I Am the Grass Essay Essay Example for Free

I Am the Grass Essay Essay Am the Grass is a short story written by Daly Walker, who has also written other short stories for The Sewanee Review and The Sycamore Review. Born in Winchester, Indiana in 1924, Daly Walker is a surgeon by trade and started to write after he was forty. Daly also served in the Vietnam War from 1967-1968, it serves as an inspiration for I Am the Grass. The story details a mans struggle of life after the war in Vietnam, and returning to Vietnam. This includes painful psychological trauma, the feeling of guilt for his actions, and finally his attempt to redeem himself in his own eyes. At the start of the story we read about assorted atrocities committed during the Vietnam War by a nameless man, who is the main character. They include raping a thirteen-year old girl, decapitating a man with a machete, and throwing defenseless prisoners off of a helicopter. Along with the atrocities, the reader sees a battered past and something that haunts the main character . The story also goes on to explain how after the war, the main character goes on to medical school where he becomes a successful plastic surgeon. The main character also describes the fear that comes back to him when anti-war protestors blow up a classroom while he’s asleep. It takes him back to the attacks done on his base while he was in Vietnam, he goes on to explain that even though the he has left the war, â€Å"the war has followed him home† (316). The main character shows how he tries to redeem himself for the bad he has done. This includes going to impoverished countries to repair deformities on people who can’t afford plastic surgery. He explains â€Å"how it makes me feel like a decent man, a healer† (317). This shows how it feels good for him to heal people as opposed to feeling good killing them when he was younger. After the minor back-story and introduction to his past and inner-demons, the main character is on a plane headed to Vietnam. Ironically, this time to help the people he once did horrible things to. He is taken around the countryside, where he recognizes many of the nicknames of the roads soldiers gave. Then he is introduced to another surgeon, one who he would have originally called an enemy, to take him to those in need of the surgery. In nother twist of irony, the Vietnamese â€Å"surgeon† is missing his thumbs. This prevents him from performing surgery unlike the main character. They both talk about fighting each other in the war and then go forth to perform the surgeries on the people who needed them. As the story continues, the narrator, has been successful in 18 surgeries and feels good. Until he has to â€Å"make a difficult decision†(320) when the thumbless Vietnamese surgeon asks him to perform a â€Å"difficult surgery†(321) on him. A surgery where the big toe of the foot is transplanted to where the thumb once was. Despite the risk and lack of any more advanced medical tools, the narrator decides to go forward with it. This shows that the narrator is willing to do an extremely difficult surgery without the proper tools, so that perhaps he may find some peace in himself. Yet the dreams of the man he decapitated still haunt him, even on the eve of the big surgery. While he prepares himself, the narrator explains the feeling as â€Å"a sense of power that has been in no other place but surgery, except when my finger was on the trigger of an M60† (324). He starts and is meticulous in using the primitive medical instruments provided to him. He feels as if he has done a good job and even forms a steady friendship with the Vietnamese surgeon. However, the day he has to leave, it goes south. The main character goes to unwrap the bandages and finds that the transplant has failed, as the implanted big toe has rotted. Furious at himself, he removes it before he leaves. In an attempt to make himself feel better, it is shown how the main character hopes to see the thumbless surgeon at the airport. Perhaps saying bye to him and thanking him for his efforts. However there is no one there, on the flight home though, he realizes that the risk involved with Vietnam made him feel like a part of the country. He comes to see that he embraces the risk and everything that comes with it. I Am the Grass is presented as a story that is simple to understand, but also has an emotional effect. Walker gives us a character with a detailed past, a very good storyline, and the setting and theme of redemption which is present throughout the whole story. The theme of redemption is supported throughout the story. The main character tries to redeem himself in his own yes by doing surgeries for free in impoverished nations. Also, when he takes on the risky task of the toe transplant. It leaves the reader wondering, what if it would have worked? Would he have calmed his conscience of reminding him about the past atrocities he committed? The story, which begins by describing very graphic atrocities, turns into a story of more peace than war. One where the narrator has lost himself in the scourge of war, but is trying to find himself by using his talents for good. Trying to find inner-peace from his personal demons. It comes together near the end of the story. When he finds out the transplant didn’t work and he wants to leave immediately. But contrary to his expected reaction, the Vietnamese surgeon calmly tells him to remove it, which the main character does. In a way he faced his own inner demons despite the disappointment. Walker’s decision to make the setting a run down dirty hospital isn’t one that a lot of people can relate to. However, the message of redemption is one that a lot of people can. The conflict he delivers is one that is present in others, just not in the form of war crimes and surgeries. That’s something that a lot can relate to. In this story, Walker has shown a veteran who is haunted by his past and tries to redeem himself. It delivers a powerful message on how the road to the inner-peace of a person is faced with many challenges and setbacks. Ironically, amidst the moment of disappointment, the character realizes that he has come to accept the risks he took in life, along with the consequences. There he finds at that moment of redemption that he had long been looking for.

Discuss the role that the Bank of England plays within the UK economy. :: Economics

Discuss the role that the Bank of England plays within the UK economy. The Bank of England was founded in 1694 to act upon the government as its banker and debt-manager. Since it was founded, its role has developed and evolved into what we have today, with its role centred on the management of the nations monetary unit, the pound and it is the infrastructure of the UK’s financial system. (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/about/history/index.htm visited 27th October 2005 last updated 12th June 2002 by Anon) The history of the Bank is one of great interest in this country, but also of continuing relevance and importance to the bank today. Events that have taken place within the last three hundred years have helped to shape and influence the role and the general responsibilities of the Bank. The Bank has moulded the culture and traditions and the expertise of the Bank as a central unit to the early years of the 21st century. Much of the history of the bank runs in tandem to the financial and economic history of this country, and often too the political history of the UK more generally. There have been many key points in the history of the Bank which have guided its future in this country. In the early years the Bank system was weak in the rule of King William and Queen Mary. Over the years though, various progressions have been made with the introduction of loans, interest rates and various other things which make up the Bank today. The Bank of England is controlled by the level of interest rates it sets via the manipulation of short term interest rates. This is controlled by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). If the MPC think that the demand is set to rise too fast, then they will increase the interest rate, but if they think demand is growing at a slow rate, or maybe even possibly falling, they will then reduce the interest rate. This is known as the transmission mechanism. The MPC is made up of nine members. Five of them are from within the Bank of England and include the Governor and two Deputy Governors, the other four are called external members and are appointed by the Chancellor. At each monthly meeting the members vote on what they believe should happen to the interest rates. If the vote is equal, then the Governor of the Bank of England has the casting vote. There are many different internal consumer demand changes that will affect the general public. Firstly there is consumer borrowing. Many consumers use this method to borrow money in the form of credit cards

Petroleum Engineering: Research Proposal Essay

Petroleum engineering is technical activities related to the hydrocarbon production – either crude oil or gas. The importance of petroleum engineering is swiftly increasing and researchers try to highlight peculiarities and innovations in their writings. Petroleum engineering is main substance discipline within the gas and oil industry which concentrates on maximizing economic recovery of hydrocarbons. Therefore, the intended audience will be researchers and scientists who are interested in promoting petroleum engineering which offers certain benefits, and common people who are interested in innovative technologies. As far as petroleum engineering is related to many scientific fields, I am sure that economists, engineers, geologists and drillers will find the material informative and valuable. The current research will be assessed through the methods of description, case study and desktop research. The main purpose of the study is to enlarge knowledge of petroleum engineering, its importance and benefits. The research will focus on defining of petroleum engineering, improvements in modeling and materials, application of petroleum engineering, probability analysis and new development of new technologies as, for example, enhanced oil recovery and horizontal drilling. The main goal of the research is to answer the question whether petroleum engineering is really worth of studying and researching. A literature search revealed a number of on-line articles and books on petroleum engineering and its application in modern world. Over two-thirds of these were prescriptive and written by practitioners, consultants and journalists. There is also a steady flow of research and ideas on how new developments in petroleum engineering challenge conventional techniques. The most valuable resources are â€Å"Petroleum Engineering† by Wyllie (the author offers information of the development of petroleum engineering, its peculiarities and innovations) and â€Å"Petroleum Production Systems† by Economides, & Hill (the authors offer extensive coverage of well deliverability from oil, gas and two-phase reservoirs).

The Rise Of Feminism In The Awakening By Kate Chopin

Feminism is the liberation of women and their rights as human beings. The feminism that we see today started in 1960s, but the issue began way before the 1960s. In the 1890s, Kate Chopin wrote a novella called The Awakening to tell the story of the rise of feminism within a character named Edna. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin creates feminism before it’s time by using Edna’s attitude toward her lovers, the freeness of the scenery, and her motherly attitude. These traits that Edna possesses are extremely different compared to the social norms of that day. Using Edna’s attitude with her lovers, Kate Chopin creates an attitude of feminism within Edna before it was a thing. Edna goes through a transition within the novella; the way she acts†¦show more content†¦Kate Chopin uses the emotions of Edna the express her true feeling. By saying the way Mr. Pontellier treats Edna had never affected her in that way, Kate Chopin shows a change in Edna. It proves that she is fed up with the way her husband treats her, and this is where Edna, herself, realizes it. The attitude that Kate Chopin uses is also surfaces when Edna is in a relationship with Robert. After the transition of Edna flourishes, she begins to speak her mind. Kate Chopin writes, â€Å"You have been a very, very foolish boy, wasting your time dreaming of impossible things when you speak of Mr. Pontellier setting me free! I am no longer one of Mr. Pontelliers possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose. If he were to say, Here, Robert, take her and be happy; she is yours, I should laugh at you both. His face grew a little white. What do you mean? he asked† (102; ch. 36). Edna is stating here that she is not a possession, and Robert really does not understand. By Chopin stating this, she is showing that Edna is not afraid to say what is on her mind when comes to her love life. She declares here that she is her own person. By Robert not realizing what she is talking about, shows how people really thought during Edna’s day and age really believed. Percival Pollard writes, â€Å"After sheShow MoreRelatedKate Chopin s The Awakening1553 Words   |  7 Pagesidentified and associated women with certain images and symbols. The critical lens of feminism works to identify these symbols and further argues that gender and time period dictate the manner in which one behaves. Themes of feminism are evident throughout The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Chopin uses contrasting characters such as Edna Pontellier and Adele Ratigno lle to further embody the differing aspects of feminism. Adele Ratignolle represents the ideal woman of the time period, a mindless housewifeRead MoreThe Awakening, By Kate Chopin887 Words   |  4 Pages Feminism has been a term used by many authors and writers for centuries, symbolizing women being able to use freedom the way they want to, not the way others want them to use it. Edna Pontellier, the main character in Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening, experiences an â€Å"awakening† in her life, where she discovers her position in the universe and goes in this direction instead of what others like her husband Leonce tell her to take, similar to the style of feminism. â€Å"In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginningRead MoreThe Awakening Feminism Essay1262 Words   |  6 PagesAfter reading The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, I believe the text is feminist. Whether Kate Chopin was deliberately writing for early feminists or not, the book has many early feminist ideas and it is shown through the main characters awakening by being eccentric. The author uses Edna Pontellier as an anti-conventional woman, breaking societal laws that govern her life, in search for individuality in a society that represses her. From a reader’s perspective in the early 1900’s, Edna would be a mentallyRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin954 Words   |  4 Pagesworks as a method to rebel against the Industrial Revolution. Among the most important pieces of this period I consider The Awakening written by Kate Chopin as a Romantic novel. Even though it has been a subject of debate among critics on whether to consider it as a Romantic or Realistic novel, I still believe it represents more Romantic ideologies and concerns. The Awakening narrates the difficult journey of the main character named Edna Pontellier, a twenty-eight years old woman, and her constantRead More Kate Chopin’s The Awakening Essay4153 Words   |  17 PagesKate Chopin’s The Awakening Kate Chopin’s The Awakening should be seen as depicting the discontentment that comes from self-gratification rather than the glorification of delighting in one’s fantasies. Chopin describes the central idea of one who is seeking to please her personal needs and desires and, in the process, neglects to notice how her actions affect others. The protagonist, Edna, is not able to find peace or happiness in the accepted daily life that a woman of her era and social