Descartes’ Ultimate Purpose of the Meditations Essay

Descartes’ Ultimate Purpose of the Meditations My initial approach to Renà © Descartes, in Meditations on First Philosophy, views the third meditation’s attempts to prove the existence of God as a way of establishing a foundation for the existence of truth, falsity, corporeal things and eventually the establishment of the sciences. When viewed in this light, Descartes is accused of drawing himself into a ‘Cartesian circle,’ ultimately forcing this cosmological proof of God to defy Cartesian method, thus precipitating the failure of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth meditations. This approach to the meditations, in the order with which they are presented, allows me to state that a proof of the existence of God cannot hold†¦show more content†¦In my research, I have not found any critical analysis of Descartes’ meditations that cite the source of this circularity to be anything but the issue of clear and distinct perceptions. From the start of the third meditation, Descartes consults his per ceptions, â€Å"So now I seem to be able to lay it down as a general rule that whatever I perceive very clearly and distinctly is true† (Descartes: 24). Descartes does acknowledge, however, that his perceptions have been wrong in the past: â€Å"through habitual belief I thought I perceived clearly, although I did not in fact do so† (Descartes: 25). This establishment of doubting that which seems obvious is the mission of the first meditation where Descartes outlines his method: Cartesian doubt. Yet, due to the conclusion of â€Å"cogito ergo sum† from the second meditation, â€Å"let whoever can do so deceive me, he will never bring it about that I am nothing† (Descartes: 25). Furthering his reasoning of the clear and distinct perception of his own existence, Descartes writes that not even a deceiver could bring about a falsity that would produce â€Å"a manifest contradiction† (Descartes: 25). It is when Descartes proclaims the mission of th is third meditation that a circularity arises: â€Å"I must examine whether there is a God, and, if there is, whether he can be a deceiver. For if I do not know this, it seems that I can never be quite certain about anything elseShow MoreRelatedThe Cartesian Circle is Wrong1586 Words   |  7 PagesRene Descartes meditations on the existence of God are very profound, thought-provoking, and engaging. From the meditations focused specifically on the existence of God, Descartes uses the argument that based on his clear and distinct perception that cannot be treated with doubt, God does exist. In the beginning of the third meditation, Descartes proclaims that he is certain he is a thinking thing based on his clear and distinct perception, and he couldn’t be certain unless all clear and distinctRead MoreDescartes : Synopsis Of Meditations 1987 Words   |  4 Pages Descartes: Synopsis of meditations 1, 2, 3 (p530-546) In what follows, I will summarize and come up with some explications to the first three meditations covered by Descartes. The first deals with the method of doubt, the second deals with the human mind and body, and finally the third with the existence of God. I will summarize these parts separately, in that order. In the first meditation, the meditator, who’s Descartes, introduces us with â€Å"the method of doubt†. WhatRead MoreThe Second Meditation Essay845 Words   |  4 PagesThe Second Meditation The first precept was never to accept a thing as true until I knew it as such without a single doubt. --Renà © Descartes Le Discours de la Mà ©thode, I In the First Meditation, Descartes invites us to think skeptically. He entices us with familiar occasions of error, such as how the size of a distant tower can be mistaken. Next, an even more profound reflection on how dreams and reality are indistinguishable provides suitable justification to abandon all that he previouslyRead MoreEssay about Descartes discourse on method931 Words   |  4 Pages Understanding Descartes’ Method of Doubt Clear your mind, if you will, of everything you have ever seen or known to be true. To begin understanding Rene Descartes’ method of doubt, you need to suspend all prejudice and prior judgments and start with a clean slate â€Å"for the purpose of discovering some ultimate truth on which to base all thought.† (Kolak, Pg.225). Discouraged with much skepticism from his own beliefs, Descartes was embarrassed of his own ignorance. He set out to try and accomplishRead MoreDescartes Discourse on Method931 Words   |  4 PagesUnderstanding Descartes Method of Doubt Clear your mind, if you will, of everything you have ever seen or known to be true. To begin understanding Rene Descartes method of doubt, you need to suspend all prejudice and prior judgments and start with a clean slate for the purpose of discovering some ultimate truth on which to base all thought. (Kolak, Pg.225). Discouraged with much skepticism from his own beliefs, Descartes was embarrassed of his own ignorance. He set out to try and accomplishRead MoreThe Matrix, Descartes First Meditation, And Plato s The Allegory Of The Cave909 Words   |  4 Pagesare common questions that everyone asks sometime in their lives. These questions date back since man was made. Nobody knows 100% what happens to us when we die, or what our purpose is in life. Humans have a natural instinct to raise questions to material that we are uncertain of. The movie The Matrix, Descartes First Meditation, and Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave all raise different aspects to questions such as do I exist, what is reality, and how do I know? In The Allegory of the Cave, SocratesRead MoreThe Dream Inside Of A Dream By Christopher Nolan1683 Words   |  7 PagesFinal Paper: Descartes The possibility of having a dream inside of a dream is an idea that has been discussed far and wide. However, before Inception came out in 2010 by director Christopher Nolan, many people in the modern world may not have ever considered this idea. Nonetheless, this idea of â€Å"a dream inside a dream† has been around since 1640, when Rene Descartes published Meditations. In Inception, Christopher Nolan uses Descartes ideas to enhance the storyline of his film. In this paperRead MoreThe Existence Of Beliefs Beyond Doubt Essay2214 Words   |  9 PagesRenà © Descartes set out in his writing of Meditations on First Philosophy to prove the existence of beliefs beyond doubt. He begins his first meditation by casting all things into doubt, claiming that there is no reason to believe that anything exists at all, including the external world, God, and even his own being. Descartes believes that anything which cannot be cast into doubt must certainly be true, and then goes on to i ntroduce an argument which attempts to prove the existence of God. ThoughRead MoreDescartes And The Fourth Meditation Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesAt the beginning of the fourth meditation Descartes has developed three main certainties: 1) God exists. The understanding that God exists, comes from the intellect and not from the senses or the imagination therefore God exists 2) God is not a deceiver because deceiving is a sign of weakness or malice and because God is perfect he would not be allowed to do things of such evil nature. And 3) if God created him, God is responsible for his judgment, and so his ability to judge must be sound; so longRead MoreThe Existence of God: According to Descartes Essays1758 Words   |  8 Pages Once Descartes has proved his existence by way of the Cogito argument, and has determined what it is that belongs to his essence of being a thinking thing, he must move to examining questions about the world around him. However, before doing this, he thinks it better to examine the question of the existence of God. If he can prove that he was created by a perfectly benevolent creator, then his innate ideas must carry some semblance of truth, as God is not a deceiver and has placed these ideas

Essay on The Victorian Society in The Picture Of Dorian Gray

The Victorian Society in The Picture Of Dorian Gray Works Cited Missing The Victorian age was the time when the British Empire was at its strongest and greatest. People of Britain felt better and more special then other people from different countries. The nature of England had begun to change, the farming industry began to deteriorate and England started to become a manufacturing industry. It was the time of contrast especially where the rich were extremely rich and the poor were extremely poor. Aristocracy was everything and it was what everyone wanted to be even though the†¦show more content†¦In the upper class world the weather is always pleasant but when Wilde is describing the life in the lower class it is always dark and cold and foggy. The slimy pavement looked like a wet mackintosh The opium den is described with unpleasant seedy adjectives and it makes you feel like it is a horrible place to live. Greasy reflectors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦stained with dark rings of spilt liquor. This makes you feel like it is a ghastly place to live in but is the squalor that the majority of England lived in. In contrast to this horrible and hideous mage that Wilde portrays to us about the lower classes of Victorian society, we also see what it is like in the upper class where Dorian Gray lives. The aristocrats in Victorian society lead very indolent lives where they frown upon any means of work. As they therefore spend a lot of time doing nothing, they amuse themselves with scandal and gossip amongst their friends. This is why scandal is very important and not frowned upon in the upper class, as they love to know anyone involved in crime and they regard it mainly as exciting. I should like to know someone who had committed a real murder. (Lord Henry.) The aristocrats of the Victorian age have a very relaxed and sedentary life style. They do not do much except for going out to dinner and socialising. As I lounged in the Park, or strolled down Piccadilly.Show MoreRelatedThe Picture Of Dorian Gray Analysis1257 Words   |  6 PagesIn the Victorian prose, The Portrait of Dorian Gray explores the idea of duality. The divided self within the character of Dorian Gray begins with his misunderstanding of his self-image, because of the influence of a portrait. Dorian’s fate and transformation connect to the painting, which leads to his downfall. The painting contains Dorians moral decline as changes to the picture affects his life. Through the portrait, he gains an image of himself as an independent individual compared to his previousRead MoreOscar Wilde s The Picture Of Dorian Gray1656 Words   |  7 PagesThe Victorian era is an extraordinarily complex age that occurred throughout the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. The Victorian Era was a tremendously exciting period that created the emergence of many various artistic styles such as literacy, poetry, and painting . In addition, the Era caused the social, political, and religious movements to flourish. The Victorian Era, although being known as the beginning of modern times, still embraced some radical views that today we would associateRead MoreModern Society As A Reflection Of The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde1432 Words   |  6 PagesTraditional gothic fiction was at the height of its popularity during the Victorian era, it exploded in the 1790’s and continued its reign well into the 1800’s. This confrontational style of fiction often blurs the lines of realistic and artificial, forcing readers to challenge their beliefs and surpass the norm. However, the aspect of gothic fiction that was most attractive to the Victorian audience was the way human fears and societal tensions were reflected in the deliberately fictionalised literaryRead MoreModern Society as a Reflection of the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde1460 Words   |  6 PagesTraditional gothic fiction was at the height of its popularity during the Victorian era, it exploded in the 1790’s and continued its reign well into the 1800’s. This confrontational style of fiction often blurs the lines of realistic and artificial, forcing readers to challenge their beliefs and surpass the norm. However, the aspect of gothic fiction that was most attractive to the Victorian audience was the way human fears and societal tensions were reflected in the deliberately fictionalised literaryRead MoreEssay on Disregarding Women in The Picture of Dorian Gray1297 Words   |  6 Pages In the Victorian Era of mid nineteen to early twentieth century, a woman’s role in society remained to be in the household, away from the business and cares of men. The feminine side is portrayed as negative, powerless, and lacking (Kileen 49). Society discouraged women from having power in society and neglecting women represented normal in the eyes of most men and women. However, Victorian novels such as The Picture of Dorian Gray illustrate the consequences of disregarding women. In Oscar Wilde’sRead MoreThe Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Dorian Gray Essay918 Words   |  4 PagesDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Dorian Gray The novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written by Robert L. Stevenson and first published in 1886. The years from 1837 to 1901 are considered the Victorian Era, so the novel is considered a Victorian novel. Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is written in the same era as Dr Jekyll and is a Victorian Novel as well. Having read the extracts of the novels and knowing what happens in the end, a comparison of the Victorian Era and the novels can easilyRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray971 Words   |  4 PagesIn Oscar Wilde’s Popular nineteenth century novel, the Picture of Dorian Gray demonstrates the importance of the aesthetic movement in Victorian England. This suggests youth and physical attractiveness is emphasized and are valuable additions to society. Therefore, what matters to Dorian, is not the internal goodness an individual possesses but the appearance they present. Consequently, Dorian is able to forget the violent acts he commits as long as he appears beautiful on the outside. Since externalRead MoreTheme Of Sexual Dissonance In The Picture Of Dorian Gray1641 Words   |  7 PagesA Picture of Sexual Fluidity Oscar Wilde was a figurehead for a larger cause in the late nineteenth century. His reality crumbled under the cognitive dissonance of the high-class aristocrats and their struggle to find any reason to overthrow those who are cognizant enough to see and react to said dissonance. What are best known as the Wilde trials, consisted of using completely fictional literature as evidence to real events. Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray was a tool used to undermineRead MoreOscar Wide s The Picture Of Dorian Gray914 Words   |  4 PagesOscar Wide’s The Picture of Dorian Gray illustrates Basil Hallward’s portrait as a primary catalyst for the fluctuating personality of Dorian Gray. As Dorian gazes at the portrait of himself, he is upset that even though he will continue to age and wrinkle, the portrait will always remain young, beautiful and unaltered. Upon multiple readings of The Picture of Dorian Gray deconstructive textual analysis suggests that there are always new interpretations of the image of the painting. â€Å"UltimatelyRead MorePortrayal Of Female Sexuality By Bram Stoker s Dracula1598 Words   |  7 PagesBram Stoker’s 1897 Dracula is a novel that condemns liberated female sexuality, presenting it as volatile and threatening to the established patriarchal order of the Victorian Era. By examining the varying level of sexuality among Stoker’s female characters and their narrative outcomes, the novel’s attitude that female sexuality is hostile becomes apparent. In Castle Dracula, Harker meets three vampiric women whose monstrosity is presented as inseparable from their eroticism. Describing their fangs

AP English 4 Essay free essay sample

For as long as I could remember, money was tight in my household, and once my younger brother and sister joined the picture it only got worse. Both of my parents chose a path in life that involved not going to college. My father was a local mechanic and part time cars salesman; my mother worked as a waitress and stayed at home to take care of my siblings and I. Vacations were never possible, and we would always live paycheck to paycheck. Growing up my parents would tell me a good education and a college degree was important in getting a good job. When my father lost his job after my grandfather passed away it became more relevant just how necessary a degree was in the job field. It was very difficult for him to find a well-paying job that would support our family. If it wasn’t for my grandparents helping out, I don’t know where we would be today. We will write a custom essay sample on AP English 4 Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My family’s financial stress growing up helped me strive to gain a higher education. I’ve always enjoyed math and problem solving. Trying get ahead, I took all three years of accounting, along with competing in UIL events. To gain my CPA I would need at least six years of college. Going into my senior year is nerve racking honestly. College will be here before I know it, and I feel like I’m only going to only get one shot at earning a degree. My grandparents offered to help pay for college, but being able to take any pressure off of them by being able to pay for a portion of the bills would be something I needed to do. â€Å"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand† – Vince Lombardi. My most important goal in life is to be successful; I don’t ever want money to keep my children from doing something they would enjoy; I want my children to grow up without worries. I want them to have what I didn’t; that’s why I am pursuing a higher education beyond high school.

The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay Example For Students

The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay A New Cultural Identity By Anus Overstress AkA Awesome, Cool, Brilliant and any other synonyms of these qualities Originally known as the New Negro Movement, the Harlem Renaissance was a period of immense social activity and great innovations among artist and writers. The movements name is derived from its origin; Harlem New York. At this time Harlem became the Mecca to which scholars, writers, musicians and photographers traveled. African American migration to the northern states played a major role in the initiation of this intellectual movement which harbored and preserved a new black cultural identity in multiple aspects. We will write a custom essay on The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Prolific writers such as Longboats Hughes influenced many poets. The improvisation of Jazz and its syncopated rhythms was popularized by Jazz legends such as Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong. The Harlem Renaissance began in the late sasss after World War II. However much of the foundation of this movement was established by earlier generations of African American educators, students, and intellectuals. In the decades following the Civil War, multiple racial barriers to education were removed and African Americans took advantage of the new educational opportunities in prodigious numbers. Due to the rash aspects of the Jim Crow laws in the south (which contained approximately 90 percent of the Black population at the time) and the discrimination and mistreatment that followed, African American individuals migrated to the urban northern states to escape the oppressive system of the rural south where they were able to find work. Some of the most prominent works created during this era were in the field of literature. Longboats Hughes was the epitome of prolific writers and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He is best known for his pomes which he wrote with the rhythmic pattern of Jazz and blues which influenced many poets. Hughes first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published in 1926. The book was very popular and established both his poetic style and his commitment to black themes and culture. Hughes skillful use of words to portray African American heritage played a major role during this era. No aspect of the Harlem Renaissance shaped the United States as much as Jazz. Jazz flouted many musical conventions with its syncopated rhythms and improvised instrumental solos. Thousands of city dwellers flocked night after night to see the same performers. Singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday popularized blues and Jazz vocals. Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong drew huge audiences as white Americans caught Jazz fever. For the first time white Americans could not look away. The Harlem Renaissance was a major period in American history. The northward migration by African Americans to escape white movement. Its origin Harlem, brought notice to great works that might have otherwise been lost. Writers of this era such as Longboats Hughes were extremely influential and Jazz legends Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong took this form of art characterized by improvisation and syncopation to new levels of innovation. The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay Example For Students The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay A New Cultural Identity By Anus Overstress AkA Awesome, Cool, Brilliant and any other synonyms of these qualities Originally known as the New Negro Movement, the Harlem Renaissance was a period of immense social activity and great innovations among artist and writers. The movements name is derived from its origin; Harlem New York. At this time Harlem became the Mecca to which scholars, writers, musicians and photographers traveled. African American migration to the northern states played a major role in the initiation of this intellectual movement which harbored and preserved a new black cultural identity in multiple aspects. We will write a custom essay on The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Prolific writers such as Longboats Hughes influenced many poets. The improvisation of Jazz and its syncopated rhythms was popularized by Jazz legends such as Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong. The Harlem Renaissance began in the late sasss after World War II. However much of the foundation of this movement was established by earlier generations of African American educators, students, and intellectuals. In the decades following the Civil War, multiple racial barriers to education were removed and African Americans took advantage of the new educational opportunities in prodigious numbers. Due to the rash aspects of the Jim Crow laws in the south (which contained approximately 90 percent of the Black population at the time) and the discrimination and mistreatment that followed, African American individuals migrated to the urban northern states to escape the oppressive system of the rural south where they were able to find work. Some of the most prominent works created during this era were in the field of literature. Longboats Hughes was the epitome of prolific writers and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He is best known for his pomes which he wrote with the rhythmic pattern of Jazz and blues which influenced many poets. Hughes first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published in 1926. The book was very popular and established both his poetic style and his commitment to black themes and culture. Hughes skillful use of words to portray African American heritage played a major role during this era. No aspect of the Harlem Renaissance shaped the United States as much as Jazz. Jazz flouted many musical conventions with its syncopated rhythms and improvised instrumental solos. Thousands of city dwellers flocked night after night to see the same performers. Singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday popularized blues and Jazz vocals. Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong drew huge audiences as white Americans caught Jazz fever. For the first time white Americans could not look away. The Harlem Renaissance was a major period in American history. The northward migration by African Americans to escape white movement. Its origin Harlem, brought notice to great works that might have otherwise been lost. Writers of this era such as Longboats Hughes were extremely influential and Jazz legends Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong took this form of art characterized by improvisation and syncopation to new levels of innovation. The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay Example For Students The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay A New Cultural Identity By Anus Overstress AkA Awesome, Cool, Brilliant and any other synonyms of these qualities Originally known as the New Negro Movement, the Harlem Renaissance was a period of immense social activity and great innovations among artist and writers. The movements name is derived from its origin; Harlem New York. At this time Harlem became the Mecca to which scholars, writers, musicians and photographers traveled. African American migration to the northern states played a major role in the initiation of this intellectual movement which harbored and preserved a new black cultural identity in multiple aspects. We will write a custom essay on The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Prolific writers such as Longboats Hughes influenced many poets. The improvisation of Jazz and its syncopated rhythms was popularized by Jazz legends such as Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong. The Harlem Renaissance began in the late sasss after World War II. However much of the foundation of this movement was established by earlier generations of African American educators, students, and intellectuals. In the decades following the Civil War, multiple racial barriers to education were removed and African Americans took advantage of the new educational opportunities in prodigious numbers. Due to the rash aspects of the Jim Crow laws in the south (which contained approximately 90 percent of the Black population at the time) and the discrimination and mistreatment that followed, African American individuals migrated to the urban northern states to escape the oppressive system of the rural south where they were able to find work. Some of the most prominent works created during this era were in the field of literature. Longboats Hughes was the epitome of prolific writers and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He is best known for his pomes which he wrote with the rhythmic pattern of Jazz and blues which influenced many poets. Hughes first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published in 1926. The book was very popular and established both his poetic style and his commitment to black themes and culture. Hughes skillful use of words to portray African American heritage played a major role during this era. No aspect of the Harlem Renaissance shaped the United States as much as Jazz. Jazz flouted many musical conventions with its syncopated rhythms and improvised instrumental solos. Thousands of city dwellers flocked night after night to see the same performers. Singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday popularized blues and Jazz vocals. Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong drew huge audiences as white Americans caught Jazz fever. For the first time white Americans could not look away. The Harlem Renaissance was a major period in American history. The northward migration by African Americans to escape white movement. Its origin Harlem, brought notice to great works that might have otherwise been lost. Writers of this era such as Longboats Hughes were extremely influential and Jazz legends Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong took this form of art characterized by improvisation and syncopation to new levels of innovation. The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay Example For Students The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay A New Cultural Identity By Anus Overstress AkA Awesome, Cool, Brilliant and any other synonyms of these qualities Originally known as the New Negro Movement, the Harlem Renaissance was a period of immense social activity and great innovations among artist and writers. The movements name is derived from its origin; Harlem New York. At this time Harlem became the Mecca to which scholars, writers, musicians and photographers traveled. African American migration to the northern states played a major role in the initiation of this intellectual movement which harbored and preserved a new black cultural identity in multiple aspects. We will write a custom essay on The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Prolific writers such as Longboats Hughes influenced many poets. The improvisation of Jazz and its syncopated rhythms was popularized by Jazz legends such as Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong. The Harlem Renaissance began in the late sasss after World War II. However much of the foundation of this movement was established by earlier generations of African American educators, students, and intellectuals. In the decades following the Civil War, multiple racial barriers to education were removed and African Americans took advantage of the new educational opportunities in prodigious numbers. Due to the rash aspects of the Jim Crow laws in the south (which contained approximately 90 percent of the Black population at the time) and the discrimination and mistreatment that followed, African American individuals migrated to the urban northern states to escape the oppressive system of the rural south where they were able to find work. Some of the most prominent works created during this era were in the field of literature. Longboats Hughes was the epitome of prolific writers and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He is best known for his pomes which he wrote with the rhythmic pattern of Jazz and blues which influenced many poets. Hughes first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published in 1926. The book was very popular and established both his poetic style and his commitment to black themes and culture. Hughes skillful use of words to portray African American heritage played a major role during this era. No aspect of the Harlem Renaissance shaped the United States as much as Jazz. Jazz flouted many musical conventions with its syncopated rhythms and improvised instrumental solos. Thousands of city dwellers flocked night after night to see the same performers. Singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday popularized blues and Jazz vocals. Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong drew huge audiences as white Americans caught Jazz fever. For the first time white Americans could not look away. The Harlem Renaissance was a major period in American history. The northward migration by African Americans to escape white movement. Its origin Harlem, brought notice to great works that might have otherwise been lost. Writers of this era such as Longboats Hughes were extremely influential and Jazz legends Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong took this form of art characterized by improvisation and syncopation to new levels of innovation. The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay Example For Students The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity Essay A New Cultural Identity By Anus Overstress AkA Awesome, Cool, Brilliant and any other synonyms of these qualities Originally known as the New Negro Movement, the Harlem Renaissance was a period of immense social activity and great innovations among artist and writers. The movements name is derived from its origin; Harlem New York. At this time Harlem became the Mecca to which scholars, writers, musicians and photographers traveled. African American migration to the northern states played a major role in the initiation of this intellectual movement which harbored and preserved a new black cultural identity in multiple aspects. We will write a custom essay on The Harlem Renaissance and a New Cultural Identity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Prolific writers such as Longboats Hughes influenced many poets. The improvisation of Jazz and its syncopated rhythms was popularized by Jazz legends such as Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong. The Harlem Renaissance began in the late sasss after World War II. However much of the foundation of this movement was established by earlier generations of African American educators, students, and intellectuals. In the decades following the Civil War, multiple racial barriers to education were removed and African Americans took advantage of the new educational opportunities in prodigious numbers. Due to the rash aspects of the Jim Crow laws in the south (which contained approximately 90 percent of the Black population at the time) and the discrimination and mistreatment that followed, African American individuals migrated to the urban northern states to escape the oppressive system of the rural south where they were able to find work. Some of the most prominent works created during this era were in the field of literature. Longboats Hughes was the epitome of prolific writers and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He is best known for his pomes which he wrote with the rhythmic pattern of Jazz and blues which influenced many poets. Hughes first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published in 1926. The book was very popular and established both his poetic style and his commitment to black themes and culture. Hughes skillful use of words to portray African American heritage played a major role during this era. No aspect of the Harlem Renaissance shaped the United States as much as Jazz. Jazz flouted many musical conventions with its syncopated rhythms and improvised instrumental solos. Thousands of city dwellers flocked night after night to see the same performers. Singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday popularized blues and Jazz vocals. Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong drew huge audiences as white Americans caught Jazz fever. For the first time white Americans could not look away. The Harlem Renaissance was a major period in American history. The northward migration by African Americans to escape white movement. Its origin Harlem, brought notice to great works that might have otherwise been lost. Writers of this era such as Longboats Hughes were extremely influential and Jazz legends Duke Elongating and Louis Armstrong took this form of art characterized by improvisation and syncopation to new levels of innovation.

Free Essays on World War 1

World War I, also known as the Great War, was immediately caused by the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist in 1914. Another prominent cause of the war was the entangling alliances between the countries of Europe. The war was thought to be the war to end all wars because it was the bloodiest war the world had seen yet. The war was supposed to end by the Christmas of 1914, but it lasted four long years. The fighting finally stopped on November 11, 1918, when the Allied and German delegates signed an armistice on terms established by the Allies. Political leaders then took up the task of trying to transform the military armistice into a durable peace. The Germans and the Allies signed the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I. It was negotiated during the Paris Peace Conference held in Versailles beginning January 18, 1919. Represented were the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy. The German Republic, which ha d replaced the imperial German government at the end of the war, was excluded. The treaty was more like a punishment for Germany than a peace treaty. For damage incurred by the Allied powers during the war, Germany was required to make extensive financial reparation. In addition to money, payment was made in the form of ships, trains, livestock, and valuable natural resources. After World War I, the German, Austria-Hungarian, and Russian empires ceased to exist, and the Ottoman empire soon followed them. New nations emerged, borders were radically shifted, and ethnic conflicts erupted. Victors and losers alike faced an enormous recovery challenge after four years of financial loss, economic deprivation, and material destruction.... Free Essays on World War 1 Free Essays on World War 1 World War I, also known as the Great War, was immediately caused by the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist in 1914. Another prominent cause of the war was the entangling alliances between the countries of Europe. The war was thought to be the war to end all wars because it was the bloodiest war the world had seen yet. The war was supposed to end by the Christmas of 1914, but it lasted four long years. The fighting finally stopped on November 11, 1918, when the Allied and German delegates signed an armistice on terms established by the Allies. Political leaders then took up the task of trying to transform the military armistice into a durable peace. The Germans and the Allies signed the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I. It was negotiated during the Paris Peace Conference held in Versailles beginning January 18, 1919. Represented were the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy. The German Republic, which ha d replaced the imperial German government at the end of the war, was excluded. The treaty was more like a punishment for Germany than a peace treaty. For damage incurred by the Allied powers during the war, Germany was required to make extensive financial reparation. In addition to money, payment was made in the form of ships, trains, livestock, and valuable natural resources. After World War I, the German, Austria-Hungarian, and Russian empires ceased to exist, and the Ottoman empire soon followed them. New nations emerged, borders were radically shifted, and ethnic conflicts erupted. Victors and losers alike faced an enormous recovery challenge after four years of financial loss, economic deprivation, and material destruction....

The Nanking Massacre of 1937

The Nanking Massacre of 1937 In late December  1937 and early January  1938, the Imperial Japanese Army perpetrated one of the most horrific war crimes of the World War II era. In what is known as the Nanking Massacre or the Rape of Nanking, Japanese soldiers systematically raped thousands of Chinese women and girls of all ages - even infants. They also murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians and prisoners of war in what was then the Chinese capital city of Nanking (now called Nanjing).   These atrocities continue to color Sino-Japanese relations to this day. Indeed, some Japanese public officials have denied that the Nanking Massacre ever happened, or significantly downplay its scope and severity.  History textbooks in Japan mention the incident only in a single footnote, if at all. It is crucial, however, for the nations of East Asia to confront and move past the gruesome events of the mid-20th century  if they are going to face the challenges of the 21st century together. So what really happened to the people of Nanking in 1937-38? Japans Imperial Army invaded civil-war-torn China in July of 1937 from Manchuria  to the north.  It drove southward, quickly taking the Chinese capital city of Beijing. In response, the Chinese Nationalist Party moved the capital to the city of Nanking, about 1,000 km (621 miles) to the south. The Chinese Nationalist Army or Kuomintang (KMT) lost the key city of Shanghai to the advancing Japanese in November of 1937.  KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek realized that the new Chinese capital of Nanking, just 305 km (190 miles) up the Yangtze River from Shanghai, could not hold out much longer. Rather than wasting his soldiers in a futile attempt to hold Nanking, Chiang decided to withdraw most of them inland about 500 kilometers (310 miles) west to Wuhan, where the rugged interior mountains offered a more defensible position. KMT General Tang Shengzhi was left to defend the city, with an untrained force of 100,000 poorly-armed fighters.   The approaching Japanese forces were under the temporary command of Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, a right-wing militarist and the uncle by marriage of Emperor Hirohito.  He was standing in for the elderly General Iwane Matsui, who was ill. Early in December, division commanders informed Prince Asaka that the Japanese had encircled almost 300,000 Chinese troops around Nanking and inside the city. They told him that the Chinese were willing to negotiate a surrender; Prince Asaka responded with an order to kill all captives. Many scholars view this order as an invitation to the Japanese soldiers to go on a rampage in Nanking. On December 10, the Japanese mounted a five-pronged attack on Nanking.  By December 12, the besieged Chinese commander, General Tang, ordered a retreat from the city. Many of the untrained Chinese conscripts broke ranks and ran, and Japanese soldiers hunted them down and captured or slaughtered them. Being captured was no protection  because the Japanese government had declared that international laws on treatment of POWs did not apply to the Chinese. An estimated 60,000 Chinese fighters who surrendered were massacred by the Japanese. On December 18, for example, thousands of young Chinese men had their hands tied behind them, then were tied into long lines and marched to the Yangtze River. There, the Japanese opened fire on them en masse. The screams of the injured went on for hours, as the Japanese soldiers made their leisurely way down the lines to bayonet those who were still alive, and dump the bodies into the river. Chinese civilians also faced horrific deaths as the Japanese occupied the city.   Some were blown up with mines, mowed down in their hundreds with machine guns, or sprayed with gasoline and set on fire.  F. Tillman Durdin, a reporter for the New York Times who witnessed the massacre, reported: In taking over Nanking the Japanese indulged in slaughters, looting and rapine exceeding in barbarity any atrocities committed up to that time in the course of the Sino-Japanese hostilities... Helpless Chinese troops, disarmed for the most part and ready to surrender, were systematically rounded up and executed... Civilians of both sexes and all ages were also shot by the Japanese. Bodies piled up in streets and alleyways, too many for any accurate count. Perhaps equally horrifying, the Japanese soldiers made their way through entire neighborhoods systematically raping every female they found.  Infant girls had their genitals sliced open with swords to make it easier to rape them. Elderly women were gang-raped and then killed. Young women might be raped and then taken away to the soldiers camps for weeks of further abuse. Some sadistic soldiers forced celibate Buddhist monks and nuns to perform sex acts for their amusement, or forced family members into incestuous acts. At least 20,000 women were raped, according to most estimates. Between December 13, when Nanking fell to the Japanese, and the end of February  1938, the orgy of violence by the Japanese Imperial Army claimed the lives of an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war.  The Nanking Massacre stands as one of the worst atrocities of the bloody twentieth century. General Iwane Matsui, who had recovered from his illness somewhat by the time Nanking fell, issued several orders between December 20, 1937 and February of 1938 demanding that his soldiers and officers behave properly.  However, he was not able to bring them under control. On February 7, 1938, he stood with tears in his eyes and upbraided his subordinate officers for the massacre, which he believed had done irreparable damage to the Imperial Armys reputation. He and Prince Asaka were both recalled to Japan later in 1938; Matsui retired, while Prince Asaka remained a member of the Emperors War Council. In 1948, General Matsui was found guilty of war crimes by the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal  and was hanged at the age of 70.  Prince Asaka escaped punishment  because the American authorities decided to exempt members of the imperial family. Six other officers and former Japanese Foreign Minister Koki Hirota were also hanged for their roles in the Nanking Massacre, and eighteen more were convicted but got lighter sentences.

To Whome do we belong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

To Whome do we belong - Essay Example nts and tragedies forces an individual to change his true self and wipes away everything he believes in forcing him to acquire a new identity in an unimaginable way. The work of Victor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, will be used as a reference for the purpose of this paper. Obi was an ordinary Nigerian man, of the Igbo tribe, who was brought up in the best of moral character within the conservative Nigerian cultural setting. His problems began when he undertook a scholarship to further his education in Britain. The Western culture in Britain did not hesitate to influence him to a multi-cultured person, obviously bringing in conflict. In Britain, it was alright to take bribes, to marry a person from any tribe or race and to have sexual relations with them even before marriage. Actually, it was alright to do a lot of things. End of four years of study in Britain and Obi is ready to return to home sweet home. The only problem is the people back home are still the same as he left them four years ago: the same culture, same mind set, same believes, same everything. They do not allow marriage to certain casts (Obi’s girlfriend was from a cast that was considered an outcast, Osu) leaving him with no choice but to perform an abortion for the girl who was carrying his child. Bribery was an abomination and unheard of especially from a son of the village whom the community had made a collection for him to take higher studies so as to come back and help the village people maneuver around the new white-dominated Nigeria. Within a few years, he had changed a lot, but he was the one who changed not the world and now he was back to reality: he has roots as a traditional Nigerian man and uprooting them was hard if not impossible. He had no choice but to adapt to his old ways of life. Within no time, Ibo finds himself a prisoner of his multiple identity in a conflict that would later tear down his whole life; career wise, socially and morally, eventually turning him

How immigration affect social and economic status of sending and Research Proposal

How immigration affect social and economic status of sending and recieving countries - Research Proposal Example Accordingly, the effects of immigration are demarcated to indicate those affecting the country of origin and those affecting the receiving country. In general, it is evident that immigration has dual effects in the sense that the movement of people from one country to the other affects the sending country on one hand and the host country on the other. Immigration is an imperative dynamic in the international economy (Hall 59). Research estimates indicate that more than 110 million people reside outside their countries of origin. This shows that the aspect of immigration plays a critical position in economic, communal and political lives of many people across the world. People travel away from their nations of birth due to a number of reasons though it is mostly perceived that a majority of immigrants move away from their homes in search for opportunities of employment. It is a clearly established that there are countless economic and social effects of immigrations. In a nutshell the most significant implications of immigrations may include; first and foremost, effects on the host nation’s employment market whereby immigration could cast severe implications on the host countries wages and employment opportunities. Subsequently, immigration could immensely influence the budgetary arrangement of the destination country becaus e the services received by the immigrants including education and health may not strictly balance with the increased taxes from workers (Berg and Bodvarsson 27). Additionally, immigration could offer a credible solution to the problem of aging population in the country of destination. Lastly, immigration may significantly affect the economy of the sending country both positively and negatively though some negative effects could turn around as benefits to the country. For instance, brain drain is a harmful implication of immigration to the country of origin but could end up being a

Cassius’ Logical Persuasion Essay Example for Free

Cassius’ Logical Persuasion Essay From Julius Caesar, Act 1 Scene 2, Cassius attempts to persuade Brutus on joining the conspiracy against Caesar through logos. To convince Brutus to join the conspiracy, Cassius starts telling Brutus that â€Å"I was born free as Caesar. So were you. We both have fed as well, and we can both endure the winter’s cold as well as he† (I. ii. 100). When Cassius states Caesar as someone like them, Cassius is using logic to explain to Brutus that they are all equal to Caesar, not inferior. Cassius believes that Brutus and he deserve just as much power as Caesar, so he does not want Brutus to be supporting Caesar, but going against him. Even though Cassius says he is equal to Caesar, he then tells Brutus a story about how he saves Caesar from almost drowning and also recalls a story of Caesar in Spain saying â€Å"’Alas,† it cried, ’give me some drink, Titinius,’ as a sick girl† (I. ii. 139). The connotation of â€Å"girl† is a female child, not manly and powerful. So by telling the stories, Brutus now acknowledges that Caesar is weak because he is able to drown and get sick and Brutus will no longer look upon someone who cries â€Å"as a sick girl†. Brutus is persuaded by Cassius’ story that Caesar is not all that power and that they should not be serve Caesar as if he is a god. On the other hand, Cassius contradicts himself multiple ways by saying Caesar is â€Å"like a Colossus and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates. † (I. ii. 137). Cassius portrays Caesar as a power person who will become a tyrant and that he is more superior to everyone else. Because Cassius and Brutus does not like tyrants or dictators, Cassius indirectly tells him to not support Caesar, and instead, tries hinting to Brutus that it is time for him to take control of Rome. The logos Cassius uses persuades Brutus to not let someone who is equal to him, such as Julius Caesar, to rule Rome.

Defeated Hope in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

Defeated Hope in Of Mice and Men When discussing the thematics of Steinbeck's novel, we would do well to first examine the title, which is an allusion to a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft aglay." Translated into modern English, the verse reads: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." This cynical statement is at the heart of the novel's action and serves as a foreshadowing prophecy of all that is to come. For, indeed, the novels two main characters do have a scheme, a specific dream of changing their current way of life in order to have their own place and work only for themselves. The tragedy, of course, lies in the fact that no matter how elaborately our heroes plan, regardless of how intensely they hope and dream, their plan does not find fulfillment. This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the American Dream. George and Lennie are poor homeless migrant workers, doomed to a life of wandering and toil in which they are never able to reap the fruits of their labor. Their desires may not seem so unfamiliar to any other American: a place of their own, the opportunity to work for themselves and harvest what they sow with no one to take anything from them or give them orders. George and Lennie desperately cling to the notion that they are different from other workers who drift from ranch to ranch because, unlike the others, they have a future and each other. But characters like Crooks and Curley's wife serve as reminders that George and Lennie are no different from anyone who wants something of his or her own. All the characters (all the ones that Steinbeck has developed, at least) wish to change their lives in some fashion, but none are capable of doing so; they all have dreams, and it is only the dream that varies from person to person. Curley's wife has already had her dream of being an actress pass her by and now must live a life of empty hope. Crooks' situation hints at a much deeper oppression than that of the white worker in America-the oppression of the black people. Through Crooks, Steinbeck exposes the bitterness, the anger, and the helplessness of the black American who struggles to be recognized as a human being, let alone have a place of his own. Defeated Hope in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays Defeated Hope in Of Mice and Men When discussing the thematics of Steinbeck's novel, we would do well to first examine the title, which is an allusion to a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft aglay." Translated into modern English, the verse reads: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." This cynical statement is at the heart of the novel's action and serves as a foreshadowing prophecy of all that is to come. For, indeed, the novels two main characters do have a scheme, a specific dream of changing their current way of life in order to have their own place and work only for themselves. The tragedy, of course, lies in the fact that no matter how elaborately our heroes plan, regardless of how intensely they hope and dream, their plan does not find fulfillment. This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the American Dream. George and Lennie are poor homeless migrant workers, doomed to a life of wandering and toil in which they are never able to reap the fruits of their labor. Their desires may not seem so unfamiliar to any other American: a place of their own, the opportunity to work for themselves and harvest what they sow with no one to take anything from them or give them orders. George and Lennie desperately cling to the notion that they are different from other workers who drift from ranch to ranch because, unlike the others, they have a future and each other. But characters like Crooks and Curley's wife serve as reminders that George and Lennie are no different from anyone who wants something of his or her own. All the characters (all the ones that Steinbeck has developed, at least) wish to change their lives in some fashion, but none are capable of doing so; they all have dreams, and it is only the dream that varies from person to person. Curley's wife has already had her dream of being an actress pass her by and now must live a life of empty hope. Crooks' situation hints at a much deeper oppression than that of the white worker in America-the oppression of the black people. Through Crooks, Steinbeck exposes the bitterness, the anger, and the helplessness of the black American who struggles to be recognized as a human being, let alone have a place of his own.

The basis is the desire to achieve purity of views on life

Primitivism is one of the greatest events in European Art, which appeared in the beginning of XX century as a result of interest of professional artists to traditional creative works of nations of Africa, America and Oceania, to city and peasant folks and to children creative works as well.The basis is the desire to achieve purity of views on life, which is the feature of consciousness, unspoilt by civilization. Besides the fact that primitivism was one of the leading art tendency of are in XX century, it determined stylistics of many different directions (such as expressionism, surrealism, etc) and became the integral part of their language of expression.The very term â€Å"primitivism† is also used in respect of so-called naà ¯ve art, it means to creative works of artists, who didn’t receive proper education, but who became participants of common art process (for example, French painter Henri Rousseau, Yugoslavian painter Ivan Generalich, etc).The main characteristic s of this art can be formulated by following words: â€Å"freshness and spontaneity of perception and creation†¦ real and non-affected naivety, life-asserting optimism and colorful folk, spontaneous pleasure of â€Å"amazement† and perception of environment, naturalness and organic of realism, possessing not only visibility but the essence of subject and event†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ostrovskiy, â€Å"About City Art Folk† – Soviet Fine Art’74, M., 1975, pp. 308-309).The main characteristic of primitivism is program simplifying of art. To crystallize, to clear the emotion you can also by way of simplification, some kind of idealization of subjects. Henri Russeau exhibited his paintings together with other impressionists.The naà ¯ve, childish judgment helps to clear up the final essence, to take away details which make the things more difficult and revulsive.This sincere impulse which is common to folk art receives art importance and status of the modern crea tive method. We need to add that primitivism helped to combine new art directions with folk traditions (outrage of clear color, figuration and ornaments) and with children painting, which is so dear to the heart of any person (paintings of P. Klee and some other German expressionists).Still, to tell the truth, approach of primitivism to masses is quite phantom in many respects: even folk art nowadays seems to consist of two layers: professional sees it in a different way. In fact, primitivism (especially one which approaches to children painting) is stylistic masking of expressionism.For example, paintings of genius Austrian expressionist Oscar Kokotka remind folk pictures only for specialists. M. Shagal has significantly simplified images of bourgeois which are closer to symbolism. The elevated style of his paintings show contrast with so-called illusive reality of provincial town because of his sketchiness of the painting.

Banana Peel Whitening Essay

Еhe high amounts of potassium, magnesium, and manganese in the ripe banana can be applied to the teeth to remove stains and whiten them. Below are the steps we suggest if you want to use this folksy, homemade, and proven method: 1. Get a banana that is just ripe (it may still have trace amounts of green at each end, but not too much). Using a banana at this level of ripeness ensures that the peel contains optimal levels of potassium (which is the substance that really brightens the teeth); 2. Open the banana like a monkey does by peeling it from the bottom end and upward. Not only does this prevent all of those strange banana â€Å"threads† from appearing, but it also lets you have more control over the peel; 3. Take a small piece of the inside of the peel (you can use kitchen shears to cut off a manageable square) and begin gently rubbing this along your teeth; 4. Keep the application going for two minutes and be sure you are covering each of the teeth as much as possible with the material inside of the peel; 5. As you rub and pass the time, the minerals will be absorbed into the teeth and begin to promote the whitening. 6. Brush with your preferred toothpaste, rinse, and smile with your brighter and whiter teeth! Be aware that both bananas and strawberries have lots of natural sugar, so apply only once per day or even just once per week to be safe.

Analysis of The Falling Man

Analysis of The Falling Man Reader Impact From the beginning of the article, the reader is already gripped by the strong image of the â€Å"falling man†. It is as if it has the power to hypnotize due to its bizarre subject. Junod (2009) writes, â€Å"In the picture, he departs from this earth like an arrow. Although he has not chosen his fate, he appears to have, in his last instants of life, embraced it.† It makes the reader think deeply if this statement is true basing it from the way the picture is depicted. It is a dramatic, graphic, engrossing start of a long but read-worthy article.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of â€Å"The Falling Man† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reader Interest Junod makes the reader read on with the information he baits with. He intersperses the information with dramatic flair of description. On the people’s reaction to the bombing, he writes, â€Å"They began jumping not l ong after the first plane hit the North Tower, not long after the fire started. They kept jumping until the tower fell. They jumped through windows already broken and then, later, through windows they broke themselves. They jumped to escape the smoke and the fire; they jumped when the ceilings fell and the floors collapsed; they jumped just to breathe once more before they died. They jumped continually, from all four sides of the building, and from all floors above and around the buildings fatal wound.† From this, the reader can get the feeling of panic and chaos and it is as if he is brought to that exact time that the writer describes. Emotion and Fact The article is dripping with both emotion and fact. Junod writes objectively how people felt but his words are easily translated to emotions that the reader feels. â€Å"Americans responding to the worst terrorist attack in the history of the world with acts of heroism, with acts of sacrifice, with acts of generosity, with ac ts of martyrdom, and, by terrible necessity, with one prolonged act of if these words can be applied to mass murder mass suicide.† Mood and Atmosphere The mood and atmosphere of the article was morose, very dark and hinting of helplessness. The characters in the story seemed to be numb and preferred it that way instead of wallow in the pain of the situation. Junod writes,Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"In a nation of voyeurs, the desire to face the most disturbing aspects of our most disturbing day was somehow ascribed to voyeurism, as though the jumpers experience, instead of being central to the horror, was tangential to it, a sideshow best forgotten.† It sums up the sentiments of the author as he struggled to defend the point of view of the photographer of the picture and the strong reactions of the people to the picture that they would rather s ilence. Thematic Unity The theme of the article was unified by the photograph of the falling man which branched out to several stories surrounding it the story of the photographer who took the picture, the story of the family of the falling man, and the story of the search for the falling man who was for a long period of time unidentified. All the subplots of the story was unified by the theme of the falling man and what he stood for. Junod writes it as such: â€Å"In truth, however, the Falling Man fell with neither the precision of an arrow nor the grace of an Olympic diver. He fell like everyone else, like all the other jumpers trying to hold on to the life he was leaving, which is to say that he fell desperately, inelegantly.† This message goes for all the subplots. Structure The length of the article was justified by the richness of the information and the stories that were organized in a logical manner. Everything revolved around the theme and the resolution of the sto ry was thus: â€Å" the Falling Man became the Unknown Soldier in a war whose end we have not yet seen†.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of â€Å"The Falling Man† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Junod was successful in opening the story to grasp the attention of his readers and sustained this throughout the body, engaging his readers to empathize and sympathize with the characters he has brought to life. His ending was as strong, as readers are constrained to accept that the main reflection for the story of the falling man is the readers themselves. Story-telling Techniques Although this was a journalist’s article that should be packed with information that is news-worthy, Junod was able to give life to his characters. He told the story of the falling man so well that it branched out to subplots so like a literary masterpiece. The article vacillates between reality and his own subject ive interpretation based on the characters’ opinions and expressed feelings. He is able to create anticipation for the climax and sustains the interest way up to the resolution. Along the way, he keeps on feeding more information to his readers, and they end up more knowledgeable about the falling man after they read the article. Reader â€Å"Experiences† the Story Filled with human drama, the article depicts every emotion possible in such a tragic situation of the 9-11 terrorist attack and the choices the dying made in their final hours. Junod appeals to the senses and emotions of his readers in choosing the appropriate words to describe their feelings. One example is this: â€Å"The Hernandezes looked at the decision to jump as a betrayal of love as something Norberto was being accused of. The woman in Connecticut looks at the decision to jump as a loss of hope as an absence that we, the living, now have to live with.† Junod voices out what the characters ne eded to express but may be unable to. Outstanding Reporting Junod’s reporting skills were impeccable. His research was detailed and thorough. He was able to name names and attributed appropriate emotions to the stories of the characters and came up with a well-woven story balancing objective facts with subjective opinions and emotions gathered from various people.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In all this, Junod has kept his stance as an objective reporter leaving the judgment to his readers of whether what he wrote was fact or fiction. However, credible as he is as a journalist, most of his readers are bound to agree with that what he wrote was all true. Context of the Story This is one of the multitude of stories borne out of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. One photograph painted a thousand other stories and Junod tried to capture those stories and revolved it around the photograph of the falling man. Style and Language Junod’s style and language was a wonderful blend of simple and complicated. He quoted the words of his characters and inserted some other words to interpret their actions to add depth to what was said. He writes: â€Å"Jonathan Brileys father is a preacher, a man who has devoted his whole life to serving the Lord. After September 11, he gathered his family together to ask God to tell him where his son was. No: He demanded it. He used these words: Lor d, I demand to know where my son is. For three hours straight, he prayed in his deep voice, until he spent the grace he had accumulated over a lifetime in the insistence of his appeal.† He could have simply written that the preacher prayed that his son be found but Junod found another way to use words effectively to depict the actual emotions felt by the characters and the emotions that must be understood and empathized with by the readers. Tone Junod shared the sentiments of the people affected by the bombings. As a journalist, he tried to keep his tone neutral, but it seemed more effective to take on the prevailing feelings of despair, confusion, hopelessness and regret to put his message across. In general, the article’s tone was that of a news report but somehow, Junod managed to insert his literary prowess and incorporated drama and lyrical language that soothed the readers consuming his lengthy article. Source: Junod, T. (2009) The Falling Man, Retrieved from http s://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a48031/the-falling-man-tom-junod/

Sing Joy to the World in Spanish

Sing Joy to the World in Spanish For a joyful lift to your holidays, heres a Spanish-language version of Joy to the World, the classic Christmas carol. The hymn was originally written in English by Isaac Watts. A literal translation and translation notes are provided for Spanish students. Regocijad! Jess naci  ¡Regocijad! Jesà ºs nacià ³, del mundo Salvador;y cada corazà ³n tornad a recibir al Rey,a recibir al Rey. Venid a recibir al Rey.  ¡Regocijad! Él reinar; cantemos en unià ³n;y en la tierra y en el mar loor resonar,loor resonar, y gran loor resonar. Ya la maldad vencida es; la tierra paz tendr.La bendicià ³n del Salvador quità ³ la maldicià ³n,quità ³ la maldicià ³n; Jesà ºs quità ³ la maldicià ³n.  ¡Glorias a Dios cantemos hoy! Seà ±or de Israel,la libertad tà º le dars y tà º sers su Dios,y tà º sers su Dios, Seà ±or, y tà º sers su Dios. Translation of Spanish Lyrics Rejoice! Jesus was born, Savior of the world;and each heart turn to receive the King,to receive the King. Come to receive the King. Rejoice! He will reign; let us sing in unison;and in the the land and in the sea praise will echo,praise will echo, and great praise will echo. The evil now is conquered; the earth will have peace.The Saviors blessing removed the curse,removed the curse. Jesus removed the curse. Today we sing glories to God! Lord of Israel,You will give her liberty and You will be her God,and You will be her God, Lord, and You will be her God. Grammar and Vocabulary Notes Regocijad: This is the familiar second-person plural imperative form (the vosotros form) of regocijar, which means to rejoice. It isnt a particularly common verb. In everyday conversation, youre unlikely to hear familiar plural imperative forms of verbs much outside of Spain, as in Latin American the formal you (ustedes) is used even in informal contexts. Nacià ³: This is the third-person plural preterite of nacer, which has no one-word equivalent in English, meaning to be born. Nacer is conjugated the same way as conocer. Del mundo Salvador: In everyday speech or writing, youd be much more likely to say Salvador del mundo for Savior of the world. In music, however, theres considerably more latitude with word order to get the desired rhythm. Tornad: Like regocijad, this is a plural-you command. Tornar typically means to convert or to turn into, and it is used most frequently in a religious context. As you may have noticed, the vosotros imperative form of the verb is made simply by changing the final r of the infinitive to a d. And this is always true - there are no irregular verbs for this form. Al: Al is one of only two contractions in Spanish, shortening a and el. The a here is the personal a, used because the direct object is el Rey, a person. (The other contraction is del, for de and el.) Venid: From the verb venir. Cantemos: From the verb cantar (to sing). This is the first-personal plural imperative form. En unià ³n: Although this phrase could be translated as in union, in unison is used because of the context of choral singing. Loor: This word is rare enough you wont find it in smaller dictionaries. It means praise. Resonar: Resonar means to resound or, more poetically, to echo or to ring. Gran: Gran is an example of apocopation, the shortening or clipping of certain adjectives when they immediately precede a noun. Although some adjectives are shortened only before masculine nouns, the singular grande is shortened whether masculine or feminine. Its meaning also changes from large to great. La maldad vencida es: This is another case of poetic word order. In everyday speech, youd more likely say, La maldad es vencida, evil is overcome. This sentence is in the passive voice, not directly stating what overcomes evil. Bendicià ³n: Blessing (ben- good, -dicià ³n saying, from the verb decir). Quità ³: Past tense of quitar, to remove. Maldicià ³n: Curse (mal- bad) Seà ±or: Although this word is often used as a courtesy title meaning the equivalent of Mr., it can also mean Lord. La libertad tà º le dars: This and the remainder of the song is an example of personification. The pronoun le usually isnt used to refer to things, only to people. But here it refers to Israel, which has been personified. Le is an indirect pronoun; the direct pronoun here is libertad, that which is being given.

The Responsibility Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Responsibility Project - Essay Example He just put a block of carrot in place of the missing wheel to balance the chair. The film ends with the concern being settled because someone was selfless and became willing to sacrifice in addressing the needs of others before his own. The film illustrates negative behaviours within an organization – avoiding responsibility and passing problems to someone else. It shows how the worker who first had the chair problem refused to resolve it and just tried to get away with it. It was not only him but also his coworkers did the same thing. In an organization, workers have the tendency to deny their mistakes and hide them as much as possible. This negative practice would most likely result to unresolved problems and conflicts. It also defies the importance of teamwork and respect for others. Nevertheless, the value of sacrifice and selflessness was also demonstrated in the film, which was another example of lack of cooperation. The film shows how an office can be a better place if only each individual would show initiative, problem-solving skills, respect and concern for others, and equality. It also shows that a particular burden of an organization should not be the burden of only one person, even though he is w illing to take charge of the problem. The film also targets the negative implications of having unresolved problems or unaddressed issues in an organization. The bad habits illustrated in the film, when tolerated, could put the survival of an organization at risk. It shows that the workers could not really be trusted even with a minor setback such as a dilapidated chair. If these practices strongly exist in an organization, they would create an unhealthy and discouraging work environment. The issues illustrated in the film create awareness among viewers that unhealthy behaviour really exists in organizations, thus, encourages us to make ways to

Parents Involvement in Childrens Education Essay

Parents Involvement in Childrens Education - Essay Example This essay stresses that a child’s first three years is the basis for his/her cognitive growth and this is why the family part in these years of development is crucial. The family setting in which a child grows influences his/her activities, observations, communication skills, conducts and motives, which are indeed the key elements in shaping the child’s literary experiences. On this perspective, it is evident that families are the main context of learning for the children and a supportive environment will make a positive difference, particularly in their educational success. This paper makes a conclusion that children who are nurtured well in their family environment tend to be better competent in their social and educational spheres even in the later stages of life. However, differences in these settings will contribute to variations in patterns of learning among the children. This is why children brought up at different levels of families tend to act differently, in accord to the way in which they were raised. Thus, family environment is the main context of learning for the children as it will boost up their educational attainment to a greater level, when nurtured in the right way. The relationship between the parental aspirations and the children’s educational outcomes is complex as it is interrelated with various other social, economic and psychological aspects. It is evident from various researches that the expectations of the parents tend to impact the achievement of the children to a considerable level. Parents who have higher expectations on their children tend to involve more in their learning activities, which would

Social Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Contracts - Essay Example As the discussion outlines Curwin and Mendler include six specific elements namely flag rules, negotiable rules, consequences, rules for the teacher, student-developed rules for students and a vote to determine which rules to enforce. Flag rules are minimum behavior requirements for efficient classroom management which are developed by the teacher and unquestioningly accepted by students even without their input. Examples of such logical rules are â€Å"No fighting and hurting anyone†. Negotiable rules are decided upon together by both teacher and students whether or not to adopt such rules. Democratic teachers allow some limits to be stretched without compromising order in the classroom. Consequences are teacher-determined without student input. Teachers need to be fair in setting down consequences for each rule depending on the severity of behavior. Positive consequences should also be included to reward students of good behavior. Consequences need to be instructional instea d of punitive and students regard them as natural and logical extensions of the rules. Rules for the teacher are determined by the students to give them the opportunity to set standards for the teacher. This is a way for them to feel a sense of commitment to all rules and consequences, thus make them more inclined to follow them. Examples are â€Å"the teacher will not yell at students in front of their classmates†.  

Musical Cabaret Overview And Analysis Theatre Essay

Musical Cabaret Overview And Analysis Theatre Essay I choose the musical Cabaret as it is a very powerful story, set in 1931 Berlin as the Nazis were rising to power; it focuses on different controversial issues of its time period. A number of issues are explored throughout the unfolding story of the cabaret such as sexual freedom, politics and anti-semitism I feel audiences will be attracted to this Musical because of its powerful lyrics and storyline, in particular, the two love stories: Cliff Bradshaw and Sally Bowles; Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, and the way the different characters are portrayed in the musical. 2. Text: What are the ideas the playwright/ librettist is trying to express? What is the relevance of the musical to contemporary Australian audiences? The romantic love stories of two couples and the impact society has on their relationships: the story of a young English cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her relationship with the young American writer Cliff Bradshaw; and the other story of a German boarding house owner Fraulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor. Both relationships are doomed to failure. The musical is very relevant to contemporary Australian audiences Audience will want to see this production, not only does it have excellent music but it portrays some very strong controversial issue of the time period. These issues are still present in our time. It is also important that we as Australians are reminded of the historical past and what we can learn to fight intolerance. 3. Costume, Sets and Props: What requirements are there in each of these areas? Costume Emcee wearing a long black leather coat and boots, eyes highlighted with blue eye shadow, lips coloured blood red, bowtie attached to parachute harness Each cabaret girl to portray a distinct personality need to sing, dance, act and play musical instrument, they do not have to look spectacular, look like scanky low class girls. Cabaret girls wear scant lacy undergarments with holes and ladders in the stockings. The figures onstage look ghoulish. Sally Bowles various refer to photograph images below: Ernst Ludwig dressed in trench coat in Act 1, Scene 2, and brown suite, etc. Cliff Bradshaw dressed in woollen suit and vest + tie. Herr Schultz -see photograph images below Fraulein Schneider -see photograph images below Fraulein Kost -see photograph images below Sets Act 1 Scene 1: Cabaret Scene Broken light bulbs surrounding stage see model. Act 1 Scene 2: Train Carriage Front of stage Act 1 Scene 3: Fraulein Schneider Boarding House Backdrop of 3 doors with light fixture dropped from ceiling, see model. Act 1 Scene 4: Cabaret Scene Kit Kat Klub full stage Act 1 Scene 5: Cabaret Scene Kit Kat Klub near spiral staircase Sallys dressing room Act 1 Scene 6: Cliffs room -backdrop of 3 doors left side of stage Act 1 Scene 7: Cabaret Scene full stage again, focus on kit kat klub Act 1 Scene 8: Living Room of Fraulein Schneiders boarding house right side of stage Act 1 Scene 9: Front of Stage Act 1 Scene 10: Cliffs room -backdrop of 3 doors left side of stage Act 1 Scene 11: Living Room of Fraulein Schneiders boarding house right side of stage Act 1 Scene 12: The Fruit Shop window suspended Act 2 Scene 1: Cabaret Scene Act 2 Scene 2: The Fruit Shop Act 2 Scene 3: Front of Stage Act 2 Scene 4: Cliffs room -backdrop of 3 doors left side of stage Act 2 Scene 5: Cabaret Scene Kit Kat Klub Act 2 Scene 6: Cliffs room -backdrop of 3 doors left side of stage Act 2 Scene 7: Railway Station / Cabaret Scene Props Optional 6 tables with telephones in cabaret scene Train carriage bench seat or 3 chairs Brown suitcase x 2 Black briefcase Typewriter and case Newspaper Table or large trunk and 2 chairs Optional dressing table, mirror to one side near stage left spiral staircase front of stage Suitcase (Sally) + 3 more Sally wearing fur coat 6 chairs. Girls dance on them for caberet scene Brown paper bag containing pineapple Small wind-up gramophone Table and 2 chairs Bottle of Gin + 2 glass Large gift-wrapped package Envelope with money Box containing fruit bowl Suitcase (Schultz) 4. Briefly outline how lighting and sound will contribute to your production. Prepare a list of the sound and light effects you would like and indicate when they occur in the production. Lighting Design A single normal house bayonet light hanging down in the centre of stage, this would be used for a symbolism of inside a room and the lighting which would normally illuminate the room. For this musical, the lighting design will have to be very carefully planned, in terms of position such as, angles and thrust distance. As well as fixture selection taking into consideration the physical characteristics such as beam size, wattage, luminosity, fixture type, etc. To light this stage effectively the stage will be broken up into a grid and each part of the stage will be illuminated I would like to use intelligent fixtures with conventional fixtures. The intelligent fixtures would be great for scenes like the Kit Kat Club as this scene depends on colours and shadows to give the audience the right illusion of a seedy night club. Also, the beam of an intelligent fixture is quite sharp and doesnt really produce much spill on stage so it would be fantastic for solo spots. I would incorporate the use of follow spots, as I would like to keep the show in its traditional form and in keeping with the historical context. Follow spots are good for things like the Emcee as he moves around the stage. For the cabaret scenes, use of deep blues, purples and pinks colours silhouetting the Kit Kat Club girls on stage. Lightings surrounding the stage and suspended window, door arches (e.g. I have included photos from previous shows I have designed to illustrate my ideas see at the end of this report), and the second stage level floor will be bordered with festoon lights. These lights can then be chased. I want to portray a very dingy, run down club where some of the globes will be broken or missing, at the same time as the girls on stage will look sexy, as well as giving the set a very seedy appearance. There are three main different sets common in this production: train scene, inside Fraulein Schneiders boarding house, and inside the Kit Kat Klub. Each one of these different sets has a different appearance where the lighting is used to highlight and mark the difference to the set. For the train scenes, the lighting on stage will be focused mainly in front of the proscenium line with the rest of the stage in darkness. The colours used for this particular scene will consist of open white, fixtures will not be at full intensity as I want to achieve a dull Tuscan amber appearance. Lighting in the train carriage is not really bright and the majority of the light source will be coming from windows letting in the outside light from outside lights. The second set scene is inside Fraulein Schneiders boarding house the lighting will be very much the same as in the first scene inside the train carriage. However, more of the stage will be lit, up to the back walls revealing three doors. Top level of the set remains in darkness as it is for the cabaret scenes for the Kit Kat Klub. There will be at least 3 hot spots for the boarding house scene where both Cliff and Fraulein Schneider move in most of the scenes. These hot spots will be located along the front proscenium line along the edge of the stage, and 3 lighting hotspots along in front of each door. Colours used will remain dim; most of the light on stage will look like its coming from the one hanging lighting batten as a light fixture which is incorporated into the set. The lighting will aim to show an old run-down boarding house where maintenance has been neglected. The final set is inside the Kit Kat Klub, the entire stage will be washed in purples, pinks, reds, blues and a bit of white thrusters to illuminate faces. The scene is set in a seedy and dirty-looking night club. For the lighting of this scene I want the lighting to cast a silhouette effect on the girls dancing for the cabaret numbers. As the music changes and different scenes are set in different parts of the Kit Kat Klub the lighting changes with the mood. The majority of the lighting for these scenes will be coming from sources side, top, and behind of stage. The lighting creates a powerful perspective illustrating the emotions portrayed on stage. An effect only seen when we are inside the Kit Kat Klub is the festoon lights surrounding the edges of the stage and the suspended mirror in the backdrop of the set. When inside the Kit Kat Klub these lights are just on still, but when during song numbers these lights will be chasing forward, the classic Broadway lighting effect. Main actors will be lit with use of the follow spot, the rest will remain in silhouette. Sound Design All the music for the songs would be performed live by the band/orchestra which I intend to incorporate into the production by having them seen by the audience and positioned in acting blocked areas framed upstairs in the suspended picture frame. Various sound effects will be used to help portray to the audience realism. For Act 1 Scene 2 Cliff is on a train to Berlin a screeching sound effect of a steam train travelling is used as background sound as if they are actually in a train carriage. To mark the opening of scene 2, a train whistle sound effect is used. Another effect used is of a crashing symbol to mark the change of scene. A sound effect used for act one scene 9, is of a voice of a young boy singing beautifully and the sound of a steam train in the background. Another sound effect is of a window shattering to mark the end of Act 2 scene 2. 5. Characters and actors: what kind of people are the characters of the musical? In what kind of world do they exist? If you had complete freedom of choice, what actors would you cast in your production? Emcee Sally Bowles Cliff Bradshaw Fraulein Schneider Herr Schultz Fraulein Kost Ernst Ludwig is a member of the Nazi Party and befriends Cliff Cabaret Girls Cabaret Boys are homosexual and work at the Kit Kat Klub 6. How many production crew/ staff are required to stage this production (during the season ignore pre-production)? Draw up a running crew list, with a description of what each person will be responsible for. Title Quantity Description of responsibility S7tage manager 1 Production week ensure all set building, lighting equipment, props, costumes, furniture and equipment ready. Do cue sheets, prop settings and running order Prepare assistant stage managers running plot Do lighting and sound synopsis Organise time fro technical rehearsal and dress rehearsal At technical rehearsal, make all final checks and discuss all effects with Director Time cues and calls in prompt book Finalize all elements of prompt book Attend dress rehearsal and note any problems. First night and performance run Check everything Remain calm Reset play after performances Give calls and check all actors and crew present Liaise with front of house staff Note any alterations or repairs necessary. Lighting Designer 1 Rehearsal: Go though the musical scene-by-scene with the Director to plan precise lighting details. Work out presets and cues and help stage manager to mark the prompt book Buy or hire equipment as needed Work out a lighting synopsis with the stage manager Production week: Rig and focus lighting fixtures Attend technical rehearsal and test lighting and solve problems Make final adjustments and prepare controls Lighting Operator 1 Program lighting cues as discussed during rehearsals with stage manager and director. Attend technical and dress rehearsals. Fix any problems with lighting designer. Assist with lighting designer with making final adjustments. Makes sure has all cues written in script Operate the lighting console for the session Sound Engineer/ operator 2 Attend Production meetings and rehearsals Research, planning and purchasing sound effects recordings, equipment, supplies Met with Director Hire and rig sound equipment Sound plot, mark in script with Director Attend final dress and technical rehearsals Operate the sound console for the session Orchestra 8 12 Rehearsal all music parts from the score with all members of the orchestra Conductor meets with director, stage manager and sound engineer to discuss cues for lead in and out. Organise the running of the show Attend all shows of the session, Stage Hands 4-6 Assist the stage manager. Move props and set pieces around the stage for each scene change. Organise the actors and escort and cues actors to when to come onto stage and off. Director 1 Is to organise and meet with every department to ensure that everyone is ready for the upcoming session week leading up to the opening night Polish final rehearsals. Make sure all problems have been solved before show commences. Attend light and sound plotting sessions Attend all rehearsal leading up to the show discuss notes. Set Designer 2 Attend Dress And Technical Rehearsals Make minor alterations Load in the set and help with the construction Supervise the Set Builders. Organise props Make notes of any problems in the last rehearsals leading up to opening night Make sure all props and sets have been finished been built and ready to be put in place on stage Transport set from work shop to theatre venue Costume Designer And makeup artist 6 Check all costumes are finished Make sure any last minute orders have arrived ready in time for opening night, eg wigs Attend all rehearsals leading up to show opening Have all actors in costume for the dress rehearsals Check make up, and add suggestions to individual makeup artist, check how all actors look on stage. Administration 10-12 Organise the box office Sell tickets Work in FOH; sales, bar, ushering Organise and arrange FOH displays, Print Programs Look after the audience. Organise the theatre ready for the audience members Attend final rehearsals Set Builder 6 Install the set Repair any wear and tear damagers Fix all the minor details and finishing touches to the set. Paint the set Assist the set designer 7. Design: How would you describe the imaginative world of the musical? What is its Location? What is the period of your production? The period of this production is set in Pre-World War Two 1930s in Berlin, the capital city of Germany. This should be a minimum of 300 words, and rather than giving a synopsis of the productions. Should give an understanding of what you liked about it why it inspired you. It should be a personal response to the production, and should at least touch on how the technical elements of the production supported the narrative. Wicked My experience in theatre has been with amateur productions it was exciting to see a professional show of the magnitude of Wicked. The stage for Wicked was imaginative and impressive. The lighting in Wicked was particularly inspiring and I could easily make connections to my past lighting experience such as in Wizard of Oz, an amateur production I was involved in with a similar storyline. I can see how aspects of Wicked could be incorporated into the Wizard of Oz production to make it more professional. Special effects were projected throughout the production to add to the set and properties, to portray illusions into the audience. The image of Glinda opening entrance when she descended in a bubble onto the stage was fabulous. Another example was seen in the creating of rain. I was awed by the lighting effects produced by the projectors to create the backdrop of the magical green sparkle on the backdrop of the map of Oz which was seen as the opening and closing of the production. In the final scene in Act one during the song Defining Gravity, Glinda is singing about her feelings of being scared, after she was tricked by the wizard to use her magical powers to turn the talking monkey into an evil flying monkey unable to talk. She uses her flying broom stick to escape, I was inspired by the lighting as it was used in a dramatic way as she rises into the air, use of prism scattered gobos in all 5 intelligent fixtures focuses on her as she ascended into the sky, creating a powerful silhouette of colour and rays of light in all directions, ending in a quick blackout to end the song a very powerful ending using the lighting. The use of lighting elements such as colours to create mood, gobos to add patterns and shapes allows the audience to move from reality to the imaginary world of Oz. In Wicked the attention to detail was very obvious. The use of fairy lights built into the set and the use of tracks to move sets on and off stage was amazing and resulted in an impressive production. My goal is to produce theatre as amazing and as professional as what I saw in this production especially in lighting and sound.

Sports, Athletes, and Weight Loss: Health Concerns Essay -- Health Nut

Weight Loss by Athletes and Health Concerns Waking up, sophomore Mike Fumagalli would peel off the garbage bags and layers of clothing he had worn to bed the night before hoping to "sweat away" some extra weight. Throughout the day, he would ask teachers to use their trashcans and would spit constantly. Sometimes, he would even cut his hair or sit in a sauna, all to lose a couple more pounds. Many people may wonder why someone would go to such extreme measures just to lose a few pounds. For Fumagalli, the answer was simply: "Everyone likes to win. That's why you cut weight." "Cutting weight" is a term that refers to a wrestler's attempt to lose a certain amount of weight in order to compete in a particular weight category in wrestling competitions. Some wrestlers choose to lose weight so they can find a spot on the team, said Keith Healy, varsity wrestling coach of the nationally ranked team at Smallville High School. Since only a certain number of slots are open per weight class, a wrestler may be beat out of a spot at one weight but perhaps can drop down to a lower weight where more openings are available. Junior Sean Randich said that cutting weight also could be important because as one moves down in weight classes it is easier to win. A common weight-loss method among the athletes is to wrap their body in garbage bags during exercise to maximize sweat loss, said Randich. He added that while the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) prohibits this method, it is still commonly practiced. JT wrestling coach "Mac" McLaughlin said that although he could not control what athletes did at home, at practice, garbage bags are not allowed. He added that most of his wrestlers, in fact, wear onl... ... children's bodies," said Haas. McLaughlin said that he tells parents, "If your kid looks like he's getting tired, souped out, stop." Healy also consults parents about their child's weight loss and said that before any wrestler on his team makes the decision to cut a large amount of weight, he first consults the parents. "Because of cutting weight, my mom doesn't like the whole sport," said Fumagalli. He said that while his mom was supportive in helping him cut weight by doing such things as making salads, she drew the line when he began to get sick. Fumagalli, who said he frequently cut weight in junior high, said he lost 12 pounds before this season but stopped when he started to get light-headed and dizzy. "There is a fine line between determination of sport and health," said Fumagalli. "Strength is more important than losing two pounds."

Emergency And Disaster Management Essay

There has been an increase in disasters in the world as exhibited in the recent past. Since time immemorial, disasters have been known to occur causing emergency situations in many parts of the world. As a result of disasters, there is loss of life, destruction of properties worth million of shillings, mass displacement of millions of people leading to refuge status, psychological trauma among other issues (Cuny, 1983, p. 29). However, the severity of the above results depends on a country’s disaster preparedness and mitigation measures that have been put in place. The modern world calls for quick response to disasters and various governments have formulated policies on how to deal with disasters and most importantly how to avoid them. Funds have been set aside that caters for any emergency situations that warrant a quick response by all sectors. According to Alexander (2002, p. 20), a disaster is a calamity which can be as a result of humans or can be natural and disposes a high risk to loss of life, deterioration of the health status of the affected, loss and destruction of properties and most at often causes environmental deterioration through loss of habitat and ecological imbalance. Disasters result from a failure to handle a risk factor in the vulnerable environment or people. It is unfortunate, that most disasters with tragic and greater consequences affect the so called developing countries as compared to industrialized nations. Hoffman & Smith (2002, p. 20), notes that greater than 95% of fatal cases as a result of disaster occurs in less industrialized nations. Furthermore, natural disasters account for more than 20 times the losses in developing countries as compared to the industrialized nations. Read more:Â  Role of State Government in Disaster Management Theses observations beg the question; what needs to be done in these developing nations so as to reduce the consequences of disasters. The answer can be found in developing an effective disaster management program to cater for emergencies. This essay focuses on development of a disaster management program specifically for China which is prone to disasters. It will tackle issues to do with hazard analysis, prevention, preparedness, response and the recovery plans in case of a disaster. Frequency and impact of disasters in China China as a country in the far eastern side of the Asian continent is prone to many natural and man-made disasters. In the recent past, it has topped in disaster occurrences in the world with rise in the death toll and destruction of properties. China has an occurrence of six of disasters in the world which are classified as deadly due to their severe consequences. Among this top six disasters, the leading three affected China leading to deaths calculated to be in millions of people (CRED, 2009, para. 4). Historically, the China floods of 1931 had the greatest death toll of over 2 million people followed by the Yellow River floods of 1887 which had a death toll of over 0. 9 million. Thirdly, the Shaanxi earthquake which occurred in 1556 claimed 0. 83 million lives. The frequency of occurrence of disasters in China has hindered both economic and social development of the country due to the resulting consequences. This has posed a challenge to the government of China in its effort to alleviate poverty mostly in the rural populations and in highly populated provinces. Efforts have been put in maintaining a data base for the disaster prone areas by organizations like International Disease Database (EM-DAT) and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. This data helps in identifying the most disaster prone areas so as efforts are enhanced to reduce the risks involved therefore mitigating the hazard (CRED, 2009, para. 3-6). China has had an increased risk to occurrence of disasters than any other in the continent of Asia. Recently in August of 2010, China has been affected by landslides that resulted in the death of at least 127 people while thousands were missing and many people had to be evacuated to safer grounds. In this same year hundreds of people were feared dead in the mountainous area of Qinnghai after a 6. 9 earthquake struck the area. The area is inhabited by poor people who are highly prone to this kind of disaster. In 2009, there was also earthquake that killed more than 5000 students. Also, mine blasts were recorded to have caused deaths in this same year (Poyzner, 2010, para. 5). In the year 2008, several earthquakes were reported that caused deaths that amounted to thousands of people. In the same year land slides were reported causing destruction of property and loss of lives. The year 2005 was marked by mine blasts that consumed several lives of mine workers. Virulent outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome were recorded which also consumed several lives. As observed from the above data, three major disasters affecting China are Earthquakes, landslides and floods (Ponserre & Hoyois, 2006, para. 2-7). Frequency and impacts of earthquakes, landslides and floods in China According to Young et al. (2007, p. 299), China is one of the countries that experiences very strong intra-continental seismicity that leads to the frequent occurrence of earthquakes in the country. High frequency has been noted in the Northern parts of China which have resulted into deaths of many people in that area. Occurrence of earthquakes in China is always catastrophic with china topping the list of the world’s earthquakes that have caused many loss of life. Since 1976, the Sichuan earthquake tops the list of casualties having caused the death of close to 70,000 people. Since then, the government of the People’s Republic of China took upon itself to come up with an earth quake administration that operated nationally. Among the duties of this institution were to conduct monitoring of occurrence of earthquakes, conduct research in areas that were recorded to be prone or vulnerable especially in the north. Additionally, they had the responsibility of coordinating all emergency efforts in case an earthquake occurred. The institution changed its name after being legally mandated by an Act in their legislative laws. In 1998, it became the China Earthquake Administration that oversees the independent earthquake administrations in the provinces and regions. The well coordinated efforts of this institution have seen quick emergency response to earthquake disasters thus minimizing the number of deaths. Earthquake occurrence in China is high compared to other nations around it. In this year alone, 300 people perished in April as a result of a 2. 9 earthquake. The year 2009 also recorded deaths from earthquakes. The year 2008 will remain remembered by many in China as in the month of May, over 50,000 people perished in southern China. The same quake caused a lot of destruction to infrastructure with 80% of buildings collapsing in one county. Earthquakes have a high occurrence in China with hardly a year passing without any reports of earthquake. Joint efforts are called for in case of emergencies. In China the army is involved in conducting evacuation of the victims, providing medical services to the ailing evacuees, they undertake construction works to open communication and provide temporary shelters to the affected. China has been said to be geologically vulnerable to occurrence of landslides mainly due its topography. Several factors come into play that influences the occurrence of landslides. This includes the climatic conditions mainly targeting on rainfall patterns, the soil type and its qualities and off course the soil covering in the said areas (Reilly, 2010, para. 5). Recently, there have been heavy rains in China which has resulted into a landslide in the hilly areas of Gansu. The landslide that occurred in the second week of August killed at least 127 people and left thousands missing. In addition, thousands of people had to be evacuated to safer grounds to reduce the casualty. In July, still several people were reported missing as a result of a landslide in the southern parts of China. In the year 2009, southern China also experienced a major landslide that caused a lot of destruction to buildings and infrastrures such as roads and bridges. The year 2008 was not left behind, with a landslide that occurred in a mine without an operating license killing 254 people. As indicated above the impacts of these disasters are many with death topping the list, loss of properties and infrastructure and movement of people thus having a percentage of people who are homeless in their own country? Nationally, theses disasters are a hindrance to economic growth and prosperity. They create disharmony in efforts to develop and are time and money consuming which would have been otherwise used somewhere else. Also, they create psychological stress and the people’s productivity is lowered. This has left many in poverty and relying on aid from well wishers and the government. The climatic conditions experienced in China exposes it to flooding. China experiences heavy rains in some seasons in the years causing breaking of river banks and the drainage system. What follows is flood waters everywhere especially in the low lying areas sometimes reaching heights of over one meter. Currently in the month of August, China has experienced heavy summer rains causing flooding and mudslides in the provinces of Gansu and Yunnan. In the recent months alone, floods and landslides have caused the death of more than 1,500 residents who were unlucky and failed to be evacuated. In the months of June and July, more than 4200 people had to be evacuated to safer grounds in a government coordinated rescue mission. A critical observation of flood data points the southern parts of China as the most vulnerable to flooding. China alone tops the world in the top six slots of the most catastrophic floods and landslides to be recorded in history. In the year 1931, the most catastrophic landslide in the world was recorded with deaths ranging from 2-4 million people. This flood also secures the first position as the top natural disaster in history having caused the highest number of loss of lives. Despite China being faced with lots of torrential rains in summer which cause floods, it produces a record grain harvest. However, the yields have been affected by the floods. Apart from deaths caused by floods, they also impact negatively on crop yield by destroying crops in the farming fields. This has led to loss of millions of yuans in the export market and also confounded poverty index in China (Watts, 2010, para. 6). Apart from this, the floods have left millions of the Chinese people who live in the low level farm lands homeless and without a source of livelihood. There have been government efforts to construct levees and also hydroelectric projects from the flood waters. The government has involved planners in developing projects that will see water being diversified into regions that receive less rainfall in the northern parts of the country. This will enable the excess water to be channeled to the arid regions. This will serve two purposes of controlling floods and trying to improve the agricultural activities in the north. Differences in frequencies and impacts of disasters The northern part of China has a diffuse zone which is prone to seismic activities as compared to other parts of China or even other countries. The plate tectonics theory as is known by geologists helps in understanding seismic actions in China. There are tectonic movements due to the influence of the Indo-Asian collision due to motions in the crust in the continental China. There is gravitational movement leading to spreading of the tectonic plates which has a major influence in the deformation of the crust in much of Asia. The northern China block experiences higher seismicity than the southern parts due to high stress forces in the northern plates. The south China lacks this stress forces and moves together as one block hence reduced or no seismic activity. Research has also shown that, as a result of previous seismic activity, an area is left prone to occurrences of similar stresses and seismic activity (Yang, 2007, p. 3). This explains the frequency of occurrence of tectonic earthquakes in the northern parts unlike in other areas of the continental Asia. China as indicated above has been faced by many catastrophic floods that have resulted into many losses. There are many causes of floods which lead to China being more vulnerable to them in comparison to other nations. First and foremost, China experiences heavy torrential rains in summer most in the southern parts of the country. The rains come in flashes which often supersedes the holding capacity of China’s drainage system. Most of the rivers in the affected areas break their banks leading to water spreading in the low lying areas which are mainly inhabited by the farmers. This causes havoc to their crops and their dwellings. In its efforts to industrialization, China has many factories and motor vehicles in their roads (Hilhorst, Dijkzeul & Herman, 2010, p. 122) This has led to pollution of the air and hence the ozone layer is destroyed. As a result global warming is accelerated and this has led to snowmelt in spring and the water going into the sea. The rise in sea level consequently causes a rise in the river levels which then breaks and cause flooding. The relief of China also hastens flooding. In the lowlands, the rivers will flow much slowly and any change in the water volume will cause flooding in the low lying areas. China borders the ocean in a very large area unlike other countries. The coastal areas experiences high tides and heavy storms that leads to rise in the sea level. If the level surpasses the level of the low lands at the coast, flooding occurs in these areas. In addition, the high population in China also may exacerbate the problem of flooding. The high population needs life necessities like food and shelter. As a result, they cultivate and inhabit the low lying areas which are prone to flooding. Their uncontrolled cultivation of the land will lead to soil erosion and the land cover is destroyed. The land is therefore left bare and with increased risks of floods during heavy rains. Many forces do interplay to hold the land surfaces together. The force of critical importance is friction which holds the various layers of the soil in a compact nature. Any interruption to this force of friction causes a slippery motion and results in landslides. Gravity plays the key factor in causation of landslides. If at any time the force of gravity supersedes the force of friction, a landslide will occur. Water is the common trigger of landslide since the sippage of water into the ground causes reduction of friction that exists between the bedrock and the upper sediment layers of soil. When this happens, debris of soil is sent downhill. Due to the torrential rainfall in China, landslides are imminent especially in the sloppy areas. China experiences a high frequency of earthquakes as compared to any other country. Consequently, the seismic waves cause vibration in the earth’s surface which upsets the existing frictional forces and causes landslides (Helmer & Hilhorst, 2006, p. 106). Landslides are therefore common in earthquake regions as well as areas prone to flooding. Volcanic eruptions have also been shown to result in landslides in areas that have recently experienced volcanic activity. In addition, human activities like blasting during mining process and vibrations as a result of heavy traffic also cause earthquakes. China has had its citizens lose their lives as a result of mine blasting activities as the mines collapse burying the miners alive. China has had its exceptional share of these disasters as a result of these predisposing factors. Conclusion In conclusion, disasters have continued affecting many parts of this world. Despite the preparations that are put in place a lot deserves to be enhanced to minimize the tendency of occurrence of disasters. While some natural disasters are inevitable as they are beyond human control, mitigational measures should be enhanced to take care of the rise in these cases. China tops the list of most fatal disasters that have been recorded in historical times. The top three have been the frequent earthquakes in the northern parts, deadly floods in the low lying areas which have brought havoc to the people inhabiting these areas and finally the landslides which also have caused destruction of property. With these disasters occurring frequently in china, the government has had to come up with an authority that is concerned with disaster management. It has a well established system of disaster mitigation which tends to prevent the disposing hazards turning into disasters. Secondly, they have preparedness measures that involve enhancing their capabilities to fight disasters. They also do have a well developed disaster response system (Harrald, 2006, p. 256). Finally, recovery measures are enhanced to return into normalcy. Whatever they do all efforts must be directed towards saving lives. References Alexander, D. (2002). Principles of Emergency planning and Management. Harpended: Terra publishing. CRED (2009). The International Disaster Database: EM-DAT. Retrieved 18/08/2010 from: http://www. unisdr. org/disaster-statistics/impact-killed. htm Cuny, F. (1983). Disasters and Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Harrald, J. (2006). Agility and Discipline: Critical Success Factors for Disaster Response. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 604, 256. Helmer, M. & Hilhorst, D. (2006). Natural Disasters and Climate Change. Disasters, 30 (3), 100- 107 Hilhorst, D, Dijkzeul, D. & Herman, J. (2010). Social Dynamics of Humanitarian Action. Disasters, 34 (3), 120-125. Hoffman. S. & Smith, A. (2002). Catastrophe and Culture: The Anthropology of Disaster. Santa Fe NM: School of American Research Press. Ponserre, S. & Hoyois, P. (2006). Disaster statistics 1991-2005. Internationa; Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Retrieved 18/08/2010 from: http://www. unisdr. org/disaster-statistics/introduction. htm Poyzner, M. (2010). China, Disasters Timeline. Retrieved 18/08/2010 from: http://www. mapreport. com/subtopics/d/countries/china. html Reilly, M. (2010). China’s Giant Landslide: Natural or Man-made Disaster? Discovery News. Retrieved 18/08/2010 from: http://news. discovery. com/earth/chinas-giant-landslide-natural-or-man-made-disaster. html Watts, J. (2010). China Devastated by Floods. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 18/08/2010 from: http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2010/jun/20/china-devastated-floods Yang, M. et al. (2007), Active Tectonics and Intracontinental Earthquakes in China: The Kinematics and Geodynamics. The Geology Society of America, 20 (5), 299-306.