Loss (Read P. 305) Leaving

¶ … Loss (Read p. 305)

Leaving someone without ever knowing whether one would ever see them again would be one of the hardest things to face. In order to deal with that, personally I would tell them everything that I ever felt about them. I would tell them that I loved them and express to them how much that love really is. Sometimes it can be difficult to come to terms with feelings and certain emotions, but when the time comes when you know that the person may be lost forever, there should be no need to hold back. At this point, nothing should excuse not telling the other person everything that you feel or at one point felt.

If the situation were to be reversed, I would very much like to be told the same thing. I would like to be told everything that the other person felt the need to hold back, whether it is good or bad. Just as in the reverse situation, I would not want to be left wondering for the rest of my life whether or not the other person had certain feelings for me, or whether the other person felt nothing. It would be worse to constantly think about the "what ifs" and the "could bes." I would rather know then and there what the true feelings were.

An appropriate way to say goodbye would be by explaining the situation as one where no other option or alternative can be had. For example, if one has to move or go away because of a better job opportunity, or because of a family move, one should immediately prepare the other individual. This makes it easier on all the parties involved because it would give them more time to prepare themselves and accept the situation. The appropriate things to say would be the truth. There should be no need to lie in order to make the other person feel better because in the end, the lie will only make the situation worse.

As is stated in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," separation can be seen as not being physically away from each other, but of having a greater love expanded and grown. This gives the sense of how strong love and a bond could be if it is in reality a strong and faithful one. Love is not just being in physical contact with the other person, it is also about being able to endure when one's beloved is not necessarily present. However convincing this statement may be, I do not think that my answers would change. I would prefer to know the truth and let all true feelings be known because a temporary separation could turn into a permanent one and I would like to be prepared for that to occur instead of living on false hope and wishful expectations.

2) Responding to Literature

a)

In order to fully understand metaphysical poetry, a reader has to look for meaning beyond what is written. It is fully of irony, sarcasm, and allusions that make the readers take a second look at what is written down. Images in metaphysical poetry do seem to be contrived, but only because that is a quality that makes those images stand out. The purpose of that style is in fact to allow the reader to fully analyze its true meaning. These connections between contrived images and what it is supposed to represent is what poetry is all about. It is not necessarily about saying something straightforward, it is about analyzing and allowing one to be interpreted. Donne does this in many ways by making one thing represent another in an attempt to make a connection. He successfully draws a parody in "The Bait" to Marlowe's "Passionate Shepard to his Love" when he mocks the dedication that a man has to the love of a woman, and instead compares it to fish falling for bait. It is this comparison that makes the readers fully aware of his position.

b)

Donne portrays death as being an insignificant being in "Death Be Not So Proud." This poem makes death seem as something that is in fact not frightening at all. It compares death to peaceful things such as sleep and rest, two things that bring comfort to those who seek it. It makes death seem like a weak person that does not scare at all but instead begins pleasure when it comes as it is the gateway between this life and the afterlife. It changes my perspective on death in that it seems less frightening, but it does not change the way that I feel about it. Unlike Donne who mocks death and welcomes it because of the tranquility that it brings, I would rather live life in this world than in an afterlife, as Donne insinuates.

c)

In "Meditation 17" Donne uses imagery and rhetoric in order to have his point effectively communicated. The tone in this piece of writing is one of resignation. Instead of dwelling on the fact that every time the bell rings it means that someone has died, he instead thinks of the souls of these dead individuals going with God. He compares society as a whole to a book and every person to a chapter, "All mankind is of one Author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language." By making such a direct connection he is trying to effectively communicate what it feels like when a person from the community dies. He compares God to a translator in order to fully prove his point that individuals do not necessarily die, but go to be with God, "God's hand is in every translation." Another comparison he makes is to an island, "No man is an island, entire of itself; Everyman is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." Although people live in their own world sometimes, they are never completely alone. Someone's death will in part always affect you because we are not in this world completely on our own, but as a society on a continent.

3) Prewriting a Modern Parable (Read p. 342)

Subjects for a good parable would include:

Teaching a child to share because the child needs to learn that in order for her or him to be helped, they also need to be able to learn to help others, and sharing is the start of that.

Patience is an attribute that also needs to be learned. The consequences of not being patience far exceed the benefits of doing the same. In order for this to be fully appreciated, it needs to be taught by example, and a parable would be the perfect way to do so.

The consequences of lying are also something that can easily be depicted in a parable. Life lessons are sometimes learned the hard way and in order for someone to see, without directly going through it, the consequences that lying after doing something wonrg could be, it would be good to depict a situation where telling the truth would have outweighed the consequences that lying avoided.

SHAPE

4) King James Bible (Read pages 338-341)

a)

An example of parallelism in Psalm 23 can be found in the lines, "I will fear no evil: for art thou with me / Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." This is particularly effective because it manages to catch the meaning of the psalm in just a couple of lines. The fact that these lines stand out and in a way give the sense of comfort because of its particular arrangement makes parallelism work in this case.

An example of parallelism in Psalm 137 can be found in the lines, "…happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee / as thou hast served us / Happy shall he be, that taketh / and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." This manages to not only catch the entire sentiment of the psalm in these few lines, but it also demonstrates the passion that was felt. It is particularly effective because it creates a picture and catches the reader's attention, while allowing them to focus on this phrase.

b)

Translations of psalms can often times change according to who it is that is doing the translating. In Psalm 23, the King James Bible translates it one way, while the Massachusetts Puritans translated it in a different format. Although both retain the same information, the Puritans did a better job in translating it while still retaining the overarching message that the psalm is trying to give.

Right away the differences are noticeable. The first lines of the King James version states, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. / He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." While the Puritan version states, "The Lord to me a shepard is; / want therefor shall not I. / He in the folds of tender grass / doth cause me down to lie." The differences in these two lines seem to be only a matter of syntax but in actuality, it also differs in the meaning. The King James Bible version makes it seem like the Lord is making the individual do something, as if by force or obligation, while the Puritan version states that the Lord causes the individual to do something, as if out of their own will. This alone relays the message that faith itself is driving the action, not a perceived obligation.

Another distinction between the two translations can be found with the lines "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: / and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (King James Bible) and "Goodness and mercy surely shall / all my days follow me. / and in the Lord's house I shall / dwell so long as days shall be" (Puritans). Both of these lines appear to be relaying the same message, however, it is the delivery of the syntax that differs. Again, the Puritan version puts more emphasis on the faith itself and on the natural occurrence of the events, while the King James Bible version writes as if there is some sort of obligation toward the believer from the Lord.

The different translations mainly differ because of the time period in which they were written. The different types of English used emphasize some aspects more than others, and even though the Puritan version has more of a faith component to it than the King James Bible does, they are both referring to the same thing. They are both trying to capture an audience and by doing so, their translations need to reflect the particular group that they are trying to appeal to.

5) the Best Advice I've Ever Received

The best advice that I have ever received was to be patient. It can be difficult at time to wait around when you want something to happen quickly, but in reality, in order for a person to truly appreciate what is coming for thwm, they have to wait. This has been important to me in every aspect of life. From being patient about internships or potential job offers, to being patient with people themselves, it has helped me get through a lot of tribulations. In order to fully appreciate the value of something, waiting for it has to be the best method of understanding.

The wisest statement that I've ever heard is that good things come to those who wait for it. This is particularly important because as I mentioned earlier about having patience, this also goes along those lines. In order to fully appreciate something, it must be waited for. Sometimes one is so desperate for things to come right away, that one loses focus on the end goal and instead tries to take shortcuts in order to get there. In the end, that ends up being the worse route to take. However, if one patiently waits, and does things the right way to achieve that end goal, it is that much fruitful in the end.

6) Worlds of Wisdom (Read pages 349-359)

Different beliefs are expressed in different manners in order to fully encapsulate its messages. This can often be seen in didactic literature that express particular religious beliefs. Two pieces of wisdom literature that contrast each other, and also of which I both agree with and disagree are "Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline" by Bhagavad-Gita and "Night" from the Koran. These two different philosophies show the distinct views that individuals can have on their own religious affiliations, as well as on their spiritual selves.

My beliefs are a bit contradictory with what is said in "Night" from the Koran. I do agree with the spiritual message that it is trying to express, however, I disagree with the lack of control that the piece allows one to have over our own spiritual self. It puts complete control on a greater God, and completely puts our future onto him. It also states that one should live for this God and only do things to please God, but I do not agree with that at all. The piece that is most reflective of what I believe in is in "Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline" by Bhagavad-Gita.

"Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline" allows one to live for oneself and not to please others. It actually discourages this. In order to be true to yourself, you must not indulge in material things, nor want what others have. You must stay level-headed and in control at all times by not letting strong negative emtions like anger and rage control you. This is something that I believe in whole-heartedly. In order to truly learn how to appreciate love and yourself, you need to live for yourself and have faith in yourself. This emphasizes on having control over your own well-being is what I agree with most in this piece.

Both pieces express ideas that I both agree with and disagree with. Every piece has an audience and that audience feels connected to whatever they belief in, and it is this that makes both of these pieces so powerful. Their differences are only minor when you look at the bigger picture. They are religious thoughts that both seek to bring comfort to their respective believers. Even though it is my personal opinion that they are in direct contrast to each other in the main message delivered, their sense of believing in spirituality actually make them more similar than not.

b)

Standing up for one's beliefs speaks louder than sitting back and waiting for a change to occur.

c)

Using metaphors actually adds a deeper meaning in order to convey a moral message. By adding a metaphor to the point that you are trying to prove, it provides readers with an example of exactly what you are referring to. This can be seen in the line "the taste lingers, but it too fades" in "Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline." Although it is a metaphor stating that material things are here one day and gone the next, using a metaphor puts the action in perspective and allows one to fully embrace its meaning. This can also be seen in the line, "When like a tortoise retracting / its limbs, he withdraws his senses…" Comparing this action to a tortoise allows the reader to take a second look to truly analyse and understand what the writer wants to say. This is exactly what metaphors are meant to do.

7) Persuasive Writing Techniques (Read pages 427-437)

Logical appeals are made in order to get people to realize whole-heartedly that there are problems that need to be solved in a society that seems to be ignoring them. In this case, Swift has ideas on how to make societal hierarchies dwindle a bit, but no one seems to want to listen to him. Satire though, does not work really well here, because it is here that he wants people to actually take him seriously. No one wants to hear over and over again how unjust society is or what the proposed solutions are, which is why Swift left these for the end. He states that in order to help poor people out, they should be given jobs, "…adding those who are beggars by profession to the bulk of farmers, cottagers, and laborers…" He also proposes taxes on the rich in order to help out the poor.

Emotional appeals are effective when one takes into consideration the subject matter. In this case, satire is fully welcomed in order to understand the extent of the damage that is being done to the lower class. By allowing people to see just how bad these people are doing, it might move the upper class people to want to do something about it. Using the examples of how these children end up living, and eventually who they end up becoming, "criminals" by circumstance, people are allowed to view just how bad their situation really is by appealing to their emotions.

Ethical appeals seem to be in the entire essay, and it is here that satire is welcomed the most. Eating babies is just a disgusting image to even think of, which is why it is so effective. When one thinks about the fact that eating children is the way to solve this problem, it makes one wonder how bad the problem really is. Swift draws a parallel to the fact that some of these children end up dying of hunger anyway, so why not cook them and eat them in order for the greater society to benefit. Because this in itself is so unethical, it catches people's attention and draws them to the bigger issue at hand.

8) a Modern Proposal

Problem: Poverty

Solution: Making everyone feed themselves and clothe themselves with the trash and litter from the street. It will give them something to do and at the same time, it will clean up society. This will also reduce their dependency on the welfare system.

Problem: Crime

Solution: Anytime someone breaks a law, make them move to a specific area where they will be allowed to shoot and kill whoever they want. They of course will be killing other criminals so it will reduce the amount of crime on the streets and will reduce the amount of tax money used for the prison system.

Problem: Obesity

Solution: Don't allow people who are extremely overweight to own cars and make them get a job where they have to walk a minimum of five miles to get there. This way, illnesses caused by obesity will be down, so healthcare costs will be down.

Problem: Poor education

Solution: For every student that fails, one teacher gets stoned to death in order to teach a lesson that every student needs to learn. This will get rid of teachers who can't perform the way that they are supposed to, and it will improve the education system that desperately needs help.

Problem: Political Corruption

Solution: Every politician that is caught stealing from the public needs to be put in a gladiator ring where they have to fight until only one politician survives. This is all done while the people who they stole money from get to watch. The people then decide what the fate of the lone politician will be.

Society has an array of problems that need to be resolved in order for it to return to how it was meant to be in the first place. In order for this to be done, drastic measures are to be considered. Like the saying goes, if one wants to get something done, it needs to get done right. There should be no empathy, or no fear in trying to solve a problem. This is why my proposals to our society's most prevalent issues will be the solution to all that is wrong.

Poverty is an overarching problem in all parts of the nation, however, the biggest complaint is not the fact that people are dying because they have nothing to eat or because they have no place to stay. The problem here is the strain that these people are putting on our welfare system. If I am to work to pay taxes so that these people could eat and so that their children could survive, I think they should also work for what I give to them. I propose that people living in poverty should be given money for rent, at least for something with a roof over their heads, but if they want to eat, or if they want to be clothed, they should go into the streets and get things that have been thrown away. They could get their clothes and their food that way. By doing this, we will reduce the amount of trash that eventually gets thrown into a landfill. Thinking about it, this will actually help out with another societal issue: the environment. Why should perfectly good trash go to waste when there are people who are taking my tax money to live, that could make good use of them. This will keep them busy during the day, so they will not be home wasting more electricity (another overlapping solution for the environmental crisis) and they are not producing more bills that I eventually have to pay as well. They are also getting exercise when they are walking the streets looking for their food and clothes, and they will be kept busy so they aren't out there committing more crimes. This is a win-win solution for all parties involved. The poor will have housing (because of my tax money), food, clothing, a job, and of course helping out the environment. What more could you ask for.

As outlandish as this seems, people are already out there doing this very thing (they have gotten a head start). Instead of sparing a bit more in taxes or coming up with concrete solutions on how to prevent people from going into poverty in the first place, we are busy trying to find ways to cut services for them and are concerned only about the money that we are giving into this system. There should be no one living in the streets, and no one should go hungry for even a day. These are the issues that need to be resolved, not the fact that money is getting dumped into these much-needed services.

9) Responding to "A Modest Proposal" (Read pages 438-441)

Boyle's "Top of the Food Chain" and Swift's "A Modest Proposal" have many things in common with each other, as well as differences that make them each stand on their own. In Boyle's "Top of the Food Chain," there is a mosquito problem that needs to be resolved. In order to kill off the mosquitos, the people of the town spray poisonous substances in order to get rid of these mosquitos, but after that doesn't work they bring in geckos, and on. The point is that this story's main point was that a smaller problem kept getting bigger and bigger when people tried irrational solutions to try to solve it. Instead of trying to think before acting, thinking that a quicker solution would be the best one, they instead created an even bigger issue.

In Swift's "A Modest Proposal," the issue at hand isn't even being addressed by anyone, and that is what Swift proposes needs to be fixed. Unlike Boyle's short story that addresses the lack of thought put into solution proposals, Swift talks about the lack of thought at all. Swift's outrageous proposal of eating children in order to fix the problem of so many beggars on the street is a better solution then the lack of interest in the growing problem.

Both stories use outrageous ways to solve an issue. Their grotesque descriptions of how these problems could be solved both draw attention to the issue at hand and eventually get the problems noticed. This is the main concept that both these stories have in common. They both address issues that are ignored by most, but by putting it in a perspective that actually catches people's attention, they are at least attempting to get people to come up with more fathomable solutions.

b)

The fact that when people read it, it brings disgust or outrage to them, means that the irony in this story is actually effective. Very few people actually want to hear about what is wrong with society. They do not care enough to do something about it. But by putting it in a way that will intrigue the reader, and cause them to take a second look at what was written down, it at least draws their attention to the bigger issue at hand. This was Swift's purpose in doing this. If these issues were pretty obvious, yet everyone seemed to ignore them, he would put them in a way that would catch people's eyes, and bring attention to them. His irony was very effective.

c)

Savages (people) -- to emphasize the nature of their problem o Male and female (man and woman) -- as stated, this was created to draw a direct comparison with animals.

Popish infants (healthy babies) -- this was written this way to emphasize their plump size so that his proposal of eating babies would be merited.

Beggars (homeless individuals) -- this puts a negative connotation on not having a home and makes them out to be as people who are looking for free money o Rags (clothes) -- emphasizes the dire need for decent clothes and how deep their poverty is o Breeders (women of childbearing age) -- this compares women to animals and to machines who reproduce for a living o Filth (dirt) -- this provides a vivid description of their environment o Idolatrous (worshipped) -- creates a greater sense of how much help homeless people need o Carcasses (dead body) -- this is use to compare humans to animals

10) Mock vs. Real Epic (Read pages 451-459)

Both mock and heroic epic poems have the same epic poem style. They both deal with godly like characters and both detail long journeys in which the characters come back with some sort of legend.

Mock epic poems deal with humor and satire in order to get a greater point across. It is this that distinguishes it from a traditional or heroic epic poem. It also deals with outlandish proposals, which are satirical, in order to get a point across. It is used to catch people's attention.

Heroic epic poems are just that: depictions of heroes in an epic format. They are traditional people who go on legendary journeys, or god-like characters that beat all the odds against them. In the end, it is their mythical survival that make them stand out.

11) Alexander Pope (Read pages 445-449)

1. List five examples of antithesis found in Alexander Pope's "Heroic Couplets." Identify the parallelism in each example.

"One speaks the glory of the British queen / and one describes a charming Indian screen."

"Oh thoughtless mortals ever blind to fate, / Too soon dejected and too soon elate."

"On shining altars of Japan they raise / the silver lamps; the fiery spirits blaze"

"From solver spouts the grateful liquors glide, / While China's earth receives the smoking tide."

"He takes the gift with reverence, and extends / the little engine on his fingers' ends"

2. In almost every sentence in our excerpt from "An Essay on Man," Pope says something flattering about the human race, only to follow it with something critical. What characteristics does he think we should be proud of? What does he think we should be ashamed of?

Pope states that men should follow their own paths. These paths are not necessarily chosen and that is what makes human life unique. This idea of being able to follow dreams whole-heartedly and to be able recognize when one has made an error are the characteristics that Pope thinks we should be proud of. On the other hand, it is a person's inability to see past their mistakes and their perceived arrogance that brings weakness to men and it is this that men should be ashamed of.

3. Do you disagree with any of Pope's opinions or pronouncements in the Heroic Couplets or "An Essay on Man"?

I think that it takes a certain personality to be able to follow through with everything that Pope is proposing. He is indeed one that enjoys judging, but it can be difficult to live up to his expectations of men. I do not necessarily disagree with his opinions of his pronouncements in his heroic couplets, but I do think that they are a bit too idealistic.

4. Based on what you have read of "The Rape of the Lock," what do you think the poem's theme or central message is? What or who are the objects of his satire?

The theme of "Rape of the Lock" is that people in the upper society sometimes think that they are too good for everyone else. This causes them to feel vanity and to feel superiority over everyone else. He writes in a satirical manner in order to appeal to the objects of his satire whom are the people of the upper society themselves.

5. Does the epic, "The Rape of the Lock" apply in any way to society today? Identify two passages that could serve as satiric commentaries on people's behavior today. Your answer should discuss both the passage and the comment that applies to contemporary life.

Yes, "The Rape of the Lock" does persist in today's society. The great divide between the lower social class and upper rich class creates this sense of superiority of those on the top, to those on the bottom. Both passages in between lines 53 to 74 depict exactly the feeling that the upper class gives off to the lower class. They make them feel like their servants even though they are not directly working for them. The upper class has this sense that nothing could happen to them, and when it does, it is as if the world is ending for them, not realizing that lower class people battle these things on a daily basis.

12) Analyzing Humor (Read pages 462-470)

Voltaire's humor can be explained by just reading everything that he writes. His writing seems to be comedic in every sense of the word. Understatement can be seen when he constantly refers to death. Instead of making a big deal about death, he mentions it, makes a joke, and then moves on to the next topic as if nothing of importance or dark was said. It is this that makes it particularly comedic and makes his writing humorous. Because Voltaire writes in such a simplistic manner, his humor stands out even more. This again is the understatement in his comedic propositions that make his comedy.

Exaggeration can be seen when Voltaire writes about Candide's father only having seventy-one quarterings, when Baron's sister only has seventy-one. She refers to this as not being good enough even though the difference is only subtle, but the exaggeration of this is what makes it humorous. It should not matter when the difference is this small, but it does point out to the irrational beliefs that the characters had.

An improbable situation is clearly meant to be comedic. Cunegonde is many times involved in accidents that would easily have killed anyone, but yet she survives. There is even an instance when she is disemboweled, but walks out of is as if nothing had occurred. An improbable situation can also be attributed to her character when she speaks about being raped and stabbed, "unless you've been raped by two Burglars, been stabbed in the belly twice..." This line adds comedic value in a shocking way, but makes one think how it was that she was even able to get out of this situation.

Warped logic can be found when Pangloss constantly thinks that everything that happens not only happens for a reason, but that something good always comes from it. He refers to Cunegonde's rape as being for a good thing. His logic for everything is indeed warped in order to provide comedy to such strong and horrific subjects. What is ironic, is that in the end, Pangloss ends up getting murdered, but of course, again it was all for the best.

13) Comparing Satires (Read pages 473-479)

Answer each of these questions in your essay. Make sure to follow the directions for each question.

1. Voltaire wrote Candide more that 230 years ago. In your opinion, how well has his satire held up? What value, if any, does Candide hold for someone growing up into today's world? Does Voltaire's underlying message against intolerance, cruelty, and smugness still apply?

The issues addressed in Candide are still a reality today, topics such as intolerance, smugness (socio-economic problems), and cruelty. The conflicts seen in the Sudan and the Congo, rife with rape, torture, and murder show that Candide is still applicable today. The atrocities Cunegonde suffered are still happening to women today. The rich turning a blind eye to those on the bottom of the socio-economic totem pole is also very prevalent; Wall Street causing millions of people economic harm without any remorse is the same smugness as the Baron's sister refusing to marry Candide's father because he lacked the proper proof of lineage.

2. In his parody, Cervantes uses the techniques of exaggeration, verbal irony, incongruity, and humorous imitation. List one example of each technique used in this selection.

Cervantes uses exaggeration when referring to the descriptions of the windmills. He says that they are slaying giants. Verbal irony is seen in the lines, "bandits are easily elevated into heroes / as men to be admired, helped and supported." An example of incongruity can be seen with his seeing a legendary helmet in the barber's basin. An example of humorous imitation can be seen when Don Quixote is run over by the herd of bulls, but he is instead worried about whether he will die of hunger.

3. A foil is a character that is used as a contrast to another character. In what ways is Sancho Panza a foil to Don Quixote? Identify three behaviors of each of the two men that suggest they are opposites.

Firstly, Sancho Panza is actually the complete opposite of Don Quixote by their sanity alone. Don Quixote lives in his own word and has a warped view of reality, however Sancho Panza is more grounded and know reality from fantasy. Secondly Don Quixote is actually the braver of the two. He is more daring and willing to put his life at risk than Sancho Panza is. And lastly, their characters are different because of Don Quixote's constant optimism. Because Sancho Panza is more grounded and sees things as they are, he tends to have a darker view on life, while Don Quixote actually views everything in a positive light. He sees himself as being invincible.

4. How do Don Quixote's optimism and idealism compare with Candide's? Do both of these characters "tilt at windmills," or do they manifest their philosophies in profoundly different ways? After you have addressed whether or not the main characters are similar or different, I'd like you to address the purpose of each satire, as well as the techniques each author uses to achieve his purpose. Your response should be three paragraphs long.

Don Quixote's optimism and idealism stems from his many years of reading books; his view of the world is distorted by imaginary tales of chivalry and heroism. He views the world in a different way because he has never really been exposed to it. All he knows about reality is what has been told in his fantasy books, which is ironic in itself. In order to face reality he needs to be in the world, but Don Quixote's only reality, up until the moment that he goes on his adventure, has only been in the fantasy world of literature.

Candide on the other hand has seen every aspect of life, good and bad. Voltaire's focus on dark humor directly contrast Cervantes when making reference to the main characters of both novels. Candide can be seen as the more traditional hero, the one who would go out and fight in a war, but come back perfectly fine despite the bloodiness of the battle. Both of the characters carry different philosophies based on their respective life experiences.

The satire used by both authors make both stories unique as well as long lasting. Humor is used by both in different ways. Cervantes uses humor to address satire in Don Quixote's mind. Everything that he sees is not in reality what it truly is, giving the story a sense of childhood fantasy. On the other hand, Voltaire uses a dark component to his humor by making uncomfortable subject matters the object of his comedy. Irony is used successfully by both authors and it is this indeed that keeps the reader's attention. By using these different writing techniques, both stories have survived hundreds of years, and can still be read today as if they were written just a couple years back.

14) Your Views on Women's Rights

Women's status in today's society has grown tenfold in comparison to how it was in the previous centuries. Although it still can do a lot more growing, it has still dramatically changed the way that society functions. Men and women are not completely equal when it comes to the separate roles that each of them have to fulfill. Women now have the opportunity to go out into the workforce in order to prove themselves as being equal to men, but they are not really treated equally once they are out there. Men still get paid more than women do for doing the same job and on top of everything, women are still expected to fulfill their traditional roles of being mother, wife, and housekeeper. So despite the dramatic changes that have occurred, it still falls short to where they should be.

There is however, a better understanding of women's dual role in society. That in itself signifies the progression that society has made in terms of getting closer to true equality between men and women. Feminism is now a common term that is not just associated with women going against societal roles, but of women having the power to choose to do whatever they wish to. Feminism is about choosing to follow those preconceived roles or choosing not to. The term women's rights is preferred over the term human rights because addressing women's issues in a completely different category is necessary. Women have to do deal with things that men would never even be exposed to.