Oedipus's prophecy began when Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, enraged the god Apollo by killing Apollo's favorite snake. Because of Cadmus's kill, his descendants are forced to live under a curse. Thus, a prophecy states that the son of Laius, the current king of Thebes, will kill his father and marry his mother.

Socrates proves to his audience that humans have no control over their fate by showing multiple failed attempts of people trying to prevent Oedipus's horrible prophecy from coming true. First, Laius simply tries to kill his son by asking one of his servants to leave the baby at Mt. Cithaeron to die. Unfortunately, his attempt at avoiding fate is useless when his servant pities the infant and takes him into a caring family elsewhere.

Once one discovers what his or her destiny will be, he or she will waste time, trying to avoid the impossible. When Oedipus himself finds out about his awful future, he flees Corinth, the city where his parents supposedly are staying. Without realizing his poor decision, he comes into a messy situation with his unfamiliar father. Long after this event, he speaks with Jocasta, his wife and mother about his realization: “I was in that place where three roads meet…the man in front, and the old one, ordered me out of the path. I refused…I killed him. I killed them all…I am the one for whom my curse was meant!” (19). By this time, Oedipus has already reached the point where his prophecy is complete. After declaring vengeance for his father, he finally realizes that he has cursed himself. Therefore, Oedipus's discovery of his fate turned against him.

Free will has no effect on fate, according to Sophocles's play. In fact, one's discovery of his or fate only does destruction. Because Oedipus tries to avoid his fate, he realizes that he helped “accomplish” it when it was too late.

He's really good-looking. I didn't really realize that. I saw him once on an “I Love Lucy” show. It was in black and white. He looked older there. Maybe he was.

Anyway, you know, sometimes I think we wish someone new, or something new would drift right into our lives, and make radical changes. Good, but radical changes. Maybe we just need a push in the right direction. Sometimes, any direction would do, just something different. We need to feel alive in many ways.

I guess I need to go to a “picnic” and look for that drifter to come my way.

 

Governance and Maintenance

During the Anthem story, the society met the needs of government and maintenance, but it wasn't a quality government where people can express themselves. The only reason that the government could work in such a society is because the people have not experienced a different one and so when they are born into a society like this, they can't do much about it. The whole system of the government picking the jobs and the government deciding basically everything that happens in your life is something that really makes you feel that you're being totally controlled. The people in that kind of society are brainwashed in a sense because they don't know a life of individuality and a life of freedom. I guess that the society met the needs of government, but the government that was established was one that did not improve upon society, but rather held it back.

When Equality 7-2521 went to see what job they would get they were assigned street sweeper, “for the lips of the oldest did not move as they said: "Street Sweeper"”(26). This is a specific example and it shows how society meets the government's needs. The government established was controlling everything that was going on. Everyone has to be satisfied with what they do because the government controls everything and that's how this collective society decided to meet the needs of a government system. Also, the response to whatever job that a person received was “The will of our brothers be done” (25). This doesn't make sense because they call each other brothers even though it is very obvious that the council members that are giving the jobs have a position of power so not everyone is exactly equal although they call each other equals.

This government system reflects the value of everyone being equal. Even though the people have no choice in what they are to do, everyone needs to be happy with it and satisfied with it because it is for the greater good of that society. So the society values everyone being equal, and I would think that most individuals don't value that, but they have to just because the society does. The government also reflects the value of obedience, because in order to listen and to take every order that you receive without questioning it or without arguing is very hard to do. All the individuals need to be obedient towards the government and that is another value that the society has as a whole.

Education

I think that the collective society in Anthem chose a good way to meet the education needs of the society. Everyone learns what they need to learn in their ten years at the Home of the Students. It's a very organized system that I think should work out well. The only problem with this system is that learning too quick is a sin. If you learn quick, it should be counted as a blessing, but it's almost like the government is trying to control what the people learn so that no one can be better than another person. The education system that the society has come up with is a good one, but the fact that they reject quick learning is a horrible problem with the education.

The good part about the education system is that it's organized and everyone should be learning the same thing throughout the 10 years in the learning progress. “In the Home of the Students we arose when the big bell rang in the tower and we went to our beds when it rang again” (21). This passage tells me that the system was very effective and it was a good system that was established by the collective society. It's kind of like the education system that we have today only longer and without any kind of free time. The worst part of about it was that it was a bad trait to have a quick learning ability. “It was that the learning was too easy. This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick” (21).

The educational system of the collective society once again shows that the society as a whole values the fact that everyone should be equal. The story tells us that it is a sin to have a quick head which means that everyone should be at the same pace, no one should be any worse or any better than another single person. It shows that everyone isn't actually living for themselves, but for the society. This educational system also shows that the society values intellect, because everyone is constantly learning from the morning until the night and that's a lot of learning. Even though quick learning is a sin, the society still values education because the educational system puts a lot of time and effort into it.

Recreation

The collective society did not meet the needs of recreation because there were very few examples of recreational activities in the story. The one example that they had was the social recreation time at the end of the day. It's always a theatre play and it's always about the same thing. This definitely does not meet the needs of recreation because recreation is a time where individuals can have fun and enjoy themselves, not a place where you sit and watch a play everyday.

“Then the bell rings and we walk in a straight column to the City Theatre for three hours of Social Recreation. There a play is shown upon the stage, with two great choruses from the Home of the Actors, which speak and answer all together, in two great voices” (28). Although this is a long quote, it really shows that there is no difference in recreation everyday. At the end of the day it's always the same thing, by the same people and there is no possible way that anybody can enjoy themselves every single day like this. Recreation is about the individual having fun and in this collective society, there was no such thing so the needs of recreation was not met.

Once again, recreation shows the value of everyone being equal. The actors all speak and answer together, in two great voices it says. There is no individualism in that, it's all a group effort and something that is completely based on society. This type of recreation also shows that they don't really value variety. Everyday, everybody does the same exact thing, watching the same exact things, eating the same exact things. There is absolutely no difference in anyone's lives because no one really values change in this collective society.

I seen him on an interview and his son makes $85 an hour making cookies. (They must be really good cookies) I gave this book a ten out of ten. Not only was there very great ideas to help your son or daughter become great businesspeople, but really inspiring stories about his one life. Funny ones too.

I'm not sure about the total shelf price of this book but whatever the cost get it. I know after the first few chapters you'd wish you would have done these things in the beginning of your parenthood. I think that Troy Dunn has made more young millionaires then anyone else has.

He also talks about how college isn't the only path to getting a good job and being above average in the money world. He also goes over how you can make a job and or business that is not only highly rewarding but also fun for you to do. You and your kids.

I hope you give this book a chance. I'm sure glad I did. Thank you for reading.

John M. Richardson, Jr. once said, “When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened” In the short story “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells, we see what the future could be like if we as humans do not change our capitalistic way of life. Wells' main character, the Time Traveler, discovers that humanity evolves differently physically, socially, and intellectually into the Eloi and the Morlock because of the wide and unjust division between the upper and lower classes of society.

The division between the upper and lower classes of society lead the Eloi and the Morlock to develop differently physically. This can be seen when the Time Traveler comments on the Eloi's distinctive looks, “Their hair, which was uniformly curly, came to a sharp end at the neck and cheek…” (Wells 245). This observation shows that the Capitalists, or upper class, have evolved into curly haired humans. On the contrary, the Time Traveler describes the Morlocks, “…I saw a solitary white, ape-like creature running rather quickly…” (Wells 267). This description shows that the Labourers, or lower class, have evolved in to fast white apes far superior to the Eloi. The assumption can be made that due to the upper and lower class division, the Morlock have evolved into a separate species from the Eloi and dominate them. Thus, the separation of the classes changed the human species.

Socially, the Eloi and the Morlock develop differently due to the division between the upper and lower classes. This can be seen when the Time Traveler descirbes Weena, an Eloi, “[Weena] was exactly like a child.” (Wells 266). This observation shows how the Eloi do not understand basic human concepts above a child's level of understanding. The Time Traveler then goes on to relate the social differences to the division of the classes, “…social difference between the Capitalist and the Labourer was the key to the whole position.” (Wells 272). This remark shows that the Time Traveler understands why and how the human race developed into two separate species. The Time Traveler was clearly a smart man.

The Eloi and the Morlock develop differently intellectually because of the upper and lower class division. This is seen when the Time Traveler remarks on Weena's character, “But [Weena] dreaded the dark, dreaded shadows, dreaded black things.” (Wells 266). This comment shows that Weena, and all Elois, fear the dark, but do not have the intellect to understand why they fear it. What Wells is trying to say is that the Eloi are stupid, plain and simple. The Time Traveler goes on to comment on the Morlocks mating habits, “The male pursued the female, flinging flowers at her as she ran.” (Wells 271). This depiction of the Morlock shows that they are much smarter than the Elois because they know how to get a girl. Clearly, the Morlock are far superior in all aspects of superiority.

To conclude, through the characterization of the Elois and the Morlocks, one can assume that they have evolved differently physically, socially, and intellectually because of the division of the classes. Thankfully, this would never really happen in only eight hundred thousand years.

Americans are beginning to evolve into the setting and characteristics found in the novel Fahrenheit 451. In the book, the main character, Montag, has a home that is described as having walls made up of large television screens. This is not far-fetched from what can be found now in most American family rooms. Our society enjoys large televisions with flat screens, which can be mounted right onto the wall. Above fireplaces where wedding photos or beautiful family portraits were once found, there are instead plasma television sets.

In the book Fahrenheit 451, a world is described where Americans cared less and less about the full news story and eventually desire just a headline. This is becoming more of the case in our society now. There is a popular news channel now called “Headline News” where a 30 second description of a story is normally splattered onto the screen before moving on to something else, as headlines run on the bottom of the screen with no real description. News headlines and blurbs are also available on the Internet on popular search engine sites such as Yahoo and Google where viewers can find a one-liner or video summarizing the event. Most people in this country do not receive their daily information from a newspaper, as they once did in the not so distant past. Now the majority of Americans receive their news through the Internet or television.

Electronic forms of entertainment, such as DVD players and video game systems, have also become a more well-liked past time than reading. Electronic entertainment has become so popular that many American households have memberships to clubs that will automatically send DVDs or video games in the mail to their homes. Many of the DVDs watched in the home are based on books that the viewers have never read. This just goes to show that Bradbury's description of the future where man was addicted to electronic forms of entertainment and did not desire the written word was not far from today's truth.

Through Cassandra, Bogan found her voice. Cassandra's isolation serves as a painful reminder of her being cut off from her poet-friends. During the 1930's a number of her poet-friends supported the left. Bogan refused to politicize her poetry. She believes art should be separated from politics. Art is a higher, more idealistic pursuit than politics. She sees her friends who deviated from that call as people who are weak both emotionally and intellectually.

Even before this perceived defection occurred, Bogan experienced a lot of personal battles which led to her depression. Her first marriage did not work and was forced to raise her daughter alone and penniless. Her second marriage also ended in divorce. The only consolation though is that during the 1920s to 30s when her marriage was in utter turmoil she wrote her finest pieces. Her struggles had brought forth her innermost emotions making her poems more effective.

Another parallelism in Cassandra and the poet's life lies in the fact that both did not choose the gift that sets them apart from other men. Bogan in her poetic genius is separated from society in the course of pursuing her art and work. A poet needs to be alone in order to stimulate creativity. Cassandra, on the other hand, because of the terrible burden she felt on the gift of vision, she feels ostracized by society. The author could see herself in Cassandra as she struggles to cope with the forces beyond her control. This is one of the fate they shared being visionaries.

Cassandra depicts the poet's own reservations about conforming to what is the common consensus. Bogan's reputation as a poet of reserve may present an ambiguous image on the innate furor of her own vision. Yet through poetry and particularly in Cassandra she chooses a more subtle means to express this non-conformist streak in her "song, like a wing, tears". Bogan through the depth of her language in Cassandra was probably expressing her capacity of being bold and different. This is probably where Cassandra is distant from the poet. Unlike Cassandra who openly expresses her woes, Bogan leads a very private life and refuses to divulge her inner struggles. She is more likely to keep her feelings to herself and not share it with others. She felt isolated from her poet-friends because of the non-conformist views she held. Cassandra is not afraid to bemoan her fate. She is probably the bolder self that the poet always wants to attain. In her, Bogan sees a more courageous version of herself which she unconsciously strives for.

Ironically, both strength and weakness lie at the root of Cassandra's gift of prophecy just like Bogan's gift of poetry. Cassandra is chosen for divinity yet not exempt from the crippling effect of suffering, strengthened with song but ignored by all. Yet from this same song she obtains her power. Bogan may felt that her poems isolated her from the women of her times and even to her poet-friends but ironically this same curse is the very gift that liberates her voice just like Cassandra.

They are the newest and most lifelike of android prototypes; they appear almost exactly like humans. At first Rick has no mental anguish at the idea of destroying these lifeless and hostile androids. The narrator points out: “Rick liked to think of them that way; it made his job palatable”(67). As the story continues though, Rick becomes connected to some of the androids. While hunting some of the androids Rick has a realization: “The shrill voice of the teacher penetrated all the rooms comprising the exhibit, and Rick thought, that's what you'd expect an andy to sound -and look- like. Instead of like Rachel Rosen and Luba Luft”(88). He begins to feel that the androids are no less lifelike than many humans, and he even has a romance with one of them. Rick continues to grapple with the thought of killing the androids: “I'm getting out of this business”(92), he says of bounty hunting . To him they appear to do no harm and only want to live a free and simple life. In the end, tempted by reward money and persuaded by a vision from Mercer (the leader of Mercerism, the philosophy by which people in the story live) Rick decides to destroy the remaining androids.

Philip K. Dick's book Do Anroids Dream of Electric Sheep? is filled with many excellent and interesting literary techniques and writing styles. It is written in the third person and details the actions and thoughts of the main character as well as describing those of other characters. Some of the story is told in the apartment of J.R. Isidore, the character who houses the last three fugitive androids. The descriptions of the events in his apartment shed light on the thoughts and feelings of the androids which I thought was very good way to provide another perspective of the story, although at times this created confusion.

Another interesting technique that Dick used was the purposeful use of mistakes. An example of this was the confusion of an android as a human being. “ He was silent then. Or rather it was silent”(83). This type of confusion was used several times in the book. Dick used allusions often as well. An example of this was a reference to Currier and Ives prints, well known artwork.

This book also contains lots of symbolism. The events in this story do not necessarily have one definite meaning. Much of what takes place, I think, is a representation of the authors ideas. He uses this story to get a point across to the reader. I will comment on the authors message in later sections of my report.

3. I chose to disscuss a passage in which Rick Deckard reveals what he thinks about the life of artificial animals. In doing this the passage also reveals the message of this book. Rick states: “I'll be okay. He shook his head, as if trying to clear it, still bewildered. The spider mercer gave the chickenhead, Isisdore; it probably was artificial,

too. But it doesn't matter. The electric things have their lives, too”(157-158). In this passage Rick makes clear the realization that he comes to after having hunted the eight androids. He realizes that the androids are no less complex or alive than any other humans. They look, think and have feelings just as other humans do. Rick's experiences with the androids lead him to believe that they are alive. This coincides with the message of the book. The author, through the character Rick, reveals that the androids are alive and also reveals the basis of the story, the definition of what life and being alive is.

4. I chose to discuss a passage in this book that reveals the fact that two identical models of android are different. Rick is having an affair with one of the androids; Rachel. The other is an android who Rick must retire. As Rick is about to make love to Rachel he realizes: “ Tonight sometime, he thought as he clicked off the bedside light, I will retire a nexus-6 which looks exactly like this naked girl. My good God, he thought; I've wound up where Phil Resch said. Got to bed with her first, then kill her. I cant do it, he said, and backed away from the bed” (128). Later in the book though, Rick does end up killing the other android. He realizes that even though Rachel and the other android are the same model they are different because of their experiences. The things they did made them different to Rick. This made me realize something about human beings: In the same way that the androids are the same model, we are all humans. Our experiences and accomplishments are what separate us.

5. Before I read this book I did not enjoy science fiction and after having read it I like science fiction even less. It was not that it was terribly written, because it wasn't, it was that the story was stupid, even though I understand much of it was symbolic. I found the story very boring and insensible. I think in general I just don't like science fiction. I don't like things that aren't possible and have little application to my life.

The reason I chose to read this book was the fact that I saw it lying on my bookshelf one night and realized it was on the reading list. I read a little and didn't feel like finding another book, so I just stuck with it.

Contrary to what you might think I would actually recommend this book to another person, but only if they enjoy science fiction. Overall I would give this book a four out of ten. It was well written, and had some good symbolism but it was boring. I did not enjoy this book.

The time is the future because the book describes laws that haven't been made yet. Also, famines are world wide and food isn't well distributed in the future.

The conflict in Among the Hidden is man vs. society. Luke has to stay hidden because of the Population Law. The government said that families could only have two kids so the world would have enough food. Also, the government tries to make everyone go vegetarian because they think that it is healthier for you. The Population Police kills any third child they find so they can get paid. The only way shadow kids (third child) can avoid the government from killing them is to get a fake identity.

The problem is that Luke has to stay hidden for the rest of his life. If he is found the Population Police would kill him because he is a third child. He can't go to school or have a normal kid's life. All he does is sit in his room and wait. He can't even eat at his family's table. The solution to his problem is that he can get a fake identity, and live with another family.

Among the Hidden begins with Luke being called into the house because the forest is being cut down for the Barons. He now has to be very careful and never go outside. He can't even eat with his family. In the middle of the book, Luke's family is busier than ever. His mother got a job so they can pay taxes. Also, they had to give up their hogs so it wouldn't stink. Luke also found a vent in his room so he could look outside at the Barons homes. While watching the houses he sees a child's face in the Sports' Families window after all the family members left for their jobs. At the end of the book, Luke finds out that the face he saw was another third child.

This third child is a girl named Jennifer. She is courageous and she is smart. She introduces Luke to both views of the Population Law. Also, she told him about the rally of the shadow kids to try to overthrow the Population Law. Luke told her at the last minute that didn't want to go. Even though he didn't go, she said she is going. When she got to the rally, the Population Police shot her and the other forty shadow kids. When Luke found out about this, he found her father, told him who he was, and asked for a fake I.D. In the end, Luke goes with his new fake parents in which he will now have a normal life as Lee Grant.

The problem is that Matthias is at a Population Police base and he is an illegal shadow child. Matthias, Nina, and other shadow children are trying to sabotage the Population Police from the inside. Matthias was at a school, but then the Population Police come to the school to take all the school children away to a camp. When they put Matthias in a truck to take him to the camp, his friends named Percy and Alia, sit next to him. When they start going, Matthias pulls on his seatbelt and finds that it comes free. He finds a nail and starts trying to cut Percy and Alia's seatbelt off. He gets frustrated when they get close to the camp and shoves the nail into the wheel of the truck through a hole in the floor.

The wheel bursts and the truck falls into a ditch in a forest and a tree falls on the truck. Alia gets hurt but all the seatbelts come undone and Matthias grabs Alia and runs away from the truck with Percy. After a few days of hiking through the forest, they come to a cabin. Sadly Percy gets caught in the crossfire between the rebels and the Population Police. Percy gets shot in the leg, so then Matthias has to drag both of them to the cabin and finds a hidden room and puts them in it. He then sets off to find help for them. He finds Mr. Hendricks' home and gets help for Percy and Alia. Mr. Hendricks helps shadow children. When they get back to the cabin Percy and Alia are gone and Matthias believes they are dead. Then they hear gunfire and look out the window as a rebel is shooting at a group of Population Police officers from a tree. Matthias unwittingly saves an officers life and the officer takes him to a Population Police base.

The solution is Matthias finds a storehouse full of food and Mike helps him give the food away. Mike is another shadow child. Mike tricked the Population Police into handing had forms that said to go to the storehouse for food. There is also a room full of I.D.'s and fake I.D.'s. The Population Police have figured out a way to tell which I.D.'s are fake. To get into the storehouse of food they had to knock out the guard and put him in the attic. Mike and Matthias are planning to blow up the building so the Population Police can't figure out which I.D.'s are fake. But Matthias remembers the guard and rushes in to save him. Matthias has a hard time moving the guard and throws the guard down the stairs and out the door and then Matthias runs after him to get out. He gets out, but after the explosion people start, returning the food. People started to return the food because they were scared that the Population Police would hurt their families if they kept it.

If I was the author, I would change that the people start to return the

food. Instead, after the storehouse explodes, the people take the food back to their houses and share it with their families. I recommend this book for people who like fast paced stories. This was a great book.