Chinese Views on Death and Dying Essay

Chinese religion and strict cultural beliefs are inseparable from the death rites performed. Many different names for death are scattered throughout Chinese history, including an ideogram that depicts a person kneeling in front of their ancestor’s bones 1. In Chinese culture, death rites are intricate and well thought out works on preparing one for the afterlife and rebirth. Chinese funeral rites have strict guidelines as to where the rites are to be performed, how the rites are performed (ritual bathing of the corpse), the dress of the attendees and the dead, the transfer of material goods on Earth to the dead, acknowledgement of the deceased and the actual burial of the body. All these sacred rites are performed by specialists (usually priests or otherwise) who are paid by the deceased’s family members. Death rituals carry on long after the burial of the body in terms of grieving for the dead. These rites include returning to the burial site on specific dates to mourn, perform yuan-fen (a symbolic act in which the burial site is rounded off with dirt to give it a nice and proper shape) and burning of incense and earthly offerings 2. Attitudes and beliefs on death and the afterlife are quite the same among the Chinese people of the late Imperial Chinese culture and the Chinese culture of today. The continuing traditions of the ritualistic burials sheds light on one way a society can be linked culturally. 1. T.C. Lai â€Å"To The Yellow Springs: The Chinese View of Death† (17) Hong Kong: Joint Publbishing Co. and Kelly & Walsh, 1983 2. Watson, James L. and Evelyn L. Rawski â€Å"Death Ritual in Late Imperial and Modern China† (12-15) Berklely: University of California Press, 1988 Different cultures harbor different views on death and dying, and it is important to understand the significance of these contrasting elements of other cultures and our own. The Chinese cultures do not see death as something shy away from, but rather it is a part of life that is revered. Death is such a scared step that it embodies many different characters for definition such as ni 3a and qi shi 3b. The transition from being a mortal and alive and being deceased is very important to the Chinese. The Chinese  have a strict set of funeral rites that must be followed completely in order for the transition between this world and the world after death to be smooth- the rites are so embedded in culture and rich with rules that there is even a set time for certain levels of grievances. Death rites are often followed by a series of mourning sessions over the year. However, death rituals for those higher up in society, of course, differ from those of the common man. James L. Watson states that â€Å"To be Chinese is to understand, and accept the view, that there is a correct way to perform rites associated with the life-cycle, the most important being weddings and funerals. By following accepted ritual routines ordinary citizens participated in the process of cultural unification.† 4 and with this in mind we can begin to understand the reason why the Chinese abode by such rigid structure for the burial of a deceased person. The structure that was imposed on the people of China was embraced because it brought everyone together. 3. T.C. Lai â€Å"To the Yellow Springs: The Chinese View of Death† (18) Hong Kong: Joint Publbishing Co. and Kelly & Walsh, 1983 4. Quote from: Watson, James L. â€Å"Death Ritual in Late Imperial and Modern China† The Structure of Chinese Funerary Rites: Elementary Forms, Ritual Sequence, and the Primacy of Performance (3) The sequence in which the ritual is performed is laid out perfectly and begins with public notification that a death has occurred. As soon as a death has occurred women in the presence of the death must announce the death by wailing at the top of her lungs, such wailings, as documented by Watson were not voluntary. Along with the informal announcement of death was a formal one where white banners and blue lanterns are placed around the abode and along the doorway. Some of the formal notices were voluntary in part of China, whereas in some parts they were also mandatory. Not much unlike Western culture, different colors hint to a time of mourning. Instead of wearing black (like in Western cultures), those who are mourning  the deceased in China are seen wearing white clothes, shoes and cloaks that are usually made out of sackcloth or hemp. Although mourning colors differ in different parts of China, white is the universal color of mourning for the Chinese. These mourning clothes are usually ragged, unbleached, unhemmed and white. 5 The corpse must go through a series of cleansings and blessings before it is allowed to be buried. A ritualized bathing of the corpse is required before it goes on to the next step in the rites. In south China the water is not gathered by the family themselves, but rather, bought from a deity of a sacred well. This particular rite is called mai-shui or roughly translated, â€Å"buying water†. There are 5. Jones, Constance R.I.P. The Complete Book Of Death And Dying New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997 (Pg. 163)  several ways the corpse is cleansed–from scrubbing with the water bought, or a  gentle dab on the forehead with the sacred water. Along with the cleaning is the  donning of new clothes on the corpse. The next step in the funerary rites would be the transfer of material goods to the dead. Things like paper clothes, cardboard houses, furniture and servants and other things the dead might need in the afterlife would be transferred into the world of the dead by burning them in a big pot. Food was presented as an offering to the deceased and afterwards, the mourners would partake in the food. 6 Food is an integral part of Chinese tradition and culture, especially with the ritualized steps of burial. Stuart E. Thompson says that, â€Å"To be Chinese is to perform Chinese ritual and vice-versa; to be Chinese is also to eat Chinese-style food with Chinese-style implements.† It is explained that the  food used in the rites are to transform a corpse into an ancestor. Food is a centerpiece in the ritual more than once. 1. Foods are presented as soon as the person dies and once again during the ceremonial coffining of the body. Rice is a crucial part of Chinese diet and rice balls and other food products (roast pork and such) are usually placed on top of his/her coffin to accompany the dead on their journey. Parts of the ceremony are used to separate the living from the dead, for instance, the breaking of bowls to break the ties between the dead and his/her descendants. After the breaking of the bowls, the 6. Watson, James L. â€Å"The Structure of Chinese Funerary Rites† from Death Ritual in Late Imperial and Modern China. (12-13)  family members must insure that the deceased does not return upset, so  the belongings of the deceased must be symbolically distributed among his/her heirs using the food on top of the coffin. 2. After the coffining of the body, food is presented to the coffin at least twice a day by the daughter-in-law of the deceased. These offerings are made until the coffin is buried. Sometimes, the offerings continue even after burial. 3. A farewell feast is giving either the day before, or on the day of the burial. This tradition is to ensure that transformation from being deceased into an ancestor is complete. Prized offerings consist of either pig heads or whole pigs along with rice. Along with the farewell feast for the deceased, some offerings are given to hungry ghosts whom would usually steal from the deceased on his/her journey. 4. Wine, usually rice wine, is poured into three cups for the dead on the burial grounds. This is the last rite before the body passes on to become an ancestor. 5. Food is presented again after the burial when everyone returns to the home where the ceremony began. Ancestral tablets (explained further in this paper) are then set on specially built alters or mantles. (My own family has the ashes of the deceased on a mantle in which food is presented to them at every meal) 7 7. Thompson, Stuart E. â€Å"Death, Food, And Fertility† from Death Ritual in the Late Imperial and Modern China. (75-76) Soul tablets are made for the deceased (except for children and unknown people) as a symbol of a part of their soul. These soul tablets are made by ritual specialists and are placed either on an alter (of those who are married) or in temples, specified institutions or covenants for a fee (for unwed women). These tablets were very important to the rites of the dead. A written Chinese name was required for these tablet, hence the reason why unknown strangers could not receive one. The dead were not recognized by any materialistic idol or pictures, but only by their written Chinese name. Music was also an integral part of the burial sequence. There were two different kinds of sounds that were used to either ward off evil spirits or aid the passing of the soul. High-pitched piping and drumming were the two common sounds heard during burial rites. These sounds are usually played during transitions in the ritual, usually when physical movement of the corpse is taking place. Music is also played during the sealing of the corpse. The Chinese found that this is the most important feature of all the different acts. The coffins made of wood have been with the Chinese since the Neolithic. Again, paid specialists are the ones who make sure the corpse is stationary within the coffin. They secure the lid on with nails and caulking compounds to be sure that the coffin is airtight. The nailing of the coffin is the most important part of the whole ritual. The hammering is usually done by the main mourner or by an invited guest who holds a high social status. The final sequence is the removal of the coffin from the village. However, this  last rite does not need to be performed immediately. It is actually a sign of respect for the  coffin to be kept close to the family over a long period of time. But of course, there comes a time when the coffin must leave the hands of the living. 8 Those who are relatively wealthy will be able to carry out every burial rite with the assistance of a burial specialist. Watson explains that, â€Å"The ethnographic evidence suggests that, among the Cantonese, there is a hierarchy of specialists ranked according to the relative exposure to the pollution of death. This hierarchy also reflects the standards of skill, training, and literacy required to carry out ritual tasks† (Death Ritual in Late Imperial and Modern China. 109) The highest ranking specialist is the Geomancer (a person who has the ability to foretell the future by using signs from the earth) whose work demands high levels of skill and literacy. Next in line are priests who receive their knowledge through years of apprenticeship. Priests are moderately literate in order to perform mortuary rites. Those who rank below priests are usually illiterate, mainly because their line of work usually does not require any reading or skill. These specialists range from pipers, nuns, musicians, and overall helpers. There are also helpers who rank even lower than those below priests and these are the corpse handlers. Corpse handlers’ tasks involve washing the corpse, dressing the corpse and arranging the corpse in the coffin, and finally carrying the coffin to its burial ground, digging the grave, and disposing items that are directly associated with the corpse 9. Corpse handlers are of the lowest ranking ritual specialists because they are deemed as highly polluted by death and are set apart from the other specialists. 8. Watson, James L. Death Rituals in Late Imperial and Modern China (12-15) 9. Watson, James L. â€Å"Funeral Specialists in Cantonese Society: Pollution, Performance, and Social Hierarchy† Death Ritual in Late Imperial and Modern China (109-110) Along with the ritual sequence come the many names for death. As  explained before, the earliest concept of death was characterized as a person kneeling before his ancestor’s bones. The deaths of people of different ranks in society are characterized differently from one another. The death of sovereign is called beng ,which comes from the sound of a large building collapsing. The death of a prince is called hong (the sound of something breaking), a government minister’s death is called cu (â€Å"the end†), and that of an official is called bu lu (meaning: ending the enjoyment of emolument), however, the death of a common person is less extravagant–si simply means â€Å"to expire†. Just like the many characters there are for the people who pass away, there are many characters for the ways people can die, for example, death from old age is called shou zhong which translates to â€Å"the termination of longevity†, which death while young is ca lled yao which means â€Å"breaking in mid-journey†. 10 With the different ways they have to describe death in one or two words, it is hard not to notice that the Chinese are very much interested in the process of death. In China, the spring time is time for purification and regeneration. The Spring Festival is held every spring and it is very important to the comfort of the dead. During the festival, descendants will visit graves of their ancestors to honor  and care for the burial ground and body it incases. Prayers and sacrifices are made to the dead during that time and the act of â€Å"saluting the tomb† is practiced. 10. Text adapted from To the Yellow Springs: The Chinese View of Death by T.C. Lai. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Co. and Kelly & Walsh. (1983) (Text 18) â€Å"Saluting the tomb† is an act where red-colored rice and peeled eggs, which are symbolic of the saying â€Å"old gives way to the new†, are placed on top of the burial ground. November is the month that harbors Ghost Day celebrations. Ghost day is a special day where people burn paper money as  offerings to their ancestors. Another day of celebration is the Winter Dress Festival where paper clothes and such are burned for their ancestors, again this holiday is celebrated in October and November 11. These celebrations do not directly pertain to spirits who are in a state of unrest. In China a ghost, a male ghost is called kuei while the female is called yao, is a spirit whose death was either very unusual or very violent criminal act. The Chinese are extremely superstitious. It is said that ghosts linger relatively close to the location of their death. For example, Ghosts of thieves would sometimes be seen close to the area of their execution. Another common superstition (one that was also taught to me) was that if a pregnant woman were to walk past a spot where a person has died, that spirit would attempt to expel the child’s soul and replace it with its own to be reborn 12. Anniversary ghosts also exist in Chinese culture. Anniversary ghosts are essentially ghosts who appear on the anniversary of their death to re-enact the scene. The only way this can be stopped is if someone dies in its place on that same day, the same way, in the same spot so that the soul that is tr apped and doomed to repeat its painful death will be released. Unfortunately, the person who has died in their place will be doomed to repeat his 11. Jones, Constance The Complete Book of Death and Dying (135) 12. Jones, Constance The Complete Book of Death and Dying (129)  or her death, unless a specialist performs a ritual to set the spirit free. One can already tell that the Chinese have great respect for the dead and their ancestors. Chinese attitudes and beliefs about death are influenced by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism 13. â€Å"If one does not know life,  how can he begin to know death.† Confucius (Fig. 1) The Chinese honors the dead regularly by presenting offerings and prayers since they believe that these practices push forth the sense that death occurs all the time and that it should be accepted into daily life. 13. Jones, Constance R.I.P. The Complete Book of Death and Dying (12) 14. Figure 1 is from T.C. Lai To The Yellow Springs (14) NOTE! Blank Spaces are for images taken from books. Be sure to add corresponding images to this essay.

John Keats “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” Essay

â€Å"On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer† by John Keats is a poem widely recognised by critics as a pivotal moment in his development as a poet; this work is evidence of his complete mastery of the sonnet form (of which he wrote 64 in total). This poem was a key evolutionary process which would help him construct the development of his own poetic legacy: the Great Odes. Keats was enthralled by the sonnet form because it presented a challenge: to concentrate thought provoking philosophy concisely enough to fit into fourteen lines. He restlessly experimented with both verse and meter, and though he worked with Petrarchan structures he found them to be unsuitable for the English tongue, and began to favour the Shakespearian form instead. Never the less, Keats achieves technical perfection in this Petrarchan structured poem. The first part of a Petrarchan sonnet, the Octet (eight lines), usually serves as a question or presents a problem to be then followed by an answer or a solution in the Sestet (six lines). However, Keats subverts this traditional structure to instead aid a before and after response; in this case the Octet ponders his travels and knowledge before Chapman’s Homer, while the Sestet then contrasts his enlightening experience of finally reading it. This poem is a brilliant testimony of the profound effect of poetry on Keats – it was composed in a vivid, ephemeral moment of crucial inspiration during the ardent elation he experienced straight after reading Chapman’s Homer, and so powerful was this stimulation that the whole poem was finished in day. Keats establishes his utter admiration for Chapman and Homer in the opening lines; Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been The initial exclamatory statement asserts gallantly that he is a scholar of high art and literature. He immediately introduces the central and recurring metaphors of exploration and discovery – the idea of travelling and cluster  of locations: travell’d, realms, states, kingdoms, islands all emphasise the diversity of experiences brought by the power of art and imagination. The phrase â€Å"Realms of Gold† symbolises the world of imagination. Keats believes that art can open the mind to new worlds and experiences. The word choice of â€Å"gold† shows just how rich and rare these experiences are, and also alludes to the search for gold of the Spanish conquistadors, linking to his reference to Cortez in the Sestet. This also reflects his hunger to be exposed to more and greater works. The repetition of the â€Å"l† sounds in â€Å"travelled†, â€Å"realms†, and â€Å"gold† emphasises the idea and ties the words together. The frequent and insistent use of first person narrative also reinforces the extent of Keats own personal knowledge; how well travelled and widely versed he is, and therefore we understand his epiphany upon reading Chapman’s Homer is well informed and trustworthy. The fourth line moves away from those who enjoy art, to those who actually create it; â€Å"Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.† The high, even sacred function that poets fulfil is indicated by their being the servants of a god, Apollo, and having sworn to follow him (with the suggestion that they have consecrated their lives to him). â€Å"Fealty† indicates their dedication to Apollo and consequently their calling – the creation of poetry. Keats continues on to expand on those who create art rather than those who appreciate it, narrowing down to one particular poet who rules the realm of poetry, and who was his main inspiration to rise above other dedicated poets; â€Å"Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep-brow’d Homer ruled his demesne; Yet never did I breathe its pure serene† Again, the metaphor of travel and discovery is expanded. Keats is reinforcing the vastness of Homer’s legacy and his admiration – not only was it rich, but prolific, a trait which he very much wanted to emulate. To emphasise the extent of Homers genius and his literary accomplishments, Keats modifies â€Å"expanse† (which means extensive) with an adjective which also means  Ã¢â‚¬Å"extensive†, â€Å"wide†, to reinforce how limitless his intellect was. â€Å"Deep-browed† also refers to Homers intellect – we still use â€Å"deep† as a colloquialism today e.g. â€Å"deep thoughts† â€Å"deep thinker†. To Keats, Homer is majestic as he â€Å"rules† with complete authority over the world of literature. By breathing in the â€Å"pure serene† he shows that art, to him, is a necessity, an essential part of his life that he cannot live without, like oxygen. He also makes it part of himself; absorbing it shows the extent to which he is devoted to art – he literally lives and breathes it. His use of an adjective in place of a noun â€Å"pure serene† is evidence that he struggled within the restrictions of our language, which would eventually prompt him to move onto Shakespearian formed sonnets. The line â€Å"Yet never did I breathe its pure serene† also contrasts with following and last line of the Octet; â€Å"Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:† These lines contrast Keats’s knowledge of Homer’s reputation with his experience of the genius of Homers poetry in Chapman’s translation. â€Å"Out loud and bold† reinforces the vitality of the epiphany achieved and is contradictory to the previous calm â€Å"serene† mood that Keats was previously in. We associate the words â€Å"pure† and â€Å"serene† with something neutral, peaceful and relaxing – these words apply both to the original poetry of Homer and the translation by Chapman. â€Å"Serene† also conveys Keats spiritual fulfilment, as previously he was in emotional turmoil and distress. This last line of the Octet â€Å"Till I heard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  prepares us for the Volta and brings the Octet to a swelling crescendo; until this moment, he has felt excluded from entry to a new world of enlightenment and truth. The Sestet begins with â€Å"Then†, seamlessly transitioning from the Volta and preparing us for the impact of reading Chapman’s Homer. There is also particular emphasis in all things visual in this section; â€Å"Then I felt like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken; Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He star’d at the Pacific – and all his men The emphasis on all things visual – â€Å"watcher†, â€Å"eagle eyes†, â€Å"star’d† – reinforces the power and strength of Keats’s imagination and devotion to his poetry; he is easily able to relate his epiphany to the experience of discovering uncharted waters, or being the first to spy a new planet. The relentless excitement and pure awe-inspiring experience that Keats is undergoing is only comparable to discovering something fresh, new, and undiscovered, just as he feels he has discovered a whole new world of knowledge so vast that it includes the heavens – â€Å"new planet†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The use of the two separate metaphors is interesting, as Keats appears to favour the explorer metaphor over the astronomy metaphor. â€Å"†¦ I felt like some watcher of the skies When a new plant swims into his ken†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This metaphor alludes to the fairly recent discovery of the planet Uranus, which is a wholly visual experience and seemingly perfect for the elation Keats is trying to convey. â€Å"Swims† alludes to the upcoming ocean metaphor. However, to Keats, this outer space knowledge has not been acquired actively enough, and he quickly abandons the astronomy metaphor in favour of the explorer metaphor. This is more satisfying, as this discovery was made actively and on earth rather than in space: the discovery of a new planet will never be truly satisfying as it will always be out of reach and therefore we will only ever have basic, rudimentary knowledge. â€Å"†¦ like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He star’d at the Pacific†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is also a very visual experience, and Keats emphasises Cortez’s eyes by calling them â€Å"eagle eyes†. This suggests that Cortez’s eyes are keen, observing strongly and are paying close attention to detail, just as Keats thoroughly observed all of Chapman’s Homer, so much so that he felt as though he was breathing it in and literally surviving though it. The fact that Cortez is said to â€Å"Stare† also reinforces how entrancing and enthralling the sight of the ocean was for him, just as Keats was hypnotised  by Chapman’s Homer. By deliberately choosing the discovery of an ocean over a planet, Keats emphases his view point that we only have access to a finite, limited bank of knowledge. The sea is also a method of transportation, just as Chapman’s Homer is the vehicle for Keats’s own discovery. The last two lines reflect the shock and awe of Cortez and his men upon discovering the ocean, similar to Keats’s current amazement; â€Å"Look’d at each other with a wild surmise Silent, upon a peak in Darien.† The discovery of the ocean is so surprising and unexpected that Cortez’s men, as well as himself, as shocked into silence and dumb-stuck speechless. â€Å"Surmise† implies that they were confused, unsure, but alongside â€Å"wild† Keats word choice conveys that their shock was excitement induced, their reactions are feral, natural and almost untamed in nature. The imagery of Cortez and his men standing â€Å"silent† and in awe is a stark contrast to the previous booming, â€Å"loud and bold voice† in the Volta which prompted Keats’s epiphany. This represents the come down from the white hot excitement upon first reading Chapman’s Homer, to the quiet, pensive, yet still dumb-stuck speechlessness Keats would later on experience. Again, Keats is conveying that the English language is limiting and reluctant to allow you to fully express and communicate the impact of profound moments such as this. This shows frustration with Keats medium of choice. Keats has created an uplifting and thought provoking sonnet which encourages and inspires us to seek beyond the knowledge we have already gained, and to always aspire for more. This sonnet is so technically praised because not only is the content inspiring, but his appreciation of verse form and meter have been demonstrated faultlessly through out to create a satisfying piece of art in a mere fourteen lines. The error Keats made in mentioning Cortez as the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean indeed does not detract from the overall meaning of the poem – names are almost irrelevant, it is the actions and accomplishments that are so potent in his work. What is important is  human truth, not historical accuracy, and Keats has once again created a work of enormous ambition that reflects the importance of knowledge and discovery, no matter how big or small.

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To identify an innovative human resource management practice or Essay

To identify an innovative human resource management practice or program - Essay Example The work that follows highlights problems solved by giving compensation and benefits to employees and its importance. Issues addressed by compensation and benefits Benefits and compensation are some of the important methods of motivating workers in an organization or a company. Due to high competition in the job market, employers seek to maintain their employees (Grobler 24). The award of benefits and compensation by employers to their employees saves them a number of problems. First, it saves the organization loss of employees because an employee cannot go for another job (Sims 458). A company that lacks good motivation to its employees will always look for more employees to replace those that have left the company due to unfavorable working conditions. An employee will always admire to work under better terms of service. Secondly, it saves poor production. This is because there will be enough workforce for the particular fields in the organization. Poor production will only result in an organization where there is no recognition on the importance of the work done by employees (Kleynhans 59). It is only that organization that gives motivation to its workers through giving benefits and compensation that will succeed it solving this problem. Poor production leads to poor achievement or profits. Poor quality of the products will always lead to poor sales in the market. This also leads to high losses incurred by the organization due to lack of recovery of the expenses incurred in the production process after sales (WorldatWork 451). Thirdly, it reduces competition on the company’s products (Kleynhans 35). If the employees leave and have the ability to start their own companies, they will, and this will give competition to the organization from which formerly employed them. If the employees are unable to start their companies, they will look for employment in other companies in the same field, which offer better terms of service. Due to the increased demand for labor force, the workers prefer the company that offers fair terms (Grobler 85). This promotes production due to enough workforce and motivated workers. Compensation and benefits saves a company of bad reputation. For example if an organization abruptly terminates a worker’s employment is and there is no compensation, definitely, the worker would not be happy with the treat given. This tarnishes the organization’s name, and as long as employers still flock the market looking for employment, they will not wish to work in an organization that treats workers unfairly. Reputation is a virtue that is very vital in the business line. If the is spoilt, the organization goes on low production due to lack of workers (Kleynhans 237). Compensations also save a company from court cases. Court cases emerge for instance when an injury occurs to an employee in the line of duty and no compensation. The worker may look for a personal lawyer and sue the company to court (Grobler 88) . On the contrary, if the company awards compensation to workers incase of emergencies like these, the program will save the company time, because of all the processes undergone in processing the cases and pursuing them in court and saves finances accompanying the court cases. Suing a company in court leads to decline in the production progress, as many activities will slow down due to lack of the personnel involved in the process, and the finances used in processing the

Exploring a Work of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Exploring a Work of Art - Essay Example The subject, color, style, and theme successfully depict the main tenets common during the Romantic Age. A formalist analysis of the work may lead to a better understanding of the work and the message being conveyed by the artist. In addition, some research on what other people have to say about the work will help attain a complete analysis. Background of the Author Caspar David Friedrich was a German painter born to a poor family in 1774 in Greifswald, Germany. Despite poverty, the artist attended formal art study with artist Johann Gottfried Quistorp, who conducted art lessons mostly outdoors. This training and exposure to outdoor life helped Friedrich to master the local color and environment thus helped the artist master the art of landscape. According to Vaughan (65), Friedrich’s paintings, which generally reveal Romantic Age ideas, make him â€Å"one of the most important artists† during his time. â€Å"The Monk by the Sea,† an oil on canvass by Caspar Davi d Friedrich in 1809. Analysis of Form A formalist analysis of the color, space, line and texture could lead to discovering the artist’s overall craftsmanship. Color can be considered the most important element in the painting because it is through color that the artist achieves meaning. Notably, contrast is applied with the use of white against the dark green background and the black suit of the monk. This contrast reflects the theme of confusion but considering that the white takes a larger space than the dark colors, taken by the white color, the theme of good versus evil may be implied as darkness may be associated with evil (Guerin 34). Minimalism, a characteristic of Romantic art, is applied with the minimal use of colors. Through minimalism, the artist achieves focus and emotionality. Adding in several colors would have made the painting look less gloomy, hence distorting the message. Importantly, Friedrich used dark green instead of blue for the sea. This may be a litt le questionable considering the usual color of the sea. Nevertheless, the dark emerald green color implies the depth and mystery of the sea. It could also mean unusualness in the life of the monk. Depicting the sea with great darkness, Friedrich made it a point to limit this part to at least one-eighths of the canvass. This allows the other images, such as the sky, the land, and the monk to take form, while it allows the purpose of showing the location of the monk at the same time. Specifically, the center clouds where a rich combination of colors is applied, capture the motion of light breaking into the darkness and at the same time the darkness eating up the light. Such drama found in nature suggests some Romantic thoughts that could likewise draw out sentimentality from the audience. Space is also another important element. The whole image can be divided horizontally into three different parts, namely, the sky, the sea, and the land. The great expanse of the sky, which covers at least â€Å"five-sixths of the canvass† (Web Gallery of Art, n.d.), attracts attention considering the light it sheds on the whole image. Through devoting much space to the sky, the artist achieves artistic drama, which is very typical of the Romantic Movement. On the issue of emphasis, Friedrich attains emphasis with the proper use of space as he allows a larger part of the canvass to be plain. If he made the figure of the

International Finance - HSBC vs BP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Finance - HSBC vs BP - Essay Example This essay declares that British petroleum shortly known as BP was formed in 1998 from the merger of British Petroleum and Amoco grew by buying Atlantic Richfield Company. BP has proved reserves of 18.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent including large holdings in Alaska. BP is the largest oil producer in the US and also top refiner processing 2.8 billions barrels of crude oil per day. BP operates 28,500 gas stations worldwide, including 15,900 in the US. With the success of its ‘BP solar international subsidiary’ BP has created BP alternative Energy (hydrogen, solar and wind power generation) with an initial investment of $1.8 billion. British Petroleum (BP) is one of six vertically integrated private sector oil, natural gas and gasoline super-majors in the world. In the year 2006 BP was ranked 4th in the world by the Fortune Global 500 list, for turnover with sales at $268 billion. This paper stresses that the main issue faced by multinational corporations in the international financial environment is the valuation of such projects whose cash-flows depend on the exchange rate. Two approaches are used: one based on option-valuation methods and the second based on equilibrium arguments that rely on the international capital asset pricing model. The other factors which need consideration are tax planning and the management of flow of funds within foreign subsidiaries of a given multinational. Two essential and related aspects of this environment are first, the foreign exchange market in which exchange rates are determined and second the international financial system governing exchange rate determination. There is a close connection between interest rates, inflation, and exchange rates.

Sample HIPAA Breach Notification Letter Essay Example for Free

Sample HIPAA Breach Notification Letter Essay We are sending this letter to you as part of [Provider]’s commitment to patient privacy. We take patient privacy very seriously, and it is important to us that you are made fully aware of a potential privacy issue. We have learned that your personal information, including name, address, ___________, ___________, and __________, may have been compromised. On [give date of discovery], it was discovered that [describe incident and give date of breach]. We reported the incident to the police because theft may have been involved [if applicable]. However, we have not received any indication that the information has been accessed or used by an unauthorized individual. [Describe steps patient should take to protect themselves:] We are keenly aware of how important your personal information is to you. If you choose, as a measure of added security, we are offering one year of credit monitoring and reporting services at no cost to you. This service is performed through [Vendor], an organization that watches for and reports to you unusual credit activity, such as creating new accounts in your name. [Vendor] will also request that the three credit bureaus place a â€Å"Fraud Alert† on your credit report. If you would like to receive this service, please respond yes by _______ or ________. We understand that this may pose an inconvenience to you. We sincerely apologize and regret that this situation has occurred. [Provider] is committed to providing quality care, including protecting your personal information, and we want to assure you that we have policies and procedures to protect your privacy.

My Childhood Essay Example for Free

My Childhood Essay When I started pre-school, I found it difficult to speak English because I spoke Chinese at home. I was distracted and frightened when I attended school in our Los Angeles neighborhood, and crime was a constant concern for us. It worried my parents to see that I was losing interest in school, so they moved me to Chino Hills after I finished 7th grade to live with my sisters, hoping that the environment would be a better place for me. The different atmosphere I was in changed my perspective on education. The students in Chino Hills are very competitive in their academic pursuits which motivated me to try harder and work up to my potential. The realization that a different environment can make a huge difference brought much confidence to me; I began developing better judgment and making better decisions toward my education. As I approached high school, I was beginning to understand the importance of an education. Although my parents remarks about school were simply for me to behave, I knew they also wanted me to have a good educational opportunity. My first year as a freshman in high school was difficult for me; it became evident that I didnt know how to manage my time. As every con has a pro, I knew that time management was no exception. Mastering the art of time management can reap great rewards, and by ignoring it I found myself facing great disappointment with my grades. At the end of the day, I tried to reflect on my performance and soon realized I have accomplished little. In my sophomore year of high school, I began to manage my time more wisely and took my education more seriously, and realized that it did not take much to use time management in an efficient manner; but the rewards were fulfilling because my grades had greatly risen. My course work and grades became obvious to me that I still had trouble managing my time. I soon started to decompose my goals, making it possible to tackle them one step at a time and realized as I progressed, my time management bettered. During my junior year, Procrastination was the biggest barrier to time management I had to face. I found it difficult at times to start working; however, I realized not working was related to the fear of poor results than it is to the actual difficulty of the work. My junior year gave a spark to my life; it helped me create a target to aim for, which is to attend a top 4 year  University and pursue my dreams in the medical field.

Smart Sensors And Controllers Information Technology Essay

Smart Sensors And Controllers Information Technology Essay Smart sensors are sensors with integrated electronics that can do one or move following functions:- Logic functions, two-way communication, make decisions. It consists of transduction element, signal conditioning electronic and controller or processor that supports some intelligence in a single package. This paper introduces concept of smart sensors and controllers systematically. The progress in the integrated circuits become possible because of the tremendous progress in semiconductor technology, resulted in the low cost microprocessor. By designing a low cost sensor which is silicon based the overall cost of the control system can be reduced. The usefulness of silicon technology as a smart sensor, physical phenomena of conversion to electrical output using silicon sensors, characteristics of smart sensors. The silicon sensor can produce output, as voltage, current, resistance or capacitances, output format can be analog or digital. Suitable signal conditioning circuits along with processor can easily designed using silicon technology. The presence of controller or processor in smart sensor has lead to corrections for different undesirable sensor characteristics which include input offset and span variations, non-linearity and cross sensitivity. As these are carried in software, no additional hardware is required and thus calibration becomes an electronic process. Reduced cost of bulk cables and connectors, cost improvement and remote diagnostics are the qualities of smart sensors. In this paper specifically laser based smart displaced sensor is explained, how smart sensors help anesthesiologist in Anaesthesia supervision is elaborated. An effort is made to demonstrate a prototype Sensor system. Smart dishwasher controller. Features of smart valve controller ends this paper. INDEX SR. NO. CONTENTS 1 Introduction (Smart Sensors) 2 Usefulness of silicon technology in smart sensor 3 General architecture of smart sensor 4 Importance and Adoption of smart sensor 5 Distributed smart sensor system 6 Application in Anaesthesia supervision 7 Smart Controller(Smart Dishwasher Controller) 8 Smart Valve Controller 9 Conclusion 10 References 1. INTRODUCTION: We can have integrated a sensor, which has electronics and the transduction element together on one silicon chip. This complete system can be called as system-on-chip .The main aim of integrating the electronics and the sensor is to make an intelligent sensor, which can be called as smart sensor. Smart sensors then have the ability to make some decision. Physically a smart sensor consists of transduction element, signal conditioning electronic and controller/processor that support some intelligence in a single package. Definition: -Smart sensors are sensors with integrated electronics that can perform one or more function, a) logic functions b) two-way communication c) make decisions. 2. USEFULNESS OF SILICON TECHNOLOGY IN SMART SENSOR: There are very convincing advantages of using silicon technology in the construction of smart sensor. All integrated circuits employ silicon technology. A smart sensor is made with the same technology as integrated circuits. A smart sensor utilizes the transduction properties of one class of materials and electronic properties of silicon (GaAs). A transduction element either includes thin metal films, zinc oxide and polymeric films. Integrating electronics circuits on the sensor chip makes it possible to have single chip solution. Integrated sensors provide significant advantages in terms of overall size and the ability to use small signals from the transduction element. Different silicon sensors can be obtained by employing above effects. The silicon sensor can produce output as voltage, current, resistance or capacitance. Output format can be analog or digital. Suitable signal conditioning circuits along with processor can easily be designed using silicon technology. The presence of controller or processor in smart sensor has lead to corrections for different undesirable sensor characteristics, which include input, offset and span variations, on linearity and cross sensitivity. As these are carried out in software, no additional hardware is required and thus calibration becomes an electronic process. Signal conversion effects: Signal Domain Examples (Measured) Examples(Physical Effects in silicon) Radiant Signals Light Intensity, polarization Photovoltaic-effect, photoelectric effect Mechanical Signals Force, pressure, flow, vaccum Piezo-resistivity Thermal Signals Temp, Temp. gradient Seebeck effect Chemical Signals Concentration, pH, toxicity Ion sensitive field effect Magnetic Signals Field intensity, flux density Hall effect 3. General Architecture of Smart Sensor: It is similar to a data acquisition system, the only difference being the presence of complete system on a single silicon chip. In addition to this it has on-chip offset and temperature compensation. BLOCK LEVEL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR SMART SENSOR: Design choice of smart sensor depends on the specific application for which the sensor is required and also related to specific industry. 4. Importance and Adoption of Smart Sensor: Following are qualities of smart sensor: a) Reduced cost of bulk cables and connectors, b) Remote Diagnostics 4.1 Enhancement of Application:- Smart sensor also enhances the following applications a) Self calibration b) Computation c) Communication d) Multisensing. 4.2 System Reliability: System reliability is significantly improved due to the utilization of smart sensors. One is due to the reduction in system wiring and second is the ability of the sensor to diagnose its own faults and their effect. 4.3 Improvement in Characteristics: There is improvement in following characteristics: Non-linearity, Cross-sensitivity, Offset, Parameter drift and component values. 4.4 Summary of Different Smart Sensors: Some of the smart sensors developed at different research institutes are as follow: Optical Sensor: Optical sensor is one of the examples of smart sensor, which are used for measuring exposure in cameras, optical angle encoders and optical arrays. Similar examples are load cells silicon based pressure sensors. Accelerometer: Accelerometer fabricated at the IBM Research laboratory at San Jose California, which consists of the sensing element and electronics on silicon. The accelerometer itself is a metal-coated SiO2 cantilever beam that is fabricated on silicon chip Integrated Multi-Sensor: Integrated multi-sensor chip developed at the electronics research Laboratory University of California. This chip contains MOS devices for signal conditioning with on chip sensor, a gas flow sensor, an infrared sensing array, a chemical reaction sensor, a cantilever beam, accelerometer, surface acoustic wave vapor sensor, a tactile sensor array and an infrared charge coupled device imager. 5. Distributed Smart Sensor System: A distributed smart sensor system consists of a network backbone, on which reside many nodes. Nodes may be loosely classified as either sensor nodes or controller nodes. Sensor nodes are those, which tend to send data to the network, and controller nodes are those, which tend to gather data from the network. A prototypical smart sensor node consists of three elements: a physical transducer, a network interface, and a processor/memory core. The transducer senses the physical quantity being measured and converts it into an electrical signal. Then the signal is fed to an A/D converter, and is now ready for use by the processor. The processor will perform some signal processing on the data, and depending on how it is programmed, may send the resulting information out to the network. Network transactions are handled by the network interface block. Note that these are only functional definitions and that MEMS technology potentially allows all three blocks to be implemented on a single die. A prototypical controller node consists of processor/memory, a network interface, and input/output devices for communicating with human users. It is used to collect information from the sensor nodes, to program the sensor nodes, and to provide feedback to the user. Placing all the sensors on a common network bus enables plug and play ease of installation. That is, no new wires have to be routed to accommodate new nodes. Fig.No.5 Smart Sensor System Fig.No.6Prototype Smart Sensor Node 6. Specific Application Of Smart Sensor In Medical Field : The Anaesthesia Supervision: Actually, the essential difficulty of anaesthesia supervision results of the fact that, each characteristic signal (adequate ventilation of lungs, adequate circulation, and intra cranial pressure) is assessed separately. Consequently, it is difficult for the anesthesiologist to evaluate the patients conditions. Moreover, he should able to distinguish equipments dysfunction of a real variation of the patient state. So propose a new architecture for anaesthesia supervision, based on concept of smart sensor. The Contribution of This System Are As Follows:- 1. The elaboration of a rate order from the trend curve of pressure measure and precedent rate.2. The supervision of the difference between the intracranial pressure and mean arterial pressure. Validation data processing Patient CARDIOCAP CAPNOMAC ANEMONE Validated data bare Rough Data Base Elaborated Information and newservices Anesthesiologist Patient Sensor N Central Supervision Unit Communication medium of field bus type Sensor 2 Sensor 1 Fig.No.7Central Data Processing Unit Fig.No.8.uture Architecture of Anaesthesia Supervision 7.Smart Controller: Smart controller is the latest inventory mode of controller. Smart Dishwasher Controller:Current dishwashers enable the user to choose cycle selection, heat selection, and a start delay. Our Smart Controller will remove the cycle options by utilizing a turbidity sensor. The Smart Controller will interface with two modules: the control panel and the dishwasher hardware. Based on user inputs of heat and delay, the controller will send control signals to the proper dishwasher components. The addition of new sensors allows a more accurate pre-wash cycle that can rinse the dishes as long as necessary to remove the loose grit before starting the main cycle. This saves time, energy, and waterafter all, even if the pre-wash cycle actually takes LONGER to run, the user will not have to rewash dishes!It will have inputs both from the user and from onboard sensors; the micro controller that will process the information and provide the appropriate instructions to operate the dishwasher; an amplification circuit to provide the correct signal voltage level to operate the various loads. With the use of a turbidity sensor and a microprocessor, we can take advantage of knowing that the dishes are clean. This will allow us to change the dishwasher operation from static cycles to dynamic cycles. This will undoubtedly result in more efficient wash cycles. 8. Smart Valve Controller: Fig. No. 9 Smart Valve Controller The Smart Valve Controller mounts to a valve solenoid quickly and easily- without screws, drills or additional wires. This rugged product is fully submersible and resists all moisture intrusion in water, mud and debris as deep as 12 feet. Operating off a single 9-volt battery thats guaranteed to provide power through a full season. Its also a breeze to program, with an easy to read and understand LCD display instead of cumbersome buttons and knobs. For isolated sites or power-restricted areas, and for the special needs of drip zones, the new Hunter Smart Valve Controller is your single-station solution. 9. CONCLUSION Smart sensors are becoming a considerable part of various fields such as industries, medical, defense. Silicon plays an important role in development of smart sensors. Still a lot of research is required to get benefits of smart sensors. We recognize that Home Automation is the wave of future. Smart Dishwasher controller gives future vision of Automatic Smart control system. Smooth advantage of smart controller can be sensed by practical example of smart valve controller.

The Depths of Fear: Peter Benchley Essays -- Authors

The world’s oceans, they cover a great majority of our planet. According to scientists, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about what’s in the waters of our own planet. Even with advancing science we still don’t know very much about them. So imagine what it was like back around the 1970’s, it was already a time of great fear, and to some extent, paranoia in the United States with the threat of nuclear war and multiple other new threats emerging. Surprisingly, although it was known that there were dangerous things in the sea, nobody seemed to pay that much mind to it. All that changed when a man named Peter Benchley wrote a book called Jaws. This book, the resulting movie, and his literary works to follow opened up a new aspect that no one had ever thought of. It was a new breed of terror that came from the last place anyone ever had expected, the ocean itself. It is because of this book that Peter Benchley really became a household name. Born May 8th, 1940 in New York, NY he was raised in a family of writers. His father Nathaniel Benchley was a known writer of children’s books and his grandfather was a well-known humorist named Robert Benchley. He spent his childhood writing and even got paid in his teens to write during his vacations. He got a very formal writer’s education studying at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and attaining his major in English from Harvard. He wrote a sort of autobiography of himself as his very first published book entitled Time and a Ticket in 1964. Before he even got to the ideas for the books he’s now famous for, he spent time in several other writing positions including some for the Washington Post, Newsweek, and he even served as a speech writer for President Lyndon B. ... ... over the course of his life, Peter Benchley passed away in February 2006, the legacy ending of the man who made generations afraid to get in the water. Works Cited Swann, Christopher. "Peter Benchley: Overview." Contemporary Popular Writers. Ed. Dave Mote. Detroit: St. James Press, 1997. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29 Mar. 2012 The Wilson Quarterly. 30.2 (Spring 2006) p120. Word Count: 155. From Literature Resource Center. "Peter Benchley." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-A-Co/Benchley-Peter.html Benchley, Peter. The Beast. Random House, 1991. Print. Benchley, Peter. Shark Trouble. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003. Print. Benchley, Peter. White Shark. Random House, 1994. Print. "Biography for Peter Benchley." n.pag. Web. 5 Apr 2012. . The Depths of Fear: Peter Benchley Essays -- Authors The world’s oceans, they cover a great majority of our planet. According to scientists, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about what’s in the waters of our own planet. Even with advancing science we still don’t know very much about them. So imagine what it was like back around the 1970’s, it was already a time of great fear, and to some extent, paranoia in the United States with the threat of nuclear war and multiple other new threats emerging. Surprisingly, although it was known that there were dangerous things in the sea, nobody seemed to pay that much mind to it. All that changed when a man named Peter Benchley wrote a book called Jaws. This book, the resulting movie, and his literary works to follow opened up a new aspect that no one had ever thought of. It was a new breed of terror that came from the last place anyone ever had expected, the ocean itself. It is because of this book that Peter Benchley really became a household name. Born May 8th, 1940 in New York, NY he was raised in a family of writers. His father Nathaniel Benchley was a known writer of children’s books and his grandfather was a well-known humorist named Robert Benchley. He spent his childhood writing and even got paid in his teens to write during his vacations. He got a very formal writer’s education studying at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and attaining his major in English from Harvard. He wrote a sort of autobiography of himself as his very first published book entitled Time and a Ticket in 1964. Before he even got to the ideas for the books he’s now famous for, he spent time in several other writing positions including some for the Washington Post, Newsweek, and he even served as a speech writer for President Lyndon B. ... ... over the course of his life, Peter Benchley passed away in February 2006, the legacy ending of the man who made generations afraid to get in the water. Works Cited Swann, Christopher. "Peter Benchley: Overview." Contemporary Popular Writers. Ed. Dave Mote. Detroit: St. James Press, 1997. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29 Mar. 2012 The Wilson Quarterly. 30.2 (Spring 2006) p120. Word Count: 155. From Literature Resource Center. "Peter Benchley." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-A-Co/Benchley-Peter.html Benchley, Peter. The Beast. Random House, 1991. Print. Benchley, Peter. Shark Trouble. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003. Print. Benchley, Peter. White Shark. Random House, 1994. Print. "Biography for Peter Benchley." n.pag. Web. 5 Apr 2012. .

gatcolor Great Gatsby Essays: Importance of Color :: Great Gatsby Essays

Importance of Color in The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In literature, colors are often purposefully chosen for different characters to represent the character’s personalities. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the colors green, yellow/gold, and gray are used to represent the attributes of the colored person or place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Apparently, green is the most prominently used color in the novel. The reason for this may be that green is the color used to describe the main character of the novel, Jay Gatsby. One of the possible meanings of green in this story is envy. Gatsby can be seen as an envious man for a few reasons. For one, he is extremely envious of Tom Buchanan because of the fact that he has the one thing he can’t buy, Daisy. Also, Gatsby is extremely envious of the people that he invites to his house. He knows that he is not old money like the people he invites to his parties. This makes him a man of who, is â€Å"Green with envy.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In like manner, green is also used to symbolize money. In the story, money controls the life of the people in the story. Gatsby feels that he needs green money to live and to impress Daisy. Symbols of Gatsby’s money included his large green lawn and the green ivy growing up his house. Also, in his car, it depicts the passengers sitting â€Å"in a sort of green leather conservatory.† All of these symbols depict Gatsby’s money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast to green, yellow and gold are used to be an example of old money, unlike green that is used to depict the new money of gold. Tom could be seen as a gold person for he has old money. As green and gold contrast, so do Gatsby and Tom. A quotation of new money gold is â€Å"†¦ Jordan’s slender golden arm resting on mine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gatsby desperately buys â€Å"†¦.. a yellow car,† in which he will attempt to be of old money, even though everyone knows that Gatsby is not of old money. Gold and green are as much a contrast of new and old, but they do have a distant connection just as a new and an old car have the same connection. They may look different, but deep down, the two can be seen as the same item.   Fitzgerald describes the Valley of Ashes as

How does Act One prepare the audience of Macbeth for the remainder of the play? Essay

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play rich in imagery with vivid words and phrases that conjure up emotionally charged mental pictures. The way in which William Shakespeare uses contrasting scenes, especially in Act One only makes these images more vibrant. The many soliloquies in Act One illustrate the ways in which Macbeth’s mind is tormented, however, it is also these soliloquies that make the audience feel sympathetic toward Macbeth and therefore make the play more tragic when Macbeth’s character flaws. This emotional hold towards the protagonist created in Act One, makes Macbeth one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays not only to modern audiences but also to the 17th century audience. The First Scene prepares the audience for the rest of the play as it shows the witches or the weird sisters in an evil light; this thought is amplified by the use of thunder and lightning. The language that the weird sisters use also readies the audience for the remainder of the play. The weird sisters speak in riddles and prophesise future events. For example they predict that they will meet again â€Å"When the hurly-burly’s done, When the battle is lost, and won†. For a 17th century audience, where people believed it possible to summon the devil with such riddles, the apprehension that the audience already posses will amplify thus creating an anxious atmosphere within the playhouse. Nevertheless this prophecy gives the audience an insight into the remainder of the play and adds suspense as the witches use mysterious and menacing words, thus enticing the audience to continue watching. At the end of the scene the weird sisters chant ambiguous words such as â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair† this again gives the audience the impression that possible strange and supernatural events are to come, therefore further drawing them into the play. The quote also infers that later on in the play it will be hard to distinguish between good and bad or, alternatively â€Å"fair† and â€Å"foul†. Shakespeare would have been aware that the reigning monarch at the time of the plays release, James I had a strange fascination with supernatural events and witches, even participating in the infamous Pendal Witch Trial. By pleasing the monarch in this way it would have helped William Shakespeare’s promotion of the play, therefore helping to popularise it. Another prediction that the witches make is in Act One, Scene Three where they predict great things for Macbeth; â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor† â€Å"All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter† This prediction is very important for the foundations of the play, as it prepares the audience for murder and scandal and makes the audience more knowledgeable about what’s to come, than some of the characters. It is this dramatic irony that allows the audience to be able to make predictions about subsequent Scenes. The portrayal of the protagonist Macbeth at the start of the First Act is one of a heroic, valiant servant to King Duncan. The Captain describes him as â€Å"For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name†. This rather glowing report gives the audience the impression that Macbeth is a loyal servant to the King, however the irony is that by the end of the Act he is plotting to commit regicide against Duncan. This contrast in character between courageousness and treachery makes the play gripping and exiting. The very first line that Macbeth says is â€Å"So foul a fair a day I have not seen† these words seem to echo the chants of the weird sisters in the first scene. This seems to indicate that even having not met each other the witches have a supernatural influence on Macbeth, maybe in his mind and it shows that the weird sisters and Macbeth resemble each other, even at this early stage in the play. The words also hint that conflict and insecurity exist in his mind even though he has just won a great battle. This gives the audience a view into Macbeth’s early thought processes, and this consequently readies them for the reminder of the play. When talking about killing the King, Macbeth uses less brutal euphemisms such as â€Å"the deed†, â€Å"this blow† and â€Å"my intent† this infers that Macbeth is not all evil and he wants to think as little about the proposed murder of Duncan as possible. This gives the audience the impression that he is not going to be the main villain in the play and suggest that there will be an external influence that pushes him to carry out the murder, as observed by Aristotle in which he lists the ingredients for a tragedy. However the end of Act One prepares the audience for evil things to originate through Macbeth, as in Scene Seven he struggles with his conscience. Evidently bad things do come through Macbeth in the lat er Acts, in fact in Act Three he says; â€Å"I am in blood stepp’d in so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This tells us that Macbeth has done many terrible deeds and that if he were to go back and right his wrongs it would be as tedious as to go forward and carry on the tyranny. Thus his only option is to go forward to try and claim more glory. This terrible quandary that Macbeth finds himself in could be a bit of early political propaganda that William Shakespeare has slipped into the play to satisfy James I. The purpose of this subtly placed propaganda was to put-off any people who were scheming to commit regicide, at a time where there were many plots to kill the king; non-more famous than Guy Fawkes’ â€Å"Gunpowder Plot†. In the play when Macbeth does kill Duncan unnatural events follow, such as Duncan’s horses eating each other. Ross recalls the event and says that the horses â€Å"Turned wild in nature† and â€Å"flung out†. This indicates to audiences that killing the King will provoke God to inflict unnatural events upon the earth, therefore inferring that Kings do have a divine right, a view that was firmly believed by James the First. Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a scheming villain who is behind Macbeth’s murder of the King. The first thing that Macbeth’s â€Å"dearest partner of greatness† says is all about how to cause the downfall of Duncan for Macbeth’s and her own personal gain. She is portrayed as rather a manly figure who has an overpowering role over Macbeth. An example of Lady Macbeth’s male instincts is seen in Act One Scene Five when she calls on the sprits to â€Å"unsex† her and make he become more manly to assist her plan for Duncan’s murder. â€Å"†¦.unsex me here And fill me from the crown of the toe topful Of dearest cruelty; make thick my blood† This quote suggests to the audience that Lady Macbeth will be an evil unremorseful and ruthless character throughout the entire play; however ironically later in the text she becomes more conscious of her actions and Macbeth has more control over here. When her conscience returns she hallucinates and believes that she has blood on her hands. This is a massive contrast to what she told Macbeth when he was clearing the blood from his hands after Duncan’s murder; â€Å"A little water clears us of this deed†. This contrast suggests that she is regretting her earlier actions and is indeed being tormented by them. In the First Act King Duncan is perceived as a gentle, ideal king. For example when talking of Cawdor’s treachery his words are full of personal regret and he has no malice in them. His language is also full of gratitude for the service Macbeth and Banquo have performed. However ironically because he is so fond of Macbeth he rather naively does not see his murder coming and he is easily fooled by Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s welcoming looks and flattery. To back up this point an example of flattery towards the King is when Lady Macbeth repeatedly refers to him as â€Å"Your majesty† which reinforces the idea of loyalty towards the King. The use of language by Lady Macbeth gives the audience the impression that she has a mischievous and cunning mind hence setting then up for later Acts. To conclude, at the start of Act One William Shakespeare cleverly misleads the audience into believing that the characters have sound morals, but as the play progresses we see this to be a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade. The plot becomes exiting for the audience as there earlier assumptions are proved incorrect in later acts. Also William Shakespeare’s use of juxtaposing scenes, which contrast with each other, often ironically prepares the audience for unexpected and surprising events in the play. The themes of greed, power and conspiracy found in Act One of Macbeth prove to be as relevant for a modern audience as they were for a 17th century one. They have the effect of an audience questioning the limits they would go to, to fulfil there own desires. However by the end of the play these questions should have been answered.

Journal of Sofonisba Anguissola Essay

I have painted many self-portraits in my life, but the one that sticks out the most to me is the one in which I painted myself holding a book. I was born in a time, when women typically were not encouraged to obtain an education. My family, however, went against the grain, and actively supported my sisters and I in our education. Even today, as I write this, my society celebrates women for our â€Å"virtue and beauty,† (Niyazi, 2011) with our sole purpose being solely the â€Å"ambition to marry and bear children† (Niyazi, 2011). Nowadays, women in Italy are â€Å"consigned to sit in their palazzos and pursue needle work† (Burke, 1995) when not occupied with the tasks of raising children and tending to their families. Women are not considered to be individuals that are worthy of being intelligent creatures and their education is believed to be a waste of time and resources. In contrast to this common societal belief, my parents pushed me to become educated. Studies of the arts were especially stressed, and this is one of the main reasons why I was even given the liberty of pursuing my artistic interests. I painted this particular self-portrait in order to show other women that education is a worthy cause to pursue. In this portrait, I painted myself holding a book. This book is open, and the viewer can see the writing within it. Within the portrait, the book is not painted merely for show, but rather to signify that it has a place in my life. It is the only object that is in the painting besides me and it draws the attention of the viewer. It is something that is special and precious and asks other women to take the journey of education with me. This self-portrait is rather simple, yet it holds quite a bit of meaning to me. I am wearing very simple, and dark colored clothing, and my hair is pulled back in a bun. I intentionally stripped my image of trad itional feminine adornments, such as an elegant dress and an elaborate hairstyle, in order to draw attention away from my femininity. I avoided these â€Å"female signifiers† (Niyazi, 2011) so that the audience would not connect my image with beauty, which is something that is traditionally connected to women in my society. I created this image to look masculine in order to show that I am mature, independent, and self-possessed (Niyazi, 2011). Even the background behind me has nothing that would detract from this; the background is a rich green color that only makes my figure stand out to the viewer. I can only hope that the women that have looked at this portrait of me are inspired to pursue their goals and dreams, no matter how foolish they may seem to be by society. I have been fortunate enough to be allowed to break away from my expected norms and go after the arts. I hear that I am the â€Å"first known woman artists to achieve international fame,† (Clara, 2012) which means that my efforts and my talents have not gone in vain. It is my humble wish that decades from now, women can look at this pai nting and see that their efforts to be more equal to men are worth and so important. Amongst the paintings that I have created, there are several others that I think are an important contribution to the study of art. The first one is The Family Group, which I painted in 1558. In this painting, the central figures are my father, Amilcare, my sister Minerva, and my only brother, Asrudbale. In the painting, my father’s attention is focused on my brother, while my sister stands behind them. This painting represents the traditional Italian family of my time, where the family is male-centered, and the females remain in the background. From amongst us seven children, my father had only one son, and only this one child had the ability to carry on our family name, therefore, this child was obviously very special to my father. This painting signifies the bonds of this relationship and the expectations that a father may have for his son. The second painting would be The Chess Game, which I painted in 1555. The main subjects of this paintings are three of my sisters, Lucia, Europa, and Minerva, and our nurse. My sisters are playing a chess game and obviously enjoying it very much. The purpose of this painting was to show that women are just as capable of being intellectual as are our male counterparts. Chess is a challenging game to engage in, and it is truly a feat to beat another player. If I remember correctly, around the time that I had painted this particular piece, the rules of this ancient game were changed in order to â€Å"make the queen the most powerful pawn† (Niyazi, 2011) within the game, which was meant to reflect back upon my sisters playing. The final painting that is remarkable to me is Portrait of Giulio Clovio, which represents the artis Giulio Clovio holding a small figure of the Flemish female artist, Levina Terrlinc, in his hand, and looking at the viewer. All throughout my artistic career, female artists were cultivated and developed under the tutelage of a famous male artist. I, myself, studied under the watchful eyes of Campi and Michaelangelo. Granted, I was able to learn crucial skills that helped me develop into the artist that I am today, but I still resent the fact that it is the male artist that must shape the female artist. The fact that the subject of this painting, Clovio, is holding miniature of a female artist shows the concept of male influence and leadership. Even though I may not completely like this, I have to accept it. However, I was able to capture my feelings regarding this issue in this painting. Overall, my paintings reflect my desire for women to be equal to men. Whatever it is that I have painting, as evidenced by my self-portrait and the other three painting that I have chosen to highlight, it is a commentary on the social conditions in Italy. I would like women to have the opportunity to obtain the education that is traditionally available only to men. We owe it to ourselves to pursue the best lives possible and to do what makes us happy instead of living fighting the expectations of society. Sources Burke, Kathleen. (May 1995). Sofonisba Anguissola: Renaissance painter extraordinare. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/anguissola-abstract.html Clara. (2012). Database of Women Artists. Retrieved from http://clara.nmwa.org/index.php?g=entity_detail&entity_id=116 Niyazi, Hasan. (20 July 2011). Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist. 3 Pipe. Retrieved from http://www.3pipe.net/2011/07/sofonisba-anguissola-and-problem-of.html

The South African Youth

Reflecting back on the tragedy that just occurred at Columbine High School in Denver Colorado and the generalizations being made about the U.S youth and the crisis that we are in and supposedly are experiencing ,I decided to research the youth crisis in South Africa. There is at present no â€Å"youth crisis† as such. However young people find themselves in the midst of a range of crises that should be addressed urgently by the state and society. † South African youths† as a category refers to South Africans between 15 and 30 years of age; they constitute 29,5% of the population, yet there is no comprehensive youth policy in place to attend to their needs. Most young people share common values of society – signs of radicalism and militarism are found in only a minority of youth. Only a small percentage of South Africa's youth can be considered truly marginalized as the country's youth as a whole and therefore cannot be called a â€Å"lost generation†. Thirty-seven per cent of South Africa population were below the age of 15 in 1991. It can be compared with the average of 40% for similar countries in the world, less-developed countries averaging 44% and industrialized countries 23%. The composition of people between 15 and 30 years, comprised 29,5% of South Africa's population. Figures for racial categories indicate a total of approximately 8,3 million (75%) black, 1,4 m. (12%) white, 1,1 m. (10%) colored and 300 000 (3%) Asian youths in this group. There are many problems for the South African Youth and some of the most challenging problems include family and community instability that leads to a wide range of other social problems for youth. The black family has been under enormous strain partly because of an education system that is not providing all youth with relevant and quality education. Economic stagnation, together with inadequate education, has resulted in high levels of unemployment and poverty, especially among women and blacks. Demographic factors which continue to impact on the South African population and more specifically the youth. It has been estimated that by 1995, 50% of the age cohort 15 to 19 will live in urban areas. The extent to which young people from the different racial and cultural groups have become isolated from one another, with the accompanying negative stereotypes, intolerance and racism. A historical survey in the report leaves little doubt that South African youth have over the years been victims of political and socio-cultural crises. They have been subjected to poverty, blatant political manipulation, racial and other divisions that tore the country apart, and a lack of any systematic youth policy to attend to their needs. As a group, they have for many years been largely ignored by the leaders in control of their destiny. And yet, from the earliest decades of the century, they have attempted to assert themselves by forming youth organizations, by protesting against injustices and by insisting on a decent education and living conditions. Unemployment has been a struggle for the South African Youth. Studies show roughly 42% of youth between the ages of 15 and 30 were unemployed. Young women were particularly disadvantaged. In the first place, they were less likely to be part of the labor force because large numbers were involved in unpaid domestic work. Secondly, they found it difficult to find employment while being involved in unpaid domestic work. Unemployment affects the unmarried, junior members of households more adversely than the other members. Unemployment is higher in the homelands and in urban areas that comprise squatter and informal settlements close to the major metropolitan area. It is however unclear as to whether unemployment is higher in rural or in urban areas. At the time, studies indicate 45% of the black, 12% of the white, 40% of the colored and 29% of the Asian youth were unemployed. Family structure and living conditions play an important role. The core family has been seriously affected by social upheavals. Studies indicate that 22% of white, 20% of Asian, 32% of colored and 40 % of black families are currently headed by females. Stability may be found in nuclear, extended, compound or single-parent families. The extended kinship system among blacks and Asians seems to cushion the negative effects of disrupted nuclear family units. However, many youths are not experiencing stability of an enduring nature, and it emerges from surveys that a lot of young people are receiving only fragmented care. The lack of control, supervision and attention is clearly linked to teenagers' negative behavior such as alcohol and drug abuse, crime, indiscriminate and unprotected sexual activities, etc. Percentages of teenage pregnancies and births out of wedlock are unacceptably high and AIDS is a frightening reality. Amenities such as electricity, on-tap water, waterborne sewerage, refuse removal, etc, are massively under provided to blacks. Black youth live in homes of which 46 % do not have running water and 57 % have no electricity. Only 53 % blacks have access to television Over the life span of today's youth, a third of all Asian families, nearly a quarter of all colored families and nearly a fifth of the black population were forcibly moved by one method or another. Culture and youth organizations play a very important role in the South African youth of today. Studies affirm that one cannot really speak of a single, monolithic â€Å"youth culture†. In an era of rapid social transformation, stereotyped binary cultural oppositions such as urban/rural, elitist/popular, modern/traditional, are also losing their essential distinctive value. For example, some research point to the possibility that the position that youth occupied in â€Å"traditional†, conservative societies has changed with urbanization and westernization. Recognition of youth's new, more assertive position has important implications for policy formulation regarding their diversity and their ability not only to react to change and development but actually help guide it. On the other hand, one study showed that, in spite of lingering signs of racism, 60% of adolescents from all the population groups preferred to identify themselves as â€Å"South African†, which may indicate an increasing sense of shared identity, if not unity. The present processes of societal transformation and democratization make the promotion of a shared culture and values essential; something that should start at school level. Recreation and sports play an important role in young people's lives: 41,7% of male youth and 18,7% of female youth in South Africa are active members of sports clubs. Only 16,3% of all youth however belonged to a youth club and only 8,4% belonged to a cultural organization. Facilities for sports, recreational and organizational activities are urgently needed. The crisis in education is well documented. Black education was seriously disrupted during the 1980s. However, black education expanded greatly in an attempt to fulfil its community's needs, and improved its retention rates at the same time, despite a range of crises that were almost beyond human imagination. For the majority of black youth in South Africa, access to secondary education is restricted to traditional secondary schools where places are limited, facilities are not up to standard, teachers are not properly qualified and access to subjects such as mathematics, physical science, economics, business economics, accounting, etc, is limited because of a shortage of teachers qualified in these subjects. This causes the whole system to be skewed in favor of such subjects as biology, geography, history and biblical studies, which are the four most â€Å"popular† non-language subjects among black pupils. Clearly if this trend were to continue, the youth would be even more fr ustrated with the learning opportunities offered to them. Violence and crime remain endemic in the country and have many destructive effects on youth. Scientific research has shown that black respondents generally rejected violence as a political option, but that about 20% of the white the respondents tended to be militarized in their outlook. In a new democracy like South Africa it is imperative that all its citizens should be politically literate to enable them to participate fully in all facets of a democratic society. Several studies on political literacy among young South Africans have suggested that this country's youth are not well informed about politics. There is probably no area of South African life which has more compellingly shown the extent to which apartheid has isolated and insulated different sections of this country's youth from one another than the area of politics. Youth who grew up in the security and tranquillity of white neighborhoods could fully participate in the parliamentary politics of apartheid South Africa if they wished to do so. They had very little knowledge or understanding of the harsh realities of township life which confronted the vast majority of South Africa's youth every day. For most white youths the events, that have taken place in South Africa's black townships since the mid-seventies, were nothing more than images on the television screen – events they were socialized to interpret as being initiated by radical (communist inspired) people who were attempting to take away their (whites') privileged position. Indeed, white and black youths under apartheid lived in different worlds. Studies have shown that the above problems are ameliorated by two sets of findings, namely that â€Å"the South African youth† by no means represent a uniform category of people, and that the majority of South Africa's young people want to play a constructive role in the creation of a new South Africa. Their rejection of violence, their respect for the cultural and racial diversity in South Africa, the value they place on education and training are all very important to the South African youths of today and in that sense we American youths should learn a thing or two from them. They have adapted in remarkable and innovative ways to the often painful processes of rapid change, and although they may lack skills and opportunities, they are eager to face the challenge of reconstruction and development. Most of them share their communities' values and are basically conservative in their views. Only 8% of the sample claimed no religious affiliation – the majority felt that religion played an important role in their daily lives. In conclusion that the tide may be turning for the country's youth. Population growth rates are decreasing, income distribution is becoming more equal, the assault on family structures was balanced by the growth of the compound family, a legitimately elected government is in place and a national youth policy has been promised in the RDP. June 16 has been declared a public holiday and renamed Youth Day. Not only youth's many contributions to the country, but in particular their sacrifices and hardships have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

“The Scarlet Letter” Chapters 1-3 Review Essay

1. As the story opens a throng is gathered. Who are these people? Where and why are they gathered? Men with beards in sad-colored garments and crowned hats, there are also a few women. They are citizens and they are gathered outside, around the marketplace, to view Hester Prynne on a platform, with her scarlet letter. 2. The description in Chapter One of the people’s dress, the prison, and the surrounding vegetation serves to establish certain important impressions of Puritan society at the time of the story. What impressions of this society do you get from the opening chapter? It can be inferred that the timeline is in the seventeenth century due to the description of the area and the way it is referenced, such as the â€Å"market place.† I feel that the community is very strict Puritan. As it was mentioned in the Hawthorne biography lecture, his writing was influenced by a strict Puritan background. Puritans took sin very seriously, which included being very strict with punishments. In the first chapter, the details of Hester’s punishment are not in vivid detail; however, her sin is not just taken with a â€Å"grain of salt,† so to say, because she is put on display in front of the entire community. 3. The story itself begins with the punishment of Hester Prynne. a. What early hints do you get in Chapter Two about the nature of her crime? A group of women are discussing Hester at the market-place and the women agreed that the women who are mature and good church members should be allowed to deal with such â€Å"malefactresses as this Hester Prynne.† The women also refer to Hester as a â€Å"hussy.† It is also mentioned that Dimmesdale is upset about such a scandal. One woman suggests that Hester should be branded upon her forehead and another woman declares that Hester has â€Å"brought shame upon us all, and ought to die.† The women’s remarks suggest that â€Å"Mistress Prynne† has committed a woman’s crime, one that brings them all shame. So,  from the language of the group of women and the terms â€Å"mistress† and â€Å"scandal,† it can best be inferred that she committed a crime that looks bad amongst women and her being referred to as a mistress (one who partakes in sexual acts without relationship bounds) gives hints to her crime. b. What more definite information about her crime do you get in Chapter Three? While standing on the platform, Hester recognizes a man in the crowd who is accompanied by an Indian. This man inquires about her and why she is there. This is where we learn that she has committed adultery (the scarlet letter â€Å"A† is for adultery). 4. What two punishments have been assigned to Hester Prynne? One is that her sin ousts her from society. The other is that she must wear an â€Å"A,† the scarlet letter, especially for public humiliation, which marks that she committed adultery. 5. Standing on the scaffold, Hester envisions her earlier life. What facts do you learn about her previous life? What was her relationship with the man â€Å"well stricken in years†? We learn that she grew up in England, and her house, which was a decayed, poverty-stricken house of gray stone. Her mother had passed away and it was inferred that she also left her home to go to a city because she imagines a continental city with narrow streets, huge cathedrals; and ancient public buildings. While mentioning the city, the book also mentions the man â€Å"well stricken in his years.† It is said that she imagines a man whose years had worn on him, his right shoulder a bit deformed because the left shoulder is higher, the weary face and bleary eyes of a scholar who had read many books. In the third chapter, Hester sees a man in the crowd that matches the description of her imagination and he immediately catches her gaze. It is later revealed in the chapter that the man is her husband. 6. One man in the surrounding crowd is singled out. He is described as â€Å"clad in a strange disarray of civilized and savage costume.† a. What effect does his presence have on Hester?   Her intensive awareness of the public’s attention was relieved when she saw an Indian with a white man in the crowd. It is said that when Hester saw the man, she clutched her baby to her chest so hard that it cried; however, she did not even realize or hear her baby cry. She could not stop staring at him. b. What is the significance of his laying his finger on his lips when Hester fastens her eyes on him? He had noticed that she was watching him and she must’ve been confused by his presence. When he caught her gaze, he pressed his finger to his lips to signal to her to not say a word. c. What clues are there to his identity? When Hester was on the scaffold imagining her past, she imagined a man with deformed shoulders, his left shoulder higher than his right, she imagined a weary face and bleary ices with a penetrating power. The first clue is when Hester first sees the man and she notices his â€Å"intelligence† features, she also notices his shoulders and more into the details, it is revealed through the expressive descriptions of his eyes and his gaze that the man she sees in the crowd is the man she imagined. 7. While on the scaffold, Hester is subjected to a kind of interrogation. a. What important question related to her crime remains unanswered? Who the father of Hester’s baby is/who tempted Hester. b. What plea do the two ministers make in regard to this question? To reveal the man who is the baby’s father/tempted Hester into adultery. c. Who else besides the 2 clergymen questions her in this matter? It was Governor Bellingham. d. What is Hester’s response? That her child must seek a heavenly father, for her child will never have an earthly one. 8. Based on the reading you have done in these chapters, do you have a theory about the answer to the question which the ministers have put to Hester? If you do, explain what you have noticed in your reading that might support  your theory. During the questioning, Dimmesdale has a much stronger plea than Mr. Wilson, but prior to his questioning, he takes a moment to say a silent prayer, which Mr. Wilson did not, which gives a bit of a suspicion. Dimmesdale’s voice trembles and is quite broken when he speaks to Hester; he even mentions that even if the man who tempted her had to step down from his position of high power/authority, that it would be better than living a life of sin. When Mr. Wilson asked Hester to speak, her gaze never broke Dimmesdale, especially with she said that she would never tell. â€Å"She will not speak!,† murmured Dimmesdale, as he was leaning over the balcony with his hand over his heart as he had waited to see how Hester would respond. From Dimmesdale’s strong plea, his emotions and actions during the plea, and the way he reacts when Hester is asked to speak gives off hints that there may be a connection between Hester and Dimmesdale.