CompareContrast Nathaniel Hawthorne's heroines in The BirthMark and Essay

CompareContrast Nathaniel Hawthorne's heroines in The BirthMark and Rappaccini's Daughter - Essay Example This has led to a few of them being described as "dark heroines" (Bell, 20); Beatrice Rappaccini, the bewitching daughter of the brilliant, but sinister scientist Rappaccini and to a lesser extent, Georgiana Aylmer, the beautiful young wife of the obsessed scientist Aylmer, are examples of poignant, yet powerful 'dark heroines'. This short essay shall compare and contrast the heroines of two of Hawthorne's short stories, 'The Birth-Mark' and 'Rappaccini's Daughter' respectively. This essay shall cite appropriately from them and other secondary sources to show that, while both the heroines testify to their purity of character by their ultimate sacrifices, Hawthorne's portrayal of Beatrice Rappaccini more than Georgiana Aylmer, aptly suits a 'dark heroine'. Both 'The Birth-Mark' and 'Rappaccini's Daughter' of Hawthorne warn the society regarding the excessive pursuit of science and technology without morality. The stories end as tragedies with the heroines falling victims to the evil obsessions of the dominant men around them. In 'The Birth-Mark' Hawthorne depicts his heroine Georgiana as a powerful image of beauty, that she is praised by her husband Aylmer as one who "came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature" (The Birth-Mark 1021). She is young and beautiful, but for one "visible mark of earthly imperfection" (The Birth-Mark 1021) on her cheek. ... er husband in particular, and the male world in general perceived as negative - "Masculine observers contented themselves with wishing it away, that the world might possess one living specimen of ideal loveliness without the semblance of a flaw" (The Birth-Mark 1022). Indeed this becomes the focal point of the story itself, and ultimately causes her death. Hawthorne introduces the element of evilness in the form of Aylmer, young Georgiana's science-loving husband; what was trivial matter to him before marriage, appears "more and more intolerable with every moment" to him after marriage, and he is obsessed with removing it, so as to make her perfect. "I am convinced of the perfect practicability of its removal" he retorts to her innermost fears of it being fatal. Here again Hawthorne introduces the element of fantasy in the form of Georgiana's dream, of approaching doom. He scorns, scoffs, chides, coaxes and cajoles her (The Birth-Mark, pp. 1027-8) to have trust in his science, and even tries to hide the fact that it may be "dangerous" (The Birth-Mark, p.1030). Though Hawthorne's heroine is aware that the experiment may not be to her advantage, she is sweet and pure in character, loves her husband so much that she is unable to see him pained over the blemish in her cheek. She would rather give her life than allow it to stand between their happiness, and begs him "Remove it, remove it, whatever be the cost, or we shall both go mad!" (The Birth-Mark 1030) That her love is pure and untainted is explicitly brought out by Hawthorne through her quiet words "There needed no proof; Give me the goblet I joyfully stake all upon your word" (The Birth-Mark, 1031). She remains true in her love for her husband, till her dying moment, though she allows him to realize his folly of

Compare and Contrast Augustine(Political Writing) and Aquinas (The Essay

Compare and Contrast Augustine(Political Writing) and Aquinas (The Political Ideas Of ST. Thomas Aquinas) - Essay Example While some thinkers have argued for theological positions such as Christian communism, others propose that Christians should have limited participation in politics. Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas’ works attempt to provide a harmonious relationship between politics and Christianity. Augustine and Aquinas thoughts on politics are similar in terms of their theological positions, and differ in terms of Augustine’s theological outlook and Aquinas’s rational position on matters. Augustine, as a classical theologian, had notable works that he produced on politics. This occurred in spite of his firm grounding on religion. Augustine’s work had remained as classical in defining religion’s relationship with the society. Augustine discusses dual citizenship in terms of heaven and earth. He recognizes that human beings are bound to the functioning of the earthly state and the heavenly kingdom. Augustine allegorically refers to cities, the earthly city and th e city of God. The earthly city belongs to the class of individuals who are damned. According to Augustine, such individuals do not possess God’s blessings (Saint Augustine 5). On the other hand, the people in the City of God have God’s blessings. The City of God surpasses earthly institutions such as the state. On the other hand, Thomas Aquinas is a theologian who embarked on a study of the church within an intellectual frame. This explains why the papacy recommended Aquinas’s texts as preliminary in attaining ordainments. This suggests that these two scholars shared a similarity in articulating an objective view of the church. In turn, they had designed a philosophical outlook on spiritual matters. It is essential to highlight that Augustine and Aquinas shared similar convictions about wars. The scholars agree that war can be a just affair as long as it builds on certain premises. According to Aquinas, war is necessary as a means of defense. In addition, war i s vital in the event of ensuring long-term peace. Aquinas laid out Augustine’s principles in justifying given wars. To begin with, there has to be considerable possibilities of winning a given war. In addition, a strong central authority should be responsible for waging such a war. The third premise stated that peace was to be the central motive in pursuing a war. Similarly, Augustine had proposed pacifism as a Christian way of living. This means that Christians should oppose war and violence as a means of initiating conflict resolution. Augustine, however, asserted that peacefulness in the case of a serious wrong, which only violence could stop, is a sin Saint (Augustine 29). Augustine states that defense of the self and others could be necessary in the case of an attack. A legitimate authority, however, has to approve such a defense. In as much as Augustine did not explicitly state the components of a just war, he, in an indirect sense, coined the term in The City of God wo rk. In this sense, it was sometimes necessary to have a war that helped preserve peace in the long-term. All the same, Augustine insisted that war should not be preemptive. This is a functional outlook on war that Aquinas uses to lay out the components of a just war. Both Aquinas and Augustine believe that the state is instrumental in safeguarding a common interest. Augustine discusses this concept in the scope of a political community. Aquinas discusses the state’s purpose in terms of justice. According to Augustine, both the state and the