The Myth of Er From the Republic of Plato

The Myth of Er from Platos Republic tells the story of a soldier, Er, who is thought to be dead and descends to the underworld. But when he revives he is sent back to tell humanity what awaits them in the afterlife.    Er describes an afterlife where the just are rewarded and the wicked are punished. Souls are then reborn into a new body and a new life, and the new life they choose will reflect how they have lived in their previous life and the state of their soul at death.   The Myth of Er (Jowett Translation) Well, I said, I will tell you a tale; not one of the tales which Odysseus tells to the hero Alcinous, yet this too is a tale of a hero, Er the son of Armenius, a Pamphylian by birth. He was slain in battle, and ten days afterwards, when the bodies of the dead were taken up already in a state of corruption, his body was found unaffected by decay, and carried away home to be buried. And on the twelfth day, as he was lying on the funeral pile, he returned to life and told them what he had seen in the other world. He said that when his soul left the body he went on a journey with a great company, and that they came to a mysterious place at which there were two openings in the earth; they were near together, and over against them were two other openings in the heaven above. In the intermediate space there were judges seated, who commanded the just, after they had given judgment on them and had bound their sentences in front of them, to ascend by the heavenly way on the right hand; and in like manner the unjust were bidden by them to descend by the lower way on the left hand; these also bore the symbols of their deeds, but fastened on their backs. He drew near, and they told him that he was to be the messenger who would carry the report of the other world to men, and they bade him hear and see all that was to be heard and seen in that place. Then he beheld and saw on one side the souls departing at either opening of heaven and earth when sentence had been given on them; and at the two other openings other souls, some ascending out of the earth dusty and worn with travel, some descending out of heaven clean and bright. And arriving ever and anon they seemed to have come from a long journey, and they went forth with gladness into the meadow, where they encamped as at a festival; and those who knew one another embraced and conversed, the souls which came from earth curiously enquiring about the things above, and the souls which came from heaven about the things beneath. And they told one another of what had happened by the way, those from below weeping and sorrowing at the remembrance of the things which they had endured and seen in their journey beneath the earth (now the journey lasted a thousand years), while those from above were describing heavenly delights and visions of inconceivable beauty. The story, Glaucon, would take too long to tell; but the sum was this:—He said that for every wrong which they had done to any one they suffered tenfold; or once in a hundred years—such being reckoned to be the length of mans life, and the penalty being thus paid ten times in a thousand years. If, for example, there were any who had been the cause of many deaths, or had betrayed or enslaved cities or armies, or been guilty of any other evil behavior, for each and all of their offences they received punishment ten times over, and the rewards of beneficence and justice and holiness were in the same proportion. I need hardly repeat what he said concerning young children dying almost as soon as they were born. Of piety and impiety to gods and parents, and of murderers, there were retributions other and greater far which he described. He mentioned that he was present when one of the spirits asked another, Where is Ardiaeus the Great? (Now this Ardiaeus lived a thousand years before the time of Er: he had been the tyrant of some city of Pamphylia, and had murdered his aged father and his elder brother, and was said to have committed many other abominable crimes.) The answer of the other spirit was: He comes not hither and will never come. And this, said he, was one of the dreadful sights which we ourselves witnessed. We were at the mouth of the cavern, and, having completed all our experiences, were about to reascend, when of a sudden Ardiaeus appeared and several others, most of whom were tyrants; and there were also besides the tyrants private individuals who had been great criminals: they were just, as they fancied, about to return into the upper world, but the mouth, instead of admitting them, gave a roar, whenever any of these incurable sinners or some one who had not been sufficiently punished tried to ascend; and then wild men of fiery aspect, who were standing by and heard the sound, seized and carried them off; and Ardiaeus and others they bound head and foot and hand, and threw them down and flayed them with scourges, and dragged them along the road at the side, carding them on thorns like wool, and declaring to the passers-by what were their crimes, and that they were being taken away to be cast into hell. And of all the many terrors which they had endured, he said that there was none like the terror which each of them felt at that moment, lest they should hear the voice; and when there was silence, one by one they ascended with exceeding joy. These, said Er, were the penalties and retributions, and there were blessings as great. Now when the spirits which were in the meadow had tarried seven days, on the eighth they were obliged to proceed on their journey, and, on the fourth day after, he said that they came to a place where they could see from above a line of light, straight as a column, extending right through the whole heaven and through the earth, in colour resembling the rainbow, only brighter and purer; another days journey brought them to the place, and there, in the midst of the light, they saw the ends of the chains of heaven let down from above: for this light is the belt of heaven, and holds together the circle of the universe, like the under-girders of a trireme. From these ends is extended the spindle of Necessity, on which all the revolutions turn. The shaft and hook of this spindle are made of steel, and the whorl is made partly of steel and also partly of other materials. Now the whorl is in form like the whorl used on earth; and the description of it implied that there is one large hollow whorl which is quite scooped out, and into this is fitted another lesser one, and another, and another, and four others, making eight in all, like vessels which fit into one another; the whorls show their edges on the upper side, and on their lower side all together form one continuous whorl. This is pierced by the spindle, which is driven home through the centre of the eighth. The first and outermost whorl has the rim broadest, and the seven inner whorls are narrower, in the following proportions—the sixth is next to the first in size, the fourth next to the sixth; then comes the eighth; the seventh is fifth, the fifth is sixth, the third is seventh, last and eighth comes the second. The largest (or fixed stars) is spangled, and the seventh (or sun) is brightest; the eighth (or moon) coloured by the reflected light of the seventh; the second and fifth (Saturn and Mercury) are in colour like one another, and yellower than the preceding; the third (Venus) has the whitest light; the fourth (Mars) is reddish; the sixth (Jupiter) is in whiteness second. Now the whole spindle has the same motion; but, as the whole revolves in one direction, the seven inner circles move slowly in the other, and of these the swiftest is the eighth; next in swiftness are the seventh, sixth, and fifth, which move together; third in swiftness appeared to move according to the law of this reversed motion the fourth; the third appeared fourth and the second fifth. The spindle turns on the knees of Necessity; and on the upper surface of each circle is a siren, who goes round with them, hymning a single tone or note. The eight together form one harmony; and round about, at equal intervals, there is another band, three in number, each sitting upon her throne: these are the Fates, daughters of Necessity, who are clothed in white robes and have chaplets upon their heads, Lachesis and Clotho and Atropos, who accompany with their voices the harmony of the sirens—Lachesis singing of the past, Clotho of the present, Atropos of the future; Clotho from time to time assisting with a touch of her right hand the revolution of the outer circle of the whorl or spindle, and Atropos with her left hand touching and guiding the inner ones, and Lachesis laying hold of either in turn, first with one hand and then with the other. When Er and the spirits arrived, their duty was to go at once to Lachesis; but first of all there came a prophet who arranged them in order; then he took from the knees of Lachesis lots and samples of lives, and having mounted a high pulpit, spoke as follows: Hear the word of Lachesis, the daughter of Necessity. Mortal souls, behold a new cycle of life and mortality. Your genius will not be allotted to you, but you will choose your genius; and let him who draws the first lot have the first choice, and the life which he chooses shall be his destiny. Virtue is free, and as a man honours or dishonours her he will have more or less of her; the responsibility is with the chooser—God is justified. When the Interpreter had thus spoken he scattered lots indifferently among them all, and each of them took up the lot which fell near him, all but Er himself (he was not allowed), and each as he took his lot perceived the number which he had obtained. Then the Interpreter placed on the ground before them the samples of lives; and there were many more lives than the souls present, and they were of all sorts. There were lives of every animal and of man in every condition. And there were tyrannies among them, some lasting out the tyrants life, others which broke off in the middle and came to an end in poverty and exile and beggary; and there were lives of famous men, some who were famous for their form and beauty as well as for their strength and success in games, or, again, for their birth and the qualities of their ancestors; and some who were the reverse of famous for the opposite qualities. And of women likewise; there was not, however, any definite character in them, because the soul, when choosing a new life, must of necessity become different. But there was every other quality, and the all mingled with one another, and also with elements of wealth and poverty, and disease and health; and there were mean states also. And here, my dear Glaucon, is the supreme peril of our human state; and therefore the utmost care should be taken. Let each one of us leave every other kind of knowledge and seek and follow one thing only, if peradventure he may be able to learn and may find some one who will make him able to learn and discern between good and evil, and so to choose always and everywhere the better life as he has opportunity. He should consider the bearing of all these things which have been mentioned severally and collectively upon virtue; he should know what the effect of beauty is when combined with poverty or wealth in a particular soul, and what are the good and evil consequences of noble and humble birth, of private and public station, of strength and weakness, of cleverness and dullness, and of all the natural and acquired gifts of the soul, and the operation of them when conjoined; he will then look at the nature of the soul, and from the consideration of all these qualities he will be able to determine which is the better and which is the worse; and so he will choose, giving the name of evil to the life which will make his soul more unjust, and good to the life which will make his soul more just; all else he will disregard. For we have seen and know that this is the best choice both in life and after death. A man must take with him into the world below an adamantine faith in truth and right, that there too he may be undazzled by the desire of wealth or the other allurements of evil, lest, coming upon tyrannies and similar villainies, he do irremediable wrongs to others and suffer yet worse himself; but let him know how to choose the mean and avoid the extremes on either side, as far as possible, not only in this life but in all that which is to come. For this is the way of happiness. And according to the report of the messenger from the other world this was what the prophet said at the time: Even for the last comer, if he chooses wisely and will live diligently, there is appointed a happy and not undesirable existence. Let not him who chooses first be careless, and let not the last despair. And when he had spoken, he who had the first choice came forward and in a moment chose the greatest tyranny; his mind having been darkened by folly and sensuality, he had not thought out the whole matter before he chose, and did not at first sight perceive that he was fated, among other evils, to devour his own children. But when he had time to reflect, and saw what was in the lot, he began to beat his breast and lament over his choice, forgetting the proclamation of the prophet; for, instead of throwing the blame of his misfortune on himself, he accused chance and the gods, and everything rather than himself. Now he was one of those who came from heaven, and in a former life had dwelt in a well-ordered State, but his virtue was a matter of habit only, and he had no philosophy. And it was true of others who were similarly overtaken, that the greater number of them came from heaven and therefore they had never been schooled by trial, whereas the pilgrims who came from earth having themselves suffered and seen others suffer, were not in a hurry to choose. And owing to this inexperience of theirs, and also because the lot was a chance, many of the souls exchanged a good destiny for an evil or an evil for a good. For if a man had always on his arrival in this world dedicated himself from the first to sound philosophy, and had been moderately fortunate in the number of the lot, he might, as the messenger reported, be happy here, and also his journey to another life and return to this, instead of being rough and underground, would be smooth and heavenly. Most curious, he said, was the spectacle—sad and laughable and strange; for the choice of the souls was in most cases based on their experience of a previous life. There he saw the soul which had once been Orpheus choosing the life of a swan out of enmity to the race of women, hating to be born of a woman because they had been his murderers; he beheld also the soul of Thamyras choosing the life of a nightingale; birds, on the other hand, like the swan and other musicians, wanting to be men. The soul which obtained the twentieth lot chose the life of a lion, and this was the soul of Ajax the son of Telamon, who would not be a man, remembering the injustice which was done him in the judgment about the arms. The next was Agamemnon, who took the life of an eagle, because, like Ajax, he hated human nature by reason of his sufferings. About the middle came the lot of Atalanta; she, seeing the great fame of an athlete, was unable to resist the temptation: and after her there followed the soul of Epeus the son of Panopeus passing into the nature of a woman cunning in the arts; and far away among the last who chose, the soul of the jester Thersites was putting on the form of a monkey. There came also the soul of Odysseus having yet to make a choice, and his lot happened to be the last of them all. Now the recollection of former toils had disenchanted him of ambition, and he went about for a considerable time in search of the life of a private man who had no cares; he had some difficulty in finding this, which was lying about and had been neglected by everybody else; and when he saw it, he said that he would have done the same had his lot been first instead of last, and that he was delighted to have it. And not only did men pass into animals, but I must also mention that there were animals tame and wild who changed into one another and into corresponding human natures—the good into the gentle and the evil into the savage, in all sorts of combinations. All the souls had now chosen their lives, and they went in the order of their choice to Lachesis, who sent with them the genius whom they had severally chosen, to be the guardian of their lives and the fulfiller of the choice: this genius led the souls first to Clotho, and drew them within the revolution of the spindle impelled by her hand, thus ratifying the destiny of each; and then, when they were fastened to this, carried them to Atropos, who spun the threads and made them irreversible, whence without turning round they passed beneath the throne of Necessity; and when they had all passed, they marched on in a scorching heat to the plain of Forgetfulness, which was a barren waste destitute of trees and verdure; and then towards evening they encamped by the river of Unmindfulness, whose water no vessel can hold; of this they were all obliged to drink a certain quantity, and those who were not saved by wisdom drank more than was necessary; and each one as he drank forgot all things. Now after they had gone to rest, about the middle of the night there was a thunderstorm and earthquake, and then in an instant they were driven upwards in all manner of ways to their birth, like stars shooting. He himself was hindered from drinking the water. But in what manner or by what means he returned to the body he could not say; only, in the morning, awaking suddenly, he found himself lying on the pyre. And thus, Glaucon, the tale has been saved and has not perished, and will save us if we are obedient to the word spoken; and we shall pass safely over the river of Forgetfulness and our soul will not be defiled. Wherefore my counsel is, that we hold fast ever to the heavenly way and follow after justice and virtue always, considering that the soul is immortal and able to endure every sort of good and every sort of evil. Thus shall we live dear to one another and to the gods, both while remaining here and when, like conquerors in the games who go round to gather gifts, we receive our reward. And it shall be well with us both in this life and in the pilgrimage of a thousand years which we have been describing. Some References for Platos Republic Suggestions based on: Oxford Bibliographies Online Ferrari, G. R. F. .Reeve, C. D. C. .White, Nicholas P. .Williams, Bernard. The Analogy of City and Soul in Platos Republic. The Sense of the Past: Essays in the History of Philosophy. Edited by Bernard Williams, 108-117. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2006.

Biographical Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 851 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? My life has been characterised by some factors and challenges that have shaped my aspirations and personal life. All over my life, I have always aspired to be better than all people since I had it harder than everyone within my proximity. Being from a poor household with both of my parents unemployed presented me with many challenges. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Biographical Essay" essay for you Create order However, my parents imparted to me at childhood that college was the best choice to make something for myself. I continuously desired to be prosperous in life. Due to this fact, that one piece of advice caught in my head from the first day I was admitted in elementary school up until my present days in high school. My life has often been a struggle from not being able to pay for school materials one year, to not being able to have the funds for school clothes the subsequent. I did not allow my shortcomings prevent me from attaining my future goals; attainment of a scholarship from my dream college. As I made the next step into middle school, I ensured that all the moves that I made would lead me towards the right path. On a daily basis, I studied hard to prepare me for high school and elsewhere. Due to this, I attained excellent grades, and I had the feeling that nothing could hinder me. Up to one day when I received a phone call that my dad had passed on. Again a hard obstacle in my path, although I preserved. I allowed the life of my father to lead me through in the remaining years of my middle school, and I completed strong. My dad would not have the wish to see me fail rather continue working hard towards my goals. The death of my dad at my tender age at 12 moulded me into a stronger person. This challenge, yet very frightening gave me that additional inspiration I desired to reassure me that I was ordained for better things. Arriving at the high school was a change I thought that I was ready for, and I was miserably wrong. The curriculum was too hard for me and also the independence. I started to realise I could not be able to get the 4.0 I had attained in middle school. After that I began to think of my family and how dissatisfied they would be to see me come this far and fail to achieve my goals. I knew I was able. From this time I worked harder to retain good grades and also kept involved in school activities. At the beginning of my high school life, I got involved in opportunities that would help improve myself. I gained the opportunity to attend the Diversity Conference in New Orleans which was a major success. In that conference I interacted with many people with similar interests as mine, people struggling not to be a figure, however a successful member of the community. I learned that students from a poor background like myself could indeed excel and succeed above anything when they put their focus on it. This conference brought me closer to several other minorities like myself who struggle on a daily basis. Hearing everybodys story enlightened me about the world we are living in.   This involvement shaped me into a courageous woman and inspired me more. Looking back at all the experiences I underwent through the financial crisis, to my dad passing on, then problems in school made me understand exactly what I should do in life. I found myself aspiring to be a child therapist. Considering all the stressful situations, I had to deal with on my own made me wish that I had someone to help and guide me through most of my problems. By becoming a child, the therapist will be a good way of giving back to the community and assisting children who aspire to become better. I am somebody who indeed has many flaws. However, I wont allow them to define who I am as a person. I desire to get into my dream College and graduate. I also wish to advance in my career choice of becoming a child therapist. I wont allow anything to ruin my path in life. I often had doubts about getting into my dream college due to situations I experienced. My fighting spirit and ambition has kept me moving over the years. The desire I have to attain my goals has set me apart from everybody else. I could not be the average 4.0 student that most of the colleges look for. However, I am a strong person with great qualities. My parents have been my role model, who have inspired me. Anytime I think of quitting in my studies, I would remember their piece of advice and feel inspired to move on. I am seeking to accomplish the American dream that I have confidence in I have gained. I have overcome a lot of challenges, and I learned from all of them. If given the opportunity at this occasion, I wont be a disappointment since I will succeed despite the obstacle.

Prevention And Prevention Of Vaccination - 1405 Words

Imagine a world ravaged by disease and death. It started with one person in a remote village in Africa or Asia. Slowly the disease spread throughout the village infecting hundreds. Soon the outbreak jumps to neighboring villages and eventually towns. Thousands begin to become infected and death is not far away. As the disease starts to spread from town to city to country to continent millions begin to die. The disease is tearing through the globe, causing an epidemic and wiping out millions. Health officials warned that the disease was harmful, but first world countries were bullied into believing that their children were at risk of neurological damage that had no scientific data behind it because it seemed scary. Parents stopped having their children receive vaccines, making them susceptible to the disease and its wrath. This an extreme example of a potentially real scenario, but luckily there is a way to prevent something like this from becoming reality: vaccination. According to the United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, a vaccine is inputting a specific disease, such as Chickenpox, into the body imitating the symptoms of the real disease or infection while not actually giving the receiver the symptoms in most cases. The body then takes action by creating white blood cells as a defense which attacks and kills the infection. This then leaves extra cells that the body stores in a â€Å"library†. The body now recognizes this infection.Show MoreRelatedPrevention And Prevention Of Vaccination1417 Words   |  6 Pagesnot need a vaccination when health officials first warned of it. First world countries were bullied into believing that their children were at risk for neurological damage that had no scientific data behind it because it seemed scary. Parent s stopped having their children receive vaccines making them susceptible to the disease and its wrath. This an extreme example of a potentially real scenario, but luckily there is a way to prevent something like this from becoming reality: vaccination. AccordingRead MorePrevention And Prevention Of Vaccination1447 Words   |  6 Pagesthe general population? Before answering this question and analysing the different views on vaccination, it is important to understand exactly what vaccination is and how it works in the body. Vaccination is a form of artificial immunity that works with and jumpstarts the body’s own immune system to protect the body from various pathogenic organisms. An article by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) states that to understand vaccines, it is best to first understand how the human immuneRead MoreThe Prevention Of Hpv Vaccination1995 Words   |  8 Pagesunderutilization of the HPV vaccination in the United States. While most agree that the issue deserves attentions, consensus dissolves around how to respond to the problem. This literature review examines the background of HPV, several approaches to ensuring that HPV vaccinations utilized. This paper also compares effectiveness, for females ages 12-26, of strategies and of the only vaccination approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for long term prevention of HPV, as well as consequentRead MoreVaccination For Disease Control And Prevention1499 Words   |  6 Pagesnot being vaccinated. An article by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that â€Å"The United States experienced a record number of measles cases during 2014, with 667 cases from 27 states reported to CDC s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. This is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.† (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). This happened because many people are under the misconception thatRead MoreVaccinations And The Prevention Of Infectious Diseases Essay1051 Words   |  5 PagesBiology, SCI120 Research Project Number 25011100 11/29/2016 VACCINATIONS â€Æ' Throughout history, vaccinations have been used to help the prevention of infectious diseases; some of which can produce serious illnesses, crippling disabilities, and ultimately be the cause of death. There is evidence of ancient culture’s attempting to treat transmittable diseases with various forms of inoculations. Developments in the research of vaccinations increased during the mid-twentieth century because of the establishedRead MorePrevention Of The Anti Vaccination Movement1472 Words   |  6 PagesIt is because of this that vaccinations are a fundamental part of society and why doctors and parents alike advocate for hand washing, hydrating, and staying home when you are ill. Disease prevention is a corner stone in today’s society and has been one for around 200 years since; Edward Jenner created and administered the first smallpox inoculation. However, while always controversial the last few centuries have proved to lend unfounded credence to the anti-vaccin ation movement. Due to the publicationRead MoreVaccination For Disease Control And Prevention911 Words   |  4 PagesThe CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) started to be to do simply that. The CDC is here to keep the U.s. from remote infection and out breaks of diverse diseases. Generally speaking its here to secure the individuals. The same tries for antibodies. Immunizations are made to ensure against infectious infection and flare-ups. They are to help contain sicknesses all through a populace. As an issue everybody is given sure immunizations that their guardians think may keep them far from creatingRead MoreVaccination Prevention And Its Effect On The Human Body1788 Words   |  8 Pagesto a decrease in morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases. The contribution of vaccination in these processes is undeniable. The high efficiency of vaccination in the prevention of communicable diseases is largely determined by the fact that the ideas of vaccination pre vention were developed by many generations of scientists and practitioners. Nevertheless, we have to meet with the opinion that vaccination (use of vaccines) are harmful to health, causes complications affect a wide variety ofRead MoreManaged Care Philosophy and Initiatives Directed at Prevention and Health Maintenance. the Nature of the Problem of Vaccinations and Access to Vaccines Relative to Prevention and Health Maintenance. the Steps Taken to1188 Words   |  5 Pagesat prevention and health maintenance within the managed health care. The manage care philosophy was designed with the intent of placing emphasis on the maintenance of health rather than performing expensive interventions. The operators of the managed care plans are paid a specific amount of money per month for each patient to provide them with a clean bill of health so to speak. It is important that these organizations put themselves in the position where they are focusing on the prevention of certainRead More Vaccinations Necessary to the Nation’s Youth Essay1743 Words   |  7 Pagesimmunizations, almost any medical doctor will promote vaccination as the most effective intervention of modern medicine which prevented more suffering and saved more lives than any other medical procedure. Epidemic diseases, such as small pox or polio, which once plagued populations of Europe only some one hundred years ago, declined more than ninety percent thanks to the medical breakthrough of immunization (Schneibner XVII). Vaccinations, clearly, enabled the near to complete eradication of diseases

Themes in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings free essay sample

1. The memoir opens with a provocative refrain: What you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What do you think this passage says about Ritie’s sense of herself? How does she feel about her place in the world? How does she keep her identity intact? In the novel, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† by Maya Angelou it basically explains her life growing up. The main character was Maya herself whom wrote the book and she talks about the struggle and pain she had to go through as a child. She explains to us that she is really insecure about her looks and wishes that she was white.The story opens with a provocative refrain: â€Å"What you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This passage right off the top told me that Maya’s sense of herself was that was wasn’t welcome anywhere because she automatically assumed that they looked at her in disgust and that they didn’t want her there which is why she plainly said she wasn’t there to stay. The way that she feels about her place in the world is extremely sad because she believes she should be a blonde white girl with blue eyes.I feel as though that if she can’t accept herself for who she is then no one else will either. The story gives us background information that her grandmother was very loving to her but she constantly sees how bad people she knows are being treated. I think that Maya expects everyone to dislike her for being African-American, so she does too. Maya keeps her identity intact by reminding herself who she is, and never to forget that. She describes her mother as â€Å"a hurricane in its perfect power†. She chooses to describe her mother this way due to the fact she hasn‘t been around most of Mayas life, although she looks up to her mother at the same time. Mayas mother treated her children well, although she never gave Maya a lot of her attention because Maya was always a happy girl, who seemed at peace with the world. But when Mayas mother, Vivian, discovers that her boyfriend molested Maya she kicked him out of her house right away.Vivian then cannot deal with all the trauma that came with the molestation and sends Maya and Bailey back to Stamps. I don’t think that was a very great move, since Maya obviously wasn’t in great condition either and needed her mother. Mayas grandmother on the other hand, still being a great care taker, isn’t much like Mayas mother. She shows that she cares a lot more about her grandchildren and their needs then she does her own. Mayas grandmother has a lot of faith in god. She is well known in Stamps and the residents of Stamps put her on a pedestal.Although the people most important in Mayas life are very different, they both show great love for her. 3. The author writes, â€Å"If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. † What do you make of the author’s portrayal of race? How do Ritie and her family cope with the racial tension that permeates their lives? Teenagers throughout the world always claim to feel like they don’t belong. Of course, everyone calls that just a phase ; as even I went through it. But what could that have been like for a southern black girl back in the day? In â€Å"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings† the author Maya Angelou quotes â€Å"If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. †. This quote is a sum up of what Maya felt like in her child hood. As an adult she reminisced about how all her life she has been dealing with the thought of how others saw her and her displacement. A Southern Black girl didn’t belong in the society that she lived in.Her displacement was the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. I felt as though Maya was bringing the razor closer to her as she insulted herself a lot and brought herself down. She made herself believe that she truly didn’t belong in the world because of her appearance and giving in to what people would say about her race. Fortunately Maya and her family coped with all the racial tension in their society that permeated their lives by sticking together no matter what. All throughout it that had a faith in god and no matter what happened to them they kept their heads held high. . Throughout the book, Ritie struggles with feelings that she is â€Å"bad† and sinful†, as her thoughts echo the admonitions of her strict religious upbringing. What does she learn at the end of the memoir about right and wrong? The whole world likes to argue about what is right and wrong. No one can ever seem to decipher what the real meaning is to all of it. But we all seem to have a well enough idea of what it is. Throughout â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† by Maya Angelou, Maya struggles with all these feelings that she is a bad and sinful person.Her thoughts also echo the admonitions of her strict religious upbringing. Maya was raised to have faith in god by her grandmother of whom she called Momma. Momma was a very well behaved woman and was a good role model to all of her grandchildren. Although someone can have all the guidance in the world, it will always be up to you to take it. Maya went through hard times and some of the things that happened to her were sinful. Such as being molested and raped by her mothers boyfriend. Maya learns a great lesson at the end of the book.By the end of it all, she’s an adult with a kid and she learns that you’re doing right when you’re a good person and you make the right decisions all the time without even having to think about it twice. We all know that sometimes it’s hard to choose between doing the right thing, or the easy thing. But in the end if you really want to be a good person and come out with the best solution then you need to do what is right. Everyone must go through feeling as though they aren’t a good person and this wasn’t an exception to Maya. Although you must always remember to keep trying your best and whatever goes around, comes around. Good or bad. 5. What is the significance of the title? â€Å" I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings† by Maya Angelou has a very great significance in its title. The story is about an African-American girl who felt as though she didn’t belong, who felt as though her people weren’t free. She went through a great deal of trouble along her life only to end the book with her new baby and understanding more than she ever thought she would. The title can have a lot of interpretations to it but I found out the significance of the title from a poem. This poem was written by the same uthor and was titled â€Å"Caged Bird†. In the poem the significance of this title can be found in these lines: â€Å"The caged bird sings, with fearful trill, of the things unknown, but longed still, and a tune is heard, on the distant hill, for the caged birds sings of freedom†. Other poems talk about the theme of why a caged bird would sing. The reason that a caged bird sings is so that it can be heard, like a prayer to heaven ; for the bird to be free. Maya spent her life feeling caged in because of her society and that is the significance in the title of â€Å"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings†. 6.What are examples of adversity-for her and other- in Maya Angelou’s story and examples of ways they coped with them? We all have to remember to continue along our path when tough times come. Great examples of these adversities can be found in Maya Angelou’s â€Å"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings†. The main character Maya and everyone around her go through real tough times throughout the story. Naming some of the problems are how Maya lost her relationship with her brother, Bailey. Maya also almost got killed by her fathers crazy girlfriend. Maya was raped by her mothers boyfriend and had to go through all the trauma that came with that.She and her brother Bailey had to be unexpectedly raised by their grandmother because their mother Vivian left them. Bailey got kicked out of the house when he got older, and bonded a lot with his father which meant he had to deal with the violent relationship with his girlfriend. Momma had to run a store while taking care of her son who was already grown but had a disability and raise her grandchildren. There were many problems throughout this story and all the characters faced a great deal of personal problems along with the problems that society brought upon them for being African-American.They all coped with the problems by keeping their faith, and looking forward. You can’t always just look back at the problems you have but you need to keep going forward with your life and in the end all should go well. 7. What broader lessons can be learned about life, not just African-American life, in the South? In reality, there are so many lessons that need to be taught in life, but hardly anyone can truly learn them all because no one can experience everything. There are a few lessons that can be taught in the south of North America that everyone can take in and learn from.In Maya Angelou’s â€Å"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings† I caught a glimpse of Maya and her families lives when she was younger and lived in the south. The themes of this book really explain the overall lessons taught in the story. One of the main lessons that can be taught in the south is how important equality is. The south was the main part of the United States that still had a big problem with the troubles of slavery and African Americans not being viewed as equally as Caucasians. Racism is a big problem in the world and it’s just not all White and Black.This affects all other races as well just in different parts in the world so the lesson that everyone needs to respect each other and treat each other equally isn’t just about African American life but about life in general. I think a big lesson taught in â€Å"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings† was that over everything you can always remember that your family will always be there. In the story Maya had a great role model figure, her grandmother. Also, Mayas mother (although she isn’t perfect) really cared for her daughter deeply. Many lessons can be taught around the world, but these lessons are very vivid in the south.