If Samuel Johnson were alive today he would most certainly marvel at the longevity of his unlikely literary creation-the novel. Of course, Johnson might have also been equally impressed by the creative genius of Tom Robbins who put pen to paper and transformed verbs, nouns, and adjectives into an appealing tale of religiosity, world affairs and art while steadfastly conforming to Johnson's credo that "the books we read with pleasure are light compositions which contain a quick succession of events." In an age in which the novel and other creative variations of literary expression are constantly competing with new and emerging forms of electronic media, the success of the novel goes almost unheralded. As such, Robbins's work represents not only a commitment to his craft, but perhaps more importantly, it signals new trends in literature.
Thomas Robbins is the kind of novelist one either loves or hates. His stylistic approach involves the utilization of an overabundance of similes and metaphors, liberal use of humor, and lacks an obvious plot: elements that place his work in a class of its own. For example, in his recent work Skinny Legs and All (1990), Robbins characteristically employs humor to detract from an organized structure as he constructs a tale of religion, art, illusions and the meaning of life. Additionally, by breathing life into a set of inanimate objects, he links paganism and the supernatural in a story that revolves around the complex relationship of the lead characters, all the while concealing his didactic intent. Hence, the absence of an obvious plot in the story is not by chance, but a unique technique that Robbins uses to give causal warning of the radical intent of his ...
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In his 1984 novel Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins presents a narrative that rivals the often fantastical tales told in myth. Using classical mythology as a foundation, and, in particular, providing a loose adaptation of The Odyssey by Homer, Robbins updates and modifies characters and concepts in an effort to reinforce the importance of the journey of life and the discovery of self. Like the ancient myth-makers, Robbins commands the reader’s attention with outrageous situations and events while at the same time providing characters that the reader can relate to and learn from.
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Affirmative action is an attempt by the United States to amend a long history of racial discrimination and injustice. Our school textbook defines affirmative action as “a program established that attempts to improve the chances of minority applicants for educational or employment purposes, although they may have the same qualifications, by giving them leverage so that they can attain a level that is equal to caucasian applicants” (Berman 522). There are people that support and oppose this issue. Opponents of affirmative action have many reasons for opposing this issue, one of them being that the battle for equal rights is over, and that this advantage made for people of color discriminates against people that are not of color. The people that defend affirmative action argue this advantage is needed because of how badly discriminated the people of color once were. Because of the discrimination that once was these people claim that they are at a disadvantage, and always have been, therefore equality of opportunity is needed. It is also said that affirmative action is used to encourage diversity and integration. This paper will discuss the history of affirmative action, how it is implemented in society today, and evaluate the arguments that it presents.
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In our society today it is very sad but racism still occurs. If we banish Affirmative Action policies across the board we no longer protect woman, minorities and certain persons in specific socio-economic classes that would normally not get the benefit of the doubt since “odds” it seems are considerably stacked against them. In the case Grutter v. Bollinger it is said that Affirmative Action is no longer a he...
I found this book to be a rather interesting read. I enjoyed how Levathes researched this book and wrote it to try to explain about this specific period of time and how it is very non-fiction.
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In 2013, about 7.4 million tons of chocolate is expected to be consumed globally, totaling to nearly $110 billion (Pardomuan, Nicholson). I can honestly say that I will be one of the many people who contribute immensely to those massive quantities. Chocolate has always been one of my guilty pleasures, leading me to consider myself a “chocoholic.” After 20 years of eating chocolate, I learned there is more to chocolate than meets the eye. Many chemicals compose each delicious piece creating multiple psychological effects on the mind. With the knowledge of the chemical and psychological influences that chocolate has on the human mind and body and my own curiosity as to why I love it so much, this led me to ask: Why is chocolate considered such a pleasurable and craveable food?
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A Cultural History of the Medicinal and Ritual Use of Chocolate.” Although, the biggest difference between those two sources is Wilson’s more specific analysis of fewer benefits and Dillinger’s less specified analysis of more benefits. Dillinger comes to the conclusion that chocolate improved the health of European society in the sixteenth century by discussing the health issues chocolate was used for. A few of the common health problems chocolate treated were fatigue, strengthening weak stomachs, and opening bowls. Some of the more serious treatments were for heart and breathing complications and curing colds and fevers. While chocolate helped patients in many ways, the chocolate had to be mixed with other ingredients. Chocolate all on it’s own could have caused constipation, drained menstruation, closed the urinary tracts, blocked the liver and spleen and led to more health problems rather than solutions. In order to prevent that and improve health issues, the cacao beans were processed and then mixed with other ingredients such as vanilla or atole. Dillinger’s greatest limitation is her abundance of information but lack of critical analysis. Dillinger may provide a lot of information regarding the health issues chocolate aided, but she lists so many that
The Theobroma cacao tree is where it all started. Olmecs, Aztecs, and Mayans were the original consumers of cocoa: they would form it into a drink and ingest it for medicinal reasons (Allen Par. 7). The Spanish then brought it back to Europe and continued to treat a variety of ailments with it (Allen Par. 7). In the last 40 years people have started to question the health benefits of chocolate, but new research is starting to prove that the Olmecs, Aztecs, Mayans and Spaniards were not too far off. Now, the pods from the tree containing cocoa beans are collected, and the cocoa beans are taken out of the pod (Healing Foods Pyramid Par. 15). The beans are then fermented, dried, roasted, then ground to make cocoa liquor (Healing Foods Pyramid Par. 15). The cocoa liquor is then combined with sugar, vanilla, and cocoa butter to make what is now known as chocolate (Healing Foods Pyramid Par. 15). Controversy over the health benefits and detriments of chocolate is slowly subsiding, but there are many things that a lot of people still do not know about how chocolate can affect ones health. Chocolate is misunderstood.