Sunday, October 6, 2019

The Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Analysis Paper - Essay Example The writers offer some proposals for reforms and examples of Universities that have attained quality and efficiency in their learning, teaching and research missions. The main purpose of the essay is to highlight the high cost of higher education, the decline in education standards and propose ways of attaining quality education among American institutions of higher education. The main ideas are cost, quality, and efficiency of education among colleges in the society. The first paper of the essay highlights the increasing cost of education, the proposals that will reform the college system and finally examples of Universities that have excelled in their mission. Thesis: colleges are worth the price of admission. First, I disagree with Hacker and Dreifus that the costs of college tuition have increased over the generation. The writers have ignored the economic developments witnessed by the country over the past few years. In this case, the authors do not factor the drastic rise in inf lation and increase in money supply in the economy. Accordingly, the authors compare the costs of tuition with mortgage repayments, but fail to factor the high economic hardships experienced by institutions in securing alternative sources of funding due to economic meltdown and financial crisis (Hacker and Dreifus, p 180). I also disagree with Hacker and Dreifus that ‘higher education has lost track and its enduring purpose’. I agree with the authors that colleges must persuade students to be more engaged and attentive. In this way, Professors must be capable of challenging young minds in solving societal problems. It is true that employers have for long complained of poor graduate skills, despite the high costs that such students incur while pursuing university degrees. However, I believe the writers have conducted their research on few institutions and ignored the fact that each institution of higher learning has its unique qualities. Generally, it would be wrong to c onclude that higher education has lost its enduring purpose (Hacker and Dreifus, p 188). I also agree with Hacker and Dreifus that universal enrolment should be a nations’ goal. All students must be granted equal opportunities of access through implementing different courses that cater for unique learning needs of each aspiring students. For instance, universities must blend both arts and sciences in their curriculum in order to tap the unique talents of aspiring students. According to me, techno-teaching is a noble idea that will provide students with more visual and interactive learning experience. It is true the current advancement in information communication technologies can foster the learning outcomes and experiences in colleges and universities through providing visual aids to learners and establishing interactive online platforms for student discussions (Hacker and Dreifus 182). Hacker and Dreifus claims that too many benefactors donate to Universities that are alrea dy over funded (p 183). However, I believe that benefactors have their right to donate to their past institutions or universities where in their view perceive the universities offer quality education to the students. In this case, the

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Week three assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week three assignment - Essay Example The major cause of the Buddhist riots was the ban to raise the Buddhist religious flag in the city of Hue by Catholic Ngo, Dinh Diem. The protesters were fighting for their religious freedom and fair treatment by the Diem’s government. In response to the protest, Diem reacted by commanding his soldiers to get rid of the unarmed civilians protesting against the ban and went on to arrest the Buddhist leaders. The use of force to stop the riots caused loss of life to many Buddhist which inflicted a lot pressure to the quest to continue their fight for freedom and fair treatment. According to Tucker (2013), the riots took a new phase after a Vietnamese bonze openly burnt himself at a busy street in Saigon to mark the climax of the protest. The photographs of the scene and other serious demonstration attracted attention worldwide. Some communities and countries that never supported the Buddhist community in the past stepped in. for instance, John Kennedy, the American president by then, backed the Buddhist in their struggle by offering booth material and moral support. The American intervention on the issue pushed Diem to assert a martial law which he applied in raiding the masterminds of the protest. The continued support of the liberals by the American government overpowered the Diem’s government and on November 1963, he was overthrown and assassinated (DeBenedetti & Chatfield1990). Soon after Diem’s death, Kennedy was assassinated and Lylond took power as the US president. The assassination of Diem left a power vacuum which resulted in political disorders. In addition the country was left very poor and had to restructure its economy. In fact, the country became fully dependent on America for its survival. In addition, the liberal leaders took advantage of the unstable political situation to dominate the rural population of South Vietnam. Diem’s overthrow and death can be solely attributed

Friday, October 4, 2019

Reservation to Resurgence-Contemporary Context Essay

Reservation to Resurgence-Contemporary Context - Essay Example Upon establishment of the USA, the ruling political class agreed to civilize the Native Americans, voluntarily or through force, to enhance their assimilation as citizens of the USA (Treuer 44). At the beginning of the 20th century, there were an estimated 250,000 Native Americans; this represented 0.3% of the total USA population. They lived in reservations where they experienced minimal level of self government. During the 19th century, they were deprived a huge portion of their land through succession of treaties, which the white authorities mostly ignored, and also through the military actions of the USA as it increased control in the American west. In 1831 John Marshall, who was the Chief Justice, tried to define the status of the Native Americans. He illustrated the Indian Tribes as Domestic Dependant Nations. Marshall recognized the uniqueness of the American Indians because they are both independent nations and part of the USA (Edward 23). As from 1887 to 1933, the federal policy enhances the assimilation of the Native Indians into the mainstream society of the USA. This policy was explained in the Dawes Act of 1887. The act decreed that the Indian Reservation land should be divided into plots, and given to each Native American. This policy was enhance by the Supreme Court decision in 1903 (Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock) that Congress can dispose Indian Land without obtaining consent form the Indians involved (Francis 12). The Citizenships Act in 1924 gave US citizenships to Native Americans; this was seen as a success of the policy on assimilation. The current legal status in the USA recognizes 562 tribal governments. The federally recognized tribal governments have the right of establishing their governments, enforce laws within their jurisdictions, create tax policies, formulate membership criteria, license activities like business, exclude and include persons in their territories

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Lord of the Flies - novel by William Golding (1954) Essay Example for Free

Lord of the Flies novel by William Golding (1954) Essay In this essay I will be comparing the three approaches to the incident of Piggys death. This is a very significant moment in the Lord of the Flies and symbolises how outcasts are treated in a broken down society. I will be comparing the novel by William Golding, with the film by Peter Brook and the film by Harry Hook. The original book was written directly after World War 2, which had a great influence on how Golding decided to plan and write his book. The original book is the true Lord of the Flies, and the films are adaptations of the original novel. The film that was made in 1961 by Peter Brook was a very close interpretation of the original novel. The characters are the same, the setting is same, and the whole story loosely follows the same pattern as the book. Brook used thirty boys, aged eight to fourteen with non-acting backgrounds, as they all came from a randomly picked London school. He took them to an island off Puerto Rico for 3 months, in which time he filmed this masterpiece, which was ground breaking at the time and closely followed the book. It was original and daring, and was filmed in black and white with restricted amount of equipment. In contrast, the second film produced by Harry Hook in 1994, which was based on the same idea, but was set in different situations. The audience he was attracting needed much more action and adventure, which the old version doesnt show and would probably be laughed at by Hooks audience. The film needed to be original, which it was to his audience, but he cleverly used the book and the other film as a basis on which to build his ideas. The film, Lord of the Flies by Harry Hook was filmed in colour, with American actors playing as army cadets with mod cons such as army knives and watches. Changes such as including adults in the story and use of strong language add a twist to the original novel, and which isnt portrayed in the 1961 version. It moves completely away from Goldings original narrative, and his initial intentions. The opening shot is similar in the three versions of Lord of the Flies, but also has differences. The differences between the two films become evident at the opening of the scene. As the thundering waves are hurled against the sharp, jagged rocks with the darkness and savagery within them, the scene becomes clear. Brook turns to the boys walking along, you just know that something is going to happen. In the Peter Brook film, the coastline is the main feature, with the boys looking small, walking along. The faces of the boys are not so easy to depict until they get close enough. Ralph, Piggy and SamnEric, are looked down on by the camera, with the commanding rocks and the roaring sea all around. However, the boys dont seem to be put off by this and look positive and intentional in their visit. In comparison, the Hook film shows the shot to be not so dark and suspicious, but more religious and sacrificial. The background noise of the crashing waves is substituted with choral singing. This time, we only see Ralph and Piggy approaching the rocks. Piggy is wearing full cadet uniform and appears not to be having problems with his sight. The boys are at the same level, and the darkness and savagery seems to be lost from this film. Both films have followed the idea of the book, Hooks version more loosely than Brooks film. Neither mentioned how much Ralph was injured or his ragged appearance as in the novel, Ralph went first, limping a little, a spear carried over one shoulder. The films left this out because it may well have not appealed to their audiences, as the hero doesnt look perfect, especially with the later film. Hook also left out SamnEric in the advancing bunch. Golding, who wrote the original Lord of the Flies, starts this scene by retelling some of the plot. He reminds the reader how such a beautiful island has been effected by society, and how individuals can ruin things for everyone. The sky and the mountain were at an immense distance, shimmering in the heat; and the reef was lifted by mirage, floating in a kind of silver pool half-way up the sky. This little interlude reflects on the past, and will maybe add more impact to the incidents to come. Golding also mentions fire, which reminds the reader of how Jack stole the glasses off helpless Piggy, to use for their own comfort and as a aid for a cooking fire. The first sign of conflict between Jack and Ralph is when they meet. They start to argue and quarrel, and tension is built up within this period. This is the same with all three texts. Ralph intentions are clear as he approaches, but Jack wants none of it. In the novel, Golding has built up the tension with words he uses, Ralphs temper blazed out. The sentences are short, and not very descriptive. The main feature of the scene, the fight, is portrayed similarly in all three texts. They attack each other vigorously, and the real conflict and anger between the two groups is apparent. In the film, by Brook, the camera can be used to aid the build up of tension as well as the dialogue. The short camera angles used reflect Goldings staccato language. The camera looks up to Jack, and down to Ralph. He appears in a definite commanding position. The camera follows Jacks face, which appears dark against the rock, and is hidden whenever Ralph speaks to hide his thoughts. He wears a mask to hide his face, which is savage and evil. Prior to the fight, the camera sways to Jacks barbarous face, with him holding his spear, with only the point showing. This shows the wildness and spite within Jack. This is shown similarly in the Hook film, but Jack doesnt wear a mask, so we see more of his face. However, Hook has decided to use stronger language to convey the anger between the two boys. Hook chose similar camera movements and patterns to Brooks film, as they seemed to show the positions of the characters well and would appeal to his modern audience. Ralph and his gang are portrayed as the lower, weaker force, and Jacks rabble are shown as being in control. The main feature, the fight, is depicted equally in the three texts. Both sides seem angered, and in Hooks film, the loss of society is also shown. Ralph, usually the well-balanced, even-tempered individual, is lowered to such means as fighting. On the other hand, that is Jacks usual way of settling things. Roger has a strong influence on Piggys death and plays a significant role, in all three interpretations of the Lord of the Flies. Roger is first introduced into the scene in the novel, when he starts to toss rocks at Ralph. His physical appearance is kept a secret and is only released when he pushes the lever, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever. Roger is introduced earlier on in Brooks film. What we see of Roger is a godly figure, with his face outlined to the sky. Hook shows us a close up of Rogers face from below. He is painted with black paint around the eyes and mouth, which looks like deep hollows in which evil is to be found. He is a symbol of evil and power and as a slight grimace creeps along his face, the audience is shocked by this terrifying image. His intentions become clearer as the scene advances. A longer period of time is spent on him, so does the amount we see of him. When the camera shows us his hand going towards the lever, the anticipation is built up, with the climax of him releasing it with great force, pounding down onto Piggys head. Roger is not so well shown in Hooks film. Most of the time he is hidden by the cliff edge and the other savages, but once the stone is released, Rogers face is no longer mysterious, but is clear. This makes the audience feel suspicion and fear towards Roger. Piggy is the main character in the scene, and is based on the character first developed in Goldings novel in both the book and the films. Piggy has similarities and differences in the films, but the main feeling of Piggys character is conveyed quite well. In Peter Brooks film, Piggy is uneasy about the situation, poised on the steep rocks which seem to fall into hell. He is wearing full uniform, showing his intentions to keep rules. The camera is overhead, and makes us feel pity for Piggy who is helpless. In the build up to the death, the camera focuses on short close-up shots of Piggys face to show his hopelessness and anxiety. Piggys voice is blurred by the natural sounds of the roaring of the sea crashing against the rocks. Ralph forgets what he came for, and Piggy knows this. This has an effect on the audience to feel empathy for Piggy. Harry Hook has changed Piggys character, to fit his wants and his audiences wants. He doesnt make Piggy as disabled as Brook does in his film. He allows Piggy to be able to see fairly well and able him to stand on the same level platform as Ralph. Piggy isnt left out or forgotten during the fight, and can be seen in the shots of the fight, standing in the background. In the book, Piggy seems extremely scared and worried of what was about to happen as he clings onto the steep sided rock face. Am I safe? quavered Piggy. I feel awful-. Brooks film is better on picking up on the idea that Piggy is supposed to be very disadvantaged. Piggys emotions are shown well in all three texts, as a close up in the film, or as strong description in the novel. The murder is the main feature in the scene we are studying. It has a strong impact on the audience in all of the texts and is transmitted differently in each. In the novel, Piggys death is compared to a pig after his death, which is rather ironic, Piggys arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pigs after it has been killed. The language used here is very severe and looks as thought Golding doesnt really care about what has just happened to Piggy. After this there is a silence all around, until it is disturbed by a little speech between Jack and Ralph, followed by Jack throwing his spear at Ralph, which then leads him to run away, with spears coming at him from all directions. This isnt shown in either of the films, and in Brooks film, nothing is said, and Ralph just flees. Brook has a lengthy build up to his death scene in his film. Hints are dropped all the time, with the camera continually looking at the rough sea and jagged rocks, then at Piggys confused face. Brook supports Goldings language, with only a few minor changes. In the build up to the climax, the camera continually switches between Piggy and Roger, with longer shots to Roger as we get ever closer to the climax. Also, the noise of the jeering boys gets louder, and sounds more and more like air raid sirens, which adds to the effect of anticipation. This is obviously significant because it indicates the society the boys have just left, and shows the links to situations of which Golding has just witnessed before he wrote his novel, and of the tragedy of war. However, this is something that Brooks audience may not clearly remember so wouldnt be so obvious in his film. The final shot of Roger is of him pushing down on the lever as with Goldings novel. The face looks emotionless until the rock is released, when a wide, evil smirk smears across his face. The camera stays still to make Roger look as though he is pushing harder, as he moves out of the shot. We see the rock rolling down, and then we see Piggys viewpoint of the rock above, coming straight, bang down onto his head. Immediately as the rock hits Piggy, the jeering comes to a halt, and all is left is the roaring sounds of nature. All, including Jack seem shocked, but Roger is not. The camera switches between the characters showing their disbelief of that which Roger had just done. To end the lengthy scene, Brook has a shot of Ralph looking in commiseration down to Piggy. The camera is then just left still as Ralph scurries over the rocks. Harry Hook has changed the death scene in his film to suit his modern audience. Brook has kept close to the language with Piggys speech, and has only changed a few parts to suit more to his audience. In the shot where Roger releases the rock, the director shows the shot from Ralphs point of view. As the rock falls, Ralph shouts NO! in a slow motion speech. Piggy is oblivious to the situation due to his eyesight. He says nothing, and just falls flat onto the rock and lies there in a pool of blood. This loosely follows the original text by Golding. Golding described how Piggy was knocked into the water and got washed away, whereas there was no sight of this in Hooks film. Youre not gonna get away with this says Ralph after the death. Jack thinks logically and says that Ralph was on his own, which he most definitely was. The speaking is then terminated by the boys throwing stones at Ralph as he speeds away along the beach. All three versions of the Lord of the Flies are interpreted differently, but use the same original story line written by William Golding. All are effective, but some are more so than the others. Personally, I think that Peter Brook directed the best film. This is because it was more appealing to the audience at that time, it was more successful and it follows the book much closer than the other film, which was directed by Harry Hook. However, I do like the book for the detail and originality within it. To me the text vividly describes the sights of horror and the dramatic feelings of loss and grief felt by the societies at this particular time of World War 2. At the time the book was written, which was just after the war, total communities had witnessed such devastation as was described in the book. They could relate directly to the savagery and the way the murder was committed in cold blood. I feel the book also cleverly puts the characters into stereotypes of the time, showing how certain communities and their structures can be so easily destroyed.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Mary Shelley: The Woman Behind the Monster

Mary Shelley: The Woman Behind the Monster Though Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley experienced countless trials and tribulations throughout her life, she endured them and they in turn, shaped her into the amazing writer she came to be. Mary was not her parents first child. Her half-sister was from a past relationship between her mother and a man from England. Her father was distraught when her mother died shortly after Marys birth. Shortly after her death, he began looking for more suitable women to be his new wife because he knew he could not look after the two small girls by himself. When Mary Shelley was born, her name was Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. She was born on August 30, 1797 in Somers Town, London. She was the second child of Mary Wollstonecraft, a famed educator, writer, and philosopher. She was the first child of William Godwin, a novelist, philosopher, and journalist. She also had a half-sister Fanny, who came about as a result of her mothers past relations with a man from America. Mary was named after her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft. The original Mary had a drunker aristocrat for a father who failed at everything he attempted, and a mother who was a nondescript Irish woman. Mary first made her mark on the world when she opened a school alongside her sisters at the age of twenty-one. The school quickly failed, so Mary began traveling. She first stopped in Ireland, where she maintained a position as a governess for a time. Afterwards, she moved to London and worked for a publisher named James Johnson. After leaving London in 1792, she traveled to France to see the Revolution. Here she met Gilbert Imlay, an American man captaining a merchant ship. Mary Wollstonecraft and Gilbert Imlay moved in together and lived this way until Mary gave birth to her daughter Fanny. She gave Fanny the last name Imlay. Before long, Imlay left Mary to fend for herself and take care of little Fanny alone. Mary decided to return to England with Fanny after being deserted. She attempted suicide in her depressed state and failed. She once again started working for James Johnson and began writing novels, political essays and history pieces. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is perhaps the one piece of literature that brought Mary Wollstonecraft to fame. It was published in 1792 and she was viewed as a pioneer for womens rights from then on. In her eyes, men and women should be raised, educated, and treated as equals. She believed that they should learn to live and coexist in peace and harmony with one another so long as neither of the two forgot their place. Her belief was that it was the privilege as well as the duty of women to bear the children while the men were privileged to have a superior legal position. Mary Wollstonecrafts views led her to a meeting held by William Godwin, the man that would eventually come to be her husband. William was the son of a Nonconformist clergyman. He himself was part of the Calvinist ministry, but only for a few short years. His first book, Life of Chatham, was written after the works of some French enemies of organized religion, such as Voltaire, made him realize he wanted to take a different approach. He then became a philosopher-historian. After he wrote History of the Commonwealth of England, it was proved as sound by scholars. He also wrote a series of sermons titled Sketches of History. His most famous piece of work was Political Justice, which was published four years before baby Marys birth. He showed his literary versatility by writing not only a number of novels and a handful of plays, but when Mary was five years old he began publishing childrens books. His most popular childrens stories were the Tales from Shakespeare by his friends Mary and Charles Lamb, and his very own work Life of Chaucer. He had many followers of Godwinism, as they called his philosophy. Some of his philosophical disciples were William Hazlitt, William Wordsworth, Robert Southey, Coleridge and Lamb. Percy Bysshe Shelley, a poet, was particularly intrigued by the ideas proposed in Political Justice. He began inserting the themes of Godwinism into his poetry as well as trying to live out the principles. He was found to be a particularly devoted follower while the others eventually outshined Godwin and his philosophy. William Godwin was handsome and slender in his youth, but he eventually became overweight and balding and his vision was quickly depleting. He hardly looked like the kind of man that would effectively influence the lives of millions of people. Even his most devoted followers described him as cold, impersonal and ever remote (Gerson 4,5). He ate excessively, borrowed money from anyone who was willing, and the most anyone could say about him was that he rarely smoked a pipe and drank very little. Still to this day no one understands why his followers worshiped him so much. William Godwin was forty years old when he met thirty-six-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft in 1796. Although he was unaware of it yet, Mary was smashing his theories to pieces. The two met each other at one of Williams social gatherings regularly held at his home at 7 Evesham Buildings in Somers Town on the outskirts of London. After a short period of time, the two began attending the theater, dining, strolling through London and frequenting coffeehouses together. Their mutual friends believed their relationship originated simultaneously in their minds, if not made in heaven. Mary was perhaps one of the most intelligent women of her day, and Godwin dropped his cold aura and allowed himself to melt when he was in her presence. They began an affair in the fall of 1796 with no intention of getting married as neither of them particularly liked the restrictive terms of marriage. Mary then moved only a few doors down from him for convenience. They each wanted to maintain their independence, and they went to great lengths to do so, much to the amusement of their friends. They established separate social lives, neither one taking the other for granted. In February of 1797, Mary discovered she was pregnant and everything changed as a result. Godwins friends would suggest that William was anxious to have the ceremony performed. Although he personally was indifferent, he knew that Mary would be forsaken for birthing a child out of wedlock, and the illegitimate child would suffer. William also said he had grown fond of Marys small daughter Fanny, whom he was teaching to read, and whom he wanted to receive his last name as well. William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft were joined in holy matrimony on March 29, 1797 at the altar of Saint Pancras Church. They newly married couple tried to maintain at least the idea of their independence. They still lived in their separate houses a few doors apart, talked daily and only ate together when one of them arranged an invitation to do so. They always ate their lunches and dinners together at one of their houses, and they were completely oblivious to the fact that everyone, including their close friends, laughed at their exaggerated courtesy. Godwin knew his wife was approaching her due date, and it set him on edge. He could no longer focus on his work and the notes he wrote to her gradually got shorter and more closed-off as time went on. Marys labor was difficult enough that she had to be tended to by three physicians, one midwife, and two ladies who were close friends. The infant girl was born in the late evening of August 30, 1797. William suggested that they give her Marys name, and she agreed. Later that night, Mary started suffering complications and for the next week and a half, she was under the constant attention of the three physicians. Godwin only left the room for the purpose of comforting Fanny. On September 9, she started to rapidly lose what was left of her strength, and on September 10, 1797, Mary Wollstonecraft died. Godwin realized that he was unfit to raise a three-year-old girl and an infant by himself. Several of the couples friends volunteered to assist him, and a cook, a serving maid and a housemaid were all hired to tend to the house. Godwin realized that the only sufficient way to sufficiently solve his problem, and that was to remarry. Godwin met his first candidate in 1798- a woman by the name of Miss Harriet Lee. She was a headmistress of a girls school in Bath, and collaborated with her sister Sophia to write a childrens version of the Canterbury Tales. Godwin proposed to Harriet Lee in a letter after only a month. She ended the relationship because she understood the situation and why he was so hasty to remarry. Godwin waited no more than a month after Maria Reveley, the wife of a close friend, had been widowed before he proposed to her. However, she was a good judge of character and declined his advances. The family dynamics soon changed with Godwins marriage to Mary Jane Clairmont in 1801 (Mary Shelley 1). Godwin first met Mrs. Clairmont while they were both on an outing in the park with their two children. The four children would play together while the adults were left to sit and chat. They were married on December 21, 1801, the same year the new family had moved into the neighborhood. Fanny was unwilling to obey her stepmother at first, but she soon was made to understand that there was a particular time and place to run wild. Mary, however, had grown to hate her stepmother. The only memories of her stepmother that Mary recorded are bad ones (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 1). Mary could not deny that her stepmother took good care of her and her sister along with her own children, Charles and Jane, but she resented her nonetheless. The four children were joined by a new sibling, a little boy named William, when Mary Jane Godwin gave birth in 1803. Though her stepsister Jane was sent to a proper boarding school, Mary was never properly educated because Mary Jane Godwin saw no reason to do so. Mary had no interest in doing anything deemed a womans job. She would often burn food or let water boil over when being taught the basics of cooking because she was too busy reading. Mary read more than she did anything else. Her father had an extensive library which she often took advantage of. She could sometimes be found reading by her mothers grave, though she did not know her. She also enjoyed daydreaming- it offered her an outlet into her imagination. She quickly found another creative escape in the form of writing. According to The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft, she stated that As a child I scribbled; and my favourite pastime, during the hours given me for recreation, was to write stories.' Her first poem, Mounseer Nongtongpaw was published in 1807 through the publishing company her father started thanks to his new wife. By the time she was a teenager, Mary was in desperate need of a change of scenery as it was taking a large toll on her health. Her father arranged for her to stay with some friends in Dundee, Scotland. Little did she know that she would meet her future husband upon his return to Scotland. Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of William Godwins followers for a period of time in 1812. A year before he had become a follower of Godwinism, he had eloped with one of his sisters friends, Harriet Westbrook while they were both nineteen years old. History says that Mary Godwin met Percy Bysshe Shelley in the summer of 1813 when Mary, who was almost sixteen years old at the time, came home to London for a visit. Percy Shelley would also have been in London at that time, along with his now-pregnant wife, Harriet. It may have been possible that Mary and Percy met several times unknowingly, seeing as Percy was at Marys fathers house so often in order to further his discipleship under the famed philosopher. Percy began to fall in love with Mary, and he confessed this to her on one of their walks to Marys mothers grave at St Pancras churchyard on June 26, 1814. When Godwin found out about this on July 8, he forbade Mary to see Shelley any longer (A Biographical Sketch of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) 1). On July 18, 1814, Mary agreed to accompany Shelley in his flee to France after he threatened to commit suicide. They took Marys stepsister Jane, now calling herself Claire, with them. Mary gives birth to a premature baby girl, whom she names Clara, on February 22, 1815. The baby dies two weeks later. As a part of the healing process from the baby, Claire suggests that the two accompany her to Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Mary and Percy Shelley finally marry on December 30, 1816. After reading ghost stories together with some friends, Mary decided that she, along with the others, would write a horror story. This brings forth the birth of her most renowned book, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, published in March of 1818. She had been having nightmares about the death of her daughter, and her anxiety is what is believed to have brought this on. Mary was widowed at the age of twenty-four after a sailing accident in which Percy Shelley drowned. She later died at the age of fifty-three on February 1, 1851 due to brain cancer. She was buried at St Peters Church in Bournemouth, with the remains of her late husbands heart. Mary Shelley was born in 1797 in London, England and died in 1851. She was the daughter of two equally progressive thinkers, William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, which set the cast of her persevering intellect and her advanced education (Spark 18). She married Percy Bysshe Shelley in the year of 1816 and they traveled quite a lot together. Her most famous novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, is viewed as perhaps the beginning of the science fiction genre. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley endured many struggles throughout her lifetime, but that is what has made her into such an amazing writer and that is why she is viewed so highly in the literary community today.   Works Cited A Biographical Sketch of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851). Victorianweb.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2017. Gerson, Noel Bertram. Daughter of Earth and Water: A Biography of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. New York: W. Morrow, 1973. Web. Mary Shelley. Biography.com. AE Networks Television, 18 Nov. 2016. Web. 06 Jan. 2017. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2017. Spark, Muriel, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley. Mary Shelley: A Biography. New York: New American Library, 1988. Web. 06 Jan. 2017. Sands 10 Mary Shelley: The Woman Behind the Monster Introduction paragraph Overview of her life Her impact Early Life Family background Growing up Moving forward Meeting new people Traveling the world Writings Where it started Her impact on the literary community Conclusion paragraph Overview of her life Restate introduction paragraph

Amendments to the Constitution Essay -- First Amendment, Second Amend

The framers of our Constitution knew that time has a way of changing countries and their citizens. Our country was in a whirlwind of change in 1789 as people were experiencing freedom from the tyranny of England for the first time in their lives. Our country was being molded and formed into a great nation by the founding fathers. Expectations and rules had to be set to protect the rights of the minorities and majorities. Amendments to the Constitution were written to ensure equality for all in changing times. The First Amendment is one of the most recognized rights in the Bill of Rights. It is a basic right that seems to help define each person as an individual yet as part of an association. The amendment states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances† (Constitution, Amendment 1) This amendment gave the right to secure and practice any religion. Religion was the reason that the Puritans left England. They wanted to be free to start their own churches and be free from religious persecution. The first amendment allows individuals the right to be part if any religion, if any, of their choosing. The vast majority of religious associations attest to this amendment: Catholics, Protestants, Scientologists, Jews, Hindus, and many, many more. United States citizens also enjoy the right to express themselves and their opinions in printed form or verbally. This is known as the freedom of the press. There are restrictions within reason, such as restrictions on libel and slander, and obscene act... ...ad a ban on handguns for 32 years. The ruling states that the Second Amendment guarantees the individual right to posses a firearm, even if they have no connection to a military organization, as long as the firearm is for law abiding reasons, such as self-defense in the home. (Fields, 2010). The First and Second Amendments will forever be ‘contemporary issues’. The rights that are guaranteed to us are the same ones that allow us to question our government and allow for change. It will be a challenge for our courts to keep up with the changing times yet keep our rights intact. These rights are part of the foundation of our society. The framers had insightful intent to include the basic rights of all people for generations. Our great nation has flourished because of these rights- they allow each all of us to be unique individuals while being completely whole.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Hip Hop Essay

Music has been around since the beginning of civilization. Music was used to tell myths, religious stories, and warrior tales. Since the beginning of civilization music has greatly progressed. Music still tells a story, we know just have many genres to satisfy the cultural and social tastes of our modern society. Hip Hop is a genre of music that has significantly grown the last couple of decades. It’s increased popularity has brought it to the forefront of globalization. Technological advances has made it easy for Hip Hop to spread out globally. This occurrence of globalization is a key example that as our cultural borders are broken down by technology, our own cultural and social practices become fluid. Although there are many positive and negative comments about the globalization of Hip Hop, it is a reflection of the growing phenomenon occurring all over the world. Hip hop originated in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop, but hip hop can also be described as an entire subculture (â€Å"Hip Hop†, 2004). The term Hip Hop is said to have come from a joke between Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and their friends (â€Å"Hip Hop†, 2004). Although Hip Hop was created on American soil, it’s influences are global. It can be said that Hip Hop might be a result of ethnic globalization. Hip Hop has roots in African, Caribbean, and Latino culture (â€Å"Hip Hop Globalization and Youth Culture†, 2005). Spoken word, which is still popular today is also an influence in Hip Hop music and culture. Spoken word is a style of poetry spoken in a rhythmic fashion. Hip Hop ranges from rap music, to B-boy dance. It was a platform to empower ethnic youth without violence. Hip Hop in the beginning was essentially still an underground subculture. It was popular with many ethnic communities but it was not popular in the mainstream music industry. This all changed with the band Blondie and their song â€Å"Rapture†. â€Å"Rapture† is one of the first rap song’s to reach the top of the charts in mainstream pop music. Although Blondie is a punk/rock band, they were the proper catalyst to give Hip Hop the mainstream attention it deserved. Hip Hop has changed since it’s birth in the 1970’s. Hip Hop is now apart of the mainstream music scene. It is not uncommon to see artist from different genres collaborating with Hip Hop artists. It is also not uncommon to see Hip Hop music and culture in movies, television shows, and commercials. In the past you would only see people from ethnic communities wearing Hip Hop clothing, now all races including Asian, Caucasian, etc have accepted the Hip Hop style. The subject matter has also changed. In the past Hip Hop lyrics focused on political and societal frustrations, now Hip Hop lyrics steer more toward provocative content. Hip Hop subject matter consists mostly of the aspirations of wealth, sex, drug use, and criminal activity. During the beginning years the age of the Hip Hop listener was wide spread. It ranged from teens to even adults in their 50’s. Although Hip Hop still has an adult audience, it is now more geared toward younger audiences. Younger listeners are more likely to purchase Hip Hop music and paraphernalia, than the older audience. As Blondie helped Hip Hop garner increased exposure in the United States, The internet and other advancements in technology helped Hip Hop gain global exposure. Technological changes in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first have enabled access to the social spaces previously bounded by time and geographic borders; a process identified by John Thompson as mediazation—a flow of images across time and space (â€Å"Hip Hop Globalization and Youth Culture†, 2005). The internet has created a world without barriers and borders. The internet helps connect people from Hong Kong, to people in Bellevue, Washington. Without the internet we would not have social networking. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, exposes us to different ideas, cultures, and music. MySpace is the leading social networking site when it comes to music. MySpace allows musicians from all over the globe to share their music with a diverse audience. User can find international music that they would not have been exposed to if MySpace was not created. Because of these connections to international music outlets Hip Hop has been able to spread to many countries. Many Countries have acquired Hip Hop into their own music scene. Many of these countries have mixed Hip Hop with their own popular music to form a new kind of Hip Hop. As more music driven social networking sites are created blending of different music cultures will be the norm. Japan has been one of the top countries for globalization of music. You can find reggae, dance hall, death metal, or Hip Hop blaring from clubs. Hip Hop has been the most popular type of music to globalize into the Japanese music market. Japan was introduced to hip hop in the fall of 1983 in the movie Wild Style (â€Å"Japanese Hip Hop, 2010). This movie created an underground buzz. Soon Hip Hop in Japan began to be embraced by the Japanese youth. They ere inspired by the popular B-boy style of the western Hip Hop Culture. In the 21st Hip Hop’s popularity has become mainstream. Young Japanese listeners have also adopt the dress culture as well, wearing baggy clothes, and backward caps. Because Hip Hop in America focuses on the hard life living in the ghetto, some think that Japanese Hip Hop is not authentic. With a lack of ghettos, Japanese youth consider hip hop to be more about fashion–baggy jeans, medallions, dread locks. Actual Japanese rap lyrics have a tendency to refer to mundane subjects such as food, cell phones, and shopping (â€Å"Japanese Hip Hop†, 2010). The Japanese subculture of â€Å"blackfacers† may also challenge Japanese Hip Hop authenticity. The Japanese pop group, the Gosperats, has been known to wear black face makeup during performances (â€Å"Japanese Hip Hop, 2010). This example of imitation will most likely not be embraced by western â€Å"Hip Hop Heads† (Avid Hip Hop Listeners). Many would think that instead of taking Hip Hop into their own hands and constructing something different and new for the genre, they just ride on the backs of western Hip Hop creativity. Brazil is another country that has adopted Hip Hop culture into their own culture. Brazilian Hip Hop was born in the barrios (ghettos) of Brazil. The Brazilian youth were drawn to the western Hip Hop culture. Hip Hop gave them a platform to voice the political and economic turmoil of living in the barrio. To escape their impoverished lives, break dancers, DJs, graffiti artists, and rappers would meet at the Largo de Sao Bento and in the center of Sao Paulo on weekends, where Brazilian rap’s distinctive sound (often incorporating roots, samba, and reggae) and lyrics began to be developed (â€Å"Popular Music†, 2005). This integration of Hip Hop and Brazilian based music birthed Baile Funk. Baile Funk can be described as Hip Hop as it might sound in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Mad Max (Edlund, 2005). This wild sound of Baile Funk screams the pain of the Brazilian slums. Brazilian Hip Hop has garnered much respect world wide. It’s authentic sound, and unapologetic, infectious beats have inspired artist everywhere. Because the Brazilian youth choose to hybridize the Brazilian and hip hop sound, they are respected for their originality. Latin Hip Hop is significant because of the close proximity that Latino countries such as Mexico and Cuba are to America. Latino Hip Hop developed within the youth community. The Latino youth could relate to the hard life Hip Hop artist had in the ghetto. Many Latino Hip Hop acts were created by youth frustration in substandard living conditions. Because of the border between Mexico and the United States, Mexican Hip Hop was greatly influenced by western Hip Hop. The mixture of Spanish lyrics with American ones created a â€Å"Spanglish† sound. Control Machete, founded in 1995, is most accurately classified as hip-hop, blended with the distinctive sounds of traditional Mexican guitar harmonies and the rhythms of danzon (â€Å"Popular Music†, 2005). This mix was used to target the Mexican youth to seek change of political and social problems amongst the Mexican community. These Mexican Hip Hop bands have also garnered a substantial following in the United States; because of the close proximity to the U. S. music flowing in both directions increase the influence of the Mexican music scene (â€Å"Popular Music†, 2005). Cuba is another Latin country affected by Hip Hop music. Even though trade and travel between the United States and Cuba is restricted ,Hip Hop has still been able to influence their music. Cuban citizens were suppressed in many ways including free speech in journalism. Music was the only outlet to air political, economic, and social grievances. Songs about prostitution, street life, poverty, domestic violence, obsession with money, class differences, and the lack of spiritual and ethical values abound, and their biting, poetic criticism is a refreshing antidote to the island’s lifeless press (â€Å"Cuban Hip Hop†, 2008). Lastly, Europe has not been able to dodge the influence of Hip Hop culture. The British Hip Hop scene is still forming an audience in the United States, while it has wide spread popularity in it’s native U. K. British grime is the fusion of cockney slang with hard beats, and Hip Hop flavor. The style grew out of London’s mostly black projects, called council estates, sometime around 2002, and spread via pirate radio, which functions in Britain essentially as mix tapes do here (Edlund, 2005). French Hip Hop is also alive in Europe. This is an incredible feat because French culture is usually very resistant to American influences. Although French Hip Hop is mainstream in Europe, it has not garnered much success in the states. Throughout the past twenty years, the French hip-hop community has cultivated its own style and sensibilities while staying closely connected to American artists via music videos, concerts, radio, and other media (Hip Hop Music and Culture, 2005). There are many questions about the true authenticity of these forms of Hip Hop. With the exception of the Japanese Hip Hop Movement, it can be said with confidence that authenticity has been achieved. While the Japanese Hip Hop movement stays true to the old school rap values and mentality, it does not go further than that. It does not seek to mix cultural influences with it’s music like the other countries. The European, Latino, and Brazilian Hip Hop movement have all mixed their culture, old and new to build something that is truly their own. By adding each countries unique social, economic, and political turmoil, each international Hip Hop genre speaks a song of oppression, pain, and hope for the future that their own culture can relate to and value. Besides the Japanese Hip Hop community all other Hip Hop communities chose to hybridize their cultures with Hip Hop. The Japanese Hip Hop culture sought to homogenize itself. They seem to be more focus on imitating American Hip Hop life instead of building their own experiences. The adaptation of Hip Hop internationally is not really different in each country. Although there problems may be different, they have the common denominator of being powered by the youth. Each Culture’s youth has grabbed hold of the Western Hip Hop ideals to create their own individuality in their own country. Also, Hip Hop seems to flourish is poor societies. These artist have more heart felt words to speak and genuine creativity because when you are brought up in such poor societal conditions that is sometimes all you have to hold on to. Hip Hop proves to be the voice of the people that may not be able to speak for themselves in conventional ways. Globalization has allowed many people who would not have the means to speak up, to be able to take center stage. Many believe that globalization will be the end of individuality and creativity. This has been a theory that seems to fail when put up against Hip Hop globalization. Hip Hop Globalization has proven to hybridize communities and music,that in the end forms something that has never been seen before. Globalization may prove that instead of making the world â€Å"flat†, it will create new mountains and craters of creativity that were never imagined.