Americans Bias Against Muslims Essay Example for Free

Americans Bias Against Muslims Essay Orientalism, simply put, is the perception the West has of the East. The concept was mapped out by Edward Said in his book Orientalism, where he explores the concept, its origin, and how it functions. Said states that Orientalism is the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient dealing with it by making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it, [and] ruling over it (3). However, Said points out that even if Orientalism from the beginning was not a creation with no corresponding reality the concept he studies in the book is that of the internal consistency of Orientalism and its ideas about the Orient despite or beyond any correspondence with the real Orient (5). What Said is saying is that the characteristics drawn up about the Orient within Orientalism ar not necessarily compatible with reality. The Western eagerness to characterize the Oriental came from the desire to put a face to the unknown, becoming a political vision of reality whose structure promoted the difference between East and West, them and us, the familiar and the strange (43). Orientalism became a dictionary displaying the characteristics of the Oriental subject, characteristics that were fixed and unchangeable (42, 70). The attributes given to the Oriental helped strengthen the image of Western superiority and justified colonialism. The West was seen as superior to the East, meaning that it had the right to dominate the subject race, since it did not know what was good for it (Said 35). Irrational, depraved (fallen), childlike, [and] different,,4 (40) were words used to describe Orientals. Europeans then became rational, virtuous, mature, [and] normal (40), and the line between the two parts of the world was set; Europe (or the West) as the strong one and Asia (or the East) as the weak one (57). The Orientals were given the role of the Other, ruled by their emotions rather than sense, which made them crueller than the enlightened Western man (Barry 186). The role of the Other made ruling over them justified. The same method is still used by Orientalists today (Said 60), so the hegemony that makes the West believe itself to be superior to the East stays alive in both Western and Eastern cultures. Orientalism is written to explore how and why these ideas have such a central and fixed part in the mentality of the West (and East). In the preface to the 2003 issue of the book Said writes about 9111 and the following War on Terror in this way: Without a well-organized sense that these people over there were not like us and didnt appreciate our values the very core of Orientalism there would have been no war (xv). In this quote it is evident that the Oriental stereotype is still very much present in todays society and is affecting events in the world; Said even argues that the war in Afghanistan and Iraq would not be a fact if it was not for this stereotype. Although the role of the suppressed was given to the East, it was still, and is still, surrounded by mystery and exoticism because it was/is something so different from the West. Its exoticism made it hard to grasp and understand for Western society (Barry 186). It could be suggest that the contrasting images of the exotic Orient and the dangerous Orient are both images that exist in an attempt to make the ungraspable graspable. Even if these images are different they are sticking around because they provide an explanation. Said also points out that Orientalism is a three-way force that affects both the Orient, the Orientalists and the Western consumer of Orientalism (Said 67). Since the ideas of the Orient within Orientalism affect all three stages it makes it almost impossible to erase the stereotype that has been erected. The only way would be to embrace hybridity, which means accepting each others differences and looking beyond the man-made distinction between East and West (Said 5). After the 9/11 attacks it became even more evident that the stereotype evoked in Orientalism was not about to disappear, despite the new global society. Said gives an example of how an Arab is typically portrayed as a bloodthirsty, deceiving slave trader, who is a sadist and so on, in movies and on television (287). This image was not far away when the media, and politicians for that matter, started portraying all Easterners as bloodthirsty terrorists driven by non-rational thoughts (Scanlan 274). The fear of the unknown, of the suppressed rising and gaining power, of the Other speaking up, is as scary today as it was hundreds of years ago. These images of the East are what The Reluctant Fundamentalist explores, showing how deeply rooted they are in society and how they blossomed after 9/11. The novel tries to make the reader reflect upon this stereotype, how it might be wrong and why it exists.

Foam Stored Pressure Fire Extinguisher Essay Example for Free

Foam Stored Pressure Fire Extinguisher Essay Introduction The fire extinguisher is a portable device used to put out fires of limited size. Such fires are grouped into four classes, according to the type of material that is burning. Class A fires include those in which ordinary combustibles such as wood, cloth, and paper are burning. Class B fires are those in which flammable liquids, oils, and grease are burning. Class C fires are those involving live electrical equipment. Class D fires involve combustible metals such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Each class of fire requires its own type of fire extinguisher. Foam extinguishers use an aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) agent that expels a layer of foam when it is discharged through a nozzle. It acts as a barrier to prevent oxygen from feeding the fire. Although each class of fire has a specific extinguisher, the foam extinguisher is useful for both Class A and Class B fires; however, it is best suited for Class B. This description explains to the general homeowner the structure, assembly, and operating principle of the foam fire extinguisher. Fire extinguishers come in many sizes depending on the preference of the buyer. Foam fire extinguishers consist of a metal cylinder filled with an aqueous film forming foam usually under pressure of some form of non-flammable gas. A siphon tube directs the foam up through an assembly consisting of a handle and operating lever, which is secured during any period of non-use by a safety pin. The operating lever, when depressed, allows the foam to spray out of a hose connected to the siphon tube. Most extinguishers are replaced after a single use in order to assure dependability and to lessen the possibility of malfunction. The foam fire extinguisher contains five interlocking parts: *Safety pin *Handle *Hose *Operating lever *Siphon tube (See Figure 1 on following page) Figure 1 Parts of a foam stored pressure fire extinguisher. Description and Function of Parts Handle. The handle is usually a solid, unmovable piece of metal that stretches horizontally above the cylinder. Attached securely to the metal cylinder, the handle is the part by which the fire extinguisher is meant to be carried and held while in use. Operating Lever. The operating lever is connected to the handle above and to the siphon tube below. After the safety pin has been removed, the operating handle can be depressed, allowing the foam inside to be released into the hose. Safety Pin. The safety pin is constructed of a durable metal and is intended to keep the operating lever from being depressed while not in use. The pin is intended to be removed before any use of the fire extinguisher. Hose. The hose is a piece of rubber tube approximately two to three feet in length. The hose is connected to the siphon tube through the operating lever. When the lever is depressed, it is through the hose that the foam is allowed to escape. During use, the operator must hold the hose in order to direct the foam spray. Siphon Tube. The siphon tube is a stainless steel rod approximately the same length as the cylinder. Located inside the metal cylinder, the siphon tube is connected to the operating lever. When the lever is depressed, the foam is powered up the tube by the pressurized gas and expelled through the hose. Metal Container. The metal container containing the extinguishing foam varies in size depending on how much liquid it holds. The typical household fire extinguisher usually contains approximately 2 liters of foam. The cylinder is constructed of several layers (See Figure 1). The outer layers are usually thin layers of fire resistant sheets. In the middle, the bulk of the cylinder is made of steel. The innermost layer is a thin sheet of aluminum that separates the steel core from the foam inside the container. Summary and Operating Description As described, the foam stored pressure fire extinguisher is quite simple in its design. Constructed from parts intended to make the extinguisher easy to use and also to allow the extinguisher to be safely kept in any household, the foam stored fire extinguisher is a necessary part of every home. For safe recognition, all fire extinguisher use picture/labeling to designate which types of fires they are to be used on. Most fire extinguishers are labeled with colored geometrical shapes with letter designations. Although the foam stored pressure fire extinguisher can be used on both Class A and Class B fires, it is best used for Class B; therefore, it is most likely to be only labeled with the Class B shape and letter designation (Figure 2). However, some companies place both Class A (Figure 3) and Class B descriptions on the cylinder allowing users to know that it can be used for both classes of fires. Figure 3 Class A fire labels. (Crown Fire Equipment) Figure 3 Class B fire labels. (Crown Fire Equipment) In the case of a Class A or B fire involving combustibles (such as wood, cloth, or paper) or liquids (such as oil or grease) the foam fire extinguisher is very useful. In an operating cycle, the fire extinguisher is picked up and held by the solid handle. After the safety pin is removed, the operating handle is depressed, allowing the foam inside the metal container to flow up the siphon tube and out of the hose to extinguish the fire.

History and Comparison of American Musicals

History and Comparison of American Musicals Utopia is an ideal world state where everything which happens is perfect and there are no negative emotions like sadness, anger or jealousy to exist in it. The world is perfect and has every situation resolved in the most enjoyable manner possible. Consciously, or unconsciously, the human mind strives towards perfection to create an ideal world- a utopia for itself. But, in real life, this is not possible and this leads to a multitude of emotions like sadness, disappointment, anger, etc. which is the opposite of what a person in utopia should feel like. To bring back this sense of utopia even temporarily, humans started projecting the carefully constructed ideal world through entertainment such as theatre, films, musicals etc. In this essay, I will compare the films Singing in the Rain by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen and Meet Me in St. Louis by Vincette Minnelli as examples of classic American musicals against Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet by Baz Luhrmann as examples of contemporary American musicals on the basis of whether they satisfy the idea of musicals being a form of escape into utopianism. First, I will use Rick Altmans The American Film Musical, which has laid out quite a few criteria for a standard American musical to analyse these films and ensure they satisfy those criteria. Also, I will focus on Utopianism by using Richard Dyer, in Only Entertainment. Two of the taken-for-granted descriptions of entertainment, as escape and as wish-fulfilment, point to its central thrust, namely utopianism. (Dyer, Chapter 3, Pg. 18) By using entertainment, humans are able to escape to the realm of utopia but this realm is not produced by using models of utopian worlds, rather it is brought forth with feelings and emotions. Dyer claims that, It thus works at the level of sensibility, by which I mean an affective code that is characteristic of, and largely specific to, a given mode of cultural production. This code uses both representational and non-representational signs. (Dyer, Chapter 3, Pg. 18) Using Dyers words, I will also try to analyse the representational and non-representational signs of the films mentioned before. Meet me in St. Louis is an American musical which was released in 1944 with a fairly simple storyline which focusses on an upper middle class family with their four daughters and a son. It is based in St. Louis, Missouri in the year leading up to the 1904 Worlds Fair and goes through the struggles this family faces and how they overcome them together. The American film musical is known to have a dual focus narrative. As Altman says, in The American Film Musical, Instead of focussing all its interest on a single central character, following the trajectory of her progress, the American film musical has a dual focus, built around parallel stars of opposite sex and radically divergent values. This dual-focus structure requires the viewer to be sensitive not so much to chronology and progression- for the outcome of the male/female match is entirely conventional and thus quite predictable- but to simultaneity and comparison. (Altman, Chapter II, Pg. 19) Altman also says, Whereas the traditional approach to narrative assumes that structure grows out of plot, the dual-focus structure of the American film musical derives from character (Altman, Chapter II, Pg. 21) In Meet Me in St. Louis, there is a dual focus narrative. The plot revolves around the entire family, focussing mostly on Esther and her relationship and the news of the familys sudden move to New York. By subjecting these narratives to simultaneity and comparison, we can see that they are interdependent as the narrative of the family moving away threatens the newly found relationships of Esther and her other family members- Esther and John, Rose and Warren, the parents with their kids. Also, this is putting Esthers love for her family and her boyfriend against each other. As for structure deriving from character, the film is structured in a way that the character Esther and her conquest for her love occupies the first part of the film and this is followed up by the sudden announcement of her familys move to New York by her father. This is done to ensure the entertainment factor is still present by creating mild tension, as the primary goal is achieved and the viewers shouldnt lose i nterest. Singing in the Rain also adheres to the principle of dual narrative as there are different narratives or paths for both the male and female protagonists. The film portrays the struggle of American film studios and their transition from the silent films to the talkies. The male protagonist, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), is a silent film actor with humble origins, who tries to survive and retain his place in the film industry during the transition. The female protagonist, Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), is an aspiring stage actress who is used by Lina Lamont to be her voice backstage but she finally is given credit and her career flourishes. There are other side narratives which tie into the main narratives, the most noticeable one being the narrative of Lina Lamont, which serves the same purpose as the narrative of the family moving away to New York in Meet Me in St. Louis- to present a problem which when solved, strengthens the existing narratives, or give a neat conclusion to the narra tives. These two main narratives are intertwined simultaneously and highlights the contradictions between the already famous artist and the newly flourishing artist (Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden), fame and infamy (Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont), hate turned to love (in the case of Kathy Selden), etc. These contradictions are resolved by the main characters falling in love and this resolves or gives these characters the strength to resolve their conflicts. The structure is definitely derived from character, especially from Don Lockwood, whose narrative overshadows Kathy Seldens narrative. All the musical numbers focus on Lockwood and his emotions, or makes him the reason for the initiation of the song- as in the case of Cosmo Browns Make Em Laugh or the final musical number dubbed by Kathy Selden for Lina Lamont. Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet are both musicals directed by Baz Luhrmann and released in 2001 and 1996 respectively. they are both contemporary musicals and they follow the dual narrative path, focussing on the male and female protagonists and their narratives highlight the differences in their character such as freedom and confinement, love and money as in the case of Moulin Rouge! and love and hate, life and death as in the case of Romeo + Juliet. As for the structure of these two musicals- Moulin Rouge! focusses on Christians character as the musical starts and ends with him and he is the narrator of the events which unfold. Satines narrative is interwoven with Christians and her narrative is actually the cause for the beginning of Christians narrative, thereby forming a never-ending loop. In the case of Romeo + Juliet, it is a loose adaptation on the play by Shakespeare, using dialogues from the play itself. The narrative is driven by Romeos character but it is balanced out by Juliets narrative as well. All these four films can be classified as American film musicals albeit there are differences in the way utopia is portrayed by these films. The films Singing in the Rain and Meet Me in St. Louis bring about a utopia in terms of setting (representational) and feelings (non-representational) using various factors- one of them being the musical numbers. In Singing in the Rain, the world it has created is realistic as the film is based around the world of film and situated in the age of transition from silent films to talkies. The utopian element is brought forth by the numbers which provide another realm where the characters can be themselves and express their feelings without any complications. Dyer says, utopia is implicit in the world of the narrative and as well as in the world of numbers (Dyer, 1992). When a character breaks into song, as in the scene where Don Lockwood confesses his love to Kathy Selden (You were meant for me). Dyer says, We are moved by music, yet it has the least obvious reference to reality- the intensity of our response to it can only be accounted for by the way music, abstract, formal though it is, still embodies feeling. (Dyer, 1992). The confession scene is carefully constructed by Lockwood and narrated by him, which does make it seem realistic, unlike the other musical numbers, and this adds on to the intensity of feelings the song gives the audience. Intensity, according to Dyer, is the capacity of entertainment to present either complex or unpleasant feelings (e.g. involvement in personal or political events; jealousy, loss of love, defeat) in a way that makes them seem uncomplicated, direct and vivid, not qualified or ambiguous as day-to-day life makes them, and without imitations of self-deception and pretence. (Dyer, 1992) The orchestral non-diegetic music also adds on to the intensity as the two characters dance, with Lockwood encouraging Selden to dance with him and finally through the music, dance and lyrics, their mutual feelings for each other gets conveyed to each other. As the camera pans out at the end of the number, the utopian backdrop and the airy lights are accentuated, adding the final touches to the realistic utopia created by this number. Another scene charged with such feelings is Don Lockwoods Singing in the Rain, the title song. The realistic setting is done through the diegetic rain accompanying the entire song. The orchestral parts sometimes drown out the rains pitter-patter but it is still ever present in the background. The lively music and the dance of Lockwood transcends through to the audience and they are able to feel his emotions through this number. This utopian number comes to an end with the interruption of the police officer where Lockwood is brought back to the reality of his world. Meet Me in St. Louis also treats its musical numbers in a similar manner as escapes to utopia. But the setting is different, it is much less realistic than Singing in the Rain. It showcases a community where singing is common practice where everyone loves to sing or break into a musical number, which already makes it feel much more utopian than the other musical film. Altman says, The sequence of scenes is determined not out of plot necessity, but in response to a more fundamental need: the spectator must sense the eventual lovers as a couple even when they are not together, even before they have met. (Altman, 1987) This is true for Meet Me in St. Louis, as the musical number The Boy Next Door immediately puts both the protagonists together. As the film progresses, this utopian world created in the film is strengthened with feelings of love in the air, fun and mischief, and so on. Not much goes on with the main narrative of the film till Esthers father comes with the news which breaks their created utopia. Dyer says, In these films, the introduction of any real narrative concerns is usually considerably delayed and comes chiefly as a temporary threat to utopia- thus reversing the other two patterns, where the narrative predominates and the numbers function as temporary escapes from it. (Dyer, 1992) The musical numbers are light-hearted and chipper till the father announces his plans for the family. After the announcement, we have numbers such as You and I by the parents as a form of reconciliation- a place where mistakes are forgiven is created by the musical number (thereby reverting back to the original pattern of musical numbers providing escape), Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Esther as a consolation to Tootie- a place where hope is provided for the future, ensuring that everything will be alright. In these two films, the element of utopia is strong, one way or the other. It provides the so-called escape from reality, either through musical numbers as in the case of Singing in the Rain, or through narrative and numbers as in the case of Meet Me in St. Louis. But, like Dyer says, the idea of utopia through musicals and their numbers is applicable to these early American film musicals. The contemporary film musicals are a bit more complicated in that regard as the escape to utopia is not clearly defined. Moulin Rouge! is the film directed by Baz Luhrman, which is loosely based on the Greek myth of Orpheus. Its style and setting is highly fantastical, reinforcing the utopianism of the world. Pam Cook says, The heightened artificial world was projected as an illusion in which every detail was driven by the need to appear complete and plausible, but which audiences would perceive and enjoy as fiction (Cook, 2010) Just like how Christian saw the green fairy under the influence of absinthe, which later transmuted into a nightmarish hallucination that sucked Christian into the world of Moulin Rouge, though the setting and style is fantastical, the narrative of the film is not a utopian story. The main narrative focusses on Christian, a writer of the post 19th century suffering from depression.ÂÂ   Unlike other musicals which gives the audience a happy beginning and a happy ever after, the film starts with an ominous and melancholic tone, which confirms the female protagonists death early on in the film. This tragic revelation at the start hinders the utopian world the style and setting is trying to create.

Jumbled Popcorn :: Essays Papers

Jumbled Popcorn In writing a paper I often start out full of ideas and methods of analysis about the topic or issue at hand. However, I find it tedious to have to connect those ideas; yet, I want my paper to be cohesive and organized. My rough draft paper often seems as if someone crumpled it up and threw it in a blender. I always know what I want to say and feel that I have a good development of ideas, but often struggle in drawing out my main points. The paper that I am revising is my analysis paper because it lacks an assertive thesis and an organized plan. These are important global revisions that need to be revised in order for my paper to truly be reader friendly. When I first got my analysis paper back I felt that the grade was justified because I thought that I had developed my ideas and analyzed them well while providing evidence and support for my claims. However, I also recognized immediately upon a quick glance over my paper that my claims were not clearly stated and therefore my readers were not sure what the point of my paper was. I was not sure how to go about fixing this problem until I heard the presentation in class about global revisions. The presenters talked about how important it is to make sure that your introduction and your conclusion are similar in that they discuss the same points because this means your paper stayed focused. Also, in order to keep my paper focused it should have a concise structure laid out and then followed. When it came down to it, my paper was lacking two major things: a thesis that incorporated and strongly stated what the purpose and main points of the paper were and a paragraph detai ling the structure of my paper so that the reader could easily follow my ideas. Knowing what I had to do I then sat down to revise my paper. Thinking I knew exactly what needed to be done I told myself it would take a half hour flat. An hour later I was still staring at the computer screen trying to rationalize to myself the long new bolded areas.

The Relationship Between Political Processes and Science Essay

The political processes involved in the production of scientific facts and technology continues to be misrepresented and underemphasised in contemporary academic and wider public discourse. This is evident when considering the approaches employed by historians, philosophers and commentators when interpreting past revolutions, paradigm shifts and controversies in science. In this failure to account for the intrinsic association of politics, scientific facts and technology, it has led to the problematic distortion of how science relates to society and operates as an institution. Several assumptions are often made about science, for example the existence of an objective ‘scientific method’. Naà ¯ve inductivists who maintain this view claim that â€Å"science starts with observation†, and secondly that â€Å"observation yields a secure basis from which knowledge can be derived† (Chalmers, 1982, p. 22). This standard model of science raises much concern as it negates to account for the complex nature of observation. Firstly, Gestalt imagery demonstrates the variety of distinct meanings which can be extrapolated from one image and so a variety of stimuli. Secondly, the standard story of ‘scientific method’ through observation is weakened when considering the importance of ‘gaps’ within science, shown through the Solar Neutrino case study. Scientists observed the activity of solar neutrinos and in 1967, when data begun to transpire, inconsistencies were noticed which defied their predictions. There were disagr eements concerning the reading of the results and from 1968 to 1978 the scientific community continued in their attempt to resolve the ‘gaps’. A crucial question arises, which interpretation of the image or data is ‘correct’ or ‘legitimate’... ...999, p. 17 - Bishop, J. and Landell-Mills, N., ‘Forest Environmental Services: An Overview’ in Selling Forest Environmental Services: Market-based mechanisms for conservation and development, Earthscan, London 2002, p. 30 - Ede, A. and Cormac, L., A History of Science in Society: From Philosophy to Utility, Broadview Press, Ontario, 2004, p. 209 - Kill, J., ‘The Scientific Uncertainty of Carbon Sinks’ & ‘Why Carbon Sinks Won’t Help Stop Forest Destruction’ in Sinks in the Kyoto Protocol: A dirty deal for forests, forest peoples and the climate, FERN, 2001, p, 9 - Kuhn, T., The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, The University of Chicago Press, 1996, p. 56 - Pinch, T. J. and Bijker, W. E., ‘The Social Construction of Facts and Artefacts’ in The Social Construction of Technological Systems, ed. W. E. Bijker, T. P. Hughes and T. J. Pinch, MIT Press, 1987, p. 19

A Tale Of Two Cities :: essays research papers

A Tale of Two Cities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel A Tale of Two Cities there were three strands of people: the Manettes, the Everemonds and the revolutionists. These three strands became critically entangled at one point in the book. Everyone of the strands became involved when Charles Darnay was found guilty at his trial and sentenced to death. Charles was currently involved with the Manette family when the revolutionists imprisoned him for being an Evremonde. Of course there were many events leading up to Darnay’s conviction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first event occurred when Dr. Manette was locked up in the Bastille by the Evremonde family. He was called upon to care for Madame Defarge’s sister and brother, but when they died he was imprisoned so he could not tell anyone of their murder. Madame Defarge became very angry with the loss of her family and planned revenge against all the Evremondes. Dr. Manette stayed in the Bastille for eighteen years. During his time in there he wrote a diary of what went on. He also lost his identity and became a shoe cobbler. When he finally got out of prison he had no recollection of his early life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second event was when Charles Darnay asked to marry Lucie Manette. Dr. Manette, who had be reunited with his daughter, saw no problem with the marriage until Charles revealed his real identity to everyone on the wedding day. Charles’s last name was really Evremonde. His father was the man who put Dr. Manette in the Bastille for all those years. Manette forgave Charles because he was not like his evil father or his uncle, the Marquis St. Evremonde. Charles and Lucie got married as they planned to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last event occurred when Madame Defarge planned revenge against all the Evremondes. She was a revolutionist and knitted a list of names for her people to murder. Charles Darnay was added when she found out his real identity as an Evremonde. Also the names of his wife, Lucie Manette, and his newly born daughter, Little Lucie, were added to her murder list. Charles and his family were now in the middle of the three strands differences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Dickens showed the relationship between the Evremondes, the Manettes and the revolutionists all through the one character, Charles Darnay. He was closely related to all these groups in many ways. Each part of the story was connected and related to each other so without the three events leading up to Darnay’s trial, the outcome of the story would of been different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of

Three Day Road: Character Development

The two main characters in the novel â€Å"Three Day Road† by Joseph Boyden; Xavier Bird and Elijah Weesageechack, have many key differences that are illustrated throughout the novel. Xavier is reserved and visceral, while Elijah is self-assured and talkative. Xavier was raised by his Aunt Niska for the Majority of his childhood, opposed to how Elijah was raised in Moose Factory by nuns at a residential school. These factors hold an important responsibility on their personalities and the way that they think and make decisions. The three key differences between them that are paramount to the story and the themes of the novel are; firstly their respect for their Oji-Cree culture, secondly their respect and love for human life, and lastly their personalities. The differences in their personalities create positive chemistry back in their homeland of Canada, but when they are sent to Europe to fight in World War One, their relationship is put to the test. An important difference between Elijah and Xavier is the difference in their respect for their Aboriginal culture. Respecting their Oji-Cree culture is paramount to Xavier, while it is much less important to Elijah. An example of Xavier’s close association with his aboriginal culture can be seen through the following quote, â€Å"All of them stare down at me. I look up, sitting cross-legged with one of the horses sprawled beside me, its head on my lap. I look like I’ve been painted red. The smell of blood is heavy. It covers the wooden walls, the floor, the straw upon the floor. Elijah sees that one of my hands rests on the floor with my skinning knife in it. The horse’s neck gapes open along its big artery. (Page 189) This example shows Xavier’s connection to his aboriginal culture because having respect for animals is a major part of the Oji-Cree morals. In this exact scene Elijah was willing to shoot the horses, which shows a lack of respect for the animal, which goes against the morals of his aboriginal heritage. A second key example of how Xavier and Elijah differ when it comes to their aboriginal culture is seen through Elijah’s willingness to assimilate into European culture. In the novel Elijah states, â€Å"â€Å"Jolly good night for a little snooping, eh, Thompson? Elijah says. Thompson shakes his head at the words, and his teeth are white almost to a glow. â€Å"You do a better British accent than a Brit†, he says. † (Page 137) Elijah’s readiness to develop an English accent is in stark contrast to the fact that Xavier refuses to assimilate into the European culture. The third example of how Xavier and Elijah are different in the way they treat their aboriginal heritage is seen when the two of them are on their way to Toronto and they sell their canoe to get some extra money so they can afford new clothes. These new clothes are a necessity because they need to blend into their new environment to a certain extent. The following quote depicts the moment perfectly, â€Å"â€Å"When Elijah strolls out, I laugh. He has chosen a black suit and stiff, high white collar. In the mirror he looks like a preacher. This appeals to Elijah† (Page 142). In the scene, it is obvious that Xavier purchases his clothing out of necessity, while Elijah purchases his new clothes because it is appealing to assimilate into the new Canadian culture they are about to be immersed within. The most important part of the quote is the final sentence, which states, â€Å"This appeals to Elijah†. The fact that it appeals to him proves that he has interest in being assimilated into the Canadian society. Through the example presented it is blatant to see that Xavier has respect for his Oji-Cree culture, while Elijah has a lack of respect for it. A second example of how Elijah and Xavier differ is seen through their different views of brutality and respect towards other people’s lives. Xavier has a lot of respect for humans and their lives and due to this he kills out of necessity. On the other hand, Elijah enjoy killing humans and does it for the sake of sport. A perfect example of how Xavier and Elijah differ in regards to the respect of human lives is seen in the subsequent quote, â€Å"I jump to my feet before I know that I do it and approach Elijah with balled fists. Then I find myself reaching for my knife. But what he said makes me gag and I kneel down and stick my finger down my throat. The contents of my stomach come out in a slimy glob†. Page 310) This example highlights the fact that Xavier isn’t even willing to joke about eating German citizens, while Elijah doesn’t only find it funny he can’t understand why Xavier would take it so incredibly seriously. Elijah’s lack of respect for the people he kills shows a vicious brutality that is not seen in Xavier Bird. A second example of how Xavier and Elijah’s personali ties contrast can be seen through Elijah’s thirst to kill people. Elijah’s obsession over carnage can be highlighted in the following excerpt, â€Å"In the long hours of hunting Elijah tries to understand what is growing on him. He talks to me about this through the nights we spend out in the damp and mud. Mist rises from craters and swirls in the stink. In the end, the answer that comes is simple. Elijah has learned to take pleasure in killing† (Page 283). This quote is an incredible example of Elijah’s brutality because it is not only seen through his actions, but also his thought process. It proves that Elijah is not just killing for necessity he has actually gone mad. This highlights the difference between the two characters because Xavier strictly kills so he can survive through the war. The final exemplar in regards to Brutality and respect for human life can be emphasized by the connection that the two main characters have with their comrades. The following quote accentuates this fact, â€Å"He opens his eyes and looks up at Elijah. Elijah raises the wood in both hands and swings it down hard as he can onto Grey Eyes’ forehead† (Page 340). This exemplar distinctly shows the variance in Elijah’s connection with his comrades in comparison to Xavier relationship with his comrades. Xavier doesn’t have the ability to speak as well as Elijah, but he has a much stronger emotional connection with the people he fights with. When looking at Elijah, it undisguised that he doesn’t have a strong emotional connection with any of his comrades and if there is connection at all it is strictly to use them. Elijah’s closest friend in the war other than Xavier was Grey Eyes and he was willing to kill him so he could get away with the crimes he had committed. In conclusion, Xavier puts his comrades and the people he is fighting against in high regard and has a serious respect for them, while Elijah just wants to eliminate every problem that confronts him; he doesn’t care how he does it. The third and final example between the two characters that has a major effect on the story and the key themes of the novel are their personalities. As stated in the opening paragraph, Xavier is reserved and visceral, while Elijah is self-assured and talkative. Xavier was raised by his Aunt Niska for the Majority of his childhood, opposed to how Elijah was raised in Moose Factory by nuns at a residential school. These differences in upbringing play a distinct role in how the two of them make decisions, and how closely they hold onto their aboriginal culture. It is clear that the chemistry of their friendship works in the setting of the Northern Ontario woods, but it fails to follow through when they fight in World War One. An example of a difference between the two characters is seen in the way that Xavier is much more a quiet character, he doesn’t have much to say because his English isn’t very strong. A subtle yet important example of this is seen in the ensuing quotation, â€Å"†So you’re an Indian, then? † he asks. I nod. â€Å"You’re pretty short for an Indian, ain’t ya? The others laugh. † (Page 23) Xavier’s trouble with the English language is highlighted in the excerpt because all he does is nod. This makes life in Europe incredibly awkward for Xavier. This is in blatant contradistinction to Elijah because he thrives in this type of situation. Elijah’s verbose nature can be examined in the following passage, â€Å"He began talking this way to get the others to laugh, but he likes it now. Makes him feel respectable. He told me there’s a magic in it that protects him. (Page 137) Elijah’s ability to speak English fluently and to adapt the way he talks so that he has an English accent makes him much more popular with their comrades. Elijah’s upbringing has an effect on his appeal for European culture because instead of being brought up in the wilderness he is brought up in a residential school by nuns. Giving him a much different outlook on their culture than Xavier. The final example of how Elijah and Xavier differ in terms of personality is seen best in the following passage, â€Å"â€Å"I wish I could fly like that,† Elijah says to me in Cree. I wish I could fly like that, like a bird,† he repeats, staring up like a little boy. â€Å"Maybe a pilot will take me up sometime. † â€Å"Me, I’m happy to stay on the ground on my belly in the dirt,† I answer. â€Å"Thinking about falling from up there makes me sick†Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 164). This passage highlights the difference between their adventurousness. Elijah’s willingness to go up in a plane can be correlated with his courageousness in battle. Xavier’s contentment with being on the ground can be correlated with his timid nature socially and on the battlefield to a certain extent. This quotation proves that Elijah has a much more adventurous personality than Xavier. In cessation, Elijah and Xavier are incredibly different people with personalities that are nearly opposites and this ends up having an extreme effect on the plot and the themes of the story â€Å"Three Day Road†. In conclusion, the two main characters in the novel â€Å"Three Day Road† by Joseph Boyden; Xavier Bird and Elijah Weesageechack, have many significant differences that are illustrated over the course of the novel. As shown with the supporting points above, Xavier is reserved and visceral, while Elijah is self-assured and talkative. Xavier was raised by his Aunt Niska for the majority of his childhood, opposed to how Elijah was raised in Moose Factory by nuns in a residential school. These factors that affect their personalities have major impacts on the three main differences that lie between them. These differences are, firstly their respect for their Oji-Cree culture, secondly their appreciation and love for human life, and lastly how they carry themselves throughout the novel. The differences between them have a positive influence on their relationship when they are in Canada, but in Europe, these differences end up destroying their friendship.