Acid rain Essay Example for Free

Acid rain Essay Acid rain is a result of air pollution that is harmful to the environment, generally caused by fuels being burnt. When any type of fuel is burnt, many different chemicals are produced. These gases that are released react with the water in clouds, and the rain from these clouds is acid rain. This type of acid disposition can appear in many other forms besides just rain, such as sleet, snow, and fog (Editorial Board, 2013). There are several sources of pollution and many causes for acid rain. Though acid rain can be generated by volcanoes and decaying vegetation, it is mostly caused by man-made activities (Carper, 2012). The most polluting gases that cause acid rain are nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides (Yedjou, 2015). Different industrial processes contribute greatly to producing these harmful gases, such as the production of iron and steel, factories, chemical industries, and power stations. The burning of fossil fuels by these power-production companies and industries release sulfur into the air that combines with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide (Carper, 2012). Basicily anything that burns fuel, produce these polluting gases, such as the fumes that come out of a vehicles exhaust, or the heat we use to warm our homes. Acid rain greatly impacts the natural environment by polluting water sources, such as lakes and streams. In return this kills plants and fish, which negatively affects other animals and entire ecosystems. This type of acid disposition also damages soil and trees, and accelerates the decay of buildings and structures (Yedjou, 2015). Acid rain also affects human health by being inhaled into people’s lungs which increases premature death from heart and lung disorders, such as bronchitis and asthma (Carper, 2012). Though acid rain is not a major issue today, there are still steps that can be taken to help eliminate this issue. Acid rain can be carried great distances by wind direction, and the countries that produce it may not always be the ones most affected by it (Yedjou, 2015). So if these countries would be more considerate of their neighbors and where the acid rain they produce actually falls, then it could help to decrease this  pollution. Limiting the amount of sulfur and nitrogen oxides that are released into the atmosphere, cleaning up smokestacks and exhaust pipes, and using alternative energy sources can also help to mitigate the problem (Yedjou, 2015). Everyone can play their part in reducing acid rain by turning off appliances when not in use, turning off lights, reducing heating and air conditioner usage, and insulating their homes. Conserving resources is also extremely helpful, such as carpooling and using public transportation. References Carper, L. (2012). Fossil fuels: Environmental Effects. Retrieved from http://www.ems.psu. edu/~radovic/Chapter11.pdf Editorial Board. (2013). Environmental Science. Schaumburg: Words of Wisdom, LLC. Yedjou, C. (2015, March 09). Colorado Technical University. Live Chat. SCI201-11-213-6. Retrieved from http://ctuadobeconnect.careeredonline.com/p3aqzu14uuu/?launcher=fals fcsContent=truepbMode=normal

The Ethics Of The Media Essay -- essays research papers

The purpose of the media has become an ongoing question since the large amount of conflicts between the consumer and media. Why is the original purpose of the media so damn hard to figure out? It is time to confront this issue instead of blowing it off by saying, "We can never change the media, so why bother?" What kind of chickenshit statement is that?! If there are so many people with so much power, surely one of them realizes the downward spiral of the ethics of the media. I feel my sole purpose of this paper is to tell everyone my ideas and viewpoints on censoring the media.Ooooooo, censor. What a bad word that is when used in the same sentence with media. So many people believe censorship is a bad thing, but there is no other solution in stopping the "bad press." When I sit back and look at the stories about stories that are bad and offending to someone, I realize something needs to be done. The media is out of control. True, there are many informing and needed stories, but, my god, how many times a day to we need to hear and read about how much money O.J. Simpson has to pay the family of Ronald Goldman? We, as consumers, need to sit back and ask ourselves, "What was the point of hearing or reading that story?" Back to the censor issue. I, as an aspiring journalist, do not believe in total and complete censorship of the media, but also, as an aspiring journalist, I am embarrassed of some of the stories that are run, for instance, when t...

How effectively did the Soviet Union control Eastern Europe from 1945 to 1968?

In 1945, it was very important that Stalin gained control over his sphere of influence; WW2 had come to an end, and the future of the Soviet Union was at an unstable point. From 1945-8 Stalin used a series of ‘salami' tactics to gain control over the Eastern European countries. This would involve setting up communist parties within a country, winning a coalition government, and ultimately, taking over to run a full communist regime. This was effective in the sense that Stalin, in the space of three years, was able to takeover seven different countries. However, out of these, only one country – Albania – allowed the takeover without any opposition, the other countries gave more of a struggle. There was obviously some backlash against Stalin's actions, as they did not run smoothly, and this is why he probably had to use more severe tactics when trying to take control over Eastern Europe. In Bulgaria (1945), Stalin had all opposing party members executed, and was only then able to take full control. After this, Stalin had no problems gaining power over such countries – without further opposition, as the same techniques were used in Poland and Czechoslovakia two to three years later. This shows that Stalin did not want to give way to chance, seeing what would happen in each country gradually, by using the minimum force needed. He wanted to be sure of total control, and therefore used the necessary tactics to succeed – it appears that the most extreme were the most effective. Stalin was able to keep such a tight ‘following' due to the fear and propaganda that followed his infamous Red army. He had placed them within his sphere as a warning to the people. If they opposed, they would be dealt with by the Red Army through means of ‘re-education'. They kept an eye over the people, and crushed any sort of uprising. This would have been a deterrent enough for anybody looking to rebel against communism. This proved to be effective as there are no real incidences where the Red army have been called in to sort out a situation (apart from in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, but that was under different circumstances). When Stalin saw the lure of the Marshall Plan, he definitely felt under pressure to counteract this – coming up with Comecon 1949. This shows he was desperate, as firstly, this goes against communist views, as the idea was to send money to communist countries to aid them in their economic process. This was a bribe, nonetheless; but it worked. No countries already within the control of the Soviet Union left the sphere – if they were tempted by money, they could still have it, and Stalin would still have control. They only probably stayed with Stalin out of the fear of the consequences, and therefore this tactic was successful due to previous attempts of control, mainly because of the Red Army. Stalin finally dies in 1953, and Khrushchev takes over. He introduces a new relaxed policy, and looks to ‘de-Stalinise' Eastern Europe, hoping to promote better relations with the West. Subsequently, other countries within the sphere wanted a more liberal government, and started to rebel. This shows that Stalin himself, along with his attitude and thinking, was an effective way to keep control over Eastern Europe. he was not a liberal man, he insinuated fear and death throughout the people, who dared not oppose. Now that there is a more liberal leader in office, the people feel this is the opportunity they need to express their feelings. What Khrushchev may have done wrong, was to initiate an ‘instant' change, which could not be done on a large scale in regards to the whole of Eastern Europe at one given time. Stalin was effective in what he did, as he used gradual changes to implant his policy. 1953 also saw riots in Czechoslovakia, where people where burning Soviet flags and demolishing Stalin statues – this was an obvious attack on Soviet power. However, the riots were quickly put down by the Red army, but the consequences were not great ones, and therefore encouraged strikes in East Germany to occur. East Germans aired their grievances about wage cuts, but the Red army was called in to crush all uprising. 400 people were killed; Khrushchev was reverting back to Stalin's old methods, however people were not put off, as there are further problems in Hungary in 1956. Does this mean that the Red Army were no longer feared, or was there a change in attitude from the people? A level of both, most likely, but why? This leads back to Stalin and fear that he as an individual imposed on the countries. Khrushchev did not have that same effect, and from then on, people were more open to oppose him, knowing they could probably get away with a lot more. There was also a problem with East Germany, and how the collapse of it could have been crucial, in terms of ‘winning' the Cold War. Germany had been one of many significant factors in the Cold War, and a collapse in Germany would mean a collapse in Soviet power if the West were to reclaim it. This might have been a short term cause for the Warsaw Pact in 1955 – the Soviet's version of NATO – this not only gained support against the West, but also helped to unite a dividing sphere. This does not prove to be of any worth (at this time) as in the following year, Hungary has a revolution. There main aim was to get rid of Rakosi – a mini Stalin – through mass demonstrations, which later turned into street fighting. Oddly, Khrushchev introduces Nagy as the new leader of Hungary, instead of sending in the Red army. Was it now that he realised that the Red army did not have so much of an effect that it used to? This is the first time compromising had been used, but quickly backfired. Riots continued, and Nagy had declared Hungary would be leaving the Warsaw Pact. The S.U. was looking at losing control over one country, and sure enough, others would follow. The Soviets again, reverted back to trusted methods, calling in the Red Army to crush all uprising – killing Nagy in the process. The exact same happened with Czechoslovakia in 1968. It now seems that from 1945-68, there were times when the Soviet had complete control over Eastern Europe, and others, quite the opposite. Stalin had realised that in order to have control, he would have to use extreme tactics – the fear of the Red Army, propaganda etc. He also knew that with complete control, there was no edge way for choice or compromise with the people. This is where Khrushchev went wrong, expecting to have complete control when he gave individual countries more power. Knowing of such a relaxed attitude, the people then took advantage of this, and were no longer scared of the repercussions, as there is uprising after uprising under Khrushchev's rule. By the mid-50's effective control is on its way to becoming highly non-existent.

What Are Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are the second great rock class. Whereas igneous rocks are born hot, sedimentary rocks are born cool at the Earths surface, mostly under water. They usually consist of layers or strata; hence they are also called stratified rocks. Depending on what theyre made of, sedimentary rocks fall into one of three types. How to Tell Sedimentary Rocks The main thing about sedimentary rocks is that they were once sediment — mud and sand and gravel and clay — and were not greatly changed as they turned into rock. The following traits are all related to that. Theyre generally arranged in layers of sandy or clayey material (strata) like those youll see in excavations or a hole dug in a sand dune.Theyre usually the color of sediment, that is, light brown to light gray.They may preserve signs of life and surface activity, like fossils, tracks, ripple marks and so on. Clastic Sedimentary Rocks The most common set of sedimentary rocks consists of the granular materials that occur in sediment. Sediment mostly consists of surface minerals  Ã¢â‚¬â€ quartz and clays — that are made by the physical breakdown and chemical alteration of rocks. These are carried away by water or the  wind and laid down in a different place. Sediment may also include pieces of stones and shells and other objects, not just grains of pure minerals. Geologists use the word clasts to denote particles of all these kinds, and rocks made of clasts are called clastic rocks. Look around you at where the worlds clastic sediment goes: sand and mud are carried down rivers to the sea, mostly. Sand is made of quartz, and mud is made of clay minerals. As these sediments are steadily buried over geologic time, they get packed together under pressure and low heat, not much more than 100 C. In these conditions the sediment is cemented into rock: sand becomes sandstone and clay become  shale. If gravel or pebbles are part of the sediment, the rock that forms is conglomerate. If the rock is broken and recemented together, it is called breccia. Its worth noting that some rocks commonly lumped in the igneous category are actually sedimentary. Tuff is consolidated ash that has fallen from the air in volcanic eruptions, making it just as sedimentary as a marine claystone. There is some movement in the profession to recognize this truth. Organic Sedimentary Rocks Another type of sediment actually arises in the sea as microscopic organisms — plankton — build shells out of dissolved calcium carbonate or silica. Dead plankton steadily shower their dust-sized shells onto the seafloor, where they accumulate in thick layers. That material turns to two more rock types, limestone (carbonate) and chert (silica). These are called organic sedimentary rocks, although theyre not made of organic material as a chemist would define it. Another type of sediment forms where dead plant material builds up into thick layers. With a small degree of compaction, this becomes peat; after much longer and deeper burial, it becomes coal. Coal and peat are organic in both the geological and the chemical sense. Although peat is forming in parts of the world today, the great beds of coal that we mine formed during past ages in enormous swamps. There are no coal swamps around today  because conditions do not favor them. The sea needs to be much higher. Most of the time, geologically speaking, the sea is hundreds of meters higher than today, and most of the continents are shallow seas. Thats why we have sandstone, limestone, shale and coal over most of the central United States and elsewhere on the worlds continents. (Sedimentary rocks also become exposed when the land rises. This is common around the edges of the Earths lithospheric plates. Chemical Sedimentary Rocks These same ancient shallow seas sometimes allowed large areas to become isolated and begin drying up. In that setting, as the seawater grows more concentrated, minerals begin to come out of solution (precipitate), starting with calcite, then gypsum, then halite. The resulting rocks are certain limestones, gypsum rock, and rock salt respectively. These rocks, called the evaporite sequence, are also part of the sedimentary clan. In some cases, chert can also form by precipitation. This usually happens below the sediment surface, where different fluids can circulate and interact chemically. Diagenesis: Underground Changes All kinds of sedimentary rocks are subject to further changes during their stay underground. Fluids may penetrate them and change their chemistry; low temperatures and moderate pressures may change some of the minerals into other minerals. These processes, which are gentle and do not deform the rocks, are called diagenesis as opposed to metamorphism (although there is no well-defined boundary between the two). The most important types of diagenesis involve the formation of dolomite mineralization in limestones, the formation of petroleum and of higher grades of coal, and the formation of many types of ore bodies. The industrially important zeolite minerals also form by diagenetic processes. Sedimentary Rocks Are Stories You can see that each type of sedimentary rock has a story behind it. The beauty of sedimentary rocks is that their strata are full of clues to what the past world was like. Those clues might be fossils or sedimentary structures such as marks left by water currents, mud cracks or more subtle features seen under the microscope or in the lab. From these clues we know that most sedimentary rocks are of marine origin, usually forming in shallow seas. But some sedimentary rocks formed on land: clastic rocks made on the bottoms of large freshwater lakes or as accumulations of desert sand, organic rocks in peat bogs or lake beds, and evaporites in playas. These are called continental or terrigenous (land-formed) sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks are rich in geologic history of a special kind. While igneous and metamorphic rocks also have stories, they involve the deep Earth and require intensive work to decipher. But in sedimentary rocks, you can recognize, in very direct ways, what the world  was like in the geologic past.

Sympathy for Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay

Sympathy for Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth The sympathy that we have for Macbeth changes greatly as the play progresses. This is due mainly to the role that the other characters, mainly Lady Macbeth, play in influencing his thoughts and decisions. In some cases he seems powerless to stop a chain of events, like the witches prophecies, and at other times just to weak to resist the evil temptations. In this essay I will determine how and why our sympathy for Macbeth changes during the course of the play. Our first impressions of Macbeth are from the descriptions that we get of him from other characters at the beginning of the play. For example the captain calls him Brave Macbeth, and†¦show more content†¦However before the close of the scene he comes to an agreement with himself that he will not go out of his way in order to become King of Scotland, If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me/Without my stir. During this scene we learn about Macbeths possible motives. Would he have ever thought that he could become King, let alone murdering the King, or is it the witches who start off the whole process of Duncans murder? Initially it is Macbeth that comes up with the idea. I think that the witches appeal to what Macbeth wants to believe, they do not tell him what to think and never tell him how any of their prophecies will come true. They are not the origin of the idea of the murder, they may be appealing to that idea, but they never create it. The witches appear again in the play when Macbeth seeks them out in Act IV and they give him three new prophecies. These prophecies appeal to Macbeths train of thought. He feels that he is safe if he acts on his desires, as a wood cannot move and a man has to be born of a woman. Again these prophecies do not offer any instructions about what Macbeth should to do. I believe that however much the witches seem to be connected with Macbeths change of heart, they cannot be blamed for controlling him. 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But can this title be given to Macbeth, the titular hero of the Shakespeare play by the same name? Yes, absolutely- Shakespeare’s Macbeth follo ws this plot path in numerous ways. Throughout the play, we are introduced to Macbeth’s belovedness, the crushing of said established belovedness, and his own undoing. Initially, Macbeth is introduced to the play as a noble war hero withRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth749 Words   |  3 Pages1. Macbeth, the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, suffers from the fatal flaws of insecurity and indecision, allowing him to easily be manipulated, which causes the audience to feel sympathetic toward him. After Macbeth has heard the prophecy from the three witches and he has been named thane of Cawdor, he is led to a strong internal conflict: â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair†¦ / Shakes so my single state of man that function / is smother’dRead MoreEssay about Evil in William Shakespeares Macbeth755 Words   |  4 PagesEvil in William Shakespeares Macbeth Evil. It is a word that has been used for hundreds of years, yet the meaning is ones interpretation of what is evil. The criteria for an evil act have changed over the years also. My interpretation of evil is a very bad or ill act against a person, animal or God. Macbeth, dead butcher and evil man? This essay will discuss this question. 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A Religious Appearance Of Creationism - 985 Words

The approach of change is at allowance with the angle of abounding religions, and many humans wish to acquiesce a religious appearance of creationism to be accomplished in the public academy system. The foundation of change is based aloft the accepting that the agent of all ordered circuitous systems, including active creatures, can be explained by accustomed laws after the admission or action of God. A person who believes in the biblical archetypal of conception is beheld by some non- believers as a naive, bigoted religious activist who is not accommodating to look at the appreciable affirmation with an accessible mind. Because the evolutionary abstraction of origins has been so broadly accustomed by the accurate community, abounding people have articular that the conception archetypal should be absolutely alone without fairly analytical its claims. Even abounding Christians who acquire abysmal assurance and faith in the Bible acquire never absolutely accustomed the claims of the conception account (McLean 11). Over the accomplished several years, a abundant accord of altercation surrounding the creation-evolution activity has been generated by scientists who acquire based their claims on the conception archetypal and acquire been accommodating to let their reputations stand. Creationists acquire aboveboard requested that if the altercation of origins occurs in the accessible academy system, both the archetypal of conception and change be presentedShow MoreRelatedCreationism And Evolutionism887 Words   |  4 Pages Creationism Vs Evolutionism The debate between creationism and evolutionism has been a topic of discussion by scientists and religious believers since the 19th century. Since the very first religion such as Hinduism and all that came after, there has been the belief of a higher being, a divine creation more powerful than humans of which has created the world of that we live in. Until 1859, Sir Charles Darwin’s book â€Å"On the Origin of Species† introduced and described a theory based solely onRead MoreThe Louisiana Science Education Act Essay1728 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States, evolution and creationism remain a controversial issue as far as which method should stay in science classes across the globe. How was the earth created? How were humans created? These are questions that arise in most science classes. Many students require an explanation of why people exist. There are those who would oppose evolution, and there are those who oppose creationism. Is there a significant differe nce between these methods? Several states have passed regulations thatRead MoreScience And Religion : A Very Short Introduction1198 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Darwin and Evolution† and â€Å"Creationism and Intelligent Design,† Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction (pp. 58-103) by Thomas Dixon The author, Thomas Dixon explains Evolution and creationism in separate chapters in his book, â€Å"Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction.† The evolution chapter talks about the history of Charles Darwin’s evolution, its challenges of the root of all living creatures as started in the Bible and it effect it has brought in American society. In the chapterRead MoreThe Shape And Thickness Of Intertidal Snail Littorina Obtusata1491 Words   |  6 Pagescentury and those of 1982-1984 were indeed not due to speciation but rather due to the correlation of the appearance and predation of Carcinus maenas. These studies has statistically significant evidence to support the hypothesis that the change in L. obtusata shell morphology was due to natural selection in response to the predation of C. maenas. â€Æ' In several failed attempts, Creationism has emerged on the surface of past and present history in the effort of challenging the scientific theory ofRead MoreThe Creationism Question Essay1829 Words   |  8 PagesIn a historical context, creationism versus the theory of evolution has always been a hotly contested subject, one of the major breakthroughs being when Darwin publicized his theory of evolution. When Darwin published his theory of evolution in 1859, his book was considered a major technological breakthrough at that time. The seeming â€Å"proof† that a God didn’t exist created a catalyst, where creationism was replaced with an almost atheism, because the existence of evolution counteracted society’sRead MoreInherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee901 Words   |  4 Pagessmall town politics. Lawrence and Lee do an exceptional job representing and setting the scene of this town by painting the history of the play’s main characters. They make a strong point about the lack of strayed opinion as everyone is primarily religious in views and science is taught according to the bible. In a sense it is wrong for one to have a mind or speak about views that clash with what has been widely accepted in Hillsboro. Drummond is a notorious criminal defense lawyer who openly voicesRead MoreEssay on Creation’s Contest with Evolution2006 Words   |  9 Pagesthe largest controversies in todays public school systems: should creationism still be taught in public schools? In the trial, Clarence Darrow argued that teaching creationism in public schools defies the separation of church and state (which is pulled from the first amendment). Darrow moved on to say that evolution does not disobey the first amendment. The trial denied all public schools the right to teach creationism-a belief that humans were created by a higher being-although evolutionRead More Charles Darwin Essay479 Words   |  2 Pagesupcoming theories when he began an expedition trip to the Galapagos Islands of South America. While studying there, he discovered that each island had its own type of plant and animal species. Although these plants and animals were similar in appearance, they had other characteristics that made them differ from one another and seem to not appear as similar. Darwin questioned why these plants and animals were on these islands and why they are different in ways. Darwin’s observationsRead MorePhilip Kitcher s Article Believing Where We Can Not Prove1882 Words   |  8 PagesUnited States around 1870, declined for the majority of the twentieth century, and has revived since the 1970s. Pragmatism attempts to combine empirical views with religious views. The problem faced by early pragmatists was that the full extent of what was offered was â€Å"an empirical philosophy that [was] not religious enough and a religious philosophy that [was] not empirical enough.† William James, a classical pragmatist, claims that this ideology is important because it provides a way of overcomingRead MoreUS Government: Practicing Beliefs or Instrumenting Coercion?1610 Words   |  7 Pagesschool curriculum is unable to accommodate every child’s religious needs or offer the same amount of coverage to each religion represented in America. If parents feel as though the instruction of religion is such a pivotal aspect that should be in their child’s life then perhaps a private school that is tailormade to teach and interpret religious aspects would be better suitable. The principle of religious neutrality forbids schools to give religious objectors a substitute that is, from a secular perspective

CHARACTERIZATION Essay Example For Students

CHARACTERIZATION Essay The main characters of Dostoevskys novel The Brothers Karamazov are, as the title suggests, the members of the Karamazov family, if it can indeed be called such. The only things that the members of this family share are a name and the Karamazov curse, a legacy of base impulses and voluptuous lust. References to this tendency towards immorality are sprinkled heavily throughout the novel; phrases such as a brazen brow and a Karamazov conscience, voluptuary streak, and Karamazovian baseness abound. Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, the father of the brothers Karamazov, is the embodiment and the source of this immorality. In him Dostoevsky creates such perversity and depravity that one can feel no positive emotions for the man. His physical appearancehe is flabby with small, suspicious eyes and a long, cavernous mouth with puffy lips, behind which could be glimpsed small fragments of black teethaccurately reflects his foul, disgusting character. He has no respect for himself; he enjoys playing the part of the shameless buffoon for attention, even though the attention he receives is negative. Because he has no respect for himself, he can have no respect for others, either. He has no respect for women, for example; he is a despicable voluptuary, and he satisfies his lust at any cost. He drives his wife to madness by bringing women of ill-repute into their house right in front of her. Even more shockingly, he rapes a mentally retarded woman, who later dies giving birth to his illegitimat e son, Smerdyakov, who grows up as his fathers servant.Fyodor is even more blatantly disrespectful to his three legitimate children.After his wifes death, he abandons them, for they would have been a hindrance to his debaucheries. He is never a true father to any of them. When his oldest son, Dmitry, becomes an adult, Fyodor is even so cruel as to deny Dmitry his inheritance and instead use the money to seduce Grushenka, with whom his son is in love. It is Alyosha, the youngest brother, that is most successful in escaping the curse of the Karamazovs. Miraculously, he is almost the complete opposite of his father; he is an easygoing lover of mankind whom everyone likes. When the reader first meets Alyosha, he is a young monk of strong faith, a disciple of the Elder Zosima; he is the embodiment of Zosimas teachings that one must love man unconditionally and not condemn mans actions. Indeed, Alyosha treats everyone he meets with respect and love, and consequently everyone responds to h im in the same way. He tolerates anything without censure, even the filthy lewdness of his father. As a result, even his father grows to be sincerely fond of him.Alyosha plays the role of the mediator in the novel. Dostoevsky deliberately creates Alyosha as a static character who undergoes few changes, and, therefore, he is the stable, solid character around whom the conflicts of the novel unfold. He moves in and out of these various conflicts and attempts to ameliorate the existing tensions and solve the problems. And, indeed, the other characters open up to him and trust him because of his refusal to judge them and their actions. Alyosha is not a Christ figure, however, nor is he a mere holy fool. He is, in fact, a real Karamazov , and he has more credibility as a mediator because as a Karamazov, he knows and understands the lowest depths of the soul. The ability that he has to understand the depravity inherent in man gives him, and therefore the reader, great insights into the personalities and motives of the other characters. For example, it is Alyosha that guesses that Katerina Ivanovna does not truly love Dmitry, and that she acts out this false love only so that she can, out of pride, observe her heroic sacrifice of faithfulness and reproach Dmitry for his unfaithfulness. Dostoevsky uses Alyoshas insights into the minds of others as a unique way by which to develop his characters. Ivan, the second youngest of the brothers, is much different from both Fyodor and Alyosha. Ivan is a cold and haughty yet brilliant man incapable of forming lasting relationships with anyone; his intellect is the only thing he values. He rarely talks to anyone about anything but his ideas; he is, as Dostoevsky describes him, a man who needs nothing but the resolution of his ideas. As Dostoevsky develops Ivans character, however, one sees that it is his intellect, the very thing that he most prizes, that is the cause of anguish and eventual madness. Ivan, unlike Alyosha, does change in the course of the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Ivan, although he is a self-proclaimed atheist, is struggling with conflicting views about God. He struggles with this interior conflict during the entire course of the novel, and his inability to resolve it causes him to slowly change from a rational, albeit confused, man to an incoherent, delirious one. At the end of the novel, at Dmitrys trial, Ivan is so deranged that he has to be dragged out of the courtroom, kicking and fighting and howling with a loud voice. After the courtroom scene Ivan immediately comes down with a severe fever, and he lays in a state of unconsciousness for the remainder of the novel. Dostoevsky ultimately leaves Ivans fate unresolved. It is Dmitry, the oldest of the brothers, that is, in a way, the central character of the novel. Dostoevsky creates in Dmitry a dual character that is the most complex of all of the major characters, and therefore the most human. Dmitry is the brother most driven by the Karamazovian virtues of unrestraint and depravity. At the same time, however, Dmitry is an honorable man capable of the noblest of impulses. This duality in character is summed up in his conflict between his reverence for his betrothed, Katerina Ivanovna, a noble, beautiful, educated girl, and his passion for Grushenka, a woman of questionable morals. Several of Dmitrys actions as well help to develop his paradoxical character. For example, when Dmitry first meets Katerina, she is in desperate need of money; Dmitrys first thought is to use money to seduce her. When Katerina comes to collect the money, however, Dmitrys sense of honor causes him to simply give her the money along with a reverential and most heartfelt bo w. Mountains EssayTHEMEOne of the major themes of The Brothers Karamazov is the idea that life without God can only lead to destruction. Dostoevsky develops the theme largely through the description of Ivans struggle between acceptance and renunciation of God; Ivan is, in fact, a representation of the Western world, which has dealt with the same struggle for centuries. Ivan believes that mans suffering and unhappiness are caused by the freedom that God gave him to choose between material objects and heavenly rewards. Most men cannot differentiate between material objects and life, however, and thus the decision torments them. Ivan, therefore, believes that man should establish a state of government akin to socialism, in which God is abolished and in which obedience and material wealth are emphasized; the government would, in other words, take away the freedom which so torments man and reinforce the belief that material wealth is, indeed, life. Dostoevsky warns, however, that a mans renunciation of God will eventually destroy him. He may be made falsely happy, for a while, but he will soon realize, as Ivan does, that without God there can be no virtue. He will both descend into madness and despair, as Ivan does, and destroy himself and others, as Smerdyakov does. Dostoevsky emphasizes that it is only those that decide to live for God, as Dmitry eventually does, that can truly be happy. Dmitrys unhappiness and despair throughout much of the novel stems from his preoccupation with material objects, especially money. It is largely because of this preoccupation that he commits the immoral actions that he does. It is only at the end of the book, when he renounces his past sins, accepts God, and begins to live for Him that he becomes truly happy. He realizes that he may now rise up in joy, for his soul has been brought from the den of thieves into the light. POINT OF VIEWThe point of view of The Brothers Karamazov is that of an impartial, omniscient narrator, a narrator that is never developed as a character in the novel. Dostoevsky uses the omniscient point of view out of necessity; for the reader to truly comprehend Dostoevskys ideas, the reader must know every characters perception of every aspect of the novel, not merely the perceptions of one character. If Dostoevsky had, for example, written the novel from the point of view of Alyosha, the novel would have lost a great deal of its meaning. The reader would not have been able to so clearly comprehend the inner conflict with which Ivan struggles, for example, and thus the reader would probably overlook one of Dostoevskys major themes. It is also important that Dostoevsky uses a first person omniscient point of viewthat is, an omniscient narratorrather than a third person omniscient point of view. Although Dostoevsky never develops his narrator, the narrator still serves to draw the reader into the novel. The narrator establishes a familiarity with the reader and puts the reader at ease. Additionally, the narrator tells the story excitedly and sometimes almost impatiently; he is constantly getting ahead of himself in his impatience to tell the story. The reader, whether he knows it or not, adopts this excitement himself, and thus becomes more eager to learn the outcome of the story. SETTING AND ATMOSPHEREDostoevsky purposely reveals little about the basic setting of the novel. He merely reveals that the story takes place in a relatively small provincial town in Russia, and he forces the reader to infer the time period in which it is set from his descriptions of historical events. Dostoevsky deliberately describes his setting vaguely in order to emphasize that the themes and ideas of the novel are so universal that they transcend time and place. Although Dostoevsky reveals almost nothing about the setting of the novel, he is still able to develop an almost tangible atmosphere of tension and tragedy through his choice of words. Dostoevsky establishes the atmosphere in the first sentence of the novel; he states that Fyodor Karamazov is to die a tragic and fishy death. He reinforces the uneasy, dire atmosphere throughout the novel with subtle yet descriptive phrases; he says several times, for example, that a catastrophe is about to occur, and that the Karamazov household reeks of foul play. The words and actions of the characters exude anxiousness and despair as well, and therefore help to contribute to the development of the tense and oppressive atmosphere. Dmitrys impassioned vows that he will kill his father, for example, serves to heighten tenseness and suspense. Similarly, the scorn inherent in all of Ivans words and actions adds to the negativity of the atmosphere. STYLEDostoevskys style is very realistic and straightforward. He almost never uses flowery or poetic language or figures of speech; his language is simple and spare, as if he tried to eliminate all that wasnt absolutely necessary. Similarly, he is unpretentious in his choice of words. He generally states things in the simplest terms possible. Contrastingly, however, his sentences are often fairly complex; despite their complexity, though, they are easy to understand and thus do not detract from his simplicity and straightforwardness. Because the book consists largely of dialogue, Dostoevsky changes his style frequently, for each of his characters has a unique style of speaking that complements his character. Dostoevsky writes Ivans dialogue, for example, in a very verbose, complex style that reinforces Ivans characterization as an intellectual. He writes Dmitrys dialogue in a very random, disjointed style that underscores Dmitrys tendency to allow his passion and his emotions to cloud his logic. Finally, he writes Alyoshas dialogue in a simple style very similar to his own, as Alyosha is himself simple and unpretentious.O