Concerning Benjamin Kidd and the "Rivalry of the Races"

In an incredibly ignorant and rather narrow-minded passage taken from Social Evolution, Benjamin Kidd essentially outlines these points:

• Life is a constant struggle; the only important and driving aspects of existence are competition and the pursuit of progress. This applies not only to humans, but to all living organisms, and is the cause of all that is efficient and "perfect" on earth.
• In order for progress to occur, "superior" species and subspecies must, and inevitably will overtake and eventually wipe out the "inferior" species and subspecies around them.
• This theory can be proven using the examples of the Anglo-Saxon man spreading out through the world and taking over lands on a global scale. Kidd states that it is not the fault of the Anglo-Saxon race, it is simply natural selection running its course, and that it shall occur no matter what, whether it is violently achieved or occurs "quietly and painlessly."
• Kidd uses examples such as Anglo-Saxon colonization in Australia, New Zealand, North America, and Africa, stating that the plight of the natives in these areas is inevitable and simply a part of life.
• Kidd even goes so far as to refer to Africans as "the careless, shiftless, easily satisfied negro," claiming that all motivation to progress comes from the "dominant" Caucasian race, and that the "submissive" races have no desire to lead progressive lives.

Dope

For my history of a word essay, I have carefully selected the word "dope", as I personally enjoy this word very much. To me, the word "dope" just sounds...well, dope. As both a proper and slang word, it has many uses and meanings, making it a great word to write an extended definition on. I personally tend to use the word in only one way (the slang form meaning cool or awesome), but I intend to begin using it in a plethora of ways once I've researched it extensively.

Gold

Clink. Clink. Clink. I tap my claws gently to the beat against the coins beneath my feet. As I murmor the lyrics, a spray of sparks escapes my lips. "I don't want to set the world on fi-yer..." I sing,  grinning from earhole to earhole over the immense irony of the sentence. I love the Ink Spots. Always have. Much better than some of that 30th century crap the others call music. I suppose I'm just an old-school reptile. Or less new-school, rather. Can't really call something that hasn't happened yet "old-school." "Where is that stupid beast?" I wonder aloud. This, of course, is a rhetorical question, because I know exactly where he is. I know everything. It gets to be a bit of a bore sometimes. Sometimes I wish I were a man...the whole world a mystery, all the answers far beyond my reach. But then I wouldn't have a tail, and that would make balancing an awful pain...Ah! Finally! In stumbles the brute. I laugh as he enters, noticing his resemblance to one of the monsters in Where the Wild Things Are. I've laughed at this many times before, but it's even funnier in person. After a brief introduction, I decide to mess with him a little bit. I feed him some bull shit about existence and the meaning of life, and then just start making stuff up to see if he can follow. He can't. I knew he couldn't. I know everything. Then I explain to him all about the humans and how he drives them to their success; I don't think he fully grasps the concept. He is a dull pupil indeed. Oh well, at least I got a good laugh or two out of his being here. Plus, I got to yell at him about touching my gold. Nothing pleases me more than yelling at people about my gold. Speaking of gold, he should get some gold. I tell him to get some gold. I don't think he grasps the concept. Dumb ass.

Etymology

English is a language influenced my dozens of other languages from many different parts of the world. Here are just a few examples of words and the languages they can be traced back to.

• zero-c.1600, from It. zero, from M.L. zephirum, from Arabic sifr
• caliber-1560s, "degree of merit or importance," from M.Fr. calibre (late 15c.), ultimately from Arabic qalib "a mold for casting."
• algebra-1550s, from M.L. algebra, from Arabic al jebr "reunion of broken parts,"
• alchohol-1540s (early 15c. as alcofol), "fine powder produced by sublimation," from M.L. alcohol "powdered ore of antimony," from Arabic al-kuhul
• orange-c.1300, from O.Fr. orange, orenge (12c., Mod.Fr. orange), from M.L. pomum de orenge
• spinach-c.1400, from Anglo-Fr. spinache, O.Fr. espinache
• mattress-late 13c., from O.Fr. materas (12c., Mod.Fr. matelas), from It. materasso and directly from M.L. matracium
• alcove-1670s, "vaulted recess," from Fr. alcôve (17c.), from Sp. alcoba, from Arabic al-qobbah "the vaulted chamber," 
• admiral-c.1200, "Saracen commander," from O.Fr. amirail (12c.)
• sugar-late 13c., sugre, from O.Fr. sucre "sugar" (12c.), from M.L. succarum, from Arabic sukkar

Ideas on Frankenstein

• The only truly fictional aspect of Frankenstein is the actual idea of one man giving life to an inanimate being, as we as humans are entirely ignorant to how life can be created. The emotions, morals, and ideals, however, are entirely non-fiction.
• It is rather unlikely that Victor would choose to create a giant; why would he give his creation power over himself, especially with his massive ego? (I found this comment rather amusing)
• A huge theme in Frankenstein comes from the point of view of the creature, and the idea of what it means to be alone in the world.

Man or Monster?

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the character of Victor Frankenstein is a very interesting and complex one indeed. An obsessed scientist who comes to hate his own creation, Victor has a very complicated relationship with his own work. Shelley depicts Victor as a misguided, demoralized man, and she sets this tone early on in the novel through Victor's description of his work. In the passage on page 32, Victor describes his devotion to the creation of life, and the motives he is given by Shelley show her attitude towards Victor as a character. Victor explains how the reason for his work stemmed from an obsession with becoming the creator of a "new species" and giving birth to life. It seems that Victor views himself as a godly being, and he will do anything to fill these shoes. Yet, later on in the novel, when Victor finally achieves his goal, he resents his own creation, and hates the very sight of what he has done.

Shelley provides a twist of irony in her novel that occurs between the creature and Frankenstein himself. While the creature is viewed as a monster by nearly all he encounters, including his own creator, he is the furthest thing from it; kind-hearted, gentle, and filled with sadness and remorse (until he is pushed by the hatred of others, that is), the creature is perhaps the more human character of the two. Meanwhile, Victor is the true monster, as he cannot even bring himself to love what he toiled so greatly over. The contrast between who these two characters truly are and what they seem to be is very important in the novel, and Shelley first shows this through Victor's motives for and thoughts on his own work.

Frankenstein's Monster

The character that resonated most with me from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was the creature, for the reason that he is viewed as a monster and an abomination from the moment of his creation, yet he is not a monster at all. The creature is born pure and sinless, yet his appearance causes him to be feared and hated, by his creator and others. This emotional, sensitive being, who has done nothing wrong, is despised by humanity simply for his looks. This makes the creature a very misunderstood character, and he faces greater troubles than any "normal" human might face. Human nature was something the creature had to acquire, yet even after being exposed to the worst in people, he shows compassion and remorse. Even after such a terrible existence, without love or family, the monster mourns the death of his hateful creator, showing his true inner beauty. "'But soon,' he cried, with sad and solemn enthusiasm, 'I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct...'" (Shelley 220)