The Timeless Truths of Homer’s Iliad

James Hutchinson Ms. Spicer AP Literature 20 August 2010 Homer's Timeless Truths Is Homer's The Iliad relevant to today's society? Is this work a timeless parable depicting universal human truths transcending time and context or merely a superbly-crafted epic poem to be studied and admired for its stylistic brilliance? Has the text endured simply because of Homer's dramatic verse or because of the timeless human truths it conveys?Was it written to persuade readers to question the moral implications and savagery of war or simply to provide provocative entertainment? These questions have been posed for centuries yet rarely have been sufficiently answered. However, an astute student of contemporary politics, media, and entertainment cannot fail to notice that many Homeric themes, such as the celebration of war, the corruption of power, and man's desire for personal glory are as apparent in contemporary American life as they are within the pages of The Iliad.Though it is unknown whether or not the blind Greek poet intended to create a work that would have such an enduring impact on Western man, clearly the poem's underlying themes and the ominous questions it raises remain relevant in the twenty-first century. One of Homer's primary themes, the glorification of war and violence, is clearly relevant today. The celebration of war is omnipresent throughout The Iliad. To Homer's characters, battlefield courage, skill, and savagery are seen as both the ultimate means of serving one's country and of proving personal strength and integrity.War is depicted more as an opportunity to achieve a greater good and demonstrate individual valor than as a necessary evil to gain a larger political purpose. Homer's heroes focus more on the craft of battle itself than on the geopolitical goal they hope to obtain through the protracted bloody combat. In one scene, Hector responds to his army's reluctance to fight by proclaiming, â€Å"Fight for your country! That is the best, the only omen! You, why are you so afraid of war and slaughter? † (Homer 333) As a leader and a prince of Troy, Hector has been raised to embrace war as the only true chance for glory.For Hector, war brings honor to both his soldiers and the country for which they fight. Although he regrets the possibility of not living to see his son grow up, he believes that his purpose is to serve on the battlefield. Because of his integrity and willingness to die for Troy, Hector is the pride and joy of his family and of the Trojan army. His brother Paris, however, is widely scorned as a weakling and coward for his constant refusal to kill. At a time of war, pacifism is simply not an option.On high school campuses across the United States, we celebrate aggressive football stars and wrestlers far more than intellectual artists or peace activists. The parallels between Homer's depiction of a war-torn society and our own collapsing world are both unmistakeable and highly disturbing. There is, and alw ays has been, a human fascination with violence and sadism. Just as the ancient dramatist Homer depicts carnage with vivid detail and precision, contemporary Hollywood filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Eli Roth, and Oliver Stone, while conveying the cost of war, also appeal to their audience's unquenchable blood lust.Despite their intentions or supposed â€Å"social commentary,† there is no denying that it is ultimately the gore that sells the tickets. The internet, television news programs, newspapers, and magazines garner far more advertising revenues depicting images of violence and destruction than anything with any sort of redeeming value. It is telling that two of the events from recent history that have sold the most books are the Holocaust and the Manson murders. In short: violence sells. The reprehensible slasher film â€Å"Saw† was a blockbuster.The family-oriented comedy â€Å"The Kids Are Alright† lagged in ticket sales. Without a doubt, we live in a culture in which violence is perceived not as a necessary evil for the greater good, but as a worthy and even heroic form of entertainment. Homer's Iliad also dramatizes the timeless truth that power corrupts. The arrogant, manipulative gods pulling strings from their plush thrones on Mount Olympus bring to mind modern-day politicians. They can be seen as archetypes of today's detached bureaucrats.Zeus and his fellow gods dispassionately toy with mortals, watching with amusement as they cut one another down on the blood-soaked battlefield of windy Troy. Shamelessly, like merciless puppeteers, they create tension between the mortals for their own personal entertainment, with little regard for the inevitable mayhem and carnage that ensues. Indeed, the ten-year conflict at Troy is indirectly sparked by the vain goddess Aphrodite's desire to be recognized as the â€Å"fairest† beauty among the goddesses, yet as soon as the fighting begins, she pleads neutrality.Similarly, Ze us himself shows little concern for the rampant slaughter among mortals taking place on his watch, even though initially he aids Achilles in his revenge against the Greeks. More than a few critics of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have decried the dispassionate way in which U. S. â€Å"chickenhawk† non-combatants such as George Bush, Dick Cheney, and now Barack Obama have heartlessly made â€Å"strategic military decisions† from the safe environs of the White House that have had mortal consequences for U. S. troops on the front lines in Kabul and Baghdad.For many observers, the U. S. political elite bears more than slight resemblance to the gods of Mount Olympus. However, The Iliad shows not only how power corrupts on the broad, bureaucratic level but on the individual level as well. In fact, the poem's most self-serving and manipulative figure is without a doubt the mortal Agamemnon, who is only concerned about his own pleasure and personal gain. At the begi nning of the epic, he selfishly steals Achilles' war prize, the maiden Briseis, when he is forced to give up his own mistress.Outraged at this act of betrayal, Achilles exclaims that Agamemnon is â€Å"armored in shamelessness— always shrewd with greed! † (Homer 82) Although Agamemnon's actions seem unbelievably boorish and arrogant by today's standards, his behavior is not unlike that of any current leader who abuses his or her position of authority to achieve personal gain. On the local level, the city manager of Bell is now accused of looting his own very poor city's treasury of nearly one million dollars annually to purchase race horses and personal luxuries.Just as politicians and corporate CEOs pull strings and manipulate workers, so too schoolyard thugs and drug lords abuse the weak. The Iliad remains an unforgettable piece of literature not simply because it is beautifully-written, but also for its stark depiction of how the helpless are trampled by the strong. The third universal, timeless theme in The Iliad that is relevant today is how far men will go to attain personal glory. The main protagonist of the story, Achilles, seeks not merely wealth or vengeance against Troy, but also to be elevated to a god-like stature and leave behind an imperishable legacy.In this, he is not unlike any entrepreneur or world leader that hopes to â€Å"make a name for himself† by turning the tide of history, for better or for worse. Christian evangelist Billy Graham once declared, â€Å"The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. † (Graham 48) For Achilles, his legacy will be the ferocity with which he wields his sword, and the body count of soldiers he cuts down. He rejects a simple, comfortable life at home for a vicious, unpredictable life of war, serene in the knowledge that this shall earn him eternal glory and lionization – as indeed it did.The longing for men to be remembered after their deaths is not a strictly Homeric theme. We live in a culture in which martyrdom is often perceived as the greatest virtue, resulting in the iconic status of figures ranging from Jesus Christ to Che Guevara. Men like these are often praised not simply for the quality of their lives, but also because of their willingness to fight and die for a cause. In America, joining the military and dying in combat is romanticized as the greatest possible act of heroism, whether or not the war itself has any moral worth.An early death is viewed as a noble death. Even when a young man dies from simple recklessness or self-hatred, as James Dean or Kurt Cobain, we still embrace them as tragic heroes; saints of their generation. In short: this is why Achilles fights. He cares far more about how his story will be told centuries after he is gone than for his own life in the present. Though he briefly becomes disillusioned with his life as a warrior after his conflict with Agamemnon, he regains his moti vation to fight and possibly die when he feels he must avenge Patroclus.He expresses the difficulty of his choice between an obscure life and an honorable death when he proclaims, â€Å"If I hold out here and lay siege to Troy, my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies. If I voyage back to the fatherland I love, my pride, my glory dies†¦ † (Homer 265) Eventually, though it is never mentioned in The Iliad, Achilles does meet his fate, without ever living to witness the climactic sack of Troy. However, his life is indeed remembered as one of near secular ainthood, and, just as he had hoped, his name is never erased from history. In the final analysis, was the Trojan War a worthwhile conflict in Homer's eyes? No. The cause was trivial; the cost in lives was enormous. However, once the war was under way, his heroes wrested honor and nobility from the battlefield. The reason for battle is practically irrelevant, but the ferocity with which the battles are fought is leg endary. The relevance of this to today's events is indisputable.For example,when the primary reason for the Iraq war was revealed to be largely if not wholly erroneous – the alleged presence of weapons of mass destruction – many argued that it had to be waged for the sake of American â€Å"honor,† a Homeric theme if ever there were one. Overall, The Iliad's enduring appeal rests in the universal human truths it presents. Namely, Homer tells us that man honors war more than peace, power corrupts us all, and we all thirst for immortal glory. That is why even in the twenty-first century, The Iliad remains a transcendent and gripping morality tale for the ages.

Google: Research Google’s Attempt to Buy Into Wireless Via the 700 Mhz Spectrum Auction.

Verdell ChesterTM-583 Case 4 – Google: Research Google’s attempt to buy into wireless via the 700 MHz Spectrum Auction. 1. Why  did Google making this move? Google’s Motivation to bid into the wireless marketplace through the use of the 700MHz Spectrum Auction was the opportunity to develop possibly a 50 state network â€Å"The FCC is auctioning 1,099 wireless licenses in the 700 MHz band, but the most attractive spectrum for many bidders is the â€Å"C-block† of 12 regional licenses that may be combined to create a 50-state network. (Reiter, 2008) This new product development would allow Google to become a cellular network operator. This market includes firms such as AT;amp;T and Verizon, Google would not only compete with these firms but also would have had the opportunity to network with other entities to develop some innovative new products. What do they hope to accomplish? The prospect of entering into the wireless market offers Google many potenti al growth and development practices as well as competencies. There are also many risks associated with this strategy, including the cost of building and maintaining a billion dollar network.One particular goal that may have been in mind with this decision is the growth of Google’s vast wireless software portfolio that includes Gmail, Maps, Docs, Calendar Sync and various other applications that can be downloaded to many phones. There may have been other reasons Google chose to take interest into the wireless market such as the ownership of Youtube and its developments in a new website and java beta application that allows people to view tens of millions of videos via cell phone. . How does Google’s support for Open Access fit into Google’s plans? Google supporting Open Access really makes this a popular decision. Many people are rooting for Google to bid on the 700MHz spectrum for reasons that it will allow for competitive pricing of many cellular internet featu res. Furthermore research shows that Google supports open access initiatives like a concept called network neutrality, this is a principle proposed for user access networks participating in the Internet.It advocates that no restrictions can be imposed by internet service providers and governments on content, sites, platforms, the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and the modes of communication. Google still supports this idea but has made moves in this direction like stated in their public policy blog â€Å"FACT: Google has been the leading corporate voice on the issue of network neutrality over the past five years. No other company is working as tirelessly for an open Internet. But given political realities, this particular issue has been intractable in Washington for several years now.At this time there are no enforceable protections – at the Federal Communications Commission or anywhere else – against even the worst forms of carrier discrimination against In ternet traffic. † (Whitt ;amp; Counsel, 2010) This bid would provide google the ability to offer the most openly accessible network. 3. It looks like Google wants to get into wireless; yet, wireless is not one of Google’s core competencies. What should Google do about this? Google is not known for developing a large wireless network, but they are known for its advertising capabilities.This opportunity can present Google the chance to gain this ability and further strengthen its advertising ability. Google should invest in this opportunity although it may currently not fall into its current competencies; Google has capabilities that can allow them to develop newer competencies through their current ones. By taking their ability to advertise and the ability to deliver new internet products they can develop a superior network that enhances their ability to advertise and present customers with vast channels of information.Another option is looking toward some of Google†™s partnerships and ownerships and collecting resources from their wide variety of talent to develop a team tasked with developing the new competencies needed to make the new business venture successful. Similar to Google spearheading the Open Handset Alliance’s Android mobile platform, this new venture will need to break boundaries and establish Google as a premiere wireless network. â€Å"This situation has crippled consumers' ability to use the Internet on their mobile devices, compared to how they use it on their PCs.Google executives say their aim is to bring the PC-style of Internet openness to the mobile world so that users have more choice in mobile services and applications, as well as price. † (Mills, 2007) Google has the opportunity to develop the competencies for emerging as a successful wireless network yet they have to take the risk of investing into this opportunity. Google has the customer support and the finances to go for it, and it doesn’t l ook like a bad choice.Bibliography:Mills, E. (2007, 11 30). Cnet news. Retrieved 12 5, 2010, from Google versus the Telcoms: http://news. cnet. com/Google-versus-the-telecoms/2100-1039_3-6220909. html Reiter, A. (2008, 2 5).Internet Evolution. Retrieved 12 5, 2010, from Internet Evolution: http://www. internetevolution. com/author. asp? section_id=526;amp;doc_id=144810 Whitt, R. , ;amp; Counsel, W. T. (2010, 8 12).Google Public Policy Blog. Retrieved 12 5, 2010, from Google Public Policy Blog: http://googlepublicpolicy. blogspot. com/search/label/Net%20Neutrality

English Only Debate Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Only Debate - Article Example Some of the first casualties of the English only program would be the immigrant children who are in the process of learning English. America values its legal immigrant population and children need to be assimilated into the language as well as society. Bilingual education allows the children to continue to learn in both languages and allows them to keep pace with their classmates. An English only system would ban bilingual education in the public classroom. While a bilingual class could teach the child US History in their native tongue, an English only program could offer them no chance of learning about America's past. If the educational system fails to adequately support these students at this point in their education it will decrease their potential for success and increase the chances that they will become an economic burden to the system sometime in the future. States such as California and Arizona have debated and implemented bans on bilingual education, but Utah has gone farther by considering a bill that would require most all public business to be conducted in English only. When public notices and records are printed in a foreign language, it helps the non-English speaker to fully understand their rights and obligations. The requirement that all public paperwork be printed only in English would not only restrict the rights of the non-native speaker, but would also place an unwarranted burden on our public institutions. This would be especially true in areas that have concentrated numbers of immigrants. Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of an English only advocacy group, contends that the program would unite Americans by the use of a common language (Making English, 2008). The law may unite the English speaking population, but it would drive a wedge between the natives and the immigrant population. America has a long tradition of valuing diversity and language contributes to our cultural fabric. In fact, our concept of the world may be based in our language. Linguistic scientists believe that our language shapes human thought (Biever 2004). Many cultures have words for concepts and meanings that are lost in translation. As an example, the Inuit Eskimo has over 100 words for 'snow' (Mendosa 2005). If they were subjected to an English only system, they would lose the many fine nuances that they use to describe the vast differences in their winter precipitation. The diverse languages spoken in America help create the rich cultural differences that we value. There is little fear of English becoming a minority language as it has become the international language of choice for business. Most immigrants arriving in this country are anxious to learn English and become a part of our culture. They want to shop in American stores, watch American TV, and listen to American music. Placing an English only barrier may actually impede their progress towards that goal. The global view of English as the universal language makes it unnecessary to place limitations on the use of other languages. In conclusion, the hope that an English only America would help unite the people is a short-sighted and misguided effort. The children who currently have English as a second language would be left behind in the educational system. Bilingual programs could prevent these people from turning to public

Adult Developement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Adult Developement - Essay Example Beginning with young adulthood and ending with the elderly stage of development, this paper will describe the various characteristics that define what each stage of development is. Furthermore, insights will likewise be given with regards to adulthood in different cultures. In certain ways, adulthood is relative to different cultural aspects. As such, it is essential to describe adulthood in different cultures so as to provide a clearer perspective on the development of adults not just in the United States but in the world as well.The early adulthood stage is typically defined as the period wherein a human being is between the ages of 20 to 40 years old. At this stage, people are in the process if building their foundation for the latter stages of their life. This includes the college years, the early years of employment, and marriage. Moreover, at this stage of development, the various aspects of development are entwined, which is the case with the other stages of development as wel l. More importantly, the choices and the events that occur in the life of a young adult have great influences in how he will progress with his development later on.During early adulthood, humans are at their prime physically. At this stage, they are the peak of their strength, energy, and endurance. Furthermore, young adults also find themselves at the peak of their sensory and motor functioning. ... As such, the lifestyle of a young is highly relevant when considering his physical health. During this stage, the lifestyle of an individual usually includes smoking, alcohol, and in certain cases, substance or drug use. All these factors contribute to the health of young adults. A lifestyle with such elements not only leads to various health hazards during early adulthood, it also contributes to the premature deterioration of the health of young adults especially later on in their lives. Cognitive Development The cognitive abilities of young adults are often shaped by their experiences. A typical description of the cognitive characteristics of early adulthood is known as post formal thought. According to Papalia et al (2001), "It is generally applied to social situations and involves the ability to shift between abstract reasoning and practical consideration; awareness that problems can have multiple causes and solutions; pragmatism in choosing solutions; and awareness of inherent conflict." Moreover, young adults develop more flexibility and relativity in the manner by which they view the various issues that they deal with. They are no longer confined to black and white. Instead, they begin to see shades of gray which is an indication that they realize that there is always more than two sides to any story. Psychosocial Development During early adulthood, people enter into intimate relationships that may or may not lead to marriage. In cases where such relationships end up in marriage, the next concern would be parenthood. As such, young adults begin to consider more factors than those that solely concern themselves. In dealing with people, young adults have far more to consider than when they were younger. As previously mentioned, experience has a lot to do

Why and how are environmental issues becoming more of an issue for Essay

Why and how are environmental issues becoming more of an issue for international business and international institutions - Essay Example Many researchers and academics have hypothesized that the advent accelerated and competitive economic globalization, trade barriers liberalization such as †free trade agreements† and industrialization have created what they call â€Å"pollution havens† in many countries and communities. The pollution haven hypothesis states that pollution heavy industries will relocate to jurisdictions with less stringent environmental regulations as a strategy to further reduce production costs (Mrwhatis, 2011). The validity of the â€Å"pollution haven† hypothesis has been a long debated one between academics and policy researchers. Early research theory works of Pethig (1976) and McGuire (1982) first presented the theory that in case of increased environmental regulations in the home country would lead to increased plant relocation to countries with less stringent environmental regulations as long as free trade agreements or trade liberalization allowed it (Webmeets, 2012 ). Regardless of the enormous amount of research and empirical studies on the subject, it has not settled the debate one way or the other. Under one version of the â€Å"Pollution Haven† hypothesis it is believed that less developed countries value economic growth more than protecting the environment and natural resources, therefore their operating standards for environmental protection tend to be extremely lax to almost non-existent. As a direct consequence, these jurisdictions with low environmental protection regulations will tend to concentrate pollution heavy industries and create localized pollution havens. Although the negative environmental impact and general welfare for these communities can be significant, the positive economic impacts brought by the new jobs far outweigh the negative consequences. According to Grossman and Krueger (1993) and Jaffe (1995) there is not considerable evidence supporting the existence of pollution havens as a direct result of factor end owment and economies of scale considerations. They argue that free trade by itself might not harm the environment, but more likely a result of various factors. Antweiler et al.(2001) and Grossman and Krueger (1993) state that information asymmetry related created when the government regulators do not measure the actual production level nor means of production technology to derive actual pollution derived from the company itself as one of the key factors. Other causes such as aggregate demand for the polluting product, a technique effect (polluting intensity due to operational factors intrinsic to the industry), and the actual share of revenues derived from the polluting industries

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study Research Paper

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study - Research Paper Example One is to remember that it is difficult to make use of one particular leadership style for different types of contexts. However, the leader may demonstrate the best style or a combination of styles for each exclusive leadership context. From the case study, it has been apparent that Sir Richard Branson is one of the most influential, successful and enduring business leaders. Among numerous leadership styles such as autocratic leadership style, participative leadership style and laissez-faire style as well as in terms of authentic leadership model, expert power and referent power models, it can be analyzed that the leadership style demonstrated by Richard Branson is a laissez-faire leadership style. He has been successful in genuinely serving his employees and customers by means of his leadership. He has been interested in empowering the employees that he leads in order to make a vital difference. Richard Branson has natural leadership gifts and, thus, he makes use of his natural abil ities. It has been apparent from the case study that Richard Branson always believed in building long-term relationships with people. Authentic leaders generally learn from their failures. Richard Branson has focused on preparing himself to have another attempt at any failed activity with the required knowledge that he gained from his previous failure. One of the well known facts regarding authentic leaders is that they draw encouragement from their own lives. Richard Branson seems to be inspired by his mother who taught him not to look back in regret but rather to move on to the next task. An authentic leader is someone who is not frightened to admit his mistakes and, therefore, makes efforts to overcome his limitations. By facing weaknesses and declining to compromise with them, Richard Branson tends to identify ways to beat the weaknesses, which helps him to become a strong leader. Richard Branson also seems to possess expert and referent power. He has been capable of influencing others’ behaviors owing to the recognized competencies, talents and knowledge. He is capable of influencing others because his employees respect, admire and like him as a person. Whenever Richard Branson experiences any kind of setbacks, he chooses to pick himself up and try again. His principles are based on the belief that entrepreneurs will only succeed if they have good people around them and they listen to the superior’s advice. Authentic leaders such as Richard Branson care for themselves as well as the people that they lead, and their compassion is genuine (Harvard Business School, 2012). Richard Branson practices self-discipline by incorporating balance into his personal and professional lives. While most of the executives focus upon serving their customers as well as stockholders, Richard Branson believes that the correct hierarchical system in any organization is to have ‘employee at the first position’, ‘customer next’ and ‘s tockholders at the end’. It is because of the effectiveness of Richard Branson’s leadership style that Virgin Group Limited has been capable of becoming a multibillion-dollar worldwide conglomerate and one of the most recognized brands in the world. It has been identified that most of the US leaders tend to have participative leadership styles. Therefore, it can be stated that although Laissez-Faire leadership style tends to

Stereotyping of Arabs in Western media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Stereotyping of Arabs in Western media - Essay Example This has created a mentality of us against them, where producers still unconsciously perceive the Arabs, and Muslims in general, as being the enemy, although they would never to such a thing. The various events which have taken place in the twentieth century have worked to strengthen this opinion of Arabs, as seen where the latter are looked upon as being a violent people, whose religious fanaticism is the cause of all the major conflicts in the world today. The events leading to the September 11 attacks and its aftermath have all been blamed on Arabs, who are seen as having had a direct hand in these events. The fact that a majority of the Arab people in the world are just regular people like any other westerner seems not to have been put into consideration as many of them have become victims of racially instigated attacks because of who they are and what they look like. According to Hussein (2010, p118) Hollywood films that feature Arabs are examples of the inherent racism that has long been established in western media and that the fact that these films are shown in public comes to influence how its audience views the Arab people. The American media, especially the films, tend to include evil Arab characters as well as racial slurs which are used to demean them and this creates a situation where people from the Middle East are viewed as being an evil race, with no set moral standards. This is not a true reflection of the Arab people and, because of the bias of western media against them, they have come to be portrayed in an extremely negative light where it is difficult to determine or differentiate between the Arabs with good intentions from those with evil ones. The Arab men have come to be depicted as being chauvinistic in the movies that feature them, showing them not only mistreating their wives and daughters, but also keeping them in the background where they have little or no rights (Hassan 2001, p.56). They have also come to be depicted as being gree dy for money and as being willing to sell their souls for the sake of acquiring more of it, a depiction which goes against the fact that Arabs have throughout their history been an entrepreneurial race much involved in trade. Because Islam allows Arab men to marry up to four wives, western media has come to depict them as being womanizers who are extremely attracted to western women. Whenever Arabs men are shown in films, they are depicted as traveling with vast harems to satisfy their every desire, a depiction which is not a true reflection of the character of this race. The Arab-Israeli conflict has not been of much help in improving the image of Arabs in western media and this is because of the fact that the true story concerning the conflict has been distorted in favor of the Israelis. This conflict has been a key feature in western media since the formation of the state of Israel in 1948 and despite the fact that the Jewish state has committed many injustices against the Palest inian people; the latter are still depicted as being the aggressors. The fact that women, children, and the elderly have fallen victim to Israeli attacks has been kept in the background, while the image of Arab men as being fanatical terrorists attacking the state of Israel has been brought to the foreground (Onwudiwe 2005, p.6). This has created a situation where it has become difficult for the image of Arabs