Capital Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Punishment - Essay Example The Magisterium is the means of educating people or individuals about the Divine truths written within the Sacred Scriptures which is the divine Word of God. The Magisterium is associated with the Sacred Tradition and is regarded as the â€Å"unwritten truths† about faith and morals which can normally be expressed by the faithful in words. However, the Sacred Tradition cannot be actually based on any written or spoken words – so they are referred to as the unwritten truths that are usually used in the administration of the Magisterium; where teachings from the Sacred Scriptures are done (Conte). The last aspect often linked to the matter of capital punishment or the death penalty is Human Reason. Human reason is what separates a person from lower forms of animals because human beings possess a level of intelligence that motivates them to discover and explain salient issues, which eventually leads to the understanding of important matters. Although such characteristics a re often restricted when it comes to expressing opinions regarding religious views and truths (wordiQ.com). Capital punishment has always been debated upon but those who are for and against its imposition on individuals who have committed unspeakable crimes like murder and rape. The grounds of the arguments are often centered on the Holy Bible which contains the Sacred Scriptures, and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Since the Sacred Scriptures are the basis of performing the Magisterium and discussing the Sacred Tradition it can be said that the Holy Bible as a whole is a reliable source for the Church to tolerate the capital punishment meted out by any State or government for dreadful crimes. Since Church leaders are normally bound to adhere to the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Traditions. Accordingly, the Magisterium has never expressly supported the idea of abolishing capital punishment, but neither does it specify in any way that using it is necessarily required and shoul d only be implemented rarely because respect for all human life is a must. This means that even the most hardened criminal whom we see as lower than any animal must be given human dignity despite his or her deeds; and should be given the chance to repent and turn over a new leaf (Pope). In support of the foregoing, the teachings of Jesus Christ and His way of life, as also portrayed in the Holy Bible contradicts the toleration of killing or taking away of life in exchange for serious offenses. This is likewise stated in the Sixth Commandment which states that â€Å"thou shall not kill†, which is the foundation of argument for those who are against capital punishment. In light of this the Magisterium makes it clear that capital punishment should only be implemented or equated to the crimes committed; and that the State or the government â€Å"does not act on its own authority but as an agent of God – who gives and takes away life† as per the Sacred Scripture. Rel evant to this issue, Dulles presents the four goals of why punishment is in place for identified crimes committed against a person and the society in general, which are as follows: rehabilitation, defense against the criminal, deterrence and retribution. The first objective of punishment is rehabilitation. In order for somebody to recuperate or recover from a serious misdeed, he or she must be given the chan

A REVIEW OF PIECE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH EXAMINING CHANGES IN MONEY Essay

A REVIEW OF PIECE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH EXAMINING CHANGES IN MONEY MANAGMENT - Essay Example e their finances, in particular the way the expenses for children and child care are paid, and who is most responsible for those expenses, can still be a route to inequality. The paper leads the reader to understand that the individualization of finances, though leading to a real sense of autonomy, could still leave women with the belief that they are still the primary care givers of society. In â€Å"Research Methods in Politics† it says, â€Å"The ability to research, and therefore provide evidence to corroborate a particular view of the world, is clearly vital to the discipline of political science.† (Brunham, 2004: 1) Keeping the above thought in mind, we must understand what Pahl was intending by making such a statement. The paper did not put forth any particular reason(s) or solution to the inequality problem as presented, it only stated that there could be an unexpected end result. The methodology used for the paper was fairly extensive, citing both the author’s own research and a number of different studies, interviews, books and research papers that substantiated the author’s premise. The paper incorporated a lengthy reference list, with over thirty references to research directly related to the article. There was a lot of material crammed into such a short article, so much so, that it may have been too overbearing. â€Å"Presenting the findings of a survey can be quite complicated, and it is easy to lose the reader in a mass of detail† (Punch, 2003: 72). Learning how to present, and maybe even more importantly, how not to present information, was something that this author could have done a little better. Even though the writer is faced with more options when presenting the findings, and has a little more leeway in presenting those findings, if the information contained in the rest of the article has already overwhelmed the reader, then the findings may not make as much sense as desired. The structure of the paper was fairly straight

Sacramento State Essay Example for Free

Sacramento State Essay For the college fair, my group received Cal State Sacramento. In my group I was student number one. Student number one was to work on what location, size, and environment. I learned that Sacramento State is approximately 7 hours and 32 minutes away from Perris and is almost 453 miles. While working on my category I found out that Sacramento State is located in the capital of California which is Sacramento. Sacramento State has about 24,136 undergraduate students attending. The total of women that attend are 13,825 and they make up 57% of the campus. The overall number of men that attend is around 10,311 making up 43% of the campus. The ethnic breakdown consists of about 43% American, 20% Asian/Pacific, 16% Latino, 7% African American 2% Foreign, 1% American Indian, and 11% make up others. They have a 300-acre campus and a landscaping of 3,000 tress. There are so many interesting facts that I learned about Sacramento State. There are some really nice near by attractions. For example the waterpark Raging Waters as well as the Sacramento Zoo are two near by attractions. Their mascots name is Herky the Hornet and is 60 years old, and there school colors are Green and gold. Some other interesting facts are that the school was founded in 1947. Some of the majors are criminal justice, social sciences, economics, environmental studies, nursing, as well as engineering. The tuition for the people living in California is about $6,573 and out of state is approximately $17,733. In conclusion Sacramento State might have some bad things about but for the most part it’s a pretty good school.

A Dolls House Analysis of Nora

A Dolls House Analysis of Nora I must stand on my own two feet if I am to find out the truth about myself and about life, To what extent is Nora a tragic heroine? -1497 words (excluding title) A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen is a modern tragedy that is centred around the life of a typical Norwegian household in the Victorian era, focusing on the trials and tribulations that face Nora Helmer in this patriarchal society. A Dolls House explores not only the status of women, but how they are victims of social forces to the extent that they are left with the role of a dollwife. During the course of this essay, I intend to study the character of Nora and to what extent she qualifies as a tragic heroine. As the curtain opens to the first act, we are introduced to Nora as an extravagant little person, a sweet little spendthrift; giving the audience the impression that she will be yet another undeveloped female character as seen in previous traditional tragedies. Ibsen uses patronizing language to portray Torvalds view of his wife, how to him she was just a sweet little skylark, the word little emphasizing Torvalds misogynistic ego, and how he uses typically loving terms but makes them seem condescending and demeaning. Aristotles description of a tragic hero as outlined in his book Poetics, is where he discusses the aspects of ones character which qualify one to be a tragic hero, ideas which have been accepted and expanded for several centuries, and often used as a mould for tragic heroes. In order to reach my conclusion and decide to what degree Nora is a tragic heroine, I will compare Noras character to some of the ideas Aristotle discussed in his book. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is a man who is a mixture of good characteristics and bad characteristics. Regardless of the requirement of being male, Nora fits this aspect of his definition perfectly as she can be seen as both the epitome of good and evil within the play, depending on ones perspective. Ibsen establishes Noras character as not purely vapid (as we perhaps thought based on our first impression of her) but a woman who gave up the necess[ities] of life and went to extreme lengths to save [her] husbands life, even though it was considered imprudent in Victorian society, where a woman was transferred from being, firstly a good daughter, secondly a good wife and finally a good mother. Consequently, Noras character can also be seen as having bad characteristics (one of Aristotles prerequisites of being a tragic hero) as she undoubtedly commit[ted] a fraud and as Krogstad says, the law cares nothing about motives, even if Nora did it for loves sake. Ibsen stated that a woman cannot be herself in modern society. It is an exclusively male society, with laws made by men with no regard to female emotions. Torvald shakes his finger at Nora and says that a songbird must have a clean beak to chirp with. Ibsens use of stage direction clearly shows Torvalds condescending behaviour towards his wife. It also shows that even after eight years of marriage, Torvald Helmer underestimates his wifes character or capabilities to the extent that it is questionable whether he knows her at all. Ibsen suggests that even though the plot unfolds in a male dominated society, those same men could be easily deceived by their wives, as shown by Torvald and Noras relationship. Even though Ibsen has followed Aristotles idea, he has left it open to interpretation as Noras actions can be interpreted as good or bad. Ibsen portrays Nora as being coquettish, using her beauty and charisma to her advantage as she play(s) with [Torvalds] coat buttons without raising her eyes to his, mere domestic, flirtatious behaviour. However, it adds complexity to Noras character, as she is manipulating her husband into giving her what she desires. Alternatively, Ibsen could be portraying that women were now breaking away from the restraints of the social norm, where before all else, [they] are a wife and a mother. As it is revealed to us that Nora saved Torvalds life, we know that she is not just a dollwife, but a woman of intellectual complexity. Ibsen adds psychological depth to Noras character, depth that was previously uncommon within female characters in drama, a prime example being Shakespeares Ophelia. The play follows Aristotles rule -the tragic hero has a tragic flaw, or hamartia, that is the cause of his downfall-, establishing Nora as a tragic heroine. Nora Helmers tragic flaw is undoubtedly her naivetà ©. As Aristotle stated, the tragedy is usually triggered by some error of judgment or some character flaw and it can be said that it is Noras innocence that inevitably leads her to her tragic fall. As I have previously discussed, Torvald consistently displays condescending and demeaning behaviour towards Nora, calling her a little featherhead and an obstinate little person, and Nora seems to perceive his abusive and controlling behaviour as a sign that Torvald is so absurdly fond of [her]. Nora regards her husband as having no moral failings, and man enough to take everything upon [him]self to the extent that he would never for a moment hesitate to give his life for [her]. Torvalds morality is what makes his actions so shocking when he refuses to save her and accuses her of hav ing no religion, no morality, no sense of duty, when in fact the reason behind her immorality was Torvald himself. Noras understanding of her hamartia permits her to reach catharsis which is a secular moment of self realisation, allowing her to therefore rectify her problem and complete her journey to be a tragic heroine. During Act II, Nora starts to realize her flaw, she starts to realize that she is not Torvalds dollwife living in his play room. This is made evident in the play as Nora disagrees with Torvald and says he has a narrow-minded way of looking at things. Even though this realization is nowhere as dramatic as it would have been in classical tragedy, Noras actions have the same effect on the audience as she voices her opinion, taking on the dominant role in their relationship. Aristotle also states that the tragic hero is someone people can relate to. Ibsen has made this possible by setting his play within a typical affluent Victorian household, and uses Nora to depict the oppression of women, and how they have been dehumanized to mere objects of entertainment, particularly in the middle-class society. George Bernard Shaw agrees that the plays domestic setting makes the characters recognizable people as their problems were familiar to the audience. Ibsen illustrates the Helmers broken marriage through Nora taking off [her] fancy dress, her changing into regular clothing symbolises the shedding of all illusions about their marriage. He uses the metaphor of a cold, wintry night to depict the frosty atmosphere of the Helmer household. Ibsen shows how Nora has existed merely to perform tricks for [Torvald] through the tarantella, a folk dance that was traditionally performed to purge oneself of poison, showing the intensity of the control Torvald has over her. Finally, Aristotle argues that the tragic hero always falls in the end, and that is why he is called a tragic hero. His tragic flaw always ends up in tragedy for himself and for those around him. The plays climaxes when Nora leaves her husband and children, which can be regarded as her fall. This can be regarded as either an assertion of her humanity or as a negligence of her most sacred duties, as she forsake(s) [her] husband and children. However, In my opinion, Nora is not abandoning any duties as even though she had borne [Torvald] three children, it was their maid Anne-Marie that catered to all the childrens needs, whereas it was great fun when [Nora] played with [the children], the children have been [her] dolls. Subsequently, it can be seen as liberation for Nora as her whole life, she was simply transferred from Papas hands to [Torvalds], allowing her to make nothing of [her] life. It is here when our little skylark finally flies away from her cage, attaining freedom. Aristot le agrees that the fall is not pure loss. There is some increase in awareness, some gain in self-knowledge, as Nora slams the door shut on her marriage. It can be said that Ibsen uses his final stage direction to symbolise the possible decline of patriarchy, the closing of 19th century beliefs and the birth of Modernism. Throughout the play, Nora takes on many different roles, making her character difficult to compartmentalise, but as a critic says, the greatest dramatic characters have the freedom of incongruity. In A Dolls House, Ibsen presents us with a character that at first glance appears to be a featherhead, but follows the Aristotelian journey of a tragic hero, from hamartia to catharsis to her tragic fall. Aristotle says that the tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness, and even though Nora is just an ordinary Victorian housewife, it is undeniable that she does in fact possess greatness, making Nora a modern tragic heroine.

justification for higher education Essay -- essays research papers

Justification For Higher Education After analyzing William A. Henry III s In Defense of Elitism and Caroline Bird s College is a Waste of Time and Money , it is clear that Henry s argument concerning the purpose of an education is more rational than Bird s due to the fact that Henry supports his claims with credible statistics, logical insight, and uses current real world scenarios. Bird, on the contrary, bases her argument solely on manipulated statistics, overly dramatic claims, and ridiculously out-of-this-world scenarios. While there are various viewpoints and perspectives on the subject of higher education, Henry for one, has landed the conclusion that in America higher education for the masses has not only been extremely costly economically, but it has also greatly lowered the educational standards and therefore defeated the purpose of higher education itself. Henry s primary grievance against higher education for the masses is that the influx of mediocrities relentlessly lowers the general standards at colleges to levels the weak ones can meet (335). Quite simply, higher education is by no means any higher if the standards keep lowering just so some students can barely meet the minimum standards. For example, although I am a full supporter of the bell curve in college, it is certain that this recent innovation has had its share in lowering the university s educational standards. This practice of calculating the students average score on an exam and then re-scaling grades to help those who didn t fare as well is a clear example of bringing the standard of college down to everyone s level (336). I can certainly attest to this claim because I was recently directly affected by the bell curve. In the first quarter of my freshman year, I received a score of 44 out of a possible 100 points on my Physics 7A final exam. According to the general 10% increment grading scale, this would mean that I earned an F on the exam. However, thanks to the mediocrities earning even lower scores than myself and the establishment of the bell curve, I fared quite nicely and escaped with a B- grade. Although this is definitely good news for me, Henry s claim that the mediocrities tend to lower the educational standard seems to prevail. The influx of mediocrities flooding college campuses has also lowered the credibility and status of a college degree.... ...re no guarantees in these professions either (329). After dissecting her claims and supporting statements, it is clear that Bird is trying to undermine the value of a college degree. Tying this into her previous claims, we must ask since when is anything in life guaranteed? If we consider her implication that some students should obtain vocational education, well then it is obvious that there are no guarantees in jobs of that nature either. It is troubling to see that Bird simply dismisses certain jobs just because there is competition for them or because she thinks colleges fail to warn students of the competition. William Henry and Caroline Bird both have sharply different approaches in regards to making there arguments about the purpose of an education. Although they share common ground on various issues, the two become divided due to the types of examples and evidence they use to support their claims. After careful analysis, it is clear that Henry s line of reasoning and concrete evidence tops that of Bird s due to his logical insight. Unfortunately for Bird, she is simply left scrambling in the dark in search of bogus evidence in an attempt to backup her claims.

Gender Mainstreaming in Canada Essays -- Politics, Gender Equality

Canada is a signatory to the United Nations Platform of Action which specifies the mainstreaming of gender into programs, into policy processes, and into decision making in order to achieve gender equality. Since the adoption of the Platform of Action at the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, gender mainstreaming has gained wider acceptance among governments and other stakeholders (Woodward, 2008). The aim of gender mainstreaming is to ensure that gender components are considered in all sectors that affect the society (Status of Women Canada, 2007). Purpose It has been argued that gender mainstreaming is a potent approach that can transform how public policies are made by challenging existing policy paradigms and setting new policy priorities (Woodward, 2008). However, there has been a lack of evidence to support that gender mainstreaming exist in Canada. Therefore, whether Canada’s gender equality approach is gender mainstreaming or not is open for discussion. This discussion paper examines this issue by exploring the gender equality approaches adopted by Government of Canada. The challenges of implementing gender mainstreaming are highlighted, and finally recommendations are made. Definitions The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) defines gender mainstreaming as: â€Å"a strategy for making the concerns and experiences of women as well as of men an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political economic and societal spheres, so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal of mainstreaming is to achieve gender equality" (ECOSOC, 1997). The Status of Women Canada defines gender ba... ...he Government of Canada’s gender equality approach has been unable to interrogate already accepted analytical starting points (Paterson, 2010). The approach operates in a system of technology of rule, so there is no way the impact of the institutional structures can be separated from the policy outcomes. In this regard, gender equality analysis has become the government’s technology of rule (Prugl 2011). Summary and Recommendations To actualise gender mainstreaming, there is need to reposition the current gender equality approach from being a policy tool to an integrative approach that can change the institutional structures. The current gender equality approaches in Canada lack the potential of changing the current institutional practices. The current equality policy mix is a mainstreaming of gender based analysis and not gender mainstreaming (McNutt, 2010).

New Historic Criticism of Pudd’nhead Wilson

The striking lack of agreement about the merits of Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson, is undoubtedly related to the equally striking disagreements over the interpretations and analysis of the novel. In a crucial senses, related to all the thematic analysis presented so far, leave important aspects of the novel unaccounted for. As a result, those who are inclined to praise the novel dismiss certain parts as finally inconsequential evidence of Twain’s predictably careless technique. On the other hand those who have serious reservations about its merits stress its lack of coherence, lack of an action suitable to embody what appear to be the author’s chief concerns.Although the interpretations vary widely, ranging from the view that its theme is the conflict between reality and appearance to the assertion that it has no clear meaning, two interpretative emphases are most common. First, there are critics who stress upon racial themes, especially slavery and misceg enation or marriages between different races. And second those who argue for the centrality of the theme of environmental determinism and see slavery as simply a metaphor for Twain’s more general concern, with the influence of training of the individual. While both these approaches give valuable insight, both are unsatisfactory because they leave too many questions unanswered.It was once considered that the integrity of imagination was violated by interpretation, considerations of race, class and sex have not entered into the most formalist readings.In Pudd’nhead Wilson, Twain presents a critique of slavery and race relations in the American South. He highlights the arbitrariness of racial distinctions and classifications by showing how easily Roxana, a slave is able to switch her own son with the offspring of her master. The young usurper grows among the whites without suspicion, and Twain is able to demonstrate how artificial and constructed racial distinctions actua lly are.Race, Conflict and CultureThe recently increased interest in Mark Twain’s â€Å"Pudd’nhead Wilson† is a text that turns the misapprehension of gender and race in a mid-nineteenth century Southern town into a complicated spoof of the â€Å"fiction of law and customs† in the United States. Pudd’nhead Wilson depicting race and custom identity within legal and scientific discourses lends itself readily to the new kind of historic readings related to â€Å"Race, Conflict and Culture.†A white skinned man, robs and murders and he subsequently discovers, through the science of fingerprinting, that he is actually a descendent of African race and a slave. In his infancy, he was changed with his young master, Valet de Chamber or (Chambers), alias Tom Driscoll, seems almost to be tailor-made for the audience of 1990’s. This book is considered as an intriguing depiction of complexities and constructions of race in the late nineteenth centu ry United States.Recent attention to racial issues, and renewed interest of literary criticism in history, has helped define the precise nature of cultural tragedy which is presented in the novel. The traditional plot of European comedy in which confusion over identity disrupts a hierarchical order that is restored when true identity is revealed, does not seem to work in democratic America, especially not when the confusion involves race. As in Pudd’nhead Wilson, Roxy tries to justify her act of cradle exchange of her son for her master’s and reasons with herself, â€Å"white folks has done it.† But her efforts as a mother to have her son defy the fate allotted a slave in racist America, ends in futility.The new historical criticism of the text certifies the different ways of reading narrative incoherence and different ways in formulating relationship between culture and literature. Some critics argue that Twain was unaware of Pudd’nhead Wilson’s p enetrating indictment of race slavery and that the discontinuities of the text mark a retreat to the illusion when none has occurred. While Myra Jehlen (1990) sees more ambivalence than outright evasion and manifests a familiar dilemma in Twain as a stalemate, between racial criticism and implicit conservatism. David Wilson stands in for the author, who recognizes competing rights that render incompatible social order and social justice.Carolyn Porter (1990) sees similar ambivalence in Roxana’s powerfully subversive, and David Wilson’s repressive plots. She also argues that the novel does not resolve, but only plays out the tension between them. Some read a more deliberate authorial strategy into the text’s disjunctions. Through David Wilson as a businessman, Twain meditates on the speculative postwar economy as an outgrowth rather than rejection of the slave economy. If the new historicism performs a textual reading of culture, they have not ceased to read the literary text as a special entity. When the critics analyze a fictional character or episode, there is no way the analysis can be proven wrong and all take satisfaction in being right. But whether Pudd’nhead Wilson is an extension, a reflection or a critique of cultural dynamics remains a matter of debate.Main Characters in the novelRoxana or Roxy in Pudd’nhead Wilson is cited as an exceptional woman, â€Å"her gestures and movements distinguished by a noble and stately grace,† is the rarest of beings depicted in Twain’s work, though the white women characters in his work tend to be static and stereotypical.   She is a passionate and an attractive woman and according to Fishkin (1995) is cunning, physically possessing, enterprising and genuinely interesting and engaging. She is conceived by Twain as something other than matronly old ladies or prepubescent schoolgirls. Roxy is also more complex of the stereotypes which were most commonly used by white au thors to portray women of her race and status.David Wilson, â€Å"Pudd’nhead Wilson,† is a character that gained its name from the book but many critics have ignore, denied, or belittled his significance to the story. The result is that Wilson role is considered that of a mere lever, or someone who moves the plot along but has no intrinsic importance. Though Wilson is referred to as an ass in the opening chapters, but like a donkey he has a number of admirable attributes. He is intelligent, courteous and diligent and it’s only Roxy who describes his as â€Å"de smartes’ man in dis town.† His hobbies though they seem odd to the average townsperson, demonstrate his sharp and meticulous mind.Thomas a Beckett Driscoll (Tom) is the name given by Percy Driscoll to his child and after Roxy switches the babies, the slave usurper is referred to as â€Å"Tom.† From the beginning, Tom turns out to be a bad boy and his bad behavior continues to grow wit h age and is described by Roxy as â€Å"fractious.† He is cruel towards Chambers and rude towards Roxy’s affection, viewing his mother as â€Å"merely a slave and chattel.† Valet de Chambers, (Roxy’s son) on the other hand is raised as a slave and grows up to be docile and meek but a strong fighter and a good swimmer. Tom not only forces Chambers to be his bodyguard but is also cruel and jealous of the slave’s natural physical abilities. But even upon discovering that he is the real Tom Driscoll and is rich and free, Chambers still   feels uncomfortable in the company of whites because of his slave upbringing.Slavery in the mid-nineteenth centuryAccording to Jehlen (1990), Mark Twain while associating the black race with the female sex, represents racism in the unconventionally loathsome form of slavery. Roxana’s status as a mulatta (feminine) is clearly crucial to Twain’s story. Roxana as a mulatta most certainly exposes the covert tradition of miscegenation, but her serial ordeal as a mulatta mother intent on saving her son exposes much more ( Porter, 1990). The ideologies of race and sex Mark Twain used in the novel Pudd’nhead Wilson were not controllable through literary form, because the writing posed problems that the history of racial and sexual thinking in America, impossible to resolve.Percy Driscoll on having some money stolen threatens to sell the guilty servant â€Å"down the river† which shows that life for the slaves on large cotton plantations was far harsher than for the Missouri slaves. To be sold â€Å"down the river† was equivalent to be condemned to hell, with old slaves being sold away to be replaced by the new slaves. Dawson’s Landing is a highly stratified hierarchical society and at the apex of this social order were the first descendants of Virginia, represented by Judge Driscoll down to the lowest rung of the social ladder-the slaves.And so powerful is this social hierarchy, that those on the bottom were forbidden from eating or sitting with citizens of higher status. This segregation was visible in the layout of the town structure where the snug houses for the white population were situated up front while the portion for the slaves was hidden in the backcountry. Through constructing this social framework, Twain delivers a stinging critique of slavery and in the South of America. Pudd’nhead Wilson is unique to its time in portraying the slave characters as dishonest, lazy and at times dangerous. But in Roxy’s views, slavery is a crime committed by the whites against her race.ConclusionCritics seem intent on challenging the new directions in literary analysis and laying down the terms of debate as to what standard   has the literary works been classified to up to this point and the terms by which we read literature and by analyzing the relationship of literature to the larger question by which we govern our lives. Today the problems of race and sex have become vastly complicated than when a literary work was thought to invent its own sufficient language.The task of the critics then was to show how all parts worked together to reveal coherence. But today, with no available assurance no one can be certain that in a particular work the history is internally coherent or that the issues it treats finally hang together. Though not simple, but the task of literary criticism is to analyze works, not to dismantle them. In the light of these questions, Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson contributes not only to Twain’s single work, but also adds to the growing number of works both participating in and questioning new directions in the study of literature.BIBLIOGRAPHYJehlen Myra. Spring, The Ties That Bind: Race and Sex in Pudd’nhead Wilson. American Literary History. Vol. 2, No.1. 1990. pp. 39-55.Fishkin, Shelley Fisher. Mark Twain and Women. The Cambridge Companion to Mark Twain. Cambridg e University Press: New York, NY. 1995.Jehlen, Myra. The Ties that Bind: Race and Sex in Pudd'nhead Wilson. Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson. Duke University Press: Durham, SC. 1990.Porter, Carolyn. Roxana's Plot. Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson. Duke University Press: Durham, SC. 1990.Wald, Priscilla. Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson: Race, Conflict and Culture. Studies in American Fiction, Journal Article. Vol. 23, 1995.Thomas, Brook. Tragedies of Race, Training, Birth and Communities of Competent Pudd’nheads. American Literary History, Vol. 1, No.4.   Winter, 1989. pp. 754-785.