Anne Frank' diary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anne Frank' diary - Essay Example As Anne was just 13 years old when her family was forced into hiding with seven other people - some family members and others were family friends – spending two years in utter silence entailed unique disposition to reveal her writing prowess through the diaries. In this regard, the essay hereby aims to provide a description of Anne’s hiding place in terms providing an exposition of diverse rooms and using the five senses to highlight details, as required. Anne’s room, considered her haven and recluse, could be described as long and narrow with unframed pictures posted on one wall, right above a small table that rests her diary and which she uses to as a means to express her feelings, emotions and sentiments on the family’s trying situation. As indicated, after four months of hiding in the Annex, Anne had to share the tight and stuffy room with Fritz Pfeffer, a man Anne eventually described as irritatingly arrogant and selfish. A simple, detachable silver l amp was strategically clasped by the right side of the table to provide illumination at night. Two single beds were tried to fit into the cramped room to provide rest and sleep to the occupants. Another crucial and relevant room within the secret annex was the family room, the room occupied by the Van Pels family. As disclosed, before the room became part of the hiding place, it was actually a laboratory with a sink and stove. Therefore, it was used as a kitchen, dining space and communal living room. The most vivid memories of Anne was her lowest remembrance of the worst food being served from the kitchen entered on the 14th of March, 1944 as she quipped: â€Å"food is so scarce that the Secret Annex members are now resorting to eating rotten food, in this case, kale that has been in the barrel for a year† (Frank: March 14, 1944 1). She was noted to have to put a handkerchief over her nose to prevent her from smelling the rotten and stinking aroma of spoiled eggs and brine t hat were cooked. When war prevailed and led the family to lose opportunities and resources to avail of varied food choices, Anne remarked that they had to content with the same meal over and over again for weeks and months. The taste of potatoes, spinach, lettuce and beans could easily be anticipated even prior to serving. The attic and a loft was vividly illustrated as food storage and an opportunity for Anne to view the chestnut tree and to write. Apparently, due to it being used as storage for food, the members in hiding heard noises from the attic. Initially, they thought that a burglar could have inched his way through; only to find out that rats were the culprit. The attic was described by Anne as a source of illumination and strength from giving her the view to the sky, the moon, the chestnut tree, even in its barest offers. Accordingly, in her diary entry on February 23, 1944, she marveled at the beautiful weather, which was enough to make her happy and elated. Finally, the facade or the entry to the main building was described by Anne intricately through identifying the large warehouse at the ground floor. She succeedingly narrated the location of the main office; passages and alcoves leading to other offices, the prime office which she detailed as first class and elegant with mahogany furniture, radio and fancy lamp. Other floors were also described, specifically one that led to the secret opening: a bookcase that covers the hidden door leading to the secret annex. The main building effectively covered the secret annex and it was not until after more than two years in hiding that Anne and her family and friends were discovered and

Employee Relations & Reward Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employee Relations & Reward - Essay Example Decline in trade union membership and activities is the most obvious change occurred in workforce. In addition, employers are trying to make their workforce increasingly qualified by employing university and college educated fresh candidates. A particular focus is also given to part-time and other flexible forms of labour. In the view of a scholar, â€Å"intellectual capital - not natural resources, machinery, or even financial capital - has become the one indispensable asset of corporations† (Crainer 2006, p. 269). In order to keep pace with the changing economic environment, marketers give prime focus to their workforce and hence they promote employee participation. This paper will evaluate how employee involvement/participation influences the workplace and management strategies to enhance employee participation. Under the concept of employee participation/involvement, each employee is considered as a unique human being involved in achieving the organisation’s short term as well as long term goals. In other words, each employee’s contribution is separately valued by his/her management. According to Secord, â€Å"employee involvement is commonly defined as a range of processes designed to engage the support, understanding, and optimum contribution of all employees in an organisation and their commitment of its objectives† (Secord 2003, p. 231). The term employee involvement is a broad term, and it embraces several processes and arrangements performed between employers and employees. The term employee participation is interchangeably used with the term employee involvement. However, there is a slight difference between these two terms. As Secord (p. 231) says, the term employee participation represents an employee’s involvement in management decision making whereas the practice of employee involvement barely affects organisational decision making. As Jackson et al.

Essay on Tension Essay Example for Free

Essay on Tension Essay The Turn of the Screw, which was written in the late nineteenth century, is acclaimed by critics for the build up of tension and the suspenseful atmosphere that its author, Henry James, creates throughout the novella. James achieves this by exploiting several characters and features of the book. James manipulates the prologue of the novella by creating a group of listeners who are in anticipation for the story; furthermore the character who narrates the story is not immediately able to retrieve the manuscript, this deliberate slow down of tempo, builds suspense preceding the tale and it prepares the reader for a thrilling story. The setting of the novella is also used to build atmosphere, a technique that James regularly employs is contrasting a moment of tranquil with one of danger. This produces a sharp difference and thus makes the scene of peril seem even more suspenseful. The ghosts of Quint and Jessel are perhaps the largest contributors to the atmosphere and tension within the novel; James uses both ghosts to create a threat to the children which causes tremendous tension and it is the central plot in the book. The children themselves are also manipulated by James to create atmosphere, their behaviour is continually reiterated as perfect and virtuous to such an extent that the reader is almost persuaded to think that their is something not quite natural about them. James uses the prologue to introduce the story and also to create a suspenseful atmosphere about what is to follow. During the prologue there are a group of guests who James uses to create tension. These listeners evidently enjoy listening to stories, especially if they involve ghosts and horror. sufficiently breathless, no comment was uttered are phrases which are used to describe their attitude towards the stories, clearly conveying the interest and avidness that the guests and frame narrator have for the stories being told. The listeners create an atmosphere of eagerness for the story which is very effective since James readers might also imitate this feeling. The character of Douglas plays a pivotal to the build up of tension in the prologue. Upon the first mention of his story, he plays on the emotions of the listeners by continually reiterating how horrifying and terrible the story that he has all of them waiting in anticipation for is. It is quite too horrible, nothing at all that I know touches it; Douglas is gradually building up the suspense before his story by mentioning how horrible it is, this feeling of impending disaster that the other guests wait in buoyant expectancy for, before knowing the full details of the story adds to an atmosphere of suspense. The combined facts that the manuscript has to be sent for and further compounded by the knowledge that is locked away also contributes to the same effect, the prolonged wait for the manuscript adds to a feeling of avidness for the story and also the fact that it is locked away has cryptive connotations which suggest that its contents are so terrible that it must be kept away from the world. By now it seems that Douglas appears to have his listeners transfixed upon him and have necessity to listen to his story. The interjection, oh how delicious which was cried by one of the women present; the term delicious possibly infers a feeling which is almost desperation for the story. Likewise the way, in which the audience gives a unanimous groan, when the telling of the tale is delayed suggests that they long to hear the story. This deliberate slow down, builds up the tension to what the audience and reader are prepared for a gruelling tale. The gradual build up of suspense through the prologue preludes the main story, in order to exemplify an atmosphere of anticipation and dread of what is to follow. James now uses the setting of the novella to create tension. He allows us to see into the Governess mind and we, like her anticipate Bly to be a place of dread since she had expected something so melancholy. It is usual for one to expect that a large country estate which is the setting of a ghost story will be isolated, old and gothic. James cleverly manipulates our assumptions to create an atmosphere of tension. Instead of the gothic building that we expect, we are introduced to something much more pleasant; the Governess upon her arrival is surprised and delighted at what she sees what greeted me was a good surprise I remember as a most pleasant impression. This peaceful setting lulls the reader into a false sense of security, however at the back of our minds is the idea from the prologue that the story will be horrifying which makes the reader suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the following events; thus creating an atmosphere of tension. This same technique is used before the introduction of Peter Quint. In the pages preceding his apparition there is a vivid description of an idyllic setting such as the beauty and dignity of the place golden sky. James does this in order to produce a sharp contrast when the ghost appears, making the emergence of the ghost more of a shock and therefore more terrifying for his audience. With the ghost of Peter Quint now firmly entrenched within the story, James uses him as a key contributor for creating an atmosphere of tension. James uses Miss Groses detestable presentation of Quint while he was alive in order to create tension. She describes him as Impudent and depraved, spoiled, these quotations give a negative impression of Quint and portray him as an antagonist. However perhaps worst of all he is also related by Grose as clever and deep, exemplifying him as calculating and sinister. Because of his negative introduction the reader is therefore continually persuaded to think of Quint as a dangerous to the children. Upon each appearance Quint is seen closer to the Governess and hence successively more threatening and horrifying. Additionally each time Quint appears he is closer to the children, leading us to suspect that his apparitions are with some sort of intention rather than random. As a result of our perception of him as somebody dangerous and also because he is getting closer and closer to the governess, the reader feels the suspense gradually building since we see him as a threat to both the Governess and the children. The first time she sees him he is distanced at the top of a tower although still narrating the scene as stricken with death suggesting dread, horror and fear. The second time there is only a window separating them and the governess by saying A nearness that Made me catch my breath and turn cold, makes the point clear that it was the closeness that made it more fearsome. However on the third appearance which is described as the most formidable, they are adjacent to one another, it is this that made the experience so terrifying according to the governess, At such close quarters that gave the whole horror. By making Quint continually more frightful James creates tension because the reader is constantly anticipating more horrifying encounters.

Relationship Between Globalization And Fashion Cultural Studies Essay

Relationship Between Globalization And Fashion Cultural Studies Essay With the first articles of clothing begin fashion. In the caves in the Middle Ages, then France, the high heel shoes were a sign that the person who wearing them belonging to aristocratic circles. This type of class affiliation when it comes to fashion can be seen today. Expensive fur coats and leather handbags are symbols of wealth and high fashion, financially inaccessible to medium and lower classes. The creators of the courts throught Europe have the force and made clothes for personal requirements of members of aristocratic circles. As the desire for beautiful, colorful and later grew, grew and the number of creators and the annual production of fashion items. Fashion has been passed on medieval Europe across borders through marriage contracts of the royal family and through retailers. However, it was hard to imagine a variety of fabrics, colors and designs of one part of Europe people at the other end of the continent. Development of fashion starts with chancing style and human trips all around the world. In Western Europe people start to change styles rapidly. In countries, which includes Japan, Turkey, Iran fashion is the same as last ten decades. Reasons are culture and religion. But on the West, globalization and money are reasons for every change in fashion industry. Many towns are recognized as a centers of global fashion because of all events in that towns. Some of them are Pariz, Milano, New York, London. The biggest names like Armani, Gucci made shows and revias in before named cities. London significant global city and it is considered as one of the biggest financial centers of Europe. Historical and cultural contributions maded on the whole of humanity is almost immeasurable, and it is known as a world center of fashion. With New York, Paris and Milano, London dictate the flow of movement in the fashion industry. The famous London Fashion Week is just one in a series of events whose fashion novelties copied the rest of the world. Burberry, Twenty Twelve, Vivienne Westwood, Topshop, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney are just some of the designers and fashion houses that have been heard almost everyone, and came from London. London is a city of casual atmosphere, perfect organization, innumerable cultural resources, but also a city known for great hospitality of its citizens. Globalization, in which the main task is to create a unique world, has a great influence in the creation and dissemination of fashion trends and general fashion. FASHION TRENDS Here are examples of some global trends, trends which are recognized in the whole world. The Converse All-Stars are popular shoes produced by the Converse company. They were produced for the first time it 1917 and were originally intended for the basketball players. The shoes were first popularized by basketball player Charles Hollis Chuck Taylor, and named after him. He became the first athlete whose name was protecting a fashion brand. The Converse All-Stars became very popular after World War II, and started to be produced in many different forms. The shoes became soon a symbol of youthful rebellion and an indispensable part of punk-rock culture. Benetton is a global fashion brand based in Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family, who founded the brand in 1965. Benetton has a network of 6000 outlets in 120 countries. Their range of clothing, footwear, fashion accessories is one of the most popular and best-selling worldwide, the company generates a total turnover of 2 billion euros. Benetton is known for its design, intense colours and is worn by all generations. The global fashion and lifestyle brand Ecko Ltd was established in 1993. by the fashion designer Marc Ecko. Although he started with only 6 ordinary T-shirt and spray paint, today this brand is focused on the global market and commercial success. Marc Ecko footwear combines high fashion and sport ideas into something completely new and original. His logo is a rhinoceros. Bershka is a Spanish brand of the street fashion for young people. It offers them a wide selection of clothes, shoes and accessories. Bershkas collection for girls is more oriented towards punk, rock and dance style. This type of clothes is for people with strong personalities and great courage to experiment with fashion wearing unusual styling. The most famous creations of the popular French fashion house Hermes Birkin has been a subject of desire of all celebrity trendsetters, but for many people it is unattainable. The story of the luxury handbag begins with the name of the British fashion icon, singer and actress Jane Birkin after which it was named. During an airplane flight in 1984 Jane Birkin was sitting next to Dumas, the director of the fashion house Hermes. Birkin placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents of her bag fell to the ground, leaving her to struggle with finding her belongings to put back in her bag. Birkin explained to him that it was difficult to find a leather bag giving him an idea how it should look like. Shortly after that, the described bag arrived at her address with the message of Dumas. Today, the 61-year-old, Jane Birkin admits that The Birking bag become more glorious than herself. The prices of The Birking bag growth as well as the demand for them. The bags can be ordered in various sizes and colours. All The Birking bags are hand made respecting the specific regulations and using only the best quality leather, mostly the lizard skins, crocodiles, ostrich, buffalos, oxen, deer and goats. The metal parts of the purses are always made of gold, silver or other precious metals, a small padlocks and keys are coded and numerical. The Birkin bag is a confirmation of wealth and prestige and a symbol of the luxurious living. It is very popular among the celebrities. Three years ago one bag was sold for a whopping $ 64.800. The Spanish fashion house Zara is a global giant with more than 1600 stores in over 70 countries worldwide. This brand was founded by Spanish tycoon Amancio Ortega in 1975. Their annual earnings are now measured in billions of Euros. Zara produces clothes and shoes, fashion accessories and cosmetics. The owners of this fashion house announced an online shop to be in function soon. Croatia has now 3 Zara fashion houses. The British fashion house Burberry was founded in 1856. Burberry is known for its beige, red and black fabric design and expensive handbags. The company sells as well perfumes, sunglasses and watches. Burberry has currently over 70 shops worldwide. The brand is well-known and popular among British celebrities. The LOrà ©al Group is the worlds largest beauty and cosmetics company with the main office registered in Paris. Concentrating on hair colours, skin care, sun protection, make-up, perfumes and hair care, the company is active in the dermatological and pharmaceutical fields. LOrà ©al currently markets over 500 brands and many thousands of individual products in all sectors of the beauty business: makeup and fragrances, hair colour and hair styling, body and skin care, cleansers. LOrà ©al has five centers worldwide for research and development. LOrà ©als famous advertising slogan is Because I deserve it. FASHION MAGAZINES Fashion magazines are usually published once a month and they follow fashion trends around the world, criticize fashion shows and advertise products related to the world of high fashion. They have a big impact on the creation and expansion of fashion. First fashion magazine was published around 1586 in Frankfurt. The idea of leaflets with pictures appeared to show to one part of the world what was fashionable in another. That were usually one sided flyers with black and white illustrations of dresses or shoes. Later, fashion magazines had been pressed with included painted illustrations of dresses, hats, shoes, etc. That was a way of presenting fashion before photography was invented. With the development of color photography, fashion magazines have become more colorful and attractive. Every year, the creators and designers present their latest creations in fashion magazines. Topics in magazines range from high fashion to the latest make-up, perfumes and fashion bon-ton. World fashion magazines are published in many countries in different languages. This is a list of some fashion magazines aimed at female audiences: Vogue Cosmopolitan Elle Essence Ettelaat-e Banuvan Femina Flare Girlfriends magazine Glamour Harpers Bazaar In Touch Weekly Jane Life and Style Their goal is to affect their readers to choose the latest styles. People and times change so quickly and fashion magazines are becoming increasingly important in todays world of fashion. Something about Vogue magazine: Vogue magazine was launched in 1892 in the United States. It is considered as the most popular magazine in the world. Vogue is widely published fashion and lifestyle magazine, it is published in 18 countries and one region. Every month, announces theme of fashion, design and life. It is famous as a presenter of high fashion and society, it provides reports of a very popular fashion brands such as Dior, Prada, Chanel, Gucci, and its latest trends, but it also provides reports of lifestyle, politics, family, etc. It is so important to promote clothing in fashion magazines because fashion styles are continuously changing and consumers need to be informed. Fashion trends change and globalization is responsible for their rapid spread worldwide.

The Great Gatsby :: Essays Papers

The Great Gatsby Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was influenced by eastern society during the roaring 20’s. He portrays his knowledge of eastern morality in the novel The Great Gatsby. In The Great Gatsby the corruptive effect of wealth is the cause of the most conflict regarding the morals of Nick Caraway and the morals of Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Jay Gatsby. Daisy Buchanan has a very little moral value for herself and others. She is very careless. These low morals show throughout many parts in the story. For instance, her attitude toward Jay Gatsby – she doesn’t want him for what he is, but for the superficial illusion of what he is. The ultimate act of carelessness by Daisy, however, is the violent death of Myrtle. Daisy never thought twice about the night she hit Myrtle with the car, and never looked back. She never even bothered to tell Tom the truth that she was driving the car, not Gatsby. They move away before Gatsby is even dead. Tom Buchanan is so much like Daisy, which is why they will never be separated from each other. Tom Buchanan’s outlook is much like Daisy’s, Tom cares only for himself. Tom believes that cheating on his wife is perfectly normal. This is a very prominent example of Tom Buchanan’s low Morals. Tom views Daisy as a possession rather than a person. Tom did not marry Daisy because he loved her. He married her for her beauty, as a prize, to show that he had the best of everything. The low morals of Jordan Baker are what hurt Nick the most. Although Nick realizes he will never be with Jordan, he still has his hopes. He knows that Jordan’s â€Å"wealthy morals† will not allow this. Jordan can never be with Nick simply because she is rich and Nick doesn’t have money. Rich girls don’t marry poor boys. Jay Gatsby’s actions conflict with his morals. Gatsby’s fortune did not come from â€Å"old money.† Most of his fortune was obtained trough illegal activities. This conflicts with how Jay portrays his morals. He portrays himself as being morally sound, but throughout the book Nick can sense the reality of Gatsby. Gatsby’s affair with Daisy also conflicts heavily with his moral values. He feels he is doing the right thing, but at the same time he feels guilty about what he is doing.

Everyday Use :: essays research papers

"Everyday Use" is a short story written by Alice Walker. Walker did a wonderful job illustrating her characters. There are all types of characters in this short story from round to static. Her use of simple symbolism prompts the reader to take a deeper look into the story. Walker’s humble way of conveying the theme makes the reader take a second look at him or herself. Walker did an excellent job in writing this story, so she could warn people of what might happen if they do not live properly. Every possible type of character is displayed in this short story. Dee starts out the story as a stereotypical light-skinned black person. Feeling as though she was better than everyone else was because her: waist was small, skin was light, a nice grade of hair, and she was somewhat educated. Dee was in a hurry to get out of the country and never come back. She wrote to her mother saying "no matter where we choose to live, she will manage to come see us. But she will never bring her friends" (Walker 63), letting everyone know that she thought she was too good to continue to take part in her heritage. Maggie was portrayed as a flat character. The reader is not told much about her, and she never changes throughout the whole story. The mother would be the static character. She is seen as an older women set in her ways from life experiences, and from what she had been taught growing up black in the south. She made up her mind that the two family quilts would go to Maggie and sh e did not give it a second thought. Dee is also the dynamic character round. She is dynamic when she returns home to the country. She had previously said she would not bring any of her friends home, but when she gets there she is accompanied by a gentleman. Other aspects of her dynamics are displayed when she changes her name to "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo". She went from dyeing and hating her upbringing to wanting to take a piece of it with her back to the city. To show off where and what she comes from. Dee is truly a round character. Walker did an excellent job with these characters especially Dee. Walker’s use of lucid symbolism prompts the reader to take a deeper look into the story and into him or herself.

The Truman Show Essay example -- Papers

'The Truman Show' is the story of a baby who is bought by a television company at birth. He becomes the star of the television programme, but he has no idea that his life is being filmed. All the people in his life, such as his wife, best friend, and colleagues are actors. There are no set scripts. There are three different worlds shown in the film: Truman's world, the producer's world, and the real world when we see the viewers watching the programme in the homes. The film starts when Truman is twenty-nine. We see him begin to become suspicious, by odd occurrences, such as a light falling from the sky, the way his friends and family advertise things, and people that accidentally get on the show and tell him things. Truman has always wanted to travel, but obviously he can't because the set of 'The Truman Show' is only one town. He saw his father 'die' whilst they were sailing together, and the fictional director of 'The Truman Show' did this so Truman would be thalassophobic, and wouldn't want to travel that way. Eventually he wants to get out of the town because of all these suspicions, and he gets delayed for ages trying to go by car. He plucks up the courage to go by boat and after sailing for a while he hits a backdrop with clouds painted on it. Christof's voice is heard and he speaks to Truman, though he can't be seen. He tries to persuade Truman to stay in the world he created for him, and tells him that he is the star of a television show. Truman finds a door, and after some conversing with Christof, he leaves. The director's intentions ------------------------- Peter Weir was the director of the film, 'The Tru... ...ch as a busy pub all watching, the two old ladies, the security guards, the man in the bath, and Sylvia. We also see shots from the producers control room, so in this last sequence we see from all of the three worlds that we se at different stages in the film. Up until now, the different worlds are shown, but they're quite spaced out in the film. In this last sequence, we see them a lot more regularly, instead of just Truman's. It almost seems that we see from the audience more to show that Truman is going to be in that world soon. People from the different worlds are coming together, because Truman's left, and the production team will all be out of jobs. This is important because there is a lot in the film saying that the real world is a bad place, but in the end it's where we all come from, and where we all belong.

Writing and Non Verbal Communication

DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (DBM) Answers of Business Communication Case I 1) Comment on the appropriateness of the sender’s tone to a customer. Letter is written in a simple and direct manner. There is no beating about the bush. Letter is brief but its convey the purpose and idea of the writer fully. Impolite and harsh language is avoided. 2. Point out the old – fashioned phrases and expressions. Heading and leatter head Reference Inside address Attention line Subject Salutation Body Complimentary close dentification mark Enclosure 3. Rewrite the reply according to the principles of effective writing in business. Case II 1. What is non – verbal communication? Why do you suppose that this commercial relies primarily on non-verbal communication between a young man and a gorgeous woman? What types of non – verbal communication are being used in this case? Non Verbal communication is that which communication through other symbols. The non verbal communicat ion in this case used are â€Å"Auditory symbols† and â€Å"Body languages† . Would any of the non-verbal communications in this spot (ad) not work well in another culture? No it won’t be working in another culture 3. What role does music play in this spot? Who is the target market? The music play in this spot for Advertising the Radio FM Brand. Fm Brand was the target market. 4. Is the music at all distracting from the message? No the music was not distracting from the message 5. How else are radio stations advertised on TV? Case III 1. Analyse the reasons for Arvind Pandey’s dilemma.Arvind was in the situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between not want to lose the job and also against his loyalty to his company and his personal ethics. 2. Does Arvind Pandey really face a dilemma? Yes, definitely Arvind was facing a dilemma. 3. In your view what should Arvind Pandey do? Should he disclose it to his German Vice President? In this situatio n he should not go against his loyalty to his company and his personal ethics. He should place the whole thing before his German Vice President. Case IV . Comment on the terms and conditions placed by the corporation. The corporation was trying to negotiation in terms and conditions, delivery, sevices. 2. What factors influenced the computer company’s decision to accept the contract? The computer company who was finally awarded the contract had agreed to overall terms that were fine as far as their own products were concerned but had also accepted the same terms for the brought – out items. In this case, the bought – out items were to be imported through a letter of credit.The percentage of the bought – out items versus their own manufacture was also very high. 3. Was it a win – win agreement? Discuss? No it was not totally a win because the computer company started facing trouble immediately on supply. There were over 100 computers over a distance connected with one another with software on it. For the acceptance tests, it had been agreed that the computer company would demonstrate as a pre-requisite the features they had claimed during technical discussions.

Beethoven Informative Speech Essay

You can realize that he probably wasn’t the easiest of people to be with. Impressive, certainly; exciting, perhaps; but rarely cosy and good-natured. This might be the common impression about this talented composer. Ladies and gentlemen, in my today’s speech I’m going to inform you about Beethoven’s individualism with two parts. 1. How individualism spirit helps him to success 2. A controversial individualist /we can say his arrogant. Beethoven is usually seen as an individualistic hero in the classical music world. There are many stories of how he did not take crap from the nobility. He removed Napoleon from his dedication of his third symphony after Napoleon declared himself to be royalty. He heard thunder on his death bed, raised up and shook a fist at it before expiring saying that I will take fate by the throat. And so on. Here, Individualist I mean is not in general context with any derogatory sense, but Beethoven devoted himself to fighting for individual’s fate and freedom, personal dignity and equality. As Beethoven said Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. His individualism spirit also presented in his artworks, which have five specific features: passion, power, pride, freedom and independence, and makes him become one of the greatest composer in the world. Stravinsky once said his individualism like this : â€Å"Beethoven is the friend and contemporary of the French Revolution, and he remained faithful to it even when, during the Jacobin dictatorship, [hju,m? n? ‘t? r n] humanitarians with weak nerves of the Schiller type turned from it, preferring to destroy tyrants on the dramatic stage with the help of cardboard swords. Beethoven, that ordinary genius, who proudly turned his back on emperors, princes and magnates – that is the Beethoven we love for his indubitable optimism, his virile sadness, for the inspired sympathy of his struggle, and for his iron will which enabled him to seize destiny by the throat. † Romain Rolland evaluated him as: Perhaps he was unfortunate, poverty, disability, loneliness and pain continue to hover over his fate, but he still could see the dawn – the world did not give him happiness, he is a source of pleasure and power! He is the brave souls of all the world wrote the best motto – happy with the pain in return. So much for this point, I would now like to shift to the controversial of Beethoven’s individualism. Actually, as an individualist, Beethoven sometimes magnified his personality to a level of disgust. The highly praise in Romain Rolland’s masterpiece cover up some of Beethoven’s piu? disrepute behaviors, which mislead us away from a fully recognize of him. After reading some biographies and periodicals, I find he has really bad temper and absolutely not a perfect person. In order to show off his own talents, he described his variations on Mozart’s work as â€Å"I should never have written down this kind of piece had I not already noticed fairly often how some people in Vienna after hearing me improvise one evening would next day note down several characteristics of my style and palm them off with pride as their own. . . But there was another reason, too: my desire to embarrass those Viennese pianists, some of whom are my sworn enemies. I wanted to revenge myself on them in this way because I knew beforehand that my variations would here and there be put before the said gentlemen and that they would cut a sorry figure with them. † There are still many examples, but I think this one is enough to proof Beethoven’s arrogant. And Beethoven’s personality problem is also why Tchaikovsky admired him but did not love him†¦. that love was reserved for Mozart†¦. respect to these two genius’s personality, he thought of Beethoven as the Jehovah of music while he thought of Mozart as the more approachable Jesus So, to sum up, I have to say I won’t bias Beethoven’s achievements for his personality problem, that’s not an objective attitude. What I mean is that, it is necessary to have a fully recognition on Beethoven, so that we can really understand his music. Even though his over-individualistic personality makes him an arrogant and unpleasant genius, his spirit and art works are still highly admired generation by generation. That’s all. I hope I have made myself understood. Thank you for your attention.

Human motivation Essay

Success is not what we get, success is what we achieve and this success we get from Motivation, whether you are appearing for final exams, you are a player or a singer or in Army fighting battles in the field, you will reach the pinnacle of success only if you are motivated. Motivation is your desire and your impulse, which can make you break the icebergs. The word Motivation was derived from the Latin word â€Å"movere†, meaning to move. (Romando, 2007). There are many theories describing the human’s tendency towards motivation; but here I am dealing with five theories, which influences and determines the human behavior. †¢ Self Determination Theory †¢ Humanistic Theory †¢ Instinct Theory †¢ Cognitive theory †¢ Need Theory Every human being needs motivation to grow, which he attains from several sources like his own self -realization, listening to music, nature, Society etc. The influence of Society motivates the person towards actualization of their goals and allows them to make decisions. The self-determination theory has been into practice since last three decades and constitutes set of four mini theories, cognitive evaluation theory, organismic integration theory, Causality orientations theory and basic needs theory. (Faculty at the University of Rochester, 2007). As Shapiro in 1981 said, â€Å" The key issue for self-direction, is flexibility in psychological structures-the flexibility that allows ones attitudes to direct action towards the active achievements of one’s aims†. (Deci, M Ryan, 1985) Self Determination theory deals with the extent to which the inner tendencies of humans impel them for psychological growth and development, take most challenging tasks and integrate their life experiences for their satisfaction and fulfillment of their self. Although, these are natural tendencies, which determine and motivate humans but are only fulfilled by influence and support of the social environment. It is the society, which provides an individual healthy environment, nutrients and basic psychological needs enabling him or her to think and make choice independently and rationally. (Beck, 2003) Self- Determination permits the person to positively involve taking risks and incorporating in the social fabric of society. Especially for the persons with disabilities, self-determination acts as a medicine boosting their self-esteem. (Faculty at the University of Rochester, 2007) Another aspect to this theory is the value of risk taking. The self determined humans are also not devoid of risks too, their over confidence can take them on the downward slide of career path. External coercion, without giving independent thought too may affect humans psychologically and mentally. Humans also go by their instinct to accomplish a task or to move ahead in the journey of their life. Sigmand Freud and William James brought forth the instinct theory to capture the intricate nature of human beings. The inclination of humans to act and think emerges out from their soul. Their decision comes what their inner perception and inner self directs him to, for e. g. all the tastes and preferences of the humans come from their inner voice, which directs and helps the person to make choice. Scientists and Researchers have not yet come into any concrete evidence to support the instinct theory, yet it is true. Human beings going by the instinct avoids considering the cost of risk they might be subjected to. People neither make calculated move nor consider pros and cons rather they just jump into action what their inner instinct tells them too, which may not come out to be true. The value of risk taking is very high to the persons who are motivated by the inner instinct and its best example is death instinct theory propounded by Freud in 1920, whereby he stated that humans with their instinct go to the extent of loosing their will to survive. According to Freud, humans have two instincts: one is life-favoring instinct Eros, which in Greek means love and another instinct is Thanatos, which in Greek means death. It clearly shows that instinct theory is also risky. (Kastenbaum, 2007). If someone believes that â€Å"Perception is everything†, this means that he is cognitivist. (Heffner, 2004) Perception means to reorganize what the senses perceive into practicality. Your thoughts are your determining factor to take practical decisions and mould your emotions, behaviors and your whole personality. Cognitive theory depends on this perception. The theory states that by changing the thoughts, a person can change the moods, reduce tensions and anxiety and can develop good relationships. But thoughts can be deceptive too, and as said by Leon Festinger in 1957, â€Å"There are always conflicts and discrepancies between thoughts and actions or between belief and actions and we will act to resolve conflict and discrepancies. †(Huitt, 2001) The value of risk is imbalance between our thoughts and actions for e. g. persons’ thoughts would pronounce that smoking is detrimental to health, still he smokes this means he is conflict with himself. Every human being is born with his own personality and grows with his personality and has certain needs to be fulfilled, which motivates them towards the self-realization of their goals and for over all growth and development. The theory, which revealed this very perplexing nature, so intricately woven in humans is known by researchers and psychologists as Humanistic theory. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) who came out with this theory too states that, â€Å"All human beings has â€Å"Hierarchy of needs to fulfill before becoming a self-actualized, fully able person†. (Mercury, 1999). Even Carl Rogers (1902-1987) echoed the views of Maslow and further stated that for development, a person requires an environment, which can give him ample scope for self-disclosure, recognition and understanding and without these even the healthy human being will fade, just like a tree which cannot grow without sunlight and water. The risk is as Rogers says people may face anxiety when they face the real situation, which can be contradictory. According to Critics, The humanistic theories are very optimistic, vague and are unscientific. (Mercury, 1999). Among all the theories, the most determining factor for the human beings are their needs, and the priority that humans show on their needs motivate them to lead their fruitful life. Maslow came up with a â€Å"Hierarchy model† on the basis of needs theory. These needs are psychological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs, according to this hierarchy. (Huitt, 2001) Once one need is fulfilled, it will lead to another need. But according to the critics this theory has several drawbacks. One person can have several needs at the same time, and can over lap. It is not necessary that fulfillment of one needs may actually motivate a person, as it is a human tendency that fulfillment of one need instigates the person to pursue in the quest for the acquirement of another need, and in this pursuit many persons may resort to anti-social activities harming the society. All theories came out with the one basic fact that it is the individual himself only, who in true sense is a force behind his own success and failure. All motivation comes from within individual himself, which is real essence of human motivation. WORKS CITED Becks Robert, (2003), Motivation: Theories and Principles (5th edition), Prentice Hall. Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan, (1985), Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior, Springer, Inspirational. Richard Romando, Motivation Theory, Enzyne Articles, http://ezinearticles.com/? Motivation-Theory&id=410700 Faculty at the University of Rochester (Last Updated: 2007) Self Determination Theory: An Approach to Human Motivation and Personality. Retrieved June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://www. psych. rochester. edu/SDT/theory. html Heffner L. C. (Last Updated: 2004). I think therefore I have a Personality. In Cognitive Theory. Retrieved on June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://allpsych. com/personalitysynopsis/cognitive. html Huitt, W. (2001). Motivation to learn: An overview. Educational Psychology Interactive. Retrieved on June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://chiron. valdosta. edu/whuitt/col/motivation/motivate. html Kastenbaum Robert (Updated 2007) Death Instinct. Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. Retrieved June 30,2007 from W. W. W: http://www. deathreference. com/Da-Em/Death-Instinct. html Mercury M. F. (1999) Humanistic Theory. bbc. co. uk: The Guide to Life, The Universe and Everything. Retrieved on June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://www. bbc. co. uk/dna/h2g2/A147151.

William Faulkner Essays - William Faulkner, Sartoris, Free Essays

William Faulkner Essays - William Faulkner, Sartoris, Free Essays William Faulkner William Faulkner: His Life and Achievements William Faulkner is viewed by many as Americas greatest writer of prose fiction. He was born in New Albany, Mississippi where he lived a life filled with good times and bad times. However, despite bad times he would become known as a poet, a short story writer, and finally one of the greatest contemporary novelist of his time. William Faulkners accomplishments resulted not only from his love and devotion of writing, but also from family, friends, and certain uncontrollable events. William Faulkners life is an astonishing accomplishment; however, it is crucial to explore his life prior to his fixated writing career. In 1905, Faulkner entered the first grade at a tender age of eight, and immediately showed signs of talent. He not only drew an explicitly detailed drawing of a locomotive, but he soon became an honour-roll student: His report card would show no grades below Perfect or Excellent (Blotner 21). Throughout his early education he wou ld work conscientiously at reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic; however, he especially enjoyed drawing. His deportment at school was very high, but it was not as high as it was at home. When Faulkner got promoted to third grade, skipping the second grade, he was asked by his teacher what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he replied, I want to be a writer just like my great granddaddy (Blotner 23). At last, (in 1914) Faulkner took interest in poetry, but no one in Oxford could tell him what to do with his poems. Meanwhile, Faulkner, who is very talkative, would always entertain Katrina Carter and Estelle Oldham by telling them vividly imagined stories. Eventually, Faulkner grew very fond of Estelle in fact, if he heard her voice he would deliberately attempt to be spotted by Katrina in hopes that she asks him to join her. Estelle soon became the sole inspirer and recipient of Faulkners earlier poems. Coincidentally, a gentleman named Phil Stone would fall in love with Estel les friend, Katrina. As a result, Katrina had told Stone about Faulkner and his poetry. So one afternoon, Stone walked to Faulkners home to get acquainted, and during his visit he received several written verses from Faulkner poetry collections: Anybody could have seen that he (Faulkner) had talentit was perfectly obvious (Blotner 44). Stone not only became Faulkners close friend, but also a mentor to the young writer at the beginning of his career. Stone immediately gave the potential poet encouragement, advice, and models for his study of literature. For example, Stone would give practice drills in punctuation, as well as lecture Faulkner on goals and grammars. Meanwhile, Faulkners main interest in school became athletics such as football and baseball, thus his grades started to deteriorate: Bill showed absolutely no interest in the education being offeredHe gazed out the windows, and answered the simplest questions with I dont know (Blotner 39). Eventually, he would quit both ath letics and school altogether. In 1919, his first literary work was acknowledged and published in The New Republic. The poem is a forty-line verse with a French title that acknowledges the influence of the French Symbolist, LApres-Midi dun Faune. In September, Faulkner would enroll in the University of Mississippi, and during his academic years it did not deter him from writing more poems. The Mississippian, the student paper, published Landing in Luck by Faulkner- the story is a nine-page short story created from his direct experience in the Royal Air Force flight training in 1916. He has also written several other poems such as Cathay, which is published in the Oxford Eagle and Sapphic, which is published in The Mississippian. During the summer, Faulkner became a house painter in Oxford, and in the beginning of autumn he enrolled in the University of Mississippi; however, his early pattern of school started to take toll. Faulkner began to cut classes and finally just stopped going. Although, this time he participated in a drama club called The Marionettes, and began to publish book reviews in The Mississippian. In the summer of 1921, Faulkner decided to take a trip to New York to receive some professional instructions from editors and critics, since Stone was

Mary Shellys Combination essays

Mary Shellys Combination essays Mary Shellys Combination Of Knowledge and Humanity In the novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelly is not trying to reinforce the biblical thought of a forbidden knowledge, but is rather introducing the thought that science is capable of being very dangerous if it becomes divided from humanity. The reason that it could be conceived that Mary Shelly is reinforcing the idea of forbidden knowledge is because of the constant statements that Victor Frankenstein makes about how dangerous the acquirement of knowledge is. For example he stated how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow (p. 81). These statements show that knowledge is dangerous, but it is other statements made by Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the creature that make up Mary Shellys main argument that the acquirement of knowledge without the consideration of humanity is the true danger, not the actual pursuit of knowledge. Mary Shelly first showed the importance of the combination of humanity and knowledge through Walton when he wrote home to his sister claiming that he was missing something very important from his life. Walton knew that the absence of a friend would cause him much suffering and felt it as a most severe evil (p. 52). A friend would be capable of aiding Walton on his voyage and together they could benefit from one anothers knowledge. Walton stated [how] would such a friend repair the faults of [himself] (p.53). In other words, for Walton, the absence of a friend would damage the connection of humanity and knowledge on his voyage to the north and would cause him much damage. Walton saw a friend as the connection to humanity because he would be able to converse with this friend and gain a different perspective on his own opinions (p. 53). After all if Walto...

Free Essays on Go Down Moses

Political Thought in Literature Some key points to consider in Faulkner's Go Down, Moses: The book's title: Comes from an old Negro spiritual, "Go Down, Moses, 'way down in Egypt land; Tell Pharaoh †¦ let my people go!" (Part of it is sung in the title story, last chapter of the book). Why did Faulkner choose this story? (The spiritual of course is comparing the enslavement of blacks in America to that which the Jews endured in Egypt. Each chapter in the book explores some aspect of the legacy of slavery for the South - and for America as a whole, perhaps?). "Was": Set off from the rest of the book: not numbered as a chapter. Takes place in 1859. "Was" because (1) it depicts events that took place before the birth of any character who appears in the remaining chapters; (2) it's the only chapter depicting events prior to the Civil War and emancipation; i.e., it takes place while slavery still exists; (3) it's mediated BOTH by the memory of Cass, a boy through whose only partly comprehending eyes we witness the events it depicts, AND by that of Ike, to whom Cass told it. Nature of the McCaslin household: Buck/Buddy are bachelor twins, live like boys who never grew up (fox/ hounds chase around the house, only one necktie between them). As we learn in "The Bear": as soon as their father died, they freed the slaves at least in title (couldn't literally have freed slaves in the Deep South by that time), moved them into the big house, themselves moving into a cabin they built for themselves on the plantation; "sealing" the slaves into the big house with a single nail each evening, actually allowing them to roam free (250-51). Evidently Buck - who married Sophonsiba and became Ike's father after the Civil War - was unwilling to marry/ pass on any legacy so long as the institution of slavery remained. The "hunt" for Tomey's Turl a comical imitation of a slave hunt. The whole event only dimly ... Free Essays on Go Down Moses Free Essays on Go Down Moses Political Thought in Literature Some key points to consider in Faulkner's Go Down, Moses: The book's title: Comes from an old Negro spiritual, "Go Down, Moses, 'way down in Egypt land; Tell Pharaoh †¦ let my people go!" (Part of it is sung in the title story, last chapter of the book). Why did Faulkner choose this story? (The spiritual of course is comparing the enslavement of blacks in America to that which the Jews endured in Egypt. Each chapter in the book explores some aspect of the legacy of slavery for the South - and for America as a whole, perhaps?). "Was": Set off from the rest of the book: not numbered as a chapter. Takes place in 1859. "Was" because (1) it depicts events that took place before the birth of any character who appears in the remaining chapters; (2) it's the only chapter depicting events prior to the Civil War and emancipation; i.e., it takes place while slavery still exists; (3) it's mediated BOTH by the memory of Cass, a boy through whose only partly comprehending eyes we witness the events it depicts, AND by that of Ike, to whom Cass told it. Nature of the McCaslin household: Buck/Buddy are bachelor twins, live like boys who never grew up (fox/ hounds chase around the house, only one necktie between them). As we learn in "The Bear": as soon as their father died, they freed the slaves at least in title (couldn't literally have freed slaves in the Deep South by that time), moved them into the big house, themselves moving into a cabin they built for themselves on the plantation; "sealing" the slaves into the big house with a single nail each evening, actually allowing them to roam free (250-51). Evidently Buck - who married Sophonsiba and became Ike's father after the Civil War - was unwilling to marry/ pass on any legacy so long as the institution of slavery remained. The "hunt" for Tomey's Turl a comical imitation of a slave hunt. The whole event only dimly ...

Aristotles Theory of Morality

Aristotles Theory of Morality Free Online Research Papers Aristotle (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, who studied with Plato and taught Alexander the Great. Aristotle believed the task of ethics was to find the highest and best good in human life. All human activities aim at some higher end that we consider good. For example, we study to get good grades, then to be posted to a university, and so on. Most activities are a means to a higher end. The highest human good, then, is that activity that is an end in itself, which Aristotle believes is happiness. Not simply pleasure or any kinds of subjective state, for these are all temporary. When we aim at happiness, we do so for its own sake, not because happiness helps us realize some other end. The happiness Aristotle envisions is a human being â€Å"living well† and â€Å"flourishing†, which carries connotations of success and fulfillment. Happiness depends on living in accordance with appropriate virtues. Virtue is a disposition rather than an activity. That is, a virtuous person is naturally disposed to behave in the right ways for the right reasons, and to feel pleasure in behaving rightly. Once someone has a virtuous moral character, he will naturally be disposed to do the right things, thus making virtuous and morally correct actions. To Aristotle, ethics is not a list of dos and don’ts, nor is it merely a matter of fulfilling your duty (Kantian), not is it merely achieving the best consequences possible with your actions (the utilitarians). Aristotle believed virtue was a mean state between the vices of excess and deficiency, in the case of any particular passion or emotion. For example, the virtuous mean of courage stands between the vices of rashness and cowardice, which represent excess and deficiency respectively. Aristotle lists the following as moral virtues: courage, temperance (moderation), liberality (moderation in giving and taking money), magnificence (correctly dealing with great wealth or power), pride (claiming what is due to you), gentleness (moderation with respect to anger), agreeableness, truthfulness, wittiness and justice.1 However not every action or passion has a mean, as some are wrong no matter what the situation, such as theft, murder, arson. It is not possible to be right with regard to these actions, one must always be wrong. The Aristotelian ethics is advantageous in the sense that they are generally easy to apply, and are more accurate in reality. For example, being virtuous is the most important goal of a human being’s life. Also, it is easy to follow the theory of ‘vices of excess and deficiency’ and apply it in real life. Aristotle assumes the ability of the virtuous person to recognize the best course of action, and a person’s pursuit of eudaimonia (happiness), rightly conceived, will result in virtuous conduct. However, there are some weaknesses in the theory. Aristotle states that living according to virtues is often not enough to guarantee a happy life. Another prerequisite (in addition to virtuous behaviour) is good fortune which brings one the goods necessary, but not sufficient, for a happy life. Another prerequisite for a happy life is health, which is also desired for its own sake. For Aristotle even the most virtuous of men can be denied happiness through the whims of fortune. As a consequence, one cannot be sure of achieving happiness until one’s life is fully played out. It can also be inferred that living a good life does not only require behaving virtuously, but also requires some strokes of good fortune or even luck. This can be perceived to be a weakness, or inconsistency in the theory, as Aristotle firmly advocates that virtue alone brings happiness. However he also acknowledges the weakness in the theory. I feel that his theory on ethics is one of the best ones we can follow as it is thorough in almost all aspects, and also strives for the best good for the human being (achieving eudaimonia). The ‘Golden Mean’ Theory is also highly accurate in real life, albeit the few exceptions which are always wrong (e.g. theft). It is a highly efficient guide to pursuing the best moral character possible. Sources: 1 â€Å"Aristotle lists the following as moral virtues: courage, temperance (moderation), liberality (moderation in giving and taking money), magnificence (correctly dealing with great wealth or power), pride (claiming what is due to you), gentleness (moderation with respect to anger), agreeableness, truthfulness, wittiness and justice.† Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicomachean_Ethics Research Papers on Aristotle’s Theory of MoralityComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCapital PunishmentArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Effects of Television Violence on ChildrenHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andLifes What IfsAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Free Essays on Diversity Week

, clapping, or even standing in a line behind the singer and dancing together. The main topics that the performance dealt with were liberal thinking, allowing for deeper thinking and living, and equality in race and ethnic backgrounds. The performers talked a while about legacies and family stories, as well as non-violence and peace studies. While this performance did not open my eyes to anything new about world peace and race equality, it did make me feel more â€Å"at home† with my fellow URI students that attended. We all had to act in ways during the performance that most, if not all of us, would never out of Diversity Week because the thought of public humiliation, but during the performance none of us had to worry about that. I think that this particular topic dealt mostly with public perception, which we covered in class. The topic in class was public perception of crime, but the performance falls more into the category of public opinion and maybe even public fear. We are all told that minorities are the â€Å"bad guys.† They are the people that commit the most crimes and they are the poor people that our taxes go to. These ideas are very stereotypical, but it is the message that the government and especially the media try to make us believe. All that Common Ground was trying to accomplish was to get us to look past t... Free Essays on Diversity Week Free Essays on Diversity Week For Diversity Week, I attended the 2pm show of Finding Common Ground: Resolving Cultural Conflicts with Music and Nonviolence. The show featured musicians that comprise the group Common Ground on the Hill out of McDaniel College. The group consists of a lead singer, two guitarists, and a man on the harmonica. The show lasted about 45 minutes because of technical difficulties in the beginning. Common Ground on the Hill played a variety of music in the show, mainly consisting of blues, gospel, and spirituals. All of the songs were done in a way to get the audience involved, either by singing certain words, clapping, or even standing in a line behind the singer and dancing together. The main topics that the performance dealt with were liberal thinking, allowing for deeper thinking and living, and equality in race and ethnic backgrounds. The performers talked a while about legacies and family stories, as well as non-violence and peace studies. While this performance did not open my eyes to anything new about world peace and race equality, it did make me feel more â€Å"at home† with my fellow URI students that attended. We all had to act in ways during the performance that most, if not all of us, would never out of Diversity Week because the thought of public humiliation, but during the performance none of us had to worry about that. I think that this particular topic dealt mostly with public perception, which we covered in class. The topic in class was public perception of crime, but the performance falls more into the category of public opinion and maybe even public fear. We are all told that minorities are the â€Å"bad guys.† They are the people that commit the most crimes and they are the poor people that our taxes go to. These ideas are very stereotypical, but it is the message that the government and especially the media try to make us believe. All that Common Ground was trying to accomplish was to get us to look past t...

Twas The Night Before Christmas Reading Comprehension

Twas The Night Before Christmas Reading Comprehension Twas The Night Before Christmas is one of the most traditional Christmas readings in English speaking countries. Written in 1822 by Clement C. Moore, Twas The Night Before Christmas tells the story of Santas arrival on Christmas Eve at a typical American household. Imagine it is Christmas Eve and you are sitting around the fireplace drinking a nice cup of Egg Nog (a typical Christmas drink made with eggs, cinnamon, milk and other ingredients sometimes including a good bit of rum) anxiously awaiting Christmas Eve. Outside the snow is falling and all the family is together. Finally, someone in the family takes out Twas The Night Before ChristmasBefore reading you may want to review some of the more difficult vocabulary listed after the story. Twas The Night Before Christmas Twas The Night Before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,Had just settled down for a long winters nap,When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.Away to the window I flew like a flash,Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snowGave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,With a little old driver, so lively and quick,I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roofThe prancing and pawing of each little hoof.As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.His eyes how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly,That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,And laying his finger aside of his nose,And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night. Important Vocabulary This version of the story highlights difficult vocabulary in bold. English learners or classes can first learn difficult vocabulary and then move on to listening or reading the story themselves in class. Reading through Twas The Night Before Christmas also makes a great pronunciation exercise for the whole class. The vocabulary is in the order it appears in Twas The Night Before ChristmasTwas It wasstirring movementnestled comfortably in placekerchief handkerchiefclatter noisesash window covering that is pulled down from inside the roomshutters window covering that is opened from outside the windowlustre glow, illuminationsleigh Santa Claus vehicle, also used in Alaska with dogsSt. Nick Santa ClausCoursers Animals which draw a sleighPorch terracedash away move onwards quicklytwinkling a secondbound a jumptarnished dirtysoot black waste material found inside a chimneybundle bagpeddler someone who sells things on the streetdimples indentations on the cheeksmerry happydroll funnyencircled circle aroundbelly stomachdread to be afraid ofjerk quick movementdown of a thistle the light material on a certain type of weed that floats away in the airere before

Subculture identity how the tradidiontal costume keeps their own Essay

Subculture identity how the tradidiontal costume keeps their own culture nowadays - Essay Example Hence, a historical back ground of various sub culture identities such as Greeks, Japanese, Arabs, Indians and etc along with their culture costume characteristic is being discussed in this article. Furthermore, it's greatly shedding light on latest outfits of various sub culture identities and presenting several opinions of writers regarding how to keep that traditional culture costume alive in joyful manner. In order to describe how the traditional costumes of Greeks was reminiscent of question arises from the frequent consideration. Basically, the frequent consideration (Vrelli-Zaxou 1994) is that long-established costume is definitely the costume. However, it characterizes the individuality of a farming culture and on the other hand it articulate the connection flanked by an individual and the civilization. Giselis (1974) inscribe that the set of clothes is a representation of the particular crowd and not of its wearer's character which underneath force may be required to match to the mutual strength. It should be noted that it is not simple to differentiate oneself commencing the group of people with a costume (Vrelli-Zaxou 1994), while the civilization itself stimulate the method of communal control and permit forcing a potential outlook modernizer to come back to the array. The major feature of folk set of clothes is to facilitate generally acknowledged by the preponderance (Vrelli -Zaxou 1994). Moreover, it cannot fail to notice the information to facilitate the remark as costume. which is a strange remark pro the Greek, is derivative since the English remark 'costume' and its doublet 'custom', which into their twirls are source of Latin consuetude 'habit' Each and every from the above is resultant from the information that each consign possess its own costume. The ordinary difference by more than a few writers (e.g. Roubis 1995) links the set of clothes of the residents of hilly regions and those existing on the plains, and as well as among the outfits of the islanders and the residents of mainland, is no longer applicable. Since study has shown that a century before rural communities illustrated themselves from others with a quality costume (Hatzimichali 1925). In addition, traditional civilization a costume might have contained a variety of utilities. Solitary of its utility was to replicate the modification of the exertion time and as well as the holiday plus the days of time off. They fluctuate morphologically as distant as the excellence and beautification is Apprehensive (Kyriakidou-Nestoros 1989). The set of clothes for daily practice is very realistic in its dim colors and with no at all sewing and attractive elements. On the other hand, joyful clothing is traditionally wealthy in colors and decoration. The joyful costume is extensively worn in official dancing and at carnivals through out the entire Greece. Furthermore, there are certainly some areas where a unique and special set of clothes is worn for special occasions. It should be noted that in the rural community of Nesting, Arcadias (Vrelli-Zaxou 1994) males put on the tsipianitiko shirt where as women put on asprofoustano, a definite type of pallid dress, in Sirako, Paros (Dimas 1993) firm pastoral shoes are worn out on festive and

Hollywood and The Red Scare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Hollywood and The Red Scare - Essay Example In the end, it was the enemy from within acting as the nation’s protector that caused hardships for many Americans and not communism. The most evident example of this exploitation for personal gains comes from Hollywood due to its high profile status. In 1950, what had been a largely ineffectual and obscure U.S. Senator, who was riddled with bribery scandals, gave a speech in West Virginia that would make him a powerful and famous legislator. Senator Joseph McCarthy told those gathered at the Republican Women’s Club â€Å"The State Department is infested with Communists.† (Roberts, 2010). He further claimed to possess 205 names of known, avowed communists who were working for the U.S. State Department. This was untrue but the speech served its purpose, by shifting the accusing public spotlight from him to others. Soon afterward the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began hearings in an effort to root-out communist sympathizers and subversives. HUAC began by calling to testify movie stars and moguls who the government knew were staunchly anti-communist such as Louis B Mayer, Jack earner, Robert Taylor, Gary Cooper and Walt Disney, a movie making icon that was certain â€Å"Commies† were attempting to ruin his business and his good name. Disney was eager to offer names of suspected communist. He even went as far as to make wild, unsubstantiated assumptions of a person being communist due to this individual having â€Å"no religion and had spent considerable time at the Moscow Art Theatre studying art direction, or something.† (Rad, 2009) It was later discovered Disney had been an FBI informant from the time WWII ended until his death in the mid 1960’s. An opposition group called the Committee for the First Amendment protested the congressional investigations. Among the groups members were high profile Hollywood celebrities such as Lucille Ball, Lauren Bacall, Gene Kelly and Humphrey Bogart. The

Critical Thinking English- A New Earth Chapters Eight and Nine Essay

Critical Thinking English- A New Earth Chapters Eight and Nine - Essay Example It is all about holding on and never about letting go. Therefore, even I myself can only hardly comprehend the meaning of letting go, especially on the spiritual level. Nevertheless, perhaps, what we human beings have not noticed is that the more we try to hold on to something – no matter how much we love and value it, the more fear we experience. Fear is a debilitating phenomenon and it is real. If fear reaches its maximum in us, we would not be able to function as good individuals anymore and we react with anger even towards that thing that we have always held on to. The only way therefore to enjoy our lives without the fear is to let go. The process of letting go begins with the acceptance of the inevitability of change. This mere acceptance may bring about negative feelings in us or even more fear at first. Nevertheless, it will definitely eventually bring us the inner peace that we have always been longing for. This peace is the realization that the material comes only se condary to the spiritual. We can always let go of the material so that we can let go of the fear. When we have let go of things and when we have let go of fear and when we are filled with great peace, it is only then that we realize that we are powerful. In fact, as what Rilke said in â€Å"Buddha in Glory,† â€Å"Now you feel how nothing clings to you/ your vast shell reaches into endless space/ and there the rich, thick fluids rise and flow/ illuminated in your infinite peace† (Rilke). From Chapter 9, the line that appealed to me the most was â€Å"Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment† (162). Success is fleeting, and it is sweet because it only happens at a specific moment and deep down we know that the happiness that success brings will not last long. The society we live in as well as our educational system and everything else around us and within

The Rocking Hourse Winner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rocking Hourse Winner - Essay Example Looking back at the earlier events in the story, it can be seen that it was Hester; Paul's mother is solely responsible for his death. It should be noted that Hester's desire to maintain the lifestyle she was accustomed to started the voices in their house proclaiming that "There should be more money." Furthermore, it was also Hester who introduced the concept of luck to Paul. With this, the life of Paul became a quest to stop the voices and to find luck. These desires, which both originated from his mother, killed him in the end. The story started by drawing a portrait of Hester "who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck." Though this woman married the one that she really loves and was blessed with three children, there stood this deep feeling of incompleteness in her heart. Within her, there is always this strong longing for the things that she does not have like beautiful clothes, cars, jewelries, and other material possessions that only money can buy. She finds no joy in parenting as she considers her three little children as additional burden that she must live with. Even though she tries to be gently and loving to them, she knows that in the center of her heart, she cannot love them. For some reasons, her children are aware of her lack of affection and compassion to them. This is an unspoken understanding between the parent and their child: "They read it in each other's eyes." This is even aggravated that the fact that even though she leaves her longing for money unspok en, her children constantly hears her desire. As the story progresses, it can be seen that Paul developed the notion that his own mother does not love him. Her single desire is to have money. Thus, in order to win the affection of her mom, Paul devised his own way of giving her the money that she needs. It can be seen that Paul was doing everything to stop the whispers that haunts their house by generating more money. It can be seen that the little boy does this not only to quench his mother's insatiable desire for money. It can be seen that Paul is just like any other ordinary child whose main desire is to feel the warmth of his mother's affection. It can be seen that Paul associated the voices to the mother's lacking sense of completeness and contentment. The little boy assumed that if he can stop the whispers from haunting their house, his mother will stop wanting more money. This way, his mom can love him the way he really wants to. However, instead of stopping the voices in the house, the arrival of more money in Paul's house caused the whispers to become louder, asking for more money. It should be noted that the arrival of the money did not satisfy Hester. After reading the letter from the lawyer "her face become hardened and become more expressionless." She wants even more money causing Paul hears the voices growing much louder. This caused him severe depression as it signifies his failure to bring enough money. This is even worsened by the inability of the little boy to guess the winning horse in the two previous races. Thus, Paul was seized by tensions as he intensely wanted to know the winning horse for the Derby. After wildly riding his rocking horse one night, Paul was finally able to know the winning horse for the race. This might have overwhelmed him with ecstasy because this means that he will be able to bring more money into their house, stopping

Business Disaster Recovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Disaster Recovery - Essay Example The topic of the research has also been recognized by the researchers and social scientist as an important issue for the business so there was lot of literature present at different resources around the topic that cover the topic from different aspects. In this situation it was one of the major concerns to select and review the material that is not only relevant but also useful for the dissertation. Having too much choices in front often creates confusions and a big worry was to overcome this confusion that what to take for the review and what not. In the same way the selection of the company for the case study was also not a simple decision because there are many company that have faced disasters at some time and they have also make their plans for the recovery. Some of them were successful in restoring their losses and some of them were failed so it was a difficult decision to select the company. Moreover it was decided to conduct an in-depth interview of personnel of the selected company so there were also concerns about the matter that weather any of the personnel will allow due time for interview and weather the results or findings of the interviews will be fruitful for the research or not. The present work is done while utilizing all the best possible sources and abilities and if there is another chance got to do the same work again then there much be review of the work previously done to find out the mistakes and flaws so that in the next attempt all the flaws can be removed.

Race, Class and Standpoint Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Race, Class and Standpoint Theory - Essay Example The video shows David Christensen listening to Hugh. It is because of Christensen’s compassion and willingness to be honest with Hugh about the experiences of Latinos in America. Hugh mentions in the film how he came to shooting feeling burnt out about diversity work in America and left with a hopeful feeling and energy (USF, 2013). Standpoint theory identifies a particular group of social people as privileged. The dominant group of persons has privileges of their voices being heard more than the other groups of people. However, a variety of different voices of people of different social and racial settings can be heard more than the one from the dominant group. Hartsock, a writer about the Standpoint Theory, claims that womens unique standpoint in society is essential to providing the justification for the claims of feminism (Wise, 2011). It does this while also providing feminism with a method in which they can better analyze reality. People have different knowledge of other people, in terms of their various relationships to them mostly personal. Such knowledge is often incompletely articulated, tacit and intuitive. It is the reason there is always racial and class discrimination among human beings. There is much judgment about the white people, black people, Latinas and colored people. The decision makes one have the wrong perception of a person. An increase in the level of a person’s authority leads to the rise of power they get when having an implementation of their viewpoints on the world. Without power, the level of a person’s voice reduces and the individual has little to no say regarding policies (Johnson, 2006). The forces involved are all contributors to people’s communication in our world. Standpoint theory is in support of what feminist theorist Sandra Harding describes as strong objectivity. It is the notion that the ideas of individuals who are either

Color Compisition and Polarized Light Research Paper

Color Compisition and Polarized Light - Research Paper Example These forms of microscopes are well designed in such a manner that they are capable of photographing the most visible specimens because of their existing anisotropic characters. These microscopes are duly instilled with the polarizers and the analyzers. Polarizers are often placed across the light path just before the given specimen, while the analyzers are usually placed at the optical pathway of the objective camera port and rear aperture).Interaction of the plane polarized light with the birefringent specimen tend to produce two definite wave components in which one of them is ordinary while the other seems to be extraordinary. They are polarized in such a manner that they generate some sort of contrast colors on the mutually parallel planes. Microscopy polarization as a concept thus offers a lot of information regarding the color composition and three-dimensional patterns of a number of samples. This methodology can hence disclose some essential information on the thermal history , as well as the specimen’s strains and stresses. On the other hand, a lot of information and data components can be fully assessed with the crossed polarizer or the plane-polarized light. Crossed polarizer often refers to a situation whereby the analyzer is mutually inserted into the existing optical path; while the plane polarized light occurs when the analyzer is duly removed from the existing optical path. The plane-polarized light offers adequate information on the  specimen’s optical relief, which is mainly obvious within the boundary visibility, and also enhances the refractive index. Materials with higher relief have varying refractive indices with the mounting medium. When rotated around the microscope’s optical axis, the placement of transparent or even translucent materials in plane-polarized light tends to generate greater brightness and colors in

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History - Assignment Example The four castes were recognizable around 1000 BCE (). The division was part of the creation process. For example, the highest caste of Brahmins came about from the mouth of the primeval being Purusha. The other castes were the Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. These three castes came about from the Purusha’s arms, thighs and feet respectively. The relative heights of these bodily locations correspond exactly to the relative levels of the four castes in the social hiearchy. There are many other castes in the Aryan social structure as well, but the aforementioned are the main four. Source: Ralph T. Griffith, trans. The Hymns of the Rigveda, 4 vols., 2nd ed. Benares: E. J. Lazarus, 1889–92, 4:289–93. The ‘Mandate from Heaven’ and its significance 5. What is the meaning of the â€Å"Mandate from Heaven?† Why was it significant to the Zhou Dynasty? How did a ruler know he had lost the mandate from heaven? The expression ‘mandate from heaven†™ refers to the legitimacy of the Chinese emperor’s right to rule the throne. Thus, Chinese emperors acquired their office not merely through exercising force but through permission of divine origin. This mandate made the emperor a holder of absolute power though limited by his responsibility towards heaven. A failure to fulfill this responsibility and in enforcing basic morals had the consequence of resulting in a loss of the divine mandate.

Same-sex marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Same-sex marriage - Essay Example Same-sex marriage first became a reality in America in the year 2004, when the Supreme Court in Massachusetts actually ruled that it was necessary under the equal protections clause of the states Constitution. Connecticut in reality began permitting same-sex marriages in the fall of 2009. In April 2009, Iowas Supreme Court ruled in favor of permitting same-sex couples to marry, also giving advocates an important first victory in the nations heartland and thwarting the notion that only the Northeast will permit it. 7 April 2009 the Vermont Legislature made the difference. â€Å"Jim Douglass veto of a bill permitting gay couples to marry, mustering precisely enough votes to conserve the measure. This step made Vermont the first state to actually permit same-sex marriage through legislative action instead of the ruling of court.† (Boswell, John) Two more states--New Hampshire and New Jersey--recognize civil unions for same-sex couples; an intermediate step that supporters say has made same-sex marriage seem less scary. New England remains pivotal in same-sex marriage movement, with a campaign under way that will extend marriage rights to gay men and lesbians in all six of the regions states by 2012. The meaning of marriage gets completely redefined when two men marry each other and the same has become an issue that has come to the limelight. Gay marriage is a serious threat and it challenges the nature too and this is because two men can never reproduce and take their generation forward. They can adopt a child but they can never fulfill the gap left, that gap can only be fulfilled by a mother. The divorce rates are extremely high when two men or women marry each other and research goes to prove it. Heterosexual divorces are much less than homosexual divorces and this is another reason why people oppose gay marriages. Gay marriages have also come under intense scrutiny with regard to the tradition that the world has been following for many years. When

A strategy for managing change process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

A strategy for managing change process - Essay Example This study looks into organizational culture as the experience which the hotel is supposed to bring to its customers. However, this is largely reflected through the behaviour of the associates of the hotel towards them. Therefore it is important that the present must try to build a strong culture along with insuring its core values such that it serves to contribute towards the continuous growth of the organization and accounts for the satisfaction of employees too. The first step towards a strong culture would be to establish core values of the organization. The hotel must seem to build core values which aims to provide the best services to customers, associates and the community at large. The basic culture is to provide the company associates with the maximum opportunities as well as providing superior quality of services towards customers. The next step towards initiating the change would be to attain the participation and involvement of company executives in the change process. Ex ecutives and employees in the organization must show their active participation in the change process and just in words. For example, in this case since a continuous change in behaviour towards customers is called for. Thus leaders must actually show their behavioural change in order to act as examples for remaining employees on their conduct with customers of the hotel. The management must practice effective communication. It is important that all employees in the organization are informed about the specific changes in order to make the process successful. This would necessarily ensure their commitment and success. Every employee must be told what exactly is expected of them. The organizational structure might also require changes. This would include changing the job description, roles and responsibilities for each employee and redesigning the same in order to bring about changes in their performance levels. Performance targets could be reset for each employee to bring about suffic ient changes in the overall productivity and performance level of the organization. This must also be coupled with the reviewing and redesigning of approaches towards rewards structures and recognition. It is very crucial to change the

A New approach to teaching ESOL in ethnic minorities in UK Essay

A New approach to teaching ESOL in ethnic minorities in UK - Essay Example With reference to the ESOL or English for Speakers of other languages, there had been several arguments running around the world. Particularly the funding, policies and future of this community is still a centre point of conversation in many literatures. The point of focuses would be that whether they come out successfully in their studies, how does the teaching get along with the ethnic community in terms of understanding, and in what way the future of these communities is placed. The ethnic population in UK comprises of Asian, African-Caribbean, and Chinese etc. The progresses of these children seem to be travelling in a traumatic situation, if they are beginners. In the sense children who belong to the ethnic community first face a difficult situation in terms of language. But literature say that most of the mainstream schools fail to cope up with the problem, so the thought of setting a separate school atmosphere for them also on the run. The condition of those ethnic population, who are treated as refugee are even worse than this, The Institute Of Race Relations [2001] has to say that â€Å"When post-war immigrants first came here, there was clear evidence of discriminatory practices (such as the bussing of Asian children or the relegation of West Indian children to schools for the subnormal) which marginalised and segregated children - setting them up for failure† But though the situation might give a changed look, still the teachers are at the critical position to give recognition for them. In a survey report The Institute Of Race Relations [2001] has pointed out that â€Å"71% of minority ethnic 16-19 year-olds are in full-time education compared with 58% of whites of the same age. Though they are 9% of the 18-24 age group, minority ethnic young people form 13% of university undergraduates.† What has to be analyzed is that how

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History - Assignment Example The four castes were recognizable around 1000 BCE (). The division was part of the creation process. For example, the highest caste of Brahmins came about from the mouth of the primeval being Purusha. The other castes were the Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. These three castes came about from the Purusha’s arms, thighs and feet respectively. The relative heights of these bodily locations correspond exactly to the relative levels of the four castes in the social hiearchy. There are many other castes in the Aryan social structure as well, but the aforementioned are the main four. Source: Ralph T. Griffith, trans. The Hymns of the Rigveda, 4 vols., 2nd ed. Benares: E. J. Lazarus, 1889–92, 4:289–93. The ‘Mandate from Heaven’ and its significance 5. What is the meaning of the â€Å"Mandate from Heaven?† Why was it significant to the Zhou Dynasty? How did a ruler know he had lost the mandate from heaven? The expression ‘mandate from heaven†™ refers to the legitimacy of the Chinese emperor’s right to rule the throne. Thus, Chinese emperors acquired their office not merely through exercising force but through permission of divine origin. This mandate made the emperor a holder of absolute power though limited by his responsibility towards heaven. A failure to fulfill this responsibility and in enforcing basic morals had the consequence of resulting in a loss of the divine mandate.

A strategy for managing change process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

A strategy for managing change process - Essay Example This study looks into organizational culture as the experience which the hotel is supposed to bring to its customers. However, this is largely reflected through the behaviour of the associates of the hotel towards them. Therefore it is important that the present must try to build a strong culture along with insuring its core values such that it serves to contribute towards the continuous growth of the organization and accounts for the satisfaction of employees too. The first step towards a strong culture would be to establish core values of the organization. The hotel must seem to build core values which aims to provide the best services to customers, associates and the community at large. The basic culture is to provide the company associates with the maximum opportunities as well as providing superior quality of services towards customers. The next step towards initiating the change would be to attain the participation and involvement of company executives in the change process. Ex ecutives and employees in the organization must show their active participation in the change process and just in words. For example, in this case since a continuous change in behaviour towards customers is called for. Thus leaders must actually show their behavioural change in order to act as examples for remaining employees on their conduct with customers of the hotel. The management must practice effective communication. It is important that all employees in the organization are informed about the specific changes in order to make the process successful. This would necessarily ensure their commitment and success. Every employee must be told what exactly is expected of them. The organizational structure might also require changes. This would include changing the job description, roles and responsibilities for each employee and redesigning the same in order to bring about changes in their performance levels. Performance targets could be reset for each employee to bring about suffic ient changes in the overall productivity and performance level of the organization. This must also be coupled with the reviewing and redesigning of approaches towards rewards structures and recognition. It is very crucial to change the

Reading response 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading response 2 - Essay Example The issue was that: does TV makes the viewer dumber or smarter? Stevens position was more inclined to side with the latter. Thus, her attack on Johnsons theory as particularly highlighted in the title, where she called the TV "idiot box". Her main arguments were the impact of advertisements as well as the misrepresentations of certain groups such as Muslims in TV shows. The rest were mainly her personal opinion based from her experience watching the medium. I was looking for an empirical evidence that proved Stevens position. But there was none. As part of the TV audience, I am interested about this aspect. Has it been scientifically proven that TV makes us dumber? In my observation Stevens was correct to say that there are harmful TV contents or materials that are plainly stupid. However, her position treats the public as unthinking mass who is not able to distinguish rubbish from good and just absorb everything that TV shows have to offer. I think that TV makes us smarter. It provides information. It is up to us to analyze and make use of each and every data, whether to reject it or use it as part of our

Low Testosterone Levels in Relation to Depression Research Paper

Low Testosterone Levels in Relation to Depression - Research Paper Example This is because; serotonin is a neurotransmitter that relays messages from one region of the brain to the other (Gonzales, et al., 2002). Therefore, the levels of testosterone hormones in an individual, determine their levels of serotonin. It is observed that the older male individuals who have low levels of testosterone have also low levels of serotonin. Thus, with low levels of serotonin, the rate of transmission and relaying messages in the brain is lowered, making an individual less active (Berglund et al., 2011). The less activity of an individual increases their levels of anxiety and consequent low moods, which are symptoms associated with depression. Serotonin is known to influence a higher percentage of brain cells, mostly those related with moods, sexual desire, social behavior, memory and learning, as well as sleep (Devina, et al., 2010). When the serotonin levels in the body are low, the levels of activity in these brain cells are also low; an aspect that promotes low mood s, low memory and low social behaviors and interaction, which on the other hand promote depression. Therefore, whenever the brain cells are suppressed due to low activity or inactivity caused by the low serotonin levels, depression may arise, always preceded by stress as the preceptor of the brain cells (Carnahan & Perry, 2004). Therefore, it is observed that the relationship between testosterone levels and serotonin, have an influence on men’s depression. Depression is likely to be higher in women than men, until the age of 65, when the gender difference disappear, and the men become equally depressed as their female counterparts (Berglund et al., 2011). This is because, testosterone levels decreases with age in males, although the rate at which the decline... This research paper focuses on a positive relationship between testosterone levels and depression in men. Such effective relationship that is a main focus of the essay, takes the form of low testosterone levels triggering depression causative agents, such as anxiety, low social activity, anorexia and insomnia. As male individuals grow older, their testosterone levels decrease. The researcher provides a reference, that for men aged between 20-40 years, only 1% has a diagnosys for low testosterone levels. Therefore, men who are above the age of 55 years are observed to have a low level of testosterone hormones. Low testosterone levels are also observed to affect the Serotonin levels in the body and notably the brain, which in turn impacts on an individual body activity, moods and stress, causing depression. This has a large bearing not only on their psychological and emotional state but also may turn affects on their levels of depression. This essay also discusses the terminology and d escription of adult's depression itself. It is described that depression is likely to be higher in women than men, until the age of 65, when the gender difference disappear, and the men become equally depressed as their female counterparts. Therefore, testosterone treatment and replacement for men who does not respond to conventional depression therapy is highly recommended all over the world nowadays, though with a clear scrutiny into the likelihood of the testosterone replacement in causing cancer.