The Winters Tale Leontes Essays

The Winters Tale Leontes Essays The Winters Tale Leontes Essay The Winters Tale Leontes Essay From sanity to madness in 350 lines. Explore the presentation of Leontes in Act 1 focussing closely on language and imageryAs with many of Shakespeares plays, we are introduced to the protagonist through the conversation of two of the more minor characters. We are instantly made aware of Leontes and Polixenes friendship. The fact that they were trained together in their childhoods combined with the reference to them as the states of which they are head (Sicilia and Bohemia) shows their importance. More interesting is the description of their relationship. Camillo states that:there rootedbetwixt them then such an affection which cannot choose butbranch nowShakespeares use of tree-like imagery and decision to use the verb branch leaves us with two possible interpretations of this sentence. To the first time reader, it probably suggests that their relationship will thrive and proliferate. On second reading, however, this choice of language could be seen as prophe tically ironic in the sense that it predicts their divergence in opposite directions.In order for us to understand the background to Leontes downfall, Shakespeare exposes us to his relationships with the two other protagonists. Leontes refers to Polixenes, who Camillo has already told us is a childhood friend, as brother. In this circumstance, it is meant as a term of endearment. However, just 130 lines later, he asks Polixenes How ist with you, best brother?. This time brother, coupled with the sarcastic and equally plosive best, rings hollow and contains little affection.It is also essential to understand his relationship with Hermione. In the second scene, she appears very docile. She does not speak until addressed as our queen, again a term of endearment. When she does speak, she refers to her husband as sir, showing that she upholds respect for him and that he is the power figure.Almost instantly after introducing this sanity, we tumble into madness. Shakespeare interjects this paranoia quite unexpectedly, when Leontes realises that at my request he [Polixenes] would not stay with them in Sicily for longer, but at Hermiones request he will.One method Shakespeare uses to illustrate this is by Leontes picking up on seemingly innocuous words used by his wife and twisting their meaning into something far more suspect. One example is Hermiones reaction to his accusations:Hermione What is this Sport?Leontes Bear the boy hence; he shall not come about her.Away with him, and let her sport herself.Leontes takes Hermiones response, which she said in confusion as to whether or not he is being farcical, and, in his paranoia, plays on the term as if she is playing a role in an undefined game with Polixenes. This literary method can also be seen during his conversation alone with Camillo when he twists his usage of the term satisfy to a far more sexual definition.His erratic mind is perhaps best illustrated in one of his initial speeches. As with sport in the previous extract, Leontes picks up on his own use of the verb play. He switches from telling his son to innocently go, play, boy, play to a far more sinister your mother plays in one single line. This erratic mind is also illustrated through Shakepeares use of syntax. Some lines, such as the first three, a regularly punctuated and contain caesuras causing a reader to speak in a rapid and erratic manner. Equally, the seventh to fifteenth line contains one long sentence with little punctuation. The lack of pauses causes the sentence to pick up pace and sound equally as insane as the previous lines.His choice of language is equally effective on an aural level. He juxtapositions the sibilant sounds of issue and hiss with the plosive sounds of contempt and clamour. This contrast of tones aids the speechs erratic overtones.Leontes paranoia is perhaps best illustrated through his use of very exaggerated imagery, which, juxtapositioned with his term of endearment a few lines prior, show his deterior ated state. In this speech, Shakepeare uses metaphors relating to an invaded piece of property. His references to a gate opened and a barricado, show how he considers Hermione to be a possession, which has been taken from him.He also portrays Hermione using imagery relating to the lowest and least respected members of their society. He calls her a hobby-horse (whore) and as wrank as any flax-wench. These terms are shocking images for the audience to be presented with when, on stage, Hermione seems a respectable queen. This shock is shown by Camillo who, when confronted with Leontes suspicion, feels he must defend his queen referring to her as his sovereign mistress. Further imagery such as sluiced has an equally shocking and vulgar effect.His use of similes is very effective. He announces that women will say anything and that they are false as oer-dyed blacks, as wind, as waters, false as dice are to be wished by one that fixes. These extensive exaggerations show his insanity becaus e, as a member of the audience who can tell that his wifes liaisons are completely fictitious, can see the dramatic irony of how detailed he is about something false and how obsessive he is becoming. As the speech containing the aforementioned extract continues, he continues to use repetition and questions, which emphasise his confused state.Once he has become undoubtedly paranoid, it would be easy for the audience to forget his initial state, thus making his paranoia seem less of a change. In order to overcome this hurdle, Shakespeare juxtapositions his short, direct and rational commands when in company (You, my lords, look on her and mark her well) with his rambling, overstated speeches. Many of his speeches are presented as asides. This has the effect of separating his thoughts from the real world and emphasising to the audience that this entire saga is purely part of his imagination.Through his careful juxtapositions and use of exaggerated language and imagery, Shakespeare succ essfully presents the downfall of Leontes in a single scene.

US Budget Deficit History

US Budget Deficit History The budget deficit is the difference between the money federal government takes in, called receipts, and what it spends, called outlays  each year. The U.S. government has run a multibillion-dollar deficit almost every year in modern history, spending much more than it takes in. The opposite of a budget deficit, a budget surplus occurs when the government’s revenue exceeds current expenditures resulting in an excess of money that can be used as needed. In fact, the government has recorded budget  surpluses in only five years since 1969, most of them under Democratic President Bill Clinton.   In all-too-rare times when revenue equals spending, the budget is called â€Å"balanced.†Ã‚   [  Debt Ceiling History  ] Running a budget deficit adds to the national debt and, in the past, has forced Congress to increase the debt ceiling under numerous presidential administrations, both Republican and Democrat, to allow the government to meet its statutory obligations. Although federal deficits have shrunk markedly in recent years, the CBO projects that under current law increased spending for Social Security and major health care programs, like Medicare, along with increasing interest costs will cause the national debt to rise steadily over the long term. The larger deficits would cause federal debt to grow faster than the economy. By 2040, CBO projects, the national debt will be more than 100% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and continue on an upward path – â€Å"a trend that cannot be sustained indefinitely,† notes the CBO.   Notice particularly the sudden jump in the deficit from $162 billion in 2007, to $1.4 trillion in 2009. This increase was due primarily to spending for special, temporary government programs intended to re-stimulate the economy during the great recession of that period. Here is the actual and projected budget deficit or surplus by fiscal year, according to Congressional Budget Office data for modern history. 2021 -  $916 billion budget deficit (projected)2020 - $987  billion budget deficit (projected)2019 - $984  billion budget deficit (projected)2018 - $833  billion budget deficit (projected)2017 - $665  billion budget deficit2016 - $585  billion budget deficit2015 - $439  billion budget deficit2014 - $514 billion budget deficit2013 - $719 billion budget deficit 2012 - $1.1 trillion budget deficit 2011 - $1.3 trillion budget deficit 2010 - $1.3 trillion budget deficit 2009 - $1.4 trillion budget deficit 2008 - $455 billion budget deficit 2007 - $162 billion budget deficit 2006 - $248.2 billion budget deficit 2005 - $319 billion budget deficit 2004 - $412.7 billion budget deficit 2003 - $377.6 billion budget deficit 2002 - $157.8 billion budget deficit 2001 - $128.2 billion budget surplus 2000 - $236.2 billion budget surplus 1999 - $125.6 billion budget surplus 1998 - $69.3 billion budget surplus 1997 - $21.9 billion budget deficit 1996 - $107.4 billion budget deficit 1995 - $164 billion budget deficit 1994 - $203.2 billion budget deficit 1993 - $255.1 billion budget deficit 1992 - $290.3 billion budget deficit 1991 - $269.2 billion budget deficit 1990 - $221 billion budget deficit 1989 - $152.6 billion budget deficit 1988 - $155.2 billion budget deficit 1987 - $149.7 billion budget deficit 1986 - $221.2 billion budget deficit 1985 - $212.3 billion budget deficit 1984 - $185.4 billion budget deficit 1983 - $207.8 billion budget deficit 1982 - $128 billion budget deficit 1981 - $79 billion budget deficit 1980 - $73.8 billion budget deficit 1979 - $40.7 billion budget deficit 1978 - $59.2 billion budget deficit 1977 - $53.7 billion budget deficit 1976 - $73.7 billion budget deficit 1975 - $53.2 billion budget deficit 1974 - $6.1 billion budget deficit 1973 - $14.9 billion budget deficit 1972 - $23.4 billion budget deficit 1971 - $23 billion budget deficit 1970 - $2.8 billion budget deficit 1969 - $3.2 billion budget surplus Looking at the Deficit as a Percent of GDP In order to put the federal deficit into proper perspective, it must be viewed in terms of the government’s ability to pay it back. Economists do this by comparing the deficit to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)- the measure of the overall size and strength of the U.S. economy. This â€Å"debt-to-GDP ratio† is a ratio between the cumulative government debt and the GDP over time. A low debt-to-GDP ratio indicates that the nation’s economy is producing and selling enough goods and services to pay back the federal deficit without incurring further debt. In simple terms, a larger economy can sustain a larger budget, and thus a larger budget deficit. According to the Senate Budget Committee, in the fiscal year 2017, the federal deficit was 3.4% of GDP. For the fiscal year 2018, when the U.S. government operated under its largest budget in history, the deficit was estimated to be 4.2% of GDP.   Remember, the lower the debt-to-GDP percentage, the better. Clearly, the more you spend, the harder it is to pay back your debts.

3 works of art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3 works of art - Essay Example d people are casually having conversations with each other while partying though in a moderate manner not as most young people’s style of current clubbing. The artist to bring out then impressionistic taste, he utilized intensively harmony and balance aspects coupled with rich colors in defining the exact appearance of the entire landscape’s components. This is evident in the way he manages to give clear and well-defined images like people’s skin color, their clothes and varied delicacies including wine on the table. The location depicted in this picture is along Seine River where the impressionist together with his wife and fellow colleague Gustave Caillebotte held a party for their friends. The most striking aspect in this encompasses the setting of the entire party and varied delicacies found on the table besides people’s clothing having a taste of French. Hence, this signifies the changing of French social interaction during late 19Th period due to inf luence from the then Industrial Revolution. Through this artwork, the viewer is capable seeing a barmaid standing behind a serving table and other reflected images of quests in a partying joint seated. This artwork depicts the then French social class especially in partying joints including bars where after liberation of the female gender one was capable of partying freely and without any intimidation with men. However, based on Manet’s mode of painting, besides the woman in this image selling varied types of wines and fruits, she is also selling herself as a prostitute. The depiction of this notion is by the presence of oranges, which Manet through his works associated with prostitution. This particular Manet’s image whose location is a bar, since its painting and introduction to the public for scrutiny has attracted numerous criticisms by scholars. The most intriguing aspect that catches the eye of the viewer encompasses the two images of a man and woman whereby the latter stares in front of her

Rudi Volti's Definition of Technology (History Paper) Essay

Rudi Volti's Definition of Technology (History Paper) - Essay Example . The need based correspondence between knowledge, organizational forms and physical objects to develop innovations are evident from monarchial systems to the agricultural systems as explained in the Volt's theory. Motivated by the urge to irrigate the agricultural fields, the farmer uses his skills to operate the water screw where both knowledge and the organization form is represented. In this case farmer represents the sole operator and the farm fields symbolizes the physical product .By describing how the interconnectedness between the application of knowledge, organizational forms and physical objects pertain to technical innovation Judaeus satisfactorily depicts Volti's definition of technology. The methods for effective transfer of the information related to any technological component are the drawings .All the engineering drawings are considered to constitute a universal language uninfluenced by cultural and societal variations. It is expected that information contained in it need to be comprehensible to all. But the British policy makers had a different opinion to say. According to them even the engineering presentations like drawings and various visual matters were significantly influenced by "culture, values, institutions and social relations of creators and users" (Brown, 2000,1). The effect of the roles played by the drawings in improving the professionalizing the engineering activities are explained from examples from locomotive and car designs in Britain and America. Another reason that is identified for the better capacity in design drafting is the demand exerted by the markets in both Britain and United States. The need for custom based products with emphasis for individual needs is the prime reason for creation of such a demand. The literature available shows conversion of novel designs to drafting , the firms have reduced the risk of failure besides achieving better efficiency and order (Brown, 2000,1). This have helped in the mergence of newer drafting offices that supported the production process in different sectors. Also the regional variation in the technological development is also discussed in the literature. The American approach was by introduction of design elements that are standarized while the british counterparts often worked on design creativity that led to the product development that matched the customer demand. The philosophy here was to have high quality production with very low managerial cost (Brown, 2000,1). The spread of the technology was mostly due to the movement of people who had the information from one place to the other. It was mostly gained from the personal experience guarded by the individual interests. Thus the effective diffusion of technology is dependent on the movement and interaction with the people who possessed it rather than the wide publicizing of the literature related to it (Belfanti, 2004,1). Another important motivation for the increased mobility and assembling of skilled workforce was the institutional innovations proposed in the modern era. The State laws enacted by European countries proposed to "reward and safeguard" the inventions (Belfanti, 2004,1)

Aryabhata I and How He Influenced Math Essay Example for Free

Aryabhata I and How He Influenced Math Essay Aryabhata I was born in Kerala, India, but moved to Kusumapura early in life. His contribution to mathematics and science is vast, from approximating Pi better than anyone in his time period to deducing the Earth is round. He had many scientific and mathematic discoveries, which he wrote about in his book, the Aryabhatiya. He declared that the Earth rotates on its own axis and used logic to determine that this is what created night and day. (Jain) Part of Aryabhata’s fame was brought by his debunking myths of both religious and general varieties. Instead of the previously believed â€Å"fact† distributed by the Hindu priests that it was a demon’s head named Rahu swallowing the sun and moon, Aryabhata proved them wrong by driving the theory that eclipses happen because of the shadow given off by the earth and moon in place of the Hindu myth. Another myth he disproved by declaration was the thought that the moon gave off its own light, giving it the glow that dominated the night sky. In 499 A.D., at age 23, he wrote Aryabhatiya, which would be known as his famous astronomical opus. As a result of his paper, the Gupta dynasty ruler, Buddhagupta, gave him the title of Head of the Nalanda University to recognize his intellect (Kumar). Later, it is believed that he wrote another book, called the Aryabhata-siddhanta, but it is now lost (Jain). The book is split into three parts: the Ganita, which translates to Mathematics; the Kala-Kriya, which contains Time Calculations; and the Gola, which is mainly sphere mathemati cs. The Ganita is astonishing because of its lack of proof concerning the 66 rules it provides (â€Å"Aryabhata I†). Aryabhata’s mind is also the basis of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. He created the equation for finding the circumference of a circle using the radius instead of the diameter, like the Greeks used. For  this equation, C = 2Ï€r2, he had to have a close value for Ï€, which he successfully approximated somehow, and shared his discovery in Aryabhatiya: â€Å"’Add four to one hundred, multiply by eight and then add sixty-two thousand. The result is approximately the circumference of a circle of diameter twenty thousand. By this rule the relation of the circumference to diameter is given.’ In other words, n = 62382/20000 = 3.1416, correct to four rounded-off decimal places† (Jacobs). The advancements on finding the numerical value of Ï€ have dramatically increased since then, having calculated numbers on the upside of 5 trillion. His contributions to the mathematical world are still vast, and his discoveries are the foundation for modern algebr a and through that, most of math overall. Aryabhata I calculated the length of a sidereal rotation and year in his book as well. As for the sidereal rotation, he used the stars to determine that the time per day was 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds. The present value is 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.091 seconds. For the sidereal year, he found it to be 365 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds, when the modern calculation is a mere 3 minutes and 20 seconds less than Aryabhata’s value. Aryabhata also impacted Trigonometry by his definitions of sine (jya), cosine (kojya), versine (utkrama-jya), and inverse sine (otkram jya). â€Å"He was the first to specify sine and versine (1-cos x) tables, in 3.75 ° intervals from 0 ° to 90 °, to an accuracy of 4 decimal places† (Kumar). The modern names â€Å"sine† and â€Å"cosine† are also believed to be mistranslations of the words introduced by Aryabhata, Jya and Kojya. In the field of Algebra, he provided results for the summation of series of squares: He did not disappoint the series of cubes: As for remembering the great Aryabhata, he has many colleges named after him, such as the Aryabhata Knowledge University in Bihar and the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIOS) near Nainital, India. India’s first satellite also shared his name. (Kumar) Works Cited Aryabhata I. Medieval History. About.com, 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. . Jacobs, James Q. The Àryabhatà ­ya of Àryabhata. The Àryabhatà ­ya of Àryabhata by J. Q. Jacobs. J.Q. Jacobs, 1997. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. . Jain, Ankur. Aryabhatta Biography. Aryabhatta Scientists | Biography. Study Helpline, 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. . Kumar, Amit. Aryabhatta- The Great Indian Mathematician. The Braves and Smarts. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. . OConnor, J.J., and E.F. Robertson. Aryabhata the Elder. School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Nov. 2000. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. .

Gun Control vs. Gun Rights Essay -- Second Amendment The Right To Bear

The second amendment states â€Å" The right of the people to keep and bear arms†. What does that mean to us, basically and person in the United States is allowed to own and keep a fire arm in house. Gun control advocates believe that right does not extend to ownership of military-style firearms that are otherwise known as assault weapons. To curb gun-related violence certain checks are made, such as mandatory child safety locks, background checks on those wishing to purchase a gun, limits on the number of guns a person can buy and raising the age limit for gun ownership. Gun rights groups, led by the National Rifle Assocation, argue that these and other proposals infringe on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. They maintain that bans on the sale of certain types of weapons h...

Psychology and Stress

One of things that we all experience is stress. Stress does not judge, it affects the rich, the poor, whites, blacks, male or female, children and adults. Some people may have higher stress levels depending on their livestyles. Stress is the â€Å"wear and tear† our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feeling. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action that may result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective.As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach rashes, insomnia, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke or depression. â€Å"Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide† World Health Organization. Depression is also the leading cause of suicides, â€Å"The second leading cause o f death among college students is suicide† Hardy. Many times, however, stress can become chronic and may last for a week or more.This chronic condition often results from humans’ ability to project their thoughts into the future, such as when a person keeps a recurrent and stressful thought in his or her mind. Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and that may be a factor in disease causation. Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress can include trauma, infections, toxins, illnesses, and injuries of any sort. Emotional causes of stress and tension are numerous and varied.While many people associate the term â€Å"stress† with psychological stress, scientists and physicians use this term to denote any force that impairs the stability and balance of bodily functions. Stress is the combination of psychological and behavioral reactions that people have in response to events that threate n or challenge them. Stress can be good or bad. Sometimes, stress is helpful providing people with the extra energy or alertness’ they need. Stress could give the runner the edge he or she needs to persevere in a marathon, for example.Moreover, stress can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety disorders. This bad kind of stress is called distress, the kind of stress that people usually are referring to when they use the word stress. A convenient way to think about stress is in the terms of stressors and stress responses. Stressors are events that lead to stress, such as having to make decisions, getting married and natural disasters. Stress responses are psychological, psychological and behavioral reactions to stressors.Anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties and muscle tension are all example of stress responses. The connection between stressors and stress responses however, is not as straight forward as it may see m. Mediating processes, for instance, stand in between stressors and stress responses. Whether stressors lead to stress responses depends on mediating processes like how people appraise potential stressors and how well people are able to cope with the negative impact of stressors. Furthermore, a number of moderation factors, such as personality traits and health habits, influence the links between stressors and stress responses. These mediating processes and moderating factors help determine whether people experience stress-related problems like burnout, mental disorders, and physical illness and are the focus of many stress management techniques that emphasize cognitive-behavioral approaches, relaxation, exercise, diet and nutrition and medication. † (Smither 1994) Sources of stress stressors, the sources of stress, include three types of events, referred to as daily hassles, major life events and catastrophes. Additionally specific types of stressors occurs within certain do mains in life such as family, work and school.Stressors are daily hassels or annoyances that occurs practically every day, such as having to make decisions, arguing with friends and family, trying to meet deadlines at school or work, and stepping on a piece of bubble gum that someone carelessly spitted out. Although a wide variety of daily hassles can be sources of stress, they often involve conflicts between behaviors people may or may not want to do. Kompier (1994) stated if someone is experiencing an approach-approach conflict, that person has to choose between two attractive alternatives, such as going on vacation or buying a new computer.Kompier (1994) stated if someone is experiencing an avoidance-avoidance conflict, that person has to choose between two unattractive alternatives, such as having a pet put to sleep or spending the money on an expensive surgical procedure for it. In general, major life events do not appear to be significant sources of stress. Accordingly, major life events generally do not tend to be related to the health problems that accompany stress. Under some circumstances, however, major life events can be sources of stress. Whether major life events involve positive or negative feelings, for instance is relevant.Major life events that are positive tend to have either trivially stressful or actually beneficial effects, but major life events that are negative can be stressful and are associated with medical problems. Examples of major life events are getting married, getting divorced and being fired from a job. Although they do not happen very often, when catastrophes do occur, they can be tremendous sources of stress. â€Å"Stress Responses although the presence of stressors does not mean that stress responses will necessarily follow, when they do, stress responses are the way in which people react to stressors.They are the experience of being stressed. Stress responses can be divide into three categories: psychological responses, a nd behavioral responses. † (Manson, 2000) Psychological responses are when people react to stressors, a wide variety of cognitive and emotional responses can occur. According to Fleishman (1997), â€Å"Examples of cognitive responses are as follows: Concentration problems Indecision Forgetfulness Sensitivity to criticism Self-critical thoughts Rigid attitudes. Physiological responses follow what is called the general adaption syndrome. Behavioral Responses People act differently when they are reacting to stressors.Sometimes the behaviors are somewhat subtle, such as the following responses: strained facial expressions a shaky voice, tremors, or spasms, jumpiness, accident proneness, difficulty sleeping, over eating or loss of appetite. † The connection between stressors and stress responses stressors prompt stress responses, right? Well it depends. A number of conscious and unconscious things occur in our inner world that determines whether a stressor in the external wo rld will trigger our stress response. Robbins noted that: â€Å"These inner world happenings are referred to as mediating processes and moderating factors.Alternatively, believe that a stressor is controllable, even if it really is not, tends to make it less stressful. When people are exposed to loud noises, for example they tend to see it as less stressful when they are able to stop it, even if they do not bother to stop it. how much more stressful a stressor becomes from feeling a lack of control over it depends, however on the extent to which the cause of the stressor is seen as stable or unstable, global or specific, and internal or external. † â€Å"Stable and unstable causes represent causes that are enduring and temporary, respectively.Global and specific causes represent causes that are the relevant to many events and relevant to a single occasion, respectively. Internal and external causes represent causes that are the result of personal characteristics and behavior s or the result of environmental forces, respectively. † (Manson, 2000) Stress is a part of normal life. It is impossible to completely eliminate stress, and it would not be advisable to do so. Instead, we can learn to manage stress so that we have control over our stress and its effects on our physical and mental health. Stress comes in all forms and affects persons of all ages and all walks of life. No external standards can be applied to predict stress levels in individuals – one need not to have traditionally stressful job to experience work place stress, just as a parent of one child may experience more parental stress than a parent of several children. † (Robbins). The degree of stress in our lives is highly dependent upon individual factors as you’ve read such as our physical health, the quality of our interpersonal relationships, the amount of support we receive from other and the number of changes or traumatic events that we have recently occurred in our lives.Works Cited â€Å"Facts on Stress. † Washington Post. The Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2007. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. . Hardy, Marcelina. â€Å"Statistics on College Student Stress. † LoveToKnow. N. p. , n. d. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. . Kompier, M. (1994). Stress at work: Does it concern you? Shankill, Ireland: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living & Working Conditions. Robbins, S. (1996).Organizational behavior: concepts. Controversies, applications. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc. Smither, R. D. (1994). The psychology of work and human performance. New York: Harper & Row. Fleishman, E. A. (1997). Stress and performance effectiveness. Hillsdale, N. J. :L. Erlbaum Associates. Manson, L. (200). Facts about stress [on-line]. Available: http://stress. about. com/cs/copingskills/a/stress101a. htm http://www. statisticbrain. com/stress-statistics/ http://stress. lovetoknow. com/Statistics_on_College_Student_Stress

Moby Dick, Sophie’s World, East of Eden Essay

In today’s society, the issues of fate and free will are hotly debated, drawing in heated discussions of religion, chance, and the extent of free will. While some believe we have a significant amount of control over our lives exercised through free will in our choices, others believe an entirely different power is at hand in controlling our lives. These issues often find themselves associated in literature, with examples such as John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World. Among these books, there are different interpretations on the role of fate and free will in human life. In particular, these three different works of literature express varying shows of balance between fate and free will, and how easily that balance can be changed. Ultimately, it is the decisions made by the different characters, the reasons behind their choices, and the respective consequences that ensue that lead understanding of the different demonstrations of the authors’ interpretations of free will and fate. Free will and fate are often regarded in terms of a balance, in that there is some of life that is controllable by using choice, represented as our free will, while there is still another portion where there is little to no control, something we call fate. This observation of a balance between free will and fate is especially seen in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. In Moby Dick, Ishmael, our protagonist, finds himself in the company of Queequeg, the chief harpooner aboard the Pequod. While together, Ishmael and Queequeg weave a mat, with Ishmael passing the shuttle through the threads on the loom while Queequeg strikes the woof with his sword, to tamp down the threads. During their weaving, Ishmael makes an observation in that their current activity was like how fate, free will, and chance worked, thinking, â€Å"it seemed as if this were the Loom of Time, and I myself were a shuttle mechanically weaving and weaving away at the fates†. Ishmael compares fate to the â€Å"fixed threads of warped of the warp subject to but one unchanging vibration† on the loom. He then connects free will to his actions, â€Å"with my own hand, I ply my own shuttle and weave my own destiny into these unalterable threads†. He puts t he final pieces together by saying that chance is like when Queequeg strikes the woof, being he was â€Å"sometimes hitting the woof slantingly, or crookedly, or strongly, or weakly† that led to â€Å"producing a corresponding contrast in the final aspect of the completed fabric†. His connection with the mat making and fate demonstrated his perspective of the balance between fate and free will, and perhaps brings to light one of the more major themes of Moby Dick. He believes that free will is bound by fixed limitations we perceive as fate, and that our choices are limited to what we can weave around our limitations, with the exception of random occurrences called chance, which can alter the limitations fate puts on our expressed free will. In Moby Dick, different motive often leads to different choices, which overall comes together to establish various consequences. Queequeg, one of the crewmembers under Captain Ahab, had fallen ill while aboard the Pequod. In absence of proper medicine and medical attention, the most obvious conclusion was that Queequeg was going to die aboard the ship. He had even prepared for death by having a coffin made for him. At the end of it all, when it had seemed that fate had established his end, Queequeg simply claimed that he re membered he had some duties left to do ashore, and that he still had responsibilities. With his own will, he tried defy fate by recovering from his illness, attempting to give himself time to do his business ashore. The fact that the motive behind his prolonging of death was due to his responsibilities, one could easily interpret his decisions as noble and respectable. However, Queequeg was but one of the two members of the Pequod who attempted to defy fate, the other of which being none other than the captain himself, Captain Ahab. After losing his leg in an encounter with Moby Dick, Captain Ahab had grown rather obsessed with capturing Moby Dick, much to the point of giving up his sanity. However with all the stories of the great sperm whale, and even now knowing how destructive the whale could be, it was safe to say his search for the whale was ill-fated. However, even with fate clearly saying that his trip would lead to his own demise and possibly more, he was determined to capture Moby Dick purely out of spite and vengeance, two reasons that are often seen in negative light. What it all came down to was Queequeg’s noble intentions in trying to defy fate allowed him to recover from his illness and gave him more time, while Captain Ahab’s bitter motives ultimately led to not only the demise of the Pequod and its crew (excluding Ishmael), but also that of his own. Perhaps this brings to light another major theme of Moby Dick, in that it is ultimately our decisions in life and the reasons behind them that shape up how fate operates in our individual lives. This, along with the idea of the existence of human free will limited by fate yet alterable by chance, establishes the general idea of fate and free will have a crucial roles in making it possible to understand and comprehend Moby Dick and all of its themes. Just as fate and free will have important roles in determining how life is experienced by an individual, they also have key roles and determining of how an individual behaves. In a sense, it’s almost as if the decision of how a human is natured is a determinant in establishing the line between good vs. evil in a person. This good vs. evil concept could especially be seen in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Caleb Trask, the protagonist, struggles throughout the book while in a fight where he tries to suppress and overcome his inner demons. Caleb, son of Adam and Cathy, had lived his life in the shadow of his brother Aron, who was obviously in better light with his father. While Aron symbolically was the embodiment of all that was good, Caleb was the opposite, having had embodied evil, like his mothe r. However, Caleb demonstrates the usage of free will in the struggle of overcoming evil. This is clearly shown during the confrontation of him and his mother, and his realization that Cathy is a prostitute. When Caleb meets with Cathy, Cathy tries to convince Caleb that in addition to her being evil herself, he also has the same evil within himself, and that he is more like her than he knows. However, he realizes otherwise, that he has choice in whether or not he would be evil. At the end of their conversation, Caleb reminisces on what Lee said, saying that, â€Å"I was afraid I had you in me†¦ [But] I’m my own. I don’t have to be you†. At this part of the story, Caleb demonstrates understanding of one of the major themes of the story, simply known as Timshel. Caleb realizes that it is his choice, his own free will to overcome evil. He establishes that while there is evil in all of us, we are all capable of overcoming that evil, and choosing whatever path we wish to walk, all by using free will. While Caleb had ultimately come to the conclusion that morality is a free choice, other characters of East of Eden had other interpretations of morality. Aron, Caleb’s brother, for example had a problem with the overcoming of evil. His world had been neatly put together for him so that he only had to face good in life, to the point where his mother’s evil proved too much for him. Cathy, had been convinced that world was nothing but evil, and therefore accepted it and settled for using deception in order to advance in life. In the end, however, the evil she had spent her life embodying herself in proved to be just as overwhelming to her as it was to her son Aron, and she ultimately commits suicide. Caleb, standing at the crossroads of good and evil, successfully applies Lee’s advice and realizes morality is free choice, and that free will and determination are enough to overcome evil and lead a life of righteousness. By accepting that humans are imperfect and sinful, Caleb was able to realize that humans don’t need to be perfect to be good, and that true goodness comes after overcoming evil. Because he had applied Timshel in his life he became capable of living a controllable life, one with a moral destiny that truly belonged to him. John Steinbeck’s in-depth coverage of the story of Caleb and his choices truly make Timshel, or â€Å"thou mayest†, a very powerful and key theme in East of Eden. The role of free will in this story establishes the fact that e vil can be overcome by human, regardless of fate, and all up to moral decision. Just as previously stated and seen in books like Moby Dick and East of Eden, free will and fate are often seen as in a balance, sometimes with the weight over on fate’s side or vice versa. However, there are instances where free will can completely overcome fate in cases where it doesn’t seem to the slightest bit possible. Such an example of impossible overcoming of fate with free will can be seen in Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World. In Sophie’s World, the story of Sophie, a 14 year old girl who undergoes philosophy lessons, is followed. Sophie, who consistently receives notes not addressed to her but with ponderous questions such as â€Å"Who are you†, believes that her life is practical, and that she is living her own life. However though a complicated turn of events, it is shown that Sophie, along with her philosophy teacher Alberto, are both part of another man’s imagination, characters of his mind. Albert Knag, the man behind it a ll, can be seen as fate, in that he controls what happens to Sophie and Alberto showing that they do not truly have a choice, and that their sense of free will was but an illusion. Though the odds against them are tremendous, being they are characters in Knag’s book and in his mind, Sophie shows a giant show of free will and escape, using the help of Alberto. Using nothing but free will, Sophie does the impossible and escapes the book and becomes a spirit, able to roam the world but fated to have limited interaction with the world. However, it is shown that Sophie plans on attempting on have more and more influence in the real world and that she is not content with being an invisible person forever. Gaarder demonstrates a theme of how limitless free will truly is, and how fate can be overcome regardless of how the odds are stacked. With all three of these literary pieces, there is a similarity in that all three books cover the topic of fate and free will. However, these three books show different interpretations of the extent of the two factors, and what is and isn’t possible when interacting with the two. Such as in the case of Moby Dick, free will and fate are shown to be in a balance, with the two working around each other nicely. It is also seen that fate cannot be overcome, in that the demise of the entire crew was inevitable. In East of Eden, fate and free will were shown to have impact on how a person is perceived as good or evil, and how free will can potential allow one to completely overcome evil. In the case of fate, free will is shown to be able to overcome it, however only with tremendous effort and understanding. Similarly, in Sophie’s World, fate was able to be overcome, but again, only with a tremendous amount of effort and understanding. These three books together and their respec tive morals and themes can be directly applied to daily life. Free will and fate do have roles in human life, in that misfortunes can often be presented and perceived as fate, and naturally actions in the form of free will can additionally play in overcoming those misfortunes. By utilizing and exercising free will in daily life, the perception of fate as being something completely uncontrollable can easily be brought down to a more containable entity. Moreover, with the understanding of free will and fate that these three books offer, the opportunity for a life with a controllable moral future becomes available. In these three novels, the overall theme of a relation between free will and fate is existent. Respectively, the three authors of these books show their own interpretations of how fate and free will coincide, and how much control humans have on their own fate, or just how much free will they can exercise. However it is seen in all three books that with enough exercise of free will in the right light, positive events may occur, such as East of Eden’s Caleb overcoming evil, Moby Dick’s Queequeg recovery from his almost certain fatal illness, and Sophie’s World’s Sophie, who escaped her confinements of being a controlled character in another man’s mind. Though the authors may have had their own unique interpretation of fate and free will, with their respective limits, the overall message that all three authors would most likely agree on would be humans are given a tremendous amount of free will and are presented with different kinds of fate, and that what they choose to do with that free will ultimately decides how much fate will control their life.

Reception of Al Pacino

Reception of Al Pacino Introduction Al Pacino is widely known for his villainous roles in The Devil’s Advocate, Scarface, The God father and several others. His depiction of these roles resonated with audiences owing to its unconventionality and charisma.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reception of Al Pacino specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reception of Al Pacino by fans and reviewers Reviewers thought that Al Pacino’s depiction of gangsters was quite unusual but refreshing. Not only did the actor portray those roles with great depth, but he also handled the various complexities of their characters flawlessly. The genre had been marred by depictions of gangsters as distasteful individuals whose interactions with their families largely centred on disagreements with them. However, Al Pacino, in The Godfather, sought to depict another side of the mafia life. The film supported the notion that these were organisations in which t heir leaders’ families were royalty. The head would protect his family and work alongside them to get compensation for his work. 1 The author Barbas Samantha explains why certain fan bases existed for an actor, such as Al Pacino. The proliferation of the mass media as well as modernisation in the early 1900s meant that the relevance of religion had diminished. Furthermore, crowded cities had no room for the sincerity and morality preached in the nineteenth century. At the time, individuals needed to look for a way of redefining themselves and standing out from the crowd. Therefore, society created the notions of charisma, style and personality.2 While this phenomenon of the personality cult was relatively new in the 1930s, it persisted in film depictions until the 1970s. Definitions and portrayals of personality also altered significantly in these four decades. Al Pacino attracted a lot of attention because his type of charm and personality was new in the industry.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 He was an underdog in the criminal world whose magnetism was unmistakable. His fan base consisted of similar underdogs who could resonate with his obsession to achieve the American Dream by all means necessary. Al Pacino’s films invite spectatorship by a certain group of people. Male underdogs can relate to these films because many of the motion pictures portray countercultures. Gangsters in the films stereotype masculinity through their tough persona and choice of words; this explains why men are likely to embrace it. Underdogs are likely to embrace the films, as well, because most stories are responses to the rot or corruption that exists in society. These villains choose criminal lifestyles because the straight and narrow path is dysfunctional. Members of a counterculture are invited into Al Pacino movies because they resonate with his mo tivations. The criminal world is simply a way out of poverty or a mechanism for achieving the American Dream, albeit illegally. 3 It is likely that Al Pacino appealed to certain groups and not others owing to the futility in his actions. Additionally, not everyone may get carried away by the charm and appeal of a certain actor. Some audiences pay more attention to the story line and what eventually happens to the main performer. Gangster movies often cause one to support the criminal, but the individual often gets what he deserves. This leads to a lot of annoyance and frustration by those who supported him. Consequently, persons who have made it in life through conventional means will not embrace Al Pacino because they believe in the straight and narrow. They see no need to choose criminality as it is futile. These audiences are more interested in morality lessons rather than mere charisma. Conclusion The actor, Al Pacino epitomises America’s obsession with the underdog or ba d guy. He represents a counterculture that connects with several members of countercultures. Even those who sympathised but did not belong to the underworld also enjoyed his films.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reception of Al Pacino specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bibliography Barbas, Samantha. â€Å"The cult of personality.† In Movie crazy: fans, fans, stars and the cult of celebrity, 35-57. New York: Palgrave, 2008 Cowie, Peter. The Godfather book. New York: Faber and Faber, 1997. Snyder, James, â€Å"Scarface nation.† Time, November 19, 2009. Footnotes 1 Peter Cowie, The Godfather book, (New York: Faber and Faber, 1997), 150. 2 Samantha Barbas. â€Å"The cult of personality,† in Movie crazy: fans, fans, stars and the cult of celebrity (New York: Palgrave, 2008), 37. 3 James, Snyder, â€Å"Scarface nation,† Time, November 19, 2009, 11.

Reading for the Implied Main Idea

Reading for the Implied Main Idea Before getting into a discussion on how to find an implied main idea, you have to know what the main idea is in the first place. The main idea of a paragraph is the point of the passage, minus all the details. Its the big picture - the Solar System vs. the planets. The football game vs. the fans, cheerleaders, quarterback, and uniforms. The Oscars vs. actors, the red carpet, designer gowns, and films. Its the summary. What Is an Implied Main Idea? Sometimes, a reader will get lucky and the main idea will be a stated main idea, where the main idea is easy to find because its written directly in the text. However, many of the passages youll read on a standardized test like the SAT or GRE will have an implied main idea, which is a little trickier. If the author doesnt directly state the main idea of the text, its up to you to infer what the main idea is. Finding the implied main idea is easier if you think of the passage as a box. Inside the box, is a random group of stuff (the details of the passage). Pull each item from the box and try to figure out what they each have in common, kind of like the game Tri-Bond. Once youve figured out what the common bond is among each of the items, youll be able to summarize the passage in a snap. How to Find the Implied Main Idea Read the passage of text.Ask this question to yourself: What do each of the details of the passage have in common?In your own words, find the common bond among all the details of the passage and the authors point about this bond.Compose a short sentence stating the bond and what the author says about the bond. Step 1: Read the Implied Main Idea Example When youre with your friends, its okay to be loud and use slang. Theyll expect it and they arent grading you on your grammar. When youre standing in a boardroom or sitting for an interview, you should use your best English possible, and keep your tone suitable to the working environment. Try to gauge the personality of the interviewer and the setting of the workplace before cracking jokes or speaking out of turn. If youre ever in a position to speak publicly, always ask about your audience, and modify your language, tone, pitch and topic based on what you think the audiences preferences would be. Youd never give a lecture about atoms to third-graders! Step 2: Whats the Common Thread? In this case, the author is writing about hanging out with friends, going on an interview, and speaking publicly, which, at first glance, dont seem to relate to each other that much. If you find a common bond among all them, though, youll see that the author is giving you different situations and then telling us to speak differently in each setting (use slang with friends, be respectful and quiet in an interview, modify your tone publicly). The common bond is speaking, which will have to be part of the implied main idea. Step 3. Summarize the Passage A sentence like Different situations requires different kinds of speech would fit perfectly as the implied main idea of that passage. We had to infer that because the sentence doesnt appear anywhere in the paragraph, but it was easy enough to find this implied main idea when you looked at the common bond uniting each idea.

Genetically Modified Food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Genetically Modified Food - Research Paper Example ically modified food started in 1994 and of late it has expanded in many areas with the corn, cotton seed oil, soybean, and canola plants being demanded in many countries. According to scientists, genetically modified foods do not pose high risks as compared to conventional foods. However, opponents argue that the foods raise safety issues, environmental concern as well as economic issues. While it takes time to breed conventional plants, genetic engineering ensures that the breeding process is not only fast but also it results into production of plants that have the exact traits that are desired with significant level of accuracy. Some of the major methods of coming up genetically modified foods include gene addition and gene subtraction. As the demand for food increase globally due to the increase in population, there is need for governments to ensure that food supply is maintained at a high rate. In third world countries, irrigation has been a major way through which food supply in increased. However, due to lack of water, the most of the irrigation schemes have failed. Thus, there is need to adopt genetically modified foods that use modern technology to produce. One of the advantages of genetically modified foods is that it produces foods that are pest resistance. As the result of pests, farmers have continued to incur high losses that are avoidable if they adopt genetically modified plants (Singh, et al, 2008). Additionally, most of the consumers do not wish to consume foods that treated with pesticides based on their health hazards. The use of pesticides is also a major cause of water pollution as well as environmental harm. Thus, for individuals to avoid such destructions, it is imperative that households start to use genetically modified foods such as B.t. corn. Another merit of GMF is that they are herbicides tolerance. While in their process of producing conventional plants, farmers take a lot time and resources to till their lands. Additionally, large