The novel Things Fall Apart Essay Example For Students

The novel Things Fall Apart Essay The traditions and values in a society or civilization are essential for its fate and future well-being. Many times, a societys health is being reflected upon individuals and group attitudes toward the traditions and values. The author, Chinua Achebe explains this idea through the novel Things Fall Apart in which the Umuofian values of religion, personal achievements, and male superiority are questioned by many individuals. These questions spark conflict among the tribe and its people. As a result, the inflexible Umuofian traditions and values cause the cultures to fall apart. The religion in the Umuofian tribe has a dominant control over the social and political life of its people which caused the tribe to break apart. The head of the religious hierarchy in the tribe consists of the oracle which is perceived as the most supreme (Clayton 1). Being the most supreme ruler, the Oracle has the absolute power in making arbitrary decisions in both social and political issues. The Oracle is fixed in its decisions and not tolerant of any changes. Therefore, even the most far-fetched decisions are expected to be carried out in full obedience. In the scene where Ikemefuma is told to be killed, the messenger, Ogbuefi Ezedu confronts Okonkwo and says The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves has pronounced it. We will write a custom essay on The novel Things Fall Apart specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now They will take him outside Umuofia as is the custom, and kill him there (Achebe 57). This issue is resolved by only one representative, the Oracle. There is no consensus from which bodies of members could discuss over these issues. As a result, the decisions which are made are irrational and illogical as shown by the killing of Ikemefuma. Most importantly, without a body of legislatives, there is a separation between low class of tribal members and the high class of religious members, which weakens the tribe as a whole. A similar situation is shown by where old people and twins are left in the Evil Forest to die (Sarr 2). Both the killing of Ikemefuma and twins left to die in Evil Forest are highly related. All of these decisions are based on superstition in which individuals question their moral standards. Nwoye, son of Okonkwo describes seeing twins left in the forest as the same feeling when Ikemefuma is killed (Achebe 62). This feeling that Nwoye had eventually made him realized the cruelty and immorality of the tribes beliefs. Consequently, when the missionaries arrive, Nwoye accepts the Christians alternate view of love and acceptance. He responds to their message by turning away from his tribe, which influence many others to do so with the same values. Moreover, Obierkas reasons for opposition to religious authority are even more subtle. While Okonkwo ask for his presence in Ikemefuma death, Obierika simply replies Because I not want to (Achebe 66). This defiant assertion demonstrates Obierika direct disagreement on the full authority of the religion. It may be assumed that Obierika wants a change in this society where the full control of religion is minimized and transferred to the hands of the people. Not only would religion be a factor in the cultures destruction but also other traditions and values which would open up the Pandoras Box in the society. Besides religion, the emphasis on individual values and achievement cause major downturn in the Umuofia tribe. The Umuofia tribe greatly focuses on the value of masculinity by demonstrating the significance of the wrestling match. In the beginning of the book, Okonkwo has a lot of fame by throwing Amalinze the Cat (Achebe 3). Since this society stress the value on physical strength, individuals have to prove themselves in order to receive a high position in the tribe. Thus, individuals will eventually become obsessed with strength and fearful of weakness. Okonkwo is one prime individual who is greatly impacted by this notion. During the slaughter of Ikemefuma, the author states that Okonkwo his machete and him down. He afraid of being thought as weak (Achebe 61). .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 , .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .postImageUrl , .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 , .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9:hover , .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9:visited , .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9:active { border:0!important; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9:active , .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9 .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u86a78b0a07581fbf2777405ea1b89ad9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Compare and contrast David and Lucys EssayThe action that Okonkwo made is rather irrational and rashful based on his fear of weakness. However, the cause of Okonkwos attitude is influenced by the tribes culture of achievement and masculinity. As individuals such as Okonkwo try to become strong, they become unnoticed that their downfall is right at their doors. As a result, the tribes unity is broken as a whole due to individual downfalls in the society. Moreover, the positions in tribe are important in determining economic success such that a mans prestige is in direct proportion to the size of barns and compounds, number of titles (Sarr 2). A detriment problem is associated with this tradition as individuals who have physical strength tend to have higher recognitions in the tribe compare to those who do not have the masculinity. As a result, those individuals with higher status will own more economic wealth than the lower class. This unequal distribution of wealth in the society causes the immense division of the Ibo society and eventually leading to its downfall. The fear of failures in individuals and the separation of social classes lead to the disunity of the tribe however the discrimination on women delivered a final blow to the Umuofia village. The lacks of feminine importance in the Umuofia tribe bring the tribe to its end. Women are supposed to be partners and helpers of men and have to be treated with respect. However, the Ibo tribe reverses this idea of women and brings male to superiority. Uchendu describes the status of men as the head of the family and his wives do his bidding (Achebe 133). The Ibo culture is base on male prosperity where only the men could achieve high social status. In contrast to men, women are regarded as unnecessary objects and had to obey the commands of men. Hence, women could not voice out their opinions and ideas in the society. These opinions and ideas could help advance the society in politics, technology, and education. Without the equal rights of women and men, the Ibo tribe would not develop but rather contract and wither away. In the content of agriculture and farming, men own the yams, the king of crops (Osei-Nyame 8). Even through agriculture, the men gets dominate rights over the women in deciding the crops to own because the male society believes that women are weak and failures. Consequently, women are deprived of their natural abilities and a division among males and females occurs in the tribe. In addition to mens superiority, men could also abuse their power by beating their wives. The author states that Okonkwo back to his obi . . . and when she he her very heavily (Achebe 29). Since wife-beating is common in the Ibo tribe, women have a large opposition against the superiority of men. The form of opposition comes through passive questions and doubts which provide a further insecurity in the tribe. Fables and folktales told by women suggest the fact that female questions and ideas are implemented into the male culture of the Ibo tribe. The unequal rights of women and the disrespect for female virtues lead to the devastating fate of the Ibo tribe. The authoritarian attitude towards the questioning of traditions and values in the Umuofia tribe result in the downfall of the tribe. In fact, the dominant control of religion over individuals life, the emphasis on the value of achievement, and the lack of feminine importance contribute to peoples distrust on higher authority. When people doubt and seek change in a society, the welfare of a nation falls apart just like the Umuofian village in Things Fall Apart.

Virginia Woolf To the Lighthouse

Virginia Woolf To the Lighthouse Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"To the lighthouse† is a thoughtful novel that focuses on childhood emotions and adult relationships in a typical contemporary family. This is portrayed by different behaviors exhibited by characters of this novel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper seeks to analyze the characters of this book and show the relationship that is shared among the characters. The paper will also describe the symbolism that ties the characters together and finally it will show their development at the end of the story. Mrs. Ramsey is one of the main characters in this novel, and takes the lead role of bringing all the other characters together (Woolf 2). The writer describes her as a strong woman who acts as a mother not only to her family but also to other people surrounding her. This is shown by the roles she plays in the novel which makes her image come out as caring, loving, and a wise woman. Her figure is seen as a house where others can find shelter. Mrs. Ramsey depiction is symbolic in that she is seen as a source of light for the house where people can gather hope. Woolf uses this character to employ the technique of symbolism. She explains the need for marriage between men and women saying that marriage was a must, even though her marriage was not perfect. She tries to soften the attitude that her husband posses due to his ego. She manages to change the attitude of her husband from the action of labor sharing at the end of part one (Woolf 117). Mrs. Ramsey has the power to attract people with her beautiful looks and her passionate interaction. However, she has been criticized for damaging other people lives through her efforts to bring her family together. She tries to make people change to what she wants them to become (Woolf 43).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's s ee if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Her daughters, Prue, Nancy, and Rose disagree with her on various occasions. As a result of this disagreement, her daughters decide to take different paths in life. Mrs. Ramsey tries to show her womanhood through her activities like holding parties for dinner and raising her eight children. She displays herself as a â€Å"superwoman† who is even capable of taking men’s responsibilities. She is not satisfied with her husband’s responsibilities as a husband and as a father (Woolf 50). Mrs. Ramsey tries to expose her husband’s failure through her actions and it worries her that her husband cannot realize her efforts. The author depicts Mrs. Ramsey as a person who was able to care for all classes of people, including the rich and the poor. In addition, she cared for those people with disabilities by showing them compassion and by fighting discrimination and gender inequality. Her gender roles are shown by the soft response she gives to her husband, who is depicted as rude. She is seen as role model by other people; this is shown by mourning of her death by her family and other people (Woolf 78). Mr. Ramsey is initially seen as a brutal man who displays selfishness from the way he speaks and the words he uses to address people. After reading the novel, the reader realizes that he was suffering from his pride. He deeply interested in his achievements and his line of work. His pride wanes when he realizes he was emotionally disturbed and is forced to seek help from his wife. This is also evident in part three when he begs for sympathy from lily in absence of his wife. Mr. Ramsey exhibits dictatorial moods when in stress; these are the times when he is rescued by his wife. He struggles between being a scholar and fulfilling his domestic duties. However, with his big family, he found it difficult to concentrate on his work (Woolf 22).Advertising We wi ll write a custom essay sample on Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More James Ramsey is one of the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey. At the beginning of the novel he is seen as a child of six years who had a passion for going to the lighthouse. His father does not give him a chance to go to the lighthouse in part one; this is however different in part three when his father is forcing him to go to the light house. Woolf uses the lighthouse symbolically to depict the relationship that existed between James and his father. The motherly relationship that existed between James and his mother was so strong that he wished that she was his dad. James even has a fantasy of stabbing his father so as to replace him with his mother (Woolf 45). James is described as a normal person without any mental illness. His attitude towards his father shows how much he hated him. The return to the lighthouse is used to show the change of cha racters that was realized after the death of Mrs. Ramsey. James is seen in a reconciling mood with his father, a person he hated when his mother was alive. Lily Briscoe is an artist who keeps on painting everything that she comes around. By painting, she tries to bring out the characters of people through imagery. The relationship that exists between Lily and Mrs. Ramsey is full of criticism. Lily criticizes the idea of Mrs. Ramsey making decisions for others and not being supportive to other people’s choices. At the end of the story, Lily admired Mrs. Ramsey and wanted to be like her. The relationship that exists between lily and men is much complicated in that she does not want to be married; instead she considers marriage as personal incapability to maintain creativity. Like Mr. Ramsey, lily is faced with a dilemma of trying to define her life. Nevertheless, she uses her paintings to come up with the answers. At some instance, she makes a painting of Mrs. Ramsey, a figure she profoundly admired and a figure she wanted to emulate (Woolf 48).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Charles Tansley is a guest to Mr. Ramsey and also his student. His role in the novel is to show a boundary between different classes of people. The relationship that exists between him and Mrs. William Bankes is also invited to the summer house as a friend of Mr. Ramsey. He is widower who befriends lily. He adores Mrs. Ramsey but due to his friendship with Mr. Ramsey, he is forced to keep it down. His role in the novel is to bring out the characters of lily and Mrs. Ramsey, their stand on marriage, and the way they perceive men (Woolf 58). Augustus Carmichael is depicted as person with his own unique lifestyle. He has his own principles which he maintains throughout the story. He is the only person who is resistant to the tricky traits of Mrs. Ramsey. He is used in the novel to bring down the dominance of some characters and to neutralize the tension in the story. Through this character, the reader is able to see the human nature of Mrs. Ramsey. Symbolism has been shown by use of ce rtain words like lighthouse to show solidarity and transformation in the novel. Lighthouse as a form of solidarity has been used by the Ramsey family as way of showing their togetherness. This structure remains even after ten years showing the stability that was initiated and left by Mrs. Ramsey. The light of the house gives way to allow the family to move on even when the dark falls. Lighthouse has been used to show the source of power for the family as they gain control over the house. Waves have been used symbolically to show the obstacles faced by the characters in life. These challenges are constructive in that they make characters to be strong enough to move on, and in some occasions, they discourage the characters making them to give up. These waves reveal themselves through the behaviors adopted by some characters, like bravely or ignorance. Waves are also not permanent; they come and go meaning they do not take away what is permanent like the light in the house (Woolf 102). The window also has been used symbolically to give lily a chance to observe clearly what to paint. The paintings are her efforts to find answers about life. The window clearly portrays Mrs. Ramsey as the center stage of the whole family over which everyone can look through. Lily looks through this window when painting Mrs. Ramsey in order to see her clearly, to understand her, and to enumerate her in life (Woolf 116). Towards the end of the story, the skull has been used as a symbol of death for different characters. This happens towards the end of the novel like the death of Mrs. Ramsey. The basket that was filled with fruits shows unity, even Carmichael refuses to disturb it so as not to break that unity. The idea of Mrs. Ramsey arranging them on the table shows her as the pillar to distribute and maintain this unity (Woolf 118). In conclusion, â€Å"To the Lighthouse† is a symbolic title that is realized at the end of the story. The author chooses this to represent the fa mily unity that becomes even more concrete at the end of the book. The death of Mrs. Ramsey is painful but serves as an eye opener to her entire family. This is evident at the moment they go to the light house for the last time. It also serves to show that the family’s hope was not taken away by the demise of one of its leader. â€Å"To the Lighthouse† is Woolf’s masterpiece that brings out a story of a huge family, the relationship between the members, their disagreements, and their common grounds. Woolf, Virginia. To The Lighthouse. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.

Essential Vocabulary for Air Travel in France

Essential Vocabulary for Air Travel in France Is travel in your future? Are you planning to fly to France or another French-speaking country? Study this airport vocabulary to help you make reservations, buy tickets, negotiate airports, and get on the plane. Bon  voyage! General Airport Terms airline: une compagnie aà ©rienneairplane: un avionairport: un aà ©roportArrivals: les arrivà ©esbaggage: les bagagesbaggage claim: la livraison des bagagesboarding pass: la carte dembarquementcarry-on luggage: les bagages maincart: un chariotchecked luggage: les bagages enregistrà ©scheck-in: lenregistrementcustoms:  la douaneDepartures: les dà ©partsduty-free: une boutique hors taxesearly: en avanceeconomy (coach) class: la classe à ©cologique, la classe à ©co (informal apocope), la classe touristein economy class: en classe à ©cologique / à ©co / touristefirst class, in first class: la premià ¨re classe, en premià ¨re classeflight: un volgate: une porteimmigration: limmigrationlate: en retardone-way ticket: un billet simplepassport: un passeportplane ticket: le billet davionround trip ticket: un billet aller-retoursecurity check: le contrà ´le de sà ©curità ©shuttle: une navettestopover: une escaleterminal: une aà ©rogarevisa: un visa People passenger: un passagerpilot: le pilotesteward: un stewardstewardess: une hà ´tesse de lair Travel Verbs to board: embarquerto buy a ticket: acheter un billetto check bags: enregistrer (les bagages)to declare: dà ©clarerto land: atterrirto make a reservation: faire une rà ©servationto take off: dà ©coller

The Pilot Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Pilot Program - Essay Example Which I did. The next chapter on Reproduction was suspect and I decided to refer it to the Board of Education. After careful and deliberate review they determined that the terminology, especially with respect to cell division, was too explicit for a 13-year-old. Chapter 7: 43 pages were removed. Parents were outraged that I had gutted the textbook. They had no clue as to what was missing. I told them I had removed the pages as the direct result of a request by the publisher. That seemed to placate them until they became curious about what had been removed. I demonstrated the conflicting views of the frog. I told them I was not a legal scholar, just the textbook coordinator, but was legally compelled to remove certain sections on constitutional grounds. The parents grew louder. I produced the missing pages from Chapter 6. They asked me what followed Evolution. I said "Reproduction and Primates." I showed them the picture of the friendly monkey. The monkey was smiling. This brought about a pleasant quiet across the wild and unruly crowd. There is just something about a smiling monkey. Now we were on common ground. I had to burn all 28 pilot textbooks. They were deemed unusable and the pilot program never got off the ground. The new pilot program in biology is a field trip.

Low risk 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Low risk 1 - Essay Example If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.   This means the Pope has no power to remit sins. Only God can remit sins. What the Pope can do here is only to declare to a person that God has remitted their sins. Therefore, when the pope offers the sacrament of penance, he does not effect the penance himself, but lets the penitent know that God has remitted their guilt. This shows it is only God, who has the power to remove a person’s sins. The Pope has no power to remove sin. What the Pope can do in this case, is only offer the sacrament of penance, after a person humbles and accepts their sins before the pope. However, the real penance comes from God. Canon law, including the penitential laws only applies to the living and not the dead. Therefore, the dead souls in the purgatory are not under the judgement of penitential canons. This means the Pope has no power to remit the penalties owed by the souls in the purgatory, since the penitential laws do not apply to them. Either way, in case the souls in the purgatory have any remorse, this is outside the power of the pope, and there is nothing he can do. This means when a person dies, they are released from penalties. The canon law then no longer holds them. The dead, by virtue of being dead are entitled to freedom from all penalties, and this release from penalties is owed to God, and not to the Pope. Therefore, the Pope has no power to free the dead from their penalties, as God is responsible for

The Things that Make a House a Home :: Personal Narrative Writing

The Things that Make a House a Home There are many wonderful places in the world to explore and live. Some travelers and adventurers have even said that they can feel the soul of the place that they go to visit or explore. Although many people disagree with these ideas, I know that they are true. Every place has a soul, but sometimes it is just harder to find in certain areas than others. One such area is the place where I was born and raised. That very special place is the Phoenix metro area. Being more specific, the area in which I am talking about is the lovely house that I grew up in. This house has been my residence for the last eleven years and represents the heart of my childhood because of the events that I was a part of and the memories that I received while living there. Many things have happened while I have been living at the house. I’ve watched myself grow grade by grade in school until finally I graduated and moved on to college. There have also been many changes to the house itself over the course of time. But though the years my family and I have all gotten used to living at this house and the things that go with it. The country music artist John Denver said in one of his most famous songs, â€Å" There are many things that make a house a home†. That statement is true, a house isn’t a home without the people that live and exist inside if it. When I moved into the house on 58th street and Mountain View, I was in the second grade. My twin sister and I were moving schools and it was a big point in my life. Until then, I had only known one house, one neighborhood, and one set of friends at school. And although we were only moving about three miles, the move placed us in a different school district. So, scared and uncertain, we started out at a new school. Like it usually was, it was very hard for a kid like me to find friends. But I had my sister as a companion and it was alright. Many afternoons I spent playing in the backyard with my sister and dog, and I had a great time.

Mesopotamia and Egypt Essay

The early civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt were very similar, but they were also different in some ways. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt developed their civilizations centered on rivers, but these rivers were polar opposites. Mesopotamia was between two rivers called the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Egypt’s civilization developed around the Nile River. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers differed from the Nile River. The Nile River was calm, and the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were wild and very unpredictable. Since these rivers had opposite behaviors, Mesopotamia’s specialty was in irrigation, while Egypt was a more agricultural society. Mesopotamia and Egypt were very similar in their roots, but they also had distinctive forms of social organization and religious observance that developed because of the rivers that surrounded them. Mesopotamia’s social organization was a way to differentiate between rulers and those who were commoners. Each city-state in Mesopotam ia had elders and young men that made decisions for the community. Rulers protected their access to both political and economic resources by creating systems of bureaucracies, priesthoods, and laws. Priests and bureaucrats served their leaders well, defending and advocating rules and norms that validated the political leadership. Lists of professions were passed around so each person could know his or her place in the social order. The king and priest were at the top of the social structure followed by bureaucrats who were scribes, supervisors, and craft workers. The craft workers were jewelers, gardeners, potters, metal smiths, and traders; this was the largest group of the social structure. The craft workers were not slaves but they depended on their employer’s households. People rarely moved from one social level to another. Not only was there organization between society in general, but there was also specific organization between families. In families, the senior male became the patriarch. A family was made up of a husband and a wife who was bound by a contract that stated that the wife would provide children, preferably male, and the husband would provide support an d protection. If there was no male child, a second wife or slave could bear children to serve as the couple’s offspring. In families, sons would inherit the family’s property and the daughters would receive dowries. Priests were at the top of the social organization with the king because they lived in temples, which represented  the cities’ power. Bureaucrats were at the top of the social structure underneath the main people of power because they were scribes. Mesopotamia was the world’s first city to keep records and read, developing a writing system. Writing became important to the development of cities and enabled people to share information across greater distances and over longer periods of time. Scribes played a significant role in developing a writing system that people anywhere and in the future could decipherer. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers served as major communication and transportation routes for Mesopotamia. The need for a system of record keeping developed because farmers and officials needed a way to keep track of the distribution of goods and services. It was important to keep track of goods and services because long-distance trade was very important to Mesopot amia since it lacked many raw materials that were crucial to developing the city. On the other hand, in Egypt, the social organization was similar to Mesopotamia, but differed just slightly. At the top was a Pharaoh or also called a king was the center of Egyptian life followed by priests, scribes, craftsmen, and lastly farmers and slaves. The Pharaoh was at the center of life and had the responsibility to ensure that flooding of the Nile River continued without interruption and had the responsibility to develop a vibrant economy. Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh was a descendant from the gods. Egypt had one advantage that Mesopotamia did not have, the Nile River. The Nile River was navigable and provided annual floods. These annual floods allowed for regular moisture. Even though the Nile River did not fertilize the fields as wells as the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia, the yearly floods meant that the topsoil was renewed every year, making the soil easy to plant in. Egypt also had the sun that allowed a bountiful agriculture. Egypt, similarly to Mesopotamia, was a scribe nation. Since little people were literate in both Mesopotamia and Egypt, a scribesâ €™ social status was increased automatically. However, even though both Mesopotamia and Egypt were scribal cultures, Egypt appeared to be more literate. This could be because Egypt developed later than Mesopotamia, and they may have used it more since Egypt had the Nile River. The Nile provided for good harvest allowing Egypt’s economy to flourish. Since Egypt had good harvest, they may have needed to keep better track of goods and services because they had more goods to keep track of since they had better harvest than  Mesopotamia. Social structure in Egypt and Mesopotamia was not the only thing that was affected by the rivers. Another aspect of early civilization that was affected by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia was religion. Mesopotamians had beliefs in gods that molded their political organizations and controlled everything. They believed the gods controlled weather, fertility, harvests, and the underworld. They had to respect their gods, but they also feared them because they were powerful. A major way for Mesopotamians to worship their gods was through the temples. Temples were gods’ homes and were the cities’ identity. To demonstrate cities’ power, rulers would elaborately decorate temples. The priests and other officials lived in the temples and worked to serve gods, the most pow erful immortal beings to the Mesopotamians. Temples ran productive and commercial activities and those that were close to the river would hire workers to hunt, fish, and collect. The temples were a way for people to worship their gods and show their faithfulness to them. Therefore, since the Mesopotamians believed that the gods controlled everything including weather and harvest, two important aspects in Mesopotamia civilization, it was important that they stay faithful to their gods since they did not have the best rivers. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers would flood if there was heavy rainfall during the height of the agricultural season. Thus, if they worshiped their gods frequently, the Mesopotamians may believe that the gods will bestow good weather eliminating floods more often, creating a better year of harvest. Like Mesopotamia, each region in Egypt had its own god. In addition, Egypt also had temples to worship their gods. In Egypt, gods were inactive and the kings, or pharaohs, were active. The pharaoh had responsibility to uphold cults while the priests were to uphold regular rituals. The pharaoh acted as a mediator between the gods and the people o f the city. He supported the gods through rituals held in temples, which the Egyptians contributed many resources to. Since trade from the Nile River allowed the city of Egypt to prosper economically, they had more resources to build more elaborate temples and later on pyramids. Pyramids were unique to Egyptian culture. The pyramids became a place for state rituals and were very important to Egyptian culture. Since Egypt prospered because of its location next to the Nile, they had an abundance of resources that was necessary to build the intricate temples. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt were  riverine cultures. Each city had its own unique social organization and religious beliefs, but they had similar roots. Both civilizations were scribal cultures, but since Egypt had the Nile River, the two civilizations differed. Since both civilizations were scribal, scribes attained great social status under the king and priests. Egypt prospered greatly from the resources that the predictable Nile River offered. Mesopotamia had the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that were unpredictable, but still provided for irrigation and allowed the city to advance in irrigation technology and opened the city up to the surrounding cities. Mesopotamia and Egypt both had polytheism and worshiped their gods in temples. Instead of referring to the king like in Mesopotamia, Egypt refers to the pharaoh. Egypt believed that the pharaoh communicated with the gods. The rivers in both Mesopotamia and Egypt opened these areas up to the rest of the world and allowed for great economic growth.