Yann Martels Life Of Pi 2001 Literature Essay

Yann Martels Life Of Pi 2001 Literature Essay Yann Martels Booker-Prize winning novel Life of Pi (2001) narrates the nine months odyssey of Piscine Patel on the Pacific Ocean. Far from being only a fascinating adventurous tale, this novel addresses important issues such as faith, identity, universalism, religion, and areas of cultural contact. Although the plot may seem to revolve mainly around Pi and Richard Parker, Life of Pi deals extensively with the great human project of trying to live together. By using Pi as his trans-cultural hero, Martel seems to insist on the need to constructively reformulate the human mind in relation to cosmopolitanism, absolute truth and religious identity. This papers aim is to bring out the cosmopolitan message that Martel seeks to transmit to his readers and to show how the latter focuses on that part of our common human identity that links us, instead of stressing on those identities that only partially define and differentiate us. A cross-reference is also going to be made to Homers The Odyss ey so as to highlight the idea of the equal treatment of all human beings, regardless of religion, culture, ethnicity and values, as prescribed by cosmopolitanism. Life of Pi is a novel which can be read in many different ways; as an adventurous story, as an allegory of power, as a reflection on the superiority of imagination over reason, as an explanation of the intricate and complex life of humans and animals, and, of utmost importance to this essay, as a spiritual journey or a quest for identity and as a metaphor of the cultural and religious conflicts that characterize every known human society. Culture and identity play a key role in many contemporary wars. Many philosophers and cultural theorists argue that the resolution of protracted ethnic and religious conflicts lies in the fostering and nurturing of cosmopolitan identities. First of all, what makes Life of Pi an interesting platform for exploring trans-cultural and interfaith relationships is not merely Martels cosmopolitan background, but also the novels portrayal of the protagonists life before and after the shipwreck. Pi Patel grows up in Pondicherry, a former French territory on the Indian subcontinent, where Eastern and Western cultures inevitably exist in close contact. To the dismay of grownups, particularly the representatives of different religions, the wise men as they are almost satirically referred to in the novel, Pi shows devotion to Hinduism, embraces and practices Christianity and Islam simultaneously. After his nine months in the lifeboat, he is hospitalized in Mexico and the author finally encounters him as an Indian immigrant in Toronto. Pis hybrid, multiple faiths and open-mindedness not only help him survive emotionally and physically but are also strengthened after the events. His house in Canada can be used as a proof to support this statement; the author describes the devotional articles that he finds in the protagonists house, ranging from a framed picture of Ganesha, a plain wooden cross, a small framed picture of the virgin Mary of Guadalupe, to a framed photo of the black-robed Kaaba, holiest sanctum of Islam. Pi is therefore presented as a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world, as he not only practices three religions but is also at home in the worlds of science and theology, having achieved university degrees in both fields. Martel juxtaposes the young Pi Patels receptiveness to other cultures and religions to the intolerance of the three religious figures encountered on the beach; the priest, the imam and the pandit, each convinced of the singular truth of the path he taught. Each of them apoplectically try to impose the superiority and validity of their respective faiths after discovering that Pi shows devotion to three different, opposing, and often conflicting religions; The priest looked askance at both of them. Piscine, he nearly whispered, there is salvation only in Jesus. Balderdash! Christians know nothing about religion, said the pandit. They strayed long ago from Gods path, said the imam. Wheres God in your religion? snapped the priest. You dont have a single miracle to show for it. What kind of religion is that, without miracles? It isnt a circus with dead people jumping out of tombs all the time, thats what! We Muslims stick to the essential miracle of existence. Birds flying, rain falling, crops growing-these are miracles enough for us. Feathers and rain are all very nice, but we like to know that God is truly with us. Is that so? Well, a whole lot of good it did God to be with you-you tried to kill him! You banged him to a cross with great big nails. Is that a civilized way to treat a prophet? The prophet Muhammad-peace be upon him-brought us the word of God without any undignified nonsense and died at a ripe old age. The word of God? To that illiterate merchant of yours in the middle of the desert? Those were drooling epileptic fits brought on by the swaying of his camel, not divine revelation. That, or the sun frying his brains! Whereas Pi just [wants] to love God, the three religious leaders represent those who insist on believing in one, absolute truth. This situation of world-wide coalition of cultures as Claude Levi- Strauss termed it, can be further elaborated using Richard Burtons famous words; All Faith is false, all Faith is true; Truth is the shattered mirror strown In myriad bits; while each believes His little bit the whole to own. Like Burton, Martel implies that absolute truth is inaccessible to human beings, who will probably never be able to understand it fully. Therefore, adhering slavishly and blindly to one faith without taking an interest in the practices and beliefs of others only contributes to [obstruct] empathy and [makes] ethnocentrism inescapable. The problem with most human beings and civilizations, as highlighted in Life of Pi and as extensively discussed by Appiah, appears to be that everyone believes that their particular faith is the all-comprehending and absolute truth. Everyone seems to be holding their little bit of their shattered mirror, guarding it protectively (almost jealously) from others and trying to see as much as they can in it. Gilroy describes such a situation as being one in which we are all sealed up inside our frozen cultural habits and where there is no workable precedent for adopting a more generous and creative view of how human beings might communicate or act in concert across racial, ethnic, or civilizational divisions. What Appiah in turn proposes to cultural and religious differences reflects Pis own ideologies. For Appiah therefore, there is no agreed-upon answer- and the point is there doesnt need to be. He urges that it is of central importance for the benefit of humanity that we all learn about people in other places, take an interest in their civilizations, not because that will bring us to agreement, but because it will help us get used to one another. In this sense, Pis behavior towards Richard Parker can be read as a metaphor used to promote or idealize a cosmopolitan ideology among human beings. Appiah also carefully points out that we can perfectly live together without agreeing on what the values are that make it good to live together. If the world could share their myriad bits, human beings would have definitely been able to see a lot more clearly. Similarly, there exists no singular truth. There are many truths, depending on our moralities and experience. As Pi reproaches to Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba twice at the end of the novel; Tigers exist, lifeboats exist, oceans exist. Because the three have never come together in your narrow, limited experience, you refuse to believe that they might. Yet the plain fact is that the Tsimtsum brought them together and then sank. And at some later point in the same conversation, Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe? Pi here implies that openness and the taking of interest in others lives and experiences are more enriching to human beings rather than further entombing themselves in what they believe is the absolute truth, thereby turning their own lives into yeastless factuality. Inspite of all his misadventures though, Pi not only remains faithful to all three religions but also admires the religious as well as the irreligious. Readers cannot disagree therefore with Pis statement that to choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation. Similarly, closing ourselves into our set of beliefs and closing all doors to the appreciation of other cultures, civilizations and people is akin to living without any enriching human and cultural progress. Sharing a lifeboat with a tiger for 227 days is considered as quasi-impossible both to believe and as a thing likely to occur. However, Martel beautifully uses imagination over reason to drag his readers in a kind of magical realism tour which requires a strong yet willing suspension of disbelief so as to show that such a thing is plausible and was actually experienced by the hero of his novel. Pi renounces to the initial idea of murdering Richard Parker because he realizes that if he does so, he will have no one to provide for, no one to depend on him and no reason at all to live. Thereupon, the tiger shifts from being a source of fear and a mortally threatening creature to a source of peace, purposeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ even wholeness. What Pi does therefore is that he uses his understanding of animals, acquired at the zoo, so as to establish a peaceful cohabitation between himself and Richard. According to June Dwyer, Pis success lies in the fact that he respects the Others instincts, n eeds and values and gives him equal consideration; it is acceptance of the Other without imposing change on him.Since Richard has already claimed his part in the lifeboat, Pi decides to negotiate. So, instead of killing, he shares and instead of giving up his authority he makes it clear to the tiger what is his by also urinating on his territory. The tiger in turn, much to Pis surprise, reacts positively to the latters whistle-blows. What Martel is trying to show here is that the human and the tiger are capable of living together (even in a lifeboat with limited space) as long as each respects the others space. If two completely different creatures are able to live together peacefully, by making compromises and respecting each other, then it becomes very much possible for cosmopolitanism among humans to be completely disregarded as a mere set of utopian ideals, as is often claimed by many,or, put in simpler terms, to be seen as a realistic utopia, as Nancy Fraser puts it. Likewise, Homers most enduring hero, Odysseus, celebrates someone seeking adventure and valuing the unfamiliar and the strange.According to one definition, cosmopolitanism represents the attempt to exhibit a familiarity with, or appreciation of many parts and peoples of the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This definition aptly applies to both Life of Pi and The Odyssey. Much like Pi himself, Odysseus is also shipwrecked, which leads him to encounter different people, civilizations, cultures and languages. We witness for example his admiration for the Phaiakians at some point in the book, and we see how he admires the latters polity. The simple swineherd Eumaeus, remarkable for his apparent striking similarity to Odysseus, also helps to better understand the shared human condition at that time. According to Patrick Deneen, Eumaeuss understanding of the situation of humanity relative to the gods is similar to that of Odysseus himself. This understanding leads to his realization that the human con dition leads one to recognize that the parts of our human identity that link us outnumber those identities that differentiate us. As he says to Odysseus, whom he meets as a begger, upon their first encounter, Stranger, I have no right to deny the stranger, not even if one came to me who was meaner than you. All vagabonds and strangers are under Zeus, and the gift is a light and dear oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Readers are thus able to see how Eumaeus, as well as Odysseus, recognize the protection that Zeus accords to all human beings, even to the most desperate ones. Since readers are able to travel through different civilizations, cultures, mindsets and values in The Odyssey, comparisons between those who show kindness to strangers and those who do not (such as in the case of Polyphemus, Poseidons son) are made possible. In this sense, Telemachuss meetings with Nestor and Menelaus also allow Homer to explore the Greek code of xenia, or hospitality. As Bernard Knox argues in the introduction to Robert Fagless translation of The Odyssey, the obligation of attending to and entertaining travelers is the closest The Odyssey comes to affirming an absolute moral principle. This also reminds of Nussbaums most explicit description of the duties or obligations of any citizen of the world; Our task as citizens of the world, and as educators who prepare people to be citizens of the world, will be to draw the circles somehow toward the center, making all human beings like our fellow city dwellers. In other words, we need not give up our special affections and affiliations and identifications, whether national or ethnic or religious; but we should work to make all human beings part of our community of dialogue and concern, showing respect for the human wherever it occurs, and allowing that respect to constrain our national and local politics. Likewise, the social code of ancient Greek necessitated that one expresses kindness to strangers in foreign regions by receiving them into ones home. This social expectation of hospitality was so culturally crucial and significant that it was believed to be implemented by Zeus, the king of the gods. Both hosts offer their guest a warm welcome even before they learn Telemachuss identity. Furthermore, this adherence and respect for the social norms enforced by the gods sharply demarcates Penelopes careless wooers plundering of Telemachuss home in Ithaca from Telemachus and Odysseus. Homer sets the right against the wrong by portraying the latter as hero and the suitors as villains. Although it is set in 700 BC, The Odyssey certainly sheds light on contemporary debates about cosmopolitanism. Martel on the other hand beautifully uses Pi as the hero of his novel, so as to transmit the innocent yet strong cosmopolitan and universal visions of a child, thereby providing more hope for a cosm opolitan future for the new generations. On a conclusive note, it can be noted that what Martel in a way wants his readers to know is that the persistent barriers of doubt, fear of the Other, ignorance, close-mindedness, racism and imaginative, long- held stereotypes are only vicious obstacles to the creation of a cosmopolitan world and fruitful human relations. In order for the human experience to progress therefore, these constant obstacles have to be destroyed. Indeed this book seems to suggest that the most appropriate and beneficial perspective to be adopted in the 21st century is one of cosmopolitanism.

Angelic Overview :: social issues

Angelic Overview ANGELIC OVERVIEW: "Angels are spirits," proclaimed St. Augustine! St. Thomas Aquinas believed that angels were pure spirit, having no matter or mass, and taking up no space; but Thomas believed angels could assume bodies at will. The purpose of angels is the same as mankind: to love and serve the Lord. However, being that angels are not material beings, and possibly from a different dimension, they can serve the Lord in many different ways. Angels have far greater will and intellect than we have. Whereas mankind must sift through and experiment with natural laws, angels can grasp all natural laws with a single thought. Eventually we find that angels cannot work miracles per se, but they can perform many special effects that appear miraculous, such as protecting Daniel from the lions in Daniel 6. When angels appear to man, they usually appear with wings, but the wings are not the method of loco- motion. The angels seem to slip in and out of the fourth dimension; thus travel is more or less instantaneous. If you have access to a Catholic Bible (it MUST be Catholic), check out Daniel ch. 14, to read how the prophet Habakkuk was instantly carried, via angel, from Judea to Babylon, a distance of 600 miles. The primary general duty of angels is as messengers of God. (The word "angel" means messenger in Greek.) But angels can do God's chores, such as busting Peter out of jail in Acts 5, or destroying Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. But some angels obey only the devil, and those angels are known as "demons", as is Satan himself. Satan had been an angel, but decided to do his own thing. Angels can see all aspects of a situation instantly, since they are so very wise. Angels, and the dimensions they live in, were apparently created before our visible world and universe. (The Bible tells us in Genesis ch.1-2 that mankind was created (or evolved) last.) The number of angels are countless. One reason they are count- less is that the Bible holds that each person who is or has lived, in the universe, has a guardian angel (Matthew 18:10). Additionally, some people who have died may have been transformed into lower angels. Many people witness "small miracles", and attribute them to God, when, in fact, angels may likely author the event. Speaking of miracles, some people believe that the reason more asteroids don't hit and damage planets is because each planet also has a guardian

Distillation Experiment

SUMMARY The aim is to observe distillation process of ethanol-water solution and to measure the alcohol content after process in this experiment. 500 ml of solution with an alcohol content of 32% (v/v) is used for this experiment. Temperature values are recorded for every 10 ml alcohol obtained in the flask. The process is repeated in our experiment and for the first process, the data collection process continues until the distillate reaches to 200 ml. The concentration of alcohol is measured for first process by hydrometer.For the second process, approximately 200 ml of distillate containing 70% alcohol is used and data collection continues until the distillate reaches 150 ml. Finally, the concentration of alcohol is also measured after 2nd process as 82%. INTRODUCTION The objective of this experiment is to distillate the alcohol-water solution into ethanol and water. Distillation is a process of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liq uid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction.The basic requirement of distillation is that the components of the liquid solution must have different boiling points. There are some types of distillation methods which are flash distillation, simple batch distillation, simple steam distillation, continuous distillation, vacuum distillation, etc. : Flash distillation It is a single stage process which liquid mixture is vaporized. The vapor and the liquid are come to equilibrium, and these phases are separated. Simple steam distillation This is a separation process at lower temperatures.This process is often used to separate a high boiling component from small amounts of nonvolatile impurities. Continuous distillation This is a process in which a liquid mixture is continuously fed into the process and separated fractions are removed continuously. Vacuum distillation It is used for some compounds having very high boiling poin ts. Instead of the increasing the temperature too much, lowering the pressure is preferred in this distillation type. In this experiment we used simple batch distillation in order to distillate alcohol-water mixture.Simple batch distillation This is a separation process which the liquid charge is boiled slowly and the vapors are withdrawn as quickly as vapors form to condenser, where the distillate, condensed vapor, is collected. The first portion of vapor condensed will be the richest in the more volatile component. Vapor-liquid equilibria take an important role in distillation process. Vapor-Liquid-Equilibria (VLE) Constant pressure VLE data is obtained from boiling point diagrams. VLE data of binary mixtures is often presented as a plot, as shown in the figure below.The curved line is called the equilibrium line and describes the compositions of the liquid and vapour in equilibrium at some fixed pressure. Distillation experiment is applied to two miscible liquids which are ethano l-water, soluble in each other in all ratios. Mixtures of ethanol and water form an azeotrope. Azeotropic mixture: Azeotropic mixture is a solution that forms a vapor with the same concentration as the solution, distilling without a change in concentration. The composition of the liquid phase at the boiling point is identical to hat of the vapor in equilibrium with it, and azeotropes form constant-boiling solutions. The exact composition of the azeotrope changes if the boiling point is altered by a change in the external pressure. Ethyl alcohol and water form an azeotrope of 95. 6% at 78. 1 Â °C. Azeotropic systems give rise to VLE plots where the equilibrium curves crosses the diagonals. METHODS AND MATERIALS -Distillation apparatus -Alcoholmeter -Graduated cylinder -500 ml of 30% (v/v) water-ethanol mixture Source: Retrieved from http://www. baruch. cuny. edu/wsas/academics/natural_science/chm_1000/6_wine. df The distillation apparatus is for the separation of two miscible liquid s by taking advantage of their boiling point differences. The mixture is put in the distillation flask, and a thermometer is located in there. The heater has a knob that is used to adjust the heating. Cold tap water is circulated in the condenser to condense the vapor. First, the ethanol – water mixture was poured into the distillation flask, and boiling chips were used to prevent over bubbling. Then the heater was turned on at a moderate level to prevent fast heating and better separation of the liquids.After the first drop of the distillate was obtained, the temperature was recorded. Every 10 milliliters, the temperature in the flask was recorded. At the end of the distillation, an alcoholmeter was used to measure the alcohol content of the distillate. 200 milliliters of distillate was distillated again in the same manner to obtain a higher alcohol percentage in the final product. DATA & CALCULATION Notations used: A: Ethanol B: Water XA ? Mole fraction of ethanol in liquid YA ? Mole fraction of ethanol in vapor XB? Mole fraction of water in liquid YB ?Mole fraction of water in vapor Assumptions: – Pressure is 101,32kPa – Constant physical properties – Condensed fluid drops on the wall of still are neglected Initial data: – 500 mL of ethanol-water mixture is used for the first distillation. – 200 mL of ethanol-water mixture is used for the second distillation. Calculation: XA & YA values can be calculated from the Raoult’s law equation; ? A + ? B = P PA* XA + PB* XB = P ? Since XA + XB = 1 PA* XA + PB* (1- XA)= P XA = (P – PB)/( PA – PB) The PA & PB values were obtained according to the temperature data. (Acland,T. 2011) 1st DISTILLATION: T(? C)PBPAXAYAXBYB 7843,5100,11,0015551,0032540,000,00 78,544,4102,10,9864820,9940760,0135180,005924 7945,3104,10,9527210,9788620,0472790,021138 79,245,7104,90,9395270,9727240,0604730,027276 79,345,9105,30,9329970,9696460,0670030,030354 79,546,3106,20,9185310,96 27710,0814690,037229 8047,2108,30,8857610,9467820,1142390,053218 80,548,2110,40,8540190,9305540,1459810,069446 8149,2112,60,8220820,9136050,1779180,086395 81,550,2114,80,7913310,8966130,2086690,103387 8251,21170,7617020,8795810,2382980,120419 82,552,2119,30,7320420,8619480,2679580,138052 353,3121,60,7030750,8438010,2969250,156199 8455,4126,30,6476730,8073540,3523270,192646 8557,7131,20,5934690,7684880,4065310,231512 85,558,8133,70,567690,7491140,432310,250886 8762,4141,50,4920350,687160,5079650,31284 8864,8146,90,4448230,6449320,5551770,355068 88,566,1149,60,4217960,6227870,5782040,377213 9070158,10,3555050,5547310,6444950,445269 The average composition of total material distilled, Yav was measured by using hydrometer as 70%. So the final composition of remaining liquid,X2, can be obtained by material balance using Rayleigh equation: L1X1 = L2X2+ (L1 – L2)Yav 00(0,32) = 300 X2 + 200(0,7) ? X2 = 0,067 That means, 6,7 % of ethanol remained in the distillation still. 2nd DISTILL ATION: T(? C)PBPAXAYAXBYB 78,544,4102,10,9864820,9940760,0135180,005924 79,546,3106,20,9185310,9627710,0814690,037229 8047,2108,30,8857610,9467820,1142390,053218 8149,2112,60,8220820,9136050,1779180,086395 8251,21170,7617020,8795810,2382980,120419 8455,4126,30,6476730,8073540,3523270,192646 8864,8146,90,4448230,6449320,5551770,355068 9070158,10,3555050,5547310,6444950,445269 The average composition of total material distilled, Yav was measured by using hydrometer as 82%.So the final composition of remaining liquid,X2, can be obtained by material balance using Rayleigh equation: L1X1 = L2X2+ (L1 – L2)Yav 200(0,7) = 50 X2 + 150(0,82) ? X2 = 0,34 That means, 34 % of ethanol remained in the distillation still. DISCUSSION In first distillation, according to data obtained boiling point diagram is drawn. This graph can be seen as incomplete because some data is missing in order to complete graph since high temperature is not reached. Moreover, azeotropic point cannot be seen because we are not able to change pressure, so we cannot see that point and forward.In boiling point diagram graph for second distillation, we omit some of data because fraction is found negative, which is not possible. There may be error due to experimental condition or reflux. CONCLUSION In this experiment, our aim is to learn basic distillation concept and how to take and evaluate our data. We also learnt how to put data into boiling point diagram. In first distillation it is obtained 70% alcohol water solution and in the second distillation it is obtained 78% alcohol water solution.However, because of negative fraction values, we are not able to put all the data into boiling point diagram. REFERENCES Ackland, T. (2011). Home distillation of alcohol. Retrieved from http://homedistiller. org/ Geankoplis, C. J. (2003). Transport processes and separation process principles. Prentice Hall. Seperation Process. Distillation. Retrieved from http://www. separationprocesses. com/ Distillation/DT _Chp05. htm Wikipedia. Distillation. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Distillation Wikipedia. Azeotropic Distillation. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/

The Social Studies Curriculum in Alberta, Canada Free Essay Example, 2000 words

The Social Studies Curriculum in Alberta, Canada Introduction Social study is a branch of academics related to inter-human interactions. According toa definition by Wesley â€Å"social study is the social science simplified for pedagogical purposes† a second definition is given as â€Å"unitary field comprised of materials from various disciplines, regardless of discipline boundaries, which is centered on the needs of students and society. † (Alahwiti 2007). In Alberta Province of Canada it was considered that social studies curriculum in schools was not written and taught on modern basis, in line with requirements of twentyfirst century. The method of teaching was also old and required major review. The old program only stressed on teaching and listing facts, figures and diagrams in chronological order without considering linkages with students being educated. Thus a deep analysis was done at provincial level to revise the curriculum and the way it is taught. Dramatic Change In The Social Studies Curriculum Of Alberta With respect to Canadian – Alberta framework of citizenship a social studies program or curriculum should explore, quantify and strengthen Canadian identity of students. We will write a custom essay sample on The Social Studies Curriculum in Alberta, Canada or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Within Alberta citizenship framework a social study program should reflect translate Aboriginal and Francophone perspective as well which is close to ground realities. In a nutshell the program or curriculum should promote multicultural, multiethnic, democratic and truly Canadian social and cultural values. Vision of Alberta social studies program should be based on appreciating pluralistic Canadian society and associated diverse realities. Since year 2005 onwards the curriculum has been revised as well as the methods of teaching. The major change brought about is start of program basing on concrete philosophy which stresses to develop skills with a purpose of transforming students into responsible and productive citizens in a democratic country. The program envisions needs of twenty first century while focusing Canadian identity and citizenship. The program includes many facets like including realities of Aboriginal, Francophone, multicultural, mul tilingual and multiethnic society. The program endeavors to connect students, with what is being taught, which is the most promising aspect. Canadian society is diverse and pluralistic in nature due to huge population of immigrants. Multiple factors shape the Canadian Society like people come from different religions, societies, social and cultural values, countries and languages.