Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Are Black Afro Caribbean boys underachieving within the Education Dissertation
Are Black Afro Caribbean boys underachieving within the Education system that are born in the UK - Dissertation Example Out of all the communities, debate about children of Caribbean heritage has been most controversial. There is no denial of the fact that Caribbean children are under achieving in UK. In 2004, according to National Statistics, the lowest levels of GCSE attainment were among black Caribbean pupils, particularly boys. Only 27% of black Caribbean boys and 44% of black Caribbean girls were said to have achieved five or more A*-C grade GCSEs. (BBC News 2009). The statistical release issued by Department for Children, Schools and Families at National statistics UK has reported that in 2008/9 44.3 percent of Black African pupils achieved a good level of development. This is 7.3 percentage points below the national average; this difference in achievement shows a reduction from 2008 when it was 10.7 percentage points. In 2009 27.3 percent of Black African pupils were classified as being in the lowest achieving 20 percent of pupils, this is a reduction from 2007 when 30.2 percent of Black Afric an pupils were classified as being in this group. 43.0 percent of Black Caribbean pupils achieved a good level of development. This is 8.6 percentage points below the national average; this difference in achievement has reduced from 2008 when it was 9.4 percentage points. ... It became evident that children were treated with discrimination, being called dull, slow learners, UN responsive, troublesome, dull, low achievers, backwards and UN intelligent. Observing all this, black parents moved to draw public attention and demanded government to take concrete actions. Since 1960 government took many actions and policy initiatives however to this day, concerns remain in air about educational performance of these children and their treatment. The low achievement of Caribbean children is in great contrast to high achievements by children of other minority ethnic groups in UK. There are many theories available to explain this problem. These theories include low IQ, genetics, poor self esteem, racism against society and schools, race politics in UK, poor quality of schools and poor home environments of children. It is an important observation that educationalists and government view this problem with different perspectives. This paper is an endeavour to understand why black British children of African Caribbean origin achieve less in academics and are subject of increased expulsion from schools. In the UK, in the 1960s and ‘70s, Black children were routinely labelled â€Å"educationally sub-normal†(ESN) and confined to ESN schools, also known as sin-bins. The parents often did not challenge the verdict of the teachers and the schools, but just accepted the situation. One reason for underachievement of students has been indifference of parents towards the situation. Educationalist Dr Tony Sewell from UK has researched and stated as late as September 2010 that institutional racism in education has no part to play in the educational failure of African
Monday, October 28, 2019
Albert Camus The Stranger Essay Example for Free
Albert Camus The Stranger Essay Color and weather as elements used to explore thought and emotion in Albert Camus The Stranger Literary techniques have long been an effective tool that authors use in order to convey deeper meaning within their text, particularly for novels that have a seemingly simple purpose. The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward is a perfect example of this, on the surface it is about a murder committed by a heartless man, beneath it traces the development of this man, his thoughts, his principles and finally the acceptance of his fate. Color and weather are two elements that Camus uses in order to develop this deeper meaning, and to explore his protagonists thoughts and emotions. This technique explores the wider concept of existentialism as well, essentially classifying The Stranger as an existentialist novel. Color and weather are used in conjunction at times, but when employed separately; their influence materializes in different ways within the novel. Weather as used by Camus directly influences the actions of his protagonist Meursault. The most prominent instance would be when he commits the murder of the Arab, because of the intense heat. This is evident in the line The Sea carried up a thick, fiery breath. It seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire. My whole being tensed and I squeezed my hand around the revolver.1 Here, the sun and the heat are used to create vivid imagery that characterizes the weather as a force by itself, an irrefutable force that has control over Meursault, something that dictates his physical actions at times. Meursault feels the physical attributes of the world around him in a much greater capacity than others, which is an indication of his existentialist nature. The physical world is all that matters to him, nothing beyond it. The sun is used as a recurring symbol to trace the progression of Meursaults character through the novel. His attitude towards it, they way he views the effect of the sun on himself is an indicator of his transgression as he is convicted and then as he develops his realization of the world, and accepts his fate. In the first part of the novel, the sun seems to cause him solely discomfort, he feels suffocated and weary under the constant battering of its repressive force. This is indicated when Meursault says, on the day of his mothers funeral But today, with the sun bearing down, making the whole landscape shimmer with heat, it was inhuman and oppressive.2 The death of his mother did not cause him grief, but the force of the sun did. Here, he is entirely focused on the physical aspects of his being; he does not function on a level deeper than that. However, this is contrasted to his view towards the end of the novel, when he says .all night long, waited patiently for the first light to show on the pane of sky.3 He values the earth and what it has to give, in the view of his approaching death he looks to the sun as a symbol of hope. Thus what the sun represents to Meursault has changed, once it symbolized aggression and violence, now it indicates hope, and acceptance in his life. While weather was used to influence Meursaults actions, color is employed by Camus to reflect Meursaults thought process and his emotions. Meursault observes color intently as he is completely immersed in the physical world in the first part of the novel. Red features prominently as an indicator of violence, death and aggression. At his mothers funeral, Meursault describes his mothers burial as the blood red earth spilling over Mamans casket, the white flesh of the roots mixed with it4 The red earth reflects the death of his mother, the white represents the empty feeling he associates with it. The line could be seen as an allusion to his ambivalent feelings towards his mothers death, guilt at not being able to conform to societys expectations, represented by red, and awareness that his mothers death has not caused him to feel anything; therefore he is empty, represented by white. Yellow and green appear occasionally in the course of the novel as well, to reflect certain aspects of Meursaults thinking, and emotions. After an enjoyable dinner at Celestes, Meursault says The sky was green; I felt good.5 Green here represents contentment, and a certain tranquil calm that enables him to live in the moment, with his simple concerns and thoughts. Yellow is used when he describes his dead mother and the mirror on his wall. Thus, it represents dilapidation and aging, something that does not appeal to Meursault. Blue and black are significant colours as when they are contrasted with each other, they represent Meursaults struggle between an obligation to conform to society, and a desire to be freed from all responsibility. It can be inferred from the line I felt a little lost between the blue and white of the sky and the monotony of the colors around me the sticky black of the tar, the dull black of all the clothes, and the shiny black of the hearse6 that his ambivalence troubles him. Black as a symbol of mourning represents what Meursault should be feeling, despair and loneliness, while blue and white represent his desire to be liberated, to live in the world without having to feel guilty for his lack of feeling at his mothers death. Meursaults keen observation of color and the fact that the weather affects him in profound ways all allude to something deeper. There is a perceptible change in Camus writing style when he describes nature, and when he describes emotion or a social situation. The sentences flow freely when he writes of nature, describing the sun or the weather or the lap of water against his skin. This is starkly different from the language used to depict social situations, or emotion. The sentences are short and clipped, suggesting Meursaults unease with conforming to society and its regulations. His connection with nature hints at his existentialist tendencies revealed later on in the novel, as he finds pleasure in the physical world; instances such as good weather please him. The usage of these elements as literary techniques in the novel contributes to a deeper understanding of the nature of existentialism itself. Existentialism is a predominant theme in The Stranger, one that Camus has chosen to explore in a compelling way. His focus on the physical, weather and color are both aspects of the world that are visible on the surface. They symbolize the very essence of existentialism, a focus on the absolute, what is tangible and present rather than something unidentifiable and abstract. Existentialists focus on concrete human existence, Camus has alluded to this by employing weather and color as techniques in the novel to illustrate his protagonists thoughts. The development of these symbols, the Sun in particular and what it means to Meursault is indicative of Camus own thoughts towards existentialism. His character Meursault is resolved of his struggle in the end; he reaches a stage where he accepts his impending death. By doing this, Camus encourages the reader to persevere in spite of absurdity. He cites it as an obstacle to overcome rather than a reason for ending ones life, which is the common outcome of an existentialists thinking. Thus, Albert Camus makes use of color and weather to convey certain deeper connotations of the novel, as well as to indicate his protagonists existentialist tendencies, and his own thoughts on this philosophy. He uses symbols, vivid imagery and contrast to highlight the conflict within Meursault, which is an important facet of the novel. His symbolic presentation of the sun traces Meursaults character development, from a man removed from most of the world, to a man who accepts his fate and truly appreciates the world around him. These are the elements that contribute to the depth of a novel, give it many layers that provoke thought within the reader. Bibliography Camus, Albert (1942) The Stranger, Alfred. A. Knopf, Inc (1998) 1 The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward, page 59 2 The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward, page 15 3 The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward, page 113 4 The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward, page 18 5 The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward, page26 6 The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward, page 17
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Technology and Strategy :: essays research papers
Technology Widgets.com will implement a standard IT infrastructure to support individual office locations in New Jersey, California, Texas and Colorado, and new US-based locations we plan to open up over the next 3-5 years such as Massachusetts, New York, Virgina/DC . This IT infrastructure includes both our computing and communications systems. We will look to contract with a single vendor source for each system component where possible that can support all our offices on a nationwide basis. We will also continue to use the web as our network backbone in lieu of other private network protocols, i.e T1. In some cases we will build our own intellectual property to support the IT infrastructure where we believe this creates a competitive differentiator and asset for Widgets.com. An example here is our Oracle database and CRM/PRM applications. Our IT infrastructure objectives are to increase our company asset base, operating efficiency and reduce overall operating costs. The system components and the vendors providing these components must be financially secure, provide reliable 24x7 support and be accessible from any location within the US. The system components of our IT infrastructure are described below. Hardware Platform Standards Vendor Status Category Mobile Desktops Dell Computer Green Productivity Tools Lan ? Yellow Collaboration Tools Printers/Scanners/Copiers HP Green Productivity Tools UPS Backup ? Yellow Productivity Tools Office Phone sets ? Yellow Collaboration/Sales and Marketing Tools Storage Devices ? Yellow Productivity Tools Wirelss PDAs ? Yellow Collaboration/Sales and Marketing Tools Sofware Plaform Standards Vendor Status Category Operating Enviroment Windows 2000/NT/Java/HTML Green Portal Intranets Green Collaboration Tools Word/Spreadsheet/Presentation Microsoft Office Green Productivity Tools Email/Calendar Microsoft Outlook Green Collaboration Tools Accounting NetLedger/Quicken Yellow Adminstration Tools Expense Management NetLedger Expense Yellow Adminstration Tools Project/Deliverable Management ? Red Collaboration Tools Content Manager ? Red Collaborations Tools Business Process Manager (Practice Mgt.) ? Red Collaboration Tools CRM - Client DB Oracle/Cambridge Red Sales and Marketing Tools PRM - Consultant DB Oracle/Cambridge Red Sales and Marketing Tools HRM - Employee/Payroll DB Adminstaff Yellow Adminstration Tools Green Service Providers Vendor(s) Status Category Local Phone Service ?
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Overweight Children Essay
Being overweight is one of the major health problems among the youth of today. In the United States, the number of children becoming overweight is steadily increasing as they allot more time watching TV, playing video games, and surfing or chatting on the Internet (Nemours Foundation, n.d.). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from the latter half of 1970s to 2004, the pervasiveness of excessive weight among children 2 to 5 years of age rose to 13.9 percent from 5 percent. Among children 6 to 11 years of age, it escalated to 18.8 percent from 6.5 percent, while it increased to 17.4 percent from 5 percent among those who are 12 to 19 years of age (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]), 2008). Thus, certain efforts were made by health and education experts to help parents encourage their children to engage in sports, exercise, and eat a healthy, balanced meal. After all, prevention is better than cure. If not taken care of, the excessive weight can make children vulnerable to certain diseases like high blood, diabetes, and other health illnesses (CDC, 2008; Boyse, 2007). Many experts suggest that one of the ways to help these children to lose weight without sacrificing the food that they want to eat is to encourage them to engage in sports and other group activities (Weintraub et al., 2008; Nemours, n.d.; Boyse, 2007). By engaging in physical activities, it will not only help the individual shed body fat, it would also promote self-esteem (Weintraub et al., 2008). Definition, Detection and Causes of Overweight            Being overweight is a result of imbalance between the food intake and the activities needed to spend the energies taken (Daniels, 1997). It is characterized by an exceptionally large volume of body fat with respect to lean body mass (Stopka, 2005). To know if an individual is obese or overweight, his or her body mass index or BMI is computed (Stopka, 2005; Daniels, 1997). This method considers the proportionality of the individual’s weight to his or her height child (Stopka, 2005; Daniels, 1997). The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) states that individuals with BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered as â€Å"overweight,†while those with a BMI of 30 and above is considered as â€Å"obese†(Stopka, 2005).            A number of studies have discovered that that breastfeeding is associated with overweight children (Hediger, et al., 2001). Once a mother fails to nurture her child with the practice of breastfeeding, chances are that the child will become overweight in the future. Breastfeeding helps to lower the risk of obesity during the stage of childhood and adolescence (Hediger, et al., 2001). Most cases of overweight among children occur during the adolescence stage when the transition from child to adult happens (Hediger, et al., 2001). The food intake is later on built up as fats if not properly burned out of the body (Hediger, et al., 2001). Fat distribution is also changed during this stage which also incorporates hormonal influences. The condition also varies according to gender. According to Heidger and his associates (2001), girls are more likely to be overweight than boys.            Most individuals on the adolescence stage are busy with their studies and participate in activities that will help them be informed and entertained. Many of them play video games and watch television after school as their own way of overcoming stress and pressures from school. While in the midst of these activities, they also munch junk food and drink sodas. As there are high amounts of calories in unhealthy food and drinks, they make children overweight (Collins, 2007). The incessant rise of fast food chains, consumption of calorie-dense foods and taking too much soft drink bring out more energy intake (Collins, 2007). However, this would not be a problem if the child regularly exercises and participates in activities. Lack of necessary exercise and physical activities also causes children to be overweight. When children eat more calories, they also need to burn more calories (Collins, 2007). Eating food that is detrimental to one’s health without enough physical activities to burn it will guarantee a child to be overweight (Collins, 2007). This is also said to be an environmental cause of obesity due to the technological means of entertainment available for children today. Collins (2007) calls this phenomenon as modern obesity.            Another cause of being overweight is the genetic roots of the child. The genes of the parents are inherited by children upon birth. Babies who are born to mothers who are overweight are more likely to gain more weight and are less active in actions (Collins, 2007). The metabolism of a child is also inherited from his or her parents. Thus, an obese parent whose metabolism is slow would have children with slow metabolism as well (Collins, 2007). The family eating habits also play a great influence as to why a child becomes overweight. Preparing and laying too much food on the table causes a child to eat more. Shopping and buying unhealthy foods and calorie-rich items will also cause the weight of children to increase (Collins, 2007). Effects of Obesity            Risks are always present once a child is overweight. Chances are that the child will accumulate certain diseases most of which are related to too much calorie, cholesterol and sugar intake. Bone problems are also expected for overweight and obese individuals. The social development of a child is also affected because of being overweight. The overweight children may find it difficult to breathe.            Obese children are often inactive and lazy to do physical activities. This causes their hearts to weaken. With their relatively weak heart, it will pump harder than the normal sized individual. This condition is commonly known as cardiovascular abnormalities (Daniels, et al., 1997). Another cardiovascular abnormality that occurs in overweight or obese individuals is the escalation of blood pressure. When a child is obese, the blood pressure is more likely to increase. These cardiovascular abnormalities usually lead to a disease known as left ventricular hypertrophy which is a prevailing condition among obese and overweight children (Daniels, et al., 1997). This disease is characterized by an â€Å"increased left ventricular mass,†along with â€Å"lean body mass, fat mass and abnormalities in the systolic blood pressure†which predicts the accumulation of diseases such as â€Å"coronary heart disease, stroke and sudden death†(p. 804). Hypertension is also common for children with too much weight (Daniels, et al., 1997; Nemours Foundation, n.d.; CDC, 2008; Boyse, 2007).            The disease Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is also common among overweight children with a BMI of >30 kg/m2, which, according to adult standard, is counted as â€Å"obese.†According to the National Cholesterol Education Program, acquiring this disease also makes them vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases such as a coronary artery disease (Daniels, et al., 1997).            Being overweight also causes a child to mature early. In general, an overweight child’s body develops faster than those who have normal body sizes. Overweight female children also reach the pubertal stage earlier. This may be due to the fact that most overweight female children do not have strenuous activity that can help them lessen their weights. Since most foods taken by obese children are rich in oils and other fatty acids, they are also prone of having pimples, acnes and skin problems (Nemours Foundation, n.d.; CDC, 2008; Boyse, 2007).            Psychological and social problems are also present when a child is overweight. One of the most common issues on this is depression. When a child grows bigger than his or her peers, he or she is more likely to be humiliated and teased in school for having a different body shape. This is a delicate issue which the child may find hard to overcome. It also results in the child’s low self esteem and negative self image (Strauss & Pollack, 2003; Nemours Foundation, n.d.). The normal interaction towards other children is also limited because of this. More often than not, overweight children have fewer friends and their social life is limited to those who accept them as they are. Obese children are more likely to stay at home rather than go out and play with other people. They are isolated which makes them feel depressed, lonely, and stressed out. Teasing overweight children is also said to be associated with increased suicidal tendencies out of frustration and depression. Their condition causes them so many complications physically, emotionally and developmentally (Strauss & Pollack, 2003; Nemours Foundation, n.d.). Prevention of Obesity            It is better to prevent being overweight rather than regret it once a child becomes obese. This is not easy to do but it needs to begin as early as childhood days. This should be considered especially for those who are born to overweight parents. Behavior is also one good way of handling childhood obesity. Diminishing unhealthy eating habits and getting right exercise result in a healthier body and lifestyle. In addition, reducing stagnant physical activities like watching television and video games will also lower the chances of being overweight.            Limiting the intake of calories will also stop one from being overweight. Instead of drinking sodas and other carbonated drinks, a child may switch to drinking fresh fruit juices. Fresh juices are healthier instead of artificially made juices. Drinking the recommended number of glasses of water a day (8 to10 glasses) will also help in replenishing lost water in the body and digesting food easily, and therefore, prevent all those fatty food and huge amount of calories from getting stuck in the body. The children should also be advised to avoid eating meals in fast food restaurants, where the meals served contain preservatives and too much food extenders that have more calories (Matheson et. al., 2004). Parents should also encourage their child to eat home cooked meals and convince him or her that these meals are more delicious than those that can be bought outside. (Matheson et. al., 2004). This will also guarantee parents that the food eaten by their child is clean and well-prepared. The parents should also stop preparing large servings for their child, as this entices a child to eat more and makes him or her always expect the same size of serving every meal time (Matheson et. al., 2004). They should also limit the inactivity of children by giving them scheduled time for television and playing computer games (Matheson et. al., 2004). It will also help if a child is encouraged not to eat and watch at the same time. Too much focus on the television program makes a child unaware to the amount of food already consumed.            For difficult cases like gene-related obesity, it is important to counter this by doing physical activities. Regular exercise helps to achieve good digestion and good metabolism. Physical activities such as â€Å"biking, walking, and swimming†can also be done with the whole family. These activities also help brings the heart in good condition. Playing ball games also prevents being overweight and helps children become more sociable towards their peers (Campbell et al., 2001). Basketball and soccer are some examples of sports which can help overweight children lose and maintain their weight. At the same time, by engaging in these kinds of group activities, they will enjoy themselves with their peers (Campbell et al., 2001). Indoor physically activities like dancing will also help children lose weight (Campbell et al., 2001).            In a recent six-month experiment conducted by Weintraub (2008) and her colleagues among fourth and fifth graders, they divided the 21 participants into two groups. The first group received a health education program after school, while the other was subjected to a soccer program. Midway through the study until the end, a significant decline in BMI was found among participants in the soccer group as compared to those who were in the health education group. In three months, there was also a considerable increase in the everyday average and strenuous physical activities among children in the soccer group. The authors concluded that making overweight and obese children participate in an â€Å"after-school soccer program†is a practical, agreeable, and effective method to control the weight of these children. Excessive weight increases the likelihood of children to acquire fatal diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Being overweight also negatively affects their self-esteem and self-image, leaving them depressed as a result. Encouraging them to eat a balanced diet and do physical activities such as family and school sports can aid overweight children in losing and maintaining a standard weight. This is a great opportunity not only for the children but for the whole family to stay fit and active. References: Boyse, K. (2007, February). Obesity and overweight. University of Michigan Health System. Retrieved April 15, 2008 from http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/obesity.htm Campbell K, Waters E, O’Meara S, & Summerbell C. (2001). Interventions for preventing obesity in childhood: a systematic review. Obesity Review, 2, 149–157. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2008, March 4). Overweight and obesity.            Retrieved April 15, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/ Collins, Anne (2007). Causes of obesity. Anne Collins. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from:            http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/causes-of-obesity.htm Daniels S.R., Khoury P.R., & Morrison J.A. (1997, June). The utility of body mass index as a measure of body fatness in children and adolescents: differences by race and gender. Pediatrics, 99 (6), 804–807. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from Pediatrics Database. Matheson D.M., Killen J.D., Wang Y., Varady A, & Robinson T.N. (2004). Children’s food        consumption during television viewing. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79 (6), 1088–1094. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from the AJCN Database. Nemours Foundation (n.d.). Overweight and obesity. KidsHealth. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html Hediger M.L., Overpeck M.D., Kuczmarski R.J., & Ruan W.J. (2001). Association between infant breastfeeding and overweight in young children. The Journal of American Medical Association, 285 (19), 2453–2460. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from JAMA Database. Stopka, C. B. (2005) Chapter 18: Students with temporary disabilities and other special conditions. In J. Winnick (Ed.),  Instructors Manual, Adapted Physical Education and Sport, 4th Edition (pp. 323-340). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Strauss R.S. & Pollack H.A. (2003). Social marginalization of overweight children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 157, 746–752. Retrieved April 15, 2008 from Archpredriatics Database. Weintraub, D.L., Tirumalai, E.C., Haydel, F., Fujimoto, M., Fulton, J.E., & Robinson, T.S. (2008). Team sports for overweight children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 162 (3), 232-237. Retrieved April 15, 2008 from Archpredriatics Database.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Poetic Language Essay
There is no denying that when an author writes a text there is more meaning in it than just the obvious plot, authors constantly litter their texts with themes, double entendre, metaphor etc. all of which can be easily missed by the reader. If one reader was to miss many of these techniques but another was to pickup on most, then surely the latter would have understood the work better, and in the way it was intended, and therefore their interpretation is the more valid of the two. However we could argue that the text was written badly, because certain readers cannot understand it in the way it was intended. All this is just a small part of one of the biggest debates in modern literature and criticism, and that is whether or not it is necessary to know the history and context behind a book to fully understand it. It used to be that a critic would say that the best way to understand a work is to understand each individual author, and the circumstances behind their text, today however the general feeling is that it is best not to cloud the readers judgement with all the facts behind a text. Critics would today say that the best way to read a text is to ignore everything that goes with it and just concentrate on what you, the reader, picks up from it. The reason this debate is so important in relation to this essay is that the amount of information the reader is given about a text will always affect, not only their understanding of it, but also the way in which they understand it. That is to say that if a reader is given a lot of information about a text then it is bound to make them except the book in the way it was intended. If they had not been given that information then it is very likely that they would have interpreted it in a way that was closer and more personal to them (‘interpretation is a function of identity†¦all of us as we read, use literary work to symbolise and finally to replicate ourselves’ – Norman Holland, Introduction to Literature 13). In this example which of the two interpretations is more creditable, should the perfect text be written in such a way as to eliminate any interpretations other than what was intended by the author; or should it be written in a way that leaves the meaning open to debate and therefore have an infinite number of interpretations? Either way once a text has been shown to the public then the author has no control of what the reader will make of it, or how it is interpreted, and so it is left to the reader to make their own judgements and except it in the way that they want to. So is their interpretation incorrect? Obviously there is no way to prove the answer to this question but in this essay I intend to discuss both sides to the argument and draw up a conclusion as to what I think the answer is. The most obvious place to start would be by looking at other people’s interpretations of texts, and some of those interpretations are in films. I realise that film is never the best example to use when discussing literature because the plot and script are very rarely the same as the original. However, in the case of Shakespeare, this is not always true because the text is so well written and so powerful that it would be wrong and completely missing the point of making the film if you were to change it. Also the interpretations in films are usually much more diverse and varied which makes it a good example to look at because if you can find an interpretation which has been recommended to students as one not to use, as valid (‘†¦most candidates appeared to know Macbeth well. Some, however, were handicapped by having seen a film version†¦candidates should remember that it is Shakespeare’s text which is being examined.’ – Holderness, Interpreting Shakespeare 113); then that goes a long way to show that any interpretation is indeed a valid one. In the conclusion of a book called Interpreting Shakespeare on Screen the author sums up how Shakespeare is generally interpreted by the directors: ‘I have considered the ways in which films of Shakespeare’s plays, like literary criticism, produce different views on issues such as violence (by, to a greater extent, pretending it is absent from Shakespeare’s plays); gender (film changes gender roles, producing different Ophilias and Gertrudes†¦); sexuality†¦; race†¦; and finally, nationalism†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Cartmell, Interpreting Shakespeare 109) Cartmell shows us here how every different director has interpreted parts of the same play differently. She makes it clear that she does not agree with everything they have done, however she does recognise them as valid interpretations and has devoted a lot of time and effort to studying these films and producing a book which shows us the different interpretations and techniques used in filming Shakespeare’s plays. I have to agree with Cartmell on the point that to try and say that there is no violence in Shakespeare is ridiculous, all you have to do is look at Macbeth or Hamlet to see that that is wrong. These directors who have chosen to ignore this violence must have interpreted it in a different way, perhaps they saw the violence as justified and so chose to ignore it for that reason. Whatever the reason, is this interpretation as valid as Cartmell’s and mine? I would like to say that it is not but I cannot rule it out without having the other side of the argument put to me, and once an argument has been put forward surely that gives their view some sort of validity. If you have two people who have interpreted a section of prose differently and they can both argue their theory well then who is to say that they are not both valid. On the other hand if you again have two people with different views about a book’s meaning but this time one of them manages to persuade the other that they are wrong and so changes his mind, then would this not mean that the person with the better and stronger argument is the only one with the valid interpretation? After all the dictionary definition of valid is ‘soundly reasoned or having legal force’ and so if someone has an opinion about a text and stands by it but cannot argue the point surely this makes their opinion an invalid one. In An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory reader-response criticism is summed up in three different ways. Firstly it is said that each individual, when reading, will always respond in a personal way. They will take what is written and match it to the situation they are in or have been in, and so can relate to the text better by doing this. This theory would explain why different people come up with different interpretations, it also suggests that each of those interpretations are valid because if you are relating a text to your personal experiences then it has to be a genuine response. Like every theory though there is always another side to the argument and this is where Stanley Fish’s idea that each reader belongs to a ‘community of readers’ comes in. There is still the idea that the reader relates to the text with their personal experience, and I do not think that many people would dispute that idea, but what Fish says is that the personal side to it is much more generalised. It is more to do with your background and your education, someone from England would interpret a book differently than someone from Africa because their backgrounds are completely different. The third explanation that is given is Wolfgang Iser’s view, which is the one I relate to the most. His theory is that the reader’s imagination is what produces the interpretation. If there is a point in the text which is not fully explained then we, the reader, are left to work it out for ourselves, for example in King Lear when Cordillia tells her father that she loves him ‘according’ to her ‘bond’, the reader is left wondering why she did that and not just make something up to rival her sisters’ answers; was it because she is stubborn or perhaps for moral reasons? The answer that the reader comes up with is their imagination filling in the gap. As Iser said the reader ‘is drawn into the events and made to supply what is meant from what is not said’ (Iser 1995, 24). This is particularly relevant when it comes to explaining interpretation because it is ‘what is not said’ in a text that gets the reader thinking, if a detail is mentioned but not explained then it is left to the reader to make up their own conclusions. Northrop Frye shares the same opinion as Iser, he wrote that reading is ‘like a picnic to which the author brings the words and the reader the meaning’ (Frye, http://www.clas.ufi.edu). Interpretation is a huge part of literature, it is involved in any type of reading that we do and it is completely up to the reader to how that literature is receive. The author, or his input anyway, dies as soon as they let the public see their text which leaves the reader on their own to read between the lines and come up with whatever they like. Having said this it leaves us thinking that if the author leaves the interpretation up to the reader then how can that interpretation be wrong, every author excepts the fact that their book will be taken in a way that wasn’t intended and they will not try to change that because it is all part of literary criticism. An author wouldn’t ever say that someone’s opinion was invalid because valid does not mean it is what was intended it only means that it is justified. One of Iser’s main points whenever he is talking of interpretation is that ‘Every interpretation transposes something into a different register that is not part of the subject matter to be interpreted. Therefore each interpretation is an act of translation, in the course of which something is shifted into what it is not.’ (Iser, http://sun3.lib.uci.edu). What he means is that interpretation might as well mean the same as translation when talking about literature; because the author is not sitting next to the reader and explaining what was actually meant the reader has to do the working out for themselves, which means that they may translate what is written in front of them into ‘what it is not’. The reader is reading things in the text which were not put there deliberately, they are reading not what is said but what has not been said so a large group of people who all read the same text have no chance of all reading the same thing because everybody wi ll have filled in the gaps slightly differently. ‘If the poem has a voice, it is articulated before, and one rearticulates it, reads it with one’s own voice, one has a reading which cannot properly be univocal.’ (John Lye, http://www.brocku.ca/english). This is much the same point as Frye was making with his example of a picnic; the author only produces the words and then it is the reader’s job to find meaning to these words. That almost makes it sound as if the reader has the greater task out of the two and it maybe that they do if once they have read a work and come up with their interpretation (or translation) they are then told that it is not a valid reading of that text. I have said that this topic of interpretation is one of the largest in modern literature and it is very closely linked with an equally large topic, deconstruction. The obvious source to turn to on this is The Critic as Host. In Lye’s commentary of this essay he makes a very good summary of what Miller had written: ‘Deconstruction, Miller seems to be concluding, opens us to the power and the complexities of language, thought, tradition, influence, meaning, to the ambiguities and paradoxes which really constitute what we once mistook for a unified field theory of human knowledge, by providing a form, a way of proceeding, which acknowledges the deep mysteries of meaning and which allows us to free ourselves from the tyrannies of univocal reading.’ (Lye, http://www.brocku.ca/english). There are two parts to this quote that I want to briefly discuss. Firstly, the fact that deconstruction ‘opens us to the power’ of language, thought and meaning. This cannot be said better in any other way, this is exactly what deconstruction does and it is this that leads the readers on to making their own interpretations of a text. Deconstruction makes us, the reader, think and analyse what has been written and from that draw up our conclusion of what was actually meant. The second part I wanted to look at is the fact that deconstruction allows us ‘to free ourselves from the tyrannies of univocal reading.’ Is ‘univocal reading’ actually a tyranny? Miller and Lye obviously think so, and I would agree, if literature was as straight cut as being able to read a book and draw up exactly the same interpretation ass everyone else there would be no need or point to study it. So how does deconstruction free us from this tyranny? The answer is because it forces the reader to think for themselves, to interpret a text in the way they want it interpreted instead of how the author, or even a teacher tells them to interpret it. Deconstruction forces the reader to be open minded about a text; to try and read something almost original into it. Again this all leads to a different interpretation to what others have read. However, the question of whether thinking for oneself, and the new ideas and interpretations that brings is valid or not is still present. When I picked this question I always thought that the only possible answer was that every interpretation is a valid one, that is the opinion that most people hold. However, after exploring the topic I have found a few doubts. Although they come to expect it, is it really fair to take an authors text that they have probably been working on for a matter of years and completely change the meaning of it? Surely what they write is personal to them, not necessarily as an experience they have had but more that they have devoted so much time to their work to a standard that they see as perfection. They then introduce it to the public and a critic misinterprets it and gives it a bad review because they did not like their own translation of what was written. These doubts I have are not strong enough to change my mind, but they are there and should not be ignored. In closing I do believe that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and literary criticism is exactly that, opinions. There is no way to write a text and ensure that every reader interprets it in the way it was intended. Authors are very interested to learn about different interpretations of their works and I think that it is this acceptance and acknowledgement from them that not proves but should persuade people that any interpretation of any work is a valid one. I will finish with a quote from an interpretation of Miller’s The Critic as Host that sums up what I believe to be the answer to whether all interpretations are valid or not: ‘The root of idea is the word for image. To imagine is to image. All figures are not what they figure. Univocality is impossible. Everything always means something else.'(Lye,http://www.brocku.ca/english).
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
What I Walked Away With From Economics †Essay
What I Walked Away With From Economics – Essay Free Online Research Papers What I Walked Away With From Economics Essay I have learned so much in Economics that it’s hard to write only two pages. I have decided to write about the top 10 things I have learned about this semester and probably taken for granted. I used to think that economics was about the cracks in between the lines, now I think of it as resourceful understanding. Starting with number 10 and working my way to number 1: 10.) The ten principles of economics. I learned about these things that I have always taken for granted. In ever thought about tradeoffs and the cost of something is what you give up to get it. I always just thought that was the way certain things work. I knew nothing about the invisible hand and how it helped out people like you and me everyday. I also never realized how much the government has to do with the economics of the United States. 9.) The circular flow diagram. I can’t help but look at this diagram and think about it and how it works just like a heart does. I see this diagram as using services such as labor, land, and capital as inputs and producing outputs such as a product for consumers. It’s almost exactly how a human heart works. Unoxygenated blood comes from the body and meets at the heart once entered through the heart it comes out oxygenated kind of like a finished product. 8.) Positive and Normative statements. Positive statements describe how the world is and Normative describe how the world should be. I think normatively. I always feel that the world should be like something in a book and not like it is. I think it’s good to not only think normatively but also to think Positively. You need to be able to see alls sides of a problem before you can solve it. You need both views to see the world clearly, not only the way it is but how it should be to make it better. 7.) Opportunity cost. What you give up to obtain something. Everything you do everyday is an opportunity cost. It makes you really think about if what you are doing in your life is really worth it. Making every minute count is what I take out of it. 6.) Trade. Trade cannot only help you but others as well. Whoever has absolute advantage has better productivity and comparative advantage has the best opportunity cost. Trade can make everyone else’s life easier. 5.) Normal and Inferior Goods. Normal goods are those, which an increase in income leads to an increase in demand. Inferior goods are those, which an increase income leads to a decrease in demand. I looked at this like if I got a better job I would never eat at white castle again, I would eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise. 4.) Surplus and Shortage. When your supply is too much you have a surplus, which does not really help you. When you do not have enough you have a shortage. When you have just the right amount you have an equilibrium quantity. 3.) Elasticity. When you have an inelastic demand for something you are willing to pay whatever for it. When you have an elastic demand for something the price is a little more reasonable. 2.) Tax. The government wants its so-called fair share of money too. If a demand is more inelastic the burden of taxation will be put on the consumer. If the tax is more elastic the producer and the consumer will share the tax. 1.) Supply and Demand. Everything listed above has to do with supply and demand. Supply is what a producer has to offer a buyer, that buyer will decide whether or not he has a demand for it. The law of supply and demand states that the claim that the price of any good adjusts to bring the supply and demand for that good into balance. Research Papers on What I Walked Away With From Economics - EssayDefinition of Export QuotasBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceCapital Punishment
Monday, October 21, 2019
Legalization of Marijuana misc essays
Legalization of Marijuana misc essays As I take back a step and look at all the wrong that encompasses our world, the one thing that sticks out to me the most is the problems that we have with drugs. Drugs flow through our country like water does in a river and they dont seem to cease. One of the most highly abused drugs, marijuana, has become the foremost stimulant leading to harder and deadlier drugs. What makes this case even worse is the fact that people have formed groups with the sole purpose of legalizing this drug. With all the things people waste their time on, I believe this one tops them all. I am clearly against the legalization of all drugs because as research has shown, marijuana effects the human body in only negative ways. To begin, marijuana has been proven to burn the chemicals in the brain which relate to thinking habits and patterns, self esteem, and relationship traits. John Weber, author of High Times magazine that promotes marijuana, says that even though marijuana can be used to make manufactured materials and to help slow the spreading of the aids virus, the drug still has the ability to negatively alter the way the brain functions. This alone should keep people away from using this drug. In the same magazine, statistics show that there is a 60% decline in grades at the high school and college level. Marijuana also effects the body as well as the mind. The preferred saying is that smoking one joint is equivalent to smoking one whole pack of cigarettes at a time. The smoke intake from a joint will normally cause the lungs of a human to become so overwhelmed that one might not be able to breath properly causing a great deal of coughing. Also, the chemicals in the drug cause the body to slow in the growing process, not allowing for a fully developed person neither physically or mentally. What I believe the drug does best is attract users to other drugs. It is proven that ...
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