An Assault On The Body And Mind - 1495 Words

An Assault on the Body and Mind â€Å"In the United States, rape is the most frequently committed but least reported violent crime† (Newman 205). According to the FBI, rape is defined as â€Å"unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman forcibly and against her will† (Futter, Mebane V). Seeing as though the legal definition of rape is limited, it makes it difficult for victims to prove that there was in fact a crime committed. In turn, this causes an influx of victims, as well as attackers. Society has distorted the true image of rape and made it into a social construct, per say. The issues of rape that need to be addressed are victim blaming, the frequency of the crime, and the way that America has made rape humorous. In the article titled, â€Å"Rape Is†¦show more content†¦If comedians used their talent in the opposite manner, such as raising awareness to the rape culture rather than making it seem comical and â€Å"no big deal† to their viewers, it could come together for the good of all people. The issue with bringing humor into rape culture is that it can reinforce it. In other words, it can make victims feel as though they will not be taken seriously, and ultimately silence them (Strain, Martens, Saucier). Confiding in an individual about having been sexually assaulted is intimidating enough by itself, but on top of that, the victim may not be believed. For instance, â€Å"in rape cases, unlike any other crime, victims typically must prove their innocence rather than the state having to prove the guilt of the defendant† (Newman 207). All of these factors are going against the victim, rather than making the victim feel safe and at ease. But, if that isn’t enough, most people say that the victim is somewhat to blame if they have put themselves in a situation in which rape could occur. So if provocative clothing is worn, drugs or alcohol are involved, or the victim is acting in a seductive manner, then they â€Å"mus t† take some of the blame (Newman 207). Blaming the victim for being raped due to their clothing is like blaming

The Unhcr Geneva Placement Is The Perfect Internship For Me

I believe that the UNHCR Geneva Placement is the perfect internship for me to develop a deeper understanding of how international policies and organizations influence our response to the needs of the global refugee population. The UNHCR’s Community-Based Protection Unit (CBP) is attractive for several reasons. Obviously, interning at one of the world’s most influential humanitarian organizations is exciting in itself. But more importantly, the UNHCR is my top choice for of its impactful services, capacity to challenge my macro skills to the fullest, and because I would have the opportunity to collaborate in two areas of interest; improving outcomes of community-based initiatives such as cash-based interventions; and further developing gender equality advocacy. Furthermore, I am interested in the UNHCR Placement because it seeks to serve refugees and other stateless persons, populations that I have dedicated my studies and direct practice to over the past four years. In the past, I have lived and volunteered in different settings around the world, from a large city in Australia to a small agricultural town in Eastern Europe. During these experiences I have grown accustom to the demands brought upon by an unfamiliar environment as it pushes you to develop new relationships, learn the local language and become increasingly reliant on yourself as you navigate through its culture. I have faced the need to adapt and mature a few times in my life, the most recent being my timeShow MoreRelatedObtaining An International Placement Interests Me2243 Words   |  9 Pagesinternational placement interests me because it would present me with an invaluable opportunity to cultivate unique skills needed for a future career in international social work. The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees’ Community-Based Protection Unit (UNHCR CBP) Geneva placement is the perfect internship for me to develop more insight into how international policies and org anizations influence our response to the needs of our global refugee population. The UNHCR CBP Geneva placement is my topRead MoreThe Unhcr Genevas Community Based Protection Unit ( Cbp ) Placement2139 Words   |  9 Pagesam interested in acquiring an international placement because it would present me with an invaluable opportunity to cultivate unique skills needed for a future career in international social work. The UNHCR Geneva’s Community-Based Protection Unit (CBP) placement is the perfect internship for me to develop a deeper understanding of how international policies and organizations influence our response to the needs of the global refugee population. The UNHCR is my top choice for several reasons: its

Frankenstein Essay free essay sample

Gothic horror story that captures reader’s attention leaving them with questions of their own morals and of the main characters. The novel arouses questions like, who should be allowed to create life? Is it right to kill for a greater good? Are some secrets best untold? These are all questions of morality and individuals will come up with their own opinions and answers based on their upbringing. In Frankenstein, main characters Victor Frankenstein and ‘The Monster’ are morally put to the test with decisions that will greatly affect their lives. In the end many readers find themselves wondering who are the antagonist and protagonist of the novel; Did Victor do wrong by creating The Monster, or did the Monster do wrong by killing innocent people? In this case both made morally bad decisions but in the end one decision had more of a lasting impact. The Monster’s quest of killing is only justified due to the fact that he was hunting his creator. Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner portray how the ambition to redefine human limitations is bound to result in failure, and accordingly spawn monstrosity. Frankenstein’s Creature is the very embodiment of the monstrosity that humans are capable of creating. The symbolism of light in, â€Å"until from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me† conveys Victor’s instinctive awakening to the possibility of creating a perfect being impervious to diseases. Such a taboo act of trespassing the domain of the divine providence signifies the beginning of Frankenstein’s blindness. He is quick to realise that he has created a monster, as shown by the regretful tone in, â€Å"I beheld the wretch – the miserable monster whom I had created†. This depicts that untamed human ambition can lead to the inadvertent creation of the ‘grotesque’. Similarly in Blade Runner, the human ambition to create a better society has apparently ended in utter failure. If Frankenstein is a forewarning of the dangers of human ambition, Blade Runner portrays the aftermath of the over-ambitious quest for knowledge whereby the dystopian world of the future demonstrates that the damage has already been done. The opening scene of the film employs a long shot that provides a panorama of the cityscape in which a myriad of buildings crowd the mise-en-scene. Such technological subjugation signifies that the human enterprise has gone too far, resulting in complete annihilation of nature. Appropriately, the human beings in this alternate future seem artificial and lacking humanity. Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner warn the audience about the danger of human ambition which holds the capacity for not only devastating the environment but also humanity itself. The transition from Romanticism to Post-modernism is explicitly illustrated through the comparison of Frankenstein and Blade Runner. Written in the Romantic era, the Creature of Frankenstein demonstrates the return of Romanticism which comes into conflict with the human enterprise of science. The Creature’s appreciation of nature through the joyful tone in, â€Å"The blessed sun bestowed such joy upon me† conveys the irony of how he is more attuned to nature than his human counterparts who have been blinded by their scientific endeavours. Similarly in Blade Runner, Roy’s nostalgic tone in, â€Å"†¦shoulder of Orion. I watched sea beams glitter in the dark† parallels the Creature’s appreciation of nature. Humans, in contrast, have become incapable of acknowledging the wonders of the natural world. The quixotic relationship between the creations and the natural world is illustrated as a nurturing and nourishing aspect of life that has been completely overlooked by humanity. Even as the Creature voices his hatred towards human race, â€Å"I bore a hell within me; and, finding myself unsympathised with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he finds salvation in the warm embrace of Mother Nature, as signified by his vivacious tone in, â€Å"The pleasant sunshine†¦restored me to some degree of tranquillity†. This sense of Romanticism is juxtaposed with the post-modern setting of Blade Runner, as depicted by the establishing shot of the artificial lights throughout the cityscape and the dominance of technology. The obsession with science renders human beings more mechanical, more isolated and more morbid, as exemplified by Deckard, Tyrell and Sebastian; for example, the long shot of J. F Sebastian’s apartment with his toys highlights his detachment from human contact and thus conveys the notion that friendship is substituted by ‘soulless’ products of consumerism. The Creature and the Replicants are exemplars of the return of Romanticism which contrasts with the post-modernist propensity of the human protagonists. The folly of moral corruption is similarly exemplified in Frankenstein and Blade Runner, as both the creations try to integrate into the society but is viciously rejected by the humans. The beginning of Frankenstein’s abhorrence towards his creation accounted by the disgusted tone, â€Å"A mummy again endued with animation could not be as hideous as that wretch† highlights the forfeiture of humanity and how the creator’s denial of his creation signifies the immoral abandonment of his parental duty. Similarly in Blade Runner, the aftermath of this rejection is evinced through Roy’s emphatic tone in, â€Å"That’s what it is to be a slave† which effectively communicates the Replicants’ despair and misery that has overwhelmed them to the point where they no longer desire to exact their vengeance upon the human race. Just like the Creature in Frankenstein, Roy also demonstrates an innate placidity of character. The master/slave dichotomy is effectively conveyed through the comparison of the creations and the humans who have so cruelly rejected them. The Creature’s disconsolate tone in, â€Å"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? † effectively evinces the inner psychological turmoil he experiences; however, this is slowly transitioned into a forgiving tone in, â€Å"I could not help believing that I have been too hasty in my conclusions† which illustrates that it is the Creature’s nature to forgive while it is the humans who demonstrate monstrosity. This irony lies in the fact that the creations are more ‘human’ than their creators, which is further evidenced by Tyrell’s motto, â€Å"More human than human†. In the pursuit of knowledge and evolution, human beings lost sight of the fundamental conditions of humanity. Both Shelley and Scott draws upon the societal concerns of their times; the central characters warn us of the consequences of overstepping our boundaries and unbridled technological advancement. The two texts critically inquire into the human capacity to commit heinous atrocities in the name of ‘progress. ’ It becomes evident that despite their contextual differences, both texts are linked through their common concerns about our inherent readiness to abandon that which distinguishes humans from all other species: the will to suppress our primal impulses of immorality.

Orion Essays - Orion, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Oenopion, Canis Major

Orion Orion "Down fell the red skin of the lion Into the river at his feet. His mighty club no longer beat The forehead of the bull; but he Reeled as of yore beside the sea, When blinded by Oenopion He sought the blacksmith at his forge, And climbing up the narrow gorge, Fixed his blank eyes upon the sun." ~The "Occultation of Orion" by Mr. Longfellow~ This poem was written about the Greek myth of Orion. The story says that Orion, the son of Neptune, was a handsome giant and a mighty hunter. His father gave him the power of wading through the depths of the sea, or, as others would say, walking on its surface. Orion loved Merope, the daughter of Oenopion, king of Chios, and sought her in marriage. He cleared the island of wild beasts, and brought the spoils of the chase as presents to his beloved; but as Oenopion constantly deferred his consent, Orion attempted to gain possession of the maiden by violence. Her father, incensed at this conduct, having made Orion drunk, deprived him of his si ght and cast him out on the seashore. The blinded hero followed the sound, of a Cyclops' hammer till he reached Lemnos, and came to the forge of Vulcan(Hephaestus), who, taking pity on him, gave him Kedalion, one of his men to be his guide to the abode of the sun. Placing Kedalion on his shoulders, Orion proceeded to the east, and there meeting the sun-god(Helios) was restored to sight by his beam. After this he dwelt as a hunter with Diana(Artemis), with whom he was a favorite, and it was even said she was about to marry him. Her brother was highly displeased and often chid with her, but for no purpose. One day, observing Orion wading through the sea with his head just above the water, Apollo pointed it out to his sister and maintained that she could not hit that black thing on the sea. The archer-goddess discharged a shaft with fatal aim. The waves rolled the dead body of Orion to the land, and bewailing her fatal error with many tears, Diana placed him among the stars, where he a ppears as a giant, with a girdle, sword, lion's skin, and club. Sirius, his dog, follows him, and the Pleiads fly before him. Orion, the brightest constellation in the sky, is easy to find if you look for the three bright stars that make up Orion's belt. Once you have found this distinctive pattern, two other very bright stars will help you define the rest of the constellation. The first star, Betelgeuse, is located at Orion's right shoulder. The second, Rigel, is at his lower left. Orion is the great hunter, aiming his arrow and holding his club over his head. His sword hangs from his belt. In the area of this sword are found a number of very exciting star formation regions, including the Great Nebula of Orion. The nebula is visible with the unaided eye, as a smudge about halfway down his sword. The Great Nebula of Orion(star M42) is one of the most photographed objects in the sky. This area is a collection of gas and dust where stars are being born. The central bright star that is illuminating the gaseous cloud is actually four stars known as the Trapezium. The nebula itself is one of the nearest star formations at only about 1,500 light years away. It has formed stars recently, only 300,000 years ago. In Orion many of the stars have different colors, colors tell us about a star's temperature, composition, age, size, and distance from us. Red stars are generally older, cooler stars that have used up much of their hydrogen fuel. Blue stars are generally younger and hotter. Most of these stars are blue, with the exception of the very red star, Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant, Rigel is a blue supergiant. The red streak in the sword area is the Orion Nebula. Orion is located in the celestial equator and Orion's outstretched upper arm is located in the Milky Way. Orion is followed by two hunting dogs at his right. One of these, Canis Major, contains the brightest