Edgar Allen Poe Collage

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Edgar Allan Poe's struggle with substance abuse

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Alcohol played a significant and rather unfortunate part in the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Riddled with misfortune, Poe was often in a state of emotional turmoil. From the deaths of his young wife to being shunned by his father, Poe’s life is almost as dark and ill-fated as his stories (which is likely because he portrayed himself in his writing). To deal with the endless tragedies, Poe was said to have fallen into both alcohol and drug abuse. His first experience with alcohol is estimated to be around the age of 17; during this period of his life, he began accumulating large debts from gambling. One of his peers said: "He would always seize the tempting glass, generally unmixed with sugar or water - in fact, perfectly straight - and without the least apparent pleasure, swallow the contents, never pausing until the last drop had passed his lips.”. After his father heard of his behavior, he was sent to the military. But the downward spiral into alcoholism had already begun....
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Superstition in Colombia

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For today’s blog post I will be exploring superstition and ritual in Colombian culture. Presently, our class is analyzing the novella “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” by the legendary Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. The novella is set in a small Colombian town called Sucre. In this town, superstition and ritual hold a meaningful role in the life of its inhabitants. The cultural diversity of African slaves, Spanish con querors, Arabic immigrants, and indigenous tribe makes Colombia home to a vibrant culture of myths, legends, and superstition. Let’s look at some examples of these superstitions.  Among the most common superstitions in Colombia is “the curse of the black butterfly”. This superstition states that if a large butterfly that is either black or brown enters one’s home, then a family member will soon pass away. In Colombia this butterfly is called the “Mariposa Negra”; however, the scientific name for the butterfly is “Ascalapha Odorata”. Althou...
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Self-Actualization in Frankenstein

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Self-Actualization: . "The psychological process aimed at maximizing the use of a person’s abilities and resources. This process may vary from one person to another” (Couture et al., 2007). Both Victor Frankenstein and his creation exhibit forms of self-actualisation. Moreover, they both fail to exhibit other forms of self-actualisation. Firstly, Frankenstein expresses his curiosity and pursuit of knowledge, thus we can view that he understands his social and intellectual potential, "The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine". He is creative and desires to use his innovation to transform society, “I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” Victor at the beginning of the novel already has love, safety, basic needs and esteem in his life, therefore he is able to pursue his desire to innovate and problem solve. Nonetheless, it is noticeable that Victor Frankenstein is immoral. This...
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