Frankenstein: The Relationship between God and Man

Frankenstein: The Relationship between God and Man In Mary Shelleys novel, Frankenstein, the book examines a variety of aspects of ambition. For instance, with Victor, ambition proves to be his undoing, and, in turn, Victors example becomes a forewarning for Robert Walton; meanwhile, the Creature is, in a sense, Victors child and thus inherits facets of Victors ambitionbut because the Creature is also a conglomerate of all the humans who embody him, he is thereby also symbolic of Mankinds ambitions that do not fully come to realization nor fulfillment, which is why readers can identify with the Creatures tragic elements. Frankenstein explores the repercussion of man and monster chasing ambition blindly. Victor Frankenstein discovered the obscure secret that allowed him to create life. And after Frankenstein discovered the source of human life, he became utterly absorbed in his experimental creation of a human being and it consumed his life completely. Victors boundless ambition and his yearning to succeed in his efforts to create lif e, and to have his creation praise him as his creator for the life he gave it led him to find ruin and anguish at the end of his ambition. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. (P. 42) Walton wanted to sail to the arctic because no other sailor had ever reached it or discovered its secrets. The monster was created against his will; his ambition was to requite his creation as an appalling outcast and to attain some satisfaction for crumbling the world around Victor. These three characters all acted upon the same blind ambition. The novel asks enduring questions about human nature and the relationship between God and man. The monster displays a similar kind of duality, inciting sympathy as well as dread in all who hear his tale. He requisitions our compassion to the extent that we recognize ourselves in his exceeding loneliness and compare our own life with the Creature. Despised by his creator and wholly alone and hated, he learns what he can of human nature as he eavesdroppes on a family of cottage dwellers, and he educates himself by reading three books that had fortunately fallen across his path, among them Paradise Lost. Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? (P. 93), the Creature asks himself after reading them. Even though the Creature commits criminal acts, the fact that he has a self-consciousness and his ability to educate himself as a person raises the question of what it really means to be human, what thoughts and emotions it takes to be considered a human-being. It is difficult to think of th e monster as anything less than just that in his entreaty for understanding from Frankenstein when the creature wishes to speak to him: Believe me, Frankenstein: I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fellow-creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me. (p. 71). When the Creatures unknown, but helpful acts of kindness toward the De Laceys are returned with baseless animosity, we come to wonder whether it is the world that the creature inhabits, as opposed to something intrinsic that caused him to commit enormity. Nonetheless, he clings on to a conscience and a zealous longing for another kind of existence as well as acceptance and love from another, which Victor cruelly denies him. Modern man is an example of the monster, estranged from his creator-who believes his own origins to be meaningless and accidental,non important and full of rage at the conditions of his existence as well as at his creator. Since the monster has no name of his own, hes not quite an autonomous fellow. Instead, he is bound to his creator. He is naught without Victor. He is as much a part of Frankenstein as he is his own self. The monster comes into the world by a pretty horrendous set of circumstances. He has the physique of a giant, yet a puerile mind. He has an amiable nature, yet his physical deformity hides his benevolence and makes everyone fear and abuse him. His own creator even rejected him because of his hideous looks. His feelings are the most deep and poignant of any characters in this novel, as well as the most conflicted. When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, the, a monster, a blot upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned? (P. 105) To make matters more complicated, the monster is correlated to both Adam and Satan in Paradise Lost. This may seem slightly nebulous. The thing to keep in mind is that the idea at the heart of the monster is his duality. He has a very abstruse duality. He is at once man in his immaculate state before the Fall (the Fall = evil), and yet the manifestation of evil itself. This is starting to sound like Victor Frankenstein. Abstruse dualityconflicting characterizationcould it be that the monster mirrors his maker in his duality? Of course, the other reason the monster turns on humans is because Victor was his last tie to humanity. The monster is one of many people in this text that is affected by loneliness, isolation, and an all around desire for companionship. Victor may have scorned him, resented him, and tried repeatedly to eradicate him, but at least he talked to the monster. At least he recognized the monsters existence. And for a creature that spent most of his wretched life in hiding and exile, alone without anyone there for him, this can be pretty good reason to pursue Victor. Good or bad, Victor is the only relation hes ever had and he tries desperately to cling to this relationship. Do we accuse him? Do we spite him? Do we adore him? Hes tenderhearted. He articulates well with others and he even rescues a little girl from a river. He just gets the cruelty and hatred because hes ugly. Can we blame him if he lashes out in abrupt and absurdly violent ways? From that moment he declared everlasting war against the species, and more than all, against Frankenstein who had formed him and sent him forth to this insupportable misery. (P. 99) This sounds like more clashing emotions. Could it be that we, the reader, feel the equivalent duality of emotions that the monster and Victor feel for each other? One more thing, what does it mean that the fmonster is made out of dead-person pieces? If hes made up out of people, then hes essentially a person himself. But if theyre inert, then hes never really extant in the first place. You could also say that, since hes an aggregate of human parts, hes also a conglomerate of human traits. This might show us the nature of his complex duality. Modern man is also Frankenstein, breaking ties and becoming further away from his creatorusurping the powers of God and irresponsibly tinkering with nature, even if they are full of benign purpose, it ends with malignant results. Although Frankenstein as well as the monster begin with good intentions and become murderers in the end, the monster seem way more softhearted than Victor because he is by nature the outsider of society, whereas Frankenstein purposely removes himself from human society. When Frankenstein first becomes enthralled in his endeavours to create life, as he collects materials from a slaughterhouse and disecting room. Frankenstein also breaks his ties with friends and family during his hindering work, and he becomes increasingly confined. His father reproaches him for this; eliciting Frankenstein to think to himself what his single-minded quest for knowledge has cost him, and whether or not it is morally acceptable. After he looks back on his mistakes, he concludes that, contrary to his credence at the time it was not worth it, If no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquility of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved; Caesar would have spared his country; America would have been discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed. (p. 35). Natural world is like Eden and will be corrupted through too much knowledge (science). [ProofBiblical Conception of Knowledge; man evicted from paradise for knowing too much; Prometheus reined in by Gods; novel written in Romantic era which upholds the values that Progress is Dangerous and that there must be a return to Idealized Past]. Through Victor and Walton, Frankenstein represents human beings as deeply ambitious, and yet also deeply erroneous. The labors of men of genius, however erroneously directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of mankind. (P. 29) Both Victor and Walton fantasize of transforming society and bringing prestige to themselves through their scientific conquests. Yet their ambitions also make them ignorant. Blinded by dreams of glory, they fail to consider the repercussions of their actions. So while Victor turns himself into a god, a creator, by bringing his monster to life, this only highlights his fallibility when he is ultima tely inept of fulfilling the obligation that a creator has to its creation. Victor thinks he will be like a god, but ends up the progenitor of a devil. Walton, at least, turns back from his quest to the North Pole before getting himself and his crew annihilated, after hearing Victors tale about the devastating aftermath of pushing the boundaries of exploration. I will not lead you on, unguarded and ardent as I then was, to your destruction and infallible misery. Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow. (P. 33) He learns from Victors tragedy. After Victor dies, he turns the ship back to England, trying not to make the same mistakes that Victor made in the obsessive compulsion that destroyed his life, but he does so with the resentful conclusion that he has been deprived of t he glory he originally sought. Frankenstein is an expostulation of humanity, specifically of the human concept of science, enlightenment, technical progress, and a deeply humanistic effort full of empathy for the human state of our own condition. Victor is a brilliant, sentimental, visionary, and accomplished young man whose studies in natural philosophy (p. 31) and chemistry evolve from A fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature. (p. 22). As the novel develops and the plot thickens, Frankenstein and his monster oppose each other and fight one another for the portrayal of the main protagonist of the story. We are inclined to identify with Frankenstein, who is admired by his immaculate friends and family alike and even by the ship captain Robert, who saves him, berserk by his pursuit for vengeance, from the piece of ice he had been stranded on. He still is a human being, nevertheless. Notwithstanding, regardless of his humanitarian aspiration to Banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnera ble to any but a violent death! (p. 43), Frankenstein becomes tangled in a hostile pursuit that is the single and main cause that lead him to destroy his own well-being and to remove himself from his fellow-creatures as ifguilty of a crime (p. 35). His irresponsibility is the stimulant, the foundation of what causes the death of those around him, his family, his friends and his love and he falls under the ascendancy of his own creation and fails to break free from the chains that bind him. Neither Victor nor Walton could liberate themselves from their blinding ambitions, they made it seem that all men, and notably those who pursue to raise themselves up in renown above the rest of society and even god, are in fact impetuous and imperfect creatures with feeble and defective natures. We can all learn from Victors last words to Walton, Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries. (P. 162)

Psychological Motives for Becoming a Terrorist Essay

Introduction Suicide bombing, a major terror strategy of terrorists is, if not the most, one of the most gruesome acts anybody can commit. It is outright crazy and stupid. One must be beside the normal to be entertaining such a thought in mind. Ironically, fanatics who have committed and attempted suicide bombings in the past, were deemed normal until the day when the execution of their ultimate plans were made public whether foiled or completed. People who are afflicted with mental disorder may, as other people, travel for the same reasons – vacation, visiting friends or relatives, business, recreation, and sometimes for religious or spiritual focus (Miller & Zarcone, 1968). Others indeed may travel for reasons other than the normal – for reasons triggered by malformed mental state such as the men who carried out the 911 attack of the Twin Towers in New York. Along the 911 attack, suicide bombing through aircraft came to prominence resulting in the stirring of the awareness among the international public of the fact that the regular traveler might not be that â€Å"regular† anyway. It is probable that some of them are driven by excessive anger or motivated by utopic hope as taught in the communities wherein they have pledged their life allegiance (Silke, 2003). Just a few months ago, upon the return of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to her home country, 124 were killed and 320 plus got injured as a result of another suicide bombing. The bomber threw grenades among crowds of people and afterwards blasted himself to death (CNN update, Oct.18, 2007). It’s difficult to think of sensible reasons why a sane person (if that person was ever considered sane by his colleagues) has committed such an act in the first place. To spend and expend one’s self for a noble cause is commendable only if they benefit people outside one’s own community. It’s never an ideal to advance a religion’s cause at the expense of the lives of other people. A suicide bomber is demented in that even in the logic of religion, all religions presupposed a benevolent god who is both powerful and loving. There must be distortions somewhere within the suicide bomber’s mind to have associated the act of delivering a bomb and acts of piety. Rationale of the argument ~Understanding mental health The majority of theories and models of human behavior fall into one of two basic categories: internal perspective and external perspective. The internal perspective considers the factors inside the person to understand behavior. People who subscribe to this view understand behavior as psychodynamically oriented. Behavior is explained in terms of the thoughts, feelings, past experiences and needs of the individual. The internal processes of thinking, feeling, perceiving and judging lead people to act in specific ways. This internal perspective implies that people are best understood from the inside and that people’s behavior is best interpreted after understanding their thoughts and feelings (Jourad, 1963). The other category of theories takes an external perspective. This focuses on factors outside the person to understand behavior. External events, consequences of behavior, environmental forces to which a person is subject, are emphasized by this external perspective. A person’s history, value system, feelings and thoughts are not very important in interpreting actions and behavior. Kurt Lewin for instance considered both perspectives in saying that behavior is a function of both the person and the environment (Tiffin,& McCormick, 1958). Man is a social being and as such his personality is viewed from the society and culture where he belongs. A society represents a geographical aggregate and has boundaries, similar government or a group of persons in meaningful interaction and engaged in social relationship. Personality is the individualizing traits of man which constitute his singularity and differentiate him from any other human being. The three determinants of personality: 1] biological heritage which has direct influence on the development of personality. This includes musculature, the nervous system, and the glands; 2] E.Q. factor describes qualities like understanding one’s feelings, empathy for the feelings of others, and the â€Å"regulation of emotion in a way that enhances living (Gibbs, 1995);† 3] environmental factors. Taking everything normal, environment plays an important role in personality development. Environmental factors are cultural environment, social environment, home and family, culture, status and role and social agent. Many of men’s pronounced stirred-up state of mind such as fear, anger, disgust, and contempt, have posed the question, why? What has caused such a reaction? What has brought a change to his/her behavior? What is the frustration that has brought about such behavior? In the world of a suicide bomber, he/she contemplates on various input or stimuli from the world he/she evolves in. There are frustrations of every form and even without these, his/her psyche or mental state functions on the basis of anything he/she receives (actively or passively) from the milieu. Life’s problems are numerous and as long as one is alive and kicking he will always be faced with problems, be they big or small. Such problems stir-up one’s emotions or feelings which maybe pleasant or unpleasant. Physiological problems, environmental problems, personal deficiencies and psychological concerns bring on a variety of responses; some predictable, others are not. Disorganization of family life, disintegration of personality brought about by depression, great personal suffering, any of these may take any person beyond the limits of his tolerance. Man is born in a social environment surrounded by cultural norms and values. He is faced with cultural taboos and acceptable social behavior. Numerous environmental factors come to the fore which may or may not be easily overcome. One of the most difficult problems in this area is one’s cultural dos and don’ts. Environmental frustrations cannot be avoided, for there are always certain factors in a person’s growth and achievement. Psychological or internal problems are the most difficult to resolve as they are within the inner feelings of a person. One may not be able to detect his/her concerns/anxieties through his /her overt behavior. It may only be inferred from what his/her inner thoughts and feelings are but will not know what caused such a feeling. Psychological concerns of various forms represent a more serious threat to the personality of the individual than do environmental pressures. If severe enough, they may create considerable emotional tension with accompanying behavior disorders. Reacting to pressures and other concerns such as frustration varies from person to person because of their personality differences. These reactions maybe defensive, neurotic or psychotic. Most people are sympathetic to people who develop physical ailments, but regard an individual with mental disorder as â€Å"crazy.† At this juncture, does a suicide bomber then be considered a person with a mental disorder or deemed as â€Å"crazy?† definitions of mental health vary considerably. Freud when asked what he thought a normal, healthy person should do well replied â€Å"love and work.† Karl Menninger’s (1956) definition is quite similar to Freud’s. He states: â€Å"Let us define mental health as the adjustment of human beings to the world and each other with a maximum of effectiveness and happiness. Not just efficiency, or just contentment, or the grace of obeying the rules of the game cheerfully. It is all together. It is the ability to maintain an even temper and happy disposition. This, I think,   is a healthy mind.† When we therefore, try to define mental health, we have in mind the adjustment process which an individual brings into force when he is faced with a problem situation. Adjustment is defined as an individual’s manner of reacting or responding adequately to a perceived problem. From the standpoint of mental health, adjustment refers to a happy and socially acceptable response to life’s situations. Mental health therefore, is the ability of the individual to function effectively and happily as a person in one’s expected role in a group and in the society in general. It is a condition of the whole personality and is not merely a condition of the â€Å"mind† as is often supposed. It is an out-growth of one’s total life and is promoted or hindered by day-to-day experience, not only by major crises as some assume (McCllelland et al, 1973). Mental health is the capacity to live harmoniously in a changing environment; to face and solve one’s problems in a realistic manner; to accept the inevitable, and to understand and accept one’s own shortcomings as well as the shortcomings of others. In this sense, people who develop and encourage Jihad or any â€Å"terroristic† ideas and brainwash others to do the same, are seen people who do have unrealistic way of looking at life and their experiences. They are commonly classified as people having delusions of grandeur among others. This term refers to people who experience a bloated sense of importance or missions and oftentimes associated with corresponding persecution complexes (Jourad, 1963). They therefore harbor also a sense of anxiety that some people are out there to cut off their goals and obstruct their missions. Their resolve to deliver their target aims is even stronger the reason for their methodical and systematic way of doing things. Since they cannot accept that they must co-exist with people whose beliefs radically differ from theirs, they accept the notion that annihilation is a solution and dying a martyr’s death to ensure this goal is the ultimate sacrifice. This kind of mindset comes only from a frame of thinking that has been exposed only to a few options; in fact, only very narrow options. That option is the radical Islamic alternative and nothing else. When living in this world, co-existence is not just something that is talked about inside the halls of the academe: co-existence signifies a mindset that is healthy as well and free from disorders. Mental health is a matter of degree. There is no hard and fast line that separates health from illness. It is not a simple matter to divide the population into two distinct groups-those who should be institutionalized and those who should not be. Many of us at one time or another exhibit traits and pattern of behavior which if, accentuated and continuous, would necessitate psychiatric care (Jourad, 1963). Though radical a thought this may seem, and naturally sounds unrealistic, the ideal place is to set monitoring and evaluation of mental hygiene at some point in time. How to do this is going to be a big issue, expectedly. However, terrorism and the likes of suicide bombing can probably be controlled in some ironic way: by referring to them as idiosyncratic, delusional or even possessing mental disorders. Another way of classifying them is through the Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV (DSM) classification system; these people are versions of psychopaths or psychotics; because the symptoms are there and they cannot function normally among any general population. ~Towards developing a Strategy or Intervention Since the argument of this paper stands on looking at the acts of a suicide bomber as acts emanating from someone with mental illness, it follows that approaches to its reduction or elimination be provided or examined as well. There are three ways of looking at developing and establishing a strategy or intervention: the preventive, therapeutic, and the curative Kolb et al, 1974). There are subtleties that engulf these three but it is good to explore these dimensions. The preventive approach is based on the principles that the best way to ensure a well-adjusted individual is to surround him with environmental influences that will enable him to develop his full potentialities, to obtain emotional stability, and achieve personal and social adequacy. The therapeutic aspect is concerned with the attempt to correct minor behavioral adjustments through the various counseling and techniques of psychotherapy, or adjust to the social/or physical environment of the person in order to help him obtain the amount of emotional security and self-confidence necessary. The curative approach is sometimes called â€Å"preventive psychiatry† and is concerned with the detection and correction of serious but curative but behavioral maladjustments. Although this is the work of a trained clinician or psychiatrist, it is helpful for the layman to have at least a fundamental knowledge of the major types of behavioral maladjustments in order that he/she may have a basis in determining behavioral maladjustments that need the attention of competent specialists. It is therefore necessary, on a serious note, that public awareness on the nature of mental illness on a scope such as that of the course taken by the suicide bombers, coupled with detection of signs and symptoms by neighboring homes and those in the community, help diminish the threat. There are of course other paths or strategies to follow, but why not take all that is available to ensure our security (Kolb et al, 1974). References: 1. CNN, Breaking News, October 18, 2007. www.cnn.com 2. Gibbs, Nancy. 1995. â€Å"EQ Factor† Time International, October. 3. Gordon, Harvey, Mike Kingham, Tony Goodwin. Air travel by passengers with mental disorder. Psychiatric Bulletin (2004) 28:295-297. The Royal College of Psychiatrists. 4. Jourad, Sydney, 1963. Personal Adjustment. 2nd Ed. New York: MacMillan Company. 5. Kolb, David & Ralph K. Schwitzgebel. 1974. Changing Human Behavior: Principles of Planned Intervention. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. 6. McCllelland, David C. & R.S. Steele. 1973. Human Motivation: A Book of Readings. Morristown, New Jersey, General Learning Press. 7. Menninger, Karl in Taylor, David, 2003. The concept of mental health in children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Steinkopff. Volume 12, Number 3. Pp.107-113. 8. Miller, W. B. & Zarcone, V. (1968) Psychiatric behaviour disorders at an international airport. Archives of Environmental Health, 17, 360 -365. 9. Silke, A. (2003). The psychology of suicide terrorism. In Terrorists, Victims and Society (ed. A. Silke), pp. 93 -108. Chichester: Wiley. 10. Tiffin, Joseph and Ernest McCormick J. 1958. Industrial psychology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Nursing as a Profession Essay - 1020 Words

Nursing as a Profession Lisa Renfrow Oklahoma Wesleyan University Nursing as a Profession The question of whether the practice of nursing is considered a profession or an occupation is an ongoing debate, much like the ongoing debate over what defines a profession. Several scholars have outlined criteria for considering an occupation to be a profession. Given a list of scholars and their criteria for what characteristics define a profession, I have chosen the list formulated by Lucie Kelly, RN, PhD, FAAN. Although the scholars’ works seem to share similar criteria and any could be selected for comparison, I have chosen Kelly’s criteria based on her background in the nursing profession. In addition to†¦show more content†¦66). The third characteristic of a profession, according to Kelly, is that the service involves intellectual activities and that accountability is an important feature of those activities (Chitty Black, 2011, p. 66). I believe nursing also meets these requirements through the nursing process. In order t o provide care for an individual, a nurse must assess the problem, decide on an approach (or plan of care), and implement that plan. The nurse has to be able to evaluate the outcome of those actions and adjust the plan accordingly. Autonomy is an important part of this individual responsibility. Nurses are held accountable for their individual actions by their employers, patients, and the public. Registered nurses today are required to meet strict educational standards before applying for licensure. Kelly’s fourth criterion requires practitioners to be educated in institutes of higher learning (Chitty Black, 2011, p. 66). Associate or baccalaureate degrees are the most common education levels for registered nurses. Some diploma programs are still being run in hospitals, but their numbers are steadily declining (Chitty Black, 2011, p. 149). Graduate degree programs focused on education, research, and advanced practice provide opportunities for nurses to progress in th eir careers. The fifth characteristic of a profession is the one that I think is most debated. It states that practitioners are relatively independent and regulateShow MoreRelatedThe Profession Of The Nursing Profession1829 Words   |  8 PagesThe Nursing Profession A profession as defined has five distinct characteristics that separate it from a job. Those characteristic include; an extended education, a theoretical body of knowledge leading to defined skills and abilities, provision of a specific service, autonomy in decision making and practice, and a code of ethics for practice. Nursing as a profession demonstrates each of these characteristics on all levels. These characteristics are up held by nursing organizations such as ANARead MoreIs Nursing A Profession?1153 Words   |  5 Pages Is Nursing A Profession? 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The Importance of Preserving History Through Primary Sources - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2440 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/03/26 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Julius Caesar Essay Did you like this example? What does a memory represent? What does it mean to the 7.7 billion individuals that live on Earth today (Current World Population)? John D. Hicks, of Oxford University, once asked his students: What would a man do without a memory? (Hicks). The students were baffled until Hicks gave the example that the man would not know the difference between a door and a window, and would not know what to do next. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Importance of Preserving History Through Primary Sources" essay for you Create order The students seemed to understand the pure chaos that would come into this mans life if he lost all of his memory. He would not remember people, places, things, or processes. He would be completely lost. Hicks then asked, what would a people, a nation, a world do without its memory? (Hicks) and the students erupted in competing voices. They asked how the world could continue to function if all people lost their memory like the first man. John Hicks explained that the functioning would not be possible, and the entire world would plunge into chaos. History is simply a collection of memories that play a vital role in everybodys life. Humans constantly are reminded of our past, and learn from it, in order to build a greater future. Steve Berry, a journalist from the Huffington Post, concludes that History serves as a model not only of who and what we are to be, we learn what to champion and what to avoid. Everyday decision-making around the world is constantly based on what came before us. (Berry). Today, more than 30,000 archives, historical societies, libraries, and museums in the United States hold approximately 4.8 billion historical artifacts (Berry). Imagine what one could learn from all of those memories. Now, visualize what the world would lose if those artifacts disappeared. The lack of funding for preserving history in the United States places a third, more than 1.6 billion, of these artifacts at risk for being lost. The libraries, historical societies, archives, and museums preserve humans heritage. The artifacts repre sent and teach us who and what we are. Many historical records have been lost in fires, floods, or purposeful destruction throughout history. Today, the current records of the world are on the verge of being lost on the basis of simple neglect (Berry). Improper funding, low use, and abandonment cause people of power, private funders, and everyday people to stop believing in the power of history. The largest deposit of knowledge in the ancient world could have easily rotted away as a victim of neglect and indifference, and we would never know. However, centennial celebrations often encourage people to rediscover and remember the history of events others left behind. In 2018, this becomes increasingly relevant as the centennial of World War I approaches. A common history textbook would describe World War I in all of its political fighting and conflicting powers. Before the war, there were five major powers within Europe: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, France, and Britain. Prior to August of 1914, two of these major powers were already tied up in political disagreements. Germany was inflicting serious political pressure on France in a show of power. Russia then intervened in the fighting to relieve the pressure on France. Italy, a smaller power in Europe, remained undecided despite their involvement in the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. The secret agreement did not commit Italy to fight, but the two major powers placed a lot of pressure on the country. Following the first nine months of the war, Italy broke their habit of neutrality by declaring war on Austria-Hungary in 1915. Turning on one of their Allies shocked the world, and Italys decision seemed to be influenced by an offer for land in exchange for partici pation. In response to similar bribes, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece entered the war. These countries were all offered land in exchange for participation in the war for Germany. The major power bombed British warships, killing Americans and initiating Americas involvement in the war. From there, the fighting continued for more than four years between all of these major powers (The Diplomatic Drift). Some would generalize that history is past politics and present politics is future history; however, this is not true as history encompasses much more than just politics, even though textbooks do not leave room for these other aspects (Hicks). Now, because the textbook description of World War I consistently focuses on politics, the only way to understand the full history of the Great War is to analyze first-hand documents. It is also difficult to trust the authenticity of second-hand accounts of the war because of World War II. World War I was labeled as the war to end all wars, and the details were fresh in everyones mind. For the next two decades, people around the world published details of the Great War. However, another global conflict quickly arose which caused the sacrifices of Americans in the first war to be overlooked (Remembering World War I). This is detrimental to history because the small details were not majorly recorded, and more information was forgotten. George Santayana once pointed out, those who forgot their history might be doomed to relive it (Hicks). The small details that do not make it into history textbooks or common recollections, will not be remembered. What other aspects of the war are missin g, and what will humanity lose if we do not remember them? E. L. Godkin, a respected journalist, once said, He who cannot see very far backward cannot see very far forward. (Hicks). This means, if the forgotten small details compile an important aspect of the war, it will be something to remember, but people will not learn from them. An Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Felix Frankfurter, has explained: There is no inevitability in history except as men make it. If we are wise, we shall try to plan our course. (Hicks). This follows the logic of Godkin, and the small details that were not properly recorded or remembered after World War I will not be there to guide the future of humanity. It is understood by Santayana, Godkin, and Frankfurter that losing these small details will impact human history, but what are the small details that textbook histories miss? Julius N. Kirk, a soldier in World War I, is just one of the people who provide the missing inform ation. When the American President, Woodrow Wilson, declared war against Germany, he insisted that the world must be made safe for democracy, and two million doughboys fought for that ideal on the battlefield (Remembering World War I). A soldier from Middletown, Delaware would make a lasting impact on the history of the war. Julius N. Kirk was a Middletown businessman born into a large family. He was born on March 12th, 1893, in Glasgow, DE. As any other man would do, he registered for the draft on June 5th, 1917, and was later called into the force on April 1st, 1918. On a paper resume, his life can be seen as dull and uninteresting. His involvement in the war is summarized by him being wounded in action on October 18, promoted to Sergeant in December, and being discharged in January of 2019. He was trained in marksmanship, bayonet, gas attack and air raid drills, and an incredible amount of marching. Kirk did make the W.W.I. Honor Roll after returning to Delaware, but his achievements wer e sparse. From this resume, it is difficult to see what Julius Kirk provided to the war if anything at all. However, his success is irrelevant because he did not provide America with a win, he provided history (M.O.T.). Julius N. Kirk wrote countless letters back home, as well as keeping his own form of a journal. He reassured his loved ones he was alive and well, but also provided a first-hand account of the horrors of the war. His letters described his day to day activities and the battlefields. He did not explain the political powers fighting each other, similar to history textbooks. One of his most vivid letters was written on October 2nd, 1918. Immediately, he explained why he had not written in eighteen days. It was clear he made writing letters a priority. He and his fellow soldiers were constantly fighting on the battlefield for those two weeks. He described how they captured a lot of materials, railroad outfits, ammunition, mules, horses, and more. In the first few days of fighting, friends of Julius discovered that German soldiers were carrying alcohol on the battlefield. This provides evidence that soldiers were unhappy while fighting and drank to ease their thoughts. The psychological ef fect on the soldiers was serious and evidenced by experienced soldiers carrying booze. Kirk later recorded that he was carrying a pocket knife, a bottle of whiskey, and coffee. Julius likely found the booze on the German soldier while retrieving a pencil he saw the man carrying. His sole writing utensil was one he took of a dead body on the battlefield (AEF Letter). A few months earlier, Julius described an attack he witnesses while traveling with the military on June 2nd. Julius writes the following in his journal: Attack. Two subs destroyed. Note violence of depth bombs scares on ship. Activity of chasers. (War Letters). The next day, he saw warcrafts in the waters. Not only that, he saw a dead boy kept in a lifeboat afloat in the water. He saw countless aviators fly over him constantly, and read in the papers that eleven American warcrafts had been sunk. Julius read this while traveling on an American ship (War Letters). The cognitive influence this had on him, as well on other s oldiers, was severely negative and the complexities of the terrors experienced are only justified by first-hand accounts. In addition to describing violence, Julius recorded the long days and strenuous work of the American soldiers. Before entering the battlefield, Kirk was instructed that his rifle and gas mask would be his best friends. However, in one of his letters, he said he found more use in his pick and shovel (AEF Letter). He had large blisters on his fingers and hands from digging for three nights due to the advancing positions of the enemy. 200-300 shells were also dropping on the American soldiers per minute as they dug holes (AEF Letter). On June 27th, 1918, Julius recorded the following in his journal: Moving at 12:00 without dinner, hiked ten miles, full pack, return at six pm. Tired plus sore feet. return to same billets drilled on the field until ten am, [and] went 12 hours without eat[ing] (War Letters). On the 28th, they arose at 6:25 am and stayed on guard until four. The next day, they woke up at three in the morning and returned from the field at 4:30 pm. On July 2nd, Julius arose at five am, arrived at the field at seven, and returned at four pm. He mentioned it was hot during day at noon, which is one of the last things historians would think about when studying the difficulties of fighting soldiers. On July 3rd, the soldiers arose at 5 am, listened to instructions on trench fighting and grenades, then ate lunch on the battlefield. They spent the afternoon working on extended order drilling combat and ate stew for dinner at 5:30 pm (War Letters). This first-hand account of the horrors and pains of the war provides historians with a large amount of information on the facets of the war that impacted the soldiers forced into drafts. The common textbook history discussed earlier would not have mentioned these events. The images described by Julius N. Kirk could be seen as too horrifying, but it is most likely excluded from history because it is not seen as important by itself. When the journals of several soldiers are analyzed, there are overwhelming accounts of fear, death, and physical labor that showcase the extremities of the war. The five political powers in Europe quickly engaged in fighting and drafted numerous soldiers to place on the battlefield, without accounting for the impacts on the men. The information the Julius preserved in his journal and letters is very valuable to fully remembering the war. Julius Kirk was not a decorated soldier in his time during the war, but he is immensely decorated and important to histor ians today. Currently, the National Archives have been scrambling to preserve and digitalize primary records from the Great War including letters, photographs, and film. As their work progressed, they developed a resource to World War I that is incomparable to others. An app was launched to make photographs and film more accessible to the general public. Specifically, the app was designed for educators and the museum community but anyone interested in exploring the Great War has access (Remembering World War I). The National Archives also partnered with the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. All three institutions provided content for the app. In addition, the WWI Centennial Commission, American Association for State and Local History, and the National WWI Museum and Memorial contributed to remembering World War I through this technology (Remembering WWI from ¦). All in all, the government is projected to spend fifty million dollars on commemorations o f the Great War (Mount). These celebrations and technological resources would not be available if not for men such as Julius N. Kirk and the people who helped to preserve his letters after he returned. Harry Mount, a simple journalist for The Telegraph, reminds us No one [can] argue with the desire obligation, even for modern generations to remember the war, especially not as its centenary approaches. (Mount). Works Cited Berry, Steve. Why Preserving History Matters. The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 June 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-berry/why-preserving-history-matters_b_1446631.html Current World Population. World Population Clock: 7.7 Billion People (2018) Worldometers, www.worldometers.info/world-population/. Hicks, John D. Changing Concepts of History. The Western Historical Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 1, 1971, pp. 2135. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/967675. Julius N. Kirk. An AEF Letter. 2 October 1918. Pages 1-3. Julius N Kirk. War Letters. 30 May 1918 to 4 July 1918. Pages 1 14. M.O.T. Answers the Call, a World War One Exhibition. August 2017 August 2018. Mount, Harry. How Should We Remember the First World War? The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 9 June 2013, www.telegraph.co.uk/history/10109434/How-should-we-remember-the-First-World-War.h Remembering World War I. National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2017/spring/archivist-wwi. Remembering WWI from the US National Archives. Remembering WWI from the US National Archives World War I Centennial, www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news The Diplomatic Drift towards War: 1890-1914. HISTORY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa01.