Thursday, January 23, 2020

The Oedipus Complex in Oedipus the King :: Sophocles

In Oedipus the King, once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away Queen Jocasta was expecting a baby boy, but one day Tiresias (a blind prophet) dropped by one day to see the queen to give her bad news about her baby. Tiresias said "My queen, the son you will bear will kill his father and marry his mother!!!" The queen was appalled by this news, thus, after the queen had her son she immediately drove him away, by leaving him in the dark, verdant woods. A herder from another kingdom found the baby boy and immediately notified his king about the baby. The king adopted the newborn boy and named it Oedipus. When Oedipus was grown up (in his twenties) he heard a legend that a prince from a kingdom far, far away will kill his father and marry his own mother. Oedipus was frightened that he will kill his father and own marry his own mother so he embarked on a journey to escape the myth. When Oedipus was traveling in his chariot he met a man in the middle of the desert, and the young arrogant Oedipus killed the man. (He did not know that he just killed his biological father) In the gates of Thebes, a sphinx was guarding the kingdom slithering back and forth. Oedipus finally talks to the sphinx, ?Maybe you can spare us some food, my kingdom was shambling into death.? ?Well, well, do you want to enter the kingdom to speak to the queen?. ? ?Yes,? replied Oedipus ?I have a riddle for you my child. If you answer it correctly, you may talk to the queen and you have heard about our king who has been missing for days. We assumed he is rotting in the middle of the desert. I guess the vultures will have a feast? In addition to talking to the queen about your discrepancies you can also marry the widowed queen.? The sphinx asked Oedipus, ?What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?? ?A man,? Oedipus replied and he was correct. So basically he can marry the queen of Thebes and that makes him the king of Thebes. (But keep in mind Oedipus is going to marry his own mother.) The King had the Queen of Thebes four children, two sons, Eyocles and Polynices and two daughters, Ismene and Antigone.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Justifications for the Institution of Slavery during the Antebellum Era Essay

In Chapter 11, it was stated that â€Å"Slavery is primarily a labor system intended to produce wealth for landowners†¦It increasingly became a capitalistic enterprise intended to maximize profits. As such, it was tied to a growing international web of economic relations. † By 1820, the South became the world’s largest producer of cotton. Cotton required continuous development, land, labor demand and a global system of trade. As such, it depended increasingly on the slave-based economy. However, the Upper South was experiencing a long depression and it affected prices. To survive, either the planters move or stay and diversify. Diversification meant shifting to grains and to selling slaves. Soon, the internal slave trade became a multi-million dollar industry. Until the 1830’s, slavery was explained as a â€Å"necessary evil. † However, the call for abolition of slavery was becoming stronger and they had to change their justification for maintaining slaves to make it more acceptable. The Southerners started to label slavery as â€Å"a positive good. † They based their justifications on five sources – the bible, history, the Constitution, science and sociology. The biblical justification makes reference to the curse imposed upon Ham, Noah’s son and the various verses from both the Old and New Testament reprimanding servants to always obey their masters. For its historical justification, they pointed out that all ancient civilizations were based on it and most likely even the current civilization depended â€Å"on the servitude of the blacks in America. † The Constitution was their reference to its legal justification which refused to abolish slavery and various laws passed protecting it such as the overseas slave trade and mandate for returning slaves to rightful owners. They also turned to science and twisted the data an conclusions to justify that blacks were an inferior race based on the cranial shape and size and must, therefore, submit to their destiny â€Å"to work for the superior Caucasians. † Lastly, the sociological justification was made more clear by the paternalistic statement as advocated by George Fitzhugh that the â€Å"’Negro is but a grown child and must be governed as a child’ and so needed the paternal guidance, restraint and protection of a white master. † Be that as it may, to free the blacks would mean â€Å"giving up our beautiful country to the ravages of the black race and amalgamation of the savages. † On the humanitarian side, they said that it would be heartless to release them especially after seeing that the blacks can only be industrial laborers working like slaves for meager pay from which they will have to use to pay for shelter, food and clothing. They will be a burden to the white people who have to compete for the same job and a burden to themselves for having to fend for themselves without the nurturing protection of a master. These justifications were had to be well-thought of so that it would not run contrary to the prevailing ideological directions of the American society at that time which espoused â€Å"individual liberty, mobility, economic opportunity and democratic political participation. † Moreover, they cannot afford to antagonize the probably envious non-slave owning whites that they had to emphasize â€Å"white superiority regardless of class. † The truth of the matter is that behind all these justifications, the real motive is money. By 1860, the crop per value of a slave is $125. Enslaved women increase their value whenever they give birth to healthy children. A prime field worker which sold for $600 in 1844 can go as high as $1800 following a cotton boom. All things told, what mattered most is that slavery is profitable.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Invention of M Ms Candies

M Ms chocolate candies are one of the most famous treats in the world, the most popular movie treat next to popcorn, and the most consumed Halloween treat in America.   The well-known slogan by which M Ms are marketed — The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand — is very likely a key to the candys success, and its origins date back to the 1930s and the Spanish Civil War.   Forest Mars Sees an Opportunity Forest Mars, Sr. was already part of a family-owned candy company in conjunction with his father, having introduced the Milky Way candy bar in 1923. However, father and son disagreed on plans to expand  to Europe, and in the early 1930s, estranged from his father, Forest moved to Europe, where he saw British soldiers fighting in the Spanish Civil War eating Smarties candies — chocolate candies with a hard shell, which were popular with soldiers because they were less messy that pure chocolate candies. M MCandies Are Born Upon returning to the United States, Forest Mars began his  own company, Food Products Manufacturing, where he developed, among other things, Uncle Bens Rice and Pedigree Pet Foods. In 1940 he began a partnership with Bruce Murrie (the other M) and in 1941 the two men patented M M candies. The treats were initially sold in cardboard tubes, but by 1948 the packaging changed to the plastic pouch we know today.   The enterprise was a rousing success, and in 1954, peanut M Ms were developed — an ironic innovation, since Forest Mars was deathly allergic to peanuts. In this same year, the company trademarked the familiar Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand slogan.   Forest Mars Later Life Although Murrie soon left the company, Forest Mars continue to thrive as a businessman, and when his father died, he took over the family business, Mars, Inc, and merged it with his own company. He continued to run the company until 1973 when he retired and turned the company over to his children. In retirement, he started yet another company, Ethel M. Chocolates, named after his mother. That company continues to thrive today as a maker of premier chocolates. Upon his death at age 95 in Miami, Florida, Forest Mars was one of the wealthiest men in the country, having compiled a fortune estimated at $4 billion. Mars, Inc. Continues to Thrive The company begun by the Mars family continues to be a premier food manufacturing corporation, with dozens of manufacturing plants in the U.S. and overseas. A great many name-recognized brands are part of its portfolio, not only candy brands, but also pet foods, chewing gum, and other consumables. Among the brands you may not have realized were related to M M candies and that live under the Mars umbrella include:   Three MusketeersSnickersStarburstSkittlesBountyDoveUncle Bens  Seeds of ChangeKudosBig RedDoublemintFreemintAltoidHubba BubbaJuicy FruitLifesaversWrigleysIamsCesarMy DogWhiskasPedigreeEukanuba