Analysis Of Nabokovs Lolita And The Picture Of Dorian Gray

In Nabokov’s 1955 novel, ‘Lolita’, the fictitious foreword, presented by the equally fictitious John Ray Jr., Ph.D., describes Humbert Humbert as a ‘shining example of moral leprosy’ (Nabokov 1955). However, throughout the novel, Humbert appears to manipulate numerous characters, most of all Dolores Haze and her infatuated mother through his alluring good looks and his sophisticated British manner. Similarly, in Wilde’s 1890 novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, Dorian, also a hideously immoral main character, successfully disguises the true horror of his sins and uses his youthful charm to continue with his upper-class life of excess and perversion. Thus, both characters possess a comparable ‘dark side’, a side which is concealed to†¦show more content†¦This results in the narrative perspective of the novel demonstrating how Humbert attempts to conceal his true nature through, in his own mind, clever ‘ad justments’ to how the story is presented and references to historical figures who shared the same desires as him- ‘Oh Lolita, you are my girl, as Vee was Poe’s and Bea Dante’s’ (Nabokov 1955), yet often reverts to a disposition in which he laments about his monstrous desires. Not only this, but the comparison to famous literary greats suggests that Humbert considers himself to be of their status and thus possesses an idolized version of himself, a self which can easily transform language into ploys to conceal his true nature. Furthermore, Humbert further provides a dishonest narrative through his creation of a ‘grotesque theatrical character’ (Courtier 1996), in order to disassociate himself from the monster he truly is. This is aided by how Nabokov uses a diary-like structure to allow Humbert to experiment with his own format, for example ‘Main character: Humbert the Hummer. Time: Sunday morning in June. Place: sunlit living room.’ (Nabokov 1955) which resembles a script that Humbert himself has created when in reality he is reciting yet another lust-filled encounter with Lolita. Throughout this passage, and the novel, Nabokov switches from third person to first person narrative which further illustrates Humbert’s confusion over his desires, and how heShow MoreRelatedWhen Art Imitates Art757 Words   |  3 Pagessoul to him because of greed, is based on the story of Doctor Faustus, a person who sells his soul to the Devil to gain unlimited knowledge and all the worldly p leasures. o â€Å"Dont Stand So Close to Me† by The Police was inspired by Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita, as is clear in the lyrics: Its no use he sees her. He starts to shake and cough. Just like the old man in. That book by Nabokov. o â€Å"Samson† by Regina Spektor with lyrics such as:† Samson came to my bed. Told me that my hair was red.

Compensating Kidney Donors - 2554 Words

Organ Donation: Legalizing Human Kidney Sales The process of organ donation has existed for many years and throughout that time the system has endured controversies and changes. One of those changes occurred in the late 1960s when the development of immunosuppressive drugs made it possible for people to donate organs to patients who were not related to them (Fentiman 43). This discovery benefited many patients in need of a transplant, but also opened the door to controversies such as organ sales. The first proposal to sell organs came from Virginia physician Dr. H. Barry Jacobs in 1983. He suggested that whoever could afford to buy a kidney should be allowed to do so. As a result of Dr. Jacobs’s proposal, Congress banned the sale of†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ailing, rich patients are buying kidneys from the poor and desperate in burgeoning black markets. Clandestine kidney-sellers get little medical follow-up, buyers often catch hepatitis or HIV, and both endure the consequences of slap-dash surgery† (â€Å"Psst, Wanna . . . † 15). This dangerous alternative provides one example of why the current organ donation system needs to be revised. Another example is that some patients pay to register with internet sites that try to help find organ donors. One site, Matchingdonors.com, charges a lifetime fee of $595 (Postrel 124). Not only do patients spend unnecessary amounts of money on these sites, many who find donors get rejected by hospitals. Hospitals fear that strangers designating a recipient may receive some sort of compensation for their donation (Postrel 124). The refusal of sick patients provides just another reason why the current organ donation system needs to be altered. A new system that provides kidney donors with compensation would correct many of the current system’s problems, and increase the donor pool. The new system would allow donors to sell their kidney at a set price. Kidneys would go to recipients in the same way they do now; through the waiting list, whether the patient is rich or poor. Compensation comes from the recipient’s insurance, such as Medicare. To insure the safety of the reciepient and donor, every donor would be medically andShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Organ Donation1371 Words   |  6 Pagesviolated to make some extra cash, which could be obtained legally if compensation for donors were legal. In 2005, about one thousand two hundred people died waiting for a kidney transplant, something that could have been prevented if only there wasn’t an organ shortage. The shortage of organs can be tied to the financial devastation that organ donors often succumb to because of medical bills, loss of work, etc. Organ donors should be reimbursed because the selling of organs on the black market would decreaseRead MoreGovernment Compensation For Organ Donation1371 Words   |  6 PagesGovernment Compensation for Organ Donation From an early age, I knew that I would be an organ donor, and when I turned sixteen I began participating in blood drives at my high school. Donating blood became routine, something that my husband and I continue to do together. The reason behind why I donate blood is because it would be quite selfish of me to deny someone, even a complete stranger the gift of life when I am fully capable of giving it. However, the sad reality is that many Americans chooseRead MoreFinancial Compensation for Organ Donation Essay1307 Words   |  6 Pagesdonation, yet only one out of four will ever receive that precious gift (Statistics Facts, n.d.). The demand for organ donation has consistently exceeded supply, and the gap between the number of recipients on the waiting list and the number of donors has increased by 110% in the last ten years (OReilly, 2009). As a result, some propose radical new ideas to meet these demands, including the selling of human organs. Financial compensation for organ s, which is illegal in the United States, isRead MoreOrgan Donation Essay915 Words   |  4 Pagesthe numerous deaths. A way to resolve this problem is to compensate organ donors. Donors should be reimbursed for their donations because it allows patients to be given their organs faster, will help end organ shortages, and the donors should receive compensation for their hospital stay, along with other expenses that the donor typically has to pay out of their pocket. This controversial topic of compensation for organ donors has been concerning more and more people, because some individuals thinkRead MoreIllegal Sale Of Human Organs1031 Words   |  5 Pagescontact with unscrupulous greedy criminals to secure themselves a kidney or any other type of human organ they may need. The idea that a person’s organ can be purchased online or through a dealer like a car is unethical and objectionable. Potential causes for the thriving black market and criminal activity is the dwindling supply of donated organs and the higher demand for organ transplants, along with the desperation of both the donor and the organ recipient. The crisis surrounding the shortages ofRead MoreSally Satels Organ for Sale.1154 Words   |  5 Pagesserves on the advisory committee of the  Center for Mental Health Services  of the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. After being diagnosed in 2004 with  chronic renal failure, Virginia Postrel, a friend and also a writer donated a  kidney to Satel  on March 4, 2006. Satel adopts an unbiased tone in order to appeal to the emotional feelings of the People of United States by carefully outlining reasons to back her argument most of which were personal experiences. Her argument appearedRead MoreOrgan Donation Shortage- Problem-Solution Essay2591 Words   |  11 Pagesshortage Organ donation shortage When receiving a driver’s license in the United States, there is a section on the back in which it asks if the licensed driver would like to become an organ donor. Most people overlook this option. Nothing is really pushed forth for people wanting to become organ donors. Today in the U.S, thousands of people need organ transplants. Unfortunately, there is a growing shortage of donated organs. Many people die every year because there are not enough organs readyRead MoreThe Problem Of Organ Transplants1528 Words   |  7 Pagesamongst America and countries all over the world. Thousands of people sit on waiting lists in hopes to receive a new organ never knowing if they will actually receive one before their delicate organ gives up. Although many people are willing to be donors upon the time of their own death, the shortage of organs hangs over the patients and families who deal with the reality of an organ shortage every day. One solution that has been proposed is allowing peop le to be able to sell their own organs in orderRead MoreOrgan Donation1636 Words   |  7 Pagesexpected. When this happens, families mourn the loss of the loved one. However, do people mourn the loss of another life if the individual is not an organ donor? The National Kidney Foundation believes that â€Å"legalizing payments of human organs† should continue to be opposed, as codified in the third title of the National Organ Transplant Act. (National Kidney Foundation 220). If this title is changed, then there will be multiple unexpected side effects that could corrupt the system of organ donation toRead MoreShould The Sale Of Organs Become Legalized?1494 Words   |  6 Pagesperson. However in the United States an average of twenty one people die each day waiting for transplants due to shortages of donated organs according to the Government run website Organdoner.gov. It s not as though the others will eventually get kidneys if they just wait, sustained in the meantime b y dialysis. In the next year, nearly four thousand of those patients will die waiting. At least twelve hundred others will eventually end up off the list because they develop complications that make them

Nuclear threat Free Essays

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has become a metaphor for 21st-century security concerns. Although nuclear weapons have not been used since the end of World War II, their influence on international security affairs is pervasive, and possession of WMD remains an important divide in international politics today (Norris 61). The nuclear postures of the former Cold War rivals have evolved more slowly than the fast-breaking political developments of the decade or so that has elapsed since the former Soviet Union collapsed. We will write a custom essay sample on Nuclear threat or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nevertheless, some important changes have already taken place. By mutual consent, the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty of 1972 was terminated by the United States and Russia, which have agreed to modify their nuclear offensive force posture significantly through a large reduction in the number of deployed delivery systems. Nuclear weapons are no longer at the center of this bilateral relationship. Although the two nations are pursuing divergent doctrines for their residual nuclear weapons posture, neither approach poses a threat to the other. The structure, but not the detailed content, of the future U.S. nuclear posture was expressed in the 2002 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which established a significant doctrinal shift from deterrence to a more complex approach to addressing the problem of proliferated WMD. The Russian doctrinal adaptation to the post-Cold War security environment is somewhat more opaque. The government appears to be focused on developing and fielding low-yield weapons that are more suitable for tactical use, though the current building of new missiles and warheads may be associated with new strategic nuclear payloads as well. Despite the diminished post ­Cold War role of nuclear weapons in the United States, the cumulative deterioration of Russia’s conventional military force since 1991 has actually made nuclear weapons more central to that government’s defense policy. The end of the adversarial relationship with the Soviet Union (and later, the Russian Federation) had to be taken into account in the NPR. The current nuclear posture is evolving in a manner parallel to the modernization of the U.S. non-nuclear military establishment. In stark contrast to Cold War ­era military planning, the 21st century is likely to be characterized by circumstances in which the adversary is not well known far in advance of a potential confrontation. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is adjusting to these new circumstances by developing highly capable and flexible military forces that can adapt to the characteristics of adversaries as they appear. This makes the traditional path to modernization through investment in weapons systems as the threat emerges economically infeasible. Modern information technology lets the military change the characteristics of its flexible weapons and forces in much less time than it would take to develop whole new weapons systems. Thus, DOD is attempting to create a military information system: the integrated effect of command-control-communications-computation-intelligence-surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). This system is inherently more flexible for adapting to changes in the threat environment. WMD and the means to deliver them are mature technologies, and knowledge of how to create such capabilities is widely distributed. Moreover, the relative cost of these capabilities declined sharply toward the end of the 20th century. Today, the poorest nations on earth (such as North Korea and Pakistan) have found WMD to be the most attractive course available to meet their security needs (Lieggi 2). Proliferation of WMD was stimulated as an unintended consequence of a U.S. failure to invest in technologies such as ballistic missile defense that could have dissuaded nations from investing in such weapons. The United States’ preoccupation with deterring the Soviet Union incorporated the erroneous assumption that success in that arena would deter proliferation elsewhere (Barnaby 7). This mistake was compounded by the perverse interaction between defense policy and arms control in the 1990s. Misplaced confidence was lodged in a network of multilateral agreements and practices to prevent proliferation that contributed to obscuring rather than illuminating what was happening. Confidence placed in the inspection provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), for example, obscured efforts to obtain knowledge of clandestine WMD programs. NPT signatories were among those nations with clandestine WMD programs. Without a modernization of defense policy, the ready availability of WMD-related technology will converge with their declining relative cost and a fatally flawed arms control structure to stimulate further proliferation in the 21st century. The process whereby WMD and ballistic missile technology has proliferated among a group of nations that otherwise share no common interests are likely to become the template for 21st-century proliferation. The scope of this problem was recognized in part as a result of a comprehensive review of intelligence data in 1997 ­1998 by the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States (the Rumsfeld Commission). This recognition swiftly evolved into a set of significant policy initiatives that responded to changes in the international security environment. The arms control arrangements most closely identified with the adversarial relationship with the former Soviet Union were passà ©. In 1999 the Senate refused to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; the United States and Russia ended the 1972 ABM Treaty and agreed to jettison the START process, which kept nuclear deployments at Cold War levels in favor of much deeper reductions in offensive forces in 2002. U.S. policy began to evolve in response to these developments. The incompatibility between the Cold War legacy nuclear posture and the 21st-century security environment stimulated a search for approaches to modernize policies pertinent to nuclear weapons. In response to statutory direction, the Bush administration published the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Nuclear Posture Review, the National Defense Strategy of the United States, and the National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction. Taken together, these documents constitute the most profound change in U.S. policy related to nuclear weapons since the Eisenhower administration (Krepon 1).  The unique capabilities of nuclear weapons may still be required in some circumstances, but the range of alternatives to them is much greater today. The evolution of technology has created an opportunity to move from a policy that deters through the threat of massive retaliation to one that can reasonably aspire to the more demanding aim–to dissuade. If adversary WMD systems can be held at risk through a combination of precision non-nuclear strike and active defense, nuclear weapons are less necessary (Albright 2). By developing a military capability that holds a proliferators’ entire WMD posture at risk rather than relying solely on the ability to deter the threat or use of WMD after they have been developed, produced, and deployed, the prospects for reducing the role of WMD in international politics are much improved. The 21st-century proliferation problem creates a set of targets significantly different from those that existed during the Cold War. Few targets can be held at risk only by nuclear weapons, but the ones that are appropriate may require different characteristics and, in many circumstances, different designs than those currently in the nuclear stockpile. The nature of the targets and the scope of the potential threat also alter the character of the underlying scientific, engineering, and industrial infrastructure that supports the nuclear weapons posture.   This research paper will therefore seek to discuss the problem of nuclear devices or WMDs (as they are presently termed) and try to address to current policy issues surrounding the matter. RESEARCH OUTLINE: INTRODUCTION: a.)    what is the problem surrounding nuclear threats in the 21st century b.)    what are the recent developments surrounding this issue c.)    what solutions have been successful in addressing these problem BODY: a.)    who are nuclear threats b.)    what has been done to stop c.)    What can be done? d.)   What can the US do? What can the UN do? CONCLUSION: References: Robert Norris and Hans Kristensen, â€Å"Chinese Nuclear Forces, 2006,† Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 62. no. 3 (2006): 61. Stephanie Lieggi, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, â€Å"Going Beyond the Stir: the strategic realities of China’s No First Use policy,† Nuclear Threat Initiative, http://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/realities-chinas-no-first-use-policy/ (accessed June 30, 2006). Frank Barnaby and Shaun Barnie, Thinking the Unthinkable: Japanese nuclear power and proliferation in East Asia (Oxford, UK: Oxford Research Group and Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center, 2005): 7†³8. George Perkovich, India’s Nuclear Bomb: The Impact on Global Proliferation, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.) Michael Krepon, Rodney W. Jones Ziad Haider eds., â€Å"Escalation Control the Nuclear Option in South Asia,† The Henry L. Stimson Center, September 2004, https://www.stimson.org/?id=191, (May 2005). Text of â€Å"Export Controls on Goods, Technologies, Material, and Equipment Related to Nuclear and Biological Weapons and their Delivery Systems Act, 2004,† Published in Gazette of Pakistan, 27 September 2004, Cited at, http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/ Infcircs/2004/infcirc636.pdf, (May 2005). Michael Krepon and Chris Gagne eds., â€Å"The Stability-Instability Paradox: Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Brinksmanship in South Asia,† The Henry L. Stimson Center, June 2001, https://www.stimson.org/research?ID=1, (May 2005). Feroz Hassan Khan, â€Å"The Independence-Dependence Paradox: Stability Dilemmas in South Asia,† Arms Control Association, October 2003, https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2003_10/Khan_10, (May 2005). Ashley J. Tellis, India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture: Between Recessed Deterrent and Ready Arsenal, (Santa Monica: Rand, 2001.) How to cite Nuclear threat, Essay examples

Rizal X Reaction Paper free essay sample

I was really touched and emotionally affected at how they related the chapter of Crispin and Basilio and that of Cecil to informal settlers and OFWs respectively. It made me realize that occurrences and events that Rizal wrote about more than a hundred years ago are still happening today. Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are still highly relevant today. There are still young Crispins and Basillions out there. Proof of this: just take a look at the street children out there selling sampaguitas and begging for alms. Notice the teenagers out already working and toiling despite being underage. Cecils also still live among us. There are still women out there who are suffering the unspeakable alone. There are still people out there that are driven mad by the plight they suffer. Our women are still relentlessly raped and abused overseas every day. Our women are still treated like animals by certain groups and people. We will write a custom essay sample on Rizal X Reaction Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then there’s Rizal’s love life. This is perhaps one of the highlights of the play. Normally when discussing the women that Rizal got involved with, people and authors tend to highlight how noble and selfless Rizal was with the sacrifices he made by leaving these women. It is usually just Rizal’s pain and heartaches that is put into the spotlight. This segment of the play provides a unique and much sadder side to the story; the point of view of the women. I have never before seen or read anything that looked at Rizal’s love life by the perspective of the women he loved. It deeply saddened me to watch this part. I just now realized that it must have really hurt for these women to endure what they did. Rizal wasn’t the only one who was making a sacrifice. These women suffered just as much as Rizal did. I berate myself for realizing this fact just now. I have gained a higher sense of respect towards Rizal’s former lovers. I believe that I might possible forget most details of this play in the future, but not this lesson. There’s also the scene at the play where the statue at Araneta actually comes alive and starts rejoicing that the problems Rizal faced have been solved. I really felt a bit depressed by this portion of the play. After a hundred years, we’re still stuck with the basic set of problems that the Filipinos faced under the Spanish Regime. There are still Padre Damasos ruling over the weak and ignorant out there. There are still the kind but naive Guevarras out there. While the Spanish are no longer in power, there are still tyrants that hold government office. Human rights and freedom are still suppressed. Portrayed next are the OFWs. The play shows how our countrymen are forced to menial and downgrading jobs in order to sustain their families. Their bravery and their sacrifice are vividly portrayed in the various scenes, especially where they slowly undress from having respectable clothes to those that are menial (From Doctor, to nurse, to Nursing Aide). The degrading of our fellow Filipinos made my heart feel deep sorrow. The plight that they encounter made me realize just how lucky my family is. Then there’s the inevitable part of every Rizal-related play – the appeal to nationalism. The actors and actresses appealed to the audience to act and change the way things are playing out. Rizal’s famous quote, â€Å"The youth is the future of our nation†, became the overall theme of the play. The Youth were encouraged to do their part and to strive to be the change our society needs. It is never too late. The change that people are desperately looking for can be achieved if Filipinos just banded together and persevered. The process of change would be slow and tedious. But if people won’t give up, then nothing is impossible. Overall, I really appreciated watching Rizal X. I’m not a huge fan of watching theatre, but with plays like these I might just change my mind. I really hope that I get to watch Filipino made plays or even films with the same quality as this.

Rizal X Reaction Paper free essay sample

I was really touched and emotionally affected at how they related the chapter of Crispin and Basilio and that of Cecil to informal settlers and OFWs respectively. It made me realize that occurrences and events that Rizal wrote about more than a hundred years ago are still happening today. Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are still highly relevant today. There are still young Crispins and Basillions out there. Proof of this: just take a look at the street children out there selling sampaguitas and begging for alms. Notice the teenagers out already working and toiling despite being underage. Cecils also still live among us. There are still women out there who are suffering the unspeakable alone. There are still people out there that are driven mad by the plight they suffer. Our women are still relentlessly raped and abused overseas every day. Our women are still treated like animals by certain groups and people. We will write a custom essay sample on Rizal X Reaction Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then there’s Rizal’s love life. This is perhaps one of the highlights of the play. Normally when discussing the women that Rizal got involved with, people and authors tend to highlight how noble and selfless Rizal was with the sacrifices he made by leaving these women. It is usually just Rizal’s pain and heartaches that is put into the spotlight. This segment of the play provides a unique and much sadder side to the story; the point of view of the women. I have never before seen or read anything that looked at Rizal’s love life by the perspective of the women he loved. It deeply saddened me to watch this part. I just now realized that it must have really hurt for these women to endure what they did. Rizal wasn’t the only one who was making a sacrifice. These women suffered just as much as Rizal did. I berate myself for realizing this fact just now. I have gained a higher sense of respect towards Rizal’s former lovers. I believe that I might possible forget most details of this play in the future, but not this lesson. There’s also the scene at the play where the statue at Araneta actually comes alive and starts rejoicing that the problems Rizal faced have been solved. I really felt a bit depressed by this portion of the play. After a hundred years, we’re still stuck with the basic set of problems that the Filipinos faced under the Spanish Regime. There are still Padre Damasos ruling over the weak and ignorant out there. There are still the kind but naive Guevarras out there. While the Spanish are no longer in power, there are still tyrants that hold government office. Human rights and freedom are still suppressed. Portrayed next are the OFWs. The play shows how our countrymen are forced to menial and downgrading jobs in order to sustain their families. Their bravery and their sacrifice are vividly portrayed in the various scenes, especially where they slowly undress from having respectable clothes to those that are menial (From Doctor, to nurse, to Nursing Aide). The degrading of our fellow Filipinos made my heart feel deep sorrow. The plight that they encounter made me realize just how lucky my family is. Then there’s the inevitable part of every Rizal-related play – the appeal to nationalism. The actors and actresses appealed to the audience to act and change the way things are playing out. Rizal’s famous quote, â€Å"The youth is the future of our nation†, became the overall theme of the play. The Youth were encouraged to do their part and to strive to be the change our society needs. It is never too late. The change that people are desperately looking for can be achieved if Filipinos just banded together and persevered. The process of change would be slow and tedious. But if people won’t give up, then nothing is impossible. Overall, I really appreciated watching Rizal X. I’m not a huge fan of watching theatre, but with plays like these I might just change my mind. I really hope that I get to watch Filipino made plays or even films with the same quality as this.