Saved and The Wasp Factory Essay Example

Saved and The Wasp Factory Essay Example Saved and The Wasp Factory Paper Saved and The Wasp Factory Paper Essay Topic: Literature In The Wasp Factory and Saved one obviously apparent theme is the lack of community spirit in the societies. In The Wasp Factory there is no mention of a character who wonders why Frank isnt in school or doing things that other young men do. In Saved there is no mention of anybody making any sort of judgement when Pam goes to meet Fred, somebody who has been jailed for the murder of her baby. Therefore it is important to look into the issue of cultural poverty, as it will make clearer why the characters are who they are and behave as they do. Obviously, Saved is a play and The Wasp Factory is a novel. As Saved is a play the audience physically see characters actions and emotions whereas Iain Banks has to use imagery. The effect of this is that the disturbing images in Saved are there for the audience to see, initially making Saved even more sickening. The setting for Saved is on a bare stage so the plot seems extreme as the setting doesnt dilute the harsh actions and language used in the play but reinforces them. Although harsh actions and emotions are in The Wasp Factory the setting of empty beaches softens these actions, contrasting them with the natural splendour in which they take place. Perhaps Bond is suggesting that his characters have been formed by the environment and uses the setting to illustrate this whereas Banks makes it clear that ugly actions are not dependant on ugly surroundings. The Wasp Factory is written in the first person narrative therefore the reader sees things from Franks viewpoint. The whole book is based on Franks thoughts and actions so the readers perceptions are based on those of Frank. When Frank says that he has killed people he says it casually; the reader isnt as shocked as they should be. Frank says on page 42, Thats my score to date and It was just a stage I was going through when talking about his murders which gives the impression he has no remorse. Saved, as a play on the other hand, actually shows the audience the murder of the baby. Stage directions such as He starts to throw burning matches in the pram and He takes a stone from the pram and throws it at point blank range are actually shown to the audience. Unlike The Wasp Factory there is no escape from, nor sympathy with, the murder of the baby. In both texts the reader feels very close to the main characters and this is due to the language. The Wasp Factory is written in a Scottish dialect e. g. the girl who Jamie meets in the pub says to Jamie Dud he say sumhin er? referring to Frank who is drunk at the time, which makes the novel seem more realistic. This language seems strange to the reader but by using this dialect the language links the book with the time and the setting and this realism involves the reader in the book. In Saved the cockney accent makes the reader feel more involved in the story. In a conversation between Len and Pam on page 82 Pam says None a that ld a appened if yer ain bin ere. Without this accent it would be harder to picture the London setting and characters. Violence pervades in both texts. The extreme details of violence in the texts are sickening to any audience. Even the description of the battle between Frank and a rabbit contains violent images as Frank says how he feared the rabbit tearing the flesh off his finger and how he feared the rabbit biting his nose off. The instances of violence on living things are quite sickening but they pale in comparison to the murder of the baby in Saved and the murders in The Wasp Factory. In Saved when the men are trying to get the baby to sleep Pete says, give it a punch and also that cloutins good for em. These images alone show signs of abnormal behaviour and attitudes. The men then begin throwing stones at the baby with Mike asking Oos got the matches? showing that the characters intend burning the baby, another sickening thought. These disturbing images can also be linked to The Wasp Factory where Frank kills three children. Franks explanation for killing his young brother Paul is on page 67 where he says that Paul was not long for this world. Frank made Paul blow himself up by hitting a bomb with a stick at the age of five. When Franks father asks him about killing living things Frank tells the reader how of course I was out killing things and there just arent enough natural deaths. The innocence of the victims in the texts increases the horror of the audience. The use of innocent victims in The Wasp Factory again highlights Franks mental instability as he almost sees himself as a God like figure. Characters from Saved thought that it was a giggle to hurt the baby and Frank thought that it was his duty to kill the characters in The Wasp Factory for no real reason, all protagonists are seemingly amoral which poses the question whether society is actually amoral. Another point to consider is the portrayal of women in both texts. Frank sees women as weak and stupid in The Wasp Factory and feels that they live in the shadows of men perhaps because Franks mother left at a very early age giving him no real female guidance. Iain Banks wrote The Wasp Factory at the time Thatcher was Prime Minister. Thatcher wasnt a popular figure in Scotland; they saw her as more of a dictator than somebody who was willing to help them. Thatcher had set ideas and didnt really adapt to certain situations. This could be why Banks has chosen to hardly include women in the book at all as he saw Thatcher as somebody who ignored women in his perception. Therefore because of Thatchers influence on Banks life he chose to represent women as a non-existent gender whose only role in the book was to leave their child to live in a one-parent family. However this is ironic as the audience learns at the end of the book that Frank is female, so the destructive character who was anti-female and violent is really a female. When Frank finds this out he says he shivers at the thought of the idea of intercourse and giving birth on page 82; the main female character in The Wasp Factory behaves and thinks as a male. Saved also has a negative image of women. Pam is portrayed as an easygoing woman who would go to bed with anyone. Pam takes Len home without even finding out his name so therefore from the start of the play Pam is portrayed as easy. Pam is reflected negatively, as the audience doesnt have much sympathy for her when her baby dies especially as Pam goes to meet Fred. Fred helped to torture the baby yet Pam still insists he moves in with her, goes to meet him from prison and hopes that they will have a relationship. Pam puts her feelings for Fred above the fact that he helped to kill her baby, which therefore shows how motherhood is represented in Saved. As in The Wasp Factory the representation of motherhood is negative. Similarly Mary is also portrayed negatively by her husband Harry. Harry says to Len that the reason he came back was so Mary could do his washin an cookin', he says that if he left Mary would soon ave someone in my bed so the man to whom she is married dislikes her. It is fair to say that neither Iain Banks nor Edward Bond have any positive images of women in their texts; as they dont include women in any real positive role in their texts as their writing excludes the caring half of society. The majority of the characters in Saved seem unpleasant. Len however contrasts with these characters as he is portrayed as respectable; this highlights the behaviour of the other characters. Len seems a flawless character who acts in the best interest of others. Len explains in scene eight how I lost me job stayin out a elp you when yer was sick! The audience feels sympathetic towards Len, as Pam acts terribly towards him throughout the play. Pam says in scene eleven Es pullin me t pieces. Nothin but trouble referring to Len who was somebody who supported Pam throughout. Therefore in Saved Len is the only real good character, which emphasises the faults in the other characters. There are some very strange relationships in the two texts and it is important to look at these relationships in order to find out why certain characters are shaped as they are. The person who Frank has most contact with in The Wasp Factory is his father, his closest relation. Yet his father tells Frank that he is a man and feeds him male hormones. When Frank does finally find out, through forcing the truth out of his father, he says that his fathers truth had murdered what he was. The man on whom Frank relies is responsible for ruining his life. Therefore it could be said that there are no real relationships in The Wasp Factory and that it is a book made up of individuals. Most characters have their own secrets e. g. Franks the only one who knows about his murders, Eric doesnt tell anybody where he is and Franks father is the only one who knows the real truth about Frank. Frank doesnt really have anybody to talk to apart from Jamie so therefore he spends a lot of time on his own, contributing to his psychopathy. The relationships in Saved are also quite strange. Len moves in with Pam after they had only met once. Pam makes it obvious that she wants Len to leave as she says Why dont e go? and that Lens pullin me t pieces in one of the final scenes in the play. It is Len who stands by Pam throughout the play and looks out for her yet, she would rather have Fred back, somebody who helped to kill her baby. The longest standing relationship in Saved is between Mary and Harry yet Harry says that if he was to leave Mary shed soon ave someone in my bed which shows the lack of faith he has in his wife. Although the characters talk more in Saved than in The Wasp Factory the relationships are still dysfunctional. It could be fair to say that there are more normal characters in Saved (Len, Harry and Mary) than in The Wasp Factory where one of the only normal characters is a dwarf. However for all the talking that is done little of value is exchanged which again highlights the cultural poverty in the text. Linking with relationships is isolation, which is very apparent in both of these texts. Frank is isolated from society as he was never registered as he tells on page 13. This would make him isolated; as he was unable to attend school for example, as officially he didnt exist. However Frank doesnt even want to bother trying to get to know other people, he says in chapter 1 that I dont bother people and they best not bother me and that hes learned to live without people. This could be the reason Frank kills living things. It could be argued to explain his murders, as he was unable to learn societys norms and therefore set his own boundaries. Franks life is based on what Frank experienced. When Blyth killed Frank and Erics rabbits Frank felt the hiding he got from his father was not enough and that Frank wanted to kill Blyth there and then. It is fair to say that as Frank was so isolated he was shaped differently to other people in society. There is a different type of isolation in Saved as the family seem isolated as a group rather than as individuals. The baby is isolated as, apart from Len everybody neglects it. Len says in scene four that he wishes to god that he could take that kid out a this and he listen out for the kid. They ain bothered. The family seem isolated because of the strange events that occur. Stoning to death of a baby and the mother wanting to get back in a relationship with one of the perpetrators seems to go unremarked. As in The Wasp Factory the lack of friendship and communication with other characters from society could have shaped Pam. The only real people she did communicate with that werent family were the people who stoned her baby to death. In both texts the only person to be diagnosed with a mental illness was Eric who was certified insane. Although Franks father says to Frank sometimes I think youre the one who should be in hospital its only Eric who is contained. However Frank obviously has mental problems and perhaps the only reason he hasnt been assessed is down to the fact that he hasnt been registered and therefore he cant see a doctor. Pam suffers from depression in Saved but this is more down to Fred going to jail rather than the murder of her baby. Pam does suffer postnatal depression but this seems to be completely ignored because it poses no threat to anybody but herself. It could be said that based on these texts society only reacts to what threatens society. There is optimism in the two texts, showing perhaps the only way out of the effects of cultural poverty. There are brief scenes of optimism; Frank finding the study door open results in his true identity and Len is optimistic in Saved. He stays with Pam even though she treats him badly. The real optimism however is found right at the end of both books where Frank says, Now the door closes and my journey begins and there are no arguments at the end of Saved, which represents a new peaceful beginning. Lack of education, lack of hope and lack of access to societys norms are all parts of both texts so therefore it is true that cultural poverty is a major theme. Even though shocking images have been discussed I think the ending shows the characters can escape. Frank can start his new journey and the final scene of Saved shows that Pam and Len can fold the radio times without arguing. These two texts are initially very depressing yet we do end in hope. Therefore it could be argued that by the end of both texts the writers offer hope for society and a way forward. They show us that society is our safety net as humanity; if we can be shocked by the murder of a few how can we ignore the needs of many?

Quetzalcoatl - Pan-Mesoamerican Feathered Serpent God

Quetzalcoatl - Pan-Mesoamerican Feathered Serpent God Quetzalcoatl pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-WAH-tul and roughly translated as the Feathered Serpent, the Plumed Serpent or the Quetzal-Feathered Serpent, is the name of an important Mesoamerican deity who was worshiped throughout the region in one form or another for 1,200 years. Key Takeaways: Quetzalcoatl Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus.  He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures.As an Aztec deity, he was one of four sons of the creator god Ometeotl, associated with the wind god, and the patron god of arts and knowledge.A persistent myth about the conquistador Hernan Cortà ©s being mistaken for Quetzalcoatl is almost certainly false.   During the Postclassic period (900–1521 CE), several cultures- including the Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs and other polities in Central Mexico- all practiced some version of the cult which had formed around the legends of Quetzalcoatl. However, the majority of information about this god comes from Aztec/Mexica sources, including surviving Aztec codexes, as well as oral history told to the Spanish conquistadors. The Pan-Mesoamerican Quetzalcoatl The pyramid of Quetzalcoatl (god of the feathered serpent) is showing the alternating Tlaloc (left, with goggle eyes, a god of rain, fertility, and water) and feathered serpent (right, with a collar of feathers) heads. stockcam / iStock / Getty Images The earliest example of Quetzalcoatl, or at least a Feathered Serpent god, comes from the Classic period (200–600 CE) city of Teotihuacn, where one of the main temples, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl in the Ciudadela, is decorated with carvings of feathered serpents. Among the Classic Maya, the figure of a feathered serpent is illustrated in many stone monuments and murals and is often related to the worship of royal ancestors. During the Terminal Classic or Epiclassic (650–1000 CE) period, the cult of the Feathered Serpent spread dramatically throughout Mesoamerica, including the central Mexico centers of Xochicalco, Cholula, and Cacaxtla. The most famous example of the Mayan Quetzalcoatl cult is reflected in the architectural aspects of Chichà ©n Itz in the Yucatn Peninsula, where Maya Puuc styles are contrasted with those of the Quetzalcoatl-inspired Toltec. According to local and colonial legends, the Toltec shaman/king Quetzalcoatl (known as Kukulcan in the Maya language) arrived in the Maya region after having been ousted by political rivals, bringing with him not just a new architectural style but a new set of religious and political practices associated with militarism and human sacrifice. The Origins of Aztec Quetzalcoatl Experts on Mesoamerican religion believe that the Aztec (1325–1521 CE) figure of Quetzalcoatl began with the legend of the pan-Mesoamerican god and blended in a historical Tollan leader, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, who reportedly lived 843–895 CE). This man was a heroic figure, probably a king and/or a priest, who left his home in the Toltec capital of Tula chased out by traitorous priests, but promising to return. The Aztecs considered the Tollan leader the ideal king; more details are found in the legend of the Toltecs. The story undeniably echoes the Mayan story, but whether or not this legend is based on real events is still under debate among scholars. Quetzalcoatl as Aztec Deity Quetzalcoatl, the Toltec and Aztec god; the plumed serpent, god of the wind, learning and the priesthood, master of life, creator and civiliser, patron of every art and inventor of metallurgy, in the Codex Borbonicus. Bridgeman Art Library / Getty Images Quetzalcoatl the deity was one of four sons of the creator god Ometeotl in his male form Ometecuhtli (â€Å"Two-Lord†) and his female form, Omecihuatl (â€Å"Two-Lady†), and brother of Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, and Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs called their era the time of the 5th Sun- there had been four previous versions of the earth and its people, each ruled by different gods. According to the Aztec Legend of the Suns, Quetzalcoatl ruled over the second Sun of Aztec creation. He was a creator god, associated with the wind god (Ehecatl) and the planet Venus. Quetzalcoatl was also the patron god of arts and knowledge. He was one of the most human-loving of the gods in the Aztec pantheon. He was the god who met with an ant to provide humans with their first maize to plant, and he was responsible for saving all humanity at the beginning of the Fifth Sun. Quetzalcoatl and the Bones of the Ancestors At the end of the fourth sun, so it is told, all humanity was drowned, and after the creation of the fifth sun, Quetzalcoatl descended into the underworld (Mictlan) to negotiate with the god of the underworld (Mictlantecuhtli) the return of humanitys bones so the earth could be repopulated. When Mictlantecuhtli proved unwilling to give them back, Quetzalcoatl stole the bones. In his hasty retreat, he was startled by a quail and tripped and broke them (which is why humans come in a range of different sizes), but managed to carry the bones to the paradise of Tamoanchan, where the goddess Cihuacoatl ground them up and placed them in a jade bowl. Then Quetzalcoatl and other gods performed the first auto-sacrifice  when they shed their blood over the bones and endowed them with life, thus lumbering humanity with a debt that had to be repaid by abundant human sacrifices. The Cortà ©s Myth Quetzalcoatl’s fame is also linked to a persistent story about Hernan Cortà ©s, the Spanish conquistador credited with conquering the Aztec Empire. The story is that the last emperor Motecuhzoma (sometimes spelled Montezuma or Moctezuma) mistook Cortà ©s for the returning god, based on the supposed resemblance between the Spanish conquistador and the god. This story, detailed in Spanish records, is almost certainly false, but how it arose is a fascinating story itself. One possible theory for the origin of this story is that the Spanish misinterpreted the welcoming speech pronounced by the Aztec king. In this speech, if it ever happened, Motecuhzoma used a form of Aztec politeness that was mistaken by the Spanish for a form of submission. Other scholars suggest that the idea that Cortà ©s  and Quetzalcoatl were confused by the Mexica was entirely created by Franciscan friars, and elaborated during the post-Conquest period. Most interestingly, according to Smith (2013), some scholars attribute the origin of the Cortà ©s  myth to the Nahua nobility themselves, who invented it and told it to the Spanish to explain why Motecuhzoma hesitated to attack the conquering forces. It was the nobility who created the prophecy, a series of omens and signs, and claimed that Motecuhzoma truly believed Cortes to have been Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl’s Images The figure of Quetzalcoatl is represented in many different ways according to different epochs and Mesoamerican cultures. He is both represented in his non-human form as a feathered serpent with plumage along its body and around the head, as well as in his human form, especially among the Aztecs and in Colonial codices. In his human aspect, he is often depicted in dark colors with a red beak, symbolizing Ehecatl, the wind god; and wearing a cut shell as a pendant, symbolizing Venus. In many images, he is depicted wearing a plumed headdress and carrying a plumed shield. Quetzalcoatl Cult Centers Numerous circular temples (at Texcoco, Calixtlahuaca, Tlatelolco, and in the Pino Suarez metro station in Mexico City) are dedicated to Quetzalcoatl in the guise of Ecahtl, constructed without corners so the wind could easily blow around them. Extant temples dedicated to the cult of Quetzalcoatl have been identified at many Mesoamerican sites, such as Xochicalco, Teotihuacan, Cholula, Cempoala, Tula, Mayapan, and Chichen Itza. Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst. Sources Berdan, Frances F. Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Print.Carrasco, David, Lindsay Jones, and Scott Sessions, eds. Mesoamericas Classic Heritage: From Teotihuacan to the Aztecs. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2002. Print.Milbrath, Susan. Maya Astronomical Observations and the Agricultural Cycle in the Postclassic Madrid Codex. Ancient Mesoamerica 28.2 (2017): 489–505. Print.Miller, Mary E., and Karl Taube, eds. The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion. London: Thames and Hudson, 1993. Print.Mysyk, Darlene Avis. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca in Cuauhquechollan (Valley of Atlixco, Mexico). Estudios ee Cultura Nhuatl 43 (2012): 115–38. Print.Smith, Michael E. The Aztecs. 3rd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. Print.

Cross Cultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Cross Cultural Communication - Essay Example The results collected from these arguments are very important to examining the high and the low context cultures of the business towards international communication. Communication is as a vital element of the organizational success, but every aspect of communication must coincide with the organizational norms and practices that are guided by the culture (McIntosh et al 2008). However, every organizational culture management requires good leadership as described by Hall in order to coordinate and guide the efforts of the organization towards the achievement of the organizational objectives (Halverson and Tirmizi 2008). Management functions entail planning, organizing, leading and controlling performance of all areas of the organization. Nevertheless, this is slightly different since cross-cultural communication entails management of different cultural aspects in order to attain a competitive edge in the global marketplace (Kachru 2005). Most of the scholarly articles published in the past 10 years have provided supportive evidence that the Hall’s context of cross-cultural management is very significant to the realization of global business management (Halverson and Tirmizi 2008). This is because most of the models that were used prior to Hall’s context lacks adequate evidence and qualitative arguments (DeFillippi and Wankel 2006). Although Hall’s model is being appreciated for its validity in determining the contexts and cultural communication, some researchers argue that it lacks essential validity and attitude in cultural dimensions. The main objective if this research is to determine the coherent scale of measure of Hall’s cultural dimension of High and low contexts and offer valid findings in relevance to communication within German business environment. According to Hall, culture is as a way of life exercised by people of a

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harmful effects of alcohol on the brain - Essay Example To make the matter worse, the concern with drinking today becomes even more complex due to the fact that instances of under-age drinking are rapidly rising, thus increasing reported occurrences of brain damage on teenagers. Jennifer Sheridan in her article â€Å"Booze Putting Teen Brains at Risk† further discussed the dangers of under-age drinking. By presenting facts based from the studies and researches she conducted, Sheridan corroborated the high possibility of acquiring brain injury, especially for teenagers who are supposed to be undergoing various brain developmental processes, from drinking too much and/or consuming alcohol during sustained period (Sheridan, 2009). Without appropriate measures to resolve or, at least, minimize, problem with under-age drinking, the young generation’s likelihood to reach their full potential will be curtailed, hence impeding the bright future that awaits them. Alcohol poses as serious threat to the health and well being of the pop ulation at our community. Some of the health risks of consuming alcohol include, those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol related dependence than those who do not drink until they are 21. They have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, strokes, pancreatitis, and multiple forms of cancer. Early alcohol consumption takes a toll on youths mentally too. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an individuals brain continues to develop throughout adolescence, therefore those who drink, may have serious side affects with the functions of their short-term and long term memory. They are more likely to suffer from depression, drop out of school because of a reduced ability to learn and carry out normal brain activity. Alcohol consumed by teenagers is hazardous, not only due to the dangers linked with acute impairment, but also due to the problems that drinking brings to their long-term development and welfar e (Sheridan, 2009). From the reports all over the world, the society has witnessed how underage drinking can cause accidents in the road, violence at school, suicide cases, academic failures, and other behavioral concerns brought by underage alcohol consumption. The question is how these teenagers manage to get access to alcoholic beverages despite of the law that prohibits selling of alcohol to youths below 21 years old. According to Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council (2004), teenagers get their access to alcohols from adults. A report shows that more than 90 percent of students from the 12th grade consider getting alcohol â€Å"very easy† or â€Å"fairly easy† (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Significantly, these young individuals who are not legally allowed to get access to alcoholic beverages are more reckless drinkers than the adults. On average, these teenagers drink more than what their bodies can take and the refore categorizing them as heavy drinkers (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004), or drinking until they black out (Sheridan, 2009). In 2004, a report from the National Survey on Drugs Use and Health stated that there were about 29 percent of young Americans, or approximately 10.8 million young individuals), specifically within the age range of 12-20, who had at least a drink a month prior to the report conducted by the organization (Bonnie, O’Connell, and National Research Council, 2004). Still within this age group, the report further stated that 19.6 percent of these subjects were categorized as binge drinkers, or those who had 5 or more drinks on one occasion, which is considered more than the average American adult can consume. In a study conducted by D’Amico et. al. (2001), they discovered that the start of alcohol

Social Groups in American History Essay Example for Free

Social Groups in American History Essay After WWII women, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Whites all set out to establish a set of desires and wants we call the American Dream. Not just to have money and be successful but to ensure that all men are equal, to have the freedom to do what we want and practice our beliefs, and to fight for policies in government that benefit the good of our people. Throughout the American history, we have been through many challenging times in which these freedoms and desires have been tested. Nevertheless, through it all, these situations have made us stronger as a united nation and taught us what it really means to be American. During the war women were encouraged to take jobs that men would do for the first time in history. To some it was a surprise but to many it was a sign of the times. â€Å"By 1942 a poll showed that only 13% of Americans disagreed with women in the workforce† (Brinkly, pg.751) Many of them also joined and became war nurses in which they helped many of the men recuperate. Many women were extremely well at making war time products and took the place of men. During the war women foresaw many diverse opportunities and advancements in their lives. â€Å"Even though there were many laws restricting women from working they still managed to come through for our country.† (Gorn, pg.140) For once women were not just considered as a reproducer but as a producer itself. After the war the men had returned home and measures to push women back to how it used to be began. â€Å"In 1945, 3/4 of the women surveyed by the Womens Bureau of the Department of Labor wished that they could continue working which showed their interests in the skills they obtained.† (Brinkley, pg.752) Women were determined to push forward a claim their spot in society. This pushed for a new movement of better educated and stronger women. When African American soldiers returned they found a nation that still did not give them full rights, this caused a movement for the expansion of civil rights which had been born. Most black soldiers who had left their farm jobs in the South decided not to come back home at all. Instead, they moved to cities, looking for employment that was related to what they had learned in the army. The civil rights movement was a time when blacks that were oppressed for several years, rose up against the odds to achieve their freedom. This movement stimulated a growth in the black migration to cities. â€Å"On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks changed America forever when she was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus.† (Brinkley, pg.881) When Rosa Parks was asked to give up her seat to a white woman, she refused because she was annoyed with the treatment that African Americans received. She was later thrown in jail for disregarding the law. This led to an uprising and many protest against the judge’s action. Through unity, education and courage the African Americans claimed their independence. After WWII America it self became less influenced in religion. â€Å"In the 1960s, many social critics had predicted the virtual extinction o religious influences in American life.† (Brinkley, pg. 892) Religion during this time took a change rather then it being extinct more and more people began to turn to Christianity. From the 70s till the early 90s religious effort grew rapidly. When families that were in poverty began to rise up this led them into the growing middle class. America stated to see more time devoted to religious practices. This marked a new beginning in American history. As apart of the growing middle class more families stated having extra income to support a growing family. America itself during this time became known as the baby boomer generation. â€Å"At the peak of the baby boom, during the 1950s, the nation population grew by 20 percent.† (Brinkley, pg.790) The baby boom generation was the result in the rapidly growing economy in which a family’s income was rapidly increasing. Also housing prices and the new GI bill made it easier for citizens to progress. All over the U.S. white Americans were living the American Dream. During the early 1960s and 70s many citizens did not agree to why the U.S. was at war with Vietnam. Many men had no desire to be apart of the war. â€Å"The Selective Service System, which was used to carry out the draft, had aspirations of directing soldiers into areas where they were most needed during wartime.† (Brinkley, pg.870) The draft made it possible for government to supply the war with enough troops to protect our country. Many people took advantage of the draft system’s postponement policies to avoid going away to war. Others refused to go or basically did not register. There were also people who left the country to escape the draft. Draft cards were burned publicly, schools walked out in protest of the war, and even special music events were used to stop the war. With all this negative actions against the war, it was very hard for the soldiers to fight a war when their country did not support them for putting their lifes on the line. During the 60s Hippies were mostly defiant young people who sought for change in U.S. life style. Hippies experimented with many innovative ideas for the 60s. The Hippie movement began in San Francisco in the 1960’s. It was a different way to live life. â€Å"Closely related to the New Left was a new youth culture openly scornful of the values and conventions of middle class society.† (Brinkley, pg.856) The Hippie movement was a rebellious uprising which displayed efforts against war. Many Americans did not agree with the Hippy way of life because of there beliefs of free sex, drugs, their image and their music. Migrant workers went through a lot of struggles. During the 60s for one person this struggle was enough to fight for. Cesar E. Chavez founded and led the first successful farm worker’s union in U.S. history. â€Å"Caesar Chavez began with grape pickers in the town of Delano In 1965 and quickly gained converts in California’s enormous factory fields† (Gorn pg.297) In September 1965, Cesar’s NFWA, with more than 1200 members, joined in AFL-CIO sponsored union in a strike towards the major Delano area table and wine grape producers. Cesar led a successful five-year strike-boycott to the millions of supporters to the UFW, United Farm Workers.† He put together a nationwide support association of unions, church groups, students, minorities and consumers.† (Brinkley, pg.861). The two organizations merged in 1966 to form the UFW, and it became affiliated with the AFL-CIO. By 1970, the boycott influenced most grape growers to sign contract with UFW. Through out history we have seen many great examples and great role models that have changed America’s society greatly. African American, Hispanic, or even gender issues have all took a new approach and gained it independence buy fighting for freedom and prosperity. The American Dream has always been a set goal for Americans and as long as we are democratic society we will fight for our rights and aim towards a better way of living. Works Cited Brinkley, Alan. American History, a Survey, Volume Two, Twelfth Edition. Gorn, Elliot J. Constructing the American Past: A Source Book of a People’s History, Volume Two, Sixth Edition.

The Role of Religion in Thomas Hardys Poem Channel Firing Essay exampl

The Role of Religion in Thomas Hardy's Poem Channel Firing "Channel Firing" by Thomas Hardy is a poem about the atrocities of war. Published shortly before the beginning of World War I, the poem seems almost prophetic. It not only decries the barbaric nature of war--an institution so vile and obnoxious that in this poem it awakens the dead--but also questions our inability to break our addiction to that institution. Less clear, however, is the answer to a question Hardy seems to be posing: is it our plight to be perpetually engaged in quests for power and vengeance, rendering us unworthy of God's call to judgment, or is it our plight that a sneering, uncaring god forsakes us in our time of need? The religious implications of this poem are more difficult to analyze than the political and social implications because they are more subtle. Throughout the poem both God and the awakened skeletons seem to be in agreement that men are guilty of perpetuating war. Men are "striving strong to make / Red war yet redder. / Mad as hatters / They do no more for Christes sake / Than you who...

Ccot Christianity Outline Essay

WHAP – Part B: Continuity and Change-Over-Time Essay This essay question deals specifically with analysis of continuities and changes over time and covers at least one of the periods in the concept outline. It can address, for example, any of the course themes, such as technology, trade, culture, migrations, or environment. There may also be some internal choice within the question, so that students are able to choose to draw their evidence from a case that they know better. The continuity and change-over-time essay questions require students to demonstrate their mastery of this historical thinking skill. Moreover, students are expected to construct an argument that responds directly to the question; doing so should cause them to use several of the other historical thinking skills (argumentation, causation, contextualization, and synthesis). The generic scoring guide for the continuity and change-over-time essay is shown below; following that, on the next two pages, are a sample continuity and change over time question, the directions that appear in the AP Exam booklet, and a discussion of â€Å"What Good Responses Should Include.† Change-Over-Time (CCOT) Essay Generic Scoring Rubric |BASIC CORE (competence) |0-7 Points | |(Historical skills and knowledge required to show competence) | | |1. Has acceptable thesis |1 Point | |(Addresses global issues and the time period(s) specified) | | |2. Addresses all parts of the question, though not necessarily evenly or thoroughly |2 Points | |(Addresses most parts of the question: for example, addresses change but not continuity) |(1 Point) | |3. Substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence |2 Points | |(Partially substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence)  |(1 Point) | |4. Uses relevant world historical context effectively to explain change over time and/or continuity |1 Point | |5. Analyzes the process of continuity and change over time |1 Point | |Point Subtotal |7 Points | | | | |EXPANDED CORE (excellence) | | |(Historical skills and knowledge required to show excellence) |0-2 Points | |Expands beyond basic core of 1-7 points. A student must earn 7 points in the basic core area before ear ning points in the expanded core | | |area. | | |Examples: | | |Has a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis | | |Analyzes all issues of the question (as relevant): global context, chronology, causation, change, continuity, effects, content | | |Addresses all parts of the question evenly | | |Provides ample historical evidence to substantiate thesis | | |Provides links with relevant ideas, events, trends in an innovative way | | |Subtotal |/2 Points | |Total |/9 Points | CCOT – Continuity and Change Over Time Essay Note that the sample continuity and change-over-time essay below is slightly modified from the continuity and change-over-time essay on the 2010 AP World History Exam to make the topic of the question more closely align with the AP World History Curriculum Framework. The time allotted for this essay is  40 minutes, 5 minutes of which should be spent planning and/or outlining the answer. Directions: You are to answer the following question. You should spend 5 minutes organizing or outlining your essay. 1. Write an essay that: †¢ Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with appropriate historical evidence. †¢ Addresses all parts of the question. †¢ Uses world historical context to show continuities and changes over time. †¢ Analyzes the process of continuity and change over time. 2. Analyze continuities and changes in cultural beliefs and practices in ONE of the following regions from 1450 to the present. †¢ Sub-Saharan Africa †¢ Latin America/Caribbean What Good Responses Should Include A good response analyzes continuities and changes in cultural beliefs and practices in one of the stipulated regions [Sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America/Caribbean]. â€Å"Cultural beliefs and practices† is understood very broadly in world history to include religion, philosophy, ideology, science and technology, education, the arts, literature, and architecture. Students do not have to address the entire region, but all examples they provide must fall within the stipulated region. Because the central task in this question calls for analysis of continuity and change, acceptable thesis statements need to address both, stating at least one continuity and at least one change. Acceptable thesis statements also need to be explicit, not simply restatements of the question or vague statements such as â€Å"there were more changes than continuities.† They also need to be relevant to the time period, beginning in roughly 1450 and ending sometime in the post– World War II twentieth century. A good response provides analysis of valid continuities and changes in cultural beliefs and practices, supported by specific pieces of evidence from the time period, which provide supporting examples of continuity or change. For example, in terms of continuities, students could point to the continuation of the practice of indigenous religions in either area and also to the continuation of the spread of Christianity in either area or of the spread of Islam in Africa; the ways in  which migrants continued their cultures in new environments; the ways in which culture was used by all types of leaders to support political systems; the ways in which language, religion, and social customs provided a sense of identification. In terms of change, for the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries, students could examine the development of syncretic forms of religion such as vodun or the cult of the saints, or the way in which the Spanish and Portuguese rulers of Latin America used art and archi tecture to legitimate their power. For the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they could discuss the spread of Enlightenment thought in Latin America and the consequences of this; the impact of new racial ideologies, such as Social Darwinism, in Africa; the development of millenarian ideas such as the Xhosa Cattle- Killing Movement; the spread of anti-imperial, nationalist, and communist ideology in either area. For the twentieth century, students could examine the spread of the idea of human rights; the formation of new cultural identities, such as negritude; the ways religion was applied to political issues, such as fundamentalist movements and Liberation Theology; the increasing globalization of consumer culture. Any of these examples would need to be tied into the process of change and continuity, as would any background information that students provide to set up their essays. A good essay moves beyond a mechanistic â€Å"beginning, middle, and end† format and provides solid chronological knowledge across the entire time period. Further, students should think about including dates in their essay to demonstrate that they have the ability to describe with some precision when continuity and change happened. Solid historical analysis explains the reason for or the impact of a specific continuity or a particular change, and a good essay provides specific discussion of cause and impact. For example, the statement â€Å"Nationalism grew in Africa in the twentieth century† is a solid piece of evidence about change, but tying this to a cause or effect would generate this superior analysis: â€Å"Nationalism grew in Africa, which led to the overthrow of European empires.† An essay that effectively addresses world historical context might describe an extra-regional connection or a global process to explain continuity or change in cultural beliefs or practices. For this essay, students would need to focus on specific global links relative to the  question, instead of focusing on a similar situation somewhere else in the world. For example, saying that â€Å"China and Brazil both had Jesuit missionaries† is a comparison, not a connection. Arguing that â€Å"European Jesuit missionaries were proselytizing in South America and winning converts. This happened in China as well† does, however, draw an extra-regional connection because the term European Jesuits provides a specific reference showing how European practices affected South American beliefs. A strong essay would demonstrate greater nuance and sophistication, including the relationship between change and continuity. It might note, for example, that a change in the early part of the long period covered in this question became a continuity for the rest of the period: The introduction of Christianity was a change in Latin America/the Caribbean, but then Christianity’s presence and expansion became a continuity. Similarly, nationalism developed as an ideology beginning in the eighteenth century, but it then became a continuity and has remained so through the present. A specific example of syncretism, such as vodun, could be introduced as a change when it first developed, but the process of the syncretism of different beliefs, ideas, or artistic forms is a continuity across the entire time period. The best essays will be those that do all of this, engaging their own content knowledge with the specific framing of the question.

Internal Alignment Essay

Executive Summary We recommend a single internal structure that includes all job families, and uses the same job point evaluation plan to evaluate all positions. The single structure will allow us to evaluate employees on an equal level and it will be easier for the employees to follow. The job point evaluation consists of a grand total one thousand points with 25% weighted towards Education, 20% weighted towards Experience, Technical, and Creativity/Innovativeness, and lastly 15% weighted towards Skills & Abilities. Internal Strategy The recommended internal alignment for FastCat would be to have a single structure based on compensable factors relevant to their success. Each factor has different levels based on the requirements needed for the factor. For example, there are only three levels for creativity, while there are five levels for experience (Refer to Exhibit 1 in the Job Manual). This allows FastCat to cover the entire company with the factors chosen, yet still be specific enough for the individual jobs. This design will help FastCat direct employee goals towards company goals, and still be fair to the employees. It also will help FastCat be more cost-effective, in that the jobs will be thoroughly evaluated based on the levels they receive for each factor. There are five factors chosen to be the most important for FastCat they are: Education, Experience, Technical, Creative/Innovative, and Skills & Abilities. The first factor, Education, was chosen because of FastCat’s need for highly educated peop le. The software that FastCat designs calls for specific knowledge that a degree can provide. Experience was chosen because of its importance to FastCat. Almost every job at FastCat requires at least some experience in that certain area; therefore experience was deemed extremely important for FastCat. Technical ability refers to the amount of impact an error would make for FastCat. For example, an Administrative Assistant miss-spelling something will not have a huge impact on FastCat’s business, however, a Technical Marketing Consultant going after the wrong segment will have a profound impact on FastCat. The Creative/Innovative factor for FastCat is also extremely important. The mission statement for FastCat even states that â€Å"We must produce innovative, high-quality solutions.† Last, Skills & Abilities was chosen because of the  range that the factor could cover, as well as the fact that we can select the most important items relative to FastCat. This internal alignment will allow FastCat to strictly define some factors, while leaving other factors more loosely defined, in order to support employee development. This system will also be extremely simple for employees to follow, and to see the way that the system has been set up, in order to ensure fairness. The structure will also be similarly easy to administer, as well as to communicate to employees. It will be easy to administer because the jobs are already evaluated, and will not change anytime in the near future. Another reason why it will not be difficult to administer is because employees will be able to see the differences in pay, and why they are the way they are. The recommended way of communicating this plan to employees is by giving each employee a copy, and then holding several small meetings in which employees can ask questions about the new structure. Rationale for Recommendations The recommendations we proposed for FastCat will benefit the company for its future success, and will help the company regain its competitive edge, while also achieving its compensation objectives. The first recommendation is for FastCat to use a single internal structure. Since the company is currently undergoing some restructuring, this system will be easy to help reorganize those departments, and it provides for a much less bureaucratic working environment. Also, a single internal structure will allow for better management because rather than having the manager’s focus on trying to organize and understand two or more structures; they can simply focus on one. Second, we recommend that FastCat use a job point evaluation system. By using this point system the company can clearly state what they feel are important skills, and can place a numeric value to them. This way the most qualified employees are easily identified, and the employees can be correctly compensated for their w ork. This system will also help direct employees towards FastCat’s objectives. Lastly, we recommend that Fast Cat include five compensable factors that will help the company get back in all consumers’ evoked set. The five compensable factors we recommend would be Education, Experience, Technical (error), Creative/Innovative, and Skills & Abilities. To help Fast Cat in its future success they are going to need highly educated people who have the experience in the market, but make  little technical errors in doing their job. Also, they will need people who are creative/innovative to help create new products, but these people must also posses the skills and abilities necessary to complete their job. This system will also help direct employees towards FastCat’s objectives. By placing emphasis on creativity and technical ability, FastCat can direct employee behavior towards their objectives. Overall, these recommendations will help Fast Cat achieve their compensation objectives, because the single internal structure is easy to understand and organize , the job point evaluation and compensable factors will help to select the correct amount of compensation for each job. However, while there are many benefits to these recommendations there are some risks associated with them. Listed below you will find some of the risks, and potential solutions for the risks, associated with the proposal for FastCat. Risk 1: Since it is recommend that FastCat use a single internal structure some employees may feel they will not be recognized for achieving certain goals. Potential Solution 1: FastCat can have some other ways of recognizing employee’s when they achieve goals. For example, FastCat having Employee of the Month, Profit Sharing, Gain Sharing, or just recognition for employees by management or the President of FastCat. Risk 2: Managers and/or employees may feel that it is not fair to place them on the same level as non-managerial or managerial employee. Potential Solution 2: Explain to employees how the point system works, and why they are on the same level. Especially emphasize the Skills & Abilities Level 2 and above Ranks, where managerial skills are listed. This will show the employees that FastCat is paying more for managers. However, there may be another factor that places the employee and manager within the same point range. Risk 3: If an employee ranks high on the job point evaluation then he/she may feel as if they are indispensable. This could cause them to not be focused or to slack off on their responsibilities. Potential Solution 3: FastCat could occasionally remind employees that their compensation is based on the fact that they are doing their job. If an employee believes he/she is indispensable, and therefore either slacks off or becomes not focused; then maybe FastCat should remind them of employment at will. Risk 4: Since FastCat does value creativity and innovation, employees who are in positions where creativity and innovation are not needed could feel that any ideas they do have would not  be very important. Potential Solution 4: FastCat could have a suggestion box, or encourage all employees that have an idea to tell their superior. FastCat would need to tell employees something to the effect of: there are no bad ideas, just ones that are not yet developed. This would encourage employees to voice any ideas they have, and feel like their ideas are valued. Overall, our recommendations provide more benefits than risks to the company, benefits such as: helping FastCat to be successful in the future, helping the company regain its competitive edge, while also achieving its compensation objectives. However, as with all things, there are some risks, but as long as FastCat is aware of those risks and handles them promptly they should have no problem succeeding using our recommendations.

Show, Dont Tell Tips and Examples of The Golden Rule

Show, Dont Tell Tips and Examples of The Golden Rule Show, Don't Tell: Tips and Examples of The Golden Rule Show, don’t tell is one of the most frequently given pieces of advice among writers. But just like â€Å"write what you know† and â€Å"write every day,† it can be difficult to follow - especially if you don’t really know what it means! Luckily, we’re here to show you exactly what this involves. We'll explain the various benefits of â€Å"showing† in writing, and provide plenty of helpful examples. Show, don't tell: it's a rule for a reason. Let us SHOW you why! 'Show, Don’t Tell': A Quick DefinitionShow, don’t tell is a writing technique in which story and characters are related through sensory details and actions rather than exposition. It fosters a style of writing that’s more immersive for the reader, allowing them to â€Å"be in the room† with the characters.In his most commonly repeated quoted, Chekhov said, â€Å"Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass."In short: showing illustrates, while telling merely states. Here’s a quick example of showing versus telling: Showing: As his mother switched off the light and left the room, Michael tensed. He huddled under the covers, gripped the sheets, and held his breath as the wind brushed past the curtain. Telling: Michael was terribly afraid of the dark.In the â€Å"showing† example, rather than merely saying that Michael is afraid of the dark, we’ve put him in a situation where his experience of that fear takes center stage. The reader can deduce the same information they’d get from the â€Å"telling† example but in a much more compelling way. The Benefits of 'Show, Don't Tell'Showing also helps develop characters in a way that isn't just listing their traits. For instance, rather than telling your readers that â€Å"Gina was selfish and immature,† you could show this side of her by writing a scene where she whines about how everyone forgot her half-birthday. Or if you have a character who’s extremely determined, show her actually persisting through something - don’t just say â€Å"she was persistent.†Overall, when done right, showing draws readers into the narrative with truly immersive description. It contributes to story development but also leaves certain things up to the reader’s interpretation, which is much more interesting than making everything explicit. (Though of course, you can still use language to alter their perception).The bottom line: telling might be quicker, and it’s certainly necessary to have some telling in every story (more on that later), but showing should almost always be your prime strategy.All right, that’s enough theory for now! Let’s talk about how you can show, not tell, in your own work. Here are five key tips on how to show rather than tell in a story4 Practical 'Show, Don’t Tell' TipsLet's start with one of the most important aspects of storytelling...Tip #1. Create a sense of settingOne of the best ways to show rather than tell is to create a sense of setting. You can do this by writing about how characters perceive and interact with their surroundings, weaving plenty of sensory details and occasional action into the scene. This is a particularly good way to lend immediacy to your story, as the reader should be able to imagine themselves in that very setting. Telling: I walked through the forest. It was already Fall and I was getting cold. Showing: The dry orange leaves crunched under my feet as I pulled the collar up on my coat.Tip #2. Use dialogue to show characterIn addition to setting, you can also use dialogue to demonstrate story elements beyond the surface conversation. A character’s speech will tell the reader a lot about them, especially when they’re first being introduced.Do they use long sentences and polysyllabic words or do they prefer short, punchy replies? Are there likely to use slang and call an authority figure â€Å"dude† or â€Å"fam† or will they address them respectfully as â€Å"Mr. So-and-So†?Tip #3. If in doubt, always describe actionâ€Å"Telling† almost always grinds your narrative momentum to a halt. Imagine having to describe the setting every time your characters enter a new space - any pace you had built in your chapter would be destroyed. However, it’s still important to evoke the setting and put your scene in context. And that’s w here showing action comes in handy.Let’s say you start your scene with your character walking through St Mark’s Square in Venice. Instead of describing the pigeons, the tourists and the layout of the space, you can evoke it through action: He was late. St Mark’s clocktower had struck one and Enzo found himself pushing against the tide of tourists milling towards the cafes lining the Piazza San Marco. A clump of pigeons scattered in front of him.Through action, you’re able to describe the setting of the scene while also maintaining your story’s forward motion.Tip #4. Use strong details, but don’t overdo itStrong, vivid details are crucial to the process of showing. However, that doesn’t mean you should include too many details, especially those that are overly embellished. This kind of excessively ornate language can be just as bad as â€Å"telling† language that’s too basic, as it may cause the reader to lose interest in your super-dense prose. Too much detail: The statue felt rough, its aged facade caked with dust and grime as I weighed it in my hand, observing its jagged curves and Fanta-colored hue. Just right: It was heavier than it looked. Some of the orange facade crumbled in my hand as I picked it up.Strike the right balance by alternating between simple and complex sentences and ideas, and different types of sensory detail, so the reader doesn’t get overloaded on one type.'Show, Don’t Tell' ExamplesTo break down this technique even further, here are a few additional "show, don't tell" examples of authors showing rather than telling in their writing. If you want to analyze even more examples of this tactic, just crack open the nearest novel! Pretty much every work of fiction involves showing, and observing the tactics of successful authors is one of the best ways to learn for yourself.Example #1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodI once had a garden. I can remember the smell of the turned earth, the plump shapes of bulbs held in the hands, fullness, the dry rustle of seeds through the fingers. Time could pass more swiftly that way. Sometimes the Comm ander’s Wife has a chair brought out, and just sits in it, in her garden. From a distance it looks like peace.This passage uses various senses (smell, touch, and sound) to recreate the atmosphere of Offred’s old garden, romanticizing the act of gardening to show that she misses those days. It also connects that peaceful past time to the present day, implying that many people no longer feel at peace, including the Commander’s Wife.Example #2. It by Stephen KingIn this early scene, young Georgie is running after his toy boat as he is unwittingly being lured by a malevolent force.Now here he was, chasing his boat down the left of Witcham Street. He was running fast but the water was running faster and his boat was pulling ahead. He heard a deepening roar and saw that fifty yards farther down the hill the water in the gutter was cascading into a storm drain that was still open. It was a long dark semi-circle cut into the curbing, and as Georgie watched, a stripped b ranch, its bark as dark and glistening as sealskin, shot into the storm drain’s maw.King renders the fast-running rivulets of a rainy day by having Georgie run alongside them, unable to keep up. Then he sees the storm drain, which King aptly calls a â€Å"maw† (a spot-on metaphor), and its threat is heightened by the sound of its â€Å"deepening roar† and the fact that it swallows an entire branch. Needless to say, poor Georgie’s boat doesn’t stand a chance. You gotta admit, that's a pretty cute pig. (Image: Paramount)Example #6. Oliver Twist by Charles DickensIn this extract, Oliver has arrived in London for the very first time.A dirtier or more wretched place he had never seen. The street was very narrow and muddy, and the air was impregnated with filthy odours. There were a good many small shops; but the only stock in trade appeared to be heaps of children, who, even at that time of night, were crawling in and out at the doors, or screaming from the inside. The sole places that seemed to prosper amid the general blight of the place, were the public-houses†¦ Oliver was just considering whether he hadn't better run away, when they reached the bottom of the hill.Oliver’s initial impression of London hits us like a train: you can almost taste the filthy air and hear the children screaming for yourself. And if London’s extreme depravity wasn’t already evident enough from the description, you can tell from Oliverâ €™s reaction that it must be pretty bad - for context, he’s just walked 30+ miles to reach London, and this is the first thing that’s really fazed him.Of course, Dickens might have just written, â€Å"Oliver reached London. It was dirty and crowded.† But while this more or less summarizes the above passage, it completely loses the visceral sense of setting and Oliver’s feelings toward that setting. Without these details, the description would be totally generic.Example #7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray BradburyIn this scene, Montag, a â€Å"fireman† tasked with destroying books, hears his boss’s voice in his head, describing the burning of pages.He could hear Beatty's voice. â€Å"Sit down, Montag. Watch. Delicately, like the petals of a flower. Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly. Beautiful, eh? Light the third page from the second and so on, chainsmoking, chapter by chapter, all the silly things the wo rds mean, all the false promises, all the second-hand notions and time-worn philosophies.†This excellent use of metaphor (taken from our list of 97 metaphors in literature and pop culture) compares the pages of burnt books to â€Å"black butterflies†: an eerie image that, fittingly enough, burns itself into our brains. Though no book-burning actually occurs at this moment (Montag is merely imagining it), the reader can still vividly see what it would look like. We shudder at the contrast between the innocent, petal-like pages and the monstrous, destructive fire. Indeed, this is the pinnacle of showing - it really drives home how powerful figurative language can be.Example #8. White Teeth by Zadie SmithArchie scrabbling up the stairs, as usual cursing and blinding, wilting under the weight of boxes that Clara could carry two, three at a time without effort; Clara taking a break, squinting in the warm May sunshine, trying to get her bearings. She peeled down to a little purple vest and leaned against her front gate. What kind of a place was this? That was the thing, you see, you couldn’t be sure.The stream-of-consciousness style here evokes the rushed chaos of moving house. Also, the juxtaposed descriptions of Archie and Clara (him â€Å"scrabbling, cursing, blinding, and wilting† while she calmly assesses the situation) show how different they are - a disparity which will only grow over the course of the book.Is telling ever acceptable?Of course, sometimes you have no other choice but to do a bit of â€Å"telling† in a story. Yes, it’s a narrative shortcut, but sometimes shortcuts are necessary - especially when you’re trying to explain something quickly, with no fanfare or immersive evocation for readers. Writers often â€Å"tell† at the beginning of a story to get the exposition across, or after a â€Å"big reveal† where certain details just need to be clearly stated. The important thing is bala nce; as long as you don’t have too much of either telling or showing, you should be fine.Finally, remember that there are no hard-and-fast rules for writing. If you’re worried that you’re telling too much and not showing enough, but your writing still flows well and engages readers, don’t feel obligated to change it! And as Jim Thomas says in the video above: â€Å"In the arts, rules are more like friendly suggestions. This is especially useful to remember when you’re creating your first or second draft - you’re going to ‘tell’ and that’s okay. You’re still figuring out what your story is about.†So whether you’re more inclined to show or to tell, just know that with practice, you’ll find the exact style that works for you. And when that happens, you’ll show everyone (sorry, we couldn’t resist!) what you’re made of as a writer.Do you struggle to show, not tell? Leave any qu estions, concerns, or tips in the comments below!

Valleys and Gullies

Valleys and Gullies Valleys and Gullies Valleys and Gullies By Mark Nichol A variety of words serve to describe geographical features characterized by low-lying terrain between higher elevations of land. This post lists and defines many of these terms. Valley, ultimately from the Latin term valles by way of Anglo-French and Middle English, most generically describes such an area, a length of the surface of Earth or any other solid planet or natural satellite that separates hills or mountains or through which a river system often flows. The word may also describe an artificial feature resembling a valley, such as the line along which two sloping portions of a roof meet, or may be used figuratively to refer to a low condition or point, often part of the phrase â€Å"peaks and valleys.† Vale is a variant with the same etymological origin, used more in poetic contexts than prosaic ones, such as when it is employed as a metaphor for the world in the phrase â€Å"vale of tears.† Canyon, occasionally seen with the spelling of its Spanish source caà ±on (probably from an obsolete Spanish word derived from the Latin term callis, meaning â€Å"path†) refers to a deep, narrow, steep-sided valley or something suggesting such a feature, such as a street passing between two rows of tall buildings. Cirque, meanwhile, from the Latin word circus, meaning â€Å"circle,† is such a feature in mountainous terrain forming a basin at the end of a valley. A combe (the word is also occasionally spelled coombe or coomb) is a deep, narrow valley or a basin adjacent to a hillside. The word, used mostly in British English, is of Celtic origin; in Welsh, it is spelled cwm. Dale and its similar-looking cognate dell, both of which derive from Old English, describe a small grassy or forested valley; the word is delated to Old High German tal, which, as part of the name of a location where German coins were minted, inspired the word dollar. Both dale and dell are used primarily in poetic or archaic usage, such as in the phrase â€Å"hill and dale,† although the use of dell in the traditional song â€Å"Farmer in the Dell† likely stems from an unrelated Dutch word. Dene, also from Old English, is a British English term for a low-lying area, and dingle shares a language origin and a definition with dale and dell. Old Irish, meanwhile, contributes the word glen, meaning â€Å"valley.† From the Latin term gurga comes gorge, which refers to a narrow area such as a canyon floor or part of it. (Gorge has several additional meanings, such as â€Å"throat or stomach† and â€Å"something that chokes a passage,† and as a verb it alludes to the former sense, meaning â€Å"eat or partake of in large amounts.†) Gulch, probably from the Middle English word gulchen, refers to a steep cut in the land, as does gully, which likely stems from the Latin word gula by way of the Middle English term golet, from which gullet is also derived. (Gully may also refer to a small water-formed natural trench.) Hollow, from the Old English word holh, from which hole is also derived, describes a small basin or valley. In American English dialects, it is sometimes pronounced (and spelled) holler. The Latin term rapina, meaning â€Å"rapine,† is the source of ravine, referring to a steep-sided valley between a gully and a canyon in size. The connection between the name of the geographical feature and a word associated with assaulting and plundering is the sense of rapina of â€Å"sweeping away,† in reference to the action of water rushing through it. One type of valley is a rift valley; the term rift, from a Scandinavian word for â€Å"fissure,† describes the low-lying area between two roughly parallel geological faults or groups of faults. 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point Arc40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Comma Before Too?

The Little School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Little School - Essay Example For a large number of us, the idea of a military overthrow is unbelievable such movements are committed to references in history books, dates took in school and overlooked once we are tried on them. They expected that somebody could trudge into our homes and take us detainee against our wills is new to Americans. We say what we need, when we need, in ways that boisterously show our own particular convictions, for the most part without trepidation of censure or repercussion. Alicia Partnoy's book, The Little School, is a revelation, most definitely. Inside the pages of this thin volume lies a fictionalized record of her own detainment at the hands of the military that surpassed her administration. What makes her stories more significant is the information that this didn't happen a lifetime back yet in the late 1970's, when most Americans were delighting in newly discovered opportunities of declaration. While young people in the United States were communicating their perspectives on warfare, woman's rights, and sexuality, their companions in Argentina were being hushed for setting out to stand in opposition to the legislature. By 1979, in excess of 30,000 individuals "vanished." Most of these were junior grown-ups between the ages of 18 and 35; however, Partnoy's book specifies a few companions of hers who were kidnapped when they were only 15 years of age. Folks viewed vulnerably as their kids were taken by power from their homes; little youngsters yelle d on doorsteps or were gathered up by relatives as their own particular folks were taken from them.