Symbolism and Redemption in Steven Barthelme's "Claire"
"Claire" by Steven Barthelme is a story about a man who has lost the love of his life, Claire, mainly because of an addiction to gambling. Although the couple has parted, and Claire intends to marry someone else, they…
American Individualism, Identity, and the Cost of the Dream
America provides us with huge opportunities. It promises immigrants the possibility of starting life anew in a (whether true or not) an endlessly opportunity-filled country. Children of immigrants can break out of their poverty and classlessness and become paragons of this new society, landing positions in academic and business. Opportunities are endless, but, t the same time, these opportunities can only be achieved at massive loss. Many of the immigrants find out too late that opportunity causes loneliness and rootedness as wells loss of their mother-culture. Melting pot though it no longer is – we believe that each culture is afforded their own space – the quoted authors demonstrate nonetheless that America, still to this present day, imposes a certain pressure to succeed. Success is synonymous with Americanization. It is this that results in the dichotomy of America talking about family values, on the one hand, but preaching and pushing a life of self-sufficiency on the other.
Research Paper
Undergraduate
Aegean Civilizations and Critical Thinking in History
This paper examines three ancient Greek civilizations: the Therans, the Mycenaeans, and the Minoans, from the perspective of a student in a distance learning course who has learned about the three civilizations through a series of prerecorded lectures. The paper consists of four exam-type questions. The questions focus on: the author's opinion of prerecorded lectures, the author's understanding of critical thinking, what most impressed the author about the course, and the basic differences in the three civilizations.