Essay Sample on Don Quixote A Hero or Not

Essay Sample on Don Quixote A Hero or Not The Webster Dictionary defines a hero as a person that is courageous and performs noble deeds. Many people would argue that Don Quixote falls under the category of being a hero because of the fine line that is drawn with Webster’s definition. Unfortunately, some close examination of the text will show that he really isn’t a hero. Part of Webster’s definition for a hero states that the person must be courageous and takes courageous actions. Don Quixote definitely does take many courageous actions. One of these examples would be when he attacks the windmills. This is definitely a courageous act. He could have easily been hurt or even killed. Many people would say that this would show his heroics. He also shows his courage when he decides that he wants to fight the lions. Anyone that would want to try and fight a lion most definitely has courage. Luckily for Don Quixote, the lion did not want to fight, but rather wanted to rest. Once again Don Quixote showed his courageous side however. At the end of the story, Don Quixote decides to try and defeat the Knight of the White Moon to show his heroics. He is very courageous for doing this because at his older age, one blow could do very much damage and it does, as we all know. Anyone that would ride a horse and take a chance of getting hit with a lance has som e serious courage. With all these examples of courage, one automatically will think that Don Quixote is a hero. This is not true, however. By calling Don Quixote a hero, many people are just using the first part of Webster’s definition. The whole definition must be fit before we can call Don Quixote a hero. The whole definition reads that one must be courageous and also perform noble deeds. The second part of the definition is very important when it comes to Don Quixote. Many of his deeds are not noble at all. In fact, many of them are the exact opposite. When we look at the same examples as used earlier, it is very clear that Don Quixote’s actions have little nobility in them. The first example was when he attacked the windmills, thinking they were giants. Yes, it is courageous, but there is absolutely no noble deed in this action. It is more of a fine line of stupidity than it is heroism. The next example was when Don Quixote wanted to duke it out with the lion. Once again, he felt he w as being noble to the King by doing so but this was not the case. First of all, the King probably would not have appreciated hearing that one of his lions was slain. Second of all, by requesting that the cage must be opened, Don Quixote was putting many peoples’ lives at risk for no appropriate reason. Finally, his duel with the Knight of the White Moon was not noble either. He had no reason to fight him, and if he would have won, it was for nothing. He didn’t save anyone or anything noble like that. He was flirting with a fine line of stupidity once again. As can be seen, the definition hero does not apply to Don Quixote’s actions. In order for Don Quixote to be a hero, he must fulfill the entire definition of the word instead of just part of it. People should refer to Don Quixote as â€Å"The Adventurer† rather than a hero.

Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essays

Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essays Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essay Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essay Recycling Good morning to our beloved teachers, Puan Rusni and my dear fellow friends. Standing here today,I would like to deliver a speech entitled,Recycling. According to the Asian Development Bank,rapid development,rising personal consumption and unprecedented levels of waste in Asia where cities will generate on estimated 1. 8 million tonnes of rubbish per day by 2025. In Malaysia alone,we produce over 15,000 tonnes pf rubbish daily and it is a matter of time before we run out of space to dispose them. In dealing with this phenomenon,we shall discuss some of the suggestions that all of us can adapt through the process of recycling to conserve the environment. One of the ways to recycle is to sell old newspapers to the junkman who will eventually send them to the recycling centres. By selling the old newspapers,we can earn some extra money at the price of RM0. 03 per kilogramme of old newspapers. Buying recycled paper is also another option. On the average,about 17 market sized trees are felled to produce a tonne of paper or one tree is felled to produce 20 reams of A4 size paper. Today,we recognise the limits of resource demand and this is the reason why recycled paper is critical part of our aspiration for a healthy global environment. We should also use both sides of a sheet of paper because it cultivates the habit of not being wasterful while saving our earth from further deterioration. In addition,glass bottles should be recycled. The energy saved by recycling a glass container can light a 100-watt bulb for up to four hours. Avoiding the use of plastic products is another recommended way to protect our Mother Nature because plastic is non-biodegradable,it may survive as long as 700 years. Apart from that,it is indispensably necessary for us to save water and electricity as much as possible. We have to save electricity because we are running fast out of fossil fuels. The fossil fuels saved by turning off the water taps while brushing our teeth. By doing this we can save the energy used to filter purify and transport the water to the end users. On the other hand,electricity can be saved by switching off the light,television,radio and fan before leaving any rooms. This is because the primary environmental impact of electricity consumption is the production of greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. Hence,saving electricity is the key preserve our Mother Nature, Another advice that everyone ought to take head of is not to throw away leftover rice but instead,make fried rice,tamarind rice,pepper rice and yoghurt rice. This is because many poor nations of the Third World countries are suffering from famine and malnutrition due to accute shortage of food such as Mozumbigue and Sudun and Myannar. Lastly but not least,we can also use water for washing clothes to wash our parentscars and other non-drinking purpose such as watering plants,washing toilets and mapping floors. As a conclusion,our planet is in a bad shape but most people choose to be indifferent to the effects initiated by the goverment to safeguard to dire condition of the environment. Majority of Malaysians choose to ignore the gathering storm clouds and hope the problem will magically take care of itslef. In Klang Valley,for instance,it produces more than 5000 tonnes of rubbish everyday which can cover the whole of Petronas Twin Towers,one of the tallest buildings in the world,in ten days and this is the reason why we must reduce,reuse and recycle. Whether the planet lives or dies,it depends on us and so,everyone plays a significant role by starting to recycle even from homes because a small change in behaviour has a measurable impact on our Earth. Thank you for lending me your ears. I hope all of you are benefited from my speech today.

Minutes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minutes - Essay Example MYH suggested that people tend to prefer stability to change and would accept even the minimum conditions provided change does not occur. The group concurred with this view. Ineffective communication hinders change efforts. The leader needs to articulate goals clearly and give frequent feedback on the change process. Moreover, the group agreed that leaders need to communicate the reasons for change and how it will affect those involved. This eliminates fear, uncertainty and doubt about the change. Another barrier is unclear processes and procedures. HX observed that if carried out in a haphazard way, change could fail. It makes people to lose direction of where they are going and what is expected of them and consequently lack of commitment and resistance. Lastly, the group cited not paying attention to people issues as significant to success of change management. Leaders need to pay attention to psychological processes that people experiences in dealing with change hence help them to overcome. The group also discussed how the leaders might provide psychological safety to individuals in times of change. It was agreed that leaders need to create an environment of accepting failures. Employees need to feel that they can air their views and give input regarding the change without fear of reprisal. Leaders also need to be transparent hence encourage participation, share their mistakes and inspire trust. This in turn helps employees to feel secure and learn more leading to positive change. The group discussed how the understanding of how people react to change and conflict helps leaders to manage change in a productive way. ZYK noted that finding one method of solving all problems of resistance to change is difficult. Understanding resistance to change and conflict enables organisations to develop the right policies and procedures, and appropriate training for managers and employees in order to manage change in a productive way. Education and