Analyzing Pilgrims From The Orient Form A Literature Perspective

Analyzing Pilgrims From The Orient Form A Literature Perspective Literary Analysis of Pilgrims from the Orient Comprehension: Pilgrims from the Orient is about Jade Snow Wongs youthful years with her parents. Wong was expected to be a perfect girl. She was taught the finest manners that her parents could teach. Wongs father is an entrepreneur and he tried to make a living by having his own business. This man is described as strict, but not talkative. Among his number of attempts of opening new businesses, his most successful business is mass producing denim garments. Wongs mother was dutiful in her tasks. When she was done with one thing, she would start on another. She would waste no time. She lived by the moral of working and saving. Wongs family had to work hard to keep their business alive and this was no exception to Wong herself. Not only did Wong have to work, but she was also expected to learn the English language and her native tongue. Being a girl, Wong didnt have the same privileges as her eldest brother, but Wong was taught that his privileges were his birthright. Knowing this, Wong didnt think much of it and accepted it as it is. Wongs parents had a strong bond with Chinese heritage. None is allowed to show physical affection, talk back, argue, or show gratitude for service. During the Depression, Wongs parents needed more hours of work from everybody, including Jade Wong. Because her father didnt have enough time to buy groceries and her mother had no time to waste on cooking, Wong was assumed both duties. Even with all of the tasks Wong was pitted against, she still managed to finish junior high school. As Wong advanced to high school, she had to work in part-time jobs to earn money to support her own self. During her high school years, Wong was introduced to non-Chinese customs. During these introductions, Wong compared her Chinese life with her American life. She compared the teachers and the ideals of both cultures. By the time Wong had finished high school, she had moved away to work for room and board. Her father, who is conservative about money, had Wong pay for h er own college education. During her college years, Wong took a sociology class. This class Wong had taken deeply impacted her mind. Wong was taught the rights of a human being. Wong was released for a week by her employer which gave Wong some free time. During this period of relaxation, Wong was asked out for a movie date by a Chinese-American boy. While dressing up, Wongs father questioned her dashing preparations. Wong refused to answer while think of her rights. With a thunderous voice, Wongs father forbade Wong from leaving, but she ignored her fathers command. This marks the beginning of Jade Snow Wongs rebellion. Rhetoric: Pilgrims from the Orient is a well picked title for this personal essay. Jade Snow Wongs family is exactly what the title is. The main idea of this personal essay is the fact that customs cant remain stable in a persons mind after many generations of evolution. Although this is not exactly stated, it is inferred. Wong questions her eldest brothers birthright and thinks about what is right and wrong. She disobeys her father in the end signifying that times are changing and people have rights. In the beginning of the essay, Wong capitalizes the D in Daddy. The word daddy derives from the word father. If Wongs father is devoted to Chinese customs, why would he like to be called the informal word of father? Such irony shows that even Wongs father is changing. Wong compares her American life with her Chinese life with various examples. One fine example is the comparison of her teachers. Chinese teachers are strict and non-forgiving. American teachers, however, are kind. This confuses Wong because she was taught to not show physical affection. In the end of the essay, Wong is in a quarrel with her father. The scene is flowing with fire as Wong and her father argue. This shows that Wong will break away from traditional Chinese customs. The customs of China are present throughout the whole essay, but conflict is also present. This makes the thesis of this personal essay is the fact that customs change over a long period of time no matter what. Synthesis: Wong, at first, sees herself as a slave to men. She is to do nothing but serve dutifully to her husband and work hard. Later as she grows up, she learns about her rights as an American citizen. Todays American society doesnt have many restrictions on either gender thus making it equal (to a certain extent). During Wongs college years, she learns about human rights and what is to be a model human. This puts a large question mark on Wongs Chinese customs. Wong doesnt mention which system of culture is best, but she does put down Chinese customs and raise the status of American culture. Although she does this, it is evident that she still has Chinese customs and culture within her and that will never change. Although she did rebel against her parents in the end of the essay, Wong does not hate her parents. Wong is proving that everything cant remain the same. Wong will always be Chinese because thats what she is. This can all be tied together by saying that culture will always be presen t, but not the same.

The First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The First World War - Essay Example Though historians find it very difficult to pinpoint one particular event or one particular day when the war trigger was put on. But the events of June 28, 1914 are still remembered as a turning point (Turner, 1970). It is on this day that, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife were assassinated (it was their wedding anniversary) in Sarajevo, Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist student. This province had been under Austro-Hungarian Empire since 1908. After this assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, followed by the Russian Mobilization the next day. Increasing emphasis on militarism led to the development of new weapons. Simultaneously the emergence of trench warfare made the Great War the bloodiest conflict the world had known (The Birmingham Post, 2004) The rise of German power after 1870 and its Imperialistic designs: Germany used to be a loose confederation of independent states till 1870. On January 18, 1871, these states united under a Prussian king who had the title â€Å"Kaiser, of the German Empire†. Bismarck was the first Chancellor or Prime Minister of the unified Germany. This resulted in gradual expansion of Germany and alternation of distribution of power within Europe and a new world order (Henig, 2002). This period referred to as the German Second Reich gave rise to some imperialist designs of Germans. When Austria-Hungary decided to go after Serbia, Germans gave them a silent nod with an assurance of backing it with its firepower if the need arises. There were elements within German establishment who were planning for a showdown with Russia, another big power within the region at that time. But Otto von Bismarck, the

How have groups of scholars cited the Qur'an to support their Research Paper

How have groups of scholars cited the Qur'an to support their different stances on prophetic immunity from sin - Research Paper Example Controversies arise when the revelations of God (the power that is incomprehensible to mind) are interpreted and discussed by the mind-level scholars. This is true of scholars of any religion and Islam is no exception. No scholar can reach the divine heights of prophets and as such common agreement for their different stances is impossibility. The followers of Islam have their inspiration and guidance from twin sources. â€Å"The norms and assumptions that have characterized belief and action in Islam have their initial inspiration in two foundational sources. One is scriptural, embodying the message revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad and recorded in the Qur’an. The second is the exemplification of that message in the perceived model pattern of the Prophet’s actions, sayings and norms, collectively called the sunna.† (Nanji, n.p.)) For Muslims Qur’an is the ultimate scripture, its revelations are inviolable; it contains direct communication from God. The contents of Qur’an are not debatable; as such there is no question of difference interpretations as for those revelations. Sunna comes next in the order of preference in the sense it contains historical, but divinely inspired contents as guided by â€Å"Prophet Muhammad, whom the Muslims believe that he is the last in the series of messengers from God.†(Nanji, n, p.) He is the final religious authority for the Muslims. â€Å"The late Fazlur Rahman, noted University of Chicago scholar of Islamic thought and modernist Muslim thinker, argued that in its initial phase Islam was moved by a deep rational and moral concern for reforming society and that this moral intentionality was conceived in ways that encouraged a deep commitment to reasoning and rational discourse.†(Nanji, n.p.) Qur’an is the revelation of God and it cannot be compared or estimated with the measuring scale of reasoning. Here is the origin of conflict between the scholars. Because most o f the scholars speak and write from the mind-level and they are not connected to the divine source. When revelations are weighed in the scale of human reason, the results are not going to be divine. Rational understanding and divine understanding are poles apart. Human beings may explain about their connectivity, which is not there in real terms. â€Å"The relationship between the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet, as a model of behavior, was also elaborated to create a legal framework within which values and obligations could be determined.†(Nanji, n.p.) But when the scholars intervene, no two scholars have ever given identical opinions on any contentious issue. Every scholar cites Qur’an but interprets its revelation in the light of the reasoning that one visualizes. Different stances of the scholars regarding prophetic sins need to be understood in this context. Prophetic immunity from sin: Truth needs to be followed implicitly when it has been accepted as t ruth. Truth is complete and there is nothing like partial truth. When the implementing authorities of truth, the Prophets especially chosen for the assignment, there is no question of deviation from the path of truth. They are expected to dutifully deliver truth to humankind. God has chosen them with a purpose and he has the detailed backgrounder information about the ones he has chosen. â€Å"However, Jonah (pbuh), for instance, deliberately abandoned his divinely ordained