Euthanasia Essays (1192 words) - Kowloon, Lin Zexu, First Opium War

Euthanasia Opium- an addictive drug originally used as a painkiller. It is obtained from the unripe seeds of the opium poppy and can be made into substances that a person can smoke causing relaxation, alleviated anxiety, and a state of euphoria. Continued use of the drug also induces deterioration to the mind and body of a person eventually causing death. The substance was therefore stated illegal in China during the late 18th Century yet consistently smuggled into the country via British merchant ships. As the Chinese placed more restrictions on trade in an effort to abolish the importation of opium, the battle against the drug raged on until war was unavoidable between England and China. It is this war that lasted from 1839-1842 which eventually led to the British reign over Hong Kong and legalization of opium trade in China as well as the opening of many trade routes along the Chinese coast. The British success of the war is unarguable, however, the extent to which they devastated China coul d have possibly been avoided if the Chinese emperor had received accurate information regarding his countrys failure during the first battles. If the emperor had known of his navys lack of success against British warships a compromise could have been met however, due to inaccurate reports to and from commissioner Lin Tse-hsu the emperor was unaware of Englands inevitable victory. With Lin in charge, Chinese success over the opium trade was going well and followed through to an extreme degree. The presence of soldiers in Canton, the main trading port between them and the British, and the threat of potential execution to any person found using or selling the drug illustrated the extent to which Lin would proceed. (So then) The opium crisis began in 1837 when Chinese officials disrupted the smuggling by burning the boats used to carry the opium ashore from the floating warehouses. It was such threats that prompted Palmerston of England to dispatch a warship to China to protect British property in 1837. Despite this, China still raged on against the narcotic and in March of 1839 convinced the head of the British trade commission at Canton, Captain Charles Elliot, to hand over more than 20,000 chests of opium. However, after the killing of a Chinese by drunken seamen and the lack of punishment put forth on them by the British, Lin suppressed all trade with England and proceeded with other measures as well. Lin ordered that delivery of all rice, tea, meat and fresh vegetables to the anchored ships at Macao to be intercepted and cut off. Freshwater springs that were known to be used by the British at various points along the coast were poisoned. Large banners were posted to warn Chinese villagers not to drink from the streams. Lin then pressured the Portuguese authorities at Macao to evict the British from their harbor, under penalty of severe trade restrictions. These drastic measures forced all of the British ships to retreat from Macao to Hong Kong by the middle o f August. However, such trade limitations would not go well with England and a severe response was in order. On August 31, Commissioner Lin learned that the merchant ships anchored off Hong Kong had been joined by a twenty-eight gun British frigate. Although this news was not good, Lin, who had the use of a fleet of Chinese war junks at his disposal, was not frightened by the arrival of a single British warship. Finally the first confrontation between the two navies occurred and it was the barbarians, as thought by the Chinese, that were victorious. Although the Chinese warships returned the British fire, they did no damage to the British ships, and were forced to retreat after being badly shot up by cannonballs. The captains of the defeated Chinese junks feared that their failure would be viewed by higher authorities as a disgraceful act of cowardice. The captains therefore reported to Commissioner Lin that they had won a victory and had sunk a British ship. This incident also repr esents the first of inaccurate messages passed to Chinese officials providing the government with a false sense of security. The British response was not one intended for violence however.

My Last Duchess Essay Example

My Last Duchess Essay Example My Last Duchess Essay My Last Duchess Essay Essay Topic: The Heart Goes Last My Last Duchess When reading My Last Duchess at first it was quite confusing. The narrator doesnt finish his thoughts at the ending of every line which kept me guessing and trying to piece it all together. After reading it the third time I finally came to understand exactly what he was trying to say. The narrator was a troubled powerful man who was showing Offa piece of art to another man, but little did he know at first what exactly that painting meant. First, I would like to describe a little bit about the poem. The narrator was a Duke, and his last duchess was a beautiful young woman, but she as too intrigued by everything she saw. She was also, too nice in his eyes, because the smile she always gave him for his brilliance, he could see she would also give it to the world. In the beginning of the poem the narrator is already speaking toa man and showing off his painting on the wall done by Fra Pandolf. He makes sure he states the artist name because he know he will soon be asked the question of how he captured such a wonderful painting. The Duke goes on to say: How such a glance came there; so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. On the other hand In the poem The Laboratory Is spoken by a woman who Is deleting her eyes to an apothecary who is a chemist helping her make her poison. We can identify this Why not soft like the Phials, a Phial is a test tube and you can make an experiment by using a test tube in a laboratory. My Last Duchess is set in Dukes house or either a gallery, we can tell this by Thats my last duchess painted on the wall, looking as if she were alive, and there she tends. Wills please you sit and look at her? The Duke describes how people are surprised by her seductive, passionate glance, and he gets very Jealous when people admire the painting. He decides to hide the portrait behind some curtains and he acts like he still owns her In the way that he would own an object. The depth of passion In that earnest glance, But to myself they turned (since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but Ir And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there, this wows us that if anybody should dare ask about her passionate expression, the Duke would say that they were not the first person to ask that question. The Duke seems to think that there may have been another lover in the Duchesss life. Throughout the novel, he describes his wife in different mixtures of outlooks. The Duke illustrates the way she poses for the portrait and the reader can sense the Dukes Jealousy over the way she is looking at the painter Far Pandora. As we sense the jealousy the Duke seems to give us the Impression that he may thing the painter is his wifes secret over that was on the side. The Duke crestless the Duchesss Joy In life and shows a sarcastic outlook towards the pleasure she gets from the small simple things in life, a bough of cherries, or a sunset. N ten toner nana, us readers get Tanat Impression Tanat ten Duchess NAS a happy nature, who looks for Joy in all natural things, she also appeared to find Joy in compliments from other men other than her husband but we all know that she did not deceive her husband, even thought thoughts running through his head got to him and made him think that she was bei ng unfaithful. She had a heart how shall I say? too soon made glad, in this section, it tells the reader that the Duke does find it difficult to identify his wife, as he is finding it impossible to find those right words. Also she preferred life and living more than anything and he had ranked his nine- hundred year-old name, his stand and nobility above all else. The Duke points out that his wife is too easily impressed and likes whatever she sets her eyes on. But the Duke tells us that he doesnt like or never discussed his issues and Jealousy with his wife. And I choose Never to Stoop, this tells us that he never told her bout the things he disliked as he thought his issues will be stooping below his level. Even though the Duchess is dead, the Duke likes to think that he still has control of his wife by hiding her behind a curtain. He does this so that her glance doesnt attract another man. He still views her as a possession through the painting. Thats my last Duchess painted on the wall, the word That reduces her to nothing more than a simple object, a painting on his wall. All the errors that his wife made are actually qualities that someone should find magnificent in a wife. This reveals that the Duke was a very self-centered, egotistical man, who remained disappointed. He was a distant man with a cold form, disliking conversations. He also seems to be more of a Woman collector as he sets his sights on the daughter of the Court. Though his fair daughters self, as I avowed At starting, is my object This word object, whilst it means aim, this shows that the Duke wants to add this new woman to his collection, as if she was a piece of art. He then represents his guests attention o his latest achievement, a new bronze in the shape of Neptune, the mythical Roman god of the sea. I think the Duke is making a sly remark to his own achievements in capturing his next wife. I also think that he believes of himself as Neptune, powerful and ruling. Browning use of irony throughout the poem is the readers feelings of sympathy for the last Duchess. The character in Porphyrys Lover is revealed in a similar way as the narrator gives a review introduction of his feelings to the reader. Browning uses many techniques, when human emotion is linked to the weather which is seen as pitiful: The rain set early in to-night, The sullen wind was soon awake It tore the elm-tops down for spite And did its worst to vex the lake. When Porphyry enters the room, the mood does change. Whereas at the start of the poem you feel like the colors are cold, blue and grey. But as soon as she enters, the warmth livens the room; the colors are bright, oranges and yellows to lift the senses. Before she enters, the lovers mood is full of fear. Once she is present, the lover wants his moment to last forever, he doesnt want her to leave him, and he wants her all for myself and in a way he is similar to the Duke. She is not afraid to show off her body: She put my arm around her waist, and made her smooth white shoulder bare and all her yellow hair displaced, but suddenly the lovers mood changes during the poem. He want to protect ten perfect moment Ana to ay Tanat was to Kill nerd Ana setting nerd free from circles of terror or even another lover other than him: Too weak, for all her hearts endeavourer, To set its struggling passion free From pride, and vainer ties dissever, And give herself to me forever Robert Browning use of the word Worshipped