Wednesday, December 25, 2019

A Good Man Is Hard And Find By Flannery O Connor The...

In the short fiction A good man is hard to find written by Flannery O’connor The family goes on a road trip to Florida, and the grandmother doesn’t want to go because there is an escaped murderer who is told to be headed to Florida. There are many different views of the story, but most of them revolve around the underlying religious message. The author uses foreshadowing, and irony to show what this story portrays. O’connor is from the south and is catholic. The grandmother in the story is a big believer in god, and talks about him a lot throughout. John Desmond says how the title reminds him of a story in the Bible when Christ rebukes Peter when he tried to call him â€Å"good†, and Jesus says that no one should be called good, and how in the story the grandmother continues to call the misfit â€Å"good† (Desmond). â€Å"Nome, I ain’t a good man†(191) He knew he wasn’t the worst in the world, but he knew he wasn’t good. I feel like the misfit wasn’t a good man. He brutally murdered this entire family for no reason, other than that they recognized him as the escapee. The grandmother has a strong faith in God and it affects every aspect of her life. The misfit doesn’t believe in Jesus and that he threw everything off balance when he claimed to raise the dead. He doesn’t believe that Jesus was real because he says that he wasn’t there to see Jesus raise the dead, so because of this he has no faith. This totally contradicts the grandmother’s beliefs. Even though grandmother knows theShow MoreRelatedDeep Rooted Work On A Hard Man1427 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper: Deep Rooted Work on a Hard Man Flannery O’Connor was born March 25, 1925, in Savanah, Georgia. She went to what is, now Iowa University and majored in literature. She’s primarily known for her short stories but was a novelist. Flannery O’Connor passed away in 1964 after losing a battle with lupus. The piece of writing that I will be discussing is titled: â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† she wrote this work in 1953 along with several other short stories (Biography.com Editors)Read MoreA Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery OConnor1127 Words   |  5 PagesA Good Man is Hard to Find is one of the most controversial short stories written in the 1950s. Written by Flannery O’Connor, the story is about a family who takes a roadtrip to Florida when it takes a turn for the worst. During their trip, they get into a car accident and encounter a dangerous fugitive. The story deals with many themes, but there is one theme that is more prominent than the rest. The theme of moral d ecay is exhibited throughout the story through the characters of the children, theRead MoreAnalysis Of Flannery O Connor s A Good Man Is Hard Essay1426 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Analysis for A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O Connor s A Good Man is Hard to Find is certainly a surprising work of literature. With this story having a not so happy ending, it goes against all of the conventional ideas on what a typical storybook ending should be. Another unusual thing about A Good Man is Hard to Find is the use of the term good. It is thrown around excessively through the entire tale by the grandmother and even the Misfit seems to use this word as wellRead More Symbolism in A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor1967 Words   |  8 Pages in A Good Man Is Hard to Find Flannery O Connor uses symbolism to give more meaning to her short story. OConnor writes a story of a Grandmother versus a Misfit, or good versus evil. This short story is about a family going to Florida, who takes a turn down a dirt road, which only causes them to get in an accident, and be found by the Misfit. This encounter prevented them from ever arriving Florida, because the Misfit ends their lives. Using symbolism, OConn or creates a story with much meaningRead MoreEffectiveness of Juvenile Incarceration1357 Words   |  6 Pages11/18/10 Research Paper â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† by Flannery O’Connor who is a Southern American novelist and short story writer, O’ Connor’s career expanded in the 1950sand early 60s, a time when the South was dominated by Protestant Christians.O’Connor was born and raised a Catholic. She was a fundamentalist and aChristian moralist whose powerful apocalyptic fiction is focused in the South.Flannery O’Connor was born March 25, 1925 in Savannah, Georgia. O’ Connorgrew up on a farm with herRead MoreA Good Man By Flannery O Connor Essay1049 Words   |  5 Pages31 March 2015 A Good Man is Hard to Find In â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find, the author, Flannery O’Connor states many points in this short story. It is to be said that O’Connor is a very religious, catholic, in fact (Vol. 2 pg. 97). O’Connor has stated her religious views in most of her fiction stories. O’Connor was also known for her stories on violence. Readers sometimes find O’Connor’s fictions to be weird with such turning points in her stories. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† has many turningRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard For Find By Flannery O Connor s `` The Necklace `` And ``909 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† â€Å"The Necklace† In today s society we tend to see people live above their means. The reason why I may be picked or even chose. In the short story by author Guy De Maupassant, â€Å"The Necklace† and the story â€Å"Good Man Is Hard to Find† by Flannery O Connor is because both stories have many similarities that we can say that they are combined. The ladies show that they see themselves as important in these stories. These ladies are more concernedRead More A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor Essay1204 Words   |  5 PagesA Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, the main character is the grandmother. Flannery OConnor, the author, lets the reader find out who the grandmother is by her conversations and reactions to the other characters in the story. The grandmother is the most important character in the story because she has a main role in the stories principal action. This little old lady is the protagonist in this piece. We learn more about her fromRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Geranium 901 Words   |  4 PagesAuthor’s Background-Flannery O Connor was an only child and was born on March 25, 1925, in Savannah, Georgia. She lost her father when she was a teenager. She studied Writing in the University of Iowa for a masters and published her first short story called â€Å"The Geranium† in 1946. She wrote novels but is mostly well known for her short stories. She received various award throughout her carries, one of those being O. Henry Award in 1957. After fighting lupus for more than a decade, she died in AugustRead MoreSummary Of Good Country People 830 Words   |  4 PagesAlexandra Dorman Mrs. Ermis English 1302.02N 1 November 2014 Summary of â€Å"Good Country People† In each of Flannery O’Connor’s works she inhabits a Christian aspect or theme. In O’Connor’s short story Good Country People, a 32-year-old atheist woman named Joy is faced with the representation of evil in our society. The protagonist Joy believes that her name doesn’t fit who she is. Because of this opinion she decides to legally change her name to Hulga. When Hulga was 10 years old she was in a hunting

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Critical Thinking Project Management - 1269 Words

Critical Thinking 1 The purpose of this Critical Thinking assignment is to provide a high-level familiarization with the various terms and concepts that surround project management. A student lacking previous exposure may find even the introduction from the course book a little daunting. With a little Internet browsing the student is exposed to a wide variety of project management topics and will develop more of a comfort level with the field. The first section of the paper has the student perform a wide ranging search on specific phrases relating to project management. This serves to show how massive the body of knowledge on the topic. Due to the various search engines algorithms the student will be guided towards the most popular or common sites. These sites are more likely to have a broad coverage of the subject and provide an accessible entry points. The next part of the assignment has the student choose three particular sites that provide information on one of the search te rms. This funnels the student’s interest towards a subset of the sites rather than allowing them to simply skim. The student is to provide an overview of each site, as well as the Project Management Institute’s site, which necessitates a deeper dive and understanding of the subject matter. Using multiple sources helps with understanding as each one will most likely come at the material from a different angle and offer a slightly different perspective. The final part of the assignment leadsShow MoreRelatedCritical Thinking Is A Natural Process1593 Words   |  7 PagesThinking is a natural process, however when left to itself, it is often distorted, unorganised, self serving, uninformed, and possibly biased. According to Scriven and Paul (1987) critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience , reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In a simplistic viewRead MoreWhy Project Managers Need to Understand Business Strategy and the Strategic Management Process?1708 Words   |  7 Pages1) Introduction This report is produced to study the importance of aligning Project Management with Business Strategy and Strategic Business Process. Fundamentally, all Project Managers must have full comprehension of the bigger picture of an organization Business Strategy and its functional level game plan. This would help them with project operational level decision making as well alignment of projects alignment with corporate mission. . The report will be giving general analysis of inter relevanceRead MoreProject Managers And The Conflicts That Limit Their Success On Projects1353 Words   |  6 PagesConflicts For Project Managers To Be Successful Mick A. Hansen Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University â€Æ' Abstract This paper focuses on project managers and the conflicts that limit their success on projects. Even though we are in the twentieth century there are still many problems for project managers. In business there are many re-occurring problems all the time as project managers. The issues that arise at times are structured in a way because there are more than one project manager involvedRead MoreWhy Project Management Has Become A Driving Force1539 Words   |  7 Pagesinitiatives. It is no mystery that the way that these projects are managed will dictate the level of success that will be experienced. In today’s business world the process of project management has become a driving force in order to help ensure that these initiatives become a reality. The majority of the modern business will has become to realize the importance of project management, the oversite required throughout the life-cycle of a project, the concepts that such be applied during planning,Read MoreI Am A t A Critical Juncture959 Words   |  4 PagesI am at a critical juncture in my professional life. I have spent twenty years in management and leadership roles, fifteen of these in project management. I’ve held every role within project management, and could choose to dive very deep and stay in this field, or pivot. This scenario is also true for my industry; I’ve been in education technology for eighteen years. As I reflect on what is important to me, and how to make the most influence, I find that I have some really great skills, and someRead MoreThe Training Experience Through The Canadian Labor Market Applying The Knowledge Learned During My Internship Subject1293 Words   |  6 PagesFurthermore, the student will develop four basic competencies: leadership, critical-thinking, technical skills according to their specialization and communication. I consider this subject should be promoted more between the graduate and undergraduate students, not only because th ey grant work experience, but it also allow them to build rapport inside diverse companies. Insight of Internship This internship blossom my critical-thinking, problem solving and communications skills; even though, I had previousRead MoreSteps For Solving Problem Solving1118 Words   |  5 Pagesunobtrusive design. For instance, if an association s general deal is expanding, however, its rate of piece of the overall industry is declining, there is no consideration snatching occurrence to demonstrate that an issue exists. In any case, the critical thinking system is still useful in dissecting the present situation and adding to an administration, mediation to manage the firm toward the future fancied state. Problem verification: The measure of assets that ought to be committed to check will fluctuateRead MoreChapter 3 : An Purpose For Reading1324 Words   |  6 Pages Also, this chapter showed me different note taking styles which are mind mapping, outline, SQ3R, and Cornell notes. I can make a mixture of these note taking styles to my preference. Chapter 7 is another useful resource, this chapter discuss thinking clearly and communicating your ideas. One key aspect is presentation skills; able to deliver your message with the audience by giving a hook at the start of the presentation in order to grab the audiences attention, then develop the ideas withRead MoreRefurbishment Of Broron Oil And Gas Limited Three Storey Building1675 Words   |  7 Pagesprocurement system in delivering a good standard office apartment for boron oil and gas limited. The scope of this project is to design and construct and appropriate office structures. Which involves different stages of work in these projects? Our task involves †¢ Planning a risk management plan †¢ Creating a risk register and a risk response plan. †¢ Identifying possible risk project and procurement strategy. †¢ Undertaking qualitative and quantitative risk analysis. †¢ Risk tracking and monitor controlRead MoreCritical Thinking For Decision Making755 Words   |  4 Pageshospice, agency work as needed at psychiatric, acute and long-term care facilities throughout the state, neuro acute care, step-down, informatics, and risk management. The majority of my career was spent at the bedside on the neuro acute care unit at a level one trauma center as the charge nurse. The purpose of this paper is to discuss my critical thinking for decision-making and problem-solving as a professional in healthcare, reflect on the three most important elements of personal and professional etiquette

Sunday, December 8, 2019

In Flanders Field Essay Example For Students

In Flanders Field Essay I’m going to do a comparison between John McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Field, and Siegfried Sassoon’s ‘Aftermath’. Both poems were written in the First World War era and both reflect certain themes from the war. I’ll talk about the authors first. John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario on November 30th, 1872. He is a Canadian poet, physician and author. He wrote ‘In Flanders Field’ while he was still on the battlefront during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium, during the First World War, on May 3rd, 1915. In Flanders Field became one of the world’s most renowned and beloved of all war and Remembrance Day poems. Siegfried Sassoon was born and raised in Matfield, Kent, England on September 8th, 1886. He is an English poet, author and soldier. ‘Aftermath’ was published in 1920. He became one of the world’s leading poets of the First World War. He believed the war was pointless. During the war, he returned to England on leave because he was ill from Gastric fever. He noticed that perceptions of war at home were very different to what the war was really like, and this angered him. So he decided to write poems that broke the classical war poem mode. His poems, instead of glorifying war and patriotism, he brought harsh details from the experiences of soldiers in war. This is the difference between these two poems. Flanders was where war casualties were buried and red poppies used to go there and these poppies eventually became remembrance symbols for the war. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields. This poem follows a very specific structure, known as French rondeau. Where each line contains 8 syllables, and the rhyming scheme AABBA AABC AABBAC. The following words rhyme: blow row†¦ The rhyme scheme is significant because it creates the rhythm in which the poem is read and also acts as a break between stanzas. In the first stanza, McCrae describes the battlefield. He says that larks cannot be heard above the gunfire. And before this, he uses symbolism, as poppies symbolize death in WWI, to convey the theme of death that is obviously associated with war. ‘Between the crosses, row on row, that mark our place’ is gloomy diction that means the soldiers know that death awaits them, and their graves, he crosses, have been set and a ‘place’ has been set for them already. In the seconds stanza, the author reflects on life before the war. He writes about waking up in the morning, ‘dawn’, and watching sunsets ‘sunset glow’, and the human condition of love and being loved. The author writes about this previous life as if it were a distant memory. He says ‘short days ago’ to illustrate how far away that life seems with a time lapse. This is another theme of war, that the previous lives of soldiers seem so far away from them, so long ago, and they are forever changed by the war. McCrae drifts off a little bit, almost daydreaming about his previous life, but then swiftly shuts this daydream down with ‘and now we lie in Flanders Field’ to convey to the reader that yes, the soldiers had lives before, but now, as he says at the beginning of the stanza, they are Dead. Capitalization of the word Dead is perhaps to make it more than just a state the soldiers are in, but more of a formal label. They died for the country; they are the Dead. This is the patriotic sense that the poem gives off. .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 , .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .postImageUrl , .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 , .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1:hover , .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1:visited , .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1:active { border:0!important; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1:active , .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1 .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub46da07a131720c5c2f8fc44f11b9da1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Punishment by Seamus Heaney EssayPatriotism is driven home in the last stanza. McCrae describes a torch being passed down to the next generation of soldiers. He is talking about soldiers wanting the next generation of soldiers to continue fighting the enemy, and to not give up; this is very patriotic. ‘The torch; be yours to hold it high† is a very proud, bold, and patriotic statement. McCrae ends with ‘We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders Field†, to say that the soldiers will not give up, or rest, in their fight. This is peculiar, almost like a foreshadowing omen that the war will continue, possibly an omen of World War II? The repetition of ‘In Flanders Field’ is an allusion to the title itself and adds to the theme of death, which is heavily associated with war, and since it is a rhyme scheme on its own, its very definitive and ends each stanza. Have you forgotten yet? For the worlds events have rumbled on since those gagged days, Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways: And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and youre a man reprieved to go, Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare. But the past is just the sameand Wars a bloody game Have you forgotten yet? Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that youll never forget. Do you remember the dark months you held the sector at Mametz The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets? Do you remember the rats; and the stench Of corpses rotting in front of the front-line trench And dawn coming, dirty-white, and chill with a hopeless rain? Do you ever stop and ask, Is it all going to happen again? Do you remember that hour of din before the attack And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men? Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back With dying eyes and lolling headsthose ashen-grey Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay? Have you forgotten yet? Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that youll never forget. This poem is very different to ‘In Flanders Fields’ in that, as I said before, it is not as patriotic, not as reserved. It uses crude, rough, unpleasant diction, such as ‘dark months’, ‘corpses rotting’ and ‘the rats’ to illustrate an extremely unpleasant image or the war, and the trenches. This fulfils his purpose, based on the background work, that he wants the public to know what life and war is actually like on the battlefront. Sassoon uses many rhetorical questions in his poem, which may be an effort to create reflective quality to the poem, but also to challenge the reader. And induce guilt. It’s as if Sassoon’s purpose is to ensure that people do not ever forget about the horrors of the war and what the soldiers had to go through for their country. The rhetorical question, ‘Is it all going to happen again?’ ties back to what I was saying with ‘In Flanders Field’ how it foreshadows, creates an omen of World War II, whereas in ‘Aftermath’ is it brought up, but questioned. The second line of the second stanza, ‘The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets?’ creates a rhythm. By using the word and to separate each action, as opposed to a comma, it seems as if the tasks are continuous and repetitive and almost tiring. This is Sassoon’s further description of the battlefront. .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 , .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .postImageUrl , .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 , .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719:hover , .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719:visited , .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719:active { border:0!important; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719:active , .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719 .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u66a4b7d2a88383bb33572c16550c5719:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: It's all in the mind EssayThe rhyming scheme is a little different and more complicated than that of ‘In Flanders Field’. There’s not a direct pattern that’s carried out throughout the whole poem. Here, there’s a mid line rhyme. Sassoon ends the poem with an oath where he asks the reader to wear that they will never forget. This is a similarity between both poems in that both author do not want the efforts of the soldiers to be in vain. Sassoon wants the reader to feel an obligation and vow not to forget, as he asks the reader to never forget at the end of the first stanza, and again at the end of the entire poem. This aspect of war, of respect for soldiers, ‘Less We Forget’, is conveyed by McCrae uses the imagery of a torch being passed down to illustrate the fight being continued despite deaths of soldiers. In conclusion, both poems explore aspects of war, and themes related to war as both were written in the First World War era. These aspects include, death (as illustrated by the imagery of poppies), losing life (illustrated by McCrae’s flashback into life before war), and the horrors of trenches and battlefront life (which Sassoon writes his whole poem about in an effort to let people know what war is really like). The difference is that McRae’s poem is focused more on patriotism and pride of war, while McRae’s views on the pointless war, as he felt, is conveyed through the horrific descriptions of trench warfare and his diction like ‘rotting corpses’ and ‘hopeless rain’. However, both authors seek to remember and commemorate the lives of soldiers who fought for their country.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Gift From The Greeks Essays - Combined Track And Field Events

The Gift From The Greeks The Gift from the Greeks The first Olympic Games were held at Olympia, in the Peloponnes. The most famous are the games that were held in Olympia in honor of Zeus every four years from August 6th to September 19th. Olympics have been a symbol of the camaraderie and harmony possible on a global scale. The gathering of athletic representatives from participating governments, even throughout the recent Cold War period, is proof that world unity is possible. It was a gift from the Ancient Greece The Pentathlon consisted of five events; the long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, foot race, and wrestling. The Pentathlons, especially the successful ones, were often treated and even worshipped like gods. Because of their exquisite physiques, they were used as the models for statues of the Greek Gods. The superior athletic ability of these athletes affects the games even today. The twisting and throwing method of the discus throw, which originated in Ancient Greece, is still used today. The original events were even more challenging than those of today. The modern discus weighs in at just 5 pounds, one-third of the original weight, and the long jumps were done with the contestant carrying a five pound weight in each hand. The pit to be traversed in this jump allowed for a 50 foot jump, compared to just over 29 feet in our modern Olympics. Apparently, the carried weights, used correctly, could create momentum to carry the athlete further. Legend has it that one Olympian cleared t he entire pit by approximately 5 feet, breaking both legs as he landed. These legends, for all their blood, sweat, and tears, were awarded an olive branch from the tree behind the alter of Zeus when they won. Fortunately, the regions they represented were usually somewhat more grateful for bringing honor home. It was not uncommon for the victors to receive free food for life, money, or other valuable offers. They were often worshipped as gods and sometimes their sweat was preserved and sold as a magical potion. In the later years of the games, an additional event was added which signaled the end of the games and the return to the war ridden life of ancient history. Soldiers, adorned with a full body of armor weighing upwards of 50 pounds, would compete in a foot race. Unfortunately, even the apparent athletic ability of these soldiers could not prevent the fall of Greece to Rome in the middle of the second century BC. Under Roman rule, the Olympics began to lose its fervor until it was abolished in 393 AD by the Christian Roman emperor Theodosius I who most likely objected to the pagan rites associated with the Olympics. Some historians believe that even after the official abolishment of the Olympics, it may have survived for an additional 120 years. Its subsequent revival in 1896 was brought about by the discovery of the ancient stadium. Since that time, it has been held every four years, in accordance with tradition, being interrupted only for the two world wars. The competition of the nations in these events represents the age old competitive spirit of man. The need for people to take pride in something larger than themselves and feel as if they are part of a greater good. The Olympics, today as well as 3,000 years ago, offers a non-combative environment to do so.