The Difficulty of Assessing Musical Performance Essay

The difficulty of assessing musical performance Musical Performance poses many difficulties in terms of assessment. In a maths exam there is typically one answer to a problem but there are many ways to perform a Beethoven symphony, a contemporary song, a traditional tune or a jazz piece. Obviously basic concepts for a musical performance must be observed but each individual’s interpretation is likely to be different. Therefore one person’s assessment of a performance may differ to another’s. As a result a list of specific dimensions of the performance needs to be set up in order to achieve consensus and to avoid subjectivity. By following these guidelines an accurate and concise assessment can be made. There are various factors that†¦show more content†¦For instance a pianist may suit a great hall, a traditional musician may suit a more laid back atmosphere such as cultural centre and a band performance may suit a pub setting or a large concert venue. However as a performer you have to learn to be flexible with your approach and adapt to any scenario you may encounter. There will also be occasions when you will have to perform to an audience who are not familiar with your genre of music and you may have to give a greater introduction to your performance than what may be necessary if you where performing to followers of your genre of music. If the piece is regularly heard less time can be spent introducing the actual piece and instead try and give the audience something new to think about such as something they never knew about the piece or the composer. You could talk about the concepts that initially drew you to perform the piece or if it was a piece you composed you coul d tell the story of the piece and how it came about. Performing is much more than just putting together a set of pieces. Challenging programmes can expand the musical expectations of the audience and can be very fulfilling but yet challenging at the same time. It would be easier for the performer to program a performance with common favourites but that may not be artistically fulfilling. However, on the other hand, it would not be advisable to programme a performance ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Alfred Binet And Lewis Terman On Intelligence Testing1696 Words   |  7 PagesAlfred Binet and Lewis Terman on their approaches to intelligence testing there are some similarities amongst the two. One such similarity would be regarding content. Alfred Binet’s approach to intelligence testing consisted of tests that ranged in difficulty levels from easy to hard. These tests required one to demonstrate his or her own cognitive ability, decision making, and verbal skills. Lewis Terman’s approach to intelligence testing was an upd ated version of Binet’s. Terman also used cognitiveRead MoreMy Pre Conference With Mrs. Andruska818 Words   |  4 Pagesclass through multiple activity transitions and frequent praise. Mrs. Andruska stressed to me that she would be assessing her students’ understanding of the material being conveyed through student performance. Students in her classes demonstrate their understand by clapping, singing, stomping, and dancing, therefore demonstrating their level of understanding as related to the musical concepts she is teaching. When we discussed how things have been going in Mrs. Andruska’s 1st grade general musicRead MoreIntellectual Power624 Words   |  3 Pagescomprehension, vocabulary etc. The results of these tests identified children who may have had some problems or difficulties in school (Bee amp; Boyd, 2012, p.167). Since that period, the measuring of intelligence has drastically changed. The most widely accepted method of assessing intellectual power is a standardized test called the intelligent quotient, or IQ test. The IQ test is a performance test that ranks an individual’s intelligence based on a score generated from tests results. This score comparesRead MoreCognitive Development: Multiple Intelligences1536 Words   |  7 Pagesin skills in areas not measured through tradition IQ tests (Arnett, 2013). MI theory proposes that individual’s intelligence can be differentiated on eight different modalities: †¢ visual–spatial †¢ verbal–linguistic †¢ logical–mathematical †¢ musical–rhythmic †¢ bodily–kinesthetic †¢ interpersonal †¢ intrapersonal †¢ naturalistic MI theory suggests that individual’s should not be labelled to any one of these intelligences, but can have strengths in a combination of two or more of these intelligencesRead MoreHow Learning Can Play An Instrument2838 Words   |  12 Pagesreviewed in this chapter gives a description and synthesis in the areas central to this study: how learning to play an instrument transfers to cognitive development in other subjects, the progression for learning to play a musical instrument, and methods that have been successful in assessing student’s mastery in learning to play an instrument. At the conclusion of this chapter will be brief overview of the methodology that will be used by the researcher in their research. How learning to play an instrumentRead MoreIntelligence Of Intelligence And Intelligence1297 Words   |  6 PagesGardner maintained that it is comprised of seven components: musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, naturalist, existential, and intrapersonal (Gardner s Multiple Intelligences.). We measure these intelligences through tests. Mainly known as intelligence testing, IQs are gathered from certain tests that measure the 7 components of intelligence. Intelligence testing is a method for assessing an individual s mental aptitudes and comparing them withRead More Analysis of Accuracy of MidYIS Tests Essay2013 Words   |  9 Pageseducators, are tested at GCSE. Certain fundamental skills required for success at GCSE Music cannot be tested in the MidYIS tests, and I would suggest that a combination of MidYIS-type testing, musical intelligence assessment and some measure of the amount and quality of musical experience gained before embarking on the GCSE course would serve as a much more relevant indicator of likely success, and a more appropriate baseline from which to measure value added. HoweverRead MoreUnderstanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment Learner Assignment3161 Words   |  13 Pagescarried out within a work based learning setting. Ecclestone goes onto explain that the standards or scales can take many forms. All however will involve measuring against on of three things, an absolute criteria, performance related to a cohort or group, the learners own previous performance.(Gray2001p46) The process of assessment begins before enrolment has even occurred with the submission of a application form or in the case of my teaching subject music, some form of audition. As well as the studentRead MoreThe Discover Assessment Curriculum Development Model1284 Words   |  6 Pageswith diverse abilities, strengths, and goals (FULLY MET) In 1993, Maker created DISCOVER to embrace Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence and designed curriculum for â€Å"individual(s) willingness and ability to meet real challenges and resolve difficulties in his or her personal, academic, and professional environments in new and different but highly effective ways† (Maker, 2009, p. 254). The main goal of this curriculum model was to build on a student s’ strength in problem solving and creativityRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Using Technology Into Preschool Classroom1321 Words   |  6 Pagesin the preschool classroom not only brings advantages and disadvantages to children’s development and their family involvement, but also changes the way of teaching and offers a different method of assessing student. On the one hand, technology not only can foster children’s performance skills, but also creates an interesting and motivating classroom environment. It is an effective way that allows students to understand concepts by using tech tools for visualizing and modeling. Professor

Child Labour - 7466 Words

CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR †¢ Poverty †¢ Parental illiteracy †¢ Tradition of making children learn the family skills †¢ Absence of universal compulsory Primary education †¢ Social apathy and tolerance of child labour †¢ Ignorance of the parents about the adverse consequences of Child labour †¢ Ineffective enforcement of the legal provisions pertaining to child labour †¢ Non-availability of and non-accessibility to schools †¢ Irrelevant and non-attractive school curriculum †¢ Employers prefer children as they constitute cheap labour and they are not able to organize themselves against exploitation. Causes of Child Labour Some common causes of child labor are poverty, parental illiteracy, social apathy, ignorance, lack of education and exposure,†¦show more content†¦India is the largest example of a nation plagued by the problem of child labour. Estimates cite figures of between 60 and 115 million working children in India -- the highest number in the world (Human Rights Watch 1996, 1). What are the causes of child labour in India? How do governmental policies affect it? What role does education play in regard to child labour in India? A critical analysis of the answers to these questions may lead in the direction of a possible solution. These questions will be answered through an analysis of the problem of child labour as it is now, investigating how prevalent it is and what types of child labour exist. The necessity of child labour to poor families, and the role of poverty as a determinant will be examined. Governmental policies concerning child labour will be investigated. The current state of education in India will be examined and compared with other developing countries. Compulsory education policies and their relationship to child labour will be investigated using Sri Lanka and the Indian state of Kerala as examples of where these policies have worked. Finally, India’s policies concerning compulsory education will be assessed. The Problem of Child Labour in India How many children are involved? It is difficult to cite a current figure for the number of children engaged in child labour. This difficulty is attributed to the fact that the Indian Government has been negligent in its refusal toShow MoreRelatedChild Labour : A History Essay1228 Words   |  5 PagesChild Labour in The United States Child Labour: A History America and The Industrial Revolution ‘Forms of child labor, including indentured servitude and child slavery, have existed throughout American history.’ (http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/us_history.html) During the years following the Civil War, (http://americanhistory.about.com/od/industrialrev/a/indrevoverview.htm) the American working class made an abrupt transition away from farm work and home choresRead MoreChild Labour1797 Words   |  8 PagescenterbOur Efforts and Experiences Ââ€" Part - I/b/center br brIn all the civilized societies all over the world system of child labour is condemned as a social evil but the fact is the system is prevelent on a large scale in a country like India. It is noticed that, in recent times our society is showing some signs of awareness about this social evil. This is the first part of the article giving details about the efforts undertaken in and around Ahmedpur for eradication of this systemRead MoreChild Labour Is a Major Problem in India1437 Words   |  6 PagesChild labour is a major problem in India. It is a great challenge that the country is facing. The prevalence of it is evident by the child work participation rates which are higher in India than in other developing countries. Estimates cite figures of child labour between 60 and 115 million working children in India, the highest number in the world (Human Rights Watch, 1996). It is basically rooted in poverty. It is poverty that forces a child to earn money to support his family. Though it is prevalentRead MoreIs Overpopulation the Main Cause of Child Labour3708 Words   |  15 Pagesthe Main Cause of Child Labour? Child labour refers to the employment of children to benefit their family financial situation where they are exploited to danger and hazard. It may interfere with their education and hamper the children physically, mentally, spiritually or morally. Children exposed to child labour since young can be distorted or disabled due to carrying heavy loads or forced into unnatural positions at work for long hours. Many say that the main cause of child labour is overpopulationRead MoreChild Labour. . The Industrial Revolution (1760 To 1840)1134 Words   |  5 PagesCHILD LABOUR The industrial revolution (1760 to 1840) was an exciting time, and while Britain and America were transforming modern society there was an incredibly high demand for labor. Children as young as 4 years old were working underpaid in factories to keep themselves and their poverty struck families alive. I will be exploring why it was that so many children were working in factories during the industrial revolution, and how they compare to the child labourers of todayRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Child Labour1522 Words   |  7 Pagesprevalence of child labour is a blot on society. It is a national disgrace that millions of children in this country have to spend a major part of their daily routine in hazardous works. The problem of child labour in India is the result of traditional attitudes, urbanisation, industrialisation, migration, lack of education, etc. However, extreme poverty is the main cause of child labour. However, this miracle idea falls short after identifying the brutal cons that develop along with Child Labour. YouthRead MoreCauses Of Child Labour1235 Words   |  5 Pagesemotional well being. †¢ Involves intolerable abuse, such as child slavery, child trafficking, debt bondage, forced labour or illicit activities. †¢ Prevents children from going to school. †¢ Uses children to undermine labour standards. CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR For much of human history and across different cultures, children less than 17 years old have contributed to family welfare in a variety of ways. There are various reasons which lead to child labour. Some of the important reasons are as follows: †¢ POVERTY:  UNICEFRead MoreChild Labour And Child Labor1142 Words   |  5 Pagescurrently and previously forced to endure child labour. Child labour affects children mentally and physically, as well as putting children at risk for abuse from employers. Child labour is an everyday task for as many as 280 million children. They work on farms, factories, and in sweatshops for extremely low fees; most have little or no education. Child labour addresses many issues and thoughts such as, dehumanization, the lack of enforcement of child labour laws which exist in most countries in theRead MoreThe Theory Of Child Labour1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe tem â€Å"Child Labour† is often defined as work that deprives children from their childhood, their potential and their dignity and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It is serious and extensive problem with many children under the age of 14 years. Children living in poorest household and in rural areas are mostl y likely to be engaged in child labour. Children have worked for as long as families have needed all hands to pitch in. Beyond defining work as a means of survival, definingRead MoreEffects Of Child Labour Laws On The Treatment And Participation Of Children3156 Words   |  13 Pages Effects of Child Labour Laws on the Treatment and Participation of Children in the Workforce During the British Industrial Revolution Caitlin Ledingham Student Number: 10005231 ECON 231 Prof. F. Lewis The focus of this paper is a cross-examination of popular literature discussing the effects of Child Labour laws on the treatment and participation of children in the workforce during the British Industrial Revolution. Clark Nardinelli, Carolyn Tuttle, and Jane Humphries are the three

Oedipus At Colonus Monologue Essay Example For Students

Oedipus At Colonus Monologue Essay A monologue from the play by Sophocles NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Dramas. Sophocles. London: J.M. Dent Sons, 1906. OEDIPUS: O front of impudence! Which thinkest thou Now to defileMy grey hairs, or thine own? Who hast spit forth out of thy mouth at me Murders and marriages and accidents, Which to my grief, not of free will, I suffered; Such was the will of Heaven, that had some cause For wrath, it may be, with out house, of old. Since for myself, I know you cannot find Any reproach of wrongfulness in me, That could have doomed me to commit these wrongs Against myself and mine; for, answer me, If to my father by an oracle The revelation came that he should die By his son\s hands, how can you justly tax Me with the fact, whom neither father yet Then had begot, or mother had conceived, Me, who as yet had not begun to me? And if thereafter provingas I proved Hapless, I did lay hands upon my sire And slay him, nowise knowing what I did, Nor yet to whom I did it, how, I ask, Can you with reason blame the unconscious deed! And for my motherare you not ashamed, O miserable! at forcing me to name Her marriage, your own sister\sas I will I will not now be silent, you being grown To such a monster of outspokenness! She bareah, yes, unknowingly she bare Mewho not knew! Woe worth the while to me And having given me birth, she brought me forth Childrenher own reproach! But of set purpose, For one thing, well I know, you spit this venom On her, and me; whereas I wedded her Unwitting, and unwillingly speak of it. But not for this my marriage, nor for that That parricide, which you continually Throw in my teeth, bitterly upbraiding it, Do I consent to be called infamous. For answer me a question; but this one; If any person here upon the spot Drew near to kill youyou the just onewhether Would you enquire if he that sought your life Were your own father, or requite him straight? You would requite the offender, I conceive, If you love life; not look about for law. Just such was the misfortune I incurred, Led by the hand of Heaven; for which, I fancy, Not even my father\s spirit, were he alive, Could say one word against me. And yet you (For just you are not, but think well to utter All things, both lawful and unlawful,) you Slander me with these sayings before them all! Yea, you make free to fawn on Theseus\ name, And upon Athenshow decorously She hath been ordered; and so lauding her, You miss out this, that if there be a land That knows what reverence to the Gods is due, \Tis she herein excels, whence to remove Me, the old suppliant, you assail my person, And seize my daughters, and make off with them. Wherefore these maiden Powers I invoke With supplications, and with prayers adjure To come, as aiders and auxiliaries; So you may learn what sort of men they are, By whom this city is defended.

Nike Marketing Strategy Essay Example

Nike Marketing Strategy Essay Defining Marketing for the 21st Century Nikes Marketing Strategy Company Summary Founded in 1962, Nike, formerly known as Blue Ribbon Sports, is a major publicly traded sportswear, footwear, and fitness equipment manufacturer based in the US. The companys main focus was to provide high quality running shoes designed by athletes for athletes. By moving the manufacturing abroad, Phillip Knight (Founder), believed that the shoes could be sold at competitive prices (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 29). In order to market the brand to the public and create a cult like following, Nike igned up a few athletes to endorse the brand and promote it to the masses; this strategy proved to be a success and eventually became the forefront of Nikes marketing strategy. In addition, Nike invested $20 million dollars into the Just Do It campaign, which challenged a generation of athletic enthusiasts to chase their goals. Other marketing strategies such as sponsorship of international sports teams were used to enter markets abroad and strengthen the companys presence at the global level. According to DB site Hoovers, Nike is the worlds #1 shoe and apparel company. Pros of Marketing Strategy Nike has focused on selling a brand that represents success and excellence. In order to convey that to the public the company has combined a marketing strategy that is difficult to beat. Signing up athletes like runner Steve Prefontaine, NBA player Michael Jordan, golf Player Tiger Woods, and Tennis player Maria Sharapova, has helped Nike build a strong reputation of excellence and gain the loyalty of the public. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Marketing Strategy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Marketing Strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Marketing Strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Michael Jordans line of shoes yielded a revenue of $100 million the first year of its debut; presently the line of sneakers remains a success and a must have. Other athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Lance Armstrong are as important to the brand. These athletes who have transcended their sports, embody success and are considered heroes worldwide. The fact that Nike has been able to sign them up, has gained the company the millions of customers that look up to these athletes. Nike has also used the swoosh logo, which is strategically placed in all Nike products and athletic gear of athletes, thus promoting the brand to the masses at the games or at home watching television. The Just Do It campaign combined with the logo of he company both represent the risk-taking, hard work, and dedication that the company seeks to convey to the public. Whether is the logo on the sneakers, the words Just Do it on a shirt, or the word Nike on a headband, the company has it all covered. All of the products have been color coordinated to provide customers with variation, great design, and excellent performance. It is no wonder the brand is number one in its industry. Nike also has made strategic partnerships with successful companies. Nike teamed up with champion Lance Armstrong not only to sell Nike products but also to help Armstrongs LIVESTRONG campaign. Nike sold over 70 million yellow bracelets, netting $80 million for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. stores running information such as calories burned, mileage, and pace. These partnerships have boosted companys revenues and built the brand into the leading company it has become. Cons of Marketing Strategy While signing up athletes to endorse the brand and promote it to the masses has been one of the key factors of Nikes success, it has also been a cause of detriment in recent years. When an athlete is performing great, everyone falls in love not only with he athlete but with the brand they represent; this is because everyone wants to be a winner, and if the brand represents winning, everyone wants to wear the brand. However, when an athlete becomes infamous for unethical issues, the brand he/she represents takes a hit as well. Take for example the Tiger Woods cheating scandal, which became worldwide news in a matter of minutes. The once beloved golf player became the face of shame, and everyone knew about it. Some companies, which he had deals with, even dropped their contracts, afraid to take a hit for the bad publicity he was attracting. In essence, Nike takes a risk when signing up athletes, which although can be great for long periods of time, can and will eventually fall victim to bad press as they are humans and are prone to mistakes. Working with Lance Armstrong and his foundation yielded not only high revenues, but also gave way to a Nike collection of gear that represented the colors of the foundation; black and yellow. The partnership was successful and gained the company good publicity, as the foundation is known for its charity work with cancer patients. However, when Armstrong admitted using illicit drugs for the Tour de France, the company was forced to distance itself from the athlete and his foundation, as they were both under the microscope of the press. This break caused implications for the company, as many might have not been happy that the company withdrew its support to the Armstrong foundation, while others maybe felt that it was the right move. There is no quantifiable way of knowing what impact the break had on Nikes image in the eyes of the public. Adidas As a Competitor Adidas based in Europe should use the Nike strategy to stay competitive. First, the company should seek to re-invent the image of the company in the publics eyes. By staying versatile and coming up with new designs and colors, Adidas will attract consumers of all ages. Adidas only enjoys 6% of the running shoe market share, while Nike enjoys 54% market share. What this implicates is that Adidas needs to concentrate its efforts and design shoes that are aesthetically pleasing, allow for superior performance, and can be coordinated with other products made by the company. By signing up athletes in the NBA such as Dwight Howard, for example, Adidas has been able to conquer some of the US market. What Adidas should also do is focus on the young athletes ages 13-19. This group of athletes can be easily influenced, are more likely to buy multiple products, and can become long-term loyal customers of the brand if the right design attracts them. In addition, Adidas can form a partnership with Samsung, known as Apples strongest competitor, to manufacture a product that can compete with Nike+. In doing so, Adidas will gain access to Samsungs loyal customer base and stay afloat. Sponsoring charity foundations can also gain the company good publicity if marketed on television. Designing specific products for a specific foundation, like Nike did with the Armstrong foundation, can

An Online Course Review of TestDEN TOEFL

An Online Course Review of TestDEN TOEFL Taking the TOEFL test can be an extremely challenging experience. Most universities have a minimum entrance score of 550. The range of grammar, reading and listening skills required to do well is enormous. One of the biggest challenges for teachers and students is identifying the correct areas to focus on in the limited amount of time available for preparation. In this feature, it is my pleasure to review an online course that specifically addresses this need. TestDEN TOEFL Trainer is an online TOEFL course which invites you to: Join Meg and Max in the TOEFL Trainer. These two, upbeat and friendly personalities will find the areas you need to improve the most and create a special study program just for you! Your virtual trainers will also give you focused practice tests to strengthen your TOEFL skills, and send you daily test-taking tips. The course costs $69 for a 60 day entrance period to the site. During this 60 day period you can take advantage of: personalized study guidesfull-length practice exams16 hours of audioover 7,000 questionsfull explanationse-mail test tips TestDENs TOEFL Trainer credentials are also quite impressive: TestDEN TOEFL Trainer is produced by ACT360 Media, a leading provider of education content. Since 1994, this innovative Vancouver company has been producing quality CD-ROM titles and Internet sites to enhance learning. Among these is the award-winning Digital Education Network and online tutorials for Microsoft Corporation. The only flaw seems to be that: This program has not been reviewed or endorsed by ETS. During my test period, I found all of the above claims to be true. Most importantly, the course is extremely well-planned and helps test takers pinpoint exactly those areas which cause them the most difficulties. Overview The course begins by requiring test takers to take an entire TOEFL examination called the Pre-test Station. This examination is followed by another section entitled Evaluation Station, which requires participants to take further sections of the examination. Both of these steps are required for the test taker to reach the heart of the program. While some people might become impatient with these steps, they are required to help the program assess problem areas. One reservation is that the test is not timed as in an actual TOEFL test. This is a minor point, as students can time themselves. The listening sections are presented using RealAudio. If the Internet connection is slow it can take quite a while to finish sections that require the opening of each listening exercise separately. Once both of the above sections have been finished, the test taker arrives at the Practice Station. This section is by far the most impressive and important section of the program. The Practice Station takes the information gathered in the first two sections and prioritizes a learning program for the individual. The program is divided into three categories: Priority 1, Priority 2 and Priority 3. This section includes exercises as well as explanations and tips for the current task. In this manner, the student can focus on exactly what he/she needs to do well on the exam. The final section is a Post-test Station which gives the participant a final test of his/her improvement over the course of the program. Once this section of the program has been taken there is no going back to the practice section. Summary Lets face it, taking the TOEFL test and doing well can be a long, hard process. The test itself often seems to have little to do with actually being able to communicate in the language. Instead, it can seem like a test that only measures the ability to perform well in an extremely academic setting using very dry and formal English. TestDENs layout does a wonderful job of preparing test takers for the task while keeping the preparation rather enjoyable by its user interface. I would highly recommend TestDEN TOEFL Trainer to any student wanting to take the TOEFL. In fact, to be completely honest, I think this program may do a better job of addressing individual needs than many teachers can! Why is this? Based on in-depth pre-testing and statistical information, the program uses computer technology to find exactly those areas that need to be covered. Unfortunately, teachers are often not able to access student needs so quickly. This program is probably quite sufficient for any high-level English student preparing for the exam. The best solution for lower level students would be a combination of this program and a private teacher. TestDen can help identify and provide practice at home, and a private teacher can go into more detail when working on weak areas.

Free Essays on Comedy Of Errors

This Shakespearean play is all about separation of family and then being reunited. Egeon and Emilia are the parents of twin boys named Antipholus. Egeon and Emilia purchase two more twin boys named Dromio from a poor woman. Dromios will become the servants to Antipholus’. The family is separated at sea. Emilia end up in Ephesus with Antipholus and Dromio. Egeon ends up in Syracuse with the other Antipholus and Dromio. A fisherman takes the boys away from Emilia so she becomes a nun in the town of Ephesus. Antipholus and Dromio never know who their real mother really is. After eighteen years of separation and growing up Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse go to Ephesus to look from their long lost brothers. After seven years and not returning their father Egeon also goes to Syracuse to look for them. Now everyone is in Ephesus, but they all do not know of this. Ephesus and Syracuse are enemies. Egeon is arrested and sentenced to death when he arrives in Ephesus because h e is Syarcusean. Duke Solinus finally lets Egeon speak and feels sorry for him so he gives him an option of how to get out of punishment. He must return with one thousand marks. Being twins no one can tell them apart and the twins being unaware of the others presence, causes confusion, drama, and comedy through out the rest of the play. Antipholus of Syracuse sends his servant Dromio to deposit gold. Antipholus of Syracuse thinks he is speaking with his own servant Dromio and not the servant of Antipholus of Ephesus. He asks about the bag of gold. But the servant knows nothing of gold. When the servant Dromio returns home, Adriana (wife to Antipholus of Ephesus) yells at him for returning without her husband. After Dromio of Syracuse returns from depositing the gold, he denies having invited his master Antipholus to supper. Already both men think Ephesus is crazy. Then Adriana appears with her sister Luciana. Adriana scolds Antipholus for not returning to supper... Free Essays on Comedy Of Errors Free Essays on Comedy Of Errors This Shakespearean play is all about separation of family and then being reunited. Egeon and Emilia are the parents of twin boys named Antipholus. Egeon and Emilia purchase two more twin boys named Dromio from a poor woman. Dromios will become the servants to Antipholus’. The family is separated at sea. Emilia end up in Ephesus with Antipholus and Dromio. Egeon ends up in Syracuse with the other Antipholus and Dromio. A fisherman takes the boys away from Emilia so she becomes a nun in the town of Ephesus. Antipholus and Dromio never know who their real mother really is. After eighteen years of separation and growing up Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse go to Ephesus to look from their long lost brothers. After seven years and not returning their father Egeon also goes to Syracuse to look for them. Now everyone is in Ephesus, but they all do not know of this. Ephesus and Syracuse are enemies. Egeon is arrested and sentenced to death when he arrives in Ephesus because h e is Syarcusean. Duke Solinus finally lets Egeon speak and feels sorry for him so he gives him an option of how to get out of punishment. He must return with one thousand marks. Being twins no one can tell them apart and the twins being unaware of the others presence, causes confusion, drama, and comedy through out the rest of the play. Antipholus of Syracuse sends his servant Dromio to deposit gold. Antipholus of Syracuse thinks he is speaking with his own servant Dromio and not the servant of Antipholus of Ephesus. He asks about the bag of gold. But the servant knows nothing of gold. When the servant Dromio returns home, Adriana (wife to Antipholus of Ephesus) yells at him for returning without her husband. After Dromio of Syracuse returns from depositing the gold, he denies having invited his master Antipholus to supper. Already both men think Ephesus is crazy. Then Adriana appears with her sister Luciana. Adriana scolds Antipholus for not returning to supper...

Yellow Rain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Yellow Rain - Research Paper Example Therefore, the US government made a case stating that around tens of thousands of people was killed on account of yellow rain since it contained contagious chemicals harmful for human life. However, the accusations were denied by Soviet Union while the UN investigations also didn’t prove to be futile in this context. In addition, a few of the samples containing the chemical were tested by an independent group of scientists which in reality proved to be merely honeybee feces. This discovery suggested that the liquid came about after defecating digested pollen out of bees swarms. Yet, there are conflicting views regarding these claims and various scientists offer diverse opinions on the subject. USA, however, haven’t backed off from the allegations till date and thus the issue is still often touched upon at various instances. For these reasons, the paper will present a study on various aspects of the yellow rain including a historic perspective and various hypothesis pres ented over time to explain the underlying concepts of the chemical. The concept of yellow rain emerged back in 1975 when various events in Vietnam and Laos took place with alleged involvement of Soviet Union. Refugees have reported that various instances which took place during the insurgency movement in these states involved chemical warfare via low flying helicopters or aircrafts (Ferrel 2013). These refugees describe that an oily yellow liquid which was later popularized as yellow rain was seen dropping from these aircrafts which produced chronic symptoms. These symptoms were related to but not limited to neurological disorders, for instance, seizures, bleeding and sometimes even blindness. These ailments were similar to those reported in Vietnamese insurgency which has occurred in Cambodia. In this context, a textbook maybe quoted which was authored by the Army Medical Department of USA which

Financial Analysis BMW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis BMW - Essay Example For example the 2011 and 2012 financial reports shows that the company had a toatl of â‚ ¬27,038 million and â‚ ¬30,295 million respectively for the equity attributed to shareholders of BMW. In the year 2011, 28.9% of the shareholders equity contributede to the company toatal capiatl while in the year 2012 , 30.4% of the shareholders equity contributed to the company total capital contribution. The debt of the company is managed through a fixed debt ratio of capital . Therefore, the company debt ratios for the year 2011 and 2012 are maintaind at a fixed rate of a bout 70% or 0.70 The BMW debt ratios are effective since they are bellow 100% which is the maximum limit the ratio , the company debt ratio further fall bellow 80% that is set by many companies hence this is a positive figure for the BMW company. the debt ratio is relative lower compared to TVS motors company that has debt –equity ratios of 0.79 for the year 2011. This is shows that the BMW company ismore competive in the market and cannot under go recervership or liquadation. BMW company uses both operating and financial lease.the lease arrangement policy enables the customers of the company to iether have an option of buying the vehicle or lease it for a fixed pertiod of time as stated in the company leasing policy. Customers are given the oportunities under lease programe to drive a BMW vehicle of his or her choice for a fixed period of time in return for a pre-determined lease rental where the customers have the oportunities to iether retain the vehicle at a pre-determine price or return it to the BMW company. Under finance lease; the customer has a flexible chance of choosing a new BMW that best suits their driving interest and lifestyle needs. The contract tenure can range from 12 months to 48 months with an option to buy at the end of the lease or return thec vehicle. During the finance leasing period, the payment can be

CRITICAL THINKING PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CRITICAL THINKING PROJECT - Essay Example The next section will be an analysis of the strategy required to make my theory of an educated person practical. Malcolm X distinguishes education and schooling in terms of the objectives that each seek to meet. According to him, being educated is about one having an internal drive to read more and discover what has been left out in conventional educational system. For him being educated is more than gaining â€Å"status symbol† which is offered by colleges (Malcolm X 217). This is based on his belief that education outside the formal system ensured he read more and developed increased sensitivity to knowledge propagated by different authors. The relationship between education and the community is found in its ability to empower people and enable them rediscover their position in the world. For instance, Malcolm X’s education was central to discovering the inconsistencies between the truth of African history and negative portrayal of their contribution to human civilization. For Bell Hooks, the process of education involves students learning by internalization of information as opposed to rote learning where students are consumers of knowledge. Therefore, for one to become educated, they must be ready to be active participants in the process of learning. Active participation according to Hooks ensures the learner is able to â€Å"link awareness with practice† (Hooks 14). Hooks see schooling as a process that leads to education of students; however, for the students to be educated, they must be empowered. Hooks advices students to seek education that leads to self-actualization attained through unification of body and mind. The author is against education that seeks to separate body and mind as necessary in wellbeing of the learner. It is only through education that emphasizes union of mind, body and spirit is necessary for the learner to be able to

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Cubism | Analysis

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Cubism | Analysis The Art of Cubism and its Role In this research paper, I have explained the art of cubism and its role. I have chosen the cubit painting â€Å"Les Demoiselles d’Avignon† painted by Pablo Picasso. He was the famous cubist painter. Picasso and Braque were the innovators of the cubist painting. In this research paper, I have tried to explain the formal characteristics like color, theme and texture that were used in the painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The paper also includes political and social factors related to the painting. In this paper I have also mentioned the interpretation of the art historians related to the painting. About Cubism Cubism can be defined as an advanced art movement that modernized European painting and sculpture in the early 20th century. The core essence of cubism is that instead of viewing subjects from a single, fixed angle, the sculptor breaks them up into a multiplicity of aspect, so that several aspects or features of the subject can be seen simultaneously. It is a wonderful way to express the complexity and depth of world in a simplified manner (Cubism, 2001). Cubism is a unique format where square shapes are formed together. In cubism, the square shapes are also often softened with curves. In the artworks of a cubist, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form. The artist depicts the subject of his painting from a massive number of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint (Curtis, 1999). One of distinct characteristics of Cubism is that the background and object planes interpenetrate with one another to create the shallow ambiguous space. The Cubist style emphasizes on the flat and two-dimensional surface of the picture plane. It rejects the traditional techniques of perspective, foreshortening and disproving the time-honored theories of art as the replication of nature. A cubist painter presents a new reality in paintings that depicts radically fragmented objects, whose several sides can be seen simultaneously. They do not copy the form, texture, and color (Cubism, 2001). The chief creators or innovators of Cubism were Picasso and Gorges Braque. In the year1908, the term cubism was first used by the French art reviewer Louis Vauxcelles. After some years, the term was in wide use but the two creators of cubism avoid using it for a long time (Cubism, 2001). Cubism seems to be uniquely adjusted to the busy dynamic of contemporary life. Cubism consists of both theoretical and practical forms; practical form being more dominant (Curtis, 1999). Formal characteristics of the work Picasso was a painter as well as a sculptor. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was the most significant work of Picasso in the development of Cubism. Picasso uses angry definitive lines and a great concept of light and shadow (Picasso, 1996). With his artwork, Picasso was also a free thinker. He had a unique style and due to this unique style, he became the first artist to have fame during his lifetime. Picasso was a great innovative artist who used to search new ways to express space and forms in painting. There are different shades used by Picasso that describe the still life composition of women (Cubism, 2001). The painting is designed with tempera paint using a flat style and a neutral pallet. In this painting of Picasso, collage papers are created by mixing colors and creating texture by using sponges. After the shapes are attached in place, oil pastels are used to create patterns and enhance the overall design. Picasso is used to apply different themes, styles and moods to design the painting (Picasso, 1996). All his paintings are different to each other. He tries to use very dark colors and textures, which make his painting unique and different. In the early modern art, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was widely held as an influential and decisive work (Picasso, 1996). The painting is more a record of an artist in the process of changing his mind than a resolved composition. The forms are dislocated and inconsistent in style. In fact, they seem to be unfinished. It is a painting with overthrowing perspective, single viewpoint, local and decorative color and integral form (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). Picasso uses darker colors on the left side of the painting and warmer colors on the right side of the painting. The painting is slightly buff as compared to the paintings of Cezanne. The strong, harsh and different coloring has given the painting a different look in the cubist era (Picasso, 1996). The structure indicates the use of sharp white or black curves and outlines and cinnamon tone of the background at the left (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). A harsh blue, as if a sudden glimpse of sky, surrounds the figure at the upper right. The middle figures warmly indeterminate body of Picasso’s painting. Contrasts of color and texture are reduced to a minimum, so as not to compete with the design. Larger social/political context The painting â€Å"Les Demoiselles d’Avignon† was painted during the summer of 1907 by Picasso. According to Picasso, the cubism has came in a time period when the world was experiencing modernization in technology and medicine; and the societies were rapidly growing and developing as well (Picasso, 1996). The meaning of the painting in English was the Young Ladies of Avignon; it depicted five prostitutes in a brothel. It is one of the most important paintings in the genesis of modern art. There is a strong similarity in the dramatic clashing of light and dark tones and the overhead light source (Meighan, 2008). The work of Picasso in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon truly introduced cubism as art of movement. His painting has been noted as the twentieth centurys most significant painting. His work depicted a crude version of prostitutes through a deformed style never seen before. The painting was an anti-idealist representation of un-ideal subject matter (Meighan, 2008). Depictions of prostitutes and the theme of sexuality had been the subject of paintings in the past, but Les Demoiselles left an impact because of Picasso. He had portrayed the prostitutes in erotic poses with their arms recognizable positioned above their heads in order to show off their feminine, but offensively distorted female framework (Meighan, 2008). Picassos choice to use five figures in his work was to multiply the penetration of the bitter gaze created. The harsh life style gives sad expressions on the faces of the prostitutes, which in fact, lack any kind of emotion (Picasso, 1996). To conceal their identity, the two women painted on the right are shown wearing African inspired masks. Through the representation of these prostitutes, Picasso conveyed a message of filth disease in the cubist style. He has deliberately changed the prostitute as a way to express the rising cultural awareness and effects of venereal disease, which had become a violent threat to these womens lives (Meighan, 2008). According to Picasso, cubism is directly related to modernism. Picasso has his own perception to explain cubism. According to him, cubism is an expression of the minds relationship with the external world (Picasso, 1996). He is of the opinion that it is a direct analysis of the awareness, the process of vision and the relationship of ones unconscious that is based on ones personal experiences. Cubism represents the process, which the mind undergoes in order to create a classical art from the past. Picassos Cubist art is the first aesthetic representation, which accurately conveys the process of reflexivity of the human mind. Picasso was a productive and creative artist. He has made near about 12,500 paintings, 2,500 original prints, 1,000 different ceramics, and 700 sculptures. His works are often categorized in periods and each period is different in style and themes than the other. Picasso’s paintings are like pages from his diary (Picasso, 1996). He believed that painting is another way of keeping a diary. Picasso says that painting brings him a great pleasure and release. For him, painting is an extremely hard work. He tells us that when he works on a painting, there is a feeling that he is climbing a mountain with a heavy load on his back, without even knowing when he will lose his balance (Picasso, 1996). Once the picture is completed, he feels exhausted and tired but at the same movement he enjoys a lot. He has created the pictures based on his own experiences. Picasso’s work is approved by all the cubist painters like Filla, Braque, Feininger, Dellunay, etc. He is used to paint on the real aspect of the life. He believes that painting should be such a medium that describes the things on its own (Picasso, 1996). In the year 2007, Les Demoiselles dAvignon was described as the most influential work of art of the last 100 years. Picasso had the ability to interpret the most complex images in his own language (Picasso, 1996). There were many painters who could transform the sun into a yellow spot, but Picasso was the one, who with his art and intelligence could transform a yellow spot into the sun. The movement also inspired about the modern architecture, sculptures, clothes, and even literature (Art of Picasso, 2008). Interpretation by two art historians The painting seems to be a form that goes in all pursuits of spatial depth and maintains a relationship to the pictorial surface. Picasso restructured the painting into harsh and angular planes, which destroyed the spatial depth and ideal form of female nude. The painting is not flat, but it is shaded in a way that gives it different dimensions. The painting includes the concave or convex style and looks like a portion of solidified space (Art of Picasso, 2008). The cubist painting constitutes a unique kind of matter, which imposes a new kind of integrity and continuity on the entire canvas. Each individual figure is united by a general geometrical principle, which overlays its own laws on to the natural proportions and merges almost completely with the background (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). There are no differences of light and darkness that might lend shape to the women’s bodies and with the combination of several perspectives; this contributes to a general impression of perplexity in space. To reach the internal structures of objects and to establish that a picture is not a window on the world, Picasso simplifies the painting. The flat space in the painting is created by the definite solid outlining, tonal contrast and by both thick and heavy curves (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). Picasso was not interested in describing tone, depth or form of some of his painting. He expressed his indignation by making the use of imagination like the bull, the dying horse, a fallen warrior, a mother and dead child, a woman trapped in a burning building and a figure leaning from a window and holding out a lamp. The painting represented a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of modern art (Art of Picasso, 2008). The nudes that frame the composition already demonstrate the decisive change of direction in Picassos art. In terms of Cubism, this painting is of a seminal importance. His revolt against the myth of feminine beauty is relatively insignificant when compared with his other rebellion. With this picture, Picasso wants to destroy the whole of Western art; not only the proportions, but the organic integrity and continuity of the human body also Choi, 2004). It is almost impossible to overestimate the importance of this picture and the profound effect it has on art. There has been a critical debate over the years on the Picasso painting that attempts to account for multiplicity of styles used within the work. The famous art historian Leo Steinberg in his landmark states that Picasso used different explanation for the wide range of stylistic attributes. Another art historian Rubin states that some of the figures faces symbolize the disfigurements of syphilis (Choi, 2004). The painting of Picasso is created by following a series of brothel. Rubin interprets that the painting expresses the artists skepticism, his willingness to risk anarchy for freedom, his fear of disease and illness and most forcefully his deep-seated fear and disliking of the female body. The painting is sharp and pointed and has the influence of ancient Iberian sculpture. The faces have a compelling force that obliges to African sculpture. Picasso has sometime used Negro sculpture. Picasso has used the different objects, analyzed them and re-assembled in an abstracted form (Choi, 2004). Conclusion Cubist painting is an art form created through a modernized approach to expression of the minds interpretation of the natural world. Cubist art is a form based on art. Cubism is a unique format where square shapes are formed together. The artist depicts the subject of his painting from a massive number of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint (Meighan, 2008). Picasso was a very good painter and sculptor. He painting had the meaning and was different to others. He used to paint his own experiences and believed the painting should have some meaning. He used to create paintings with connection to reality. Reference Cubism, (2001). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.ethnicpaintings.com/popular-painting-styles/cubism.html Picasso, (1996). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.gospain.org/jewels/picasso.htm#cubscul Cubism, (1994). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.pet-portraitartist.com/learning-to-paint-and-draw/painting-styles/Cubism.htm Curtis, P. (1999). Sculpture 1900-1945: After Rodin. Published: Oxford publishing press. Meighan, M. (2008). Presentations, Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.students.sbc.edu/meighan07/Presentation.text.htm Les Demoiselles dAvignon, (2008). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/rr17bb/LesDemoi.html JH GALLERY, (2005). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/jhinais/ Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://artchive.com/artchive/P/picasso.html Cubism, (2007). Retrieved April 11, 2008 fromhttp://www.centre-pompidou.net/education/ressources/ENS-cubisme_en/cubisme_en.html Art of Picasso, (2008). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/102066.html Choi, E.(2004). Picasso and Early Cubism with Braque. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.people.vcu.edu/~djbromle/modern04/elizabethc/index.htm

Education: United States vs. Ukraine Essay

There are 1.8 million people coming to the United States every year. According to U.S. census estimates, in 2006 there were 961,113 Americans of Ukrainian descent representing 0.33% of the American population. The Ukrainian population in the United States is thus the second largest outside the former Soviet Union. One of the reasons is that the education is more progressive and flexible, which makes it easier for people to attain their educational goals. In different countries and in different cultural environments, education has different forms, methods and meanings for people. Given the opportunity to attend schools in Ukraine and in the United States, I could not help but notice the differences between the two educational systems. The U.S. educational system is more liberal, comprehensive, and specialty focused when compared to the Ukrainian system. The educational system of Ukraine is continuously changing due to the transitional period of the country from the former Soviet Union . During the Soviet period, educational organizations in Ukraine were state-supported institutions, none of which had religious affiliations. As cultural environment changes, this is no longer true for the modern Ukraine. Nowadays, all schools, from pre-school to the institutions of higher education, have Christian classes in their curricular activities. Contrary to the state-sponsored education of the Soviet era, there are both public and private educational establishments, all of which must be accredited by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. Primary and secondary education comprise pre-school through grade 11. The components of primary level of education are pre-school programs which are attended by two-third of all Ukrainian children. Children ages 6 months to 3 years are enrolled in nursery schools. Children ages 3 to 6 years are enrolled in kindergartens. Then starts secondary education: elementary in grades 1 – 4; lower secondary in grades 5 – 9; and upper secondary in grades 10 – 11. Grades 1 through 9 are collectively called Incomplete (General) Secondary Education, and grades  10 and 11 are called Complete Secondary education. Three types of institutions also offer the upper secondary school curriculum: the general academic schools, the secondary vocational-technical schools and the specialized secondary school. Regardless of the type of upper secondary training completed, Ukrainian students have the right to continue their education at a postsecondary institution. Applications are accepted from citizens who meet the following criteria: * students have completed secondary education; * for full-time study students must be under 35 years of age and there are no age limits for part-time or evening study; * students have passed a competitive entrance examination set by each institution of higher education. There are three types of grading systems in Ukraine. Ordinarily universities used a traditional 5-point scale: â€Å"5† = â€Å"excellent†, â€Å"4† = â€Å"good†, â€Å"3† = â€Å"acceptable†, â€Å"2† = â€Å"unacceptable†. Since 2006, university students are graded on a rating scale of 0 to 100. These grades can be transformed to the 5-point scale approximately as follows: from 91 to 100 means â€Å"5†, from 71 to 90 means â€Å"4†, from 51 to 70 means â€Å"3†, from 0 to 50 means â€Å"2†. Both the rating scale and the 5-point scale are used in university registers at the present. As for secondary schools, they also used the 5-point scale until 2000. Since 2000 secondary schools use a 12-point scale, which could be transformed into the traditional 5-point scale as follows: â€Å"12† = â€Å"5+†, â€Å"11† = â€Å"5†, â€Å"10† = â€Å"5-† and so on. Education in the United States follows a pattern similar to that in the Ukrainian system. Early childhood education is followed by elementary school, middle school, high school, and then postsecondary education. Postsecondary education includes non-degree programs that lead to certificates and diplomas plus six degree levels: associate, bachelor, first professional, master, advanced intermediate, and research doctorate. The U.S. system does not offer a second or higher doctorate, but does offer postdoctorate research programs. Contrary to the Ukrainian system, in the United States people can go to college at any age and also have homeschooling programs. The most common grade scale in the United States is the letter grade: â€Å"A† through â€Å"F†, which is derived from a scale of 0–100 points. The following table shows the transformation: A| B| C| D| F| | | –| | | –| | | –| | | –| | 100-97| 96-93| 92-90| 89-87| 86-83| 82-80| 79-77| 76-73| 72-70| 69-67| 66-63| 62-60| Below 60 Percent| One of the big differences between two systems is course schedule. In Ukraine students have to follow a particular schedule made to satisfy the educational institution program, while in the United States students have flexibility in scheduling their classes. For example, if I start any level of secondary or postsecondary education in Ukraine, I will be assigned to a group of 20-30 people (called a â€Å"class†), who have the same schedule and we don’t have to register for any classes, because everything is already prepared for us. Nowadays, in US I make my own schedule that satisfies my choice of degree requirements and my work hours. Another big difference is the availability and accessibility of technology to students. In Ukraine, schools and colleges are very underfunded which results in poor or no equipment. Students in Ukraine do not have as many resources as students in the United States have, unless they come from wealth. Some people say that lack of technology lowers the quality of education. I believe the use of technology is helpful, has a significant positive effect on students and is just more fun; however it does not affect the quality of education. Taking into consideration all the similarities and differences of both educational systems, the Ukrainian system dictates to students each step of the educational process, while the US system is more flexible, provides more freedom and advanced technology. Overall, learning in the United States is a great opportunity that not everyone has. Thus, those who have it should make the most of the chance to learn.

Nature’s Impact Essay

The outdoors contains many wonders that a child explores throughout the early years of life; therefore, a person’s childhood tends to position his path for the future. As a result, occurrences seen on an average day sitting at school, exploring in the woods, or examining the stars have the potential to be life changing. An American Childhood (Dillard), â€Å"Two Views of a River† (Twain), and â€Å"Listening† (Welty) all allocate this thought, yet the works juxtapose each other with different morals. Annie Dillard writes of the expectations of her to return after completing college and settling in the same town in which she resides her entire life before attending college: â€Å"It crawled down the driveway toward Shadyside, one of the several sections of town where people like me were expected to settle after college, renting an apartment until they married one of the boys and bought a house† (2). Dillard feels essentially unpermitted to broaden her horizon of a future. She believes she had been restricted too early and therefore Dillard feels she is not allowed to live up to her possible potential. Mark Twain, on the other hand, writes of the river and its influence upon him: This sun means that we are going to have wind tomorrow; that floating log means that the river is rising, small thanks to it; that slanting mark on the water refers to a bluff reef which is going to kill somebody’s steamboat one of these nights if it keeps on stretching out like that [†¦]. (1) Within his piece, Twain wonders if he were to have noticed all the diminutive and revealing things of the river as a child, whether it would have foreshadowed the future from the perspective from which he sees the past now. Twain wishes he had respected the river further as a child rather than simply viewing it as an effortless beauty. Eudora Welty also writes of her childhood, explaining her love for the sky and all that dwells within it. She states, â€Å"I could see the full constellations in it and call their names; when I could read, I knew their myths† (Welty 1). Even with all the knowledge she had of the ominous unknown that seems endless and vague to the common child, it still takes Welty until she is already a published writer before she realizes the moon does not rise in the west. Learning of this alters her perspective. However, without believing that the moon rises in the west, less delight and excitement would have occurred within her childhood. Dillard, Twain, and Welty write of their upbringings and how certain changes, if varied, could have fashioned a different future. They outwardly realize the options they had, and the elements they would have distorted in the past to assist themselves in the future. Where Dillard, Twain, and Welty’s works mutually contain the reference to their childhoods, they contrast each other with the morals of their writings. Dillard’s extended metaphor places her in an equivalent situation as the Polyphemus moth whose overgrown wings span wider than the Mason jar that withholds it. The piece uses the bit about the moth to foreshadow her telling of her confinement to Shadyside. The moral of her piece is that one’s parents, friends, or even society’s restraints should not oppress one’s aspirations to what is simply considered to be correct: Conversely, Twain’s piece concludes one should not take life for granted because it can exceed so hastily, that a large quantity of imperative information and experiences can be neglected and missed: The world was new to me, and I had never seen anything like this at home. But as I have said, a day came when I began to cease from noting the glories and the charms which the moon and the sun and the twilight wrought upon the river’s face; another day came when I ceased altogether to note them. (1) Welty teaches in her piece that a child’s learning is made of specific moments in time and she shares her involvements with this learning: â€Å"There comes the moment, and I saw it then, when the moon goes from flat to round. For the first time it met my eyes as a globe. The word â€Å"moon† came into my mouth as though fed to me out of a silver spoon. Held in my mouth the mood became a word† (Welty 1). Eudora reveals that moments like this which seem miniscule can alter one’s personality and interests. Each instant of learning creates a change in one’s mental makeup. Dillard, Twain, and Welty are each eloquent and sophisticated writers. Their works are relatively alike in the fact that they each converse of their childhoods and what they would have altered within them; however, they juxtapose each other with diverse morals veiled within the pieces. Works Cited Dillard, Annie. An American Childhood. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. Twain, Mark. â€Å"Two Views of a River. † Life on the Mississippi. New York: Harper, 1896. Welty, Eudora. â€Å"Listening. † Agents, Russell & Volkening. Welty: 1984.

Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions

Most people can pinpoint one or two times in their lives when the choices they made had long term repercussions. Such is the case for Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement. In the book, the concept of maturity is treated masterfully by the shift of a character’s perceptions, belief systems and social realities. Bryony Tallis is the younger sister whose literary skills are often belittled by her older sister Celia. As the book opens, she creates a play for her cousins and herself to perform. The family’s dynamics are at once set as the reader finds the mother remote and as distant as the father, who seems to spend most of his nights in London, rather then at home. As the evening’s events unwind, the small details and insignificant happenings of the day are spoken about, but the undercurrent of tension is building. Later, one of the cousins is assaulted on the grounds of the house and Briony, still stinging from an insult earlier, tells the authoriti es that it was Robbie, their childhood friend and Cecilia’s boyfriend. Briony witnesses her sister strip down to her undergarments and dive into a family fountain with Robbie looking on. Not comprehending what was going on between the two, she goes down to the fountain after the two have left. It is at this point that she begins to glimpse a bit of her future, and cleverly, McEwen foretells the tale. Briony had her first, weak intimation that for her now, it can no longer be fairy-tale castles and princesses, but the strangeness of the here and now, of what passed between the people that she knew. Though she does not understand what has happened, her imagination fills in what she supposes to be the gaps. It is this assumption that leads to the terrible culmination of events which destroys them all. Briony decides she has witnessed a scene that is sinister; that Robbie has somehow forced her sister to get naked. In this first section of the book, the reader is treated to the s ... Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions Most people can pinpoint one or two times in their lives when the choices they made had long term repercussions. Such is the case for Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement. In the book, the concept of maturity is treated masterfully by the shift of a character’s perceptions, belief systems and social realities. Bryony Tallis is the younger sister whose literary skills are often belittled by her older sister Celia. As the book opens, she creates a play for her cousins and herself to perform. The family’s dynamics are at once set as the reader finds the mother remote and as distant as the father, who seems to spend most of his nights in London, rather then at home. As the evening’s events unwind, the small details and insignificant happenings of the day are spoken about, but the undercurrent of tension is building. Later, one of the cousins is assaulted on the grounds of the house and Briony, still stinging from an insult earlier, tells the authoriti es that it was Robbie, their childhood friend and Cecilia’s boyfriend. Briony witnesses her sister strip down to her undergarments and dive into a family fountain with Robbie looking on. Not comprehending what was going on between the two, she goes down to the fountain after the two have left. It is at this point that she begins to glimpse a bit of her future, and cleverly, McEwen foretells the tale. Briony had her first, weak intimation that for her now, it can no longer be fairy-tale castles and princesses, but the strangeness of the here and now, of what passed between the people that she knew. Though she does not understand what has happened, her imagination fills in what she supposes to be the gaps. It is this assumption that leads to the terrible culmination of events which destroys them all. Briony decides she has witnessed a scene that is sinister; that Robbie has somehow forced her sister to get naked. In this first section of the book, the reader is treated to the s ...

Chaucers Male Influence in The Wife of Baths Prologue essays

Chaucer's Male Influence in The Wife of Bath's Prologue essays Geoffrey Chaucer demonstrates his skill as a write with his "Wife of Bath's Prologue" in many ways. It is easy to lose ourselves in the character of the Wife of Bath because she is colorful and by reading her prologue, we feel as though we almost know her. Her unique qualities cause her to stand out and her honesty about her personal situation is admirable, among other things. Another critical element of the "Wife of Bath's Prologue" is the fact that a man pens it. This aspect of the tale makes it more enjoyable because such behavior by women was not acceptable during the fifteenth century. Additionally, because a man writes her prologue, we cannot help but consider why he wrote it. This fictional character provides Chaucer an opportunity to address many subjects that may have been taboo in his time. By employing irony and humor, Chaucer is able to make statements about women and how they are treated. It should be noted the Chaucer was indeed seeking to represent a woman's voice. In fact, by creating the Wife of Bath, we can assume he wanted to create a memorable character in her. Women were victims of subjugation in the fifteenth century, and the Wife of Bath would never have been able to speak out about the things she did. Women were especially not expected to speak out about such things as their sex lives and their physical desires. The Wife of Bath provides Chaucer an opportunity to create a character that speaks on behalf of women everywhere. Chaucer takes this opportunity to the extreme by not only creating a female character that is open and honest, but bold and brash as well. It is obvious that Chaucer is working against the stereotypes that existed about women during that time. Chaucer presents the Wife of Bath as a woman who has gained vast experience is the area of marriage. She therefore considers herself an expert on the subject. This first section...

Prostitution in Victorian Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Prostitution in Victorian Society - Essay Example The streets of London immortalized by Dickens in their fascination and horror were in many ways embodied by the spectacle of prostitutes, many little more than children, plying their trade. Prostitution became a symbol of the worst excesses of Victorian Britain, and as such were a focus for attempts at change. As with many social ills that attract a variety of attention, prostitution was viewed through a number of different lenses according to the interests of the viewer. By the beginning of the 1840's a number of different groups:- mainly religious groups, major news organizations and women's social groups - began to take notice of the problem of prostitution. One of the major reasons for this new attention, as William Acton noted in his landmark study, Prostitution (1870) was the sheer number of prostitutes now visible on metropolitan streets in general, and London streets in particular. Acton estimated that there were at least 40,000 prostitutes actively working in London alone. It had become impossible to simply ignore the activity as it was so prevalent. The very title of Acton's book shows the variety of different perspectives that were taken on the subject: The basic foundation for the study was moralistic in nature, but as was often the case in Victorian thought, it needed at least a veneer of the rational, scientific thought that had come to such dominance during the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Thus the "social" and "sanitary" aspects also need to be considered. The concentration on "London" and "Other Large Cities" reflects the concern that these massively growing conurbations were essentially out of control. Prostitution was a visible, terrible sign of this lack of control. Various reasons were put forward to explain why there were so many prostitutes. The idea of the "fallen woman" was prevalent among these, as Walkowitz (1982) suggests. The fallen woman archetype was, of course, an essential element of the Christian theology of the period which often associated any expression of sexuality, and specifically any embodiment of female sexuality, as innately evil and something to be avoided. The "fallen woman" was in fact any woman who had sexual relations with a man outside of marriage, whether she had a single lover or slept with dozens of men a day as her profession. Prostitution was seen as a moral and social problem by many of the writers of the time such as Charles Booth and Henry Mayhew (Walkowitz, 1992). One major 'reason' given for prostitution by contemporary commentators was the rather surprising gender disparity that had been revealed by the 1851 census. This showed that there were 4% more women than men. This implied that about 750,000 women would remain unmarried because there were not enough men to go around. These unmarried females began to be known as "superfluous women" and/or "redundant women" (Bartley, 1999). These designations are telling: a woman's worth is seen purely within her ability to marry a man. Any woman who cannot marry because of a shortage of men is at risk for becoming a prostitute. The doubtful logic that this rather large leap relied upon was that unmarried women had no man to support them and so would need to support themselves through illegitimate means. The idea that all unmarried women would be tempted to

The qualitative and quantitative research paradigms and its underlying Essay

The qualitative and quantitative research paradigms and its underlying principles - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that epistemology has its origin from Greek and refers to knowledge. Therefore, the term epistemology is the acquired knowledge or explanation of how people come to know about the existence of something. The epistemology knowledge can be acquired through first hand experience or through theoretical study. According to Trochim, epistemology defines and explains how people come to know the reality of life. In general epistemology try to explain some of the following concept; the relationship between the knowledge and the individual who have acquired it, the manner in which the knowledge has been acquired, what is the meaning of the term knowledge to various individuals, and the general explanation of the important of the acquired knowledge to the knowledgeable and the entire society. On the other hand, the term ontology refers to the understanding and explanation of real life situation while the term paradigm is the entire belief systems that help people and researchers in doing their daily activities. It defines a set of practices and activities that are normal and valid in any situation. Therefore, proper understanding of the knowledge under study and the available research methods are the pillars of coming up with the best and practical research method which can bring about the desired outcome. In scientific research various methods are applied on various different scenarios. The paper below is based on explaining and analyzing the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms and its underlying principles as well as addressing the issue of different epistemological, ontological and methodological worldviews underpinning each of the two perspectives. The paper will also address the ethical considerations relating to research in tourism. Coll (2000, p 90) observed that, paradigm explains the experiment and practical means of acquiring knowledge, beliefs, and ideology on how an activity should be done. It is the mann er in which people acquire the knowledge and understanding of different perspectives. The object being studied should be researched and thoroughly analyzed to get the in depth knowledge and understanding of the subject (Coll 2000, p 91). The knowledge of the paradigm are acquired and approved through observation and analysis of the available ideas and facts. The individuals expected to acquire the paradigm beliefs and ideologies must practice the knowledge acquired to gain consistency and first hand experience. Therefore, knowledge is acquired through the meaning attached to a certain event. Researchers have to come to touch with the subject under study to acquire data necessary in the analysis process. The process to coming into touch with the object under study or the scenario under investigation to collect data is what is referred to as scientific research The interaction with the subject under investigation enhances changes in knowledge to both the researcher and the subject (Co ll, 2000, p. 91). Therefore, the knowledge and understanding of the epistemology differences between the various research paradigm among the research conducted on tourist is pure philosophical but not methodological. Denzin (2002, p. 102) stated that, the researcher theoretical knowledge plays a very crucial role in deciding the method to be used in a research. This is because of the implanted beliefs systems and ideologies about the subject under study. Hence, the researchers in the tourism study were guided by their initial knowledge about the tourism sector. The knowledge which guides the decision on the method can be acquired either through literature review or physical observation of a phenomenon. Therefore, the ontological assumption is squarely responsible for determination of the methodology to be applied in a research. In the study on tourism, the researchers have used the qualitative a

Speech analyses essay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speech analyses essay - Research Paper Example Most of the people who participated in the Challenge and donations are from Boston. That is why it is more effective to deliver the speech at Boston in front of a ‘familiar’ audience which makes Nancy comfortable. Attention getter- The attention getter Nancy uses the question â€Å"How many of you took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?† This seems obvious and rhetorical, presumably a majority of the people in the audience had participated in the Challenge. As you can see from the reaction of the audience, they barely react to Nancy’s question. Nancy uses a non- verbal cue (by clamping) in order to ‘warm up’ the audience before she begins her speech. Revelation of topic- The revelation of topic is the flashback family story that Nancy gives her audience. A flashback to the summer of 2011, Nancy carefully narrates and reveals a powerful family story leading to Pete’s diagnosis and inspiration behind her family taking the initiative to create awareness about ALS. Statement of Credibility- The statement of credibility is ‘the mom who started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’. Since Nancy is Pete’s mom and she is heavily involved in the fund raising and ALS awareness initiative, she is credible enough to give the speech. Nancy Frates and her entire extended family are taking great lengths to create awareness about ALS and get philanthropist like Bill Gates on board. Since Nancy was at the forefront of this initiative, definitely makes her credible. Statement of central idea- The central idea in the introduction of Nancy Frates speech is that very little progress has been done to get a treatment for ALS. The idea behind ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is to help raise funds that can be used to conduct research and clinical trials of drugs that can cure or treat ALS. Nancy’s family and ALS managed to raise enough funds that will help ALSTDI in Cambridge Massachusetts to come with an ALS trial drug in 2 months.

The movie A Beautiful Mind Essay Example for Free

The movie A Beautiful Mind Essay The movie is titled â€Å"A Beautiful Mind† and the psychological disorder that is depicted in it is schizophrenia. In the movie, the main character is Josh Nash is depicted as being schizophrenic in the following ways. In one instance, he is revealed as being able to hear voices that other people could not hear. This voices are seen as controlling agents of the actions he does. The voices in the movie control his thoughts and to some extend seem like they want to harm him. His behavior is quiet terrifying to the people around Nash. The depiction of psychological disorder of schizophrenia is a true picture of the condition as it occurs in real life. Another symptom of the disorder that was evident in the movie is the fact the sitting for several hours without any movement or speech. Nash had bout where he could not move or speak for a lot of hours. This is the typical behavior of schizophrenic people. He seemed fine most of the time but as soon as he made a revelation of what was on his mind people were shocked on what was going on in his mind. The portrayal of an individual with schizophrenic disorder in the movie â€Å"A Beautiful Mind† was indeed a realistic portrayal of the disorder CITATION Bus03 l 1033 ( Buss Buss, 2003). My reaction after viewing the movie is that schizophrenia is a psychological disorder that affects families and societies in general. The people who are diagnosed with this condition find it quiet difficult to live a normal life as they rely so much on other people to help them in their daily activities. The only solution to it is by coping with the symptoms of the disease. References BIBLIOGRAPHY Buss, E. H., Buss, A. H. (2003). Schizophrenia: Seven Approaches. Transaction Publishers. Source document

Film Analysis about Women in the Movie Pretty Woman Essay example -- e

The Hollywood movie Pretty Woman (1990) is about a prostitute in Hollywood, marrying an extremely rich businessman, in spite of her mutual distrust and prejudice. The movie contains the basic narrative of the Cinderella tale: through the love and help of a man of a higher social position, a girl of a lower social status moves up to join the man at his level. Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman comes from a small town in Georgia, and works as a prostitute on the streets of Hollywood to support herself. Although Vivian's social position is very low, she has a strong sense of personal dignity and independence. Even though sometimes she have to stand by the street with empty stomach to wait for clients, Vivian and her friend Kit still keep themselves from the control of pimps, and "act as their own agents". Later, at the end of Vivian's one-week business arrangement with wealthy Edward Lewis (the Prince to her dream), which culminates in love and growing mutual respect, he offers her an apartment, a car and a credit card to get her off the streets, but she refuses. For Vivian, however, this arrangement is only different in terms of "geography" and terms of payment for the "business†; between them. Vivian knows that in society her own effort is the key to supporting herself and eventually securing a better future. She wants to set up a life in the city and tries very hard to look for a job. Due to lack of a skill, although she is willing to do heavy or dirty work, she is not able to find a job with enough pay to support herself. Her goal in life is simply to support herself by her own effort instead of letting somebody else arrange and control her life. This, in it self, represents a spirit of active effort for someone like Vivian. In addition to her efforts in trying to support herself and realize her own goals, Vivian also endeavors to help others. With a part of the $3000 windfall she earns from her week with Edward Lewis, she presses her friend Kit to pursue her long-dormant desire to become a beautician. And her most significant achievement is helping Edward Lewis, the corporate raider, rediscover his humanity, so he can build things instead of dismantling the work of othe rs for profit, and find a more meaningful life other than locking himself in work. The two aspects discussed above display the changes of emphasis on self-... ...ulminates in an attempt to rape her. In the attempted rape scene, it is very clear that Phil wants to rape Vivian not to quench an uncontrollable sexual impulse, but to give vent to all his anger for what he has lost -- the money from an unfriendly buyout that Edward has overturned with his newfound humanity, and the control of Edward. Phil wants to humiliate Vivian as he feels he has been humiliated, and, if possible, destroy her. The rape is not about sex but about abasement and power. Pretty Woman, 1990s Hollywood movie, embodies many new as well as old values and ideologies. I was surprised when I saw that, the old themes and sexual stereotypes are not completely abandoned, but the old portrayals of gender stereotypes are transmuted. Finally, the movie says that women, first of all, should rely on themselves and not submit to any kind of domination. They should simply support themselves by their own efforts instead of letting someone else arrange and control their lives. The movie also demonstrates how a girl possessing the virtues of honesty, patience, prudence, industry, and obedience can be rewarded with a husband and the attendant better life and higher social position.

The Nile River, Sahara Desert and Islam

The Nile River has always been the backbone of Egypt. The mighty river flows for some 4,000 miles from the mountains of Equatorial Africa and Lake Victoria before it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Without the Nile River and its annual inundation Ancient Egypt would never have come into being. Its fertile valley was renewed every year with rich silt deposits laid down during the flooding. As the agriculture of Egypt revolved around the Nile, so did the social life of the ancient Egyptians. During inundation when there was less to do, people had more time for recreational activities, they played games, held sporting tournaments and regularly feasted. When the River Nile receded the appearance of the land had radically changed and there was a great rush to restore boundaries. There were many disputes as markers had moved, banks had collapsed, and distinguishable features had disappeared. The river was also the chief means of transport. It was their highway, making unnecessary roads, except between close villages. Virtually everything moved by boat. The Nile, for the most part, is a gently flowing river and in the time of the ancients, was crammed with fish. It’s easy flow made fishing very popular. Everyone enjoyed fishing, from the young to old, peasant to noble. The Egyptians believed that the Nile was the centre of the world. And the place from which it originated was, ‘the beginning of the world’. In Lower Egypt, in the area of the Nile Delta, the river splits into two great arms. The area between the two was densely populated from the earliest times. Many of the major religious group centers developed in this region. Even the soul of a deceased had to cross the Nile before he could enter the kingdom of the dead. The Sahara desert covers around 9,000,000 square kilometers and the overall area is as large as the continental United States. The Sahara desert also has the reputation of being the world’s largest hot desert. The landforms in this desert often undergo constant change. These landforms are shaped as per the direction of the wind and the occasional rainfalls. Although being a desert area, one can notice annual rainfall in many regions of this vast land area. There are different climates witnessed in different regions such as the subtropical climate in the northern land where as a tropical climate in the southern area. Over the years, the climate of the Sahara desert has undergone humungous changes. This desert therefore, is known for its harsh climates so typical of all deserts. This hot desert has annual temperatures that can exceed 30 degrees C. Some of the hottest months have temperatures exceeding 50 degrees C. In the winters, the temperatures drop below freezing points. This it explains the diverse climates of this hot desert. Studies have revealed the changing size of the Sahara desert! Observations made with the help of satellite photographs have proven this desert can shrink or even grow in size. The Sahara desert is home to quite a few species of animals. Camels and goats are the only ones amongst the domesticated animals one may see out here. Apart from these, the Saharan cheetah, the sand vipers, scorpions and monitor lizards can be found out here. This desert has some of the tallest sand dunes and these can reach 189 meters in height. The land area also has stone plateaus, large gravel plains, dry valleys and even sand flats. The Sahara desert has around 500 species of flora. These consist of mainly ephemeral plants known locally as Acheb. At some oases, close to the Nile Valley, one can find olive trees growing out here. Vegetation is found in areas where the ground water reaches the surface of the land. This place has mainly nomadic groups of people that move from place to place. Nomads wear a particular headdress known as Howli. These people are mainly engaged in trading and hunting. The low population is due to the rather difficult conditions seen in the Sahara desert. The Sahara desert stretches over areas of Northern Africa, from the Red Sea to the areas close to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean. This desert shares it boundaries with the Atlas Mountains, the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, Sudan and valley of the Niger River. Islam is a religion that has existed for millions of years. The followers believed that there is one God and Muhammad is his messenger. Muhammad was deeply troubled by the idols worship of Arabs and the moral ills of society. When he was about 40, he was meditating and heard a voice. According to Muslim the belief the voice was that of the angel Gabriel it said, â€Å"Proclaim. † When Muhammad asked what should I proclaim the voice responded with proclaim in the name of God. Muhammad was a young man born in Mecca about the year 570. Orphaned at an early age, Muhammad was cared for by his uncle. In his youth he worked as a shepherd among the Bedouins. Later he led caravans across the desert for merchants. When he was 25, Muhammad married Khadija. It was at age 40 when he had his first vision. Islam has a book similar to that of the Holy Bible. It is called the Quran. To Muslims, the Quran contains the sacred text as spoken to Muhammad from god. The Quran not only teaches about God, but about how to lead a good, faithful, life. It sets harsh penalties for stealing or murdering.

Marine Mammals Essay

SeaWorld gives you the opportunity to feed and swim with dolphins, watch jaw-dropping whale and seal shows, pet stingrays, see all types of sharks, exotic fish, and so much more! But my views have recently changed after I saw the tragic death of a Sea World trainer on the news; the cause of death being one of the parks very own orca whales. This horrific news brought me to research why the whale turned on its trainer and the information I found made me change my outlook on animal captivity completely. In the ethical debate over marine mammals in captivity there are many conflicting views. The public theme park industries advocate that marine mammal exhibits provide an important role in educating, entertaining, and conservation; they see nothing wrong with captivity. An increasing number of scientists counter this view and believe that animals should flourish naturally and are too intelligent to be held captive. Animal protection groups also have taken notice that these mammals in cap tivity develop severe health issues and should be in the wild. There are other organizations that believe in absolute welfare of these animals, whether it is best  suited in confinement or in the wild. Lastly there are associations that agree with captivity for some cases, just not when animals are exploited. Above all I agree that the more knowledge we have about marine mammals, the more mankind can do to help find the most beneficial option for specific marine animals. When thinking about aquatic parks one in particular comes to mind for most people, Sea World. According to its website, â€Å"SeaWorld has a world-wide reputation for providing unique, up-close animal encounters designed to bring more than 20 million guests each year closer to wildlife and the world we share† (â€Å"Sea World†). Parks like this also affirm that one of their main goals is to educate people through seeing live animals in person such as dolphins, whales, seals, and penguins. Marine parks around the world, including Sea World, also claim that they serve as a rescue and a preservation center for stranded, sick, orphaned or injured animals. This is in fact true; many animal lives have been saved due to the help of aquatic parks (SeaworldParks.com). But some still question if it’s justifiable to keep animals in captivity if they are capable to live naturally in the wild after being rehabilitated. It’s evident that SeaWorld and other captivity par ks have not only contributed tremendously with saving countless marine  mammals lives, but have also entertained and educated thousands of people on marine life. Yet with all of this in mind it’s hard for me to fully agree that captivity is always the best option for these animals’ welfare. It’s tough to deny that the entertainment and profit aspect from the â€Å"yearly 20 million guests† may be intervening with the wellbeing of the animals, which should always be the main focus. On the other side of the spectrum when dealing with the issue of marine mammals in captivity, are animal rights activists. â€Å"There are better and more humane ways of providing entertainment and education to the public without sacrificing the welfare of animals† states Grace Ge Gabriel, the head force behind the Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The IFAW is a well-known organization that advocates saving animal populations from cruelty and depletion. An example of their support is their campaign to end commercial whaling and seal hunts. She and many others speak out against marine mammals held in captivity (Gabriel). These activists express that the lives of captive marine mammals are impoverished, people do not receive an accurate picture of a species from imprisoned environments, and the traffic in live marine mammals causes harmful impacts on populations and the animals’ health. A prime example is the abuse whales endure when their family and pod members are separat ed from each other to be put into captivity. Once removed from their natural environment, the whales are then transported to small enclosures that lack not only their families and social groups but which also are only a fraction of the size of their natural home range (â€Å"PETA†). If life for captive orcas and dolphins were as peaceful as marine parks would have us believe, the animals would live longer than their wild counterparts. While captive marine mammals are not subject to predators or ocean pollution, their captivity is nevertheless a death sentence. These caged mammals develop severe health issues from being confined to small tanks where they are forced to perform unnecessary tricks for â€Å"entertainment.† According to PETA’s website, â€Å"Wild orcas can also live for decades—some have been documented to be more than 90 years old—but those at Sea World and other marine parks rarely survive for more than 10 years† (peta.org). An imals imprisoned die prematurely from stress and other captivity-related causes; which is seen as the  main cause for the deaths of animal trainers at aquatic parks, like the attack mentioned before from Sea World. The question of whether marine mammals should be held captive is even weighed in by scientists. There have been countless experiments and portrayals of cetaceans, or aquatic mammals such as whales and dolphins, displaying intelligent behavior. Experts in philosophy, conservation, and animal behavior recognize that dolphins and whales are adequately intelligent to justify the same ethical considerations as humans. According to the BBC News World website, â€Å"The move was made at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, Canada, the world’s biggest science conference. It is based on years of research that has shown dolphins and whales have large, complex brains and a human-like level of self-awareness† (http://www.bbc.co.uk). This has led the experts to conclude that by recognizing these animals’ rights would serve as a catalyst to ending whaling and captivity of these self-aware creatures. Unlike the views of animal display industries who endorse captivity, or animal rights activists and scientists whom advocate against it, there are some associations that seem more neutral towards animal confinement. These organizations act as a middle ground, where their pure intent is to promote animal wellbeing; whether that may be in captivity or in their natural environment. These groups look at specific cases of different marine mammal species individually and decide where that animal is more likely to thrive. The Seal Conservation Society (SCS) is a terrific illustration of a society who is neutral to the thought of captivity; their main focus being on conservation and welfare. They view both sides of captivity on their website. At first questioning captivity they inquire, â€Å"Do the benefits to humans from the animalndisplay industry justify the animals’ confinement and stress associated with the unnatural environment? The question remains for all marine mammals whet her captivity is justified for entertainment, educational or conservation purposes.† Then countering those thoughts according to the website, â€Å"A further justification for captive pinnipeds to be considered is the research value of captive studies where the research clearly increases  our understanding and appreciation of pinniped species, this benefit must be considered in the context of the welfare and well-being of the animals involved. Our society would tend to support those facilities where the animals’ long-term and welfare is a priority† (pinnipeds.org). These impartial organizations appear exceptionally more helpful than the other radical view points; instead of supporting what they believe in they can focus more on the specific animal and not their cause. In correspondence to the previous organizations mentioned, there are similar associations that promote animal well-being but also support captivity if it’s necessary. These groups are marin e mammal rescue centers that endorse captivity along with non-performance opportunities. The Marine Mammal Center is an organization that believes animals shouldn’t be abused in captivity by being forced to perform unnatural tricks, but believe captivity should be allowed if the animal cannot survive on its own in the wild (â€Å"Marine Mammal Center†). These institutions don’t see captivity as the enemy, but rather view aquatic theme parks and entertainment business that confine animals for the wrong reasons to be immoral. Their website won me over when it stated, â€Å"What we do is more than kind-hearted consideration for the well-being of other living creatures. We recognize the fundamental relationship that binds humans, animals, and the ocean† (â€Å"Marine Mammal Center†). The question if marine mammals should be kept in captivity is tough to answer. Personally, I believe that in our present society there are more urgent matters than amusing audiences by exploiting such intelligent and defenseless animals. We have an ethical and imperative responsibility to think about species that may be negatively impacted by our actions. This includes a lot of species, and cetaceans are no exception. These marine mammals should remain where they evolved and thrived and we should make sure that their rights are protected so that they can go on living there.