Horace and Adversity

“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant. ” What the Roman poet Horace was saying was that when there is an obstacle in our way, our true colors will radiate. I could not agree more. When we as human beings feel passionate about achieving a goal, we may learn something new of ourselves, maybe a new trait that we did not know we possessed, when we reach new heights we did not know we could push ourselves towards. Challenges are similar to tests. Challenges are faced every day, but how we respond to them determines how strong we really are.

Prime examples are superheroes and students that move dramatically. Superheroes know the difference between right and wrong. The whole point of having a superhero is because there is a villain to face, an adversity. There can be no good without evil. If there is nothing to fight for, nobody will reach a new potential to fight for it. Whenever a villain is attempting to impose a reign of terror amongst a population, the superhero steps in and gives it his all to ensure the safety of the people. They are constantly proving who they are and what they stand for.

If superheroes were real, they would be a definite figure to look up to considering how much adversity steps in their path, and how they show no fear and they would give their lives for the sake of people. If you think about it, what made them want to be a hero in the first place? There had to be some form of evil, some adversity, which made them want to be the ones to save everyone else. Super villains further prove this point because they also have great power, do they not? Who knows what set them off wanting power and destruction, but something we aware of is that their adversities are our heroes.

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Our heroes stand in their way, so the villains are constantly coming back for more, always trying to prove themselves superior. Their characters, their entities, always build off of each other. For heroes and villains, their adversities are actual beings, physical enemies. Let us move onto a more realistic topic. For a freshman, going to a new school in a new state will more than likely be rough. His or her enemy, or adversity, will be a number of things, mainly revolving around worry. They may worry about if people there will like them, or want to be friends with them, whether or not they will fit in; things of that nature.

If that student encompasses themselves in a fortress of solitude then that would show that they are not a very strong or confident person. In turn, someone will notice this and possibly, out of pity, approach them and realize that they are comfortable and they stick around with them to be polite. However, if that student is the opposite, then maybe they will try out for a team and show off their skills or lack of and the other students will see him or her and praise them for being so assertive and hopefully befriend the “new kid” after proving that they are very outgoing and easy to get along with.

When something is in your way, how you respond to the situation makes you, you. If you have never been put in an uncomfortable position then you will not necessarily know how you would respond, so you do not know that side of yourself. Roman could not have said it any better. Adversity does in fact awaken undeveloped or inactive capacities. To fully understand how you would act under harsh conditions you have to be placed in that situation. Like I stated, when there is an obstacle in our way, our true colors will radiate. That is how we will define ourselves.

Adversity Bringing the Best or Worst in People

Adversity Bringing Out The Best or Good? Recently a tragedy has occurred in New York and many other states being known as “Hurricane Sandy” leaving a mark on our lives. Sometimes in life when natural disasters occur or in general when unfortunate cases occur adversity can truly bring out the real person whether for good or bad. I personally believe adversity brings out the best because in most cases you see people helping by any means and actually some have sacrificed their lives just for the safety of others.

I mean if this doesn’t bring out the best, what does it bring out? It can be officers, firefighters, public and many more trying to help out and make a difference showing that they care. The Hurricane had hit us pretty bad causing schools, public transportation and many other services come to a temporary suspension. Fire fighters, officers and ambulate drivers were all over NYC helping and people who were off duty left their homes and came to help as well. That’s true dedication and people should definitely recognize and appreciate them more often.

There were shortages of food and clothing for many people because unfortunately in some cases people have lost their homes and are currently living in shelters. Its so generous for Collages to provide their gym for the people who have lost their homes and have no place to go to com and temporarily stay at the collage where they provide everything for them their. Speaking of generosity people have came to the colleges and provided any assistances they could. This show how much people care. They took time out of their own lives and were there to help society.

Unfortunately Officer Artur Kasprzak was one of the few people who died because of Hurricane Sandy. He was trying to help his family get out of the mess in the house and quickly brought them to the attic. Once he brought them to the attic he went downstairs for something and unfortunately never made it back to the attic. This shows he cared for his family and put them first. Also, companies, corporations and celebrities have donated to the American Red Cross in the amount of millions to the Hurricane Sandy relief.

People are donating money and clothes and really whatever is necessary and are in their limits of what they could do. Our very own MTA service had announced free transportation from them. I mean that’s shocking because it’s the MTA and all they want is money from the passengers. In this case them helping out in their way really shows support and generosity which had helped many people get around because of shortages of gas. In Conclusion, society really helps and cares in situations like these and don’t suddenly become selfish, worrying about themselves.

Of course there are is a percentage of selfish people out there but that cant and shouldn’t provoke us from showing who we really are. I salute all the people that have helped and are currently helping in any way because even something very little means a lot to someone else. At the end of the day it all comes down to does adversity bring the best or worst in people? I believe best because in situations like these many people open up their hearts and really just help out any way possible. Hurricane Sandy has left a permanent mark in history and won’t be forgotten.

Horace Adversity Discussion Board

“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,” by Roman poet, Horace. His statement implies that only misfortune may bring forth greatness. Ruin reveals true genius, in clover conceals it. The quote, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,” by Roman poet, Horace, wouldn’t mean much to me if it wasn’t so utterly true.

Everyone faces some sort of adversity throughout their lifetime. Adversities or obstacles agreeably involve weighing one’s options and then deciding what to do. The decisions we make shape who we are. So consequently adversity plays a crucial role in developing a person’s character. In Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory, Rodriguez is left feeling socially disadvantaged from his inability to speak English. He also had Mexican immigrants as a child which coupled with all his other “disadvantages” led him to be studious.

He became distant from his family and chose to become a student: looking towards teachers for role models. Without this disadvantage/ adversity, he wouldn’t have realized his true potential as a student and writer. How we handle adversity is what matters... Take a common scenario, therapy for example, in consideration when viewing adversity. In almost all situations the psychologist will let you pour out all your emotions and troubles (adversity).

He or she will then ask you how you feel and offer words of wisdom. Then you’ll make your decision. The psychologist will usher concepts of “taking responsibility” and action. Whether or not someone heeds this advice is up to the person and the path taken will always shape someone’s character. When facing adversity I would try to be optimistic, opting never to quit. I know the challenges of my life have made me who I am today and it has brought out a lot of my talents.

If I had more smothering, wealthy parents, “prosperous circumstances”, I wouldn’t have been even remotely near the person that I am today… The fact that I felt distant from my family at a young age caused me to be more independent (in school). I practically forced myself to learn, looking up to teachers as role models. In turn, I absorbed the merits my teachers valued. Because of them I always try my best and put quality over quantity. The extra attention to quality I gained has caused me to think more creatively and become more in tune with my artistic side.

Overcoming Adversity

Overcoming adversity means overcoming a hard time or circumstance and moving forward in a positive way. The novel, Parvana’s Journey was written by Deborah Ellis and published in 2002 and the film, Rabbit Proof Fence was directed by Phillip Noyce and released in 2002. Parvana’s Journey is fiction yet based in reality and it’s about a young Afghani girl who walks across war torn Afghanistan searching for her family. Rabbit Proof Fence is non-fiction and it’s about three young half caste girls who escaped from a settlement camp and walk over 2000km to go back to their home.

In both texts, children face many adversities but they overcome adversities through determination and the sheer will to survive to meet their family. Parvana’s Journey, is set at war time in Afghanistan where a group of children wander through the country trying to survive the horror of their situation and they overcome huge difficulties to reach the end of their journey. The war in Afghanistan is between Taliban and U. S. A and this war affects civilians and children . Afghan people live with the fear of death and there is not enough food and other necessaries that they need.

Children can’t go to school during the war so they can’t be educated and the Taliban is constantly on the search for boys to make them fight for the Taliban. Parvana’s Journey focuses on the protagonist, and her search for her family. In her quest for shelter and food as she makes her way across the Afghan countryside, she meets other children who are displaced due to war. Parvana continues her trip with three others; Asif Hassan and Leila. Parvana is very clever but still a child. Asif is a legless boy, he is very cruel to Parvana because he doesn’t know how to treat a girl.

Leila is a naive girl Parvana comes across who scavenges food from a mine field. In this story, the children face lots of adversities during their journey. In the novel, Parvana faces many difficult situations; she is almost sold to the Taliban(P. 20 “I heard the old men talking. They are going to turn you over to the Taliban”), they also struggle to find food to eat (P. 156 she bit into the page, tearing a chunk off with her teeth) and water to drink. (P. 152 the water was muddy, but that didn’t matter) Furthermore, there is always the possibility of being hit by a bomb. P. 167 he planes were bombing in the daytime now, as well as at night) Rabbit Proof Fence is an Australian film about a young half caste girl who leads her younger sister and cousin in an escape from a settlement camp which endeavours to train them as domestic workers and educate them. They walk over 2000km to go back to their home. They can’t speak their own language in the settlement camp. They also struggle to find food to eat and water to drink. Furthermore, there is always the possibility of being caught by tracker.

These girls are part of the Stolen Generations. The Stolen Generation is a dark part of Australian history. Half caste children, (most under the age of 18) were taken from their families because the government believed that the children would be better if raised by white families. Because of this policy, aborigines lost their culture, language, spirituality and self- esteem. In this film, there are three aboriginal protagonists, Molly, Daisy and Gracie. Molly is a mature girl who is very clever and has the leadership skills to lead her sister and cousin.

Graice is a naive girl, she believes other people very easily and doesn’t want to do difficult tasks. Daisy is just a young girl and does whatever Molly says. You haven’t developed your ideas – what adversities do they face? What are the difficulties? Use quotes Bo, check your notes Both texts are about overcoming adversity but quite different in their subject matter, time and place. There are some similarities between Parvana’s Journey and Rabbit Proof Fence. In both stories, children determined to survive to see their family.

In Rabbit Proof Fence, an adult tricks Daisy and she gets caught by the police In Parvana’s Journey, an adult tries to sell Parvana to the Taliban to get money. Both stories’ protagonists have no food, water and nowhere to sleep during the journey. Some differences between the texts are, In Parvana’s Journey the children are threatened by bombs; however, , in Rabbit Proof Fence the children are threatened by capture by police. Parvana’s Journey is fictitious but based on reality. Rabbit Proof Fence is a true story. Both stories happened in different time and place.

In the film, Rabbit Proof Fence, the children choose to run away from the settlement camp but in Parvana’s Journey the children have no choice. In conclusion, the main characters in both Rabbit Proof Fence and Parvana’s Journey face lots of adversities however they don’t give up, they overcome the adversities and achieve their goals. Facing adversity might be initially difficult but when people overcome them, they are ofent stronger than previously. If you know yourself and your enemy, you win hundred battles out of 100 a hundred.

Role Adversity Plays in Shaping Identity

Role adversity plays in shaping an individual’s identity Discuss the idea(s) developed by the text creator in your chosen text about the role adversity plays in shaping an individual’s identity. A man is insensible to appreciate prosperity until he has tasted adversity. Adverse situations shape an individual’s identity and play a significant role in one’s life by shaping personal values, determining one’s own potential and self worth. Khaled Hosseini conveys how hardships shape individuals identities through the characters of Amir, Baba, Hassan and Ali in his novel The Kite Runner.

Like every individual they go through a series of incidents and hardships that shape who they become and how well they deal with struggles in life. Life is not about finding one’s own self, but about creating and learning from experiences. As one goes from childhood to adulthood and deals with the hardships of life, they grow as a person and learn from their experiences. Amir’s journey of life displays how incidents and hardships shape ones identity. Amir as the kite fighter lets Hassan the kite runner get raped by Assef due to fear, jealousy and need for love.

He sacrifices Hassan for his selfish desires and the need to prove himself worthy to Baba. “I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. ” Hassan’s rape shaped Amir’s identity and his personal values. He valued Hassan but he valued Baba’s love even more. He valued his need for acceptance more than humanity and loyalty to his friend.

Rape created guilt and regrets; it shaped Amir’s personal values. After betrayal the need to belong was a struggle for Amir. He looked for ways to make Baba proud of him and searched for acceptance. It’s only natural to want to be accepted and loved however one has to decide how far they are willing to go to achieve that. Amir’s actions and decisions resulted in his loss of innocence which shaped his identity and character. Adverse situations in Amir’s life made him realize his own potential and had an effect on self worth.

When Amir is at last given a way to be good again he redeems himself by becoming the kite runner. Amir goes into Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, as an adult, to rescue Sohrab. By rescuing Amir relives himself of overwhelming guilt that compounded over years. Getting beaten up by the rapist and bringing Sohrab back home makes him feel worthy. He no longer feels useless however he achieves true redemption when he becomes the kite runner instead of the kite fighter for Sohrab. By saying “For you, a thousand times over,” he amends for Baba and his sins and forgives himself.

Hardships made Amir who he was since the beginning and he grew as a person by the end. Amir learned from experience and determined how adversity played a role in shaping his values, determining his potential and providing him with a feeling of self worth. Every individual learns from experience and grows as a person all together. Baba as Amir’s father also faced adversity and it shaped his identity as a person. Incidents from his past created his future and played a significant role in creating his character.

Baba slept with Ali’s wife behind his back and Hassan was the living proof of his betrayal and disloyalty towards his friend. Sanaubar carrying Baba’s son created an adverse situation which teaches everyone a lesson about honor and disloyalty. All his life he had to hide the truth from the world and by keeping Ali and Hassan safe in his house he was revising for his mistakes. “I don’t care about the money or the watch. ” He forgives Hassan for stealing despite the fact that he considered theft as the only crime.

He was always nice to Ali because he was guilty and wanted redemption. His past affected his decisions and shaped his identity. It strengthened his personal values and made him question his self worth. Baba’s experiences with women in his life made him stronger since he stood up for a strange women’s honor on their way to Pakistan. When the Russian soldier asked for half an hour with the lady in the back Baba stood up and spoke against it. Baba had the courage due to his past experiences and adverse situations he has already faced. I will take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place. ” His personal values and beliefs went against Russian soldiers demands only because incidents before have had an impact on his character and they shaped his identity. Baba constantly tries to do good deeds to redeem and perhaps forgive himself. Another example of shaping identity is society pressure. Baba’s image mattered, how other people saw him and how they treated him was a part of his personal values and self worth. Wealth, status and honor were how he was portrayed in front of society.

Society pressure and judgment shaped Baba’s identity and impacted his decisions. He was ashamed to tell everyone that he is Hassan’s father, a father to a Hazzara. He did not want to lose his identity of being a Pashtun or be disrespected due to his past. Just as Amir Baba was willing to deal with guilt and regret for personal desires and searched for true redemption the rest of his life. Different people have various beliefs and their own way of doing things. Hassan was one exceptional character whose loyalty overruled all betrayals in the novel.

Just as any other individuals Hassan dealt with hardships in life however Hassan’s selflessness made him far different from Amir and Baba. Hassan was illiterate and wanted to learn how to read and write. He used Amir for his personal desires, the desire to read and learn. “we sat for hours under that tree, sat there until the sun faded in the west, and still Hassan insisted we had enough daylight for one more story, one more chapter. ” At that time in Afghanistan written words were no use for servants especially if they were labeled a Hazzara.

Hassan being Ali’s son, who was only true for the world, had to live with being illiterate and deprived from his rights to knowledge. Difficult events and hardships shaped Hassan’s identity and life. His illiteracy was a part of him and had an impact on the decisions Hassan made in life. Hassan was naive and his innocence poured out through his actions of friendship and true loyalty. The character of Ali also conveys how situations of life shape ones identity, how they create a person and determine ones potential. Ali was Baba’s servant and that was a reason for why he was never able to speak up for justice.

When Hassan was framed for stealing from Amir, Ali had the choice to tell the truth, he restrained from giving up Amir only because he gave Hassan his word. Baba and Amir were always superior and Ali’s personal values told him that it was better to leave it as it was. Ali realized his self potential then and left home with his honor and dignity. Adversity was essential for developing his self worth and Ali’s role as the servant shaped his identity and plays a significant role in his values and beliefs. Similar to Ali Hassan strengthened his beliefs through hardships and truggles, Hassan was loyal at the beginning and despite of all the betrayal and deception from Amir he stood loyal and strong until the end when he sacrificed himself once again while guarding Baba’s house. When faced with adversity, there are a select few who can push it aside for the greater good. It takes a special kind of person to do what Hassan did. He followed through his principles which shaped his character and identity. People don’t appreciate happiness and everything they have until life takes a turn and teaches a valuable lesson.

Amir, Hassan, Baba and Ali’s identities and characters were shaped around adverse situations and hardships of life. Difficult situations they faced created who they were; it strengthened their personal values, determined their potential and provided the feeling of self worth. Adversity teaches one’s self that a path with no obstacles, probably doesn’t lead anywhere. It is essential for growth of an individual throughout life because sometimes in tragedy one finds his life purpose- the eye sheds a tear to find its focus.

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