Nature v. Nurture in Mark Twains Puddnhead Wilson and...

Nature v. Nurture in Mark Twains Puddnhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins What makes a person who they are is a difficult dilemma. Mark Twains novel, Puddnhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins is a critical analysis of how nature and nurture can cultivate emotions and free will, which in turn affects the life of individuals. Twains faltering sense of direction began about slavery, moral decay, and deceptive realities (Kaplan 314). The debate of `nature versus nurture has been one of the most intriguing scientific and cultural issues for most of the twentieth century, in determining the behavioral aspects of human beings. The changes in environment, society, education, political influences, family values and morals†¦show more content†¦Caucasians in the southern states became the superior race and the Negroes became the inferior race, thus the labels of Master and slave evolved. Virtually all Anthropologists, Scientists, Sociologist, Psychologists, and scientists agree that there is no credible evidence that supports that one race is culturally or psychologically different from any other, or that one race is superior to another. Yet Twain, In Puddnhead Wilson creates the character Roxy as both races, one physically and one mentally. Though her features make her appear to white, Her complexion was very fair, with rosy glow of vigorous health in her cheeks, her face was full of character and expression, her eyes were brown and liquid, and she had a heavy suit of fine soft hair which was also brown(Twain 9). To all intents and purposes Roxy was as white as anybody, but the one sixteenth of her which was black outvoted the other fifteen parts and made her a Negro (Brand 308). Environment can influence some personality traits, while others are genetic. The nature theory, heredity, determines such traits as eye and hair color, due to specific genes passed down from generation to generation. With the emergence of scientific studies of DNA, many scientists are finding more traits can also be associated with human cell encoding, such as intelligence, personality, aggression,

Analysis of Astrophil and Stella by Sir Phillip Sidney Essay

Analysis of Astrophil and Stella by Sir Phillip Sidney In Sir Philip Sidneys Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1, there is an observable poetic structure that can be analyzed on a literal as well as a figurative level in an attempt to gain a logical understanding of the poem. Sidneys style of writing appears to be easily interpreted on a literal level, yet there is a deeper and more complex dimension of figurative elements, such as metaphors, that require further exploration and examination to unveil their complete meaning. In addition, this sonnet encompasses complex speech that must be interpreted through its underlying meaning and not what it appears to be on the surface. Firstly, Sidney uses a fairly concise structure†¦show more content†¦When reading, there is a tendency to slow down the B words to capture their actual meanings. The turn, or deviation of tone, appears between the octave of the first eight lines and the sestet of the last six lines where the variation in rhyme scheme also takes place. At this point, the tone change suggests the speaker has a blank mind due to an absence of imagination causing a lack of words to express the ideas that he is so filled with. On a more literal level, there are several aspects that compliment and are complimented by the structure of this poem, such as tone, metaphor, and other literary elements. Firstly, the speaker of this poem is a lover who is attempting to write to his love to try to make her feel so beloved and overtaken by the most perfect words he has chosen, yet in the midst of him trying to write, his mind goes blank and he cannot think of anything to say to her. The angry tone toward the end of the sonnet is evident by the speaker saying, Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite (line 13). The speaker also seems woeful when he says, Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes (line12) which is ironic because he is trying to make his love woeful, yet he is the one who is sad and wallowing in his pain. Through the fast-pace d flow of the poem, we as readers are forced to understand that his anger is a legitimate result of Nature failing to grant him an imagination to compose love poetry. Our tendency toShow MoreRelatedLoving Un Truth, and Fain in Verse My Love to Show1407 Words   |  6 PagesPhilip Sidney Analysis 1: Like other creative persons of the period, Sidney also came under the influence of sonneteering. Thus a series of sonnets addressed to a single lady, expressing and reflecting on the developing relationship between the poet and his love grew up. Though the story does not have to be literal autobiography and questions of ‘sincerity’ are hardly answered, Sidney’s love for Stella, on the artistic level, has been traced to love-affair of the poet’s own life. Stella is said

Compare poems written by Carol Ann Duffy and Sylvia Plath Essay Example For Students

Compare poems written by Carol Ann Duffy and Sylvia Plath Essay The poems written by Carol Ann Duffy and Sylvia Plath can be interpreted in many ways, but by looking into both poems in a deeper meaning you can quickly see that they are both alike in many ways. The poems have a subject, which is fairly similar, both project imagery of holy metaphors, both within them have many contrasts, and both have the same mood, and many more. Within the poems they are reflective and portray certain feelings to the reader. Each of the poems were written for a specific reason to give the reader an insight to their own emotions, the War Photographer was written to show the life of a photographer whos job was to capture images from war-scenes, and bring them back to England, The other poem, Mirror, written to show the hatred of a poet who has embedded her life into a mirror and hidden her creativity. The subjects of the poems were different, but showed the same emotions of showing images and showing the truth. The War Photographer was a poem about developing pictures, showing the truth from a place that he had been to, yet no one else had. Similarly Mirror, shows the story of a mirror which had captured the truth of a life of a girl, yet also gone beyond the truth inside her real emotions and feelings. Imagery used in the two poems is very similar; both the poems refer to death, and holy objects. In the War Photographer, the poet describes developing the photos as a holy act, and that the dark room with only dim light, represents a church with dim candles flickering. Plaths poem talks of the mirror being The eye of a little God, describing how the candles are liars, not showing the true person. The act of worship is carried out within the poem as the girl had spent so much time in front of the mirror, she had begun to worship the mirror. The moods of both poems are morbid, reflective and spiritual. They both talk of death and are therefore morbid in the way they make the reader feel when they read the two poems. Both the poems are spiritual as they have deeper emotional meanings which are not seen without further examination of the language of the poems. The poetic voice of the poems is different as the Poet is the voice of the War Photographer, whereas the mirror is the voice of the second. In the second the voice of the poem is a reflection of the feelings of the poet. The ways in which the poems are set out are in stanzas. War Photographer is set out is in four stanzas as the photographer goes through the different stages of developing photos. In contrast to this, Mirror is set out in two stanzas, the first describing the mirror, and the next describing the way the girl relates to the mirror. I found the two poems very different in subject, however they make the reader feel the same way. War Photographer is a factual poem which leaves you open to interpretation by the reader as to whether you personally react to things you read in the papers, whether you dont care just because its not happening to you. The second poem, is a poem which many people can relate to, especially teenagers of this time, as many teenagers become insecure at this stage in their lives. The way the poet described the obsession which developed could be related to many people.

Birth Order Essay Disagreeing Example For Students

Birth Order Essay Disagreeing Does birth order have an effect on personality? Does being first born make people more responsible? If someone is the middle born child, are they going to be more rebellious? If people are last born are they more likely to be on television? Are first born children inconsiderate and selfish or reliable and highly motivated? These, and many other questions are being thoroughly studied by psychologists (Harrigan, 1992). In 1923, the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Alfred Adler, wrote that a persons position in the family leaves an undeniable stamp on his or her style of life (Marzollo, 1990). Research has shown that birth order oes indeed affect a child; however, it does not automatically shape personality. If it did, life would be much more predictable and a great deal less interesting (Marzollo, 1990). Yogi Bera, a famous baseball player, said Every now and then a reporter who thinks he is Freud asks me if being the youngest is why I made it (playing professional baseball). I almost alw ays say yes, but I dont think it had anything to do with it (Harrigan, 1992). Birth order doesnt explain everything about human behavior. Personality is affected by many different factors, such as heredity, family size, the spacing and sex f siblings, education, and upbringing. However, there is an awful lot of research and plain old law of averages supporting the affect of birth order on personality (Leman, 1985). There are four basic classifications of birth order: the oldest, the only, the middle, and the youngest. Each has its own set of advantages, as well as its own set of disadvantages. While the birth order factor isnt always exact, it does give many clues about why people are the way they are (Leman, 1985). If there is one word that describes first born children it would be perfectionist (Harrigan, 1992). First born children end to be high achievers in whatever they do. Some traits customarily used to label first born children include reliable, conscientious, list maker, well organized, critical, serious, scholarly (Leman, 1985), self-assured, good leadership ability, eager to please, and nurturing (Brazelton, 1994). Also, first born children seem to have a heightened sense of right and wrong. It is common in most books about birth order that first born children get more press than only, middle, and youngest children. This can be explained by the fact that the first born child is typically the success story in the family. They are he ones that are extremely driven to succeed in high achievement fields such as science, medicine, or law (Leman, 1985). For example, of the first twenty-three astronauts sent into outer space, twenty-one were first born or their close cousin, the only child, which we w ill discuss later on. In fact, all seven astronauts in the original Mercury program were first born children (Leman, 1985). Also, first born children tend to choose careers that involve leadership. For example, fifty-two percent of all U. S. presidents were first-borns (Lanning, 1991). Researchers say that, in general, first born children tend o have higher IQs than younger siblings. This is not because they start off more intelligent, but because of the amount of attention new parents give to their first child (Marzollo, 1990). Experts claim that a first borns will to succeed begins in infancy (Lanning, 1991). The extraordinary love affair that many new parents have with their first child leads to the kind of intensity that can probably never be repeated with a younger child. In the first few weeks, a new parent imitates the babys gestures in a playful game. A rhythm is established by mimicry of vocalizations, motions, and smiles. Think what his cycle of action-reaction might mean to an infant: Im pretty powerful, arent I? Everything I do is copied by someone who cares about me . After a couple of weeks of game playing the infant develops a sense of I recognize you! (Brazelton, 1994). This special parent-child interaction helps to instill a deep sense of self-worth in first born children. In short, the parents put their first born child on a pedestal or throne. Also, new parents are convinced that their child is the cleverest child in the world when he or she rolls over or says Mama or Dada (Jabs, 1987). Even though the child is a baby it an still sense the profound sense of enthusiasm. So, first borns want to maintain their parents attention and approval (Lanning, 1991). This is when the arrival of a second child is often a crisis for the first child. They are knocked off their pedestal by the baby (Leman, 1989). They are no longer the center of mom and dads attention. This often causes them to become resentful toward their younger sibling. To reclaim the position at the center of their parents attention, he or she will try imitating the baby. When the first child realizes that his or her parents frown upon a two-year-old who wants bottle or a three-year-old who needs a diaper, he or she decides to aid his or her parents in caring for the younger child (Jabs, 1987). Parents usually tend to reinforce the older childs decision to be more adult by expecting him or her to set a good example for the younger child. These experiences help to make the first born a natural leader. However, first borns are sometimes so preoccupied with being good and doing things right that they forget how to enjoy life and be a kid (Jabs, 1987). Along with being the first child comes pressure. Each achievement becomes a miracle in a new parents eyes. However, when a mistake occurs it is viewed as an enormous failure in the childs eyes because their parents werent ecstatic, and so the child goes to enormous lengths to make his or her parents happy with their performance. Some parents may also burden the child with their own unfulfilled dreams and with setting the standard for the younger children (Brazelton, 1994). Norval D. Glenn, Ph. D. , professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, explains that firstborns often suffer from pseudomaturity. They may act grown-up throughout childhood, but because their role models are grown-ups rather than lder siblings, they may tend to reject the role of leader in early adulthood (Marzollo, 1990). Also, a firstborn is not always the most gracious receiver of criticism. An adults constant criticism of his or her performance may cause the child to become a worried perfectionist. They m ay come to fear making mistakes before eyes that he or she feels are always watching them. First born children may also come to hate any kind of criticism because it emphasizes the faults that he or she is trying to overcome (Marzollo, 1990). The first born child does not have unlimited time to view himself as the hild in the relationship with parents. When a sibling arrives, he or she tends to eliminate the view of himself or herself as a child and he or she struggles to be parental (Forer, 1969). In The Shooting An Elephant, George Orwell Describes An Internal EssayAny number of life-styles can appear, but they all play off the first born (Leman, 1985). He or she may try to imitate the first-borns behavior. If they feel that they cant match up, they may go off in another direction, looking for their identity, often in the exact opposite of that taken by his or her older sibling. The general conclusion of all research tudies done on birth order is that second borns will probably be somewhat the opposite of first born children (Leman, 1985). In general, middle born children suffer from an identity cris is. They are always striving to be different from their older and younger siblings. Middle children feel that they are born too late to get the privileges and special treatment that firstborns seem to inherit by right and born too early to enjoy the relaxing of the disciplinary reins, which is sometimes translated as getting away with murder (Marzollo, 1990). Neither the achiever nor the baby, the middle child may feel that he r she has no particular role in the family. They may look outside the family to define themselves. This is why friends become very important to middle children (Marzollo, 1990). Middle children search to find their own identity and define their personality. Because middle children have to fight for their parents attention, they become highly competitive. This generally makes middle children more successful in sports. Lacking the benefit of the exceptions parents make for their first borns and last borns, middle children may learn to negotiate, to compromise, and to give and take, valuable skills that will elp them succeed (Marzollo, 1990). They can become effective managers and leaders because they are good listeners and can cope with varying points of view. Also, experts have found that because middle children have had to struggle for more things than their siblings they are better prepared for real life. One big plus for middle children is a well developed sense of empathy because they know what its like to be younger and older. However, all the competing and negotiating may cause middle children to have an overall low self esteem and a self-deprecating attitude (Marzoll o, 1990). Nevertheless, middle children ave many advantages. They can learn from the older sibling but can also regress to be like the younger one, doubling their learning opportunities. Yet, they may also have many mood swings between grown-up and baby-like behavior, especially during the teen age years (Brazelton, 1994). Leman (1989) says to Remember, the average teenager has only two emotional outbursts per year. The problem is they last about six months each. Because slightly more than one third of American families today have only two children, many parents find themselves thinking in terms of the first born and second born. Middle and second born hildren share many of the same characteristics. Like the middle child, the second-born is likely to search for ways to be different from the first-born child (Marzollo, 1990). Dr. Kidwell says, Problems arise when a family has very rigid expectations. If the only thing that matters is straight As and the first kid is doing that, the middle kid has a profound dilemma. He or she needs something else to be known for (Jabs, 1987, p. 29). Some famous middle and second children who have found their own identity include Bea Arthur (actress), Glenn Close (actress), Matt Dillon (actor), Linda Evans (actress), Jessica Lange (actress), Cyndi Lauper (singer), Tom Selleck (actor), Mary Decker Slaney (runner), Richard Nixon (president), Princess Diana (British royalty), George Burns (comedian), Bob Hope (comedian) (Jabs, 1 987; Marzollo, 1990). If a group of psychologists randomly picked out ten youngest born children, chances are that nine of them would have these characteristics: manipulative, charming, blames others, shows off, people person, good salesperson, precocious, engaging, and sometimes spoiled (Leman, 1985). By the time the youngest child is born, his or her parents have become veterans in the field of child care (Lanning, 991). They are more experienced and confident in their parenting practices, and so they often decide to let the last born enjoy childhood as long as they can (Marzollo, 1990). This is why youngest children tend to be more pampered than older siblings. The youngest or baby of the family is often given an extra dose of affection and attention, as well as an occasional exception from the rules (Marzollo, 1990). This extremely positive upbringing helps to contribute to the youngest childs fun-loving, affectionate, and persuasive behavior (Marzollo, 1990). The youngest child can grow up to feel the most tre asured, and the ost nurtured of all (Brazelton, 1994). Also, without the pressure of a younger sibling gaining from behind, the youngest may grow up easy going and carefree (Jabs, 1987). However, life isnt all fun and games for the family baby. The endless praise of last born children may leave them feeling that their families do not take them seriously (Marzollo, 1990). For instance, a common youngest child remark would be, If I get upset or try to state my opinion, nobody takes me seriously. To them, Im the baby. They think I dont know a whole lot, (Lanning, 1991). Youngest children often have feelings of insecurity r long periods of self-doubt (Lanning, 1991). For example, a youngest child grows up being coddled one minute as a darling little baby, but the next minute shes compared unfavorably with an older sibling. He or she is often unfairly compared with older and stronger siblings. According to Beverly Hills-based psychiatrist Carole Lieberman, M. D. , the self-image of the youngest child may become confused (Lanning, 1991). As a result of conflicting experiences, youngest children can be extremely self-confident in someways and insecure in others (Leman, 1985). For the most part, youngest children learn to cope with the problems of self-doubt. In fact, youngest children often go on to become quite successful, thanks in part to their originality and determination to prove themselves to the world (Lanning, 1991). Often, they express their unique view of the world through the visual or literary arts. People-pleasing fields, such as art, comedy, entertainment and sales are full of youngest children (Lanning, 1991). Some examples of famous youngest children include Ronald Reagan (president, actor), Eddie Murphy (comedian), Paul Newman (actor), Mary Lou Retton (gymnast), Billy Crystal (comedian), Yogi Bera (baseball player), Ted Kennedy (politician), and Kevin Leman (psychologist)