Blood and Culture essays

Blood and Culture essays The State of Israel was founded on May 14, 1948, creating a national homeland for all Jewish people throughout the world. The establishment of a uniquely Jewish state in the Arab controlled Middle East has created serious tension between the Jews and their Arab neighbors, and more specifically, the Palestinians. However, Israels problems regarding race and ethnicity extend far beyond the Jewish-Palestinian issue, and yet, they touch much closer to home for Israeli Jews. Although Israel was founded as a homeland where all Jews could live together as equals, there has been a high level of racial inequality for the Sephardic and Oriental Jews, which has been fueled in large part by the Ashkenazim. The lack of Jewish unity has created even more problems in an already tumultuous state. Israeli Jewish society is broken down into two major subsections, which have been designated, in large part, by country of origin: the Ashkenazim and the Sephardim. The definition of the Ashkenazim is fairly straightforward, referring to Jews from Germany, central or Eastern Europe, as well as the United States. A definition of the Sephardim is more involved; originally the Sephardim were all the Jews originating in Spain and Portugal who after the Inquisition lived in both Europe and in Oriental countries, Egypt and North Africa. However, today, Sephardim is more loosely defined, and now includes Jews of Mediterranean, Balkan, Aegean and Middle Eastern lands. If keeping with the strict definition of Sephardim, those Jews whose ancestors spoke dialects of Arabic, Berber, or Persian would not be considered Sephardim, but rather, as Edot Mizrah Mizrahim, (or Oriental Jews) meaning from the communities of the East. In order to remain impartial to the Israeli ethnicity issues, it is essential to understand that the term Oriental is often misused to mean Sephardic, but the two term...

Major General Benjamin Lincoln - American Revolution

Major General Benjamin Lincoln - American Revolution Benjamin Lincoln - Early Life: Born at Hingham, MA on January 24, 1733, Benjamin Lincoln was the son of Colonel Benjamin Lincoln and Elizabeth Thaxter Lincoln. The sixth child and first son of the family, the younger Benjamin benefited from his fathers prominent role in the colony. Working on the familys farm, he attended school locally. In 1754, Lincoln entered public service when he assumed the post of Hingham town constable. A year later, he joined the 3rd Regiment of the Suffolk County militia. His fathers regiment, Lincoln served as adjutant during the French Indian War. Though he did not see action in the conflict, he attained the rank of major by 1763. Elected a town selectman in 1765, Lincoln became increasingly critical of British policy towards the colonies. Condemning the Boston Massacre in 1770, Lincoln also encouraged Hingham residents to boycott British goods. Two years later, he earned a promotion to lieutenant colonel in the regiment and won election to the Massachusetts legislature. In 1774, following the Boston Tea Party and passage of the Intolerable Acts, the situation in Massachusetts rapidly changed. That fall, Lieutenant General Thomas Gage, who had been appointed governor by London, dissolved the colonial legislature. Not to be deterred, Lincoln and his fellow legislators reformed the body as the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and continued meeting. In short order this body became the government for the entire colony except British-held Boston. Due to his militia experience, Lincoln oversaw committees on military organization and supply. Benjamin Lincoln - The American Revolution Begins: In April 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the start of the American Revolution, Lincolns role with the congress expanded as he assumed a position on its executive committee as well as its committee of safety. As the Siege of Boston commenced, he worked to direct supplies and food to the American lines outside the city. With the siege continuing, Lincoln received a promotion in January 1776 to major general in the Massachusetts militia. Following the British evacuation of Boston in March, he focused his attention on improving the colonys coastal defenses and later directed attacks against the remaining enemy warships in the harbor. Having achieved a degree of success in Massachusetts, Lincoln began pressing the colonys delegates to the Continental Congress for a suitable commission in the Continental Army. As he waited, he received a request to bring a brigade of militia south to assist General George Washingtons army at New York. Marching south in September, Lincolns men reached southwest Connecticut when they received orders from Washington to mount a raid across Long Island Sound. As the American position in New York collapsed, new orders arrived directing Lincoln to join Washingtons army as it retreated north. Helping to cover the American withdrawal, he was present at the Battle of White Plains on October 28. With the enlistments of his men expiring, Lincoln returned to Massachusetts later in the fall to aid in raising new units. Later marching south, he took part in operations in the Hudson Valley in January before finally receiving a commission in the Continental Army. Appointed a major general on February 14, 1777, Lincoln reported to Washingtons winter quarters at Morristown, NJ. Benjamin Lincoln - To the North: Placed in command of the American outpost at Bound Brook, NJ, Lincoln came under attack by Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis on April 13. Badly outnumbered and nearly surrounded, he successfully extricated the bulk of his command before retreating. In July, Washington dispatched Lincoln north to aid Major General Philip Schuyler in blocking an offensive south over Lake Champlain by Major General John Burgoyne. Tasked with organizing militia from New England, Lincoln operated from a base in southern in southern Vermont and began planning raids on the British supply lines around Fort Ticonderoga. As he worked to grow his forces, Lincoln clashed with Brigadier General John Stark who refused to subjugate his New Hampshire militia to Continental authority. Operating independently, Stark won a decisive victory over Hessian forces at the Battle of Bennington on August 16. Benjamin Lincoln - Saratoga: Having built a force of around 2,000 men, Lincoln began moving against Fort Ticonderoga in early September. Sending three 500-man detachments forward, his men attacked on September 19 and captured everything in the area except the fort itself. Lacking siege equipment, Lincolns men withdrew after four days of harassing the garrison. As his men regrouped, orders arrived from Major General Horatio Gates, who had replaced Schuyler in mid-August, requesting that Lincoln bring his men to Bemis Heights. Arriving on September 29, Lincoln found that the first part of the Battle of Saratoga, the Battle of Freemans Farm, had already been fought. In the wake of the engagement, Gates and his chief subordinate, Major General Benedict Arnold, fell out leading to the latters dismissal. In reorganizing his command, Gates ultimately placed Lincoln in command of the armys right. When the second phase of the battle, the Battle of Bemis Heights, began on October 7, Lincoln remained in command of the American defenses while other elements of the army advanced to meet the British. As the fighting intensified, he directed reinforcements forward. The following day, Lincoln led a reconnaissance force forward and was wounded when a musket ball shattered his right ankle. Taken south to Albany for treatment, he then returned to Hingham to recover. Out of action for ten months, Lincoln rejoined Washingtons army in August 1778. During his convalescence, he had contemplated resigning over seniority issues but had been convinced to remain in the service. In September 1778, Congress appointed Lincoln to command the Southern Department replacing Major General Robert Howe. Benjamin Lincoln - In the South: Delayed in Philadelphia by Congress, Lincoln did not arrive at his new headquarters until December 4. As a result, he was unable to prevent the loss of Savannah later that month. Building his forces, Lincoln mounted a counter-offensive in Georgia in the spring of 1779 until a threat to Charleston, SC by Brigadier General Augustine Prevost forced him to fall back to defend the city. That fall, he utilized the new alliance with France to launch an attack against Savannah, GA. Partnering with French ships and troops under Vice Admiral Comte dEstaing, the two men laid siege to the city on September 16. As the siege dragged on, dEstaing became increasingly concerned about the threat posed to his ships by hurricane season and requested that the allied forces assault the British lines. Reliant on French support for continuing the siege, Lincoln had no choice but to agree. Moving forward, American and French forces attacked on October 8 but were unable to break through the British defenses. Though Lincoln pressed to continue the siege, dEstaing was unwilling to further risk his fleet. On October 18, the siege was abandoned and dEstaing departed the area. With the French departure, Lincoln retreated back to Charleston with his army. Working to strengthen his position at Charleston, he came under attack in March 1780 when a British invasion force led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton landed. Forced into the citys defenses, Lincolns men were soon besieged. With his situation rapidly worsening, Lincoln attempted to negotiate with Clinton in late April to evacuate the city. These efforts were rebuffed as were later attempts to negotiate a surrender. On March 12, with part of city burning and under pressure from civic leaders, Lincoln capitulated. Surrendering unconditionally, the Americans were not granted the traditional honors of war by Clinton. The defeat proved one of the worst of the conflict for the Continental Army and remains the US Armys third-largest surrender. Benjamin Lincoln - Yorktown: Paroled, Lincoln returned to his farm in Hingham to await his formal exchange. Though he requested a court of inquiry for his actions at Charleston, none was ever formed and no charges were brought against him for his conduct. In November 1780, Lincoln was exchanged for Major General William Phillips and Baron Friedrich von Riedesel who had been captured at Saratoga. Returning to duty, he spent the winter of 1780-1781 recruiting in New England before moving south to rejoin Washingtons army outside New York. In August 1781, Lincoln marched south as Washington sought to trap Cornwallis army at Yorktown, VA. Supported by French forces under Lieutenant General Comte de Rochambeau, the American army arrived at Yorktown on September 28. Leading the armys 2nd Division, Lincolns men took part in the resulting Battle of Yorktown. Besieging the British, the Franco-American army compelled Cornwallis to surrender on October 17. Meeting with Cornwallis at the nearby Moore House, Washington demanded the same harsh conditions that the British had required of Lincoln the year before at Charleston. At noon on October 19 the French and American armies lined up to await the British surrender. Two hours later the British marched out with flags furled and their bands playing The World Turned Upside Down. Claiming he was ill, Cornwallis sent Brigadier General Charles OHara in his stead. Approaching the allied leadership, OHara attempted to surrender to Rochambeau but was told by the Frenchman to approach the Americans. As Cornwallis was not present, Washington directed OHara to surrender to Lincoln, who was now serving as his second-in-command. Benjamin Lincoln - Later Life: At the end of October 1781, Lincoln was appointed Secretary of War by Congress. He remained in this post until the formal end of hostilities two years later. Resuming his life in Massachusetts, he began speculating on land in Maine as well as negotiated treaties with the areas Native Americans. In January 1787, Governor James Bowdoin asked Lincoln to lead a privately-funded army to put down Shays Rebellion in the central and western parts of the state. Accepting, he marched through the rebelling areas and put and end to large-scale organized resistance. Later that year, Lincoln ran and won the post of lieutenant governor. Serving one term under Governor John Hancock, he remained active in politics and participated in the Massachusetts convention that ratified the US Constitution. Lincoln later accepted the position of collector for the Port of Boston. Retiring in 1809, he died at Hingham on May 9, 1810 and was buried in the towns cemetery. Selected Sources History of War: Benjamin LincolnPatriot Resource: Benjamin Lincoln Massachusetts Historical Society: Benjamin Lincoln

Literary Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literary Analysis - Research Paper Example The idea of the bug that Gregor Samsa becomes is intended to be loathsome, toxic, and unpleasant; something avoided by humans. This concept is essential to interpreting any of Kafka’s work. Kafka’s storytelling is characterized by pessimism, dark humor, and a keen wit. It exposes his underlying cynicism shaped by a life of exploitation, misery and injustice. Within this story, Kafka uses Gregor as a symbol and a means by which he could explore his own difficult relationship with his father as well as his sense of alienation from society. Gregor's metamorphosis causes him to be treated as something less than human, a feeling Kafka felt deeply as evidenced in its appearance in many of his other writings. Through Gregor's metamorphosis, Kafka is able to express the pain of his personal existence, allowing Gregor to reveal Kafka's social situation and embody the author's sense of social, religious, and philosophical alienation. There are too many biographical similarities b etween the fictional Gregor Samsa and the real Franz Kafka to deny the link and the probability that Gregor's impressions are closely aligned with those of his author. At the beginning of the story, Gregor is painted as the good son. He is a simple man, hardworking employee, and is highly self-sacrificing as he struggles to both support his family and pay off his parents' debts. He does all this without complaint even though he is afforded little consideration or appreciation from the family he is attempting to help. This image of Gregor's home life is very similar to what is known of Kafka's home life, particularly as it relates to the relationship between Kafka/Gregor and their respective fathers. Kafka's father, Herman, was a businessman who had little understanding or patience for a son that would not follow in his capable footsteps (Brod, 1976). After hearing his shortcomings recited to him over the course of years, Kafka felt reviled and unwanted, like vermin. This is confirme d in his unpublished â€Å"Letter to His Father†, in which he even refers to himself as â€Å"Ungeziefer† (Kafka, 2009); that is, as vermin (Brod, 43). Other evidence of Kafka's sense of intimidation by his father is the fact that he developed a stammer that became so severe in his father's presence that he could hardly communicate. This issue created yet greater alienation between Kafka and the remainder of his family, leading to a situation in which he wrote in his diary, they had become â€Å"all strangers to me, we are related only by blood† (Brod, 229). A later diary entry confessed Kafka's final analysis of this destructive relationship, writing that his father had "inevitably broken my spirit" (Brod, 231). Many of these sentiments can be found in the relationship between Gregor and his father in the story. Understanding Kafka's history makes it easy to trace how Gregor’s transformation reflects Kafka’s intense feelings of isolation and vulne rability as well as his frustration in not being able to protect himself or his emotions with any sort of ‘armor’, especially when dealing with his father. Gregor's father is immediately introduced as impatient, demanding, possessing a violent temper. When it is discovered Gregor is still at home at 6:45 in the morning, his father begins pounding on Gregor's door with his fist and turns away Gregor's breakfast. Every time Mr. Samsa enters the scene, it is with reference to violence. Upon the first appearance of Gregor before the rest of

Friedrich A. Hayeks Individualism and Economic Order Summary Essay

Friedrich A. Hayeks Individualism and Economic Order Summary - Essay Example The themes used by the writer indeed became the central ideas around which the entire book, which is actually made up of a collection of writings was written. Four of these basic ideas are summarized below. Facts and Fallacies of Individualism The economist holds a basic idea that individualism, and for that matter social order is neither a fact nor a fallacy but that it is both a true and false. First, the economist writes to associate individualism more to be a social order whereby regardless of the fact that people are expected to behave and react in a certain individualistic manner to meet their economic needs of life, they are at the same time obliged to act according to the larger interest of society. From this perspective, the economist goes on further to give vivid reasons why individualism and for that matter, the social order could be considered to be false. The explanation given is that â€Å"in social matters, one does not adhere to fixed principles but decides each ques tion "on its merits"; that one is generally guided by expediency† (Hayek, 1996, p. 1). Invariably, the writer is implying that no individual would be robotic to economic principles even when those principles deny him food on his table. This is what makes individualism true because people function economically according to the dictates of their conditions. On the other hand, there is a justification given as to why individualism and economic order could be true. With this, the economist explains that â€Å"principles, have a way of asserting themselves even if they are not explicitly recognized but are only implied in particular decisions (Hayek, 1996, p. 1).† In other words, even if a person defies the provisions of economic principles, the core values of these principles remain a fact and thus true. The use of Knowledge in Society In the second theme and basic knowledge explicitly outlined by the economist, he visits the availability of knowledge and the use of it ther eof in modern society. Whiles doing this, the economist related economies to social science by making the assertion that the provisions that make social existence possible form the basis of rational economic order (Gabby, 2005). To this, the economist emphasizes the point that what society really needs to manage its rational economic order is logic. By logic, the economist talks of using common sense presented at the individual stage of getting things worked out for a person. A clear sense, therefore, an endorsement is made by the writer of individualism as a fact by raising the point of logic. The economist further throws light on the fact that the logic needed to make things work out for individual entities within society comes about as a result of making use of available information, and thus knowledge.

Power point use in work envirnoment Essay Example for Free

Power point use in work envirnoment Essay Cynthia Computer Application-205 Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Microsoft Word-Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 lead global in the development and production of software and software-related services and solutions. Initially known for home computers, Microsoft, headquartered in Washington, now offers various operating systems and software for desktop computers. This multinational company strives to help the worldwide business community improve efficiency and productivity. In recent years, this company has battled criticism concerning what some consider monopolistic, anti-competitive business practices. Despite legal setbacks including antitrust violations sanctioned by the US Department of Justice, Microsoft remains a major player in its field. In today’s business environment demands the sharing of data, mobile technology and speedy communication. Microsoft provides tools enabling business to be productive and communicate effectively regardless of location. Outlook serves as the portal for e-mail, tasks, calendar and contacts. Microsoft office line workspace, boasting online storage space, enables users to save access and share documents throughout the world. Mobile Technology like smartphones, which supply the user with advanced computing options allow you to stay connected to businesses. Microsoft office Accounting Express 2008 offers small start-up or at home businesses a resource for accounting processing and procedures. The software includes invoices, budget and finance template and profit and loss statements. Office Excel surpasses manual, paper-based spreadsheets in terms of ease of use and accuracy. Businesses confront an ever-growing number of security threats. Many businesses elect to use Microsoft Vista operating system as a measure to protect their data. Vista boasts account control, troubleshooting and diagnostic features and spyware blocker. Microsoft Security Essentials, introduce in 2009, offers antimalware solutions at no cost to consumers who use Genuine Windows-based PCs. Large business may choose Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate; Ultimate offers Bit Lockers Drive Encryption for maximum data protection. Microsoft lost its standing as the leading global software company in May 2010. Apple, once on the verge of extinction focused on innovative, new consumer products to generate growth; a popular line of hand-held devices contributed to the company’s surge in profitability. In contrast, Microsoft, despite sporadic new systems releases, primarily lies mainly on preserving the existing business. Although Microsoft remains a strong player in the market, the company continues to face stiff competition. PowerPoint is an excellent tool for employee training and online learning. Business owners and company managers can use the programs to create compelling and interactive slide shows to demonstrate new products, train new workers and help existing customers get the most out of the products they buy. In fact there are a great many advantages to using PowerPoint as an online learning tool. One of the most powerful things about PowerPoint is the fact that it can corporate animation features and clip art. Its ability to incorporate sound is another powerful benefit of PowerPoint as an online learning tool. The sound functions of this program can make the slide show more interactive and less boring, and too can encourage visitors to stay with the training. Companies can use this interactive feature of PowerPoint to overcome problems and make their training sessions compelling. PowerPoint contains a number of powerful interactivity tools that makes it easy for users to engage the attention of the entire online audience. The improvement done to Excel 2007 and Excel 2010 is the ability to group the dates in the dropdown list into years and months. That means you don’t have to create a new column to identify the years and months of each row using Excel formulas. In Excel 2010, you can customize your own Ribbon tab. It can be used as commands in one place. In this way you do not have to click from one tab to another to find your commonly used command. In the earlier years of Excel (2003 and below), sorting can only be done based on the color coding in the cell, Not only that, you can also sort the records by the font color. That’s new in Excel 2002 and 2010. Multiple conditional is not made easy Excel 2007 and 2010. In the older Excel version 2003 and below, we are to count based on one single condition. When using Excel 2003, multiple conditions sum has to be done using the formula SUMPRODUCT or combining all the conditions into one before applying the formula SUMIF to data. With the new Excel 2007, you can now easily sum up the values based on more than one condition by using the SUMIF’s fomula.

Geography’s Impact on Culture and Society Essay -- Geography

Geography’s Impact on Culture and Society When studying ancient civilizations and the beginning societies in the world, the geography has shaped its story significantly. Depending on the location of the civilization society, whether or not water was nearby was crucial for its survival. With trade networks, metals, foods, and languages were spread. Weapons were able to be formed from these metals which led to a stronger military. Mountain ranges formed the boundaries of civilizations. Geography greatly impacted Asia, Africa and Europe. Asia Asia is â€Å"the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres†. Its land mass covers almost 9% of the Earth's surface area, 30% of its land area and it holds nearly 60% of the world's current human population . Most of central Asia is covered by cold steppes. Dictionary.com describes a steppe as â€Å"an extensive plain, especially one without trees† , consisting mainly of grasslands and considered to be a land that is â€Å"too dry to support a forest, but not dry enough to be a desert† . The coastal border of Asia was inhabited by some of the world's earliest known civilizations that developed around fertile river valleys. These people â€Å"may well have exchanged technologies and ideas such as mathematics and the wheel with one another†1. The central steppe region had long been inhabited by nomads who could reach all areas of Asia from the steppes on horseback. The northernmost part of Asia, which includes much of Siberia, was largely inaccessible to these steppe nomads, due to the dense forests, climate and tundra. These areas remained very sparsely populated due to the geography of the land that made living conditions difficult.1 The center a... ... other surrounding Mediterranean lands, helping conquer new territories and further developing trade routes. â€Æ' Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/steppe?s=t http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steppes Traditions and Encounters 26 Traditions and Encounters 33 Traditions and Encounters 88 Traditions and Encounters 89 Traditions and Encounters 102,103 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India Traditions and Encounters 310 Traditions and Encounters 310 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa Traditions and Encounters 52 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile Traditions and Encounters 58 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Greece http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens Traditions and Encounters 193

Mid-Term Break Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney ‘Mid-Term Break’ The main theme of ‘Mid-Term Break’ is the tragedy of the death of a young child, whose life ‘break[s]’ when he is only four years old; this tragedy also ‘break[s]’ the lives of others, specifically the child’s parents and brother. The tone of the poem is very sombre, as it explores the manifold ways in which lives are broken and shattered by death. In literal terms, the title refers to the ‘Mid-term Break’ of a school vacation; in this sense it is highly ironic, as the holiday the poem’s narrator gets from school after ‘six weeks’ of classes is not for a vacation, but for a funeral.However, as indicated in reference to the theme, ‘break’ has other meanings relating to the broken life of the dead child and to the broken life of those close to him. Additionally, ‘Mid-Term’ can be read not just as referring to a school holiday, but to a ter m of life; thus the child’s life has been broken prematurely, in ‘mid-term. ’ So while on a literal level the title refers to a school vacation, on a metaphoric level it refers to a life which has been broken before its natural span.Though the poem is set out in even three-lined verses, except for the anomalous last line, it is actually structured around three geographic locales, locales which are also distinguished from each other in temporal terms: the ‘college,’ location of the first verse, in which the narrator remains ‘all morning’ until ‘two o’clock,’ the narrator’s house, mainly the front porch and front room, where the narrator remains until ‘ten o’clock’ at night when the body is brought home and, finally, the upstairs room where the corpse is laid out, which the narrator visits the ‘Next morning. The movement is one from the exterior world of school and non-familial acquainta nces, to the interior world of the house, friends and family, and finally to the upstairs room where the narrator stands alone with the body of his brother. This movement can reflect the way in which death isolates us and sets us apart: as the narrator is increasingly isolated, finally left alone with the corpse, so death separates us from normal human interactions and leaves us alone to confront our mortality. This sense of increasing alienation from the world of normative human existence is marked throughout the poem.The first people the narrator refers to, in the first verse of the poem, are the ‘neighbours’ who drove him home; however, once at home, he is disconcerted to find his ‘father crying,’ an action which the narrator regards as disturbingly abnormal for a man who ‘had always taken funerals in his stride. ’ The baby’s actions in ‘coo[ing] and laugh[ing] and rock[ing] the pram’ also disturb the narrator, as he clea rly finds them incongruous; he is further ‘embarrassed/By old men standing up to shake [his] hand//And tell [him] they were ‘sorry for [his] trouble. ’ Alienation is increased as the narrator now uses personification to create a sense of disembodiment: ‘Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest;’ he is further distressed by his mother’s reaction, as she ‘coughed out angry tearless sighs. ’ Here, the unusual collocation of ‘coughed’ and ‘sighs’ works to create a sense of disturbance and discord: it is almost as if the mother’s actions make no logical sense.Finally, the narrator feels alienated even from his young brother: it is not his brother who is brought home at night but a ‘corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. ’ Thus the narrator feels increasingly set apart from the world around him, even distanced from the body of his brother, profoundly alienated and intensely self-con scious of his own alienation. This self-consciousness, finally, is emphasised by the extensive use of the subject pronoun ‘I,’ the object pronoun ‘me’ and the possessive determiner ‘my’ in the first six verses of the poem.The narrator declares ‘I sat all morning;’ ‘our neighbours drove me;’ ‘I met my father;’ ‘I came in, and I was embarrassed;’ ‘to shake my hand;’ ‘tell me they were ‘sorry for my trouble;’’ ‘I was the eldest;’ ‘my mother held my hand;’ ‘I went up into the room’ This extensive self-reference is only abandoned in the last few lines of the poem, when the narrator finally looks at the body of his brother, ‘him,’ as ‘Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,/He lay in the four foot box as in his cot†¦. the bumper knocked him clear. ’ From a state of almost morbid self-aware ness, therefore, the narrator is brought into a contemplation of his brother’s body, a contemplation that leads him to reflect not just upon the subjective embarrassment he feels, but upon the objective tragedy of his brother’s death.