Victors and Vanquished Essay - 1412 Words

Victors and Vanquished The history of the Western hemisphere is full of war and conquest. One of the most significant and defining of those conquests is the downfall of the Mexica/Aztec Empire. While there are many other events to choose from, this one stands out since it was one over one of the largest empires in Central America. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. The story of this takeover reads like a movie script, a small band of Spaniards single handedly takes down the most powerful empire in Central America. It was an epic battle, which unfortunately led to the destruction of a magnificent culture. As in any major historical event there are many underlying themes and storylines that†¦show more content†¦While greed was defiantly a starting point for Cortezs expedition, it was his greed while in Central Mexico that changed the tide of history. Cortezs first encounters with the natives in Central Mexico gave him crucial information about a large wea lthy nation that was further inland. While still on the coast representatives from this nation canoed out to Cortez, which officially started relations between Spain and the Aztecs. Among many things given to the Spaniards during the first few days of contact with the Aztecs was a large chest of gold figures along many other expensive things. This gesture of good will by the Aztecs would eventually lead to their downfall. The moment Cortez started receiving all these wonderful items his mind was most likely made up that he would do whatever it took to plunder every valuable item of the Aztec kingdom. As Cortez gradually moved deeper into Aztec territory he steadily received more gifts from the Aztecs and from other city-states that surrounded Tenochtitlan. Each time Montezuma requested for Cortez and the Spaniards to return back to the coast and conduct meetings and trade from there. However, with each gift received just gave Cortez additional incentive to move towards Tenochtitlan. By the time the Spaniards were in Tenochtitlan the Aztecs saw their true colors and it was too late. A second major theme, which played a very importantShow MoreRelated Victors and Vanquished Essay1402 Words   |  6 PagesVictors and Vanquished   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the Western hemisphere is full of war and conquest. One of the most significant and defining of those conquests is the downfall of the Mexica/Aztec Empire. While there are many other events to choose from, this one stands out since it was one over one of the largest empires in Central America. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. The story of this takeover reads like a movie script, a small band of SpaniardsRead MoreWomen Of Algiers By Pablo Picasso898 Words   |  4 Pagesremorse for hurting others, and lust for control and power over women. This is emphasised in the quote: â€Å"with Pablo there must always be a victor and a vanquished. I could not be satisfied with being a victor, nor, I think, could anyone who is emotionally mature. There was nothing gained by being vanquished either, because with Pablo, the moment you were vanquished he lost all interest.† (Gilot, F, 1964) This shows just how necessary it was for Picasso to feel like he was the one in control over theRead MoreEssay about History At Its Best1616 Words   |  7 Pages in the shortest amount of time. The three books, The Interesting Narrative, by Olaudah Equiano, Victors and Vanquished, by Stuart B. Schwartz, and A Social Contract, by Jean-Jeacques Rousseau, each provide a view of the modern era in their own individual ways. Olaudah Equianos account of his life as a slave is directed at the problem of slavery. Stuart B. Schwartz Victors and Vanquished, provides a collection of personal accounts about the conquest of Mexico under the command of HernandoRead MoreWhy The United States Entered World War I942 Words   |  4 Pagesbefore is hardly reasonable for all nations. For peace to occur there would either have to be equality, or the victor would have to force peace on the vanquished. Equality is not feasible because everyone wants the power, so they can be in control. If the victor for ced peace on the vanquished it would only be accepted because that is their only choice. The victor forcing peace on the vanquished would only be a temporary solution of peace, it would not last, because they would have a bitter memory ofRead MoreVictor Frankenstein Isolation Essay1251 Words   |  6 PagesUltimately, Dr. Victor Frankenstein is responsible for the creatures acts of destruction due to the certitude the creature came into existence in the mindset of a child or newborn. In the 1818 novel by Mary Shelley, the themes of monstrosity and isolation are apparent with the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his monster. Dr. Frankenstein fled at the sight of his horrific, figurative son, abandoned him and never taught him how to deal with actions and consequences as a parent should.Read MoreBeowulf Essay759 Words   |  4 Pagesguest of hers and had drawn her knife, broad burnished of edge: for her boy was to be avenged, her only son.† (Lines 1545-1547) Although obviously a monster, a ‘damned thing from the deep’ (line1519) the reader can understand her love for her vanquished son. She was unable to protect him in life but was determined to take revenge and kill Beowulf for the slaying of her loved one. This battle is more difficult for Beowulf to win as she proves to be a worthy opponent and towards the end of the passageRead MoreRomantic and Enlightenment Ideas in Frankenstein Essay1153 Words   |  5 Pagesborn. In Frankenstein, Shelley argues (1) that Victor Frankensteins role as an Enlightenment hero, not only pulled him out of nature, but made him a slave to his creation; (2) that Frankensteins role as a revolting romantic failed, because he didnt take responsibility for his creation; and (3) mankind must find a balance between the Enlightenment and Romantic ideologies. In his youth Victor spent his time secluded from nature, studying books. Victor spent every hour trying to learning how to banishRead MoreThe Spanish Conquest1711 Words   |  7 Pagesimportantly) gunpowder gave the invaders a devastating superiority of force, man for man, against warriors armed only with bravery and stone-edged weapons. Spanish weaponry produced staggering death tolls[5]. For the Conquest of Mexico, In Victors and Vanquished, by Stuart Schwartz, he says, â€Å"despite the Mexica’s experience in warfare their military objectives, weapons, tactics, and experience put them at a decided disadvantage in the face of Spanish steel and Spanish objectives even though they outnumberedRead MoreWorld War I: The Big Three at the Center of the Peace Settlement of Versailles 886 Words   |  3 Pagesthroughout the 20th century. One well-known historian in support of this view is David Andelmen, which is displayed in the following statement â€Å"The peace imposed at V ersailles by the western powers –Britain, France, Italy and the United States – On the vanquished, not to mention the weak, the powerless, the orphaned and the friendless, determined much of what went wrong for the balance of the century and beyond.† These three men according to Andelmen were the soul reason for many of the events and crisesRead MoreA Rose For Miss Emily Analysis973 Words   |  4 Pagesnever pursuing the matter further. It is significant to note that a colonel is subordinate only to a captain in military rank. The aldermen did not have the ability to pull rank on either the dead colonel or Miss Emily. She â€Å"vanquished them, horse and foot as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell† (Faulkner, paragraph 15). â€Å"Vanquish† is a strong term specifically denoting to overcome in battle. The addition of the phrase â€Å"horse and foot† is a reference to the cavalry

Essay on Character Analysis of Elisa Allen in The...

Character Analysis of Elisa Allen in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck The Chrysanthemums, written by John Steinbeck, captures one day in the life of a woman who yearns for a more fulfilling life. Elisa is first portrayed as a woman whose tasks are exceeded by her abilities. As the day continues, a stranger briefly enters her life and, through manipulative words, fills her heart with hopes of change and excitement. We learn that these newly-found hopes are crushed when Elisa eventually realizes that she has been used. A stranger manages to break Elisas heart, not because of who Elisa appears to be, but because of who Elisa really is. To understand The Chrysanthemums, we must first know the real Elisa. As she is†¦show more content†¦Apart from her gardening attire, Elisas tendency to complete such a large amount of manual labor also blocks her femininity from our eyes. On top of all of that manual labor, Elisa also manages to keep her home spotless: It was a hard-swept looking little house with hard-polished windows, and a clean mud mat on the front steps. It is obvious to us that Elisa has energy to burn. She seems to love work, the more work the better. In one instance, as Elisa was tending to her Chrysanthemums, Henry says, I wish youd work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big to which Elisa enthusiastically responds, Maybe I could do it, too. We do not actually know the real Elisa until we reach the end of the story. In reality, we initially see her through her husbands eyes, since it seems that he does not know the real Elisa either. Poor Henry probably thinks that he makes his wife happy and that she has all that she needs in life. If Henry were only to pay closer attention to his wifes words, he might become aware of her true feelings. We may notice, as we read her story, that when Elisa speaks to Henry, she excessively repeats one word, good. She is not as expressive towards Henry as she is towards the stranger. It seems as though she is faking enthusiasm when she uses this word, good for you...it will be good, tonight, a good dinner. AnotherShow MoreRelated Character Analysis of Elisa Allen in The Chrysanthemums by Steinbeck1262 Words   |  6 PagesSteinbecks short story, The Chrysanthemums, feel Elisas flowers represent her repressed sexuality, and her anger and resentment towards men. Some even push the symbolism of the flowers, and Elisas masculine actions, to suggest she is unable to establish a true relationship between herself and another. Her masculine traits and her chrysanthemums are enough to fulfill her entirely. This essay will discuss an opposing viewpoint. Instead, it will argue that Elisas chrysanthemums, and her masculine qualitiesRead MoreEssay on Analysis of The Chrysanthemums1139 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of The Chrysanthemums The short story The Chrysanthemums gives insight into the life of its author. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. The locale of the story is of key resemblance to the Salinas in which Steinbeck was born and bread. Salinas was a typical American small town, [differing] only in location and a few distinctive features (McCarthy 3). The protagonist of this story, Elisa Allen, also resembles Steinbecks first wife. SteinbeckRead MoreCharacter Analysis the Chrysanthemums1220 Words   |  5 PagesChristopher Engl. 1302 April 15, 2013 Paper 1 Character Analysis â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was born in 1902 and lived during what is said to be the most troubled time in American history. Steinbeck was alive during the Dust Bowl paired with the Great Depression, which is believed to be the reason for his almost melancholiac tone in some of his works but he seemed a very diverse writer. Along with â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, Steinbeck is the author of the well-known andRead MoreEssay on Symbolism in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck1179 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck A symbol is an act, person, thing, or spectacle that stands for something else, by association a usually broader idea in addition to its own literal meaning (Cassill Bausch, 1728). John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums may seem as a story describing a simple day with the Allen couple. It begins with Elisa Allen working in her garden and her husband, Henry Allen, negotiating with two suited business men that want to purchase steers. TheyRead MoreProposal969 Words   |  4 PagesCharacter Analysis: Elisa Allen John Steinbeck has a very engaging mind. He not only makes people think when they read his work; he makes them think through a number of scenarios with his tales. I believe that looking at this story, you sense this woman, Elisa Allen, is a woman who is very unhappy with her life. The only satisfaction Elisa gets out of life is being in her garden with her family of chrysanthemums. Elisa is very unsettled with her life as a whole. She does not like being stuckRead More The Chrysanthemums Essay1649 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s, The Chrysanthemums, was published in 1938 in a book of short stories, entitled The Long Valley. The Chrysanthemums has been a rather powerful draw for scholars because of its wide gap for interpretations and analysis of its main protagonist character, Elisa Allen and also the unique descriptions used to portray the deeper meaning behind the setting of the story. Themes of sexuality, oppression of women, as well as other numerous types of con flict portrayed in this rather somberRead MoreJohn Steinbeck2062 Words   |  9 Pageswrites short stories like â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† and â€Å"Flight†. In Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysthemums† Elisa Allen is married to a negligent ranch owner. While her husband works on the ranch, Elisa tends to her chrysanthemum garden daily. One day while tending to her garden, a charming tinker man pulls up to her in his wagon and tries to make a business transaction with her. Seeing that she is not interested, the tinker strikes up a conversation with Elisa about her chrysanthemums. In the end, the tinker takesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Story The Story Of An Hour Essay1554 Words   |  7 PagesENC1102 T/R 5:40PM TO 9:00PM WOLFSON CAMP ANALYSIS OF FEMALE CHARACTERS IN â€Å"THE STORY OF AN HOUR† â€Å"HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS† AND â€Å"THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS† JUAN FELIX CASTILLO BATISTA PROFESOR JOSEPH FALLAD This essay is an attempt to describe the females’ characters between three of the most powerful short stories I ever read. My goal is to describe and compare three different women, in theirRead MoreEnglish All Semester 26504 Words   |  27 PagesWeek 7 7.03A, 7.03B 7.05B, 7.08 Week 8 8.01, 8.02A and B, 8.03, 8.05 (segment exam) 5.03- A rose for Emily Part I: Character Identification in A Rose for Emily In complete sentence format, identify each of the following characters. Remember reporters, be sure to include as much information as possible to give your readers a vivid picture of each of the following characters: 1. Emily Grierson: Emily Grierson was a young lady, whose life was always run by her father. Her father who was

Prozac Nation Free Essays

Prozac Nation tells the story of Elizabeth Wurtzel’s childhood, her troubled relationship with her father who left her and her mother and refused to accept his responsibilities to his family, her move to Harvard, and her mental decline leading to several stays in hospital and a suicide attempt. Finally, after trying many different psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and medications, she tries Prozac and it helps her rise above her despair. In the Afterword to Prozac Nation, written for the paperback edition in 1995, Wurtzel asks the question that will have occurred to many of her readers. We will write a custom essay sample on Prozac Nation or any similar topic only for you Order Now What on earth makes a woman in her mid-twenties, thus far of no particular outstanding accomplishment, have the audacity to write a three-hundred page volume about her own life and nothing more, as if anyone else would actually give a shit? (p. 354) She gives a long answer, the crux of which is: I wanted this book to dare to be completely self-indulgent, unhesitant, and forthright in its telling of what clinical depression feels like: I wanted so very badly to write a book that felt as bad as it feels to feel this bad, to feel depressed. I wanted to be completely true to the experience of depression—to the thing itself, and not to the mitigations of translating it. I wanted to portray myself in the midst of this mental crisis precisely as I was: difficult, demanding, impossible, unsatisfiable, self-centered, self-involved, and above all, self-indulgent. (p. 356) Wurtzel certainly succeeds in her aim to portray herself as capricious and self-preoccupied. Indeed, according to her own description, she seems so impulsive, self-preoccupied, needy in relationships, and manipulative that readers will probably wonder whether depression is indeed Wurtzel’s most basic problem. It’s very tempting to speculate that Wurtzel has just as much claim to a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder as she does to depression. Wurtzel says that her psychiatrists gave her a diagnosis of atypical depression, and DSM-IV-TR tells us that personality disorders may be more common in those with atypical depression. Of course, even if I were a psychiatrist, which I’m not, would be ridiculous to offer a diagnosis based on an autobiography. What is clear, however, is that Wurzel’s goal of telling some general truth about clinical depression is not accomplished. Reading Prozac Nation is a very different experience from reading other memoirs of depression such as Tracy Thompson’s The Beast and Martha Manning’s Undercurrents because Wurtzel manages to provoke such a mixture of conflicting feelings in her reader, while other authors of depression memoirs provoke far more consistent sympathy. By the end of the book, one feels far more sympathy for Wurtzel’s mother and her friends than one does for her. Normally, I count myself as able to identify and empathize with people who suffer from serious mental illnesses, but I have to confess that, given the way she describes herself, unless she has changed dramatically, I’d recommend her friends to run a mile rather than put up with her manipulation. Note that one gets a similar impression from Wurtzel’s second memoir, More, Now, Again, (reviewed in Metapsychology April 2002) in which she becomes addicted to Ritalin and cocaine, and spends most of her time lying and hiding her addiction from her friends, mother and publisher. In Prozac Nation, Wurtzel several times suggests that she was addicted to depression and makes clear that her self-defeating behavior was often willful. What makes it so hard to sympathize with her is that that her problem seems to be her personality, rather than some affliction she has to overcome. To be more precise, Wutzel describes herself sometimes as the agent of her predicament, and other times as the victim of it, and it’s unclear for the reader what reasons there are for these switches. She manipulates people close to her: for instance, she tells calls her therapist at all times of the day and night, and then tells her therapist that if she does not listen to her problems, her (Wurtzel’s) blood will be on her (the therapist’s) hands. Sometimes even her crying seems like a deliberate action. But at other times she feels immobile, and can’t get out of bed. Consider, for example, how she feels after her brief romance with a man called Rafe, uring which she was miserable, clingy, and insecure, and she explicitly ignored his request that he spend time away from her, since he needed to be with his family, who had their own needs. I couldn’t move after Rafe left me. Really. I was stuck to my bed like a piece of chewing gum at the bottom of somebody’s shoe, branded with the underside, adhering to someone who didn’t want me, who kept stamping on me but still I wouldn’t move away. (250) Wurtzel’s alternating acceptance a nd denial of her agency bemuses the reader, and ultimately makes Wurtzel a less credible witness to her own mental states. Far from knowing exactly how it was for Wurtzel, even though it is clear that she was desperately unhappy for most of the time, readers will be confused and exhausted by her narrative. Far from undermining the work, these features are what make Prozac Nation so distinctive, standing out among other memoirs. It is a tour de force, and a powerful evocation of Wurtzel’s experience, although it’s not so clear whether that experience is depression, borderline personality disorder, or some other mental disorder. How to cite Prozac Nation, Essay examples