Poems Comparison

Since times immemorial, military conflicts have been wiping whole generations off the face of the earth. The topic of war has been one of the most popular to render in works of art and literature. On the one hand, war has been proclaimed the business of ‘real men’ and glorified as the way to prove one’s loyalty to motherland.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Poems Comparison specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, the horrors of war have brought enormous pain and suffering to people both directly and indirectly involved in it. The two poems, â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† by Wilfred Owen (1917–18) and â€Å"Facing It† by Yusef Komunyakaa (2001), reflect on the theme of bitterness and cruelty of war, developing this theme through the various handling of setting, characters, structure and rhyme, and language. Although both concerning the subject of war, the settings of the two poems are quite different. â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† is set in a trench of the First World War and dedicated to description of a gas attack and its ruinous consequences. The environment is described as a most unfriendly terrain that exhausts the soldiers: the sticky â€Å"sludge† clings to the soldiers’ boots and makes walking even more difficult (Owen, 1917–18). The sounds and sights of war are vividly shown in Owen’s (1917–18) poem through â€Å"the hoots / Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines†, â€Å"someone still [†¦] yelling out†, and the repulsive vision of a soldier suffocating from a gas attack. In contrast to this reality of war action, Komunyakaa (2001) sets his poem in a place that has not experienced the Vietnam war directly on its territory and at a time when the war is already over. It is â€Å"the Vietnam Veterans Memorial†, with its â€Å"black granite† walls covered with the endless row of â€Å"58,022 names† commemorating the ones who perished in the war (Komunyakaa, 2001). There is not much sound involved in the poem, and the most expressive element of the setting is light. The narrator attempts to realize his attitude to the Vietnam war, â€Å"depending on the light / to make a difference† (Komunyakaa, 2001). The ‘life’ of the names on the granite wall also depend on the play of light, â€Å"shimmer[ing] on a woman’s blouse† (Komunyakaa, 2001). The sense of immense space is created through referring to a â€Å"red bird† and â€Å"A plane in the sky† — the only objects present at the scene apart from the monument itself and a couple of visitors (Komunyakaa, 2001). The point of view of the two poems differs not only due to the setting but also due to the narrators describing the events. â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† is told by a narrator who is a soldier himself and directly takes part in the m ilitary action: this can be traced in using first person plural â€Å"we† in referring to the events (Owen 1917–18).Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In â€Å"Facing It†, the relation of the narrator to the Vietnam war remains unclear. The only information that links the narrator to the war itself is concluded in the lines â€Å"I go down the 58,022 names, / half-expecting to find / my own in letters like smoke† (Komunyakaa, 2001). This expectation of seeing own name in the list of Vietnam veterans suggests that the narrator was somehow involved in the military action but not necessarily as a soldier. Thus, the contrast between the narration of the poems lies in the fact that â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† reports the immediate events of warfare while â€Å"Facing It† reflects on the aftermath of the war. The various treatment of the structural organization and the rhyme of the poems contributes to the perception of the poems and increase their emotional impact. Owen constructs his poem in three stanzas of a traditional iambic pentameter rhymed in alternate line endings ABAB CDCD. This regularity of a stable rhythms and rhyme renders the measured steps of the war treading across the land and reminds of the inevitability of the war terrors and severity of its consequences. A special effect is reached by making the final line of â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† shorter than the rest. Concluding the poem in this way, Owen emphasizes the tragic irony of war: attracted by the perspective of glory, soldiers meet a miserable end to their life, as abrupt as the final line of the poem. Komunyakaa (2001) approaches the structure and rhyme of his poem in a very free way: there is no division into stanzas and no rhyming either. Such device allows constructing lines of various length and meter, and thus rendering the mood of confusion and hesitation in the treatment of war. Turning from one side of the memorial to the other symbolizes the narrator’s attempts to figure out the truth about the Vietnam war and the meaning behind the endless row of names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Komunyakaa, 2001). The language of both poems is highly descriptive, appealing both to the senses and the emotions of the readers. Owen (1917–18) fills â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† with graphic imagery that reflects the terrible realities of war. The myth about the brave and fine soldiers is shattered by their description as â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, / Knock-kneed, coughing like hags† (Owen, 1917–18). Not the desire to fight but â€Å"fatigue† is the only feeling that drives the â€Å"lame†, â€Å"blind†, and â€Å"deaf† soldiers to go on (Owen, 1917–18).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Poems Comparison spec ifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Not the neat ranks but confused, â€Å"stumbling† and â€Å"fumbling† tired men struggle to put on their â€Å"clumsy helmets† when gas alert comes (Owen, 1917–18). These disturbing images are further intensified by the naturalistic description of a soldier affected by gas, a vision far from the romanticized ideal of war. In â€Å"Facing It†, Komunyakaa (2001) employs sharp contrasts and the play of light to emphasize the emotional instability the narrator experiences facing the war memorial. The most painful opposition is represented in the line â€Å"I’m stone. I’m flesh.†, which suggests that the narrator is taken as a kind of a war monument by the society but in fact he is a living being with his tragedy and pain (Komunyakaa, 2001). The vagueness of his situation is prompted throughout the poem by such words as â€Å"clouded reflection†, â €Å"my own [name] in letters like smoke†, â€Å"then his pale eyes / look through mine. I’m a window.† (Komunyakaa, 2001). It appears that the narrator has lost his individuality in course of the war and now is merely a reflection of the pain and the terror experienced by millions during the military actions. Upon the analysis of the poems, it appears that through the setting, characters, structure and rhyme, and language, both Owen (1917–18) and Komunyakaa (2001) succeed in reflecting the major theme of the tragedy and pain war brings to people. The difference between the two poems is that â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† shows the war reality through reporting the direct events of a military operation and appealing to the senses of the readers. On the other hand, â€Å"Facing It† represents a reflective intellectual poem, contemplating on the fates of the millions affected by war both directly and indirectly. References Komunyakaa, Y. (2001). F acing it. Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47867/facing-it Owen, W. (1917–18). Dulce et decorum est. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on Poems Comparison was written and submitted by user Gabe Jones to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Consistent Use of That in Parallel Constructions

Consistent Use of That in Parallel Constructions Consistent Use of â€Å"That† in Parallel Constructions Consistent Use of â€Å"That† in Parallel Constructions By Mark Nichol As a conjunction, that is often optional. But when two or more corresponding phrases are involved, employ it consistently or omit it altogether, as explained in the discussion and shown in the revision following each of these examples. 1. It is healthy to recognize that biases exist and everyone has them. In this sentence, â€Å"everyone has them† might be read as an afterthought rather than a second consideration parallel with â€Å"biases exist.† To strengthen its correspondence with the earlier phrase, repeat that: â€Å"It is healthy to recognize that biases exist and that everyone has them.† (A misreading is unlikely to occur if the sole instance of that in the original sentence is deleted, but the sentence is more effectively rendered with that inserted before each phrase.) 2. More than three out of four respondents indicated their organizations are either facing strong pressure to reduce costs or that they are facing increased demand to manage spending levels. Here, if the sentence ended with costs (with either no longer necessary), inserting that after indicated would be discretionary. But if the writer uses it after the conjunction or, it must also appear in the corresponding position in the first part of the sentence, and either must be shifted to an earlier position: â€Å"More than three out of four respondents indicated either that their organizations are facing strong pressure to reduce costs or that they are facing increased demand to manage spending levels.† Alternatively, it can be deleted after or as well, in which case either must remain in its original location. (However, consider a third option that renders an earlier instance of that unnecessary and simplifies the sentence: â€Å"More than three out of four respondents indicated that their organizations are facing either strong pressure to reduce costs or increased demand to manage spending levels.†) 3. Get the facts out and make sure all sides of the issue are voiced, all relevant facts are obtained, and that everyone whose opinion is valued is heard. In this case, because of the list structure, that need not be repeated for each list item, but if it is to be employed at all, it must be inserted at the head of the list: â€Å"Get the facts out and make sure that all sides of the issue are voiced, all relevant facts are obtained, and everyone whose opinion is valued is heard.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:11 Writing Exercises to Inspire You and Strengthen Your WritingHow to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations

What Does it Take to Get Into North Carolina State Universityâ€Raleigh?

North Carolina State University’s acceptance rate is 46%. What does it take to get in? North Carolina State University, located in Raleigh, is a large public research university known for its value and programs dedicated to the state’s key industries, such as natural resources and textiles. With an enrollment of 35,000 students, NC State is one of the largest schools in the country. It is home to 12 colleges offering programs across all disciplines, with more than 100 undergraduate majors. It also offers more than 100 master’s degrees and over 60 doctoral degrees. NC State is respected for the value of its education; it currently holds a top 10 ranking from U.S. News and World Report for Best Value Among U.S. Public Universities. In-state students currently pay just over $9,000 for tuition and fees. It is ranked 32nd for Top Public Schools and lands in the top 15 for its programs in both industry and agriculture. To learn more about how your high schooler can earn acceptance to NC State, don’t miss this post. NC State accepts the Common Application or the Coalition Application . Your student only need to fill out one of the two. If they’re applying to other schools on one of the platforms, it’s usually easiest to continue using that one. There are several different application deadlines that potential applicants should be aware of. Early Action applications are due October 15. In addition, some majors and scholarships have application deadlines of October 15. Most notably, this includes all studio majors. Regular Decision applications are due January 15. For a complete overview, see the NC State Dates and Deadlines page . For a complete application, your high schooler also must submit: Teacher recommendations are neither required or recommended for admissions to NC State. Alternatively, students may choose to submit one counselor recommendation, which will be reviewed as supplemental material by the admissions committee. NC State is considered a moderately selective college. In 2018, NC State received over 29,000 applications for 4,500 seats. However, because only a fraction of accepted students ultimately enroll, far more students are offered a placed in the incoming class.   In 2018, the acceptance rate at NC State was 46%. The students accepted to NC State represent a diverse body hailing from all across the country. In 2018, accepted students came from all 100 of North Carolina’s counties, all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. First of all, to even be considered for admission to NC State, students must fulfill some basic requirements in high school. All applicants must complete at least 15 credit units. These must include four units of English and math, three units of science (at least one of which must be a lab class), two units of a foreign language, and one unit each of social studies and history. Beyond the basic requirements, applicants to NC State must present a strong academic record and solid standardized test scores. In fact, the factors considered most important by the admissions committee are the rigor of your secondary school classes, your class rank, your GPA, and your test scores. Many other factors are also considered, including essays, recommendation, extracurriculars, and personal characteristics. While these factors are weighed in the big picture, they aren’t nearly as important as your child’s academic record and test scores.   Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Score a 1390 or higher on your SAT, or a 31 or higher on your ACT. Test scores are very important to the admissions committee at NC State. By hitting these out of the park, your student will really shine. In 2018, the average SAT score of accepted students was 1344 and the average ACT score was 29. Average won’t be enough, however, if your high schooler wants to rise above the crowd. To do that, they should aim to achieve a score in the top 25%. For the SAT, the magic number is 1390, and for the ACT, it’s 31. For help preparing for your SAT, consider the benefits of ’s customized SAT Tutoring Program , where the brightest tutors in the industry guide students to an average score increase of 250 points. Maintain a strong GPA. Again, we can’t stress enough how important academics are to your teen’s chances. 59% of students admitted to NC State in 2018 achieved an unweighted GPA of 3.75 or above. Weighted GPAs were well over 4.0, as NC State applicants usually take a heavy course load. Of students admitted in 2018, nearly a third took dual enrollment classes and 70% took AP classes. Your student should keep their grades up and take challenging classes if they want a shot at NC State. Apply Early Action. NC State is one of the schools that does admit students at a slightly higher rate when they apply through the early action program. If your student wants to maximize their chances in every way possible, have them apply through early action. The acceptance rate last year through early action was 50%, compared to the overall acceptance rate of 46%.    On the one hand, NC State accepts nearly half of all applicants. On the other hand, slightly more than half of all applicants are ultimately rejected. If your high schooler gets rejected, they’re actually among the majority. The bad news is that NC State doesn’t really use its waitlist very actively. In 2018, over 4000 students accepted spots on the waitlist, but only 20 were ultimately accepted. That means less than 1% of students on the waitlist were ultimately accepted. NC State does accept transfer applicants, but the standards for admissions are similar to the standards for first-year students. This means that if a student is rejected during first-year admissions, they’ll need to up their game to be accepted as a transfer. If they can achieve great grades and prove their academic abilities at another college, they might just have a shot at transferring later. That being said, a student’s first priority should be finding another great school to attend where they’re just as likely to thrive. With thousands of options, there is a good fit out there for everyone. For help adjusting to a different school, they can read our post, Envisioning a New Future: Preparing for Life at Your Second-Choice (or Third, or Fourth) School . For more assistance on your teen’s college application to North Carolina State University at Raleigh or anywhere else, consider enlisting the help of ’s Applications Guidance service. Here, your high schooler will be paired with a personal admissions specialist from a top college who can provide step-by-step guidance through the entire application process.  

Criminal Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Criminal Justice System - Essay Example Modern day jury comprises of 12 members selected randomly and sits for indictable offences in the Crown Court only if the defendant pleads â€Å"not guilty† does a full trial by jury commence. After the summing up of the case the judge clarifies and highlights relevant points of law and summarizes the evidence and events impartially to help the jury. The verdict has to be unanimous but concerns over jury ‘nobbling’ led to accepting 11:1 or 10:2 verdicts as representing legal majority . The problem arises when weighing the pros and the adequacy of the checks placed to vet the cons of jury trial procedure in the interest of justice and whether Article 6 (right to fair trial) is being complied with. To reach any conclusion to that effect the jury selection procedure should be considered and it should be appreciated that only the gravest of offences reach the Crown Court filtered by the Crown Prosecution Service for the strength of the case and the Magistrate’s Court. ... e what may be complex and technical points is an absurd one but has been supported by eminent judges such as Lord Devlin as a bastion of liberty against the state and a fundamental of a democratic society. As a jury is not expected to give reasons for their verdict or follow precedent of past cases, the verdict is based on â€Å"subjective fairness† referred to as jury equity sometimes. Ponting’s Case3 being one such illustration of its importance, where the jury refused to convict a civil servant who had violated s.2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 claiming his actions had been in the public interest. The case prompted the Government to reconsider and amend the law in s.2. No matter the trial by jury instills public confidence in the system, boasts about impartiality, transparency of the system of justice and that the jury pool has not been ‘case-hardened’ like the judges, the important question remains is it a ‘fair’ trial? The pros are ther e at a huge cost of keeping them so, the argument of impartiality of the jury is justified by the mere presumption that random selection of jurors with no direct interest in the case â€Å"should† cancel out any bias and since it is an offence under s.8 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 to obtain or solicit information regarding discussions in the jury room there is no way of knowing if the person whose freedom is being decided has been sacrificed on racial bias as in the case of Sanders v UK4, misunderstanding of the trial proceedings as in R v Mirza5 or mere presumption of guilt and pressure of co-jurors for time delay as in R v Connor and Rollock6. In all these cases one of the jurors had written to the judge explaining their concern at the co-juror’s behavior at the expense of fairness. Where the House of Lords held

Critically assess the merits of the international intervention in Essay

Critically assess the merits of the international intervention in Kosovo - Essay Example It is an open truth that the sovereignty of every country is regarded as its most cherished asset (Warhurst, 2007; Alothman et al, 2010). This not withstanding, countries and states have not always had their sovereign rules to be intact. This is because of the international conventions and regulations that bind various nations and spell out some accepted codes of existence. In most cases, when these codes are broken, leading to all kinds of humanitarian crisis in individual countries, the resultant consequence has been for the international world to intervene to defend the interest of the ordinary person. A similar situation is what was experienced in Kosovo when the international body, led by the media cried out on what was supposedly a humanitarian crisis in Kosovo. The international intervention in Kosovo in 1999, which was largely led by the United States and NATO have come under intense scrutiny and review by scholars, the legal fraternity, historians, and the media. Even though the NATO and the United States had their own reasons and justifications for undertaking the international intervention they took in Kosovo, not much of these commentators who have researched and analyzed the events in the lead up to the intervention and the events specifically involved in the events seem to be convinced by the actions taken by the international bodies who staged their interventions in Kosovo. It is from this perspective that the present essay is being written to critically assess the merits of the international intervention in Kosovo. ... Indeed, from the estimates of these two bodies, Kosovo was experiencing a humanitarian crisis and so it was important to intervene to ensure that the lives of ordinary people were protected and secured (Pybus, 2001; Ankomah, 2005). This is basically the factor that led to an international intervention in Kosovo. Prior to the major intervention, the international community, led by NATO and the United States had actually said that the crisis in Kosovo was as a result of the Serbian nationalism. In this regard, they justified their merit in the intervention as a need to protecting the selected few, of whom crime and acts of atrocities were being perpetuated against (Macklin, 1996). Analysts say that there have been cases of humanitarian crisis boiling up in some countries before the 1999 Kosovo crisis, which received no international interventions. The case of Kosovo was therefore supposed to be a different one and thus justifiable to subjecting it to critical analysis as to why the int ervention was necessary. But whenever this need for justification is posed to NATO, they are quick to defend the merit in the intervention, saying that there was a specific target in this case, who were the Serbs. From their estimation and argument therefore, if it had been a war within one sided front, the international intervention would not have been so necessary but for the fact that there was a united force rising against a weaker opposition, delaying on the intervention would have caused the growing human tragedy to continue (Maddox, 2005; Cliff, 2009). The outcome of the intervention The outcome of the international intervention has generally been criticized as one that did not yield the expected promise with which it was started (Papadakis, 2000). One of such schools

Styles of Dress as Reflections of Social Conditions :: Fashion Clothing Clothes Style

Styles of Dress as Reflections of Social Conditions Something that becomes very apparent when studying the topic of fashion is that clothes and style are related to so much more than merely an individual’s appearance. For thousands of years, fashion and style have been primary indicators about a person’s social status, sexuality, wealth, individuality, and overall personality attributes. Deep rooted in all of us lies an inescapable process of perceiving who an individual is based on what our eyes view. Although this process may be labeled as "superficial," it is no doubt a mechanism that exists, particularly when there is limited additional "information" about someone to go on. In this century alone, each decade has been marked by distinctly different manners for dress for both men and women. Our Halloween tradition exemplifies this very clearly with "costumes" such as a 1920’s "flapper girl," the 1960’s "hippie," or the 1980’s "punk rocker." With deeper consideration, however, these differing fashion styles can be viewed as representative of the related social conditions occurring at the time. As stated by Pasacoe (1998), "The fashion of the [20’s] reflected the Jazz Age perfectly. It was made for fast automobiles and the Charleston. For the first time in western fashion the knee was socially acceptable." Although there are many theories regarding what causes fashion to change, the fact that social climate is reflected in styles of dress has a great deal of support. Perhaps the reason why so much change occurred in women’s dress in the early decades of the century is because so many changes occurred regarding womenâ€℠¢s roles and rights within that same time frame. Another decade in which fashion was strongly indicative of the underlying social conditions is the turbulent 1960’s. One of the most noted developments accredited to this decade is the introduction of the mini skirt, eventually evolving into the "micro mini." Many social historians relate the introduction of the mini skirt to the introduction of the birth control pill. Women became sexually liberated and the "free love" era began. These mini skirts came to symbolize the new liberation for women and the social climate of the decade. As stated in Vogue at the end of the decade, "The length of your skirt is how you feel this moment" (Hoeymakers, 1999.) Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent gained immense recognition for his highly innovative designs during this decade. Heavily inspired by students in Paris, he introduced see-through shirts to the rest of the world, causing an initial global shock.

Obsession gone wrong Essay

It is often said â€Å"there’s a thin line between genius and insanity†. From Einstein with his shaggy hair and stuck-out tongue to Archimedes running about the street naked shouting â€Å"eureka! † after making a discovery, one can’t help but agree with whoever made that statement. Mary Shelley, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Steinbeck and Jeremy Bernstein all wrote stories of scientists who were all geniuses – they all had devoted years of study into their fields. Yet, some of them acted irrationally without considering the consequences of their actions (Frankenstein; Aylmer), some did things against their nature (Frankenstein; Phillips), and you couldn’t help but question the sanity of others (the narrator in Bubble and Squeak; Aylmer). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein was â€Å"forced to spend days and nights in vaults and charnel-houses†. Of course, no one forced him to– he was driven by the ambition to discover the source of life. And when he did, an even greater ambition drove him – to create and give life to a human being and eventually, â€Å"a new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me†. To make this dream a reality, he subjected himself to many experiences that the next human would find extremely repulsive and disgusting. In his own words, â€Å"†¦often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation. † But the ambition always overpowered his human nature. A beautiful summer came and passed, but he was too busy with his studies to notice. He had also lost touch with his family and friends, even though he knew his father would be anxious. It was telling on him, too. He had become emaciated, and many sleepless nights had his eyes bulging from their sockets. He deteriorated to the extent that he became a nervous, solitary wreck, and a fever came upon him every night. Nathaniel Hawthorne in his book â€Å"The Birthmark† said the scientific hero Aylmer had â€Å"devoted himself too unreservedly to scientific studies to be weaned from them by any second passion. His love for his young wife might prove the stronger of the two, but it could only be by intertwining itself with his love for science and uniting the strength of the latter to his own. † Aylmer had a young, beautiful wife; unfortunately Georgiana had a tiny flaw on her face, which made her imperfect in his sight. From then on, his obsession was to get rid of the birthmark from her face, and he had come to hate it so much that the sight of it made him shudder. Other men saw the birthmark and saw beauty and charm, Aylmer saw it and saw a defect, a representation of all imperfections. Even Aminadab, Aylmer’s lab assistant, said that â€Å"if she were my wife, I’d never part with that birthmark. † Because the birthmark was in the shape of a tiny hand, it was often remarked that it was the print of a fairy’s hand on her cheek, which made her â€Å"hold such sway over all hearts. † However, Aylmer was a man of science, and most likely did not believe in fairies and all the whatnot, and so he considered the birthmark as â€Å"a frightful object, causing him more trouble and horror than Georgiana’s beauty, whether of soul or sense, had given him delight. † In other words, his horror at the birthmark for making Georgiana imperfect became stronger than his appreciation of Georgiana’s beauty. Further along in the story, Aylmer became extremely devoted into creating a mixture to get rid of the birthmark that he secluded his wife. Once, Georgiana followed him into his lab and was frightened, not by the scientific apparatus, but by what she saw of her husband. â€Å"He was pale as death, anxious and absorbed. † Georgiana once wondered if she could satisfy him, and realized that she couldn’t, as â€Å"his spirit was ever on the march, ever ascending, and each instant required something that was beyond the scope of the instant before. † Dr Phillips in John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Snake† was a man who â€Å"could kill a thousand animals for knowledge, but not an insect for pleasure. † He had no problem with killing for study, as was shown when he was petting cats and feeding them in one minute, and in the next put one of them into a killing chamber for biology classes. His research about the starfish also shows that. But we know killing animals is not in his nature when he â€Å"felt that it was profoundly wrong to put a rat into the [rattlesnake’s] cage, deeply sinful† when the strange woman asked him to feed the snake. It was something he did regularly himself, when he needed to feed the snakes, but because the snake had already had its rat for the week, Dr Phillips felt sickened. Probably because he felt the rat was going to die for no reason. For science, Dr Phillips went against his nature. Jeremy Bernstein’s â€Å"Bubble and Squeak† is the story of a mathematician who had become so analytical it was comical. For example, normal people emphasize the scariness of ghosts in ghost stories; instead, he tries to explain ghosts as apparitions caused by atmospheric densities. He always tried to draw a mathematical and scientific parallel to everything he saw. He calculated probabilities of events, and even wondered if it was possible to measure feelings. What these four scientific heroes had in common was obsession. Victor Frankenstein’s obsession was to become a creator of humans; Aylmer’s obsession was perfection, as expressed by wanting to get rid of his wife’s birthmark; Dr Phillips numbed his nature for the study of science, he was obsessed with biology; and the narrator in Bubble and Squeak had become too mathematical and scientific for his own good. Science in its nature is rather addictive. The more you discover, the more you want to discover – It’s like a never quenching thirst for knowledge. In the words of Victor Frankenstein, â€Å"†¦ in a scientific pursuit there is a continual food for discovery and wonder. † It is as a result of this persistent pursuit of science that many inventions that we take for granted today, the same inventions we can’t imagine living without, were created. However, the danger is in letting our pursuit of knowledge or any other thing control us, such that we do things that are against our nature, or fail to appreciate the simple pleasures of life. As Victor Frankenstein eventually learnt, â€Å"A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquility. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule. If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is unlawful, that is to say, not benefitting the human mind. † (Shelley 40) SADE MABA HUM 101 WORK CITED: Lynch, Robert; Swanzey, Thomas and Coakley, John. The Example of Science. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2003. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 30th ed. New York: New American Library, Penguin Group (USA) Inc. , 2000.