Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman and The Crucible essays

Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman and The Crucible essays Arthur Miller, winner of many literary and dramatic awards, is an incredibly influential force in American drama. His plays deal with issues common to every society. He makes the audience face fault, weakness, and ignorance; subjects we would typical hide from. At the same time he emphasizes strength, human spirit, and familial love. Alice Griffin believes that Miller's plays are important internationally (xii). He belongs to an international theater rather than a regional theater (Heilman 170). His plays are staged and studied by students to understand American life in Russia, P and, Iceland, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Czech Republic, and China to name a few (Griffin xi). Miller's works thrived in England. The University of East Angelia named it's center the Arthur Miller Centre (Griffin 1). They can relate to the sense f identity, honor, recognition, and familial love (Griffin Preface). In a production in Beijing, Miller explained to a Chinese actor playing Biff the son's feelings of guilt and "painfully requited" love for his father, the actor understood as it is v y Chinese (Morath 79). The phenomenon of Death of a Salesman has been the same all over the world. Audiences all have a sense of their life story of their father, uncle, or brother (Griffin 35). In real life Miller had an Uncle Manny who had two sons ho were in competition with Miller and his brother. Manny ended his own life because he failed at business. Miller's personal history is demonstrated in his sensitive and passionate writing in Death of a Salesman (Griffin 41). The Crucible (1952) was originally intended to be called Those Familiar Spirits, referring to a spirit that a witch presumably sends out to torment her victims. However, the well area at the bottom of a blast furnace is known as the crucible, it is whe the molten steels collects being entirely broken down due to immense heat. Miller thought that this was a p...

The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010

The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010 The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010 The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010 By Daniel Scocco First of all we wish a happy 2011 to all our readers. Second, we compiled a list with our most popular posts in 2010, so that you can re-read your favorite ones and check if you missed any. Next Monday well resume the writing tips, so stay tuned! What Is Irony? (With Examples): Recently I was walking and talking with my co-worker, who happens to be a freelance writer and aspiring journalist. We were talking about the fact that our employers were providing us with a Thanksgiving lunch the day after Thanksgiving, and she said, â€Å"It’s so ironic!’’ â€Å"There’s† and â€Å"There are†: Contractions are supposed to be easy to say. For example, they’re for they are is easy to utter, but adding another re to there to create â€Å"there’re† produces a word difficult to pronounce. English words Don’t (usually) End with â€Å"u†: The spelling â€Å"thru† has an entry in the tolerant Merriam-Webster that jumps to through.The OED has no entry for â€Å"thru,† although the spelling is listed along with many other historical variations in the through entry. â€Å"Ma’am† and Regional Colonialism; Where I come from, children are taught that responding to grownups with a mere â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† is impolite. â€Å"Yeah† is unforgivably rude. As a child I was taught to say â€Å"yes, sir, no, ma’am† and when I grew up, I continued to say it. When I lived in England, women whom I’d addressed as â€Å"ma’am† would sometimes smile and tell me that over there â€Å"ma’am† was reserved for the queen. 20 Computer Terms You Should Know: A great deal of jargon is used when talking about computers, and it’s surprising how often these terms are used incorrectly. Even published, successful novels sometimes do so. The following list provides an explanation of some of the more common computing terms you may come across or need to employ in your own writing. â€Å"Fun, Funner, Funnest†?: The word fun probably originated as a dialect pronunciation of Middle English fon, which as an adjective meant â€Å"foolish† and as a noun meant â€Å"fool.† The Middle English verb fonnen meant â€Å"to be foolish, to be infatuated.† 16 Manuscript Format Guidelines: If you submit manuscripts to publishers or agents, you’ve probably come across the demand that you use â€Å"standard manuscript format† (or â€Å"SMF†) for your submissions. However, it isn’t always spelled out what this actually means. Curbs and Sidewalks: In U.S. English, the word sidewalk refers to a paved footpath alongside a street or a road. The sidewalk is usually raised above the level of the road. The curb is a stone or concrete edging between the road and the sidewalk. 100 Writing Mistakes To Avoid – The Book: One of the fastest ways to improve your writing skills is to free yourself from the most common English mistakes: things like exchanging less with fewer, misspelling its as it’s, or placing commas where they are not supposed to be. This Sink Needs Fixed: The expression is often associated with Pittsburgh and â€Å"a narrow band in the middle of the country extending from the east coast to Montana.† I grew up outside those regional boundaries and am quite used to hearing â€Å"The lawn needs mowed† and â€Å"This sink needs fixed.† Taking and Bringing: Both bring and take have numerous meanings. One can, for example, take medicine, take the Fifth, take a liking to, take it on the chin, take a partner, take in a stray, take up for a friend, take out a date, and take an oath. 40 Twitter Hashtags for Writers: If you use Twitter, you’re probably already familiar with the idea of hashtags. These are simply a way of categorizing particular tweets by including within them a keyword prefixed with the hash or â€Å"pound† (#) symbol. PIN Number: To keep your writing as clear and concise as possible, you should generally try to remove unnecessary words. Sometimes duplication is fine – for artistic effect, for example – but as a general rule, it’s best to say things in as few words as possible. Corporate English: Thanks to reader Nick Corcodilos for sharing a link to an especially mind-numbing bit of English prose. I won’t publish the link he sent me, but I will give you an excerpt. Book Titles from Shakespeare: When I was receiving my secondary education in a small Arkansas high school many years ago, every student was expected to study four Shakespeare plays before graduating. The Letter â€Å"Z† Will Be Removed from the English Alphabet: Surprising as it sounds, it looks like the English alphabet will be losing one of its letters on June 1st. The announcement came from the English Language Central Commission (ELCC). No Talent for Writing: Unless the questioner wants to become an oral storyteller and tell these great stories to a live audience, or record them as audiobooks, the answer has to be, â€Å"Yes, you’re stuck.† However, I suspect that the person asking the question has made some attempt to put stories into writing, but is unhappy with the result. Post, Entry or Article?: My co-blogger and I have come across an interesting usage problem. We don’t know what to call what we write. It feels strange to refer to blog posts as â€Å"articles.† â€Å"Articles† sounds official, proper and very old media. â€Å"Posts† is the more common word, but it demeans the quality of the writing. 20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays: For me, April is Shakespeare’s month. I’ll be writing several Shakespeare-related posts this month, starting with Shakespeare in the movies. Story Writing 101: Since prehistoric times, when tales were told around fires and painted on cave walls, stories have been an essential part of our human experience. But what exactly is a story – and how can you write a great one? Don’t Be Burnt By â€Å"Inflammable†: In English, the in- prefix is often used to reverse the meaning of an adjective. Thus inactive is the opposite of active and inelegant is the opposite of elegant. So why isn’t inflammable the opposite of flammable? Mankind, Humankind, and Gender: My views on gendered language are perhaps too loose to meet the more extreme requirements of political correctness. For example, I don’t see anything wrong with using the word mankind in the sense of â€Å"all human beings living on the earth.† As I understand the word, it comes from an Old English construct in which man means â€Å"person.† 30 Religious Terms You Should Know: When I was growing up in small town America, stories about religion were generally confined to the Saturday church pages in the local newspaper. Catholics and Jews were the most exotic religious practitioners in town, and â€Å"atheist† was a strong term of disapprobation. â€Å"Completed Suicide†: My take is that, outside its valid use in medical literature, the expression â€Å"completed suicide† is being used as a euphemism by people who feel there’s more of a stigma attached to saying that someone â€Å"committed suicide.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of Phrases"Certified" and "Certificated"7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Do you consider Venezuela under Hugo Chavez (1998-2012) a democratic Essay

Do you consider Venezuela under Hugo Chavez (1998-2012) a democratic country - Essay Example He directed the movement in an unproductive coup overthrow against the Democratic Action government of Carlos Andrà ©s Pà ©rez, who was the president in 1992. This led to the imprisonment of Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as (Feinberg, 1). Later on, after he was released, he formed a socialist political party two years later, it was called the Fifth Republic Movement, and he was voted president of Venezuela in 1998. In 2000, he was re-elected and during this second term, he presented the system of communal groups, Bolivarian Missions, and employee-managed companies, along with a land reform program, which was municipalizing main industries. In 2006, he was re-elected again with more than 60% of the votes. After emerging victorious in his fourth tenure as president in October 2012, defeating Henrique Capriles, Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as was sworn on 10 January 2013. However, the Venezuela National Assembly decided to postpone the inaugural ceremony to give him time to enable him recuperate from medical treatment in Cuba, which resulted from a cancer return that was initially identified in June 2011. On 5 March 2013, Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as passed away in Caracas at 58 years. During the duration Venezuela was under Hugo Chà ¡vez, it was not a democratic country, though Chà ¡vez was not a dictator, he crushed the democracy of the Venezuelan nation. In a period when South America was swiftly moving towards the far-left demagoguery from its ancient binaries of far right, Chà ¡vez was still holding Venezuela back in the past, both politically and economically. Under the decade of Chà ¡vez, while other nations like Peru and Brazil became representations of equality and success, Venezuela appeared to go back to the bad ancient days. It is true that the polls were usually well conducted and fair under his regime. He even freely accepted defeat in one

Nordic Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nordic Mythology - Essay Example That is not to say that the story of Beowulf and his appointment with Grendel is utterly lacking in cinematic potential, but rather that the bare bones of the story is perhaps too sparse for a filmmaker without exceptional talent to exploit. Even so, Beowulf is epic in scope and is perhaps unparalleled in treating universal themes ranging from heroism to envy, so why then did a somewhat recent film take its title and story only to execute the art of filmmaking in such a way that it bears almost no resemblance to its source material The 1999 film Beowulf differs most obviously from its source in setting. In fact, the setting seems closer to a post-apocalyptic world than a pre-modern one. Despite the fact that the movie clearly takes place in some vague and nebulous future, however, it also harkens backward in time and on occasion does seem to be a weird amalgam of the past and the future combined together to create some kind of bizarre present. For instance, King Hrothgar still lords over a medieval-type outpost, only now he has the benefit of some elements of advanced civilization at his disposal. The opening sequence of this version of the story presents a backstory that eventually centers on the fact that Hrothgar's kingdom, if you will, is currently the focus of attacks from some kind of reptilian beast and Hrothgar is helpless to put an end to the carnage. The film succeeds in showing that the basic core of any timeless mythological tale can be transplanted forward in time with very little difficulty. The great magic of mythology is that it isn't tied to time, but is sinuous enough in story and large enough in scope to easily cross the boundaries of not only time but also ethnic and racial divides. Beowulf may belong to the Norse mythological canon, but this film proves that its themes are widespread and can easily be adapted. The idea of the evil opponent being vanquished by the lone hero and saving the village has not only been translated forward in time with a still recognizable Grendel, but an argument could also be made that it forms the backbone of the classic weste rn Shane in which Alan Ladd plays a Beowulf-like character who arrives to kill the Grendelesque Jack Palance. Where this film version takes a risk that pays off is in the notion that the people are suffering from a curse because of the Grendel family. This idea is very much in line with the sense of patriotism and it even offers up a stopgap one of the nagging questions that the original poems leaves unanswered: why doesn't King Hrothgar leave Hereot rather than subject his people to the torture of Grendel's unceasing appetite for human flesh for twelve long years. The movie answers this nagging conundrum with the device of a siege line that ensnares the inhabitants within their outpost as a result of this curse. At the same time, the movement of the plot into the kind of nihilistic future that has become so predictable it threatens to become a clich is not a particularly good choice. In doing this the movie sacrifices the claims to patriotism and honor that makes Beowulf so memorable. The poem depict a community in which things like honor and heritage are essential to the very idea of bein g a warrior and the deaths they suffer at the fate of Grendel retain the glory of giving themselves over to an enemy in the

Game theory research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Game theory - Research Paper Example While doing so, the player must always think about the good mechanism for selling the painting in that given game. When developing such a game, one may have to consider a single shot game in which each of the players is asked to states his or her sealed bid for the painting. Based on the bids presented, the painting will be given or awarded to the most suitable bidder or player in the game. The most straightforward way of awarding the painting would be giving it to the highest bidder and then charging him for the bid. Teo and Sethuraman however notes that taking such an approach may not been very helpful because the developed situation does not have any dominant strategy solution (881). In such a case, the best strategy for each of the player or bidder would be entirely dependent on what he knows or assumes about the bidding strategy which is going to be used by the other players. When the player takes a wrong assumption about the strategy that is going to be used by other players, then the strategy that they will opt for will not be the best one. On the other hand, when the player makes the right assumption about the approach that is being used by the other bidders, then his strategy will be the best available one. On this basis, it is quite apparent that deciding on the value which should be placed on the bid by the bidder will always be a very big problem. The compl exity of the situation will automatically result in unpredictable behaviour in the game. Regardless of this, there are several available approaches which can be employed to deal with such situations just as it is effectively done in other games which lack a dominant strategy. One of the main ways through which such situations can be dealt with is the use and the applications of the Vickery auction approach. Vickery mechanism is a very common approach which is used to deal with various gaming situations which do

The World Channel Tunnel Engineering Projects Construction Essay

The World Channel Tunnel Engineering Projects Construction Essay The Channel Tunnel (French: le tunnel sous la Manche), widely recognized as one of the worlds greatest civil engineering projects, is a 50.5km underwater rail tunnel connecting Folkestone, Kent in the UK with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais in France under the English Channel. Even though it began construction in 1988 and was opened in 1994, the idea to have a cross-channel tunnel was first mooted more than 200 years ago but did not materialize due to political, national security and cost considerations. However, with the tremendous increase in traffic growth, better and alternative means of communication, convenience and speed was necessary and hence the need for an alternative transport route was clearly evident. The need for such tunnel was further compounded with Britain joining the European Community and the cross-channel traffic doubling in the last 20 years (leading to the project), reflecting improved trading between the Britain and rest of Europe. The Channel Tunnel would also be a ble to provide an alternative competitive link between the transportation systems of the UK and France, providing both speed and reliability to freight deliveries. With the strong endorsement from the governments of both sovereigns, the decision to build the Channel Tunnel was thus made. In April 1985, the British and French governments issued a formal invitation to potential tenderers for the fixed Channel link and eventually the contract was awarded to the consortium Channel Tunnel Group Limited- France Manche S.A. (CTG/FM) (later renamed Eurotunnel). Figure 1: Project Organization The Channel Tunnel, with the governments intention that it be privately funded and there would not be any government assistance or undertaking, was a build-own-operate-transfer (B-O-O-T) project with a concession. The project organization is shown in Figure 1. In this contract arrangement, Eurotunnel would be the owner cum operator, which was being funded by the banks and shareholders. The governments of UK and France were represented by the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC), to which the Safety Authority and the Maitre dOeuvre (an independent technical auditor) would report to. The IGC would then make final engineering and safety decisions. TML (essentially split from CTG/FM so as to separate the roles of owner/operator and contractor) consisted mainly of five British contractors (Translink Joint Venture) and five French contractors (G.I.E Transmanche Construction) and would carry out the construction works for the Channel Tunnel in a design and build contract. Upon completion of the project, the British and French governments would award Eurotunnel a 55 (which was later revised to 65) year operating concession to repay the banks and shareholders. The Contract was officially signed on 13 August 1986 and the fixed rail was to be fully commissioned in 1993. The services offered by the Channel Tunnel include the Eurotunnel Shuttle (a shuttle service for vehicles), Eurostar passenger trains and freight delivery trains. TMLs contract was to design, build, and test and commission the fixed rail tunnel. The Channel Tunnel (Figure 2) was designed to have three concrete-lined bores approximately 50km long, with 37.9km undersea and the rest under land at either ends of the English (Cheriton near Folkstone) and French (Pas-de-Calais village of Frethun) terminals (Figure 3). Two of the running tunnels were designed to have an internal diameter of 7.6m while the third was a 4.8m service tunnel running midway between the two and connected to them via 3.3m diameter cross passages at 375m intervals. 2m diameter piston relief ducts connecting the main tunnels at 250m spacing were built to prevent the accumulation of differential air pressures and aerodynamic resistance. To facilitate operations and maintenance, four crossover caverns were built between the two terminals to allow trains to cross between the running tunnels. Two crossovers were laid close to the terminals while the other two were under the seabed , effectively dividing the tunnel into three approximately equal lengths. Figure 4 below shows the main phases of the project. Two separate rail tunnels were chosen instead of a single large twin-track rail tunnel because this could minimize construction risk while at the same time enhance operations, maintenance and safety. The diameters were finalized after design analysis, development and optimization studies, taking into consideration the operation and support, speed and cost of construction. The service tunnel provided access between the running tunnels during normal and emergency situations and was equipped with a guided transport system. It was also where the water and pumping mains run and functioned as a fresh air supply duct to the tunnels in normal working condition. In addition, the service tunnel would function as a lead tunnel during construction which allowed the workers and engineers to assess and ascertain the uncharted ground conditions before advancing the main tunnels. Basing on the existing geotechnical investigations, past tunneling expeditions and two additional geotechnical and geophysical surveys carried out by TML on the English Channel along the proposed tunnel line, it was ascertained that there was a distinct sub-unit of the Lower Chalk layer known as the Chalk Marl running continuously between the two terminals. Chalk Marl, made up of alternating bands of marly chalk and limestone, was found to be the best tunneling medium as it was essentially impermeable (due to its high clay content) and provided good short term stability under excavation, thus minimizing the number of supports required (Figure 5). It was designed to be bored in the bottom 15m of the Chalk Marl layer to minimize the ingress of water from the fractures and joints, but above the Gault clay which is susceptible to swelling when wet, imposing high stresses on the tunnel lining. The chalk marl strata dipped gently at less than 5o with smaller displacements of less than 2m d ue to faulting towards the UK side; whereas the strata dipped severely towards the French side (up to 20o) with much larger displacements of up to 15m (Gueterbock, 1992). Chalk at the French side was also harder, more brittle and fractured. This thus led to the use of different tunneling methods on the English and French sides. The seaward and landward bores for all three tunnels on the UK side began at Shakespeare Cliff. Construction traffic would enter the tunnel via a new inclined access (Adit A2) at the Lower Shakespeare site, while worker access was built via a shaft driven to the tunnel level from the Upper Shakespeare site (Gueterbock, 1992). Due to the fast construction time required and the relatively dry chalk marl at the UK side, it was assessed that the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) was most suitable for the UK tunnels. One feature of the NATM was the interlinking of design, construction method, sequence and plant and the success of this method depended on the continuous integration of these elements by the tunneling engineers. Six TBMs were used to drive the UK tunnels spanning a total distance of 84km. The TBMs were operated on an open-face mode with a front excavating section and a rear gripper unit which acted as a temporary anchor point when the cutting head drove forward at 1.5m inc rements (Anderson Roskrow, 1994). Excavation of the tunnel and erection of the tunnel linings were carried out concurrently. Depending on ground conditions, the thickness of the linings ranged between 380mm and 500mm. Expanded concrete lining was used for the UK tunnels where the unbolted lining was expanded against the excavated ground. Pads on the back of the lining allowed the formation of an annulus to be filled with grout to prevent water ingress (Byrd, 1996). Each 1.5m lining ring was made up of eight precast concrete segments with a key segment. Cast iron lining segments were only used in poor ground conditions. Over at the other side, the tunnel drives started at the shaft in Sangatte in France. Due to the highly fissured ground resulting in very wet conditions on the French side, a different type of TBM known as the Earth Pressure Balance Machine was used. The TBMs were designed to operate both in open and closed modes. Close mode is characterized by the sealing off of the machine from the spoil around it and the cutting head, thus keeping pressure on the dirt in front as it excavated and allowing the machine to work in the dry as the pressure in the machine was higher than the outside. The arrangement of seals on the TBM allowed it to withstand up to 10 atmospheric pressures. When the TBMs reached dryer and more favourable grounds, they could then switch to open mode. While precast sections were also used on the French side, the materials used were different owing to the different soil conditions: neoprene and grout sealed bolted linings made of cast-iron and high strength concrete (Ander son Roskrow, 1994). The French tunnels were made of six 1.4 to 1.6m wide segments plus a key segment. A total of 5 TBMs were employed on the French side, and the bores from the UK and France were to finally meet in the middle of the English Channel in the tunnel breakthrough phase. The Channel Tunnel project was huge by any standard, with a number of key factors that could potentially impact the parties involved: bi-nationality, private funding (thereby effectively transferring most of the financial risks to the contractors), schedule and cost. To stay attractive to investors and banks alike, the project had to meet the following priorities: minimum risk of cost overrun, minimum operating cost and maximum traffic revenue. It was recognized, from the outset, that the main challenge of the project was to resolve the logistical support associated with large scale tunneling and the fast-track nature of this project. The management, finance and technical challenges related to this project would be explored in the subsequent paragraphs.

My Brother Sam Is Dead Essay -- essays research papers

My Brother Sam is Dead Author: by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier Category: Historical Fiction Summary: It starts out in the 1770's during the Revolution War and Samuel Meeker or Sam for short just interred the room of the tavern and he chimes in to everybody who is waiting to eat, he comes in saying where beating the Lobster Backs. His father, Eliphalet Meeker but called Life for short, starts arguing with son. After a while they calmed down and change the subject. Finally Tim Meeker or sometimes called Timmy, the narrator and one of the main two character's of the story in the story goes out to the barn to milk the cow Old Pru. Witches are one of his daily chores and ask Sam to join him. While Tim is milking Old Pru he's talking to Sam about how has he been lately and what is he doing back at home. And Sam tells him truth why he is back at home, and it's to get the Brown Bess. Which is the family's gun and Tim swears that he can't tell Mom or Dad. Well in the morning when Sam try's to get the Brown Bess his father catches him and they get big fight whether he's going to fight the British or not and finally his dad throws him out the house. While the Meeker's are at Church, Sam goo's back to the Tavern, where his family lives and work's and he stills the Brown Bess. Well later on the Rebel's or the patriot's or now called the American's. Went threw the town of Redding. Which is where the Meeker's live. They where going door to door. Taking peoples guns and goods. When they came to the Tavern they where demanding for there gun. They wouldn't believe that there son stole it and took it with him to the Rebel's camp and they wouldn't believe him cause it was Tori territory and that they where threatening to kill Life if they didn't give them there gun. Then Tim ran out the door and he ran to go get Colonel Read. Since he knew that Sam was a Rebel and colonel read was a colonel for the Rebel's, but when he got to where he was he saw Sam with the Gun sleeping with it. Then he snatched it and started running back to his house and when he was half way there Sam woken up and was yelling him to stop but he wouldn't stop, but since Sam was older and bigger he caught Tim right as they reach the town of Redding. Then Tim had to explain what had happen and Sam didn't want to go back but he went with Tim just in cas... ... was a well written book it was very detail and good storywriter but the end didn't have a big enough bain. Like it just made it like a dull ending but all the way up to where Tim goes crazy on the Rebel's. He also kind of fueled you which is kinda good when u first read this tittle you think the British killed Sam when it was Rebel's. what kinda sucked about it is that they dragged out to the end. which made you know what's going to happen when ending came. that's why it was so dull cause I was on the last page and Sam still hasn't been killed yet so I knew right away what was going to happen. Recommendations: I would recommend this if you want to study the sight affects of the war. but if your like me and you're proud to be an American, Patriot, or a Rebel then I wouldn't read this it talks about how bad it was for the Rebel's to go war for no good reason. When in fact it was cause later we became the greatest country in the whole wide world. Everything about this country is so much better than anything else so that's why IM proud to be an American. Copyrights: 1974 to James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. # of Pages: 211 pages including the Epilogue

Ban Zhao and Lessons for Women Essay

_Nu-jie,_ translated as _Lessons for Women,_ by Ban Zhao is a famous Chinese literacy work about women, her virtues and her roles. Ban Zhao was the first known female Chinese historian and poet. She was a renowned scholar under the Han dynasty and also a major contributor to the creation of one of the best-known history book ever written called _Han Shu,_ which is translated to _Book of Han. The Han dynasty is considered the most important time in the grand history of China. Many scholars have regarded the Han dynasty’s reign as the â€Å"Golden Age of Chinese history† but not only that, the Chinese empire under the Han dynasty rose to the forefront of the world along side with the Romans, Parthians and Khushans as the four great societies in ancient time. It was a time of transitioning in China as there were constant developments in many  social and cultural departments such as literature, science, art and industry. The Han dynasty also followed the ideals of Confucianism, which were reflected through politics as the government not only appointed talented men but also already capable men who were determined to improve. Confucianism quickly became the official ideology of the great nation. The Han dynasty’s reign also marked the transformation of China’s literacy and intellectual history. Confucianism had already had a big impact on the Chinese culture and on the lives of the Chinese as well. Its’ principles also benefited the intellectuals under the Han’s reign. The ancient Chinese had invented paper and also learned to how devise the lunar calendar. Literature and philosophies also reached new heights as education was being developed which was made possible by the evolution of a common language. It was also during this time that Ban Zhao’s father, Ban Biao, started his work on the book _Han Shu_ as he was determined to record the history of this time period. Ban Zhao was born in 45 C.E. and she was a daughter in an elite family, who had connections to the imperial court, under the Han dynasty. She was educated and often tutored by her own mother. By the mere age of 14, Ban Zhao had married Cao Shou who was also from her town of birth. However, Cao Shou’s death in later years left Ban Zhao with the responsibilities of raising children on her own. She then devoted her life to literacy which led to the formation of the tradition of historical writings in China. Ban Zhao left her hometown for the capital with her mother and her brother, Ban Gu, as he became the designated historian and editor of _Han Shu_. Many scholars believe that Ban Zhao had already assisted her brother and contributed her efforts to the work of _Han Shu_ at that time. Due to the devotion in her own work and the Chinese tradition, Ban Zhao never remarried. However, that led to the significant rise in her career as a historian and a writer when her most famous work , _Lessons for Women_, symbolized her effort of applying the principles of Confucianism to the lives of women. _Lessons for Women_ was originally Ban Zhao’s teachings for her daughters on  how to be a proper women. She intended the book to serve not only as lessons but also as a guideline for her daughters. She wanted them to manage themselves accordingly and behave the way a proper woman would. Be that as it may, the book identified itself with a much larger audience as it later became the referenced instruction manual for women who were striving for the ideals of Confucianism and who were to be a wife. _Lessons for Women_ emphasized the importance of the women way of life. â€Å"Let a woman modestly yield to others; let her respect others; let her put others first, her last†¦ Let a woman retire late to bed, but rise early to duties; let her not dread tasks by day or by night†¦ Let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character in order to serve her husband; let her love not gossip and silly laughter; let her cleanse and purify and arrange in order the wine and the food for the offerings to the ancestors.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). _Lessons for Women_ also talked about the qualities of a proper woman, the qualifications of becoming one and advised women on their conducts in the home of the husband or the husband’s family. According to Ban Zhao, â€Å"a woman ought to have four qualifications: 1. Womanly virtue; 2. Womanly words; 3. Womanly bearing, and 4. Womanly work.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao also emphasized the importance of the roles husband and wife in the family. She said that the way of husband and wife is â€Å"intimately connected with Yin and Yang† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) . She then explained that if either of the roles were to prove unworthy of one another, â€Å"then the proper relationship between men and women and the natural order of things are neglected and destroyed.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) Because of Ban Zhao’s strong beliefs in Confucianism and its principles, she often talked about how women must try to improve themselves, especially intellectually. Ban Zhao encouraged the principle of wanting to educate oneself as she urged that women should improve themselves through education. She indicated that literacy was important for both the wife and the husband in order to accomplish their roles in the family effectively. The book also put emphasis on the importance of women behaving as submissive which symbolized  the social roles of women in a Confucian society. Confucius himself said little about women which reflected the limited importance of women in ancient Chinese culture and society. But it was Confucianism’s principles that proved to be one of the driving forces that led to the belief that women could get educated, and eventually better themselves. As stated prevously, Ban Zhao originally intended _Lessons of Women_ as lessons for her daughters. Because of that, the book focused on how young women should behave before, during and after marriage. Ban Zhao talked about how young girls should keep her virtues, follow the customs and respect the values in order to become a proper woman. She further expanded her definition of the way women should live their lives. When Ban Zhao mentioned, â€Å"Let a woman modestly yield to others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.), she also added that if a woman was to follow all those morals, she may humble herself before others. Right after that, â€Å"Let a woman retire late to bed, but rise early to duties†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) talked about how a woman would become industrious if she follows all these practices. And finally, â€Å"Let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) explained the principles of ancestral worshiping. Ban Zhao then demanded equality in education; she said that if a relationship in marriage is to exist in harmony, the relationship between wife and husband should be proper and they should know their places so they can function effectively. In order to achieve this, Ban Zhao was asking questions about why women were not getting the same education that the men were able to, â€Å"Yet only to teach men and not teach women – is that not ignoring the essential relation between them?†¦ Only why should it not be that girls’ education as well as boys’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E. ). Ban Zhao then added further explanations about her defined women qualifications. For womanly virtue, a woman has to â€Å"guard her chastity carefully†¦ and to model each act on the best usage† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). According to Ban Zhao, a woman does not have to have brilliant and exceptional compared to others to achieve womanly virtue, it is about the ways a woman takes care herself and how she conducts her actions that symbolize her virtues. For womanly words, a woman has to â€Å"choose her words  with care; to avoid vulgar language†¦ and nor to wear others with much conversation† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao thought that a woman does not have to engage in conversations all the time, should not use vulgar language and must choose an appropriate response to represent herself. For womanly bearing, a woman has to â€Å"†¦keep clothes and ornaments fresh and clean; and to keep the person free from disgraceful filth.† (Ban Zhao, c a. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao was saying that a woman does not have to be pretty nor does not need a perfect face to present herself, it is about the ways how she keeps her clothes appropriate in terms of appearance and how she takes care herself to achieve womanly bearing. Finally, womanly work means â€Å"whole-hearted devotion†¦, to love not gossip or silly laughter; in cleanliness and order to prepare for the serving guests†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao said that to achieve womanly work, a woman does not need to be skillfully better than everyone else but to learn her responsibilities and do them effectively. These four qualifications are what would make a proper woman, according to Ban Zhao. However being a woman, proper or not, did not hold a high regards in the culture of ancient China. The primary aspect of a woman’s life in ancient China was to be a wife and continue the bloodline of the husband. They were viewed as â€Å"objects† which its purpose is to produce offspring, and in such a patriarchal culture male offspring was always preferred. A woman was expected to stick by her husband and conduct her actions in manners that would be deemed as appropriate by her husband or his family. Anything else would cause disharmony and thus brought embarrassment to not only herself but also to both families as well. Ban Zhao urged women to get an education so they can serve their families, especially their husband, more efficiently and in a better manner overall. According to Ban Zhao, â€Å"Let a woman not act contrary to the wishes and the opinions of parents-in-law about right and wrong; let her not dispute with them what is straight and what is crooked. Such docility†¦called obedience.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). _Lesson for Women_ served as a guideline for women to learn the proper ways of being a woman in order to better themselves and their status in the  social rankings. It, however, also emphasized the importance of women knowing their roles and duties in the family well and because of that, family must always be their priority which they must always give implicit obedience to. If they were to follow Ban Zhao’s idealized practices, they would not bring embarrassment nor disgrace to the families. This book presented practices that were idealized by an educated ancient Chinese woman. Despite the correct descriptions of the situation many women faced during ancient China, _Lessons for Women_ did not mention the fact that not many women had the opportunities to earn an education like Ban Zhao had and their chances in life were very limited compared to Ban Zhao. Most of the women were not born in a privileged or prestigious family like Ban Zhao’s and the Confucian culture, practiced by the Han dynasty, forced women into the little and limited roles. According to the book, Ban Zhao wanted women to educate and better themselves for both their social ranking and their family matters. However, Ban Zhao also acknowledged their culture at the time and often urged women to be submissive to both the husband and his family. She also noted that the opinions of the women and what they thought was right or wrong may differ from their husband’s but they must sacrifice their personal opinions and not cause disharmony. After analyzing the book, I have learned that there were certain ways that women could have improved themselves intellectually speaking but because of their culture, it did not improve their social rankings nor had any great influence on the society at the time. It also made me realize that women have had to come a long way to become respectable in the society. The book also emphasized the patriarchal society that ancient China and one can see the lasting impact it has had on the culture of China even to today’s day and age. China have always favored its sons more than its daughters and it has been this way since the ancient time of the Han dynasty. It was not until 2013 when the son-preferred tradition began to gradually decline as the great gender imbalance in China started to balance out. One of the reason that the younger generations have attributed to the decline in the â€Å"gender-cide† is the opportunities at higher level education. As Ban Zhao had stated in _Lessons for Women,_ education is an important, if not the most important, factor for women to improve themselves. _Lessons for Women_  served as a great guideline for women who wanted to be a proper woman and eventually improve themselves as human beings. Ban Zhao talked about what a young girl needed to do and how she should behave to be considered as a woman. However, it should also be mentioned that Ban Zhao was born in a prestigious family during the Han dynasty and whose ties were connected with high ranking officials. Her family was wealthy enough to afford her an education which was a luxury that not many Chinese could have afforded at the time, let alone the Chinese women. Be that as it may, _Lessons for Women_ served its intended purpose and more as many women initiated the first steps of i mproving their statuses in both their household and their society. References Lee, Yuen T. (n.d.). Ban Zhao: Scholar of Han Dynasty China. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/9.1/lee.html Hasall, P. (Ed.). (n.d.). Ban Zhao: Lessons for a Woman. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/banzhao.html Nancy Lee Swann, trans., Pan Chao: Foremost Women Scholar of China (New York: Century, 1932), 82-90. Strayer, R. (2013). Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Larson, C. (2014, July 31). In China, More Girls Are on the Way. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-31/chinas-girl-births-ratio-improves-as-coun try-gets-more-educated

Definition and Examples of Clustering in Composition

Definition and Examples of Clustering in Composition In composition, a discovery strategy in which the writer groups ideas in a nonlinear fashion, using lines and circles to indicate relationships. Clustering Clustering (sometimes also known as branching or mapping) is a structured technique based on the same associative principles as brainstorming and listing. Clustering is distinct, however, because it involves a slightly more developed heuristic (Buzan Buzan, 1993; Glenn et al., 2003; Sharples, 1999; Soven, 1999). Clustering procedures vary considerably, although the fundamental objective is to equip students with tools for arranging words, phrases, concepts, memories, and propositions triggered by a single stimulus (i.e., a piece of information, a topic, a provocative question, a metaphor, a visual image). As with other [invention] techniques..., clustering should first be modeled and practiced in class so students can eventually incorporate the tool into their own repertoire of invention and planning strategies.(Dana Ferris and John Hedgcock, Teaching ESL Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice, 2nd ed. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005) Guidelines for Teaching the Clustering Process What instructions should you give to begin this prewriting process? I have found the following both appropriate and effective:(Gabriele Lusser Rico, Clustering: A Prewriting Process, in Practical Ideas for Teaching Writing As a Process, ed. by Carol B. Olson. Diane, 1996)Tell students that they are going to use a tool that will enable them to write more easily and more powerfully, a tool similar to brainstorming.Encircle a word on the boardfor example, energyand ask students, What do you think of when you see that word? Encourage all responses. Cluster these responses, radiating outward. When they have finished giving their responses, say, See how many ideas there are floating around in your heads? Now, if you cluster all by yourself, you will have a set of connections as unique to your own mind as a thumbprint is to your thumb.Now ask students to cluster a second word for themselves. Before they begin, tell them that the clustering process should take no more than one or two minutes and that the paragraph they will write should take about eight minutes. Ask them to keep clustering until the Aha! shift, signaling that their mind is holding something they can shape into a whole. In writing, the only constraint is that they come full circle: i.e., that they do not leave the writing unfinished. Some excellent words are afraid or try or help.After they finish writing, ask students to give a title to what they have written that is suggestive of the whole. Mind-Mapping Mind-mapping is a colorful and creative method of generating, organizing, and remembering ideas. To mind-map, write your topic in the center of a blank page within a visual representation of your topic, such as a giant musical note, a sailboat, or scuba gear. If no central image comes to mind, use a box, heart, circle, or other shape. Then use various colors of ink to color-code related ideas. From the central figure draw radiating lines like the rays of the sun or branches and roots of a tree. Then, as you think of parts of the subject you wish to discuss, jot down pictures, key words, or phrases on or near these lines. Also add examples and subparts using branching lines and more images and words. If you do not already have a central focus for your essay, watch for a key phrase or image as you complete your exploration.(Diana Hacker and Betty Renshaw, Writing With a Voice, 2nd ed. Scott, Foresman, 1989) Also Known As: branching, mapping

French Vocabulary Related to Soccer and the World Cup

French Vocabulary Related to Soccer and the World Cup Whether you love playing soccer or just watching games like the World Cup,   learn some French soccer terms so you can talk about the sport. Note that in the U.S., football refers to  football amà ©ricain. In most of the rest of the world, football is what Americans call soccer. French Soccer Vocabulary In French,  le  football  means soccer in English, and le foot translates as football. These and related terms are vital to know if you want to talk knowledgeably about soccer in French. Le football, le foot   soccer, footballLa Coupe du monde, le Mondial   World CupLe match game, matchLa pà ©riode halfLa mi-temps   halftimeLe temps rà ©glementaire regular time (the standard 90-minute game)es arrà ªts de jeu stoppage timeLa prolongation overtime People and Players When talking about football in French, its important to learn the French terms related to the game of soccer. Une à ©quipe teamLes Bleus  Ã‚  the Blues - French soccer teamUn footballeu  Ã‚  soccer/football playerUn joueur  Ã‚  playerUn gardien de but, goal  Ã‚  goalieUn dà ©fenseur  Ã‚  defenderUn libero  Ã‚  sweeperUn ailier  Ã‚  wingerUn avant, attaquant  Ã‚  forwardUn buteur  Ã‚  strikerUn meneur de jeu  Ã‚  playmakerUn remplaà §ant  Ã‚  substituteUn entraineur  Ã‚  coachUn arbitre  Ã‚  refereeUn juge/arbitre de touche   line judge, assistant referee Plays and Penalties Understanding soccer in French means learning the terms for plays and penalties that are an inevitable part of soccer. Un but  Ã‚  goalUn but contre son camp  Ã‚  own goalLe carton jaune  Ã‚  yellow cardLe carton rouge  Ã‚  red cardUn caviar  Ã‚  perfect passDes contestations / protestations  Ã‚  dissentUn corner  Ã‚  corner kickun coup franc, coup de pied arrà ªtà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  free kickUn coup franc direct / indirect  Ã‚  direct / indirect kickUn coup de tà ªte  Ã‚  head buttUne faute  Ã‚  foulUne faute de main  Ã‚  hand ballUne feinte  Ã‚  fake outUn grand pont  Ã‚  kick/pass around a players legsHors-jeu  Ã‚  offsideUn match nul  Ã‚  tie game, drawLe mur  Ã‚  the wallUne passe  Ã‚  passUn pà ©nalty  Ã‚  penalty kickUn petit pont  Ã‚  nutmeg, between-the-legs passLe point de pà ©nalty  Ã‚  penalty spotUne remise en jeu, une touche  Ã‚  throw inUne simulation  Ã‚  dive (fake fall)Six mà ¨tres  Ã‚  goal kickSorti  Ã‚  out of boundsLa surface de but  Ã‚  6-yard boxLa surface de rà ©paration  Ã‚  penalty boxUn tacle  Ã‚  tackleNe tà ªte  Ã‚  h eaderLa volà ©e  Ã‚  volley Equipment Equipment is a key part of French soccer, as these terms demonstrate. Le stade  Ã‚  stadiumLe terrain de jeu  Ã‚  playing field, pitchLe milieu du terrain  Ã‚  midfieldLe ballon de foot  Ã‚  soccer ball, footballLes crampons  Ã‚  cleatsLe filet  Ã‚  goal netLe maillot  Ã‚  uniform, kitLe piquet de corner  Ã‚  corner flagLe protà ¨ge-tibia  Ã‚  shin guardLe sifflet  Ã‚  whistle Verbs Soccer is a game of action, so verbs- action words- are an important part of the game. Amortir  Ã‚  to trap, controlBà ©tonner  Ã‚  to put up a strong defenseContrà ´ler le ballon  Ã‚  to control the ballDà ©border  Ã‚  to get past an opponentDribbler  Ã‚  to dribbleÊtre en position de hors-jeu  Ã‚  to be offsideExpulser  Ã‚  to send offFaire du chiquà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  to (take a) diveFaire une passe  Ã‚  to pass (the ball)Faire une tà ªte  Ã‚  to head (the ball)Faucher  Ã‚  to bring downFeinter  Ã‚  to fakeJouer la ligne de hors-jeu, jouer le hors-jeu  Ã‚  to set an offside trapMarquer (un but)  Ã‚  to score (a goal)Mener  Ã‚  to lead, be winningSauver un but/penalty  Ã‚  to save a goal/penaltyTirer  Ã‚  to shoot, kick

Why United States Flag Burning is Wrong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why United States Flag Burning is Wrong - Essay Example They often use flag burning as a manner of protest in order to demonstrate the intensity of distaste that the harbor for various issues in America. Nevertheless, the flag is a part of America and an attack on it should be viewed as an attack on the country. While there have been various decisions by the US court system that both criminalize and allow for this shameful activity, the fact of the matter is that flag burning should be against the law. There was a case on flag burning in Texas that reached the Supreme Court. In Texas v. Johnson (1989), Johnson had been convicted for his crimes by the Texas court system. The flag has been burned as a way of protest during a march that had been held to express dissatisfaction with some of President Regan’s policies for corporations (Texas v. Johnson, 1989). In Texas, at that time, burning the American Flag was against the law. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court found that any law which restricted flag burring violated the First Amendment (Texas v. Johnson, 1989). Flag burning has been against the law at the federal level due to the Flag Protection Act of 1968, and many state and local governments held such laws as well. However, as a result of this case, the federal, state, and local governments could no longer uphold these laws. Then, in 1990, there was another case that dealt with flag burning. With the case of U.S. v. Eichman (1990) the flag burning parties had to be released . Time and time again, cases have been presented to the Supreme Court that sought to address the issue of flag burning. Yet, those who have been found guilty of flag burning have gotten away with it. This is not because the Supreme Court believes that it is okay to burn the flag, but because they have found it difficult to make flag burning against the law without violating the First Amendment, which states, â€Å"Congress shall make no law†¦abridging the freedom of

Music Appreciation (concert report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Appreciation (concert report) - Essay Example 2, "Air" from Orchestra Suite No.3 in D Major, BWV 1068, Serenade for strings in C Major, Op. 48, Serenade No. 13 in G Major, KV 525, â€Å"Eine klein Nachtmusik†, and Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op.8, RV 297, â€Å"L’inverno†. The composers of the pieces are Gustav Holst, J. S. Bach, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, W. A. Mozart, and Antonio Vivaldi respectively. W. A. Mozart composed this piece on 10th August 1787. He was a prominent writer who composed many songs in Italian but composed this one in his native German. This probably suggests that it must be a personal piece. This is one of the finest copies that he wrote as special- occasion music. He composed these works mainly for princely or wedding ceremonies for wealthy merchants. The piece has four movements, which includes Allegro, Romanza, Menuetto and Rondo. This piece is a string quartet as it is a chamber that consists of first and second violins, viola and cello. The string orchestra performs it. It consists of four movements, which makes the concert appealing to the audience. The various movements take different forms to express different themes hence developing a sense of variety. Repetition of exposition with the subjects that are in the same key is conventional. The texture of the piece is polyphonic since it is a combination of both monophonic and homophonic. The melody of the piece is satisfying since the notes keep on changing depending on the moods that the various movements express. The composer develops the piece by beginning with a D major, touching on C main and returns to G crucial for recapitulation. A crucial key dominates the four movements of the piece which modulate from one key to another. The piece does not have a beat that one can tap the foot to it. The reason is that different movements have different beats. A triple beat, however, dominates the piece. It is not much rhythmic in comparison with the other pieces due to the changes that take place for every movement. The dynamics