Cruelty Causes Pain And Suffering - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1198 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/05/16 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Cruelty To Animals Essay Did you like this example? Cruelty is callous indifference to or pleasure in causing pain and suffering. In the novel, The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini, cruelty can be seen as a reoccuring theme. It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Hassan, his fatherrs Hazara servant. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Cruelty Causes Pain And Suffering" essay for you Create order The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistanrs Monarchy, through the Soviet Military intervention, the exile of Pakistan refugees to America, and the rise of the Taliban. The story turns as Amir betrays Hassan in a way he can not forgive himself and this haunts him for the next 20 years of his life. Although some may disagree, the novel shows cruelty as a main theme in both Amirrs childhood and adulthood. The thought-provoking novel, ?The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, vividly depicts the cruelty of human nature and illustrates how it can affect individuals and society as a whole. Through Amirrs first person narrative, Hosseini juxtaposes his personal journey in overcoming guilt with the deterioration of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban. Hosseini cleverly explores the breakdown of Amir and Hassanrs relationship and the historical events within Afghanistan in order to portray human cruelty, as well as showing hope for the future. Through Hosseinirs exploration of the cruelty of human nature, he highlights the related themes of betrayal and redemption. Amir is cruel to Hassan as he is jealous of the affection that Baba gives him, which makes Amir feel inadequate. Babars closeness to Hassan is due to his earlier betrayal and through this Hosseini illustrates that guilt cannot be escaped and eventually the truth will come out. Itrs only when facing Assef, who epitomizes human cruelty, that Amir can resolve his guilt. When he confronts his past, then he can look towards a positive future. Hosseini uses Amirrs journey to reflect Afghanistanrs struggle against the destructive forces of the Taliban, proving that cruelty can be overcome. Cruelty is seen throughout Amirrs childhood in many different situations. Early on in the novel, Hosseini firstly depicts the cruelty of human nature through Amirrs early treatment towards Hassan in order to foreshadow the further cruelty that he displays later on, emphasising how cruelty exists within us all. This is highlighted when Amir and Hassan are confronted by Assef. He begins to doubt his friendship as Assef challenges him when he asks, How can you call him your friend? But hers not my friend! I almost blurted. Hers my servant! Hosseini demonstrates how Amir did not stop Assef and stand up for Hassan which conveys that he is a coward, highlighting his cruel nature by denying the friendship. This, later on adds to Amirrs guilt and defines him as a coward which motivates him to atone for his sins. It also foreshadows Amirrs true nature at the turning point of this novel. †¹Through the turning point of the rape, Hosseini reveals the escalation of Amirrs cruel nature. Hosseini emphasises Amirrs cruelty through the act of leaving Hassan defenceless against Assef as Amir physically and mentally turns away from the rape. Amir justifies his decision to leave Hassan by claiming I actually aspired to cowardice because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right. Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. Hosseini reveals the cruelty of human nature by Amir leaving Hassan to be his ?sacrifice in exchange for affection from Baba. The writer highlights this aspect to show that everything in the world comes with a cost and sometimes people will take it even if it means giving up the ones closest to us. Hosseini continues to highlight the cruelty that is within Amir by describing the treatment Hassan receives after the rape. Through the words of Amir that state that ?[he] looked for [Hassan]., Amirrs tone conveys that anger is involved, a very cruel way to treat someone that is clearly hurt as ?[Hassan] wiped snot and tears. Amirrs cruelty does not stop here, but worsens. This is dramatically portrayed by Hosseini when Amir ?hurled the pomegranate at [Hassan]. It struck him in the chest, exploded in a spray of red pulp. Hassanrs cry was pregnant with surprise and pain. Amir uses this continuing cruelty to try and relieve his guilt by trying to provoke Hassan. Hassanrs refusal to react greatly emphasises Amirrs unjustified cruelty. The breaking of the pomegranate also symbolises the relationship between Hassan and Amir disintegrating. The accumulation of Amirrs cruelty leads to Amir having to seek redemption and highlights Hosseinirs message that guilt cannot be escaped. The presence of the Taliban in the latter stages of the novel demonstrates how the cruelty of human nature can be amplified via the collective belief and view of a leading organisation. Afghanistan is portrayed at the beginning of the novel as a Western influenced and peaceful country. However, as Amir and Hassanrs relationship deteriorates, so too does the state of Afghanistan due to the Taliban, reflecting the powerful and destructive influence of cruelty. The key point in the novel where Taliban cruelty is shown is when Amir watches a football match and there is a public stoning at half time. Hosseini shows the change in Afghanistan by the reaction of the crowd when the executioner enters the pitch. In the old Afghanistan, everyone would have been shocked by the ability for a human being to exert such brutality on another. However, Hosseini states that The sight of him drew cheers from a few spectators. The Afghan people had become so used to the violence of the Taliban that they no longer felt any empathy towards a man and woman being executed for adultery. Hosseini therefore shows the wider effect on society by one grouprs extreme cruelty. Crucially, Hosseini chooses Amir to confront his guilt by standing up to Assef, his childhood bully and the instigator of the cruellest act within the novel. The author symbolically creates Assef as the epitome of the cruelty of human nature. Despite his convincing exterior as a high ranking Talib, Amir sees past the front and reveals Assefrs truly hypocritical nature. His cruelty is clearly evidenced in the scene of the rape, which he carries out for seemingly no other reason than his desire for self-empowerment. This hypocritical act is backed up by his western styled clothing which being a part of the Taliban is against their beliefs. The John Lennon styled sunglasses represent that he does not share the same ideas as the Taliban and is only in it for the power. From an early age we see Assefrs need for power which is reflected symbolically in the brass knuckles he wears. They require very little skill for maximum damage and are quite underhand when used in a fight. As seen later on during the stoning, Assef uses these acts of cruelty as ?public justice [ ] education en masse. Even as an adult he is still a bully and this is why it is particularly fitting that Amir must confront Assef to relieve himself of his guilt and in doing so confronts the cruelty of human nature.

The United Nations ( 1993 ) Defines Violence Against Women

The United Nations (1993) defines violence against women as: â€Å"Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. While women are not the only victims of sexual violence, Perreault Brennan (2010) state â€Å"of the sexual assaults reported by respondents to the GSS, 70% involved a female victim† (p. 11). Women between the ages of 18-24 have a higher rate of self-reported sexual violence (Perreault Brennan, 2010) and it is identified that â€Å"in over half (51%) of sexual assault incidents, the perpetrator was a friend, acquaintance,†¦show more content†¦The purpose of this policy is to show the commitment of the university â€Å"to providing and maintaining an environment in which sexual violence is not tolerated† (UWO, 2014, p.1). The definition of sexual violence is in accordance to that of the Gover nment of Ontario. This definition of sexual violence is any violence, physical or psychological, carried out through sexual means or by targeting sexuality. This includes sexual abuse, sexual assault or rape. It also includes sexual harassment, stalking, indecent or sexualized exposure, degrading sexual imagery, voyeurism, cyber harassment, trafficking and sexual exploitation (UWO, 2014). The policy itself entails identifying that prevention and responding to sexual violence is important, that procedures exist to address sexual violence and to providing education and awareness initiatives. This policy was created in response to media attention on sexual violence that exists on campuses throughout Canada and the United States. The United States government, the Canadian federal government and provincial governments have responded to this media attention by creating policies and directives to post-secondary institutions to address campus sexual violence. The policy makers of the sexual violence policy at University of Western Ontario were the responsible officers: Provost Vice President (Academic) and Vice-President (Resources Operations) in the responsible offices: Associate Vice-President

Conveyor Belt Project Part 2 free essay sample

Nuclear energy has persisted to be an especially controversial topic due to issues concerning safety, efficiency, and cost. The very word, â€Å"nuclear† prompts the public to think of nuclear bombs. However, it may be possible for nuclear energy to be a feasible substitute to our existing energy sources. Positive Aspects of Nuclear Power There are numerous advantages of nuclear power; the purity of the energy manufacturing process is one of them. While nuclear energy is not pollutant free, it also does not emit nearly the amount of pollutants as various fossil fuel energies. Nuclear power plants do not release air emissions, such as carbon dioxide, but the necessary process of mining for uranium does. This is, arguably, the most essential feature of substituting fossil fuels with nuclear power. The incineration of fossil fuels has greatly contributed to the global warming problems we are having today. In 2010 alone, approximately 5,800 million metric tons of carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere. We will write a custom essay sample on Conveyor Belt Project Part 2 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (EPA, 2010.) Nuclear power can assist our modern society in continuing our lifestyles, while still relieving the atmosphere of the massive amount of pollutants that are bequeathed on to it consistently. Uranium is the element that is used to operate nuclear reactors, and it is additionally a common metal that is frequently found in rocks. Such extensive availability means that we can maintain a sustainable society that is primarily based on nuclear power. Uranium is significantly more efficient than fossil fuels as it is, and as technology progresses, the use of nuclear reactors to contract energy from uranium is expected to grow more efficient. Globally substituting fossil fuels with nuclear power and additional renewable energies can also be incredibly beneficial to the economy. The law of supply and demand informs us that because the supply of power will increase dramatically, the price of power will decrease dramatically. The initial price of constructing a nuclear power plant is great, but the managing expenditures are relatively low, pushing the price of power even lower than they would be from the supply merely increasing. This ensures that citizens of more developed countries will keep the electricity that aid  in completing their day-to-day responsibilities. Low-priced power will provide consumers with spare money to spend on a variety of products, such as food and luxuries, this will create additional jobs and will help narrow the gap between the underprivileged and the prosperous. This can also help less developed countries become more industrialized, it will produce jobs, and it will reduce the poverty rate. Nuclear energy is one of the few renewable energy sources that can provide power regardless of what the weather is doing. For example, if you desire to use tidal energy you must have tides, and if you desire to use wind energy you must have wind. This is a crucial point in the argument for nuclear power because modern civilization cannot just cease because it is not windy outside. Also unlike other renewable energy sources, such as hydropower and wind energy, nuclear energy is capable of generating power for substantial, industrial use. Additional renewable energy sources can only provide power for local needs. Nuclear energy has demonstrated that it can be just as efficient, if not more efficient, than fossil fuels. Worldwide, there are about 400 nuclear power plants that provide about 17% of the world’s energy. (EPA, 2012.) In the United States alone there was 535,951 oil producing wells in the year 2011. (World Oil, 2012.) So, why have we not replaced fossil fuels with nuclear energy yet? Negative Aspects of Nuclear Power The biggest concern with nuclear power is for the well-being of the employees and the citizens living in close proximity to power plants. While the design of nuclear reactors is constructed to contain any explosion or accident, simple human inaccuracy can be catastrophic to both the individuals, and the environment surrounding the plant. Be that as it may, there have only been three significant accidents in the history of nuclear power; Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima. Of these three, the only plant that directly killed anyone was Chernobyl. (World Nuclear Association, 2012.) However, any number of deaths are still unacceptable and employees should be required to receive more training on safety procedures. The safety of the labor force and individuals that reside near the plant can be an even larger difficulty when it comes to nuclear proliferation and the intimidation of terrorist attacks. For example, if a terrorist group were to attack a nuclear power plant, the harmful consequences would be much more widespread and destructive. This opens the United States up to attack that could, potentially be larger and crueler than September 11. Another concern is the primary cost of constructing a nuclear power plant, which costs a minimum of $12 billion. (Anon, 2011.) This considerable start-up price discourages potential investors from offering any money, making it problematic to build the plant whatsoever. Even though investors will make their money back and more, it would require an extensive period of time to do so, therefore the money could be better invested somewhere else. Bearing in mind the colossal amount of debt that the United States government is in presently, it is difficult for government officials to approve this manner of spending without fear of losing their positions, even though it is for a good reason. And without government assistance, it might be impossible to come up with a minimum of $12 billion. While the environment will be better off in terms of carbon emissions, the same cannot be expressed about nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is extremely dangerous and, if not disposed of appropriately, it can be poisonous to the earth and the individuals that come near the waste. The United States does not currently possess any sort of nuclear waste facility, and power plants are being instructed to accumulate their nuclear waste on site. This can be a somewhat large obstruction, because sooner or later there will be nowhere left to store this waste, and it can remain dangerous for several thousands of years. In general, no matter what the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power are, the public will always be against it. Nuclear power is closely related to nuclear weapons, and the advancement of nuclear technology is undesirable. Many people believe that nuclear war will eventually be the end of humanity; the time may come when World War 3 ensues and all of the countries bomb each other into extinction. I believe that this is the main  reason that nuclear energy is not being more widely used, and even shunned. German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier even went so far as to announce that, â€Å"his country would never return to nuclear energy.† (book?) What I Think The advantages of a healthier environment, uranium availability, energy stability, the probability of progressive technology, and the economic benefits outweigh the disadvantages of safety, cost, and nuclear waste in my opinion. But I also believe that we can increase the advantages and decrease the disadvantages by using other renewable energy sources to their full extent before falling back on nuclear energy. Most of the disadvantages of other renewable energy sources can be diminished by simply having other options.