Comparing the Search in Platos Allegory of the Cave and Anderson’s Win

The Search for Truth in Plato's Allegory of the Cave and Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson has many themes that present themselves throughout the book. One such recurring theme is a search for truth. The characters in the book do not fully realize that they are searching for truth, but they do feel a vague, "indescribable thing" that pushes and prods their minds to actualize a higher plane of thought. This search for a higher plane by the characters of Winesburg nearly parallels another literary work of ancient Greek origin- Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," which is a portion of his famous writing "The Republic." I contend that the town of Winesburg is the equivalent of the Cave in Plato's writing. The "Allegory of the Cave" is an attempt by Plato to relate his thoughts and philosophy on human civilization into common terms. He believed that there are two planes of existence: the material world of the senses, and a higher world of thoughts and ideals. Plato's "Allegory" made it possible for people to more firmly grasp a somewhat abstract concept. The "Allegory" depicts a number of people who are imprisoned in a cave, chained by the legs and neck so that they cannot move, nor can they turn their heads; they see only towards the back wall opposite the cave opening. These people have been chained in this manner their entire lives. Sometimes objects and people pass in front of the cave opening, and shadows play upon the back wall. Since the people have only seen the shadows, they assume that the shadows are the real objects and beings of the world. They watch the shadows, measuring them, trying to understand them, and soon honors are bestowed upon those persons who can see the... ...ld (the cave) leads to qualities which are the antithesis of goodness, namely hatred. I believe that drawing parallels between Winesburg, Ohio and the "Allegory of the Cave" helps provide insight into how the human race has wrestled with the problem of finding ways to act upon the higher ideals that reside in the character of mankind. Perhaps realizing that Man has contemplated this problem for thousands upon thousands of years, from the time of the ancient Greeks through the early twentieth century to the present, can assist human civilization to see the higher plane of existence, which Plato says is the "author of all things beautiful and right." Works Cited: Anderson, Sherwood. Winesburg, Ohio. New York, NY: Penguin Books Ltd., 1993. Plato. Allegory of the Cave. in The Norton Reader. Linda H. Peterson et al., eds. New York: W. W. Norton, 2000.

Martin Luther King vs. Malcolm X Essay

Malcolm X Vs. MLK JR Extremist, or peace maker? That is the true difference between the beliefs, and ideals of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Both men were African-American civil rights activists during the 1950’s and 1960’s, and both wanted to be accepted for their race, but they wanted that acceptance in very different ways. The two men had very diverse beliefs, Malcolm being a devout Muslim and King being a Baptist clergyman, their religions played a big part in each of their views and how they went about achieving their goals. This is where their ideas differed, and why they wouldn’t technically be considered same, or â€Å"fighting for the same cause†. Malcolm X was considered an extremist for a few main reasons, one being that he wanted complete segregation from the white race. He believed that African Americans were so mistreated that they should be completely shut off from the white Americans. In his Declaration of Independence (1964), he states that the â€Å"best solution is complete separation, with our people going back home, to our own African homeland†. He wanted himself, and all other blacks to be sent to their ancestor’s land of Africa where they could live among other blacks, where they wouldn’t be thought of as a lower class, but as equals. Although Mr. X wanted equality for blacks and whites, he still believed that there should be segregation; he wanted both races to be â€Å"separate but equal†. In the sense of violence, X didn’t promote the use of violence, yet he did believe that man should be able to â€Å"defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks†. I n the end, Malcolm wanted a place of acceptance, and a place where he could be somewhat at peace with what he considered his own kind. Peace is what brought Martin Luther King power in his speeches to the people of America. Like extremist Malcolm X he wanted acceptance for himself, and all of as he’d put it â€Å"brothers, and sisters†. The King’s speeches were very motivational during their time, and so uplifting that it’s generally believed if not assassinated complete freedoms for African Americans would’ve been accomplished much sooner. King believed he could achieve his dreams and goals of having whites and black living together in harmony and peacefulness through nonviolent protesting and also by educating the public. Martin Luther King wanted acceptance just as Malcolm X did, but they wanted it in two very different ways. King wanted it through peace and unification with his fellow Americans, while Malcolm wanted it through rioting, and force of opposition. It might seem like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X fought for different things for the African American people, but in all reality it comes down to the simplest form of an idea. They wanted acceptance. Without acceptance both causes were completely lost, no matter the arguments made, and the battles fought. Till acceptance was granted, all was lost. That’s why the differences of Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s differences are what united them, giving them their ultimate similarity.

Many characters in movies, television shows, and novels...

Many characters in movies, television shows, and novels have been portrayed or have been hinted to have a psychological disorder. Some examples are Ariel from The Little Mermaid, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder and is a hoarder, and Mike from the animated series Total Drama, who has dissociative identity disorder. This phenomenon has become more prevalent in popular media. These characters appear in all types of genres: psychological thrillers, comedies, mysteries, musicals, and more. The Big Bang Theory is a television sitcom that features a character that has many symptoms of a psychological disorder called Asperger’s syndrome, and this character is Sheldon Cooper. Asperger’s syndrome is a psychological disorder that â€Å"affects†¦show more content†¦Due to his lonely childhood, he is very awkward and walks and talks in abnormal ways. He is completely oblivious to humor and once tries to create an equation for humor so that he could better under stand it. Sheldon also has obsessions with Star Trek, Star Wars, flags, comic books, and trains, his main obsession. Even though Sheldon is not confirmed to have Asperger’s syndrome, some of the myths about it have been incorporated into the show and Sheldon. Asperger’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder are similar, but they are not the same thing. People can have both Asperger’s syndrome and OCD. Asperger’s syndrome is more common in males, and OCD is more common in females. On The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon has obsessive-compulsive tendencies along with symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome. He has his designated spot on the couch, does laundry on certain nights, and knocks on people’s doors three times and says their name three times. Sheldon exhibits the myth that he makes people very angry and irritated when he interacts (Hutten). Because Sheldon is awkward or uninformed about social situations, he can easily upset and anger p eople. 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