Comparing the Anti-Social Plays of Cyrano de Bergerac and Night of the

The Anti-Social Plays of Cyrano de Bergerac and Night of the Iguana Cyrano is clearly a better example of an anti-social play than Night of the Iguana: Not only is this shown by the main characters and their relationship to each other, but more important, it is shown in the themes of these two plays. Shannon is unmistakably an ideal character for an anti-social play: While Cyrano may be alienated from society, it is, in many ways, through his own choice. For instance, he could have a position at court with his skill with poetry, but instead he chooses to follow his own conscience: "What would you have me do? ... like a creeping vine on a tall tree, crawl upward? ... No thank you!" Cyrano wants to make himself "in all things admirable," and he is: the bravest fighter, the exemplary poet, the quintessential lover, an individualistic moralist (he eats meat on Fridays, but expects to go to Heaven), the finest writer, and the greatest thinker. Shannon, in contrast, is none of these things. A defrocked minister, he is a lover only of teenage girls, and he is neither a poet nor a writer. Shannon is a thinker and a moralist, but these only contribute to his isolation from society: His thoughts on God and morality get him locked out of the church of which he is the pastor. Cyrano is also in control over his relationships: Ragueneau and Le Bret always follow Cyrano's lead when he condescends to tell them what to do; even Roxane could have been his had he not been hindered by his sense of honor. Shannon, on the other hand, is buffeted this way and that by the stronger characters in Iguana. He seems to have control over his relationship with Maxine, but at the end he acquiesces to her wishes. The only rel... ...ef that there is nothing to believe in anymore. The emergence of many philosophies (such as existentialism, atheistic satanism, objectivism, nihilism, and hedonism) which focus on despair or selfishness also reflects this. Anti-social plays, of which we have many in modern times, address the concepts of despair that these influential modern philosophies have in common. What is the way out of the despair that our society feels and the anti-social plays reflect? In a word: humanism. Humanism is a (usually atheistic) philosophy which espouses the well-being of all of the world's people as the highest ethical goal. As a species, we have placed our belief in deities and we have placed our belief in knowledge. Only a belief in ourselves can now save us from the self-destructive downward spiral that the anti-social plays suggest our society has entered.

College Dropouts Essay

It’s safe to assume that everyone who applies for college is taking the first step to improving their lives. We are not forced to go to college like we are grade school. It’s totally optional yet those of us who chose not to attend college are looked down upon in our society. Our generation is under immense pressure to succeed. The first step to success is usually defined by graduating from College and getting a degree. Those of us who chose to go to college away from home are taking a huge risk and testing our ability to be away from our safety zone. Many teenagers don’t realize that it’s a whole new world and they may not be ready to embrace it all at once. Even I often find myself a bit overwhelmed by all the new things I must adapt to. In high school, teachers and counselors were there to guide you, as high school classes are typically smaller than the entering freshman class. It’s a lot harder to get the personalized attention that you’ve been used to and that could turn people off quickly. Sometimes high school doesn’t really prepare students for college because they never get a realistic view of life. Even in high school you’re sheltered and teachers constantly remind you of assignments. Professors won’t waste their time reminding a student of their assignments. You receive a syllabus and they expect you to be aware of all the readings and upcoming assignments. Many turn to the social scene when work is too hard. Eleanor Roosevelt once said,† With freedom comes responsibility. † Some students have lack of self control and have difficulty balancing work and fun. They get stressed out in class and decide to just go out and party instead of doing their homework. Without a college degree it’s hard find a well paying job. During our parents generation it was probably easier to find a job whether you had a high school degree or not. Now those with just high school degrees are lucky to find jobs at fast food restaurants. Times are changing and for the better but the number of college dropouts is still on the rise. A variety of causes lead to the effects of college dropouts. These causes range from internal conflicts within the student to external causes that they can not control. A college degree is very necessary and could determine whether or not a student will be able to support themselves and their future family. I contemplated withdrawing my first few weeks of college because of personal problems. I found it difficult to concentrate in class because of all the things that were going on. I started talking to a counselor and if it wasn’t for him I would have given up those first two weeks. He told me that giving up now was a waste of my life because I’d been in â€Å"training† my whole life for this higher education. I’m glad that I decided to stay and one day when my children attended college I will be understanding of all the things that could cause a student to want to drop out.

Essay on Literature Review on Unemployment - 2933 Words

Literature Review on Unemployment Introduction Unemployment is recognised as one of the most challenging social problems currently facing Australia. In the last two decades and more recently with the global recession high levels of unemployment have become an established feature of the South Australian social and economic landscape, with young people aged 15 to 24 years among those hardest hit by unemployment. In the past quarter the unemployment rate in South Australia has remained steady at 5.6% (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009) but this figure is volatile and may increase next month. The youth unemployment rate, however, in South Australia remains at 21.9% with the Western and Northern suburbs having significantly higher†¦show more content†¦The absence of employment, therefore, can mean that many people do not have vital human needs met such as an opportunity to exercise control, to use and develop skills and have contact with others. The research literature shows a strong association between unemployment and ill health. Some illness is caused by unemployment whilst other health problems are exacerbated by unemployment ( Smith, 1987; Mathers Schofield,1998). An Australian summary of the health and unemployment literature by Mathers and Schofield (1998) identified that unemployment has detrimental effects on mental health, physical health and health related behaviours. Mental Health The evidence that unemployment has negative effects on mental health is strong. Mental health effects on young unemployed people include low self esteem and confidence ( Gurney, 1980; Prause and Dooley, 1997), increased incidence of depression ( Patton and Noller, 1990; Winefield et al, 1993; West Sweeting, 1996), stress related symptoms ( Hammarstrom, 1994) and higher levels of anxiety ( Morrell et al, 1994; West Sweeting,1996). 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