G. W. F. Hegel: The African Character

G. W. F. Hegel's "The African Character" is a short excerpt on the characteristics and behavior of African men. Written in the 1830s, it portrays a very racist depiction of the men living in Africa. Listed below are interesting points made from this short article.

• In order to understand the African man "we must lay aside all thought of reverence and morality–all that we call feeling–if we would rightly comprehend him." Hegel suggests that African men are so barbaric that they have no sense of feeling or morality whatsoever. 
• Hegel seems to turn his article as a way of justifying belief in a Higher Power. He mentions that because Africans believe in "magic" and not a higher being, man is the highest power. Hegel concludes, "From the fact that man is regarded as the Highest, it follows that he has no respect for himself; for only with the consciousness of a Higher Being does he reach a point of view which inspires him with real reverence."
• Finally, Hegel uses this article to almost justify slavery. While he mentions that slavery is "in and for itself injustice, for the essence of humanity is Freedom" he says that slavery is necessary because a man must be matured before he can understand the essence of humanity. He explains, "the gradual abolition of slavery is therefore wiser and more equitable than its sudden removal."

It is hard to judge whether Hegel's portrayal of African men is accurate at all. It is difficult to determine whether there was some fact mixed in with biased and racist judgement, or whether his biases tainted real information all together. In any light, this excerpt from The Philosophy of History gives light to how Europeans viewed Africans in the mid-19th century.

I chose the word "sin" for my paper. I chose this word because sin is a word I grew up hearing about. I've learned that sin is bad, but I feel like the definition has altered a lot in the culture. Sin is also a word that depends on a person. What one person views as sinful, another could view as completely justified. As times change, morals change. Cultures begin shifting on the point of view of what is really sinful and what is not. In some cities, like Las Vegas ("sin city"), sin is almost fun. To some people, sin means indulging in guilty pleasures. Others believe sin is something in faith. It is morally wrong choices that can affect whether a person goes to heaven or hell. I believe, however, that there is a definitive sin. I do not believe that sin affects if a person goes to heaven or hell. Being a Christian, I believe that it is through Christ that people go to heaven, not through sin. Sin is still an interesting word to research because its meaning changes with every person and through each generation.

Code of Chivalry

In medieval times, knights were expect to have combat skills and strength, but along with this, they were expected to hold to a special code of principles. It was the honor code of the knight. Chivalry originally referred to an aristocratic warrior code involving individual training and service to others. Over time it has come to refer to the knightly traditions of bravery and honor. The code was first documented in a song called "The song of Roland." It said:

• To fear God and maintain His Church
• To serve the liege lord in valour and faith
• To protect the weak and defenceless
• To give succour to widows and orphans
• To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
• To live by honour and for glory
• To despise pecuniary reward
• To fight for the welfare of all
• To obey those placed in authority
• To guard the honour of fellow knights
• To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit
• To keep faith
• At all times to speak the truth
• To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
• To respect the honour of women
• Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
• Never to turn the back upon a foe
  
  

Wealtheow's Internal Monologue

I must remain strong. I must not show fear. For the sake of this peace, I cannot break. I can’t believe it was almost a month ago that my brother gave me over to this old man. I guess he could be worse. He’s good to me. But do I love him? He told me he loved me. I had to respond back, didn’t I? But do I really love him now? Sure. But he could almost be my father.  He might even be older than my father. I keep thinking about how my brother said that I would go to love him. I hope I will. I don’t want to feel like this marriage is only for politics for the rest of my life. I mean, I know the reasons behind this marriage is political, but I want it to blossom into something more. I want to love him. 

Maybe I can’t love him completely right now because I’m so scared? I’m scared for my people. I hope that we do not go to war against them. But I should be scared for them most. I feel so selfish for being scared of the monster that attacks the Meadhall. I should be willing to give my life at any moment to save someone, but I can’t help but worry for my own dear life. Am I selfish? I know that I should be wanting to give up my life to save another, but I don’t want to die. Oh no, I can feel a tear coming down my face. I can’t show sorrow. I can’t show weakness. 

I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. I have a good life. I am with a man who is good to me. I’ve known my entire life that I would be married off for a truce, so why do I feel so depressed now? I can’t help but wonder what life would be like if I could marry any man I wanted to. But then again, maybe that would have been harder. I would have had to let my feelings known to another man. I can’t do that. Once they see pain, they will see weakness, and they will not view you as a leader. I must lead by example. I will hold my head up high. I will be a role model to young children. I will not show fear. I will not show sorrow. I will not show powerlessness. I am strong and I will be seen as strong.

Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great was born in 849 AD in the village of Wanating in Oxfordshire. He was the youngest son of king Æthelred. In 871 AD, he defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown. The next year he took his brother's place at the throne as king. In 878 AD, Alfred the Great successfully defended his kingdom against an invasion by the Danes once again as he defeated them in the Battle of Edington. (www.bbc.co.uk). By managing to protect his kingdom, Alfred perhaps saved the existence of English.  After the attacks, he built up his kingdom so that it would not be threatened by the danes again. He advocated order and established a new code of laws. He believed much in the importance of education, so he arranged that books be translated from Latin into Anglo-Saxon. Alfred died in 899 AD and was buried in Winchester. Alfred the Great became a legend to the English people. Because of his great reign as king and his victory over the Danes, he is the only English monarch to be accorded the epithet "the Great" (wikipedia.com). 

Works Cited

"Alfred the Great." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. 

"Alfred the Great." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Sept. 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 

Barbara Johnson: Three Key Ideas about Frankenstein

1. Motherhood: impossibility of finding an adequate model for what a parent should be

2. Woman Writer and Feminism: hidden femininity within a book of men

3. Autobiography: A tale of 3 autobiographies (Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, nameless Monster) and how events from Mary Shelley's life story are subtly used.

The information I learned from this critical analysis really opened my eyes to the reasons behind the book. Learning the back story of how Mary had mixed feelings about child birth helped me relate to the story about why Frankenstein was disgusted with his creation as it relates to a representation of maternal rejection. The analysis also helped me connect the death of Mary's mother when she was an infant with the fact that none of the the characters had mothers. This critical analysis gave me a new understanding of the novel.

The Mind of Frankenstein: Creating the Monster

In this passage, Mary Shelley really shows the complex attitude Victor Frankenstein had towards his work at this early stage. She shows through his narration that Frankenstein was obsessed with his work as it made him feel powerful in that he was the only person in the world with the key to creating life. Frankenstein saw himself as more than a creator or a father, but he was a god. He wanted to be worshipped by his creation because it was he who would give life to this being. He sought praise and felt like he deserved because he was making life out of nothing. Subconsciously, Frankenstein knew that he was doing something dangerous and reckless as he refers to his hands as “profane fingers.” He also describes the horrors of his secret toils. Frankenstein knew that he was being crazy, nevertheless, he carried on with his task. He shows how crazy he really was as he describes how he would go to graves to find bones and body parts for his creation. What he was doing was horribly and morally wrong. Frankenstein subconsciously realized this, yet he was too blinded by power and thirst for knowledge to stop what he was doing. He describes his state of mind as he was in a passing trance. No longer relying on his thoughts but going through an unhealthy routine with little to no rest. He mentions how this obsession took control of his life as that he put his health behind his other tasks and grew pale with study. The desire and passion for knowledge can be a good thing, but Frankenstein showed how it can be taken to the extreme and quite possibly destroy someone’s life. This all-consuming passion caused him, as he describes, “to lose all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.” This is a fascinating passage because it dives into what was going through Frankenstein’s mind as he continued to work on his creation.