The Repulic by Plato Essay Example For Students

The Repulic by Plato Essay In the last book, Book X, Plato criticizes poetry and the fine arts. Plato feels that art is merely the imitation of the imitation of reality, and that poetry corrupts the soul. Socrates says that artists merely create things. As an example, if a painter draws a couch on his canvas, he is creating a couch. But the couch he creates is not the real couch, it is nothing but a copy of an ordinary, physical couch which was created by a craftsman. But the ordinary, physical couch is nothing more than an imperfect copy, or image of the Form of Couch. So, the couch on the canvas is nothing but a copy of a copy of the real couch and is therefore three times removed from reality. Socrates then goes on to explain that an artists knowledge is also third-rate. If an artist is painting a picture of a table, for example, he is copying a table that has been manufactured by a furniture-maker, and this furniture-maker has more knowledge of the table than the painter does. We will write a custom essay on The Repulic by Plato specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now But there is someone who has ever more knowledge about the table, the person who wants to have the table made. He is the one who gives the furniture-maker instructions to follow when making the table, according to its purpose for the buyer. So, the buyer of the table knows more about the table than the furniture-maker, and the furniture-maker knows more about the table than the painter. Socrates believes that only philosophers have the first-hand knowledge of things, since they believe in The Forms. Socrates also denounces Homer. Socrates feels that in his writing, Homer has pretended to be people he is not, such as a politician, general, businessman, teacher, and philosopher. Socrates feels this is wrong because Homer is claiming to be able to perform these functions that he has written about, but never really performed himself. He feels that Homer is abandoning reality. Plato feels that poetry has no place in his Ideal State, and should be banished until it can show itself to be a friend of philosophy. In conclusion, The Republic was Platos ways of expressing his Theory of Forms. The Forms played an important part in Platos Ideal State. However, Materialism does not believe in Platos Theory of Forms. A Materialist would disagree with many of the things that Plato talked of in The Republic. The main idea behind Plato Theory of Forms is that the Forms are not physical objects, but instead are only known through the mind (reason). The Forms are not known through the senses. They exist in a realm beyond physical reality. As in the example with beauty, it is ultimately an idea, not an object. One must understand what true beauty is before they can judge a particular object to be beautiful or not. The Forms are different from physical objects in that they are eternal and universal. Even the atoms that Materialists believe make up objects are not eternal. Also, if the ideal objects are the objects of knowledge and intellect, then what do Materialists believe knowledge is based on? Obviously it would be something based on the physical world. According to philosophers, knowledge of The Forms is required to have true knowledge. Then philosophers must feel that Materialists do not have true knowledge. Materialists believe that reality only consists of matter, however, philosophers believe that these physical objects are only real in a secondary sense, and that these objects are only imperfect copies of The Forms. Materialists also do not believe in spirits, souls, and gods and therefore would not understand Platos belief that life was to involve a movement upward toward the Forms, as this was a movement of the Soul.

The Value of Academic Debate

The Value of Academic Debate Decision-making (i.e parliamentary, presidential, etc.) and competitive debate (i.e. academic) are two major types of debate. In the United States, the major forms of competitive debate in high school include Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Public Forum Debate. The outcome of Policy Debate according to literature is either a resolution of fact (ex. â€Å"Resolved: O.J. Simpson murdered his wife Nicole†), value (ex. â€Å"Resolved: Civil disobedience is justified in a democracy†), or policy (â€Å"Resolved: The United States should change its foreign policy toward China†) while the Lincoln-Douglas Debate yield resolution of value. The outcome of the Public Forum Debate, on the other hand, is mostly resolution of policy. High school competitive debates appear addressing social issues, reuniting its division, and establishing a moral order within the particular academic level. This type of debate is exclusive to high school and college and mainly participated by gifted adolescents engaging in brutal arguments, making claims, and depending conflicting ideas for social good. Moreover, competitive debate in this academic level is a reflection of American values, politics, and law. The long tradition of Academic Debate started in about 481 to 411 B.C. and persisted in American schools as an educational method in college and characterized by the debate tournament. A form of informal debate, academic debate merely allows students to systematically express their opinion and support their arguments with facts or evidence. They are designed to facilitate the development of advanced  speaking skills, improve critical thinking, and increase students’ confidence about participating in academic community discussions and dialogue. Get more information here: Unacceptable Words in Academic World The Importance of the Transitional Words and Phrases Service-Profit Value Chain Learning Moral Values in College Movies Human Dignity: How Is It Valued? The Value of Academic Debate Academic debate is simply defined as a debate conducted under the auspices of an educational institution aimed at providing educational opportunities for its students. The purpose of an academic debate is to allow evenly matched opponents to present balanced arguments and evidence about critical issues. Some of the benefits students gained from their debate experience include awareness and knowledge of social issues,  development of critical thinking and communication ability, appreciation of change, and respect for academic research. The philosophy of college debate, for example, is â€Å" to learn not to win† because the most important thing is to be able to present both sides of the issue and make a critical decision on matters concerning public interest. The debate in a college environment provides students opportunities to apply their knowledge of debate principles, develop proper attitudes and skills, and experience almost real-life debates. More importantly, debating is to keep political and public issues alive in the hearts and minds of the academic community. The value of academic debate for some critics is limited to discussing social issues and developing students’ attitudes and abilities. Others see it as a structured academic game with self-actualization and enjoyment as goals. In practice, however, academic debate influenced some of the most critical issues in society. For example, the goals and rationales of criminal punishment according to literature were not the only outcome of evolving criminal procedures and customs but painstaking academic debate. Another is a  strong influence of academic debate on public attitude and government policy towards the harmful effect of some media content such portrayal of sex and violence, food consumption and eating disorders, and direct behavioral effect of television advertising on children.

3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization

3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization 3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization 3 Answers to Questions About Capitalization By Mark Nichol Here are my responses to readers about questions regarding whether to use uppercase or lowercase letters in certain contexts. 1. Would you write, â€Å"I study algebra,† or â€Å"I study Algebra†? â€Å"I’m enrolled in algebra II,† or â€Å"I’m enrolled in Algebra II†? Is the following sentence correct? â€Å"The school offers algebra, French, physics, Spanish, Geometry, and english.† When you refer to an academic subject, write, for example, â€Å"I study algebra.† (Capitalize only names of languages and other proper nouns.) However, when the reference is to a course in which an academic subject is taught, write, for example, â€Å"I’m enrolled in Algebra II.† The terms in this revision of your final sample sentence are styled correctly: â€Å"The school offers algebra, French, physics, Spanish, geometry, and English.† See also the first item in this post. 2. One of our counties considers itself â€Å"the birthplace of prohibition.† My question is whether prohibition should be capitalized. I’ve seen it done that way before but can’t remember if it may have been only in the context of references to the era or the Eighteenth Amendment.† When referring to the principle rather than the era or the legislation, I’d lowercase the word: â€Å"The nonpartisan organization focused on the single issue of prohibition.† But in reference to the specific US government policy during the 1930s (or any other similar official policy in another country), capitalize the term. And if the county actually markets itself with the slogan â€Å"The Birthplace of Prohibition,† acknowledge that epithet by writing, â€Å"The county considers itself the ‘Birthplace of Prohibition’†). 3. What are the rules for saying something starts with a capital letter? Which one is correct: â€Å"The word God has a capital G,† or â€Å"The word God has a capital g†? No resource I know of refers to this specific point about naming a letter as a letter, so in this case I must defer to usage. â€Å"The word God has a capital G† may seem redundant, but that’s the prevailing style. Otherwise, when the reference is not specifically to an uppercase letter, the lowercase form should be used. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureBroadcast vs Broadcasted as Past FormPreposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

Hospital- Acquired Infections Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospital- Acquired Infections - Research Paper Example Researches have been launched to investigate for probable predisposing factors of HAI as well as the possible mitigation measure that can be put in place to control this disaster. This article will focus on the impact of HAI, its possible causes, and the measures being put in place in an effort to control it. As a result of the increase in cases of HAI, the medical sectors have launched various research programs as a strategy to come up with permanent solutions to solve this problem. Statistical researches have established the extent of occurrence of these Nosocomial infections. The most affected regions include the United States, Italy, France, United Kingdom and Switzerland. For example, in the USA, the center for Diseases control and prevention reported that about 1.7 billion of individuals had contracted this kind of infection (CDC, 2010). Of this number, about one hundred thousand are reported to die each year. According to medical literature, the most common HAI include Pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bloodstream diseases (Plowman, 1). The most commonly affected individuals include the workers in hospitals, the patients admitted in these hospitals, and visitors who often come to see their inpatients. This has resulted in a large financial burden in the economy of the affected states. The Prevention epicenter program was launched by the Center for Disease and Control Prevention to research on HAI (CDC, 1). This research group has pulled a lot of efforts to establish the predisposing factors and the possible measures that can be implemented to control this calamity through following a scientific research approach. For instance, it has explored the biology of microorganisms that are commonly related to these infections. To kick off this disaster, the first step involves the establishment of the predisposing factors. Predisposing factors refer to

Cold war and its impact on the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cold war and its impact on the world - Essay Example Thesis statement: The evaluation of the Cold War proves that the polarization of the world nations into two distinct blocs under the United States and the Soviet Union, its political and economic dissimilarities, influence of capitalism and communism, in the years following World War two led to the Cold War, and these events developed into a Cold War because the real fight was ideological, between capitalism and communism. In the years following the WWII, the political context of the East (say, in Soviet Union and China) was totally under the control of communist ideology. For instance, Soviet Union and China embraced communism as the official political ideology. On the other side, United States was not affected by WWII and was trying to prove the same in the global context. Besides, most of the European nations were badly affected by the after-effects of WWII. This political circumstance deeply influenced the polarization of East under Soviet Union and china, and West under the United States, which eventually led to the Cold War. David S. Painter stated that â€Å"The Cold War shaped the foreign policies of the United States and the Soviet Union and deeply affected their societies and their political, economic, and military institutions† (1). Unlike the European nations, United States faced less economic problems after the WWII. This helped the United States to gain importance and priority in the international context as a superpower. On the other side, the Soviet Union and China were trying to prove that the WWII did not affect their economic backbones. James E. Cronin made clear that â€Å"The cost of adapting to the realities of the cold War was at least as great, if not greater, for the Soviet Union† (4). Within this context, the economic dissimilarities among the West and the East deeply influenced the polarization in the years following WWII. On the other side, one cannot neglect the influence of capitalism and communism which

Lady Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Lady Macbeth Essay Explore how the narrator in ‘The Laborarory’, ‘Porhyria’s lover’ and Lady Macbeth and ‘Macbeth’ express their desire for power and control? Both Shakespeare and Browning are renowned writers from the world of English literature. The audience were forced to explore the choices made by the characters in both Macbeth and a selection of Browning’s poems to find out the different strategies they use to express their power and control. In Act one scene five, Lady Macbeth’s powerful character, having control over her husband is clearly expressed through her decisive language. ‘Thou must do, if thou have it.’ Lady Macbeth uses a forceful tone to convey her view on Macbeth murdering Duncan in order for him to achieve his ultimate goal of taking Duncan’s place. It’s clear on the control and power Lady Macbeth establishes on her husband and is a great contrast to how in the Elizabethan times women were worthless and didn’t have any say. Here, Lady Macbeth has reversed her gender role from being a kind loving hostess into a more affirmative, strong minded commander. This will be a rebellious character in the eyes of the society. Moreover Lady Macbeth begins to sharpen her plans but isn’t too sure as she thinks her feminity would become a weakness. She proclaims towards supernatural substances (spirits), which were seemed to be believed in the Victorian era. ‘Unsex me here’. This was a vivid way asking spirits to strip her of feminity weakness. She imagines herself as a vessel which h maybe emitted out and refilled with evilness. Also by risking her chance of having a baby for power shows her urgency toward power and control. This is odd as in the Elizabethan times it was the women’s duty to have children and look after them. Lady Macbeth wanted to get rid of her feminity for power which is quite odd and different to others like the speaker in the Laboratory, where feminity is threatened. Mo reover when she says ‘and take my milk for gall’, its suggesting that she no longer wants to be a female. ‘Gall’ comes from an excess of yellow bile. An imbalance of yellow bile can make one ruthless and insolent. If Lady Macbeth is internally poisoned, it would gain her control over the King. Moreover, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a very strong character, compared to Shakespeare’s other female protagonists where they are timid and weak. She uses this strength to fulfil her dream of Macbeth becoming the future monarch. This is further demonstrated through the use of alliteration of the letter ‘T’ at the beginning of each sentence in Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy  presenting the fact that Lady Macbeth is organised in a sense that she has planned every detail precisely. Similarly ‘In The Laboratory’, the female speaker uses language which comes across as forceful. ‘Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste.’ Here we are seeing a female person giving out demands to a professional poison maker. This behaviour can be seen as unconventional, meaning that in the Victorian era women were not supposed to be demanding or forceful towards other individuals especially men. This decision the speaker had made is showing the audience that the speaker is strong-minded yet not too insane over her decisions. The speaker in ‘The Laboratory’ is being enthusiastic and decisive about creating an evil plan which in the audiences mind will come across as intriguing. Normally women of the Victorian era would most likely to be enthusiastic about hosting a dinner party and not preparing to kill a human. Both Lady Macbeth and the speaker in the laboratory wanted to kill but Lady Macbeth doesn’t actually want to fulfil the deed herself. Moreover the speaker in The Laboratory is very unsympathetic towards her victims, as she is very eager to get revenge. ‘the exquisite blue’. This indicates that she wants the potion to be strong so it should be a bright blue so that the revenge will be successful whereas if it is a grim colour then the potion won’t be strong and will look weak and old when it should be powerful. Her keenness for this to be successful is further demonstrated through the use of rhyme scheme, AABB, quickening the pace of the poem. It also indicat es that she is almost cursing the mistress and most of the lines are similar in length showing that she knows exactly what she is doing to acquire power. Also within the poem there are twelve stanzas with the rhyme scheme. This also reinforces the fact of the poem being quickened. Iambic pentameter is also being used due to her passion within her planning for the disgrace. ‘Brand, burn up, bite into its grace.’ This is an example of alliteration in the ‘B’ sound which is very harsh. This language shows her desire to inflict pain on her victims, cause their sufferings and disturb their beauty. On the other hand Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy is written in a logical order showing that she wants to get rid of her feminity slowly and slowly. The speaker in the laboratory similar to Lady Macbeth makes significant references to her religion. ‘empty church, to pray God in, for them! – I am here.’ This gives us an impression that for the speaker, it is more essential to create a potion to kill rather  than pray to God in a holy Church. This phrase can indicate that the speaker has chosen to take a negative route within her life therefore disobeying her religion. ‘for them’. This illustrates that she is referring to both her lover and his mistress; as if she is doing them a favour by praying to God. Her decision to make poison in the laboratory shows her as immoral and rebellious. From this it’s clear that the speaker gives no value to the views of her society as she is seen very disrespectful towards her society’s views on being religious. Similarly Lady Macbeth is shown to be making numerous references to religion which have great influences on her decision makings. â€Å"And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell† This emphasises on how she wants to hide her evil deeds from heaven and from herself. The actions and words portrayed through both these characters show great personality of the two women. These two dominant females are seen opposing their religion, reversing their role s in the society as well as becoming involved in sinful behaviour to gain either pleasure or status. However Lady Macbeth wanted to kill for her own gain to receive royalty, whereas the speaker in the Lab wanted to kill for revenge. Moreover the laboratory has been written in the style of a dramatic monologue. This form can reveal a lot about the speakers inner thoughts and can create a strong relationship with the audience as well. ‘and Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live.’ This portrays the power and control the speaker has over Pauline’s life and also emphasises on the fact that she now has the choice of killing whoever she likes. As she is the only speaker the audience can only look through her viewpoint. This perhaps can make the audience feel quite uneasy to trust a person who is making a potion as there are no other characters involved within the evil plot. On the contrary, Macbeth, is seen to have less courage and power while standing up against Lady Macbeth, who according to that society should be lower in hierarchy than Macbeth in terms of power and control. Macbeth wants peace of mind and wants the process to end once and for all ‘the be all and the end all.â€⠄¢ Macbeth speaks of an action not a personal thing; he wonders if the action will be all that is required and end all of all that he must go through to be the king. Macbeth would like his deed to be limited. As Macbeth is about to kill Duncan he says ‘it is the bloody business which informs. Thus to mine eyes’. This illustrates that Lady Macbeth has been able to gain full control of her timid husband as  he is been forced to kill. His words show that he is afraid to kill the highly respected king who is believed to be selected by God. Macbeth’s use of alliteration in Act 2 Scene 1 ‘bloody business’ presents the fact that Macbeth knows of this kind of business and hates it but yet is forced in to it. This is very ironic that Macbeth is scared to kill as he has just fought a war which involves mass killing. During Macbeth’s time killing a king was a great sin against God as kings were appointed by God. Also during that era men controlled the women whereas in Macbeth’s situation his wife controlled him. However on the other hand, in Porphyria’s lover the speaker sets positivity about his lover. This can show him as a higher classed person and he has gained a female follower. This makes himself immortal and feels like he is p laying the role of God. Thus going on to killing Porphyria and witnessing ‘God’s silence’. Unlike Macbeth, Porphyria’s lover felt no guilt after he slaughtered his lover as he felt ’no pain felt she’. He may even believe that she enjoyed the pain because he, her lover inflicted it. This implies that he’s an unsympathetic speaker. The language of the speaker in Porphyria’s lover shows how the narrator is ignorant to God ‘And yet God has not spoken.’ This implies the speaker is acting humorous in saying God didn’t speak and thinks it is acceptable to murder a female. ‘has not’ portrays the speakers choice of murder. He is seen as criticising his own faith of not directing him in the correct pathway of not committing evil. In the Victorian era men showed more sexuality towards women and most of the people believed in god. ‘and yet god hasn’t said a word’ this shows although they believed in faith they still sinned. ‘no pain felt she; im quiet sure she felt no pain’ the speaker comforts himself that porphyria felt no pain when he killed her. This may not be true. He does not feel sympathy for the fact that he killed her and in this statement he is justifying his actions. Lady Macbeth and porphyria aren’t similar to the average women in their times -they urge for power; porphyria’s lover is being controlled by porphyria. ‘she put my arm around her waist’ this implies porphyria is commanding and gives her lover no choice about what he wants to do. Similarly Macbeth is in control by a female, and this female being his wife, Lady Macbeth. ‘thou Marshall’st’ me the way that I was going.’ Lady Macbeth and porphyria are both in control. Porphyria’s lover has a simple structure; ABABB. This structure shows the madness in the eyes of porphyria’s lover. It  is laid out in one long stanza as Browning wants to preserve the moment. The structure of Macbeth and Porphyria’s lover are different. Porphyria’s lover’s structure was in one long stanza because he wanted to stop time, whereas Macbeth wanted to commit the scene as soon as possible.

History of the Old Testament of the Bible Essay -- Religion Christian

Studying the Old Testament is not as straightforward as some may think. Being able to recall stories of the Bible does not necessarily mean you have a thorough grasp on the history of Israel and the surrounding nations. Some people read and discuss the Bible without a solid understanding of the history and social issues that were going on at the time. Being able to relate to the stories in the Bible and struggle with some of the same problems faced by the people in the Bible gives you a greater appreciation for the works in the Bible. I feel that having a firm understanding of all the related history of Israel gives a student of the Old Testament a far greater understanding of why these stories are in the Bible and what was meant to be learned from them. In this paper I give brief, yet significant, explanations of the Old Testament from the death of King David to the Maccabean revolt. To begin our study and understanding of old testament it makes sense to start from the earliest time. King David is responsible for bringing together Israel into one nation. The idea that David is a prophet is debated among scholars and is something worth looking into, since these are decisions we must make regarding the Old Testament. Some believe that Psalms 22 is an accurate account of the crucifixion of Jesus; others find that there are large discrepancies within the passage and claim that the metaphors in the passage are taken too literally. As students of the Bible knowing the history of these works can help us better form our own opinion on such topics. We will find that this will be a common argument within the bible, whither to take it literally or metaphorically. After the Death of King David, his son Solomon becomes... ...nant of land, people and a blessing to all families. By this time in the Bible all three of these promises have been demonstrated. And the love of God for his people is finding to be everlasting, an idea that will be then carried into the New Testament. After reading these brief accounts of an enormous span of time we can begin to understand how and why the stories of the Old Testament are complied into the Bible. There is far more detailed accounts of all of the stories, people, places and issues I have mentioned yet this paper ties together all of them into a comprehensive paper which displays the interaction of all aspect of life from the time of the old testament. My goal for this paper was not to simply give a factorial timeline of events but go through the history of Israel and make connections within the span of King David up to the Maccabean Revolt.

The Tyra Banks Show and Diversity in the Media

Among the most popular among current TV programs is the Tyra Banks Show which is taped live in front of a live audience in New York. The show, which lasts for an hour and is aired in syndication by Warner Bros., debuted in September 2005. Currently running in its third season, the Emmy Award-winning show has aired over 357 episodes and is set to run for at least two more seasons.(www.wikipedia.com) The Tyra Banks Show is a talk-show fashioned after Oprah Winfrey’s Oprah, which banks on its anchor/creator’s celebrity and fame to draw viewers. The show itself is named after the celebrity who lends credibility and ensures a captive audience from the ranks of millions of adoring fans. The show’s main target, however, are women or specifically, young African-American women who can easily identify with or who wish to emulate its host, Tyra Banks. As a talk-show, the Tyra Banks Show is packaged by its producers to provide an equal dose of information and entertainment to its audience, covering a wide variety of topics from beauty to women’s issues and concerns. Among the notable episodes, however, are the ones where the former supermodel goes on undercover missions to reveal to the viewers the experiences of women in vulnerable situations from Tyra’s own first hand accounts (e.g. women who suffer from weight discrimination, women in prison, and women working in strip clubs). The show also tackles the issue of racial discrimination.(www.tyrashow.com) Interestingly, the Tyra Banks’ success is resoundingly similar to Oprah Winfrey’s own success as a celebrity-host due to the fact that each episode of her TV show puts her in unique situations. For instance, Tyra is made to put on heaps of prosthetics to become a 350-pound woman so she can feel how it feels to be discriminated against because of her weight. She also spent a day in prison to better understand the reasons of women’s incarceration. Clearly, the Tyra Banks Show is an attempt at addressing the diversity in American culture and identity. It was created to provide women, especially African-American women, in response to the growth of the African American population which was seen by advertisers as a â€Å"profitable base for sustaining minority media.† (Dickson 2) Consequently, there has been an observable increase not only in the number of African-American actors, actresses, and TV hosts as the demand for African American-oriented television programs have risen. Undeniably, Tyra’s success in breaking through the male-dominated Hollywood talk show industry is a feat in itself and her being African-American at the same time makes it even more tempting to view her as the epitome of empowerment. Her success in The Tyra Banks Show parallels her success as a runway model at a time when White was the ultimate symbol of beauty and the public was reluctant to widen its standards. Tyra Banks is therefore the perfect representation of a woman who broke through stereotypes, which adds gravity to her capacity and credibility to discuss issues and problems that women and African-American populations confront. However, Tyra’s own identity as a media-invented stereotype of beauty for African-Americans (waif-thin, tall, flawless skin, perfect white teeth) has the ability to contradict the causes she supports.   Tyra’s background as a supermodel, coupled with segments in the show featuring beauty tips and â€Å"Tailored by Tyra makeovers† also negate her advocacy for a beauty ideal that goes beyond physical appearance. Nevertheless, the Tyra Banks show fosters a better understanding of diversity and multi-culturalism. Despite its limitations, its success is a revealing indication that African-American representation is slowly but surely gaining ground in the mainstream media. The show is also a reflection on the lives and culture of African-American communities, which makes it an important source of knowledge for understanding and appreciating the diversity in American society. Works Cited: Dickson, J. (2006). The representation of African-American women in television advertisements. McNair Scholars’ Journal, 1: 1-12. The Tyra Banks Show website accessed on 03/15/2008 from Wikipedia.com accessed on 03/15/2008 from      

Jack Kerouac’s on the Road †a Biography Essay

On the Road was published in 1957 by Viking Press. Apart from criticism by traditional conservatives, Jack Kerouac’s novel gained huge popularity with a younger generation of rebels (point to Sam’s pencilcase). Commonly viewed as an autobiography combined with a biography of Neal Cassady, it is considered a testament to the Beat legend. Fascinated by the myth of the King of the Beatniks, I examined the authenticity of On the Road and found several issues: the method in which it was written, spontaneous prose; lack of primary sources; and the author’s intention. Jean Louis Lebris de Kerouac was born on the 12 March 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts. He gained a football scholarship to Columbia University in New York, where he met Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, who together form the three literary musketeers of the Beat Generation. The Beat Gen were a stalwart literary movement active during the 50s, whose iconoclastic texts dissented formalist constriction of expression, experimentation and individualism, and viewed post-war prosperity, and materialism as antithetical to social equality. Their works pushed the boundaries of censorship, including underground elements sinister to the establishment such as homosexuality, drugs, bop jazz, impulsive desire, preference for marginalised cultures, like Buddhist and Native American, and unconformity to the typically American dream of white picket fence within which your three cherub children can safely frolic. The traditional conservatives called it unrefined and anti-intellectual, and politicians labelled aspects of the Beat Gen psyche as Communist. The popularity and resonance Beat Gen lit had with the youth rebellion generation made it a prominently influential movement in American literature. The Beat Gen members, being life long friends, shared these views and were inspired by figures of the counterculture, in the case of On the Road, Neal Cassady, who was the Beat beliefs personified, â€Å"the holy con-man with the shining mind† (p11). On the Road is about Sal Paradise, an amateur writer struggling with inspiration when he is introduced to Dean Moriarty, a walking legend, the epitome of a Beat man. The novel marks distinct stages of Sal’s growth and development, and his relationship with Dean as he â€Å"shambled after as I’ve been doing†¦ † Narrated by Sal, he meets and travels with other characters, bumming and hitchhiking across America. Kerouac developed spontaneous prose, inspired by improvisation in jazz and passionate excitement, its highly confessional, immediate, producing a raw, liberal and intense stream of consciousness, establishing spiritual and personal connections with the narrator. This convinces the reader of a high degree of honesty and vulnerability, and authenticity. Also, there’s an infamous story that adds to the legend of Kerouac and On the Road: the manuscript was typed in 2 weeks fuelled by coffee and Benzedrine, on a seriously lengthy scroll, of teletype paper taped together so that changing the roll wouldn’t disrupt his writing. Tim Hunt wrote in Kerouac’s Crooked Road that Kerouac â€Å"hoped that drafting†¦ Although it’s important that there is a high connection between the writer and the reader, it’s also important to note that this sort of spontaneity compromises the detail and accuracy of Sal’s accounts, which brings into questions the subtleties and chronology of small-scale action. Also, his emotional investment makes his narration highly opinionated and being so influenced by Cassady as to travel across the country, Kerouac’s opinions transferred into Sal the persona are influenced heavil y by Dean. The authenticity and honesty that spontaneous prose conceptualises is undermined by the deliberation and large revision of the manuscript. The published edition was the fourth, and he had been working on On the Road for 2 and a half years, within which he was experimenting with his writing style. He loathed and complained when his editor, who he called a â€Å"crass idiot†, forced several revisions of contextually pornographic sections. In Essentials of spontaneous Prose, released in 1958, he claims that the conscious critical mind might censor richness of imagination. And I think richness of imagination is a euphemism for â€Å"high†, considering the evidence, fictional and factual, of drugs like Benzedrine and weed that reduce clarity of mind, but stimulate the inventive senses. The high levels of intimacy of the actions, events, dialogue and lives of the characters and their real life counterparts means that we cannot satisfactorily negate or authenticate a large amo unt of content, considering the verbose and opportunistic nature of the characters, in particular Dean, and the introverted thoughtfulness of Kerouac. For instance, after his time with Remi Bonceour, an old friend of Sal’s, he sees â€Å"the cutest little Mexican girl in slacks† and he says: â€Å"I wished I was on her bus. A pain stabbed my heart, as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world. † Then lo and behold, he gets on his bus to LA and there she is sitting alone, he befriends/propositions/seduces in the proper gentlemanly way of the 50s as you would a â€Å"strange girl†, offering her his jacket for a pillow. Terry and Sal spend fifteen days together, Sal experiencing the Mexican labourer’s life, and at the end, he leaves with an empty promise of New York together. The truthfulness of this encounter is intimate to Kerouac and the girl that is dubbed Terry†¦ if she even exists. On the bus from St Louis to Pittsburgh, days after his parting with Terry, he â€Å"made the acquaintance of a girl and we necked all the way to Indianapolis. She was nearsighted. † He had just described his parting with Terry with â€Å"love is a duel, and looked at each other for the last time. Still, we have dates that correlate with the chronology of On the Road, but this doesn’t really authenticate the text, because the majority of it is thoughts, words, actions, affairs of people and these are not things that would have been recorded by the public or the media or any historically interested people. The limit on primary sources thanks to the Kerouac estate closing most of his original manuscripts and letters, means that even his biographies are dependent on very little, written post-mortem and supplemented by his friends who were close to his work, like John Clellon Holmes and Allen Ginsberg. Still, other publications that overlap time periods with On the Road include Vanity of Duluoz and Visions of Cody. Visions of Cody was intended as a sequel and replacement of On the Road, and the obscure structure and style seeming dependent on pure recollection, contrasts with the narrative style of On the Road. Kerouac struggled with the rejection of his first novel, The Town and the City, so in order to appeal to more people and find success, On the Road’s surprisingly conventional narrative structure furthers it away from biography and autobiography. The separation of four different trips emphasises the stages of plot development. It has a protagonist, Dean, who solicits the narrator, Sal, throughout their time together on the road. In fact every part begins revolving around Dean. So it’s understandable to think of On the Road as a biography of Neal Cassady, however, it’s highly biased, considering the obvious love, admiration and dedication Dean’s disciple shows, which then means that the biography would undoubtedly contain bias, hyperbole, neglect, forgiveness, and judgement. There are also motifs and allusions to great American stories – influenced by writers such as Melville, Hemingway, Saroyan and Twain, he makes reference to their work: â€Å"here came a melancholy Armenian youth along the red box-cars, and just at that moment a locomotive howled, and I said to myself, Yes, yes, Saroyan’s town† (p78). He had even planned to write in a black man to draw stronger connections to Huckleberry Finn, but decided against it. This is evidence of thematic concern, deliberation and careful consideration, which further undermines the whole spontaneous prose thing. It might be because I’m an avid fan of Kerouac, I just think he’s beautiful and beautifully written, but I think that the mysteriousness of the veracity of On the Road contributes to the aura that has accumulated throughout its time, and doesn’t degrade it as a milestone in literature and America. I think the authenticity of On the Road shouldn’t be brought to light in the first place because it wasn’t meant to be a biography of anyone, and it should just be read to marvel at the wondrousness of words and their meanings, just like any literature, and I really recommend you read it Sam because it’s totally cliche but it changed my life.

10 Tips for Saying Goodbye to Your College-Bound Child

10 Tips for Saying Goodbye to Your College-Bound Child For many parents, saying goodbye to a daughter or son headed off to college is one of lifes most wrenching moments. As a parent, you want to leave your child on an upbeat note, and you may try to squelch any worry or sadness. Dont fight it- its a natural response. After all, a child whos been a primary focus of your life is about to strike out on their own, and your role will be reduced. There are lots of ways to minimize the tears and roll with the changes, making the parting process easier for college students and their parents. The Year Before Departure Your childs senior year is pressure-filled with worries about college applications and acceptances, concerns with maintaining grades and doing many things for the last time. Although your teen may mourn final events shared by the school community (last homecoming dance, football game, school play, musical concert, prom), its harder to come to terms with personal losses that cant be publicly shared. Instead of being present with the sadness, many teens find it easier to express anger, and those outbursts may be directed at family members. They may subconsciously think its easier to part from a stupid, whining younger sister or a controlling, uncaring parent than close family members whom they love and are afraid to leave; thus, they may act in ways that create a distance. Ignore the nasty outbursts and the labels. This is not your teen hating on you- its your teen subconsciously trying to make it easier to disengage from the family. Many families report that more arguments break out in the final months before college than ever before. Your teen may label you or other family members, but thats not a judgment on you as a parent. Its stereotyping just like the labels ugly stepsister or evil stepmother are caricatures and stereotypes. Its easier to imagine a bright future at college when youre leaving behind a stereotypical clinging mother, overbearing father, or younger sibling whos always butting in.Dont take it personally. You arent doing anything wrong- this is just a normal part of growing up. Teens who are trying to find independence need to differentiate themselves from parents and family and express their own strong opinions and ideas of how things should be done. Dont conclude that your child has always hated you and that their real nature is com ing out now that theyre leaving for college. Its just part of the separation process and is a temporary stage of development. Dont take it to heart; its not your child talking- its the fear of leaving home and entering the adult world thats lashing out at you. Keep calm and carry on. You may be shopping for bedsheets or towels and a fight erupts over the smallest of things. Take a deep breath, keep calm, and carry on with what youre doing. Resist the urge to give up and do it another day. The more you can stick with your routines and all your planned college preparation, the more youll minimize conflict and stress. It wont be easier to shop or get through your childs college to-do list if you postpone it for a better day because that day may not come unless you keep it together and deal with these moments calmly. The  School Drop-Off Move-in day is always chaotic and disorganized. You may have been assigned a specific move-in time or arrive as one of the hundreds of cars queued up to drop off boxes and suitcases. Whatever the situation, let your child take the lead. One of the worst things parents can do that can earn them the helicopter label is to micromanage every aspect of move-in day and make their daughter or son seem childish and helpless, especially in front of the RA or dorm mates they will be living with. Let your student sign in, pick up the dorm key or key card, and find out about the availability of equipment such as hand trucks or moving carts. Although you might want to do things differently, its your incoming freshmans new life and new dorm room, not yours. There are no prizes for the person who moves in first, so dont feel as if you have to rush. Likewise, there is no right or wrong. Remember whose college life this is. One emotion that parents feel (but are reluctant to acknowledge) is regret or jealousy. All of us have some happy memories of college, and if we could turn the clock back, most of us would be eager to relive a day or two of our college experiences. Dont beat yourself up over this; envy is something many parents feel. Youre not the only one, and this doesnt make you a bad parent. But dont let that jealousy influence your students first day at college. Let them find their own experiences in their own time.Dont pass judgment. Maybe their  new roommate looks like a disaster and the teen down the hall seems like a better fit. No matter what your opinions are, keep them to yourself, and dont share your comments with your child. Your childs living independently means making their own judgments and assessing people and situations by themselves. If you walk into your childrens college life and already start making these assessments, youve disenfranchised them without even realizing it and are not giving them the chance or the credit to make up their own mind about things. Be pleasant, positive, and neutral about all that happens. Let your student do the talking. There will be a lot of new people to meet and names to remember. And it is your childs job to keep it all straight, not yours. If youre the parent of a socially awkward or shy student, you may find it hard not to jump in and take over the situation, make introductions all around, and negotiate the top or bottom bunk or the better dresser and desk for your offspring. Keep reminding yourself that its not your college experience or your decision to make- its your childs. Any choice that they make is the right one because they made it, and not anyone else.Prepare for not being completely prepared. No matter how far in advance you plan or how thorough you are in your list-making, shopping, and packing, youll either forget something or find that certain things dont work in your childs new living arrangements or new life. Dont overbook your drop-off day with no extra time to run to the nearest drugstore, supermarket, or discount store, because you will want to pick up those essentials you somehow overlooked. Its a lot easier for you to make that quick trip by car instead of leaving your child with extra cash and expecting them to walk or take a bus to unfamiliar locations. Plan an extra two hours of unscheduled time so you can take care of these things. Be like Goldilocks porridge: just right. Take a cue from the story The Three Little Bears. When the time comes to say goodbye and leave your child at school, dont be too warm (weepy and wailing and clutching on for dear life) and dont be too cold (distant and perfunctory in your hug goodbye and too matter-of-fact in your emotions). Strive to be just right. Its OK to shed some tears and give your child a good, solid, Ill really miss you bear hug and say how much you love and will miss them. Kids expect that and feel hurt if you dont show sufficient emotion. This is not the time to put on the brave, stoic face. Show the honest emotions of a parent who loves a child and finds it hard to pull away. After all, thats exactly what youre feeling, and honesty is the best policy. Post Drop-Off Days and Weeks Youve said goodbye. Now mean it. It may be hard to believe, but some parents text their children the minute they get in the car and drive away. Put the phone down and give them their space. Dont call every day to make sure everythings OK. If possible, let your child be the one to touch base. Many parents agree on a predetermined day and time to talk to their child by phone or Skype, typically once a week. By respecting boundaries and their need to separate, you will help your child establish an independent life and develop a new support network of others they can trust.Dont hover, but be there. Many parents use social media to keep track of their kids at college and ask their children to friend them so they can maintain contact. Watch and look, but dont post or comment. Let them have their own space. And if your child tells you about incidents at college that are upsetting, resist the urge to get involved unless they ask you to intervene. Part of growing up involves facing difficult or challenging moments and finding a way through those hard times. Signs of maturity include flexibility, adaptability,  and resilience, and college is the ideal time to work on these skills. But if situations escalate to the point at which they threaten your childs physical or mental health- or put them in jeopardy- step in and offer aid. But ask for permission first. You want to support your child as much as possible but not to the extent that you dismantle the initial foundation of self-sufficiency. Finding the right balance will take time, but eventually, youll both get there.

Dental Receptionist English Dialogue

Dental Receptionist English Dialogue Dental receptionists take care of administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments and checking in patients. They answer telephone calls and do paperwork such as sending out reminders to patients of appointment dates. In this dialogue, you will practice the role of a patient who is returning for a yearly dental appointment. Checking-In With the Dental Receptionist Sam: Good morning. I have an appointment with Dr. Peterson at 10.30.Receptionist: Good morning, can I have your name, please? Sam: Yes, its Sam Waters.Receptionist: Yes, Mr. Waters. Is this the first time youve seen Dr. Peterson? Sam: No, I had my teeth cleaned and checked last year.Receptionist: OK, just a moment, Ill get your chart. Receptionist: Have you had any other dental work done during the past year?Sam: No, I havent.   Receptionist: Have you flossed regularly?  Sam: Of course! I floss twice a day and use a water-pick.   Receptionist: I see you have a few fillings. Have you had any trouble with them?Sam: No, I dont think so. Oh, I changed my insurance. Heres my new provider card.Receptionist: Thank you. Is there anything in particular youd like the dentist to check today? Sam: Well, yes. Ive been having some gum pain recently.Receptionist: Alright, Ill make a note of that. Sam: ... and Id like to have my teeth cleaned as well.Receptionist: Of course, Mr. Waters, thatll be part of todays dental hygiene. Sam: Oh, yes, of course. Will I have x-rays taken?Receptionist: Yes, the dentist likes to take x-rays every year. However, if youd prefer not to have x-rays, you can opt out. Sam: No, thats alright. Id like to make sure everything is OK.Receptionist: Great. Please have a seat and the Dr. Peterson will be with you momentarily. (After the appointment) Receptionist: Well need to schedule an appointment to come in for the fillings you need?Sam: OK. Do you have any openings next week? Receptionist: Lets see... How about next Thursday morning?Sam: Im afraid I have a meeting.   Receptionist: How about two weeks from today?Sam: Yes, that sounds good. What time? Receptionist: Can you come at 10 oclock in the morning?Sam: Yes. Lets do that.   Receptionist: Perfect, well see you on Tuesday, March 10th at 10 oclock.Sam: Thank you.   Key Vocabulary appointmentchartcheck-updental hygieneflossgum paingumsinsuranceprovider cardto clean teethto opt outto schedule an appointmentx-ray

Paper two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paper two - Essay Example The US and indeed the whole world currently experiences high unemployment rates due to increased population and unavailability of job opportunities. This causes humans to inadequately meet their basic needs and consequently leads to poverty. Poverty refers to a condition in which basic human needs including food, clothing and shelter fail to be met. A majority of countries would have poverty being exhibited through low life expectancy, poor nutrition and high infant mortality among other factors. Poverty results from unavailability of resources and humans being unable to achieve economic development. Socially, discriminating other people based on their culture, race, gender or inabilities has also been a major socioeconomic issue. Racism and sexism would be observed in a majority of the countries particularly due to the increased globalization. This causes the minority groups to be disadvantaged and miss on the opportunities presented to the majority. Globalization has further caused a shift in social morality with major morality conflicts resulting due to abortion, prostitution and drug abuse among others. But the belief that Christians have on Jesus plays a critical role in confronting these socioeconomic problems. Christians’ Belief on Jesus Christians believe Jesus as being full of compassion towards all humankind due to His caring nature. The reason people go to church and follow Christian principles has been noted to be majorly finding care and compassion, a position that has seen Christians considered as caring and compassionate people. Jesus shows compassion to the Church with the ultimate indication of His compassion being the sacrifice of shedding His blood for the cleansing of the Church. In spite of a few times when Jesus got angry like the day He turned tables over in the temple, He largely showed compassion to all humans without regard to their situations or nature. As such, Christians being His followers have the obligation to lead a life of compassion to the society at large. How Christians’ Belief about Jesus Helps Confront Socioeconomic Problems Compassion cares for the temporal needs of people. The story of Jesus feeding a multitude with just a few fish and loaves of bread indicates the need for compassion as a way to support people in need. The problem that the people had then was lack of food. As such, Jesus found a temporal solution to the temporal need and He fed them using the fish and bread from the young shepherd boy. In the same manner, a majority of the reasons causing socioeconomic issues in the society could be attributed to humans’ temporal needs. Lack of human basic needs drive people engaging in socially immoral acts such as prostitution. Additionally, drug abuse could be a direct result of unemployment and idleness. If Christians adopt a compassionate attitude as was with Jesus, such persons would have people share with them food and clothing and probably even shelter. Christians woul d take it upon themselves to ensure that such persons secure employment so that they earn a decent living just like other average human beings. Therefore, compassion from Christians would have the needy have their temporal needs catered for. Compassion cares for the oppressed. It has been appreciated that discrimination plays a significant role in propagating socioeconomic problems in the society. Notably, racism, sexism, class discrimination and nepotism have been said to cause the occurrence of several crimes in the society. But with