The Mask :: Creative Writing Essays

The Mask It had all begun when he was a little boy. One year a circus had come to town. In the morning a big parade was held in main street. He could see the clowns walking around making people laugh. He would watch the clowns` faces as they walked by. The big noses and the funny walks made him feel happy. It was poor times, and his father was out of work. His family couldn't afford any material benefits, but each year his father collected enough money so that he could take his son to the circus. Hand in hand they would walk to the circus, just a couple of blocks away. He would have a big smile on his face, because it was the only time he would feel better than his friends. For a whole year he would dream of the clowns in the circus ring. Imagine their grimace, funny walks and pranks on each other. The tight- rope walker and the elephants were amusing, but they weren't the highlight. He was certain; He would be a clown when he became older. After many years, he changed town and started on a career as an accountant in a big company. Nobody knew him better than by name, and nobody cared. He just sat there behind his desk, working, day after day, week after week. He was an  « every chief's dream. » But he was also a lonely man with no friends who would say; "How are we today?" His colleagues envied him, so they froze him out. He could see the guys meet in a corner. Whispering and giving him looks. He tried to be a pal, but they didn't want him to. He was the average guy, with average pay and an average apartment. But he wasn't miserable. Of course he'd like some friends and a girlfriend to talk with, but since he didn't have any, he thought it was the way it was supposed to be. His job was to earn money and sit behind his desk smiling to everybody. Since nobody cared, they didn't know about his hobby. For a few years ago, a dream of his had fulfilled when he got a week to prove his ability as a clown in the town's circus. He had been a great success in his evaluation period, and was hired at once. Each night he would become the clown "Baltasar". The salary was lousy, but he didn't do it for money. Just the looks on the children's faces was enough for him.

Comparison between Life of Pi and Brave New World Essay

The heroes, Piscine Molitor Patel in â€Å"Life of Pi† by Yann Martel, and John in â€Å"Brave New World† by Aldous Huxley view their fears as an obstacle that they must overcome. Both heroes were faced with immediate challenges in their life. Through challenging their fears, personal or community morale benefits from their perceived success. In such a way, the hero’s success manipulates the situation as the feared become afraid. Each hero battled their fear differently and thus discovered a hidden truth behind the challenge they were faced with. John was born into his fear. He had no say or no choice. He had to find the positive out of every situation throughout his life. â€Å"Never put off till tomorrow the fun you can have today. † John did what he could to service happily with himself. Adversity was a struggle for him. His hidden truth was his ability to feel and show affection, of which no one was able to understand. This proved to be difficult for John being somewhat isolated. On the other hand, Pi was a quick and decisive learner. His fear was conquered through his self-determination. Fishing and taming Mr. Parker (the tiger) revealed much of his hidden truth. Pi revealed, â€Å"The presence of God is the finest of rewards. † To him, it was as if his fear now became the feared. Pi was rewarded with self-empowerment. With the conquering of the hero’s fears, different aspects of their lives were affected with their efforts. Individually, Pi was rewarded. Pi quoted, â€Å"Can there be any happiness greater than the happiness of salvation? † This can be related to the Warden from â€Å"Shawshank Redemption† saying, â€Å"Salvation lies within†. For Pi this meant he had the power in saving himself from any terrible circumstances. Being considered an anti-hero, John did not necessarily individually benefit from his fight against his fear from the world state itself, but he may have influenced others who might possibly follow his path. As for John, he believed suicide was an option under his situation, â€Å"Ending is better than mending. † He finally decided there wasn’t a way in changing the â€Å"New World† in which he committed suicide. In an effort to impact his fear, he was able to potentially influence others, like a domino effect. As this was easily the most feared situation the world state could be faced with. With the hero’s efforts, personal and community morale benefited. No matter the aspiration, change for the better will occur. As my mother has always told me, â€Å"Everything happens for a reason. † In both situations, Pi and John found a way through their fears, and influenced themselves and others as the feared are now the afraid.

The Pharaohs Of The 18th Dynasty - 928 Words

Since the first Ancient Egyptian, Pharaoh Menes, placed himself on the throne, the pharaohs were considered to be both divine deities as well as mortal rulers. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines prophet as â€Å"a member of some religion who delivers messages that are believed to have come from God† Did that make Pharaoh Amenhotep IV aka Akhenaten a prophet? Defying centuries of traditional worship of the Egyptians, the mid-14th century BCE Pharaoh Akhenaten decreed during his reign that his subjects were to worship only one god; the sun-disk Aten. Was this a direct message from the gods or were there other political reasons at play. The pharaohs of the 18th dynasty 1550-1307 BCE had expanded Egypt’s wealth; conquering Palestine, Syria, plus securing the gold mines of Nubia, which made her the wealthiest country in the world. With 2,000 years of experience behind her, Egyptian forces were able to push back the Hittites, Libyans, and other tribes who stood in the w ay of their development. Amongst the progression was Amun, a major Egyptian deity, who after the rebellion of Thebes against the Hyksos, became heightened after his fusion with the Sun god, Ra, as Amun-Re. In gratitude for their successes, the pharaohs offered treasures to the god Amun-Ra, increasing the wealth and influence of the priesthood. The deity acquired national importance that alarmed Amenhotep III and his son Amenhotep IV due to the escalating powers of the priests of Amun. The Karnak Amun-RaShow MoreRelatedBiography of Queen Nafertiti975 Words   |  4 PagesQueen Nefertiti 1. My historical figure’s name is Queen Nefertiti, which means the beautiful one has come† 2. Queen Nefertiti ruled alongside her husband, Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) of the 18th dynasty, New kingdom (r. 1372-1355 BCE) of Ancient Egypt. 3. Her dates of birth and death are thought to have been somewhere around (ca. 1370 BC – ca. 1330 BC) 4. Nefertiti and her husband associated themselves with the sun god â€Å"Aten.† Nefertiti and her husband, Akhenaten were best known for the Amarna HeresyRead MoreKing Tutankhamun1035 Words   |  5 Pagescalled the New Kingdom because it was when the pharaohs united upper and lower Egypt into one kingdom with the capital being Memphis near current day Cairo. The reason I chose to write a research paper on King Tut is because he is one of the most well known pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun is most well known only by the discovery of his intact tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. King Tut was born in 1343 B.C. into the 18th Dynasty. Early in his life Tutankaten meaning the LivingRead MoreAncient Egyp Gods and Godesses: From A to Z1331 Words   |  6 Pagesjourney to the afterlife. He was portrayed man with a jackal’s head, or in jackal form holding a flail in the crook of his arm and wearing a ribbon. In the Old Kingdom he was the most important God, where he was associated with the burial of the pharaoh. He was very important because the Egyptians worshiped two things: 1. the gods and 2. The dead. The ancient Egyptians also believed in the afterlife. So another reason why Anubis was so important was because, on your travel to the afterlife he wasRead MoreEssay on Development of Ancient Egypt823 Words   |  4 Pagesand decided what goods and services they were to produce. All the decisions were made by the government. Egypt belonged to a living god (Pharaoh). The Pharaoh had a bureaucracy, and 2 viziers, one for each half of Egypt. Civil servan ts gave each farmer a certain amount of grain from the state granary. The purpose of economy was to provide luxury for the Pharaoh. The most important aspect of the Egyptian economy was agriculture, which was the backbone of Egyptian prosperity. Egyptian civilizationRead MoreEssay about Akhenaten: Heretic Man or Visionary Pharaoh? 1235 Words   |  5 Pages Pharaohs were governors of the Ancient Egyptian realm who broadcasted themselves as sons of gods who upheld Ma’at – the Egyptian order of life. Most pharaohs ruled in a typical and expected way carrying the beliefs of their ancestors- though not all ruled this way. Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty New Kingdom was not an â€Å"archetypal† pharaoh as seen through his goal to change Egyptian religion from polytheism to monotheism and through his building project in Amarna. Though he used traditional meansRead MoreThe Development of Religious Archetecture in New Kingdom Essay649 Words   |  3 PagesThe expansion of the political and economical power during the New kingdom, led to the devotion of resources to the religious architecture; numerous new temples were constructed while the pre-existing temples were renovated. Individual Pharaohs endeavored to out do their ancestors, not only in the construction of their own mortuary temples, but also in the establishment of worship temples of their deities. Kings of this period abandoned the pyramid complexity of the earlier ages and constructed theirRead MoreThe Discovery Of Being Mummified Essay1047 Words   |  5 Pages Do you know the process of being mummified? Well I will tell you all about the process of being mummified. When pharaohs or very rich people die in Egypt they take all of their organs out except for their heart. They were then wrapped in linen cloth and put in a sarcophagus. (A sarcophagus was a coffin.) Before they are placed in the linen cloth they are given an amulet to keep evil away. They are said to have an afterlife. In their afterlife they are said to live eternally. The first type ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Sahara Savannas ( The Nucleus Of Civilization )755 Words   |  4 Pagesmartial style â€Å"Kuta,† was the name of the style practiced by the Pharaohs; Priest and their bodyguards. Another so-called style was Sebeka or the â€Å"Cha† a study of decapitations (In similar fashion like the Bushido’ coded Samurai). Minus ancient Egypt’s mythology of great warrior gods and goddesses, Egypt or Kemet dynasties were led by powerful kings and queens of outstanding warrior ship: Menes-Aha (Narmer), first king of the first dynasty 3100 BC. Egyptologist recognizes him as the last Scorpion KingRead MoreAkhenaten essay721 Words   |  3 Pagesa Ruler of Egypt during the 18th Dynasty. He rose to the throne as Amenhotep IV, following his father Amenhotep III. 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