Similarities Between On Dumpster Diving And On Compassion

Lars Eighner's short essay, "Dumpster Diving," reveals the stereotypes about homelessness in America. In order to confirm these known stereotypes about American culture, Eighner includes autobiographical accounts of the economically inferior class, as well as revealing his elitist rules that governs the life of a homeless person. According to Eighner, homeless people fall into the following categories, 'can scroungers', 'Dumpster divers', and 'scavengers.' (Eighner, 1993). In addition, Eighner's blatant demonstration of his superiority to the people he scavenges from reveals his true character of snobbery.

The essay, On Compassion By Barbara Lazear Ascher, addresses the subject by going beyond the origin and reasoning for compassion. Her interpretation of compassion involves the way people are able to empathize with it. The use of rhetorical devices allows the author to adequately teach readers the idea of compassion. The use of organization, figurative language, and ethos allows her to convey the concept of compassion through her feelings. Her portrayal grants readers the ability to express compassion in their own way.

Where does the compassion that most of humanity have come from? Is it fear, guilt or just the drive to be good people that instills compassion within us? Barbara Ascher discusses this and humanity’s treatment of the homeless in her essay “On Compassion.” Ascher utilizes rhetorical questions, introspective diction, and shortened syntax in order to effectively convey an inquisitive and hopeful attitude towards the way the homeless are treated.

The concept of compassion and generosity through resource sharing in essence establish themselves onto many of the world’s major religions, political systems, and moral foundations. Most would agree with the Golden Rule, “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) as a common moral adage suggests, or that “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Isaiah 58:7). Although many would agree that compassion and generosity through resource sharing is just, is it realistic? Garrett Hardin in his essay “Lifeboat Ethics” argues that not only is resource sharing is unrealistic, but that it is also unfavorable since it stretches the few limited resources available to the point of ruin. He does this through rhetoric, or the use of logos, ethos, and pathos. In this essay, we will define logos, ethos, and pathos, analyze how Hardin’s uses these rhetorical appeals in his essay, and conclude how effective he was using these appeals to persuade his audience.

The perspectives are biased to a point but by shifting the perspective from character to character in different times. It helps show how everyone is involved in the big conflict of the story, whether they know it or not, whether they wanted to be or not, and whether they care or not. The shifting of perspectives is disorienting but offers more than one way to look at a situation and share different things about the main character as the book progresses. The five perspectives that it switches from are (in order) Holly Sykes, Hugo Lamb/ Marcus Anyder, Ed Brubeck, Crispin Hershey, Marinus, and back to Holly Sykes. As for all the important ideas, they are received during conversations between the characters or the character’s [in first person] inner monologues. Most of the specifics about the main issues also come from the character’s thoughts and conversations with others in the

Barbara Ascher decides to cover an important topic when she wrote her passage “On Compassion.” Ascher is addressing the problem in the divide between the homeless and the financially stable and the proposition that one is not born compassionate. Ascher seems to be mentioning the problem of poverty in New York because the mayor is relocating them into hospitals. Ascher addresses this problem by first stating her personal experiences with homeless people and using figurative language, allusion, and imagery to get her point across. Barbara Ascher is using a concrete position to bring up not only the mayor but her personal opinion on compassion.

Compassion, though seemingly straight-forward, is actually a complex beast, springing from a variety of sources, including some less than flattering ones. These sources can include pity, fear, and self advancement, which are rarely associated with something as “good” as being compassionate. However, in “On Compassion”, by Barbara Ascher argues that compassion is something that must be learned through experience, not something one is born knowing, by giving examples of the actions of those who have enough towards those who do not, in order to stress the importance of taking note of others and their situations.

This world is perceived differently from all optical lenses and every literature piece explains the writers’ vision of this world. The pieces that was read by myself showed me a darker side of this world. Many choose to ignore the dark side of our nation, but staring at that side is how you learn about the world you live. The neighbors that smiles and say “Good Morning” to you, may be the ones with ulterior motives or involved in malicious activities. A Stolen Life: A Memoir written by Jaycee Dugard can play a prime example on how the dark world we turn our backs too can one day become our reality.

How often is that humans are blinded by vehement emotions and fail to grant the justice innocent or guilty people deserve? It’s common to jump to conclusions and disregard other perspectives. In 1960, Harper Lee, a novelist from southern Alabama, wrote and published To Kill A Mockingbird, a fiction novel based on real events Lee had experienced. She wrote about her views on racism and parenting as well as other people’s views. Exploring the depths of innocence and guiltiness in court, she reminds her audience of compassion and how it can influence people’s decisions. Harper Lee argues compassion can change a person’s perspective and outlook on the world because it bestows insight and new views. Harper Lee wants her readers to know that compassion is necessary to fully understand and comprehend another person’s view and that having compassion for others will make the world more tolerable.

The Idea Of Compassion The three sources that have been studied for this essay opened my mind to new ideas on what compassion really is in different ways. The first source, “Compassion Our First Instinct”, provided statistics from scientific studies and examples throughout the text. The second source, “How Do YOU Define Yourself”, provided motivational speeches and personal tales of self-compassion. The third source,”We Dine Together”, gave real-life scenarios and solutions to bullying through empathy/compassion.

Student A's thesis stated that the discovery and acceptance of human compassion provokes 'profound personal change'. A rejection of this emotionality prevents self-discovery and leads to immoral actions as seen through the volcanic allusion to Mary's immense 'capability' to 'usurp power' (Roald Dahl's Lambs to the Slaughter). The student's inclusion of a plethora of refined techniques to support their argument surpasses my speech despite our identical theses. Hence, the student's commendable examination of the destructive ramifications arising from a denial of human 'conscience and compassion'

It is easy to turn a blind eye when faced with the misfortune of others, but where must one draw the line? Neal Shusterman, in his novel Unwind, delves deep into this ethical dilemma, forcing readers to question the role morals play in their own lives, as well as the extent to which greed affects their daily activity. There are too many circumstances in which people decide to “look the other way” rather than take action against social injustices, and greed largely contributes to the development of these mindsets and the behaviors that result from them. In today’s society, greed acts as one of the most dominant influences that interferes with a person’s morality.

Josiah Royce writes about the moral understanding between our neighbors and ourselves. Royce explains how we, a community, do not see other people, our neighbors, as true as ourselves. As time goes on it appears that we come from selfish place, a place where we do not view others as unlimited, influential, or genuine as we view ourselves. Royce rationalizes how shame and compassion are not enough to achieve moral insight.

Those who do not see by heart are those who harm others. Those who do not see by heart will, at some point, break others’. They who use their eyes to judge are the bullies in life. They who rely on their eyes are the cheats, and subsequently; the victims of the manipulators.

The article, “Compassion: Our First Instinct” and the videos, “How do You Define Yourself” and “ No one Dines Alone” expanded my knowledge about compassion by teaching me that compassion is a skill everyone has that can improve their mental health and that to show compassion to others you first have to show it to yourself.