Essays on Influence

Cultural identity is a dynamic and a complex feeling and sense of belonging to one or more ethnic groups. It defines the way an individual identifies or positions himself or herself in different cultural contexts. In our modern society we are experiencing contact with different cultures like never before. As expressed in “If you are…

German settlers came to North America in the late 17th century, they settled mainly in Pennsylvania. Germans built large, lasting houses of wood and quarry stone. Dutch settlers came, more than a century earlier, to the New World. Their first settlements were in New Amsterdam, now known as New York City and the Hudson Valley…

Zen’s Influence on the Art of the Sword Zen has long had a great influence upon Japanese culture. Many aspectsof this culture are touched upon by Zen including art, literature, and specificceremonies such as the one concerning tea. During the Kamakura period of Japan,another area of culture began to be affected by Zen; the martial…

Congressmen and Their Influences The notion that a Congressman runs for office with unselfish goals and goes to Washington to serve his country and represent his neighbors seems quaint and laughable compared to the way we currently regard members of Congress. Recent views suggest that most people feel that while the institution as a whole…

Alexis de Tocqueville’s InfluenceAlexis de Tocqueville’s observation of the American prison system brought out several interesting facts about America and how it governs itself. He talks of the danger of greed for money, the importance of forming associations, and the power of influence in town government. Although many of his observations have since changed, many…

Society’s Influence on MoralsThe atrocities of the Holocaust have prompted much inquiry byresearchers to understand how humans can behave so cruelly toward their fellowman. Theories have been formed that cite the men of Battalion 101 as exceptions or men with faulty personalities, when, in fact, they wereordinary men. The people who attempted to perform a…

Infant Circumcision: Can they really feel it?As an American living in the twentieth century, I can state with certainty that one of the biggest things we pride ourselves on is our technological superiority and advances in healthcare. That is why I was so shocked to learn that most infants who receive circumcisions in the United…

He stands there, examining a beautiful white column, with perfect curves around it and an exquisite capital that shows detailed architecture. He twists his head to the right just a bit to read the official description. He is in the Louvre museum and a bit surprised. He was expecting to read “Pre-Hellenistic Greek Column,” but…

ZOROASTRIANISM, JUDAISM, ANDCHRISTIANITYZoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity share so many features that it seems that there must be a connection between them. There is a great deal of Zoroastrian influence in both Judaism and Christianity. In 586 BCE, the forces of the Babylonian Empire conquered the Jews, destroying their Temple and carrying off a proportion of…

Athol Fugard’s drama, “Master Harold” . . . And The Boys, waswritten during a time of great conflict in South Africa, where hewas raised. Fugard was torn between his mother, who was”Afrikaaner,” (1291) and his father, who was “of English decent”(1291). These differing influences caused Fugard to use thediscussions between Sam and Hally to demonstrate…