Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice Essay Example

Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice Paper The Merchant of Venice is a play written by Shakespeare. It corresponds two very contrasting stories and settings. One of these stories takes place in 16th century Venice and the other from Shakespeares imagination, Belmont. Both the stories have such different settings in them, which Shakespeare deliberately does. Theres The Bond Story, which takes place in Venice and then theres The Casket Story which takes place in Belmont. Both have totally different atmospheres and conflicting stories. Each setting forms the backdrop to two very different stories. The two settings have very dissimilar natures. Venice is a trading city with a thriving community. Venice is the centre of International trade making it a wealthy city. Shakespeare makes passing references to the citys features; Signor Antonio, many a time and oft In the Rialto you have rated me We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer About my monies and my usances He continues; Since that the trade and profit of the city Consisteth of all nations. Therefore go. Belmont on the other hand comes from Shakespears imagination. Belmont is very femininely dominated. Its a wealthy city like Venice. Belmont is a fairy tale world of love and romance, which Shakespeare imagines it to be. It is a harmonious and tranquil city. Although we are not told if it is an island or not, we get passing references that give us a hint it is an island as it is described as a beautiful, opulent mansion; The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar To stop the foreign spirits, but they come This shows the reader that the house must be a luxurious mansion. The phrase the watery kingdom shows it is Neptunes realm. Portia also shows the reader that her house is great; when Bassanio picks the right casket describes her house as this fair mansion. Belmont is the home of the rich Portia. Portia lives in a beautiful great mansion; But now I was the lord Of this fair mansion, master of my servants This shows that Belmont is magnificent, peaceful and tension free. The complete opposite to Venice. There are two main stories The Bond Story and The Casket Story. The bond story takes place in Venice and the casket story takes place in Belmont. Venice is a wealthy, trading city where much business man live. It consists of dramatic, tense events and is a place full of unhappy and unkind people, however it could be said that it also has a vibrant street life. The scenes in Venice mostly take place on the streets. It is very masculine. It is a mercantile risk-taking city. This is where the serious side of the play takes place. On the other hand Belmont is a city, which reflects tranquil, harmonious comedy. The main character of the bond story is the rich Jew, Shylock. He is the moneylender. The other characters in the casket story are Bassanio, an Italian lord who is a suitor to Portia, Antonio, a merchant of Venice. The main plot of the story is, that Bassanio wants to go to Belmont to marry Portia, however doesnt have enough money, so his good friend Antonio wishes to borrow money from Shylock to give to Bassanio to go to Belmont. Yet Shylock and Antonio hate one another; You call me misbeliever, cut throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine This shows that Antonio has such hatred of Shylock. However Shylock lends Antonio three thousand ducats, but for a very harsh price; let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me As you can see Shylock is asking for exactly a pound of fair flesh from Antonio, from whatever part of the body he chooses. This makes the bond a murderous one especially between Shylock and Antonio. Shylock wants revenge for the many times he as a Jew has been hurt. This side of the play is dominated by hate. The main themes that take place in Venice are hatred, religious intolerance, revenge, greed and prejudice. This reflects upon the city as being murderous, dramatic and tense. Whereas Belmont on the other hand is a city of Love, marriage, romance and comedy. Belmont is an aspect of the play, which brings the comedy, fairytale romance into perspective. It changes the play from tense and murderous to fun and comedic. It breaks up the dark, horrid features of Shylock and adds gentle, beautiful features of Portia and Bassanio and Lorenzo and Jessica; an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken to How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! This also shows that Belmont is a peaceful, moonlit and calm place to be whereas Venice is masculine and tense. The casket story is set in Belmont; it mainly captures Portia, and her great beauty; In Belmont is a lady richly left, And she is fair, and fairer than that word- Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages The prince of Morocco repeatedly calls Portia as fair Portia. This shows her beauty. He also says all the world desires her. The comedic features take place in Belmont, when the suitors arrive. Before Portias father died he wanted to make sure she would marry the perfect man so he planed a test. He made three caskets; one gold, one silver and one lead. First came the prince of Morocco, he choose the Gold casket which was incorrect, then came the prince of Aragon, he choose the Silver casket which too was incorrect then finally came Bassanio he choose the casket that was made from lead and that was correct. Bassanio and Portia rejoice, Gratiano marries Nerissa and Lorenzo marries Jessica. The main themes here are love, marriage, romance and comedy. The societies represented in the two settings are very different. The Venetian society is energetic, opulent, full of wealthy confident young men for example; Bassanio, Lorenzo, Gratiano, Salarino and Salanio. They enjoy good fellowship and help each other through life for example when Gratiano and Salarino help Lorenzo elope with Jessica. Another example is when Antonio helps Bassanio court Portia. However they make life intolerable for those outside their group; Fair say, you spat on me on Wednesday last, You spurnd me such a day, another time You calld me dog: and for these courtesies Ill lend you thus much monies This shows that Antonio makes life intolerable for Shylock. This shows that Antonio has been so cruel to him simply because hes a Jew. Venice is a city full of dramatic tensions, especially racial tension; between the Christians and Jews. Shylock says; I hate him for he is a Christian This shows his hatred towards Christians, especially Antonio. They both hate each other simply for the fact that they are different religions; Antonio being Christian and Shylock being Jewish. Belmont is very different to the Venetian society. Belmont is a place of wealth and luxury. Portia lives in a mansion and when the prince of Morocco arrives there, he enters to a flourish of cornets. This shows Belmont is a place of harmony and ease free from the commercial bustle of Venice, and the racial tension. Both Belmont and Venice have different atmospheres, Venice being energetic and exciting. A city full of dramatic tensions for example racial tension, mercantile risk taking, when Antonio borrows money from Shylock in the hope that several ambitious business ventures will produce large profits; Why, fear not, man, I will not forfeit it. Within these two months, thats a month before This bond expires, I do expect return Of thrice three times the value of this bond This shows there is a lot of competition and rivalry, especially between two of the plays central figures Antonio and Shylock. Belmonts atmosphere on the other hand is calm, peaceful, and free from the tensions of Venice; How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears; soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony Shakespeare has chosen to set The Merchant of Venice in two very different settings because the play has two very different stories in it. One reason could be to provide a sharp and dramatically effective contrast. Another reason maybe The Venetian setting provides us with the serious side of tension. Conversely Belmont gives us the Casket story, which lightens the mood throughout the whole play, because Shakespeare has chosen to go back and forth from Belmont to Venice. For example the great drama of the court scene just before the plays end is immediately followed by the romance and gentle comedy of the plays final scene, the coming together of the three lovers, Bassanio and Portia, Gratiano and Nerissa and Lorenzo and Jessica. The play finishes in Belmont on a note of love and harmony rather than in Venice on a note of hatred, vengeance and betrayal.

Fun Family History Activities for Family Reunions

Fun Family History Activities for Family Reunions Like many families, you and your relatives may have made plans to get together this summer. What a great opportunity for sharing stories and family history.  Give one of these 10 fun family history activities a try at your next family reunion to get people talking, sharing and having fun. Memory T-Shirts If you have more than one branch of an extended family attending your reunion, consider identifying each branch with a different colored shirt. To further incorporate the family history theme, scan in a photo of the branchs progenitor and print it out on an iron-on transfer with identifiers such as Joes Kid or Joes Grandkid. These color-coded photo t-shirts make it easy to tell at a glance who is related to who. Color-coded family tree name tags offer a more inexpensive variation. Photo Swap Invite attendees to bring their old, historic family photos to the reunion, including pictures of people (great, great-grandpa), places (churches, cemetery, the old homestead) and even previous reunions. Encourage everyone to label their photos with the names of the people in the photograph, the date of the photo, and their own name and an ID number (a different number to identify each photo). If you can get a volunteer to bring a scanner and laptop computer with a CD burner, then set up a scanning table and create a CD of everyones photos. You can even encourage people to bring more photos by offering a free CD for every 10 photos contributed. The rest of the CDs you can sell to interested family members to help defray costs of the scanning and CD burning. If your family isnt very tech-savvy, then set up a table with the photos and include signup sheets where people can order copies of their favorites (by name and ID number). Family Scavenger Hunt Fun for all ages, but an especially good way to get the kids involved, a family scavenger hunt ensures plenty of interaction between different generations. Create a form or booklet with family-related questions such as: What was great-grandfather Powell’s first name? Which Aunt had twins? Where and when were Grandma and Grandpa Bishop married? Is there someone born in the same state as you? Set a deadline, and then gather the family together to judge the results. If you wish, you can award prizes to the people who get the most answers correct, and the booklets themselves make nice reunion souvenirs. Family Tree Wall Chart Create a large family tree chart to display on a wall, including as many generations of the family as possible. Family members can use it to fill in the blanks and correct any inaccurate information. Wall charts are popular with reunion attendees as they help people visualize their place within the family. The finished product also provides a great source of genealogical information. Heritage Cookbook Invite attendees to submit favorite family recipes- from their own family or one passed down from a distant ancestor. Ask them to include details on, memories of and a photo (when available) of the family member best known for the dish. The collected recipes can then be turned into a wonderful family cookbook. This also makes a great fundraising project for the following years reunion. Memory Lane Storytime A rare opportunity to hear interesting and funny stories about your family, a storytelling hour can really encourage family memories. If everyone agrees, have someone audiotape or videotape this session. Tour of the Past If your family reunion is held near where the family originated, then schedule a trip to the old family homestead, church or cemetery. You can use this as an opportunity to share family memories, or go a step further and recruit the clan to clean up the ancestral cemetery plots or research the family in old church records (be sure to schedule with the pastor in advance). This is a particularly special activity when many members are attending from out-of-town. Family History Skits and Reenactments Using stories from your own family history, have groups of attendees develop skits or plays that will retell the tales at your family reunion. You can even stage these reenactments at places that are of importance to your family such as homes, schools, churches, and parks (see Tour into the Past above). Non-actors can get into the fun by modeling vintage clothing or ancestral outfits. Oral History Odyssey Find someone with a video camera who is willing to interview members of the family. If the reunion is in honor of a special event (such as Grandma and Grandpas 50th Anniversary), ask people to talk about the guest(s) of honor. Or, ask questions on other select memories, such as growing up on the old homestead. Youll be surprised how differently people remember the same place or event. Memorabilia Table Set up a table for attendees to bring and display treasured family memorabilia- historic photos, military medals, old jewelry, family bibles, etc. Be sure all items are carefully labeled and the table is always hosted.

Computer Forensics - Case Portfolio Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Computer Forensics - Portfolio - Case Study Example Digital evidences are regarded as different types of electronic information and are considered as vital proofs for evaluating any criminal incidence. This type of information is stored, received and shared by electronic devices. Digital evidences can exist in several formats such as text, graphics, audio and video among others. The digital evidence has been acquired when the electronic devices are seized. The digital evidence that has been found in the crime scene was WDD hard disk, USB flash drive, compact disk (CDs) and central processing units (CPUs) (see fig 1). Hard Disk. Hard disk is basically a read/write storage media which is used for collecting, storing, retrieving and accessing information. It is regarded as vital source of proof for the crime because the system files and other operating files are stored in hard disk. Hence, in order to investigate the crime conducted by Mr. Didit, the hard disk has been sized (see fig 2), as it probably provide certain valuable proof (Mukasey et al., 2008). CD. CD is regarded as the other important digital information source. It is basically a replicate of the original information and is used as permanent storage media. Thus, the information in CD is believed to be of highly important for Mr. Didit to be stored and thus, has been acquired for the purpose of digital evidence (see fig b3) (Mukasey et al., 2008). USB Flash Drive. USB flash drive is a small portable and high capacity electronic storage media. Unlike hard disk, USB drives connect to the computer through Universal Serial Bus port. USB flash drive has gained much popularity because of its storage capability and rapid access of data. The USB flash drive can also store information regarding any works and therefore regarded as valuable evidence for this criminal case (Mukasey et al., 2008). CPU. CPU is a case that contains electronic elements such as memory, processor and hard drive among

CLIMATE CHANGE AN OUTCOME OF ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS Essay

CLIMATE CHANGE AN OUTCOME OF ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS - Essay Example The Intergovernmental panel on climate change at the Kyoto protocol determined in 2007 that â€Å"most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations† [2]. Furthermore, based on the assumption that significant anthropogenic warming has taken place over the past 50 years over each continent except Antartica, it has been concluded that anthropogenic climate change is having a significant impact on physical and bilogical systems globally [3]. Climate change is occuring on all continents and in most oceans. Changes in the natural system since 1970 have been occuring where temperature increase has taken place. These changes cannot be explained by natural climate variations alone. This implies that climate change is primarily attributable to anthropogenic factors. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conclude that the earth is warming and tha t humans are probably the cause. Technologies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and strategies for carbon sequestraion have been found to be essential as species extinction has been found to be related to climate warming [4].

Key Challenges That Zen Practitioners Face in the West Essay Example for Free

Key Challenges That Zen Practitioners Face in the West Essay Zen is a specific form of Buddhism, which appeared in post-Heian period. Originally Zen became a hybrid of Indian Buddhism and Chinese Taoism and Confucianism. Zen is a Japanese name, which corresponds to Chinese Ch’an, Vietnamese Thien Buddhism or Korean S’on. All these kinds of Buddhism differ from each other but in the West they became confused and mixed together, forming one idea of Zen Buddhism. Generally, all Zen teaching is based on Buddhist scriptures, such as Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and Diamond Cutter Sutra. Zen tradition also appreciates the teaching of famous Zen masters of the past. Soto and Rinzai are two main schools of Zen Buddhism. In Soto school they pay special attention to the practice of Zazen of sitting meditation. This meditation consists of â€Å"doing nothing† sitting in the posture of lotus and making an attempt to stop thoughts. This is non-object meditation aiming to stop the activity of mind. Rinzai School makes stronger accent on the study of so called koans. Koans are short stories originating usually from the past which are used to pass the meaning of zen. Disciples of Rinzai School spend days and hours meditating on koans, trying to stop activity of mind and achieve the nature of Buddha. Both, Rinzai and Soto schools have practices of walking meditation. Zen is usually taught in Zen centers and monasteries. Zen tradition pays special attention to interaction between master and students. Teachers and students meet privately so that teacher can pass his experience directly to his students. Despite Soto and Rinzai schools have always being practiced separately in Japan; there is a tendency to combine these two schools into one in the West. There are two main ways of passing Zen traditions in the West (Seager). First of all there are Zen masters, who emigrate from China and Japan. These masters keep close to the original tradition of Zen Buddhism. At the same time non-Asian disciples, who popularize Zen in the west often pay much less attention to the traditions and philosophical elements of Zen. Western teachers of Zen make main emphasis on meditation practices and deemphasize rituals and customs of traditional Zen Buddhism. Soto school gives sixteen precepts of Zen way of life. These precepts are taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sanga, following the first three precepts, not doing evil, doing only good and doing good for others, living according to ten grave precepts, which are not killing, not stealing, write sexual conduct, telling no lie, keeping always from drugs and drinking, not judging others, being generous and being not angry. All these precepts shape everyday ethical rules of Zen Buddhism. In addition, Zen, which is based on the principle of spontaneous action often, turns to calligraphy, archery, poetry and marital arts as additional means. (Wallace) During last decades Zen Buddhist movements have moved from monasteries and gradually have become everyday practice. This can be explained by the peculiarities of Western mentality, where people got used to combining religious practices and everyday life, while in Japan and other Asian countries practicing Zen Buddhism required moving away from lay life and living work and family. As states Allan Wallance, â€Å"as Zen has been assimilated into the West, the traditional ceremonial life of the Japanese temple, together with its linguistic and social customs, has gradually become marginalized. Few Western Zen followers have chosen to make the commitment of entering full-blown Zen monastic practice by taking monastic ordination, or tokudoâ€Å" (Wallance, 8). Western Zen has become supplemented with views from other Buddhism traditions. Most Western practitioners of Zen are lay people, who practice short meditation sessions every day and turn to intensive practice during so-called retreats. In Zen traditional retreats are called sesshins and they last from three to several months. At the same time tokudo, or Zen monastic movement became the founder of Buddhist Peace Fellowship. This organization if preoccupied with helping needy, poor and homeless.

Internet and Research Essay -- Analysis Research Internet Essays

Internet and Research According to The Disappearance of Technology, by Bruce and Hogan, â€Å"(technological) tools become commonplace. Each literacy technique goes from unfamiliar to familiar, from visible to invisible.† Proof of this can be seen through even just one person, as he begins life prior to the house-hold computer, and witnessed the changes as the Internet become main stream, and finally to his uses of technology today while attending law school. To begin a research analysis on Brian Petrano’s literacy eco system, one must first analyze the beginnings of his technological life. At his current age of 25, he has only been exposed to computers and the Internet for about fifteen years. Of course, this means his experience with computers coincides with the initial stages of the home computer evolution. While in his sophomore year of high school, he began to assist a librarian, Mrs. Rulon. She eventually exposed him to the potential of the Internet and its abilities as a resource, along with the capabilities of the computer beyond a simple word processor. This was the beginning of his technological life. â€Å"You can learn anything,† Brian discovered, â€Å"and the name they gave it is exactly right, it is a ‘web’ that can branch off on whatever you are researching.† From this point, Brian has been all consumed with the possibility of the World Wide Web as a research tool. For Brian, a composition tended to be a culmination of literary works found on the Internet. Especially now, he has little use for creating new works. On the contrary, he typically researches in-depthly and pulls together the most important aspects found, into one article with Brian’s tone. Through the years, he has seen himself grow from visiting the... ...ch, with the Internet as his main resource. Lately though, things have seemed to change. The Patriot Act has him worried about the freedom of computers and the Internet. â€Å"I appreciate it, because so far, it is not censored. The free market place of idea and thought is what this country is founded on. It may be our downfall, but is paramount, and so important.† In the end, Brian has complete respect and admiration for technology, specifically the Internet, and the ease it offers him. His life has come to depend on it as it grows before his eyes. The old days of card catalog technology seem even humorous to him, â€Å"I remember helping Mrs Rulon organize the card catalog and thinking, ‘there has to be a better way then this.’† There is, and in the future there we will probably look back at the Internet of today and laugh while wondering how we ever functioned with it.

American History X and Racism

American History X is a film with racism as its overarching theme. Specifically, the subject of the film focuses not on the phenomenon of racism as we know it, slavery and the Malcolm X period, but on its current trends namely the neo-Nazist, white supremacist movement of the 90’s. This paper is determined to present the overt connections between American History X and Racism, after which the discussion will present some pertinent scenes in the movie. These scenes are analyzed from a racial discrimination standpoint. Lastly, a personal reflection on the movie concludes the argumentations.The film’s treatment is like a stereo—going back and forth from the present and the flashbacks. In the same way, the major scenes will be presented here in a non-linear fashion. One of the most important scenes in this film is when the film explains why Derek is mad with minorities. The underlying reason for this hatred is when Derek’s dad is shot by a Black drug dealer. H aving felt this injustice and being helpless in expressing his anger, Derek was approached by Cameron. This scene is important in presenting racism as not existing in a vacuum.There are always reasons behind actions, that even the most bizarre or illogical of behaviors can be explained by specific past experiences. Racism is rooted in intolerance and hatred towards others. Hatred is a sowed seed and here we begin to understand that a racist perpetrator has his own reasons why he is behaving in such a way. The abuses of the Nazism in Germany—killing Jews, concentration camps, widespread hunting of people with Jewish descent—will not take place without an idea, or a good reason, that the majority of people would buy into. People would be foolish to just wake up one day and decide to decimate 6 million people.Ideas are powerful, because ideas turn into acceptance and acceptance turns into actions, actions become behavior and behavior changes into a cultural norm in the lo ng run. Ideas, moreover, are only powerful because people buy into them. This is why the scene at the grocery store with Koreans is important. The scene portrays the power of ideas and its ability to change people. Moreover, the speech of Derek at the store presents surprising parallelisms with the ideas that people bought into during the Nazi movement. In Derek’s speech, he said that Koreans are stealing the opportunities that are supposed to be for Americans.The illegal immigrants that work in America creates the joblessness of the Whites. In the same way, the Nazis of Germany argued that the Jewish refugees from a devastated nation came to Germany carrying nothing but they thrived there—owning businesses, banks, etc—and became powerful while a bulk of the German population are poor and unemployed. The grocery store scene shows just how potent a dangerous idea is. People want to follow a passionate leader. Racism became accepted because people tolerate the act and follow the dangerous norm. Similarly, people with strong moral convictions are also heard. The scene of Dr.Sweeney and Danny is significant because it shows how racism can be challenged, not through hostility, but with reason. Dialogue fosters understanding, or at least, it presents a different way of looking at things. Sweeney’s assignment makes Danny think outside the box—outside his personal stereotypes and values on racism. Sweeney challenges his ideas and in a way, becomes a counter-force to Danny’s predisposition towards racism. The anti-racism movement is laden with Sweeney types of people such as Luther King Jr. who took the non-violent path of reasoning in pointing to the evils of racism itself.Sweeney is the personification of the challenge against the neo-Nazist trend. His moral courage and convictions made people think and listen. Another important scene in the film is the presentation of Derek and his change of heart. This took place in prison, where racism is also a strong force that binds and separates inmates. In prison, Derek is still resolved in his racist convictions and he bonded with fellow racists, until he was befriended by a Black guy. His previous stereotypes regarding Blacks was challenged by the good-natured behavior of the black guy.It is essentially a realization that people of different colors are still people sharing a common humanity. When fellow racist inmates raped Derek for befriending a Black guy, he came to understand that goodness and evil are not just seen by the color of the skin. There is blackness of the heart even in the whitest of white, and a whiteness of the soul in the pitch black-colored person. Every act of kindness and every act of violence has its ripple effects beyond what a person can control. This is seen in the scenes following Derek’s return. Derek’s little brother Danny had taken where he left off.Now Danny took the same convictions as Derek by being adamantly into lerant of minorities. The small anti-Black movement that Derek started became a great massive force, and now that he had a deeper realization of the evil of racism, he sees that he is responsible for this. Undoing things are more difficult that doing them, especially when we do things mindlessly such as when we resort to hatred and violence. It is easy to sow seeds of violence because it spreads like wildfire, but sowing peace is like planting a seed that needs to be nurtured. Danny also had his turning point. His brother made him realize that racism is a useless thing.Blaming others for the death of one’s father does not solve the problem, it just makes it worse. He understood that violence will only be met with violence. The symbolic image of the brothers’ turning point is the cleaning up of their Nazi-decorated rooms. Writing the American History X paper also supports Danny’s non-violence approach towards the hostilities of the world. He writes â€Å"analyze and interpret† on the computer. Racism is phenomenal because not many people analyze and interpret before acting on something. In many cases, irrational and false interpretations create chaos.When there is no room for analysis, there is no opportunity for people to try and understand each other before rendering biased interpretations and actions. Racism presents to us that it is a very strong force, one that is rooted in hostility and intolerance. American History X depicts that degree of hostility and intolerance in the different cascading scenes of the past. When our small monsters of hostility become gigantic titans of racism, we are confronted by something intimidating. Derek’s solution is to run, leave the giant. Running from the problem of racism does not solve the fundamental personal and social issues.While running seems tempting, the reality of racism is still with us and it will never go away unless it is collectively confronted in modern-day America and ever ywhere else. Running is a temporary solution to a long-term problem. Derek runs with Danny, but eventually the giant catches on them—Danny is shot by the same guy he had a violent (although subtle) argument with the day before. What does the death of Danny imply? It tells us that violence, in all its forms and degrees, is foolishness, it is never a means to an end—thereby rendering racism not as a virtue, but as a moral evil.Racism is only one form of violence, just as making another human being bite the pavement is another. Unknowingly, many of us do not realize that violence exists both within us and also in our world. Violence does not just mean killing people, it also exists in intolerance over other people’s beliefs and skin color, it is harsh language spoken, it is a thought unspoken. Racism is not only seen but felt†¦ while America boasts of equality and human rights; racism is still seen and felt in its other subtle forms of violence. The path of no n-violence is a beautiful but difficult journey that we must all decide to take.I now end with the echoing words of Abraham Lincoln quoted during Danny’s death scene, his final words in the American History X paper†¦ â€Å"†We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. † Works Cited American History X. Dir. Tony Kaye. Perf. Edward Norton. New Line Cinema. 1998.