Lazarillo de Tormes

Aristotle first addresses the topic of friendship in the first chapter of Book VIII of Nicomachean Ethics by establishing its importance claiming that “it is most necessary for our life. For no one would choose to live without friends” (119). Having discussed virtues in the previous chapter, Aristotle links his definition of friendship to the latter topic claiming that friendship is the act of loving by bonding through mutual respect and virtue. Aristotle proves his argument on the nature and…

In the novel House of Mirth, written by Edith Wharton, one can argue many different perspectives about the character of Lily Barth. Many will argue that she was a beauty who only wanted to have a nice life, like those she surrounded herself with. Others will say that she was a girl who wanted to have it all but due to lack of a proper upbringing she was never guided the right way. However the novel is best described as a series of ups and downs, for the character of Lily Bart. She wanted to have…

Century. The Medici Family, originally from Mugello, a small, rural town, rose from simple beginnings to rule Florence (Cesati 19). The first ruler, Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, moved a small Roman Bank Branch to Florence in order to utilize the possibility for expansion and investments (“Medici Bank”). After the death of Giovanni, Cosimo de’ Medici, took control of the bank and expanded the trade by capitalizing on wool and cloth industries and opening up deposit accounts and bills of exchange…

Humanism is best defined as a philosophical and ethical stance that puts emphasis on value and agency of human beings. Humanist individuals prefer critical thinking and evidence over superstition. Humanism came about from the renaissance, the rebirth of Europe after the middle ages. A perfect example of a humanist, renaissance man is Leon Battista Alberti. Born on February 14, 1404 in Genoa, Italy, place were the Renaissance began. Alberti is also known as the quintessential Renaissance…

each other and share some qualities. Alain de Botton in his essay “On Habit,” presents the concept of a traveling mindset. A traveling mindset means seeing everyday places like a great opportunity for adventure. De Botton argues that by paying attention to the details around, people can fight against the boredom of their routine. Also habituation can be reversed by developing a traveling mindset because it helps discovering how things really look and work. De Botton does not go into how this can…

Delectable scent, vivid color, and splendid decorations is what allures people to visit the country. Indeed, Colombia offers a diversity of food that makes the country of Colombia unique by itself. Perhaps, Colombia is not as “economically developed as Chile, or it doesn't have a world wonder like Peru”, yet there are many scrumptious delicacies in their cuisines. In general, the breakfast is extremely crucial in Colombia, which is comprised of fruit juice, coffee, hot-chocolate, similar to…

Guy de Maupassant’s writings are a few of the best ever written due to his famous climatic dénouement. His stories typically reflect underlying social issues of the era. Within his short story, “The Necklace”, women are depicted in a negative manner. This leaves the question, are Maupassant’s writings influenced by society or life events? There is evidence to support both these theories. However, it is clear the 19th century society shaped his short story. Considering society’s 19th century…

Throughout the history of mankind there has been many uniquely different ideologies. Of these people, Michel de Montaigne and Andrew Martinez share one of them. Both Montaigne and Martinez would agree that customs and traditions can have a positive or negative factor. Montaigne, a famous 16th century writer, shares his belief in “Of the Custom of Wearing Clothes.” His main question for the duration of the reading is why humans wear clothes. Montaigne argues that Western man has been to dependent…

The essay “The Ordeal of Change” written by Eric Hoffer indicates people are afraid of drastic change in their life that would dramatically cause them to be misfit and out of place, and the solution of putting that fear into action is there must be “an abundance of opportunities”, and also “a tradition of self-reliance”. According to Hoffer, “Even the change from peas to string beans had in it elements of fear”; This means that even a change as small as a bean can cause great amount of fears,…

The book, In the Time of the Butterflies, opens in the Dominican Republic with Dede Mirabal preparing for an interview. The four Mirabal sisters each write from their perspective about living in a time with the dictator Trujillo. The story follows the start of a rebellion that the sisters become the leaders of. Three of the sisters, Maria Teresa, Minerva, and Patria, join the rebellion along with their husbands. Dede is the only one who does not join the rebellion, partly because her husband…