.... And the loss of my life would be least of any;" (Gawain, 355-356). The poem is full of instances in which Gawain was forced to face difficult decisions. Gawain could have simply left Camelot never to return. He instead chose the option of keeping his word and searching for the Green Knight, even though he knew he had to take what was coming to him. "Now, liege lord of my life, my leave I take; / The terms of this task too well you know / to count the cost over concerns me nothing. But I am bound forth betimes to bear a stroke / From the grim man in green, as G .....

.... does not defeat him. In one of his last diary entries, says , “shef guiry ax me what I want for my super an I tol him I want nanan to cook me som okra an rice an som pok chop an a conbred an som claba” (232). still enjoys his aunt’s cooking, an outside pleasure from prison. The fact that he can still take pleasure from these small outside things clearly demonstrates that enjoys a small victory over the world that has locked him away. The second characteristic that shows society does not defeat is ’s remaining strong compassion for everyone around him. This .....

.... to being challenged physically and mentally, they are also socially challenged: Marlowe and Rawlins both feel that they are looked down upon due to their occupations. By the end of their journeys, both characters feel that defying the law can be the only way of achieving true justice. Marlowe and Rawlins both experience immense physical challenges. At one point in The Little Yellow Dog, Rawlins finds himself mixed up in a murder case. The police suspect Easy to be withholding information simply because he is black. He is escorted through the basement of the Hollywo .....

.... the typical "warrior-hero." For example, when Grendel attacks that fateful night that Beowulf and his men are at Herot, Beowulf does not attack Grendel with a sword or any other weapon, but with his bare hands, the same as Grendel. He then wrestles with Grendel without the aide of any of his men, one on one with the monster, and tears off one of Grendel's arms. This certainly demonstrates great courage on the part of Beowulf. Beowulf also demonstrates a very noble character. He is gracious, loyal, and above all truly valorous. Beowulf, should he have wished it, most like .....

.... thought of a hundred things I would have rather been doing with my time instead of learning but my parents support and persistence kept my nose to the grindstone. Looking back at those days and being where I am now in my life, striving to become this great mathematician, I can say I have done an enormous 360°. Through my high school career there was one person that really inspired me and gave me this drive that has gotten me here in college today. Everyone else writing this paper is probably saying it was there favorite math teacher or a caring parent but mine was the non .....

.... totally in love with. When Medea met Jason, he was on a voyage to possess the Golden Fleece. Medea goes against her father, her land, steals the Golden Fleece for Jason, commits murder, slows down her fathers army by killing her brother and laying out his body parts, all for the man she loved. And in returned, Jason betrays her for his own interest in power. Revenge is another important theme in this tragedy. After Jason betrays Medea, her immediate response is revenge. Revenge on Jason for making a fool of her and leaving her and their children all alone. Jason h .....

.... caused the catastrophe was when he asked his son Haimon, who was engaged to marry , if he still loves his father. Haimon says he respects Kreon’s ruling, but he feels, in this case, that Kreon was wrong. Haimon asks his father to take his advice and not have executed, but, because of Kreon’s hybris, Kreon gets furious and makes the situation worse then it already was. He was way too proud to take advice from someone younger, and in his anger he decided to kill right away in front of Haimon’s eyes. “’Just understand: You don’t insult me and go off laughing. Bring her here! Let .....

.... of the other characters. While most other characters differ from Candide by their pessimism (most notable Martin, who seems to be the antitheses of Candide's optimism), Lord Pococurante is unhappy with life because he is supremely jaded with what the world has to offer. He is thus Candide's opposite as much as Martin, though the opposition is based upon the noble's jaded state versus Candide's naive one. By the book's conclusion Candide is no longer convinced of Pangloss' philosophy, throwing out systematic optimism. Voltaire has thus used Candide to show the effects of opti .....