Essay Caribbean Women - 1674 Words

Although the Caribbean can boast that in its short history as independent states, women have been able to break the glass ceiling and rise to the highest levels, including the office of the Prime Minister, and despite laws which protect the rights of women, inequality between men and women remains widespread and deep rooted in many cultural practices and traditions. Like other women in developing countries, Caribbean women face though choices every day,- choices where cultural tradition often conflict with their human rights. Women who chose to have children have been made to live with that often repeated phrase that the problems of the world are caused by poor women having too many babies. This of course is simply a diversion from†¦show more content†¦There is no fundamental contradiction between placing blame on poor women’s fertility for the world’s problem. Mazur states that, â€Å"Betsy is insinuating that everyone working on issues such as population and the environment are misogynistic and want to bring back the idea of ‘population control.. I am committed to environmental sustainability, reproductive health and rights, and to the eradication of the division between rich and poor, men and women. I strongly believe that by reducing population growth- women should have the right and power to make their own decision about childbearing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [3] There is a new project about the environment and the population, with its main objectives to reduce slowing population growth without coercion or infringing on their Human Rights by means of recognizing the need for reproductive health services for women so that they are able to make their own decision. However; this is not a new idea, some outreach programs provides voluntary contraceptives for poor women, who are still being blamed for the environmental problems, and demand reduction in birth rate in developing countries. It should be highlighted that the Optimum Population Trust, prides itself on â€Å"non-coercive policies to control and maintain the growth of the population†¦empowering women to maintain their fertility†. According to Mazur’s, the OPT states, â€Å"All future environmental problems, and especially those arising from climate change, would be easier to address with aShow MoreRelatedCaribbean American Women1256 Words   |  5 Pagesdefinitely no t as a theoretical equal† (46). To go â€Å"piece of the way† or the â€Å"visitor theory† is useful when considering West Indian American writings. Davies’s visitor theory serves as a critical lens through which we can analyze the dynamics of women writers such as Jamaica Kincaid and Paule Marshall. In Davies case she used the visitor theory to describe the black/ woman consciousness. I am using visitor theory to bring to our attention that the West Indian American’s consciousness is more complexRead MoreCaribbean American Women742 Words   |  3 PagesCarole Boyce Davies discussion on Zora Neale Hurston’s essay â€Å"How It Feels to be Colored Me† she uses posits Hurston’s proffering to travel â€Å"piece of the way† with visitors as new way of thinking about the periphery in academia . Beginning her chapter â€Å"Coming to Terms with Theory,† Boyce expresses how outdates and inefficient the current theoretical practices have become. She states that scholars are intellectually trapped by the hierarchical systems within scholarship. Her main critique comes fromRead More Degradation of Women in Caribbean Music Essay1748 Words   |  7 PagesAs one moves past the initial onslaught of rhythmic beats that calypso has to offer, it is difficult to miss the way in which it reverberates with negative and demoralizing images of women to their male counterparts. Whether it is within the lyrics of Sparrow’s â€Å"Drunk and Disorderly† or Square One’s â€Å"My Ding-a Ling†, an ample number of verses are often dedicated to making lewd comments about the female body and the suggestive body language described through thinly veiled rhymes and puns, can beRead More The Effects of Caribbean Colonization on the Family: Through the Eyes of Caribbean Women Writers2439 Words   |  10 PagesThe effects of colonization on the family of Caribbean people, as described by various twentieth century Caribbean woman writers, are as complicated as they are vast. These authors show that families continue to struggle with separation, poverty, and cultural identity issues that create extra ordinary difficulties for the families who live on these post-colonial islands. It can be argued that all families have struggles, both internal and external, and while this is undoubtedly trueRead MorePast Paper1602 Words   |  7 Pages(15 marks) b. Describe the features of your culture that have most impressed the Spanish. (10 marks) 3. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. The Europeans made contact with several different groups of Amerindians in the Caribbean and mainland territories. Though similar in some respects, there were marked differences among the groups. The Mayan civilization was more advanced than the Carib and Arawak civilizations. a) Explain why the Mayan civilization might be consideredRead MoreCaribbean Pleasure Industry And Big Pharma, Women And The Labour Of Love Essay1723 Words   |  7 Pagescorrelation between Caribbean Pleasure Industry and Big Pharma, Women and the Labour of Love; after all, the main subjects within each of the respected woks are vastly different in nearly every possible way. On one hand, we have the exploitation of men within the Dominican, using their bodies and communication skills to profit off Caucasian tourists and on the other, we inspect the affiliation between women, pharmaceutical companies, the culture of medicine, and the impacts this has on women and their relationshipsRead MoreCaribbean History: THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF INDENTURESHIP ON THE BRITISH CARIBBEAN BETWEEN THE PERIOD OF 1838 AND 19211629 Words   |  7 PagesTHE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF INDENTURESHIP ON THE BRITISH CARIBBEAN BETWEEN THE PERIOD OF 1838 AND 1921 According to readings in the Caribbean Studies, indentureship is a contract labor system in which the workers were waged to work in the Caribbean. These indentured workers had to sign a contract for their employer ensuring that they will work for them for a period of time usually 3-5 years. They were punished if the contract was breached and received three benefits at the end of their contractRead MoreThe True Woman s Slavery Essay1268 Words   |  6 PagesThe True Woman’s Slavery Experience in the Caribbean In history, a woman s experience of slavery is often presumed as inadequate and useless. Unfortunately, there are many experiences of women during slavery that is untouched and needs to be highlighted. For instance, did enslaved women work as much as enslaved males? If so, did they work in the same field or was there a difference. Women grew burdensome in that they would spitefully work inefficiently and slower than needed, leading to the resistanceRead MoreEssay on genocide and revolution central themes in the caribbean1169 Words   |  5 Pagesargued that genocide and revolution are central themes in Caribbean History?† There is no doubt that both genocide and revolution have been part of Caribbean History. They have indeed help to shape the Caribbean as we know it; a diversified and rich cultural hub. Genocide has to do with the wiping out of an entire race of people while revolution deals with a complete and drastic change. Upon studying history or more specifically Caribbean history we would note that both elements were present inRead MoreEssay on The Caribbean Identity1507 Words   |  7 PagesThe Caribbean Identity The way in which Benà ­tez-Rojo and Mintz tackle the question of Caribbean identity in their articles, is a removed, objective ideal, in contrast to Michelle Cliff’s portrayal of Jamaican identity. Cliff’s portrayal touches the heart and soul of Caribbean identity. While Mintz and Benà ­tez-Rojo are investigating trends in the Caribbean as a whole, from an outside perspective, Cliff offers the personal, tactile imagery of what it is to live in the Caribbean, utilizing the objective

Death and Suicide - The Death of a Friend Essay - 949 Words

The Death of a Friend I hid my face as I sat desperately alone in the back of the crowded church and stared through blurry eyes at the stained glass windows. Tears of fear and anguish soaked my red cheeks. Attempting to listen to the hollow words spoken with heartfelt emotion, I glanced at his picture, and my eyes became fixed on his beloved dog. Sudden flashes of sacred memories overcame me. Memories of soccer, his unforgettable smile, and our frequent exchange of playful insults, set my mind spinning. I longed only to hear his delighted voice once more. I sat for what seemed like hours in that lonely yet overcrowded church; my tears still flowed, and I still remembered. October 2, 2001 started like a normal Tuesday†¦show more content†¦She just happened to be in an FBLA officer meeting, which I got her out of. She said her meeting was important, but selfishly I didnt care, because I was desperate and needed her badly. I tried to tell her how I felt through my tears, but I couldnt make much sense. She embraced me with her loving arms and fell silent as I cried on her shoulder. The rest of the day was quite frustrating, yet at the same time relieving. Some people were surprisingly compassionate and wanted to support those who were hurting. However, some people went out of their way to show their heartless attitudes toward what had happened. These people seemed to have no remorse for the loss of a gentle classmate and friend. All I wanted was to go home and talk to my mom. I needed someone who understood, but none of my friends even knew him. Nobody knew what had happened to Derek, not even his parents. Most believed the seemingly obvious: he committed suicide. However, that wasnt enough for me, because I knew him; he was so up-beat and happy, at least so I thought. The police still had some doubts about the idea of suicide, and they began questioning a few kids from school who had been harassing Derek. In my opinion, no matter what had actually happened, it was a direct result of harassment. That miserable Tuesday made me realize just how bad our society had become. Just the thought of a few kids laughing about DereksShow MoreRelatedEssay about Dont Be Afraid to Die in Socrates Phaedo741 Words   |  3 Pagesclaims that he is not afraid to die. Socrates was sentenced to death and due to the fact that he took the poison earlier than when was necessary, many believe that he committed suicide. Contrary to what may be presumed about Socrates’ death, I will argue that he is a martyr and did not commit suicide. Suicide is defined as taking one’s life for the sake of oneself. Killing oneself, does not necessarily mean suicide because suicide is inherently selfish and completely focused on the individual.Read MoreSuicide : The Main Causes Of Suicide967 Words   |  4 PagesSuicide takes a lot of loved ones away. They make the families and friends of the victim in despair and at loss at times. It makes them feel like they had wronged the individual and that they are the reason that they have committed suicide. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, which proves that a lot of families have to go through this.Suicide affects the victims family and friends by making them feel guiltyRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : Controversial Healthcare And Political Realms Alike1218 Words   |  5 Pages Physician-Assisted Suicide Elissa Munoz-Tucker University of Arizona Abstract Physician-assisted suicide is controversial in healthcare and political realms alike. Currently, this end-of-life option is practiced in five states within the United States. Social concerns regarding assisted suicide revolve around ethical quandaries; providing the means to a patient’s death is contradictory to ethical principles of healthcare providers. Political concerns surroundingRead MoreSuicide Awareness Essay991 Words   |  4 PagesSuicide is the 11th leading cause of death among the United States. (Roxanne Dryden-Edwards) By definition homicide is the killing of a human being by another human being, but suicide is the act of killing oneself intentionally. Suicide awareness needs to be raised by knowing what suicide is, teaching others about suicide, and the effects of suicide. Each year in the United States over 300,000 individuals will attempt suicide, with approximately 32,000 taking their own life. (Dana Lizardi) TheRead MoreStopping a Friend from Suicide640 Words   |  3 PagesIf a close friend of mine came to me and said: I know you are studying abnormal psychology and I was wondering if you could help me. My roommate has been making some vague comments about wanting to die and once even said that she wanted to kill herself. I dont know if this is a real problem and if I should take it seriously, or if she is just saying this stuff to blow off steam or get attention. And I dont want to make it worse by asking about it. I dont know what to do†. From the informationRead MoreChildren at Risk of Suicide1639 Words   |  7 Pages1. Describe the characteristics of children who are at risk for suicide. Include the statistics related to children and suicide and gender differences. (214) Young children who are at risk of committing suicide may have suffered a loss of a loved one, or are suffering family stress like the parent being unemployed or there being abused by a parent or family friend, and their probably suffering from depression. These children are the ones that show behavioral patterns such as: running away fromRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Suicide of any kind is an act in which a person takes his or her own life. FACT: Suicide is a prevalent cause of death among America’s youth today.Each and every day almost 1000 teenagers think about suicide and about 0.018% of them will be successful in committing it.† It is an ongoing problem that is often described as uncalled for immature and unnecessary. But having a deeper understanding and better knowledge are some key factors for preventing teenage suicide. This â€Å"problem† most likely startRead MoreSuicide : The Main Causes Of Suicide973 Words   |  4 PagesSuicide takes many loved ones away. Suicide causes despair in families and friends of the victim and causes them to feel at loss at times. It makes them feel like they had wronged the individual and that they are the reason that they have committed suicide. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United StatesRead MoreTeenage Suicide1064 Words   |  5 PagesTeenage Suicide Suicide is intentional self-inflicted acts that end in death(Suicide, Comptons). After a series of traumatic events, normal coping abilities can be pushed over the edge; the result may be suicide. In each year, an average of 30,000 suicide deaths occur in the United States. It is estimated that 5,000 of those suicides are committed by teenagers(SA\VE, 2). One major reason that the suicide rate among teenagers is so high, is that the teenage years are a period of commotionRead MoreThe Issue Of Teen Suicide1715 Words   |  7 Pages-Amanda Michelle Todd September 7, 2012. What if your friend wanted to commit suicide? What’s the first thing you would do? Scream? Cry? Help? Many people wish they had helped their friend after they commit suicide. Being the victim is scary, being the witness is scarier, and being the bystander is the scariest. Suicide has been a problem for a very long time. It can be caused by stress,anxiety, bullying, and mental illnesses. Teen suicide is a huge problem because there are so many situations

Communication Across for World Trade Attack- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theCommunication Across for World Trade Attack. Answer: Since the time of the colonization of the Arab World to the period of the World Trade Attack, modern world have help negative perceptions about the upbringing and cultures of people living in the Middle East[1]. This negative attitude and stereotypes against the Middle East people reflects in the way Arab characters are portrayed in moves and televisions. Apart from viewing them as outright terrorist, people residing in this place are regarded as mysterious and having misogynistic characters[2]. Hence, Middle East people are often overemphasized and exaggerated in European and U.S films indicating reinforcement of orientalist perspective in film making. However, the truthfulness of such portrayal is questioned because Middle East people are not from Islamic culture only, many Christian people also resides in Middle East countries. It is necessary to critically analyze this negative stereotyping of Middle Eastern people because it is leading to harmful consequence such as bullying, di scrimination and racial profiling. The orientalist approach is explored in detail by the analysis of the film Hurt Locker. The essay examines the film to determine the manner of portrayal of Middle East and its inhabitants in films and identify whether negative or positive stereotypes exists. The review and analysis of the Aladdin (1992) gives insight into the portrayal of the Middle East and its inhabitants in films. It was musical animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by John Musker. The film set in the fictional state of Agrabah portrays the character of a peddler who explains the story about the oil lamp to the public. Meanwhile, Jafar, the Grand Vizier of the Sultan is in search of the lamp hidden in the Cave of Wanders and he seeks the help of a street urchin named Aladdin. A romantic angle between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine is seen, however Jafar secretly captures Aladdin and disguise as an old man to set him free. In return, Jafar ask Aladdin and his monkey to retrieve the lamp. This is followed by several fantasy inside the cave and the release of Genie from the lamp. However, at last Aladdin becomes lucky as Genie explains that he has become his master and can ask any three wished. Aladdin used his trick to free himself from the c ave and fulfill his personal interest. However, several face-off is seen with Aladdin when Jafar steals the lamp and uses it for negative purpose such as usurping Aladdin from the Sultan position, trapping Jasmine into a magical hourglass and become the worlds most powerful sorcerer. The film reaches to its climax when Aladdin tricks Jafar by stating that Genie is the most powerful being in the world and he should use his last wish to become one. This resulted in Jafar being sucked into his own lamp and finally the Sultan alters the law to allow Aladdin too marry Jasmine[3]. Hence, finally the film ends with a positive note. Although the film synopsis makes it difficult to understand any negative stereotypes against the Middle East, however a song sung by an Arab character in the movies depicts negative perceptions about people residing in the Middle East. The lyrics of the song was Where theey cut off your ear, if they dont like your face, its barbaric. This line in the song was opposed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee as it was regarded as a discriminatory lyrics[4]. The character of Aladdin in the film was also portrayed in a stereotypical light. In the film, Aladdin has been depicted as a poor orphan and his home is a depiction of a life in poverty. In the film, Aladdin has been showed stealing food for survival. This reflects perception about Arabs and common stereotypes related to culture of Middle East people[5]. The stereotyped image of Arabs in American and Western Media has been extensively research and a study suggested that this ugly portrayal of negative stereotypes of Arab s transforms the perceptions of a child and similar perceptions stays with them till adulthood too. Just like the character in Aladdin film, Arabs has been dehumanized and portrayed as bad character in television shows, cartoons, movies and comic books. The critical evaluation of the Aladdin movie depicts how hollywood vilifies people from the Middle East countries. In the film, the main character Aladdin is seen stealing loaf of bread and just when he sits down to eat, he gives the bread to a hungry child. Here, the stealing is justified. However, some touch of American value is also seen in the character of Aladdin. This is mostly because in Disney movies, main character has to be attractive to the audience. Hence, despite his origin from Middle East, he looks like an American. He was shown fighting violence and restoring order in Agrabah. He has fair complexion and proper American accent. His dreams and aspirations also embrace the idea of freedom and success. This is a positive attitude because this is basic nature of humanity and irrespective of peoples origin, everybody wants and seeks freedom from life of struggles and poverty. However, despite his aspiration, Aladdin was shown having little power and economic stability in li fe. One study also explained that the Middle East is often portrayed as a region of defeat and fundamentalism and the place lacks democracy, unity and modernity[6]. In the film Aladdin, many negative stereotypes related to Middle East and its culture is seen. Firstly, the depiction of Aladdin as a thief and living life in poverty reflects negative image about the inhabitants of the Middle East. Secondly, the director of the movie also showed negative characteristics of dictatorship, deception and violence among Arab people through the character of Jafar[7]. Jafar has been shown as conniving character with unattractive image. His features have been over exaggerated to reflect upon the Arabian ethnicity. There is evidence that according to American stereotypes, Middle East people are not real men and their eyes reveal deceptive motive. When reviewing several representation of Arab images in editorial pages and comic strips, dehumanized image is found.[8] The director also made all attempts to dehumanize the character of the film as far as possible. For instance, Jafar was given hooked nose, enlarged eyes and elongated neck to make him look evil. S econdly, his deceptive manner is reflected by the act of hypnotizing people in the movie. His desire of having control over Agrabah depicts his dictatorship idealism. Dictatorship was seen in Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein, however American people cannot associate every people living in Middle East to be character with negative attitude and intentions. Just like good and bad characters exist in each group or country, similar people are also found in Middle East. However, media has played a role in giving a whole dark image to the Middle East inhabitants. This is the reason why relationship with Middle East and West is never associated with peace and tranquility. The media rol in reporting about different wars and conflict in Iraq has caused strain in relationship between two sections of society. The manner in which these news are presented determine how American people view Middle East culture and society. However, media cannot be totally blamed because government and different companies of the West control media. The interest of these parties hampers the objective of news reporting and biasness in presenting events is found[9]. Just like the main character of Aladdin and negative character of Jafar, several events in the movie also reveals few stereotypes in the movie. Firstly, the movie shows Kazim, a bootlegger shows bootleggers who sell range of worthless objects to make a living. However, all the things that he choose are fake and no use to people. Therefore, the character of Jafar and Kazim exemplifies am untrustworthy personality. Secondly, several altercations of Jafar with Aladdin reflects his brutality and shrewdness. Audiences watching this film get the impression that Arabs have the tendency to engage in violence and use violence as a means to solve social issues or problems[10]. Similar to the film Aladdin, Orientalist view is also seen when Arabs and Middle East settings includes endless deserts, harem girls and belly dancers. This is an over-representation which gives the impression that there no computability of Middle East culture with Western morals. Therefore, regardless of the context and theme of any particular film, character portrayal in western films shows a never changing oddity of the Arabs compared to the other culture in the world. One study provided proof to the fact that large number of films depicts negative stereotypes of Middle East and those films are scarce which portrays positive stereotypes[11]. Another aspect seen in the Aladdin movie is that women in the film are highly sexualized. Jasmine has been presented as beautiful and exotic personality and her beauty attracts everyone. Apart from Jasmine, several other scenes also show that sexualization of women. For example, when Aladdin was rescuing royal guards after stealing staffs, he accidentally went into a room and in that room all women were half dressed. Apart from that, director visualizes the image of women by means of accentuating dresses to reveal their midriff. However, in reality, this portrayal is in complete contrast to the values and lifestyle of Middle East women. The cultural reality of the women of the Middle East is that they are completely covered and veiled. The males of Middle East cultures believe in protecting the sanctity of women. Although the movie also showed women in veils, however their clothes and revealing figures arouse sexual thoughts. Hence, they are acting as form of sexual seduction. Jasmin e has been represented as a royal women, however she is also used in the film for arousing sexual pleasures. A report also suggested that Westerners have seductive and mysterious image of the oriental women. However, according their religion and culture, women are personalities who preserve their dignity by all means. They do not engage in sexual arousal and moreover whole women from the community cannot be regarded as things of sexual interest[12]. As Aladdin is animated film by Disney Studios, audiences have been mesmerized by the movie. However, the depiction and portrayal of Middle East characters in the movie can also give a negative impression to the audience. The character portrayal of Aladdin and Jafar in the movie will gives the idea to the people that Middle East people are dishonest and engage in violent acts to solve their social issues. Secondly, audience also gets the impression that native people of Middle East live a life of poverty and struggles. They adopt dishonest means to fulfill their personal interest. Secondly, wrong portrayal of women is also seen which will give bad vibes of Middle East women to Western audience. There is biasness and negative stereotypes associated with these people, which is not socially and morally correct. As media has played a role in developing these negative stereotypes, they must also plan strategies to remove this form of malpractice in society. The essay summarizes the orientalist beliefs of the Western world by the critical analysis of the movie Aladdin. The critical evaluation of the character portrayal and depiction of culture in the movie revealed that the films indeed show negative stereotypes of Middle East people. The main character of the movie as well as the negative characters has been shows as having dehumanizing characters such as that of brutality, dictatorship, lack of honesty and lack of trustworthy behavior. Media has also played a role in embedding negative perceptions about Middle East in the minds of people. It is time to address this and engage in proper reporting and portrayal to ensure that discrimination and hate crimes among these people are addressed. Reference "Arab Portrayals in Film: A History of Stereotypes - Arab American Institute". in , , 2017, https://www.aaiusa.org/arab-portrayals-in-film-a-history-of-stereotypes [accessed 20 May 2017]. "Disney Movies and Racism / FrontPage". in , , 2017, https://disneyandmovies.pbworks.com/w/page/17905678/4%20Aladdinhttps://disneyandmovies.pbworks.com/w/page/17905678/4%20Aladdin [accessed 20 May 2017]. "Review for Aladdin (1992)". in , , 2017, https://www.imdb.com/reviews/16/1618.html [accessed 20 May 2017]. Afshar, Haleh, ed.Women in the Middle East: perceptions, realities and struggles for liberation. Springer, 2016. Alsultany, Evelyn. "Conflating Arab and Muslim Identities."The Routledge Companion to Media and Race(2016). Avraham, Eli, and Eran Ketter.Tourism Marketing for Developing Countries: Battling Stereotypes and Crises in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Springer, 2016. Ewert, Jolene. "A Tale as Old as Time-An analysis of negative stereotypes in Disney Princess Movies."Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences13.1 (2014). Fawcett, Louise.International relations of the Middle East. Oxford University Press, 2013. Mohamed, Eid.Arab Occidentalism: Images of America in the Middle East. IB Tauris, 2015. Prayag, Girish, and Sameer Hosany. "When Middle East meets West: Understanding the motives and perceptions of young tourists from United Arab Emirates."Tourism Management 40 (2014): 35-45. Saha, Anamik. "Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race and Representation after 9/11, by Evelyn Alsultany: New York, NY: New York University Press, 2013, ISBN 9780814707326, 239 pages, 23.00(paperback);ISBN9780814707319,239pages, 75.00 (hardback)." (2014): 65-68.

Pythagoras Essays - Pythagoreans, Ancient Greek Philosophers

Pythagoras Pythagoras of Samos is often described as the first pure mathematician. He is an extremely important figure in the development of mathematics yet we know relatively little about his mathematical achievements. Unlike many later Greek mathematicians, where at least we have some of the books which they wrote, we have nothing of Pythagoras's writings. The society which he led, half religious and half scientific, followed a code of secrecy which certainly means that today Pythagoras is a mysterious figure. We do have details of Pythagoras's life from early biographies which use important original sources yet are written by authors who attribute divine powers to him, and whose aim was to present him as a god-like figure. What we present below is an attempt to collect together the most reliable sources to reconstruct an account of Pythagoras's life. There is fairly good agreement on the main events of his life but most of the dates are disputed with different scholars giving dates which differ by 20 years. Some historians treat all this information as merely legends but, even if the reader treats it in this way, being such an early record it is of historical importance. Pythagoras's father was Mnesarchus ([12] and [13]), while his mother was Pythais [8] and she was a native of Samos. Mnesarchus was a merchant who came from Tyre, and there is a story ([12] and [13]) that he brought corn to Samos at a time of famine and was granted citizenship of Samos as a mark of gratitude. As a child Pythagoras spent his early years in Samos but travelled widely with his father. There are accounts of Mnesarchus returning to Tyre with Pythagoras and that he was taught there by the Chaldaeans and the learned men of Syria. It seems that he also visited Italy with his father. Little is known of Pythagoras's childhood. All accounts of his physical appearance are likely to be fictitious except the description of a striking birthmark which Pythagoras had on his thigh. It is probable that he had two brothers although some sources say that he had three. Certainly he was well educated, learning to play the lyre, learning poetry and to recite Homer. There were, among his teachers, three philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras while he was a young man. One of the most important was Pherekydes who many describe as the teacher of Pythagoras. The other two philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras, and to introduce him to mathematical ideas, were Thales and his pupil Anaximander who both lived on Miletus. In [8] it is said that Pythagoras visited Thales in Miletus when he was between 18 and 20 years old. By this time Thales was an old man and, although he created a strong impression on Pythagoras, he probably did not teach him a great deal. However he did contribute to Pythagoras's interest in mathematics and astronomy, and advised him to travel to Egypt to learn more of these subjects. Thales's pupil, Anaximander, lectured on Miletus and Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander certainly was interested in geometry and cosmology and many of his ideas would influence Pythagoras's own views. In about 535 BC Pythagoras went to Egypt. This happened a few years after the tyrant Polycrates seized control of the city of Samos. There is some evidence to suggest that Pythagoras and Polycrates were friendly at first and it is claimed [5] that Pythagoras went to Egypt with a letter of introduction written by Polycrates. In fact Polycrates had an alliance with Egypt and there were therefore strong links between Samos and Egypt at this time. The accounts of Pythagoras's time in Egypt suggest that he visited many of the temples and took part in many discussions with the priests. According to Porphyry ([12] and [13]) Pythagoras was refused admission to all the temples except the one at Diospolis where he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. It is not difficult to relate many of Pythagoras's beliefs, ones he would later impose on the society that he set up in Italy, to the customs that he came across in Egypt. For example the secrecy of the Egyptian priests, their refusal to eat beans, their refusal to wear even cloths made from animal skins, and their striving for purity were all customs that Pythagoras would later adopt. Porphyry in [12] and [13] says that Pythagoras learnt geometry from the Egyptians but it is likely that he was already acquainted with geometry, certainly after teachings from Thales