A Sense of Truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Sense of Truth - Essay Example A thorough analysis and better understanding not only clarifies but illuminates the distinction between deception and truth, trust and mistrust. Plato in his work, "Allegory of the Cave" published in his book The Polity presented the false reality that chained the people inside the cave. They had been blinded by ignorance and overshadowed by darkness. They believed that the shadows on the walls of the cave were true as opposed to the reality that these were just puppets and illusions. One of the prisoners had eventually escaped and seen the light. The sunlight represents the absolute Truth, which is what actually is, and is not relative to what any person might think to be truth (Christian Dunn, 2006). The point of Plato was to find the truth as the ultimate goal; relying on the senses to interpret reality would not give the truth. This perception of the truth will also be different from person to person. Furthermore, Plato suggested that our senses can be a distraction from the truth and should not be trusted because they are untrusting and false guides to realities. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha argued otherwise. ... With the background and foundation laid, I am now ready to answer the question "Should we trust our senses to give us truth" Trusting our senses achieves the purpose of knowing what the truth is. It simply means allowing the mind to digest the information perceived through the senses and making judgment based on these perceptions. Every person's reactions although varied will detect that the stimuli have been responded to depending on the conditions and courses of an event. While an observation is a prelude to a deduction of what really happens, it is still with empirical knowledge that the truth is tested and settled. After all, a claim remains a claim if not backed up with facts. Nevertheless, trusting the senses still remains the ultimate paradigm that ushers the knowledge of the truth. In an unchartered territory, the most a person can do is to act according to his instincts and survive depending on a perception of this environment. Needless to say, it is the right time for his senses to be utilized and maximized. Imagine being stuck in the Arabian Desert. What penetrate your eyes are visions of sand, sky, date palms, and occasional arachnids like scorpions, ticks and spiders. The dust swaying in the air provides an unbearable smell. The resolute stillness and serenity generate a deafening sound as well as the booming of the wind. The taste of water and soda creeps into your nerves and makes you thirst. Worse of all, the scorching heat reaches up to 54C. All these in consideration will determine the ability of a person to forge his reactions based on stimuli. Let's say there is a snake in the middle of the Desert. Trapped in this situation, the individual must find ways to get rid of the snake. How When the

Role of Youth in Politics Essay Example for Free

Role of Youth in Politics Essay Politics is science to manage the country or state. Youth is young blood of nation and active worker of nation. So, it is very necessary and demand of nation that he must take all the responsibility for managing whole country. Without entering in politics, he can not do any welfare activity at large scale because, after getting fund he can do any thing but who will give to him. But, If youth joins politics and make his own Govt. with help of democratic voting system. He can become prime minister of country after this he can make the India as the dream land of Swami Vivekananda. Where there is no corruption, where there is no violence, where there is no black marketing, where there is no cheating, fraud or scam. But where there is only love, where there is only honesty, where there is only co-operation and co-ordination. So, Youth should join politics for improving it . Because without improving or honesty in politics, there is no possibility of development of India. Some body criticize with giving arguing that youth can create violence with his hot blood , if we allow him to enter in politics but all of this We can not overlooked the role of youth in politics . But , I am against unrational youth who want to earn money by selling the country . These days , I need youth like Shri Ram Chandra and Shri Krishna . They were the king of India means today prime minister and still whole India loves him as God . We need not politician like Ravan and Kans who have no respect for women . In India , I am seeing such youth who can take the burden of all social and economic problems by becoming Young Prime minister . But problem is that who brings them in front . If Indian people want to see young India , then they should think the above role of youth in politics and give them support by their Valuable Votes .

Contemporary Society Essay -- Australian Contemporary Society

Contemporary Society Name: Institution: Contemporary Society Social and political scientists have associated contemporary society with a myriad of characteristics which include rapid technological advancements, greater human interactions, promotion of gender equality, and respect for human rights (Halcli & Browning, 2000, p. 226). However, many obstacles have stood on the way to achieving a number of important social issues such as ensuring proper gender equity in various government and private institutions. The Australian contemporary society is no exception as recent developments in the military composition have revealed a gap in gender equity among other gender sensitive issues. The Australian Defense Force (ADF) is grappling with increasing cases of misconduct and violation of women’s rights following recent sex scandals involving military cadets as well as a very low number of women recruits. The revelations have sparked strong reactions among those involved in the leadership of the Australian Defense Force Academy (ADFA) and the ADF in general. Apart from sexual predation, other issues which have been unearthed include alcoholism among male and female military personnel, and intimidation and bullying of female officers. In the midst of all these chaos within a highly regarded institution such as the ADF, the question arises as to whether the scenario reflects the contemporary Australian society. Therefore, this paper attempts to discuss these issues in light of the degree to which the culture in the ADF reflect contemporary Australian society. The latest most sensitive news regarding the Australian Defense Force Academy (ADFA) have been nothing less of shocking. Evidence has pointed to cases of sexua... ...rather not be tempted to imply that female military personnel carry no taint of misconduct. According to (Packham, 2011), the first year cadet pleaded guilty to charges of drinking and being absent without leave. In addition, the sexual encounter was said to have been consensual. This culture of breaking the rules in the ADF reflect a society whereby alcoholism has played a major role in contributing to misconduct. Both genders are affected but it seems to be rampant among males. The current situation depicts a scenario whereby the question of gender is being handled on the basis of a struggle whereby women are engaged in a fight to be recognized and respected. This is happening under a strong cultural influence in which gender roles are finely defined and women are not expected to have an equal footing with men in certain areas.

Math Portfolio Ib Circles

MATHS PORTFORLIO SL TYPE I CIRCLES ? In this portfolio I am investigating the positions of points in intersecting circles. (These are shown on the following page. The following diagram shows a circle C1 with centre O and radius r, and any point P. The circle C2 has centre P and radius OP. Let A be one of the points of intersection of C1 and C2. Circle C3 has the centre A, and radius r. The point P? is the intersection of C3 with (OP). This is shown in the diagram below. As shown on the assignment sheet, r=OA. We therefore need to find the values of OP? hen r=OA=1 for the following of the values of OP: OP=2, OP=3 and OP=4. We first of all extract the triangle OPA from the above diagram and since we have the values for all the three sides we can finds the angle AOP which will later on help to get the value of length OP?. The circle C2 and triangle OPA are shown below with all side of OPA indicated. OP=AP since they are the radii of the same circle, C2. Having all the three sides, we ca n now calubulate the angle AOP using the cosine rule. Angle AOP is calculated below: Cos AOP=(2^(2 _ ) 2^(2 _ ) 1^2)/(-2? 2? 1) Cos AOP=0. 25 ? AOP =COS-10. 5 =75. 52248781 ?75. 5? Since we now having the triangle AOP, we can extract the triangle AOP? from the diagram shown on the previous page which in return will help us to find OP? using the sine rule. The triangle AOP? is shown below: O P For accuracy the value of angle AOP will be used as cos-10. 25 instead of 75. 5?. Since triangle AOP? is an isosceles triangle, AOP=AP? O=cos-10. 25. Therefore OAP? = (180-(2? cos-10. 25)). The calculation of the value of OP? is shown below: (OP? )/(sinOAP? )=(AP? )/(sinAOP? ) (OP? )/sin? (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 0. 25) ) =1/sin? (? cos? ^(-1) 0. 5) op? = 1/sin? (0. 25) ? (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 0. 25) ) op? =1/2 When OP=3, the triangle OPA and the calculation of OP? are as follows: Cos AOP = (3^2-3^2-1^2)/(-2? 3? 1) Cos AOP = 1/6 ? AOP = cos-1 1/6 =84. 4? From the triangle AOP? we can now calculate the l ength of OP? using the sine rule as before. The triangle AOP? and the calculator of OP? is shown below: A 16 OP' AP? O=AOP? =cos-11/6 OAP? = (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 1/6) (OP? )/(sinOAP ? )= (AP? )/(sinAOP? ) (OP? )/sin? (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 1/6) ) =1/sin? (? cos? ^(-1) 1/6) op? = 1/sin? (1/6) ? (180-(2 cos? (-1) 1/6) ) = 1/3 When OP=4; Cos AOP =(4^2-4^2-1^2)/(-2? 4? 1) Cos AOP = 1/8 ? AOP =cos-1 1/8 =82. 4? Using the sine rule; (OP? )/(sinOAP ? )= (AP? )/(sinAOP? ) (OP? )/sin? (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 1/8) ) =1/sin? (? cos? ^(-1) 1/8) op? = 1/(sin? (? cos? ^(-1 ) 1/8))? (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 1/8) ) = 1/4 When OP=2, OP? = 1/2;when OP=3 , OP? = 1/3 and when OP=4, OP? = 1/4 . This indicates that the value of OP? is dependent on the value of OP. In fact it is inversely proportional to the value of OP.To arrive at the value of OP? , 1 is divided by the value of OP. Therefore generally, the value of OP' can be written as: OP=r/OP Moreover, from the values of OP? calculated above, it is observed that the value of OP? is twice Cos AOP. The general statement therefore can be written as: OP? = 2 Cos? Let OP=2. Find OP? when r=2, r=3 and r=4. Describe what you notice and write a general statement to represent this. Comment on whether or not this statement is consistent with your earlier statement. First of all we need to calculate the value of OP? when OP=2 and r=2. The triangle AOP now looks like as follows:A 22 1. 5P' Since all the sides are of the same length, then AOP=APO=OAP=60Â ° (according to the angle sum of the triangle). The triangle AOP? is shown below from which OP? is found. A 22 O2P' AO=AP? from the diagram given on the lab sheet, therefore AOP=APO=60Â °. The remaining angle OAP= (180-(2? 60)) = 60Â °. This then means that triangle AOP? is an equilateral triangle – all its sides are the same. ?AO=AP? =OP? =2 We now need to calculate the value of OP? when OP=2 and r=3. Below is the triangle AOP and the calculation of angle AOP. 22 3 Cos AOP = (2^2-2^2-3^2)/(-2? 2? 3) Cos AOP = 3/4 AOP = cos-1 3/4 = 41. 4Â ° Having calculated the value of angle AOP, we can now calculate the value of OP? from AOP? using the sine rule as shown below: A 33 O P? Angle OAP? = 180-(2 Cos? ^(-1) 3/4) (OP? )/(sinOAP ? )= (AP? )/(sinAOP? ) (OP? )/sin? (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 3/4) ) =1/sin? (? cos? ^(-1) 3/4) op? = 1/sin? (? cos? ^(-1) 3/4) ? (180-(2 cos? ^(-1) 1/8) ) =9/2=4. 5 The value of OP? is now calculated when OP=2 and r=4 using the same method as above. 22 O4P 44 P? Cos AOP = (2^2-2^2-4^2)/(-2? 2? 4) Cos AOP = 1 ? AOP = cos-1 1= 0AOP? =AP? O=0 ?OAP? =180-(2? 0) = 180Â ° OP? 2= OA2+ AP? 2-2? OA? AP? Cos OAP? = 42+42-2? 4? 4 Cos 180Â ° = 64 OP? = v64 = 8 Below is the table for the vales of r, OP and OP' when OP is kept constant. ROPOP' 222 324. 5 428 When OP=2, OP? =2; when OP=3, OP? = ( 9)/2 and when OP=4, OP? =8. From these results it can be seen that the length OP? increases with the increasing length OP and the general statement for the variation in the values of OP? is as follows: OP? = r^2/OP. This general statement is not fully consistent with the first one because r/OP is not always equal to r^2/OP.When the above values are substituted into the first general statement, wrong values of OP? are obtained but the latter general statement holds for both data. However both the general statements hold true when r=1 since 12=1, which indicates that for this value of r, r^2/n=r/n. Use technology to investigate other values of r and OP. Find the general statement of OP?. I used GeoGebra to draw the intersecting circles with the values of r and OP stated and the values of OP? were automatically calculated. When r=1and OP=2 OP=0. 5

In the Eye of the Storm Critque Essay

In The Eye of the Storm filmed by ABC News in 1970, Jane Elliot, a teacher at Riceville Community Elementary School, puts her third grade students through an experiment to show them how horrible colored people were treated. Since 1968, Jane Elliot always has something planned for National Brotherhood Week. On Tuesday, Elliot segregates her class by the color of the students’ eyes. The brown-eyed kids were to wear special collars around their neck so they could be seen from afar. In this situation the blue-eyed kids were all around better than the brown-eyed. They got to sit in the front of the classroom, five extra minutes of recess, and went to lunch first. At recess, the brown-eyed kids were being teased by blue-eyed kids that were their best friends just a few hours before. After lunch and recess, Elliot discussed what was happening. She asked why and what was going on between friends because of the segregation. She watched her students change into discriminating little monsters in as short as one day. The next day, the brown-eyed are treated with respect instead of the blue-eyed. The blue-eyed realized that it wasn’t very fair, and apologized to the brown-eyed for the day before. Jane Elliot got her point across and asked one more favor from her students; simply respect the colored. Jane Elliot accomplished exactly what she wanted; to show her students the under treated side of segregation. One strategy that Elliot used is figurative language. She argues the idea of segregation and teaches her students how people felt and how they will always feel if the color of their skin differs. Elliot’s lesson was strongly supported by cause and effect. In the classroom situation, having brown eyes lead to being treated poorly. The blue-eyed changed into completely different kids once they were declared the â€Å"better† party. Classification is the major strategy used. Jane Elliot classified or grouped her students according to the characteristic of eye color. One group, the blue-eyed, was considered superior. The other group, the brown-eyed, were under treated and had very few privileges. By using these example strategies, and more, Jane Elliot taught her students the many disadvantages of having colored skin and she leaves her students wanting to respect all people, disregarding their physical features. Teaching me how quickly people can be judged, I enjoyed watching this film. Even though the problem of segregation by skin color isn’t as strong in our period of time, I would still recommend this short movie to teenagers. Teens tend to immediately judge people by appearance rather than personality and it’s just not fair. For example, in the movie, the children were judged in a matter of seconds because of the collar around their neck. In our world today, people are judged by the style of their hair, the price of their clothes, and more accessories that really shouldn’t matter to others. Before the lesson, blue-eyed kids all had brown-eyed friends. During the lesson the two parties were fighting like nobody’s business. This shows how quickly you can lose yourself and people that you care about. This also happens in the typical high school world. Friends go off and try new things and they stop caring about people they were once close with because two different paths of life were taken. I just think that people should do what they want, but never lose the touch of true friends no matter their appearance and judgments made by others. The true friends will never fail to have your back as long as you have theirs.

Top 5 jobs that pay a lot more than you think

Top 5 jobs that pay a lot more than you think We’ve all had one of those moments where you look at someone and think, â€Å"That guy makes how much for that job? Crazy.† There are actually a lot of jobs out there that pay more than you might expect, based on the level of experience necessary to do the job or simply stereotypes about what we think certain roles are worth. Let’s look at some of the most unexpected-salaried jobs out there. Dental HygienistDental hygienists are often the unsung heroes of the dental world- after all, they’re usually the ones who have to listen to all the excuses about why you didn’t floss, or who hear the fibs about how much you did floss (Be honest!). But because it’s often a supporting role and doesn’t require a four-year degree to get started, you might be surprised at the salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygienists make a median annual salary of $74,070. (And given what they do to keep our teeth healthy and sparkling , they deserve every penny!)What they do: Dental hygienists clean teeth, perform dental exams, provide preventative dental care, assist dentists with procedures, and educate patients about follow-up care and dental health.What you’ll need: An associate’s degree in dental hygiene, which typically takes 2-3 years to complete. Some states also require additional licensing for dental hygienists, so be sure to check on your own state’s requirements.Elevator Repairer/MechanicThere are some repair jobs on which you can cut corners, and no one really notices. Elevator repair is not one of them. It’s a high-stakes mechanical job, so although it’s a career that can usually be started with a high school diploma and an apprenticeship or on-the-job training, it’s one that commands a high salary because it requires a high level of skill and attention to detail. In fact, elevator repairers make only a few thousand dollars per year less than the mechanical engineers who design the elevators themselves. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, elevator repairers make a median annual salary of $79,480- and demand is expected to grow faster than average over the next 10 years.What they do: Elevator repairers or mechanics are responsible for installing and repairing elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other people movers, as well as ensuring safety.What you’ll need: A high school diploma or equivalent, plus an apprenticeship. You’ll also need strong mechanical savvy, and the ability to work in cramped quarters.Flight AttendantWith perks like free travel, you might think that working as a flight attendant might be one of those jobs where the perks make up for a not-super-high salary. But if you’re interested in the jet-setting life and want a solid median salary, you should consider becoming a flight attendant. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, flight attendants make a median annual sal ary of $50,500, with demand expected to grow faster than average over the next 10 years. Flight attendants who work for private or charter companies can also make more than that.What they do: Flight attendants manage airline passenger needs, safety, and comfort from (literally) Point A to Point B. In an emergency, they’re also first responders, assisting customers with any kind of crisis that happens in flight.What you’ll need: A high school diploma or equivalent, with significant on-the-job training provided by the airline. A good flight attendant also has stellar customer service skills (and the patience/good bedside manner to go with it).Technical WriterIt may not be the Great American Novel, but you see the work of technical writers everywhere: the instructions you get with your new assemble-it-yourself furniture, those tutorial PDFs on a company’s website, journal articles taking complex scientific or technical subjects and translating them for a wider audi ence. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writers make a median annual salary of $70,930 (or $34.10 per hour), with demand expected to grow faster than average over the next 10 years. It’s also a versatile field, with technical writing positions open in a variety of industries (tech, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.).What they do: Technical writers prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, or other supporting documentation to help guide customers or readers through a technical process. They translate complicated tasks for information for a particular audience. Technical writers may work full-time, or freelance.What you’ll need: A bachelor’s degree, helped by expertise in a technical subject like computer science, engineering, or web design.Theatrical Makeup ArtistGot a flair for the dramatic, but don’t have any interest in being onstage? Be the star backstage, and consider becoming a makeup artist. Makeup artists who specialize in theater, media, movie, TV, or other performance often make significantly more than their cosmetologist peers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, theatrical/performance makeup artists make a median annual salary of $69,310, with the 90th percentile making $127,030.What they do: Theatrical makeup artists create makeup looks to suit a particular production or performance design.What you’ll need: A high school diploma or equivalent, plus training in cosmetology. A background in theater or drama is also helpful, as is artistic creativity.If you’re looking for a job that carries a strong paycheck but falls outside the stereotypical â€Å"high-paid† spectrum, any of these jobs would be a great start.

The Great Gatsby Total Analysis Essays

The Great Gatsby Total Analysis Essays The Great Gatsby Total Analysis Essay The Great Gatsby Total Analysis Essay Perhaps F. Scott Fitzgeralds greatest work, The Great Gatsby is not only a great story, but an insight into the flaws of real life during the Roaring Twenties. His book has been considered by many a symbol for the Jazz Age, a time of extraordinary wealth and promise, but Fitzgeralds novel is much more than that, presenting the truth behind the twenties and creating an atmosphere which has earned a permanent place in American literature. Fitzgeralds novel works on many different levels, giving us unforgettable characters and events on one, as well as referring to the problems of American wealth and spirituality on another. However, what is the main point of the book? And most importantly, what on earth is that mysterious green light? Those questions, as well as many others will be answered in this analysis, which will discuss the underlying meaning and symbolism behind The Great Gatsby. I didnt call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness. (16) So ends the first chapter of The Great Gatsby and brings to our attention the first symbol in this book that mysterious green light. In our first acquaintance with the light, we see Gatsby reaching out for it, almost, in a way, worshipping it. We find out later that this green light is at the end of Daisys dock, and is a symbol for Gatsbys dream and the hope for the future. Green is the color of promise, hope, and renewal so it is fitting that Gatsbys dream of a future with Daisy be represented physically in the novel by this green light. Later, in the final chapter of this novel, Fitzgerald compares Gatsbys green light to the green breast of the new world (115), comparing Gatsbys dream of rediscovering Daisy to the explorers discovery of America and the promise of a new continent. However, Gatsbys dream is tarnished by his material possessions, much like America is now with our obsession with wealth. The means corrupt the end, nd Gatsbys dream dies because of Daisy, Gatsby, and Toms carelessness and superficiality, as does Gatsby for the same reasons. At the end of the first chapter we are given the green light, a symbol for the hope and promise of the future. At the beginning of the second chapter, however, we are introduced to the foul wasteland of the present. Fitzgerald calls it a valley of ashes (16), where only the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg lo ok over it from a billboard nearby. This section of the novel can be interpreted as the foul, material-driven world that the main characters live in, and which helps to destroy Gatsbys dream. The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg symbolize in this chapter advertising and materialism gone mad, one of the central themes of the plot. Later in the book, right before the climax, Daisy tells Gatsby that he reminds her of an advertisement. This statement confirms that Daisy does not like Gatsby for himself, but for the superficial illusion he represents. On a larger scale, it is through advertising that the material aspects of the American Dream are revealed. Hence, it only makes sense that Fitzgerald would use references to advertising throughout the course of his novel. Also in advertising, eternal youth, wealth, and beauty are constantly emphasized, which goes along with Gatsbys youthful dream of Daisy and explains why Fitzgerald never has to develop his characters. Fitzgeralds novel is only one big advertisement, with all the characters involved living with eternal youth, wealth, and beauty that never develop in part because advertisements never develop. Later on in The Great Gatsby, George Wilson, after seeing his wife die in a tragic car accident, gives the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg a whole new meaning. Wilson, a very non-religious man, compares the doctors eyes to those of God, watching over him through the foul dust and desolate wasteland in which the novel is set. This is only one of many religious overtones mentioned or hinted at by Fitzgerald throughout The Great Gatsby. At the end of the first chapter, we see Gatsby reaching out for the green light, almost in the attitude of a worshiper. This is the first suggestion Fitzgerald gives us that Gatsbys quest for Daisy is more than just a physical endeavor, but a spiritual one as well. During the flashback in chapter seven, when Gatsby first met Daisy, his mind is compared to the mind of God, which will never act the same again if he kisses her. A chapter earlier, Nick writes the following concerning why Gatsby changed his name: He was a son of God a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that and he must be about His Fathers business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end. (63) Gatsby, by changing his name, in a way creates himself anew, making his life more like that of God. In chapter eight, we find two instances of religious imagery. Daisy is compared to the Holy Grail and Gatsbys dream is like a knights quest, showing once again the dreams spiritual nature. Also in this chapter, we see Gatsby, after the car accident, looking over Daisy from her yard, trying to protect her. His watch over her window is compared to a vigil, and while Nick talked to Gatsby that night, he sensed that his presence was ruining the sacredness of the moment. However, Gatsbys vigil was over nothing Daisy was never in her room that night much like Gatsbys dream is over a nonexistent person. The Daisy he met and fell in love with years ago is not the same person anymore, and as much as Gatsby thinks that he can repeat the past, in the real world it is proven to be impossible. On one level, Fitzgerald gives us Gatsbys dream as a spiritual quest, but on another level, we find out that this is yet another reason why his dream fails. His faith is misplaced, because the object of his quest is nothing more than Daisy Buchanan. In turn, Fitzgerald is saying that the spirituality of America is misplaced because of our obsession with material wealth, which creates a sort of national delusion. When the early explorers first came to America, escaping the corruption of their old world in search of the promise of a new world, they traveled from east to west. Now, America itself is corrupted, so the characters in The Great Gatsby travel from west to east in search of wealth and sophistication leaving the moral values and stability of the west behind. It is this eastern part which is called a valley of ashes by Fitzgerald, a place where morals are left out and only superficial, material-driven people can live in peace. Fitzgerald uses this change in direction as a symbol for the deterioration of American ideals and the American Dream, helping to prove that our quest for wealth and sophistication is corrupting our culture, and causing us to live in a wasteland of morals an ash heap of civilization. All these previous symbols the green light, the ash heap, and the east and west have one thing in common: change. Change is apparent in both the action and the underlying meaning and symbols of the novel. From the basic storyline, we find three major instances of change. First, all major characters change where they live, with Tom and Daisy a prime example moving frequently from place to place throughout their life before arriving at East Egg. Also, Gatsby changes his name, which allows him to start his life from scratch and make it more like that of God all in the ultimate goal of attaining Daisy. And finally we have the changing of the seasons, which symbolically correspond to changes in the storyline during The Great Gatsby. On one level, Fitzgerald writes these elements of change in the action of the novel, but on another level, he hints at change symbolically. The green light is a symbol for hope and promise a hope that the ash heap of the present will change to that of a great future, where dreams come true and the American Dream is realized. Overlooking this ash heap of the present are the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, which change in meaning throughout the novel. In chapter two, they symbolize materialism and advertising gone mad, showing how corrupt the American Dream and American idealism have become. However, later in the novel his eyes are compared to those of God changing their meaning to a more spiritual one symbolizing how American spirituality has been corrupted by our quest for wealth and material possessions. We also see a change in travel in Gatsby from the traditional east-west direction to the opposite movement from west to east which symbolizes the corruption in America today. People now move from stable, moral environments in the west to the lavish, highly superficial wealth of the east an east which is characterized by Fitzgerald as the ash heap of civilization. With all this change in The Great Gatsby, only one character changes throughout the course of the novel: Nick. Gatsby cannot change because his life is based on a dream he set for himself as a youth and Tom and Daisy cannot develop because their life is one big advertisement, living in eternal youth, beauty, and wealth. Nick however, changes a great deal throughout the novel which we see most prominently in two statements he makes. At the end of chapter three, Nick states: Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known. (39) He later corrects this statement, during a conversation with Jordan Baker, saying: Im thirty. Im five years too old to lie to myself and call it honour (113). He develops enough in this story to realize that he is not above the rest of the characters, and is capable of lies and superficiality as well. What saves, or sets Nick apart from the rest, however, may have been his realization of his thirtieth birthday. At the climax of the novel, Nick kind of awkwardly throws in the fact (right in the middle of the big argument) that its his thirtieth birthday. However, this is actually a relevant detail for the conversation. The age of thirty is symbolic for the passing of youth or the passing of innocence. Hence, the turning point in Nicks life occurs simultaneously with the turning point in Gatsbys the termination of his youthful dream. Some could even say that Nicks character develops in that statement on that day alone with his passing of youth. It is fitting that Nick be the only character that Fitzgerald develops in The Great Gatsby, because as the narrator, Nick uses symbols of change to correspond to his own character development. All the following symbols in The Great Gatsby, when put together, give us the main theme or point that Fitzgerald is trying to make that American idealism and spirituality have been corrupted by material possessions and wealth. Gatsbys dream fails because of his material wealth he must possess to accomplish it. In this respect, Gatsby fails before he even begins showing the unforgiving nature of a land characterized by Fitzgerald as a wasteland of ashes. This ash heap is the present, the terrible time where The Great Gatsby takes place a time which all hope is lost for he future, and Gatsbys sacred green light becomes nothing more than just a light at the end of Daisys dock. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thats no matter tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther †¦ And one fine morning So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. (115) Ceaselessly into the past, because the future is far too grim to imagine. Hope is lost, but thats no matter, we will still keep trying and who knows, one day maybe we can accomplish