Sexism And Gender Roles Throughout America - 2417 Words

In recent months few topics have gripped the nation quite like the idea of sexism and gender roles. While in the last few decades many strong leaders have stepped forth to reconcile the differences, American still has a long way to go. While we present ourselves as a model for other countries, doing so is unjust considering the misbalance of power, representation, perceived value and respect. While many continue to deny it, sexism is still a major problem in modern American society. Division of the genders through gender roles has been the norm of society since the beginning of man. In order to evaluate the current state of sexism in America, one must first study our history. From the earliest of human evolution men were valued as the hunter, the protector, the leader. Gallantly, spears in hand, they would leave mates and children behind in search of meat for the clan. The whole of his family’s survival resided on his shoulders, and any miss step on his fault was seen as immense failure. Women were left behind to mend the camps, cook the meals, and watch the children. Viewed as the weaker sex, the were left at home with the â€Å"gentler† work, only leaving the home for simpler tasks as gathers of berries and roots. As these society grew more seditentary and complex, the introduction of organized societies only perpetuated these gender roles. Although these roles were clearly defined and strictly followed, both were seen as equal and necessary for survival. (CITE) As differentShow MoreRelatedSexism And Racism : Racism And Prejudice Essay1348 Words   |  6 PagesSexism vs Racism Discrimination and prejudice have both been a major problem in our society since the idea of gender and race contacted our brains. Everyone hopes that humankind will change and treat everyone equally and fairly, but this still has yet to happen. Mankind is still treating people as minorities without a second thought. Women are still stereotyped as being too feminine for a â€Å"man’s job†, such as construction or military forces. As well as, men being considered to manly to be ableRead MoreMovies Control: Sex and Violence1436 Words   |  6 Pagespublic believes and accepts. Research shows that the amount and realism of violence and sex in movies has skyrocketed, influencing the views of our generation. However, little to no attention is placed on the effects of movies on our views of racism, sexism, classism, and heteronormativity. Before watching a movie, you can get a general idea of how much sex and violence it will contain, in order to decide if it is appropr iate for you. However, how can one tell if a movie is too racist, sexist, classistRead MoreTheme Of Sexism In The Joy Luck Club779 Words   |  4 Pagesand two dedicated to daughters. Tan’s approach to structure allows the interlocking stories between mother and daughter to place emphasis on the issue of sexism. The purpose of Tan’s novel is to highlight that, even though American and Chinese societies drastically differ, there still remains a recurring theme of chauvinism. Erica Jong says, â€Å"Sexism kind of predisposes us to see mens work as more important than womens, and it is a problem, I guess, as writers, we have to change.† Through her purposeRead MoreBlack Feminist1005 Words   |  5 PagesOxford English Dictionary, Black Feminist can be defined as a movement consisting of African American women advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men (Oxford English Press). Black feminism argues that sexism, social class oppression, and racism are inseparably bound together (Collins). The feminist movement has been around since the 1880s when the word â€Å"Feminism† appeared in the French language (Collins). The word found traction in Britain in the 1890sRead MoreWomen Are Not The Only Victims Of The Patriarchal Society1255 Words   |  6 Pagesembodiment of the complex roles facing modern women† (Anderson, 109). Millions of women in Middle and Southern America judged her for her persona, instead of ignoring her differences and creating a larger community of strong women. Hillary Clinton goes against the basis of what many women were raised upon, the conception of a submissive housewife. Obviously not all female Trump voters voted for the Republican candidate due to their ignorance of the positivity of a woman’s role in politics, but sixtyRead MoreOne Unaccounted For Factor That Is Impacting The Level1445 Words   |  6 Pagesintersection of race and gender, or rather t he dominance that patriarchal and racialized norms have on influencing American’s perceptions of poverty. The majority of the current literature on the subject of American’s support/opposition to economic redistribution tends to focus on identities such as race, class, and gender as separate entities. Applying the theories of hostile/benevolent sexism and racism, I argue that analyzing intersections of identities such as race and gender in conjunction, and asRead More Gender Inequality Still Exists Essay1281 Words   |  6 Pages Gender Inequality still exists quot;Is there any difference between the education acquired by men and women in college?quot; My answer to that question would be that although the quot;brick wallquot; ( Forum 1) in education has been broken, we still have another, invisible barrier called the quot;glass ceiling.quot; ( Forum 1) Most people would say that education has changed a great deal since women began to attend institutions of higher learning. Is this completely true? Women have undoubtedlyRead MoreThe Roles Of Sexism And Dreams1377 Words   |  6 Pages2 Due: November 16, 2015 The Roles of Sexism and Dreams â€Å"Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing around with sick people- then go be a nurse like other women- or just get married and be quiet...† (38). Walter Younger, one of the protagonists of the play, makes this sexist comment towards his sister, Beneatha, and her desire to become a doctor. Walter belittles Beneatha’s dream by implying that women are only fit for supporting roles just like their mother, MamaRead MoreHow Does Sexism Affect Society?1185 Words   |  5 Pages Sexism is defined as the discrimination or hatred against people based on their gender rather than who they are as an individual. This has been going on all throughout history, even as far back as the Bible, with Adam and Eve. Eve’s role was to be considered that of a servant rather than a human being. And it continues into modern day. Girls cannot play certain sports at school because of their gender. This type of behavior isn’t j ust found in day to day life, but in the media we as humansRead MoreFeminism: Womens Status in Higher Education1448 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout human history, customs derived from mythical and religious social traditions have provided cultural explanations regarding the evolution of the roles of men and women and the variations between the structures of the lives of the sexes (Sapiro 28). Although many see America as a country of equal opportunities for all, including women, most forget the struggle and hardship thousands faced to earn this God-given right. Professor Barry Bull of Indiana University speculates on the current infrastructure

A Brief Note On The Capital Of Lebanon - 2078 Words

One of the main factors for a neighborhood to be effective and successful is to have a well-planned transportation system that would let people move from one place to another not only using automobile vehicles, but also through walking. However, nowadays, with the increased interests of architects and planners on enlarging the roads and fighting traffic problems in cities, walkable environments are being ignored threatening the pedestrian experience in streets and sidewalks. But not all pedestrians can manage to overcome the challenges of the bad street experience. People on wheel chair, kids and older adults are another type of pedestrians that are being forced to stay home and drop out of the social life for they are considered to be the weak and dependent kind of people. Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, is one of the Lebanese cities that are facing a significant decline in pedestrian access due to the lack of walkability in its infrastructure. Its streets are losing their engaging and comfortable spaces, and are becoming a simple reflection of cars, noise and pollution, with no public life. With the recognition of the health benefits of walking, the case for creating better walking environments has to be stronger and should become an important factor in the design of transportation systems. So what are the different problems that discourage dependent people from walking in Beirut? How can lack of walkability decline the health of older adults? And to what extent canShow MoreRelatedThe Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Pape, Bloom, and Horowitz 1429 Words   |  6 Pagesproperty of timing. Between 1980 and 2001, 188 separate suicide attacks occurred, 179 of which were parts of terroristic campaigns, and a majority of these campaigns were direct results of seven disputes: â€Å"the presence of American and French forces in Lebanon, Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza, the independence of the Tamil regions of Sri Lanka, the independence of the Kurdi sh region of Turkey, Russian occupation of Chechnya, Indian occupation of Kashmir, and the presence of American forces on theRead MoreThe Human Resource Management Policies of Starbucks3836 Words   |  15 Pagesreview of the relevant peer-reviewed, scholarly and organizational. literature concerning the advantages of adopting such an approach and an evaluation concerning how closely Starbucks Coffee Company fits the high commitment HRM model. To this end, a brief overview of Starbucks is followed by an overview of the high commitment HRM model which is then applied to the companys human resource management practices. A summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion. ReviewRead MoreCultural Awareness Means Developing Compassion And Understanding Of Another Ethnic Group3653 Words   |  15 PagesSyria Location, Geography and Demography Syria is located in the area that is designated as the Middle East and borders the following countries: Turkey (northern border), Iraq (eastern border), Israel (southern border), Jordan (southern border), Lebanon (western border), and the Mediterranean Sea (western border). The terrain is mostly desert, but one-third of the land is arable and another third are pasturable. The summers are hot and dry and the winters a little milder. The area of Syria is onlyRead MoreThe Cause of Globalization18688 Words   |  75 Pagesglobalization differ among the three major components of international market integration: trade, multinational production, and international finance. The information technology revolution has made it very difficult for governments to control cross-border capital movements, even if they have political incentives to do so. Governments can still restrict the multinationalization of production, but they have increasingly chosen to liberalize because of the macroeconomic benefits. Although the one-time RicardianRead MoreClothes Company Financial Analysis3916 Words   |  16 Pagesindustry in Greece. We believe that it would be quite interesting to analyze the financial situation of a local company that despite the current financial turmoil, it continues to maintain its good profitability. We will begin our report with a brief overview of the company’s key characteristics in comparison with its main competitors. The main body of the report will cover Forel’s financial statements’ horizontal and vertical analysis of the accounts that are worth mentioning, followed by a trendRead MoreThe World Is Flat8659 Words   |  35 PagesThe World Is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman First published: 2005 Table of Contents †¢ Key Figures †¢ Short Summary (Synopsis) †¢ Thomas L. Friedman - Biography †¢ Genre | | | | Chapter Summaries with Notes / Analysis †¢ Chapters 1 - 4 - How the World Became Flat †¢ Chapters 5 - 9 - America and the Flat World †¢ Chapter 10 - Developing Countries and the Flat World †¢ Chapter 11 - Companies and the Flat World †¢ Chapters 12 - 14 - GeopoliticsRead MoreIntroduction of Bancassurance9292 Words   |  38 Pagesauthorized to issue bank notes in Hong Kong. Subsequently it was also authorized to issue bank notes in Singapore, a privilege it continued to exercise up until the end of the 19th Century. Over the following decades both the Standard Bank and the Chartered Bank printed bank notes in a variety of countries including China, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malaysia and even during the siege of Marketing in South Africa. Today SCB is still one of the three banks, which prints Hong Kongs bank notes. 2.1.2 ExpansionRead MoreThe Impact of Regulation on Economic Growth in Developing Countries: a Cross-Country Analysis11296 Words   |  46 Pages1990). By setting the â€Å"rules of the game†, institutions impact on economic development (World Bank, 2002; Rodrik et. al., 2004). Economic development is seen not simply as a matter of amassing economic resources in the form of physical and human capital, but as a matter of â€Å"institution building† so as to reduce information imperfections, maximise economic incentives and reduce transaction costs. Included in this institution building are the laws and political and social rules and conventions thatRead MoreInternationalisation of the Spanish Fashion Brand Zara7568 Words   |  31 Pagesinternationalisation process of Zara. This study adopts an in-depth case approach based on extensive secondary research. Literature published in both English and Spanish has been reviewed, including company documents such as annual repo rts. The paper starts with a brief overview of the global textile and clothing industry, followed by the case study of Zara. The main part of the case examines the key aspects in the internationalisation of Zara, namely motives for internationalisation, market selection, entry strategiesRead MoreReligious Violence in Nigeria6487 Words   |  26 Pagesintra-religious while the others are inter-religious. There are others that are more of politico-tribal in nature than religious even though some people may see them as religious simply because each group involved come from a different religion. Below is a brief account of these disturbances according to the above classification. Intra-religious violence In December 1980, the Maitatsine riot broke out in Kano, claiming many lives. The exact number of people who lost their lives is very difficult to ascertain

Maasai Culture free essay sample

Maasai Culture Maasai society is patriarchical in nature with the elders deciding most matters for each Maasai group. The laibon or spiritual leader acts as the liaison between the Maasai and God, named Enkai or Engai, as well as the source of Maasai herblore. The Maasai are mostly monotheistic in outlook, but many have become Christian under the influence of missionaries. Traditional Maasai lifestyle centers around their cattle which constitutes the primary source of food.They also believe that God gave them his cattle to watch over. The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle and adopt an agrarian lifestyle instead. The Maasai measure a mans wealth in terms of cattle and children rather than money a d of 50 cattle is respectable, and the more children the better. A man who has plenty of one but not the other is considered to be poor. We will write a custom essay sample on Maasai Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Maasai believe that they own all the cattle in the world. As a historically nomadic and then semi-nomadic people, the Maasai have traditionally relied on local, readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their housing. The traditional Maasai house was in the first instance designed for people on the move and was thus very impermanent in nature. The Inkajijik (Maasai word for a house) are either loaf-shaped or circular, and are constructed by women. The structural framework is formed of timber poles fixed directly into the ground and interwoven with a lattice of smaller branches, which is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and urine, and ash. The enkaji is small, measuring about 3m x 5m and standing only 1. 5m high. Within this space the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes and stores food, fuel and other household possessions. Small livestock are also often accommodated within the enkaji. Villages are enclosed in a circular fence (Enkang) built by the men, usually of thorned Acacia.At night all cows and goats are placed in an enclosure in the center, safe from wild animals. The central unit of Maasai society is the age-set. Every 15 years or so, a new and individually named generation of Morans or Il-moran (warriors) will be initiated. This involves most boys between 12 and 25, who have reached puberty and are not part of the previous age- set. Every boy must undergo the Emorata (circumcision ceremony), which is performed without anaesthetic, before he is accepted as a warrior.When a new generation of warriors is initiated, the existing il moran will graduate to become junior elders, who are responsible for political decisions until they in turn become senior elders. Warriors are in charge of societys security while boys are responsible for herding livestock. During the drought season, both warriors and boys assume responsibility for herding livestock. The elders are directors and advisors for day-to-day activities. Women are responsible for making the houses as well as supplying water, collecting firewood, milking cattle and cooking for the family.Maasai traditional dance, Adumu One myth about the Maasai is that each young man is supposed to kill a lion before they are circumcised. Although lion hunting was an activity of the past, and lion hunting has been banned in East Africa, lions are still hunted when they maul Maasai livestock, and young warriors who engage in traditional lion killing do not face significant consequences. Increasing concern regarding lion populations has given rise to at least one program which promotes accepting compensation when a lion kills livestock, rather than hunting and killing the predator.Nevertheless, killing a lion gives one great value and celebrity status in the community. Women can only marry once in a lifetime, although men may have more than one wife (if enough cows are owned, they may hav e more than one at a time). Young girls undergo Female genital cutting (FGC) in an elaborate rite of passage ritual in which they are given instructions and advice pertaining to their new role, as they are then said to have come of age and become women, ready for marriage.These circumcisions are usually performed by a hired local expert without anesthetic using crude knives, glass or other sharp implements available for as much as US $6. 00 per girl. Girls are married off early, sometimes as young as seven years old. The practice of FGC draws a great deal of criticism from both abroad and many women who have undergone it, and in some cases has recently been replaced by a Cutting with words ceremony involving singing and dancing in place of the mutilation.However, the practice remains deeply ingrained and valued by the culture, as well as being held as necessary, since Maasai men typically reject any woman who has not undergone it as either not marriageable or widow. Maasai Diet Traditionally, the Maasai diet c onsisted of meat, milk, and blood from cattle. However, the inclusion of blood in the traditional diet is waning due to the reduction of livestock numbers. More recently, the Maasai have grown dependent on food produced in other areas such as maize meal, rice, potatoes, cabbage (known to the Maasai as goat leaves), etc.The Maasai who live near crop farmers have engaged in cultivation as their primary mode of subsistence. In these areas, plot sizes are generally not large enough to accommodate herds of animals; thus the Maasai are forced to farm. Maasai Clothing Red is a favored colour among the Maasai. Many Maasai in Tanzania wear simple sandals, sometimes soled with pieces of motorcycle tires. Both men and women wear wooden bracelets. The Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewellery. This bead work plays an essential part in the ornamentation of their body.

Workplace Law and Ethics an Example of the Topic Government and Law Essays by

Workplace Law and Ethics Examples of discrimination in the workplace include discrimination of pregnant women employees. Pregnant women employees might be discriminated merely due to their conditions. Consequently regulations have been put in place to protect them from discrimination. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 requires that employers must treat pregnant women like any other employee provided they can do their job (Fremgen, 2009). This Act has protected women from losing their jobs and allowed them to advance even if they become pregnant or they needed a short leave for childbirth. A woman employee cannot be forced to quit her job due to pregnancy nor can a woman be refused a job because she has had an abortion (Fremgen, 2009). Need essay sample on "Workplace Law and Ethics" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed College Students Very Often Tell EssayLab support: I gave it a go to write that topics essay unsupervised and it didn't work out. Go To The Order Button And Get Ready To Be Wowed In addition, the pregnant woman has the assurance of equal treatment regarding disability, sick leave and health insurance. It stipulates that the pregnancy must be covered in the employers medical plan just like it would cover the other medical conditions. The employee also qualifies for sick leave on the same basis as other employees if she is unable to work due to the pregnancy. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act also prohibits mandatory maternity leave (Fremgen, 2009). Discrimination against persons with disability in the workplace can also be experienced and this includes employees with AIDS. The Americans with disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 protects employees against discrimination from employers. It also covers persons living with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) from discrimination based on their status. Employers are required to male reasonable accommodations such as lamp installations, making telephones and elevator floor numbers reachable to employees using wheelchairs (Fremgen, 2009). Discrimination based on disability regarding full enjoyment of the services, goods, privileges, facilities and accommodations of all privately owned place of public accommodation which includes hospitals and professional offices (Fremgen, 2009). Does the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1994 discriminate against working persons who do not have children or elderly parents? The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1994 allows both the mother and father to take a leave of absence, usually unpaid, of up to twelve weeks in any twelve-month period when a baby is born. It also requires employers to give unpaid leave to employees upon request to take care of their own or their family members medical or family related situation like birth, death and adoption (Fremgen, 2009). Employees must have worked for the employer for at least a year, worked in a locality with at least fifty company employees in a radius of seventy five miles and must have worked 1,200 hours in the past twelve months in order to be eligible. A notice of thirty days in advance is required in cases of a foreseeable leave such as a birth. The employees health coverage during their family medical leave must be maintained as well as their original job position before the leave. Also the employee cannot lose employment benefits which accumulated before the start of the leave (Jachimowicz, 2010). The Family and Medical Leave Act discriminates against employees without children or elderly parents because they are not entitled to request for leave because of a child birth because they do not have children. The request for the leave can only be made if they are having an adoption. This is discriminatory because the other employees having children will be the only beneficiaries of this provision even though they are working in the same environment as the other employees who are not having children. This can only apply if they are adopting a child. The same can be said about those employees who do not have elderly parents and who, consequently, are not eligible to take the Family and Medical Leave based on their need to take care of their elderly incapacitated parents. References Fremgen, B.F. (2009). Workplace law and ethics. Medical law and ethics, (3rd Ed). Prentice hall: Pearson education. Jachimowicz, H. (2010). Understanding the family and medical act of 1993. Retrieved from http://employment.findlaw.com/family-medical-leave/fmla-leave-law-in-depth.html

buy custom HIV essay

buy custom HIV essay HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency virus as per the definition given by a medical center called UCSF. The virus is acquired through unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner, from an infected mother to an unborn child, blood transfusion and during breastfeeding. The virus weakens the immune system of a person by destroying the CD4+T cells making a person the infected persons immune system weak. As the HIV viruses increase, the number of CD4+T cells in the body reduces from the normal 800-1200 cells per cubic millimeter (mm3) to as low as 50 CDA+T cells per cubic millimeter(mm3). The infections develop in different stages. One of the foundations dealing with HIV and AIDS called San Francisco has given the stages as follows. The first stage is the window stage or the primary stage which occur a few weeks after infection .The symptoms in this stage include fevers, night sweats and rashes on the skin. However, after a few weeks the persons body returns to its healthy state. If a person takes an HIV/AIDS test at this time the result might be faulty because the virus may have not established itself fully in the blood stream. It should be known however that such a person can still infect other people with the HIV virus .Later the symptoms may recur but the time may differ depending on the strength of the immune system of a person. he second stage which is the seroconversion stage occurs after the first six months after but differs with the capability of the immune system to fight diseases. At this stage the body starts reacting to the virus by producing antibodies .If one gets tested at this stage the results will not be correct. The third stage is the asymptomatic stage; the person still looks healthy but can infect other people if they have unprotected sexual intercourse. The virus continues to destroy the CD4+T cells weakening the immune system. The next stage is the symptomatic stage. At this stage of the infection, a person develops pneumonia, sores on the throat, mouth, anus and genitals, reddish, purplish brownish and pinkish batches on the skin, memory loss, depression, slight weight loss in women, tiredness, hair loss , recurring fever , extreme tiredness and profuse night sweats, diarrhea . This does not mean that each person infected develops the symptoms immediately; some may take up to twelve years to show these signs while some may develop earlier. As the HIV virus multiplies it continues weakening the body immune system of a person giving way to opportunistic diseases. The person becomes immune deficient or has now developed AIDS, which is a short form of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The body can no longer fight opportunistic diseases such as; bacteriial diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia and blood poisoning, the body cannot also fight diseases caused by protozoans like toxoplasmosis, fungal diseases like candidiasis, and penicilliosis and viral diseases like herpes simplex and herpes zoster which are more common in women than in men. These diseases develop at different times e, g malaria and pneumonia tuberculosis and herpes zoster occur in the early stages of the infection where else toxoplasmosis and PCP occur affecting major body organs. People with HIV/AIDS are prone to cancers like cervical cancer and Kaposis sarcoma and treatment using therapy to treat cancer is difficult as the ability of the lymphocyte to fight germs has been weakened by the virus. Children are also in high risk of getting infected with the opportunistic diseases such as those affecting older people, but are more affected by bacterial infections like ear infections, tonsillitis, stunted growth, and pink eyes. This is because the defense is lower compared to those of adults (HIV AND AIDS: Mayo clinic). When the CD4+T cells of a person are less than 200 per cubic millimeter then the person has full blown HIV virus and should seek medical help so that he/she can be examined by a doctor which include pregnancy tests for women. The person is then given antiretroviral medication and antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Buy custom HIV essay

antigun control essays

antigun control essays I. Intro. - Imagine you are sitting home one night with nothing to do. Your parents have gone away for the weekend and there is absolutely no one around. So you sit around that night watching TV for awhile but find nothing on worth watching. You go on upstairs to your room and get ready for bed. Turn off the lights, lay down, and close your eyes. All of a sudden you here a crash of glass in your kitchen. You rush to your feet and put your ear to the door listening to whats going on downstairs. You begin to hear the voice of two men as they start going through the living room, making their way to the stairs, right outside your room. What do you do? You arent going to confront them since its just you-remember you thought you heard two of them right? Well you are really stuck in your room and all you can do is sit there hoping that they leave soon and dont harm you. Now if it were at my house things would be a little bit different. For starters I would get out my shotgun from my closet and begin to see what is gin on down stairs. As soon as those burglars saw me walking around with a gun, you better believe they would think twice about sticking around any longer. A. 39% of felons aborted a crime due to the victim being armed B. 74% say they avoided dwellings all together if they felt they might be shot. One of the major arguments against the theory that gun control would save lives is that although two-thirds of all homicides are committed with firearms, firearm controls would have no effect on homicide, because human nature is what it is. Even if guns disappeared from the crime scene, criminals would replace them with knives, clubs, axes, or even fists. Guns dont kill people, people kill people. Stated simply, these crimes occur because some people have come to hate others, and they will continue to occur in one form or another as long a ...

Motorsport (Nostalgia Super Stock) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Motorsport (Nostalgia Super Stock) - Essay Example larity evolved into a classification of drag racing involving hundreds of drivers and cars competing in Championships and Grand Drag Racing events (nostalgiasuperstock.com). There are different series, events and clubs, running Nostalgia Super Stock —the rules applied were developed by representatives from clubs of NSS events.The largest annual drag racing event is named after Dave Duell: the Dave Duell Classic. The event has hosted as many as 90 NSS cars competition. It is regarded as the Class National event. The Dave Duell Classic is presently run at Beechbend Raceway, Kentucky (nostalgiasuperstock.com). The event is run in combination with NMCA events but is administrated by Doug- Dave’s son.Some of the rules governing Nostalgia Super Stock include: Historical accuracy of the car- should be American manufactured and models meant for drag racing, multiple carburetion preferred, slick width designation of 10.5W at a maximum, footbrake only- meaning no transmission brake is allowed, etc. Nostalgia Super Stock is popular among men and women who enjoy the classic style of 60s drag racing cars. NSS is mostly popular in the mid-west, with online platforms such as ‘Victory Nostalgia Super Series’ helping to update the enthusiasts about upcoming events (nostalgiasuperstock.com). Some of the popular cars dominating NSS include Texas Whale, Dragn Wagn, Big Red Ram and Hustling

Special education needs in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Special education needs in the UK - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that it is an incontestable reality that students possess different capabilities to learn, diverse emotional behaviors, various social skills, and dissimilar physical endowments. This prompts the necessity to adopt a curriculum and an educational system with programs that care for students who may not cope well in the mainstream education system and programs. The inclusion of students with special needs in a mainstream education system, in the UK, continues to gain dominance with legislation in place to provide special education needs (SEN). Poon-McBrayer and Lian define SEN students as a group that needs special services to achieve and attain their full learning capabilities. The Warnock report initiated the debate of inclusion of mainstream and special education, a move that saw the development of special education assume an all-encompassing approach. It is doubtless that the extent of reforms in sociological viewpoints, about the provisi on of education to students with SENs in the UK, has evolved tremendously since the 1978 Warnock Report and remains highly appreciable. Social transformations have continued to transform special education in the UK. Before the turning point, marked by the Warnock Report, segregation and exclusion of SEN students had been a dominant practice. In the past, the perception of disabled students was undesirable and non-inclusive. Segregation of nondisabled students featured serious cases of abandonment, neglect, and rejection.... Social exclusion among students, as Anabel (2010) identifies, was a complex challenge to tackle as a means of promoting equal opportunities for all learners, disabled and non-disabled. Exclusion did not exist in one form or kind, a challenge that rendered it a great challenge to achieve inclusion. It is noteworthy that there are varied degrees of segregation as McDonald (2008, p.28) identifies. The social processes that define exclusion of the disabled, in most learning environments, are contentious and should attract ardent considerations from educators and policy makers. Exclusion of the disabled, in the education system, involved the denial and limiting of very fundamental rights. The multidimensional character of factors that promote social exclusionism rendered it a demanding endeavor to promote inclusion. Noteworthy is the fact factors that escalate exclusion of SEN students were structural as opposed to circumstantial. That is, exclusion emanated from the set up, and sociologi cal viewpoints held by the very society whose students with SEN experience the exclusion. Social exclusion promotes educational exclusion and the later cannot end when the former still prevails. Such is the complexity entailed in finding an insight into social exclusion in the education system over the past. The UK had experiences of exclusion of SEN students for a long time before the concern led to the formation of the committee that came up with the Warnock Report. Inclusion is necessary to avoid possible exclusion of society members with special needs. Inclusion involves cooperative learning that engages all students from the mainstream schools and

Morality and Generally Good Morals Essay Example for Free

Morality and Generally Good Morals Essay Morals, values and beliefs are all very similar in a way even though they may have different scientific definitions. Everyone in the world has morals, values and beliefs, although they may differ and have different roles in each other’s lives; theses three things all have an impact on how we choose to live our lives in some way. According to the online Merriam Webster dictionary, a moral is defined as something â€Å"concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. † How we act in certain situations is often based on our morals. With morals, the way one was raised plays a big factor on whether or not that person makes morally right or wrong decisions. More often than not, someone who had a stable and well-rounded upbringing will make more morally right choices in their life compared to someone with less family influence or support. Sometimes there are exceptions with this, but generally good morals are usually instilled in people at a young age which can last a lifetime. A moral can also serve as a lesson or theme which is why the phrase â€Å"the moral of the story† exists. With that being said, it is possible for someone to gain moral values through learning lessons through personal or others’ life experiences. By learning lessons through experiences it allows us to have a better understanding on how to act if a similar experience arises again. One moral value that my parents always stressed me to have was to be honest with everyone. They taught me that with honest actions comes more respect and trust from others, which will be very beneficial in my personal and professional life. Value is defined as â€Å"the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something† by the online Oxford Dictionary. Values are the components of peoples’ lives that they find important and meaningful. People’s values often change throughout their lives as their circumstances change. Personally, my values are education, family, friends and money. All of these are important aspects to me which I find necessary to be content with my life. If I didn’t find education valuable to me I would not be enrolled in school right now. Also, without my family and friends, I would not be who I am today since they serve as a great support system and offer value to my life. Money is important because without it I would not be able to support myself while away at school . For example I would not be able to buy necessary items such as books and supplies to give me the best chance at succeeding in college. As time goes on these values may change to my career, my children and more things that would be more meaningful to me as I get older in age.

Genetically Engineered Crops: The Benefits Outweigh the Risks Essay

In order to understand the controversy of genetically engineered crops one must understand what genetic engineering or genetic modification is: â€Å"GMO are organisms that are generated by combining genes of different species using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology. Resulting organisms are then said to be transgenic, genetically engineered or genetically modified (GM). This group of organisms includes... plants.† (Celec et al., 2005) The genetic modification of crops and plants was created so that crops could, â€Å"... protect themselves against insects and disease, to feed and vaccinate people at the same time, to flourish in poor soil and drought, or to improve the quantity and bioavailability of individual nutrients.† (Roberts, Struble, McCullum-Gomez, Wilkins, 2006). These benefits may seem to outweigh the risks and in reality they do, however this does not mean the consumer should not be notified of the risks they are taking. The hallmark of our free society demands that the consumer be able to choose whether or not they want to eat something that may have health risks product labeling that identifies GMO ingredients allows for consumers to choose a particular product while ensuring that the producer feel more at ease with the way they disclose information and promote their product. Genetically engineered crops have many risks ranging from mild to serious. The risks of food allergy is one more serious factor. â€Å"There are risks not only from the parent crop, but in addition the new transgenic product can be an allergen.† (Celec et al., 2005) The risk of food allergens from genetic engineering is evident in this case with Brazil nuts and soy beans. In this case genetically modified soy beans had been given a protein from Brazil nut... ...base Ehrenfreund, M., Wheat With Engineered Gene Demonstrates Challenges for Researchers. (2013, May). Retrieved November 14, 2013, from www.washingtonpost.com Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Developed Using Bioengineering; Draft Guidance, (2013, August). Retrieved November 15, 2013, from www.fda.gov Kaya, I. H. (2012). Genetically modified crops and human health. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11(19), 3613-3617. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from Medwell Journals database. Roberts, K. S., Struble, M. B., McCullum-Gomez, C., Wilkins J. L. (2006). Use of a risk communication model to evaluate dietetics professionals’ viewpoints on genetically engineered foods and crops. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(5), 719-727. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from ScienceDirect database.

Character Analysis †Les Miserables Essay

In the novel, Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, the protagonist, Jean Valjean changes throughout the course of the novel from a contemptible, conniving ex-convict to an noble, compassionate, and heroic man. During his time in jail, Jean Valjean’s heart becomes corrupted; he realizes the world detests him for who he is. However, a bishop named Myriel shows him great kindness and compassion for him, which transforms him forever. In a small town, Montreuil-sur-mer, Valjean restores economic and social balance as well as love and adopt an orphan girl. Because of one man’s simple acts of veneration, Jean Valjean vows to commit his life to goodness and vindicates himself and proving that he has truly changed. In the beginning of the novel, Valjean emerges from prison as a hardened criminal who hates society; Myriel, however, forever changes Valjean’s character, as Myriel compels him to become an noble person, which leads Valjean to support a town in need. Myriel treats Valjean with kindness, and Valjean repays the bishop by stealing his silverware. When the bishop came to him, he said, â€Å"Do not forget, ever, that you have promised [him] to use this silver to become an honest man. Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of any such promise, stood dumbfounded. The bishop had stressed these words as he spoke them. He continued solemnly, ‘Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good† (73).When the police arrest Valjean, Myriel covers for him, claiming that the silverware was a gift. The authorities release Valjean and Myriel makes him promise to become an honest man. Eager to fulfill his promise to his savior, Valjean masks his identity as Madeleine and brings the town of Montreuil-sur-mer prosperity and peace. Under a new identity, Cosette, a young orphan who was abused, is a flesh manifestation of Jean Valjean’s love and compassion. He realizes not only is he capable of loving someone, but passing on love to others. When Valjean find out the Thenardier family, who supposedly took care of Cosette, only used her as their main source of income since they were paid to become caretakers and abused her, it only drove to become more indulgent. Although it is not his obligation to adopt Cosette, Valjean decides to do so anyway, â€Å"love came, and he again grew strong. Alas! he was no less feeble than Cosette. He protected her; and she gave strength to him. Thanks to him, she could walk upright in life; thanks to her, he could persist in virtuous deeds. He was the support of this child, and this child was his prop and staff† (383). Valjean’s unconditional love for his daughter changes the way he is throughout the novel. This is another way Valjean keeps his promises and repa y what he had done in the past. Jean Valjean’s love is clearly shown through his adopted daughter, Cosette, whom he feels sympathy and cherishes. He is exceptional in his mental strength and his willingness to discover what is good, and this earnestness is enough to make him the novel’s hero as well as a savior and a friend to a number of people who find themselves in danger. Though many are convinced of Jean Valjean’s change in personality, Javert the chief police, discovers Valjean’s criminal records and his real identity. The novel’s antagonist, Javert, is chasing after Valjean, only to arrest him for a fraud identity. In Javert’s point of view, â€Å"to owe life to a malefactor . . . to be, in spite of himself, on a level with a fugitive from justice . . . to betray society in order to be true to his own conscience; that all these absurdities . . . should accumulate on himself—this is what prostrated him† (457). Javert is unable to comprehend his enemy’s love for humanity. Though his goals are evident to Valjean, he risks his life to save Javert. This is one of Valjean’s greatest conquest as the hero of the story: saving an enemy. Torn between the future and his mores, Valjean chooses to spare Javert’s life, who later grants Valjean’s freedom from prosecution. In Victor Hugo’s masterful, Les Miserables, an apathetic ex-convict, Jean Valjean, slowly molds into a noble, compassionate, and heroic man under various circumstances and his encounters. Though his experiences in prison hardens his heart, Valjean transform into a completely different person because of one man’s doing: Monsieur Myriel, who shows him love and respect, despite his wicked nature. As a result, Valjean’s life is changed and gives others the same compassion that was given to him. As his life drastically changes, Jean Valjean becomes the central figure of this novel and becomes the moral hero of the story.

Betrayal and Manipulation in the Accidental Billionaires Essay

In the Accidental Billionaires, the motif of manipulation and betrayal is prevalent. Mark Zuckerburg is the prime embodiment of manipulation and betrayal throughout the course of the work. Another character also attributed with such qualities is Sean Parker. Mark and Sean are similar in this aspect; manipulating their own world to achieve their goals. In the first few chapters of the book, the reader is introduced to the Winklevoss twins. The twins turn to Mark to aid them in their social networking idea, the HarvardConnection. After trusting Mark with their program, Mark begins to manipulate the idea into his own. In a very subtle way, Mark delays the twins in time to sire his own program. This action reveals to the reader that Mark is a lone wolf. Mark, told to us in the book, is not interested in money. For example, â€Å"†¦Microsoft had offered Mark between one and two million dollars to go to work for them-and amazingly, Mark had turned them down† (Mezrich 15). This action should be noted as the aspect of working alone seems to be, to Mark, the most efficient way to achieve fame. Mark is highly influenced by Bill Gates, a man who rose out of the very same school Mark attends and manipulated his way throughout his pursuits of Microsoft, and in Mark’s point of view, individual. With his displeasing physique and social incompetence, it is easy to see why people underestimate Mark and are taken advantage of. Another character to note is Sean Parker. Sean Parker is a foil to the protagonist, Mark. Mark pairs up with Sean after he launches ‘thefacebook’. Sean has a history of manipulating his way through major companies with the agenda of getting rich only, quite the opposite of Mark. Sean is extremely energetic, whereas Mark seems to be lazy as represented by his lack variety in his attire- flipflops, jeans, etc. Sean, however, was betrayed by those companies he used to work for, but, ironically, he pursues yet another company that betrays him in the end. Betrayal, through manipulation, is in the subtitle of the book, â€Å"A tale of sex, money, genius, and betrayal. † Betrayal is mentioned last in this climax because that is to show the most important motif and a symbol of the book’s overall structure- It goes from Eduardo and Mark seeking attention to ‘get laid’, then pursue money with genius innovation of modern social networking, and finally, Mark’s betrayal is concluded when he removes Eduardo and Sean from his life because they threatened his brainchild, Facebook. The motif of betrayal is very subtle to the reader. Even after reading the subtitle that Mezrich so blatantly states before the beginning chapter, I was manipulated into completely forgetting about betrayal and instead was focused on the pursuit to fame. Even the title fools the reader in stating the plural form of billionaire, but only one billionaire is spawned at the conclusion of the book. Just as the twins, Eduardo, and Sean, Mark’s real agenda was cloaked to me, until it finally dawned in the closing chapters.

Generating Random Numbers in Java

Generating Random Numbers in Java Generating a series of random numbers is one of those common tasks that crop up from time to time. In Java, it can be achieved simply by using the java.util.Random class. The first step, as with the use of any API class, is to put the import statement before the start of your program class: Next, create a Random object: The Random object provides you with a simple random number generator. The methods of the object give the ability to pick random numbers. For example, the nextInt() and nextLong() methods will return a number that is within the range of values (negative and positive) of the int and long data types respectively: The numbers returned will be randomly chosen int and long values: Picking Random Numbers From a Certain Range Normally the random numbers to be generated need to be from a certain range (e.g., between 1 to 40 inclusively). For this purpose, the nextInt() method can also accept an int parameter. It denotes the upper limit for the range of numbers. However, the upper limit number is not included as one of the numbers that can be picked. That might sound confusing but the nextInt() method works from zero upwards. For example: will only pick a random number from 0 to 39 inclusively. To pick from a range that starts with 1, simply add 1 to the result of the nextInt() method. For example, to pick a number between 1 to 40 inclusively add one to the result: If the range starts from a higher number than one you will need to: minus the starting number from the upper limit number and then add one.add the starting number to the result of the nextInt() method. For example, to pick a number from 5 to 35 inclusively, the upper limit number will be 35-5131 and 5 needs to be added to the result: Just How Random Is the Random Class? I should point out that the Random class generates random numbers in a deterministic way. The algorithm that produces the randomness is based on a number called a seed. If the seed number is known then its possible to figure out the numbers that are going to be produced from the algorithm. To prove this Ill use the numbers from the date that Neil Armstrong first stepped on the Moon as my seed number (20th July 1969) :​ No matter who runs this code the sequence of random numbers produced will be: By default the seed number that is used by: is the current time in milliseconds since January 1, 1970. Normally this will produce sufficiently random numbers for most purposes. However, note that two random number generators created within the same millisecond will generate the same random numbers. Also be careful when using the Random class for any application that must have a secure random number generator (e.g., a gambling program). It might be possible to guess the seed number based on the time the application is running. Generally, for applications where the random numbers are absolutely critical, its best to find an alternative to the Random object. For most applications where there just needs to be a certain random element (e.g., dice for a board game) then it works fine.

Foreign Policy Under Thomas Jefferson

Foreign Policy Under Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson, a Democrat-Republican, won the presidency from John Adams in the election of 1800. Highs and lows marked his foreign policy initiatives, which included the spectacularly successful Louisiana Purchase, and the horrid Embargo Act. Years in Office: first term, 1801-1805; second term, 1805-1809. Foreign Policy Ranking: first term, good; second term, disastrous Barbary War Jefferson was the first president to commit US forces to a foreign war. Barbary pirates, sailing from Tripoli (now the capital of Libya) and other places in North Africa, had long demanded tribute payments from American merchant ships plying the Mediterranean Sea. In 1801, however, they raised their demands, and Jefferson demanded an end to the practice of bribe payments. Jefferson sent US Navy ships and a contingent of Marines to Tripoli, where a brief engagement with pirates marked the United States first successful overseas venture. The conflict also helped convince Jefferson, never a supporter of large standing armies, that the United States needed a professionally trained military officer cadre. As such, he signed legislation to create the United States Military Academy at West Point. Louisiana Purchase In 1763, France lost the French and Indian War to Great Britain. Before the Treaty of Paris of 1763 stripped it permanently of all territory in North America, France ceded Louisiana (a roughly defined territory west of the Mississippi River and south of the 49th Parallel) to Spain for diplomatic safe-keeping. France planned to retrieve it from Spain in the future. The deal made Spain nervous as it feared to lose the territory, first to Great Britain, then to the United States after 1783. To prevent incursions, Spain periodically shut down the Mississippi to Anglo-American trade. President Washington, through Pinckneys Treaty in 1796, negotiated an end to Spanish interference on the river. In 1802, Napoleon, now emperor of France, made plans to reclaim Louisiana from Spain. Jefferson recognized that French reacquisition of Louisiana would negate Pinckneys Treaty, and he sent a diplomatic delegation to Paris to renegotiate it. In the meantime, a military corps that Napoleon had sent to reoccupy New Orleans had run afoul of disease and revolution in Haiti. It subsequently abandoned its mission, causing Napoleon to consider Louisiana too costly and cumbersome to maintain. Upon meeting the US delegation, Napoleons ministers offered to sell the United States all of Louisiana for $15 million. The diplomats did not have the authority to make the purchase, so they wrote to Jefferson and waited weeks for a response. Jefferson favored a strict interpretation of the Constitution; that is, he did not favor wide latitude in interpreting the document. He abruptly switched to a loose constitutional interpretation of executive authority and okayed the purchase. In doing so, he doubled the size of the United States cheaply and without warfare. The Louisiana Purchase was Jeffersons greatest diplomatic and foreign policy achievement. Embargo Act When fighting between France and England intensified, Jefferson tried to craft a foreign policy that allowed the United States to trade with both belligerents without taking sides in their war. That was impossible, given that both sides considered trade with the other a de facto act of war. While both countries violated American neutral trade rights with a series of trade restrictions, the United States considered Great Britain to be the biggest violator because of its practice of impressment- kidnapping US sailors from American ships to serve in the British navy. In 1806, Congress- now controlled by Democrat-Republicans- passed the Non-Importation Act, which prohibited the import of certain goods from the British Empire. The act did no good, and both Great Britain and France continued to deny American neutral rights. Congress and Jefferson ultimately responded with the Embargo Act in 1807. The act, believe it or not, prohibited American trade with all nations- period. Certainly, the act contained loopholes, and some foreign goods came in while smugglers got some American goods out. But the act stopped the bulk of American trade, hurting the nations economy. In fact, it wrecked the economy of New England, which relied almost exclusively on trade to support its economy. The act rested, in part, on Jeffersons inability to craft a creative foreign policy for the situation. It also pointed out American arrogance which believed the major European nations would cave in without American goods. The Embargo Act failed, and Jefferson ended it just days before he left office in March 1809. It marked the lowest point of his foreign policy attempts.

Global Health-Improving Access to Health Care and Medication Essay

Global Health-Improving Access to Health Care and Medication - Essay Example The global access to health has been impacted significantly by social and environmental factors that yield marked differences in health status (Collins 2003, p.97). As a result, the core focus centers on understanding and intervening within the underpinning causes of health inequity. The World Health Organization has outlined a number of indicators for health access, namely: life expectancy and mortality; health service coverage; selected infectious diseases; risk factors; health expenditure; health inequities; health information systems and data availability; and, demographic and socioeconomic statistics. The inequalities in global access to health do not only manifest between countries, but also within countries and closely associate with the level of social disadvantage (Gulliford & Morgan 2003, p.3). The Case for Health Disparities Health disparities remain broadly defined as variations in disease prevalence or treatment based on aspects such as sex, race, or ethnicity, income, e ducation attainment, geographic location, or sexual orientation. Health disparities adversely impact on groups of people, who systematically encounter enhanced socio-economic impediments to health based on their racial/ethnic group, socioeconomic status, age, gender, sexual orientation, geographic location, gender identity, or other characteristics associated with discrimination or exclusion (Mullins, Blatt, Gbarayor, Yang, & Baquet 2005, p.1873). Globally, several efforts directed at highlighting and minimizing health disparities that have involved numerous agencies as they evaluate the countries’ march towards adoption of policy-driven and health-centred objectives. Despite the changes implemented over the last decades, health disparities around the world still exist, especially among the minority groups. The Journal of the American Medical Association highlights race as a critical determinant within the level of care, whereby ethnic minority groups frequently receive less intensive and lower care. Health disparities are also not pegged on race, ethnic, and cultural differences alone as such disparities remain also fuelled by the sexuality minority groups. Studies manifest that an individual’s sexual minority status may restrain access to health care. In some cases, the homosexuals, transgender groups, and bisexual population perpetually experience the diverse range of health access problems connected to their sexuality. The discrimination and minimized access to medical care, coupled with social and cultural experiences aggravate these problems (Collins 2003, p.98). In terms of gender, women in the U.S usually manifest better access to healthcare compared to men. This can be explained by the fact that women mainly have higher rates of health insurance and report enhanced likelihood to seek medical care. Although, gender and race play a critical role in explaining healthcare inequality within the U.S., socioeconomic status bears the greatest de termining factor in shaping an individual’s level of access to healthcare. Indeed, socio-economic differences manifest between racial groups and impacts on the health status of the groups (Bravemen 2006, p.167). Overall, the reasons for disparities in healthcare access are numerous, but can encompass lack of insurance coverage; lack of

Should teens be allowed to drive at 16 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should teens be allowed to drive at 16 - Essay Example However, processing a drivers license is one of the biggest status symbols among the teenager particularly the high school students. Getting a drivers license is not only a social asset but it makes the teenager feel more independent than ever before. According to the American Automobile Association, teenage drivers account for only 7% of the driving population but are involved in 14% of fatal crashes. Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death and injury for the teenagers between the ages of 15-19 (AACAP, 2005). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 20. These deaths account for one-third of all fatalities in this age group. The NHTSA says three factors work together to account for these statistics for teen drivers: inexperience, risk-taking behavior and immaturity and greater risk exposure. Young drivers start out with little knowledge or under standing of the complexities of driving a car. Peer pressure and adolescent impulsiveness can result in poor driving judgment and participation in high-risk behaviors such as speeding, inattention and not using a seatbelt. Teens often drive at night with other teens in the vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that 43 percent of teenage motor vehicle deaths occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. In addition, two out of three teen passenger deaths occurred when the driver of the vehicle was also a teenager (Eldridge, 2005).

Unknown lab report flow chart and conclusion based on my results Essay

Unknown lab report flow chart and conclusion based on my results provided - Essay Example A third test also gave a positive result, so it was concluded that the first test gave a false negative result. This was determined since the negative result was inconsistent with the rest of the test results (not consistent with the other data from the Enterotube tests. The only Genus that is Catalase positive is the Genus Corynebacterium. The Voges-Proskauer test was used to narrow down potential species within the Bacillus Genus. The VP test was negative and was repeated twice in order to be certain of its accuracy and reliability. According to Bailey & Scotts "Diagnostic Microbiology" manual, B. stearothermophilus only grows at above 65 degree C. and our incubation growth temperature was at 37 degree C, so that microbe can be eliminated from consideration. The Citrate test was negative on three trials, which eliminates Lactobacillusand leaves only Corynebacterium. Starch hydrolysis carried out proved positive therebyeliminating Corynebacterium kutsceri and leaving us with Corynebacterium xerosis. Consequently the identity of unknown microorganism is Corynebacterium

Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Essay Macbeth is a play that is written by William Shakespeare, who is a famous poet and playwright. William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is a tragedy. The earliest account of its performance was from 1606. Tragedies contain distressing events that involve the main character or characters. These types of plays usually contain the death of a liked character or the main character or characters. Macbeth’s genre is a tragedy due to some of its themes. One theme of the play that portraits a tragic event is the theme of ambition. This is where Macbeth gets the idea of being king, but for him to become king he kills multiple times by committing a murder himself or getting others to kill on his behalf, like with the killing of King Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macduff and her child, which are tragic events due to death. The other theme is prophecy where the supernatural exists with the three witches, who give the prophecy to Macbeth about him becoming king, and that’s where Macbeth’s ambition starts, which turns into evil and also leads to tragic events. There is also the theme of reality that shows a tragic event as this leads to the death of Macbeth. Due to his belief in his own invincibility and he is killed by Macduff. A Greek philosopher called Aristotle said that all tragedies must have these characteristics: a man of high social standing, experiences a downfall, because of the flaw it is revealed only as a result of a tragic action of the narrative. Macbeth fits Aristotle characteristics by its structure of the play. It fits the characteristics by this: rising action of exposition is the very begging at the play. The complication, which is the witches’ prophecy, that leads to the rising action of the murders of people in the play. The climax is when Macbeth is the king. The falling action followers by Macbeth kills more to retain his title of king and Lady Macbeth dies and the catastrophe which is where Macbeth gets killed due to his ambition turning evil, and the resolution which is where Malcolm becomes king. The structure fits Aristotle characteristics as Macbeth the man with high social standing, experiences a downfall, which is the climax of killing for his ambition, which then, leads to a result of tragic action of which Macbeth the main character is killed. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses different types of language like verse, which is written as poetry. Most of it is blank verse and rhymed couplets. He also uses prose, which is everything that is not in poetry. In the play, Shakespeare uses a blank verse, which has ten syllables with five stresses in each line. Shakespeare uses rhymed couplets in Macbeth to let the audience know it’s the end of a scene due to the fact the theatres in the 16th and 17th century did not have curtains or lightening effects like ours today due to show the end of a scene. In Macbeth act 2 scene 3 Malcolm says at the end of the scene. â€Å"But shift away: theres warrant in that theft. Which steals itself, when theres no mercy left† Here is a rhyming couplet as the pairs of line rhyme by the words theft and left, by this rhyming couplet signals the audience and actors back then that it is the end of the scene. Macbeth also has prose language in the play. Shakespeare uses prose for those characters that have comic and low statuses, as the prose structure does not have a formal structure of poetry and it can mean many manners of ideas. In Macbeth prose is used when Lady Macbeth is sleep walking in Act 5 scene 1 when she says â€Å"Yet heres a spot. † The use of prose here shows Lady Macbeth is ill and going mad by her losing her high status as she speaks in prose which is normally used by low status characters. Macbeth also uses paradox in some of his lines like with the witches saying at start in scene 1 act 1, â€Å"Fair is foul, foul is fair†. This quote from Macbeth is where the witches are saying things are not what they seem, but Macbeth writes the line differently than that in paradox, which is when it contrasts itself. Therefore, it makes the line more interesting to listen to, and it get us the audience to think more what is being meant, as it can be very ambiguous. The meaning of this line is more embraced, as it does seem things are not what it seems when the line is paradox. In Macbeth there is a lot of imagery text like with metaphors, which are something, called something else like with this quote Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell: Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace†. This is when Malcolm describes Macbeth as a fallen angle, which implies Macbeth is perfect, and cannot do wrong and shows Malcolm thinks very highly of Macbeth. When Shakespeare uses metaphors it gives a great image to the audience, as you can see it gives us a better picture of what Malcolm feelings are of Macbeth. In Macbeth imagery text is used by similes as well, which is something is described as something else like here, â€Å"And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was not so before. This is where the floating danger which Macbeth see in front of him turn bloody and the simile describes the blade as â€Å"dudgeon gouts of blood† which says it has lots of blood on it. When Shakespeare uses similes it gives a powerful image of what something looks like as the blade give the image of loads of blood rather than just a bit. Also Shakespeare uses personification in Macbeth which is something is described as human like â€Å"Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak. Here the environment is being described like humans saying the stones move and the trees speak which is give a very unusual image to the audience but make them more engaged to watch and listen. Macbeth is a play that is loosely based on events in the past in the year of 1040-1057 in Scotland. The events are based on a real person called Macbeth, who ruled as king in Scotland in 1040-1057. He did overthrow the previous king Duncan. The real Lady Macbeth was a granddaughter of another king, who was actually murdered by king Duncan’s grandfather. Malcolm and Donald Bain were sons of King Duncan, with Malcolm becoming king after the death of Macbeth. You can see Shakespeare’s play had the similarities of the past with the some of the character names and their position like the real Macbeth became king after Duncan who died who was king previously, but the difference is that there was no murder of King Duncan in the past like there is in the play. But I think Shakespeare would have got the idea of murder of Duncan by the real Lady Macbeth’s grandfather who was killed by the real King Duncan’s grandfather. The audiences of 1606 who watched the play would have been shocked of the death of Macbeth in the play as they see him in war and succeeding, they see him being loyal to the king, and that he could have been seen as a hero. However, when he turns evil by killing for his ambition to come true he is seen as villain in some audiences eyes, but they also see him die. This would shock the audience as their hero turned into evil and died. This may make the audience think whom they can actually trust; especially the king would at that time have been King James, in case the same happened to him like King Duncan in the play. King James of Scotland would have seen Macbeth and I think his thoughts of the play may have shocked him. It would have shocked him as he would have empathised with king Duncan, and when he see him getting killed by what he had believed to have been a loyal friend, this would of worried him. King James would rethink his loyal friends, and would have been cautious in case a loyal friend would kill him as King Duncan was killed. The witches at the start of the play would have affected the audiences as in 1611; witchcraft was seen as real and very scary, so this would have attracted the audience’s attention and spooks them a bit. In England at 1563, there were laws placed against witchcraft by Queen Elizabeth. In 1603 queen Elizabeth died, and when the play was performed I think the first scene of the witches would have irritated some people due to the fact that it was disrespecting their previous queen Elizabeth’s law against witchcraft. I think some audiences may have thought Shakespeare was a witch of some sort, for writing witchcraft into his play Macbeth, which may lead to people to think his plays was good though witchcraft was being used to write them. I also think male audiences in 1606 would have been offended by Lady Macbeth overruling and controlling a man in the play which is Macbeth, when she orders him to kill King Duncan. In 1606 women were lower and that men were leaders and were not suppose to be controlled by women. But in the play it shows Lady Macbeth controlling Macbeth which I think may made male audiences angry, for seeing a women controlling a man. I think women audiences in 1606 would have been shocked by Lady Macbeth controlling of Macbeth, as this was not reality for them. I think this play may have offended women by the fact that Shakespeare’s character Macbeth did what a women told him to do and ended up being killed, which could imply the message do not listen to women as it turn out bad. Today’s audience of men or women would not be offended by the play of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as there is equal rights today between both genders, and that women can tell a man what to do as this is reality these day. As well audiences today would not be spooked by the witchcraft scenes as people today do not believe in witchcraft due to science proving a most of it wrong. Nevertheless, I do think the death scene of killing of Macduff’s son would have offended both audiences. A scene of a child being killed is chilling for both audiences of today and in 1606. The first scene that I will analyse that guides the audience to a tragic event is the one which is Macbeth’s soliloquy, act 2 scene 1. In this scene Macbeth imagines a dagger floating towards Duncan’s chamber where he is sleeping. Macbeths talks to himself saying â€Å"is this a dagger, which I see before me? â€Å" Macbeth cannot believe what he is seeing and questions himself. Before this scene Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to commit murder by killing the king Duncan. This scene results in the murder of king Duncan who was a noble, great king. The language in the quote asks a question with the question mark and the word â€Å"is†, Macbeth here is imagining a dagger, which the audience could not see due to no props, so with Macbeth questioning himself shows the audience that Macbeth is imagining something. The audience listening to Macbeth question himself would put them on edge, as they would see a person having a strange hallucination in front of their eyes. The question Macbeths asks is rhetorical, as he does not expect an answer as he talking to himself. With Shakespeare using a rhetorical question here I think it helps the audience understands Macbeth is seeing something in his imagination. If this scene was staged with Macbeth more in a panic, worried and scared rather than just confused when imagining the dagger, this would make audiences more disturbed I think, and would have caused them to share some of the emoion of macbeth. Macbeth‘s character could have even cried during this scene which would have shown more emotion of fear. The audience would perceive the character of macbeth as frighted and much more hesitant to commit murder and therefore would have felt sorry for him at one point. The second scene that i will analyse that guides the audience to a tragic event is the one which features the killing of Macduff‘s child, which is in Act 4 scene 2. Before this scene happens, you have Macbeth ordering for Lady Macduff and her child to be killed. At the end of the secne the son is killed, with murderers following Lady Macduff to kill her as well. The child says to his mother which is Lady Macduff â€Å"He has killed me, mother: Run away, I pray you! â€Å". Here the child is shouting to his mother to run, so she does not get killed. The language shakespeare uses here is quite emotive. For a start the boy is shouting as by the exclamation mark, this will get the auidence attention from watching the play as its more dramatic. Its also dramatic by the words â€Å"pray youâ€Å" as the boy is asking God for her safety. This makes the audience upset here becuase as the boy who is himself doomed, does not want his mother to die, which we know it is going to happen. Its quite emotive as the boy shows affection for his mother and not wanting her to be murdered, this give the audience strong feeling of sadness. The way this scene is staged is that Lady Macduff runs off set with the murderers following her. It would be much more upsetting for the auidence to watch her be killed in front of her son. Audiences watching this scene would now have seen macbeth as even more evil as they have now watched another murder which he ordered to be committed. The most chilling scene for myself would have been the murder of Lady Macduff and her child, as i think its upsetting for seeing a child being killed. I think that Macbeth is greedy and evil has he had his ambition come true for others missfortune which i think is greedy, and doing murder of a innocent child is just plain evil in my opion. Overall i think the play macbeth has a good, easy to follow story line.

Panoramic Poe Essay -- essays research papers

The written word has been the vehicle by which generations have articulated their hopes, fears, aspirations, and nightmares. Amidst these ideas, the author must weave together history, culture, environment and atmosphere to produce a setting in which their ideas will develop. This setting is crucial to many stories, including Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"Cask of Amontillado.† Poe shrouds the reader in the warmth of a celebration and the coldness of death with only his words as a guide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poe starts out by introducing the reader to a carnival like atmosphere reminiscent of Mardi Gras. There are people in multi-colored jester outfits, people wearing masks, and the overall feeling of festiveness. This jovial atmosphere is greatly contradicted by the Montresor’s vengeful mood. The contrast of mood to setting creates a sense of chaos, somehow signifying an underlying madness in the character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another important aspect of the carnival setting is the wine. At the carnival itself, liquor is free flowing and most people have indulged themselves, including Fortunato, Montresor’s bane. This particular feature in the setting allows Poe to set up the events that unfold in the story. Fortunato, intoxicated and somewhat vain, insists upon seeing the Amontillado rather than have Montresor take it to someone else. At this point, the carnival setting has served its purpose in setting the mood and the circumstances of the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  ...

A Game of Thrones Chapter Five

Jon There were times—not many, but a few—when Jon Snow was glad he was a bastard. As he filled his wine cup once more from a passing flagon, it struck him that this might be one of them. He settled back in his place on the bench among the younger squires and drank. The sweet, fruity taste of summerwine filled his mouth and brought a smile to his lips. The Great Hall of Winterfell was hazy with smoke and heavy with the smell of roasted meat and fresh-baked bread. Its grey stone walls were draped with banners. White, gold, crimson: the direwolf of Stark, Baratheon's crowned stag, the lion of Lannister. A singer was playing the high harp and reciting a ballad, but down at this end of the hall his voice could scarcely be heard above the roar of the fire, the clangor of pewter plates and cups, and the low mutter of a hundred drunken conversations. It was the fourth hour of the welcoming feast laid for the king. Jon's brothers and sisters had been seated with the royal children, beneath the raised platform where Lord and Lady Stark hosted the king and queen. In honor of the occasion, his lord father would doubtless permit each child a glass of wine, but no more than that. Down here on the benches, there was no one to stop Jon drinking as much as he had a thirst for. And he was finding that he had a man's thirst, to the raucous delight of the youths around him, who urged him on every time he drained a glass. They were fine company, and Jon relished the stories they were telling, tales of battle and bedding and the hunt. He was certain that his companions were more entertaining than the king's offspring. He had sated his curiosity about the visitors when they made their entrance. The procession had passed not a foot from the place he had been given on the bench, and Jon had gotten a good long look at them all. His lord father had come first, escorting the queen. She was as beautiful as men said. A jeweled tiara gleamed amidst her long golden hair, its emeralds a perfect match for the green of her eyes. His father helped her up the steps to the dais and led her to her seat, but the queen never so much as looked at him. Even at fourteen, Jon could see through her smile. Next had come King Robert himself, with Lady Stark on his arm. The king was a great disappointment to Jon. His father had talked of him often: the peerless Robert Baratheon, demon of the Trident, the fiercest warrior of the realm, a giant among princes. Jon saw only a fat man, red-faced under his beard, sweating through his silks. He walked like a man half in his cups. After them came the children. Little Rickon first, managing the long walk with all the dignity a three-year-old could muster. Jon had to urge him on when he stopped to visit. Close behind came Robb, in grey wool trimmed with white, the Stark colors. He had the Princess Myrcella on his arm. She was a wisp of a girl, not quite eight, her hair a cascade of golden curls under a jeweled net. Jon noticed the shy looks she gave Robb as they passed between the tables and the timid way she smiled at him. He decided she was insipid. Robb didn't even have the sense to realize how stupid she was; he was grinning like a fool. His half sisters escorted the royal princes. Arya was paired with plump young Tommen, whose white-blond hair was longer than hers. Sansa, two years older, drew the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon. He was twelve, younger than Jon or Robb, but taller than either, to Jon's vast dismay. Prince Joffrey had his sister's hair and his mother's deep green eyes. A thick tangle of blond curls dripped down past his golden choker and high velvet collar. Sansa looked radiant as she walked beside him, but Jon did not like Joffrey's pouty lips or the bored, disdainful way he looked at Winterfell's Great Hall. He was more interested in the pair that came behind him: the queen's brothers, the Lannisters of Casterly Rock. The Lion and the Imp; there was no mistaking which was which. Ser Jaime Lannister was twin to Queen Cersei; tall and golden, with flashing green eyes and a smile that cut like a knife. He wore crimson silk, high black boots, a black satin cloak. On the breast of his tunic, the lion of his House was embroidered in gold thread, roaring its defiance. They called him the Lion of Lannister to his face and whispered â€Å"Kingslayer† behind his back. Jon found it hard to look away from him. This is what a king should look like, he thought to himself as the man passed. Then he saw the other one, waddling along half-hidden by his brother's side. Tyrion Lannister, the youngest of Lord Tywin's brood and by far the ugliest. All that the gods had given to Cersei and Jaime, they had denied Tyrion. He was a dwarf, half his brother's height, struggling to keep pace on stunted legs. His head was too large for his body, with a brute's squashed-in face beneath a swollen shelf of brow. One green eye and one black one peered out from under a lank fall of hair so blond it seemed white. Jon watched him with fascination. The last of the high lords to enter were his uncle, Benjen Stark of the Night's Watch, and his father's ward, young Theon Greyjoy. Benjen gave Jon a warm smile as he went by. Theon ignored him utterly, but there was nothing new in that. After all had been seated, toasts were made, thanks were given and returned, and then the feasting began. Jon had started drinking then, and he had not stopped. Something rubbed against his leg beneath the table. Jon saw red eyes staring up at him. â€Å"Hungry again?† he asked. There was still half a honeyed chicken in the center of the table. Jon reached out to tear off a leg, then had a better idea. He knifed the bird whole and let the carcass slide to the floor between his legs. Ghost ripped into it in savage silence. His brothers and sisters had not been permitted to bring their wolves to the banquet, but there were more curs than Jon could count at this end of the hall, and no one had said a word about his pup. He told himself he was fortunate in that too. His eyes stung. Jon rubbed at them savagely, cursing the smoke. He swallowed another gulp of wine and watched his direwolf devour the chicken. Dogs moved between the tables, trailing after the serving girls. One of them, a black mongrel bitch with long yellow eyes, caught a scent of the chicken. She stopped and edged under the bench to get a share. Jon watched the confrontation. The bitch growled low in her throat and moved closer. Ghost looked up, silent, and fixed the dog with those hot red eyes. The bitch snapped an angry challenge. She was three times the size of the direwolf pup. Ghost did not move. He stood over his prize and opened his mouth, baring his fangs. The bitch tensed, barked again, then thought better of this fight. She turned and slunk away, with one last defiant snap to save her pride. Ghost went back to his meal. Jon grinned and reached under the table to ruffle the shaggy white fur. The direwolf looked up at him, nipped gently at his hand, then went back to eating. â€Å"Is this one of the direwolves I've heard so much of?† a familiar voice asked close at hand. Jon looked up happily as his uncle Ben put a hand on his head and ruffled his hair much as Jon had ruffled the wolf's. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"His name is Ghost.† One of the squires interrupted the bawdy story he'd been telling to make room at the table for their lord's brother. Benjen Stark straddled the bench with long legs and took the wine cup out of Jon's hand. â€Å"Summerwine,† he said after a taste. â€Å"Nothing so sweet. How many cups have you had, Jon?† Jon smiled. Ben Stark laughed. â€Å"As I feared. Ah, well. I believe I was younger than you the first time I got truly and sincerely drunk.† He snagged a roasted onion, dripping brown with gravy, from a nearby trencher and bit into it. It crunched. His uncle was sharp-featured and gaunt as a mountain crag, but there was always a hint of laughter in his blue-grey eyes. He dressed in black, as befitted a man of the Night's Watch. Tonight it was rich black velvet, with high leather boots and a wide belt with a silver buckle. A heavy silver chain was looped round his neck. Benjen watched Ghost with amusement as he ate his onion. â€Å"A very quiet wolf,† he observed. â€Å"He's not like the others,† Jon said. â€Å"He never makes a sound. That's why I named him Ghost. That, and because he's white. The others are all dark, grey or black.† â€Å"There are still direwolves beyond the Wall. We hear them on our rangings.† Benjen Stark gave Jon a long look. â€Å"Don't you usually eat at table with your brothers?† â€Å"Most times,† Jon answered in a flat voice. â€Å"But tonight Lady Stark thought it might give insult to the royal family to seat a bastard among them.† â€Å"I see.† His uncle glanced over his shoulder at the raised table at the far end of the hall. â€Å"My brother does not seem very festive tonight.† Jon had noticed that too. A bastard had to learn to notice things, to read the truth that people hid behind their eyes. His father was observing all the courtesies, but there was tightness in him that Jon had seldom seen before. He said little, looking out over the hall with hooded eyes, seeing nothing. Two seats away, the king had been drinking heavily all night. His broad face was flushed behind his great black beard. He made many a toast, laughed loudly at every jest, and attacked each dish like a starving man, but beside him the queen seemed as cold as an ice sculpture. â€Å"The queen is angry too,† Jon told his uncle in a low, quiet voice. â€Å"Father took the king down to the crypts this afternoon. The queen didn't want him to go.† Benjen gave Jon a careful, measuring look. â€Å"You don't miss much, do you, Jon? We could use a man like you on the Wall.† Jon swelled with pride. â€Å"Robb is a stronger lance than I am, but I'm the better sword, and Hullen says I sit a horse as well as anyone in the castle.† â€Å"Notable achievements.† â€Å"Take me with you when you go back to the Wall,† Jon said in a sudden rush. â€Å"Father will give me leave to go if you ask him, I know he will.† Uncle Benjen studied his face carefully. â€Å"The Wall is a hard place for a boy, Jon.† â€Å"I am almost a man grown,† Jon protested. â€Å"I will turn fifteen on my next name day, and Maester Luwin says bastards grow up faster than other children.† â€Å"That's true enough,† Benjen said with a downward twist of his mouth. He took Jon's cup from the table, filled it fresh from a nearby pitcher, and drank down a long swallow. â€Å"Daeren Targaryen was only fourteen when he conquered Dorne,† Jon said. The Young Dragon was one of his heroes. â€Å"A conquest that lasted a summer,† his uncle pointed out. â€Å"Your Boy King lost ten thousand men taking the place, and another fifty trying to hold it. Someone should have told him that war isn't a game.† He took another sip of wine. â€Å"Also,† he said, wiping his mouth, â€Å"Daeren Targaryen was only eighteen when he died. Or have you forgotten that part?† â€Å"I forget nothing,† Jon boasted. The wine was making him bold. He tried to sit very straight, to make himself seem taller. â€Å"I want to serve in the Night's Watch, Uncle.† He had thought on it long and hard, lying abed at night while his brothers slept around him. Robb would someday inherit Winterfell, would command great armies as the Warden of the North. Bran and Rickon would be Robb's bannermen and rule holdfasts in his name. His sisters Arya and Sansa would marry the heirs of other great houses and go south as mistress of castles of their own. But what place could a bastard hope to earn? â€Å"You don't know what you're asking, Jon. The Night's Watch is a sworn brotherhood. We have no families. None of us will ever father sons. Our wife is duty. Our mistress is honor.† â€Å"A bastard can have honor too,† Jon said. â€Å"I am ready to swear your oath.† â€Å"You are a boy of fourteen,† Benjen said. â€Å"Not a man, not yet. Until you have known a woman, you cannot understand what you would be giving up.† â€Å"I don't care about that!† Jon said hotly. â€Å"You might, if you knew what it meant,† Benjen said. â€Å"If you knew what the oath would cost you, you might be less eager to pay the price, son.† Jon felt anger rise inside him. â€Å"I'm not your son!† Benjen Stark stood up. â€Å"More's the pity.† He put a hand on Jon's shoulder. â€Å"Come back to me after you've fathered a few bastards of your own, and we'll see how you feel.† Jon trembled. â€Å"I will never father a bastard,† he said carefully. â€Å"Never!† He spat it out like venom. Suddenly he realized that the table had fallen silent, and they were all looking at him. He felt the tears begin to well behind his eyes. He pushed himself to his feet. â€Å"I must be excused,† he said with the last of his dignity. He whirled and bolted before they could see him cry. He must have drunk more wine than he had realized. His feet got tangled under him as he tried to leave, and he lurched sideways into a serving girl and sent a flagon of spiced wine crashing to the floor. Laughter boomed all around him, and Jon felt hot tears on his cheeks. Someone tried to steady him. He wrenched free of their grip and ran, half-blind, for the door. Ghost followed close at his heels, out into the night. The yard was quiet and empty. A lone sentry stood high on the battlements of the inner wall, his cloak pulled tight around him against the cold. He looked bored and miserable as he huddled there alone, but Jon would have traded places with him in an instant. Otherwise the castle was dark and deserted. Jon had seen an abandoned holdfast once, a drear place where nothing moved but the wind and the stones kept silent about whatever people had lived there. Winterfell reminded him of that tonight. The sounds of music and song spilled through the open windows behind him. They were the last things Jon wanted to hear. He wiped away his tears on the sleeve of his shirt, furious that he had let them fall, and turned to go. â€Å"Boy,† a voice called out to him. Jon turned. Tyrion Lannister was sitting on the ledge above the door to the Great Hall, looking for all the world like a gargoyle. The dwarf grinned down at him. â€Å"Is that animal a wolf?† â€Å"A direwolf,† Jon said. â€Å"His name is Ghost.† He stared up at the little man, his disappointment suddenly forgotten. â€Å"What are you doing up there? Why aren't you at the feast?† â€Å"Too hot, too noisy, and I'd drunk too much wine,† the dwarf told him. â€Å"I learned long ago that it is considered rude to vomit on your brother. Might I have a closer look at your wolf?† Jon hesitated, then nodded slowly. â€Å"Can you climb down, or shall I bring a ladder?† â€Å"Oh, bleed that,† the little man said. He pushed himself off the ledge into empty air. Jon gasped, then watched with awe as Tyrion Lannister spun around in a tight ball, landed lightly on his hands, then vaulted backward onto his legs. Ghost backed away from him uncertainly. The dwarf dusted himself off and laughed. â€Å"I believe I've frightened your wolf. My apologies.† â€Å"He's not scared,† Jon said. He knelt and called out. â€Å"Ghost, come here. Come on. That's it.† The wolf pup padded closer and nuzzled at Jon's face, but he kept a wary eye on Tyrion Lannister, and when the dwarf reached out to pet him, he drew back and bared his fangs in a silent snarl. â€Å"Shy, isn't he?† Lannister observed. â€Å"Sit, Ghost,† Jon commanded. â€Å"That's it. Keep still.† He looked up at the dwarf. â€Å"You can touch him now. He won't move until I tell him to. I've been training him.† â€Å"I see,† Lannister said. He ruffled the snow-white fur between Ghost's ears and said, â€Å"Nice wolf.† â€Å"If I wasn't here, he'd tear out your throat,† Jon said. It wasn't actually true yet, but it would be. â€Å"In that case, you had best stay close,† the dwarf said. He cocked his oversized head to one side and looked Jon over with his mismatched eyes. â€Å"I am Tyrion Lannister.† â€Å"I know,† Jon said. He rose. Standing, he was taller than the dwarf. It made him feel strange. â€Å"You're Ned Stark's bastard, aren't you?† Jon felt a coldness pass right through him. He pressed his lips together and said nothing. â€Å"Did I offend you?† Lannister said. â€Å"Sorry. Dwarfs don't have to be tactful. Generations of capering fools in motley have won me the right to dress badly and say any damn thing that comes into my head.† He grinned. â€Å"You are the bastard, though.† â€Å"Lord Eddard Stark is my father,† Jon admitted stiffly. Lannister studied his face. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers.† â€Å"Half brothers,† Jon corrected. He was pleased by the dwarf's comment, but he tried not to let it show. â€Å"Let me give you some counsel, bastard,† Lannister said. â€Å"Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.† Jon was in no mood for anyone's counsel. â€Å"What do you know about being a bastard?† â€Å"All dwarfs are bastards in their father's eyes.† â€Å"You are your mother's trueborn son of Lannister.† â€Å"Am I?† the dwarf replied, sardonic. â€Å"Do tell my lord father. My mother died birthing me, and he's never been sure.† â€Å"I don't even know who my mother was,† Jon said. â€Å"Some woman, no doubt. Most of them are.† He favored Jon with a rueful grin. â€Å"Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs.† And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast, whistling a tune. When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king.

Problem-Posing Vignette

Understanding the Dynamics of Culture Shock as a Tool for Vignette ReflectionAfter I finished my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, I taught for one year in primary school. After which, I taught in the King Saud University which relatively offers better income than my previous work. In order to upgrade my educational skills, I went to the University of Wollongong in Australia to take Masters of Education in Educational Leadership. However, since my arrival in the said university, unexpected things came up. These â€Å"unexpected† things I classified as â€Å"problems† since they were disrupting my psyche (ability to understand why things happen in such a way) and to an extent my studies. These problems ranged from the difficulty of learning English to the so-called culture shock.Useful paragraph to set the sceneBut the problem of learning English could be resolved through a thorough study of the language. This was not the case when it comes to culture shock. For one, u nderstanding culture shock would involve a clear understanding of the cultures that the students in the university belong.Identification of a couple of problemsWhen I took a taxi from the Sydney airport to my place of stay, I noticed that driving was done on the other side of the road unlike in Saudi Arabia. I really thought that I could not drive in Australia, but in due time I was able to do so. Added to that, I also noticed that many people in Australia liked to walk, unlike in Saudi, where all people have cars to use. It was pretty odd for a developed nation not to require its citizens to use cars as a mode of transportation. Maybe it was the preference of most of the people in Australia to walk than use car as a mode of transportation. Whatever the case, I was bound to examine the dynamics of this odd experience.Detail of experienceWith regard to the issue of gender, in Saudi Arabia, it is the norm that boys cannot study together with girls. In Australia, especially in the univ ersity, boys and girls are usually involved in group studies, that is, boys and girls can study together without the restriction of law or custom. One of the â€Å"greatest† culture shock that I experienced was the time when girl students of the university (my classmates) study with me. Corollary to that, I also noticed that in Australia, women can teach men on a wide variety of subjects which is generally prohibited in Saudi Arabia.Hence, there were many times that women were teaching me; some were connected to my subjects, others issues essential to my field of specialization. Lastly, I really thought that books in Australia are much cheaper than in Saudi Arabia. But such was not the case. Books in Australia are actually more expensive compared with the books in Saudi Arabia. I was really caught up on this experience since Australia being a developed country can afford its citizens cheap books, but it was not the case (thinking that since Australia encourages promotes educa tion at all levels, it necessarily follows that it will provide cheap educational materials). More detail of experienceNow, my primary concern was to how to adapt or at least understand the justification of my experience. Since I came from a different cultural setting, it was hard for me in the start to cope up with the habits and customs of the Australian people. For an ordinary Australian or European, this is not really a problem since their cultural settings are almost similar. In Europe, boys are usually mixed with girls during study periods.I do not know about the prices of books in Europe, but certainly it would not be a problem for the Europeans if the books in an Australian university are cheaper or more expensive than the books in a European university. Walking as a preferred mode of transportation was not really a big deal for Europeans or Asians perhaps. Most of them usually walk as in the case of major European or Asian cities. But in Saudi Arabia, things are quite diffe rent. There are laws that prohibit boys from studying with girls. Girls are also prohibited from teaching boys, and with regard to walking, the Saudi government advises its citizens to use car as mode of transportation.Initially, I had this fear that I might not be able to interact effectively with the students of the university because I belong to a different ethnicity, but because of continued acquaintance with the students, gradually I was able to understand the justifications of the cultural setting to which I am now seating. It was really odd for me that because of continued interaction with them, the culture shock that I experienced when I first came in Australia was melting away. Indeed, almost all of the â€Å"culture shocks† were for me just common events here in Australia. Now, there are definitely reasons or justifications for events that what meets the eye in the first instance. First, it is the perception of â€Å"oddness†, and then there is understanding. I was able to conclude that continuous interaction with people who came from different ethnicities or cultural settings can help reduce culture shock.The more one interacts and talk to people, the more one understands the concerns of those people. Nonetheless, if biases are removed in the daily interaction with people in the university, one cannot discern the true meaning of the cultural setting presented to you. As such, without much effort, my culture shock was gradually reduced. I just noticed that I was beginning to understand the dynamics of the events that I previously experienced. Reflecting on the past also helped me assessed my understanding of the issues presented to me. Thus what I did not really understand in the past was tested through real-life interaction. Thus, the things or situation I termed as â€Å"culture shock† were becoming common things for me. Now there are two questions that should be presented: â€Å"How do I absorb â€Å"culture shock†? an d â€Å"How can I help my friends or anyone who wants to reduce the effect of culture shock?†