Imagined community

Imagined community According to Benedict Anderson, what is an ‘Imagined Community? How does this relate to the contemporary world? â€Å"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can† George Bernard Shaw (Wisdom Quotes, 2009). Such views demonstrate that communities are an integral part of day-to-day life within the contemporary world, be this in a tiny, remote village in rural India or the thriving capital city of Beijing, China. This essay examines communities within the international sphere, focusing primarily on Benedict Andersons theory of ‘Imagined Communities. The first section of this essay examines Anderson as an academic scholar and his views towards nationalism, including of course a detailed understanding of his theory of ‘Imagined Communities. The second section then goes on to explore other political theorists take on Andersons work, focusing on three such theorists: Ernest Gellner, Anthony D. Smith and Eric Hobsbawm. This theory and reasoning behind Andersons and these three other theorists work, is then used as the foundation on which to build when looking at the contemporary world, focusing on the case study of Great Britain and how this study is of relevance to contemporary political issues. Communities within Britain are examined in terms of the imagination Anderson refers to, namely the Ukrainian community and also the Sikh community, both within multicultural British society. Andersons background is that of anthropology and when assessed, it is clear that he falls within the Modernist school of thought, arguing that nations are simply a product of modernity, in existence to cater to political, economic and military needs. Andersons theory of ‘Imagined Communities has been widely spread and applied to the field of international relations and political science, a theory which has been influential in carefully examining the politics of identity and the formation of communities across the globe, also known as nationalism. Anderson explores the modern nation in terms of its development throughout history, aiming to understand the emergence of these nations and how they have remained as nations in terms of status (Higson, 1998, p.355). Nationalism took form and began as an ideology during the eighteenth century, and more recently has undergone a global movement across the varying borders and boundaries of nations. It has three generic goals: â€Å"natio nal autonomy, national unity and national identity, and for nationalists, a nation cannot survive without a sufficient degree of all three† (Smith, 2001, p.9). National identity in particular is fundamental to the order of the contemporary international sphere. According to Anderson (1991) therefore, the building and construction of nation states is an imitative action in that it follows similar patterns and trends as used by fellow nation states. Nationalism, in Andersons (1991) eyes is thus an instrument and product of such social constructions and all of this was in actual fact an American construction. Additionally, he contends that nation building is consistent of and on a par with fictional narratives, a point which agrees which Smith (2001), discussed later on in this essay. With such a clear focus on nationalism, Anderson (1991) studies the idea of membership of a community, the idea of membership as boundaries defining ‘us and ‘them, and the idea of the community as an equal comradeship, thus collectively leading to the creation of an identity. Under the umbrella of nationalist thought therefore, Anderson is largely interested in the formation and preservation of political identities. His key argument is as follows: communities are in fact imagined ones as, in truth, individuals residing in one particular place i.e. Britain, will never know, see, meet, converse or have any sort of relationship with all other residents, yet this ideological concept of a ‘British community still exists. Anderson thus is focusing on nationalism, in particular nations and their identity building processes, a nation being â€Å"an imagined political communityimagined as both inherently limited and sovereign† (Anderson, 1991, p.7). In his argument, the a nation is imagined as limited in that, even the one holding the greatest number of human beings, each community has finite boundaries, beyond which are other nations (Anderson, 1991, p.7). The nation is imagined as sovereign as the concept emerged during a time in which â€Å"Enlightenment and Revolution were destroying the legitimacy of the divinely-ordained hierarchical dynastic realm† (Anderson, 1991, p.7). Finally, the nation is imagined as a community as despite inequality and exploitative behaviour that may occur, the nation remains a â€Å"deep, horizontal comradeship† (Anderson, 1991, p.7). Such ‘imagined communities are in actual fact socially constructed entities, consisting of individuals who have similar, if not identical, interests, these interests forming the basis for their grouping choices and decisions, and allowing the individuals to identify with one another. Andersons theory therefore comes from the location of individuals within specific ordered communities, as members of bounded communities whose members have common traits and concerns. His idea of this type of a community existing emerges from how the general public, according to him, identifies and understands themselves with respect to the community of their nation. As a result, all individuals have a horizontal relationship with all other members of their supposed ‘imagined community and this creates identity. Such identity provides safety and security to members of the imagined community, providing a sense of belonging to a group of people who are on the same wavelength and have similar i nterests and motivations (Anderson, 1991). This is of course, opposed to the previous identification which was wholly concerned with pre-existing religious systems and dynasties, which have now collapsed. Anderson (1991) then goes on to examine the fall in access to privileged scripts and discourse such as Latin, the movement to eradicate ideas and commands of the monarchy and divine rules of power and finally the emergence of print capitalism in terms of the media and how this is related to the concept of nations. The final point here is of greatest relevance to this essays discussion. From first thought, it is common to think that no real relationship exists between media and communities, yet on closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not the case. Anderson (1991) argues that the media is the key group creating these ‘imagined communities through their mass audience targeting procedures. The media often makes generalisations to the ‘public and when thought about, is most definitely an ‘imagined community in itself. Anderson (1991) therefore argues that national media and education systems have a critical role in ensuring a nation imagines itself as  "a coherent, meaningful and homogenous community† (Higson, 1998, p.355). His primary concentration however lies with newspapers, which he argues are a fundamental part of print-capitalism, this being the key commodity in the generation of new ideas and concepts (Anderson, 1991, p.37). Print-capitalism contributed greatly to the imagined communities that exist within nations and will continue to do so in the future. He argues that newspapers allow shared experiences of resenting authority to take form, this not being beneficial as this gives rise to the marketplace, where print-capitalism is produced and invoked within consumer society in terms of profitability. Print-capitalism is, in Andersons opinion a commodity which is vital to current and forthcoming generations of completely new ideas and concepts (Anderson, 1991, p.37). His argument focuses primarily on the impact of the Reformation, this being: â€Å"the coalition between Protestantism and print-capitalism, exploiting cheap popular editions, quickly created large new reading publicsand simultaneously mobilized them for politico-religious purposes† (Anderson, 1991, p.40). He posits that much of the success of the Reformation is as a result due to print-capitalism itself (Anderson, 1991, p.39). Thus in Andersons critique with regards to the promise of the media in the public sphere and whether or not they invoke public debate, his answer is yes i.e. it was a vehicle for the American war of independence. The key example however given in his work is that relating to the Protestant and print-capitalism coalition, which he argues, was detrimental through the exploitation of cheap popular print-works (Anderson, 1991, p.40). Such â€Å"administrative vernaculars† (Anderson, 1991, p.41) led to religious and printing upheaval during the sixteenth century, and is regarded by himself as an â€Å"independent factor in the erosion of the sacred imagined community† (Anderson, 1991, p.41). In terms of ‘imagined communities and its relationship with the media, film and cinema are good areas to explore. Film is often indicative of â€Å"consensual images of communities† (Higson, 1998, p.355) and is keen to show individuals from varying backgrounds coming together in shared interests. The British musical Sing As We Go (1934) (cited in Higson, 1998, p.355) for example deals with this same image as explained above and ends with the ‘imagined community being explicitly â€Å"nationalized† (Higson, 1995, cited in Higson, 1998, p.356) in the final scene. It is important to distinguish though that not all of the ‘imagined communities Anderson refers to are united. Particularly within the contemporary multicultural location that is Great Britain, nations can be presented and represented as being in disarray (Higson, 1998, p.356). Higson (1998) refers to the British film named The Beautiful Laundrette and how this is demonstrative of such a thing, providing images of â€Å"social and cultural disturbance and fragmentation† (Higson, 1998, p.356) as opposed to images of consensual imagined communities. This is therefore raises questions of what it is like to be British and to hold such an identity. Films like this consequently oppose what Anderson claims to be the truth, displaying that national identity in contexts like this one are not â€Å"as consensual but as hybrid, not as pure but as variegated† (Higson, 1998, p.356) and so this challenges Andersons point. This theory of ‘imagined communities has often led to various branches of thought, one of the key ones with relation to this topic being that of ‘imagined geographies, a concept which has emerged from Edward Saids work on ‘Orientalism a theoretical framework which argues that Europeans define themselves against their cultural contestants i.e. people from the Orient and as a result define themselves against this. Back to ‘Imagined geographies though, this is a form of social constructivism, referring to the perception of space and boundaries within texts, illustrations and of course, discourse. Arguably, there is no real geography and that imagined geographies can be compared with, thus posing problems of comparative analysis. So the argument lies that such imagined geographies must not be taken as given, but rather they should be deconstructed in order to display the various power sources which have been embedded in them. Ultimately, although Anderson is sceptical of the general public in their decision to be part of ‘imagined communities, he acknowledges that in the current day and age, nationalism and the idea of community has taken to other extremes i.e. projecting fear and hatred towards the ‘Other, being deeply affiliated with racist and discriminative behaviour (Anderson, 1991, p.141.) He critiques this though by reinforcing how such communities are supposed to bring individuals together as opposed to dividing them further, and thus communities need to be reminded that â€Å"nations inspire love, and often profoundly self-sacrificing love† (Anderson, 1991, p.141). Other theorists however conflict with what Anderson (1991) poses as the function of nation building, namely Ernest Gellner, Anthony D. Smith and Eric Hobsbawm. Their proposals of national identity vary with respect to one another. Firstly, anthropologist and philosopher Gellner (1983) argues that nationalism is ultimately political in that it acts as the foundation for politics and nations as being on an equal footing. In his critique, nationalism only emerged within the modern sphere very recently, becoming a necessity in sociological terms, and thus has not been embedded within history. Smith (2001) was a student of Gellner yet did not completely agree with the argument made by his teacher. His argument therefore depends on his creation of an approach to nationalism termed ‘ethnosymbolism, this being a combination of traditional as well as modern views toward the theory and practice of national identities (Smith, 2001, p.13). Smith (2001) distinguishes between the concept of the term ‘nation and another word he terms ‘ethnie, this being: â€Å"a named human community connected to a homeland, possessing common myths of ancestry, shared memories, one or more elements of shared culture, and a measure of solidarity at least among the elites† (Smith, 2001, p.13). Thus in his critique, the imagined communities Anderson speaks of do have a cultural and historical background to them, and so they arent completely imagined but have some substance behind them. Smith (2001) on the other hand, studies nationalism in terms of ethnic groupings. To him, the concept of the nation is: â€Å"a named human community occupying a homeland, and having common myths and a shared history, a common culture, and a measure of solidarity at least among the elites† (Smith, 2001, p.13). Within this though he narrows down further his understanding of nations, consisting of what he terms â€Å"ethnie† (Smith, 2001, p.13): â€Å"a named human community connected to a homeland, possessing common myths of ancestry, shared memories, one or more elements of shared culture, and a measure of solidarity at least among the elites†(Smith, 2001, p.13). Hobsbawm (1992) too examines nationalism, a concept which he refers to as the same as defined by Gellner: â€Å"primarily a principle which holds that the political and national unit should be congruent† (Gellner, 1983, p.1, cited in Hobsbawm, 1992, p.9). He contends that imagined communities act as a shield for and to religious-based nation states, which in turn allows individuals from a vast array of backgrounds to come together through the notion of compromise (Hobsbawm, 1992, p.14). One of his key arguments is that nations are: â€Å"dual phenomena† (Hobsbawm, 1992, p.10), by which he means that they are socially constructed from both above and below, with regards to the â€Å"assumptions, hopes, needs, longings and interests of ordinary people† (Hobsbawm, 1992, p.10). Thus he reinforces the central and underlying importance of nationalism throughout history in relation to political evolution. With respect to this, we identify that no real national conscienc e is forged within his text, and later on he makes clear the number of incited mass movements of nations i.e. he refers to the liberalisation of countries like Italy. National identity has a huge role to play within countries across the globe. In particular, it is focused on and can be identified during sporting games i.e. football or cricket, avid fans supporting their nation to be successful and triumphant. National identity can however also be associated with negativity and can create tensions, as demonstrated politically within international relations more generally. This section focuses on Britain as its key contemporary example but compares and contrasts the experiences within Britain with those of other countries too. Britain, quite clearly, consists of a multicultural society, one which is made up of a variety of community groupings. Community-World (2009) provides examples of many of the community groupings that are existent in modern day Britain, i.e.: regional, ethnic, religious, charity/voluntary and finally miscellaneous ones which include vegetarianism and so on. In many cases, such communities are reflective of Andersons thought of ‘imagined communities. An example of this can be seen with respect to the South-Asian community in Britain, formed of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and many more, yet all come together under the umbrella term of South-Asian community even though it is most definitely likely that not all of these community members know each other nor have they seen each other nor, in reality, will they ever really do so. Such a community, although to be congratulated in bringing people of similar backgrounds together, is in actual fact a socially construct ed entity according to Anderson. In my critique of this however, such groupings are embedded in human nature in that terms like this have not been created as a product of society and societal views but rather because of religious, cultural and historical backgrounds. Thus they are not socially constructed. Andersons concentration of the media too is useful here when looking at Britain in that, in the contemporary world, his point that the print media, namely newspapers, is largely to blame for the creation of communities is only somewhat true. This is due to the rise of other media forms, particularly the internet, which has led to newspaper sales and general success of them falling over recent years. Greenslade (2009) in review of 2009 and the past decade identifies the spectacular decline of this once thriving industry: the Daily Mail recorded a fall from 2,777,501 to 1,260,019, a decline of 55%, whilst the Daily Express experienced sale plunges of 33.7%, the Daily Telegraph losses of nearly 27% and the Guardian a fall of just over 23%. Although newspapers are now widely available online, combining the previous paper form with the recent phenomenon of the internet, this does contradict with Andersons core argument. As sales of print newspapers have fallen, this suggests that readers hip too has declined and thus communities are less likely today to identify with communities within such media. Fisk (2010) makes an interesting point though in his work, arguing that many human communities within Great Britain have been abandoned since the Middle-Ages and so he works to commemorate such communities and identify their reasons for abandonment. Contrastingly, Hall (2004) examines the process of immigrants becoming citizens, with a particular focus on the Sikh community within Britain, namely second-generation ones. Her argument is that cultural politics have a huge role to play and in terms of the formation of nations, yet many more cultural processes are also at work: the role the media has in circulating religious, national and ethnic illustrations and political imaginaries; youth movement between cultural worlds in the home, at school and professionally; the frequently contradictory nature of the schooling system; and the cultural matters which flow across transnational and diaspora networks and communities (Hall, 2004, p.118). Thus Hall (2004) is suggesting that although this Sikh community may live and reside in Britain, this does not instantaneously make them a fundamental part of the imagined ‘British community, but rather due to their heritage and ancestral roots, many British Sikhs often find themselves to b e torn between identifying with Britain and identifying with their parents country of origin. Hence individuals can be part of a series of imagined communities as opposed to simply one as posed by Anderson (1991). Hall (2004) does however agree with Anderson (1991) to the extent that the media is incredibly influential in the contagion of national and cultural identities across various borders and boundaries. Similarly, Smith and Jackson (1999) studied ‘imagined communities with respect to Ukrainian communities living in Bradford, UK. Their argument was one of this sense of community, being shaped by Ukrainian history and the ever-changing global political climate (Smith and Jackson, 1999, p.367). For many Ukrainians living in Bradford, Ukraines independence in 1991 was symbolic of de-stabling an unsettled, often imaginary, sense of â€Å"Ukrainianness† (Smith and Jackson, 1999, p.384). Furthermore, they propose that recent cultural and historical change has led to an over-complication of the way in which the Ukrainian community within Bradford, UK is imagined and thus poses problems in terms of narratives and discourse. In my critique, although cultural influences are considered by all of the previously discussed political theorists, economics in terms of social status and inequality is not considered. It is no surprise that the creation and preservation of ‘imagined communities as discussed by Anderson (1991) leads to â€Å"fractionalization† (Alesina et al, 2003, p.155). My argument contends that such fractionalization is the cause of the observed rise in cross-country inequalities, Britain included, and Anderson (1991) fails to account for this. A broad view of heterogeneity demonstrates that anything that generates groups, as Andersons theory does, has both political and economic consequences, ultimately leading to greater inequality. In Britain for example, we can see that Central London, in most cases, is a highly affluent area. The outskirts of Greater London though vary in affluence such that groups are formed and located according to these same groups. Research has proved such theses to be correct i.e. Alesina et al (2003) examined approximately one hundred and ninety countries, concluding that â€Å"ethnic, religious and linguistic fractionalization† (Alesina et al, 2003, p.155) increases corruption, infant mortality and illiteracy, and reduces democracy and political rights indexes. Thus this supports my point of critique, that although ‘imagined communities bring people together from similar backgrounds and who have shared interests, the creation of such groupings leads to divisions and ultimately, in many cases, such divisions are indicative of social status, welfare and affluence. Hence Anderson (1991), along with Gellner (1983), Smith (2001) and Hobsbawm (1992), did not investigate this. Theorists in future should therefore research this area, building on the work mentioned above. In an age where it is extremely common for â€Å"progressive, cosmopolitan intellectuals to sit on the near-pathological character of nationalism, its roots in fear and hatred of the Other, and its affinities with racism† (Anderson, 1991, p.141), it is crucial to remember at all times that â€Å"nations transpire love, and often profoundly self-sacrificing love† (Anderson, 1991, p.141). Hence whether communities within these nations are imagined or not, which Anderson (1991) would say they are, they act as the fundamental foundation for society to communicate, evolve, exchange information and knowledge and ultimately to progress. Thus communities are incredibly important in multicultural Britain but also on a transnational scale too. To conclude, Andersons work on ‘Imagined Communities is one which has been used largely within the realm of political science and international studies. It does provide the reasoning as to why people commune together in the majority of instances yet at the same time, is rather broad in its explanation and thus has limited generalisation and applicability to the modern world that is the twenty-first century. The theory of ‘Imagined Communities is rather useful though in terms of understanding community and group formation with regards to historical, religious and cultural contexts across the world. This essay has examined what Anderson terms to be an ‘Imagined Community and how this has been used within the Social Sciences, in particular International Relations and Political Science. It has then later gone on to look at Britain as a contemporary example of how a series of ‘Imagined Communities have been formed i.e. the Sikh community and the Ukrainian communit y. Thus it is important to recall that nationalism is not simply a â€Å"sociological or cultural phenomena: it is also a powerful political instrument which†¦has played an important part in both the creation and the reform of modern states throughout the world† (Jackson, 2003, p.610). Bibliography Alesina, A.et al (2003) â€Å"Fractionalization† in Journal of Economic Growth, Vol.8, No.2, pp.155-194. Anderson, B.R. (1991) Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (Revised ed.), London: Verso. Community-World (2009) Community-World UK [online] Available from: http://www.community-world.co.uk/ (2001) in Durham, M.G. and Kellner, D.M. (eds.) Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Fisk, A. (2010) Abandoned Communities [online] Available from: http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/ [Accessed 14th March 2010] Gellner, E. (1983) Nations and Nationalism, Oxford: Blackwell. Greenslade, R. (2009) Newspaper sales plunge over the decade [online] Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/dec/14/national-newspapers-sales-decade [Accessed 14th March 2010] Habermas, J. (1989) The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society, Cambridge: Polity. Hall, K.D. (2004) â€Å"The Ethnography of Imagined Communities: The Cultural Production of Sikh Ethnicity in Britain† in Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 595, pp.108-121 Higson, A. (1998) â€Å"Nationality: National Identity and the Media† in Briggs, A. and Cobley, P. (eds.) The Media: An Introduction, Harlow: Longman, pp. 354-364 Hobsbawm, E.J. (1992) Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality (2nd ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Inglis, F. (1993) Cultural Studies, Oxford: Blackwell. Jackson, J. (2003) â€Å"Book Review Nationalism and the state: John Brueilly, 2nd edition (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1993), pp. 474,  £40.00 H.B.,  £14.99 P.B.† in History of European Ideas, Vol.21, No.4, pp.608-610. Smith, A.D. (2001) Nationalism: Theory, Ideology, History, Cambridge: Polity. Smith, G. and Jackson, P. (1999) â€Å"Narrating the nation: the ‘imagined community of Ukrainians in Bradford† in Journal of Historical Geography, Vol.25, No.3, pp.367-387 Wisdom Quotes (2009) Community Quotes [online] Available from: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_community.html

The Rising of the Characters in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises

Ernest Hemingway’s novel entitled â€Å"The Sun also Rises† is a story of different men from different backgrounds. The main character or protagonist in the story is Jake Barnes. Along with him in his journey were Robert Cohn whom to be his closest friend, Lady Brett Ashley whom to be the love of his life, Mike Campbell whom to be Brett’s fiancà ©, and Bill Gorton whom to be the other friend of the group. The story started in a biographical description of Jake on his friend Robert Cohn. He called him Cohn while he narrates his story, their story.Jake is a World War I veteran whom soon becomes a journalist while Cohn is a rich Jewish writer. Cohn asked Jake to go with him to the South America but Jake refuses to go with him. When they went to a disco club, they saw Brett. Jake reminisce the memory when he and Brett met during the World War I. It was actually a great time for them to have their relationship but Brett refuses to make up with him because she learned that because of Jake’s wound, he is already impotents and she could did not want to sacrifice her sexual urge just for Jake.Soon, Brett and Mike met that made Brett fall in love with him. Brett became Mike’s fiancà © and would like to go to Spain to spend their moment together and watch the fiesta. They met Jake, Cohn, and Bill during their trip. During the journey, they could not able to find each other so they went to Spain in pairs – Jake and Bill as a pair, while Mike, Brett, and Cohn as the other pair. They had a great time during the first night but it’s been Brett who has the greatest night because she had the opportunity to know Pedro Romero, a handsome but young bullfighter.Brett decided to go with Romero but soon went back to Mike and said that she does not want to ruin Romero’s life and career. The story ends when Brett asked Jake to accompany her to Mike. Brett realizes that Jake is a good companion during their journey together. Jake and Cohn have many similarities and differences throughout the whole novel. Even if they have different backgrounds, they are similar in the way on how they treat a woman and how they think about the larger perspective of human life.Because in the beginning of the novel, Jake illustrated the biography of Cohn, he had stated all his strengths and weaknesses that made the readers understood the personality of Cohn in the beginning of the novel while Jake’s character emerged and evolved into a larger scale as the novel went through. Jake described Cohn depending on how he perceived Cohn’s identity whether on his career, personal life, or love life. â€Å"He was more enthusiastic about America than ever, and he was not so simple, and he was not so nice,† (Hemingway 16).Even if Cohn was not a war veteran, both of them have simple dreams and per4spectives in life. It was seen on their journey in Spain and the way they treated women especially Brett. Even if Cohn did not acknowledge his feelings right through Jake’s naked emotions, he knew that he likes Brett, next to Francesca. Because they both like Brett, they wanted Brett to be happy even if the cause is strange to both of them. However, Jake is more prank than Cohn. Cohn does not show his feelings so much while Jake is open to his feelings or emotions in different people.The difference between Cohn and Jake aside from the fact that Jake went to the war while Cohn did not is that Jake is more open to reality while Cohn was not that broad when it comes to the real situations. Another thing is that Jake is a journalist while Cohn is a writer. It means that Jake is more on the actual or real revelation of the reality while Cohn is more on the fictional sense of the world. â€Å"The publisher has praised his novel pretty highly and it rather went to his head.Then several women had put themselves out to be nice to him, and his horizons had all shifted,† (16). Cohn lived in a fiction al life with all the praises and acknowledgement of the people behind him while Jake lived in a realm where there is battle, fear, hatred, and sufferings that he needs to overcome while he is living. Their differences evolved into a wider scenario as the novel went on. However, in the beginning of the novel showed their big differences as Jake did not want to go where Cohn wants and vice versa.Cohn wants more on the historical side while Jake wants on the cultural side of the country they want to go. â€Å"So there you were. I was sorry for him, but it was not a thing you could do anything about because right away you ran up against the two stubbornness: South America could fix it and he did not like Paris,† (20). However, the thing is that Jake is more convicted with what he says rather than Cohn. When Jake wants something, he pursued it even if there are things that might be interrupted. Nevertheless, he worked on it to avoid circumstances that Cohn could not obtain.This is what Jake learned in the war that Cohn did not learned while having his rich life and popularity as a writer. As a whole, both Jake and Cohn showed their contrasting and similar personalities throughout the whole novel. All the other characters helped them obtain their characterization and realization in the beginning and end of the story that mould them to become significant protagonists in the novel. The author showed balance information on how to perceive the characters in different angles and concepts that would not overlap Jake and Cohn’s establishment of characterization.

“On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner Essay

Introduction â€Å"On Dumpster Diving†-by Lars Eighner, is a story of a man discussing his life being homeless and how he came to acquire his livelihood by scavenging through dumpsters, or in the author’s words; Dumpster Diving. The story begins with Eighner telling us, the readers about how he was always fascinated with the word dumpster before being homeless and also while being homeless; how he forged food, beverages, and other miscellaneous items in public dumpsters. Lars Eighner tells us nothing of how he became homeless, but he tells the life of him and his wife (Lizbeth) as Dumpster Divers. In this passage Eighner discusses the topics of shame, and pride. I will write about both of these themes in two separate paragraphs, while showing both are relevant to us as college students. â€Å"Dumpster Diving† talks about many college students and how wasteful they can be; especially when it is unnecessary. Lars Eighner said, â€Å"Students throw food away around breaks becau se they do not know whether it has spoiled or will spoil before they return†. Eighner also says, â€Å"Some students, and others, approach defrosting a freezer by chucking out the whole lot†. (Page 22) The story of this man’s life is and should be humbling, also simultaneously a life lesson for us all to follow as an example of how to be frugal and appreciate all that we possess. Pride The theme of pride was the first topic Eighner discussed when referring to a dumpster diver. â€Å"At first the new scavenger is filled with disgust and self-loathing. He is ashamed of being seen and may lurk around†. Eighner- (Page 23) The scavenger or dumpster diver is showing that he or she has pride, although in need they are conscious of what society might think of them. Eighner also speaks of pride in a different sense as well. He shows us that by the refuse of others, the items being discarded is also pride in the ones that have more than enough. To the readers Eighner shows us their apathy for what they have and how they take it for granted; as if these things will always be available. Pride is a terrible thing to have at times. Society looks at those who ask for assistance or a helping hand as weak; but it takes a strong individual to set pride to the curve and ask for help.  Just as the dumpster diver scavenging through the trash; although it seems disgusting, when in need one must do what one has to. Shame The next theme which was discussed was shame; but in a more subliminal way. Eighner- â€Å"I live from the refuse of others. I am a scavenger. I think it a sound and honorable niche†. (Page 20) Eighner always made the term dumpster diver seem elegant. This word for many would imply filthiness, and impoverished. Eighner subtly edifies the word to hide the shame that was felt from the memories of being homeless and eating out of the trash; one would naturally do the same as Eighner. Shame is something that is felt by all at different points in our lives just as the â€Å"divers† felt. Eighner tells us that â€Å"While Lizbeth and I lived in a shack we began to eat from the dumpsters†. (Page 20) Eighner felt shame and embarrassment from the things he and Lizbeth were doing. While reading about this particular time in Eighner’s life, there is no way that anyone could not be humbled by his words. This way of living is well below modest; it is almost unreal the way he lived. It is impossible to fathom how this can be; and that is what Eighner wants us to realize. Eighner wants us as the readers to not see the trouble of people’s shame but the struggle from the shame, because we should appreciate where we are now, no matter how difficult life is or may seem; because it could always be worse. Pride and Shame As we take a look at both themes Eighner shows how they both coincide in reference to the dumpster diver. In the life of a dumpster diver Eighner explains how he felt pride and a sense of being in a better state of living as opposed to those more fortunate; and he explains how he felt shame as he was reduced to this decadence. In one particular memory Eighner says, â€Å"Every bit of glass may be a diamond, they think, and all that glisters, gold†. (Page 24)Now in this sense Eighner talks about how particular dumpster divers take everything they see of some value and they go over board; but nonetheless they take pride in the things that others call trash. Eighner himself speaks of how he took pride in his vast findings. â€Å"I am grateful, however, for the number of good books and magazines the students throw out†. (Page 26)Although Eighner talks about pride he shows us the shame that lies  in dumpster diving and how they are closely related. Eighner- â€Å"Dumpster diving is outdoor work, often surprisingly pleasant†. (Page 27) â€Å"I have no better place for her than a dumpster. And after all, it is fitting, since for most of her life her livelihood has come from the dumpster†. (Page 26) Now even though Eighner finds joy in his life, he also finds discomfort and embarrassment. Pride and Shame coincide and simultaneously differ; and the two emotions left Eighner ambivalent about him and Lizbeth’s future. Conclusion After reading â€Å"On Dumpster Diving† I am inclined to agree with Eighner, â€Å"Take what you can use and let the rest go†. (Page 27) In life if we use or take more than we truly need, we never learn the value of things nor do we learn to appreciate them. I believe this because I have been given so much in life and used so little, whether it was food, money or time. I believe that us as Americans waste so much that we have forgotten the value of truly living and remembering others less fortunate; I know I have. While reading this passage it has changed my outlook on life and how much I consume and will consume in the future. I believe I will use less and appreciate what I do have, while encouraging others to do the same. Also while reading I felt remorse and sympathy for those less fortunate like Eighner. In conclusion this story is very touching and uplifting. Eighner shows us that no matter what life may throw our way we can survive and beat the odds, no matter how much they are against us.

Barclays Bank Business Law and Ethics - 2424 Words

BUSINESS LAW AND ETHICS Assignmen ( BA 3 ) : Teacher: David Mwaura Date of submission: 13/06/2012 Executive summary: -Introduction†¦ -What is Corporate social responsibility ?... -Introducing Dell †¦ -Csr strategy of Dell†¦ -Environmental responsibility†¦ -Ethics and compliance†¦ -Creating a healthy workplace†¦ -Conclusion†¦ -REFERENCES†¦ BUSINESS LAW AND ETHICS: Introduction: The definition of corporates social responsibility (CSR) previously given by the commission of Europe was: *Company’s†¦show more content†¦Dell can reduce cost by optimizing the consumption of the energy and also help the customers do the same. Nowadays, dell sees a growing number of customers who cares about green issues and also the next generation coming of consumers, employees, information officers and regulators are already aware of the consequences and environmental impact on our planet. Because Dell believes that the following features are fundamental for a great sustainability strategy: →Engaging with stakeholders →prioritizing issues →Developing partners to implement programs →Combining our efforts into a sustainable brain →reporting true and verifiable data →Helping the customers to understand the complexity of sustainability and trying to clarify the confusion about labels. The UN intergovernmental panel on IPCC (Climate change)clarified in its fourth report (in 2007) that a continued greenhouse gas emissions at current rates would obviously cause more warming and lead to many changes in the global climate system †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ . 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The reports by Salz and Leveson will be used as case studies. Their reports demonstrate how businesses have a tendency of interfering in the private matters of the public; this led to customer’s getting agitated and annoyed. The businesses therefore had a downfall and lost the reputation that took them years to build. 2. INTRODUCTION; 2.1 Business morals and ethics are values andRead MoreThe Analysis : The Libor Scandal1310 Words   |  6 PagesExam Essay - Ryan Sylvia The LIBOR or London inter-bank offered rate scandal involved the manipulation of one of the most important figures in the finance world LIBOR. LIBOR is the average interest rate derived from rates submitted by the major banks in London and is used in determining the prices that both individuals and business will pay for loans. The rate itself is indicative of the interest rates that a bank will pay to borrow from another bank. 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Due to major accounting scandals such as EnronRead MoreBarclays : Libor Scandal And Reforms Essay4002 Words   |  17 Pages BARCLAYS – LIBOR SCANDAL AND REFORMS GROUP 5 NITIN K (G034) NEEMA KAR (G037) AMAN KAUSHIK (G040) ARPITA MATHUR (G044) RANAJOY SEN (G051) MANOJ VANDRANGI (G063) Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 2 BACKGROUND 3 HOW IS LIBOR CALCULATED 3 STAKEHOLDERS 4 EFFORTS TO FIX LIBOR 8 LIBOR REFORMS AND ITS EFFECT ON STAKEHOLDERS 9 CONCLUSION SUGGESTED LESSONS LEARNED 13 INTRODUCTION Barclays Barclays is a multinational banking and financial services company of British originRead MoreEthics, Greed, Psychology Within the Libor Scandal Essay2577 Words   |  11 PagesEthics, Greed, Psychology within the Libor Scandal Ethical dilemmas within the business environment have always garnered considerable attention and reaction from all global stakeholders. 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It is one of many benchmarks that banking institutions use to set interest rates for lending between banks (Romano Peluso)Read MoreThe Principle Based Approaches : Deontological And Teleological Approaches2988 Words   |  12 PagesThe concept of ethics has been defined in various ways by different authors and scholars. However, there are some notable common themes in most of the definitions. Velasquez et al. 2009 considered ethics to be individual’s ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, and acceptable from unacceptable. Flew, 1979 viewed ethics as a set of standards by which people decides to regulate their behavior and distinguish legitimate from illegitimate actions. A standard dictionary has definedRead MoreAssess the Global Role and Local Impact of Multinational Companies.1959 Words   |  8 Pagesand globally, and its role would also be quite significant as it can have a direct influence on an economy, the environment and general effects on society. However, changing the way they run things in order to accom idate society could break there business down and they could eventually have no impact on society so looking at the situation is they impacts worth the change? ‘Theory has evolved over the years regarding social concerns, society’s expectations and corporate responsibility. Indeed, earlyRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility in Sports3830 Words   |  16 Pagesprogression, explains the emergence of this element, its key ingredients and how sports can be used as a vehicle in order to promote this factor. There are two sides of ethics which are personal and professional which can also be cast in terms of social responsibility. Overall the essay emphasizes that good management is good ethics. 2. Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility refers to the moral and legal accountability on the part of individuals and corporations towards

It s Only A Game - Isn t It - 1635 Words

It’s Only a Game - Isn’t It? A small group of people sat around a ouija board expecting nothing to happen. A few nervous giggles were exchanged amongst each other. The laughter quickly stopped when the planchette stopped moving and the room became cold; the air turned thick and heavy. Something entered the space, a feeling of distress surrounded the group. They became paranoid, and felt like there was something looking at them from the dark corners. After what felt like hours trying to end the session, the planchette still refused to move, almost as if it was frozen on the board. As their impatience quickly grew, they forced the planchette to goodbye. The feeling of despair had vanished, but the feeling of being watched remained as everyone left the room that night. Some view the ouija board as a harmless game, but many have faced the terrifying reality of the mysterious â€Å"talking board.† The ouija board is a phenomenon that is a legitimate means of communica ting with spirits. â€Å"In February, 1891, the first few advertisements appeared in papers: â€Å"ouija, the wonderful talking board,† boomed a Pittsburgh toy and novelty shop, describing a magical device that answered questions about the past, present and future with marvelous accuracy† and promised â€Å"never - failing amusement and recreation for all the classes,† a link â€Å"between the known and unknown, the material and immaterial’† (McRobbie 1). Known as the father of the ouija board, William Fuld patented the world’s firstShow MoreRelatedMy Personal Opinion On The Game1255 Words   |  6 Pagescampaign at hand. Below, I ve written a release-day review to assist you in deciding whether you would enjoy this game or not. 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Essay on William Shakespeares Macbeth - 1483 Words

William Shakespeares Macbeth During the Elizabethan era, the great chain of being reigned. Women were low on this chain of power, and men were on top. In fact, women were below horses; you couldn’t live without a good horse, but, you could live without a wife. Lady Macbeth was a woman before her time, she was caught between being today’s ambitious, powerful modern woman and a fragile creature of the Elizabethan era. In the first four acts of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is vicious, overly ambitious, without conscience, and willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. In this case, she wants to become Queen of Scotland. Whiles I stood rapt in the/ wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-/ hailed me, ‘Thane of†¦show more content†¦Macbeth continued on a killing rampage, irradicating all perceivable enemies. Suddenly, Lady Macbeth begins to have pangs of guilt, such as in the famous scene where she attempts to wash her hands of blood. She begins to have frequent bouts of sleeptalking and sleepwalking, where the terror of her conscience expresses itself. (SparkNotes, list of characters: Lady Macbeth).Her control over Macbeth has waned, and over herself, her control is dwindling as each second passes. The fire she once had, which drove Macbeth forward is now no more than a minute spark. She is beginning to lose that controlling stiffness. She asks Macbeth, ‘what’s to be done (III ii, 44), which is a drastic change in control. (Lady Macbeth- Character Changes Throughout the Play).Lady Macbeth’s seemingly male actions are replaced at this point in the play and she is wrought by guilt. She suffers from a mental and emotional breakdown as a result of this guilt. She is emotionally exhausted and becomes the typical fragile flower.We first see this side of her when she states that she cannot kill Duncan because had he not resembled/ My father as he slept, I had done’t (II ii, 16-7). After Duncan’s murder, the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are reversed, previously, she was the main motivator in the plan to overthrow the kingdom. Following Duncan’sShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth749 Words   |  3 Pages1. Macbeth, the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, suffers from the fatal flaws of insecurity and indecision, allowing him to easily be manipulated, which causes the audience to feel sympathetic toward him. After Macbeth has heard the prophecy from the three witches and he has been named thane of Cawdor, he is led to a strong internal conflict: â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair†¦ / Shakes so my single state of man that function / is smother’dRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth1401 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth At the beginning of the play, before Macbeth is introduced, the impression given is that he is a very good man indeed. It is as if he was a local hero and could do no wrong. The sergeant refers to him as brave Macbeth and Duncan says O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! Duncan, the king, rewards Macbeth with the title, thane of Cawder, and the previous, treacherous thane having been sentenced to death. People speak of MacbethsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth2461 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth In Macbeth, look at the following scenes: Act one, scenes one, two and three, Act two, scene two, Act four, scene one and Act five, scenes three, six and seven. What did Macbeths character, words and actions show about changes in his character? Why are these scenes important to the plot and structure of the play and how the themes are presented? The play Macbeth is about a man whose rise to power and fall are influenced by his ownRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Essay757 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth was a â€Å"butcher†, however he became that way as a result of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth was a fiend-like queen whose evilness declined after the murders. In the end of the play, however, Macbeth’s transformation was complete and he was a butcher. Main Body Topic 1 ================= Macbeth’s transition from good to evil by Lady Macbeth:  · Ambition was his only reason for killing the king – â€Å"I have no spur To prickRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Essay770 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth â€Å"This dead butcher† is not an accurate description of Macbeth. Macbeth did not give an impression of a â€Å"butcher† since he was affected by the death of Duncan. He had contemplated on the positive and negative points about killing Duncan before he committed the act of treason. However his ambition to be king and Lady Macbeth’s persuasiveness and mocking had overridden his sense and logic which caused him to commit this crime. He was consumedRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Macbeth647 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth In the tragic play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide, to kill King Duncan. In the play, we see the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth transform in their personality after murdering the King. Macbeth begins the play as a noble soldier, gradually changing into an ambitious murdering man. Similarly, Lady Macbeth is ambitious but she beginsRead MoreEssay William Shakespeares Macbeth671 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeare lived in an era where women possessed few political and private rights. Women were subjected to the will of men as men were thought to be greater morally, physically and intellectually. Shakespeare, as he was living in this hierarchical and patriarchal world, was subjected to this value system. His powerful and tragic play Macbeth, reflects aspects of this world but also challenges the very basis of its foundations withRead MoreThe Letter in William Shakespeares Macbeth1609 Words   |  7 PagesThe Letter in William Shakespeares Macbeth Lady Macbeths reaction when she reads her husbands letter is powerful and dramatic.  · As soon as shes finished reading, she has decided she will make sure Macbeth is king Its as if she and her husband are thinking exactly the same thing. She does not hesitate for a moment.  · Lady Macbeth invites the spirits of evil to enter her She knows she has to steel herself, that the murder will need evil power, andRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth638 Words   |  3 Pagesagree? Well, in Macbeth manhood is concurrent with power, physical strength, courage, and force of will. Rarely though, is it bound to the ideals of moral fortitude or mentality. The motif of gender recurs many times in Shakespeare’s work. Being a â€Å"man† in Macbeth means that you must be physically capable, cruel, and do what ever it takes to accomplish one’s goals. Women were supposed to obey their husbands and be good. Evil from a woman was absolutely not permitted. The women in Macbeth are the fireRead MoreThe Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth1399 Words   |  6 PagesThe Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeares Macbeth has been a theatrical favorite since Elizabethan times. Its timeless themes of ambition, fate, violence, and insanity collaborate to produce a captivating plot. The audience traces the disintegration of a tragic hero and his willful wife. Lady Macbeth, one of Shakespeares most forcefully drawn female characters, plays an important role in the play Macbeth. She has a profound influence over the action

Alexanders Conquests Essay Example For Students

Alexanders Conquests Essay The Conquests of Alexander the GreatAlexander was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia born approximately on July20th in 356 BC. His mother was Olympias, a young princess from Epirus. Alexander wasa remarkable person who loved to recite Homeric poetry. At age fourteen his father senthim to study science, mathematics, and philosophy with Aristotle of Stagira. Alexanderlooked up to Aristotle like a father, and it can later be seen that Aristotle gaveAlexander the knowledge it took to be one of the greatest rulers in history. Alexander wasa man of extremes and contradictions. At times he would have intense spurts of energyand then long sulks. He showed extreme generosity and at the same time murderouscruelty against former friends. One would guess given common knowledge that hisinsecurities most likely were originated in his childhood; perhaps the relationship with hisAfter the assassination of his father, King Philip II, Alexander was in direct line totake over as ruler. Alexander wa s to go down in history as the father of the Hellenicworld, the unopposed leader of the Greek world, and last but not least the Great, atitle given for his numerous victories. The mobile elite was Alexanders Companion Cavalry consisting primarily of thecream of the Macedonian aristocracy. The backbone of the army was the phalanx.2 Thephalanx was six infantry brigades, capable of fighting a compilation of different types ofwarfare, but specializing in set-piece battle in an eight-deep hedgehog formation with fiveand a half meter-long spears. The phalanx was the main weapon of warfare; yet, therewere also specialist units: skirmishers, archers, and light infantry with mountain training. There were also units comprised of non-Macedonian Greeks whom, fighting forAlexander, helped justify Alexanders claim to be the General in Chief of the army ofAlexanders Army also had very important back-up units. These units carried asiege train consisting of mobile siege towers, stone-throwing catapults, and javelinthrowers. Also comprised in the back-up units were engineers, bridge-builders, sappers,and surveyors. To further insure a well developed army there needed to be non-combatantpersonnel as well. They comprised of doctors, scientists, botanists, astronomers,philosophers, seers, and an official historian record all of the conquests. With this unifiedand flawless army Alexander would be able to conquer many lands with great speed andIn the same aspect that most of our armies of today say prayers for a victory inbattle so was Alexanders belief that a homage must be paid to a god for good luck. In thebeginning of his journey, Alexander rode up to the city of Troy where he enter ed thearchaic temple of the goddess Athena. Here he made a promise that if successful, hewould return to little Ilion and build a gigantic temple to Trojan Athene in gratitude forher help. This visit would give him the additional benefit of the spirits of the Ancients inAlexander and his army swiftly marched the plains along the Sea of Marmara. Atthe same time Darius, the King of Persia, was busily setting traps in plans to stop thepursuit of Alexanders army. Darius had a plan to stop them, he would station severalthousand Greek mercenaries near the Dardanelles. The Persian army had vast resourcesand great gold reserves to hire army after army to defeat Alexanders pursuit. The leaderof the Greek mercenaries, Memnon of Rhodes, decided to burn the countryside to cut offAlexanders supplies. The Persian leaders decided against this idea and decided to fightAt dusk, Alexander approached the river in battle formation. On the opposite sidewere the Persians lining the bank ten thousand stro ng. The Persian plan was just to hold Alexander off and prevent him from crossing the river. Alexanders senior generalParmenio counseled Alexander that they should hold off until the time was right. Alexander refused and within minutes the blaring trumpets roared as they marched oninto battle. Alexander launched a small attack of fifteen-hundred men to make thePersians believe the real battle had started. They fell for it and soon the Persians had lostthe majority of their men along the banks. Alexander then proceeded in sending in hiselite cavalry squadrons down into the river and across into the face of his enemies. Several of the Persian officers tried to kill Alexander himself, in the attempt eight werekilled, including Dariuss son-in-law. The Greek mercenaries, meanwhile, who were among the Persians best troopswatched the battle at the river Granicus. The Persian cavalry retreated and among themidst came Alexanders companion cavalry heading straight for them. The phalanx wasset up and war against the mercenaries ensued into the night. The mercenaries were cut inhalf before finally surrendering. They were then sent in chains to hard labor for life in thesilver mines of Thrace. This was Alexanders way of sending a grim message to any otherGreeks considering joining the Persians.5Memnon, now Dariuss commander-in-chief of Western operations, was settingup once again in anticipation of Alexanders arrival. With him were the Athenianmercenary commanders Ephialtes and Thrasybulos, two men who had been onAlexanders hit list for quite some time. This time they believed they had the bestdefenses to defe at Alexanders army. Their town was a fortress fortified by a huge wallwinding up into the hills above Boldrum. It had two or three main gates and the lowground was protected by deep ditches; it also had forts above the harbor and out in thebay was a fleet of four hundred ships. This place was so fortified that it was almostimpossible to get in. Fortunately Alexander who had just about any type of weaponimaginable of this period used his siege-technology6 to gain entrance. Alexander attacked on the flat ground first on the east side of town. His armyattempted to get in through the wall but this soon failed. Alexander then used his siegetechnology to wage war and gain entrance. Memnon launched a massive raid at dawn toovertake Alexanders army. This was almost a stalemate until Alexanders reserve armycame in and inflicted heavy losses, and Ephialtes was killed. Memnon realizing his defeatretreated and evacuated his forces by sea, setting fire to everything they could not takewith them on the ships. Alexander emerges victorious again. Although Alexanders troops had suffered severe losses they still pursued on. Computer Forensic Sample EssayAlexander achieved his goal and captured the great city of Persopolis yet he wasnot yet satisfied. He still wanted Darius dead or alive. In July Alexander pursued in aquest to find Darius. He marched on in the sweltering heat across the Great Salt Deserttowards Afghanistan. Finally after a long an arduous journey, Alexander reached a placecalled Thara in which he learned that Darius had been overthrown by his owncommanders the night before. Eager to still pursue Darius, Alexander pressed on throughthe Ahuran pass. By the time Alexander caught up with the Persian leaders, they werealready fleeing. At the same time they stabbed Darius and left him there for dead. One ofAlexanders soldiers met up with him and gave him some water. Darius conveyed amessage to Alexander thanking him for his honorable treatment of his mother and familythroughout all this. Darius was dead by the time Alexander got there. Alexander coveredthe body with his cloak and was shocked by the premature death of the King of theAlexander would go on through many different cities conquering anything in hisway for the next three years. In the spring of 327 BC Alexander and his troops invadedIndia.12 They first went to Taxila and met some opposition; but in a few minutes KingAmbi of Taxila welcomed Alexander to his new conquest. Alexander stayed here shortlyand then pressed on to the Battle on the Jhelum River. The opposition was the Indianarmy led by Rajah Porus consisting of 30,000 men. Alexanders army pressed on acrossthe river Jhelum and soon through a tough battle defeated Poruss army. The mostpersonal loss of this war was Alexanders beloved horse Bucephalus who died fromwounds in battle. It was here that Alexander named the town after his war-horse. The majority of Alexanders army, tired from battles and homesick, decided theywould not push any further into the rest of India or in their time the ends of the Earth asthey knew it. Alexander, after giving the idea serious thought, decided that he needed totake over the rest of India before heading home to Macedonia. The army agreed and theymoved out plowing through city by city until they made their way back to Susa in 324BC. In the journey from Susa to Babylon Alexander met with some Chaldean wise menwho told him that their god Bel had told them that for the king to enter the city at thistime would be fatal to him. They urged him not to go westward now but to go eastwardinstead. Alexander bypassed Babylon for a while but the sceptic Anaxagoras told the kingto disregard the curse and press through in despite the curse. Anaxagoras was soon put todeath after Alexander learned of his plot to get him to enter Babylon and be killed. Whilein Babylon, Alexander developed a strong distrust with his friends and he started drinkingvery heavily. Alexander drank to forget himself for two days and then he developed araging fever. With this fever he became delirious and thirsty, so he drank more. In the en dhe died from this ravaging fever on June 10th 323 BC at the age of thirty-two. The fevermost likely was brought about by strychnine poisoning in the unmixed wine or possiblyby liver failure due to extreme drinking. Nevertheless a great man had died and with hima legacy for all the world to remember: Alexander the Great King of the World.13Bibliography:Bamm, Peter. Alexander the Great: Power as DestinyNew York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1968Chambers, Mortimer. The Western ExperienceNew York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1974Dupuy, Trevor Nevitt. The Military Life of Alexander the Great of MacedonNew York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1969Fox, Robin Lane. Alexander the GreatPenguin Publishing, USA., 1994Green, Peter. Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B.C.: A Historical BiographyUniversity of California Press, 1992Hammond, N.G.L. The Genius of Alexander the GreatUniversity of North Carolina Press, 1997Higgins, Andrew. To Buoy Itself Up, Besieged Macedonia Is Grasping at HistoryWall Street Journal: Fri day, April 9, 1999; front pageMercer, Charles. Alexander the GreatNew York: American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., 1962Rice, E. E. Alexander the GreatSutton Publishing, Inc., 1997Wood, Michael. In The Footsteps of Alexander the GreatBerkeley: University of California Press, 1997