What price choice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What price choice - Research Paper Example Through their literary artistry and political ideologies, these literary and historical figures made their own set of choices which impacted modern society. A person’s choice can alter one’s perception of life in general; its influence can expand infinitely and thus, choices do not only refer to what one prefers but what legacy he desires to make to the people around him. William Ernest Henley, through his poem â€Å"Invictus,† illustrates what life is and choice as a leading factor to affect one’s destiny. The last two verses of his poem create an image of life as a ship, where the person is â€Å"the master of his fate† and â€Å"the captain of his soul† (Henley 15-16). Patrick Lim, a professional business coach, argues in his essay, â€Å"The Art of making Choices,† that there are three kinds of choices people have to make in their lives. He coined the term â€Å"fundamental choice,† which means the choice regarding a person’s â€Å"state of being† and â€Å"basic life orientation† (n. pag.). Most events published in literature exemplify the role of decision-making in one’s destiny; as simple as choosing what road to take may have larger effects in the future. The four selected works of literature are bound together through unity of theme: choice. The texts might be morbid, fran k, or ironic; the choices presented in the selected texts didactically address the impact of choice in one’s life. â€Å"The Lottery,† upon its first publication in the magazine called â€Å"The New Yorker,† aroused controversy with its ironic representation of society’s violence. The setting which typifies an ordinary village filled with realistic characters contrasted with the real agenda of their celebration mentioned in the story. With Jackson’s description of the character’s habits and the way they treat each other, it is almost unpredictable that the lottery the story is referring shades the setting with an unusual accepted darkness the

The Great Plains region in the early nineteenth century has been Assignment

The Great Plains region in the early nineteenth century has been described as a world in flux. To what extent do the sourc - Assignment Example The nineteenth century situation in the Great Plains is an ideal example of a world in flux. Through extensive use of primary sources, Calloway portrays the situation in this area as a crisis per se where the society was unable to determine the right steps to take to tackle arising issues. The author further portrays it as an area characterized by feuds involving the settlers, Indians and the explorers. The situation in the Great Plains was marked with fights for territorial expansion among the various native tribes, Western powers expansion in the region and compulsory assimilation. It also witnessed one of the greatest destruction of the fauna in the American history, namely bison slaughter. During this time, a number of natural calamities, including droughts and epidemics, left the area in a desolate state. The latter nearly wiped out the entire Indian livestock herds. Generally, the region was in a state of desperation during the arrival of American settlers who found a weakened Indian community that could barely resist external aggression. Before the great influx of people in the area, many animals thrived here. The Native Americans relied on the land only for their basic sustenance and large tracks remained underutilized. There was little pressure on the land and the natural resources were not in the danger of depletion. These physical characteristics of the area were, in fact, responsible for attracting many early settlers. It is the influx of the settler migration into the area that is primarily responsible for the cultural, political, social-economic and environmental changes that took place in the plains. The settlers arrived in different groups and established different forts that included Fort Lisa which was established in 1809 in North Dakota; Fort Lisa which was established in1812 in Nebraska; posts that were pioneered by the 1822 establishment of Fontenelle's Post and the Cabanne's Trading Post in 1822 in Nebraska. The establishment of forts was closely followed with attempts to develop the region with the settlers going to great lengths to ensure ease of transport in the area and setting up facilities that guaranteed their comfort. The construction of new railroads across the Great Plains was the first significant step toward a new livelihood in the area. The construction brought hunters who were responsible for the bison slaughter. The migrant rail workers, as well as the European farmers, who were quick to settle the land due to its appreciated value and ease of transport, were the first significant groups to settle in the plains. The farmers were further attracted by the homestead laws which enabled them obtain free farms. These laws brought in hundreds of thousands of farmers further marking this as an era of influx, hence, the term. The period also saw the establishment of open range lands where ranchers reared millions of cattle herded by the cowboys. The cattle were then exported. The area was, therefore, not limite d to human migration but also to cattle as well. This led to overstocking which coupled with adverse climate in some periods led to degradation of the environment and brought great losses to farmers. The first half of the century saw the numbers in the plains rise by 3000 percent. The period also witnessed a leap in the number of