Free Essays on Willa Cather

Father Latour’s Personal Journey In her novel â€Å"Death Comes For The Archbishop†, Willa Cather explores many of the dualities of human nature, specifically the relationship of one clergy man to his congregation and how his spirituality was transformed in his journey to the New World. When Father Latour arrives in New Mexico the depth of his faith seems to be more concerned with personal recognition and satisfaction, than with truly helping people of his congregation. His only commitment is embodied in the construction of the Cathedral. Under his leadership, Father Latour’s life goes on as his will power overflows when he is introduced to Sada. Throughout his life in New Mexico Father Latour is introduced to â€Å"different† ways of life, most in particular his meeting and following relationship with Sada who inspires him to change his view of faith and his role in the church. In â€Å"Death Comes For The Archbishop† by Willa Cather, Father Latour’s appreciation of spiritu ality, along with his sympathy and understanding of the individuals he is attempting to convert to Catholicism is reflected in both the shadowy and well lit corners of the church. To Father Latour, the Cathedral is intended to be a symbol of beauty and harmony that can result from not only organization of mankind but also the organization of a religion. In his mind, Father Latour knew that building a Cathedral would exemplify how much he â€Å"wanted† Catholicism to spread but he did not want just any church. He was obsessed with the fact that the church was his, â€Å" †¦this hill confronted me as it confronts us now, and I knew instantly that this was my Cathedral† (240). He wanted a church that was made out of a particular stone and built by Frenchman. â€Å"I should like to complete it before I die-if God so wills. I wish to leave nothing to chance, or to the mercy of American builders† (240). It is not that Father Latour did not trust the Ame... Free Essays on Willa Cather Free Essays on Willa Cather Father Latour’s Personal Journey In her novel â€Å"Death Comes For The Archbishop†, Willa Cather explores many of the dualities of human nature, specifically the relationship of one clergy man to his congregation and how his spirituality was transformed in his journey to the New World. When Father Latour arrives in New Mexico the depth of his faith seems to be more concerned with personal recognition and satisfaction, than with truly helping people of his congregation. His only commitment is embodied in the construction of the Cathedral. Under his leadership, Father Latour’s life goes on as his will power overflows when he is introduced to Sada. Throughout his life in New Mexico Father Latour is introduced to â€Å"different† ways of life, most in particular his meeting and following relationship with Sada who inspires him to change his view of faith and his role in the church. In â€Å"Death Comes For The Archbishop† by Willa Cather, Father Latour’s appreciation of spiritu ality, along with his sympathy and understanding of the individuals he is attempting to convert to Catholicism is reflected in both the shadowy and well lit corners of the church. To Father Latour, the Cathedral is intended to be a symbol of beauty and harmony that can result from not only organization of mankind but also the organization of a religion. In his mind, Father Latour knew that building a Cathedral would exemplify how much he â€Å"wanted† Catholicism to spread but he did not want just any church. He was obsessed with the fact that the church was his, â€Å" †¦this hill confronted me as it confronts us now, and I knew instantly that this was my Cathedral† (240). He wanted a church that was made out of a particular stone and built by Frenchman. â€Å"I should like to complete it before I die-if God so wills. I wish to leave nothing to chance, or to the mercy of American builders† (240). It is not that Father Latour did not trust the Ame...

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by sociologist and economist Max Weber in 1904-1905. The original version was in German and it was translated into English by Talcott Parsons in 1930. In the book, Weber argues that Western capitalism developed as a result of the Protestant work ethic. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism has been highly influential, and it is often considered a founding text in economic sociology and sociology in general. Key Takeaways: The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit Of Capitalism Weber’s famous book set out to understand Western civilization and the development of capitalism.According to Weber, societies influenced by Protestant religions encouraged both accumulating material wealth and living a relatively frugal lifestyle.Because of this accumulation of wealth, individuals began to invest money- which paved the way for the development of capitalism.In this book, Weber also put forward the idea of the â€Å"iron cage,† a theory about why social and economic structures are often resistant to change. The Books Premise The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a discussion of Weber’s various religious ideas and economics. Weber argues that Puritan ethics and ideas influenced the development of capitalism. While Weber was influenced by Karl Marx, he was not a Marxist and even criticizes aspects of Marxist theory in this book. Weber begins The Protestant Ethic with a question: What about Western civilization has made it the only civilization to develop certain cultural phenomena to which we like to attribute universal value and significance? According to Weber, only in the West does valid science exist. Weber claims that empirical knowledge and observation that exists elsewhere lacks the rational, systematic, and specialized methodology that is present in the West. Weber argues that the same is true of capitalism- it exists in a sophisticated manner that has never before existed anywhere else in the world. When capitalism is defined as the pursuit of forever-renewable profit, capitalism can be said to be part of every civilization at any time in history. But it is in the West, Weber claims, that it has developed to an extraordinary degree. Weber sets out to understand what it is about the West that has made it so. Webers Conclusions Webers conclusion is a unique one. Weber found that under the influence of Protestant religions, especially Puritanism, individuals were religiously compelled to follow a secular vocation with as much enthusiasm as possible. In other words, hard work and finding success in one’s occupation were highly valued in societies influenced by Protestantism. A person living according to this worldview was therefore more likely to accumulate money. Further, the new religions, such as Calvinism, forbade wastefully using hard-earned money and labeled the purchase of luxuries as a sin. These religions also frowned upon donating money to the poor or to charity because it was seen as promoting beggary. Thus, a conservative, even stingy lifestyle, combined with a work ethic that encouraged people to earn money, resulted in large amounts of available money.   The way these issues were resolved, Weber argued, was to invest the money- a move that gave a large boost to capitalism. In other words, capitalism evolved when the Protestant ethic influenced large numbers of people to engage in work in the secular world, developing their own enterprises and engaging in trade and the accumulation of wealth for investment. In Webers view, the Protestant ethic was, therefore, the driving force behind the mass action that led to the development of capitalism. Importantly, even after religion became less important in society, these norms of hard work and frugality remained, and continued to encourage individuals to pursue material wealth. Weber’s Influence Weber’s theories have been controversial, and other writers have questioned his conclusions. Nevertheless, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism remains an incredibly influential book, and it has introduced ideas that influenced later scholars. One especially influential idea that Weber articulated in The Protestant Ethic was  the concept of the iron cage. This theory suggests that an economic system  can become a restrictive force that can prevent  change and perpetuate its own failings. Because people are socialized within a particular economic system, Weber claims, they may be unable to imagine a different system. Since Weber’s time, this theory has been quite influential, especially in the Frankfurt School of critical theory. Sources and Additional Reading: Kolbert, Elizabeth. â€Å"Why Work?† The New Yorker (2004, Nov. 21). https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/11/29/why-workâ€Å"Protestant Ethic.† Encyclopaedia Britannica.