Oedipus Essay Test

Oedipus and Antigone Test            

Question #1

I believe in fate more than i do free will, so i would not even have to pretend that i believe in fate for a second. I also don't believe that you can alter someones fate through free will. In some instances free will can slightly change and or alter the future, but in almost all cases free will cannot change someone fate completely. I believe that life is almost planned out for you, so if you are going to try and change the path that life already has for you, it is a waste of your time and you could be doing something better with that time. Things will happen in life, and you can not control that, so when those things come up in your life, you have to stand up to them and get past them instead of being a coward and trying to avoid them.

Thinking in the terms of free will is a little different for me because i usually think in the terms of fate. It isn't necessarily fate that i was born a girl over a boy, its more genetics. Just like other families, they say that they want to have a boy, but in some cases they can’t get what they want, because its the way that the sperm and egg bond together to decide whether you are a male or female. As to in the parents that i have you can not say that it was free will or fate that they are my parents. Things happened in both of their lives that brought them close together and they ended up getting married and having kids, that was not a choice i had, but it was a choice that they had. Lastly, about the first breath, that was free will, because my mother decided that she wanted to have me in that particular hospital, it wasn't my free will to want to take my first breath there, that was my mothers decision.

Personally, i believe in fate on a higher level than i do that of free will. Are there some instances in which i believe in free will? Yes, but that's only on certain occasions. My mother always tells me that when i was little i always loved sports and always had some kind of sports equipment in my hand. The free will here was to try all the different sports but only stick with the ones that i truly loved because that's what i most enjoy.

Question #2

Have you ever come across a time in your life where you felt the need to lie? Where you felt there was no way out other than to lie to get yourself out of trouble? Personally, there have been several instances where i have not told the truth. Is it the right thing to do? To lie? No, but in some cases it is what you need to do to get by. Not everyone is ready and or prepared to the tell the truth or they aren’t ready to hear it, so a solution to that is fibbing or lying. Another instance that i think that it is okay to lie is when you are doing it to protect your family or someone that you love.

One big time that i have lied to my mother was very recently. I lied to her for a good reason and it was in her best interest. It happened to be the time right after Thanksgiving and we were planning a surprise birthday party for my mom. It was a very difficult time to do this because she usually works everyday but Wednesday, but because it was after a holiday she had some extra time off. I had to go out on many different occasions and get all the things that we needed for the party and she is always and was always asking me where i was going. This is where the lying took place. I had to lie about where i was going and why i was going there. Deep down inside i know it didn't feel right, but after all and all was done it was definitely worth it.

A time when i was lied to when i would have rather heard the real truth was three years ago when my grandmother was in the hospital. The night before she passed away my mother told me that they were just going to visit her just like every other night, but in real they had gotten a call from the hospital saying that my grandmother only had a couple hours to live. I would have much rather had the truth told to me so that it was not as big of a shock to me when i found out she died the next morning.

I personally believe in telling the truth, but for some cases when it is completely necessary, it is okay to have a little lie. Lying to someone and having them find out that you intentionally lied to them is the worst feeling in the world, especially when its a family member or a good friend. I always try to tell the truth because i know telling the truth is the right thing to do and i would want someone to tell me the truth and not lie to me.

Question #3

Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus complex is a very basic thing. It occurs in a man’s childhood and he has the desire to kill his father and sleep with his mother. This complex happens in stages. The stages happen in the order of The oral stage, weaning, the anal stage, potty training, and finally the phallic stage, Oedipal crisis. These stages happen and Oedipus is unable to escape it.

I find it to be a bit ridiculous personally. I don't understand where he could get this idea from. This idea isn’t just hogwash, it is rather disgusting too. I believe that there could be some that are born that have this initiative, but for the average normal man i can not see this being true.

One thing that could support the Oedipus complex is that they could have been son of the mothers thinking that the mother was attractive and wanting to sleep with her. In a way to debunk the complex is by seeing the bond that some fathers and sons have together. I know plenty of father and sons that have in irreplaceable bond. This bond will make the whole kill the father sleep with the mother completely wrong.

Question #4

Antigone get the courage to break the law and risk death to do what she thinks is right because she believed in religious laws over city laws which is why she felt that it was her duty as his sister to bury him. Another reason would be because there family name has already suffered enough tragedy so what would one more thing be? Lastly, by going against the decree for her bother to not be buried she is pointing out how Thebes doesn’t care about honoring religious gods and also means going against there gods. Back in those times this was one of the worst things you could do because it was considered very dishonorable.
There are many laws that i have to and am supposed to follow day by day. One law that is stated in the state of Massachusetts is the law to wear your seat belt when driving. Other laws are no drinking and driving and drugs are against the law too. One other law was when you’re under the age of eighteen you are not supposed to drive between the hours of 12:30am-5:00am.
The law that i choose to follow without question is the one with no drugs because i think that drugs are pointless, and also the law of no drinking and driving. I think if you drink and drive you are very irresponsible and you could harm your life along with any other person in the car, driving on the road, or even going for a walk. One law that i feel is okay to bend is the one about driving between those times when your under eighteen. I personally can not think of any laws that i feel are okay to break. They are called laws for a reason, and they are not meant to be broken.

Siddhartha Comes To America

          I was awakened to the sound of my buzzing alarm clock going off at 6:45am. It isn’t for school though because it is the middle of summer. Today is the day that I get to pick up Siddhartha from the airport. This was the first thought that crossed my mind as I woke up lying in bed with the fan going at one hundred miles per hour to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. I crawled out of bed and headed to the shower and was out of the house by 8:00am. I was headed to the airport to pick up Siddhartha, whose flight was to arrive at 9:15am.

           

As I arrived at the crowded airport I was able to pick out Siddhartha due to his elegantly clad robes. His flight must have arrived promptly because he was perched up against a giant pillar patiently waiting. Not knowing if he knew it was me or not, I pulled the vehicle up and gave the horn a beep and waved to get his attention. I pull over, get out and assist him with loading his luggage into the trunk of my car. We then proceeded to enter the vehicle for our trip back to South Hadley. Siddhartha immediately had question after question for me. I answered everything and anything he wanted to know. He especially wanted to know what good restaurants we had in the area, and the rest of his questions were trivial ones about what America was like in general. I brought Siddhartha back to my house and in the morning we were going to be off and on our way to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

           

Growing up as a child, we took a yearly vacation to Cape Cod. Remembering what it was like there made me think that it was a perfect place for me to take Siddhartha for a beautiful place to meditate. When I was younger I remember going to the beach and digging in the sand. I would proceed to place my chair on the rim of the freshly dug hole and submerge my feet into it. I would feel the cool, moist, grainy sand on my feet and it would calm me. We departed South Hadley that morning and headed east for the Cape. Siddhartha slept the entire two and a half hour car ride.

           

We arrived at the beach around ten and Siddhartha and I gazed out at the ocean in amazement. The dark blue ocean glimmered as the sun shined from behind the puffy white cumulus cloud. The sky is brilliant, just like home. “The world was beautiful when looked at in this way- without any seeking, so simple, so childlike.” (46) I want to go swimming. We went to the water’s edge and set down our belongings and spread out the blanket. Siddhartha and I then dashed to the water despite its chilly temperature. I looked at Siddhartha and he “looked down and was completely filled with a desire to let go of himself and be submerged in the water.” (88) Moments later we emerged from the water and dried off in the breeze. We laid on the blanket and listened to the grass on the dune rustle in the wind. I’m glad I’m here. This place is truly beautiful and reminds me of home. Siddhartha began meditating so I decided to go for a walk and returned several hours later.

            “Janelle, this place is great but can we go somewhere exciting?”

            “Where were you thinking?”

            “I want to go somewhere loud and with lots of people!”

Two days later we arrived in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The glitz and glamour of the Casino lights took Siddhartha by surprise.

            “How do you like it?”

            “It’s amazing,” Siddhartha replied, “I have never seen so many lights and people in one place.”

            “I thought you’d be taken back by it. There’s always something going on here. Every day fortunes are made, and fortunes are lost.”

We walked down the boardwalk and I noticed Siddhartha gazing at the flashing lights and listening to the sounds of the traffic bustling down the strip. Horns honked as Siddhartha wandered into the middle of traffic in a daze. “All this had always been and he had never seen it, he was never present.” (46) We went to the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Siddhartha walked over to the roulette tables. Within an hour Siddhartha exhausted two thousand dollars of his own fortune and he couldn’t have looked happier. “He derived a passionate pleasure through the gambling away and squandering of wretched money.” (79)

            “Do you realize you just blew two thousand dollars Siddhartha?”

            “Yes,” he replied.

            “Why do you have a giant smirk on your face then?”

            “Money is a material possession my friend. Life isn’t about the number of breathes you take, but the moments that take your breath away. It’s all about the moments that bring joy and happiness, and this is one of those moments,” Siddhartha replied.

            “I’m glad you are enjoying yourself, but we should get going soon so you don’t miss your flight home to India.”

We departed Atlantic City a couple hours later and started the first leg of Siddhartha’s long journey home to India.

           

Although Siddhartha adapted well in both settings, I believe he fits best at

Earle Road

beach in Cape Cod because of his personality and who he is and what his personality is like. Siddhartha seemed most comfortable at the beach because unlike Atlantic City, the beach is more like his home and it seems like he adapted easier there. The beach was calm, quiet, and was a place where Siddhartha could easily become one with his inner Atman. He was able to do what he does best, meditate. Going to Atlantic City enlightened Siddhartha and opened his eyes to new sights and things he hadn’t seen before. I think he adapted well in the more stimulating place, but for who Siddhartha is and what he does with his life, the beach is a better place for Siddhartha to be and he adapted better at the beach.

Man's Best Friend

Corey Ford once said, “Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.” Every day when I get home from school I am greeted with a wagging tail and a friendly bark because someone can’t wait to see me. 

The earliest memory I have was me wanting a dog. I would count down the days till my aunt would come over and bring her little puppy with her too. Never once did I think was there a chance for my family to have our own dog. My mother would always say, “They shed all over the place, they lick and slobber, and worst of all, you have to pick up all the waste they produce.” She would think it was like having another kid again with potty training and the works. Listening to her say this every time my aunt would come visit with her dog, I still would ask my mom again if we could get one. The answer would always be the same and that really pounded the word “no” into my head.

            This went on for nearly 15 years of my life until Christmas 2010, when I got a stuffed animal puppy under the tree. I took the hint and went with it as far as I could. I had always wanted a dog, one to play with when I was grounded or to cuddle with at night, or even just the joy of seeing their tail wagging so hard back and forth the minute you walk through the door. That dream of wanting a dog came true a couple of months after Christmas but the real thing came true when my family got a second puppy and she was to be called my own.

            Someone would consider her the most popular family dog, a Labrador

Retriever.  I wanted a unique dog of my own but she fit perfectly in the kind of dog I had wanted, for swimming, hiking, playing fetch, and being able to sleep with you at night. Coming home seeing her tail wag back and forth and her deep brown eyes looking at me with excitement makes my day, and can put me in a happy mood no matter what I am feeling like.  

            I have only had my black lab Dakota, for about 3 months now but she is definitely my best friend. Never did I think that I could become friends with a dog of all things, something that doesn’t talk, eats out of a dish and gets water from a bowl. My dog can always change my mood and make me feel like a whole different person the moment I see her. The best part of having her is that she is always so extremely excited to see me. I think that it’s so unique the bond that humans have with animals, dogs especially. They are always happy to see you and can always make someone happy. Dakota is my best friend  and I couldn’t ask for a better one.  

Man's Best Friend

         Authors Note:

A.)  I think this essay rose to the top because it was a quique experience to me and a dream to me and it is more likely that there is less people to write about this topic then the other essay topics that i had chosen.

B.)  One thing that I thought that my essay did well and effectively was explain how much i really wanted a dog all my life, and how when I got the chance to get one i really pushed to get what i wanted.

C.) One thing that I feel is a weekness in this paper that might need some work is my vocabulary, and details.

D.)  One question i would have is, is my essay too straight to the point? or is it really easily seen how much my dog means to me?

         Corey Ford once said, “Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.” Every day when I get home from school I am greeted with a wagging tail and a friendly bark because someone can’t wait to see me. 

The earliest memory I have was me wanting a dog. I would count down the days till my aunt would come over and bring her little puppy with her too. Never once did I think was there a chance for my family to have our own dog. My mother would always say, “They shed all over the place, they lick and slobber, and worst of all, you have to pick up all the waste they produce.” She would think it was like having another kid again with potty training and the works. Listening to her say this every time my aunt would come visit with her dog, I still would ask my mom again if we could get one. The answer would always be the same and that really pounded the word “no” into my head.

            This went on for nearly 15 years of my life until Christmas 2010, when I got a stuffed animal puppy under the tree. I took the hint and went with it as far as I could. I had always wanted a dog, one to play with when I was grounded or to cuddle with at night, or even just the joy of seeing their tail wagging so hard back and forth the minute you walk through the door.

            This dream came true a few months after Christmas when we got our first puppy.  I was overly excited about everything. Even though I was not the one to pick him out; I still was the one who wanted him the most. Soon after I came to conclude that he really wasn’t the type of dog that I wanted, he was more of a lap dog. Although I still love this puppy I had dreamed of one that would go swimming, hiking, play fetch, and sleep with me at night. The perfect candidate in my eyes was a Labrador Retriever. I pushed and pushed once again until I had gotten what I was dreaming for all my life.

            I have only had her for about 3 months now but she is definitely my best friend. Never did I think that I could become friends with a dog of all things, something that doesn’t talk, eats out of a dish and gets water from a bowl. My dog can always change my mood and make me feel like a whole different person the moment I see her. The best part of having her is that she is always so extremely excited to see me. I always heard the quote, “a dog is a man’s best friend” but never did I really believe in it until I now see what it is truly like to own your own and have them be your best friend.

           

Exploring The World

The hot humid air that surrounded Amir was one memory that Amir would never forget. The feeling of being back to where he grew up, Afghanistan, but not alone, he was with his new adopted son Sohrab. They’re on their way to the field where Amir went almost every day with his friend when he was little to go and fly a kite. Today was the first time that they went and it was going to be the first attempt on Amir’s part to try and teach Sohrab to be a kite runner. Amir wanted to show Sohrab what he did as a kid with Sohrab’s father, Amir’s best friend and unknown brother. He teaches Sohrab that to be a kite runner two people are needed, one who flies the kite and the other who holds the reel to let out more or less string, and the object is to cut down the other kites in the sky until you are the last one up there and you win. It was of Amir’s idea to take him there to try and connect with his new son and a way for Sohrab to bond with him.

After arriving and finding nobody there at all, it would be easier to try to teach him so that he wouldn’t worry about getting cut down while Sohrab is trying to learn to fly. Shortly, Amir looks around and in the distance he spots a younger middle aged woman and what seems to be her daughter in the distance heading towards the park. At this point Sohrab is flying the kite yet sees the woman and the young girl with her. This could possibly be his first opportunity to try and battle to test his skills and see what he can do to improve. The woman and young girl walk up to Sohrab and Amir, and in the young girl’s hand, was a kite.

 “Hi, I’m Taylor Green, and this is my daughter Turtle, we couldn’t help to notice that you guys were flying a kite and were wondering if you could teach us?” said Taylor.

 “Hello Taylor, I’m Amir and this is my son Sohrab, this is only his first day flying, but if you really would like to know, we would love teach you.” said Amir.

Amir continues to teach Sohrab the art of kite flying and proceeds to ask Taylor and Turtle what they‘re doing in Afghanistan.

  “So Ms. Green, what are you doing here in Afghanistan?” asked Amir

Taylor replied, “Well, when I was about five years out of school I decided to buy a car and travel across the country, and when I stopped in Oklahoma, this lady gave me her daughter because she didn’t want her. Now this is her, and we decided we wanted to not only travel the country, but the world too.”

“Well that’s kind of coincidental because Sohrab isn’t my real son either, he is my nephew. His father is Hassan, and Hassan was my best friend when I was little. He also was a servant at my house with whom I thought was his father, but sooner or later I discovered that Hassan was actually my brother,” said Amir.

“That was very honorable of you to take in your nephew. When I saw Turtle I felt so touched by her sweetness, I felt obligated to take her in,” replied Taylor.

Amir replied, “It’s so reassuring to know that there are more caring people like you and the world, who will take in children even though they didn’t create them.”