Transportation and Public Health Issues

It has been proven from a study carried out by journal pediatrics that, in the event mothers’ breastfeed their newborns in the first six months approximately, 900 lives and billions of dollars could be saved. Similarly, it was determined that many deaths can be prevented through breastfeeding.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Transportation and Public Health Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The study evaluated 10 frequent illnesses that occur in children thereby determining their occurrence and expenses incurred in their treatment. It is noteworthy that babies are less likely to develop obesity and leukemia as the breast milk they consume affects the blood insulin level. Furthermore, antibodies are a constituent of breast milk thus it guards the children against infections. According to Greenberg, the study seems not to have mentioned the fact that breast milk is cheap compared to infant formula . Additionally, these formulas do not contain the essential nutritional and psychological values attached to breast milk. It is evident that mothers should be encouraged to breast feed their newborns, and the best way to achieve this is to ban the promotion of infant formulas in hospitals (Greenberg, 2010). The new government legislation that requires employers to provide nursing facilities for working mothers to breastfeed their children is a good start for this campaign. Similarly, hospitals will be evaluated on the basis of ensuring mothers breastfeed newborns before getting discharged from the facility. Dr. Bartick Melissa affirms that the benefits of breast milk are not appreciated. In addition, she refers to breast feeding as a public health matter. It is evident that some mothers either fail to start or quit breastfeeding at an early stage. As a result, it is essential for mothers to prepare before commencing breastfeeding to avoid stress at work. It is a fact that mothers at pediatrics academy are not encouraged to breastfeed; as they are offered formulas instead. Dr. Bartick insists that hospitals practices should change and in the process embrace the benefits of breast feeding. Furthermore, she affirms that mothers should not be blamed for such failures. It is noteworthy that Batrick’s study is priceless as not every woman can successfully breastfeed. On the other hand, this study depicts that mothers should be encouraged to breast feed their newborns (Greenberg, 2010). References Greenberg, Sally. (2010). Breastfeeding a public health issue. Savvy Consumer. Web.Advertising Looking for term paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More United States Department of Transportation (DOT). (2010). Transportation is a public Health issue: DOT doing its part to keep kids moving. Fast lane. Web. This term paper on Transportation and Public Health Issues was written and submitted by user Alden Kennedy to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

4 Tips for Completing Your Homework On Time

4 Tips for Completing Your Homework On Time Homework, a necessary evil according to many teachers, has a lot of students tied up in knots. Some students can never seem to get things turned in on time. In fact, many students do not even realize that they  have  homework  until a friend from class texts them or they overhear someone in the halls talking about Ms. So-and-sos terrible, no-good, awful, horrifying worksheet for Chemistry that is due the next day. These five tips for completing your homework on time, however, should help you get that homework finished on time.   Tip 1: Rely On a Planning System Most of you by now are well acquainted with a homework planner. It has the dates, the school subjects you are taking, and a whole lot of blank space to write down your homework assignments. Use these planners if you have them. Writing with an actual pencil or pen may seem almost archaic what with technology virtually doing everything for us, but the kinesthetic movement of writing down an assignment into one of those little squares (Language Arts test tomorrow - STUDY TONIGHT), will actually help solidify that homework in your brain. Plus, when you are packing up to go home at the end of the school day, all you have to do is open up that planner to see which books, folders, and binders need to go home with you so you will not miss out anything that you need to do that evening. Some people  hate  using planners. Theyd rather walk on a pile of crushed glass than actually write something down in a planner. Thats quite all right. One student kept a wadded up piece of paper in his pocket where hed scrawl his assignments. It worked for him, so it was fine. For those of you not keen on planners or crumpled up notes,  your phone can come in really handy. Just download a productivity app and type your assignments in there. Or, keep track of all the work due in the notes section of your phone. Or, snap a picture of the homework board in each teachers class before you head out into the hallway. Or, if you are really dead-set against anything planner-related, then just send yourself a text after each class with your homework assignments for the night. No matter which planning system you prefer, use it. Check off each item once you get it in your backpack. Your brain can only process so much information at a time, so you absolutely must write your homework down if you plan to complete it on time.   Tip 2: Prioritize Your Homework Assignments All assignments are not created equal. Its strongly recommended you use a prioritizing system when you sit down at home with your homework. Try a system a little  something like this: A 1 assignment is of primary importance. Severe negative consequences will occur if this assignment is not completed tonight.Examples: Studying for a major test coming up tomorrow. Finishing a major project due tomorrow. Writing an essay worth a LOT of points that is due tomorrow.  A 2 assignment is important. Some negative consequences will occur if this assignment is not completed tonight.Examples:  Studying for a quiz coming up tomorrow. Completing a homework sheet that is due tomorrow. Reading a chapter that is due tomorrow.  A 3 assignment needs to be finished by the end of the week.  Examples: Studying for a spelling test that will occur on Friday. Writing a blog and posting it on the class board by Friday. Finish a book upon which you will take a quiz on Friday.A 4 assignment is ongoing and needs to be finished by test day or the end of the quarter.  Examples: Reviewing chapters for the midterm exam. Working on an on-going project, research paper, or long assignment due at the end of the quarter. Completing a packet that isnt due for two weeks.   Once youve prioritized the work you have to do, complete all the 1s first, then the 2s, moving down as you go. That way, if you find yourself pressed for time because Great-Grandma decided to stop over for family dinner and your mom insisted you spend the evening playing bridge with her despite the fact that you have hours of homework ahead of you, then you will not have missed anything vitally important to your grade.   Tip 3: Get the Worst Assignment Over With First So, maybe you absolutely hate writing essays (But, why, though when all you have to do is follow these essay tips?) and you have a major essay staring you in the face that  must  be completed before tomorrow. You also have to study for a major math test, complete a social studies blog by Friday, study for the ACT  next month,  and finish up your science worksheet from class. Your 1 assignments would be the essay and the math test. Your 2 assignment is the science worksheet, the 3 assignment is that blog, and the 4 assignment is studying for the ACT.   Ordinarily, you would start with the science worksheet because you  love  science, but that would be a big mistake. Start with those 1 assignments and knock out that essay first. Why? Because you hate it. And completing the worst assignment first gets it off your mind, out of your homework cache, and makes everything that comes after it appears to be really, really easy. It will be an absolute  joy  to complete that science worksheet once you have written the essay. Why rob yourself of joy?   Then, once youve completed the stuff due first, you can focus on putting in a little bit of time on the ACT. Easy peasy. Tip 4: Take Planned Breaks Some people believe that sitting down to complete homework means that you literally park your behind in a chair and you dont move it for the next four thousand hours or so. That is one of the worst study ideas in history. Your brain only has the capacity to stay focused for about 45 minutes (maybe even less for some of you) before it goes on the fritz and starts wanting to make you get up and dance the Roger Rabbit. So, schedule your study time with breaks actually built in. Work for 45 minutes, then take a 10-minute break to do whatever it is people your age like to do. Then, rinse and repeat. It looks a little something like this: Homework Time: 45 minutes: Work on 1 assignments, starting with the absolute worst.10 minutes: Get a snack, play Pokemon Go!, surf Instagram45 minutes: Work on 1 assignments again. You know you didnt finish.10 minutes: Do some jumping jacks, dance the Macarena, polish your nails.45 minutes: Work on 2 assignments and maybe even finish with any 3s and 4s. Put everything in your backpack. Completing your homework on time is a learned skill. It requires some discipline and not everyone is naturally disciplined. So, you have to practice checking that you have everything you need for homework when you are still at school, prioritizing your work, plunging into the assignments you loathe, and taking planned breaks. Isnt your grade worth it? You bet it is.

How to Return a Value in JavaScript

How to Return a Value in JavaScript The best way to pass information back to code that called a function in JavaScript is to write the function so the values that are used by the function are passed to it as parameters and the function returns whatever value it needs to without using or updating any global variables. By limiting the way in which information is passed to and from functions, it is easier to reuse the same function from multiple places in the code. JavaScript Return Statement JavaScript provides for passing one value back to the code that called it after everything in the function that needs to run has finished running. JavaScript passes a value from a function back to the code that called it by using the return statement. The value to be returned is specified in the return. That value can be a  constant value, a variable, or a calculation where the result of the calculation is returned. For example: return 3;return xyz;return true;return x / y 27;​You can include multiple return statements into your function each of which returns a different value. In addition to returning the specified value the return statement also acts as an instruction to exit from the function at that point. Any code that follows the return statement will not be run.function num(x, y) {if (x ! y) {return false;}if (x 5) {return 5;}return x;} The above function shows how you control which return statement is run by using if statements. The value that is returned from a call to a function is the value of that function call. For example, with that function, you can set a variable to the value that is returned using the following code (which would set result to 5). var result num(3,3); The difference between functions and other variables is that the function has to be run in order to determine its value. When you need to access that value in multiple places in your code, it is more efficient to run the function once and assign the value returned to a variable. That variable is used in the rest of the calculations.

Design a bioreactor that can replicate the in vivo loading conditions Essay

Design a bioreactor that can replicate the in vivo loading conditions experienced by bone cells in the body - Essay Example It is followed by the dedifferentiation of the cells. This process produces only a minimal concentration of the cells. Hence the use of micro carrier cultures is done for the well-mixed bioreactor systems. The defects in the skeleton system are a big impediment to the normal functioning of the human system. The autogenous bone transplantation is practiced for the bone replacement so far. (Schieker, 2006).This method has increased risk of surgery and post operative morbidality to the patients. This method also has the disadvantage of limited quantity and the secondary operational procedure costs. The calcium phosphate ceramics is widely used for the production of the bone supplement. The hydroxyapatites of the calcium phosphate ceramics have considerable clinical use because of their chemical and relvant crystallographic structures to bone. The cell based therapy aims at developing the 3D biohybrid structure of a scaffold and cultured cells. The bioreactors that are established for th e microbes and mammalian cultures are not suitable for the 3D structure constructs. Hence the need for a tissue specific bioreactor design arose. To restore back the skeleton function, the bone tissue engineering is used. The production of tissue engineered piece of spongy bone is one of the challenging fields in bone tissue engineering. The three key elements of bone tissue engineering are osteogenic progenitor cells, osteoinductive growth factors and osteoconductive matrices. Osteoblasts are the differentiated cells that arise from the osteoprogenitor cells. These cells are very mobile and they change the shape and size according to the matrix of the bone. These cells appear with in the vascular tissue. These cells are responsible for the synthesis and the secretion of the organic matrix of the bone. Bone remodeling and the bone reformation are the two types of the tissue engineering processes that can are possible with the osteoblast cells.

Green Building Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Green Building - Research Paper Example Without appropriate accommodation, the performance of the student may deteriorate due to varying factors an example being health. Most of the buildings in the city are pre-modern and thus the importance of giving or rather outlining a new design in which a building can get remodeled through. The contemporary world is faced with numerous problems one of them being pollution, it is important to go through a green design that can assist the students in having a conducive living environment while still the design maintaining environmental preservation which is effective for the community around. Client and Mentor In choosing of the means to reconstruct with regard to the client’s precision, it is important to understand the setting of the area. In the provided setting, looking out for all the environmental impacts comes in handy. The building is located in a busy location with a lot of traffic. It is thus important to understand that the cars passing by the building do not spend a lot of time at the location because the ground is rather weak. It is a requirement that the building uses rather tough tiles and the most recommended is the ceramic tiles. The client in this case is the expected occupant and since they are students, it is important to ensure that the building is not very complicated but just ideal. For an ideal contemporary building, it is important to use Ceramic. Ceramic is harder than stone and hence effective enough to use in places with clay soil and having many people around. In the making of such buildings, it is important to ensure that there is minimal use of space while still providing satisfactory area for people to use. The surrounding environment to the building should not have any building around it and should provide ample space for some form of field with grass. Grass is necessary seeing as the ground beneath is clay provides a rather smooth setting and environment for growth. Moreover, research has shown that having chemicals sprayed over the grass eventually leads to the clay soil beneath the foundation of the building stronger and can assist during the rainy season (Vasil, 2009, 77). Clearly, having ample grass space is not an aspect to conform to because it is a town setting but leaving space for it nevertheless is advisable in the setting. The mentor who i s the architect in this case should ensure that they pick the right type of soil for the job. Clay soil is strong and provides a great support for the foundation and the basement. This is from the way its particles join to form one large compact Substance. This substance leaves no space for air and thus makes it even harder. However, during the dry periods, the soil gets wet and the particles, having not supported themselves alone, end up breaking into pieces. This consequently has the building developing cracks and eventually falling to the ground, which is a hazard needless to state. Below is an example of a building in the initial stages of construction just before the pouring of concrete. An inspector is a vital mentor in the analysis of the already set foundation for the building. Most precisely an engineer ought to observe the already set foundation for the determination of the stability position that the building will have. Failure to analyze this may lead to the contractors and the builders carrying on with their work with no idea whatsoever of the sensitivity of the issue (Pearon, 2011, 102). The surveyor then comes in after this stage and determines the kind of footing to put depending on the type of building that the owner requires. In this case, a green building would require a rather high footing provided the soil formation and characteristics at the area. This is also

Critisism on Curleys Wife Essay Example for Free

Critisism on Curleys Wife Essay For Of Mice and Men is a Tragedy, a tragedy not in the narrow modern sense of a mere sad story (though it certainly is that), but a tragedy in the classic Aristotelian/Shakespearean sense of showing humanitys achievement of greatness through and in spite of defeat. Some people seem to believe that the function of literature is to provide vicarious happy endings, to provide in words a sugary sweetness we would like to have but cannot always get in real life. To such people, true literary tragedy is distasteful. But the greatest writers and the best readers know that literature is not always only mere sugar candy; it can sometimes be a strong medicine: sour perhaps — at least to the untrained taste — but necessary for continued health[.] Some readers may object to the books presentation of low class characters, vulgar language, scenes suggestive of improper sexual conduct, and an implied criticism of the social system. But none of this is presented indecently, or beyond the ordinary norms of contemporary literature. Compared to many modern works, (or to movies and TV) this book is tame indeed. Furthermore, these features are necessary in this book in two ways. First, they are part of the accurate precise reporting of the reality of a particular time and place and environment. Part of Steinbecks literary point is that this is true to life. As such, the dirty details are part of Steinbecks enlargement of the realm of Tragedy, the democratization of the tragic world. Traditionally, the subjects of Tragedies have been Kings and other Great Ones: Job, Oedipus, Lear. But Steinbecks point — a truly American point — is that all men are created equal: Tragedy exists even among the lowly of the earth; even the least of us — even a Lennie or a George — has the human potential for tragic nobility. Of Mice and Men is a tragedy in the modern tradition of The Hairy Ape and Death of a Salesman. Second, the grossness is a way of presenting briefly the complex turmoil of life. This book is not stereotype melodrama. It is not a simpleminded book. There are no purely bad people in it. Conversely, there are no purely good people in it either. All the characters are complex mixtures of good and bad, or rather of bad results from good intentions. They are all — in their ability and in their outlook — limited. And they live in a gross and dirty world. Given their position in that world, they are not able to achieve much. But they are trying to do the best they can; they are trying to be good people and to have good lives. They have good intentions. They have noble aims. The tragedy is that, limited as the characters are, the world they live in is even more limited; it is a world in which the simplest dream of the simplest man — poor dumb big Lennie — cannot come true. The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft a-glae [go oft a-stray], wrote Robert Burns in the poem which provides the books title and its theme. And Steinbecks story shows why: The best laid plans go oft astray because they come in confl ict with one another. The simplest good intention — simply to stay alive — of a simple mouse, a simple pup, a simple young woman, is thwarted by Lennies urge to pet something soft and beautiful. Lennies drive to touch beauty kills the things he loves. But his problem is the same problem that bothers Curley, the Bosss son, the closest thing to a villain in the book. Like Lennie, Curley doesnt know how to hold on to what he finds important: his young wife, his status as the Bosss son, his reputation as a man. He loses each by trying to hold on too tightly. Curleys aim to be a respected husband/boss/man is foiled by his own limited abilities. The similar but simpler aim of Lennie and George to have a small place of their own where they can live offa the fatta the lan is doomed to frustration also by their own limitations and the tragic chain of circumstance and coincidence that ends with Lennie dead by Georges hand. The point, of course, is that they all — we all — live in a too limited world, a world in which not all our dreams can come true, a world in which we — all of us some of the time and some of us all the time — are doomed to disappointment. The tragic dilemma is that for our basic humanity, for the goodness of our aims, we all deserve better than we get. But because of our human limitations, by our weaknesses of character, none of us is ever good enough to earn what we deserve. Some philosophers, seeing this dilemma, pronounce profound pessimism for humanity. Some religions promise for this worlds disappointments supernatural intercession and other-worldly compensations. The tragic viewpoint (the view of Shakespeare, the Greek tragedians, the Old Testament Job, and John Steinbeck) finds in it the chance for nobility of soul: even in the blackest of disappointments, a human can achieve individual greatness. One may be defeated physically — but one need not be crushed spiritually. One can remain true to ones dream and true to ones friend. We humans may die, but we can love one another. Friendship. Love. That too is what Of Mice and Men is all about. Lennie and George, disparate types, are, against all good reason, friends. They share a good dream. They love one another. They are too limited, too inarticulate, to know how to say it, but they do show it — or rather Steinbeck shows it to us readers. So the book treats the great themes of Dreams and Death and Love with simple powerful clarity. It does so with a classically elegant structure — another reason for using the book as a teaching tool: it allows a reader — especially an untrained or beginning reader of literature — to see (or be shown) how structure supports and presents content. Of Mice and Men has the classic situation/complication/twist/and/resolution plot structure uncluttered by diversions, distractions, or subplots. There is inevitableness, a starkness that makes the poi nt of the story unavoidable. The story has the classic unities of time and place and action. It begins in a small spot of beautiful nature, a secluded camp in the woods by a stream; it moves to the buildings of a California ranch, and ends back in the woods by the stream. The style is simple: clear, direct sentences of description and action, direct quotation of the speech of simple people. Few long words, no hard words. The action is simple: two poor and vagrant workers, big, dumb Lennie and small, clever George, take jobs at a large ranch. Lennie has trouble with the Bosss son, Curley. Lennie accidentally — more or less — kills Curleys wife. George kills Lennie to save him from the horrors of a lynch mob led by Curley, bent on revenge. The settings are simple in detail, and simply powerfully symbolic. The secluded spot in the woods by the stream is the uncomplicated world of Nature; the bunkhouse is the bleak home of hired working men trying to make sense of their lives and gain comfort in a limited environment; the barn is the place of working life, of seed and harvest, birth and death; the harness room with Crooks bunk symbolizes social constraints; the little place of our own about which George and Lennie dream and all too vaguely plan is the Paradise on earth we all hope for. The characters, too, are simple yet significant. Begin with an individual, and before you know it you find you have created a type, wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald; begin with a type, and you find that you have created — nothing. Steinbeck begins with individuals: clearly and sharply crafted characters, a whole set of individuals who are so clearly realized that each — without surrendering individuality — becomes a type, an archetype, a universal character: There is Candy, the old, one-arme d worker with no place to go, as useless as his toothless dog; there is Carlson, gruffly and deliberately unfeeling, who can coolly kill old Candys ancient dog simply because he stinks and he aint no good to you; and there is Crooks, the dignified proud and aloof but helpless and lonely victim of racial discrimination. There is Slim, calm, reasonable, compassionate, the real leader of men. And there is Curley, the arrogant but inept Bosss son. The man who could lead well does not have the position; the one who has the position and the authority is not a true leader. Curley hides his insecurities behind a mask of macho toughness. His competitive bravado makes him push too far and Lennie, after enduring much, is given permission by George to get him. Lennie in self-protection crushes Curleys fist in his own big hand, crippling Curley somewhat as Candy and Crooks have been crippled by the punitive harshness of life. Curley is also the one man who has a woman. But clearly he does not — does not know how to — relate to her as a person. She is to him a thing, a possession, a sex-object and a status symbol. For the men, in braggadocio, he flaunts the sexuality of the relationship; and yet, out of his own self-doubts he is intensely jealous of the mens awareness of her. The young woman has no name — she is merely Curleys wife. She knows she wants — and somehow deserves — something better than this. I dont like Curley, she says of her husband. She has grandiose ambitions of being a Hollywood star in the pitchers. She is a lost little girl in a world of men whose knowledge of women is largely limited to memories of kind old ladies and rumors of casual prostitution. All these men are afraid of Curleys wife, afraid and aware that her innocent animal appeal may lead them into temptation and trouble. In self-protection they avoid her. Only Lennie, in naive goodness, actually relates to her as a person to a person. She talks to him. For a little time they share in their aesthetic sense; they both admire beauty. Unfortunately, she is too naive, and Lennie is too strong and c lumsy. In trying — at her invitation — to pet her lovely hair he is panicked by her quick resistance, and ends by killing her. Just as he had earlier killed a puppy and a mouse. Curleys wife, a naive Romantic, wants love and tenderness in a harsh crude Naturalistic world; Lennie, big and ignorant, tries to give love. But he is too weak in the mind, too strong in the body. His tenderness is too powerful for weaker, unsuspecting creatures. We readers can identify with Lennie. We sympathize; we empathize. We care. We have — most of us — been in his position; not quite able to cope with the complexities of the world around us, wanting only security, peace, comfort, and something soft and beautiful to pet and love. Perhaps one reason that this book has evoked controversy and censorious action is that it is so simple and clear and easy to understand — and so painful! It hurts to read this book. And some people dont like their books to hurt them; they want soothi ng. But great Tragedy is meant to hurt. One neednt subscribe wholly to the Aristotelian doctrine of catharsis by Art to see that one function of literature is to help us deal with the pain of real life by practicing with the vicarious pains of tragic art. Of course Of Mice and Men contains unpleasant attitudes; there is brutality, racism, sexism, economic exploitation. But the book does not advocate them; rather it shows that these too-narrow conceptions of human life are part of the cause of human tragedy. They are forces which frustrate human aspiration. Lennie and George have a noble dream. They are personally too limited to make it come true, but they do try. They try to help each other, and they even enlarge their dream to include old one-handed Candy and crippled black Crooks. Theirs is the American Dream: that there is somehow, somewhere, sometime, the possibility that we can make our Paradise on earth, that we can have our own self-sufficient little place where we can live off the fat of the land as peaceful friends. What is sad, what is tragic, what is horrible, is that the Dream may not come true because we are — each and all of us — too limited, too selfish, too much in conflict with one another. Maybe ever-body in the whole damn world is scared of each other, says Slim. And George expresses the effects of loneliness, Guys that go around alone dont have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin to fight all the time. What is ennobling in this tragedy of mice and men is the Revelation of a way beyond that loneliness and meanness and fighting, a way to rise above our human limitations: Two men — Lennie and George — who have nothing else, do have each other. We kinda look after each other. says George. And they do have their Dream. And the Dream is there even in the final defeat. For in the end the one thing George can do for Lennie is to make sure hes happy as he dies. He has Lennie look acrost the river you can almost see [the place]. And as Lennie says, Lets get that place now, George kills him mercifully. Its a horrible thing to do, and George knows that. And we know that. But in this limited world in this limited way it is all that George can do for his friend. And he does it. That is the horror and the nobility which together make up Tragedy. The Tragic pattern closes. There is a sense of completeness, of both defeat and satisfaction. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck has shown us something about the pain of living in a complex human world and created something beautiful from it. In true great literature the pain of Life is transmuted into the beauty of Art. The book is worth reading for a glimpse of that beauty — and worth teaching as a way to show others how such beauty works.

Which Comes First: The Art or the Artist? Essays -- Art Artistic Artis

Which Comes First: The Art or the Artist? A Historical Perspective The approach of the year 2000 seems a good time to think about the way the role of art and the artist has changed through history, and how modern art is interpreted by a modern audience. Writing about modern art gives me the creeps. In other types of art, clear facts can be asserted with security, public reactions are clearly documented, skills can be appreciated, and art is clearly recognized as such. Modern art defys all of these conventions. Writing about modern art bothers me because after I've said everything that I feel about a piece, I'm not sure I could defend myself if someone walked up and told me I was an idiot who missed the artist's point altogether. Am I symbolic of the piss or the crucifix, the Lady or the tiger? Amoung the things the artist has been in history are: historian, architect, scientist, propagandist, and social commentator. Is the modern artist still the same, or is the role of the artist changing completely from all the old templates and metamorphasizing into something altogether different? The Artist as Historian? For vast majority of art history, the artist has been very unimportant. Cave paintings are considered a way to learn about the lives of prehistoric man. Cave paintings are of interest to the archieologist and the curious. No painting has any signatures, at least none have been interpreted as such. No none ever tries to "get into the mind" of a prehistoric artist. No one knows who the artist is until the egyptian artist Imhotep began putting his name on his work. Until then, no none was concerned with the artist as anything but a tool to express the culture of the time. Artists often are given the duty of re... ...ortfolio. The xyz portfolio was a collection of pictures of men engaged in brutal homosexual acts. While these pictures certainly make an impact on an audience, they don't change public opinon on the subject. They change public opinon of the artists. Modern art lacks much of the subtle touch of previous art. Its statements, although more powerful than ever in history, are not accepted by mainstream society. In order for an artists to be the pivot of public opinon and social change, they have to be more acceptable to mainstream, or else art has little function in society. During the Wats;on festival held at Carnegie Mellon University, Elaine King was asked to speak on the future of art. She asserted that art was being created for "artists, art critics, curators and collectors." Surely this must change if art is ever to be the fulcrum it has the potential to be.

Ethnocentrism: Culture and Editorial Board Essay

ABSTRACT There are many issues that can be attributed to an individual’s cultural beliefs and how they can relate to another individuals specific cultural beliefs and set standards. Sometimes these issues can be minor and dealt with appropriately, but in other cases these cultural differences can be monumental and cause different societies to wage wars against one another. The way that an individual judges or perceives other cultures beliefs and standards based on the guidelines of their own culture is what sociologist refer to as ethnocentrism and is what we are going to be looking at in further detail in this paper. There are many factors that contribute to the persistent societal disputes and disagreements that are forever occurring throughout the globe. There is a great divide that can be felt in regards to understanding and accepting each individual society; each one has its own unique culture and many individuals are not capable of viewing a culture different than their own without passing predisposed judgments and ideas that are typically instilled by their own culture. Ethnocentrism is a term that sociologists use to define this universally occurring unaccepting set of attitudes and behaviors. Ethnocentrism can be attributed to social evolution, local & foreign competition and can also be a result of cooperation with what is considered to be the in-groups and not the out-groups (Axelrod & Hammond, 2003). The main concept of ethnocentrism is individuals seeing their specific group or culture as being the in-group or the superior to the other cultures and the individuals that they are compri sed of. Judging another culture by the standards of their own; it is important to remember that ethnocentrism is not the same as racism (Rodriguez, 2013). Culture is a very important factor of ethnocentrism and it is vital to understand what is it; culture is everything that can be associated with a specific group of individuals, it is the way a group of individuals or society think and act in a common manner generally a result of how they were  raised, the way they communicate; a common set of ideas or the making and understanding of symbols special to that group as well as the traditions that unify that group of individuals by having established shared values, beliefs and customs. Culture includes also the things that we own, the material objects that we consider to be important and the social institutions that we value, mores and folkways and the technology that is available and depended on (Editorial Board, 2012). As Americans there are many things as a society and culture that we have become accustomed too; freedom of choice and speech, freedom to express our individuality; the United States was founded on the principle the equa lity for every individual is fundamental and is the reason we have become more commonly known as the melting pot. There are many various cultures that are represented throughout our society and many of which are to some degree maintaining the characteristics and traditions of their homeland (Editorial Board, 2012). The fact that America is considered to be a melting pot and is the land where foreign individuals come for their chance at the American dream is considered to be a large contributor of ethnocentricity mentality of white Americans. This mentality leads to a sense of power and superiority and the labeling of other cultures as unequal or unimportant in our country; in many this leads to a sense of resentment from both sides resulting in violence. There are many aspects of the American culture that we consider to be acceptable, the correct way of doing things; these behaviors are specific to our culture, our norms (Editorial Board, 2012) and just as we may be offended and by aspects of other cultural norms it is important to remember that the same is true for other cultures as well, they may find them to be extreme, disturbing or even unethical. It is important to remember that many cultures view us with the same predetermined judgments and perceptions Set by their own culture and that ethnocentrism is not only how Americans view other societies and why the violence and destruction due to these judgmental attitudes is so prevalent. Many of the fundamental concepts and behaviors of the American culture are not considered to be acceptable in other cultures such as our principle of freedom and equality, these are not common attributes of many societies,  equality and individualism are nonexistent in many; our general lack of informality both professional and personal has a tendency to make members of different cultures uncomfortable and can be punishable by law in some (Rodriquez, 2013). If an American were to go to a traditional Arab society in the summer months wearing our traditional summer attire, shorts, thank top and sandals it would likely cause an issue; this societies cultural standard requires women to be fully covered from head to toe and has very strict rules; I have no doubt that she would be harassed by local law enforcement and even made remarks to by local civilians, she would be started at and considered to be very unacceptable because this is not what is deemed acceptable in their society. This assignment required us to watch a movie that communicated the cultural values and norms of a different culture; for this I decided to use a tradition that has become a cultural norm in variations throughout many societies. This tradition originated in Egypt and was borrowed by many other cultures and changed to fit their own cultural & religious needs. This traditional ritual I still practiced today in many different cultures considering our own. This is not a topic I would generally consider for a paper but it certainly did provide me with a unique cultural experience. The movie I watched was called the cut it is a short documentary on the controversial ritual of female circumcision also know in many cultures as female genital mutilation. This documentary was on the prevalence of the tradition in Egypt but this is also a common procedure in many other cultures. This ritual has been performed for over 200,000 years and is deeply imbedded in the roots of the Egyptian culture (The Cut, 2013). FGM is just as common in many cultures, if not more as the circumcision of infant boys in the American culture but due to the nature of the procedure has been considered a highly controversial, undiscussed issue tha t affects many different cultures and more specifically a large amount of the female members of these cultures. The documentary reported that over 90% of the females in Egypt have been through the procedure and there are similar numbers in other practicing countries. Many young girls some as young as 9 years old are forced to go through this ritual often bound and gagged without regard to the children’s wishes, there are 2 different types of FGM both undoubtedly extreamly painful; the first type removes only the clitoris while the second type removes both the clitoris and the labia; this is done  by inserting pins into the top and bottom as well as the middle to stretch the skin and enable a mid-wife to cut the skin. This procedure is done with no anesthesia and due to the fact that it was outlawed in Egypt 5 years ago it is often performed in the child’s house. The outlawing of FGM has been of little benefit, if anything it has caused more damage. Infection and death have become more common as many parents fear prosecution and do not get medical attention when necessary result ing to an increase of deaths from the ritual. FGM was the main topic of the documentary but it also offered a visual image of their surrounding; the area where they were filming looked like a whole other world, a dust covered, and dirt road, full of clay hut like houses where the women were completely covered wearing traditional vales. I was surprised to see that many of the men who were filmed walking down the busy shop lined streets were wearing similar dress clothes to that of our American business men, they had on expensive looking suits some had ties, some did not, and I was also surprised that there were some wearing jeans and t shirts. One of the interviews was conducted inside the women’s house which was elaborately decorated with silks and beautiful gold statues and metal accents. There was also a strong behavior difference, in American society many people like and want to be on TV, news and radio interviews are conducted every day on sensitive subjects but this is not the case for the women on this documentary. Many of them appeared to be fearful and reluctant due to the fact that their culture considers it unacceptable to speak with anyone especially outsiders on camera about such a sensitive traditional subject (The Cut, 2013). There are many reasons that I personally had the reaction I did to th e documentary and more specifically the subject matter itself, being a women of any culture makes this an offensive tradition or cultural belief; this part of the female body is a very private if not sacred part of the body and to forcibly remove it with no regard for the young girls wishes is very disturbing. To imagine the pain they are subjected to and the lifelong consequences it can have; there have been no medical benefits associated with the procedure, in the Egyptian culture there is not much of a religious aspect of the ritual either it is conducted on behalf of the groom’s family and is often a requirement for marriage. I find it unfathomable that these young women are forced through this ritual with no anesthesia or pain medication during or after to remove the parts of  the female body that are capable of arousal or pleasure out of fear they will enjoy this experience to make them more desirable to be a bride. As American’s we are exposed to sex on a daily basis, TV shows, commercials, movies and even the news, American’s are fascinated with sex; it is a form of entertainment for us, a type of communication and for some even a career and others just a hobby, this just goes to show the level of difference that can be seen between various cultures. In many different cultures sex is not spoken about ever, in our culture it is hard to make it through the day without hearing a reference to sex. Many relationships in our culture especially one between a man and his wife have a foundation to some degree on physical romance and the connection that it forms. In many of these sexual relationships the ultimate goal is personal pleasure or satisfaction of both individuals, look at the abundance of his/her personal lubricants, condoms and other accessories that are present in our culture to ensure and enhance this process, there are even herbal remedies and prescription medications to help women achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse. This is not the case in Egypt and other cultures that practice FGM; this ritual is performed as not only a method of purification but to prevent female orgasm the pain is supposed to serve as a reminder that sexual arousal and pleasure is unacceptable (The Cut, 2013). There are many complications associated with this ritual and has been proven to be more harmful physically and mentally than beneficial; many of the members of these practicing cultures see it as a symbol of purification and not an act of violence. In many cases of FGM the mother in law will check to ensure their son is marrying a pure women and it is also believe that young women that are not circumcised will be short, stubby and unattractive. I find it shocking that this practice is still so common or ever was in the first place, many female members of these societies also find this ritual to be disturbing and unnecessary. I feel that many members of our society would find this aspect of the Egyptian culture to be disturbing and would certainly cause an ethnocentrism attitude. In our American culture we have a similar tradition, many still consider this to be controversial but the circumcision of infant boys is also embedded deep into our cultural roots and has been performed for many generations. In our society the cultural  norm is to remove the excess skin while the child is still an infant and the pain will not be remembered; this tradition is slightly religious and slightly attributed to medical benefits such as decrease risk of infection later in life but was originally used to signify the transition from boy to man as well as to purify the body as the openings were believed to be entrances for impure malignant spirits (Millett, n.d). There are critics and opposers to our tradition as well both inside and out of our own culture which can be seen as another example of ethnocentrism. Many associate both FGM and circumcision of infant boys to be a form of hierarchical control by subjecting young children to conform to a hierarchical system and religious beliefs and cultural norms that they may not wish to be associated with (Millett, n.d). It is often very difficult for members of a society to accept, understand or even conform to their own cultural standards never mind those of a different culture; how an individual or group of individuals act or react in relationship to others, especially a different culture is what sociologists refer to as social interaction and is fundamental to understanding and having the ability to understand the thoughts, actions and interactions with other individuals, especially those that are different than ourselves (Editorial Board, 2012). As human beings there is undoubtedly one thing that we have in common, our reluctance to accept that which is different, to understand the action of others in which we disagree with, these negative attributes of our species leads to a great deal of conflict and violence which and between both homogenous societies such as Egypt which is mainly comprised of the same culture and dichotomous societies such as America which is made up of multiple various cult ures. Homogenous societies generally have less controversy and issues than that of dichotomous due to the fact that most members are raised and socialized in the same manner and have a similar shared set of values but even in these societies there can still be conflict like that surrounding the controversial topic of FGM. A dichotomous society is much more likely to have conflict between the various cultures present and the complications it can bring when trying to communicate on an interpersonal level; these issues and complications are also large contributors to ethnocentrism. There are many consequences of  ethnocentrism and the attitudes associated with it and are a large part of our inability as not only a nation but globally to deal with many of the important critical issues that often get neglected due to the fear of being uncomfortable and lack of understanding as well as the effort necessary to effectively work interdependently with other societies and cultures and the individuals they are made up of too support and aide rather than to judge and wage wars based on our own specific cultural standards and beliefs. REFERENCES Editorial Board. (2012). Introduction to Sociology. (1st ed), Prentice Hall The Cut. (2013). Female Circumcision is Egypt is Custom, Tradition and Religion. Retrieved on 4/17/2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a25S9jrEmKc

Our Individual Identity Is Determined by What Others Think of Us

â€Å"Identity and belonging† – Expository Essay Our individual identity is determined by what others think of us. Our identity is comprised of inner qualities and outer representations of self. It consists of innumerable defining characteristics that make up the whole of who we are in any given moment. These fragments of self include our sexuality, gender, and sense of belonging to a particular culture, nation, religion, family, or some other group. Our identity includes our looks, personality, beliefs and fears.Each individual in society assigns themselves a particular role, whether it be as a mother, brother, retiree, performer, sportsman or as a part of their occupation, a doctor or lawyer. Often one’s entire sense of self is consumed by pursuit of fulfilling such a role in society. Our identities are constantly growing, changing, and adapting to our everyday lives. This emphasizes the overriding link that one’s sense of belonging influences, or often dictates, individual identity. One’s assigned role in society may be as part of a family unit, a daughter.Agheare/Alice in Unpolished Gem emphasizes this, as she often struggles under the burden of the role she has self-assigned. Identity can both be influenced by, and influence, the work we do, our education, financial and class status, the car we drive, the home we live in and the clothes we wear. Identity is also determined by perspective. Our self-image can be entirely different to the way we are seen by a colleague, partner, friend, child or parent who all have their own lens of perception through which they view us.One definition of identity is â€Å"those images and masks† many of us wear, the persona we project out into the world. We don't have as much choice over our identity as we think we do because a lot of the time things we do or say are impacted by what others think of us. For example, we might like a certain type of music but might often find ourselves mentally saying ‘what would so and so like or would so and so listen to this or would so and so like me if I listened to this. ‘ Basically saying we mold ourselves, and are molded by others, in response to whatever is currently popular and accepted in today’s society.Today more than ever we are being increasingly conditioned, influenced and bombarded by a multitude of messages and experiences about who to be and how to be. Current forms of social communication processes, particularly mainstream media, advertising, television and film, along with family, friends, teachers, political agendas, religion, society’s rules, our perceptions, perspectives, interpretations and assumptions, and those of others, all play a part in creating our identity. ?We seek and create our identity through these external influences, we all wear these masks and cloaks, so that we fit in with the world around us.The degree to which we choose our identity, versus having it imposed on us via external influence, is arguably a matter of consciousness and awareness. When we are unaware of the power of external influence we are akin to pieces of clay, being unconsciously molded to fit into the accepted or preferred norms of someone else’s reality. When we are aware we can take responsibility for the creation of our identity. We can make empowered choices that best serve our selves, rather than serve people and systems outside of ourselves.In Unpolished Gem, society plays a daunting role on Alice as she tries to change her way of thinking from a Chinese-Cambodian way of thinking to a very different Australian way of thinking. As Alice starts her new school her beliefs are tested as she tries to determine whether to fit in as an Australian or a Chinese-Cambodian. By trying to decide this she is under massive pressure because of our society’s stereo types. Gender and race are two of the most important factors to take into consideration when looking at an i ndividual's identity, as they are the very first two things you notice about a person when you meet them.Race is a very strong influence on one's identity. This can cause issues with racism; people affiliating themselves, therefore their identity, with groups that feel a certain way about another race or group. Just as with gender, people will make assumption about a person based on their race. If one is white people might assume they listen to country music or rock n roll; or if one is black people might assume they listen to rap or hip hop. These tie in with stereotypes, which sadly, are a part of our community today.There are a higher number of certain races in certain places, with also leads to how culture affects one's identity. Something that relates closely with race is language. A person's language is part of their identity too. It can show where they were raised because of the slang you use. For example, there is the Spanish language, and off of that original Spanish langua ge there is branches of adjusted languages. Some of these include Mexican Spanish or North Mexican Spanish. All of these are based off the standard Spanish language, but depending on where one was raised they may speak one of these ifferent variations of Spanish. This helps us identify people too, based on which one they speak, shows where they are from which is part of your identity. In Unpolished Gem the stereo typical view on people from an Chinese-Cambodian background is to excel at school and this weighs Alice down by putting enormous pressure on her because that is what is considered acceptable in a tight knit community. Culture: Culture is the combination of values, beliefs, and practices of a particular group.The culture each person lives in shows them how to dress, talk, and act, acceptable behavior, and gives a guideline of what is considered acceptable and normal. As a child grows up in a particular culture they absorb the beliefs, and practices, then begin to use them in everyday activities. The culture a person is surrounded by will then play a role in the development of their identity. Identity is essentially a set a characteristics and traits that are attributed to one specific person. One of the main things your culture affects in shaping your identity is your morals.Morals are a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do. These morals shape our identity as they shape how we live our lives as well as how we make an impact of society. In Unpolished Gem, Alice has a strong sense of what can be tolerated in both cultures from an Asian oblique migrant perspective even though throughout the book she starts to lose her ability to think in Chinese. This is an example of how even though a person may be proud of their cultural background this still out weights trying fit in or adapt to a new way of life.For example, Alice and her family migrate to Australia to peruse the â€Å"Australian dream† which indicates that even though they have a different cultural background to Australian they have to adapt to the Australian culture in order to survive. In conclusion our individual identity is determined by many different factors like media, society, culture and race. These factors shape who we are and whom we grow up to be and how other people see us from day to day. Do we really know ourselves because our subconscious is ever changing to try and fit in to society on a daily basis and we only ever see what we want to see?

Battle of Algiers essays

Battle of Algiers essays Pontecorvos Battle of Algiers Gillo Pontecorvos Battle of Algiers, though filmed in the late 1950s, remains one of the most powerful and emotionally stimulating films of the modern age. The realism captured by the director of photography, Marcello Gatti, laid the blueprint for directors and photographers to mold and shape equally great works in years to come. Gattis revolutionary use of the hand-held camera was instrumental in creating the simulated eyewitness account. So much so, that the statement not one foot of newsreel footage was used in its manufacture was needed so audiences were not confused or misled. The films most intriguing scene is undoubtedly the bombing of the downtown coffeehouse found near the casbah. Approaching the eve of our own countrys tragedy, emotion and confusion continue to run high, and Pontecorvo and Gattis ability to capture such a catastrophic event in such an apocalyptic manner, cant help but fuel the emotional fire of modern audiences. As one New York firefighter said as Americas famous towers burned, Its almost a beautiful thing. One cant help but feel angered or confused by this statement, but it hold true for all modern tragedies. The power of Pontecorvos coffeehouse scene is finding beauty in the hideous, capturing a heinous crime against humanity so realistically that in all of its horrific forms it still remains awe-inspiring. It also strikes a nerve on a personal level, as the world arms itself for all-too-familiar religious warfare. The sequence in which the female Algerians shed their religious clothing and arm themselves with explosives is yet an other example of the magnificence of modern tragedy. When you live a life of war, its the enemy that you dont see coming that always delivers the fatal blow. This story can be seen in modern times just as it was ree ...

20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting 20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting 20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting By Mark Nichol You know that in order to become a better writer, you need to become a better reader and so polishing off some classic novels is in your future. But who has the time? You do. Nobody’s admonishing you to get your book report in within two weeks. But if you still feel pinched between the hour hand and the minute hand, ease into great English literature with these short novels (most have fewer than 200 pages): 1. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens Spectral visitors take miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge on a tour of the past, present, and future to prompt his reevaluation of the wisdom of his skinflint ways in this Victorian fantasy that helped usher in the nostalgia-drenched Christmas tradition. To this day, innumerable stage adaptations knock elbows with ballet productions of The Nutracker Suite and singing of Handel’s Messiah. Dickens’s Hard Times is another relatively quick read. 2. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain The intrepid young hero, a half-feral but good-hearted boy, flees the deadly embrace of civilization, takes up with a freed slave and a couple of con men, and, with the assistance of one Samuel Langhorne Clemens, makes a library’s worth of observations about the human condition in one thin volume a triumphant survivor of censorship and political correctness. (The n-word pervades it quick, hide the children’s eyes and make reality go away!) See also The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which this book is a sequel to, and Pudd’nhead Wilson. 3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll A young girl wanders into the woods and falls down a rabbit hole into a disconcertingly absurd hidden world in Oxford mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s satirical romp, laced with contemporary caricatures and poking at problems of mathematical logic. Like many great works of art, it was a critical failure but a popular success and, in the long term, the critics have come around. See also the sequel Through the Looking-Glass. 4. Animal Farm, by George Orwell A modern fable by the author of Nineteen Eighty-Four relates what happens when communism comes to Manor Farm: â€Å"All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others.† Orwell (birth name Eric Blair), a proponent of democratic socialism by definition, the antithesis of Stalinism wrote the story in response to his disillusioning experiences during the Spanish Civil War, when totalitarianism cast a shadow over socialist ideals. British publishers concerned about the manuscript’s frank condemnation of the United Kingdom’s World War II ally the Soviet Union rejected it, but you can’t suppress the truth down for long. 5. Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne Fastidious Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg makes a foolhardy wager at his club: He will circumnavigate the planet in eighty days. With resourceful French valet Passepartout by his side and a Scotland Yard detective who mistakes him for a fugitive from justice on his heels, he sets out with his fortune, his freedom, and, most importantly, his honor on the line. These and other novels by Verne have, from the beginning, fired the imaginations of readers from all over the world, though poor early English translations led to them being long mischaracterized as juvenile pulp fiction. 6. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley After an introduction to a horrifyingly regimented future â€Å"utopia,† readers meet John, a young man who has grown up in an isolated, unenlightened community before being brought back to civilization, which, shall we say, does not match his expectations. Huxley’s novel, one of the most celebrated in twentieth-century literature and also impressively high on the lists of books targeted for censorship depicts a future in which hedonism, not repression, is the greatest threat to humanity. 7. Candide, by Voltaire Everybody’s favorite scathingly funny French philosopher introduces a young man raised in indoctrinated, isolated innocence who is repeatedly blindsided by reality when he becomes a citizen of the world. Anticipating the antipathy with which secular and religious authorities would condemn his work, Voltaire published it under a pseudonym, but everybody knew who had done the deed. Candide was widely banned, even in the United States into the twentieth century high praise, indeed. 8. Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck A run-down street in seaside Monterey, California, is as colorful a character as any of the people who populate it in this sweet Depression-era story about a community of the world’s cast-offs. This semiautobiographical novel, a warm wash of nostalgia, also serves as a requiem for a lost world the author could never find again. Steinbeck often kept it short and bittersweet: Look also for The Moon Is Down, Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, The Red Pony, and Tortilla Flat. 9. The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger Reading this mid-20th-century anthem of adolescent angst remains a rite of passage for high school literature students, who get a thrill out of reading one of the most frequently banned books of all time. The narrator’s sour sensibilities and his frank assessment of the world’s crapitude captivate many young readers, although the author (who exacerbated the allure of the book through his notorious reclusiveness) intended the book for an adult audience. Salinger’s other works include novellas and short stories, including Franny and Zooey, Nine Stories, and the twofer Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. 10. Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton This flashback novel immerses the reader in the tragedy of a romantic triangle, as the title character agonizes over his affection for his sickly wife’s cousin, who has come to live with them and help around the house. Warning: Things don’t end well. The critical reception to Wharton’s work was mixed, but those who praised it recognized it as a compelling morality tale (though based on a real incident and thought to allude to the author’s own unhappy marriage). 11. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury In a dystopian future where firefighters ignite inflammatory books (that is, all of them) rather than suppress conflagrations, one member of the book-burning brigade, increasingly alienated in his decadent society, is lured to the light side. Bradbury initially denied that the theme of the story is censorship, fingering the boob tube for libracide instead, but he later graciously realized he could have it both ways. 12. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley A scientist conceives the idea of creating a man constructed from body parts and bringing him to life but is disgusted by his creation, which, devastated by the scientist’s and others’ rejection as it struggles to learn what it means to be human, exacts vengeance. The novel, written by the daughter of philosophers who began working on it when she was still in her teens, initially received mixed reviews, but its stature has steadily grown, aided by its wealth of classical allusions and Enlightenment inspirations, not to mention its profound psychological resonance. 13. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald A young man gets caught up in the world of wealth during the Roaring Twenties, especially that revolving around the enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby, but he discovers how superficial and hollow the American dream is after observing the petty passions of the rich. Fitzgerald’s novel was well received but did not fare as well as his earlier works, and when he died in relative obscurity years later, he believed himself a failure. During and after World War II, however, The Great Gatsby experienced a resurgence, and it is now accounted one of the great American novels. 14. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad A riverboat captain in the Belgian Congo, looking forward to meeting Kurtz, the manager of an isolated upriver colonial station, is devastated when the man he meets turns out to be quite different from the imagined ideal. Conrad’s story, overshadowed by Francis Ford Coppola’s loose film adaptation, the antiwar epic Apocalypse Now, should be read on its own merits. Though much praised for its psychological insight, is also considered one of the most potent criticisms of colonialism in literature. 15. Night, by Elie Wiesel The author’s harrowing account of his early adolescence spent in Nazi concentration camps during which his father, with whom he was incarcerated, gradually becomes helpless, and young Elie rejects God and humanity is full of raw, stark power. Its critical reception was complicated by various factors: It is a memoir that contains a great deal of fiction, and it was published in quite different forms in Yiddish, then a pared-down French translation, from which a further abridged English version was derived. But that form at least is widely acknowledged as great art. 16. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde A beautiful young hedonist sells his soul for the price of agelessness, while a portrait of him painted by an admirer marks his physical dissipation. Wilde’s first novel was attacked for its homoeroticism and the scandalously frank depiction of debauchery but was received more favorably when the author toned down the former. Rich with allusions to, among other works, Faust, The Picture of Dorian Gray stands on its own as a tragic morality tale. 17. The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane A young Civil War soldier overcomes his initial cowardice, but, despite the fact that he acts heroically in a later battle, his humanity is diminished. Crane, who finished the novel when he was only twenty-four (he would die just five years later after a series of debilitating lung hemorrhages), was celebrated for its authentic detail about the conduct of war, though he had never experienced it himself. It was also hailed as a triumph of both naturalism and impressionism, as it realistically portrays the ordeal of battle while achieving allegorical stature. 18. The Sorrows of Young Werther, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Written primarily in the form of a series of letters, this semiautobiographical story relates the tragedy of a young man who falls in love with a woman already betrothed to another. Although it made Goethe’s reputation at a young age, it also precipitated â€Å"Werther Fever,† prompting a fad of overwrought young people lamenting the vicissitudes of unrequited love, and Goethe later disavowed it and decried the Romantic literary movement it epitomized. 19. The Stranger, by Albert Camus This existentialist classic chronicles the nihilistic life of an apathetic man who aimlessly commits murder and, once incarcerated, renounces humanity, which he has passively estranged himself from. Camus’s portrait of a man without a soul was a manifesto of his belief that life is bereft of meaning, and that the efforts of humans to find meaning are futile. 20. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte This complex melodrama about the compounded consequences of acting on selfish and vengeful motives has been overshadowed by Hollywood’s treatment of the thwarted love between a young woman named Catherine and her untamed foster brother, Heathcliff. But the story boasts an unflinching honesty about its deeply flawed protagonists, and though critical response to its publication was mixed, it has lived on as an expression of star-crossed ill fortune. 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 Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†5 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present TensePersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

The Cider ahouse Rules Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Cider ahouse Rules - Essay Example The movie contains many poignant and touching moments in it that lend itself for psychological analysis. For example, from a developmental psychology viewpoint, the fact that Homer is returned twice to the orphanage was bound to leave deep scars on the formative psyche of the young boy, who would struggle to form lasting attachments to other humans as a consequence. Also, the manner in which he was treated by these couples was also abusive to a degree. These abusive relationships interrupt Homer Wells’ proper psychological development as is evident from further events in the story. The relationship between Dr. Larch (played by Michael Caine) and young Homer needs to be studied in the afore-mentioned context. Despite getting trained to perform abortions (under the tutelage of Dr. Larch) Homer personally disapproves of the practice. This comes to a dramatic fore when he is faced with a situation in which Erykah (the daughter of Mr. Rose) comes to him for abortion. But considerin g that Erykah was forcefully and incestuously impregnated by her own father, Homer makes an exception to his usual rule and performs the operation. The true character of Homer’s psychological makeup further comes to light when he resorts to kill Mr. Rose in order to prevent Erykah getting raped again.