Book Review of King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild
What some have considered to be the first international scandal of
the modern era took place in the Congo from 1890 until 1910. King Leopold
II of Belgium was at the head of this so-called scandal. Although Europe
and the rest of the world seemed to have forgotten the victims of these
crimes, there is a considerable amount of material to use when attempting to
recreate the horror that took place in Leopold's Congo. This is exactly
what Adam Hochschild is attempting to do by writing this book. By using the
written words of mostly Europeans and Americans, which creates a distorted
view of history, he wants to show that the Holocaust type event that took
place in the Congo is something that should never be forgotten in our
history. Hochschild also wants to show the heroism that took place
afterwards in what became the first human rights movement of our time.
Hochschild does an excellent and detailed job of showing how clever
and cunning (like a fox) Leopold was in obtaining and maintaining his hold
in the Congo. Early on Leopold became obsessed with the idea of colonies
and the profit that they could bring to his country. In the beginning he
did not attempt to cover-up this ambition, but soon realized he needed to in
order to have the approval of those countries around him. The metaphor
Hochschild uses to explain Leopold's venture into the Cong...
Adam Hochschild's "King Leopold's Ghost" is a lost historical account starting in the late 19th century continuing into the 20th century of the enslavement of an entire country. The book tells the story of King Leopold and his selfish attempt to essentially make Belgium bigger starting with the Congo. This was all done under an elaborate "philanthropic" public relations curtain deceiving many countries along with the United States (the first to sign on in Leopold's claim of the Congo). There were many characters in the book ones that aided in the enslavement of the Congo and others that help bring light to the situation but the most important ones I thought were: King Leopold, a cold calculating, selfish leader, as a child he was crazy about geography and as an adult wasn't satisfied with his small kingdom of Belgium setting his sites on the Congo to expand. Hochschild compares Leopold to a director in a play he even says how brilliant he is in orchestrating the capture of the Congo. Another important character is King Leopold's, as Hochschild puts it, "Stagehand" Henry Morton Stanley. He was a surprisingly cruel person killing many natives of the Congo in his sophomore voyage through the interior of Africa (The first was to find Livingston). Leopold used Stanley to discuss treaties with African leaders granting Leopold control over the Congo. Some of the natives he talked to weren't even in the position to sign the treaties or they didn't know what they were signing.
Ghosts, both figurative and literal, are very common in the Joy Luck Club and are a recurring theme in the book. The mothers of The Joy Luck Club were all raised in traditional Chinese households, which has influenced them to have deeper feelings about ghosts. Mentally, the term ghost is used to describe people who have become a shell of their former selves and rarely speak or do anything. Physically, ghost is used to describe the spirit of the dead. This is the basis of the mothers and others to be scared of the thought of becoming a ghost figuratively and literally. Christianity is the basis of physical fear of ghosts and traditional Chinese beliefs cause the mental fear of ghosts, this stimulates the thought of the afterlife to be
She makes the reader able to identify with her by pointing out that she “went to the zoo all the time with [her] family” and that she “loved pandas” (Carr); the reader may identify with her, as the reader is likely to have visited the zoo as a child or likely to have a love for animals. She initially was so ecstatic about seeing the animals so closely, but then she realized, even at that age, that the “animals were miserable” (Carr). By telling the reader her memory, Carr persuades the reader into agreeing that “zoos are sad” and animals “don’t want to be kept in artificial environments” (Carr). Carr also states that she no longer goes to the zoo and urges her family and friends to not go, as well. She then adds that she has a love for animals and wishes to see animals free, no longer in captivity. By doing this, Carr appeals to the emotions of the reader by again, involving family and reinforcing her love for animals. The reader is then likely to identify with her, and to urge his or her family member and friends to not go to the zoo, and wanting to see animals be free too. Therefore, by Carr using the persuasive method of pathos, she may have persuaded the
Napoleon was a military general that participated in multiple war victories. His interests included history, law, and mathematics. His strengths as a leader benefitted in planning financial, legal, and military plans. His aspiring attitude made him believe he was destined to be the savior of France (Coffin & Stacey, 494). He favored a republic over a constitutional monarchy. When Napoleon came to power, he immediately consolidated personal power by overthrowing the five-man Directory and created a Republic. Napoleon used his status and power during the Revolution to bring out and surface Revolution ideals and help his people. Napoleon’s role in European history was the savior of the French Revolution due to the fact he accomplished most objectives that the people hoped for. Goals of the French Revolution included overthrowing the old regime of an absolute monarch, write a basic and worthy constitution, and give more rights to the third estate and limit the first and second estates power in the Estates-General.
Boom! A single canon shot rang out, breaking the early idyllic silence. Residents of the small town of Falls Church, Virginia and surrounding areas could hear the battles from their own homes. They were only miles away from many key battle sites, such as Fairfax Court House and The Battle of Vienna, both Confederate victories during June 1861. Located in the infamous region of Mosby’s Triangle, the area was full of marching troops from Col. John S. Mosby’s army.
During the 17th century, slavery was a widely used commodity with the Europeans, little do people know however that African kings also had and accepted slavery in their own nations. King Nzinga Mbemba of Congo and the King of Ouidah had similarities on the issue of slavery; they tolerated the use of slaves. Congo’s king had no contingency with slavery; in fact, he had slaves in his country. When the Portuguese were purchasing goods in Congo, the king had men “investigate if the mentioned goods are captives or free men” (NZ, 622). The fact that the king differentiates the men between ‘free’ and ‘captives’ illustrates that not all people in Congo are free. Whether these captives are from the country of Congo or not, they are still caught and held all across the nation against their will. King Mbemba kept slaves because the population of Congo was vastly declining due to the slave trade. In his letter, he pleads with the king of Portug...
“Domestic violence is an emotional, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse perpetrated against a person by a person's spouse, former spouse, partner, former partner or by the other parent of a minor child” (McCue 2). While it is these things, the violence is also considered a pattern of demeanor used to establish power and control over another person with whom an intimate relationship is or has been shared through fear and intimidation (“Domestic Violence Sourcebook” 9). It has many names, including spouse abuse, domestic abuse, domestic assault, battering, partner abuse, marital strife, marital dispute, wife-beating, marital discord, woman abuse, dysfunctional relationship, intimate fighting, mate beating, and so on (2). Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Accommodations, believes that domestic violence is “terrorism in the home” (2). This type of abuse involves threats, harm, injury, harassment, control, terrorism, or damage to living beings/property (2). It isn't only in relationships with spouses, it also occurs within family, elderly, and children (9).
Certain individuals approved of Napoleon's reign as the saviour of France. He finished and completed the Revolution by fulfilling the ideals the people of France demanded. A person such as one belonging to the bourgeoisie, or even a peasant would be very satisfied with the way Napoleon ruled over the country. He gave them equality, freedom, justice, and many rights. Such things never existed during the reign of the monarchs before Napoleon stepped in. A banker too would be very affirmative on how Napoleon had truly helped France in its economic problems. He made the franc the most stable currency in Europe, and the banker had witnessed that, as probably one of the bankers of the Bank of France. Another type of individual that agrees that Napoleon isn't the destroyer of the ideals of the Revolution would be his soldiers and generals. He had fought alongside with his men in many battles. Through inspiration, he gained their loyalty, to "follow him to the stars" if he asked them to. Such inspiration would never be gained if he never respected them, if he never treated them fairly. And then, the "Legion of Honour", which awarded to some certain citizens for their civil and military achievements.
Poverty has been a growing problem in America, and it most likely will never stop being one. Someone who is identified as being in poverty lives beneath the poverty line determined by the Federal government. The poverty line in 2015 for a family of four was $24,250. These are the people who are really considered poor. Poverty isn’t just a problem in the United States; in fact, other countries struggle just as much, if not more, than the United States does. Many people struggle to keep themselves above the government’s poverty line, shown by the fact that the percent of poor people in America hasn’t drastically changed over the years. However, it is possible to get out of, and ultimately stay out of, poverty.
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior by one partner towards another in order to gain and maintain power and control in the relationship. Often times it occurs between adults but it can also occur in teen relationships, familial relationships, etc. Domestic violence is not only limited to physical, emotional, or...
Domestic violence can be described as a pattern of behaviors that include physical, verbal, sexual, and/or psychological attacks and economic abuse that the abuser uses against their intimate partner. Even in the 21st century, many women do not understand the nature of domestic violence nor do they know how to break the cycle of violence and end an abusive relationship. Domestic violence usually does not only happen once, it is more of a multiple time event and does not only consist of physical aggression. It is the use of threats, intimidation, manipulation, and physical violence by someone who seeks power and control over their intimate partner. Females are usually the victims in domestic violence. According to Child Welfare Information
People do not fully understand domestic abuse as much as they should. It is not simple and the different forms of it needs to be explained more often. “Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse” (“What is Domestic Violence?”). These types of violence can range from mild to severe. Mild abuse includes pushing, grabbing, shoving, or slapping a woman. Severe abuse includes kicking, choking, beating or using a weapon on women.
The Elizabethans thought that ghosts were real and that they existed. They thought that ghosts were known to walk around the streets at midnight. Either the ghosts would not speak to anyone unless they had been challenged, or then only to those who they had a message to deliver to. They also believed that crossroads, where back in Elizabethan times, criminals and suicidals were commonly buried, were the most haunted spots. In green and marshy areas, if a traveller was hanging around there, he would be sent to his doom. A large number of roads were frequently walked along by horses without heads or deadly packs of demon hounds.
We as future health care providers need to learn and adequate all the new technology and utilized these tools to assist us in providing evidence based care to our patients. We need to learn to manage our patients with the tools and not letting the tools to overtaken our ability to care for the patients. It can be very challenging to not be occupied and distracted by the technology that surrounds us whiling providing care to our patients. however, if we can utilize these tools sufficiently and adequately, we can make a great difference in people’s lives and have great patient’s
As Marlow passes through the waters of the Congo, it is easily visible the trouble of the natives. “Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth half coming out, half effaced with the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair.” (20) Show that the holding of these colonies has started. The soldiers have come in and taken the inhabitants and are destroying them and taking from them the one thing they deserve over everything, life. The imperialists seem to not care about the Africans and are just there for their land.