The Epic of Sundiata Essays - 619 Words

The epic of Sundiata pertains to the ancient kingdom of Mali in Africa. The king there has two sons and multiple wives. Sundiata was set to have taken the throne being the first born son but suffered from an severely impairing illness that would prevent him to walk yet rule a kingdom. When their father, the king, died his second son took over the kingdom as king. He turned out to be an awful leader and treated his people and Sundiata terribly. Sundiata struggled immensely but was able to eventually beat his illness which was preventing him to walk. When the current king observed this, he felt very threatened and in retaliation stated that Sundiata and his mother were to be banished from the kingdom. Shortly after leaving they were accepted†¦show more content†¦As stated by the griot, Everywhere I was able to see and understand what my masters were teaching me, but between their hands I took an oath to teach only what is to be taught and to conceal what is to be kept conceale d†. The Prince is essentially a guide book on how to acquire and maintain political power. We can think of it as a collection of rules and methods to achieve a level of superior authority. Its main focus is that the ends—no matter how immoral—justify the means for preserving political authority. While some may agree with this mindset of thinking many today dismiss Machiavelli as a cynic. The book shows rulers how it is that they should act to survive in the real world to maintain authority. While Niccolo Machiavelli’s ideas can be radical, they helped to spark a revolution in political philosophy. Although his ideas might have not been completely original, they were very different and unheard of at the time, The Prince, was published. Machiavelli uses many methods to convey his messages including biblical comparisons and of course metaphors. This character can be viewed in several manners. He is almighty and powerful, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals or have his ways. While this quality does qualify him to be a might leader it also raises the question of immorality. How far will one go to maintain order? Would you stop at nothing to achieve this task? Machiavelli shows this by saying, â€Å"it isShow MoreRelatedsundiata an epic of old mali816 Words   |  4 Pagesmany other things, the epic is implicitly an exploration of what qualities define Sundiata as a hero, and by extension, what virtues are heroic. The most glaring is his strength. Even when he is crippled as a child and cannot walk, the boy has strong arms. But when he finally stands, he surprises everyone, bending an enormous rod to a bow and pulling a tree up by its roots. Another quality is his bravery, most clearly illuminated by his skill and grit in battle. But Sundiata has more than animal strengthRead MoreAnalysis and Commentary on The Epic of Sundiata685 Words   |  3 Pages The Epic of Sundiata The Epic of Sundiata is a tale about the ancient kingdom of Mali in Africa and the legendary king and founder of the Mali Empire told by Djeli Mamadou Kouyate a griot, which is equivalent to storyteller. Before the griot begins the story he introduces himself as a â€Å"master in the art of eloquence.† He explains how his family had played an important role in preserving the history of the Mali Empire. By serving the princes of the Mali Empire. He says a griots job is to protectRead More Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Essay1013 Words   |  5 PagesAfrican history, Sundiata, in D.T. Nianes book Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. This book has become an entertaining, yet scrutinized, source about the history of Mali and its surrounding areas. Much scrutiny of this tale comes from those who question the validity of the griots, though Mamadou Kouyate is quick to point out that [His] word is pure and free of all untruth; it is the word of [his] father...griots do not know what lyi ng is (Niane 1). If the context of the epic is true, then thereRead MoreSundiata: an Epic of Old Mali Essay858 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali†: A Character Analysis of Sundiata. Sundiata is an oral epic passed from griot to griot. D.T. Niane’s Sundiata contains many powerful characters. Throughout the story Niane uses the strength and weaknesses of his characters to show the importance of destiny and fate. The character that holds his name to the story, Sundiata, is the son of King Maghan Kon Katta and the â€Å"buffalo† woman. Sundiata was prophesized to be a great leader and to save the people of Mali. SundiataRead MoreSundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Vs. The Odyssey971 Words   |  4 PagesSundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Vs. The Odyssey The definition of an epic hero can be defined as one who is triumphant in some manner that reflects the idea of his/her culture. â€Å"Heroes have always dominated mythology, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, history, and literature. No culture seems to lack tales of human, superhuman, or god-like heroes who save the innocent from the wicked, conquer evil, and deliver the threatened and oppressed† (Shunnaq). Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and The Odyssey can beRead More Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali by Mamadou Kouyatà © 1068 Words   |  4 PagesSo in this book we are presented with an epic about a great King named Sundiata. We see that in those times griots were for the kings and for them to now were their ancestors came form so they know what it means to continue being a king. This book was brought from the words of a griot, so even in today’s society in Africa there are still griots around telling us stories and the epic such as the one we read in class this past week. Almost right into the book we see that a griot helps a king make discussionsRead MoreEssay about Sassouma Berete and Sogolon Kedjou in The Epic of Sundiata835 Words   |  4 PagesKedjou and Sassouma Bà ©rà ©tà © both had an impact on there sons life, their character traits were at different ends of the maternal spectrum. Despite minuscule similarities Sogolon Kedjou and Sassouma Bà ©rà ©tà © were depicted in direct contrast in the epic Sundiata. When comparing the two Sogolon Kedjou and Sassouma Berete both did what they thought would help to get their sons to become king. Sogolon knew everything that Sassouma was capable of doing to hurt her family, so she came up with the ideaRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Old Mali972 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis An Epic of Old Mali Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali was written by D.T. Niane and translated by G.C. Pickett. D.T. Niane was a historian who received this version of Sundiata’s epic from Djeli Mamoudou Kouyatà ©, a griot. In fact, there is not a true author for this epic due to the fact that it has been transmitted orally for many years. This epic justly showed the type of culture Africa had at the time taken place and has defined the type of people who use to reside there. Sundiata: an Epic of OldRead MoreSundiata Essay971 Words   |  4 Pages Epics Sundiata was written in Africa. Gilgamesh was the oldest one written. Other works include the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were written by the blind prophet Homer. What do all these works of literature have in common with each other? The similarity that all these works of literature have is that they are all epics. What does this mean? What is an epic? The definition of an epic is that an epic is a long, narrative poem with a hero that goes on a quest. What is the hero? Well, the characteristicsRead MoreThe Odyssey And Sundiat An Epic Of Old Mali1328 Words   |  6 Pagesinevitable or irresistible, course of events. (Google). Finally A journey is defined as an act of traveling from one place to another. (Google). While analyzing these two great epics I came across many similarities between the two main characters. In both epics The Odyssey and Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Odysseus and Sundiata embark on destined heroic conquest to fulfill their destiny. All throughout the two main characters quest, they encounter obstacles, and foes they must overcome in order to

Methods and Benfits of Recycling - 955 Words

Recycling is a method used to change waste materials into original resources to avoid waste of potentially beneficial resources. Utilization is a key factor of modern waste reduction and it is a substantial feature of the ‘Reduce’, ‘Reuse’, ‘Recycle’ waste hierarchy. Recycling is far more authoritative than most people are inclined to consider. The first rule of eulogy is that everything is connected. Sustainability is the main start of the environmental protection; it is about maintaining health and efficiency of the natural environment as well as the social environment as nature and society are critically interconnected. Sustainability is about families, communities and society as well as air, water and the earth. Everything that†¦show more content†¦The decline in resources used in Britain has faster since the economic crisis in 2008. There was a decrease in large materials use of 4 percent between 2000 and 2007. ‘In Europe, household energy consumption in 2009 was below the 2000 level.’ These enormous materials consumption numbers don’t incorporate the water needed to grow food and to run our households. Consistently we consume in this way about a hundred times our body weight in water. But household water use to have been on the decline in the most developed countries. In the U.S. it is down about 5 percent from the peak in the 1980, in the substantial part due to low-flush toilets. Brands have dependably been a guarantee of quality, value and addressing personal needs and this is the way they assemble loyalty, individuals need to reproduce previous good experiences and brands help them to do it effectively. In the future, this quality of experience will depend on helping individuals to comprehend and manage how much they consume, not just offering pleasure, efficacy and consistency. These brands are implications and practices of everyday life; they are the codes and conventions of the way we live our lives. As they do this, not only will they convey the great experiences we need, they will likewise help us to reduce waste, enhance our health and be more aware of our consumptions has on the world around us. These brands are high culture as they fulfil our necessary needs in thisShow MoreRelatedThe Liquor Control Board Of Ontario1950 Words   |  8 Pagestheir environmental damages and working to improve the conditions between trade and the environment. (LCBO 20 12) FOUR KEY FACTORS TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY WASTE MANAGEMENT The biggest component of their environmental initiatives is their Recycling program. Starting in 2007, they diverted 250 million beverage alcohol containers from being sent to landfills and eliminated 10 million kilograms of packaging waste. In 2008 they managed to reduce the use of plastic bag consumption by 80 million;

OK, Computer... free essay sample

I find it quite funny and quite straight how the album is titled OK Computer and now I sit in front of my laptop, ready to type this essay repeating the same words as if challenging this little machine. It was quite a surreal experience for something so usual and routine. I was lying in my bed, with my headphones on listening to music for either inspiration or recreation; it was one or the other, but usually they meld in just the same. I thought to myself, â€Å"Hey. The weather is perfect for this† and it would be trite of me to put the cliche it was a dark and stormy night, but it was: an excellent addition to the atmosphere. So I switched the track to the opening song of my favorite album, and I was lying in my bed, with my headphones on listening to OK Computer for the umpteenth time. We will write a custom essay sample on OK, Computer or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ive done this so many times, liveblogged it and gushed about it, yet tonight in the comfort of my bed, in the darkness beside the window with the gentle noise of pouring rain, my mind my sole company, it became quite surreal. I was listening, not hearing. My not-so-secret dream has always been to become a musician. My idealist teenager side says that I could be: just submit a couple of CDs to some record company and they would find me interesting, then soon enough Id be on the radio and touring the world, adding to that all the perks of being a world-famous musician! I smile to myself when I think about it, and start creating scenarios in my head where my pessimistic, realist self invades my dream and whispers something about a one-in-a-million chance of getting into the recording industry. Then my parents would ramble about a starving artist and soon enough, the smile from my face would be slapped away by reality, replaced by discouragement and a renewed fear for the future. Its quite juvenile of me to set my sights on a particular career path already, and it may not sound good that I have no idea what I want to do with my life yet, but I think it would be even worse if I did. I am but a sixteen year old girl who hasnt seen even a q uarter of what Earth and this life has to offer, but Ive thought about it for so many sleepless nights but I digress. Listening to this album made me want to pursue that dream again. Its not just the pure technicality of the music, but the unexplainable emotions I could feel through wavelengths and lyrics addressed to no one in particular. Would I even go so far to say that this album led me to question my existence and my standing in this world? Perhaps. And that may sound quite strange, but the strangest things, the little words can lead you to the most mind-boggling experiences. Or maybe Im just a truly inquisitive person, or a neurotic that over-analyzes everything, maybe even a lunatic unbeknownst to myself, or merely just the same as everyone else who doesnt know what she is in this life. My not-so-secret dream has always been to become a musician, and after that altering experience its not just for the perks but to inspire someones life, to make that person look deeper into the grand picture of reality through the lyrics spoken through headphones. Or, at the very least, provide a sublime experience when they put my album on and listen to it in the comfort of their bed, in the darkness beside the window with the gentle noise of pouring rain.