Greg Mortenson’s story of survival, hope, education, and charity in his memoir Three Cups of Tea has captured the hearts of millions of readers across the globe. In 2011, book’s authenticity was challenged and Mortenson’s falsehoods were pointed out. Although some try to defend the author, the severity of the lies and exaggerations told by Greg Mortenson in Three Cups of Tea and other speaking engagements outweigh the few good acts he actually did. The lies start right from the first chapter. Through co-author David Oliver Relin, Mortenson depicts the horrors of his failed ascent to the peak of K2 and how he got lost from his climbing group and stumbled across Korphe village. Upon arrival in Korphe, he claims to have been taken in by the village chieftain, Haji Ali, and nursed back to health as a guest of honor. Once partially recovered, Mortenson talks about his visit to the village’s school - or lack thereof - and …show more content…
This shows that Mortenson will not admit to his dishonesties and will continue to lie to support his ever-growing ego. Another account in which he lies is when he claims to have been captured by the Taliban while visiting the Wazirstan region with native Badam Gul in 1996. As James Kirchick notes in his article “The Con Man and His Pet Columnist,” the Taliban wasn’t established in that area at that point. In fact, the Taliban did not exist there until 2001 (2). That shows a clear discrepancy that cannot be ignored. Gul helped Mortenson get into the restricted native lands and was repayed by being portrayed as a sly con man who led him to the Taliban where he was held against his will. It is evident that Mortenson had no regard for those who helped him achieve his dream of becoming a world-renowned
Waters, Alice and Katrina Heron. “No Lunch Left Behind.” New York Times. 19 February 2009. Print.
Alcohol has always been a part of feminine culture, but it took a dramatic shift in the early 20th century. In the book, Domesticating Drink, Catherine Murdock argues that during this period, women transformed how society drank and eradicated the masculine culture that preceded this shift. Murdock draws from a few different sources to prove her argument, such as: etiquette manuals published after the turn of the century and anecdotes from the time period. She provides many interesting and unique perspectives on how drinking culture evolved, but she shows a clear bias towards “wet” culture and also makes very exaggerated claims that turn her argument into something that is nearly impossible to completely prove.
George Hewes’ account of the Boston Tea party is considered a firsthand account of a historically significant event. The Boston Tea party took place the night of December 16, 1773 on three ships anchored in Boston Harbor. Hewes recounts the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party, the actual attack on the ships and its aftermath. He provides descriptive narration thus contributing to the historical context surround the Tea party. This event and many others leading up to it, provide a colorful backdrop on the eve of the American Revolution.
Winthrop, John. "from a Modell of Christian Charity." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and company, 1990. 226-238.
...ph. “An Overview of ‘Harrison Bergeron’.” Short Stories for Students. Vol. 5. 1999: The GaleGroup. Web. 10 March. 2014.
Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1991. Clark, Larry. A. A. "*******your essay ideas*******." E-Mail message. 10 March 1996.
Frank McCourt’s reputable memoir embodies the great famine occurring in the 1930s of Limerick. During the twentieth century of Ireland, mass starvation, disease and emigration were the causes of numerous deaths. Likewise, food is in high demand in the McCourt family; practically, in every chapter the family is lacking essential meals and nutritious food. However, the McCourt family isn’t th...
Marquard , B. (3 March 2012). Boston Globe : James Wilson , co-author of the Broken
An Anthology For Readers and Writers. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 1283-1296. Print.
King, Larry, and Cal Fussman. My Remarkable Journey. 1st ed. New York: Weinstein, 2009. Print.
Peterson, Linda H., John C. Brereton, Joseph Bizup, Anne E. Fernald, and Melissa A. Goldthwaite. The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2012. 195-99. Print.
Charters, Ann. The Story and Its Writer – An Introduction to Short Fiction. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. Print.
Jon Krakauer, author and mountaineer, researched Mortenson's trip and found that his true journey was different than written in his book. Krakauer detects the truth behind Mortenson's book when he writes in Three Cups of Deceit, “Mortenson has lied about the noble deeds he has done, the risks he has taken, the people he has met, the number of schools he has built” (Krakauer 7). Like Krakauer, the national television broadcast 60 Minutes further investigated Mortenson's time in Pakistan and organization and arrived at the same
One issue that we discussed in “Lifeboat Ethics” and in “A Modest Proposal” is whether or not the rich should help the poor and if the poor can contribute anything to society. Garrett Hardin and Jonathan Swift have different views on whether or not people should help the impecunious. Hardin, who has only been rich and never been poor, believes the starving don’t deserve help because it’s their fault that they are poor and that they are a waste rather than view them as assets. Swift, who has been rich and poor, believes that the poor can be salvageable and that the poor have a better chance at improving themselves.
A “Modest Proposal” is written by a man who had been exiled from England and forced to live among Irish citizens for many years during which he observed major problems in Ireland that needed a solution. The writer of this piece is Jonathan Swift, and in his proposal, “The Modest Proposal,” Swift purpose is to offer a possible solution to the growing problem of the homeless and poverty stricken women and children on the streets of Ireland. Swift adopts a caring tone in order to make his proposal sound reasonable to his audience, trying to convince them that he truly cares about the problems facing Ireland’s poor and that making the children of the poor readily available to the rich for entertainment and as a source of food would solve both the economic and social problems facing Ireland.