(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

The Ultimate Sacrifice

            
             "The idea of the ultimate sacrifice comes only with an idea of purity, through fatality" (Anderson, 144). What makes people willing to die for their countries? In his book Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson explores this question. Anderson believes the answer lays in the idea of nationalism. Nationalism invents nations where they do not exist. Anderson argues that a national community is an "imagined community." Even though the members of even the smallest nation will not know most of their fellow members, in each of their minds there exists an image of communion. Nation-ness as well as nationalism are cultural artifacts. The interplay between fatality, technology, and capitalism is an essential reason an individual becomes willing to die for their own country. This interplay allows the individual to imagine his or her identity. .
             Anderson begins by questioning why the nation replaced the monarchy within the sacral ecumene when it eroded. He does not argue by inference from explicit assumptions. Instead he takes two forms of rule and two types of collective consciousness and contrasts them. Anderson uses the modern and traditional types of rule. He describes modern nations as horizontally bounded and persistent through time. They attribute equal citizenship to the members of the nation even though they are very unequal in other things, such as level of education or wealth. Also, the people of the modern nation think of themselves as sharing commonality with other members, even though they have never met them. On the other hand, traditional "dynastic realms" take on the principle of succession in rule and the expansion of territory through the process of marriage. These traditional "dynastic realms" have a central ruler who is above shifting horizontal boundaries of which identity of this ruler is independent. .
             The two types of collective consciousness are the traditional communities united by a sacred written language in the forms of Latin and Arabic, and the modern nations united by print languages.


Essays Related to The Ultimate Sacrifice

1. Sacrifice In Mythology

... meat serves entirely for the festive feasting of the participants . . .poets recount how the god remembers the sacrifice with pleasure or how he rages dangerously if sacrifices fail to be performed- (Burkert 57) Following the sacrificial acts and festivities, the remainder of the ritual consists of two moments representative of the ultimate purpose of the sacrificial feast: speaking to the god, and appeasing his wrath. Essentially, the "feasting of the sacrificers goes hand in ... hand with the homage "both ... ...

  • Word Count: 2118
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. The Crucible

... mode is broken down into three essential parts. The first part shows the tragic hero, John Proctor, and his constant struggle within himself to preserve his dignity. The second part shows the outward manifestation of this struggle, as the hero is ready to give the ultimate sacrifice to clear his feelings of guilt. The third part shows the transition of the hero into an enlightened state of mind, as his conscience ... where he cannot keep his guilt inside himself any longer. He commits the ultimate sacrifice, defined by Arthur Miller as the tragic action. The tragic action is when the he...

  • Word Count: 968
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

... rises three days later. Like Jesus, Aslan does not fight, does not say a word. Aslan was innocent and in the movie, because his death was an act of divine, unconditional love, he rose and conquered death. The theory focuses on Christ making the ultimate sacrifice, something that did not have to be done, but was done out of love.Aslan died for Edmund so that ... Victor theory; it is that shame and guilt are taking a back seat because sermons are focusing on God's sacrifice and his unconditional love, which is true, but a change of heart only happens when one repents. Aslan defeated the W...

  • Word Count: 4060
  • Approx Pages: 16
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Indian Woman in Kamala Markandaya

... to her husband and a mother to her son. The role of the mother in India is considered the ultimate and most important role of the Indian woman and barrenness is considered to be the greatest disaster that can exist for a woman. Boys are considered to be the center of the universe which explains the fact that a woman reaches ultimate fulfillment and becomes a real woman only when she gives ... of her motivations, she remains a sympathetic character although she violates traditional mores. That Markandaya means for our sympathy to hinge on her self-sacrifice becomes even more obvious when ...

  • Word Count: 3535
  • Approx Pages: 14

5. Leisure and Self-Sacrifice

... , a western hero is traditionally viewed to be restless, bustle, and strong. As different as they are, heroes of the western and eastern worlds, both try to achieve greatness beyond all. Through any means, may through attaining a free mind, or through self sacrifice, heroes, always achieve greatness. Ultimately all heroes attain immortality, recognition, and superiority. Clearly then, conceptions of a hero ... and achieving greatness, are at times parallel, and at other times divergent, within cultures. Consequently what creates a hero is only the perception what a hero is and does. Slee...

  • Word Count: 962
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Ultimate Measure

... have we seen firefighters and policemen sacrifice themselves to save others" lives? Would America have so much freedom if certain significant people didn't fight for our rights? Martin Luther once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. To reach the "ultimate measure," a person needs to be ... dedicated, brave, and willing to sacrifice oneself. Take for example, the firefighters during the World Trade Center Terrorist attack on September 11, 2002. Before ... the firemen were called for h...

  • Word Count: 561
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities

... risk, but he sacrifices his inheritance and heir to the throne to live a guilt-free life. His actions result in happiness as he wins Lucie's heart. The sacrifice of one's freedom is a remarkable act, but nothing surpasses the sacrifice of life. Sydney's death is the greatest sacrifice of the novel. He takes Charles' place in the guillotine to save the lives of Lucie, Charles, and their family. ... He understands that through his sacrifice, others may live. He is willing to die knowing others' ... Sacrifice is one of the foundations of solid relationships. Charles sacrifices his freedom ...

  • Word Count: 626
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Aztecs and Human Sacrifice

... and keep their tribe in the gods good graces. Blood sacrifice seems like an odd and barbaric choice for reparation, but to the Aztecs, it was ideal. Giving blood was considered the ultimate sacrifice in that time period. As seen in, "The Gods Must Be Hungry; Religion Has a Bloody History That's Not All in the Past," By Jerry Adler, the author states, "The sacrifice of human blood, and ... particularly the heart, was necessary to make the sun go around every day. It ties ... in to their stories of creation and myth. It was part of the cultural ... ...

  • Word Count: 1401
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography

9. The Mayan and Human Sacrifice

... incorporated in their religious beliefs as a way of rebirth. In conclusion, human sacrifice was utilized in ancient Maya religious ceremonies to show their commitment to their gods through the association of creation and rebirth. With a religion of appraisal to individualized gods, the sacrifice of a human life was the ultimate offering. Sacrificial scenes have been detailed on ancient Maya ceramics, sculptures and murals. That archaeological evidence is ... the sole reason for our extensive knowledge of their civilization. If our society today ... ...

  • Word Count: 1497
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question