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Essay on reward and punishment
Reward and punishment theory
Essay on reward and punishment
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Consequences come from choices individuals make, such as waking up in the morning at a specific time in order to avoid traffic. However, even if the decisions are not made by the individual, they still have to suffer the consequences of those decisions made by others. Take, for instance, the choice that someone makes to drink and drive while under the influence. If that person kills someone, then his decision impacts the lives of everyone involved and not just himself. A theme in Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger, is that people must accept the consequences of their actions because it influences the direction they go in life. This theme is developed through the character of Jeremiah, the conflict between Davy and the law, and the symbolism in the title of the novel. The character of Jeremiah reflects how choices influence a person’s future. In the novel, Jeremiah Land was swept up by a tornado, but miraculously he survived. He thought that surviving was a signal from God, and as a result, he felt that he needed to follow God’s will (Enger, pg. 52). However, Jeremiah needed to decide whether to continue his career in the medicine field, or to sacrifice what he had achieved in his career to devote the following years of his life to God. His faith in God was so strong, that he chose to give up his career. This is acknowledged by his son Reuben, when he states, “Dad surrender his studies and a prosperous future” (Enger p. 56). According to his son, if Jeremiah had continued with his career, he would have been economically successful. His decision to give up his career led to the dissolution of his marriage. Enger shows the reader that all decisions come with a sacrifice, and that it is ultimately up to the person to make his... ... middle of paper ... ... because the choices made by Reuben were the correct ones. Also the image of people flowing is a description of heaven where the joyous souls flow like streams of a river. Enger states that if wise choices are made, the individual will be in peace with himself. Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger, carries its theme that people must accept the consequences of their actions throughout the whole story. This theme is developed through the character of Jeremiah, the conflict between Davy and the law, and the symbolism in the title of the novel. By giving this message, the author is able to show that it is important to take responsibility for the choices made because they will define the individual’s future and if wise decisions are made, then a peaceful life will ensue. Works Cited Enger, Leif. Peace Like a River. New York: Grove Press, 2001. Print.
The battle of good versus evil is present in all aspects of life. Actions taken by people can determine how others view them. Some choose to do what is right and good, while others choose what is wrong and evil. Many characters are forced to choose between the two, and some do not foresee the consequences of their actions. In the book Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, actions committed by the Davy, Jeremiah, and Jeremiah’s friends, both good and evil, always have consequences.
Faith is belief in what you cannot see and is a common theme shown throughout this book. The Lands family go through many different personal trials throughout their lives. Reuben had much faith in his own father, while Jeremiah never wavered in his faith with God because he always trusted in Him. But, Davy, his son, only believed in himself because he continued to run away from his issues because he believed that he could deal with them on his own. In the book, Peace Like a River, Reuben, Jeremiah, and Davy apply their faith to different people.
In the poem pride, Dahlia Ravikovitch uses many poetic devices. She uses an analogy for the poem as a whole, and a few metaphors inside it, such as, “the rock has an open wound.” Ravikovitch also uses personification multiple times, for example: “Years pass over them as they wait.” and, “the seaweed whips around, the sea bursts forth and rolls back--” Ravikovitch also uses inclusive language such as when she says: “I’m telling you,” and “I told you.” She uses these phrases to make the reader feel apart of the poem, and to draw the reader in. She also uses repetition, for example, repetition of the word years.
A strong sense of self, in the words of William Shakespeare, is “To know what we are, but not what we might be.” In the book, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the main character, Gene, ¬¬struggled with having a strong sense of self. His lack of identity negatively affected his life. The major consequence of his absent sense of self was his burning envy and hatred toward his extremely athletically gifted friend Finny. Gene’s lack of identity and hatred toward Finny led him to shake a limb if a tree that Finny was climbing. Finny fell and broke his leg. He later died when the bone marrow escaped into his blood. Gene’s behavior caused Finny’s death but there is reason to believe that Finny would have died anyway. For example, Finny could have been killed in the army, Finny’s lack of caution caused him to break his leg again, and the branch would have broken since it was already weak causing Finny to fall and die.
When reflecting and writing on Eiseley’s essay and the “magical element”, I balk. I think to myself, “What magic?”, and then put pen to page. I dubiously choose a kiddie pool to draw inspiration from, and unexpectedly, inspiration flows into me. As I sit here in this little 10x30 foot backyard, the sky is filled with the flowing gaseous form of water, dark patches of moist earth speckle the yard, the plants soak up their scattered watering, and the leaves of bushes and trees imbue the space with a sense of dampness from their foliage. As my senses tune into the moisture that surrounds me, I fill Braedon’s artificial pond with water. I stare at the shimmering surface, contemplating Eiseley’s narrative, and the little bit of life’s wellspring caught in Brae’s pool. I see why Eiseley thought the most abundant compound on the earth’s surface is mystical.
M.L Stedman’s novel The Light Between Oceans challenges readers to recognise ideas about how the environment shapes and readjusts the identity of the main protagonist, Tom. It follows the tragic story of lighthouse keeper Tom Sherbourne and his wife Isabel who, after discovering a baby in a shipwrecked boat, must face the terrible consequences of their decision to raise the child as their own. Stedman traces the journey of his characters through the microcosmic setting of life on Janus Rock as well as the macrocosmic setting of Australia in the wake of World War One. The incandescence of Janus Light, the oil lamps, electric lamps, the candles and the darkness they stave off, all serve to illuminate the characters and their changing era. Through use of characterisation, figurative language such as metaphors, and setting, the author is able to structure the book as resting on a series of triangles, with different characters becoming the fulcrum at different times. This unity of environment intertwined with characters lives offers representations of shifting attitudes and values of the main protagonist before the resolution of the novel.
Conflicts are the backbone of any novel, without conflict stories would not be nearly as interesting! Conflicts can be caused by many things, in this novel the main problem is racism. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines is a novel based off of many internal conflicts between the characters, causing the characters to make different decisions and actions; this is important because the story is circled around racism causing many conflicts.
As people evolve from children to young adults and finally to maturity, they find that they are constantly faced with difficult decisions. Learning to make the right choice in a difficult situation is one of the hardest lessons to learn. Many people make choices without considering what the results may be. They only look to the future for knowledge instead of considering the knowledge already discovered in the past. In Linda Pastan's "Ethics," the author has painted a picture of the difficulty people have when they refuse to realize that the most difficult choices to make are also the most important. Through Pastan's use of character, symbolism, and descriptive language, the theme of this poem is presented for thought. While choices are made every day without much thought, Pastan has made clear that choices made without the benefit of wisdom are almost always regretted.
Throughout the hundreds of years, individuals have pondered the impact of heavenly or insidious force, environment, hereditary qualities, even excitement, as deciding how free any individual is in settling on good decisions. Fate, a result of the past, is often described as the advancement of occasions out of man 's control, dictated by an extraordinary force. In any case that someone may utilize their freewill can reflect upon their outcomes, decided upon a supreme force, whether they are positive or negative. In the novels “A Lesson Before Dying,” Ernest Gaines and “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck, the authors explore the trials and tribulations of self influenced fate controlled by an higher force.
To give an illustration of what is meant in the book, Soar, Jeremiah is characterized as bold, showing his ability to take risks; confident and courageous. For example, Jeremiah is a heart transplant patient, and although his surgery went well, there are still things he cannot do. Dealing with his weak heart, it has given him a strong hearted spirit and to be positive about things than being negative. “Those people had strong hearts and vision. My heart's not strong, but my vision makes up for it” (27).
In the novel “Hunger” by Knut Hamsun, the novel’s narrator is unfortunate enough to go through delusions and pains that are caused by what many people cannot experience in the modern days; state of being hungry. As the novel progresses narrator becomes more intoxicated into state of delusion as the hunger deepens. In many scenes of the novel, narrator relates to God many times. Narrator blames, thanks, and even to talk one-sided dialogues with his imaginary God. While many can think that God doesn’t take key parts in novel and let it slip as just another symptom of narrator’s delusion, the scenes with God being a part reveals that God plays both scapegoat and a person of gratitude for narrator’s outcome for every action he takes. From the passages it can be deducted that both narrator and Hamsun have attitude that God is ominous and act as catalyst in everyday life.
Enmity towards one another often results in brutality and, conclusively, homicide. This issue is depicted several times in literature and in real life. The brutality in fiction and reality demonstrates that violence and bloodshed never culminate into virtuous outcomes. This recurring theme is prominent within the works of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, and To Kill a Mockingbird; it is even prevalent in real life circumstances, under the recent Charlottesville flash mob. These situations, fictitious or not, all contain violent acts that do not end in morally good results.
Those who start a new life begin with nothing. In John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, a family leaves everything behind to start fresh in California. The family encounters the hardships, conflicts, and sacrifices that come with starting over. One of the most prominent issues the family must face is confronting their past sins. Steinbeck illustrates that before starting a new life, one must first atone for past sins, and in doing so, Steinbeck draws parallels with biblical concepts of absolution and punishment for individual sin.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. One can assume that this is universal knowledge, but in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, we learn of the consequences from ignoring this moral law.The novel tells the story of a boy named Amir throughout his journey of life. Amir commits the ultimate betrayal when he witnesses his best friend, Hassan, getting raped and does nothing. Amir makes it even worse when he frames Hassan for stealing, forcing Hassan and Hassan’s father, Ali, to leave their home. These actions create a very traumatic past for Amir, that haunts him in a life of guilt and redemption. Amir’s choices and thoughts throughout each stage of his life reveals a pattern of themes.These themes are betrayal,
During the long path to reach their dreams, people can experience different situations when they need to decide if they want to be just or unjust. A person who is loaded with morals, values, and ethics can take into consideration not to build his success into other people’s interests, but another who doesn’t care can do