies have shown that like oats, amaranth seed or oil may be of benefit for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease; regular consumption reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while improving antioxidant status and some immune. While the active ingredient in oats appears to be water-soluble fiber, amaranth appears to lower cholesterol via its content of plant stanols and squalene. There are many other medicinal uses found in Kulitis that only a few know. The decoction of the root is useful in the treatment of gonorrhea, which is a common venereal disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae; symptoms are painful urination and pain around the urethra. Its bruised leaves are used locally for eczema, a generic term for inflammatory conditions of the skin; particularly with vesiculation in the acute stages. The plant is moreover, used as a sudorific and febrifuge and is recommended in eruptive fevers. It is also used as an antidote for snake-poison and as a lactagogue (enhance production of mother’s breastmilk). In addition, the plant is used as an expectorant and to relieve breathing in acute bronchitis. And the root is known elsewhere as an effective diuretic. It is also useful in treatment of menorrhagia, an abnormally heavy or prolonged menstruation; can be a symptom of uterine tumors and can lead to anemia if prolonged. Source: foodrecap. net/health/uray-benefits/ Because of its valuable nutrition, some farmers grow amaranth today and it is seen a potentially important agricultural crop of the future. However, their moderately high content of oxalic acid inhibits the absorption of calcium and zinc, and also means that they should be avoided or eaten in moderation by people with kidney disorders, gout, or rheumatoid arthritis. Reheating cooked amaranth greens is often discouraged, particularly for consumption by small children, as the nitrates in the leaves can be converted to nitrites, similarly to spinach. Kulitis, more nutritious than spinach Due to its similar flavor to spinach, the leaves of Kulitis (Amaranthus viridis Linn. ) are a good substitute. It is also called amaranth, Chinese spinach, tampala and pigweed. This vegetable is known as a symbol for immortality due to the longevity of its flowers because, after they are picked, they retain their appearance and freshness long after. It can be found abundantly in the Philippines and can grow wild in wastelands, dry areas, and pastures. It is a self-sustaining plant species and is drought-resistant. It is sometimes considered a weed due to its unremarkable appearance and hardy nature. It has other varieties with colorful leaves (purple to yellow or red) that are often grown as ornamentals. The leaves are rich in Vitamins B and C, and the minerals, iron and calcium. It can be used for salads, soups, stews and saute dishes. On its health benefits, the poultices from the leaves of kulitis can be used to cure acne. It is also used in treating boils or abscesses and as a remedy for snake and scorpion bites. Leaf extracts are used in treating dysentry and have shown antiviral properties. Source: bar. gov. ph/digest-home/digest-archives/124-2010-3rd-4th-quarter/437-it-is-not-expensive-to-be-well-and-healthy-try-tahiku Kulitis (Chinese Spinach) Wonders and its Therapeutic Benefits If youre living here in Philippines you must be familiar with Kulitis (internationally known as Chinese Spinach or uray in tagalog) it grows in abundance on any soil, but especially loves loose clay loam soil generally found in rural areas. Did you know that aside for its cheap and affordable price, this indigenous vegetable is rich in dietary fiber, iron, calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and many more. 1. Prevention from Anemia Kulitis also known here as a herb that stops the bleeding it can treat internal bleeding and excessive menstruation remedy because of its iron content. 2. Asthma Yes, it can treat asthma just mix the leaves with water and boil it for a specific time. then drink. 3. Urinary troubles and diarrhea The leaves of kulitis has great benefits. It have considerable amount of potassium in the leaves that might explain kulitis diuretic properties. Also, the potassium maintains the proper electrolyte and acid-base balance in the body. 4. Bowel movement -kulitis have high fiber content which helps remove the toxins and eliminate waste 5. Breastfeeding Kulitis also contains calcium, phosphorus, and iron which helps in enhancing production of mothers breastmilk. Source: bubblews. com/news/372912-kulitis-chinese-spinach-wonders-and-its-therapeutic-benefits Chapter III METHODOLOGY In this chapter, the researcher present the materials and the procedure on the phytochemical screening conducted. The researcher prepared 100 grams of Kulitis leaves, 100 mL of 95% ethyl alcohol, 2 beakers or Erlenmeyer flasks, 10 test tubes , 1 test tube rack, 1 L distilled water , pair of scissors, 1 tray, roll of foil, cotton, gauze, tape , sulfuric acid, Dragendorff’s solution , Mayer’s regent, Wagner’s regent, Ferric acid, diluted hydrolic acid, Fehling’s B for the phytochemical screening. In the preparation of the phytochemical screening of Kulitis leaves , the researcher did some steps to ready the leaves. First, the researchers clean the leaves with natural water then, with distilled water. After cleaning the leaves , it must be dried under the heat of the sun. Then, cut it into 1 cm thick. Prepare the 95% ethyl alcohol, beaker, cotton, gauze, foil. Place the leaves in the beaker and soak it in 95% ethyl alcohol for 48 hours (2 days) and place the gauze and cotton at the top of the beaker then cover it and tape it. After 48 hours, the soaked leaves are extracted. The extract must be placed in another beaker and cover it again with cotton, gauze, foil. The extract must be refrigerated to avoid having molds. 1. Test for Sterols and Tipertenes (Lieberman-Berchard Test) A 10mL Kulitis leaves extract was dissolved in 10mL acetic anhydride. The soluble portions were decanted and 1-2 drops of concentrated sulfuric acid was added. Green color is observed,either immediately or solely going to red or blue tones. A pink to red color is indicative of tipernoids while a blue color is indicative of steroids. 2. Test of Flavonoids One (1)mL Kulitis leaves extract was treated with 1mL 10 % hydrolic acid and few Magnesium turnings were added . Formation of red color is the present of flavonoids. 3. Test of Alkaloids Each Kulitis leaves extract with 1% HCl and drops of Mayer’s Reagent of Wagner’ Reagent were added to the filtered acid extract. A cream colored precipitate is observed in the case of Mayer’s Rgt. while a reddish brown precipitate is observed in the case of Wagner’s Rgt. Formula of Mayer’s Rgt. : Weight 1. 58g of mercuric chloride was dissolved in 60mL distilled water. On the other hand,5g of potassium iodine was added in 10mL distilled water. The two solution were mixed and diluted to 100mL with distilled water. Formula for Wagner’s Rgt. : Weight 1. 3g crystals and 2. 0g of potassium iodine were placed in a sufficient amount of distilled water to make a total volume of 100mL was dissolved. 4. Test for Tannins Each Kulitis leaves extract was extracted with hot water and the aqueous extract was then filtered. Upon addition of 5-10 drops of ferric chloride test solution to the filtrate. A dark color and precipitate forms which may either be black, green or blue green. 5. Test for Saponins Each Kulitis leaves extract was dissolved in hot water. The aqueous extract when shaken vigorously. The froth honey comb in nature should perish for at least 30 minutes. 6. Test of Glycosides Each kulitis leaves extract was dissolved in hot water and the filtered. The filtrate was subjected froe glycosides test. 2mL sample was placed in each two test tubes. 1mL of diluted hydrochloric acid was added to test tube 1. Nothing was added to test tube 2. The test tubes were placed in boiling water bath for 5 min. Then the test tubes were cooled. The sample were both neutralized with anhydrous sodium carbonate until no more effervescence is produce. The one mL of Fehling’s B was added to test tube 1. One ml of Fehling’s solution was added to test 2. The tubes were heated in water bath for 2 mins. Observe the brick red precipitate that formed. An increase in the amount of brick red precipitate in the hydrolyzed sample (the sample to which diluted acid was added) as compared to the other sample indicates the presence of the glycosides. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books: Folk Medicine of the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India,S. Rajan and M. Sethuraman, ©2008,pp. 99 Unpublished Thesis: Unpublished Thesis Book, Latoja, Unabia,and Dearos,2010 Unpublished Thesis Book, Concon, Pasawilan,and Gunay,2010 Internet: pinoy-entrepreneur. com/2010/08/03/amaranth-or-kulitis-production/

Eat Drink Man Woman Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Eat Drink Man Woman - Assignment Example A father remains emotionless, because he wants to seem a strong person and stay invulnerable. A conflict of generations, different problems of communication among family members are mistreated by family members and it is of great importance to have an ability to deal with the challenges of family life. Chu as the head of the family is positioned as a typical head of the Chinese family, but his ability of self-development enabled him and his family to be successful. Authority in the family There is a dynamical development of the family. Actually, this film is focused on depiction of daily affairs, emotions and feelings of every family. Sihung Lung is represented by the director as Chu, a master chef who cannot save his sense of taste. He had a business of his life and a feeling of taste is the way to earning money and living his life. His wife died and he has to take care about his 3 daughters. Jia-Ning (Yu-Wen Wang), the youngest one, makes many attempts to steal a boyfriend from her friend; Jia-Chien (Chien-Lien Wu) the Cosmo girl, who has no time for her own family; and the oldest, Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang), spends all her time with her father and sacrifices her own happiness in the name of his life. There is a great problem among all family members, because they cannot identify themselves. When love from outside interferes in their lives they do not know what to do and how to support their used way of living. There are so many emotional points and themes covered in this film that every viewer finds his own tunes of soul, which are harmoniously repeated by the director. Sihung Lung takes care about his daughters and the audience feels a great sympathy to this caring man. He knows that his family is tearing apart, and being a head of the family, he tries to put the family together. In accordance with a model of traditional Chinese family, where the father is responsible for education of their children and having the last word in the family meetings, Chu is more tolerant and emotional in relation to his daughters. A man makes many attempts to transmit his feelings to his daughters, but he cannot find appropriate words, but rather impresses them by cooking. A concept of food is one of the central integrative parts of the family life. In case family members are displeased with each other, they do not express negative emotions directly, but they make attempt commenting on food. Culinary arts is on the way of development in china and the director Lee makes an attempt to show culinary arts as a way of family unification. Traditional form of Chinese family To express a father’s love through cooking is an unusual form of feelings’ expression, because in the Chinese family a father plays a role of emotionally stable and a strong brave man, a head of the family. The situation is different in the film, because the father does not have his wife, he is a master chef and he has no son, but only three daughters. Communication in the family is mediated by means of culinary arts of the father. In such a way the director of the film expressed his unusual vision of an ideal Chinese family. Nevertheless, there is an evident emotional gap and a conflict of generations cannot be resolved by means of keeping silence only. The daughters and the father are united by invented family values. Eating dinner together in the kitchen is the most

DLA Piper Business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DLA Piper Business - Case Study Example Miller respectively. Moreover, in the international who’s who of business lawyers legal awards, Edward J Levin, Elliot M Surkin, Charles l Edwards, Robert H Goldman and David Glickstein are among those who happened to be recognized internationally. There is a plethora of competitively experienced individuals and a truthful national mode of networking. Over the past year, the exceptional large team has been preoccupied with a varied range of contentious issues as work related fatalities and explosions (Lorsch & Chernak, 2006). In addition, the company is also expanding to the non-contentious issues as giving sufficient advice to companies on compliance related matters. For instance, Paul Burnley, client focused, has a good reputation in health and safety cases and many clients profess satisfaction with his service. The company has a customer approach to offering its services. In legal advice, a majority of the client are informed in the language they can best comprehend for sat isfaction and an emphasis and unlimited synthesis to matter pertaining to the law. To the court cases, proper documented evidence is given with prior filing of documents at the clerks’ offices. ... The competent lawyers who come to the root the law undertake detailed case proceedings. In addition, the company was the second largest supporter of president Barrack Obama re-election campaign (Lorsch & Chernak, 2006). This is to unveil the loopholes that may not have been underscored in the search for justice. There are opportunities to thrive into new countries and give legal advice, to absorb new graduates in the bar into the firm and also expand the scope of operations of the company to other areas in law. The challenges that abound the firm are: to start with is the navigation into a multi jurisdictional environment. This is where legal suits happen in a country albeit the lawyers do not understand the jurisdictional customs, or a transfer of suit to other jurisdictions. Secondly, the process of mastering the European market for competent arbitrage opportunities turns out to be a drawback to the firm. Thirdly, the company is trying to make prior up to date preparations for cons olidation and ensure there is greater competition to competitors. Consequently, less complex legal services should be offered to clients and DLA piper is obliged to be customer- focused. The long-term leadership of the firm is also a challenge that needs to be addressed. It is prudent a decision to address the challenges faced by the company so as to come up with better management methods of legal entities. In the event, better services and organizations will come up. In the Adler and Gunderson case, the company should be well able to transcend the national boundaries and impart new knowledge to others. An example of the company is that it should traverse other boundaries to establish new operations there. In the event, it will become a

Transfer To Virginia Tech Essay Example for Free

Transfer To Virginia Tech Essay I have come to a point in life that many people have not.   I have made a firm decision to recommit myself to pursuing my dreams.   While there are those who believe that with an ounce of luck and a ton of persistence anything can be accomplished, I believe that there is no reason to expend so much energy and rely on luck.   I believe in taking hold of my destiny and carving out a future for myself based on the decisions that I make in life.    Life is simply too short and too precious to be left to luck alone.   This is why I have chosen to apply at (Selected University Here). My most important character strength, in my opinion, is my ability to adapt, accept and learn from different cultures.   I traveled a lot when I was younger and have been exposed to all sorts of cultures and societies.   Growing up, I found myself amidst people of many different cultural backgrounds and I have found that I have grown to accept people for who they are and not where they are from. The world is fast becoming a borderless place.   Cultures, races, beliefs and ideologies are blend together and interact because of the growing advances in communications.   In order to succeed in this world, one needs to be able to adapt to the various cultural differences as well as be able to maintain a certain sense of individual identity.   This is why I firmly believe that Virginia Tech is the perfect place for me. In order to get ahead in this world, it is important to have a good education.   While I began to pursue my dream at App State University, I feel that Virginia Tech is the better place for me.   The fact that my mother graduated from Virginia Tech only adds to the many reasons why having a quality education from a well-known school is crucial to the pursuit of my long term goals in life. While I personally believe that â€Å"there is no such thing as a free lunch† and that everything a person has in life must come from hard work and perseverance, I also believe in charity.   I believe in helping others who do not have much in life.   I believe in helping people regardless of their nation, race or creed.   I believe in being a better person so I can best help myself and others around me.   I strongly feel that my time of being an object at rest has gone on long enough and that it is now time for me to move forward to achieve my dreams.   For this reason, I feel that (name of university) is the best place for me to turn these beliefs into realities.

The Reintroduction of the Gray Wolf to Yellowstone Essay -- Environmen

The Reintroduction of the Gray Wolf to Yellowstone Gauss’ Law states that no two organisms can occupy the same ecological niche without excluding the other, but what happens when man gets involved with nature and tries to introduce a species where it doesn’t belong which in turn provides a second organism to fill the same niche as the first? The results of human intervention have often been disastrous for the organism that we’re supposedly helping. Humans often times do not understand the complexity of the implications that are caused directly through our intervention. In 1974, the gray wolf was listed on the Endangered Species List, and in an effort to reestablish their populations, wolves were re-introduced into Yellowstone National Park, affecting Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho (Wyoming Wolf Management Plan, 2003). Between 1995 and 1996 thirty one wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone and thirty five wolves into central Idaho. The wolf numbers exploded, leaving these western states with the problem of wha t to do with these wolves to prevent them from exceeding their carrying capacity and where to go from here. The wolf is the largest member of the dog family Canidae, making it a real pest if it goes unchecked in agricultural systems. The wolf is one of the most efficient and effective predators in this region, preying on large ungulates; elk, deer, big horn sheep, moose, and even bison and cattle; however they will eat small mammals if there is no other food source available. Prior to 2002 estimates of the loss of livestock due to wolves were 19 cattle and 68 sheep, however in 2002, 33 cattle, 71 sheep and 1 dog were confirmed killed by wolves (Wyoming Wolf Management Plan, 2003). These kills are significant... ...88. Wyoming Game and Fish Department. (2003) Wyoming Grey Wolf Management Plan. Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Office of the Governor. (2005) Wyoming Delisting Petition. Internet Source Links US Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov/ Wyoming Game and Fish http://gf.state.wy.us/ Montana Game and Fish http://fwp.state.mt.us/hunting/default.html Idaho Game and Fish http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ United States Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome Casper Star Tribune http://www.casperstartribune.net/ Wyoming Livestock Journal http://www.wlj.net/ Biodiversity http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/ Wolf Updates http://www.searchingwolf.com/current.htm Wyoming Livestock Roundup http://www.wylr.net/

Jack London

ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews, Vol. 23, No. 3, 172–178, 2010 Copyright  © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0895-769X DOI: 10. 1080/08957691003712363 R USSELL M. H ILLIER Providence College Crystal Beards and Dantean In? uence in Jack London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† James I. McClintock has described Jack London’s classic short story â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† as the â€Å"most mature expression of his pessimism† (116).In what follows, I wish to explore the possibility that there is a substantial element of spiritual allegory operative in London’s narrative. London originally conceived his tale as a moral fable and a cautionary narrative to American youth never to travel alone. To this end, London published the story in Youth’s Companion. In its ? nal version, though, the tale assumed decidedly darker and more sinister tones.In capturing the menace of the inclement northland, London was dr awing upon his own travels in the Klondike, but I would argue that his narrative was also inspired by a fusion of his experience of the harsh and bleak environment of Dawson City with his encounter with the literature he read while he was sheltering in a winter cabin beside the Stewart River, in circumstances London’s biographer Andrew Sinclair characterizes as â€Å"a trap of cold and boredom, short rations and scurvy† (48). Sinclair describes the modest library with which London weathered that cramped and piercingly cold spell of ? e months and writes how, â€Å"In the tedious con? nes of the winter cabins, [London] settled down to absorb the books that became the bedrock of his thought and writing, underlying even the socialism which was his faith. These were the works of Darwin, Huxley, Herbert Spencer, and Kipling, Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dante’s Inferno† (48). The last two works Sinclair accounts for are of particular consequence. Between the pages of Milton and Dante’s epics London would have encountered fallen angels and unrepentant sinners who had been immured in Hell for committing crimes of hubris.Indeed, London transferred his fascination for the hubris of Milton’s Satan to his antihero Wolf Larsen in the novel The Sea-Wolf . 1 Most importantly, though, London would have discovered, at the outer reaches of Milton’s Hell, â€Å"a frozen Continent [ . . . ] dark and wilde, beat with perpetual storms / Of Whirlwind 172 Jack London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† 173 and dire Hail, [ . . . ] all else deep snow and ice† (PL 2. 587–89, 591); and, within the innermost circle of Dante’s pit of Hell, he would have found a frozen subterranean lake blasted by biting winds.Neither infernal vision would have been so very far removed from London’s own experience of the subzero temperatures and appalling conditions of the Klondike. Indeed, the inhuman cold that defe ats London’s protagonist was as much an attribute of the traditional medieval idea of Hell as its notorious qualities of ? re and brimstone. The landscape of London’s revised tale is conspicuously preternatural— â€Å"the mysterious, far-reaching hair-line trail, the absence of sun from the sky, the tremendous cold, and the strangeness and weirdness of it all† (1302).Where Milton’s Hell is characterized by the paradoxical quality of â€Å"darkness visible† (PL 1. 63), London’s comfortless northern world has â€Å"an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark† (1301). London’s protagonist is an anonymous â€Å"man,† a gold prospector who not only lacks the imagination to survive in the Yukon wasteland, but who is also oblivious to any metaphysical possibilities and unmindful of â€Å"the conjectural ? eld of immortality and man’s place in the universe† (1302).Incapa ble of companionability, the man always travels alone, except for his husky, an animal he treats with contempt and even with hostility. His disdain for the wise counsel that â€Å"the old-timer on Sulphur Creek† (1309) gives him to travel into the northland with a partner is a recurrent reminder to London’s reader of the man’s improvidence, unsociability, and willful self-alienation. London’s own brutal ordeal in the Klondike had taught him the importance of having a trail-mate: when wintering by the Stewart River, London and Fred Thompson, journeying for supplies through the wilderness, had â€Å"backpacked all the way or they pulled heir own sled, for they owned no team of huskies† (Sinclair 48). In the case of the man in London’s narrative, the idea of working alongside or depending upon other creatures means no more to him than the enjoyment of the commodities he associates with them: â€Å"the boys† at the camp, for example, whom the man always keeps in mind throughout the tale, are, to the man, indistinguishable from the material comforts he hopes to gain from â€Å"a ? re† and â€Å"a hot supper† (1302).The marked in? uence of Dante in London’s narrative, a crucial factor in one’s appreciation of the tale which, to the best of my knowledge, has hitherto escaped critical attention, helps to con? rm London’s infernal rendering of the unforgiving Yukon wasteland. In structural terms the story has a repetitive, nightmarish quality as â€Å"the man† makes three desperate ventures to build a ? re that are each time frustrated—? rst, by having the ? e â€Å"blotted out† by an â€Å"avalanche† of snow (1309); second, by having his book of sulphur matches extinguished in one fell swoop (1310–11); and, third, by having â€Å"the nucleus of the little ? re† snuffed out by a â€Å"large piece of green moss† (1311). Lee Clark Mitchell has drawn attention 174 ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews to the ominous, reiterative quality of the tale and to how â€Å"events [ . . . ] repeat themselves into an eerie signi? cance, as the man attempts over and over to enact the story’s titular in? nitive† (78).The man’s predicament recalls the unrelenting fates of transgressors in the classical underworld—of Sisyphus, who pushes a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down the hill’s other side, or of Tantalus, who fruitlessly reaches out to eat from a branch that is always eluding his grasp. But the man’s thwarted actions also mimic the commitment of Dante’s sinners to both the unending nature of the punishment they must suffer and the experience of their particular sin’s interminable round in each of the nine vicious circles built into the funnel of Dante’s Hell.London underlines the infernal atmosphere of his tale. He is careful, for instance, to identify the old-timer on Sulphur Creek, who warns the man that a traveler should never venture alone into the Klondike in treacherous weather, with that essential feature of Hell, namely Hell’s sulphurate fumes. London further emphasizes this theme by having his antihero build a ? re with â€Å"his bunch of sulphur matches† (1310) that, when lit, emits an evil smell of â€Å"burning brimstone† (1311). On bungling his second desperate attempt to build a ? re, the man not only blunders and sets a? me all of his remaining seventy matches, he also sets alight his own hand, so that the burning of his ? esh by ? re becomes associated with the freezing cold that burns into the core of his being at the story’s climax. The freezing cold that literally chills the man to the bone is as apt a fate as a case of Dantean contrapasso, where the punishment of the sinner is appropriate to the nature of their sin. The man’s ethical insentience, his lac k of a moral and metaphysical compass to direct his choices and regulate his attitude toward others and toward the universe of which he is a part, is re? cted in the deadening numbness that torments and ultimately destroys him. London includes in his narrative one small but revealing detail from Dante’s Inferno that gives the reader a key to unlock the moral of his fable. Because of the intense cold, the beard of London’s nameless protagonist, like the coat of the husky that reluctantly accompanies the man, sports an icy â€Å"appendage† (1303): The frozen moisture of [the husky’s] breathing had settled on its fur in a ? ne powder of frost, and especially were its jowls, muzzle, and eyelashes whitened by its crystalled breath.The man’s red beard and mustache were likewise frosted, but more solidly, the deposit taking the form of ice and increasing with every warm, moist breath he exhaled. Also, the man was chewing tobacco, and the muzzle of ice hel d his lips so rigidly that he was unable to clear his chin when he expelled the juice. The result was that a crystal beard of the color and solidity of amber was increasing its length on his chin. If he fell down Jack London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† 175 it would shatter itself, like glass, into brittle fragments. But he did not mind the appendage. 1303) This curious â€Å"ice-muzzle on his mouth† (1304) elongates as the man progresses on his journey, so that â€Å"he continued monotonously to chew tobacco and to increase the length of his amber beard† (1304); later still, the â€Å"ice-muzzle† (1306) obstructs his mouth when he attempts to eat his meal. The â€Å"amber beard,† a vivid if admittedly bizarre feature of London’s tale, gathers in signi? cance if we recollect events in the ninth and ? nal circle of Dante’s Inferno. When Dante the pilgrim arrives at Hell’s bottom, he discovers a frozen Lake Cocytus that i s swept by bitter, freezing winds.As Dante ventures toward the heart of Lake Cocytus, where the ? gure of Lucifer weeps, gnashes his teeth, and beats his wings, he eventually arrives at the region of Ptolomea (Inf. 33. 124). In this place he ? nds wretched sinners buried up to their waists in ice: We went farther on, where the frost roughly swathes another people, not bent downwards, but with faces all upturned. The very weeping there prevents their weeping, and the grief, which ? nds a barrier upon their eyes, turns inward to increase the agony, for the ? rst tears form a knot and, like a crystal visor, ? l all the cup beneath the eyebrow. (Inf . 33. 91–99) The â€Å"crystal visor [visiere di cristallo]† (Inf . 33. 98) or â€Å"the hard veils [i duri veli]† (Inf . 33. 112) that form and clamp about the faces of these sinners offer an attractive source for the â€Å"crystal beard† or â€Å"muzzle of ice† that torments the countenance of London†™s antihero. Just as the tears around the faces of Dante’s sinners solidify and accumulate to form visors or veils, so the tobacco spit in the beard of London’s protagonist encrusts, clusters, and builds to form an icemuzzle.London’s ice-muzzle that shatters, â€Å"like glass, into brittle fragments† (1303), also seems to recall Dante’s frozen Lake Cocytus, which has the durability â€Å"of glass [di vetro]† (Inf . 32. 24). In his depiction of the Yukon London gestures further to Dante’s sinners, who are embedded in Lake Cocytus. Just as Dante’s Lake Cocytus is one solid block of ice, so the creek that surrounds the man â€Å"was frozen clear to the bottom, — no creek could contain water in that arctic winter† (1304).Equally, just as Dante’s sinners are trapped in the ice, so various ice pools, covered with â€Å"a snow-hidden ice-skin† (1305), present â€Å"traps† (1304) that are concealed around the surface of the creek. It is through the ice-skin of one of these same traps that the man falls and, like Dante’s â€Å"wretches of the cold crust [tristi de la fredda crosta]† (Inf . 33. 109), the man â€Å"wet[s] himself halfway to the knees before he ? oundered out to the ?rm crust† (1307). 176 ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and ReviewsLondon’s allusion to Dante is all the more pertinent when we consider the nature of the sin for which Dante’s transgressors in Ptolomea are being punished. The inhabitants of Ptolomea are those offenders who have transgressed against their guests, hosts, or companions. London’s critics have acknowledged the man’s hubris as â€Å"an overweening con? dence in the ef? cacy of his own rational faculties and a corresponding blindness to the dark, nonrational powers of nature, chance, and fate† (Labor 63–64). Yet, as with Dante’s sinners con? ed in Ptolome a, the fatal ? aw of London’s antihero is as much his inability to understand the value of companionship or community. In this way the nameless man’s husky acts as a foil to its master. London characterizes the relationship between the man and his dog as that existing between a â€Å"? re-provider† (1309) and a â€Å"toil-slave† (1306), and, as such, he reveals that their union is based upon a ruthless pact of convenience and functionality rather than an accord of mutual love, respect, and sympathy.The â€Å"menacing throat-sounds† (1307) of the man are, to the perceptions of the dog, as â€Å"the sound of whip-lashes† (1307), and the narrative con? rms the dog’s apprehensions in his master’s futile, last ditch effort to destroy man’s best friend and use its very lifeblood and vital warmth in order to save his own skin. London’s account of his protagonist’s failure to be companionate with his dog is a cruci al index to the man’s inability to â€Å"meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon man’s frailty in general† (1302).His cruel treatment of his dog furnishes yet another example of his refusal to perceive his fellow human beings and the natural world surrounding him as more than â€Å"things† stripped bare of their â€Å"signi? cances† (1302). His aversion to companionability, which is equivalent to Dante’s sin of Ptolomea, is further re? ected in his refusal to heed the old-timer’s advice to foster human community and trust to a â€Å"trail-mate† (1309). London’s allusion to both the frozen wastes of Dante’s Ptolomea and the crystal beards of the sinners who reside in that nhospitable climate provides a convincing literary analogue for London’s haunting and gloomy depiction of the Klondike; the intertext also serves to highlight the nature of the tragic ? aw of London’s protago nist in placing his trust in a misguided individualism where â€Å"any man who was a man could travel alone† (1308). It may be the case that in the parallels between Jack London’s severe experience of being buried in the Klondike and Dante’s unforgettable vision of his cardinal sinners, buried in Lake Cocytus, London found a subject that he could not resist treating imaginatively, irrespective of his religious and political standpoint.However, if, as I believe, London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† can be read as a moral fable of transgression and punishment that is heavily invested in the stuff of spiritual allegory and, in particular, relies upon the design of Dante’s Commedia, then our tidy, traditional understanding of London as a long-standing, dedicated Socialist who was condescending toward, if not scornful of, spiritual and religious matters becomes problematic or, at the very least, open to reassessment. Jack London’s â€Å"T o Build a Fire (II)† 177So that there can be no mistaking the tale’s literary debt to the Florentine master, London’s coda to his narrative contains a strong, though unsettling, allusion to the close of each of Dante’s three canticles. The allusion unsettles, because it bears London’s signature pessimism regarding an unresponsive universe. As, in turn, each canticle ends, Dante the pilgrim gains an increasingly clari? ed and luminous perspective upon the starry universe that proclaims God’s abundant love and His concern for Creation: in Inferno, while emerging from Hell’s pit onto the surface of the Earth, Dante is able to contemplate the ? mament and â€Å"see again the stars [riveder le stelle]† (Inf . 34. 139); in Purgatorio, from the peak of Mount Purgatory Dante is â€Å"pure and ready to rise to the stars [puro e disposto a salire a le stelle]† (Purg. 33. 145); and, in Paradiso, Dante is at long last granted a beati ? c vision of his Maker and is ? lled with wonder â€Å"by the Love which moves the sun and the other stars [l’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle]† (Parad. 33. 145).In contrast, London’s powerful closing image of the husky, now masterless and â€Å"howling under the stars that leaped and danced and shone brightly in the cold sky† (1315), indicates a more indifferent and uncaring naturalistic universe than the ordered Dantean cosmos where God’s embosoming love moves the sun and the other stars. Perhaps, then, in London’s closing reversion to the bright, dancing stars and the cold sky of an unfeeling universe, James McClintock is correct in his critical judgment that, ultimately, London never truly abandoned his essentially pessimistic worldview in â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)†.Notes I wish to thank my freshman class from the fall semester of 2009 for being a receptive audience to the ideas presented in this paper. Above all, I am grateful to Marek Ignatowicz, a poet and a true man of letters. Without his facility for illuminating discussion on all things literary, and without our memorable conversation on the subject of beards in fact and in ? ction, it is highly probable that the topic of this paper would never have occurred to me. 1 Milton’s Paradise Lost, and in particular the character of Milton’s Satan, is an inspiration to Wolf Larsen in The Sea-Wolf .Larsen remarks of Milton’s fallen archangel: â€Å"But Lucifer was a free spirit. To serve was to suffocate. He preferred suffering in freedom to all the happiness of a comfortable servility. He did not care to serve God. He cared to serve nothing. He was no ? gurehead. He stood on his own legs. He was an individual† (249). Works Cited Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy: Inferno. Trans. Charles S. Singleton. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1970. Print. ———. The Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Trans. Cha rles S. Singleton.Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1975. Print. 178 ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews ———. The Divine Comedy: Purgatorio. Trans. Charles S. Singleton. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973. Print. Labor, Earle. Jack London. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1974. Print. London, Jack. The Complete Short Stories of Jack London. Ed. Earle Labor, Robert C. Leitz, III, and I. Milo Shepard. 3 vols. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1993. Print. ———. The Sea-Wolf . New York: MacMillan, 1967. Print. McClintock, James I.White Logic: Jack London’s Short Stories. Cedar Springs: Wolf House Books, 1976. Print. Milton, John. The Poetical Works of John Milton. Ed. Helen Darbishire. London: Oxford University Press,1958. Print. Mitchell, Lee Clark. â€Å"‘Keeping His Head’: Repetition and Responsibility in London’s ‘To Build a Fire. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Journal of Modern Lite rature 13. 1 (1986): 76–96. Print. Sinclair, Andrew. Jack: A Biography of Jack London. London: Harper and Row, 1977. Print. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Jack London ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews, Vol. 23, No. 3, 172–178, 2010 Copyright  © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0895-769X DOI: 10. 1080/08957691003712363 R USSELL M. H ILLIER Providence College Crystal Beards and Dantean In? uence in Jack London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† James I. McClintock has described Jack London’s classic short story â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† as the â€Å"most mature expression of his pessimism† (116).In what follows, I wish to explore the possibility that there is a substantial element of spiritual allegory operative in London’s narrative. London originally conceived his tale as a moral fable and a cautionary narrative to American youth never to travel alone. To this end, London published the story in Youth’s Companion. In its ? nal version, though, the tale assumed decidedly darker and more sinister tones.In capturing the menace of the inclement northland, London was dr awing upon his own travels in the Klondike, but I would argue that his narrative was also inspired by a fusion of his experience of the harsh and bleak environment of Dawson City with his encounter with the literature he read while he was sheltering in a winter cabin beside the Stewart River, in circumstances London’s biographer Andrew Sinclair characterizes as â€Å"a trap of cold and boredom, short rations and scurvy† (48). Sinclair describes the modest library with which London weathered that cramped and piercingly cold spell of ? e months and writes how, â€Å"In the tedious con? nes of the winter cabins, [London] settled down to absorb the books that became the bedrock of his thought and writing, underlying even the socialism which was his faith. These were the works of Darwin, Huxley, Herbert Spencer, and Kipling, Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dante’s Inferno† (48). The last two works Sinclair accounts for are of particular consequence. Between the pages of Milton and Dante’s epics London would have encountered fallen angels and unrepentant sinners who had been immured in Hell for committing crimes of hubris.Indeed, London transferred his fascination for the hubris of Milton’s Satan to his antihero Wolf Larsen in the novel The Sea-Wolf . 1 Most importantly, though, London would have discovered, at the outer reaches of Milton’s Hell, â€Å"a frozen Continent [ . . . ] dark and wilde, beat with perpetual storms / Of Whirlwind 172 Jack London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† 173 and dire Hail, [ . . . ] all else deep snow and ice† (PL 2. 587–89, 591); and, within the innermost circle of Dante’s pit of Hell, he would have found a frozen subterranean lake blasted by biting winds.Neither infernal vision would have been so very far removed from London’s own experience of the subzero temperatures and appalling conditions of the Klondike. Indeed, the inhuman cold that defe ats London’s protagonist was as much an attribute of the traditional medieval idea of Hell as its notorious qualities of ? re and brimstone. The landscape of London’s revised tale is conspicuously preternatural— â€Å"the mysterious, far-reaching hair-line trail, the absence of sun from the sky, the tremendous cold, and the strangeness and weirdness of it all† (1302).Where Milton’s Hell is characterized by the paradoxical quality of â€Å"darkness visible† (PL 1. 63), London’s comfortless northern world has â€Å"an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark† (1301). London’s protagonist is an anonymous â€Å"man,† a gold prospector who not only lacks the imagination to survive in the Yukon wasteland, but who is also oblivious to any metaphysical possibilities and unmindful of â€Å"the conjectural ? eld of immortality and man’s place in the universe† (1302).Incapa ble of companionability, the man always travels alone, except for his husky, an animal he treats with contempt and even with hostility. His disdain for the wise counsel that â€Å"the old-timer on Sulphur Creek† (1309) gives him to travel into the northland with a partner is a recurrent reminder to London’s reader of the man’s improvidence, unsociability, and willful self-alienation. London’s own brutal ordeal in the Klondike had taught him the importance of having a trail-mate: when wintering by the Stewart River, London and Fred Thompson, journeying for supplies through the wilderness, had â€Å"backpacked all the way or they pulled heir own sled, for they owned no team of huskies† (Sinclair 48). In the case of the man in London’s narrative, the idea of working alongside or depending upon other creatures means no more to him than the enjoyment of the commodities he associates with them: â€Å"the boys† at the camp, for example, whom the man always keeps in mind throughout the tale, are, to the man, indistinguishable from the material comforts he hopes to gain from â€Å"a ? re† and â€Å"a hot supper† (1302).The marked in? uence of Dante in London’s narrative, a crucial factor in one’s appreciation of the tale which, to the best of my knowledge, has hitherto escaped critical attention, helps to con? rm London’s infernal rendering of the unforgiving Yukon wasteland. In structural terms the story has a repetitive, nightmarish quality as â€Å"the man† makes three desperate ventures to build a ? re that are each time frustrated—? rst, by having the ? e â€Å"blotted out† by an â€Å"avalanche† of snow (1309); second, by having his book of sulphur matches extinguished in one fell swoop (1310–11); and, third, by having â€Å"the nucleus of the little ? re† snuffed out by a â€Å"large piece of green moss† (1311). Lee Clark Mitchell has drawn attention 174 ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews to the ominous, reiterative quality of the tale and to how â€Å"events [ . . . ] repeat themselves into an eerie signi? cance, as the man attempts over and over to enact the story’s titular in? nitive† (78).The man’s predicament recalls the unrelenting fates of transgressors in the classical underworld—of Sisyphus, who pushes a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down the hill’s other side, or of Tantalus, who fruitlessly reaches out to eat from a branch that is always eluding his grasp. But the man’s thwarted actions also mimic the commitment of Dante’s sinners to both the unending nature of the punishment they must suffer and the experience of their particular sin’s interminable round in each of the nine vicious circles built into the funnel of Dante’s Hell.London underlines the infernal atmosphere of his tale. He is careful, for instance, to identify the old-timer on Sulphur Creek, who warns the man that a traveler should never venture alone into the Klondike in treacherous weather, with that essential feature of Hell, namely Hell’s sulphurate fumes. London further emphasizes this theme by having his antihero build a ? re with â€Å"his bunch of sulphur matches† (1310) that, when lit, emits an evil smell of â€Å"burning brimstone† (1311). On bungling his second desperate attempt to build a ? re, the man not only blunders and sets a? me all of his remaining seventy matches, he also sets alight his own hand, so that the burning of his ? esh by ? re becomes associated with the freezing cold that burns into the core of his being at the story’s climax. The freezing cold that literally chills the man to the bone is as apt a fate as a case of Dantean contrapasso, where the punishment of the sinner is appropriate to the nature of their sin. The man’s ethical insentience, his lac k of a moral and metaphysical compass to direct his choices and regulate his attitude toward others and toward the universe of which he is a part, is re? cted in the deadening numbness that torments and ultimately destroys him. London includes in his narrative one small but revealing detail from Dante’s Inferno that gives the reader a key to unlock the moral of his fable. Because of the intense cold, the beard of London’s nameless protagonist, like the coat of the husky that reluctantly accompanies the man, sports an icy â€Å"appendage† (1303): The frozen moisture of [the husky’s] breathing had settled on its fur in a ? ne powder of frost, and especially were its jowls, muzzle, and eyelashes whitened by its crystalled breath.The man’s red beard and mustache were likewise frosted, but more solidly, the deposit taking the form of ice and increasing with every warm, moist breath he exhaled. Also, the man was chewing tobacco, and the muzzle of ice hel d his lips so rigidly that he was unable to clear his chin when he expelled the juice. The result was that a crystal beard of the color and solidity of amber was increasing its length on his chin. If he fell down Jack London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† 175 it would shatter itself, like glass, into brittle fragments. But he did not mind the appendage. 1303) This curious â€Å"ice-muzzle on his mouth† (1304) elongates as the man progresses on his journey, so that â€Å"he continued monotonously to chew tobacco and to increase the length of his amber beard† (1304); later still, the â€Å"ice-muzzle† (1306) obstructs his mouth when he attempts to eat his meal. The â€Å"amber beard,† a vivid if admittedly bizarre feature of London’s tale, gathers in signi? cance if we recollect events in the ninth and ? nal circle of Dante’s Inferno. When Dante the pilgrim arrives at Hell’s bottom, he discovers a frozen Lake Cocytus that i s swept by bitter, freezing winds.As Dante ventures toward the heart of Lake Cocytus, where the ? gure of Lucifer weeps, gnashes his teeth, and beats his wings, he eventually arrives at the region of Ptolomea (Inf. 33. 124). In this place he ? nds wretched sinners buried up to their waists in ice: We went farther on, where the frost roughly swathes another people, not bent downwards, but with faces all upturned. The very weeping there prevents their weeping, and the grief, which ? nds a barrier upon their eyes, turns inward to increase the agony, for the ? rst tears form a knot and, like a crystal visor, ? l all the cup beneath the eyebrow. (Inf . 33. 91–99) The â€Å"crystal visor [visiere di cristallo]† (Inf . 33. 98) or â€Å"the hard veils [i duri veli]† (Inf . 33. 112) that form and clamp about the faces of these sinners offer an attractive source for the â€Å"crystal beard† or â€Å"muzzle of ice† that torments the countenance of London†™s antihero. Just as the tears around the faces of Dante’s sinners solidify and accumulate to form visors or veils, so the tobacco spit in the beard of London’s protagonist encrusts, clusters, and builds to form an icemuzzle.London’s ice-muzzle that shatters, â€Å"like glass, into brittle fragments† (1303), also seems to recall Dante’s frozen Lake Cocytus, which has the durability â€Å"of glass [di vetro]† (Inf . 32. 24). In his depiction of the Yukon London gestures further to Dante’s sinners, who are embedded in Lake Cocytus. Just as Dante’s Lake Cocytus is one solid block of ice, so the creek that surrounds the man â€Å"was frozen clear to the bottom, — no creek could contain water in that arctic winter† (1304).Equally, just as Dante’s sinners are trapped in the ice, so various ice pools, covered with â€Å"a snow-hidden ice-skin† (1305), present â€Å"traps† (1304) that are concealed around the surface of the creek. It is through the ice-skin of one of these same traps that the man falls and, like Dante’s â€Å"wretches of the cold crust [tristi de la fredda crosta]† (Inf . 33. 109), the man â€Å"wet[s] himself halfway to the knees before he ? oundered out to the ?rm crust† (1307). 176 ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and ReviewsLondon’s allusion to Dante is all the more pertinent when we consider the nature of the sin for which Dante’s transgressors in Ptolomea are being punished. The inhabitants of Ptolomea are those offenders who have transgressed against their guests, hosts, or companions. London’s critics have acknowledged the man’s hubris as â€Å"an overweening con? dence in the ef? cacy of his own rational faculties and a corresponding blindness to the dark, nonrational powers of nature, chance, and fate† (Labor 63–64). Yet, as with Dante’s sinners con? ed in Ptolome a, the fatal ? aw of London’s antihero is as much his inability to understand the value of companionship or community. In this way the nameless man’s husky acts as a foil to its master. London characterizes the relationship between the man and his dog as that existing between a â€Å"? re-provider† (1309) and a â€Å"toil-slave† (1306), and, as such, he reveals that their union is based upon a ruthless pact of convenience and functionality rather than an accord of mutual love, respect, and sympathy.The â€Å"menacing throat-sounds† (1307) of the man are, to the perceptions of the dog, as â€Å"the sound of whip-lashes† (1307), and the narrative con? rms the dog’s apprehensions in his master’s futile, last ditch effort to destroy man’s best friend and use its very lifeblood and vital warmth in order to save his own skin. London’s account of his protagonist’s failure to be companionate with his dog is a cruci al index to the man’s inability to â€Å"meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon man’s frailty in general† (1302).His cruel treatment of his dog furnishes yet another example of his refusal to perceive his fellow human beings and the natural world surrounding him as more than â€Å"things† stripped bare of their â€Å"signi? cances† (1302). His aversion to companionability, which is equivalent to Dante’s sin of Ptolomea, is further re? ected in his refusal to heed the old-timer’s advice to foster human community and trust to a â€Å"trail-mate† (1309). London’s allusion to both the frozen wastes of Dante’s Ptolomea and the crystal beards of the sinners who reside in that nhospitable climate provides a convincing literary analogue for London’s haunting and gloomy depiction of the Klondike; the intertext also serves to highlight the nature of the tragic ? aw of London’s protago nist in placing his trust in a misguided individualism where â€Å"any man who was a man could travel alone† (1308). It may be the case that in the parallels between Jack London’s severe experience of being buried in the Klondike and Dante’s unforgettable vision of his cardinal sinners, buried in Lake Cocytus, London found a subject that he could not resist treating imaginatively, irrespective of his religious and political standpoint.However, if, as I believe, London’s â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)† can be read as a moral fable of transgression and punishment that is heavily invested in the stuff of spiritual allegory and, in particular, relies upon the design of Dante’s Commedia, then our tidy, traditional understanding of London as a long-standing, dedicated Socialist who was condescending toward, if not scornful of, spiritual and religious matters becomes problematic or, at the very least, open to reassessment. Jack London’s â€Å"T o Build a Fire (II)† 177So that there can be no mistaking the tale’s literary debt to the Florentine master, London’s coda to his narrative contains a strong, though unsettling, allusion to the close of each of Dante’s three canticles. The allusion unsettles, because it bears London’s signature pessimism regarding an unresponsive universe. As, in turn, each canticle ends, Dante the pilgrim gains an increasingly clari? ed and luminous perspective upon the starry universe that proclaims God’s abundant love and His concern for Creation: in Inferno, while emerging from Hell’s pit onto the surface of the Earth, Dante is able to contemplate the ? mament and â€Å"see again the stars [riveder le stelle]† (Inf . 34. 139); in Purgatorio, from the peak of Mount Purgatory Dante is â€Å"pure and ready to rise to the stars [puro e disposto a salire a le stelle]† (Purg. 33. 145); and, in Paradiso, Dante is at long last granted a beati ? c vision of his Maker and is ? lled with wonder â€Å"by the Love which moves the sun and the other stars [l’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle]† (Parad. 33. 145).In contrast, London’s powerful closing image of the husky, now masterless and â€Å"howling under the stars that leaped and danced and shone brightly in the cold sky† (1315), indicates a more indifferent and uncaring naturalistic universe than the ordered Dantean cosmos where God’s embosoming love moves the sun and the other stars. Perhaps, then, in London’s closing reversion to the bright, dancing stars and the cold sky of an unfeeling universe, James McClintock is correct in his critical judgment that, ultimately, London never truly abandoned his essentially pessimistic worldview in â€Å"To Build a Fire (II)†.Notes I wish to thank my freshman class from the fall semester of 2009 for being a receptive audience to the ideas presented in this paper. Above all, I am grateful to Marek Ignatowicz, a poet and a true man of letters. Without his facility for illuminating discussion on all things literary, and without our memorable conversation on the subject of beards in fact and in ? ction, it is highly probable that the topic of this paper would never have occurred to me. 1 Milton’s Paradise Lost, and in particular the character of Milton’s Satan, is an inspiration to Wolf Larsen in The Sea-Wolf .Larsen remarks of Milton’s fallen archangel: â€Å"But Lucifer was a free spirit. To serve was to suffocate. He preferred suffering in freedom to all the happiness of a comfortable servility. He did not care to serve God. He cared to serve nothing. He was no ? gurehead. He stood on his own legs. He was an individual† (249). Works Cited Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy: Inferno. Trans. Charles S. Singleton. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1970. Print. ———. The Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Trans. Cha rles S. Singleton.Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1975. Print. 178 ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews ———. The Divine Comedy: Purgatorio. Trans. Charles S. Singleton. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973. Print. Labor, Earle. Jack London. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1974. Print. London, Jack. The Complete Short Stories of Jack London. Ed. Earle Labor, Robert C. Leitz, III, and I. Milo Shepard. 3 vols. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1993. Print. ———. The Sea-Wolf . New York: MacMillan, 1967. Print. McClintock, James I.White Logic: Jack London’s Short Stories. Cedar Springs: Wolf House Books, 1976. Print. Milton, John. The Poetical Works of John Milton. Ed. Helen Darbishire. London: Oxford University Press,1958. Print. Mitchell, Lee Clark. â€Å"‘Keeping His Head’: Repetition and Responsibility in London’s ‘To Build a Fire. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Journal of Modern Lite rature 13. 1 (1986): 76–96. Print. Sinclair, Andrew. Jack: A Biography of Jack London. London: Harper and Row, 1977. Print. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List

The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List 1 (Q2) Precis (noun): Make summary of. â€Å"I know she goes in for giving a rapid precis of all her guests. † (Pg. 14) Ravelled (verb): To tangle or entangle. â€Å"†How horribly unjust of you! † cried Lord Henry, tilting his hat back and looking up at the little clouds that, like ravelled skeins of glossy white silk, were drifting across the hollowed turquoise of the summer sky. † (Pg. 15) Candour (noun): The state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness. All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth's passionate purity. † (Pg. 26) Sovereignty (noun): Rightful status, independence, or prerogative. â€Å"It has its divine right of sovereignty. † (Pg. 35) Hedonism (noun): Doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good. â€Å"A new Hedonism–that is what our century wants. † (Pg. 36) Staccato (adjective): Shortened or detached when played or sung. â€Å"Suddenly the painter appeared at the door of the studio and made staccato signs for them to come in. † (Pg. 37) Caprice (noun): Sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather. The only difference between a caprice and a lifelong passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer. † (Pg. 38) Vermillion (noun): A bright red, to reddish-orange color. â€Å"†It is quite finished,† he cried at last, and stooping down he wrote his name in long vermilion letters on the left-hand corner of the canvas. † (Pg. 38) Panegyric (noun): Formal or elaborate praise. â€Å"Then had come Lord Henry Wotton with his strange panegyric on youth, his terrible warning of its brevity. † (Pg. 40) Wizen (verb): To wither; shrivel up; dry up. Yes, there would be a day when his face would be wrinkled and wizen, his eyes dim and colourless, the grace of his figure broken and deformed. † (Pg. 40) Divan (noun): A sofa or couch, with n o arms or back, often usable as a bed. â€Å"The hot tears welled into his eyes; he tore his hand away and, flinging himself on the divan, he buried his face in the cushions, as though he was praying. † (Pg. 42) Hansom (noun): A low-hung, two-wheeled, covered vehicle drawn by one horse, for two passengers, with the driver being mounted on an elevated seat behind and the reins running over the roof. â€Å"Come, Mr.Gray, my hansom is outside, and I can drop you at your own place. Good-bye, Basil. It has been a most interesting afternoon. † -Lord Henry (Pg. 48) Indolence (adjective): Disliking work or effort; lazy; idle. â€Å"His father had been our ambassador at Madrid when Isabella was young and Prim unthought of, but had retired from the diplomatic service in a capricious moment of annoyance on not being offered the Embassy at Paris, a post to which he considered that he was fully entitled by reason of his birth, his indolence, the good English of his dispatches, and his inordinate passion for pleasure. (Pg. 49) Collieries (noun): A coal mine, including all buildings and equipment. â€Å"He paid some attention to the management of his collieries in the Midland counties, excusing himself for this taint of industry on the ground that the one advantage of having coal was that it enabled a gentleman to afford the decency of burning wood on his own hearth. † (Pg. 49) Cheroot (noun): A cigar having open ends. â€Å"When Lord Henry entered the room, he found his uncle sitting in a rough shooting-coat, smoking a cheroot and grumbling over The Times. (Pg. 49) Facile (adjective): Moving, acting, working, proceeding, etc. , with ease, sometimes with superficiality. â€Å"He invented a facile excuse, and having taken the vacant seat next to her, looked round to see who was there. † (Pg. 57) Liveried (adjective): Clad in livery as servants. â€Å"At last, liveried in the costume of the age, reality entered the room in the shape of a servant to tell the duchess that her carriage was waiting. † (Pg. 65) Expound (verb): To explain; interpret. Some day, when you are tired of London, come down to Treadley and expound to me your philosophy of pleasure over some admirable Burgundy I am fortunate enough to possess. † (Pg. 67) Cosmopolitan (noun): A person who is free from local, provincial, or national bias or attachment; citizen of the world. â€Å"Makes it quite cosmopolitan, doesn't it? You have never been to any of my parties, have you, Mr. Gray? † (Pg. 71) Brocade (noun): Fabric woven with an elaborate design, esp. one having a raised overall pattern. â€Å"I went to look after a piece of old brocade in Wardour Street and had to bargain for hours for it. † (Pg. 72)

Free Essays on Isralite

WHICH YOU SHALL SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. YAH said he would make Israel a kingdom of priest, the job of a priest is to minister. If you're a nation of priest who are you going to minister to, not to your fellow country men because they are also priest. Israel was going to be priest unto the world, and teach the world the commandments and laws of the creator. This was and still is the original plan. Even at the second coming of Yahshua, Israel will be used to bring the world into the truth. As it is written in: Zehariah 8:23 THUS SAID YAH OF HOSTS; IN THOSE DAYS IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT TEN MEN SHALL TAKE HOLD OUT OF ALL LANGUAGES OF THE NATIONS, EVEN SHALL TAKE HOLD OF HIM THAT IS A HEBREW, SAYING, WE WILL GO WITH YOU FOR WE HAVE HEARD THAT YAH IS WITH YOU. Also i... Free Essays on Isralite Free Essays on Isralite Duty of chosen people The Hebrew nation of Israel is known as the chosen people, but scholars and others never say what they are chosen to do. The bible is very clear about the job of Israel and the reason they were chosen. The chosen people were chosen for one major reason and that is to bring the rest of the sons of Adam into the truth of YHWH (John 4:22, Acs 13:47), the Israelites are not the only ones to get salvation, but it was and is our job to teach the world the truth about the heavenly father and his laws. This is the reason all the apostles, prophets and messiah were Hebrew Israelites. This is also why in Acts 10:6 the angel of Yah told Cornelius the Italian to go to peter the Hebrew Israelite, and he shall tell him what he ought to do. Peter taught Cornelius the full law of Yah (acts 10:33). This angel that told Cornelius to go to peter could have taught him the law, all angels know the laws of Yah. But he didn't because it is the job of Israel to teach the world the ways of the most high. So this angel sent Cornelius to Israel to learn the law. EXODUS 19:6 AND YOU SHALL BE UNTO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIEST AND AN HOLY NATION. THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH YOU SHALL SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. YAH said he would make Israel a kingdom of priest, the job of a priest is to minister. If you're a nation of priest who are you going to minister to, not to your fellow country men because they are also priest. Israel was going to be priest unto the world, and teach the world the commandments and laws of the creator. This was and still is the original plan. Even at the second coming of Yahshua, Israel will be used to bring the world into the truth. As it is written in: Zehariah 8:23 THUS SAID YAH OF HOSTS; IN THOSE DAYS IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT TEN MEN SHALL TAKE HOLD OUT OF ALL LANGUAGES OF THE NATIONS, EVEN SHALL TAKE HOLD OF HIM THAT IS A HEBREW, SAYING, WE WILL GO WITH YOU FOR WE HAVE HEARD THAT YAH IS WITH YOU. Also i...

Common Numbering Systems Used in Genealogy

Common Numbering Systems Used in Genealogy Have you ever been elated at the discovery of a compiled family history for your ancestors, only to find yourself confused by all of the numbers and what they mean? Family lineages presented in text, rather than in graphical format, require an organizational system to allow the user to easily follow lines down through descendants or back toward the original ancestors. These standard numbering systems are used to show relationships between generations in a family tree. In other words, who is connected to whom. When numbering your genealogy, it is best to adopt a well-established system that is easily interpreted. Even if youre using a genealogy software program to compile your family history, it is still important to understand the differences and formats of the most widely-used numbering systems. If you plan to publish your family history, genealogical quarterlies, magazines and other publications may require a specific format. Or a friend may send you a pedigree chart which uses one of these numbering systems. It isnt necessarily important to learn the ins and outs of every numbering system, but it helps to have at least a general understanding. Common Genealogical Numbering Systems While genealogy numbering systems vary in their organization, they all have in common the practice of identifying individuals and their relationships through a specific numbering sequence. Most numbering systems are used to display descendants of a given ancestor, while one, the ahnentafel, is used to display the ancestors of an individual. Ahnentafel - From a German word meaning ancestor table, an ahnentafel is an ancestor based numbering system. Good for presenting a lot of information in a compact format, and the most popular numbering system for ascending genealogies. Register Numbering System - Based on the numbering system used by the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the register system is one of several options for numbering descendant reports. NGSQ Numbering System - Sometimes referred to as the Modified Register System from which it was adapted and modernized, this popular descendant numbering system is used in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and in many other family history publications. Henry Numbering System - Yet another descendant numbering system, the Henry System is named after Reginald Buchanan Henry, who used it in his Genealogies of the Families of the Presidents. published in 1935. This system is less often used than the Register and NGSQ systems, and is not accepted for certification projects or by most genealogical publications.

How U.S. Government and regulatory bodies can manage business cycles Essay

How U.S. Government and regulatory bodies can manage business cycles - Essay Example Business cycles can be defined as larger fluctuations in the economic activities or in the production of goods and services over a long period of time. It is sometimes known as economic cycle and is often associated with periods of high economic growth. The business cycle therefore consists of periods of economic booms as well as periods of economic recession or decline. The measurement for the business cycle is often done by the government through the measure of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a particular nation. It is however important to note that even though it is termed as a business cycle; it does not follow ant pattern or any mechanically predictable pattern (Lynch, 85). In this context, it is therefore difficult to tell what pattern or direction the future cycle will take. This presents a challenge to the managements of the business cycles and call for better ways of forecasting. The explanation of the causes of the business cycles remains some of the controversial issue s in the analysis of economic growth in many economies (Hill, 320). One of the most common known causes of business cycles is the disequilibrium commonly known as the Keynesian theory. This theory is based on the argument that the fluctuation in the economy often begin because of lack of demand for the workers or labor. The argument here is that labor market or demand for labor do not adjust immediately but take very long time and hence it is difficult for the government to adjust appropriately and at the right time (Agnew, 197). The lack of demand for workers often adjust after very long period of time and the result of this is that it takes time. Moreover, the wages for labor and the prices are sticky as some are not easily adjustable and hence it takes very long time for the labor market to respond to the demand. â€Å"If output goes down it is due to that market fails to clear pushing the economy into recession† (Brentani, 109). This explains the downwards and the upward trends in the economy that forms the business cycles witnessed not only in the United States of America but also in the other nations across the world. The real business cycle theory on the other hand asserts that the changes or the fluctuations in business occur as a result of real factors. It is important to note that this theory believes that the government should not take part in controlling the market forces. The market forces of demand and supply should be left to adjust on their own (Treve, 72). The intervention of the government through the monetary as well as fiscal policies is not necessary, because the economy is capable of adjusting to the changes on its own. This theory also puts more emphasis on the substitution of labor and technological shocks as the major causes of business cycles. Failure of the economy to adjust to these changes would therefore lead to economy moving to recession. With regard to this theory, the rates of changes or the degree to which workers resp onds to incentives determines the supply of labor. Fluctuations in the level of technology also have serious impacts on the labor productivity because it affects the incentives (Knoop, 251). The high rise in technology would improve the productivity of labor and hence the real wages would rise as well. This would then result into the increase in the output and rates of employment and vice versa. This theory has also considered other factors like terrorism, disasters, political unrests, weather conditions among other factors that can affect output of an economy. In this way of argument, money does not impact on output neither does output impact on money and hence both move together in the same direction (Knoop, 253). Real business cycle theory is thus very important in the understanding of business cycle theory. However, just like any other theory, it is not perfect and has its own limitations. The

Intersection between Art and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Intersection between Art and Politics - Essay Example It is prudent that the events from the 1830 Revolution had shaped the political scene in France, and some sense of democracy and self-rule was emanating from the rulers. The fact that artists were allowed to elect their people to the jury that oversaw selection to the Salon manifested the political maturity that the July Monarchy had undergone. That notwithstanding, the Constitution of the July Monarchy under which Louis Napoleon took over leadership of the county prescribed that the term of the president will be subject to a one-year term of four years that is not renewable. Practically, the laws were keen to do away with the dictatorship that had marred the nation for years and open a new window of political free will whereby power emanates from the people and is owned by the people of France. Owing to the changes that the July Monarchy installed on the Salon the next episodes of the Academy demonstrated massive improvement in terms of both quality and the scope of ideas that the a rtists showcased. Consequently, the subsequent editions of the Salons were characterized by an increase in the number of artistic paintings that demonstrated the impact of the 1848 Revolution thus instilling some sense of realism to the industry (258).Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier was among the notable artists to present historical paintings at the Salon that depicted the effects of the 1848 Revolution. The memory of Civil War is a painting that he made of a scene from the July Days that he experienced first-hand.