Adventures Of Huck Finn Essays (820 words) - Picaresque Novels

Adventures Of Huck Finn Setting: Late 1800's along the Mississippi River Plot: When the book begins, the main character, Huck Finn possesses a large sum of money. This causes his delinquent lifestyle to change drastically. Huck gets an education, and a home to live in with a caring elderly woman (the widow). One would think that Huck would be satisfied. Well, he wasn't. He wanted his own lifestyle back. Huck's drunkard father (pap), who had previously left him, was also not pleased with Huck's lifestyle. He didn't feel that his son should have it better than he. Pap tries to get a hold of the money for his own uses, but he fails. He proceeds to lock Huck up in his cabin on the outskirts of town. Huck then stages his kidnapping and subsequent killing, and takes a canoe across to Jackson's Island in the Mississippi River. There he comes across a runaway slave, Jim, and the two decide to leave the area. Huck leaves to avoid his father, and Jim leaves to escape a false charge of murder. The rest of the story follows all of their exciting and action packed adventures down the Mississippi River. Themes Slavery is a big theme in this story. Mark Twain was obviously against slavery because it is hypocritical. Throughout the book we see Huck interacting with Jim as human to human, while everyone else treats him like a piece of property. He was especially against the Christians who promoted slavery, since it is obviously wrong and against Christian ideals. Twain also shows the hypocrisy in another theme, religion. In one scene, the Shepardsons and the Gangerfords are listening to a sermon about brotherly love, and in the next scene they are shooting and killing each other. This is exactly the kind of behavior that twain didn't like. However, the main theme in this book is breaking free. He urges his readers to do the right thing, not necessarily what everyone else is doing. He illustrates this ideal with Huck. Most everyone else thought of Jim, along with blacks in general, as something less than human. Huck knew this was wrong, and his actions followed this when he rescued Jim. Main characters Huckleberry Finn Huck is the narrator of the story and for the most part is honest to us, the readers. He dreads the rules and conformities of society such as religion, school, and everything else that will eventually make him civilized. A big debate surrounds Huck on whether he changes or not throughout the story. Huck, in the beginning, seems very set in the south's anti-black ways, however, Huck states that he will go to hell to keep Jim out of slavery. At this point it seems like he does change, but at the end of the book, Huck plays yet another joke on Jim and seems as though any change was temporary. Huck has little sense of humor, which is ironical, considering the book is satirical. Twain has also been criticized about Huck's character, in that it seems as though Huck knows too much for his age. In one of the movies Huck was about seventeen, in another he was about eight. I figure from the book that Huck is probably around the age of twelve or thirteen. Other traits of Huck show that he is sensible, trustworthy, tricky, deceiving, realist, yet imaginative. Jim Jim starts off the book as the Widow Watson's slave, however, because she is going to sell Jim off he decides to run away. In an ironic twist, Jim meets Huck Finn, who Jim is charged with murdering. Twain has been criticized for making Jim too stereotypical in the sense that he is easily tricked by Tom and Huck. Jim is extremely superstitious, dependable, very trusting of Huck, strong and hopeful. My Analysis In my opinion this is probably one of the best books ever written. The way that Mark Twain uses almost all of the literary elements in this novel make it one of the most fun to read. His use of satire makes this a very comical look of the south. His use of surprise contributes to the action of the story. Used along with suspense, it makes the book read very fast. The way Twain writes most of his novels is very fun and lighthearted, however some of them are very serious. This novel is written with certain flair and attitude that, I think, make it stick out as an incredible book. Some other people feel that the book

Texas Political Culture and Immigration essayEssay Writing Service

Texas Political Culture and Immigration essayEssay Writing Service Texas Political Culture and Immigration essay Texas Political Culture and Immigration essayPolitical culture has a considerable impact on the development of the nation as well as local communities. Texas is one of the states with a distinct political culture that has a considerable impact on the worldview of the local population and policies conducted in the state. In this regard, the current paper focuses on the study of Texas political culture to understand its key principles that uncovers policies and decisions taken by policy makers. Texas has a considerable impact on the national politics of the US because it is one of the main states that opens the way for local politicians to enter federal political elite. This is why the understanding of Texas political culture will help not only to understand better policies conducted in Texas but also the national politics as well.Political CultureElazar distinguishes three types of political culture: traditionalistic, individualistic and moralistic (Foner Garraty, 2011). The moralist ic political culture holds society to be more important than an individual. The moralistic political culture tends to develop a positive view on the government and states with this type of culture view the government as a positive force that often leads to the wider government interference into economy and wider government regulations concerning economic, social and other aspects of the state life (Foner Garraty, 2011). States with the moralistic political culture stand on the ground of serving the community as their priority even at expense of individual interests.On the contrary, the traditionalistic political culture stands on traditional political and cultural values and focuses on the minimal intervention of state into economic and social life (Foner Garraty, 2011). The traditionalistic political culture limits the role of the government to the role of the actor responsible for the maintenance of the existing social order, which helps communities to maintain their traditional social systems. This political culture adheres to conservatism as the core of its political philosophy.Finally, Elazar distinguishes the individualistic political culture, which prioritizes the individual initiative and put needs and interests of individuals above those of communities as long as they match principles and norms of basic human rights (Foner Garraty, 2011). The individualistic political culture restricts the role of the government to the role of facilitator of individual initiative and does not admit the extensive government regulation of social life, economy or regulations in private matters of individuals.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As politics and society are dynamic, the political culture of certain states, regions or nations can change that contributes to the shift from traditionalistic to moralistic culture, for example, or emergence of a blend of cultures, such as traditionalistic and individualistic ones. Therefore, in some states, it is poss ible to trace the blend of different political cultures, which though are closely integrated but may change in the course of time and dynamic development of the political life and social norms, values and beliefs. For example, the political culture may change under the impact of profound demographic changes, which may occur in case of the rapid and substantial increase of the immigrant population. As a result, such demographic changes can bring changes into the political life and change the political culture of the state but such changes take normally a long time to be fully completed.Texas political culture  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Traditionalistic aspects of Texas political cultureOne of the distinct features of the Texas political culture is the dominance of one political party. Within the last thirty years, the Republican Party, which is associated with traditionalist policies and conservative ideology, has held control over the state’s politics. At this point, it is possible to refer to table 1, which shows the results of Presidential elections in Texas with only two wins of the Democrats in nine cases of Presidential elections.Moreover, Texans have not elected Democrats to a statewide office since 1994, while Democrats can gain support from minority groups mainly in East Texas and South Texas and from some urban voters in Beaumont, El Paso, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston (Foner Garraty, 2011). The dominant position of the Republican Party is the distinct feature of the traditionalistic political culture and Texas maintains this trend for decades. This is why it is possible to estimate that Texas has a historical inclination to the traditionalistic political culture.In fact, a distinct feature of Texas political life is the low voter turnout that is a characteristic of the traditionalistic political culture according to Elazar (Foner Garraty, 2011). Voters turnout remains stable and, more important, voters tend to have the similar political preferences and do not change them much for decades. For example, Texans prefer voting for the Republicans and they vote for them over and over again, regardless of changes in policies and situation in the state.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Individualistic aspects of Texas’ political culture  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Texas politics tends to support private business with the minimal interference of the state government and authorities into the economic life of the state (Foner Garraty, 2011). The non-interference government stance is typical for the individualistic political culture. In the case of Texas, this trend is very strong since the state government traditionally avoids direct interventions into the economic life of the state. Instead, the government focuses on the stimulation of individual business initiative and eme rgence of small businesses. Texan legislation is favorable for business initiatives and current policies create favorable conditions for starting up a business in Texas (Foner Garraty, 2011).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Texas turns out to be in the opposition to the political government and stands for the larger opportunity for exercising the principle of people sovereignty in Texas (Foner Garraty, 2011). Texans and local politicians stand on the ground of the supremacy of people sovereignty over the authority of the federal government. This is why they oppose to the increasing role of the federal government in the field of public education. Similarly, Texans have a strong opposition to current health care reform, which contradicts to their principles and beliefs.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, Texas politicians and the public maintain a strong faith in individual initiative (Foner Garraty, 2011). They put it prior to the government regul ation. Instead, they believe that the government should just facilitate the individual initiative by means of non-interference and liberalization of the legislation to let individuals to implement their initiatives successfully. Such policy and political culture is traditional for Texas and these features are features of the individualistic political culture.Texas Political Culture and Immigration essay part 2

Compare and contrast two theories of child development. Drawing upon Essay

Compare and contrast two theories of child development. Drawing upon your study and research , justify your preference for one - Essay Example But, some organisations use the term infant from birth to age of three. Increased research and interest in the field of child development has resulted in new theories and strategies. But, among all these, theories proposed by Piaget and Vygotsky are most popular. Developmental stages In a new born child, process of connecting the nerve cells are rapid during the first 18 months, and sound, smell, sight, taste, and touch are the ways baby learn about the world. As babies learn to sit up, crawl, stand and then walk, the possibilities quickly expand, and are ready to experiment with toys and other materials. Generally the brain of the toddler is twice as active as adult, and during the period between 18 months to three years, structures of the brain that is sensitive to language and social emotional response develop.   The age between three to six years is the fastest growth period for the frontal lobe networks in a child, and the actions such as memory, processing, and problem solvin g are increasing during this period. During the preschool years, imagination and interaction play starting roles (Child Development Institute, 2010).   In the age of six to nine years, children are in the primary grades, and have gotten the hang of basic dexterity, language, and social skills. During this period they are eager to practice and refine them, and they like to challenge themselves, intellectually, with puzzles and games that test their growing knowledge. The maturation of the frontal lobe continues even in the adolescence period which falls from the age of nine to fourteen years.  During this age emotional regulation becomes greater, spatial working memory improves, speed and efficiency of thought increases, planning and problem solving skills increase, and scientific reasoning and ability to understand one's own thinking develops (Child Development Institute, 2010).   Piaget theory Piaget’s view of how child’s mind work and develop has been enormousl y influential, especially in educational theory. As he says, children cannot take certain tasks until they are psychologically mature enough to do so. According to Piaget, the mental development of a child is purely internal, individualist, and self directed. For understanding something new, child must construct it itself, and have to re-invent it. Whenever we teach something to the child he/she keep from inventing it itself (Ginsbury, H. Opper, S, 1979). Piaget Cognitive Development Stages. Source: Child Development Institute Almost all child progress through four different stages and they are all very distinct stages regard to cognitive development. The first stage is sensor motor, second stage is preoperational, third one is concrete operational and fourth one is formal operational. This is popularly known as Piaget’s stage theory as it deals with four stages of development (ECheat.com, 2005). The first stage in the child’s cognitive development is sensor motor. It occurs from birth to the age of two. During this period the child basically deals with what is presented to it, and learn about physical objects and is concerned with motor skills and the consequences of some of their actions. So, in this stage child would learn the concept of object permanence. The preoperational stage is the second stage of cognitive develop

Problem Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problem Resolution - Essay Example he first important issue to be answered is whether the position of an administrator has indeed the authority to approve any cancellation of privileges and credentials of a medical staff including that of physicians and the authority to approve their termination from employment. On a side issue which must also be determined but however must be answered primarily by Dr. Clark, is whether a chief of the medical staff has the authority to cancel privileges and credentials of a medical staff and to terminate them from employment of the hospital. These issues are important since the Dr. Clark’s proposed action is premised on his claim that he has the power to cancel Dr. Kirk’s privileges and credentials and also the power to terminate him. Dr. Clark also claims that this proposed action could be done if there is approval from the administrator which is given such great weight. Hence, an examination of applicable laws, rules and regulations including an examination of the hosp ital handbook or policy is important to answer this issue. The second issue is on the validity of the employment contracts which serve the basis for any physician’s employment. In the cited scenario, physicians are employed by means of employment contracts. Its validity serves as a basis for either party in defending a discharge or termination of a medical staff or the basis for a claim on the part of the medical staff claimant (Shepard, 2007). Hence, it must be determined whether the employment contract is in accordance with the Constitution, applicable laws, statutes, policies, rules and regulations governing employment in healthcare organization, to be considered as a valid contract. Otherwise, the contract may be declared void for being against the Constitution or against the applicable law, rule, regulation or hospital policy, and may not be used by either parties for their respective claims and defenses. Other relevant laws, rules and regulations would then apply. If there is a valid

Green Claims Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Green Claims - Essay Example The consumers consider them â€Å"as not made for them but for people from high class societies† (Klutz, 2009). According the research done by the United Nations Environmental Program in 2009, global market is not really ready for these products. This may be as a result of the consumers’ attitude towards these products. There are various false green claims being made by various companies around the world. These claims cannot be substantiate hence also misleading the consumers. On the other hand, products making green claims have turned to be a global trend where many companies in the world are adapting to this initiative. For green products to become main stream, they should firstly be bought at an affordable price as the rest of other products. The consumers also need to be aware of these products which can be achieved through advertisements, consumer education about green claims. A radical action should also be taken on companies and manufactures who give false green claims on products in the market. Rules and regulations should be set in relation to the green claim initiative. The U.S does not have a national body that oversees green certificates which makes it hard to enforce the Green Claim initiative programs (Sobha, 2008). As a result, U.S products are less competitive in the global market. In this case, it is difficult to examine the effectiveness of green technology in the states. A body independent body that focuses on green technology should be created to empower the Green Claim initiatives. Klutz M. (2009). Environmentally Conscious Materials Handling: New Jersey. John Wiley & Sons,

Contrasting Theories Of Social Capital Sociology Essay

Contrasting Theories Of Social Capital Sociology Essay The terms social capital is a rather complex one, as a variety of different versions of definitions are used by researchers in defining the concepts and ideas associated to social capital. However, generally speaking, there are two related dimensions of social capital seemingly agreed by many researchers. The first dimension of social capital is the network of affiliation, such as the family groups, friendship ties, professional co-workers, business partners or contacts, and any other formal or informal associations or relationship, where a person belongs to. The second dimension is about the general behaviors the respective individuals or groups rely on in the formation, retention and usage process of the networks. There are three important gurus in the development of theories concerning the subject of social capital, namely Bourdieu, Coleman and Putnam. It is interesting to observe that all of them develop different theories of social capital. In the following section, the various theories of social capital from the gurus will be discussed. Later, employing the concepts and theories asserted by the respective guru, the notion that social capital predicts that returns to intelligence, education, and seniority depend in some part on a persons location in the social structure of a market or hierarchy. Bourdieus Social Capital According to Bourdieu (1986), social capital is defined as the aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition or in other words, to membership or a group which provides each of its members with the backing of the collectively-owned capital, a credential which entitles them to credit, in the various senses of the word. According to Bourdieus argument, the social capital is a form of capital or resources, similar to the concept of economic capital and cultural capital, which may be used for achievement, privilege treatment and to some extent, social exclusion. Social capital in such a definition is the source of networks and connections for a certain people, allowing continuing and future access to certain privilege. In Bourdieus framework, the capital is a form of power, and people with higher social capital are better position in the world for better achievement and privileges. The possession of social capital may influence a persons economic capital, or the return to the economic capital. For example, comparing two people with different level of social capital, but both of them have exactly the equal amount of economic capital; the person with higher level of social capital will be able to generate better return to the similar amount of economic capital. The person possessing the social capital is more competitive positioned in the economic realm. The main contribution of Bourdieus theory is that it suggests that possession of social capital or the impacts of social exclusion will influence a persons access to power and privilege as well as the inability to access power. Thus, according to the assertion of Bourdieus theory, social capital can predict and influence the returns to intelligence; education and seniority depend in some part on a persons location in the social structure of a market or hierarchy. Such a statement is reasonable and understandable, where the impacts of social exclusion may prevent someone to generate returns to intelligence, education and seniority. People with better networks and connections are better positioned and easier to apply their intelligence, education and seniority in generating returns. In contrast, people without social capital may not able to perform so, as due to lack of networks, connections and useful relationships, many actions and strategies may not be implementable, relevant or workable due to the effect of social exclusion. Colemans Social Capital According to Coleman (1988), the concept social capital can be comparable to the physical and human capital, whereby it may facilitates certain actions from the actors in a structure. Such a conception of social capital is very different to the one suggested by Bourdieus theory. According to Coleman (1988), social capitals are largely created or destroyed as by-products of other forms of activities. In such a definition, Coleman treats the concept of social capital not as a form of capital, power or advantages possessed only by a certain group of elites. His research is primarily concern about the possession of social capital impacts towards the accumulation of human capital in young people. Some findings from Coleman discovered that social capital arises from closed network of family members, church members and etc, will contribute positively to human capital development in the young people. Besides, parental involvement in teaching children will also create a form of social capital, which will significantly reduce the children drop out from school in the early days. Apart from that, he discovered that parents that frequently move to new cities have lesser human capital because these parents are unable to share information about their children with other parents on better quality education for their children. The concept of social capital suggested by Coleman, if applied to the statement asserted by Burt, where it is said that social capital predicts that returns to intelligence, education and seniority depend in some part on a persons location in the social structure, can be confusing and complex. Firstly, Coleman is primarily concern about the educational achievement of young people, but the assertion by Burt does include a dimension of seniority, which is irrelevant from the discussion of social capital by Coleman. However, social capital does affect the returns to intelligence and education, whereby it is not hard to imagine that children with better upbringing condition and more attentive parents will achieve better in schools academically. Two similarly smart and brilliant children, under different upbringing situation, may have different achievement educationally. The children with better social capital will have high return to intelligence, in this context, as compared to the equa lly smart children who live in a broken or problematic family. Putnams Social Capital Putnams theories on social capital are more influential and widely discussed. According to him, there are two forms of social capital, namely, (a) the bonding social capital and (b) the bridging social capital. In his framework, the bonding social capital is derived from exclusive network or connections primarily from the ethnic fraternal organizations, family and close friends network or religion based groups. The bonding social capital described by Putnam is similar to Bourdieus and Colemans assertions, where such a form of social capital often is used to separate people from different sociological groups, and thus determine the availability or access to special privileges or resources. On the other hand, the bridging social capital is often referred to the inclusive network such as the collegial, professional and civic groups. More specifically, Putnam explain social capital as closely related to a form of civic virtue, and further argued that civic virtue is most powerful when it is embedded in a concentrated network of reciprocal social networks and relationship. As such, following Putnam conception of social capital, a society of many isolated individuals may not have richness in terms of social capital. In this line of argument, the social capital is a property of the collectives (i.e., for the society), whereas the social capital describe by Bourdieu and Coleman is mainly a possession of a particular individual. With reference to Putnams framework and theory, the assertion of Burt, where the social capital predicts that returns to intelligence, education and seniority depends in some part on a persons location in the social structure is a vague and doubtful one. The social capital is a groups possession and attributes in Putnams theory, so the social capital in a society does not have any direct linkages to the returns to intelligence, education and seniority of a person in the society. If there are any relationships, the linkages will be an indirect one. Conclusion After comparing and contrasting the various definitions, theories, findings and framework presented by the gurus, it is clear that the assertion by Burt is mainly adopting the definition suggested by Bourdieu. With Bourdieus definition, the assertion by Burt can be interpreted logically and meaningfully. The concepts of social capital are complicated and the context in which the idea is being discussed will determine the definition and conception of social capital. It is very important for the readers to understand the various theories concerning the subject of social capital to follow the researches findings and argument in the literature. (1398 words)

DaVinci code Essay -- essays research papers

The Da Vinci Code By Dan Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my book report I read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code has one main character and many supporting characters. The main character is Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist and professor. He is a tall American with coarse black hair and blue eyes. He is very intellectual and very modest. He is a quick thinker under pressure and doesn?t give up easily. He is careful with his words.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most important supporting character is Sophie Neveu. She is a cryptologist the and granddaughter of Jacques Sauniere, the murder victim. She has blond hair and green eyes and is French. She is very independent and commanding. She is also very intellectual, fluent in two languages, and good at breaking codes. She is a very determined person and does not give up with out a fight. She is also very quick witted. She is a very good liar, very convincing. She likes to take matters into her own hands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second most important supporting character is Leigh Teabing. Sir Leigh Teabing is a avid researcher of the Holy Grail. He has bushy red hair and hazel eyes. Both his legs are in metal braces. Leigh is a sly Englishman, who is obsessed with discovering the hiding place of the Grail. He is a very good actor and loves to exaggerate. He is never at a loss for words.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another main supporting charater is Bezu Fanche. He is the officer who is leading the search for the murderer and suspectcs that it is Langdon. Fanche is a large cold man who is desperrate to find this culprit. He grealt needs this case to be solved because his reputation is on the line here. He made a few too many mistakes and needs to restore his reputataion or he risk losing his job.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also believe that another imortant supporting character is Jaucques Sauniere. He is murdered in the first chapter, however throughout the book Jaucques Sauniere affects the story line dramatically. Jaucques Sauniere is man who really believes that you need to work for what you get and nothing should come easily to you. He is an amazing code specialist and when he hides something it will stay hidden unless he wants you to find it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Da Vinci Code is about the journey Robert and Sophie take to find the Holy Grail. It begins in the Louvre Museum of Art where Jaucques Sauniere who was a curator in the Louvre. He was also the master of a secret organiza... ... to smash the box because inside lies a small glass vile containing vinegar which will dissolve the parchment on which the message is written. Once Langdon, Shopie, and Teabing open the first cryptex another lies inside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He also never lets the story slow down or stop moving. There is always an unexpected twist which will astound you yet make perfect sense. Such as Teabing betrayal. It was totally unexpected yet it fit Teabings personality perfectly. He always wishes to have the upper hand. Another unexpected twist was that the Grail really wasn?t hidden in Great Britain in the Rosslyn which all the clues seemed to lead. Another unexpected twist was that both Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion both wished to keep the contents of the Grail hidden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dan brown is also good at gathering real information and joining it together to make a story that seems possible. His story is based on facts which he has distorted to make fit to what he wishes to achieve. You can never tell what is coming next or what the outcome of an action will. He constantly keeps you guessing and I enjoy that. I give this book two thumbs up. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, DoubleDay publishing 2003.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   DaVinci code Essay -- essays research papers The Da Vinci Code By Dan Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my book report I read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code has one main character and many supporting characters. The main character is Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist and professor. He is a tall American with coarse black hair and blue eyes. He is very intellectual and very modest. He is a quick thinker under pressure and doesn?t give up easily. He is careful with his words.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most important supporting character is Sophie Neveu. She is a cryptologist the and granddaughter of Jacques Sauniere, the murder victim. She has blond hair and green eyes and is French. She is very independent and commanding. She is also very intellectual, fluent in two languages, and good at breaking codes. She is a very determined person and does not give up with out a fight. She is also very quick witted. She is a very good liar, very convincing. She likes to take matters into her own hands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second most important supporting character is Leigh Teabing. Sir Leigh Teabing is a avid researcher of the Holy Grail. He has bushy red hair and hazel eyes. Both his legs are in metal braces. Leigh is a sly Englishman, who is obsessed with discovering the hiding place of the Grail. He is a very good actor and loves to exaggerate. He is never at a loss for words.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another main supporting charater is Bezu Fanche. He is the officer who is leading the search for the murderer and suspectcs that it is Langdon. Fanche is a large cold man who is desperrate to find this culprit. He grealt needs this case to be solved because his reputation is on the line here. He made a few too many mistakes and needs to restore his reputataion or he risk losing his job.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also believe that another imortant supporting character is Jaucques Sauniere. He is murdered in the first chapter, however throughout the book Jaucques Sauniere affects the story line dramatically. Jaucques Sauniere is man who really believes that you need to work for what you get and nothing should come easily to you. He is an amazing code specialist and when he hides something it will stay hidden unless he wants you to find it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Da Vinci Code is about the journey Robert and Sophie take to find the Holy Grail. It begins in the Louvre Museum of Art where Jaucques Sauniere who was a curator in the Louvre. He was also the master of a secret organiza... ... to smash the box because inside lies a small glass vile containing vinegar which will dissolve the parchment on which the message is written. Once Langdon, Shopie, and Teabing open the first cryptex another lies inside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He also never lets the story slow down or stop moving. There is always an unexpected twist which will astound you yet make perfect sense. Such as Teabing betrayal. It was totally unexpected yet it fit Teabings personality perfectly. He always wishes to have the upper hand. Another unexpected twist was that the Grail really wasn?t hidden in Great Britain in the Rosslyn which all the clues seemed to lead. Another unexpected twist was that both Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion both wished to keep the contents of the Grail hidden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dan brown is also good at gathering real information and joining it together to make a story that seems possible. His story is based on facts which he has distorted to make fit to what he wishes to achieve. You can never tell what is coming next or what the outcome of an action will. He constantly keeps you guessing and I enjoy that. I give this book two thumbs up. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, DoubleDay publishing 2003.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Media Aesthetics Notes

————————————————- September 19th ————————————————- Film Form; Film & Critical Analysis – Chapter 11 * Step 1: Develop a thesis * What is interesting, disturbing or noteworthy? * Does that aspect illustrate a concept from lecture w clarity? Is it a good example of something we talked about in class? * Did it have a unique effect on you? * Step 2: Segment the film * What features stuck out the most (given that weeks class topic)? * How are those features related to the film as a whole?Pay attention to details and how they affect the film * Step 3: Identify the outstanding instances of technique * Understand the techniques/concepts * Note specific examples of techniques * Types of lighting, angle, shots, narrative, style, etc. ————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- September 26th ————————————————- Styles of Film * Two major directions – realistic and formalistic * Directions or â€Å"types† are defines by form, not content Three Styles of Film/Media: * Realistic (focused on content, portraying as real life) * Classicism (in-between) Formalism (manipulation, taking out of reality) Realism: * Reproduce reality with minimum distortion-objective mirror * Major concern is with content, rather than form * Subject matter is supreme * Documentary film * Imagine as we’re watching it as we would see it through our own eyes * Ex: Big Brother – raw, unscripted, stagnant cameras, not playing w manipulation * Would never see something like a birds eye view of crowds of people, because we would never see that in real life. If we were watching a conversation happening it would be from one angle Formalism: Deliberately stylized and distort images (special effects, explosions, zooming in/out, narrative structure: in real life happens in temporal order as it would happen to us, in these movies jumps around in time) * Wants no one to mistake manipulated image for real thing (not pretending that this is reality, want to show the manipulation) * Concerned with form rather than content * Referred to as expressionist (self-expression, trying to create connections between stories/events that if watched over & over it has deeper meaning) * Avant-garde cinema Classical: What most fictional films/shows are classified as (we would never live like this but its fun to watch, drama, comedy, group of characters that the similarities can relate to your life but also an element that the story is manipulated that wouldn’t be reality) * Films are strong in story, star (someone we identify), and production values (summ er block busters, high financial investment in production because high financial return) * Clearly defined plot, conflict, rising climax, and resolution/closure * Avoids extremes of realism and formalism (wouldn’t see camera work that seems natural, but wouldn’t have random objects on the screen) (realistic enough but also fantasy) ————————————————- Narrative as a Formal System – Chapter 3 I. Principles of Narrative Construction: * Plot & Story * Cause-Effect * Time * Space * Patterns of development II. Flow of Story Information: Narration * Range of Story Information * Depth of Story Information * Narrator Narrative Form Most common in fictional media, but can be nonfictional too (ex: Bachelor – what’s going to happen next week suspense) * Identify because stories are all around us * What is narrative? Narrative is a chain of events link ed by cause and effect and occurring in time (how is this constructed†¦chronological? Jumping from times? ) and space (location, extras in background, cars, etc) Components of Narrative Form * Plots and Stories * Story is the subject matter or raw material of a narrative * A set of all events * Plot orders the events and actions of the story according to temporal and spatial patterns * Plots can vary – jump around or chronological, can focus on one person at a time or a group – in the end still has same story line * Cause and Effect Characters create causes and effects by making certain things happen and reacting to events * Qualities of the character influence cause-effect relationships * Physical characteristics, traits, personality * Action/Reaction * Can be a natural disaster, etc * Time * Construct story time based on order the plot presents them * We don’t need mundane elements (shower, sleep) to make sense of a story * Temporal order is the order whi ch events occur (are they happening in chronological, or flashbacks, or jumping) * Temporal duration is the length and which events span (is there a moment they pay more time to? What is the significance of that scene) * Temporal frequency is how often events within a story are revisited * Space Events occur in clearly defined locations where the action takes place * Associate other elements based on locations * Tells us information that isn’t stated * Opening, closing, patterns of development * Classic paradigm most popular in media * Set of conventions are present in classical narrative structure * Characters are goal oriented * Three-act structure model * Set up, Confrontation, Resolution ————————————————- October 3rd ————————————————- Mise-en-Scene Mis e-en-Scene: the arrangement of all the visual elements of a theatrical production within a given playing area – the stage.Derived from a French theatrical term meaning â€Å"between the scenes† * The Frame * Composition & Design * Territorial Space * Proxemic Patterns The Frame * Each movie image is enclosed in a frame * Filmmaker doesn’t fit a frame to the subject, but the subject matter to the frame * Dimensions of a frame are known as the aspect ratio Frame: Top – suggest ideas of power, controls all visual elements (usually someone scary, or authoritative) Center – reserved for area of interest, realism (expectation that through real eyes we expect something to be there) Bottom – powerlessness Left/Right Edges – suggest insignificance, unnoticed Off the Frame – fearful, importanceComposition & Design * The visual balance in the composition of the film * Want to maintain equilibrium between elements because it is easy to fol low * Depending on the type of film, a bad composition may be effective * The human eye attempts to organize elements in composition Dominant Contrast * The area of an image that immediately attracts out attention because of contrast * Stand out in some kind of isolation Subsidiary Contrast * After we take in dominant we scan for counterbalancing devices – Lines & Diagonals – Exaggerate Movement – Light & Dark, Shadow – Colour – Framing Territorial Space 1. Full Front a. Facing the camera b. Most intimate c.Viewer feels involved 2. Quarter Turn d. Favorite position for filmmakers e. Less emotional, but high intimacy still 3. Profile Position f. Character is less aware of being observed 4. Three Quarter Turn g. Even more isolated than profile shot h. Unfriendly or anti-social 5. Back Shot i. Suggests alienation from world j. Mystery, audience wants to see more * Setting can have symbolic meaning * Sunny exterior, inside, public/private * Consider Co ntextual use – setting * Consider way one setting is used to create different effects Proxemic Patters * The relationship of objects within a given space * Many factors determine space * Light, climate, noise level Patterns are similar to the way people obey certain special rules in social situations * The more distance between the camera and with subject, the more emotionally neutral we remain * â€Å"Long shot for comedy, close up for tragedy† – Chaplin * Space is seen through 4 patterns * Intimate: extreme close * Personal: medium * Social: full range * Public: long and extreme long ————————————————- October 17th ————————————————- Editing Classical Cutting * French were the first to use cutting to continuity to create â€Å"arranged scene s† * Editing for emotion and drama, rather than for purely physical reasons * Presents a series of psychologically connected shots * Film: A Trip to the Moon by Georges Melies Concepts in Classical Cutting Content Curve – where a cut should be made; point at which audience has been able to assimilate shot’s information (audience wont be bored because scene is too long ex: Jaws – one frame too long risks boredom, one too shot risk audience being able to make sence) * Parallel Editing – switching of shots of one scene with another at a different location to convey idea of simultaneous time Continuity Editing * Also called â€Å"invisible editing,† a system devised to minimize the audiences awareness of shot transitions, especially cuts, in order to improve the flow of the story to avoid interrupting the viewers immersion in it * Continuity and Space: editors follow a standard shot patter to maintain spatial continuity * Establish shot, moves to a series of individual shots, back to establishing shot * Film: American Beauty Shot/Reverse Shot: shot of one character is followed by shot of another taken from the reverse angle – as they have a convo we always see the back shoulder of the other person talking across the table so we always know how close they are * 180 Degree Rule: once camera starts filming on one side of action, it must continue filming on same side for the rest of the scene * Eyeline Matches: using characters line of vision as motivation for a cut, matching another characters * Continuity and Time * Match on Action: Different views of the same action pieced together to look continuous (someone jumping building to building – we see them take off & land) * Jump Cut: abrupt shift in time and place of an action which s not announced by a transition CLIP: Breathless – driving in car only shows clips of driving while they're talking=cuts out blank space * Continuity Error: any unintentional dis crepancy from shot to shot (seeing a boom in the corner) * Change in location, posture, hair, costume, etc. Soviet Montage and Formalist Tradition * 1920’s Soviet filmmakers developed editing style around the theory that editing should exploit the differences between shots to create meaning * Film was seen as a political tool * Soviet montage, also called collision montage – rhythmic, intellectual (The Godfather baptism scene – baptism + murder + he knows the killings are happening so this becomes a 3rd meaning) Realism Photography, TV, and cinema produce realistic images automatically * Viewed classical cutting and montage to be distorting, corrupting * After WW2 neorealism emerged which deemphasized editing * Film: Stranger than Paradise – shows boy on phone, doesn’t give us other side of conversation we only know what he says – shots hardly move to accommodate characters we see what can fit into the frame – doesn’t cut out u seless times, shows everyone doing every action – goes black in between scenes) ————————————————- November 14th – Film Genre Understanding Genre * Genres are various types of films that audiences and filmmakers recognize by their familiar narrative, stylistic, and thematic conventions * Various conventions I. Narrative Elements – Most important criteria for defining a genre – Character types – Plot events Thematic recurrence – general meanings from plot that surface again and again II. Visual, sound, objects & setting * Lighting tends to be similar in films w same genre * Sound draws attention to possibilities that neither the characters nor the audience can see * Objects/setting serve as recurring symbolic images that carry meaning from film to film III. Predictability and Variation * Genres meet audience expectations * However, a film without surprises become cliche * Sub genres begin to form – smaller clusters of films within a genre * Many films incorporate characteristics of multiple genres, creating a hybrid * No genre can be defined in a single way *

How to Reduce Academic Stress

How to Reduce Academic Stress Amidst all the aspects of college that students deal with on a daily basis finances, friendships, roommates, romantic relationships, family issues, jobs, and countless other things academics always need to take priority. After all, if you dont do well in your classes, the rest of your college experience becomes impossible. So how can you deal with all the academic stress that college can easily and rapidly put into your life? Fortunately, there are ways even the most stressed-out student can cope. Take a Good Look at Your Course Load In high school, you could easily manage 5 or 6 classes plus all of your co-curricular activities. In college, however, the entire system changes. The number of units you take has a direct connection to how busy (and stressed) youll be throughout the semester. The difference between 16 and 18 or 19 units may seem small on paper, but its a big difference in real life (especially when it comes to how much studying you have to do for each class). If youre feeling overwhelmed with your course load, take a look at the number of units youre taking. If you can drop a class without creating even more stress in your life, you might want to consider it. Join a Study Group You may be studying 24/7, but if youre not studying effectively, all that time spent with your nose in your books might actually be causing you more stress. Consider joining a study group. Doing so will help hold you accountable for getting things done on time (after all, procrastination can be a major source of stress, too), help you better understand the material, and help you combine some social time with your homework. And if there isnt a study group you can join for any (or all) of your classes, consider starting one yourself. Learn How to Study More Effectively If you arent sure how to study effectively, it wont matter if you study by yourself, in a study group, or even with a private tutor. Make sure that all of your efforts to study are matching up with what your brain needs to retain and truly understand the material. Get Help from a Peer Tutor Everyone knows those students in class who clearly are mastering the material and not having a problem doing so. Consider asking one of them to tutor you. You can offer to pay them or even deal in some kind of trade (maybe you can help fix their computer, for example, or tutor them in a subject theyre struggling with). If you arent sure whom to ask in your class, check with some of the academic support offices on campus to see if they offer peer tutoring programs, ask your professor if he or she can recommend a peer tutor, or simply look for flyers on campus from other students offering themselves as tutors. Utilize Your Professor as a Resource Your professor can be one of your best assets when it comes to reducing the stress you feel in a particular course. While it may at first be intimidating to try to get to know your professor, he or she can help you figure out what material to focus on (instead of feeling overwhelmed by thinking you have to learn everything in class). He or she can also work with you if youre really struggling with a concept or with how to best prepare for an upcoming exam. After all, what could be better for helping you reduce your academic stress than to know that youre super prepared and ready to ace the upcoming exam? Make Sure You Always  Go to Class   Sure, your professor may just be reviewing the material that was covered in the reading. But you never know what additional snippets he or she might put in, and having someone go over material you may have already read will just help to solidify it in your mind. Additionally, if your professor sees that youve been in class every day but are still having problems, he or she might be more willing to work with you. Reduce Your Non-Academic Commitments It can be easy to lose your focus, but the main reason you are in school is to graduate. If you dont pass your classes, you dont get to stay in school. That simple equation should be motivation enough to help you prioritize your commitments when your stress level begins to get a little out of control. If you dont have enough time to handle your non-academic responsibilities in a way that doesnt leave you stressed all the time, take a moment to figure out what needs to go. Your friends will understand. Get the Rest of Your College Life in Balance   Sometimes, it can be easy to forget that taking care of your physical self can do wonders for reducing your stress. Make sure youre getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising on a regular basis. Think about it: Whens that last time you didnt feel less stressed after a good nights sleep, a healthy breakfast, and a good work out? Ask Upperclassmen for Advice With Difficult Professors If one of your classes or professors is greatly contributing to, or even the main cause of, your academic stress, ask students who have already taken the class how they handled it. Chances are you arent the first student to be struggling. Other students may have already figured out that your literature professor gives better grades when you quote lots of other researchers in your paper, or that your Art History professor always focuses on women artists on exams. Learning from the experiences of those who went before you can help reduce your own academic stress.

Definition and Examples of Agents in English Grammar

Definition and Examples of Agents in English Grammar In  contemporary  English grammar, the agent is the noun phrase or pronoun that identifies the person or thing which  initiates or performs an action in a sentence. Adjective:  agentive. Also called actor. In a sentence in the active voice, the agent is usually (but not always) the subject (Omar selected the winners). In a sentence in the passive voice, the agent- if identified at all- is usually the object of the  preposition  by (The winners were selected by Omar).The relationship of the subject and verb is called agency. The person or thing that receives an action in a sentence is called the recipient or patient (roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of object). Etymology From the Latin agere, to set in motion, drive forward;  to do Example and Observations Broadly the term [agent] can be used in relation to both transitive and intransitive verbs. . . . Thus the old lady is the agent both in The old lady swallowed a fly  (which can be described in terms of actor-action-goal), and in The fly was swallowed by the old lady. The term can also be applied to the subject of an intransitive verb (e.g. Little Tommy Tucker sings for his supper).The term clearly makes more sense when restricted to a doer who, in a real sense, initiates an action, than when applied to the subject of some mental process verb (e.g. She didnt like it) or of a verb of being (e.g. She was old). Some analysts, therefore, restrict the term, and would not apply it to the noun phrase the old lady if her action was unintentional and involuntary.(Bas Aarts, Sylvia Chalker, and Edmund Weiner,  The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2014)   The Semantic Roles of Agents and Patients Though semantic roles influence the grammar profoundly, they are not primarily grammatical categories. . . . [F]or example, if in some imagined world (which may or may not correspond to objective reality), someone named Waldo paints a barn, then Waldo is acting as the AGENT (the initiator and controller) and the barn is the PATIENT (the affected participant) of the painting event, regardless of whether any observer ever utters a clause like Waldo painted the barn to describe that event.(Thomas E. Payne, Understanding English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2011) Subject and Agents Sentences in which the grammatical subject is not the agent are common. For instance, in the following examples the subjects are not agents because the verbs do not describe an action: My son has a very good memory for songs; This lecture was a bit special; It belongs to her mum and dad.(Michael Pearce, The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies. Routledge, 2007) Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch.(W. C. Fields, You Cant Cheat an Honest Man, 1939)Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.(George Orwell, Animal Farm, 1945)I write entirely to find out what Im thinking, what Im looking at, what I see and what it means.(Joan Didion, Why I Write. The New York Times Book Review, December 6, 1976)Mr. Slump hit the horses twice with a willow branch.(Grace Stone Coates, Wild Plums. Frontier, 1929)Henry Dobbins, who was  a big man, carried extra rations; he was especially fond of canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake.(Tim OBrien, The Things They Carried.  Houghton Mifflin,  1990)When I was two years old my father took me  down to the beach in New Jersey, carried me into the surf until the waves were crashing onto his chest, and then threw me in like a dog, to see, I suppose, whether I would sink or float.(Pam Houston,  Waltzing the Cat.  Norton, 1997)  Early in the  20th century,  parasols of lace lined   with chiffon or silk, or in chiffon and moirà © silk often matching the dress, with exquisite handles of gold, silver, carved ivory or wood with jeweled knobs, were carried by women.(Joan Nunn,  Fashion in Costume, 1200-2000, 2nd ed. New Amsterdam Books, 2000)   Walter was kicked by a mule. The Invisible Agent in Passive Constructions In many situations, . . . the purpose of the passive is simply to avoid mentioning the agent:It was reported today that the federal funds to be allocated for the power plant would not be forthcoming as early as had been anticipated. Some contracts on the preliminary work have been canceled and others renegotiated.Such officialese or bureaucratese takes on a nonhuman quality because the agent role has completely disappeared from the sentences. In the foregoing example, the reader does not know who is reporting, allocating, anticipating, canceling, or renegotiating.   (Martha Kolln and Robert Funk, Understanding English Grammar. Allyn and Bacon, 1998)The function served by a passive- that of defocusing an agent  (Shibatani 1985)- is useful in a variety of circumstances. The agents identity my be unknown, irrelevant, or best concealed (as when Floyd merely says The glass was broken). Often the agent is generalized or undifferentiated (e.g. The environment is being seriously degraded ). Whatever the reason, defocusing the agent leaves the theme as the only, and thus the primary, focal participant. (Ronald W. Langacker, Cognitive Grammar: A Basic Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2008) Pronunciation: A-jent

Writting paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Writting paper - Essay Example It is in this regard that this essay aims to present what the concept of culture is. Further, this paper would delve into the influence of this concept to perceptions of health and illness in the health care profession. Finally, a determination of the importance of understanding culture when planning health care would also be identified. Delaune and Ladner (388) in their book on Fundamentals of Nursing defined culture as â€Å"knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, habits, customs, languages, symbols, rituals, ceremonies, and practices that are unique to a particular group of people†. Simple folks ordinarily know culture as a way of life. the roles and responsibilities of nursing evolving continuously, a conceptual framework to better understand the effects of cultures on health care was developed by Dr. Madeleine Leininger in her transcultural nursing theory. Dr. Leininger stated Culturally competent care can only occur when culture care values are known and serve as the foundation for meaningful care.† The assumptions incorporated in this theory are: (1) every culture has some kind of system for health care that is based on values and behavior of people; and (2) cultures have certain methods for providing health care often unknown to nurses from other cultures. (Delaune and Ladner 403) The relevance of understanding the concept of diversity in culture is of utmost importance to the nursing profession due to the different profiles of patients they administer health care to. Profiles of patients are incorporated in the culture of their specific countries. Their expectations to the delivery of patient care also depend on the orientations they are accustomed to in their respective countries. Delaune and Ladner (389) presented distinct characteristics of culture which exist among cultural groups and among individuals within a single culture, to wit: (1) culture is learned and taught; (2) culture is

Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Rights - Essay Example For that reason, the array of ethics and morality is really as wide as the humans. Ethics without morality is drained. Except if this association is there people inside particular groups slip into the fantasy of contemplating that their personal ethical codes employ all there is certainly to morality on the whole. They make it possible for their particular ethics to masquerade as real morality. Human rights are principal to contemporary democracy and are developed on the wrecks of Great Depression and Holocaust. A democracy does not have any perceived importance without human rights; doing away with human rights from a democracy will let it stay soulless, a vacant cylinder. Human rights are the charms in democracies cover (Perelman, 45) In several African countries, HIV outbreak are the causes of violation of human rights and this has been proved through research. The human right abuses that have been found to be responsible for these catastrophes are absence of justice, lack of availability of HV prevention, police abuse, physical torture and many more. Police, in a few areas, has strived to deliver information to MSM in Uganda and other African states and homosexuality has been proved to be the main reason behind these catastrophes. To summarize, it may be declared that ideals, morality, ethics, regulation and human rights are usually connected in an elaborate normative set. It is evident form several researches that ethics and human rights are closely related because if a person does not bear Ethics, he won’t be able to fulfil all the human rights and he would not also obey the