Essay on "Human Nature in Literature and History"
Essay 3 pages (1168 words) Sources: 3
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Human Nature in Literature and HistoryWhat is history and why is it important? History is the continuum of events occurring in succession leading from the past to the present and even into the future (Wordsearch 2010). History is important because it is what shapes both humanity and the events and trends that surround culture and civilization. It gives people an understanding of why things are and why people behave the way they do. It also helps to understand how and why people perceive others. History is in us and around us. Parents teach their children about their family history so it helps them understand who they are -- the very nature of humanity. The idea of personal history has even become part of popular culture. Instead, history is a combination of trends, facts, figures, people, dialog, and brush strokes that are continually interpreted. History helps us understand who we are, where we have been, and where, we might go -- strategically or tactically. George Santayana, a 19th/20th century philosopher and novelist, in his book The Life of Reason wrote about progress, about common sense, and about the manner in which humans can enjoy a self-actualized life. In this book he separates humans from beasts by their capacity to understand and embrace change, famously quoted as "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (McCormick 2003, 144). Within the broad range of history, though, and as we take on the responsibility of becoming global citizens, we must ask ourselves why historical interpretations of human nature seem to vary over time and place.
One would think that defining human nature -- what it is to be human, would be relatively easy. It is, ho
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This Promethean archetype is alive and well in Albert Camus' The Guest. For Camus, decisions and choices have consequences and the ultimate consequence, of course, is death. Death, however, is not simply a random event -- a chance happening. Instead, Camus' existentialism shines through with the thought that all humans eventually die, and that after you are dead (non-existent) life is immaterial. The work is heavily influenced by Camus' views on French colonialism and the historical nature of Algeria -- what happens to an intellectual who refuses to take a strong side in the conflict -- who can… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Human Nature in Literature and History" Assignment:
Required Text
*****, A. et al. (2009). The heritage of world civilizations, brief edition, Vol II(8th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Rubenstein, R. & Larson, C. (2002). Worlds of fiction (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Pick one (1) story from Worlds of Fiction that concerns the theme of race or culture. Also, read two (2) of the following selections:
* Albert Camus, *****"The Guest*****"
* Amos Oz, *****"Nomad and Viper*****"
* Nadine Gordimer, *****"Country Lovers*****"
* Bernard Malamud, *****"The Jewbird*****"
* Amy Tan, *****"Half and Half*****"
Theme Relationships
For the reading assignment this week, you were to read three stories from the Worlds of Fiction text, two of your choosing from the *****Human Nature***** section and one of the following:
Tillie Olsen, *****I Stand Here Ironing*****
Isaac Singer, *****Gimpel the Fool*****
Arnost Lustig, *****The Lemon*****
Submit a three-page paper describing how a short piece of fiction you read this week fits into the theme relationships between history and literature that we have been exploring. Make specific observations about, and references to, the readings completed from the texts this week. Bibliography required.
How to Reference "Human Nature in Literature and History" Essay in a Bibliography
“Human Nature in Literature and History.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2010, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/human-nature-literature/715162. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
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