Jean Jacques Audubon :: Expository Essays

Jean Jacques Audubon Realizing that the natural environment requires protection from the wiles of the human race, individuals have organized societies that work to support the protection of species around the globe. I have always loved and supported those that support the environment. So, when I would hear of the National Audubon Society, I instinctively pictured Audubon as a wildlife conservationist and someone I liked very much. I heard about Jean Jacques Audubon before, and at least I thought I knew him very well. But my perception of Audubon always stemmed from his association to the society named after him, not from the writings of the man himself. Needless to say, I liked him very much when I knew less about him. Or so I thought†¦ Never have my feelings toward an individual fluctuated as much as they have in the past two weeks. Upon reading excerpts from Audubon’s journals, I could not help but dislike certain aspects of the individual. How could any society uphold the name of a man who would shoot birds by the dozen and stick wire through them to paint them? Artists are supposed to appreciate the natural world, not destroy it. At the same time, how could he depict reality, if his specimens were manipulated into specific positions, positions that met the painter’s eye and not reality at all? These thoughts and many more spiraled through my mind as my stomach squirmed in indignation of Audubon’s atrocities. I was livid at the fact that the plentitude of living species he described are no longer plentiful today. I could not believe that a naturalist was among the first to contribute to the decline of the species of my home state. Even the name of his pilot, Egan, sent chills through me wh en Audubon wrote that Egan was the ‘professional hunter of Sea Cows or Manatees for the Havana market’. I could not believe my eyes and cringed at the idea of reading any more about the famous Audubon expedition. In my mind, Audubon registered, not as a painter, but as a hunter, who was hell-bent on getting his studies done in time to meet the expectation of his American and European patrons. Dollar signs, not the sun, glittered in his eyes. I found myself rooting for one hundred and seventy-two year old birds, hoping that they would hear me and fly away before Audubon arrived. Jean Jacques Audubon :: Expository Essays Jean Jacques Audubon Realizing that the natural environment requires protection from the wiles of the human race, individuals have organized societies that work to support the protection of species around the globe. I have always loved and supported those that support the environment. So, when I would hear of the National Audubon Society, I instinctively pictured Audubon as a wildlife conservationist and someone I liked very much. I heard about Jean Jacques Audubon before, and at least I thought I knew him very well. But my perception of Audubon always stemmed from his association to the society named after him, not from the writings of the man himself. Needless to say, I liked him very much when I knew less about him. Or so I thought†¦ Never have my feelings toward an individual fluctuated as much as they have in the past two weeks. Upon reading excerpts from Audubon’s journals, I could not help but dislike certain aspects of the individual. How could any society uphold the name of a man who would shoot birds by the dozen and stick wire through them to paint them? Artists are supposed to appreciate the natural world, not destroy it. At the same time, how could he depict reality, if his specimens were manipulated into specific positions, positions that met the painter’s eye and not reality at all? These thoughts and many more spiraled through my mind as my stomach squirmed in indignation of Audubon’s atrocities. I was livid at the fact that the plentitude of living species he described are no longer plentiful today. I could not believe that a naturalist was among the first to contribute to the decline of the species of my home state. Even the name of his pilot, Egan, sent chills through me wh en Audubon wrote that Egan was the ‘professional hunter of Sea Cows or Manatees for the Havana market’. I could not believe my eyes and cringed at the idea of reading any more about the famous Audubon expedition. In my mind, Audubon registered, not as a painter, but as a hunter, who was hell-bent on getting his studies done in time to meet the expectation of his American and European patrons. Dollar signs, not the sun, glittered in his eyes. I found myself rooting for one hundred and seventy-two year old birds, hoping that they would hear me and fly away before Audubon arrived.

Animals Deserve Rights Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essa

Animals Deserve Rights It is the notion of our time that non-human animals exist for the advancement of the human species. In whatever field -- cookery, fashion, blood-sports -- it is held that we can only be concerned with animals as far as human interests exist. There may be some sympathy for those animals, as to limit practices which cause excruciating suffering, but those may only be limited if they are brought to public light, and if legislators receive enough pressure from the public to change. However, it is the purpose of this essay to convince the reader otherwise. The question at hand is: do animals deserve rights? It must certainly be true. Humans deserve rights and this claim is made on numerous appeals. Of one of the pertinent pleas is made on the claim that humans can feel emotions. More importantly, that humans are capable of suffering, and that to inflict such pain is unethical. Those who observe the tortures of the Nazi Concentration Camp are instilled with a humane creed held for all humans. But if there is no significant gulf between humans, that is to say there is no gulf based on skin color, creed, or gender that will make one human more or less valuable than any other, then by what right can a gulf be drawn out between humans and our fellow creatures? The suffering of humans is why we sympathize with each other. Since animals suffer, they deserve our sympathy. There is no real gulf separating the species. We all can feel suffering in the same manner. A racist's reasoning is flawed because he claims that one race is undeserving of sympathy, despite that it may be capable of suffering. Similarly, to claim that an animal deserves no rights or sympathy is faulty on the same reasoning. It creates a gu... ..., economics, and humaneness prefer otherwise. Therefore, Vegetarianism is the first logical step in Animal Rights. If we continue to kill and eat them, then what real recognition of their rights has there been? Another area where their rights are disregarded is in blood-sports, where creatures are hunted and killed for some sake of pleasure -- that terror in the hearts of animals brings warmth to the hearts of men. Vivisection, or experimental torture, is another area. To advance knowledge, they will sacrifice the lives of millions, to die in brutal and heartless tortures. The advancement of humaneness will come with abolition of these cruel and vicious practices. Those of us who work for the progression of the rights of animals and for truly equal rights of conscious beings are bold and ardent in our efforts. For the betterment of our fellow creatures is our cause.

Napoleons Failure to Dominate Europe Essay -- history

Napoleon's Failure to Dominate Europe A ruler's reputation comes from the change that he inflicts upon his subjects, territory, and surrounding lands. Napoleon Bonaparte rose into power during the French Revolution, causing drastic changes not only to France, but to the rest of Europe as well. His domestic and foreign policies were not always successful, but his ability to rule was undeniable. From his rising in power and reform of France, up until his military defeat in Russia, Napoleon succeeded in gaining a considerate amount of power and control. In France, Napoleon used his power to make many reforms in all aspects of life. He incorporated a national bank, public schools, and constructed new roads. With these changes, he also enforced the Concordat of 1801 and the Napoleonic Codes of Law. While the Concordat focused mainly on Church affairs, the Code Napoleon covered a broad spectrum of new ideas and reforms. Code Napoleon made France "more peaceful at home than it had been for many years," (Modern Times 58) and it was one of his "most lasting domestic achievements." (World History 641) It was made to have one code of laws for all of France, instead of many separate legal systems. The Civil Code recognized each individual's equality and privileges. Some other changes included the supporting of religious toleration, right of divorce, and civil marriage. Private property, inheritance, and business laws were affected as well. Promotion for civil and military offi...

07.03 Immigration

Graphic Organizer: Immigrant Journals| Lee Chew| Mary Antin| What is the main idea expressed in the author’s journal? | Â  Mistreatment of the Chinese| Â  The equality and freedom in America| Is the author happy or unhappy with his/her experience in America? | Â  Unhappy| Â  Happy| Explain one experience the author had that reflects his/her view of America. | Â  He talks about how he is unable to bring his wife to America over from China or marry an American woman, but how the Irish, Germans, Englishmen, and Italians are treated much nicer than the Chinese. She talks about how she was able to go to school without fees, examinations, machinations, rulings, and no questions asked. She was able to get education for free. | List at least three words from the journal entries that reflect the author’s point of view toward America. | Â  Mean, Misfortune, and Ignorant| Â  Hope, Delight, and Treasure | Two of the writers, Emma and Mary, thought of America as a place of fr eedom and hope, while the third writer, Lee saw that America as an injustice place to live.Mary’s journal excerpt was her experience of coming at living in America for the first time. Her story was a story of hope and happiness, of a little Russian girl able to receive free education with no tests, papers, or anything really in return. Emma’s poem was also very hopeful and happy. Instead of writing about her story of coming to America, she wrote about the symbolism that the Statue of Liberty held.She saw the Statue of Liberty as a place Americas welcoming to the homeless, jobless, and the poor. Were all those people could have a second chance of life and a first chance of freedom, but Lee’s point of view differs with these two writers. He believes that America is an unfair to his race and culture, while other immigrants get treated better. He feels discriminated and that nobody will do or does anything to help him and the rest of his Chinese culture.In my opinio n, I believe our attitudes, as Americans, toward immigrants are very different from the sentiments stated on the Statue of Liberty. Most Americans would not want to welcome the homeless and poor. Also many Americans feel that immigrants are taking jobs away from American citizens; especially now in that we are in a recession. So most Americans would probably have a ver changed opinion from the sentiments of the Statue of Liberty.

Machiavelli: The Realist Essay

Machiavelli revolutionized the way the worldviews politics. However, when we read his writings today, the ideas don’t seem very revolutionary. This is because his thoughts came to embody political structure. Machiavelli is known for being the first political philosopher to apply realism to politics. Machiavelli wanted to find a solution to his dark reality. Machiavelli’s The Prince presents us with the reality of the political arena, and provides us with the tools to work with human nature and its shortcomings. The Prince was written as a guide for Lorenzo de’Medici of Florence to stay in power. However, Lorenzo did not agree with Machiavelli’s assumptions. Machiavelli wants to restore pride and honor to Italy (Lerner, 1950). He offers a guide of how to accomplish this in the Prince. Machiavelli wrote the Prince when Europe was engulfed in civil wars. Machiavelli challenged the idea of divine right (Lerner, 1950). Machiavelli proposed the evolution of a ne w ruler, not chosen by divine right or heritage, but by military conquest. Previous to the publication of The Prince, Machiavelli had witnessed devastation in Italy (Lerner, 1950). Machiavelli witnessed how power struggles and contradicting principles lead to the destruction of his nation. He wanted to offer a solution to his reality in The Prince. A nation wants stability, security, and prosperity. If the prince can provide all three while maintaining the common wealth of the people, then the ends justify the means. During the time at which Machiavelli wrote The Prince, these were revolutionary thoughts. Machiavelli’s writing was revolutionary for humanists in this era. He chose not analyze rule with divine foundations (Lerner, 1950). He rejected the notion of theology and divine right. Machiavelli decided to take a unique route. Machiavelli’s work is based on political realism. Machiavelli was the first to openly distinguish what we believe man to be, and who he really is. By acknowledging what human nature truly is, he was able to analyze the ways in which Princes can manipulate the people and their power to create a stable nation. This realism had never before been brought into political  thinking. Machiavelli argues that an ordinary citizen is the best person to analyze the ruling party. He argues that his bird’s eye view is the reason he is best suited for such analysis, â€Å"For the aim of the people is more honest than that of nobility, the latter desiring to oppress, and the former merely to avoid oppression† (Santoni, 112). Machiavelli acknowledges what Politics are rather then what then what we want them to be. Machiavelli does not say that politics can do everything and he does not say that politics can solve all societies problems. In The Prince, Machiavelli lays down the foundation for what a governor can do to maintain security, prosperity, and stability. Machiavelli does however, acknowledge that he cannot explain human nature, but rather the patterns that lie within it. Machiavelli acknowledges that he is an observer in The Prince. He uses an analogy of a man on a hill to explain the nature of his observation (Lerner, 1950). The man on the hill has t he best view of the landscape. As a citizen he has observed the patterns in decision-making made by politicians and was able to interpret them. Politics cannot answer all the questions in our society. Political thinking can only help to provide us with the framework with which we govern and are governed. The conflicting ethical principles are what cause the controversy. Machiavelli acknowledges this fact and shows that ethics are not what define politics, but are rather a component. Machiavelli argues that a Prince must be able to manipulate the attitudes of the people. Machiavelli speaks of the state. He speaks of national stability. He acknowledges that citizens and there beliefs are components of the state. The political realism emphasized in The Prince does not simply mean to accept ‘reason of the state’ as legitimacy and letting liberties be crushed (Lerner, 1950). The realism urges leaders to strive for coercion of principles. A leader unified under his people is most powerful. In The Prince, Machiavelli offers a solution to the unsuccessful development of states. The Prince gains territory by victory and sets solid foundations for the territory to flourish upon, â€Å"One, however, who becomes Prince by favor of the populace, must maintain friendship, which he will find easy, the people asking nothing but not to be oppressed†(Santoni, 1950). Machiavelli believes that a good nation with just laws will develop from an efficient military. He is not arguing that you need a war to create a state,  but rather a successful victory can create a solid foundation of the state. Machiavelli understands human nature and decides to work with it rather than disregard our flaws. He knows we are not all good, but acknowledges that there is potential for us to change (Lerner, 1950). Machiavelli does not argue that the goals of politicians are always good. Machiavelli acknowledges that politicians ruthlessly seek power (Lerner, 1950). They do not care how it will affect the people. This is where a politician’s career crumbles. As noted in The Prince, you cannot rule a populace who hates you. They will overthrow you. Therefore, a prince must unite the people under his rule in order to obtain success. Human nature is the evil that is unconquerable. People will never stop having selfish motives. Therefore, we must learn to coordinate these desires. The Prince must give the people stability, security and prosperity. If he does this, then the people will dare not challenge him. Machiavelli does not provide us with an explanation of basic human nature but rather a framework, which we can use to govern and be governed. Machiavelli wants to improve politics. In the Prince he offers a plan of how to govern and how the people should be governed. He accepts that human nature is flawed. He knows that rulers are power hungry (Lerner, 1950). He also acknowledges that a ruler will not have a populace to rule if the populace hates him. Machiavelli accepts what our politics is, and tells us of what it should be. Just because human nature is flawed, doesn’t mean we are hopeless. Humanity can achieve prosperity, security, and stability if achieved within the right framework. This framework is presented in The Prince. Machiavelli is simply providing genuine insights into social organization as the foundation for Politics (Lerner, 1950). He is clear and logical. Emotion and ethics are only a small part of Machiavelli’s framework, â€Å"Everybody sees what you appear to be, few feel what you are, and those few will not dare oppose themselves to the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them† (Santoni, 123). Machiavelli provides guidance for leaders for tasks such as dealing with newly acquired territory, choosing administrators, how to conduct diplomacy, and warfare (Lerner, 1950). Machiavelli gives specific examples of the way to govern newly acquired territory. He uses various situations by which a Prince could  acquire new territory and how he should govern the territory. Machiavelli is sensitive to the principles of the people of the newly acquired territory. He acknowledges that the people will overthrow the leader if he crosses them, â€Å"One who by his own valor and measures animates the mass of the people, he will not find himself deceived by them, he will find he has laid his foundations well† (Santoni, 114). To be a Prince you must be feared by your people, but not hated. Hatred will lead to destruction. Machiavelli wants the prince to form an atmosphere in which the people fear him, but also highly respect him (Lerner, 1950). The fear comes from the potential use of force by the Prince’s military against them. Machiavelli argues that a prince’s sole obligation is to protect the nation; a prince is in control of the military an d is in charge of national security. By proving military dominance, you gain power (Lerner, 1950). With this power, you can manipulate the interests of the people. Machiavelli believes that humans are in control of their actions that curb their destinies. Machiavelli also argues that humans do not have control over all events. A prince must only take into account what benefits the state when making decisions concerning the state. Machiavelli acknowledges that it is not morality of divinity that will get Italy out of this terrible mess (Lerner, 1950). Machiavelli argues that self-interest and self-protection, hence national interests, should be pursued ruthlessly. A prince can only commit cruelty if his ends justify his means, â€Å"A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and faithful†(Santoni, 113). If he is being cruel for the benefit of the nation, then so be it, â€Å"In the actions of men and especially of Princes, from which there is no appeal, the end justifies the means† (Santoni, 123). Many criticized Machiavelli for being Anti-Christ and attempting to redirect our society towards immorality (Lerner, 1950). These people could not come to grasp with reality. They did not want to believe his words were true. It is apparent that Machiavelli’s ideas were far beyond his time. All humans have part of them that is ethical and normative, but we are also stubborn (Lerner, 1950). This stubbornness results in two sides of political thought. Those who pursue some passionate ideal and those who accept reality and look for solutions to our shortcomings. The prince embodies the foundations for Politics; the struggle between ethical or realistic reasoning. Machiavelli does not adhere to the  ideas of reformers or idealists. He is a realist. He gives concrete examples of ways in which a prince should govern and how a people are to be ruled. Ideals and ethics are not powerful techniques in politics. A successful statesman is an artist (Lerner, 1950). He knows how to manipulate the attitudes of the people by providing them with stability and prosperity. Religious leaders can raise moral, but they have never proven to be more powerful then a statesman (Lerner, 1950). Even in the development of the American colonies, men of god who were brought to power learned how to use their power corruptly (Lerner, 1950). Today, and during Machiavelli’s era, we are faced with a world of conflicting principalities. The struggle we face today is how much to integrate our principles to help obtain peace (Lerner, 1950). How far can we integrate before liberties are lost? What are we willing to sacrifice? Machiavelli explains that he is an observer of politics. He cannot add an ethical context to the patterns he has observed in history. He simply observed the patterns and interpreted conclusions that can be gained from them. Thus Machiavellianism provides structure, but does not provide an adequate philosophy for a way of life (Lerner, 1950). Machiavelli sought to prove what politics really is, not what we believe to be. We fear Machiavelli because he speaks the truth. Machiavelli acknowledges that leaders do not always act according to the virtues they said they would act upon. Machiavelli argues that leaders seek power ruthlessly (Lerner, 1950). He acknowledges that it is easy to be ruled but hard to rule ourselves. He also acknowledges that those in different forms of government need to be dealt with differently (Lerner, 1950). Rulers of Machiavelli’s time despised him because he let the world know how their authority works. In modern society we hate Machiavelli because he is making us face the dilemma we have created (Lerner, 1950). He made visible all that which we chose to ignore. Deceit and ruthlessness are present in all governments. Machiavelli causes us to face our major issue of adapting our democratic techniques to the demands of the world (Lerner, 1950). Machiavelli’s thoughts are not unpolitical. They are in fact extremely political. Machiavelli was able to observe patterns in government and provide a solution to the devastation these institutions created. In The Prince, Machiavelli listed the tactics that need to be used by a leader to gain control of the people. Machiavelli recognized that ethical principles  are important to the citizens, and the happiness of the citizens is a component of a states stability. As a citizen he was able to get the best view of the effects of policy. Machiavelli was a realist. He knew that power was the center of politics. Machiavelli did not set out to explain human nature or to provide his reader with a way of life. He wrote The Prince to explain the dynamics of the state and they ways in which the state can be successful. Machiavelli was a revolutionary thinker who opened our eyes to the reality of the political arena. Works Cited: 1.Santoni, Ronald. Social and Political Philosophy. New York: Random House, Inc., 1963. Print. 2.Lerner, Max. â€Å"Machiavelli the Realist.† Random House, Inc.. (1950): Print.

Foot Binding: Beauty And Torture Essay

Women have been deformed, bounded and altered their bodies to not only survive in the society but also because of the practice of the dominance of men over women. The Lotus Shoes were very popular back in the Qing Dynasty as foot binding were a practice that many Chinese women participated in and became bound to patriarchy. This practice was implemented in the Chinese cultural values and traditions. Footbinding as a duality due to not only it’s beauty and charm, but also it’s deformity and foul odor (Ping, 2000). The moral restriction not only affected women, but also the culture and society. The rise of footbinding, together with the rise of the practice of the exemplary woman, symbolizes the social, political, and cultural predicaments in the late imperial period† (Ping, 2000) Foot binding is a painful process that allowed women to be thought as beautiful and a good future wife. The cult of the exemplary woman in the Ming and Qing dynasties reach the most terrible self-mutilations and the most shocking methods of suicide (Ping, 2000) Throughout history and in many different cultures, people have different perspective and perception on what beauty is or means. However, foot binding is probably one of the most extreme practices of body modification for beauty. This practice goes beyond the superficial. Body alteration, however, is not something solely unique to China, across history we have observed many different cultures with their own practice and perspective of beauty as seen in figure 2 & 3. As women with bounded foot couldn’t move or do much, they would often lead the life of the wealthy and enjoy their day with fellow foot bounded women (Figure 4). The practice was a custom of the royalty and wealthy until the start of the 17th century, where women from all classes started binding their feet to imitate the upper classes. (Footwear History, 2013) At the point when a young girl achieved the age of three, each toe was broken aside from the principal toe on each foot and what is left of the foot was bound with material and strips that were intended to keep the foot shorter, this likewise influenced the foot to twist at the underside. Ladies were compelled to experience torment and keeping in mind the end goal to feel delightful. (Cummings, 1998). One of the popular theories said that it began with Emperor Li Yu. Amid the 970 A.D., Emperor Li Yu saw his most loved partner moving on a brilliant lotus platform and was spellbound by her feet, which she had wrapped in portions of material – much like those of a ballet performer moving on pointe – so her moving seemed more delightful. Seeing the ruler’s pleasure, other court ladies comparatively wrapped their feet. Before long high society ladies received the mold, and inevitably it spread to all ladies, regardless of their economic wellbeing. Just a couple of are as opposed, similar to the Manchu and the individuals who hailed from Guangdong in southern China. (Holman, 2013) (Ross, 2013) Surprisingly, as the custom became widely practiced, a transformation of the styles and techniques was a witness. Ladies needed ever-littler, more bent feet, thus the foot restricting procedure was made to accomplish very curved, 3-inch feet. (Figure 6) The training flourished for a long time until the point when it was prohibited in 1912 after the insurgency of Sun Yat-sen. (Evans, 2013) (Minnesota-China Connection) Be that as it may, ladies kept on restricting their feet in parts of China until the late 1950s. After the Communists came to control in 1949, ladies were compelled to do hard physical work like burrowing repositories, and those with bound feet found the work horrifying. The ladies often gave up daily sustenance out of vanity as they simply could not work the fields or gather food. They regularly abandoned sustenance as they couldn’t satisfy their day by day creation amount nor scrounge in the mountains for organic products like other ladies. (Lim, 2007) When the practice became a tradition, it seemed impossible to discontinue it. Bounded feet were deemed normal and beautiful, while unbound feet were otherwise. The culture and practice have left parents feeling upset and caught in between. They wouldn’t want to inflict pain on their daughters but at the same time, their daughter would be out cast by the society, and they would have a hard time getting a husband if their feet weren’t bounded. The size of the feet meant so much more than the social status of the female. However, foot binding has also left a positive impact on the society despite the negative influences. The practice was also a strong multi-generational bond for women. (Figure 7) (Figure 9) Women with bounded feet were proud of their feet size and would get together to sew their shoes regularly. The procedure was also performed by the women of the family. (Figure 8) †It was a strong tradition passed from mother to daughters, entangled with shoemaking, how to endure pain and how to attract men. In many ways, it underpinned women’s culture,† says Dorothy Ko, a` history professor at Barnard College in New York and author of †Cinderella’s Sisters: A Revisionist History of Footbinding.† (Gillet, 2012) Beyond human relations, this practice has also influenced China’s architecture. Due to the bounded feet, the maximum distance women could walk was only about 3 or 5 miles. This has led them to receive more care and support. The houses were the mostly single floor, double at the maximum as it was hard for the women to move around. (Figure 10) The walkways and lanes were very small so women could get support from the walls or even railing when they walk. Foot binding also affected the culture on a global scale. The Westerners were able to explore the world and colonized lands. As the Chinese women had their feet bounded, it made it hard for them to travel or commute. Their husband would often stay with them too. The Chinese that managed to settle new lands were from ethnic groups that didn’t practice binding. (Ross, 2013) Foot binding likewise cultivated the predominance of men over ladies. Since it was troublesome for a lady to stroll with bound feet – the most distant she could walk was 3 or 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 kilometers) – Chinese ladies never strayed a long way from home, nor had much contact with others outside their towns. (Holman, 2013) Their lessened portability for all intents and purposes guaranteed they couldn’t have extramarital illicit relationships, or flee to get away from a beating when their spouses were disappointed. As foot restricting ended up noticeably dug in amid the Song administration (960-1279), instruction for ladies was entirely diminished and autonomous property rights banned (Ross, 2013) A law in Imperial China was that ladies did not pick their spouses as marriage was orchestrated by the men (Nosotro, 2000), which again focuses on the overwhelming talk of a male controlling country. The men chose the ladies by the measure of their feet, the wealthier men pick the lady with the littlest. A go-between would visit went with a single man, and he would sit and watch the ladies’ twisted feet. On the off chance that they were too substantial and did not fulfill him, he basically turned her down which was a †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ extremely humiliating undertaking†¦ † cites Zhang Ru-lian. The possibility of sustenance restricting was so well known as the showed that ladies could endure torment this exhibited the characteristic of the train which was alluring. To place this into the point of view foot restricting is practically similar to female circumcision, as it takes away  some type of energy, and it influences the ladies to feel vulnerable. Foot binding also cultured an erotic practice, it became an antiquated fetish for men. In the same way as other sexual interests, accommodation in Asian culture is one prevailing fixation. For official, it’s not constrained upon the female sex. Indeed, it is normally guardians that start this sort of training so their little girl would have a decent future prospect. This training is a sort of accommodation since it makes the females claimed by their spouses. The feet have been one of the fixations of mankind. The shape and form and in addition the way that it is shrouded, makes it all the more energizing as far as sexual fervor. Women in the past were objectified and used by men for their sexual needs and fetish. (Holman, 2013) Antiquated manuals taught men in how to exotically caress bound feet in incalculable ways, and utilize them to improve sexual experiences. Further, numerous ladies kept their feet bound all through sexual experiences, upgrading their persona while cover ing their deformity. Be that as it may, a few men got a kick out of the chance to see the unshod – they would be in contact with it. Peculiar foot obsessions grew, for example, drinking the water a lady had used to wash her feet or setting nuts between her twisted toes, at that point eating them (Evans, 2013) The bound foot denied ladies of their opportunity to move their feet and their flexibility of soul. The fact that this practice isn’t compulsory and they are done even by mothers, demonstrates that this training begins to be not an easygoing practice in nature but rather can transform into a type of accommodation later on. When a man marries a woman because of his sexual attraction towards her feet, then it can be perceived that the women submitted to the man because of her feet. Another way for seeing this is footbinding would not be a prevailing fashion and practice if men in China did not demonstrate any slant to young ladies with little feet. The once well-known routine with regards to foot restricting, at last, reached an end toward the finish of the lines. Ladies in China have made considerable progress in the way they have been dealt with. Ladies have progressed significantly in Chinese society and the playing field has turned into somewhat more even yet ladies are still observed as lesser than men in the present society. Even till today, there is an interest for infant young men to be conceived. Chinese society inclines toward young men to young ladies since children can grow up to deal with their folks when they develop old though guardians can’t move in with the lady as she grows up and moves out of the house when she gets hitched. There is presently a point of confinement set up expressing what number of children a couple can have. Families are permitted to have one tyke as long as that first youngster is a kid and a moment is permitted if the primary type is a young lady however after two children couples a re not permitted to have any more kids or they would need to pay a $3,500 fine. In the 1980’s, the legislature started implementing a strict one tyke for every couple run the show. Despite the fact that ladies have progressed significantly in Chinese society, ladies are as yet viewed as the second rate compared to men even today. (Chang, 2008) However, women today are not any longer pressured to have little feet just to guarantee men will like them. The stereotype of females being a sex object is gradually being supplanted by superior women who has influenced and made an impact in the Chinese society. The practice is part of China’s ancient tradition. It fills in as a lesson that people can do outrageous things to their body just to please others. Footbinding is a piece of China’s history that shows us how our reality today comprehends and acknowledges that men and ladies are made similarly and must be dealt with correspondingly. (Jackson, 1998)

The Return: Midnight Chapter 1

â€Å"Dear Diary, I'm so frightened I can hardly hold this pen. I'm printing rather than writing in cursive, because that way I have more control. What am I terrified of, you ask? And when I say â€Å"of Damon†you don't believe the answer, not if you'd seen the two of us a few days ago. But to understand, you have to know a few facts. Have you ever heard the phrase â€Å"Al bets are off†? It means that anything, anything, can happen. So that even somebody who figures out odds and takes bets from people gives them back their money. Because a wild card has entered the situation. You can't even figure the odds to take a bet. That's where I am. That's why my heart is pounding in my throat and head and ears and fingertips in fear. Al bets are off. You can see how shaky even my printing is. Suppose my hands shake like this when I go in to see him? I might drop the tray. I might annoy Damon. And then anything might happen. I'm not explaining this right. What I should be saying is that we're back: Damon and Meredith and Bonnie and me. We went to the Dark Dimension and now we're home again, with a star ball – and Stefan. Stefan was tricked into going there by Shinichi and Misao, the brother and sister kitsune, or evil fox-spirits, who told him that if he went to the Dark Dimension he could get the curse of being a vampire removed and become human again. They lied. All they did was leave him in a stinking prison, with no food, no light, no warmth†¦until he was at the point of death. But Damon – who was so different back then – agreed to lead us to try to find him. And, oh, I can't even begin to describe the Dark Dimension itself. But the important thing is that we finally found Stefan, and that by then we'd found the Twin Fox key we needed to release him. But – he was a skeleton, poor boy. We carried him out of the prison on his pallet, which later Matt burned; it was so infested with creepy-crawlies. But that night we gave him a bath and put him to bed†¦and then we fed him. Yes, with our blood. All the humans did it except Mrs. Flowers, who was busy making poultices for where his poor bones were almost sticking out of his skin. They had starved him to that point! I could kill Them with my own hands – or my Wings Powers – if only I could use them properly. But I can't. I know there is a spell for Wings of Destruction, but I have no idea how to summon it. At least I got to see how Stefan blossomed when being fed with human blood. (I admit that I gave him a few extra feedings that weren't on his chart, and I'd have to be an idiot not to know that my blood is different from other people's – it's much richer and it did Stefan amazing amounts of good.) And so Stefan recovered enough that the next morning he was able to walk downstairs to thank Mrs. Flowers for her potions! The rest of us, though – all the humans – were totally exhausted. We didn't even think about what had happened to the bouquet, because we didn't know it had anything special in it. We'd gotten it just as we were leaving the Dark Dimension, from a kind white kitsune who'd been in the cell across from Stefan's before we arranged a jailbreak. He was so beautiful! I never knew a kitsune could be kind. But he had given Stefan these flowers. Anyway, that morning Damon was up. Of course, he couldn't contribute any of his own blood, but I honestly think he would have, if he could. That was the way he was back then. And that's why I don't understand how I can feel the fear I feel now. How can you be terrified of someone who's kissed you and kissed you†¦and called you his darling and his sweetheart and his princess? And who has laughed with you with his eyes dancing with mischief? And who's held you when you were frightened, and told you there was nothing to be afraid of, not while he was there? Someone you only had to glance at to know what he was thinking? Someone who has protected you, no matter what the cost to himself, for days on end? I know Damon. I know his faults, but I also know what he's like inside. And he's not what he wants people to think he is. He's not cold, or arrogant, or cruel. Those are fa?ades he puts on to cover himself, like clothes. The problem is that I'm not sure he knows he isn't any of these things. And right now he's all mixed-up. He might change and become all of them – because he's so confused. What I'm trying to say is, that morning only Damon was really awake. He was the only one who saw the bouquet. And one of the things Damon definitely is, is curious. So he unwrapped all the magical wards from it and it had a single pitch-black rose in the center. Damon has been trying to find a black rose for years, just to admire it, I think. But when he saw this one he smelled it†¦and boom! The rose disappeared! And suddenly he was sick and dizzy and he couldn't smell anything and all his other senses were dulled as well. That was when Sage – oh, I haven't even mentioned Sage, but he's a tall bronze gorgeous hunk of a vampire who's been such a good friend to all of us – told him to suck in air and to hold it, to push it down into his lungs. Humans have to breathe that way, you see. I don't know how long it took Damon to realize that he really was a human, no joke, nothing anyone could do about it. The black rose had been for Stefan; and it would have given him his dream of being human again. But when Damon realized it had worked its magic on him†¦ That's when I saw him look at me and lump me in with the rest of my species – a species he's come to hate and scorn. Since then I haven't dared look him in the eye again. I know he loved me just days ago. I didn't know that love could turn to – well, to all the things he feels now about himself. You'd think it would be easy for Damon to become a vampire again. But he wants to be as powerful a vampire as he used to be – and there isn't anyone like that to exchange blood with him. Even Sage disappeared before Damon could ask him. So Damon is stuck like this until he finds some strong, powerful, and prestigious vampire to go through the whole process of changing him. And every time I look into Stefan's eyes, those jewel-green eyes that are warm with trust and gratitude – I feel terror, too. Terror that somehow he'll be snatched away again – right out of my arms. And†¦terror that he'll find out how I've come to feel about Damon. I hadn't even realized myself how much Damon has come to mean to me. And I can't†¦ stop†¦my feeling†¦for him, even if he hates me now. And, yes, damn it, I'm crying! In a minute, I have to go take him his dinner. He must be starving, but when Matt tried to take him something earlier today, Damon threw the whole tray at him. Oh, please, God, please don't let him hate me! I'm being selfish, I know, in just talking about what's going on with Damon and me. I mean, things in Fell's Church are worse than ever. Every day more children become possessed and terrify their parents. Every day, parents get angrier with their possessed children. I don't even want to think about what's going on. If something doesn't change, the whole place will be destroyed like the last town Shinichi and Misao visited. Shinichi†¦he made a lot of predictions about our group, about things we've kept secret from the others. But the truth is, I don't know if I want to hear any of his riddles solved. We're lucky in one way. We have the Saitou family to help us. You remember Isobel Saitou, who pierced herself so horribly while she was possessed? Since she's gotten better, she's become a good friend, and her mother, Mrs. Saitou, and her grandmother, Obaasan, too. They give us amulets – spells to keep evil away, written on Post-it Notes or little cards. We're so grateful for that kind of help. Someday maybe we can repay them all. Elena Gilbert put down the pen reluctantly. Shutting her diary meant having to face the things she had been writing about. Somehow, though, she managed to make herself walk downstairs to the kitchen and take the dinner tray from Mrs. Flowers, who smiled encouragingly at her. As she set out for the boardinghouse's storage room, she noticed that her hands were trembling so that the entire tray of food she was carrying jingled. Since there was no access to the storage room from inside, anyone who wanted to see Damon had to go out the front door and around to the addition tacked on near the kitchen garden. Damon's lair, people were cal ing it now. As she passed the garden Elena glanced sideways at the hole in the middle of the angelica patch that was the powered-down Gateway where they'd come back from the Dark Dimension. She hesitated at the storage room door. She was stil trembling, and she knew that was not the right way to face Damon. Just relax, she told herself. Think of Stefan. Stefan had had a grim setback when he'd found that there was nothing left of the rose, but he had soon recovered his usual humility and grace, touching Elena's cheek and saying that he was thankful just to be there with her. That this closeness was al he asked of life. Clean clothes, decent food – freedom – al these were worth fighting for, but Elena was the most important. And Elena had cried. On the other hand, she knew that Damon had no intention of remaining as he now was. He might do anything, risk anything†¦to change himself back. It had actual y been Matt who had suggested the star bal as a solution for Damon's condition. Matt hadn't understood either the rose or the star bal until it was explained that this star bal , which was probably Misao's, contained within it most or al of her Power, and that it had become more bril iant as it absorbed the lives that she took. The black rose had probably been created with a liquid from a similar star bal – but no one knew how much or whether it was combined with unknown ingredients. Matt had frowned and asked, if the rose could change a vampire to a human, could a star bal change a human to a vampire? Elena hadn't been the only one to see the slow rising of Damon's bent head, and the glimmer in his eyes as they traveled the length of the room to the star bal fil ed with Power. Elena could practical y hear his logic. Matt might be total y off track†¦but there was one place a human could be sure to find powerful vampires. In the Dark Dimension – to which there was a Gateway in the boardinghouse's garden. The Gateway was closed right now†¦for lack of Power. Unlike Stefan, Damon would have absolutely no qualms about what would happen if he had to use al the star bal ‘s liquid, which would result in the death of Misao. After al , she was one of the two foxes who had abandoned Stefan to be tortured. So all bets were off. Okay, you're scared; now deal with it, Elena told herself fiercely. Damon's been in that room for almost fifty hours now and who knows what he's been plotting to do to get hold of the star bal . Stil , somebody's got to get him to eat – and when you say â€Å"somebody,†face it, it's you. Elena had been standing at the door so long that her knees were starting to lock. She took a deep breath and knocked. There was no answer, and no light went on inside. Damon was human. It was quite dark outside now. â€Å"Damon?†It was meant to be a cal . It came out a whisper. No answer. No light. Elena swal owed. He had to be in there. Elena knocked harder. Nothing. Final y, she tried the knob. To her horror it was unlocked, and it swung open to reveal an interior as dark as the night around Elena, like the maw of a pit. The fine hairs at the back of Elena's neck were standing up. â€Å"Damon, I'm coming in,†she managed in a bare whisper, as if to convince herself by her quietness that there was nobody there. â€Å"I'l be silhouetted against the very edge of the porch light. I can't see anything, so you have al the advantages. I'm carrying a tray with very hot coffee, cookies, and steak tartar, no seasonings. You should be able to smel the coffee.† It was odd, though. Elena's senses told her that there was no one standing directly in front of her, waiting for her to literal y run into him. Al right, she thought. Start with baby steps. Step one. Step two. Step three – I must be wel into the room now, but it's stil too dim to see anything. Step four†¦ A strong arm came out of the darkness and locked in an iron grip around her waist, and a knife pressed against her throat. Elena saw blackness shot with a sudden gray network, after which the dark closed in overwhelmingly.