The Combray Section of Marcel Prousts Swanns Way Essay -- Swanns Wa

The Combray Section of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The "Combray" section of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way is an extended meditation on an idyllic past. The book begins, though, not with recollections of Combray, but with a description of the narrator's half-asleep state, a state of consciousness where he does not know where, or even who, he is. The expanded memories of his past, then, seem an attempt to establish a stable sense of self, a sense that continually eludes him. In this exploration, which constitutes the entirety of the "Combray" section, we find the narrator, a young man with literary aspirations, struggling to understand the characters of his childhood in a way that captures their contradictions, only to find that each person seems more like a spectrum of singular, varying selves than a single delimited identity.    When we encounter the narrator addressing the problems faced by the artist, he notes that "the ingenuity of the first novelist" lay in the realization that a simplification of characters that corresponds to the "suppression" of "'real' people" inevitably makes novels stronger, more effective in conjuring a sympathetic response from a sensitive reader. "A 'real' person," he begins, profoundly as we may sympathize with him, is in a great measure perceptible only through our senses, that is to say, he remains opaque, offers a dead weight which our sensibilities have not the strength to lift. If some misfortune comes to him, it is only in one small section of the complete idea we have of him that we are capable of feeling any emotion; indeed it is only in one small section of the complete idea he has of himself that he is capable of feeling any emotion either. (83) ... ... key to inner life. As everyone is guarded, influenced by the conditions that surround them, the social conditions, it seems that only when alone may they be truthful.    But instead of confirming this, instead of giving us insight into the "core" essence of his characters, the "truth" that all their masks conceal, Proust confounds us by making the confessions imparted in solitude as constructed as any others. In fact, perhaps the only distinguishing factor, is that in solitude, his characters are free to feel and admit guilt, something they would be reluctant to admit in public. But even in private, their lives are organized as a sort of public confession, as they struggle to maintain the illusion of a stable self.    Work Cited Proust, Marcel. Swann's Way. Trans. C. K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin. NY: Random House, 1981.   

Islamic Philosophy Essay

* Ibn Sina – â€Å"Philosophy is the exercise of intellect, enabling man to know Being as it is in itself. It is incumbent upon man to do this by the exercise of his intellect, so that he may ennoble his soul and make it perfect, and may become a rational scientist, and get the capacity of eternal bliss in hereafter. † * It is not necessarily concerned with religious issues. They have the following: HADITH(the traditional sayings of the Prophet) SUNNA(the practices of their community). FIQH(Islamic law, which discusses particular problems concerning how Muslims ought to behave) * It is not exclusively produced by Muslims. * Philosophy helps the Muslim to understand the truth using different techniques from those directly provided through Islam * It is the continuous search for Hikma(Wisdom) Nature and Origin * Philosophy in its fullest sense began in the third century of hijra(The hijra was in 622 ad; it is the first year according to the Muslim calendar) * The main sources of early Islamic philosophy are the religion of Islam and Greek philosophy. Greek philosophy because most their works on philosophy like logic, medicine mathematics and so forth were translated into Arabic. During the middle ages, both Muslims and Christian philosophers relied upon the Greek Philosophy, their main resources are the works of Aristotle and Plato along with few others. Hikma and Falsafa * Hikma (wisdom) -Philosophy as hikma has the advantage of referring to a wide range of conceptual issues within Islam. * Falsafa-an Arabic expression designed to represent the Greek philosophia. Islamic Philosophy of Education. Islamic education is an essential need derived from Islam as a religion or way of life, as Allah wanted. Thus Islam sources are the same for Islamic education. The Quran is the main source of Islam, which contains every principles of Islamic thought. Islamic education also is uniquely different from other types of educational theory and practice largely because of the all-encompassing influence of the Quran. The Quran serves as a comprehensive blueprint for both the individual and society and as the primary source of knowledge. Some examples of the proof that the importance of education is repeatedly emphasized in the Quran: Al-Quran * â€Å" †¦ Say: â€Å"are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition† (Az-Zumar : 9) Sunnah * â€Å"Who so walks in path seeking for knowledge therein, God will thereby make easy to him the path of paradise† (Abu Hurairah and Muslim) The aims of Islamic Education * Imam Al-Ghazali * Education should make a child aware of the laws though the study of Qu’ran and Hadith. * Education should make the child firm in religious beliefs otherwise he will be led astray. * Ibn Khaldun * Knowledge of God and faith in Islamic laws will make Muslims know the reality which in turn will lead to good and possession of good character. * Ibn Sina * Education as the overall growth of the individual: physical, mental, and moral; followed by the preparation of this by individual to live in a society through a chosen chose trade according to his aptitudes. * According to Contemporary Perspectives * To provide the teachings of Holy Quran as the first step of education. * To provide experiences which are based on fundamentals of Islam as embodied in Holy Quran and Sunnah which cannot be changed * To develop such qualities of a good man which are universally accepted by the societies which have faith in religion * To bring man nearer to an understanding of God and of the relation in which man stands to his creator * To produce man who has faith as well as knowledge in spiritual development These aims and objectives of Islamic education distinguish clearly from the modern system of education which is based on Western philosophy of life. This approach of Islamic education was endorsed in the First World Conference on Muslim Education held at Mecca in 1977 in the following words: â€Å"Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of man through the training of Man’s spirit, intellect, his rational self, feelings and bodily senses. Education should cater therefore for the growth of man in all aspects: spiritual, intellectual, imaginative, physical, scientific, linguistic, both individually and collectively and motivate all aspects towards goodness and the attainment of perfection. The ultimate aim of Muslim education lies in the realization of complete submission to Allah on the level of the individual, the community and humanity at large. † Mohamad Johdi (2009) synchronizes that Islamic education aims at the balanced growth of the total balanced-personality of human, acronym JERISAH – Jasmani- physical Emosi- emotional Rohani- spiritual Intelek- intellectual Sosialisasi- social Alam- environment Hamba Allah- humbleness towards Allah.

A Review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is  the second book  in the popular series. The same tweens who made Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney a bestseller wanted more. They got it with the second book in the very funny Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series Popularity The Wimpy Kids popularity is due to both the  illustrations and diary format  and the emphasis on concerns that tweens actually have. The main character, Greg Heffley, who narrates the story through his diary, shares regular issues and crises kids face.  Kids really identify with Greg, a goofy, self-centered and funny middle schooler who deals with a variety of problems, many of his own making. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules: The Format The format of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is the same as the first book. Lined pages and Gregs pen and ink sketches and cartoons really make the book seem like an actual diary, or as Greg would emphasize, â€Å"a journal.† Greg is still not the poster boy for the perfect kid, but that adds to the fun as he suffers the consequences of some of his poor choices. The Story Middle-schooler Greg Heffleys diary starts with summer and the misery of being on the swim team. His friend Rowley has gone on another exciting vacation that Greg doesnt want to hear about. His little brother, Manny, and his parents are still tending to drive him crazy. Gregs biggest problem is his big brother, Rodrick, who knows an embarrassing secret about Greg. Despite this worry, Greg continues on his goofy way, dealing with school, bullies, homework, and family, especially Rodrick. Ultimately, the secret gets out. However, due to all the changes in the description of Greg’s secret as it passes from person to person, it’s no longer something that is an embarrassment to Greg. Despite all the teasing that goes on between Greg and his brother, they still care for one another. By the books end, when push comes to shove, Greg has set aside his animosity and tries to help Rodrick when he needs it. For More About the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series and Related Books In addition to information about the books in the series, youll also learn about related Wimpy Kid books. These include The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary and  The Wimpy Kid School Planner.  If your kids enjoy the humorous diary/journal/comic book mashup format, they will probably also love the Star Wars: Jedi Academy series.