The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe :: essays papers

The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe Communism is like Prohibition - it's a good idea but it won't work" (Will Rogers, 1927) (1) This essay will give a brief introduction to communism. It will then discuss the various factors which combined to bring about the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. It will examine each of these factors and evaluate the effect of each. Finally it will attempt to assertain whether Rogers' opinion (see above quotation) on Communism is true, that is, whether communism was truly doomed to fail from the start, or whether its collapse was a result of external influences. Communism is based on the ideas and teachings of Karl Marx as modified by Lenin. At its most basic, the ideal of communism is a system in which everyone is seen as equal and wealth is distributed equally among the people. There is no private ownership. The state owns and controls all enterprises and property. The state is run by one leading elite. The Soviet model of communism was based on these ideals. All opposition parties were banned although parties who were sympathetic to communism and who shared the communist ideals were allowed. All power was concentrated into the hands of the Communist party. Free press and civil liberties were suppressed. Censorship and propaganda were widely used. There was state ownership of the economy. No private enterprise was allowed. There was a collectivisation of agriculture. The Communist Party invaded and controlled every aspect of political, social, cultural and economic life. It was a totalitarian state with complete Communist control over all facets of life. In the early years, and up until Gorbachev's "new regime", the use of force and terror as a means of maintaining control was widespread. The first factor which contributed to the failure and eventual collapse of communism was the fact that the Communist party's domination was illegitimate from the beginning. Lenin came to power after a bloody Civil War between those who supported Lenin and those who opposed the Soviet regime. To Lenin, defeat was unthinkable and he was prepared to make any and every sacrifice to win the war and save "the revolution". The forcible requisitioning of food and supplies was approved by Lenin. This could only be achieved by enforcing strict and absolute discipline at every level of society. Terror was to become the chief instrument of power and Lenin was to assume the role of dictator. This was a phenomenon which was to become a symbol of communist regimes throughout their lifetime. This trend was followed when Stalin came to power as leader of the The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe :: essays papers The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe Communism is like Prohibition - it's a good idea but it won't work" (Will Rogers, 1927) (1) This essay will give a brief introduction to communism. It will then discuss the various factors which combined to bring about the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. It will examine each of these factors and evaluate the effect of each. Finally it will attempt to assertain whether Rogers' opinion (see above quotation) on Communism is true, that is, whether communism was truly doomed to fail from the start, or whether its collapse was a result of external influences. Communism is based on the ideas and teachings of Karl Marx as modified by Lenin. At its most basic, the ideal of communism is a system in which everyone is seen as equal and wealth is distributed equally among the people. There is no private ownership. The state owns and controls all enterprises and property. The state is run by one leading elite. The Soviet model of communism was based on these ideals. All opposition parties were banned although parties who were sympathetic to communism and who shared the communist ideals were allowed. All power was concentrated into the hands of the Communist party. Free press and civil liberties were suppressed. Censorship and propaganda were widely used. There was state ownership of the economy. No private enterprise was allowed. There was a collectivisation of agriculture. The Communist Party invaded and controlled every aspect of political, social, cultural and economic life. It was a totalitarian state with complete Communist control over all facets of life. In the early years, and up until Gorbachev's "new regime", the use of force and terror as a means of maintaining control was widespread. The first factor which contributed to the failure and eventual collapse of communism was the fact that the Communist party's domination was illegitimate from the beginning. Lenin came to power after a bloody Civil War between those who supported Lenin and those who opposed the Soviet regime. To Lenin, defeat was unthinkable and he was prepared to make any and every sacrifice to win the war and save "the revolution". The forcible requisitioning of food and supplies was approved by Lenin. This could only be achieved by enforcing strict and absolute discipline at every level of society. Terror was to become the chief instrument of power and Lenin was to assume the role of dictator. This was a phenomenon which was to become a symbol of communist regimes throughout their lifetime. This trend was followed when Stalin came to power as leader of the

The Swimmer by John Cheever

Mina Hanna ENGL 2130-010 Ms. Kilgore The Swimmer by John Cheever Oct 06, 2011 The Swimmer by John Cheever Neddy’s journey home through the pools of his neighborhood turns into a journey through many years of his life, showing that passage of time is inevitable, no matter how much one might ignore it. Neddy has mastered the art of denial. At the beginning of the story, the narrator tells us that Neddy is far from young, but he does his best to act young by sliding down a banister and dividing headlong into a pool. The long afternoon at the Westerhazy’s pool seems timeless, no different, we can assume, from many thers afternoons spent exactly the same way. As Neddy’s journey progresses, we see that time is actually passing much more quickly than Neddy realizes. Leaves and hedges turn yellow and red, the constellations in the sky change, and the air gets colder. Friends not at home when he expects them to be, he faces scorn from the people he would once scorned, his mistress wants nothing to do with him, and he learns that a friend has been very ill. All these changes have happened without Neddy’s knowledge. Neddy question his memory, but he also onders whether he has simply denied reality to a dangerous degree. His peers have acted their age and faced adult problems, whereas he has raised. Morshed 2 The pervasive consumption of alcohol throughout the story sharpens the distortion of time and Neddy’s sense of unhappiness. The drinking, serving, and desire for alcohol become significant motivators for Neddy as well as a way to measure his social standing. At the beginning of the story, everyone is complaining of having drunk too much the night before, but they have gathered companionably at the Westerhazys’ pool o drink again. Neddy drinks gin before he decides to swim from pool to pool, and his swim home is marked as much by fresh drinks as by new swimming pool. At the Bunkers’ party, Neddy feels comforted and happy when he is given a drink, whereas at the Biswangers’ party, he feels slighted by the way his drink is served. As his journey grows more difficult, Neddy wishes deeply for a drink but is often turned down, once at the Sachses’ and once at Shirley Adam’s. His desire for a drink grows strongly as he grows weaker, and the amount of alcohol he has consumed during is journey could explain clearly the harsh bewildering emotional place in which Neddy finds himself at the end of the story. Morshed 3 The pools that Neddy swims through as he makes his way home represent periods of time that Neddy passes through. At the beginning of the story, Neddy is strong and active, feels deep contentment with his life, and is admired by his friends. Warm is the sun, he feels like a legendary figure, as though there is nothing he can’t accomplish. As he progresses from pool to pool, however, Neddy changes. Physically, he grows eaker, unable to pull himself out of pool without a ladder and unwilling to drive in as he once did. Instead of being warm, he eventually feels chilled to the bone. Around him, the sunny summer day grows increasingly cooler, and a storm passes. The trees, meanwhile, lose their leaves, and the constellations change to those of autumn. His standing in his social circle has changed as well. Once respected and given to snubbing those who are not part of his group, he is now snubbed by Grace Biswanger and the bartender at the party, Which Neddy is not aware that he has suffered. A lot has happened as he has been moving from pool to pool. Neddy has named the chain of pools the â€Å"Lucinda River†, invoking the security and longevity of his marriage and family, but his choice of name becomes sad and ironic when he winds up at his dark, deserted home. Neddy has taken Lucinda, just as he took his comfortable life, for granted. We don’t know much about their marriage, but we know of Neddy’s affair with Shirley, an affair he treated lightly and to which he attached no meaning. Morshed 4 The changes in weather and season that occur throughout the story mirror Neddy’s hanging life circumstances, particularly the deterioration of his comfort and security. At the beginning of the story, Neddy is warm in the sunshine, conscious of nothing but his own happiness and the pleasures of the day. As he begins his swim, the water and air are of comfortable temperature, and he can walk easily from pool to pool in his swim trunks. Shortly into his jo urney, a storm passes, making a turning point in Neddy’s plans. He is alone for the first time, waiting out the storm in a deserted gazebo; and when the storm ends, the warmth is gone. He is chilly, and the red and yellow leaves n the ground suggest falls. Neddy feels a peculiar sadness, the first time he feels anything other than happiness. Weather and season are not kind to Neddy from this moment on. He gets colder, sees more signs of fall, and changes from a robust traveler into a pathetic figure by the highway. Autumn arrives in full as Neddy finishes his journey, and the final pool he swims in has freezing cold water. Just as Neddy’s happy life has come to a close, the cycle of seasons has been completed as well, and it is clear by the end of the story that Neddy’s is entering the winter of his life.

Chivalry in Arthurian Legend Essay - 926 Words

Chivalry in Arthurian Legend Merriam-Websters on-line dictionary defines chivalry as the system, spirit, or customs of medieval knighthood. As Leon Gautier, author of Chivalry, defines this system and spirit of knighthood by identifying rules of chivalry, two of which are well illustrated in Lanval, TheWife of Baths Tale, and The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnel: Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word, and Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone(qtd. in Chivalry). All three stories seem to suggest the predominant theme of a knight living up to his word. This is shown by the fact that, in each story, the knights oath is taken very seriously, is treated as a contract, and is†¦show more content†¦It is interesting to note that King Arthurs life depends on two things: his remaining faithful to his word, and Sir Gromer, also a knight bound by the code of chivalry, remaining true to his word. If Arthur does not trust that Sir Gromer will honor the code and spare his life, it would seem unreasonable for him to agree to such a deal. In the end, we find that both men remain honorable, thus upholding this aspect of the code of knighthood. Similarly, the knight, in the story told by the Wife of Bath, is faced with the punishment of death for the crime of rape. To save his life, he swears to the queen that he shall return within a year and a day with the correct answer to her question: What thing [is it] that women most desiren(911). Again, it is difficult to believe that the queen would have allowed this knight to run off, unpunished for his crime, unless she believed he would remain true to his word. It seems that it would have been very easy for this knight to save his life simply by disappearing. Yet he lived up to his oath. In Lanval, the knight is asked to make a promise to his ami not to let anyone know of their affair. Although Lanval does not remain true to his word, the importance of the oath is made clear in the simple fact that his love trusts his word implicitly. It is important to note that, were it not for the implied oath of a knight to remain loyal at all costs to his king, Lanval would have kept his promiseShow MoreRelatedMonty Python And The Holy Grail861 Words   |  4 Pagesa parody of Arthurian stories. It is a film that is not very elaborate on special effects, costumes and such as it even includes invisible horses with coconuts to mimic the sound of the â€Å"galloping† horses. All which indicate the low budget set on the production of the film. Although, the quality of the film does not suffer with it’s low budget since this adds uniqueness and more comical pieces to the film. The concepts triggered in the film come from elements of the Arthurian legends. The elementsR ead MoreChristian Elements in the King Arthur1295 Words   |  6 Pagesaspect of the Medieval hierarchy. The Church affected rituals and moral principles of the people, as well as write their own stories to enlist to their ideologies. Literature links with the delegated character of the Medieval past, such as the Arthurian legend, influencing the interpretation of the period. King Arthur is recognized as legendary king of Britain, whose central figure spreads abroad from British history to centuries of Western literary works. He is known for leading British soldiers againstRead MoreThomas Malory s Morte Darthur The Tale Of Launcelot And Guinevere s Betrayal And The Tragedy That Ensues1206 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Morte Darthur†: A research paper for English 325 In Thomas Malory s Morte Darthur the tale of Launcelot and Guinevere’s betrayal and the tragedy that ensues is the prevailing end of the arthurian legend. Malory writing as a prisoner accused of treason took vested interest in the betrayal of Arthur by Guinevere and one of his most popular knights. Most likely due to the fact that Malory saw himself and hope for mercy in the character Launcelot and made that evident in the story he wrote.UltimatelyRead More The Effects of Sir Thomas Malory’s Life and Culture on the Arthurian Legends2233 Words   |  9 Pagesand Culture on the Arthurian Legends In many cases, authors write books in order to comment on the culture they live in. In addition, the personal life experiences of the author are also expressed in the work. In the case of the Arthurian Legends, the major contributor was Sir Thomas Malory, who lived from 1405 to 1471 (Abrams, 420). The first section of this paper will examine why Sir Thomas Malory should be considered the greatest contributor to the Arthurian Legends. The second sectionRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Code Analysis824 Words   |  4 Pagesimportance of the chivalric code. Sir Gawain always keeps his promises, obeys his lord, and enters combat to uphold his reputation of bravery. These comprise part of the code of chivalry, the principle of utmost importance to any knight. Arthurian legends esteemed honor, honesty, valor, and loyalty. The Knights Code of Chivalry and vows of the Knighthood include a lengthy list of vows required from knights. These include: â™ £ To fear God and maintain His Church â™ £ To serve the liege lord in valour and faithRead MoreKing Arthur And The Arthurian Legend906 Words   |  4 Pagesother famous Arthurian legends were believed to be mostly truth in the 11th Century. Many people enjoyed the idea that their history once contained a time of chivalry and wonder such as the tall tales described. Indeed, some today believe the same. However, King Arthur, despite being an influential figure from the 11th century onwards, was mostly a work a fiction, his tales and legends an amalgamation of truth and fantasy with some historical basis and much exaggeration. Arthurian legend is a blendRead MoreJason Mack. Ms. Davis. English I. 24 April 2017. The Honor896 Words   |  4 PagesJason Mack Ms. Davis English I 24 April 2017 The Honor of Sir Galahad The knights of King Arthur’s time were not only brave, but they were righteous, gallant, and faithful. In King Arthur’s time, chivalry was everything. Knights were expected to do battle, be religious, and be respectful to women. One such knight was Sir Galahad. He was the son of Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic and became a knight at King Arthur’s Round Table. The story of Sir Galahad was shared in The Quest of the Holy Grail fromRead MoreChivalry And Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1287 Words   |  6 PagesThe legends and tales of the knights of King Arthur’s Round Table have resounded for ages—vivid stories of courageous and gallant knights usurping evil while simultaneously maintaining an upstanding reputation. Through the Arthurian tales, one has the opportunity to experience heroic narratives of exemplary models of knights who clearly illustrate the chivalry and honorability one should aspire to possess. No more evidently is this th eme displayed than in the 14th century epic poem Sir Gawain andRead MoreKing Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Essay2967 Words   |  12 PagesRound Table The legends of King Arthur of Britain and his Knights of the Round Table, among the most popular and beloved of all time, originated in the Middle Ages. As they do today, medieval people listened to the accounts of Arthur with fascination and awe. It is certain that popular folktales were told about a hero named Arthur throughout the Celtic parts of the British Isles and France, especially in Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany (Lunt 76). Other stories of chivalry that did not includeRead MoreEssay about The Once and Future King1411 Words   |  6 Pagesis a legend that is, despite its age, known by all. Everyone has heard of King Arthur and his loyal knights that make up the Round Table, but the rest of the famous legend is less known. If asked about Arthur’s parentage or birthplace, most people would not know. How many people can name off Arthur’s knights? Everyone knows Arthur’s name, but the details are less defined. Arthurian legend has many parts, the first b eing how Arthur came into being, then the most well-known part of the legend, but