On National Prejudices, by Oliver Goldsmith - Classic Essays

On National Prejudices, by Oliver Goldsmith - Classic Essays Irish poet, essayist, and dramatist Oliver Goldsmith is best known for the comic play She Stoops to Conquer, the long poem The Deserted Village, and the novel The Vicar of Wakefield. In his essay On National Prejudices (first published in the British Magazine, August 1760), Goldsmith argues that it is possible to love  ones own country without hating the natives of other countries. Compare Goldsmiths thoughts on patriotism with Max Eastmans extended definition in What Is Patriotism? and with Alexis de Tocquevilles discussion of patriotism in Democracy in America (1835). On National Prejudices by Oliver Goldsmith As I am one of that sauntering tribe of mortals, who spend the greatest part of their time in taverns, coffee houses, and other places of public resort, I have thereby an opportunity of observing an infinite variety of characters, which, to a person of a contemplative turn, is a much higher entertainment than a view of all the curiosities of art or nature. In one of these, my late rambles, I accidentally fell into the company of half a dozen gentlemen, who were engaged in a warm dispute about some political affair; the decision of which, as they were equally divided in their sentiments, they thought proper to refer to me, which naturally drew me in for a share of the conversation. Amongst a multiplicity of other topics, we took occasion to talk of the different characters of the several nations of Europe; when one of the gentlemen, cocking his hat, and assuming such an air of importance as if he had possessed all the merit of the English nation in his own person, declared that the Dutch were a parcel of avaricious wretches; the French a set of flattering sycophants; that the Germans were drunken sots, and beastly gluttons; and the Spaniards proud, haughty, and surly tyrants; but that in bravery, generosity, clemency, and in every other virtue, the English excelled all the world. This very learned and judicious remark was received with a general smile of approbation by all the companyall, I mean, but your humble servant; who, endeavoring to keep my gravity as well as I could, I reclined my head upon my arm, continued for some time  in a posture of affected thoughtfulness, as if I had been musing on something else, and did not seem to attend to the subject of conversation; hoping by these means to avoid the disagreeable necessity of explaining myself, and thereby depriving the gentlemen of his imaginary happiness. But my pseudo-patriot had no mind to let me escape so easily. Not satisfied that his opinion should pass without contradiction, he was determined to have it ratified by the suffrage of every one in the company; for which purpose addressing himself to me with an air of inexpressible confidence, he asked me if I was not in the same way of thinking. As I am never forward in giving my opinion, especially when I have reason to believe that it will not be agreeable; so, when I am obliged to give it, I always hold it for a maxim to speak my real sentiments. I therefore told him that, for my own part, I should not have ventured to talk in such a peremptory strain, unless I had made the tour of Europe, and examined the manners of these several nations with great care and accuracy: that, perhaps, a more impartial judge would not scruple to affirm that the Dutch were more frugal and industrious, the French more temperate and polite, the Germans more hardy and patient of labour and fatigue, and the Spaniards more staid and sedate, than the English; who, though undoubtedly brave and generous, were at the same time rash, headstrong, and impetuous; too apt to be elated with prosperity, and to despond in adversity. I could easily perceive that all of the company began to regard me with a jealous eye before I had finished my answer, which I had no sooner done, than the patriotic gentleman observed, with a contemptuous sneer, that he was greatly surprised how some people could have the conscience to live in a country which they did not love, and to enjoy the protection of a government, to which in their hearts they were inveterate enemies. Finding that by this modest declaration of my sentiments, I had forfeited the good opinion of my companions, and given them occasion to call my political principles in question, and well knowing that it was in vain to argue with men who were so very full of themselves, I threw down my reckoning and retired to my own lodgings, reflecting on the absurd and ridiculous nature of national prejudice and prepossession. Philosphers of Antiquity Among all the famous sayings of antiquity, there is none that does greater honour to the author, or affords greater pleasure to the reader (at least if he be a person of a generous and benevolent heart) than that of the philosopher, who, being asked what countryman he was, replied that he was a citizen of the world. How few there are to be found in modern times who can say the same, or whose conduct is consistent with such a profession! We are now become so much Englishmen, Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Spaniards, or Germans, that we are no longer citizens of the world; so much the natives of one particular spot, or members of one petty society, that we no longer consider ourselves as the general inhabitants of the globe, or members of that grand society which comprehends the whole human kind. Did these prejudices prevail only among the meanest and lowest of the people, perhaps they might be excused, as they have few, if any, opportunities of correcting them by reading, traveling, or conversing with foreigners; but the misfortune is, that they infect the minds, and influence the conduct even of our gentlemen; of those, I mean, who have every title to this appellation but an exemption from prejudice, which, however, in my opinion, ought to be regarded as the characteristical mark of a gentleman: for let a mans birth be ever so high, his station ever so exalted, or his fortune ever so large, yet if he is not free from national and other prejudices, I should make bold to tell him, that he had a low and vulgar mind, and had no just claim to the character of a gentleman. And in fact, you will always find that those are most apt to boast of national merit, who have little or no merit of their own to depend on, than which, to be sure, nothing is more natural: the slender vine twi sts around the sturdy oak for no other reason in the world but because it has not  strength  sufficient to support itself. Should it be alleged in  defense  of national prejudice, that it is the natural and necessary growth of love to our country, and that therefore the former cannot be destroyed without hurting the latter, I answer, that this is a gross  fallacy  and delusion. That it is the growth of love to our country, I will allow; but that it is the natural and necessary growth of it, I absolutely deny. Superstition and enthusiasm too are the growth of religion; but  who ever  took it in his head to affirm that they are the necessary growth of this noble principle? They are, if you will, the bastard sprouts of this heavenly plant; but not its natural and genuine branches, and may safely enough be lopped off, without doing any harm to the parent stock; nay, perhaps, till once they are lopped off, this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour. Citizen of the World Is it not very possible that I may love my own country, without hating the natives of other countries? that I may exert the most heroic bravery, the most undaunted resolution, in defending its laws and liberty, without despising all the rest of the world as cowards and poltroons? Most certainly it is: and if it were notBut why need I suppose what is absolutely impossible?but if it were not, I must own, I should prefer the title of the ancient philosopher, namely, a citizen of the world, to that of an Englishman, a Frenchman, a European, or to any other appellation whatever. Continued from page oneDid these prejudices prevail only among the meanest and lowest of the people, perhaps they might be excused, as they have few, if any, opportunities of correcting them by reading, traveling, or conversing with foreigners; but the misfortune is, that they infect the minds, and influence the conduct even of our gentlemen; of those, I mean, who have every title to this appellation but an exemption from prejudice, which, however, in my opinion, ought to be regarded as the characteristical mark of a gentleman: for let a mans birth be ever so high, his station ever so exalted, or his fortune ever so large, yet if he is not free from national and other prejudices, I should make bold to tell him, that he had a low and vulgar mind, and had no just claim to the character of a gentleman. And in fact, you will always find that those are most apt to boast of national merit, who have little or no merit of their own to depend on, than which, to be sure, nothing is more natura l: the slender vine twists around the sturdy oak for no other reason in the world but because it has not strength sufficient to support itself. Should it be alleged in defense of national prejudice, that it is the natural and necessary growth of love to our country, and that therefore the former cannot be destroyed without hurting the latter, I answer, that this is a gross fallacy and delusion. That it is the growth of love to our country, I will allow; but that it is the natural and necessary growth of it, I absolutely deny. Superstition and enthusiasm too are the growth of religion; but who ever took it in his head to affirm that they are the necessary growth of this noble principle? They are, if you will, the bastard sprouts of this heavenly plant; but not its natural and genuine branches, and may safely enough be lopped off, without doing any harm to the parent stock; nay, perhaps, till once they are lopped off, this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour. Is it not very possible that I may love my own country, without hating the natives of other countries? that I may exert the most heroic bravery, the most undaunted resolution, in defending its laws and liberty, without despising all the rest of the world as cowards and poltroons? Most certainly it is: and if it were notBut why need I suppose what is absolutely impossible?but if it were not, I must own, I should prefer the title of the ancient philosopher, namely, a citizen of the world, to that of an Englishman, a Frenchman, a European, or to any other appellation whatever.

The Wind Tapped Like a Tired Man by Emily Dickinson

The Wind Tapped Like a Tired Man by Emily Dickinson The enigmatic Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) saw only ten of her poems published while she was alive. Most of her work, more than 1,000 poems with their odd capitalization, liberal use of em dashes and iambic pentameter rhyming structure, was published after her death. But her works have helped to shape modern poetry. Life of Emily Dickinson Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dickinson was a reclusive figure, who took to wearing all white clothing and stayed confined to her home later in life. Whether she was eccentric or suffering from some kind of anxiety disorder is a matter hotly debated among Dickinson scholars. She did not live her entire life at her familys Amherst home; she spent a year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary but left before completing a degree, and visited Washington, D.C. with her father when he served in Congress.   Dickinsons body of work also included correspondence with friends. Many of these letters contained original poems.   After her death, her sister Lavinia collected Emilys vast collection of writing and attempted to organize it. Although early editors tried to normalize Dickinsons writing, taking out the unusual punctuation and random capitalized words, later versions of her work restored it to its unique glory, em dashes and all.   Emily Dickinsons Poetry With titles like Because I Could Not Stop for Death, and A Narrow Fellow in the Grass, its clear that Dickinsons poetry has a foreboding undertone.  Many academics believe that all of Dickinsons poems can be interpreted to be about death, some overtly, some with more subtle turns of phrase. Indeed, Dickinsons correspondence shows she was troubled by several deaths of people she was close to; a school friend died very young of typhoid fever, another of a brain disorder. Its not outside the realm of possibility that young Emily withdrew from social life because she was deeply affected by her losses. Questions for Study of The Wind Tapped Like a Tired Man Is this an example of a Dickinson poem in where she appears to be writing about one thing (the wind) but is actually writing about something else? In this poem, does the wind represent a man, or does it represent an existential fear of death, ever present and able to blow in and out as it pleases? Why is the man tired? Here is the full text of Emily Dickinsons poem The Wind Tapped Like a Tired Man The wind tapped like a tired man,And like a host, Come in,I boldly answered; entered thenMy residence withinA rapid, footless guest,To offer whom a chairWere as impossible as handA sofa to the air.No bone had he to bind him,His speech was like the pushOf numerous humming-birds at onceFrom a superior bush.His countenance a billow,His fingers, if he pass,Let go a music, as of tunesBlown tremulous in glass.He visited, still flitting;Then, like a timid man,Again he tappedt was flurriedlyAnd I became alone.

Research PAPER on Greasy Lake Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Greasy Lake - Research Paper Example Evidence of being wealthy is because firstly, Digby’s parents pay his tuition at Cornell. Secondly, the narrator’s parents bought him a nice car. Thirdly, the boys live in a town with â€Å"housing developments, shopping malls and street lights, (Boyle, 396). Lastly they abuse drugs like coke and cocaine which are not cheap. The boys being nineteen years old think they are now adults and can do whatever they want, and they choose to be known as horrific boys in the small town (Youngs, 23). In my view, the boys option of being dreadful may have been brought about by the fact that they were living in a wealthy neighborhood where nothing much happens so they were bored (McDowell & Hostetler, 24). The narrator describes himself and his friends as appallingly awful characters. Their outrageous reputation is revealed by their clothes, the narrator says, â€Å"we wore torn up leather jackets, slouched around with toothpicks in our mouths, sniffed glue and ether and what some body claimed was cocaine (Boyle, 125).† Parents want their young children to be clean shaven, but in this case, â€Å"†¦Digby wore a gold star in his right ear†. To further characterize their gross character the narrator describes the manner in which the three boys lived their daily lives. He says â€Å"...Able to mange a ford with lousy shocks over a rutted and gutted blacktop road at 85 while rolling a joint (Boyle, 124).† This illustrates how the boys were living recklessly and dangerously, but they are not terrible as they try to prove. This is evidenced when Digby allows his parents to pay his tuition fees to Cornell because he wants to go to school. These actions get the boys think they are the toughest boys around. In my judgment, I reckon the boys to be small adults who are rebellious and aggressive (McDowell & Hostetler, 25). This is a stage of life that everybody has to go through just like the three teenagers were experiencing. The boys in Greasy Lake situation are made worse because of boredom and resources they can afford to spend around. The night the reality of the consequences of being horrible dawns on them is when they run into much trouble than they anticipated. The boys are troublesome as well as naughty; thus they decide to play a grim trick on their friend. It is three days after the summer break and the boys go â€Å"in search of thrills†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Boyle, 120). They go into their usual place where a majority of people like to hang out during the day, but they go at night. The boys are soon to realize that bad boys are those born in the streets and who fend for themselves on the streets. As for me, I think the boys are not that tough they are just naive. This is because they are still young and have no clue as to the realities of life (Youngs, 24). Furthermore, they own nothing as they drive their mother’s cars and use their dad’s money. They are just trying to prove what they are not. Greasy La ke was once a clear and magnificent water body, but time has deteriorated it the author describes the river as â€Å"... Now it was fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires. .. So stripped of vegetation, it looked like the air force had strafed it† (Boyle, 125). The place is just awful, but I can relate the symbolism depicted by the author. Just like the boys were courteous sometime before, as one confesses that he has never had to fight since sixth grade, they are now filthy, just

Book review for No No Boy by John Okada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book review for No No Boy by John Okada - Essay Example The novel is a fiction, not memoir. The divided loyalties and the mental blocks are the issues with Ichiro Yamada who is interned during World War II. The author has written a book that clubs personal ideology with national ideologies and aspirations and how the combustible youth is caught in a dilemma of the emotional world between his country of origin and the country of which he is the citizen. Ichiro fails to answer appropriately two critical questions in the questionnaire related to allegiance to America. His improper answers and denial to serve in the American armed forces and his repudiation to abjure allegiance to Japan send him to prison. On his release from the prison, Ichiro moves back to Seattle and the ground realities of the social life there bother him intensely. His parents are proud of being Japanese and he accepts United States as his own. With this dilemma he meets and has discussions on the subject with many people, but is unable to sort out the conflicts within h is inner world. Kenji, one of his intimate friends joins the military and during the war operations loses a leg with just two years to live. Ichiro sees parity in his mental anguish and the physical pain of Kenji. His friends and his own brother take potshots at him for not joining the army, which they term as betrayal of the country. The two friends discuss whether or not it is feasible to trade places. Ichiro admits candidly "I wasn't in the army, Ken, I was in jail. I'm a no-no boy." (p. 62)Though this is a joke between the two friends, it throws light on the type of social environment prevailing at that time which Ichiro finds it tough to challenge. The war has sharpened the conflicts of generations and anti-emotions have turned out to be hard. Adjusting with the new identity, even though one wants to go with, is hard due to the societal and familial pressures. Ichiro is compelled to bow before the hard identity scenario created by his mother. She wants him to identify with her Japanese identity and sets her own terms and conditions for loving him. Their views points about national identity are poles apart. He finally makes the decision that he is an American and looks forward to the future with cautious positivity. He is unable to think in tandem with his mother who has been in United States for thirty-five years and yet she identifies with the Japanese, viewed from all angels. John Okada was born and raised in Seattle and he attended University of Washington. The friend and foe of literary creations is time. Time intervened for more than a decade, before this book is able to hit the stands of popularity. This first literary creation by the author was published in 1957 and it remained unnoticed for years until it shot into fame when the literature of the Asian American minority groups becomes popular in the American literary scene by 1970s. This novel is the reflection of the inner crisis of the young Japanese who is confronted with the dual challenge of identity. Race is the crying question around which all other subsidiary confusion hangs around. Every segment in the town is labeled with the racial tag and its separate identity stands pronounced. â€Å"Oriental† is a big umbrella under which the categories of Japanese, Chinese and Asians are accommodated. Races victimized by the whites are also not at peace with each other and they are at loggerheads with their own problems. The younger generation has to break through such communal

European Colonialism, Imperialism, and Cultural Superiority Essay examp

European Imperialism and Cultural Superiority      Ã‚  Ã‚   Many factors contributed to the colonization of Africa by European powers between 1895 and 1905. Among these factors were the effects of European history, the growing capitalist economy, and the growing competition between European powers. Most important was the belief that European culture was superior to African culture. During the height of imperialism, the vast majority of the African continent was controlled by Europe (à ¬Extentà ® 19). It is important to understand what gave the momentum for European dominance at the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Imperialism is present in European history, beginning with the Roman Empire (Lenin). Lugard believes that Europeans inherited à ¬instincts of colonial expansionà ® from their ancestors (Lugard). The Romans practiced what was essentially an early form of imperialist economics (Lenin). Joseph A. Schumpeter writes that most of the wars of history were fought without any real justifiable purpose, and instead were fought out of aggression for its own sake (Schumpeter). He seems to believe that the imperialism is much the same (Schumpeter). This he relates to the history of Europe by noting that the nobles, who had a strong history in warfare for its own sake, were influential in pushing for imperialism (Schumpeter). He believes that the bourgeois class would never have accomplished imperialism on its own (Schumpeter).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     If it were necessary to give the briefest possible definition of imperialism we should have to say that imperialism is the monopoly stage of capitalism à ¬ (Lenin). There were definite economic factors contributing to the move towards imperialism in Europe (Hobson). This is probably the most basic explanation of Eur... ...02hobson.html>. Kipling, Rudyard. "The White Manà ­s Burden." Aug. 1997 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/Kipling.html>. Lenin, Vladimir Illyich . "Imperialism, the Highest State of Capitalism." July 1998 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1916lenin-imperialism.html>. Lugard, F.D. "The Rise of Our East African Empire." Nov. 1998 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1893lugard.html> Orwell, George. 'Shooting an Elephant." 2 June, 1997 <http://www.bnl.com/shorts/stories/shootelp.html> Paton, John G. July 1998 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1883hebrides.html>. Schumpeter, Joseph A. "The Sociology of Imperialism." July 1998 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1918schumpeter1.html>. Townsend, Mary Evelyn. European Colonial Expansion Since 1871. Chicago: J.P. Lippincott Company, 1941.   

Saptivating other sports like Chess, Boxing, and Badminton Essay

By Anjana Mazumdar I have sweet and beautiful dreams of my country. I am a resident of India. She is my beloved motherland. I am proud of being an Indian. I wish that my country may rise to a great nation. She should help her neighbours and may give them the message of peace. I wish that my country should become militarily strong and be fully prepared in this nuclear age for defense. I wish that no foreign country may dare attack again, like the plundering raids of the old times. We should try to live peacefully with our neighbours. But we should not lack in our security in the name of peace. Hence, I wish she should become first rate world power in terms of military strength. I wish that my country should become a messenger for peace in the world India’s great culture and civilization had once spread in the far corners of the world. I wish that she should send her cultural envoys once again to spread the ancient Indian culture. I wish that India should lead the world in the field of spiritualism. I wish that our saints and seers must once again start towards the distant lands to spread our great and glorious culture. I wish that there would be no illiterate person in India of my dream, wish that India should introduce such system of education as should enable every citizen to earn his or her living. I wish that my government should educate each citizen. Adult education, female education and auction of children should be made compulsory. I wish that India should become a highly industrialized nation. She should start cottage industries in villages and heavy industries in cities. I wish that our country should make great progress in science. India should make use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. India should send rockets to the space and should advance in the field of science and make her own military requirements. We should establish big factories to produce all sorts of machines. I wish that in India there should be no poor person. As Gandhiji said, â€Å"we have to wipe away every tear from every eye†. Freedom becomes meaningful only if we help the poor folk to rise in prosperity. I would like to see India a great nation in the world. These are my dreams about the would be India. View as multi-pages

Essay about Sylvia Plath A Novelist and her Brief Life

The highly recognized female novelist and poet, Sylvia Plath, lived a hard and tragic life. Plath was diagnosed with depression, a mood disorder that causes consistent feelings of sadness, at a very young age that made her life complicated in many ways. The battle continued on when she was diagnosed with severe depression later on in life which contributed to her death. Sylvia Plath was a very successful novelist and poet in the thirty short years of her life, however, the achievements were not enough to mask her depression battle that ran and ended her life. Sylvia Plath was born on 27 October 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts. Plath’s father was a very strict man with dictatorial attitudes that stuck with and scarred Plath.†¦show more content†¦After her second attempt she had to spend time at a mental facility where she received treatments for her depression. After returning to college, she graduated with highest honors at Smith College and moved to England to study writing and poetry. Plath met poet Ted Hughes at a party and married him in June of the same year. Plath and Hughes had two children together, Nick and Frieda. As the marriage went on, the couple struggled from many problems. Sylvia believed Hughes was cheating on her and they argued quite often. Because of all the rumors Plath had heard of Hughes cheating on her, Plath got into a car wreck on purpose as a suicide attempt. A little while later it was confirmed that her husband had been cheating on her with another woman. During this time of her life, Plath wrote and published her very popular novel The Bell Jar, which is many times referred to as a diary of her life. Plath was now on her own with her children and had to move into an apartment with the pipes constantly freezing and her children always sick. This made her depression hit an all-time high, leadi ng to the bitter end of her life. On 11 February 1963, Plath took her life. Plath stuffed wet towels under the doors to keep her children safe and left a note in the downstairs of her apartment building for someone to call the police. Plath killed herself by sticking her head into an oven and dying from the gasShow MoreRelatedConfessional Poetry in The Word by Sylvia Plath Essay777 Words   |  4 Pagessense of order and generalized opinions. Both modernism and postmodernism digress from the classical belief of guidelines for writing good poetry and take on the approach that advocate for more a more personalized style where writers write about their life and stray away from imitating the standards or rules of classical good or worthy writing. All works use language in distinctive methods to accentuate certain ideas and themes. Certain modernist works emphasize the belief in nature and the preservationRead MoreAnxiety And Other Mood Disorders1460 Words   |  6 Pagesoutside of one s self† (Jabr, 2013). The Surrealism movement had quite a few portrayals of mood disorders as well. One of the more well known Surrealist paintings, Salvador Dali’s Persistence of Memory, suggests a depressive, warped idea of time and life with its melting clocks and barren sands (Schoeneman, 2005, p.172). Modern art movements, like Abstract Expressionism and Impressionism, have also produced a sizable amount of paintings that depict mood disorders. Jackson Pollock, who is perhapsRead MoreMood Disorders : Their Influence And Portrayal Of Art1466 Words   |  6 Pagesoutside of one s self† (Jabr, 2013). The Surrealism movement had quite a few portrayals of mood disorders as well. One of the more well known Surrealist paintings, Salvador Dali’s Persistence of Memory, suggests a depressive, warped idea of time and life with its melting clocks and barren sands (Schoeneman, 2005, p.172). Modern art movements, like Abstract Expressionism and Impressionism, have also produced a sizable amount of paintings that depict mood disorders. Jackson Pollock, who is perhapsRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pagescountries around the globe.[15] The genre translates fairly directly into cinematic form, the coming-of-age film. Plot outline[edit] A Bildungsroman relates the growing up or coming of age of a sensitive person who goes in search of answers to life s questions with the expectation that these will result from gaining experience of the world. The genre evolved from folklore tales of a dunce or youngest son going out in the world to seek his fortune. Usually in the beginning of the story there