The Little Match Girl

A translation of Hans Christian Andersen's "Den lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne" by Jean Hersholt.

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. Evening came on, the last evening of the year. In the cold and gloom a poor little girl, bareheaded and barefoot, was walking through the streets. Of course when she had left her house she'd had slippers on, but what good had they been? They were very big slippers, way too big for her, for they belonged to her mother. The little girl had lost them running across the road, where two carriages had rattled by terribly fast. One slipper she'd not been able to find again, and a boy had run off with the other, saying he could use it very well as a cradle some day when he had children of his own. And so the little girl walked on her naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried several packages of matches, and she held a box of them in her hand. No one had bought any from her all day long, and no one had given her a cent.

Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along, a picture of misery, poor little girl! The snowflakes fell on her long fair hair, which hung in pretty curls over her neck. In all the windows lights were shining, and there was a wonderful smell of roast goose, for it was New Year's eve. Yes, she thought of that!

In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected farther out into the street than the other, she sat down and drew up her little feet under her. She was getting colder and colder, but did not dare to go home, for she had sold no matches, nor earned a single cent, and her father would surely beat her. Besides, it was cold at home, for they had nothing over them but a roof through which the wind whistled even though the biggest cracks had been stuffed with straw and rags.

Her hands were almost dead with cold. Oh, how much one little match might warm her! If she could only take one from the box and rub it against the wall and warm her hands. She drew one out. R-r-ratch! How it sputtered and burned! It made a warm, bright flame, like a little candle, as she held her hands over it; but it gave a strange light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she were sitting before a great iron stove with shining brass knobs and a brass cover. How wonderfully the fire burned! How comfortable it was! The youngster stretched out her feet to warm them too; then the little flame went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the burnt match in her hand.

She struck another match against the wall. It burned brightly, and when the light fell upon the wall it became transparent like a thin veil, and she could see through it into a room. On the table a snow-white cloth was spread, and on it stood a shining dinner service. The roast goose steamed gloriously, stuffed with apples and prunes. And what was still better, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled along the floor with a knife and fork in its breast, right over to the little girl. Then the match went out, and she could see only the thick, cold wall. She lighted another match. Then she was sitting under the most beautiful Christmas tree. It was much larger and much more beautiful than the one she had seen last Christmas through the glass door at the rich merchant's home. Thousands of candles burned on the green branches, and colored pictures like those in the printshops looked down at her. The little girl reached both her hands toward them. Then the match went out. But the Christmas lights mounted higher. She saw them now as bright stars in the sky. One of them fell down, forming a long line of fire.

"Now someone is dying," thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star fell down a soul went up to God.

She rubbed another match against the wall. It became bright again, and in the glow the old grandmother stood clear and shining, kind and lovely.

"Grandmother!" cried the child. "Oh, take me with you! I know you will disappear when the match is burned out. You will vanish like the warm stove, the wonderful roast goose and the beautiful big Christmas tree!"

And she quickly struck the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother with her. And the matches burned with such a glow that it became brighter than daylight. Grandmother had never been so grand and beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and both of them flew in brightness and joy above the earth, very, very high, and up there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor fear-they were with God.

But in the corner, leaning against the wall, sat the little girl with red cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. The New Year's sun rose upon a little pathetic figure. The child sat there, stiff and cold, holding the matches, of which one bundle was almost burned.

"She wanted to warm herself," the people said. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, and how happily she had gone with her old grandmother into the bright New Year.

Griffith Observatory

The remodeled Griffith Observatory is definitely a sight to behold. A white obelisk with many statues of renowned astronomers engraved upon its alcove sidings stands tall, in front of this impressive building. Although this was my first visit to the Griffith’s, my previous experience at the Dominion Observatory in Victoria, Vancouver Island paled in comparison to what Griffith Observatory had to offer.

At the Observatory, I had the opportunity to watch both shows offered at the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. The first program, titled “Centered in the Universe”, introduced to the audience a brief history of astronomy and the constellations, followed by how the understanding of stars has developed over the centuries and how this knowledge of the cosmos has helped humankind understand more about our home, the Earth. The program further revealed how incomprehensibly vast the universe is, and that Earth is but an infinitesimally small part, but still a part, of the still expanding and mysterious universe.

The second program, titled “Water is Life”, continues off the first program’s premise, but elaborates on the importance of liquid water and its connection to the development of life. The show continues on by presenting the celestial bodies in the Solar System, other than Earth, where liquid water probably exists. One such example is Jupiter’s moon, Europa, a place where scientists speculate the possibility of life near the moon’s under water volcanic flows.

In addition to the planetarium shows, the observatory displays many exhibits which were both educational and inventive. One of the exhibits which attracted my attention was the Foucault Pendulum, located at the main entrance. This huge pendulum continuously swings on one axis but as the hours pass, it hits pegs along a circle on the ground. This exhibit was built to prove that Earth is a rotating sphere.

Other exhibits included the basement circular corridor which pictorially represented in a creative timeline, the age of the universe from the Big Bang to current day. Also in the basement, a vast exhibit featuring all the planets in the solar system and their details were the interest of many observers. Of particular interest were the floor mechanisms which allowed exhibit participants to see their weight on the various planets.

Supplementary to these, the exhibit of the Tesla Coil, a fascinating device devised by Nikola Tesla over a hundred years ago, was meant to transmit electricity wirelessly. There were also hallways on the side of the observatory which showed how the moon and sun produce the tidal forces, equinoxes and solstices. Further exploration revealed basement level one, which showcased a variety of meteorites and presented computerized simulations of impacts of a planet, such as Earth, with various sized asteroids. On the whole, the Griffith Observatory, with its myriad of exhibitions and shows, is truly able to enlighten and educate the multitude of crowds which come to visit.

To Help A Few

I understand and agree that without sufficient capacity to help oneself, it is next to impossible to help others. However, I would like to argue that more often than not, the axiom of helping oneself first is a guise to hide the reality that nations made up of self-serving individuals have no true intent to help others in any circumstances whatsoever. Although there is no inherent evil attached to this circumstance in today’s modern capitalist system, history has shown that without cooperation and compassion, civilizations end badly in the end. Examples that come to mind are the Roman Empire, Mongolian Empire, as well as many others throughout time.

With certitude I state that the world must break through the traditional barriers of thought that have brought us to this point. Nations and borderlines are become more and more a fleeting concept. More and more is this world becoming smaller and closer as technologies, communication systems, transportation, and cultural assimilation has made this globe a truly cohesive place. In time, I believe that humanity will see that the land resources, human capital, and human ingenuity of this planet must be allocated for the survivability of the human species, not just for one or a few nations.

Reluctant Revolutionaries

From the short movie, “Reluctant Revolutionaries,” it is shown that early Americans looked highly upon England and the King, and were proud to be English subjects. Initially, the colonial upper class revered England as a cultured place to emulate. They sold their raw goods to England and purchased finished manufactured goods in return. As time passed and the political atmosphere began to change in England regarding their policies on the colonies, Americans started the unexpected steps of starting a revolution.

At first, the American feelings toward England started to grow sour when the Stamp Act of 1765 was introduced. This act proclaimed that many things, from ordinary goods to copying law documents, had taxes attached to them. The colonies were outraged at this unrestrained taxation. They believed that the power to tax was the power to destroy. Accordingly, the colonials felt that they had the right to run their own colonies without outside interference. Benjamin Franklin felt that the American consumers purchasing the goods of England brought wealth to England, and that excessive taxation would only shun the Americans away.

Eventually, after seeing its ineffectiveness, England repealed the Stamp Act. Unfortunately, England almost immediately initiated the Declaratory Act in 1766. The act essentially stated that Parliament could create any and all laws for the colonies. This forceful action enraged an already outraged America even further. Without delay, Americans began to boycott English goods to show their disapproval.

After several years of boycotting, a dramatic event occurred that would be the turning point of the restless standoff. On March 5, 1770 the Boston Massacre took place, in which a confrontation of British soldiers and Americans resulted with five Bostonian deaths. From then, England had to use military enforcement of their laws and regulations in the colonies. In time, this unhappy environment led to the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Although the colonials conducted their disapproval without military aggression, this act of belligerent defiance gave a hard slap in the face for the English government.

Ultimately, the American Revolution was never something that was planned on or even expected. Since Americans originally highly respected England and its culture, the unfortunate string of events that led to revolution can be placed with the lawmakers and ruler of England. By looking down upon the colonies and its people, England laid the path towards the Revolutionary War. In the end, the Americans were only trying to protect what should be natural to all humans, their freedoms.

WWII Catalyst

I must agree that WWII was the major catalyst which brought about the opportunity for the United States to assert itself to become a leading economic power in the world. At the time, with Europe and Asia in severe strife, the United States took the opportunity to assist, but at the same time generate wealth and establish its dollars as a backbone currency for a war-torn world. I contend that although this fortunate circumstance occurred for the benefit of this nation, the United States cannot be complacent and believe that a golden age can remain forever. Just as a human grows from birth to become strong and full of vitality, the same cycle will bring that person to old age and decrepitude. This is the way of the universe and as hard as we might try, there is no fountain of youth which can hold back the changes brought on by time. The use of this example does not directly imply that the United States has reached it plateau, it is only a gauge of the actuality of the laws of this universe, that the only constant in life is change.

The best that an individual or country can do is to be wary of the changes and swiftly adapt to the evolving times. The United States, as well as other nations of the world, must deftly identify opportunities and use good judgment, as well as a reflective and introspective sense, to weigh the true costs and benefits of each action that can be taken. Only through a comprehensive consideration of the world as a interconnected unit can the citizens of each nation realize freedom and tranquility.

Economic Roles of the United States

The US has, to various degrees, played many roles in world trade and macro economics. Nominally, the economy United States is the largest in the world. In the latest 2009 figures released by the IMF, the United States economy constitutes over a quarter of the world economy. Since it plays such a large role in the global economy, any decisions that the government or the businesses of the United States makes has a direct impact on the economies of other nations. These decisions however, are not often based on the interests of the whole world. Instead, many decisions that the government and businesses make are to further the self preservation and growth of the United States.

Although there is no inherent problem in endeavoring to improve oneself and one’s country, “with great power comes great responsibility.” World leaders must carefully weigh the consequences of the actions that they take. Yet in a competitive world economy, it is very difficult to participate as both a contender in market, as well as a moderator in the same. More often than not, self-preservation and development unfairly disregards the needs of others. Certainly the current world economic climate has proven that capitalism in its extreme form creates more harm than the good it brings. Nonetheless, the status quo is difficult to change overnight and it may take a shockwave event in the world before a new paradigm can be realized.

The United States, or any other country in a leadership position for that matter, should not use its authority for its own advantage in those situations where the safety and lives of groups and individuals are at stake. While pursuing wealth and advancement are worthy goals for any nation, true long-term achievements for a nation involve strategies that encompasses a comprehensive economic plan concerned with social development, safeguarding the environment, and the upholding the well-being of the people. Many developing countries in the world aspire to catch up to the developed nations in terms of prosperity, technology, and the quality of life for its citizens.

As an economic chief and world leader, the United States should accomplish goals set at a higher standard. By overcoming the traditional role of arrogant or overbearing leader, this country can strive to integrate honest values with economic strength in order to establish a new baseline for advancement. The evolving standards of society have shown that money and power are not the only criteria which are important in determining the prosperity of a nation or its people. Social responsibility and actions based on the survivability of all the participants in the world arena are crucial to the success of the United States, and the other nations of this world.

Prostitution

The trade or profession of selling a person’s body as a means to generate earnings may certainly well be one of civilization’s earliest form of business. While this practice has been carried out in diverse cultures over the eons, each society regards prostitution under a different light. Whereas some groups consider the act an aberrant behavior which needs to be mitigated, other nations have held that prostitution is an acceptable trade which benefits the society it serves. The underlying problem in respect to prostitution involves the ethical and moral elements on which the topic is hotly debated. Religion has provided the foundation for many traditional moral systems throughout history. Thus, for many moralists, prostitution is a frowned upon act. Since morality plays a big role in establishing the laws and legal systems of a society, prostitution has remained largely an illegal trade in countries where pervasive religious attitudes establish the law of the land. However, prostitution is still often tolerated to a certain extent by those cultures which have deemed it an illegal profession. Ultimately, from a utilitarian ethical model, if the act of prostitution serves to benefit a greater number of people than the act will harm, then prostitution should be legalized.

In some old societies, prostitution has been deemed a normal part of daily life. In Ethics class, for example, it was discussed that in ancient Babylon, temple prostitution was a necessary and typical custom. The temple of Ishtar instructed that every woman had to serve at the temple at least once in her life; each had to sleep with a stranger and contribute the earnings to the temple. At the time, Ishtar was considered the goddess of fertility. Through the act of temple prostitution, the people of Babylon could come to dedicate their love to their goddess. Although this may seem unconscionable to many today, temple prostitution was a tradition which assisted to promote the temple during those times. In effect, the act worked to benefit the greater good of the people in that era than harm them. Thus, under utilitarian fundamentals, temple prostitution in Babylon cannot be considered unethical.

The Greeks also instituted temple prostitution, especially renown is the temple of Aphrodite located in Corinth. However, there is a vital difference in the implementation of prostitution between the Babylonians and the Greeks. Where in Babylon, the prostitutes were commoners who gave their bodies for the service of their religious beliefs and of their own will, temple prostitutes in Greece were temple slaves. Greek prostitutes were not free, and were thus bound by the laws of the time to serve the temple, however unwilling they may be. Since coercion and exploitation was involved, it is hard to demonstrate that the temple prostitution in Greece has moral justification. From an ethical position, Greek prostitution may have instead, caused more harm than the good it created.

Through consideration of these examples, it is apparent that the act of prostitution cannot be justified collectively. Furthermore, by utilizing Immanuel Kant’s philosophy, the act of prostitution cannot function as a morally correct principle because it cannot be universalized; it would be unreasonable if all individuals in the world were to become prostitutes. Nevertheless, utilitarian ethical rules still allow for prostitution to be appropriate in those circumstances where the act works to benefit the greater good for the greatest number of people, even at the cost of the few individuals who may be harmed by it.
In terms of contemporary society, the field of prostitution has become a well-established profession. Especially for the upper echelons of society, escort service, a euphemism for up-scale prostitution, has become a prominent, albeit enigmatic indulgence for moneyed individuals worldwide. Patrons compensate the escorts generously, and those in the profession contend that their job is no less dignified than other forms of employment. Escorts commonly have higher education backgrounds and have acquired the accepted demeanor in conduct and appearance to suit their clientele. Even though high-class escorts do not necessarily represent all the forms of prostitution available in modern society, it is an indication that our society currently views prostitution as a morally acceptable profession when conducted within a certain type of framework.

The profession of selling one’s body for economic gain has existed since the creation of human societies. Although this occupation has been criticized by many throughout history, it has nevertheless pervaded across all continents and cultures. Under the doctrine of utilitarianism, it is ethical to state that so long as the practice of prostitution serves to provide a greater good to most of the members of a society, such that the benefit outweighs the cost, then prostitution should be legalized. However, if the practice of prostitution becomes a detriment to a society as a whole, and a greater number of people are harmed rather than can benefit from the act, then prostitution should be outlawed in that society. In the end, it is for each particular culture to determine what is appropriate, in terms of whether or not to legalize prostitution, for their unique situations.