40 Different Ways to Define What Archaeologists Do

40 Different Ways to Define What Archaeologists Do Archaeology has been defined by many people in many different ways since the formal study began 150 years ago. Of course, some of the differences in those definitions reflect the dynamic nature of the field. If you look at the  history of archaeology, you will notice that the study has become more scientific over time, and more focused on human behavior. But mostly, these definitions are simply subjective, reflecting how individuals look at and feel about archaeology. Archaeologists speak from their varied experiences in the field and in the lab. Non-archaeologists speak from their vision of the archaeology, as filtered by what archaeologists say, and by how popular media presents the study. In my opinion, all of these definitions are valid expressions of what archaeology is. Defining Archaeology Archaeologists work at the excavation site of No. 1 pit of the Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Lintong District of Xian, Shaanxi Province, China. (August 2009).   China Photos / Getty Images [Archaeology is] the discipline with the theory and practice for the recovery of unobservable hominid behavior patterns from indirect traces in bad samples. David Clarke. 1973. Archaeology: The Loss of Innocence. Antiquity 47:17. Archaeology is the scientific study of peoples of the past... their culture and their relationship with their environment. The purpose of archaeology is to understand how humans in the past interacted with their environment, and to preserve this history for present and future learning. Larry J. Zimmerman Archaeology is a term which can be interpreted in different ways, given the broad range of research methods, periods and activities that can constitute archaeology and its research. Suzie Thomas. Community archaeology. Key Concepts in Public Archaeology. Ed. Moshenska, Gabriel. London: UCL Press, 2017. 15. Historical archaeology is more than just a treasure hunt. It is a challenging search for clues to the people, events, and places of the past. Society for Historical Archaeology Archaeology is about adventure and discovery, it involves explorations in exotic places (near or far) and it is carried out by digging detectives. Arguably, in popular culture, the research process- archaeology in action- has actually been more important than the actual research results themselves.  Cornelius Holtorf. Archaeology Is a Brand! The Meaning of Archaeology in Contemporary Popular Culture. London: Routledge, 2016. 45 Archaeology is our way of reading that message and understanding how these peoples lived. Archaeologists take the clues left behind by the people of the past, and, like detectives, work to reconstruct how long ago they lived, what they ate, what their tools and homes were like, and what became of them. State Historical Society of South Dakota Archaeology is the scientific study of past cultures and the way people lived based on the things they left behind. Alabama Archaeology Archaeology is not a science because it does not apply any recognised model has no validity: each science studies a different subject and therefore uses, or could use, a different model. Merilee Salmon, quote suggested by Andrea Vianello. A Mind-Numbing Job Archaeologists have the most mind-numbing job on the planet. Bill Watterson. Calvin and Hobbes, 17 June 2009. After all, archeology is fun. Hell, I dont break the soil periodically to reaffirm my status. I do it because archeology is still the most fun you can have with your pants on. Kent V. Flannery. 1982. The golden Marshalltown: A parable for the archeology of the 1980s. American Anthropologist 84:265-278. [Archaeology] seeks to discover how we became human beings endowed with minds and souls before we had learned to write. Grahame Clarke. 1993. A Path to Prehistory. Cited in Brian Fagans Grahame Clark: An Intellectual Biography of an Archaeologist. 2001. Westview Press. Archaeology puts all human societies on an equal footing. Brian Fagan. 1996. Introduction to the Oxford Companion to Archaeology. Oxford University Press, New York. Archeology is the only branch of anthropology where we kill our informants in the process of studying them. Kent Flannery. 1982. The golden Marshalltown: A parable for the archeology of the 1980s. American Anthropologist 84:265-278. The fundamental problem of using statistics in archaeology is quantification, i.e., the reduction of collections of objects to datasets. Clive Orton. Data. A Dictionary of Archaeology. Eds. Shaw, Ian and Robert Jameson. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 2002. 194. Archaeology is like life: if youre going to accomplish anything you have to learn to live with regret, learn from mistakes, and get on with it.  Tom King. 2005. Doing Archaeology. Left Coast Press Partaking of the Past Throne Room, Palace of Knossos, Crete, Greece. Ed Freeman / Getty Images The archaeologist partakes of, contributes to, is validated by, and dutifully records present-day social and political structures in the identification of research problems and in the interpretation of findings. It remains for reflective, socio-political research in archaeology to decipher the present while we unearth the past, and to distinguish the two whenever possible. Joan Gero. 1985. Socio-politics and the woman-at-home ideology. American Antiquity 50(2):347 Archaeology is not simply the finite body of artefactual evidence uncovered in excavations. Rather, archaeology is what archaeologists say about that evidence. It is the ongoing process of discussing the past which is, in itself, an ongoing process. Only recently have we begun to realise the complexity of that discourse. ... [T]he discipline of archaeology is a site of disputationa dynamic, fluid, multidimensional engagement of voices bearing upon both past and present. John C. McEnroe. 2002. Cretan Questions: Politics and archaeology 1898-1913. In Labyrinth Revisited: Rethinking Minoan Archaeology, Yannis Hamilakis, editor. Oxbow Books, Oxford Public archaeology is not only a matter of working with communities or providing educational opportunities. It is about management and the construction of knowledge and the concept of heritage. Lorna-Jane Richardson, and Jaime Almansa-Snchez. Do You Even Know What Public Archaeology Is? Trends, Theory, Practice, Ethics. World Archaeology 47.2 (2015): 194-211. Print. [Archaeology] is not what you find, it’s what you find out. David Hurst Thomas. 1989. Archaeology. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 2nd edition, page 31. I can understand archaeology being attacked on the ground of its excessive realism, but to attack it as pedantic seems to be very much beside the mark. However, to attack it for any reason is foolish; one might just as well speak disrespectfully of the equator. For archaeology, being a science, is neither good nor bad, but a fact simply. Its value depends entirely on how it is used, and only an artist can use it. We look to the archaeologist for the materials, to the artist for the method. Indeed, archaeology is only really delightful when transfused into some form of art. Oscar Wilde. 1891. The Truth of Masks, Intentions (1891), and page 216 in The Works of Oscar Wilde. 1909. Edited by Jules Barbey dAurevilly, Lamb: London. The Search for Fact Tikal - the Rebel Base. Hector Garcia Archaeology is the search for fact, not truth. Indiana Jones. 1989. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Screenplay by Jeff Boam, story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes. An aware, responsible and engaged global archaeology might be a relevant, positive force which recognizes and celebrates difference, diversity and real multivocality. Under common skies and before divided horizons, exposure to global difference and alterity prompts us all to seek responses and responsibility. Lynn Meskell. 1998. Introduction: Archaeology matters. In Archaeology Under Fire. Lynn Meskell (ed.), Routledge Press, London. p. 5. Archaeology is the study of humanity itself, and unless that attitude towards the subject is kept in mind archaeology will be overwhelmed by impossible theories or a welter of flint chips. Margaret Murray. 1961. First steps in archaeology. Antiquity 35:13 This has become the archaeologists grandiose task: to make dried-up wellsprings bubble forth again, to make the forgotten known again, the dead alive, and to cause to flow once more that historic stream in which we are all encompassed. C. W. Ceram. 1949. Gods, Graves and Scholars. Thanks to Marilyn Johnson for the suggestion. Archaeology is the only discipline that seeks to study human behavior and thought without having any direct contact with either. Bruce G. Trigger. 1991. Archaeology and epistemology: Dialoguing across the Darwinian chasm. American Journal of Archaeology 102:1-34. A Voyage to the Past Archaeology is our voyage to the past, where we discover who we were and therefore who we are. Camille Paglia. 1999. Mummy Dearest: Archaeology is Unfairly Maligned by Trendy Academics. Wall Street Journal, p. A26 [Archaeology is] a vast fiendish jigsaw puzzle invented by the devil as an instrument of tantalizing torture.  Paul Bahn. 1989 Bluff your way through archaeology. Egmont House: London The role of New World archaeology in providing material for the study of aesthetics is not inconsiderable, but is tangential to the main interest and non-significant from the point of view of theory. In short, paraphrasing [Frederic William] Maitlands famous dictum: New World archaeology is anthropology or it is nothing. Philip Phillips. 1955. American archaeology and general anthropological theory. Southwestern Journal of Archaeology 11:246. By and by, anthropology will have the choice between being history and being nothing. Frederic William Maitland. 1911. The Collected Papers of Frederic William Maitland, vol. 3. Edited by H.A.L. Fisher. This feature is part of the About.com Guide to Field Definitions of Archaeology and Related Disciplines. Geoff Carvers Collection of Archaeology Definitions Archaeology is that branch of science which is concerned with past phases of human culture; in practice it is concerned more, but not exclusively, with early and prehistoric phases than with those illustrated by written documents. O.G.S. Crawford, 1960. Archaeology in the Field. Phoenix House, London. [Archaeology] is the method of finding out about the past of the human race in its material aspects, and the study of the products of this past. Kathleen Kenyon, 1956. Beginning in Archaeology. Phoenix House, London. Archaeology Definition: A Few Thousand Years British archaeologist Leonard Woolley (right) and T E Lawrence with a Hittite bas-relief in basalt at the ancient city of Carchemish, Turkey, 1913.   Pierre Perrin / Sygma / Getty Images Archaeology... deals with a period limited to a few thousand years and its subject is not the universe, not even the human race, but modern man. C. Leonard Woolley, 1961. Digging up the Past. Penguin, Harmondsworth. Archaeology is what archaeologists do. David Clarke, 1973 Archaeology: the loss of innocence. Antiquity 47:6-18. Archaeology is, after all, one discipline. David Clarke, 1973 Archaeology: the loss of innocence. Antiquity 47:6-18. Defining Archaeology: The Value of an Object Field Archaeology is the application of scientific method to the excavation of ancient objects, and it is based on the theory that the historical value of an object depends not so much on the nature of the object itself as on its associations, which only scientific excavation can detect... digging consists very largely in observation, recording and interpretation. C. Leonard Woolley, 1961. Digging up the Past. Penguin, Harmondsworth. Archaeology – the knowledge of how man has acquired his present position and powers – is one of the widest studies, best fitted to open the mind, and to produce that type of wide interests and toleration which is the highest result of education. William Flinders Petrie, 1904 Methods and Aims in Archaeology. Macmillan and Co., London. Archaeology Definition: Not Things, But People If there be a connecting theme in the following pages, it is this: an insistence that the archaeologist is digging up, not things, but people. R.E. Mortimer Wheeler, 1954. Archaeology from the Earth. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Field archaeology is, not surprisingly, what archaeologists do in the field. However, it also has a considerable pre-field element and an even more considerable post-field element. Sometimes the term ‘field archaeology’ is used only to refer to techniques, other than excavation, used by archaeologists in the field. ‘Field archaeology’ used in this way refers essentially to the battery of non-destructive field techniques used to locate areas of archaeological interest (sites). Peter L. Drewett, 1999. Field Archaeology: An Introduction. UCL Press, London. We are concerned here with methodical digging for systematic information, not with the upturning of earth in a hunt for the bones of saints and giants or the armoury of heroes, or just plainly for treasure. R.E. Mortimer Wheeler, 1954. Archaeology from the Earth. Oxford University Press, Oxford. The Material Remains of the Human Past Classical Greek terracotta gorgoneion antefix (roof tile), 2nd half of 5th c BC. The Metropolitan Museum, New York The Greeks and Romans, though they were interested in the early development of man and in the status of their barbarian neighbours, did not develop the necessary prerequisites for writing prehistory, namely the collection, excavation, classification, description and analysis of the material remains of the human past. Glyn E. Daniel, 1975. A Hundred and Fifty Years of Archaeology. 2nd ed. Duckworth, London. [Archaeology] researches tending to illustrate the monuments and remains of antiquity. T. J. Pettigrew, 1848. Introductory address. Transactions of the British Archaeological Association 1-15. So lsst sich Archologie bestimmen als die Wissenschaft vom materiellen Erbe der antiken Kulturen des Mittelmeerraumes. German. August Herman Niemeyer, cited in C. Huber and F. X. Schà ¼tz, 2004. Einfà ¼hrung in Archologische Informationssysteme (AIS): Ein Methodenspektrum fà ¼r Schule, Studium und Beruf mit Beispielen auf CD. Philipp von Zabern, Mainz am Rhein.

The 17 Largest College Football Stadiums in America

The 17 Largest College Football Stadiums in America SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Attending home football games can be a huge part of the college experience. Camping out for tickets, tailgating for hours on game day, and cheering their teams on to victory in packed stadiums are cherished memories for countless college alumni. While you shouldn’t choose your college solely for its football team or stadium, if you think you would enjoy the atmosphere of big-time college sports, then it’s reasonable for the athletics environment at a school to play a role in your college decision. In this article, I’ll provide you with a list of the 17 largest college football stadiums in the country. To give you some perspective on the size of these stadiums, the largest NFL stadium, Met Life Stadium, would only be number 16 on this list. These are not only the largest college football stadiums, but they're also the largest stadiums in the country. The List of the Largest College Football Stadiums in the United States #1: Michigan Stadium- University of Michigan Wolverines (107,601) Facts Third largest stadium in the world behind Rungnado May Day Stadium in North Korea and Salt Lake Stadium in India Nicknamed "The Big House" The first game was played there on October 1, 1927 between Michigan and Ohio Wesleyan #2: Beaver Stadium- Penn State University Nittany Lions (106,572) Facts Built in 1960 in a horseshoe configuration seating 46,284 Lights were added in 1984 The stadium is named for James A. Beaver, a brigadier general for the Union Army in the Civil War who served as governor of Pennsylvania and president of the University's Board of Trustees #3: Kyle Field- Texas AM University Aggies (102,512) Facts In 2015, the capacity was increased from 82,600 Known as the "Home of the 12th Man" Largest stadium in the SEC #4: Ohio Stadium- The Ohio State University Buckeyes (104,944) Facts Built in 1922 for $1.3 million Refurbished in 2001 for slightly more than $194 million Known as "The Horseshoe" for its horseshoe configuration #5: Neyland Stadium- University of Tennessee Volunteers (102,455) Facts Named for General Robert Neyland, Tennessee football head coach from 1926-1952 Opened in 1921 as Shields-Watkins Field More than 25 million people have attended football games at Neyland Stadium #6: Tiger Stadium- Louisiana State University Tigers (102,321) Facts The first game played at Tiger Stadium was in 1924 against Tulane The first night game was played in 1931 against Spring Hill Since the NCAA began compiling attendance records in 1957, LSU has averaged 77,647 spectators for its games in Tiger Stadium #7: Bryant-Denny Stadium- University of Alabama Crimson Tide (101, 821) Facts Denny Stadium opened in 1929 with a 55-0 victory over Mississippi College The stadium was renamed Bryant-Denny Stadium in 1976 in honor of Coach Paul Bryant Alabama has won more than 80% of its games in Bryant-Denny Stadium #8: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium- University of Texas-Austin Longhorns (100,119) Facts The original stadium was completed in 1924 and dedicated to the Texans who lost their lives in World War I In 1977, the stadium was rededicated to the memories of all alumni who had fought in all American wars The stadium was officially named after football coach Darrell K. Royal in 1996 #9: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum- University of Southern California Trojans (93,067) Facts The Coliseum is jointly owned by the State of California, Los Angeles County, and the City of Los Angeles The Coliseum has hosted two Olympic games, in 1932 and 1984 The Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball played at the Coliseum from 1958-1962 #10: Sanford Stadium- University of Georgia Bulldogs (92,746) Facts Named for Dr. SV Sanford, former president of the university It was opened in 1929 It hosted the medal round of the 1996 Olympic men's and women's soccer competition #11: Rose Bowl- UCLA Bruins (92,542) Facts The Rose Bowl has hosted five Super Bowls It was built in 1922, but it wasn't home to UCLA's football games until 1982 Site of the New Year's Tournament of Roses Football Game #12: Memorial Stadium- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers (92,000) Facts Every home football game has sold out since 1962 Statues of former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne and former Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer can be found outside the north side of the stadium When full, Memorial Stadium holds more people than any Nebraska city other than Omaha and Lincoln #13: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium- University of Florida Gators (88,548) Facts More commonly known as "The Swamp" "The Swamp" was coined by former coach Steve Spurrier in the 1990's The stadium was originally constructed in 1930 #14: Jordan-Hare Stadium- Auburn University Tigers (87,451) Facts The stadium is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, Auburn's all-time winningest football coach, and Clifford Leroy Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team and president of the Southern Conference The turf is known as Pat Dye Field, named after former coach Pat Dye In 1939, the first game was played there to a 7-7 tie against the University of Florida #15: Doak Campbell Stadium- Florida State University Seminoles (82,300) Facts In 2004, the turf was named Bobby Bowden Field after legendary coach Bobby Bowden Doak Campbell Stadium opened on October 7,1950 when Florida State defeated Randolph-Macon 40-7. It's named after Doak S. Campbell, president of the university at the time of its construction #16: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium- University of Oklahoma Sooners (82,112) Facts The stadium opened October 20,1923 against Washington University (Missouri) Also known as "The Palace on the Prairie" During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, the stadium served as a dorm for young men attending the university #17: Memorial Stadium- Clemson University Tigers (81,500) Facts More commonly known as "Death Valley" Stadium opened on September 19, 1942 with a 32-13 victory over Presbyterian College Much of the construction of the stadium was done by scholarship athletes What's Next? Whether the athletics environment of the school is a factor in your college decision or not, I highly recommend that you review this article on how to choose a college. If you subscribe to the philosophy that "bigger is better," check out this post on the biggest colleges in America. If you prefer to have smaller classes and be part of a close-knit community, learn about the best small colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Renewable Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Renewable Energy - Essay Example le published in How to Power the World, â€Å"the waste products of nuclear power contain â€Å"high levels of radioactive (materials which) is very dangerous. It lasts for tens of thousands of years before decaying to safe levels. It is highly radioactive and is probably the biggest hurdle we face if nuclear power is going to be taken seriously† (How to Power the World 2010). Nuclear energy has great potentials to augment sources of energy in the future. It use, however, should be further evaluated in terms its long term effect to the environment and the risks it poses to the existence of mankind. Another article entitled An Ocean Breeze: Mapping Brazil’s Offshore Wind Power Potential written by Riebeek (2009) proffered his experience on â€Å"assessing the feasibility of an offshore wind farm southeast of Brazil† (Riebeek, 2009, par. 1). His project entailed measuring wind speeds using Nasa’s QuikScat. The limitations of using this approach coupled with other challenges including the number of turbines that must be built in their projected location showed that although this source of renewable energy is viable in Brazil, there are other factors that need to be seriously evaluated prior to its implementation. The high investment cost proved to be a barrier for implementation as private or public organizations need to examine if the returns on investment would justify the initial funds needed to support and sustain this energy source. among all of its potential applications, hydrogens only waste or byproduct is H 2 O pure water, hydrogen fueled combustion engines actually clean the air they pass through (Alternative Energy, n.d., par. 3) it is costly to produce, dangerous to store, difficult to transport, tricky to distribute and its volumetric energy intensity is much lower than that of other liquid fuels like ethanol or gasoline. Safety would be another problem and it would be an enormous job, and would take many years, to accomplish the logistics and

Information Systems management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Information Systems management - Research Paper Example expenditure from 10 to 6 billion dollars and development time from 6 to 4 years (Tang &Zimmerman, 2009).Supply chain integration is basically the â€Å"approach of technically linking supply chain of vendors and customers† so as to make sure the â€Å"process is streamlined and to increase efficiency and accuracy.†(Pearlson & Saunders, 2010, p.152).However the final outcome was a complete opposite. As things stand now, apart from the project being in over budget of billions of dollars, it is also behind schedule by 3 years (Steve, 2013). Boeing’s Chief of Commercial Airplanes, Jim Albaugh, explains that they have spent so much more money than anticipated trying to recover than they ever would have used had they tried keeping major technologies nearer home (Steve, 2013). The main problem facing Boeing is shortfall in supplier oversight due to enthusiastic embrace of Integrated Supplier Information System, which allows suppliers to log in a portal, provided by Boeing, and thus need not necessarily meet with Boeing’s main team in US (Steve, 2013). Boeing further, rather than planning for face-to-face basis of communication, or on-site communication relied so much on their information systems with a web-based communications instrument known as Exostar that required suppliers to feed the latest information regarding their work progress (Steve, 2013). This IT equipment was to offer improved control, supply chain visibility as well as integration of important business processes, thus reducing development cost and time (Steve, 2013).Thus, instead of face-to-face kind of communication, the information technology tool was supposed to, in real time, flag problems. Not surprisingly, this technology miserably failed. As a result of this â€Å"remote con trol† outsourcing business, Boeing 787 encountered several Information systems problems that included electrical system faults in addition to battery issues that resulted to the Dreamliner’s grounding (Dominic, 2013). This

Words and names for the Scarlet Letter Essay Example for Free

Words and names for the Scarlet Letter Essay 1. â€Å"‘But she—the naughty baggage—little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!’† (49) CM: Like many Puritan women in Boston, this woman illustrates the hate they all have for Hester Prynne, by declaring that Hester is unmoved by her sin. 2. â€Å"‘Ah, but,† interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart.’† (49) CM: This woman, who is holding a child, does not speak of Hester harshly, but by bringing her child, she portrays that she wants her child to envision Hester as second class, too. 3. â€Å"‘What do we talk of marks and brands, whether on the bodice of her gown, or the flesh of her forehead? cried another female, the ugliest as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges. â€Å"This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die.’† (49) CM: When the narrator depicts that the â€Å"ugliest as well as the most pitiless† of these women desires for Hester to die, he argues that jealousy is a common trait for all women; he makes a connection that the ugliest woman wishes the worst for Hester, because she is jealous. 4. â€Å"When the young woman—the mother of this child—stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress.† (50) CM: People attempt to conceal their mistakes, so they never become  embarrassed; Hester yearns to disguise her bosom, to avoid being looked down upon in disgust. 5. â€Å"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter â€Å"A.†Ã¢â‚¬  (50) CM: The letter â€Å"A† that contained â€Å"elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread† that she sewed was a brand meant to damage Hester, but instead, she turned the situation around, and distinguished the â€Å"A† as a work of art. 6. â€Å"It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore; and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of the age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony.† (50-51) CM: This scarlet letter functioned as a beautiful design, causing the women in the colony to aspire it as it was not of typical Puritan design and fashion. 7. â€Å"But the point which drew all eyes and, as it were, transfigured the wearer—so that both men and women, who had been familiarly acquainted with Hester Prynne were now impressed as if they beheld her for the first time—was that Scarlet Letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom.† (51) CM: The â€Å"A†, like a gorgeous piece of jewelry that women fancied, caused many women to be jealous; it drew the attention of both men and women alike. 8. â€Å"It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself.† (51) CM: The scarlet letter was something Hester designed delicately and beautifully, and she was proud of it; this exemplifies her regal character, instead of making  her shameful. 9. â€Å"‘She hath good skill at her needle, thats certain, remarked one of her female spectators; but did ever a woman, before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it.’† (51) CM: These women, trying to demolish Hester’s name and reputation, speak of her mistakes; yet forget that they themselves are human, and ones who compose mistakes as well. 10. â€Å"‘It were well, muttered the most iron-visaged of the old dames, if we stripped Madame Hesters rich gown off her dainty shoulders; and as for the red letter, which she hath stitched so curiously, Ill bestow a rag of mine own rheumatic flannel, to make a fitter one!’† (52) CM: In this novel, these jealous women are named â€Å"gossips†, which is a pun to today’s definition of the word â€Å"gossip†; this implies that ugly women are jealous of Hester Prynne, because she is described as a beautiful, delicate woman. 11. â€Å"‘Not a stitch in that embroidered letter, but she has felt it in her heart.’† (52) CM: Hester Prynne fashioned her scarlet letter with time, effort, and purpose, with each stitch burdening her heart. 12. â€Å"‘Make way, good people, make way, in the Kings name! cried he. Open a passage; and, I promise ye, Mistress Prynne shall be set where man, woman and child may have a fair sight of her brave apparel, from this time till an hour past meridian.’† (52) CM: When Hester and her babe were made the center of attention, the crowd disdained both of them, along with the scarlet letter, and in the audiences’ mind, those three examples were considered evil. 13. â€Å"‘Come along, Madame Hester, and show your scarlet letter in the market place!’† (52) CM: This dialogue exemplifies that women, during this time period, held higher standards for morality than men; Hester Prynne is displayed and humiliated with her scarlet letter in front of all of Boston, while the other adulterer is in the crowd, studying her, along with everyone else. 14. â€Å"A crowd of eager and curious schoolboys, understanding little of the matter in hand except that it gave them a half-holiday, ran before her progress, turning their heads continually to stare into her face  and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast.† (52) CM: Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter serves as a reminder of capital punishment to all; it reveals the severe punishment, even to young innocent children, following such a sin. 15. â€Å"The unhappy culprit sustained herself as best a woman might, under the heavy weight of a thousand unrelenting eyes, all fastened upon her and concentrated at her bosom.† (54) CM: Hawthorne displays irony in this sentence; every man and woman of Boston is glaring at Hester’s scarlet letter, placed on her bosom, however; Hester’s adulterous act is the reason she is standing on the culprit and all of the citizens are willing to stare at such a sexual place on her body. 16. â€Å"Lastly, in lieu of these shifting scenes, came back the rude market place of the Puritan settlement, with all the townspeople assembled and leveling their stern regards at Hester Prynne—yes, at herself—who stood on the scaffold of the pillory, an infant on her arm, and the letter â€Å"A† in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom!† (56) CM: Hawthorne juxtaposes the harsh, cruel crowd to the beautifully fashioned scarlet letter Hester created. 17. â€Å"Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real.† (56) CM: Hester, in a state of shock, cannot grasp the reality of the shameful situation she was brought into. Chapter 3: 1. â€Å"From this intense consciousness of being the object of severe and universal observation, the wearer of the scarlet letter was at length relieved, by discerning on the outskirts of the crowd, a figure which irresistibly took possession of her thoughts.† (57) CM: Hester Prynne, and her scarlet letter, which are made the center of attention in front of the colony of Boston, are placed there as a result of her adulterous act, however; Hester’s heart and mind are supposed to be ignited with shame and humiliation, yet she is focused on this new â€Å"figure† in the crowd; Hester completely forgets about her sin and punishment. 2. â€Å"‘But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand  only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom.’† (60) CM: Hawthorne is almost sarcastic in this sentence by starting it off with â€Å"But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart†, because this Puritan-based colony is not merciful, they pursue Hester’s punishment by forcing her to live with a â€Å"mark of shame† for as long as she may live, whereas if she were killed, she could escape punishment. 3. â€Å"Such an interview, perhaps, would have been more terrible than even to meet him as she now did, with the hot, midday sun burning down upon her face and lighting up its shame; with the scarlet token of infamy on her breast; with the sin-born infant in her arms; with a whole people, drawn forth as to a festival, staring at the features that should have been seen only in the quiet gleam of the fireside, in the happy shadow of a home, or beneath a matronly veil, at church.† (60) CM: The imagery of this sentence, which includes â€Å"hot midday sun burning down upon her face and lighting up its shame† and â€Å"scarlet token of infamy on her breast; with the sin-born infant† sends a hellish feel to the readers, which reinforces the sinfulness of her act, while highlighting her shame. 4. â€Å"‘Speak out the name! That, and thy repentance, may avail to take the scarlet letter off thy breast.’† (65) CM: Reverend Wilson demands that Hester revels the name of her fellow adulterer, and if she agrees, the scarlet letter will be removed, but Hester refuses; she argues that the shame of the letter will not come off once the letter is removed. 5. â€Å"‘It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as well as mine!’† (65) CM: Hester, a matriarch in this patriarchal society, refuses to obey Reverend Wilson, which proves to be very intriguing because the reader is now unsure if Hester is truly noble woman who made a mistake, or a woman who repeatedly makes mistakes and is persistent in asserting her power. 6. â€Å"Discerning the impracticable state of the poor culprits mind, the elder clergyman, who had carefully prepared himself for the occasion, addressed to the multitude a discourse on sin, in all its branches, but with continual reference to the ignominious letter.† (65) CM: Reverend Wilson utilizes the symbol of the scarlet letter as the subject of his sermon, and shames Hester with continual reference to the â€Å"ignominious letter.† 7.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It was whispered, by those who peered after her, that the scarlet letter threw a lurid gleam along the dark passageway of the interior.† (66) CM: The scarlet letter provides an ominous feeling in all of its darkness to its reader, by emanating an immensely small amount of light during Hester’s entire dark, sinful act. Chapter 4: 1. â€Å"Closely following the jailer into the dismal apartment appeared that individual of singular aspect, whose presence in the crowd had been of such deep interest to the wearer of the scarlet letter.† (67) CM: Hawthorne creates a suspenseful moment in this paragraph by compelling the reader to wonder why the â€Å"individual† is following the jailer, and how he connects to Hester and her beautifully embroidered brand. 2. â€Å"‘Even if I imagine a scheme of vengeance, what could I do better for my object than to let thee live—than to give thee medicines against all harm and peril of life—so that this burning shame may still blaze upon thy bosom?’† (70) CM: The scarlet letter is compared to as a â€Å"burning shame† and a â€Å"blaze†; these descriptions contain not only much imagery, but they illustrate the fact of how the scarlet letter is similar to fire. 3. â€Å"As he spoke, he laid his long forefinger on the scarlet letter, which forthwith seemed to scorch into Hesters breast, as if it had been red hot.† (70) CM: When Chillingworth places his finger on the delicate scarlet letter, the letter seared him, as if telling him that he was uninvited to touch not only the scarlet letter, but also Hester herself. 4. â€Å"‘And now, Mistress Prynne, said old Roger Chillingworth, as he was hereafter to be named, I leave thee alone; alone with thy infant, and the scarlet letter!’† (73) CM: In this sentence, two sins emerge; Chillingworth declares that he will leave Hester, for he has no desire to be apart of her sin, which breaks the sanctity of marriage, and Hester damaged their marriage by her adulterous act and consequence of her scarlet letter. 5. â€Å"‘How is it, Hester? Doth thy sentence bind thee to wear the token in thy sleep? Art thou not afraid of nightmares and hideous dreams?’† (73) CM: Chillingworth calls attention to Hester’s shame by inquiring if she must wear the letter in her sleep, too, but what were Chillingworth’s intentions by stating that; did Chillingworth plan to help Hester, or speak of the scarlet letter in such shame as an act to potentially cause her uncertainty even in her sleep. Chapter 5: 1. â€Å"Her prison door was thrown open and she came forth into the sunshine, which, falling on all alike, seemed, to her sick and morbid heart, as if meant for no other purpose than to reveal the scarlet letter on her breast.† (74) CM: This sentence also admits shamefulness; Hester is forced to walk out and reveal not only herself, but also her new mark that will brand her forever; such an entrance should be considered a punishment, rather than a relief to be leaving a prison. 2. â€Å"Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast—at her, the child of honourable parents, at her, the mother of a babe that would hereafter be a woman, at her, who had once been innocent—as the figure, the body, the reality of sin.† (75) CM: Hester Prynne and the scarlet letter function as the prime example; her mistake teaches citizens, even the young and innocent, to live blamelessly, or else they will end up in a fate similar to hers. 3. â€Å"Children, too young to comprehend wherefore this woman should be shut out from the sphere of human charities, would creep nigh enough to behold her plying her needle at the cottage window, or standing in the doorway, or laboring in her little garden, or coming forth along the pathway that led townward; and, discerning the scarlet letter on her breast, would scamper off with a strange, contagious fear.† (77) CM: The young children become increasingly curious about Hester, until their eyes discover the scarlet letter, for their parents have taught them to discriminate against her. 4. â€Å"She bore on her breast, in the curiously embroidered letter, a specimen of her delicate and imaginative skill of which the dames of a court might gladly have availed themselves, to add the richer and more spiritual adornment of human ingenuity to their fabrics of silk and gold.† (77) CM: In such a Puritanical society where elaborate details are forbidden, Hester’s scarle t letter is exactly that, one of ornate beauty and a perfect example of her skillfulness in embroidery; this demonstrates Hester’s stubbornness in challenging the authority above her. 5. â€Å"Her own dress was of the coarsest materials and the most sombre hue; with only that one ornament—the scarlet letter—which it was her doom to wear.† (79) CM: Hester looks upon her adulterous act as a beautiful, so when she created the scarlet letter, she wanted to fill it with beautiful stitching and embroidery; Hester  establishes her love for her sin and letter, and how much she treasures it. 6. â€Å"Hester had schooled herself long and well; and she never responded to these attacks, save by a flush of crimson that rose irrepressibly over her pale cheek, and again subsided into the depths of her bosom.† (80) CM: All the citizens of Boston constantly exasperate and embarrass Hester, yet she continues to subside and hide her shame from them. 7. â€Å"When strangers looked curiously at the scarlet letter and none ever failed to do sothey branded it afresh in Hesters soul; so that, oftentimes, she could scarcely refrain, yet always did refrain, f rom covering the symbol with her hand.† (81) CM: Hester exemplifies heroism to her community by bearing the punishment of the scarlet letter she is given, but in contrast, by challenging the Puritan moral doctrine incessantly. 8. â€Å"From first to last, in short, Hester Prynne had always this dreadful agony in feeling a human eye upon the token; the spot never grew callous; it seemed, on the contrary, to grow more sensitive with daily torture.† (81) CM: Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter represents her unfailing love towards Dimmesdale, along with her constant shame; every time someone looks at the scarlet letter, it is like a new scab from a wound is ripped off—the wound never heals. 9. â€Å"But sometimes, once in many days, or perchance in many months, she felt an eye—a human eye—upon the ignominious brand, that seemed to give a momentary relief, as if half of her agony were shared.† (81) CM: In this passage Hawthorne implies that Dimmesdale shares her pain, even though his pain is keeping his sin a secret from everyone, while only Hester must wear the brand of sin publically. 10. â€Å"Walking to and fro with those lonely footsteps in the little world with which she was outwardly connected, it now and then appeared to Hester—if altogether fancy, it was nevertheless too potent to be resisted—she felt or fancied, then, that the scarlet letter had endowed her with a new sense.† (82) CM: The scarlet letter seems to have given Hester a new sense of awareness; Hester has been publically shamed, which gives her the opportunity to connect to others and â€Å"walk in their shoes with understanding.† 11. â€Å"Could they be other than the insidious whispers of the bad angel, who would fain have persuaded the struggling woman, as yet only half his victim, that the outward guise of purity was but a lie, and that, if truth were everywhere to be shown, a scarlet letter would blaze forth on many a bosom besides Hester Prynnes?†Ã‚  (82) CM: Hawthorne highlights the conflict between good and evil in this sentence, and also establishes that the scarlet letter has made Hester’s sin outward, while everyone else’s sins are inward sins, because they will not admit them. 12. â€Å"Sometimes the red infamy upon her breast would give a sympathetic throb, as she passed near a venerable minister or magistrate, the model of piety and justice, to whom that ag e of antique reverence looked up, as to a mortal man in fellowship with angels.† (82) CM: Hawthorne includes irony in this sentence because the scarlet letter, a symbol of sin, throbs with compassion when the ministers and noblemen pass, who are supposedly â€Å"pure† men. 13. â€Å"Or, once more, the electric thrill would give her warning—Behold, Hester, here is a companion! and, looking up, she would detect the eyes of a young maiden glancing at the scarlet letter, shyly and aside, and quickly averted, with a faint, chill crimson in her cheeks as if her purity were somewhat sullied by that momentary glance.† (83) CM: Hawthorne insinuates that this young woman has most likely committed Hester’s same crime, which proves that the Puritan society is unjust, because Hester is forced to wear a symbol of shame, while this young woman can continue on with her life normally. 14. â€Å"The vulgar, who, in those dreary old times, were always contributing a grotesque horror to what interested their imaginations, had a story about the scarlet letter which we might readily work up into a terrific legend.† (83) CM: Hawthorne persuades the reader to believe that people made up fanciful stories about the scarlet letter, and have attached certain meanings to it. 15. â€Å"They averred that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth, tinged in an earthly dyepot, but was red-hot with infernal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight whenever Hester Prynne walked abroad in the nighttime.† (83) CM: The Puritan people are very discriminatory; they state that Hester and the letter have been very shameful to the colony of Boston, and that because of that, the scarlet letter shimmers in the night, as if it has a life of its own. 16. â€Å"And we must needs say it seared Hesters bosom so deeply, that perhaps there was more truth in the rumor than our modern incredulity may be inclined to admit.† (83) CM: Hawthorne now goes against what he stated before, forcing the reader to determine if there were actually rumors and stories of the scarlet letter, or if Hester and the scarlet letter shared a certain element, which contained hellish-like characteristics. Chapter 6: 1. â€Å"Man had marked this womans sin by a scarlet letter, which had such potent and disastrous efficacy that no human sympathy could reach her, save it were sinful like herself.† (84) CM: This passage highlights the loneliness of Hester’s situation, and also brings up an element of male dominance; clergymen force Hester to wear a badge of shame for the rest of her life. 2. â€Å"God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom, to connect her parent for ever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in heaven!† (84) CM: Hawthorne introduces the fact that Pearl, the product of a sin, connects Hester to her own sin. 3. â€Å"But that first object of which Pearl seemed to become aware was—shall we say it?—the scarlet letter on Hesters bosom!† (91) CM: This passage is also ironic, because Pearl, the product of sin, reinforce s Hester’s sin by having such a strong attraction to the scarlet letter. 4. â€Å"One day, as her mother stooped over the cradle, the infants eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter; and putting up her little hand she grasped at it, smiling, not doubtfully, but with a decided gleam, that gave her face the look of a much older child.† (91) CM: Young children have a characteristic of innocence, but Pearl, fascinated by the scarlet letter, is not innocent, but has an experience with, and for, evilness. 5. â€Å"Weeks, it is true, would sometimes elapse, during which Pearls gaze might never once be fixed upon the scarlet letter; but then, again, it would come at unawares, like the stroke of sudden death, and always with that peculiar smile and odd expression of the eyes.† (91) CM: Pearl, just like her mother, challenges authority, and produces evil grins and smiles, like a demon child. 6. â€Å"In the afternoon of a certain summers day, after Pearl grew big enough to run about, she amused herself with gathering handfuls of wild flowers, and flinging them, one by one, at her mothers bosom; dancing up and down like a little elf whenever she hit the scarlet letter.† (91-92) CM: Pearl, who is captivated by the scarlet letter, taunts Hester by reminding her of her punishment and consequences daily. 7. â€Å"Hesters first motion had been to cover her bosom with her clasped hands. But whether from pride or resignation, or a feeling that her penance might best be wrought out by this unutterable pain, she  resisted the impulse, and sat erect, pale as death, looking sadly into little Pearls wild eyes.† (92) CM: Hester Prynne, proud of her adulterous act, bears the pain Pearl causes her by playing with her scarlet letter. 8. â€Å"Still came the battery of flowers, almost invariably hitting the mark, and covering the mothers breast with hurts for which she could find no balm in this world, nor knew how to seek it in another.† (92) CM: Pearl constantly harasses Hester, who has no balm or healing, and will never receive any healing, because of the scarlet letter the clergymen placed so careful on her breast. 9. â€Å"Whether moved only by her ordinary freakishness, or because an evil spirit prompted her, she put up her small forefinger and touched the scarlet letter.† (93) CM: Hawthorne demonstrates Pearl’s taunting of Hester, whether Pearl intends it or as a child, in her innocence, is captivated by the scarlet letter. Chapter 7: 1. â€Å"But it was a remarkable attribute of this garb, and indeed, of the childs whole appearance, that it irresistibly and inevitably reminded the beholder of the token which Hester Prynne was doomed to wear upon her bosom.† (96) CM: The scarlet letter, which Hester designed beautifully, hypnotizes Pearl, who forever plays with it. 2. â€Å"It was the scarlet letter in another form: the scarlet letter endowed with life!† (96) CM: Hawthorne relates Pearl as the human form of the scarlet letter, always reminding Hester of her sin and tormenting her constantly. 3. â€Å"The mother herself—as if the red ignominy were so deeply scorched into her brain that all her conceptions assumed its formhad carefully wrought out the similitude, lavishing many hours of morbid ingenuity to create an analogy between the object of her affection and the emblem of her guilt and torture.† (96) CM: This sentence is ironic, because it confirms that a sinful act, which creates a product, Pearl, who is also sinful. 4. â€Å"But, in truth, Pearl was the one as well as the other; and only in consequence of that identity had Hester contrived so perfectly to represent the scarlet letter in her appearance.† (96) CM: Hawthorne accentuates the fact that Hester’s punishment, the scarlet letter, and the embodiment of that sin, Pearl, are both beautifully clothed. 5. â€Å"‘Yea, forsooth,† replied the bond-servant, staring with wide-open eyes at the scarlet letter, which, being a new-comer in the country, he had never before seen.’† (98)  CM: The scarlet letter continues to attract attention, even to the bond-servant, who doesn’t understand what it means, but again, is drawn to it. 6. â€Å"‘Nevertheless, I will enter, answered Hester Prynne; and the bond-servant, perhaps judging from the decision of her air, and the glittering symbol in her bosom, that she was a great lady in the land, offered no opposition.’† (98) CM: The servant inte rprets the scarlet letter incorrectly; he believes that because she is wearing it, she is highly important. 7. â€Å"Hester looked by way of humoring the child; and she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance.† (99-100) CM: In this passage, Hawthorne exaggerates the massive image in the armor, suggesting that the clergymen in the colony of Boston magnify Hester’s sin greatly. 8. â€Å"In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.† (100) CM: The clergymen underscore their own temptations by making a spectacle of this young woman who has committed adultery, and also make her an icon of sin in the colony by forcing her to wear the scarlet letter, which scars everyone in the colony’s eyes. Chapter 8: 1. â€Å"‘Hester Prynne,† said he, fixing his naturally stern regard on the wearer of the scarlet letter, there hath been much question concerning thee, of late.’† (104) CM: The clergymen, who punished Hester for her sin, are staring at Hester’s scarlet letter, which is located on her breast, forcing the reader to wonder what they are really looking at. 2. â€Å"‘I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this!† answered Hester Prynne, laying her finger on the red token.† (104) CM: In this sentence, Hester states that she will teach Pearl from her shameful sin, but the reader doesn’t know what Hester will teach Pearl; to defy authority, or live up to your consequences. 3. â€Å"‘Woman, it is thy badge of shame! replied the stern magistrate.† (104) CM: The clergymen are forever prompting Hester’s sin and her punishment from that sin, the scarlet letter. 4. â€Å"‘It is because of the stain which that letter indicates, that we would  transfer thy child to other hands.’† (104) CM: The clergymen argue that because of the scarlet letter, which demonstrates her grave sin to the whole town, they need to find Pearl a more fit home, so she continue on with a better life than Hester can give her. 5. â€Å"‘Nevertheless,† said the mother, calmly, though growing more pale, â€Å"this badge hath taught me—it daily teaches me—it is teaching me at this moment—lessons whereof my child may be the wiser and better, albeit they can profit nothing to myself.’† (104-105) CM: Hester, fearful of losing her one child, as well as the loss of embodiment of sin, argues that the scarlet letter will bring the best out of Pearl. 6. â€Å"Pearl,† said he, with great solemnity, â€Å"thou must take heed to instruction, that so, in due season, thou mayest wear in thy bosom the pearl of great price.’† (105) CM: Reverend Wilson advises Pearl to do what she is supposed to do, so she can live up to the beauty of her name, which her mother so shamefully paid the price for. 7. â€Å"‘Hath she not expressed this thought in the garb of the poor child, so forcibly reminding us of that red symbol which sears her bosom?’† (108) CM: This dialogue between the clergymen emphasizes the connection of the scarlet letter and the clothes Hester dressed Pearl in; both were beautifully made and filled with red and gold thread. Chapter 9: Chapter 10: 1. â€Å"Taking a handful of these, she arranged them along the lines of the scarlet letter that decorated the maternal bosom, to which the burrs, as their nature was, tenaciously adhered.† (125-126) CM: This sentence contains a paradox; Pearl decorates the scarlet letter ornately, yet burrs are sharp and can be wounding. 2. â€Å"‘Is Hester Prynne the less miserable, think you, for that scarlet letter on her breast?’† (127) CM: Dimmesdale and Chillingworth discuss whether or not if wearing the scarlet letter allows Hester to be less miserable, because she has confessed to her sin. Chapter 11: 1. â€Å"And now, through the chamber which these spectral thoughts had made so ghastly, glided Hester Prynne leading along little Pearl in her scarlet garb, and pointing her forefinger, first at the scarlet letter on her bosom, and then at the clergymans own breast.† (137) CM: Pearl understands that  Dimmesdale and Hester have some sort of a connection, almost as if she has a keen sense of awareness, like the scarlet letter has given Hester. Chapter 12: 1. â€Å"And thus, while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart.† (139) CM: Dimmesdale is fearful that the town of Boston is not looking at Hester and her scarlet letter of punishment anymore, but at his heart—illustrating guilt, fear of exposure, and a suggestion that the noble positions were filled with an element of hypocrisy. 2. â€Å"On that spot, in very truth, there was, and there had long been, the gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain.† (139) CM: The reader estimates that Dimmesdale has created his own â€Å"A† by wounding himself, either out of guilt, or for self-punishment. 3. â€Å"And there stood the minister, with his hand over his heart; and Hester Prynne, with the embroidered letter glimmering on her bosom; and little Pearl, herself a symbol, and the connecting link between those two.† (145) CM: In this passage, Dimmesdale is located where he should be, next to Hester, the scarlet letter, and Pearl, but because of the hypocritical nature of himself and the clergymen, he refuses to stand with them, and denies his crime unless it is under a shadow of darkness. 4. â€Å"We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter—the letter A—marked out in lines of dull red light.† (146) CM: It is interesting how Hawthorne portrayed the scarlet letter in the sky, which was for Dimmesdale, because his scarlet letter was massive in size, compared to Hester’s â€Å"A†, proving that Dimmesdale’s sin is much graver than Hester’s. 5. â€Å"Not but the meteor may have shown itself at that point, burning duskily through a veil of cloud, but with no such shape as his guilty imagination gave it, or, at least, with so little definiteness, that anothers guilt might have seen another symbol in it.† (146) CM: The scarlet letter in the sky means different things for anyone who distinguishes it. 6. â€Å"The minister appeared to see him, with the same glance that discerned the miraculous letter.† (146) CM: Dimmesdale’s dream-like state is emphasized in this sentence, because he has a disbelief  that Chillingworth and the scarlet letter were actually there. 7. â€Å"‘But did your reverence hear of the portent that was seen last night? A great red letter in the sky—the letter A, which we interpret to stand for Angel.’† (148-149) CM: The letter â€Å"A†, as the reader has interpreted, has stood for â€Å"adultery†, but now, Hawthorne changes its meaning to â⠂¬Å"angel†, which is ironic.

Europe And The New World :: essays research papers fc

Europe and the ‘New World’ Tutorial Question: Why were the ‘westerners’ (Spanish, English, Portuguese’s, French etc) able to displace the native people’s of America with, seemingly, relative ease? Was this evidence of a superior ‘civilisation’? Many believe that there is a great difference between ‘westerners’ and the native people of the lands they conquered. The truth is, that there is not great distinction, except in the minds of white men. ‘Westerners’ such as the French, Spanish, English and Portuguese have always believed in their own superiority. This confidence gave them the strength to displace the natives and also the justification for doing so. The civilized world seemed to grow, and change with new directions being mastered all the time, the ‘non civilized’ world seemed to stand still in a era recognized by Europeans as unprogressive and primitive. The Europeans viewed the Native Americans with mixed opinion, in many ways they despised their ignorance, while at the same time being in awe of their innocence. Despite this, leading opinion was that the native people of the new world were inferior to the Europeans and would have to become domesticated if they were to survive in the ‘new world.’ However was this triumph over the inhabitants of the land evidence of a superior civilisation? How does one define ‘Civilisation’? For if we are to discuss what is a superior and an inferior race then understanding of the term ‘civilisation’ is critical. The term ‘civilisation’ is used everyday and is understood by everyone, yet a proper definition is more difficult to pin down. The oxford university dictionary defines civilisation as: ‘a developed or advanced sate of human society.’ This is helpful, yet the question of how developed or how advanced is still relevant. Others have said that a civilized society is different from an uncivilized society because of certain attributes such as writing, cities, building etc. But agreement is difficult, it is much more safer not to rely on a single definition, instead look at examples of what everyone has agreed to call civilisations such as Greek or Rome . However, the term ‘civilisation’ still seems to be from a western point of view, for natives are not seen as civiliz ed because they do not fit into any definition mentioned above. The Native Americans were not advanced, they did not have buildings or cities and their lifestyle and customs had hardly resembled that of Greece or Rome.

Affordable Care Act Essay

Health care reform has been a budding issue within the United States this past year, and problems continue to surface. At the beginning of this process, Americans wanted the government to ensure that all citizens would be able to have affordable and good health care, no matter what their financial situation. The price for health care was increasing at a rate that people could no longer afford it and a lot of people desperately wanted a universal health care systems like some of their neighboring countries. In a sense, change was needed, but how this change came about is the real issue now. Americans may not get what they bargained for, and it could end up costing more than some individual initially thought. Importance of Research I want to research this economic policy because I hear so much scrutiny from every individual I talk to, while I also see some friends and family benefiting from the Affordable Care Act. I want to learn more about what we truly signed up for and the repercussions for â€Å"pimping out† the health care industry, along with any hidden agendas that might be embedded within this new policy. According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, â€Å"The Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and then signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010. On June 28, 2012 the Supreme Court rendered a final decision to uphold the health care law† (2014). It is not until 2014 that is really coming into effect, to the point where it is mandated to have insurance by April 2014. This policy was implemented to make sure every American has health insurance but little are properly educated on how this new policy will affect us in the years to come. Time to learn the truth fro m both sides of the debate Policy Overview The Affordable Health Care Act, was a policy that has recently been put in place to help citizens receive the health care they need at an affordable price. As wages remain the same, prices continue to climb to the point where minimum wages isn’t enough, health care is last on the list of needs. Many Americans do not have health insurance or receive it from the state because it is not an affordable aspect of our economy and it was not mandated. Now the government as took it upon themselves to make laws and regulations in order to ensure every American citizen has affordable health insurance. For those who can pay more, pay more, and those who can’t, will ultimately pay less. Although that is a great concept for the American people to believe in, but with all of the rules, regulations and underlining laws, it is important to understand what Americans are actually getting from this deal. For this paper, we will focus on individuals, employers and tax credits available to h elp with the cost of insurance. Provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a comprehensive health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, into law. The laws and changes mad, focuses on provisions to expand coverage, control care costs, and improve health care delivery system. The first provisions is that all Americans are required to have health insurance by April 2014, or individuals will face penalty charges that can affect them for up to three years. So it is very important for citizens to go to the government market place and apply for insurance that they can afford. According to the Kaiser Foundation; â€Å"Those without coverage pay a tax penalty of the greater of $695 per year up to a maximum of three times that amount ($2,085) per family or 2.5% of household income. The penalty will be phased-in according to the following schedule: $95 in 2014, $325 in 2015, and $695 in 2016 for the flat fee or 1.0% of taxable income in 2014, 2.0% of taxable income in 2015, and 2.5% of taxable income in 2016 † (Kaiser Foundation, 2014). This reason alone is why Americans should not avoid getting insurance. Other provisions that have been taken into effect deal with employers. Now employers are required to offer insurance based on the amount of employees. For smaller businesses this means having to offer health care insurance to their full  time employers and â€Å"Require employers with more than 200 employees to automatically enroll employees into health insurance plans offered by the employer. Employees may opt out of coverage† (Kaiser Foundation, 2014). With employers having to offer health care coverage at an affordable rate to full-time employees, it does cause some to opt for part-time employment to avoid having to give out benefits. A lot of Americans fear they will lose hour’s simple because their employers do not want to pay for them, which is something that could easily happen. Other than individuals and employers being affected, Medicaid is also going under an expansion. More money is being put to those who are in need of insurance and cannot pay for it such as pregnant women, children and parents. With the expansion Medicaid to all non-Medicare eligible individuals under age 65 such as those stated above â€Å"All newly eligible adults will be guaranteed a benchmark benefit package that meets the essential health benefits available through the Exchanges† (Kaiser Foundation, 2014). Another important aspect pertains to those who are predisposed to certain medical conditions. For instance, citizens can no longer be denied health care coverage based on health risks they already possess. Among other things, the government also give tax credit in order to lower the cost of insurance, which is based on income and family size. Analysis of Policy With any policy or new law there will be objections and an unwillingness to accept these changes. Not every new piece of legislation fixes the problems at hand. Some of the issues only get worse, and then the law must be reformed. With the Affordable Health Care Act, there are a number of pros and cons with this policy and below, it will explain how these changes have greatly affected the general public for the better and worse. Pros With the Affordable Health Care Act being implemented, there are a number of great aspects that have now been put into effect. The first and easiest of the changes now allows children under the age of 26 to remain on their parents insurance plans, this means longer coverage for young adults in America, this also means no lifetime limits on health coverage; and new  insurance policies that must provide preventive care without any form of cost-sharing (UPMC, 2013). Among other changes, these are the following benefits of having the Affordable Health Care Act in place; Health care coverage for uninsured Americans. Through a combination of creating the health insurance marketplace and encouraging the states to expand Medicaid, millions of Americans without health insurance now have access to affordable coverage. No matter the situation, people will be covered. Reducing uninsured health events: Americans have always had issues regarding medical bills and costly procedures that many could not afford. Now, because the Affordable Health Care Act requires citizens to have health care coverage, we will dramatically reduce the instances of uninsured health events. No more coverage discrimination due to health issues or gender. The main problem with health insurance companies was the fact that they could, â€Å"charge outrageous prices or even deny coverage to Americans based on particular medical conditions, age, or gender. Just because you are ill, born with a disability, or female and may need pregnancy care, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have access to affordable coverage† (UPMC, 2013). Changing the laws that govern coverage now helps to end coverage discrimination. Expansion of employer sponsored health coverage. â€Å"Many employers don’t offer any health insurance to employees, even those working full-time. ObamaCare requires all companies with over 50 full-time equivalent employees to offer health insurance to full-time staff by 2016 or they may be subject to a penalty† (UPMC, 2013). This now makes employers responsible for the health care of their employees, which in turn offsets the amount of people on Medicaid, or reduces the amount of people uninsured. These benefits greatly affect the everyday life of an American, no more discrimination due to preexisting conditions, or higher rates to these individuals. Employers now have to offer insurance to their full-time employees, and everyone has the right to affordable health care which will stop them from being forced into debt. Cons With every policy, there are going to issues that come to surface, sometimes a policy fixes nothing at all, while other times it is just what the doctor ordered. The following are some of the negative effects that could cause the  Affordable Health Care Act to backfire or deter Americans from believing in the system. Working Americans will pay more. Most middle-class Americans hold full-time jobs and receive health insurance through their employers. Health care costs were rising before the Affordable Care Act became law, and combined with the effects of the law, employers will likely re-evaluate the insurance they offer. Employers will start to reevaluate their coverage to their employees which could end up increasing their work-based insurance. Some of the required coverage’s are against the moral values of employers. The mandate to offer contraception with no charge to the patient has caused a lot of issues, especially for employers whose moral code dictates that they do n ot support contraception of any type. But this is a manner of personal choice, employers cannot dictate what their employees needs are. Adding additional health care expenses will impact workers. The law will cause some employers to offer lower coverage or perhaps no coverage to their workers, or perhaps increase the amount employees pay for health insurance to offset higher premiums from the insurance company, or reduce hours to avoid having to offer coverage to so many full-time employee. The American Debt. As many are concerned about our debt, as the government subsidizes health care, may only make that debt worse. If the law runs over budget, it will be the taxpayers who wind up at a greater disadvantage than ever before. Below is also a graph that shows how government spending will be effected with the new ACA Many of the oppositions to this new law, all comes down to money. Americans do not want to sign on to anything that may cost or lose them money. (Foster, 2011). Some employers may also try to turn full-time employees into part-time just to avoid having to offer health care coverage. We as a nation end up in debt every year due to unnecessary spending, rather the spending be put in place to help the American people rather than ignore the issue. Unintended Consequences & Alternative Solution When the Affordable Health Care Act was put in place, a lot of Americans did not understand what they were actually getting for their money, while some hated the thought of government controlling yet another aspect of their lives others rejoiced. The health care act had some adverse consequences  when being put into place, the largest problem being the fact that Americans would now be fined if they did not pay for health insurance by the deadline, which is April 1st, 2014. The rate of the fine would increase with each year and end of causing a lot of Americans an unnecessary headache. This also forces people to purchase something they do not necessarily agree with, but unfortunately we cannot pick and choose which laws we decide to follow. Another issue that may affect Americans is the status of being a full-time employee versus being used as a part-time employee. With the new laws, businesses are also affected, some employees may cut employees hours in order to avoid having to off er insurance. Which is another way the Affordable Health Care Act is not benefitting the American citizens. Alternative Method & Recommendation Although the bill is already in place and functioning, I think the United States would have been better off following in the footsteps of other countries that already have nationalized health care. Instead of imposing all of these rules and regulations, the government should impose taxes on our citizens to help with the cost of health insurance. This will take away the need and frustration of having everyone being forced to find new insurance company based off their income, and have to be fined if they do not participate. With people standing strongly against being forced to buy insurance, taxes would take that fuss out. Americans need to realize, although other countries have national health care, it is nowhere as good as our health care, because when other countries were becoming nationalized, their star doctors were seeking citizenship in America because they could make more money. Now, we have all of these great doctors upset they can no longer reap the benefits of charging what they feel is appropriate, and now insurance companies can no longer deny benefits to those who are a risky investment. There are a large number of countries that simply take care of the health care cost through taxes, which is beneficial because less people feel the effect of paying premiums every month, and if it is based off of wages, so are our taxes, so why not take it out all at once? Conclusion With every policy, there will always be good and bad aspects that surround the change. In most cases, as long as the good outweighs the bad, then at the end of the day that is all that really matters. In the large picture, Americans now have the chance at having affordable health care, and cannot be denied over prior history. People can now avoid being put in massive amounts of debt by avoiding the high cost of procedures that they need. No one should ever deny the care they need when it comes to their health. In the long run it may cost companies more money, but if they make money off of their employees, they should be willing to pay for them to remain healthy. Within the next ten years we will truly see if the good outweighs the bad. In my opinion, Obamacare is headed in the right direction, but I do not feel the bill was ready to be passed. With all the opposition to incorporating socialized health care it is understandable why Obama was pushing it through while he is in office, because it may have not went through if it waited much longer. There are also a large number of benefits with the Affordable Health Care Act, people n ow can purchase affordable health care and not be denied due to pre-existing conditions. I also feel the government should have raised taxes to cover the cost, instead of Americans paying monthly for their insurance. We tend to not miss what is already gone, and this is what other countries have done. People have to pay taxes, so no one would ever need to be fined for not paying for health care every month. References Foster, R. (2011). Estimated effect of the Affordable Care Act on total national health spending. Retrieved on March 1st, 2014 from http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/chart-graph/estimated-effect-affordable-care-act-total-national-health-spending Kaiser Foundation. (2014). Summary of the affordable care act. Retrieved on February 24, 2014 from http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/8061-021.pdf UPMC. (2013). The Pros and Cons of ObamaCare. Retrieved on March 1s, 2014 from http://www.yourhealthcaresimplified.org/news/the-pros-and-cons-of-obamacare/ U.S Department of Health & Human Services. (2014). Read the law. Retrieved on February 12th, 2014 from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/law/index.html

Ophelia “Frailty They Name Is Woman”

Hamlet says, â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman†. Consider this statement in the light of the presentation of Aphelia; Identify key scenes and soliloquies for analysis Discuss various productions/interpretations State your preference of interpretation The word frail meaner when a person or object has the quality of being weak, fragile, weak in health or being morally unstable, also someone who is easily manipulated and influenced by people that surround them, unable to stand on their own. In this essay I plan to look into the character of Aphelia in the play Hamlet by WilliamShakespeare, to see whether she is a frail character and what factors contribute to this. I want to look at particular scenes where Aphelia is involved and ones where she is being described and used in order to see how Aphelia reacts to the other characters in the play, to see if she shows any particular signs of being frail. In act 1 scene 2 Hamlet is referring to his mother describing his feelings on how un acceptable it is that she has moved on so hastily from the man that she seemed to love so dearly. He then says â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman! He is at the time aiming his comment at his mother and his anger for the new King but he also labels innocent Aphelia under this as well. We have to remember that Aphelia was brought up in a society that is male dominant, the women in Elizabethan times had little control on what was to become of their lives and were closely governed by their fathers and husbands. The women in this period would be expected to obey their husband's orders and father's wishes. It is therefore not surprising that Aphelia isn't given many lines in the play itself but she is a key tool used throughout by; Hamlet,Polonium and Claudia in a bid to out do and catch one another out. I would agree with Jacques Lilac here in his introduction of Aphelia in one of his seminars that began with â€Å"That piece of bait named Aphelia† she is indeed used as bait by tho se closest to her and they don't seem to care if the bait gets snapped up in the process. This meddling and toying with her makes it impossible for her to escape and contributes to her death, this is done by the people close to her whom she looks up to and respects enough to be reliant on them and to also totally trust them with her affairs and problems but they misuse her and manipulate her naivety.From the beginning Aphelia is portrayed to us as a delicate, well spoken, respectful young lady but one who is being instructed and ordered by her brother to uphold the family name by not consenting to sex with Hamlet before marriage, even though she does voice her own opinions on the matter she does seem to obey and follow what her brother is firmly suggesting she does. Although I think here Aphelia shows her true collectedness and wit in that she knows that her brother is likely to be going against these rules himself and therefore being hypocritical.But, good my brother, Do not as som e ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine, himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, and reeks not his own red. † Here she voices her point but in a very dignified way. All she wants is her brother to have a sense of fairness between them and put aside the fact that she is seen as weaker being a woman and is almost voicing a plea for equality. In comparison after this she is then instructed again, now by her forceful, religious father who simply thinks that Hamlet's love for Aphelia is not love t all but that it's Just lust.He thinks he has his daughter's best interest in mind but he doesn't give her much time to think about her feelings or to voice them to him. In act 1 scene 3 Aphelia confides in her father explaining what Hamlet has said to her and also what she believes Hamlet's feelings are towards her. â€Å"And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, with almost all the holy vows of hea ven. † This shows not only that she trusts Hamlet's love but that she is very open with her father and that she has a great deal of trust in him and doesn't have to hold back or keep secrets from him.She is quite naive in thinking that she can have complete trust in Polonium. He uses this great trust his daughter has in him to his advantage to gain favor with Claudia. Some may say that it is here she is frail in that she does not stand up for what she believes or for her love for Hamlet. She quickly obeys her father's wishes to stop seeing him without thinking about what she truly wants. In reply to Aphelion's feelings and beliefs on Hamlet's love for her, Polonium shows in his tone and language his disregard for his daughter's feelings and level of maturity. â€Å"Think yourself a baby. † off speak like a green girl. â€Å"Ay, fashion you may call it. † Here he is likening her to a baby, maybe meaning she is weak, young and frail and has to depend on others in o rder to survive amongst them. Also he mocks her because he does not believe that Hamlet's love for her is real although she does. He is almost humoring her because he thinks she is a fool for thinking that Hamlet's love is true and is constantly putting her down calling her a green girl because she is not ripe yet and therefore not old enough to see what is really going on. This scene and discussion ends simply with Aphelia saying; l shall obey. She has been brought up not to argue with her father but I agree with David Pennington when he says, â€Å"Aphelion's willingness to let her father interpret for her is very disappointing† because in contrast to her ability to stand up to her brother she has no ability to oppose her father. In act 2 scene 2 Polonium is conversing with Claudia trying to arrange a meeting between Aphelia and Hamlet. â€Å"I'll loose my daughter to him. † Her father talks about her like a piece of bait or a pawn under his complete control, he make s her sound like an animal being let loose like a wild dog, suddenly released.This is her father yet again taking control of her life and happiness when he suggests that they set up a meeting with Hamlet so that Polonium and Claudia get to spy on the situation and hear what Hamlet has to say. It is in this scene that Hamlet now uses Aphelia as a target for his anger, frustration and feelings of hatred for the foul play of Polonium and Claudia. He is blunt and horrible when he voices his anger claiming there was never anything between him and Aphelia; â€Å"l loved you not† â€Å"Marry a fool for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. Hamlet is quite cold hearted and harsh in the things he chooses to say to Aphelia. He also directs comments through her such as; â€Å"l say we will have no more marriage. Those that are married already all but one, shall live. † Here Hamlet is threatening Claudia and really trying to scare and intimidate him by suggest ing that he is going to kill him. Aphelion's reaction to this scene with Hamlet and his mockery of her is little and she comes across as quite feeble with little to reply with. â€Å"O help him, you sweet heavens. â€Å"O heavenly powers, restore him. † Instead of replying directly, she is pleading to the heavens and God as if the devil or evil has changed Hamlet and she wishes they could change him back. This could be seen as naivety to think it is not down to Hamlet himself. She shows frailty here; in that she soon looses confidence and also the will to stand up for herself and the love she thought she had with Hamlet. Act 4 scene 7 Aphelion's death is announced by Gertrude in front of Alerter and Claudia.Aphelion's death is described in such a personal, peaceful and elegant way it's a very good cover up for the struggle and madness that is quickly spreading amongst the castle. â€Å"Her clothes spread wide, mermaid like they bore her up†¦ Lulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay to muddy death. † These lines said by Gertrude create a poetic image of Aphelion's supposed accidental death. The description has probably been changed in this way because committing suicide was a sin and the church would have been disgusted at the thought that someone involved with the royal family would do such a thing.Aphelia would not be authorized to have a proper funeral and burial if it was seen to be suicide. Even though parts of the description are lovely and create images and reflections of Aphelia there is still a harsh awakening with the words ‘muddy death' that soon bring o back to the reality of what has happened and now a disturbing factor has been added. You can almost misread the play and not notice she has in fact killed herself, after her suffering she doesn't even get a dramatic exit like all the other deaths in the play and seems instead to sink to her death.This may be because of Aphelion's personality and general aura that a pain ful slow death would not fit with her character and her back story. The description itself makes it seem as if the water did not have to fight to bring her down but that it was actually very easy and with no trudge, portraying that Aphelia is in fact frail in that she could not fight harder and get herself out of the deep, dark hole in her mind that she had retreated into.In the two films I have watched of Hamlet, the portrayal of Aphelia has been different. In Kenneth Branch's version, Aphelia is how I imagine her to be; quite striking, elegant and she also comes across as quite an intelligent young lady played by Kate Winglet. When she talks she doesn't shy away and seem frail, she actually seems to voice her lines quite forcefully when appropriate. However when she turns ad in this film production I think the acting and the overall look of Aphelia is somehow out of place.I think she needs to show her crazy side in a more subdued style of acting and with a slightly more psychotic side to it, this is where Franco Ziegfeld's film for me excels because I think Helena Bonham Carter's take on Aphelia is better and more like I expected it to be as depicted from the original script. Her natural ability to have that â€Å"off the rails† look about her is a major plus, she pulls off the crazy act but in an elegant and purely quite disturbing way. Her overall portrayal f Aphelia however, seems weak and she seems to Just blend further and further into the background.In conclusion I think Aphelion's character is like a child getting caught in between the cross fire and I think that her story is tragic in its own way because of her being kept close but constantly in the background. She gets forgotten about and used by the powerful men in the play. I agree with Barbara Everett when she says that â€Å"Licensor is what was once known as a â€Å"man's world†, one given up to the pursuit of power in a conventional system of rivalries. There is little place for women in such a world, and he women of this tragedy are markedly shadowy and faint†.I think that Aphelia could be seen as sheltered naive and frail. I think it's through no fault of her own however, but rather through the pressures of society, family and her peers. Bibliography http://www. opensourceshakespeare. Org http://Shakespearean. Org. UK/ critical essays on Shakespearean hamlet general editor Jack Bowen written version of one of Jacques Lagan's seminars www. Sparseness. Co. UK Henchman advanced Shakespeare set text http://faculty. Petticoats. Du/?Nichols/aphelia. HTML by Carla Williams

Emperor Charles III - Charles the Fat

Emperor Charles III - Charles the Fat Charles III was also known as: Charles the Fat; in French, Charles Le Gros; in German, Karl Der Dicke. Charles III was known for: Being the last of the Carolingian line of emperors. Charles acquired most of his lands through a series of unexpected and unfortunate deaths, then proved unable to secure the empire against Viking invasion and was deposed. Although he had control of what was to become France for a short while, Charles III is not usually counted as one of the kings of France. Occupations: King Emperor Places of Residence and Influence: EuropeFrance Important Dates: Born:  839Becomes King of Swabia: Aug. 28, 876Becomes King of Italy: 879Crowned Emperor: Feb. 12, 881Inherits Louis the Youngers Holdings: 882Reunites Empire: 885Deposed: 887Died:  , 888 About Charles III: Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German, who was the son of Louis the Pious and the grandson of Charlemagne. Louis the German arranged marriages for his sons, and Charles was wed to Richardis, the daughter of Count Erchangar of Alemannia.   Louis the German did not control all the territory that his father and grandfather had ruled. That empire had been divided among Louis and his brothers Lothair and Charles the Bald. Although Louis had successfully kept his portion of the empire together against first his brothers, then outer forces, and finally a rebellion by his eldest son Carloman, he decided to divide his lands, according to the Frankish tradition of gavelkind, among his own three sons. Carloman was given Bavaria and much of what is today Austria; Louis the Younger got Franconia, Saxony and Thuringia; and Charles received territory that included Alemannia and Rhaetia, which would later be called Swabia.    When Louis the German died in 876, Charles acceded to the throne of Swabia. Then, in 879, Carloman took ill and resigned; he would die a year later. Charles obtained what was then the kingdom of Italy from his dying brother. Pope John VIII decided that Charles would be his best bet in defending the papacy from Arab threats; and so he crowned Charles emperor and his wife Richardis empress on February 12, 881. Unfortunately for the pope, Charles was too concerned with matters in his own lands to help him out. In 882, Louis the Younger died from injuries sustained in a riding accident, and Charles acquired most of the lands his father had held, becoming king of all the East Franks.   The rest of the empire of Charlemagne had come under the control of Charles the Bald and then his son, Louis the Stammerer. Now two sons of Louis the Stammerer each ruled portions of their late fathers territory. Louis III died in 882 and his brother Carloman died in 884; neither of them had legitimate children. There was a third son of Louis the Stammerer: the future Charles the Simple; but he was only five years old. Charles III was regarded as a better protector of the empire and was chosen to succeed his cousins. Thus, in 885, primarily by inheriting land, Charles III reunited almost all the territory once ruled by Charlemagne, but for Provence, which had been taken by the usurper Boso. Unfortunately, Charles was beset by illness, and was not possessed of the energy and ambition that his predecessors had displayed in building and maintaining the empire. Though he was concerned by Viking activity, he failed to stop their advances, brokering a treaty in 882 with Northmen on the Meuse River that allowed them to settle in Frisia, and paying a tribute to an even more aggressive contingent of Danes who threatened Paris in 886. Neither solution proved particularly beneficial to Charles and his people, especially the latter, which resulted in the Danes pillaging much of Burgundy.   Charles was known to be generous and pious, but he had difficulty dealing with the nobility and was heavily influenced by a much-hated advisor, Liutward, who Charles was ultimately forced to dismiss. This, combined with his inability to halt the progress of the Vikings,  made him an easy target for insurrection. His nephew Arnulf, the illegitimate son of his eldest brother Carloman, had the qualities of leadership that Charles lacked, and in the summer of 887 a general rebellion flared up in support of the younger man. Unable to garner any real backing, Charles eventually agreed to abdicate. He retired to an estate in Swabia that Arnulf granted to him, and died on January 13, 888. In 887 the empire was divided into Western Francia, Burgundy, Italy, and Eastern Francia or the Teutonic Kingdom, which would be governed by Arnulf. Further war was not far off, and the empire of Charlemagne would never again be one cohesive entity. More Charles III Resources: Charles III in Print The compare prices link below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. The visit merchant link leads directly to an online bookstore; neither About.com nor Melissa Snell is responsible for any purchases you may make through this link. Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the End of the Carolingian Empire(Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series)by Simon MacLeanVisit merchantThe Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europeby Pierre Richà ©; translated by Michael Idomir AllenCompare prices The Carolingian Empire Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2014-2016  Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/cwho/fl/Emperor-Charles-III.htm

Battle of Saylers Creek in the Civil War

Battle of Saylers Creek in the Civil War Battle of Saylers Creek: Conflict Date: The Battle of Saylers Creek (Sailors Creek) was fought April 6, 1865, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders Union Major General Philip H. Sheridanapprox. 16,000 men Confederate Lieutenant General Richard EwellLieutenant General Richard Andersonapprox. 11,500 Battle of Saylers Creek - Background: In the wake of the Confederate defeat at Five Forks on April 1, 1865, General Robert E. Lee was driven out of Petersburg by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Also forced to abandon Richmond, Lees army began retreating west with the ultimate goal of re-supplying and moving south into North Carolina to join with General Joseph Johnston. Marching through the night of April 2/3 in several columns, the Confederates intended to rendezvous at Amelia Court House where supplies and rations were expected. As Grant was forced to pause to occupy Petersburg and Richmond, Lee was able to put some space between the armies. Arriving at Amelia on April 4, Lee found trains loaded with munitions but none with food. Forced to pause, Lee sent out forage parties, asked the local populace for aid, and ordered food sent east from Danville along the railroad. Having secured Richmond and Petersburg, Grant tasked Major General Philip Sheridan with leading the pursuit of Lee. Moving west, Sheridans Cavalry Corps and attached infantry fought several rearguard actions with the Confederates and rode ahead in an effort to cut the railroad in front of Lee. Learning that Lee was concentrating at Amelia, he began moving his men towards the town. Having lost his lead on Grants men and believing his delay to be fatal, Lee departed Amelia on April 5 despite securing little food for his men. Retreating west along the railroad towards Jetersville, he soon found that Sheridans men had arrived there first. Stunned as this development precluded a direct march to North Carolina, Lee elected not to attack due to the late hour and instead conducted a night march to the north around the Union left with the goal of reaching Farmville where he believed supplies to be waiting. This movement was spotted around dawn and Union troops resumed their pursuit (Map). Battle of Saylers Creek - Setting the Stage: Pushing west, the Confederate column was led by Lieutenant General James Longstreets combined First and Third Corps, followed by Lieutenant General Richard Andersons small corps, and then Lieutenant General Richard Ewells Reserve Corps which possessed the armys wagon train. Major General John B. Gordons Second Corps acted as the rear guard. Harassed by Sheridans troopers, they were also closely followed by Major General Andrew Humphreys II Corps and Major General Horatio Wrights VI Corps. As the day progressed a gap opened between Longstreet and Anderson which was exploited by the Union cavalry. Correctly guessing that future attacks were likely, Ewell sent the wagon train along a more northern route west. It was followed by Gordon who was under pressure from Humphreys approaching troops. Crossing Little Saylers Creek, Ewell assumed a defensive position along a ridge west of the creek. Blocked by Sheridans cavalry, which was approaching from the south, Anderson was forced to deploy southwest of Ewell. In a dangerous position, the two Confederate commands were nearly back-to-back. Building up strength opposite Ewell, Sheridan and Wright opened fire with 20 guns around 5:15 PM. Battle of Saylers Creek - The Cavalry Strikes: Lacking guns of his own, Ewell was forced to endure this bombardment until Wrights troops started advancing around 6:00 PM. During this time, Major General Wesley Merritt began a series of probing attacks against Andersons position. After several small-scale advances were turned back, Sheridan and Merritt increased the pressure. Advancing with three cavalry divisions armed with Spencer carbines, Merritts men succeeded in engaging Andersons line in close combat and overwhelming his left flank. As Andersons left disintegrated, his line collapsed and his men fled the field. Battle of Saylers Creek - The Hillsman Farm: Unaware that his line of retreat was being cut by Merritt, Ewell prepared to engage Wrights advancing VI Corps. Moving forward from their position near the Hillsman Farm, the Union infantry struggled across rain-swollen Little Saylers Creek before reforming and attacking. In the course of the advance, the Union center outdistanced the units on its flanks and took the brunt of the Confederate fire. Wavering, it was driven back by a small Confederate force led by Major Robert Stiles. This pursuit was halted by the Union artillery (Map). Battle of Saylers Creek - Lockett Farm: Reforming, VI Corps again advanced and succeeded in overlapping the flanks of Ewells line. In bitter fighting, Wrights troops succeeded in collapsing Ewells line capturing around 3,400 men and routing the rest. Among the prisoners were six Confederate generals including Ewell. As Union troops were achieving victory near the Hillman Farm, Humphreys II Corps closed on Gordon and the Confederate wagon train a few miles north near the Lockett Farm. Assuming a position along the eastern rim of a small valley, Gordon sought cover the wagons as they crossed the Double Bridges over Saylers Creek at the valley floor. Unable to handle the heavy traffic, the bridges caused a bottleneck leading to the wagons stacking up in the valley. Arriving on the scene, Major General Andrew A.  Humphreys II Corps deployed and began attacking around dusk. Steadily driving Gordons men back, the Union infantry took the ridge and the fighting continued among the wagons. Under heavy pressure and with Union troops working around his left flank, Gordon retreated to the west side of the valley having lost around 1,700 captured and 200 wagons. As dark descended, the fighting petered out and Gordon began retreating west towards High Bridge (Map). Battle of Saylers Creek - Aftermath: While Union casualties for the Battle of Saylers Creek numbered around 1,150, the Confederate forces engaged lost around 7,700 killed, wounded, and captured. Effectively the death knell of the Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate losses at Saylers Creek represented approximately a quarter of Lees remaining strength. Riding out from Rices Depot, Lee saw the survivors of Ewells and Andersons corps streaming west and exclaimed, My God, has the army dissolved? Consolidating his men at Farmville early on April 7, Lee was able to partially re-provision his men before being forced out by early afternoon. Pushed west and eventually cornered at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered his army on April 9.