Beckett vs Satre Essay

Samuel Beckett’s vision of two lowly tramps in the middle of a derelict environment can be placed in direct contrast to the claustrophobic and eternal nightmare presented by Jean-Paul Sartre , but each playwright possessed objectives for their respective audiences and each shared a valued opinion on the theories of existentialism which can be established in the plays Waiting for Godot and No Exit. Beckett introduces the audience into a world of questioning and surrealist virtues and encourages the spectator to actually discuss the play and find the answer within. Sartre, however, presents his play as a placard for the virtues of existentialism and attempts to prove that â€Å"hell is other people†. When being asked about the sources for his ideas or advocating him as a pioneer for the Theatre of the Absurd, Beckett’s replies were often curt or dismissive. The Theatre of the Absurd was a term conceived by the critic Martin Esslin to describe the various playwrights who gave their artistic interpretations believing that human existence is futile and without meaning. According to Beckett himself the Theatre of the Absurd was too ‘judgemental’, too self-assuredly pessimistic: I have never accepted the notion of a theatre of the absurd, a concept that implies a judgement of value. It’s not even possible to talk about truth. That’s the part of the anguish. Sartre, however made his existentialist philosophies quite apparent. With his own theories he collaborated with the Dadaists and Surrealists after the Second World War and achieved to create his own ‘humanist’ way of thinking but with a prominent atheistic outlook. Sartre quoted rather proudly â€Å"L’homme est condamne a etre libre†¦l’homme est liberte. † Loosely translated he proclaims that â€Å"Man is condemned to be free†¦man is freedom. † Sartre firmly believed that man is nothing except his life and that consequently he is fully responsible for his actions. In Sartre’s existentialist world, man is committed to choose his own destiny without the help of any religion whether he wants to or not and he made this philosophy apparent in all of his works, unlike Beckett who used a more cryptic or absurd stance in his plays. With or without the use of absurdist ideals and other forms of the genre Beckett certainly portrayed the human values in his characters and considered the ideas of social conditioning and the existentialist notion of absolute freedom. Of all the ideologies written or philosophised over , existentialism seems to lend a lot of its virtues to Waiting for Godot. Ronan McDonald argues that absurdity and existence are fundamental to Beckett‘s work: There may be more affinity with another association of existentialism and Beckett’s beliefs, namely the idea of ‘absurdity’, though here (too) caution is advised. Without any grounding, without any reason for our being in the world, a certain strand of existentialist thought concludes that life is absurd, disordered and meaningless. The ‘absurd, disordered and meaningless’ which McDonald mentions is evident in the dialogue used in Waiting for Godot. Conversations between the two main characters of Estragon and Vladimir are often erratic and pointless and never seem to resolve at a natural climax. They bounce off each other instigating a retort which is unexpected and prompts an audience to laugh at the scenario with confusing intrigue. The dialogue in No Exit, on the other hand is logical and justified as it relates to the actual settings and situations of the characters. Beckett’s erratic streams of consciousness that materializes from his characters sometimes make no sense and compared to the confronting and direct speech in Sartre’s work, can sometimes be slightly confusing. Sartre’s characters all have a back story which can be deduced and discovered by the dialogue as opposed to the lack of any character history in Waiting for Godot. The audience can conclude that Estragon, Vladimir and Pozzo, although having different character traits, are all just waiting for Godot but do not know for how long or for what reason. Garcin, Estelle, and Inez in No Exit all have different traits, as does Beckett’s characters, but their characters are shaped from past despairs, sexuality or previous happenings in their lives which have evidently placed them in the hellish scenario in which they find themselves. Because of the situation in Sartre’s play, the audience can relate themselves to the characters on an empathetic level and create stronger opinions and less questionable virtues than that of Beckett’s enigmatic trio. The despair and degradation towards many civilians during the Second World War became an established influence in both Sartre and Beckett’s works during their most prolific period of writing after the conflict. The persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi’s occupying Paris and Beckett’s personal actions within the French Resistance seemed to have spawned a firm principle and an underlying subtext within his plays. McDonald makes this apparent when he says: In his post-war career, though his work became ever less connected to a recognisable world, one could say, paradoxically, that it became more political, more shaped by exploitive power relations, edicts handed down from above, secrecy and inscrutability and descriptions of human torment. Many of these influences are indisputable in the relationship between Pozzo and Lucky throughout the first act in Waiting for Godot. During Act I of the play the abhorrent abuse Pozzo extends towards Lucky and the dismissive way in which he converses with the two slightly passive tramps creates a clear power divide between the characters. Beckett reverses the divide when in Act II Pozzo finds himself in distress and the power is redirected to the two tramps. As Pozzo is struggling helplessly on the floor like an up-ended beetle the two tramps, reminded of the chicken bone they received from him the day before, explain: VLADIMIR: He wants to get up. ESTRAGON:Then let him get up. VLADIMIR:He can’t. ESTRAGON:Why not? VLADIMIR:I don’t know. [POZZO writhes, groans, beats the ground with his fists. ] ESTRAGON:We should ask him for the bone first. Then if he refuses we’ll leave him there. VLADIMIR:You mean we have him at our mercy? By using Pozzo as the one in need and the two tramps as the one’s who can help, Beckett creates a pessimistic vision of human needs in a deliciously black pratfall. McDonald agrees when he says: Beckett’s work is notorious for it’s intense preoccupation with pessimism and human suffering, notwithstanding its bleak beauty and darkly acid comedy. Power and conflict can be found aplenty in Sartre’s hellish hotel room as all three characters seem to find themselves guilty of contraventions which have rendered them no better or worse for conscience in the eyes of the audience. Whereas Estragon and Vladimir use repetition and slapstick to form the basis of comic moments, Sartre’s characters use no such implements and keep the play solemn throughout. Garcin is the forlorn sadist, Estelle shrugs off her murderous past by being the conceited love-starved damsel and Inez stalks the room as the inert lesbian. Each character submits their own tales of woe and it is evident that none of them has the patience or understanding to cope with the others because as soon as a bond occurs between two characters, the third intervenes. Having one man and two women in the room (one of them being a lesbian with a keen eye on the other) sexual frustrations boil over to create various power struggles and along with the inept attempts to befriend or belittle and vexed attitudes on their morbid incarceration, the atmosphere becomes a tense hot-bed of conflict with each character in turn venting their grievance towards another. In Frederick Lumley’s New Trends In 20th Century Drama, he states; No love is possible in the presence of the third, no end is possible since the three must be together for eternity , â€Å"neither the knife, poison, rope† can enable them to escape this fact. With this fact constantly put forward by Sartre; the trio’s future looks bleakly endless and this inevitable outcome contributes to the rise in tension and conflict. Lumley continues; The play presents an endless repetition, a study in monotony which, far from being monotonous, is in fact intensely dramatic and most seducing. Beckett’s characters in Waiting for Godot all have their own motives and opinions but all seem to be quashed by the ever present threat of Godot appearing. The characters’ vivid streams of consciousness and erratic conversations take the audience along a confusing and often pointless narrative but Beckett seems to relish this as it makes the spectator question the morals and whole raison d’etre for the piece. Is Godot some sort of religious deity? Are the characters dead and living a life in endless purgatory? Is the story a tale of class and the power struggle that ensues from it? Beckett’s aims can be discussed and divulged for years to come and I believe that there is no one conclusive answer, but Eric P. Levy sums up his plays excellently when he says: â€Å"Beckett explores human experience as he finds it today: denied any explanations but desperately needing them. † I believe this to be the perfect description of what Beckett‘s aims were for the audience; being denied any explanation from Beckett himself and desperately wanting to know who or what Godot is. In stark contrast to Beckett’s surreal settings and arbitrary dialogue, Jean-Paul Sartre holds no blows when delivering his existentialist piece No Exit. The set itself is more representative of the hellish circumstances in which he has placed his characters as opposed to the stark emptiness of Beckett’s setting. The setting is just one room with no windows so characters and spectators alike have no sense of what time of day it is and a claustrophobic awareness is supported further by keeping the whole play within one act. In Waiting for Godot we observe all of the action in a sparse wilderness with just one solitary foliage-free tree as a visual representation of the outside world. The only hint of time passing is when the characters mention the previous days events or when the tree shows a mere sprouting of greenery in the second act of the piece. Along with the scenery the title of the play, No Exit, precedes dialogue and induces drama by giving a sense of inescapability and hopeless struggle to the play. Frederick Lumley describes the set beautifully in saying; †¦with it’s barren walls, it’s bricked up windows excluding daylight so that night and day are alike, the space where a mirror once hung (for in eternity one must look at others, not oneself anymore), is all part of a masochistic nightmare where continuity becomes an endless symphony of torture worse than any physical torture. With these points in mind it is evident that Sartre relied more on the situation in which his characters were based rather than the frivolities of Beckett’s characters and his absurdist approach. Although Beckett and Sartre shared the same philosophical outlooks on existentialism and the nature of human behaviour, Sartre used the theatre as his soap-box to create and present his philosophical views and tended to show the drama in the situation rather than the character based approach which Beckett utilized in most of his plays. Sartre himself states; As a successor to the theatre of characters we want to have a theatre of situation. The people in our plays will be distinct from one another – not as a coward is from a miser or a miser from a brave man, but rather as actions are divergent or clashing, as right may conflict with right. Sartre uses the situation in No Exit to create the dramatic conflict and tense atmosphere whereas Beckett uses the theatre of absurdity with sparse and stunning dialogue to create some form of dramatic tension in Waiting for Godot. Conclusively this makes Beckett’s play very much more ambiguous compared to the out and out existentialist views portrayed in No Exit. The characters in Sartre’s piece all seem familiar to an audience who after witnessing the play have no quandary in deciding where the play leads or where it leads from and the content from it’s start to it‘s twisted and violent conclusion definitely advocates Sartre‘s theory; â€Å"Hell is other people. † Waiting for Godot, however, leaves the audience perplexed at the outcome and offers various questions as to the origin of it’s characters along with their motivations and mundane existence. With the erratic lines of action and the surreal and often pointless conversation, the audience can derive that the whole point of Waiting for Godot is; there is no point. But is this correct? Only Samuel Beckett could have revealed that answer. Bibliography Beckett. S. Waiting For Godot. Chatham: Faber & Faber. 2006 ed. Sartre. J. P No Exit and three other plays. Vintage International. 1996 ed. McDonald. R. The Cambridge Introduction to Samuel Beckett. Cambridge: CUP. 2006. Levy. E. P. Beckett And The Voice Of The Species. Dublin: Macmillan. 1980 Knowlson. J & McMillan (eds. ) The Theatrical Notebooks of Samuel Beckett, vol I: Waiting for Godot. London: Faber & Faber, 1994. Unwin. S & Woddis. C. A Pocket Guide To 20th Century Drama. London: Faber & Faber. 2001. Lumley. F. New Trends In 20th Century Drama. London: Barrie & Jenkins Ltd. 1972 ed. References Styan. J. L Modern Drama in Theory and Practice2 (Symbolism, Surrealism and the Absurd) Cambridge: CUP 1998 Lenny Love 2007 ——————————————– [ 2 ]. Knowlson, Damned to Fame, p. 178. [ 3 ]. New Trends In 20th Century Drama, Ch10 p139 [ 4 ]. Cambridge Intro to S. Beckett [ 5 ]. Cambridge Intro to S. Beckett Ch2, p22 [ 6 ]. Cambridge Intro to S. Beckett ch2, p23 [ 7 ]. Levy. E. P. Beckett & the Voice of Species. p. 3. [ 8 ]. New Trends In 20th Century Drama. Ch10, p150 [ 9 ]. New Trends in 20th Century Drama. Ch10, p141.

Dave Matthews Band Bio

Formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991, Dave Matthews Band, or DMB, is an enormously successful rock, jazz and jam band that has had various tours around the United States and around the world. Originally from South Africa, Dave Matthews was working as a bartender in downtown Charlottesville when approached about forming a band, for he was already known as a good songwriter. This set the wheels in motion for Dave to meet other future members of DMB. DMB’s drummer, Carter Beauford, grew up in Charlottesville and agreed to join upon Matthews’ project. At about the same time as Beauford, Matthews recruited prominent Charlottesville saxophonist Leroi Moore, who also agreed to join. Moore, due from complications suffered in an ATV accident, died in 2008. DMB’s latest album, â€Å"Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King†, is dedicated to Moore’s memory. With a drummer and saxophonist secured, Matthews approached bassist Stefan Lessard, who also grew up in Charlottesville. Lessard, who was enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, eventually dropped out due to becoming so involved in the band. Boyd Tinsley, DMB’s violinist, was studying at the University of Virginia when asked by Matthews to join the collaboration. With the band now fully formed, Dave Matthews Band started playing local joints and bars and eventually released their first studio album â€Å"Under the Table and Dreaming† in 1994. With 5 albums released between their first and their latest, DMB has shown immense longevity in the music scene. DMB is also heavily involved in philanthropy, always supporting local Charlottesville charities and Habitat for Humanity across the country. With Leroi Moore’s unfortunate passing in 2008, Jeff Coffin became the band’s new saxophonist but has not yet been named an official member. DMB has released more than 15 live albums, which often include improvisation on some of their most recognizable songs and lyrics. The band has won one Grammy Award, and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

Free Trade and Protectionism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Free Trade and Protectionism - Essay Example Hence free trade policy is a cost effective policy adopted by the governments. As sometimes the domestic substitute's price goes higher. So the government prefers the free trade policy through which the price of the goods becomes lower and in the other hand the economic improves. The free trade policy facilitates the optimal use of the economic resources. for an instance for some people to understand the free trade policy better this example could be taken if it is not possible to grow paddy in a desert country which will be very costly to grow the crop the country could make an free trade with some other country which grows paddy at a cheaper and a affordable rate so the government gets the maximum benefit, to say exactly the country is benefited economically. This free trade is beneficial in many ways to a country. But sometimes many groups also oppose for the method of free trade. The free trade is based on the optimal use of the economic resources by a country. To understand this in a better way the barriers to the free trade is chronicle shifting between the industries and the geographic areas. The very main concept for the free trade is that each and every count... ountry should know whether the demand could be meted out by the domestic coffee makers if it is not possible then the government should arrange for the free trade because the cost for the product becomes cheaper at that occasion. But instead of that if he tries to cultivate coffee with some other expensive technologies automatically the price goes to the peak. So now you can decide which one is cheaper whether the free trade product or the product manufactured in the domestic country. So this is the comparison between the free trade product and the domestic costly product. The trade of such goods flow between the countries with the unhinderence of the government so this makes the free trade easier. Since the time of the Second World War United States has become the most consistent proponents of the reduced tariffs and the free trade helped to establish the general agreements on the tariff barrier and the free trade. If we take the account of the economic theory the global free trade is not benefit to the society some times the selective application of the free trade and the tariff of some countries leads to the in efficiency of the country's economy. Due to this free trade policy the domestic producer suffers a lot. The opposers for the free trade policy are the nationalists, communists, agriculturalist they oppose due to some supposed problems. Sometimes they are also opposed by the domestic producer because the free trade policy creates a loss to the domestic producer and some time leads to the flooding of the local goods. The anti globalizations groups also do not support free trade because the economic conditions of the poor do not go up but they become poorer. Karl Marx wrote in The Communist Manifesto, "The bourgeoisie...has set up that single,

The value of the Individual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The value of the Individual - Essay Example He poses a big challenge â€Å"If there are, in fact, billions of other civilizations, where does that leave our celebrities? If worth is measured on a sliding scale of notoriety, what would it mean if we were all suddenly obscure† (Yagelski  301). By considering the stars, it is possible to look at the universal picture of reality of life. There could be billions of stars and other civilizations. If we were all combined together, perhaps human race would be the least valuable. It is not fair therefore, to value ourselves by public acclaim. Instead, we should all live with one another as if we were all equal. We should treat each other with fairness, love, affection, and care knowing well that we are all equal and perhaps, as human beings, the least valuable within the parameters of the whole universe. Anthony Doerr, shares the same sentiments. According to him, the universe is so large that our planet earth would only fit in as a tiny speck of dust within the universe. There are billions of other planets perhaps with more revolutionized life than planet earth. To make it more clear, small microorganisms think they are valuable within the realms of their existence. However, we believe that we are more valuable. Similarly, there could be other forms of life that are far much revolutionized than we are. Doerr asks a series of important questions â€Å"Why are you here? Why are the stars there? Is it even remotely possible that our one, tiny, eggshell world is the only one encrusted with life† (Yagelski 313). Thinking within the limits of our own understanding only makes us feel valuable and important. It makes us treat other people as if they were less human. We attach value depending on our status within the society not realizing that what we know is so limited. However, our value is indeed too insignificant to treat others as less human. We should all find value by regarding everyone around as equally important. Human beings should open their minds and see a

Film report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Film report - Essay Example It is therefore required after watching a film that one drafts a film report. This makes it critical to have an objective view of the film. Reflect on the themes and characters that are uniquely portrayed and try to relate them in the scenes or from how they were depicted. This is to say that you may look at the clothes worn by a character, how he/she communicates with other characters and so on. Understanding the context of the characters is usually of vital importance. One may evaluate the happenings in that time period; evaluate what the characters represent and also the symbolic scenes in that particular film. In the report, an argument is always put forward which forms a basis from which evident supporting reasons are sought. From the clearly supported argument, one can therefore relate the film with the occurrences in society for better understanding ourselves (Scott 17-27). From the films on Samurai and warfare, diverse themes come into the limelight. However it is evident that the ancient use of swords in early time’s warfare was of great significance. The theme of armor and weaponry fortifications and later on the changing strategies upon the introduction of firearms is clearly depicted in Samurai. Fighters in ancient times considered the double edged swords as an important weapon in war. In reference to these wars, the samurai sword is probably the finest edged weapon ever made. How and why it achieve this distinction from its unique metallurgy to its wide use in combat where one stroke always decided the victor. There are perhaps very few movies beyond the samurai based films that clearly show the connection between the Japanese culture and their weaponry. The fact that most of them have war themes also means that the art of war or defense was a crucial aspect of the people’s culture. Unlike some of the more recent films that seek to illuminate the life and times of the early Japanese, the samurai movies come out more

Difficulties Canadians Face if they do not Have a Perfect Command of Essay

Difficulties Canadians Face if they do not Have a Perfect Command of the English Language - Essay Example A major difficulty of people in Canada who do not have a good command of English is in terms of education. Most schools in Canada use English as the medium of instruction. If one does not speak, read or write English, how can one be educated in these schools? A good education is a prerequisite for a good job in the future; thus, it is important that one learns the English language to be able to be enrolled in the Canadian schools. Seeking employment will also be difficult for residents in Canada who are not fluent in English. With the onset of globalization, most employers would require knowledge of the English language among their employees. If there were two applicants for a job and one knows English while the other does not have a command of the language, most likely, the latter will not be taken in. Having a perfect command of the English language is always a plus factor in landing a job. Canadians who do not speak English are sometimes discriminated. Their personal and civic ide ntity is threatened because they are being judged according to the language they speak. (Churchill 28). This is another difficulty which the non-English speaking residents of Canada face. ... This resulted in the low productivity and morale of the factory workers. This problem has its corresponding effect on the Canadian economy and society (Abacus 1). A possible solution to the language problem is to revise the Canadian immigration point system, making language skills a priority (Abacus 1). It does not benefit Canada to accept doctors or other professionals if they do not have a functional knowledge of either French or English. In addition, a mandatory language testing may be given to immigrants after six months of stay in the country and the finalization of their immigrant status will depend partly on the results of the test (Abacus 1). Another recommendation to lessen the difficulties of Canadians with the English language is for the government to offer free English language training courses which are accessible. The government can set up these classes in community centers. It is advisable that these classes be set up in communities where there are a large number of no n-English speaking immigrants, as well as in communities where there are a lot of Canadian residents who cannot speak the language. The question though is whether the government will be willing to allocate funds for these classes especially for the immigrants who should not be a burden to the Canadian government. If the government cannot fund the English classes, then the private sector may choose to establish these classes and make them affordable. These may be done by companies through training programs for their non-English speaking employees. This can be viewed by these corporations as an investment in human resources because in the long-run, their company will also benefit from having English speaking employees. Another suggestion to people having difficulty communicating

Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gay Marriage - Essay Example However, there are researchers who argue that it is not desirable to force homosexuals to engage in heterosexual marital affairs as this would ruin their personal and familial life. In this respect, Andrew Sullivan purports that â€Å"homosexual fathers and mothers who are encouraged in to heterosexual marriages subsequently find the charade and dishonesty too great to bear: spouses are betrayed, children are abandoned, families are broken and lives are ruined† (Persily). Thus, the proponents of gay marriage argue that it is better that homosexuals engage in gay marriage as they are unable to lead a normal heterosexual married life. They also argue that the homosexuality is not a mental illness and is an inherent character of humans which should be treated similarly as the case of heterosexuals. Both morality and religion condemn gay marriages; the concept of gay marriage is against the teachings of Christianity as it upholds that God has designed human beings as men and women to complement each other and marriage is the primary institution that unites both men and women.

Disaster in Gwinnett County Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Disaster in Gwinnett County - Research Paper Example Gwinnett County Emergency Management Agency needs to be created in order to manage future disasters and after effects related to the calamity. The country should synchronize the action of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) with other emergency services (Gwinnett County Emergency Management Agency). They should take help of National Traffic System (NTS) in order to reduce public panic regarding the disaster. Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and medical examiner are needed in order to deal with medical exigencies Human service agencies Fire department Law enforcement Question 2 Gwinnett County needs to create incident management system in order to prevent ill effects of future disasters. National incident management system is needed to be created and NIMS should concentrate on following areas (Walsh 7). Command and Management Human Resource Management Communication and information management Technological support Operation management Multiagency coordination system Question 3 Nati onal incident management system needs to work with incident command system (ICS) in order to fillip the scope of Area command. Command structure should be created in the following manner. (Source: Walsh 13) [Note: Above mentioned picture shows that command structure of EOC group can be bifurcated into two parts such as Agency executives and unified area command. Unified area command covers two types of commands such as unified command and incident command] Prevention (including Mitigation) NIMS needs to measure amount of physical and financial damage caused by disaster in the districts of Snellvill, Lawrenceville, Duluth & unincorporated Gwinnett regulatory in order to prevent further disruptions. In the prevention NIMS need to use following sources to foster the prevention activity. (Source: Walsh 14) Command structure should follow â€Å"Unified Command† structure in order to facilitate joint determination process. Strategic planning for resource allocation should be done i n unified manner. Agencies will be appointed to resolve for utilizing resources (Walsh 25). Question 4 The overall strategic objective of NIMS is to ensure a systematic and effective mechanism for mitigating the ill effect of disaster. Strategic objectives can be underpinned in the following manner. Determining overall incident management strategy Integrating tactical operation with strategic objective Mainstream disaster management in pertinent areas such as Lawrenceville, Duluth, Snellville and Unincorporated Gwinnett. Creating joint planning for tactical activities (Walsh 26) Using available resources at optimum level Question 5 NIMS was focusing on removing debris, providing emergency service to affected people as a part of the initial command but now the equilibrium of the situation has changed after reports of traffic incidents revealed. Gwinnett County Emergency Management Agency needs to recruit more number of volunteers in order to help people affected by disaster. Initial command structure can be explained by following diagram. (Source: Walsh 29) The command structure should be elongated in order to resolve traffic problem. Addition traffic emergency workers can increase the strength of the structure. Initial command

Two Families Essay Example for Free

Two Families Essay In the Godfather we have the family as an organized crime syndicate, in Boyz in the Hood, we have African American referring to each other as brothers. I got the title for this paper because that is the biggest similarity in between the two movies, the family connection. The Godfather is a classic film making 3rd in the AFI’s top 100 movies of all time. One of the reasons it is a great and compelling movie is that it focuses on the realities of an alternate world where people have to make dramatic choices every day. It does this without trying to politicize the movie; it shows the struggles of a crime family in a fight for their literal life. Boyz in the Hood is a very political movie and that is its downfall. While it pretends to be interested in the welfare of the family, mostly the son, and African Americans in general, it posits many positions about race that are absolutely ridiculous. In the movie the father blames white society for all of the problems of the black race, including liquor stores and gun shops. I guess I just haven’t heard yet how the government subsidizes these. When talking about drugs he says, we don’t have the resources to bring the drugs here, we don’t have airplanes and ships. Somehow Columbians are now responsible for the African American plight. I’m sure that Columbian’s can’t get sleep at night because they are worried about how to bring African Americans down, that is the only rational explanation for what is happening. Contrast this to The Godfather and you see they never blame white men for their problems. There is a few times that they are called negative names, and the story in the beginning, where the undertaker asks to have his daughter’s attack revenged, he never says that they did what they did because he was Italian. It could have been because of that because the attackers were implied to be white, but it was never mentioned. I think it was interesting that one of the sons was adopted and not Italian. There is an implication in this that although the Mafia is largely an Italian organization, it does not discriminate against some races, although the use of the work â€Å"nigger† by Sonny does show negative attitudes towards those people. He says this when he says that they should sell drugs just to African Americans. The reasoning was because they wouldn’t get in as much political trouble. This seems logical and is a much better explanation than that there is a conspiracy against African Americans. This is not an acceptable situation either, and we need to focus on bringing all of America together rather than tearing America apart. I am reminded of the quote by John Donne from Meditation XVII of Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were. Any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. For if the plauge of rasism blinds the eye to injustice, is it not in some way my innocence that cries to the heavens for justice. Is this to be cured by the isolation of a race from those who are percieved to have caused the injustice? No, it is caused by communication in between two two races, because communication casues understanding. The other key ingredient is personal responsibility. The main character in Boyz in the Hood acepted personal responsibility and was able to espace the circle of violence that plauged the comminity. It also seems like the Maifa was more concerned with power and the ability to do business than to be upset by petty arguments. In Italy Michael noticed there was no young males and his bodygaurd said it was because of the vendettas. It seems like we can all learn from this another lesson from â€Å"For Whom the Bell Tolls,† when you participate in voilence you are the person who will suffer the most, because there is always repercusions of your actions. In The Godfather the enemies were the same as they were, they were organized criminals. In Boyz in the Hood it was much the same. I wonder if they think about the similarities in the oposing gangs, and if that has any effect on them. The best thing that either could do would be to join forces with their adversaries and put away petty differences, although this would mean a loss of control by the leaders of the gangs/families. Both were torn apart not by outside forces, but by their own kind. It seems like in The Godfather at least they were honest about that. They realized that their biggest opponent was the organizations like them. They knew that the only thing they would understand was violence. The Godfather didn’t want Michel to have the same life he did, but in the end he was more violent that what the Godfather was. It was a payback for the life he led, and was probbably worse for him than any personal repercusion he felt. There are two families represented here, two of a whole miriad of families that we have in the United States. The families have different colors, different religons or none. The families have different values. Sometimes the colors and values are different in a single family. Most of the time there is no violence, although most families have their black sheep. When we become a single familiy a lot of the problems we face will be gone. This wont happen by blame, but understanding. A movie like Boyz in the Hood should have helped create that understanding, but it fell on its face blaming eveyone and increasing the gulf in between black and white. Works Cited Print Sources Donne, John, Meditation XVII of Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. 1624 Web Site American Film Institute’s web page. 2006. American Film Institute. April 11, 2007. http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/movies.aspx.

Robert frost- the road not taken Essay Example for Free

Robert frost- the road not taken Essay Life is full of obstacles that have been throw our way to see who is the strongest to survive, some make it to the end and some suffer more in the process. When people open up to different opportunities, it is the initial response by human nature to pick the opportunity that will give you the most benefit. The concept of having to pick between two paths has been identified in the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost. There have been times when a person had to choose a specific path that they though they should take but the truth of the matter was it ended up being the wrong choice. In life it is normal for people to make mistakes because we were not created and put in this world to be perfect. Nothing in life can be prefect because there is sadness along side happiness. When reading this poem it is as if I am in this poem and I was watching from the sidelines but I can read into the poets mind. Poems like this are rare; the way they are told with such vivid imagery sets the scenery up in the readers mind. The diction Frost uses to describe the fall season so adequately and imbeds it in the poem to run it more smoothly. In the first stanza, Frost says â€Å"And looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth†, with such poetic significance that he is looking as far as he can into the two roads on one autumn day. He implies that he is sorry in the second line because he has a form of regret that he cannot travel both of the roads laid ahead of him at once. Not only are these the paths to another day but also they are the paths to his future. That is when Frost freezes and has to decide which one would most benefit him. Now he is forced by his own willpower to stumble upon the second road to which he continues to talk about. By using play on words such as â€Å"just† and â€Å"fair† he confuses the reader. Frost has a powerful way of making a poem become a story line by having the reader interpret his thoughts. Frost has the power of using similes when he compares the roads to being fair. Moving through the second stanza he explains that he chose the second road only because he thought it was the rode less taken by any other human. He uses vivid phrases like â€Å"it was  grassy and wanted wear† which makes it known to the readers of this poem that the path he chose to take was the path that not a lot of other people took because it looked fresh without any footsteps. Right when the reader thinks he has figured the poet out, Frost goes and complicates our understanding by comparing the two paths and declaring them equal to one another. Like every great poet, the reader finds everything out line-by-line, which makes his writing more of a mystery than a straightforward poem. In the beginning of the third stanza we learn that it is in fact morning when Frost decides to take the road he has chosen. We figure that out because he writes, â€Å"And both that morning equally lay.† Does he realize that the reason why the road does not look used is because he might be the first person that day to take that path down to success or failure? Frost uses more fancy words in the poem to confuse us but really when he states â€Å"In leaves no step had trodden black.† he mentions the leaves haven’t turned black because people haven’t stepped on them or crushed them. Just like how the leaves survive the night, he compared it to himself in hopes that he will survive as well. Including an epiphany in the writing by saying â€Å"Oh, I kept the first for another day!† not only shows us regret but also shows us some hopes he has in going back one day and taking the road he did not choose the first time around. The next two lines where Frost wrote â€Å" Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back.† really explain the chances of being able to go back are one in a million. It would be foolish of him to think he would have a chance at something that can change in a second. In the final stanza of this great and powerful poem, Frost changes the tense of this poem to where he is in the future looking back to his choices. He uses the word â€Å"sigh† that can portray many meaning as if he said it from happiness or sadness or he is just reflecting upon his experience. But when Frost states â€Å"Somewhere ages and ages hence:† it is obvious that this story he tells us, he will keep telling it many years from now. With a neat way of repeating the first line of the poem he brings his story to an end. The form repetition is used to help put emphasis on the importance of the poem and  with that he says â€Å"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—â€Å" in which he compares himself to the road where he is standing. Frost reflects on his decision of taking the one less traveled in confidences that it has made him more unique. And he ended the poem by expressing his experiences and looking back into his decisions. Frost realizes that if he were to take the road not traveled he would not have experienced all that he did. This ending of the poem shows ambiguity because he wants the richest experience possible. Thinking back on this poem helps us understand life much more, the fact that life is full of irony. In particular to this poem, the title of the poem itself is ironic because it is called â€Å"The Road Not Taken† where in fact he puts more emphasis on the road he DID take. This whole poem has been based around dreams, choices, hopes, and plans for the future. The fact that he uses nature as his surrounding he is metaphorically comparing it to life itself. If you were to dissect this poem further, you would realize that the poem is contradicting the way it is set up. While reading a poem about paths and choices it really it only leads you to think of your own struggles you have been through. I never realized how much I have regretted some of the choices I have made in my life. The only difference between my life and this poem was that I had to choose between not one or two paths but three. It also gets harder to distinguish which path you want when all the paths give you exactly one thing you treasure most. This poem connects to me personally because when I was starting high school I had to make a decision whether I wanted to stay with the crowd of friends I had that included some friends my parents didn’t like or to make new friends which meant I had to open up to people, or initially take it one day at a time even if it meant to hurt my parents and go against their decisions. Ultimately it was somewhat of a loss to me because in any choice I made I lost something that was most important to me. I value friendship so much but I value my parents and their opinion so much more. Until this day I think about how my life would have been different if I didn’t make the decision I did. Life is honestly too short to live with regret but that does  not mean that there won’t be moments where you wish you had done something differently. I am proud of the path I chose and made new friends because in the end I was able to make my parents proud because they liked my new group of friends and I became apart of a new social circle. I never had anything handed to me in my life, whatever I wanted and wished for I was the one in charge for it. Just like Robert Frost I had to stand there and look as far as I could into my future to be able to make the choice that would be most right for me. Even though I lost so many friends that I was once close to, it helped me mature and also became a strong person. In this world we live in, we have to lose certain things to be able to gain more challenges that become second nature to us. The outcome of my choice of choosing to make new friends was that I gained more of my parents’ trust, attention, and love. Love is the most important thing other than health for a family to share. Frost showed me that in order to move forward in life, no matter how uncertain, you just have to give it a try and see what the outcome is. Sometimes it won’t be the outcome in which you wanted to acquire but it wont necessarily be one that you dread for the rest of your life. There will be moments where you will dwell on the past and hoped you had taken another road but you have to focus on the future. Looking back now, I do not regret the choice I made even if it involved losing some friends that had turned into family. Not everything in life is meant to be regretful. There are so many wonderful aspects of life we never figure out because we are too busy worrying about how difficult an obstacle may be. God and life itself puts obstacles in our way to show us we can overcome any hardships. I knew by making my choice to make new friends I myself would become a better person. Just like the ending of Robert Frost’s poem â€Å" And that has made all the difference.†

Conscription Campaigns in Australia: WW1

Conscription Campaigns in Australia: WW1 Can the Australia governments conscription during World War I be considered a public relations campaign? Why or why not? What specific â€Å"strategies† were used to encourage the Australian community to support (or not) conscription? Refer to relevant public relations theories in your response. In your response you will need to consider the notion of a public relations campaign. Compare your understanding of a public relations campaign to similar events. Compare this in terms of the historical development of public relations at that time. Public relation and the is the art of winning people’s hearts so it is very important for us to fully understanding it by using the relevant examples from the past because it is much easier for us to analyze these samples’ challenges , achievements and methods in order to apply into the current situation. By this action we can minimize not only the costs which can be incurred but also the risks of failure which we might dealing with. So let’s moving on to the question about the Australian Government’s conscription during the World War I. Personally, I think it is a public relation campaign because the definition of an campaign is an â€Å" organized activity or operation designed to attain a political, social or commercial goal†(Bobbit and Sullivan, 2005, p.32). Hence, a public relations campaign, according to Kendall, are considered as a â€Å"â€Å"concerted effort of an organization to build socially responsible relationships by achieving research-based goals through the application of communication strategies and the measurement of outcomes†. Let’s take a closer look at some keywords such as : â€Å"organized activity†, â€Å"political goal†, â€Å"build socially responsible relationship†, â€Å"application of communication strategies â€Å" and â€Å"the measurement of outcomes† and think about conscription of Australian Government’s in World War I or more specifically under the lead of Billy Hughes- The Prime Minister. First of all, we can see here this conscription is and â€Å"organized activity† which require a lot of preparation for Yes vote and in more particularly, Mark Sheehan( 2007) states that:† the campaign to persuade voters went beyond the methods used in recruiting†. In addition, this campaign served a â€Å"political goal â€Å"which is the need to win the war or in other word to extend conscription so that men could be sent to reinforce the front line in Europe to serve for the World War I. Thirdly, this campaign is trying to â€Å"build socially responsible relationship† by called ‘shirkers’ and ‘traitors’ to many eligible men over the age of 21 by using posters and speeches in order to persuade targeted men ‘eligible’ to enlist. Finally, it is the â€Å"application of communication strategies† because of using â€Å"theatr es, cinema, town halls, sporting events and even beaches† in the campaign in 1917 and this is noted by Carlyon (p.525) and it also failed in two referendums-which is a â€Å"measurement of outcome†. These are the proofs that the conscription occurred in World War I is a public relations campaign. But the question here is why it is failed in considered about the strategies of Yes- voters, the length of campaign, the target public and so on†¦ To answer this question we need to go through a bit about history Let’s first start with the definition of conscription which â€Å"is compulsory enlistment in the armed forces†. This means that it is compulsory with every men in the age bracket. In 1916, Australia had that conscription but it maintain inside Australian territory and that’s why Billy Hughes’ public relation campaign start in order to extend conscription so that men could be sent to reinforce the front line in Europe. And this is where the battle of voting started for overseas military service that split the community. Secondly, I want to talk briefly about the anti- conscription with we might call the No campaign of the labor movement and the member was in the Labor Party due to the threat to the white Australian working man. And Hughes’ pro-war enthusiasm made him into deep conflict with the Queensland Australian Labor Party Premier, T. J. Ryan. Therefore, Ryan did everything in his abilities to defeat conscription. Thirdly, let’s moving on the for- conscription which we called the Yes vote, in this part we will discuss the strategies and also some of important points of this campaign. About the member, this campaign was strongly supported by the business community who were the benefiter substantially from the introduction of conscription as suppliers of arms, uniforms and equipment, and by those who saw loyalty to God and Empire as paramount. By using not only propaganda and dissemination of information but also the sophisticated two-way asymmetric activity of opinion leaders- Billy Hughes was successful in create public opinion in the conscription in World War I. Cameron et al (2007, p.175) stated that opinion leaders frequently act as catalysts in the formation of public opinion by using mass media to make opinion flows from these leaders to the public. The theory in this campaign is media- dependency theory which is people who know little about the subject need to depend on mass media for their source of information and opinions. In addition, there are two ways of thinking ( yes and no for conscription) which is framing theory because of journalists and public relation personnel support a specific feature of a issue. The strategies of this campaign can be summaries as followed: Creating Government supported grass-root groups in each state (Robson 1970, p.99) in order to make it easier for opinion leaders to persuade the voters of the value of offering up their sons or husbands in what they thought â€Å"the most noble of fights†. Prime Minister Billy Hughes indicated in 1916 â€Å"cabled all mayors and shire presidents throughout the Commonwealth asking to take immediate steps to develop vigorous local organizations† (Robson 1970, p.106). And Hughes a strong network with the Premier of New South Wales, a former Prime Minister, and the Anglican Primate of Australia and the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney (Carlyon 2006, p.268). In addition, Dame Nellie Melba sang at events organized to support for the Yes vote and influence women (Robson 1970, p.107). The â€Å"mainstream press, city and country† (Carlyon 2006, p258) also supported under Hughes’s call for Yes –vote in conscription campaign. Understood that soldiers at the front were a vital vote for this campaign, Hughes developed a Soldier’s Manifesto and sought wide distribution a month before the referendum. For this task he relied on war correspondent Keith Murdoch. Through his network in the military Murdoch arranged delivery of the Manifesto for each soldier and also distribution to the British press. Moreover, he also organized meetings of soldiers which would carry resolutions asking the voters at home to vote yes. Despite the Prime Minister’s efforts the vote of the serving soldiers was uncertain. In a second attempt in 1917 , Hughes broadened the use of persuasive tactics and pointed out Claude McKay, a former journalist and writer, to work on the promotion of the campaign by taking place on the back of other events and to that extent caught the public unaware and unprepared to debate or question the organizers. And in this time, every mass media are used but it still lead to a failure for Hughes and Yes –voters which is quite narrowly 49 percent over 51 percent. So in summary, from 1916 to 1917, Hughes created 2 referendums which is voting for extend conscription from within Australia territory to Western Front Line for the call of England in World War 1 but both two times he failed closely although he tried really hard in term of public relations campaign by the using of two way information and mass media. Imagine that the Australian government wants to re-introduce conscription in 2013. You can choose to take the pro-conscription view (and support the government) or the anti-conscription view. How would you implement a campaign given your understanding of public relations theory, its role, and society today? You will need to break down the campaign into elements (such as goal, target public, strategies and evaluation). Demonstrate how these elements would be realized in 2013. Strategies need to be realistic, achievable and theoretically sound, determined through appropriate research. You can use the same strategies as the historical campaign, if you think it is relevant. Or you can come up with your own ideas. Dont worry about budget, imagine money is no object. If I’m leader of the pro-conscription view I will think about the moves of Billy Hughes in the old times and analysis these moves then based on these background I will update it because remembering that two referendums were closed with very narrow results 49 percent over 51 percent in the first time and the second time with a slightly bigger gap. So in my opinion, these results reflect a good trend but not right methods which need to improve by using some of the public relations theories and persuasion plus mass media effect in modern life. That’s why some of the commentators while trying to explain the failure of Billy Hughes stated that it might be the issues of providing a focus for a lot of different points of view about the war. In particular, there were some people opposed the war while others were opposed to conscription as a principle. And because at that time, the economy was in bad shape therefore others were saying that they were hurt by the economic situatio n hence the World War I, and so on.Consequently, public opinions are diverting in too many ways which are hard to unite because people were not, but they all agreed on the conscription question, and the issue gave them all a chance to express their opposition. In 1917 in an attempt, Hughes held another vote on the conscription and in this time he actually had a majority in both Houses of Parliament, and did not need the vote but because of his desire, he want to give the people another chance to overcome what he called as their great mistake in rejecting conscription the previous year a chance to correct themselves. But in controversy, the campaign was again fall in the wrong way of his thought, and conscription was again defeated, this time by a slightly larger margin. So in this time we need to work out again about the theory of publicity’s opinions and the method in order to improve the result. So let’s start with goal and target public and I think it probably the same with the old time which will be more than 51 percent voting in the referendum by using these target public such as followed. Firstly, the business man who support for the conscription and benefit because of the war, they can be weapon companies and related industries or people who faithful with British Government, Australian Government or Catholic Church. The reason why we need to target these groups because this group is what we called the ground which we can build a pyramid on that, these groups will contribute the money and the enthusiasm to do anything to support for the conscription. The second part of public which we need to target is the Australian women who might be the mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, and daughters of the listed soldiers which can support or anti our votes. About the importance of women in this context , we need to remind a bit about history with the withdrawal of about h alf a million men in 1916, and more clearly man is in crisis of going to work because of their direct replacement by women which will be happen if we have a conscription currently. Finally, there is one target who Billy Hughes were targeted but were not succeed and this is soldiers or most importantly the up front-soldiers who are fighting. Because these man can be described as â€Å"role model† which are called â€Å"informal opinion leaders†. According to Wilcox, â€Å"informal opinion leaders† are those â€Å"who have clout with peers because of some special characteristic. They may be role models who are admired and emulated or opinion leaders who can exert peer pressure on others to go along with something. In general, informal opinion leaders exert considerable influence on their peer groups by being highly informed, articulate, and credible on particular issues. â€Å"Consequently, in this case, if we want to recruit more soldiers who are enlisted, we n eed to create a â€Å"role model† which everyone must know, want to know, inspired by his/her. If we can do that the morale of the soldiers who are already enlisted or thought about enlisting will be very high which will befit for our public relations campaign not like Billy Hughes’s campaign. In the methods section, I think we need to base on the old times method because basically they are not on the wrong tracks but sharpen it by using mass media and remember technology in the modern life. In addition , keeping in mind that when we using mass media effects , we need to care about some theories of it which are agenda- setting theory, framing theory and lastly but also most importantly conflict theory. Let’s start which the definition of mass media effects: â€Å"traditional media, implies that information from a public relations source can be efficiently and rapidly disseminated to literally millions of people.†(Wilcox, 2013).Hence, a detailed recent research carried by professors and students at University of Technology in Sydney (UTS) showed that 55 percentage of the stories in leading Australian dailies come from what we called public relation sources. Therefore, the importance of mass media with public relation is undeniable with the appearance of public relations people who uses mass media to become major players in forming public opinion because of their â€Å"hot news† which are coming in the first compare to others. Understanding the importance of mass media is easy but how to use mass media require an understanding of theories which started by agenda- setting theory that is defined by Klapper as limited-effects model of mass media, media content sets the agenda for public discussion, and he stated that† mass medial ordinarily does not serve as a necessary and sufficient cause for audience effects, but rather functions among and through a nexus of mediating factors and influence.† Therefore, in the theme of this theory, we need to have a public relations campaign which not only setting the time for people to come back and follow but also can convey the set of attributes about conscription by using mass media day by day which leading to impact what audiences think about, according to Patricia Curtin, Qi Qiu an d Spiro Khiousis. Thirdly, framing theory is a theory which related to journalist and how they â€Å"frame† the story by choosing the particular facts, themes, solutions or others features†¦ And by that, journalists can create a different point of views for targeted public. That’s why political science Professors Shanto Iyengar an Donal Kinder note how â€Å"public relations professional working for political campaigns seek to emphasize consideration that will help voters decide in their favor, often enlisted the expertise of a popular leader, and to downplay the considerations that will hurt their cause or candidate.† In this case, we can use journalists to protect our side by framing conscription as good deed while the cause effects at unavoidable or fair price which we need to pay. Finally, the conflict is about disagreement between two or more individuals, groups, organizations, or communities because of the gap in interests. As the result, conflict theory is â€Å"research about differences among individuals or groups and explains conflicting interests, goals, values, or desires. Public opinion often reflects such different, or even conflicting, views, attitudes, and behaviors.† At this point , we can see how importance the conflict theory is, keep in mind that it what Billy Hughes missed, the united of public opinions because of lacking of researches at those time which we can do it easily by using technology such as Facebook, debating on YouTube, television or mass media. By unify so many differences or in other word diversities of the public, we can create an enthusiasm â€Å"army† to support for our vote. About the evaluation, because of the development of technology, it is quite easy now for us to know whether we do the right thing by using poll. Poll can use likely everywhere on the internet (for example Facebook, YouTube, or other social networks like twitters, if the websites don’t have we can use the like button to estimate it or number of views could be a good indicator) , in the subway, shopping mall or other common places by using the face to face methods .Remember that we can use the mass media to know how much attention we could draw. References: Dennis L. Wilcox

You Can be a Good Christian and Read Harry Potter :: Harry Potter Essays

You Can be a Good Christian and Read Harry Potter When my family and I bought tickets for the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, released shortly before Thanksgiving, my dad reminded me of one thing. â€Å"Just †¦don’t mention it to your relatives, when they come down for Thanksgiving,† he cautioned. â€Å"If your relatives say anything negative about Harry Potter, just try to be diplomatic. Don’t start a fight,† was my mother’s request. Harry Potter is a very sensitive issue to many people, especially now that a movie has been made, based on the first book – a movie that broke almost all US box office records as flocks of people came to watch it. The movie alone brought in just under one hundred million dollars in the first week (Brook). In addition, J.K. Rowling’s first four Harry Potter books (there are three more books planned in the series) have kept her on the bestseller list for the last four years. Each book has sold over a million copies (BBC News Online). As a reader and lover of the books, and a fan of the movie, I am naturally interested in the Harry Potter controversy, which centers on some individuals, notably in the Christian community, who are concerned that the Harry Potter books are spiritually dangerous to their children. Many have even gone so far as to claim that the books are inherently evil, and J.K. Rowling’s intent, in writing the books, was to desensitize, and furthermore attract children to the occult. But while some in the Christian community have sharply criticized the books, others have given them high praise, leaving many parents concerned and confused. The primary concern surrounding Harry Potter books seems to be that they are being marketed almost exclusively to children, yet present witchcraft throughout the story as an attractive, and even desirable thing (John Mark Ministries). The opposition to the books claim that this is causing a rise of interest in youth toward the occult, as well as opening our young people up to the influences of the Enemy (namely, Satan).

Ceremony By Leslie Silko :: essays research papers

Ceremony by Leslie Silko The novel Ceremony, written by Leslie Silko deals with the actions of a Native American youth after fighting, and being held captive during World War II. The young mans name is Tayo and upon returning to the U.S., and eventually reservation life he has many feelings of estrangement and apathy towards society. The novel discusses many topics pertaining to Native Americans, through the eyes of Tayo and a few female characters. The novel is one that you must decide for yourself what you believe, and why certain ideas or characters points of view are important. When reading the novel Ceremony, you must decide what you actually believe, and what situations were only figments of Tayo's stressed mind. Many of these situations occur throughout the book, some are very clear and others have hidden meanings. On a whole I believed what Tayo had to say about the world from his shoes. There are certain instinces that I know what Tayo is seeing is completely impossible. In Ceremony one must decide why and how the women's perspective is of importance. I believe the reason the women's view is to put a different perspective upon everything that goes on in the book, as compared with the perspective of Tayo. There are two women in the book who put their perspective into the story, one of them is the elderly mistress of Josiah and the other one is Helen Jean who went on one of the many joyrides that Harley and the others went on. These women are actually just a way for the author to explain how the rest of society viewed Tayo. An example of this is when Helen Jean describes Tayo "Too quiet, and not very friendly(161)". Another thing this allows the author to do is to show how the War affected the young women from the reservations. She is able to show you how Helen Jeans life was in just a few pages. Silko was able to show how the Native American war veterans looked to anyone who happened to look upon them, but that wasn't one of them. The perspective of the women also helped to debunk a lot of the stories the men told about the war and their various conquests etc. Another item for discussion that comes up in Ceremony is what did you as a reader actually learn? Well I learned many things that I found to be interesting,

Mr S Ndzimba at Uj Essay

â€Å"Redemption Song† Analysis â€Å"Redemption Song,† a magnificently composed song by Bob Marley relates to oppression and deliverance of African slaves, who were brought from Africa to Jamaica. The general theme of this song is the beauty of the redemption of people after oppression. Support of this theme is found in Bob Marley’s connotation and tone. Connotation, the diction of words, is the most significant aspect of this song that supports the theme. Bob Marley’s terminology is responsible for creating a truly entrancing song. Bob initiates the song on a delicate level by describing the obliteration of the African people by slavery; â€Å"Oh pirates yes they rob I; / Sold I to the merchant ships, / Minutes after they took I / From the bottomless pit. (Marley 1-4). These very lines portray the appalling technique used to take Africans from their homeland to toil for others. The next line, â€Å"But my hand was made strong / By the hand of the Almighty. / We forward in this generation/ Triumphantly,† (Marley 5-8) illustrates the authority given to the slaves by God. Through His hand, the present generation has been capable of moving onward and prospering. The most eminent lines of the song, â€Å"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery / None but ourselves can free our minds† sustains thought that it is not the responsibility of the oppressors to free the oppressed; this assignment can only be completed by the oppressed themselves. Through the complete song, Bob Marley maintains an optimistic tone. He appears to believe that through all the pain and agony of slaves his generation will be able to formulate a difference. Evidence of this is found in the lines â€Å"We forward in the generation / Triumphantly† (Marley 3-4). This strictly means that descendents of Africans have been given an opportunity to right and improve the prospects their ancestors never had. Overall, â€Å"Redemption Song† is a incredibly stunning song that relates to not only African slaves but all others that have been oppressed. Bob Marley’s main purpose of this song is that, in the end, it is up to the oppressed to determine their freedom and destiny.

Baroque in the Vatican

Baroque in the Vatican Throughout the ages, civilizations around the world have expressed themselves through various kinds of art such as dance, music, painting, and architecture. Styles of art vary from culture to culture, and over time each style evolves into something completely new. In the mid sass's, there was a change in culture that completely reshaped the European world. Known as the Renaissance, individuals persevered to recreate, and reinterpret the forgotten knowledge and accomplishments of the past. However, as time went on, culture began to change once again.What came out of the Renaissance was an extravagant style most commonly known as the Baroque. Unlike the Renaissance, which striver to meet realism in all its likeness, the Baroque was a hyperbole of reality, bringing in a major sense of theatricality through the synthesizing of various medias. The Baroque period finished what the Renaissance started, and evidence of this is found in SST. Pewter's Basilica in Vatican City. It is regarded as one of the holiest sites in the world and is described as â€Å"the greatest of all churches of Christendom. It uniquely displays both the Baroque fashion and inundations of the previous Renaissance. After Emperor Constantine officially recognized Christianity, he began the construction of the great basilica in the year of 324 AD in the exact location that it stands today. After its completion, several hundred years went by and in the 15th century, it was decided that the old basilica was to be rebuilt. Under the reign of Pope Julius II, reconstruction began on the current building in the year of 1506.During the Renaissance, esteemed artist Michelangelo became the main architect in 1546, when he designed the dome of SST. Pewter's Basilica. It is believed to be one of Michelangelo finest pieces of work, and unfortunately it was also one of his last. The great double dome is made of brick and rises to a total height of 448 Ft from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross. It is the tallest dome in the world. The exterior is surrounded by a massive order of Corinthian pillars, emphasizing that realistic notion of the Renaissance.What is unique about this dome is that Michelangelo did not make it a hemisphere, but a parabola. Designed with all the beauty and decor that this age had to offer, the dome of SST. Pewter's, the greatest dome in Christendom, represents the brilliant ingenuity of the Renaissance. Forty years passed since the death of Michelangelo and on the first day of Lent, February 18, 1606, the demolition of the remaining parts of the Constantine basilica began. The tombs of various popes were opened, treasures were removed and final plans were made for the new basilica.Pope Paul V commissioned Carlo Modern to pick up where Michelangelo left off, and having enormous shoes to fill, Modern completed the magnificent facade, the front entrance of the new basilica. As a memorable piece of work, the facade stands 149 Ft high and 376 Ft wide, built of travertine stone. Approaching this massive entrance, soaring Corinthian columns pull your eyes upon 13 classical statues standing on top of the faded, all beautifully shaped with Baroque theatricality and expressions that resemble lifelike characteristics stressed in the Renaissance.As Christ is centered in front over a colossal pediment, he is accompanied by eleven disciples and John the Baptist. Representing the transition from the Renaissance into the Baroque, the faded alone remains Just a single portion of this grand masterpiece. In 1629, Genealogies Bernie is appointed as Modern's successor by Pope Urban VIII and at last we arrive in the Baroque era. Bernie was to become regarded as the greatest architect and sculptor of the Baroque period as he completed the phenomenally extravagant Piazza did San Pitter, or SST.Pewter's Square. Executed between 1656 and 1667, this vastly open court measures to be 1,115 feet long and 787 feet wide, surrou nded by a colonnade of 248 columns, each 64 Ft tall. At such a colossal scale, this enormously over-sized court and over the top decor, reflects the essence of Baroque fashion. To further exaggerate everything, standing on the rim of each of the inner columns are 140 larger-than-life statues of different saints, each uniquely made with precise expressions reflecting that deep drama emphasized in the Baroque.The part of the colonnade that is around the ellipse does not completely encircle it, but reaches out in two arcs, which represents the arms of â€Å"the Roman Catholic Church reaching out to welcome its communicants. † The center of this piazza is an obelisk, known as â€Å"The Witness†, at a total height of 130 Ft, including base and the cross on top, it is the second largest standing obelisk, and the only one o remain standing since its removal from Egypt and re-erection at the Circus of Nero in 37 AD, where it is believed to have bore witness to the crucifixion of SST Peter.On each side of the obelisk are two beautiful fountains, one designed by Modern (1613) and the other by Bernie (1675) which was built as a counterbalance. Bering's piazza is a marvelous example of Baroque excellence. Every aspect is furnished with extraordinary detail and each statute dramatically presented, bringing that overwhelming sense of intense theatricality. After you have rested from the intense experience of the grand entrance, at last e enter into the great basilica.As you slowly take your steps inside, your mind will get lost as the luscious splendor of this grandeur interior throws you in circles. â€Å"The first burst of the interior, in all its expansive majesty and glory: and, most of all, the looking up into the Dome; is a sensation never to be forgotten. † – Charles Dickens, 1846 Covering an area 5. 7 acres, it has a capacity to hold over 60,000 people, making it the largest church in the world. From the floor to the ceiling, the interior is laced with intricate detail, and luxurious design.Every bit of space is used to display the nines of Renaissance/Baroque monuments and decoration money could buy, employing the talents of those greats as Michelangelo and Bernie. Starting from the entrance, along the columns are niches housing 39 statues of various saints. In the right aisle, the first major sight is Michelangelo beautiful Pieta. Regarded as one of Christendom greatest sculptures, the Petite ¤ resembles the young Virgin Mary caught in a moment of sorrowful rumination as she holds the lifeless body of Jesus in her arms. The proportionally correct lifelike features make this a masterpiece ofRenaissance perfection. Michelangelo Petite ¤ transformed the Renaissance from a devotional image into a monumental statement on the meaning of Christian sacrifice. As your pulled deeper into the basilica in away of its beauty, your eyes become fixed on a single vanishing point designed at the end of this colossal hallway. A stonished, you will find Bering's magnificent bellyaching, a monumental canopy that shelters the papal altar and the holy relics of SST. Peter. Ingeniously, it also serves to fill the vertical space under Michelangelo great dome, making it the visual center of the silica.The canopy reaches a peak of 90 Ft, and the spiral columns a height of 65 Ft. It is composed of 927 tons of dark bronze and is furnished with gold leaves. The sheer mass of the bellyaching may seem irrelevant but it is a resemblance of that exaggeration in Baroque style, along with the unnecessary need for such elaborate gold floral designs. Being the first of Bering's works in SST. Pewter's, he incorporated a vast mixture of sculpture and architecture. Angels are also consistent throughout the monument, giving an overall effect of the Ark of the Covenant.The bellyaching represents an important development in the Baroque design of interiors and furnishing. SST. Pewter's Basilica uniquely holds the best of each age, both the Renaissance and the Baroque. It was constructed over a period of several hundred years by the world's most renowned artists. Together, they created a timeless masterpiece rebirth out of the Renaissance, and matured through the Baroque. Over half a millennium later, it remains one of the holiest sites in the world and has captured the marvelous beauty of the Renaissance and Baroque that is celebrated every day.

Enzyme Catalysis Essay

Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts to regulate metabolism by selectively speeding up chemical reactions in the cell without being consumed during the process. During the catalytic action, the enzyme binds to the substrate – the reactant enzyme acts on – and forms an enzyme-substrate complex to convert the substrate into the product. Each type of enzyme combines with its specific substrate, which is recognized by the shape. In the enzymatic reaction, the initial rate of activity is constant regardless of concentration because the number of substrate molecules is so large compared to the number of enzyme molecules working on them. When graphed, the constant rate would be shown as a line, and the slope of this linear portion is the rate of reaction. As time passes, the rate of reaction slowly levels with less concentration of the substrate. This point where the rate starts to level is called the Kmax, in which the peak efficiency of enzymes is reached. In order to start the reaction, reactants require an initial supply of energy called activation energy. The enzymes work by reducing the amount of free energy that must be absorbed so that less required energy leads to faster rate of reaction. The rate of catalytic reactions is affected by the changes in temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and substrate concentration. Each enzyme has an optimal temperature at which it is most active; the rate of reaction increases with increasing temperature up to the optimal level, but drops sharply above that temperature. Most enzymes have their optimal pH value that range from 6 to 8 with exceptions, and they may denature in unfavorable pH levels. An increase in enzyme concentration will increase the reaction rate when all the active sites are full, and an increase in substrate concentration will increase the rate when the active sites are not completely full. The enzyme used in this lab is catalase, a common catalyst found in nearly all living organisms. Catalse is a tetramer of 4 polypeptide chains, each consisting of more than 500 amino acids. Its optimum pH is approximately 7, and optimum temperature is about 37 Â °C. The primary catalytic reaction of catalase decomposes hydrogen peroxide to form water and oxygen as shown by the equation: 2 H2O2 > 2 H2O + O2 . Within cells, the function of catalase is to prevent damage by the toxic levels of hydrogen peroxide by rapidly converting them to less dangerous substances. In this lab, we will show how catalase from 2 different sources (pure and potato extract) affects the rate of reaction by using titration to measure and calculating the decomposition rate of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to water and oxygen gas with enzyme catalysis. Part II – Material and Methods In Part 2A, I tested for catalase activity by using the seriological pipette to transfer 10mL of H2O2 into a beaker. The serological pipette was utilized in all transfer of substances in this lab because of its high quality and accuracy in measurement, especially with delicate control of volume and graduations that extend all the way to the top. Then, I used another serological pipette to add 1mL of catalase in the beaker. After observation, I analyzed and recorded the results. The above procedure was repeated with the boiled catalase solution using another beaker and serological pipette. I analyzed and recorded the results after examination. In Part 2B, I established the baseline to determine the amount of H2O2 present in the nominal solution without adding the enzyme. I used serological pipettes (for the same reason mentioned above) to transfer 10mL of H2O2 in a beaker previously labeled as baseline and 1mL of distilled H2O into the same beaker after that. Next, I added 10mL of 1. 0M H2SO4 into the beaker and mixed the solution by gently swirling the beaker. The sulfuric acid was used to lower the pH and thereby stopping the catalytic activity. Using the serological pipette, I removed 5mL of the mixture into a different beaker to assay for the H2O2 amount through titration. This was done particularly through the titration technique because it can determine the concentration of a reactant – in this case, remaining amount of H2O2 – with volume measurements. After recording the initial burette reading, I placed the assay beaker underneath a burette containing KMnO4 and gradually added the titrant with controlled drops while gently swirling the beaker until the color of the mixture turned permanently pink or brown. Then, I recorded the final burette reading. The potassium permanganate was specifically used because its excess amount will cause the solution to change color, and the amount used to change the color is proportional to amount of remaining H2O2. In Part 2D, I measured the rate of H2O2 decomposition with enzyme catalysis in 5 different time intervals of 10, 30, 60, 120, and 180 seconds. After labeling 5 beakers with each time interval, I transferred 10mL of H2O2 to each beaker with the serological pipette (for the same reason mentioned in Part 2A). For the 10 second time interval, I added 1mL of catalase extract and swirled the beaker for 10 seconds. Next, I added 10mL of H2SO4 to stop the reaction. I repeated the above procedure 4 more times, varying the 10 second time interval to 30, 60, 120, 180 seconds. Then, using the serological pipette, I removed 5mL sample from each of the 5 beakers and found the amount of remaining H2O2 by titration with KMnO4. The reason and procedure for titration was identical to those in Part 2B. Part IV – Discussion In Part 2A, the enzyme activities of catalase and boiled catalase were observed. According to the data, the bubbles began to form in the mixture when the catalase was poured into H2O2. The bubbles are the O2 that results from the breakdown of H2O2 as the catalase takes effect. In the case of boiled catalase, there were no bubbles, which points to the absence of oxygen. This absence shows that unlike previous catalase, boiled catalase had no effect on the rate of reaction. The data supports the background information provided in the Introduction. The boiling of the catalase will alter its temperature above its optimal level, and that explains the significantly decreased reaction in the boiled catalase mixture compared to the catalase mixture. In Part 2B, the data represents the amount of H2O2 used in the reaction without enzyme catalysis, hence establishing the baseline. The collected data of initial reading and final reading was used to calculate the baseline of 4. 7mL KMnO4, which is proportional to the amount of H2O2. The 4 groups combined data as a class and took the average of the 4 baselines by liminating the highest and lowest number and taking the average of remaining 2 numbers. The established baseline was 4. 4mL. In the Charts A1 through B2 of Part 2D, the collected data of initial reading and final reading was used to calculate the amount of KMnO4 by subtracting the initial from the final. Since the amount of KMnO4 is proportional to the amount of H2O2 remaining, it was used to calculate the amount of H2O2 used in the reaction by subtracting it from the baseline. The computed data and the time intervals were graphed into 2 scatter plots separated by the type of catalase (pure and potato extract) with the lines of best fit drawn. The trend that should have shown in all 4 graphs was a steady increase from zero in the beginning and a gradual leveling off into a horizontal line towards the end. However, the actual results did not exactly come out as expected. In Graph A1, the data of Group 1 did steadily increase in the beginning, but the amount in 120 seconds was off and the data of Group 3 started with a negative amount, which went up and down throughout the time intervals. In Graph B1, the data of Group 2 started with a steady increase and slightly declined towards the end although the graph started at a negative number. In the same graph, the data of Group 4 also started negative and declined further, but it increased rapidly in the time intervals of 30-120 seconds and slightly declined at the end. Out of all the groups, the data of Group 2 was the most closest to the expected and the data of Group 4 was the most skewed. Overall, most groups had a line of best fit that began with a steady line that gradually smoothed out into a curve after, which matched the expected graph. Generally, the rate was the highest in the beginning from 0 to 120 seconds because that was when the H2O2 and catalase were first combined and the substrate molecules outnumber the enzyme, allowing the enzyme to collide with substrates more frequently. The rate was lowest towards the end after 120 seconds because that is a while after the hydrogen peroxide began to be decomposed and there is less of the substrate to bind with the enzyme, which means slower rate of reaction. This corresponds to the both graph’s line of best fit, which relatively supports the background information. The rate of enzyme activity on the reaction would decrease with lowered temperature since the lowered average kinetic energy of the molecules decrease the chances of the enzyme colliding and binding with the substrate. Also, the enzyme may be denatured with low enough temperature. The function of catalase is inhibited by sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid removes the enzyme’s function as a catalyst by transfiguring the protein conformation, which is critical to the binding of the enzyme to its substrate because the specificity is entirely dependent on the structure. Part V – Error Analysis The data from Part 2D did not completely support the background information, which could be explained by errors that was made in the lab. One major error in the data was the negative amount of H2O2 used in the 10 second time interval with exception of Group 1. This may be the result of a human error made in the process of titration. A student may have had trouble controlling the amount of KMnO4 with the burette, unable to record the exact amount at which the color of the mixture changed and adding too much KMnO4. This would have resulted in larger amount of KMnO4 used, thus, leading to a smaller amount of H2O2 used in the solution, which could result in a negative number. Another major error was the up and down fluctuation in the graph drawn from the data of Group 3 and Group 4. This could be due to any measurement error made during the lab, such as the measurement for the sample used in the assay. The directions called for 5mL of the mixture to be titrated; however, students may have measured wrong or mistaken the amount to more or less than 5mL. The assay of more than 5mL would result in a smaller amount of H2O2 used and the assay of less than 5mL would result in a larger amount of H2O2 used, which would account for the incorrect fluctuation of the graphs. Part VI – Conclusions In this lab, I conclude the following: Part 2A: ?Catalase reacts with H2O2 and produced H2O and O2 while boiled catalase does not engage with the substrate. This is shown by the formation of bubbles in the catalase mixture and the absence of bubbles, which indicates absence of oxygen, in the boiled catalase mixture. The function of catalase is affected by temperature because the boiling of the catalase denatured its catalytic ability, thus leading to absence of bubbles in the boiled catalase mixture. Part 2B: ?The amount of H2O2 remaining in the catalyzed reaction is generally less than that in the established baseline due to faster rate in the decomposition. In the data of Group 1, the amount of KmnO4 (proportional to the remaining amount of H 2O2) is 4. 4mL, 4. 2mL, 3. 9mL, 4. 2mL, and 3. 9mL over different time intervals. They are less than or equal to the baseline of 4. 4mL. Part 2D: ?The rate of catalytic reaction changes over time; the rate is constant in the beginning and gradually decreases towards the end, leveling off into a curve from a line. This is best illustrated in the best fit line of Group 2 data in Graph B1. ?The rate is highest when the reaction begins and becomes lower as time passes. The slope of the linear portion of all graphs in the data is greater than the slope of the gradually curving graph with increasing time interval.

The Mexican-American War, Were We Justified

The Mexican-American War was a war between the United States and Mexico which lasted from April 1846 to February 1848. It stemmed from the United States' annexation of Texas in 1845 and from a dispute over whether Texas ended at the Nueces River (Mexican claim) or the Rio Grande (U. S. claim). The war was the most devastating event in Mexican history, where Mexico lost the modern day areas of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Montana. The Mexican-American spawned out of land lust. The idea of Manifest Destiny and the promising lands of California, which were coveted by many European nations, led to a war of greed.Even Abraham Lincoln, then a young Congressman, and Ulysses S. Grant, the future Civil War victorious commander and U. S. President, believed that the invasion of Mexico was not justified. Mexico had rejected a $15 million cash-for-land deal offered by the US. The area included what now covers the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Col orado and Utah. This territory was Mexican, but only nominally; control over the area was slight, and open to intrusion. Irritated at the rebuff, the US struck back in1845 by annexing Texas, a territory long disputed and fought over by both countries.Mexico responded by severing diplomatic relations. U. S. President Polk further provoked Mexico by moving troops south to the Rio Grande, a river that historically was considered well within Mexico. U. S. and Mexican troops skirmished across the river, leading Polk to declare to Congress on May 11, 1846, that â€Å"†¦the cup of forbearance has been exhausted,† and that â€Å"American blood has been spilled on American soil. † (Source: Eisenhower’s So Far From God, pages 49-55) The U. S. -Mexican War is the pivotal chapter in the history of North America.It is the war that sealed the fates of it's two participants. For the United States, the War garnered huge amounts of territory and wealth, bootstrapping the fl edgling democracy onto the world stage. For Mexico, the War sent the emerging nation into a tailspin that it is still reckoning with today, one hundred fifty years later. In the United States the US-Mexican War is virtually forgotten, and for good reason, as it is the clearest example of American greed and undiplomatic actions. The Mexican-American War was waged upon Mexico out of pure greed and disregard for international liberty.In conclusion, the United States was unjust in its declaration of war on Mexico in 1846. The U. S. was clouded with dreams of Manifest Destiny. It had a president that was obsessed with fulfilling campaign promises and greed for new land. Polk was looking for revenge for the denial of the proposal for buying California as was evident in his original reasons for declaring war on Mexico. Also the U. S. provoked this border dispute into the two-year war that it became by purposely inciting the Mexicans into a fight. All these reasons are the evidence that the US was not justified in declaring war on Mexico.

Using a Socially Conscious Song from Either the Caribbean

â€Å"I am living while I'm living to the father I will pray, only he knows how we get through every day, with all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay, while our leaders play†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Myrie et al (1995, track 5). This song â€Å"Untold Stories† sung by Mark Anthony Myrie, 1973, popularly known as ‘Buju Banton,’ a powerful Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician. He has also recorded Pop and Dance songs, as well as songs dealing with political topics. Banton is politically outspoken and highly influenced by Marcus Garvey.These lyrics stated above revealed substantial discontent with existing social conditions and a robust mistrust of those in high positions. However linking this with critical theory, which is described by Bleich (1977) as composing largely of criticisms of various aspects of social and intellectual life, but its ultimate goal, is to reveal more accurately the nature of society (Ritzer, 2010, p. 282). A critical theory is adequate only if it meets three criteria: it must be explanatory, practical, and normative, all at the same time.That is, it must explain what is wrong with current social reality, identify the actors to change it, and provide both clear norms for criticism and achievable practical goals for social transformation. Critical theorists do not say that economic determinists were wrong in focusing on the economic realm but that they should have been concerned with other aspects of social life as well, the critical school seeked to rectify this imbalance by focusing its attention on the cultural realm (Fuery and Mansfield, 2000; Schroyer, 1973:33).This is shown plainly in Banton’s lyrics in his song â€Å"Untold Stories,† he speaks about these untold aspects of social life that has never been brought to the attention of others, conditions such as the inflation and rising of daily living expenses, the fact that at the end of the day your expenses will always outweigh your ear nings, also that the labour he has to pay seems as if he has to sacrifice a body part just to meet the expenses of life. â€Å"With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Banton, 1995).Focusing on other aspects of social life according to the critical theorists is what Banton’s song is trying to bring to the forefront; he tries to enlighten the minds of others with relation to poverty in his lyrics where he sings about the clothes on his back containing countless eyeholes, and one of the major unyielding points he made as he continued to sing is that â€Å"Opportunity is a scarce commodity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Opportunities are allocated to those who can afford it, Banton continues in his plight saying that â€Å"Those who can afford to run will run†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1995).Even though you sacrifice and give your last expenses to gain an education, the opportunities are still given to those who can afford it, being educated does not mean that you are gua ranteed a space in the labour force, â€Å"Filled up with education yet don't own a payroll†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Banton, 1995) Critical theorists also focus on the philosophical underpinnings of scientific inquiry especially positivism (Bottomore, 1984; Fuller1994). Positivists believe that knowledge is inherently neutral. They feel that they can keep human values out of their work.This belief, in turn, leads to the view that science is not in the position of advocating any specific form of social action. Positivism is opposed by the critical school on various grounds (Sewart, 1978). For one thing, positivism tends to reify the social world and see it as a natural process. The critical theorists prefer to focus on human activity as well as on the ways in which such activity affects larger social structures. In short, positivism loses sight of the actors (Habermas, 1971), reducing them to passive entities determined by â€Å"natural forces. Given their belief in the distinctiveness of th e actor, the critical theorists would not accept the idea that the general laws of science can be applied without question to human action. (Ritzer, 2010, p 283. ) A simple yet perfect example of this coming from Banton is his perseverance to continue aspiring despite these deplorable conditions. He pushes himself to continue this life because of bare survival, â€Å"Though this life keep getting me down don't give up now got to survive some way somehow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1995).He continues to sing about the trials he has to face in life and the injustice of it, that those who are suffering and in need of dyer help are the ones who never seem to get comfort and redemption, but even though his life entails all these tribulations above them all he sings, that as long as he is kept alive by the Father (God) he will continue to praise him and pray his name because it is only Him who knows why he is still alive and striving very day, â€Å"I am living while I'm living to the father I will pray only he knows how we get through every day†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Banton, 1995) Banton’s lyrics proves an apprehensive concern to those placed in high positions, he sings about while he has to struggle to earn and make a living those who are leaders can sit back and relax and recreate for they have their earning and they can afford to move out of these conditions that may come their way. Though ‘they’ i. the leaders can ‘run’ those who cannot afford to will have to stay, they will have to face struggle and dismay, the leaders are unconcerned for the less fortunate, their positions mean nothing to anyone but themselves. He continues in song, singing that it is a competitive world for low class people because of their low budget, they have to manage their income carefully but somehow they always spend more than they make a day, â€Å"It's a competitive world for low budget people spending a dime while earning a nickel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1995).He speaks out t hat there is no one to care about those who are suffering terribly in society, where youths have to rob and steal to make a living even though they have an education and that the only person that can help them is God so they will continue to pray, â€Å"No love for the people who are suffering real bad another toll to the poll may God help we soul†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Banton, 1995) The critical school focuses primarily on one form of formal rationality; modern technology (Feenberg, 1996). Marcuse (1964) He saw technology in modern capitalist society as leading to totalitarianism.In fact, he viewed it as leading to new, more effective, and even more â€Å"pleasant† methods of external control over individuals. Marcuse rejected the idea that technology is neutral in the modern world and saw it instead as a means to dominate people. It is effective because it is made to seem neutral when it is in fact enslaving. It serves to suppress individuality. The actor’s inner freedom ha s been â€Å"invaded and whittled down† by modern technology. The result is what Marcuse called â€Å"one-dimensional society,† in which individuals lose the ability to think critically and negatively about society.Marcuse did not see technology per se as the enemy, but rather technology as it is employed in modern capitalist society: â€Å"Technology, no matter how ‘pure,’ sustains and streamlines the continuum of domination. (Ritzer, 2010, p. 286. ) Emphasizing Macuse’s point with the media, this can be used as an example of just that; dominating the society with song and lyrics. These songs yes they invoke a sense of solidarity and power but can they really change the world? They let persons express their true selves by capturing a range of emotions and a sense of opposition, but what are they really doing for the society?This social order that they talk about, the one that seems so destructive, by broadcasting it; wouldn’t it also act as an imitator to others? My thoughts are that it can go both ways; negatively in that others may learn to do the same to their society to gain better benefits for themselves for example violent songs against persons or the government, others may use this as a reason to conduct destructive and violent, rage-filled acts or counter attacks. Therefore not diminishing but rather encouraging thus said acts. However these protest songs can also have a positive effect and reaction to the broader society.It helps for others to become aware of the things that are normally referred to as â€Å"unmentionables. † Persons are able to give a voice to unspoken cries and speak out against the true things that cause problems and raise havoc in a society. This Buju Banton song encompassed a range of hidden emotions about struggle and the fight that poor people make on a daily basis, it did not only speak of the hurts and trials but also about the fight to stay alive and the perseverance and the power of pray and will to continue along life’s path disregarding the troubles of living.Even though it expressed deep hurt and frustration it still comprehended a sense of power to become uplifted and to find good within the bad. The most lasting methodological contribution of critical theory to social science is the way it attunes empirical social researchers to the assumptions underlying their own busy empiricism.As Horkheimer and Adorno (1972) indicate in ‘Dialectic of Enlightrnment,’ the seeming avoidance of values is the strongest value commitment of all, exempting one’s empirical claims from rigorous self-reflection and self-criticism. It is in this sense that the Frankfurt School’s analysis of mythology and ideology can be applied to a positivist social science that purports to transcend myth and value but, in its own methodological obsessions, is mythological to the very core. (Agger, 1991, p. 111. )Therefore leading from this point, I used critical theory in this paper to show the criticism of the different schools that the theory disagreed with, also by choosing a socially conscious song I was able to demonstrate this from a societal stand point, illuminating the discontent and mistrust that persons in society feel towards certain social institutions and conditions that they face. I believe that these types of songs do have a positive and a negative effect on the wider society but I support their attempts to be heard.Also, conclusively yes these protest songs may reinforce this said ‘social order’ but it is my belief that it will provide more help to eradicate the problem rather than encourage it. BIBLIOGRAPHY * Adorno et al. (2002) Dialectic of Enlightenment. Trans. Edmund Jephcott. Stanford: Stanford University Press. * Agger, B. (1991). Annual Review of Sociology. JStor. Vol. 17. Pp. 105-131. * Frank, K. L. (1944). What is Social Order?. American Journal of Sociology. Vol 49 (5). Pp. 470-477. * Held, D (1980). Introduction to Critical Theory: Horkheimer to Habermas.Berkeley, LA: University of California Press. * Musixmatch (2000) Untold Stories Lyrics. Elyrics. net. Retrieved March 14, 2013, from http://www. elyrics. net/read/b/buju-banton-lyrics/untold-stories-lyrics. html. * Myrie, Browne, Germaine. (1995). Untold Stories (Loose Cannon/Island Records). On ‘Til Shiloh (CD). New York, NY: Island. (1995). * Raymond G. (1981). The Idea of a Critical Theory. Habermas and the Frankfurt School. (Cambridge University Press,1981) * Ritzer, G (2010). George Ritzer: Sociological Theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. APPENDIXAttached is a copy of the lyrics of Buju Banton’s song â€Å"Untold Stories,† which was used in this paper; â€Å"UNTOLD STORIES† – Buju Banton While I'm living Thanks I'll be giving To the most high, you know I am living while I'm living to the father I will pray Only he knows how we get through every day With all the hike in the price , arm and leg we have to pay While our leaders play All I see is people ripping and robbing and grabbing Thief never love to see a thief with a long bag No love for the people who are suffering real bad Another toll to the poll may God help we soulWhat is to stop the youths from getting out of control Filled up with education yet don't own a payroll The clothes on my back has countless eye holes Could go on and on and full has never been told I am living while I'm living to the father I will pray Only he knows how we get through every day With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay While our leaders play I say who can afford to run will run But what about those who can't, they will have to stay Opportunity is a scarce commodity In these times I say, when mama spend her last to send you to class Never you ever playIt's a competitive world for low budget people Spending a dime while earning a nickel With no regards for who it may tickle My cup is full to the brim I coul d go on and on and full has never been told Through this life keep getting me down Don't give up now Got to survive some way some how I could go on and on and full has never been told I am living while I'm living to the father I will pray Only he knows how we get through every day With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay While our leaders play All I see is people ripping and robbing and grabbingThief never love to see a thief with a long bag No love for the people who are suffering real bad Another toll to the poll may God help we soul What is to stop the youths from getting out of control Filled up with education yet don't own a payroll The clothes on my back has countless eye holes Could go on and on and full has never been told I am living while I'm living to the father I will pray Only he knows how we get through every day With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay While our leaders play I say who can afford to run will runBut what about those w ho can't, they will have to stay Opportunity is a scarce commodity In these times I say, when mama spend her last to send you to class Never you ever play It's a competitive world for low budget people Spending a dime while earning a nickel With no regards for who it may tickle My cup is full to the brim I could go on and on and full has never been told Could go on and on and full has never been told Could go on and on and full has never been told Could go on and on and full has never been told Could go on and on and full has never been told