Peace of mind isn't at all superficial, really, I expound. It's the whole thing. That which
produces it is good Maintenance; that which disturbs it is poor maintenance. What we call
workability of the machine is just an objectification of this peace of mind. The ultimate
test is always your own serenity. If you don't have this when you start and maintain it while
your working, you're likely to build your personal problems right into the machine itself.
(Pirsig 146)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, from which this quote is taken, is a complex story written by Robert Pirsig about a narrator's inquiry into the past intellectual and personal life of the man he once was before a complete nervous breakdown caused by the futile search for the definition of the word "Quality" changed his entire life. This intricate array of flashbacks, theories, analysis, proofs and anecdotes combines the present life of the narrator, and Pheadrus, the only name given to the man's past self, during a modern day cross country motorcycle trip with the narrators son, as well as another couple who accompany them. The book, however, is merely not just a novel, but instead a "owners manual for the soul", written by Pirsig in an attempt to prevent what happened to the narrator from ever happening to the readers of this book.
The entire basis of this book deals with communicating from both character to character, and narrator to reader, on a very high cerebral level. Because of this analytic quality of the book, the most important events also take place on such a high level. In fact, the major theme of the novel, that of the narrator searching for his past self, as well as the cognitive change between the "...
... middle of paper ...
...ange in plot or climax is often one a boring nature. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the complete opposite of this. Robert Pirsig's use of description, plot arrangement, and theory explanation all help keep the reader involved in this cerebral book. These aspects not only keep us involved, but make this book a sort of "gateway" to the great minds of this century. Judging by this book and his reputation, Robert Pirsig is no exception to that list of great minds. Einstein said, and is quoted in this book, "Man tries to make for himself in the fashion that suits him best a simple and intelligent picture of the world." Despite Pirsig's genius level IQ, this is what Pirsig has done with "Zen...". He has made this complex story one of both simple and intelligent means, and because of this, a story that can be understood by everyone, regardless of IQ.
The novel is nurtured with a very soft but sophisticated diction. The essay itself portrays the author’s style of sarcasm and explains his points in a very clear manner. In addition, the author has used vocabulary that is very easy to understand and manages to relate the readers with his simplistic words. The author is able to convey a strong and provoc...
"I suppose if I were a novelist rather than a Chautauqua orator I'd try to 'develop' the characters of John and Sylvia and Chris with action-packed scenes that would also reveal 'inner meanings' of Zen and maybe Art and maybe even Motorcycle Maintenance. That would be quite a novel, but for some reason I don't feel quite up to it. They're friends, not characters, and as Sylvia herself once said, 'I don't like being an object!' So a lot of things we know about one another I'm simply not going into. Nothing bad, but not really relevant to the Chautauqua. That's the way it should be with friends.' Page 121 Chapter 12
Through his studies, the author discovers that within the Zen ritual actions, archery in this case, there lies a deeper meaning. Herrigel explains throughout this book that it is not through the actual physical aspect of shooting arrows at targets that archery is Zen, but through the art and spirituality through which it is performed. It is not merely shooting an arrow to hit a target, but becoming the target yourself and then, in turn, hitting yourself spiritually. By meeting this spiritual goal, you will then meet the physical goal. The struggle then is, therefore, not with the arrow or the target but within oneself.
This novel and film commentary analysis or interpretation will be first summarised and then critiqued. The summary will be divided into twenty- four episodes. While summarising it is well to remember that the film was made out of the book.
Around 1275 B.C.E many of the Jewish prophets started to talk about kashrut otherwise known as keeping kosher. They talked about how God wanted them to eat only certain foods so that their souls would stay clean. The definition of kosher means fit or proper, which is what God desired for his people. In these times people were very skeptical about what they ate because of becoming tainted so they listened to the prophets. Many people would rather die then eat foods that were known to be not kosher.
Alcohol (wine, beer, or liquor) is the leading known preventable cause of developmental and physical birth defects in the United States. When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price, in mental and physical deficiencies, for his or her entire life. One study (Phyllis Trujillo Lewis, MA, Philip A. May, PhD, and Virginia C. Shipman, PhD, 2007) asserted that “Numerous studies on alcohol-related birth defects have concluded that maternal drinking, compounded by other risk factors, leads to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is a serious birth defect and the most common non-genetic cause of mental retardation” as said by (Hankin, 2002; Abel & Sokol,1986; O’Connor, Kogan, & Findlay, 2002; May & Gossage, in press). It is unknown how much maternal alcohol consumption results in FAS or other related disorders, or why some women who drink are at substantially higher risk of giving birth to a child with alcohol-related disabilities than others (Stratton, Howe, & Battaglia, 1996). However, researchers have identified several maternal risk factors differentially associated with FAS. These include advanced maternal age, number of pregnancies, previous births of a child with FAS, cohabitation with a male partner who drinks heavily, and low socioeconomic status (SES; May et al. 2004; 2008a; Viljoen et al., 2002). FAS is 100% preventable, which makes awareness and education the core preventative method for FAS. It is seen through Lewis, May & Shipman’s research that women who are less educated are less aware of the risks involved with drinking while pregnant.
In the years between 1997 and 2010 the area of land cultivated with GMOs had a huge increase, we have moved 4.2 million to 365 million hectares. In fact, 10% of the planet’s arable land is used for genetically modified crops. Most of these crops are located in North America, but it should be registered, in recent years, a rapid increase in acreage in so-called developing countries. In the USA in the years 2009/2010, the vast majority of soy (93%), cotton (93%), corn (86&) and sugar beet (95%) have been grown with genetically modified varieties. Data for 2012 published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) show that in Europe there has been a 13% increase of cultivated area (globally, the increase was 6%).
Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance offers an extensive look into the author’s concept of reason in relation to discovering an ultimate truth. Pirsig, the implied narrator of the novel, wrestles with his memories of his past life as Phaedrus and must rediscover who he is and what he truly believes. One of his most recurring issues is his search for an eternal and absolute truth in the conglomeration of logic, philosophy, quality, and classics which he refers to as Reason. Reason, to Pirsig, is the most paramount aspect of his university. Pirsig, however, does not define a university in the most familiar and traditional terms. A university, like a church, is not the bricks and mortar that make up the building. It
When this story is viewed through Sigmund Freud’s “psychoanalytic lens” the novel reveals itself as much more than just another gory war novel. According to Sigmund Freud psychology there are three parts of the mind that control a person’s actions which are the id, ego, and superego. Psychoanalysis states that there are three parts of the human mind, both conscious and subconscious, that control a person’s actions. The Id, ego, and
...arily, this might indicate that the author did a poor job of relaying his or her message, but that distortion and disorientation are a major part of Rulfo’s message. Lacking specific knowledge about the true order of events or how long these events lasted, the reader is able to conceptualize the experiences of the characters in a way much more similar to a true memory of their own. Connections based on repetition, theme, and imagery, more genuinely represent connections formed between the past and the present in every day life. Without clear delineation, the individual narratives and conversations throughout the novel inevitably run together in the mind of the reader by the end. This amalgamation of thoughts and events captures the essence of Comala and illustrates the interrelation of all people, across every time period, through the shared experience of humanity.
O'Shea, Kellie A. "Use Of Social Media In Employment: Should I Hire? Should I Fire?." Cornell HR Review
Saussure developed a powerful approach called semiotics, this approach unpacks how there is meaning in signs. It allows us to interpret meaning through representation. To elaborate further the approach argues that meaning is either representative of something or in affiliation to it only then is the sign meaningful.
Advocates claim that the world may benefit greatly from the production and consumption of GM foods, especially those countries with high rates of poverty and starvation. Experts insist that the GM products will put an end to world hunger. It is estimated that the world population will grow up to 9 billion people in 2050, and a good alternative to feed them is the GM products. Nowadays, in almost all African countries people are dying because of hunger and hunger-related diseases. The estimate of life expectation in these countries is fifty seven years old, and it will decrease to forty seven in 2020 (kwengwere 2-3). The governments of these countries are battling to put a stop to this unfair situation. Experts have said that the best alternative is the implementation of GM cultures in Africa; it will reduce the deaths, increase the life expectations and nourish the whole continent (Forsberg 1). The future of Africa is uncertain, but it is sure to depend on the hands of GM p...
...res that make these books continue to live on for centuries. Due to the constraints of the essay not all aspects of the narrative perspective could be discussed and the role they play with the novellas.
Okeno, J., Wolt, J., Misra, M., & Rodriguez, L. (2013). Africa's inevitable walk to genetically modified (GM) crops: opportunities and challenges for commercialization. New Biotechnology, 30(2), 124-130. doi: 10.1016/j.nbt.2012.09.001