Is Odysseus a Hero? Essay

The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles, is an epic poem focused on Odysseus, an Ithacan soldier, and his journey that helps him grow as a hero. Odysseus makes idiotic mistakes that end up costing his crewmembers’ lives. His immature ways are sometimes interrupted by occasional courageous acts, but do not outweigh the negative ones. Even though he possesses some hero archetype qualities, Odysseus is not a hero. One way Odysseus proves himself to not be a hero by having an affair with Calypso while married. â€Å"And now, withdrawing into the cavern’s deep recesses, long in each other’s arms they lost themselves in love.† (250,159) This shows that even though Odysseus is so eager to get home to his family, he is willing to make love with another woman instead of staying faithful, like a hero would. We are also shown this through his acts in the Cyclops’s cave. Although he was warned by fellow shipmates to leave the island as soon as possible, Odysseus refuses to leave with the thought of being able to stay there and feast on the food found in the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. Polyphemus is at first a polite host, until the men overstay their welcome. The Cyclops then blocks the exit from the cave so Odysseus and his crew may not leave, but not before killing some of the shipmates. â€Å"Lurching up, he lunged out with his hands towards my men and snatched two at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups—â€Å" (325, 220) This shows that if Odysseus had not acted selfishly by staying in the cave, his crewmates would be alive. A final example of Odysseus not fulfilling the hero archetype is when he refuses to trust his men and does not tell them the content of the bag of winds. This causes the men to come up with the idea that the bag holds riches of coins and treasures. The men are so close to home they can see people on the shore, but the men are too curious and open the bag of winds. Upon the opening of this bag, the ship of Odysseus is then sent back to sea. â€Å"They loosed the sack and all the winds burst out and sudden squall struck and swept us back to sea, wailing, in tears, far from our own native land.† (53, 232) This tragedy could have been avoided had Odysseus shared with the shipmates what was being contained in this bag, instead of being secretive and trying to be the man of the hour. In conclusion, Odysseus may be learning from the mistakes he has made and growing as a hero, but is not at all a hero yet. He makes decisions based on selfish desires that cost many lives throughout the story. A hero is supposed to support his peers and stand up for what is right instead of making choices based on what he wants, and Odysseus does not. Although Odysseus may be perceived as a hero through many readers’ eyes of The Odyssey, he is not at all a hero.

Critically Thinking About Ethics and Assessment Essay

1. The four critical areas that are addressed in these standards include developing and selecting appropriate tests, administering and scoring tests, reporting and interpreting test results, and informing test takers. The two focus groups are the test developers and test users. Test developers are people and organizations that construct tests and set policies for testing programs while test users are those who select and administer tests, commission test development services, and make decisions based on the test scores. As a future teacher, counselor, or social worker, I think that I would fit the definition of test users because I would be conducting tests and making decisions from the results of the tests. 2. I believe that the most important issue among the guidelines for appropriate psychological assessment when it comes to children and adolescents would be 9. 03-b. It states, â€Å"Psychologists inform persons with questionable capacity to consent or for whom testing is mandated by law or governmental regulations about the nature and purpose of the proposed assessment services, using language that is reasonably understandable to the person being assessed. † This is important because young people who would undergo testing need to understand clearly what they are about to go through, as well as the reasons as to why they need to be assessed. They need to be talked to in a language and level where they can make a decision whether or not to give consent to the assessment. 3. The first guideline, which is â€Å"Protection Against High-Stakes Decisions Based on a Single Test† is important because it states that students should have the protection of not being judged based on a single test score. A single test score does not prove that much and students should be evaluated based on a series of tests. It is only fair that they be given multiple chances to prove what they are capable of as students. 4. In the â€Å"Screening and Assessment of Young English-Language Learners,† it is stated that the role of the family in the assessment of young English-language learners is important. Young students need the support that they can get from their families so that they can become confident in learning the language. Aside from this, it is also important for professionals to inform the families of the students’ improvements.

American workforce

The American workforce is becoming diversified than ever.   The issue on workplace discrimination has been around since time immemorial. Discrimination is part of the process of three components, the cognitive, affective and behavioral. The behavioral component means the tendency to take negative actions against a particular group. The behavior stems form attitudes and feelings which constitute prejudice. Although prejudice is generally negative it is not as damaging as discrimination. The behavior component makes it possible to make the thoughts become real. Research has found that discrimination in any form is detrimental to the well being of the discriminated individual (Mathis & Jackson, 2004). The workplace is the place in which the employee comes to work on his tasks and to carry out his profession. If the workplace is non-discriminatory, the employee is more likely to work effectively and efficiently and to increase productivity and performance as well. The most common methods employed by organizations to ensure that their work environment is non-discriminatory are to conduct sensitivity trainings, to provide provisions for grievances and complaints of discriminatory behavior and to follow non-discriminatory guidelines in terms of hiring, selection and promotions. Sensitivity trainings are common in most organizations especially if the company is culturally diverse as well as sexual orientation, disability and religion. The advantages of using sensitivity trainings to make employees become aware of the prejudices and discrimination they may have for other people and teaches the employees how to change their thoughts about minority groups in an experiential manner. It also communicates to each employee that an individual is a person in his/her own right and should be respected as such, and not be accorded respect based on one’s race, religion or sex. The disadvantage in using this method is that if  employees do not have a positive attitude towards the training then this would surely limit their capacity to learn from the sessions. Moreover, sensitivity trainings are periodically given and is not reinforced thus limiting its effectiveness. The provisions for grievances and complaints communicate to the employees that discrimination will not be tolerated by the management. It is effective as a control mechanism to lessen discrimination in the workplace and make the employees become cautious of their behavior. This method does not really ensure that the workplace would be discrimination free since it does not teach the employees why discrimination is wrong. It only holds people accountable for their actions, although it gives the employees who belong to the minority group comfort. Besides, discrimination may come in subtle forms and not even many employees who are victims of discrimination will file a complaint for fear of repercussions in terms of inter-office politics. Hiring, selection and promotion of employees based on merit and performance is a non-discriminatory principle to ensure that people become part of the organization based on criteria that can be achieved by most people. The difficulty with this measure is that although it is an objective measure, subjectivity is still present. It is common knowledge that when it comes to promotions and even selecting candidates for the job a certain amount of subjectivity that cannot be monitored by a guideline. It also does not consider that mangers may have their own prejudices which may dictate their decisions on hiring and promotion. References Bohlander, G. & Snell, S. (2003). Managing Human Resources 13th ed., South-Western College Publication Fitzenz, J. (2001). How to Measure Human Resource Management 3rd. ed , New York; McGraw-Hill Mathis, R. & Jackson, J. (2004). Human Resource Management 11th ed., South-Western College Publication    American workforce The American workforce is becoming diversified than ever.   The issue on workplace discrimination has been around since time immemorial. Discrimination is part of the process of three components, the cognitive, affective and behavioral. The behavioral component means the tendency to take negative actions against a particular group. The behavior stems form attitudes and feelings which constitute prejudice. Although prejudice is generally negative it is not as damaging as discrimination. The behavior component makes it possible to make the thoughts become real. Research has found that discrimination in any form is detrimental to the well being of the discriminated individual (Mathis & Jackson, 2004). The workplace is the place in which the employee comes to work on his tasks and to carry out his profession. If the workplace is non-discriminatory, the employee is more likely to work effectively and efficiently and to increase productivity and performance as well. The most common methods employed by organizations to ensure that their work environment is non-discriminatory are to conduct sensitivity trainings, to provide provisions for grievances and complaints of discriminatory behavior and to follow non-discriminatory guidelines in terms of hiring, selection and promotions. Sensitivity trainings are common in most organizations especially if the company is culturally diverse as well as sexual orientation, disability and religion. The advantages of using sensitivity trainings to make employees become aware of the prejudices and discrimination they may have for other people and teaches the employees how to change their thoughts about minority groups in an experiential manner. It also communicates to each employee that an individual is a person in his/her own right and should be respected as such, and not be accorded respect based on one’s race, religion or sex. The disadvantage in using this method is that if  employees do not have a positive attitude towards the training then this would surely limit their capacity to learn from the sessions. Moreover, sensitivity trainings are periodically given and is not reinforced thus limiting its effectiveness. The provisions for grievances and complaints communicate to the employees that discrimination will not be tolerated by the management. It is effective as a control mechanism to lessen discrimination in the workplace and make the employees become cautious of their behavior. This method does not really ensure that the workplace would be discrimination free since it does not teach the employees why discrimination is wrong. It only holds people accountable for their actions, although it gives the employees who belong to the minority group comfort. Besides, discrimination may come in subtle forms and not even many employees who are victims of discrimination will file a complaint for fear of repercussions in terms of inter-office politics. Hiring, selection and promotion of employees based on merit and performance is a non-discriminatory principle to ensure that people become part of the organization based on criteria that can be achieved by most people. The difficulty with this measure is that although it is an objective measure, subjectivity is still present. It is common knowledge that when it comes to promotions and even selecting candidates for the job a certain amount of subjectivity that cannot be monitored by a guideline. It also does not consider that mangers may have their own prejudices which may dictate their decisions on hiring and promotion. References Bohlander, G. & Snell, S. (2003). Managing Human Resources 13th ed., South-Western College Publication Fitzenz, J. (2001). How to Measure Human Resource Management 3rd. ed , New York; McGraw-Hill Mathis, R. & Jackson, J. (2004). Human Resource Management 11th ed., South-Western College Publication   

The Saga of Venezuelan Bolivar Fuerte Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Saga of Venezuelan Bolivar Fuerte - Essay Example Bolivar fixed exchange rate to the dollar has been increasing meaning it has been losing value to the dollar. This leads the government of Hugo Chavez to establish strict currency controls in efforts to counter budget deficits. The currency controls however have caused currency devaluation that has disrupted the economy. From 8th January 2010, the fixed exchange rate was Bs.F. 2.15= 1 dollar but by 13th February 2013, the fixed exchange rate was Bs.F. 6.3= 1 dollar (Trinkunas, 2014, p. 1). Between 2003 and 2013, there were a total of four devaluations of the Venezuela currency. Every devaluation generated more Boliver per dollar hence increasing more money to be spent by the Venezuela government. A country will devalue its currency any time it cannot maintain the fixed market exchange rate (Boyes & Melvin, 2012, p. 408). To be able to maintain the market foreign exchange rate, a country utilizes its reserved foreign currency to acquire back home currency. Venezuela government was not able to buy back home currency since its value had dropped against the dollar. Devaluation enabled the government to buy back home country at an affordable rate while at the same time promoting exports. By increasing exports, Venezuela was guaranteed of increased revenue since local monetary resources from oil exports increased significantly. This extended essay aims at explaining the timeline under which Venezuela currency has undergone devaluation. The essay will address issues on restri ction, black market, increased prices, and devaluation effect on inflation. Hugo Chavez is the mastermind behind currency exchange controls. Hugo Chavez took office as the president of Venezuela in February 1999. While in office, crude oil prices plunged and four years later he was overthrown for at least 47 hours before fighting back for power through flaunting the constitution.

Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources Essay

Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources - Essay Example The information was last published in the year 2003 and has not been updated of late. There are however other resources that can be found from a variety of books. In addition, the materials found in this article do match the content in most of the other articles. In addition, this article gives case studies that highlight issues that concern censorship in many nations. The author is a music lecturer at the University of Connecticut and has dwelt on the issues affecting censorship for several years. He describes what is already known from other sources and adds little from his personal experiences. The experience that the author has in the field enables him to handle the complexities that arise from the topic under consideration. The information was last published in the year 2006 and has not been updated of late. However, there are other sources that have the latest information regarding censorship in music but which match the content of the article. The article brings forth the newest research concerning the topic of censorship in Africa along with various case studies on the issue. The article focuses on any attempts that are being made in the continent for the purpose of censoring musicians along with the strategies that the musicians have devised for resisting these moves. Nuzum describes what is already known and is unknown in the industry and adds little from his personal experiences. The experience that the author has in the field enables him to handle the complexities that arise from the topic under consideration. The information was last published in the year 2001 and was updated in the year 2008. However, other information sources also have the latest information regarding censorship in music but which matches the content of this article. This book by Nuzum provides details of everything an individual would like to know concerning music including what the parents may not like

Is current UK IT law relevant when applied to the cloud computing Literature review

Is current UK IT law relevant when applied to the cloud computing - Literature review Example A swift increase in the use of PC and internet has seen the rise to new forms of crimes like publishing sexually overt materials in electronic type, video voyeurism and violation of privacy and leak of information by agent, e-commerce frauds like impersonation commonly known as phishing, identity stealing and unpleasant posts through the use of communication services. Cloud computing can be defined as the use of cloud technology to store and access data that is stored in a virtual space. Cloud computing can be divided into several forms that serve better to explain the whole idea; they include the following: 1. SaaS Through the service, the providers install common software, which enables customers download intended materials without necessarily installing personal copies of the software and the charges are inclusive on the material cost (software as a service). This tool therefore maintains lower costs than other conventional hosting of the cloud computing. 2 Utility computing The i dea behind this type of computing is not new, but this type of cloud computing is getting new life from several companies with online presence who offer storage space and virtual servers that IT can be accessed anytime. Other stakeholders offer solutions that help IT create virtual data enters from commodity servers, such as 3Tera's Aplitic and Cohesive Flexible Technologies' Elastic Server on Demand, Liquid Computing LiquidQ offers similar capabilities, enabling IT to stitch together memory, I/O, storage Internet integration Cloud computing provides a whole range of advantage in the way organizations conduct their business and targeting potential consumers. It is a welcome to small businesses especially to avoid the extra high costs that are associated with setting up IT infrastructure. On the other hand, as virtualization permeates the enterprise, the idea of loosely coupled services running on an nimble, scalable network should eventually make every venture a node in the cloud; i t's a long-running trend with a far-out horizon, but among big megatrends, cloud computing is the most difficult one to argue with in the long term. Addition The increase in awareness of consumer products easily accessible through online means is changing the business environment within the United Kingdom just as is the case with all other parts of the globe. For instance, consumers are increasingly adopting the purchase of software and such entertainment products as music as well as movies from online supplies by a third part which represents a form of cloud computing. However, as Brad gate finds in a report concerning the consumer rights on digital products, the increased awareness and use of cloud computing places the consumer at a point of uncertainty in relation to the legal framework within UK today. This is because unlike the case with other physical products where the consumers are well aware of personal rights, the law in UK is not certain on digital consumer rights. Theref ore according to this report is one shortcoming that is notable within the legal

To what extent do the news media fulfill Habermas' definition of Essay

To what extent do the news media fulfill Habermas' definition of public sphere - Essay Example By saying meeting it does not necessarily mean practical meetings, but rather it refers to any forum in which citizens can be heard. This essay tries to explore the different ways in which televisions in particular promotes the idea of public sphere. Odugbemi (2008, p.15) agrees that since televisions are among the news media that visually present their news, they have been found to be the most preferred news medium. According to Habermas, public sphere is a domain in which public views and opinions are formed (Marx, 2002, p. 295). It can also be said to be an arena where people meet, share ideas regarding the public, discuss this ideas and finally come up with a public opinion. The arena can be looked at from different perspectives for instance it can be a particular place where people meet (social halls), or it can be an infrastructural communication facility through which individuals can exchange opinions (television). Habermas considers the public sphere to be a utility that prom otes participatory democracy, since democracy emphasizes on citizens’ right of expression. Marx (2002, p. 324) contends that good functioning of the public sphere stresses on good participatory of citizens in matters of the public like governance. Let us then make a critical analysis on the ways which televisions use to promote the public sphere, and how successful they have been. First we have to understand the fundamental role of TVs as we explore their public sphere promotional function. Odugbemi (2008, p. 33) asserts that televisions’ primary function is to let people be aware of new happenings across the globe. They provide important information to all the stakeholders in particular happenings for example in times of disasters. In disaster cases, they make the public aware of such a situation, so that citizens can know what to do. Sociologically, TVs act like a â€Å"social glue† which brings people together by giving them similar information regardless of their geographic boundaries. In public sphere promotion, they create a means through which citizens can share their ideas (Odugbemi, 2008, p. 37). If we consider a disaster case like in cases of fire accidents, TV journalists are always punctual and ready to inform the public about what had just happened. Einwiller, Carroll and Korn (2010, p. 299) asserts that through appropriate coordination, journalists liaise with presenters in the broadcasting such news. However, the fact remains that journalists are always not present on the happening of the accidents. Then how do they get to know what had happened? This can be done through journalists questioning the people who were present during the happening. They can even put them on camera as they give their account of what had happened (Hurvitz, 2001, p. 12). Through such sharing, the public can be able to estimate the causes of the accident and the effects. Televisions are among the best agents of public sphere promotions since their ev ents can be visually examined. According to Hurvitz (2001, p. 14) televisions have also presented people’s views during public demonstrations by giving people a chance to express how they feel about a particular issue of concern. Citizens’ public demonstrations can be of no use if they cannot be given a chance to express themselves. Their demonstrations can

Global Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Marketing - Assignment Example Today the global economy is as turbulent as it gets. The economies of the western developed nations are still felling the wrath of the economic down turn of 2008. Therefore a lot of companies belonging to countries like U.K. or U.S. are looking to set up business in the emerging economies which includes the brics and mitsk countries such as India, China, Mexico, Brazil etc. (Ghauri and Cateora, 2010, p. 141). The present study has been done in lieu to analyze the internationalization process of a product which is actually not present in a targeted or host nations. Such circumstances would provide scope for a thorough understanding about the fundamental yet extremely aspect of setting up a business in an international market. During the course of the study various important concepts related to the international marketing such as the market attractiveness analysis, analysis of potential threats and opportunities and threats, evaluation and selection of appropriate market entry strategy , market segmentation, targeting and positioning has been discussed. Product Choice As per the pre-defined project criteria the company to be discussed has been chosen as Innocent Drinks. The company was founded in 1999 by Adam Balon, Richard Reed and Jon Wright. All of them were Cambridge University graduates. The main product produced by the company includes crushed fruits, vegetables and juices. The fruit juices provided by the company are mainly known as smoothies who are usually provided to the customers in small bottles and big cartoons. The ingredients used include apple, topical, mango, apple, berry, and other vegetables such as carrots, ginger, etc. In 2009, the company announced the decision to sell 10-20% of stake to the soft drinks giants Coca-Cola. On February of 2013 coca-cola increased the stake to 90%. The decision to internationalise Coca-cola becoming the majority stake holder provided a lot of opportunity for the company to global. The company already has internat ional presence in the form of countries such as Ireland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, etc. However, the company does not have any significant presence in Latin America and U.S. Deciding which market to enter While deciding the appropriate choice of the markets come to mind including North American, Latin American countries and also Asian Countries. Among these Asian countries would most definitely be an interesting choice. But it has to be said that while entering the Asian market two diverse factors would be the extreme geographical and cultural differences. Also although the hot and humid conditions of countries like India looks to be tailor made for the launch of such products; idea gets eliminated on the count that the product is already present in India. Hence the next choice to look forward would be the Latin American nation. Among these the top two contenders would be Mexico. Despite of the recent economic downturn the country has witnessed a steady growth in the GDP sinc e 2010 till present by 5.5%. The GDP per capita happens to be $15,782 at the end of the last fiscal year. According to a research conducted by just-drinks, the Mexican soft drinks industry grew by 3.7% in the last year and is expected to reach a value of $15.18bn by 2014. From 2008 to 2012 there also happens to be a steady growth in the disposable income of the people in Mexico. The demand for

Ineffectiveness of GPS Monitoring System for Sex Offenders Research Paper - 1

Ineffectiveness of GPS Monitoring System for Sex Offenders - Research Paper Example Despite the optimistic effects of technology in the society by improvising the GPS devices, understanding the restrictions of this technology remains essential in maintaining the safety of the society. A case is depicted of a sex offender who cut off his GPS monitoring device and eluded authorities. Although the device still warned the police to keep an eye on the sex offender, the device remained incompetent since the sex offender was able to roam around and carry out his inhuman acts again. Using a GPS requires the free flow of information to those responsible for making sure that the task is accurately carried out. Therefore, using the GPS to monitor or track a sex offender does not entirely depend on the technology but responsibility of those using the device in order to ensure its effectiveness. GPS monitoring device only acts as a part of the solution to sex offenders. They only track where the individual goes, but in essence, do not deprive him the ability to find their next target. John Albert Gardener depicts a sex offender who had a GPS device to monitor his tracks and make sure that he never went near any young woman. However, still having the device, Gardener was able to rape and murder two helpless teenagers back in 2009. It is evident that the paroled felon was not at any chance under careful supervision as officials thought. It can be depicted that these two victims could be alive if only the devices were effectively used. As a dangerous sex offender, John Albert Gardener still roams in the streets.

American Literature Summer Reading List Essay Example for Free

American Literature Summer Reading List Essay The following list was complied from the recommendations of the Belmont High School English department and contains some of the best-known works of American literature. Each book addresses the American Dream and/or American identities. All entering 11th graders must read at least one book from the list below over the summer. Students entering English 11 Honors must read at least one contemporary AND one classic work from the list. The American Literature Summer Reading page on your Edline account provides summaries of the works listed below; it will be available until July 15th. We encourage all students to preview a book before making a choice in order to determine that the writing style and narrative voice will be a good fit. Please consult your 10th grade teacher if you need help finding a book that is a good match for you. Author Book Joan Didion Joan Didion W. E. B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington The White Album: Essays Slouching Toward Bethlehem: Essays The Souls of Black Folk Up from Slavery Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream The Dharma Bums On the Road Hunter S. Thompson Jack Kerouac Jack Kerouac Malcolm X and Alex Haley Tom Wolfe Alex Haley Ayn Rand  Ayn Rand Bernard Malamud E. L. Doctorow Edith Wharton Edith Wharton F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald Herman Melville James Baldwin James Weldon Johnson The Autobiography of Malcolm X The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test Roots The Fountainhead Atlas Shrugged The Natural Ragtime The Age of Innocence The House of Mirth Tender is the Night This Side of Paradise Moby-Dick Go Tell it on the Mountain Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Genre Essays Essays Essays Memoir Era Classic Classic Classic Classic Memoir Memoir Memoir Classic Classic Classic. Memoir Memoir Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Classic  Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Joan Didion John Cheever John Dos Passos John Irving John Steinbeck John Steinbeck John Updike Kate Chopin Ken Kesey N. Scott Momaday Nella Larson Norman Mailer Philip Roth Ralph Ellison Raymond Chandler Richard Wright Rita Mae Brown Robert Penn Warren Saul Bellow Sinclair Lewis Theodore Dreiser Theodore Dreiser Upton Sinclair Vladimir Nabokov Willa Cather Willa Cather William Faulkner Studs Terkel Play It As It Lays The Wapshot Chronicle The U. S. A. Trilogy The World According to Garp East of Eden The Grapes of Wrath Rabbit, Run The Awakening One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest House Made of Dawn Passing An American Dream Portnoy’s Complaint Invisible Man The Big Sleep Black Boy Rubyfruit Jungle All the Kings Men The Adventures of Augie March Main Street An American Tragedy Sister Carrie The Jungle Lolita My Antonia O Pioneers! Absalom, Absalom! Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel about What They Do Arthur Miller A View from the Bridge Lorraine Hansberry Sherwood Anderson Sarah Vowell Toure A Raisin in the Sun Winesburg, Ohio The Partly Cloudy Patriot Whos Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means to be Black Now Novel Novel Novel. Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Oral History Play Play Short Stories Essays Essays Classic Classic Classic Classic Contemporary Contemporary Annie Dillard Barack Obama Bob Dylan Itabari Njeri James McBride Jay-Z John Edgar Wideman Luis Rodriguez Maxine Hong Kingston Richard Rodriguez Barbara Ehrenreich Dave Eggers. David Bianculli Erik Larsen Greil Marcus John Berendt Jon Krakauer Neil Swidey Tom Wolfe Amy Tan Andre Dubus III Annie Proulx Audrey Niffenegger Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver Chad Harbach Chang-rae Lee Cormac McCarthy Daniel Wallace Danzy Senna Dave Eggers David Foster Wallace An American Childhood Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance Chronicles, Vol. I Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone The Color of Water: A Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother Decoded Brothers and Keepers Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. A The Woman Warrior Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America Zeitoun Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Devil in the White City The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylans Basement Tapes Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Into the Wild The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives The Right Stuff The Joy Luck Club House of Sand and Fog The Shipping News The Time Travellers Wife The Bean Trees Animal Dreams The Poisonwood Bible The Art of Fielding Native Speaker Blood Meridian Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions Caucasia What is the What Infinite Jest Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir. Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Nonfiction Nonfiction Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary David Sheff Don DeLillo Donna Tartt Dorothy Allison Edward P. Jones Fannie Flagg Gish Jen Gloria Naylor Jane Smiley Jennifer Egan Jhumpa Lahiri John Irving John Kennedy OToole Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Safran Foer Julia Alvarez Junot Diaz K. M. Soehnlein Leslie Marmon Silko Marilynne Robinson Marilynne Robinson Marisha Pessl Michael Chabon Ntzoke Shange Paul Auster Paul Auster Paula Fox Peter Cameron Philip Roth Philip Roth Richard Ford Richard Russo Sherman Alexie Beautiful Boy Americana The Secret History Bastard out of Carolina The Known World Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Typical American. The Women of Brewster Place A Thousand Acres A Visit from the Goon Squad The Namesake A Prayer for Owen Meany A Confederacy of Dunces The Corrections The Fortress of Solitude Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao The World of Normal Boys Ceremony Gilead Home Special Topics in Calamity Physics The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo The New York Trilogy The Music of Chance Desperate Characters Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You American Pastoral The Human Stain The Sportswriter Empire Falls Reservation Blues Novel Novel Novel. Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Steven Millhauser. Sue Monk Kidd T. C. Boyle Thomas Pynchon Thomas Pynchon Tom Wolfe Toni Morrison Toni Morrison Walter Mosley Walter Mosley August Wilson August Wilson Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer The Secret Life of Bees The Tortilla Curtain Vineland The Crying of Lot 49 Bonfire of the Vanities Beloved Song of Solomon Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned The Man in My Basement Ma Raineys Black Bottom The Piano Lesson David Mamet Glengarry Glen Ross Tony Kushner Annie Proulx Jhumpa Lahiri Raymond Carver Sherman Alexie Angels in America Close Range: Wyoming Stories Interpreter of Maladies What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Play Play Play Play Short Stories Short Stories Short Stories Short Stories Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary.

The Relationship Between Grammar And Language English Language Essay

The Relationship Between Grammar And Language English Language Essay The relationship between grammar and language helps in understanding the Chomskian principle of transformational grammar. David W. Carroll views grammar as a description of a persons linguistic knowledge. Language is considered to be an infinite set of well formulated sentences and it can be deduced by grammar, like that of mathematics or logic. Hence grammars are the theories of language composed of hypotheses of the structure of some part of the language. Chomsky suggests three criteria about the theory of language. First criterion is known as observational adequacy. It is applied in several levels of language in which grammar defines, what is and what is not an acceptable sequence in the language. At the other level grammar should have rules that generate grammatical sentence. The second criterion is the descriptive adequacy which indicates that grammar specifies the sequence in a language. Grammar should also explain how it relates with sentences which have the same or opposite meaning .The third criterion is the explanatory adequacy. Chomsky views that it is theoretically possible for a number of grammars, all based on different principles to attain the other two forms of adequacy and determines that the best descriptively adequate grammar pertains to the language acquisition in children. He suggests that the child learning a language is presented with samples of the language and must determine the grammar from the samples. Chomsky notes that children choose one particular grammar from the incoming data consistent with a number of grammars. Hence this implies that there are certain innate language constraints enable the child to deduce the correct grammar. The final level of adequacy goes beyond the ability to explain to describe patterns in a particular language; instead, it involves the ability to explain the role of linguistic universals in language acquisition. These theories played a significant role in the development of linguistic theories. Chomsky initially developed transformational grammar because of the descriptive inadequacy of grammar based on phrase structure rules. In transformational grammar, the insight that sentences have more than one level of structure is captured in the distinction between deep structure and surface structure. These are both tree structures, which differ in emphasis. Deep structure is considered as the underlying structure of the sentence that conveys the meaning of a sentence. Deep structures are the output of the phrase structure rules and lexical rules; transformations operate on these and gave rise to the surface structure. Surface structure refers to the superficial arrangement of the constituents and reflects the order in which the words are pronounced. David Carrol refers to three arguments regarding the usefulness of the distinction by considering the following sentence as an example. Ex: Flying planes can be dangerous. The ambiguity in this sentence is called deep-structure as it may be paraphrased as, The act of flying planes can be dangerous or Planes that are flying can be dangerous. This type of ambiguity comes from a single surface structure that is derived from two distinct deep structures. The second reason for the distinction is that some pairs of sentences are similar in their phrase structure but not in their underlying structure. Ex: John is easy to please. (2) John is eager to please. (3) The above sentences, when paraphrased reveal their dissimilarity even though they are apparently similar. John is the object of the deep structure in (2) and the deep structure subject (3). The next set of sentences in active and passive voice is distinct in their surface arrangement but similar in their deep structure. Ex: Arlene played the tuba. (active) The tuba was played by Arlene. (passive) So the active and the passive sentences are considered as two manifestation of the same deep structure. These grammatical relationships posit a second level of structure with a new set of rules called transformational rules. The entire deviation of a sentence is known to be a two part process in transformational grammar. In phrase structure the assumed largest syntactic unit, the sentence is progressively expanded by the application of rules into strings of smaller units, terminating with a combination of lexical items and grammatical elements. The phrase structure is explained with labeled tree diagrams and they are said to be inadequate for a full structural exposition. Therefore phrase structure is incapable of explaining the open ended creativity of a natural language. Upon the output of the phrase structure rules transformation rules are applied. These transformational rules involve not the division of the sentences or its parts into smaller parts, but, the alteration or rearrangement of a structure in various ways. Transformation also reflects parts of the speakers intuitive awareness of relations between sentences of different basic types. The associations of active and passive sentences , positive and negative sentences and statements, commands, and questions rests on native speakers recognition of their semantic relatedness, which is expressed by the relatedness of grammatical structure. The phrase structure rules are said to be useful in generating the underlying tree structure which is referred to as deep structures and secondly a sequence of transformational rules is applied to deep structure and the intermediate structures, ultimately generating the surface structure of the sentence. The transformations apply to the entire strings of constituents where as phrase structure rules apply to only one constituent at a time. These transformations are done by adding, deleting or moving the constituents. David Carroll gives a few transformations and explains how they work. One such transformation is called the particle -movement transformation. From the following two sentences know that they mean the same thing: EX: John phoned up the woman. (4) John phoned the woman up. (5) Here the concern is with the placement of the particle up; in these sentences, the particle may occur either just before or just after the noun phrase. Accordingly, we might write two different phrase structure rules for the two instances, the first might write two different phrase structure rules for the two instances, the first conforming to (PS) VP Æ’Â   V + (part) +NP And the second to (PS) VP Æ’Â   V + NP + (part) The problem with this approach is that it lacks descriptive adequacyit does not reveal the similarity of the two sentences. In this approach, the two sentences are derived from two different phase-structure rules. An alternative approach is to assume that the two sentences have the same deep structure and to apply the particle- movement transformation to (4). The transformational rule looks like this: (T1) V + part + NP Æ’Â   V + NP + part It can be noticed that the transformational rule simply moves the last two constituents of the verb phrase. Phrase -structure rules rewrite one constituent into a series of constituents but transformational rules begin with a series of the constituents and transform them. Then he goes on to explain it considering the following sentences: John phoned up the interesting woman. (6) John phoned the interesting woman up. (7) John phoned up the woman with the curly hair. (8) John phoned the woman with the curly hair up. (9) In each case the particle is shifted around the entire NPtwo words in (5), three in (7), and six in (9). The particle movement is defined in terms of constituents, not words. This condition gives transformational grammar tremendous power to apply to an infinite no of NPs. Instead of stating the number of words which varies from sentence to sentence, it is stated that in terms of grammatical structure it is known as structure dependent. One final property of transformational rules is that it may be blocked under certain circumstances. For example, the particle movement transformation does not work with pronouns: (35) John called them up. (36) *John called up them. These restrictions and transformations would be specified in the description of the rule. The rule would operate under specified conditions but would be blocked when these conditions did not apply. The earliest work shows the inadequacy of context free grammar for the analysis of natural languages. In the 1960s, transformational grammarians concentrated on the relationship between syntax and semantics. Transformational grammar explains certain aspects of language such as deep-structure ambiguity and the limitations of the phrase-structure rules. Transformational grammar has evolved over the decades and there were many changes and alternative approaches that gave rise to other new theories on transformation. The influence of Chomskys revolutionary theories on linguistics and his contributions like Syntactic Structures, Aspects of the theory of syntax, stands out as the most significant development which led to the beginning of various other transformations in grammar and linguistics.

Organic Food: Types and Benefits

Organic Food: Types and Benefits What do you mean by organic? (Why is organic important for both moms and kids?) Introduction: In today’s adultered world, nothing is pure. Everything has some adulteration and it is all done to increase the quantity and make more money. Thereby it also reduces the quality of the food and the things that we consume. Everything has now been grown in the inorganic way. Ether with more medicines or artificially grown with some scientific processes. These processes take away the essential vitamins from the food, leaving it hollow with very less or no nutrients in it. The health is lost and the wealth is made. This is what is followed in the present generation. Health is not considered and not valued. The adulteration and the artificial world: Over the past few years, there has been a great demand for organic food. Though, it is quite costlier when compared to the other one, it is always preferred by the ones who are health conscious. The food industry has grown to some extent with this demand of the organic food and the products. People are demanding more of organic food. The inorganic ones damage the food and takes away the energy from and also pollute the environment. The health of the one who consumes it also gets affected. There are more number of diseases today than there were decades back. There are more people in the hospital than in the wedding receptions. The doctors are making more money than the engineers could make throughout the year. It is all because the food that we eat is not organic, and it is not pure at all. It is filled with pesticides and grown up in artificial climatic condition with fertilizers. It causes more damage to the health and the environment. Organic food- healthiest: Therefore, recently it is considered that the organic food is healthy, strong, and nutritious. It is preferred over the local and the inorganic ones. There is not much research done on this. And the few researches which were done for comparing the organic and the inorganic food show that the organic foods are always healthier and nutritious. They are always in better quality, though not in quantity. There are many researches that are going on in order to prove the same. But a final conclusion is yet to be out. More importantly, these foods should not be given to the kids and toddlers. Since they have a fast developing body, they need more nutrients vitamins and minerals. Even if they eat very little, they should try to consume nutritious food. Children might not know much about the differences between these two. They would always prefer junk over the healthy and the nutritious food. It is because the junk always looks attractive and therefore grabs attention with its bright colored food. They have preservatives in them, they also have chemicals that make you get addicted to such foods. Therefore, it is important to keep the children away from such food. The more they are away from such junk food; the more they will live a healthy life. Children might become fussy over this issue, but try to handle the situation wisely and make them understand that it is not healthy and good for the growth of their body and mind. Organic food is important for adults too, especially for moms: Including the children, it is also better for the mothers to stay away from these junk. The inorganic food will only make you feel full. You will keep gaining weight and you will have an unhealthy lifestyle. In order to take care of your child, you need to be strong and healthy first. Remember kids imitate very well. So, whatever you eat, they will also adopt the same. When you are into junk food, chances are more that the child will also follow your footstep and will prefer eating junk food over the healthier ones. Organic food and the natural cultivation processes: The processes food that you get in the market are packed in bright colored papers and wrappers. They attract people with their advertisements and make false statements that they are healthy and are packed with nutrients and energy. But it is not true. The packed ready-made foods are high in sugar, sodium and also saturated fats. They have very low nutrients and minerals. Therefore, they are the main reason behind the many serious health issues. Weight gain is also one such problem that you get when you consume more of junk food. Other various health problems include diabetes, heart diseases, and high blood pressure. As already mentioned above, these junk and the ready-made instant food have many artificial preservatives that are bad for health. The flavor enhancers are also added and also a number of chemicals are also included in the ingredients while preparing the food. These ingredients cause a very bad effect on the body and cause serious health problems either immediately after consuming or later in life. Organic food – without any artificiality: The inorganic foods are always grown with a number of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and also many growth hormones are also added to the food grown. The organic foods are grown in natural climatic condition and in the natural environment without any fertilizers and pesticides. Natural farming of the crop is adopted while making the organic food. The result of this is that, there is no side effect either to the environment and nor to the people who consume it. Rather, people who consume organic food are way healthier and live a longer life with an increased life span. So, if you wish to live a life of crow, or the elephants, the start eating organic food. Set up your own farm. You can make it in your own kitchen yard. You can start with some small plants and later can expand with the need. You will gradually change your body system and will become healthier and happier. As they say, healthy life is a happy life. You can stay away from the genetically modified food and can also shed the flabs by not consuming them. You will eventually look physically modified, with no flabs and heavy hips and people would start thinking that it is artificially doneà ¯Ã‚ Ã…  . You can anyway tell them later that it is all the effect of the natural food that you consume. Advantage of consuming the organic food: This is for both moms and kids. The moms need more energy in order to run behind the children and keeping self on the toes. The kids need more energy in order to keep running in front of the mom and keep her on her toes. Therefore, it is equally important for moms and also the kids to eat healthy and nutritious food. They would complement each other in life by keeping each other healthy and strong. The organic food is grown and cultivated with all the natural methods such as the crop rotation, plantation, composition, stimulating bio diversity etc. It is all done by the farmers and no machinery is being used for the process of cultivation. There are no pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, etc. in the crops that are grown. Artificial coloring agent, taste enhancers, artificial preservatives are all not used in this. They are healthy, nutritious and are packed with vitamins and minerals. They increase the health and thereby increase the life span. The children are healthier and stronger when they consume the organic food. There is no risk of any health issues in life now and after. The immune system is built with this and the resistance power is also increased. Absence of all the artificial agents makes the organic food healthier, stronger and safer. The environment is also protected without any pollution. Thus, there are many more reasons that can be listed out here in order to show how important and how safe it is to consume the organic food over the inorganic ones. It is still not late. It is better to late than to never. You can start right away and right now. Give up all the bad habits of eating junk. Your child will follow the same. Start eating healthy food. Go to the market and buy only organic food. It is ok if you had to spend some extra bucks. But your health and your baby’s health are more important. It makes no sense when you spend less on eating and spend more on treating. You will eventually end up spending all the savings at the hospital. Therefore, understand this and make people around you also understand it. Make your baby eat only organic food. You can also use the help of the internet to boost yourself and to know more about the organic food. You can try various recipes that are given on the internet, especially for the toddlers. Your child will definitely l ove it. In fact, not only the child, but you will also love it. Last but not the least, everyone should follow the quote that, â€Å"Healthy living is a happy living†.

Imagry in the Fall of the House of Usher :: essays papers

Imagry in the Fall of the House of Usher Imagery in "The Fall of the House of Usher" The description of the landscape in any story is important as it creates a vivid imagery of the scene and helps to develop the mood. Edgar Allan Poe is a master at using imagery to improve the effects of his stories. He tends to use the landscapes to symbolize some important aspect of the story. Also, he makes use of the landscape to produce a supernatural effect and to induce horror. In particular, Poe makes great use of these tools in "The Fall of the House of Usher." This story depends on the portrayal of the house itself to create a certain atmosphere and to relate to the Usher family. In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Edgar Allan Poe uses the landscape to develop an atmosphere of horror and to create corollary to the Usher family. Poe uses the life-like characteristics of the house as a device for giving the house a supernatural presence. The house is described as having somewhat supernatural characteristics. The windows appear to be "vacant" and "eye-like" (1462). The strange nature of the house is further explained as around the mansion, "†¦there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity." (1462). This demonstrates that the house and its surroundings have an unusual and bizarre existence. Upon entering the house, the narrator views some objects, such as the tapestries on the walls and the trophies, fill him with a sense of superstition. He describes the trophies as "phantasmagoric" (1462). He further explains that the house and the contents were the cause of his feelings. He describes his superstition one night, "I endeavored to believe that much, if not all of what I felt, was due to the phantasmagoric influence of the gloomy furniture of the room†¦" (1468). Hence, Poe makes use of the house to create a supernatural effect. Likewise, Poe describes the house to create a terrifying effect. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a horror story. In order to develop a mood to get the reader frightened, Poe must portray the setting of the story. The house is described initially by the narrator, who sees the image of the house as a skull or death’s head looming out of the dead. He is not sure what to think and comments of the properties of the old house: "What was it, I paused to think, what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the house of Usher?

The Character of Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Pride and

The Character of Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen, like her most beloved heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, is a keen observer of the nature of man in society. To simplify her studies, and to give her readers a better understanding of the concept of Pride and Prejudice, Austen does not focus our attention on the larger social structure as a whole, but skilfully directs our consideration only to a small, isolated segment of the society. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen scrutinizes a microcosm, people dwelling within similar cultural and social backgrounds, but representatives of the larger human community. Austen demonstrates in Pride and Prejudice through Elizabeth and Darcy that in man's perennial pursuit of the joys in life, those who conform too strictly or not at all to the existing social norms face the danger of never finding their place in life nor ever finding personal happiness. Elizabeth Bennet is a person worthy of our imitation. She is a model because she is different from all the other characters, except Darcy, and because she does not adhere rigidly to the standards set forth by society, "where the family and the community...tend to coerce and even predetermine the volition and aspirations of the self" She is self-reliant and independent, while "contemptuous of all the conventions that restrict the individual's freedom. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. The first sentence of the novel Pride and Prejudice highlights the importance of marriage within the world of the novel. The sentence suggests that the sole purpose for marriage was to increase the characters social and financial ranking. The quote m... ...nging from "She had a lively, cheerful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous", to "hardly a good feature in her face..." We can see that different people have varying views on her. Her observations lead us through the story, meaning that we see everything through her eyes, and her intelligence and wit mean we enjoy her commentary. At first I was unsure if the title statement was accurate to Elizabeth’s personality. But, like Elizabeth, my views changed, â€Å"Till this moment I never knew myself†, Elizabeth becomes a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart. Without neither family wealth nor wisdom to aid her, Elizabeth's success is an attribute to her inner strength. She is by far the most fascinating character in the book, and I believe all the reasons mentioned prove her to be an independent, unconventional and passionate heroine.