Thursday, October 31, 2019

Integrate School Safety Data for the Purpose of Safe School Program Essay

Integrate School Safety Data for the Purpose of Safe School Program Evaluation - Essay Example A juvenile offender is held accountable in the system of juvenile system, and once it is found out that he/she has committed an offence, he or she is held responsible through sanctions or consequences of the act, imposed according to the law (Brier, 1995). These consequences or sanctions are applied swiftly, consistently, and surely. They are aimed at providing effective and appropriate responses to different levels of seriousness of the offences and offender work based chronics in order to control, prevent and reduce further violations of law. Therefore, it is important to use such proven programs and the best practices in order to enhance the safety of schools. On the other hand, the procedures for safe school planning have to incorporate all stakeholders; these are teachers, parents, community and the government. Proven Programs and Best Practice Proven programs are ideals that have been successful in their when they have repeatedly been used (Brier). They have yielded positive re sults, shown by environment of safety school. On the other hand, best practice is ideal of management that believes in the presence of a method, technique, activity incentive, reward or process of effectively delivering a certain outcome, unlike any other method, technique or process. These are basically the most effective and efficient in accomplishing a task. They are centered on procedures that have repeatedly proven themselves for many people over time. Aim of Proven School Safety Programs The main aim of proven programs is the enhancement of school safety by ensuring that students are accountable for their behavior. Brier observes that this enables constructive well-conserved development of accountability, together with juvenile offenders programs that are used by agents of law enforcement, or those that are designed by officials of law enforcement to protect schools and student personnel from gang, drug and youth violence. This offers a safe working and learning environment fo r teachers, staff and students, without forgetting the wider community (Trump, 2000). Lack of empirical data has hindered the effectiveness of prevention programs that have demonstrated success signs in school safety. This is because relating collection of such information is seen as using limited resources uneconomically. Schools are therefore rethinking this position, in the aim of improving the success of this program. With increase in the cost of school budgets, funders are not ready to support this program, in prevention of violence, without viable data that clearly shows their promise and effectiveness. Assessment is continued, when the program is running, and changes that allow new developments and improved outcome. Evaluation of such data can effectively be used in support of funding requests for such programs. Safe Schools Safe schools are schools whereby students’ violence has been curbed, through the enhancement of students’ individual responsibilities. Safe schools provide a peaceful working and learning environment for both teachers and students (Brier). On the other hand, safe school planning refers to the process of creating a safe school. This is made possible through education, disciplinary measures as well as working together with juvenile offenders programs that are used by agents of law enforcement, or those that are designed by officials of law enforcement, that creates cohesive living between students themselves, teachers and community at large. Safe school is achieved

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Power of Truth Essay Example for Free

The Power of Truth Essay Novelist Tim O’Brian once said â€Å"A lie, sometimes, can be truer than the truth, which is why fiction gets written. † In his novel The Things They Carried, O’Brian argues that â€Å"story-truth is sometimes truer than happening-truth† (171). O’Brian opposes the idea of absolute truth, and believes that all truths are subject to change. He believes that a fictional story can be more true than an actual event. However, a story, no matter what story, cannot be more true than an actual event; a â€Å"story version† of an event is merely a shadow of that event—a make-up-caked, dramatized, Hollywood shadow. It is impossible for â€Å"story-truth† to be truer than â€Å"happening-truth. † In The Things They Carried O’Brian creates a daughter, Kathleen, for the fictional version of himself. O’Brian, however, does not have a daughter in real life. While it may be a â€Å"story-truth† that Tim O’Brian had a daughter, it will never be a â€Å"happening-truth. † A made-up daughter will never be more real than O’Brian’s actual son. In the novel, O’Brian â€Å"return[s] with [his] daughter to Vietnam† where he buries a belonging of a fellow soldier (173). This story can never be more true than an actual event solely because of the involvement of a fictional character. A man can tell a story about his last trip to the grocery store, and most people would count it as true. However, if the man told a story about going to the grocery store with a magic genie, it would be assumed that he is lying, even if every other facet of his story was believable. This is no different than O’Brian weaving a fictional character in to his novel. The â€Å"story-truth† of Kathleen can never be more true than â€Å"happening-truth. † Furthermore, in a crime investigation, it is illegal to interfere with evidence involved with a case. Any disruption or corruption of evidence is termed â€Å"falsifying evidence. † This is a serious offence because it could seriously disturb the process of solving a crime. Devoid of sound evidence, it is difficult to determine how a crime was committed. Evidence is an example of â€Å"happening-truth;† it conveys without any bias, exactly what happened at the scene of a crime, or at the events leading up to a crime. Investigators cannot solve a crime based solely off of â€Å"story-truth,† such as the testimonies of witnesses, because of the numerous individual accounts of a crime which are subject to dishonesty, human error, and prejudice. Therefore, investigators rely on â€Å"happening-truth† because it is trustworthy, whereas â€Å"story-truth† is inconsistent. Moreover, the popular film The Titanic is bursting with examples of â€Å"happening-truth† and â€Å"story-truth. † Director, James Cameron, designed many of these â€Å"story-truths† to provide an increased dramatic tone in the film. He created a grand staircase on the ship while in reality this staircase was so small passengers had to go up and down single file. A Pablo Picasso painting is featured in the film, although Picasso was not popular during the time of the Titanic, and his work was not widely distributed. The diamond necklace in the film, titled â€Å"The Heart of the Ocean,† never existed, much like the love story between invented passengers Rose Bukater and James Dawson. These creations served Cameron’s purpose to paint a theatrical telling of the event, but the movie was just that—theatrical. Although these â€Å"story-truths† indicate the sinking of the Titanic was a romantic event, it is the â€Å"happening-truths† that send chills through the viewers’ astonished bodies. The most powerful aspect of the film The Titanic is not the love story. It is not the grand staircase, or the luxurious dining room. It is not the interaction between characters, or the extravagant â€Å"Heart of the Ocean. † The most powerful aspect of The Titanic is that it actually happened. At the end of the film, there were 1,502 dead bodies sinking and in the freezing salt water of the Atlantic. No â€Å"story-truth,† no matter how elaborate, could create a greater tragedy than a â€Å"happening-truth. † Why not? Since â€Å"story-truths† are not as true as â€Å"happening-truths. † Therefore, the notion that a story could ring truer than an actual event is in the wrong. A lie cannot reveal a deeper truth; only truth can uncover truth. Stories provide an escape for the imagination. They allow the reader to imagine a different reality and to glimpse into an alternate world. However, stories are only stories. They are not real. The only way the reader can understand a true reality is to read a true account of that reality. Although this account may be less dramatic than the â€Å"story version† of the reality, it is in fact the reality. It is the truest truth; the â€Å"happening-truth. † Works Cited OBrien, Tim. The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Print. Tim OBrien Quotes. Tim OBrien Quotes (Author of The Things They Carried). N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. . Titanic Facts vs. Titanic Fiction. HubPages. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. . The Titanic Gazette: R. M. S. TITANIC vs. Titanic Movie. The Titanic Gazette: R. M. S. TITANIC vs. Titanic Movie. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

An Inspector Calls | JB Priestly

An Inspector Calls | JB Priestly What is the genre of An Inspector Calls and how does it fulfil its purpose? How would the audiences attention be sustained during the performance? An Inspector Calls is a play written by J.B. Priestly, first performed in 1945 in the Soviet Union, and set in 1912. It is considered to be one of Priestleys best known works for the stage and one of the classics of mid-twentieth century English theatre. The play is a three-act drama, which takes place on a single night in 1912, and focuses on the wealthy middle-class Birling family, who live in a comfortable home in Brumley and each of member of the family symbolises at least one of the seven deadly sins. The family is visited by a man calling himself Inspector Goole, who questions the family about the suicide of a young working-class woman, Eva Smith. The style of An Inspector Calls is based on old Morality Plays. It is a bit like a detective story or a whodunnit. Morality plays were religious plays written in the late middle ages. They tended to involve the seven deadly sins and tried to teach people how they should behave. They werent really plays for entertainment; they were war nings against the perils of temptation. An Inspector Calls follows the same idea as these morality plays; its quite blunt in pointing out everyones sins, and tries to get them to confess and repent, but not all the characters do though. An Inspector Calls is a morality play without religion and doesnt follow Christian ideas about confession and forgiveness. The moral judge isnt God, it is a police inspector. Priestley changes the religious background of the morality play and makes it secular. Priestly fought in the trenches in World War One when he was twenty. Priestley was already famous when he wrote the play, An Inspector Calls was written in one week in the final months of World War Two. By this time Priestley was already famous as a writer of plays and novels. The characters language shows their social attitudes. The Birlings and Crofts see themselves as respectable citizens; of the right social class. Men are referred to as chaps, but Gerald calls Birling Sir. They use Euphemisms to talk about certain matters, for example it is said that Eva/Daisy went on the streets where she led another kind of life and became a woman of the town. These are all euphemisms for became a prostitute. Inspector Goole uses language differently, he doesnt mess around, he just speaks his mind, and he doesnt waffle; he describes Eva/Daisys death as having burnt her inside out. This contrasts with Birlings long waffly speeches at the beginning of act one. Sheilas language changes during the play; at the start of the play she uses simple, playful and quite childish language. Sheila says, Im sorry Daddy, to Arthur when she has been admiring her ring, instead of listening to him. By the end of the play she is confident and assertive, using simple, plain and blunt En glish, just like the inspector; Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide. Sheila doesnt show any doubt, and is happy to pass judgement on herself and the rest of her family. Arthur Birling is the head of the family. He is rich and irritable. He is also very stuffy and traditional. Arthur doesnt care about anyone else unless they are making him rich or look good, he is also wrong. Arthur Birling represents four out of the seven deadly sins; Mr Birling represents Gluttony because in the play he is described as a heavy-looking, rather portentous man. He also represents Covetousness because he desires more power than he has got, in the play he says, Just a knighthood. Covetousness is like lust and gluttony, a sin of pursuit of wealth, status and power. Arthur represents Envy in An Inspector Calls, because he envies Gerald croft and wants to be like him, in the play he says, feels you may have done better for yourself socially. Pride is considered the most original and most serious out of the seven deadly sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise. Mr Birling represents Pride in the play because he is overly proud of what they have got a nd he is ashamed of Eric, his son. Sybil Birling is obsessed with etiquette and her status in society. She is stubborn and is the most cold-hearted character in the play. Mrs Birling represents two out of the seven deadly sins; Mrs Birling symbolises Wrath because she is always telling Sheila to be quiet; be quiet Sheila! Pride is showed through what she says, Feels like you could have done better for yourself socially. Sheila Birling is in her mid-twenties, is quite attractive and rather spoilt. Shes quite lonely and excitable. This means that tends to cry a lot. Mrs Birling is the most moral one of the family though. Sheila Birling symbolises two out of the seven deadly sins; she represents Sloth because she doesnt really do anything and has no job; thats something this public school and varsity doesnt teach you. Miss Birling also represents envy because she was envious of Eva Smith. Eric Birling is an alcoholic. He is a raging alcoholic who is rather nervous and paranoid. He doesnt like his parents, and they dont seem to love him much either. Eric Birling represents three out of the seven deadly sins; he symbolises Sloth because he doesnt really do anything, just like his sister, Sheila. He is always drunk, more drinks? and I thought this time it wasnt so bad. Eric also represents Lust because he went to the palace bar which was where he met Eva. Gerald Croft is thirty, attractive, really rich and engaged to Sheila. Gerald is self-satisfied and he agrees with Mr Birling about business. He is very successful, but hes a liar, and he has been unfaithful to Sheila. Gerald represents one of the deadly sins, Lust because he met Daisy at the palace bar; he used her, and paid for her flat, to help her. The audience dont know much about Eva Smith/Daisy Renton because we never meet her. We are not sure if they are the same person, or a completely different people. She might not even be dead! Inspector Goole is not a real police inspector. Unfortunately, thats as much as we do know. He is mysterious, purposeful and aggressive towards the family. Hes very moral and seems focused on getting them all to confess their sins. His name Goole, reminds the audience of ghoul, which is ghost. Edna is the maid. Her biggest line in the play is Please sir, an inspectors called. She answers the door a couple of times and thats it. Priestly has chosen to include several themes in his play, one being social class. The Birlings and the Crofts are high up socially. The Birlings are clearly middle class. Geralds family are seemed as superior to Arthurs because his family owns land which means they are of higher status than a city family who have made money out of business. Arthur was Lord Mayor two years previously and had been an Alderman for many years. Sybil Birling is a leading member of the Brumley Womens Charity Organisation. This is a group of wealthy middle class women who give money to desperate women. Small things matter when you are middle class in 1912. Arthur bought the same port as Geralds dad, hoping to impress him. It doesnt because Gerald doesnt recognise the port. Sybil disapproves of her husband saying what good food it was in front of Gerald. Playing golf with the Chief Inspector is something that Arthur thought would impress Inspector Goole. These little things matter to Mr and Mrs Birling beca use they show the world that you have a place in the social hierarchy; the more refined the ritual, the higher up you are. The middle class do a lot of hiding and repressing,  they dont speak about certain things, for example, prostitution; I see no point in mentioning the subject. The Birlings try to hid Erics serious drinking problem; Sheila had it worked it out but his parents didnt want to know. Sybil acts as if the working classes are a different species. She is obsessed with her social status, she refuses to believe that Eva/Daisy turned down Erics money because it was stolen, saying that a girl of that sort does not have fine feelings and scruples. Sybil is a cold person, and has probably repressed emotion all her life in the name of fitting into society and its not surprising she gets very distressed and collapses into a chair at the end. The class system of the early 1900s was wrong. This hierarchy of social class was based upon hypocrisy, lies and selfishness; it used an d abused those lower down, then threw them out if they became inconvenient and no longer useful, like Eva/Daisy. The Inspector warns that if they dont accept responsibility for each other, because they are all equal, it will all end in fire, blood, and anguish. Another theme Priestley chose to include in his play is Happy Families. They pretend to be happy, the mother and father are in control and the son and daughter mange light-hearted acceptable teasing. The meal finishes, so the ladies withdraw to the drawing room, to let the men talk. All the paranoid tension is in there, brewing, but is only shown in very subtle ways, for example, Sheila teases Gerald half playfully, but also half seriously, about last summer. Mrs Birling corrects her husbands social mistakes, for example, saying to Gerald that the food was nice. The family is left in a mess at the end of the play. Eric says he doesnt care whether he stays or leaves, he tells his mother that she doesnt understand anything and Eric calls his dad a bad father; youre not the kind of father a chap could go to. Shelia says she wants to get out of the family discussion because it frightens her, and she doesnt know whether she will every marry Gerald. The family is in a mess, and Sheila and Eric refuse to go on behaving just as we did. They dont want to pretend anymore and the parents no longer have any authority other their kids. The children end up thinking for themselves, the Inspector tries to make everyone equal, which destroys the family. Once Mr and Mrs Birling lose control, the family disintegrates. An Inspector Calls is set in 1912 and was written in 1945, The First World War would start in two years. Birlings optimistic view that there would not be a war is completely wrong, and The Second World War ended on 8th May 1945. People were recovering from nearly six years of warfare, danger and uncertainty. In 1912, there were strong distinctions between the upper and lower classes, and in 1945 class distin ctions had been greatly reduced as a result of two world wars. In 1912, women were subservient to men. All a well off woman could do was get married; a poor woman was seen as cheap labour and in 1945 as a result of the wards, women had earned a more valued place in society. Finally, in 1912, the ruling classes saw no need to change the status quo, and in 1945, there was a great desire for social change. Immediately after The Second World War, Clement Attlees Labour Party won a landslide victory over Winston Churchill and the Conservatives. The detective genre was popular in 1945; Priestley needed to create a play that held the interest of the audience. The typical detective play elements are all contained but cleverly described. The play is structured so that the audiences attention is maintained by talking about one character at a time and giving out little bits of information at a time, the time to read the play is the time that all the events in it happen. Priestley opens the play in the middle of a conversation, which engages the audience immediately because they want to figure out what is going on. When Inspector Goole arrives, the atmosphere becomes tenser and at first, the family seem happy to help, but then a few minutes later, everything changes. Arthur wants the Inspector to leave weve been modestly celebrating†¦ Geralds †¦engagement to my daughter, Sheila. We see intervals at the end of each act, and at the end of each act, Inspector Goole either says something, or does something and each act ends on a cliff-hanger which is done to create tension at the end of an act. The end of the play is the biggest cliff-hanger though, when Arthur answers the phone to find out that a second Inspector is on his way and that they thought was just a hoax was in fact true. Ending the play on a cliff-hanger makes the audience want to watch more and enable them to find out what happens next, and they are left thinking about the play and its meaning afterwards. The cliff-hanger technique is continued to keep the play focused and concentrated on one subject, it also draws in the attention of the audience and raises the tension. Only one setting is used throughout the duration of An Inspector Calls, the Birlings dining room which is where all the action takes place. The effect this has is that it is quite claustrophobic in there and the tension mounts up easily. They are all confined, and confess the sins they have committed in the outside world. Men do all the prestigious work; they own companies (for example, Birling and Company and Crofts Limited). Sheila and Geralds engagement may lead at some stage to a business merger; Mr Birling hints at this. Throughout the play the audience is interested in character development. Arthur Birling likes to be in control, but as the play continues, it becomes clear that he isnt. At the beginning of the play, Arthur is in charge of everything, even the port they are drinking! He is a public figure in Brumley and is obsessed with his status in the community. Birlings family is falling apart, and he can do nothing about it. Sybil stays loyal to him at the end and stands by him. An Inspector comes in uninvited and asks blunt and insulting questions. Eric turns out to be disloyal both as a son and an employee. Eric stole money from the company to solve his problem and says, youre not the kind of father a chap could go to when hes in trouble. By the end of the play Sheila is also no longer his obedient child; she learns and matures and is disgusted by her fathers refusal to accept responsibility for his actions. When the Inspector is in Birlings dining room, there is a battle going on between them . Arthur wants the Inspector to behave according to the rules of his own narrow world. He tries desperately to win the Inspector over, for example, Arthur offers him a glass of port. The Inspector refuses. Arthur says he plays golf with the Chief Inspector. Inspector Goole simply says, I dont play golf. Furthermore, Arthur tries to impress the Inspector with his record in public office (Lord Mayor Etc.). Inspector Goole says nothing. The Inspector does not share Birlings middle class values, Arthur proudly introduces Gerald Croft of Crofts Limited; the Inspector seems unimpressed. Arthur says to Sheila that the Inspector is going to leave. The Inspector contradicts him by saying Im afraid not. Mr Birling gets angry when Inspector Goole says Sybil is not telling the truth. Arthur is a very shallow man, he is obsessed with how things appear to people and his main concern is how his public image is going to be affected. He doesnt want the story to come out and ruin him for good. Birlin g is prepared to pass off Gooles visit as a hoax, which means nothing has changed for him. He is selfish and self-centred; he cant see why his children cant go on living as they were before. As a wife, Sybil is rather successful; she is loyal to Arthur, despite telling him off now and again. As a mother, she is something of a failure because she doesnt notice Erics alcoholism or any of the other problems until it is too late. Sybil Birling is stubborn and hard-hearted; she is a complainer and is very negative. She refuses to help Eva/Daisy because she uses the Birling name. She is slow to see that Gerald took Eva/Daisy as his mistress and she shows no remorse; I did nothing Im ashamed of. Furthermore, Sybil is a complete snob; she dismisses Eva/Daisy as just another girl of that class. Mrs Birling doesnt believe that a girl can have fine feelings and scruples. She cannot believe that a girl of that sort would ever refuse money. Basically, she thinks that the working/lower class are morally inferior. Mrs Birling is uncooperative with Inspector Goole; she sees him as an intruder and finds him rude and assertive. She tries to make him feel inferior, of course my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago. She finds him impertinent for taking Sheilas side against her; Sheila tries to warn her mum about building up walls between herself and Eva/Daisy, and the Inspector agrees, making Mrs Birling look stupid. When the Inspector is interrogating her she denies that she recognises the photo and the Inspector accuses her of lying. At first she answers reluctantly. He asks her if there was a committee meeting two weeks previously; I dare say there was, she replies. Mrs Birling doesnt change at all throughout the play. She wants to challenge the Inspector and his views to suit hers. Sybil notices that Eric and Sheila have changed their views, but she still sides with Mr Birling. Miss Birling seems to be the perfect daughter in act one. The stage directions say she is very pleased with life and rather excited. She uses slang expressions like squiffy and says, dont be an ass which her mother disapproves of, (but its all quite light-hearted because its such a happy occasion). Miss Birling is excited about her engagement; she adores her ring and is distracted by it. At the start of Act One, she behaves appropriately, gets lots of attention and seems happy. Sheila was jealous and vain in Milwards, she loves shopping, especially at Milwards, it is her favourite shop and both she and her mother have accounts there. But last January, something happened that made her behave in a terrible manner. Sheila, for some reason was in a bad temper and says it was my own fault. She tried a particular dress on, although her mother and the assistant said it wouldnt suit her. Eva Smith held the dress up against herself to illustrate a point, and she looked very attractive in it; the dress really suited Eva, but it didnt suit Sheila. Miss Birling saw Eva smiling at the assistant, and interpreted this as doesnt she (meaning Sheila) look awful. Sheila reported Eva to the manager and threatened to withdraw her account if the girl wasnt sacked. Back then, the big customers, like Sheila were always right, and Eva was sacked straight away. Throughout the play, she doesnt act childish like she did at Milwards, getting Eva back was a bitchy thing to do, just for the sake of one random smile. Sheila is rich and she has got power, so she used it, but; she regrets her behaviour and she says its the only time that sort of thing has happened; Sheila seems genuinely remorseful and seems to have learnt a lesson. Miss Birling is different from the other, she is totally appalled by the death of the girl and when she realises her part in the tragedy (when she recognises the photograph) she runs out of the dining room crying. The Inspectors revelations change her for good, bef ore Gerald leaves to take some air, she hands back the engagement ring, saying that they are changed people; you and I arent the same people who sat down to dinner here. After the Inspector leaves, however, her parents want everything to return the way it was. Sheila is the only one who truly understands what has happened, and sees they all have to change. Sheila becomes a bit like the Inspector herself, she adopts some of the Inspectors techniques, she asks Gerald as many questions as the Inspector himself does, she reveals Erics drinking problem to her mother and at different times contradicts or puts down her mother, her father and Gerald, like the Inspector does. Overall, Sheila is a wise woman. There are clues that Eric isnt quite right, the first hint comes from Priestleys stage directions. We are told that Eric is not quite at ease. He is apparently half shy and half assertive. He finds things his family says funny, even when there is no joke; this shows he is out of place, or drunk. He has guilty secrets; firstly he is a drinker, a heavy drinker. He got a prostitute pregnant, and has stolen money from his fathers business to support her. Eric doesnt seem to be loved very much by the others, his father still sees him as a boy. Arthur wishes Eric was more like Gerald. Sheila seems to care about him, but mostly seems to pity him because he is in a mess. She doesnt try to help him, she just says, I dont want to get poor Eric into trouble†¦ but†¦ In going to the stalls Bar, Eric is only doing what all middle class men with money are expected to do. Eric is the villain and the victim, he doesnt have many friends; people who would stick up for him. He feels isolated a nd unsupported. He has had a neglected childhood and has had to find comfort elsewhere. The audience generally forgives Eric, he accuses the others of pretending nothings happened, you lot may be letting yourselves out nicely. Most importantly, Eric accepts responsibility for what he did, the fact remains that I did what I did. Gerald is like a mini-Arthur, but not quite as bad, he agrees with Birling on politics and women and laughs at his joke about getting into trouble. Mr Croft supports Arthurs sacking of Eva Smith; you couldnt have done anything else. Gerald does have secrets though; he hasnt been honest with Sheila and thinks he can fob her off by saying, all right. I knew her. Lets leave it at that. Gerald thinks he fell in love and gets upset about Daisy. He is distressed when it suddenly hits him that she is dead. He says he didnt feel about her as she felt about me. Gerald helped Daisy, for six months. He says he took pity on her and helped her, but he didnt feel so selfless about it that he wasnt prepared to start sleeping with her after a while. It is hard to see Gerald as good or bad, the Inspector wasnt too harsh on him. He notes that at least Gerald had some affection for her and made her happy for a time. Eva Smith/Daisy Renton, her first name is a bit like Eve, the first woman according to the bible. Her second name, Smith, ordinary and very common. The Inspector says there are millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left and their chances of happiness are intertwined with our lives. The subject of the play is not Eva/Daisy; the focus of the attention is the five people sitting around the table at the beginning. Evas looks may have been her downfall; she had big dark eyes and soft brown hair. Arthur Birling remembers her as a lively good-looking girl. Sheila remembers her as very pretty. Gerald remembers in the Palace bar she looked young and fresh and charming. Eric remembers meeting her there too and that she wasnt the usual sort. Sybil Birling doesnt say anything about her looks; she probably thinks a working class girl has no right to be pretty, based on her other views. All of Eva/Daisys jobs got taken away from her. First, she was a factory worker at Birling and Company. A Shop assistant at Milwards, she worked there for a couple of months and Sheila got her sacked. She was a prostitute and then a mistress to Gerald. He rescued her from the life of a working prostitute and put her up in a flat, gave her money and slept with her. This made her happy, until Gerald dumped her. Eva/Daisy ended up back as a prostitute. The audience dont find out whether Eva Smith and Daisy Renton were in fact, the same person, so at the end of the play, this is what they are left thinking about. There are reasons why Gerald claims there were lots of different girls. Gerald says, there isnt any such inspector. Weve been had. Geralds key point is Weve no proof it was the same girl. He says, for all we know, the Inspector could have shown us all a completely different photograph. Eva/Daisy never sought revenge, so the Inspector did it for her. The Inspectors manner is deceptive, the stage directions tell us that he need not be a big man but he must create an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. His authority strengthens his strong moral tone; he can cut into the dialogue with authority, as he does when he tells Birling that Eric can wait his turn. He speaks firmly when he contradicts Birling and allows Eric to have another drink. He gets more impatient and irritated as the night continues; just as the two parents show their own impatience and intolerance. Goole reveals new information that moves the play on, he starts it all off with a summary of the afternoons events, he moves Geralds account of events on by bluntly saying that Gerald decided to keep Daisy as his mistress. The inspector uses emotive language, he has come to stir things up. His descriptions of Eva/Daisy do this, he describes her as a pretty and lively girl who died in misery and agony; hating life. Goole says to Mrs Birling, that Eva/Dai sy was alone, friendless, almost penniless, desperate and all that she did was slammed the door in her face. The Inspector has an ally in Sheila; she does some of the Inspectors work for him by freely confessing her part in the Eva/Daisy story to everyone. She questions Gerald once she suspects, from his reaction, that he knew Daisy Renton. Sheila warns her mother not to go building up a wall, as the Inspector will knock it flat. Gerald reacts when Goole mentions the name Daisy Renton, then the inspector leaves the room. Gerald is left in shock, the genius of the inspectors exit is that it leaves Sheila alone with Gerald, and she then takes over the inspectors role and interrogates Gerald. His final exit is really dramatic; first he goes over all the nasty details for the final time and gives them a big lecture. Second, he makes them all feel guilty, and Mrs Birling collapses into a chair; his speech shows the full implications of what they did. Lastly, he tells them how their actio ns affect the whole world, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night. Then he just leaves, leaving them staring, subdued and wondering. The genre of An Inspector Calls is Drama. The play is very dramatic through many different ways. The audiences attention is sustained during the performance by releasing a bit of information at a time using one character at a time.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Shakespeares Macbeth - Deep Darkness Essays -- Macbeth essays

Macbeth's Deep Darkness      Ã‚   In Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth there is a dark aspect which hangs over most scenes in the play. Let us examine this quality in this essay.    In "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action" Francis Fergusson states the place of darkness in the action of the play:    It is the phrase "to outrun the pauser, reason [2.3]," which seems to me to describe the action, or motive, of the play as a whole. Macbeth, of course, literally means that his love for Duncan was so strong and so swift that it got ahead of his reason, which would have counseled a pause. But in the same way we have seen his greed and ambition outrun his reason when he committed the murder; and in the same way all of the characters, in the irrational darkness of Scotland's evil hour, are compelled in their action to strive beyond what they can see by reason alone. Even Malcolm and Macduff, as we shall see, are compelled to go beyond reason in the action which destroys Macbeth and ends the play. (106-7)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" describes the moral darkness into which Macbeth lowers himself:    The main theme of the reversal of values is given out simply and clearly in the first scene - "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"; and with it are associated premonitions of the conflict, disorder and moral darkness into which Macbeth will plunge himself.   (95)    Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare comments on the "images of night" and their impact on the audience:    The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which is to call... ...are: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Lamb, Charles. On the Tragedies of Shakespeare. N.p.: n.p.. 1811. Rpt in Shakespearean Tragedy. Bratchell, D. F. New York, NY: Routledge, 1990.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Warren, Roger. Shakespeare Survey 30.   N.p.: n.p., 1977. Pp. 177-78. Rpt. in Shakespeare in the Theatre: An Anthology of Criticism. Stanley Wells, ed. England: Oxford University Press, 2000.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Human expression

The need for human beings to connect and to communicate seems innate; if they were not, mankind would not seek out others with whom to forge bonds.   One of the basic forms of human association is via communication, and the ways in which humans have learned to communicate are as varied as the individuals involved.   A quick glance into any history book will reveal that during the early periods of humankind’s existence, while people struggled to keep themselves clothed and fed, they took time to create works of art—be it on the walls of caves or via carved figures.   As modernized as our society has become, art remains an integral part of the means by which humans communicate and relate to one another.Alfred Jensen’s series The Number Paintings (2006) â€Å"looks at how the artist used Pythagorean theory, the Mayan Calendar, and other numerical systems as well as Goethe’s color theory in his work,† but this description of the exhibit is devoid of the complexity that is present within Jensen’s pieces and the ways in which they may touch a viewer (Joy, 2006, Alfred).The painting Demonstration VIII (1961) was my favorite piece from The Number Paintings (2006), but my attachment had little to do with math or Mayans, and while I admit that part of my being drawn to this piece was due to its colors, this had far more to do with personal preference than with Goethe.   I made a connection to this piece because it reminded me of some of my favorite childhood things: pie and crayons.   Admittedly, this reaction is less-than sophisticated; however, the fact that I made these initial connections with Jensen’s piece caused me to spend a good deal of time examining it, and once drawn to the piece, the numerical sequences and their meanings fascinated me.While Jensen may have set out to create an artistic commentary on â€Å"clockwork,† â€Å"circumference,† and â€Å"diameter,† this would have bee n meaningless to me had I not been drawn to the pie shape and the colors of the piece.   It seems then, that one element of the way in which people manage to communicate (i.e. to express themselves and to be understood) is through similarities in taste: in this case, the primary factors were shape and color.Elizabeth Murray’s series Paintings 2003-2006 (2006), â€Å"are vibrant abstractions, sometimes of figures and everyday objects, combined to create visual metaphors of the world around us† (Joy, 2006, Elizabeth).   This statement was easier for me to attach myself to than was the statement regarding Jensen’s exhibit.   The description regarding Murray’s show gave me permission to enjoy what I saw while gently seeking a connection between each piece and the way I view the world.   I found myself particularly fascinated with Muddy Waters 8:05 A.M., because of the green and yellow hands I perceived in the piece.   The more I looked, the more wha t I saw reminded me of Sylvia Plath’s poem, â€Å"Metaphors.†Ã‚   Plath’s piece is often referred to as a riddle to which the â€Å"answer† is that she is describing her pregnancy (Comley, et al, 2004).   As I continued to view Murray’s piece, I could not help but see the image of a pregnant woman—whom I imagined to be single—as she struggled against the current of society.Given the title of the piece, I presume that I have mistaken what Murray created; however, what I did see certainly fits with the description of what her work is supposed to convey.   Based on the artwork of Murray, it seems as if another means by which understanding and expression are accomplished are via works that spark the imagination.Jerome Robbins’ ballet Fancy Free is set â€Å"in New York City on a hot summer night,† and involves â€Å"three sailors on shore leave [who] pick up two girls [when] a fight develops over which sailor is to be l eft without a partner†; however, without experiencing the dance and music of the ballet, it simply cannot be fully appreciated (Notes).   While the comedy of the story-line was entertaining, the magnificent dancing was the reason this piece was memorable.Through their jumps and twists and turns, I was drawn into the competition as if I were part of it.   As each sailor took his turn, I urged him on while holding my breath that his performance would stand up to those of his competitors.   Having real people acting out a series of events in a live performance is clearly a powerful form of communicating.   A solid performance brings the actors and the audience together in a way that few other experiences can, and when the show is successful, the participants have expressed themselves and the audience has understood them.When I was younger, my best friend and I used to make up all kinds of things to do.   Sometimes we’d pretend we were from a foreign country and m ake up accents all afternoon.   Other times, we’d pretend we were grown ups and act out the lives we imagined for ourselves.   One of the funniest things we ever did was to spend an entire afternoon communicating without talking or writing.   The rules were simple: anything one of us wanted to say had to be conveyed through the use of gestures and expressions.   As you might imagine, it was far more difficult to â€Å"talk† than we thought it would be, and while it was fun, it was extremely challenging.   The truth is, we spent more time laughing over not being able to understand one another than we did â€Å"communicating.†Things became especially silly when I realized I had to go to the bathroom.   While it might seem that I could simply get up and go, this would have been rude: no one leaves a room without telling the person he or she is with where he or she is going, and because we took our games seriously, it was up to me to communicate to my be st friend that I needed to go use the restroom.   Initially, I approached it like a game of charades.I figured it would be easy to act out the word â€Å"rest,† and once I’d gotten that far, I could simply point to our surroundings to get the word â€Å"room† out.   Keep in mind that while I was trying to act out the words, I had to GO.   I suppose that I was squirming a bit, and perhaps my clues were not as well planned as I originally believed—after about three minutes, when I was still working at â€Å"communicating,† I became desperate.   I did the little kid thing: I crossed my legs together and pointed in the direction of the bathroom.   Something in that last attempt worked, and my best friend understood me.   I rushed off to relieve myself to the sound of laughter.The means by which people communicate are as varied as the participants.   Whether viewing a work of art, attending a ballet, or playing games with friends, communic ating is all about making certain that one’s expressions are understood by one’s audience. ReferencesComley, N. R., Hamilton, D., Klaus, C. H., Scholes, R., & Sommers, N.   Introduction.   Sylvia Plath.   Metaphors.   (2004).   Fields of reading: Motives for writing.   (6th ed.).   Boston: Bedford, 2004.   p. 377.Jensen, A. (1961).   Demonstration VIII.   The Number Paintings.   Pace Wildenstein Gallery.   Retrieved December 1, 2006,   (2006).   The Number Paintings.   Pace Wildenstein Gallery.   Retrieved December 1, 2006, fromJoy, J. B.   (2006).   Alfred Jensen: The Number Paintings.   The Number Paintings.   Pace Wildenstein Gallery.   Retrieved December 1, 2006,(2006).   Elizabeth Murray: Paintings 2003-2006: The Number Paintings.   Elizabeth Murray: Paintings 2003-2006.   Pace Wildenstein Gallery.   Retrieved December 1, 2006,Murray, E.   (2003-2004).   Muddy Waters 8:05 A.M.   Elizabeth Murray: Paintings 20 03-2006.   Pace Wildenstein Gallery.   Retrieved December 1, 2006, fromMurray, E.   (2006).   Elizabeth Murray: Paintings 2003-2006.   Pace Wildenstein Gallery.   Retrieved December 1, 2006, fromNotes on Fancy Free.   Robbins, J.   (Choreographer).   (1944).   Fancy Free.   [Ballet].   American Ballet Theatre.   Retrieved December 3,The need for human beings to connect and to communicate seems innate; if they were not, mankind would not seek out others with whom to forge bonds.   One of the basic forms of human association is via communication, and the ways in which humans have learned to communicate are as varied as the individuals involved.   A quick glance into any history book will reveal that during the early periods of humankind’s existence, while people struggled to keep themselves clothed and fed, they took time to create works of art—be it on the walls of caves or via carved figures.   As modernized as our society has become, ar t remains an integral part of the means by which humans communicate and relate to one another.Alfred Jensen’s series The Number Paintings (2006) â€Å"looks at how the artist used Pythagorean theory, the Mayan Calendar, and other numerical systems as well as Goethe’s color theory in his work,† but this description of the exhibit is devoid of the complexity that is present within Jensen’s pieces and the ways in which they may touch a viewer (Joy, 2006, Alfred).The painting Demonstration VIII (1961) was my favorite piece from The Number Paintings (2006), but my attachment had little to do with math or Mayans, and while I admit that part of my being drawn to this piece was due to its colors, this had far more to do with personal preference than with Goethe.   I made a connection to this piece because it reminded me of some of my favorite childhood things: pie and crayons.   Admittedly, this reaction is less-than sophisticated; however, the fact that I ma de these initial connections with Jensen’s piece caused me to spend a good deal of time examining it, and once drawn to the piece, the numerical sequences and their meanings fascinated me.While Jensen may have set out to create an artistic commentary on â€Å"clockwork,† â€Å"circumference,† and â€Å"diameter,† this would have been meaningless to me had I not been drawn to the pie shape and the colors of the piece.   It seems then, that one element of the way in which people manage to communicate (i.e. to express themselves and to be understood) is through similarities in taste: in this case, the primary factors were shape and color.Elizabeth Murray’s series Paintings 2003-2006 (2006), â€Å"are vibrant abstractions, sometimes of figures and everyday objects, combined to create visual metaphors of the world around us† (Joy, 2006, Elizabeth).   This statement was easier for me to attach myself to than was the statement regarding Jensenà ¢â‚¬â„¢s exhibit.   The description regarding Murray’s show gave me permission to enjoy what I saw while gently seeking a connection between each piece and the way I view the world.I found myself particularly fascinated with Muddy Waters 8:05 A.M., because of the green and yellow hands I perceived in the piece.   The more I looked, the more what I saw reminded me of Sylvia Plath’s poem, â€Å"Metaphors.†Ã‚   Plath’s piece is often referred to as a riddle to which the â€Å"answer† is that she is describing her pregnancy (Comley, et al, 2004).   As I continued to view Murray’s piece, I could not help but see the image of a pregnant woman—whom I imagined to be single—as she struggled against the current of society.Given the title of the piece, I presume that I have mistaken what Murray created; however, what I did see certainly fits with the description of what her work is supposed to convey.   Based on the artwork of Mur ray, it seems as if another means by which understanding and expression are accomplished are via works that spark the imagination.Jerome Robbins’ ballet Fancy Free is set â€Å"in New York City on a hot summer night,† and involves â€Å"three sailors on shore leave [who] pick up two girls [when] a fight develops over which sailor is to be left without a partner†; however, without experiencing the dance and music of the ballet, it simply cannot be fully appreciated (Notes).   While the comedy of the story-line was entertaining, the magnificent dancing was the reason this piece was memorable.Through their jumps and twists and turns, I was drawn into the competition as if I were part of it.   As each sailor took his turn, I urged him on while holding my breath that his performance would stand up to those of his competitors.   Having real people acting out a series of events in a live performance is clearly a powerful form of communicating.   A solid perform ance brings the actors and the audience together in a way that few other experiences can, and when the show is successful, the participants have expressed themselves and the audience has understood them.When I was younger, my best friend and I used to make up all kinds of things to do.   Sometimes we’d pretend we were from a foreign country and make up accents all afternoon.   Other times, we’d pretend we were grown ups and act out the lives we imagined for ourselves.   One of the funniest things we ever did was to spend an entire afternoon communicating without talking or writing.   The rules were simple: anything one of us wanted to say had to be conveyed through the use of gestures and expressions.   As you might imagine, it was far more difficult to â€Å"talk† than we thought it would be, and while it was fun, it was extremely challenging.   The truth is, we spent more time laughing over not being able to understand one another than we did †Å"communicating.†Things became especially silly when I realized I had to go to the bathroom.   While it might seem that I could simply get up and go, this would have been rude: no one leaves a room without telling the person he or she is with where he or she is going, and because we took our games seriously, it was up to me to communicate to my best friend that I needed to go use the restroom.   Initially, I approached it like a game of charades.I figured it would be easy to act out the word â€Å"rest,† and once I’d gotten that far, I could simply point to our surroundings to get the word â€Å"room† out.   Keep in mind that while I was trying to act out the words, I had to GO.   I suppose that I was squirming a bit, and perhaps my clues were not as well planned as I originally believed—after about three minutes, when I was still working at â€Å"communicating,† I became desperate.   I did the little kid thing: I crossed my legs to gether and pointed in the direction of the bathroom.   Something in that last attempt worked, and my best friend understood me.   I rushed off to relieve myself to the sound of laughter.The means by which people communicate are as varied as the participants.   Whether viewing a work of art, attending a ballet, or playing games with friends, communicating is all about making certain that one’s expressions are understood by one’s audience.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Personal Reflections Essay

The concept of self in the social world has been the subject of psychology studies for decades. Self-concept is defined as â€Å"a person’s answers to the question, â€Å"Who am I?† (Myers, 2010). Several factors, both internal and external, create each individual’s sense of self. Self-concept, self-esteem, self-knowledge, and social self all help create the sense of self. Self-schemas are an important component of one’s self-concept. A schema is simply defined as â€Å"mental templates by which we organize our worlds† (Myers, 2010). Self-schemas are the beliefs one holds, which define who we are. Self-concept The development of our self-concept has numerous influences, which include roles played, social identities formed, comparisons made, personal success and failure, judgments, and cultural surroundings (Myers, 2010). Roleplaying can include what we are in our professional life, as children in school, and into adulthood. The roles we assume may not feel like second-nature in the beginning, however, as we evolve within our roles, we become a more self-confident role player. Social comparison shapes an individual’s self-concept through academics, finances, and looks. The impact the comparison has is dependent who we are comparing ourselves to. Personal success and failure occur on a daily basis at work, school, and home. Judgments made by our peers strongly influence our own perception of self. Positive feedback will result in a positive view of one’s self, as a negative feedback will result in a negative self-concept. Our cultural surroundings impact our self-concept also. Westernized cultures tend to be more self-absorbed than an Eastern culture. â€Å"In many Western cultures, there is a faith in the inherent separateness of distinct persons† (O’Malley, 2002). Individualism and collectivism are two concepts describing how  individuals view their importance within their culture. Individualism is mainly seen in a Western culture, where an individual places personal goals and gains over a group’s goals and gains. Collectivism considers a group’s goal as a priority over an individual’s goal. â€Å"Most cultures native to Asia, Africa, and Central and South America place greater value on collectivism† (Myers, 2010). The interdependent self is defined as the â€Å"view of the self and the relationship between the self and others† (O’Malley, 2002) within a group. Self-esteem Self-esteem is â€Å"a person’s overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth† (Myers, 2010). People have both low self-esteem and high self-esteem, depending on the variance of difficulties in their life. Poverty, drugs, and abuse can all be considered a factor in a person’s low self-esteem. High self-esteem can also be portrayed a negative trait, especially when the individual is viewed as narcissistic. Narcissism is defined as â€Å"having an inflated sense of self† (Myers, 2010). Self-efficacy Self-efficacy is defined as â€Å"the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations† (Cherry, What is Self-Efficacy?, 2014). Self-efficacy is not the same as self-esteem, which is how valuable an individual perceives themselves to be. An individual’s self-efficacy is the belief they are capable of accomplishing a task, even when the task is challenging. Studies of the Self Various studies of the self in psychology have offered an insight into what is believed to be the center of self-concept. Carl Rogers believed self-image, self-esteem, and ideal self are the three components of self-concept. Self-image is â€Å"how you see yourself† (Cherry, What is Self-concept?, 2014). A person’s self-image can include positive and negative aspects, which may or may not be realistically true. Self-esteem is the how valuable a person believes they are. Comparison between a person’s own successes and another’s can impact their self-esteem in a negative or positive manner. Ideal self is how a person would like to see their self. Ideal self is not necessarily how an individual actually perceives their  self, rather the idealistic version that person dreams of being. Who I am Amanda’s Self-concept By asking myself â€Å"who am I†, I am able to define my self-concept. I am a mother and I love my children. I am a full-time employee at ESCO Corporation. I am a college student at the University of Phoenix, studying Environmental Science. I am not an easy person to get along with, and I tend to take criticism personally. Amanda’s Self-esteem I have low self-esteem. My low self-esteem has been an ongoing issue from childhood. I struggle with my weight, which was not a real issue until I was out of high school. I thought I was overweight as a teen, when in reality I was at a healthy weight. After I had my first daughter at the age of 18, depression slowly took over my carefree and happy personality. I began to eat more in an attempt to feel better about myself. I remember one incident as a Senior which really made an impact on my self-esteem. While changing classes, I waited at my locker for a classroom to finish letting students out. One of the disabled girls from that classroom kept looking at my mid-section. She finally asked me â€Å"are you pregnant or something†. I was not pregnant anymore, and had given birth two months before. Hearing another person say I looked like I was pregnant still brought my feeling of self-worth to the lowest point at that time. Amanda’s Self-efficacy My self-efficacy can be compared to a roller coaster. I do challenge myself to excel at work and school. I believe I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Over the past decade, I have improved my self-efficacy, with a tremendous improvement over the last five years. The individuals I have chosen to surround myself with, as opposed to in the past, have helped me accomplish my dreams. My fiancà © encouraged me to stand up for myself, especially with my parents. My parents had been involved in raising my children to the point I was not able to make a decision without calling for their opinion first. The feeling of dread would overcome me due to the fact I knew my parents would not approve of my decisions if I did not talk to them first. I finally realized I was holding myself back, and I could make important family decisions without their approval. I signed up for the  University of Phoenix for the reasons I believed were important. I did tell my parents I was going back to school after I had signed up, and I saw the disappointment they felt over not being able to control me with the decision. My fiancà © has been encouraging throughout my studies, and continues to give me the push I need to finish my last five classes. References Cherry, K. (2014). What is Self-concept? Retrieved January 20, 2014, from About Psychology: http://psychology.about.com/od/sindex/f/self-concept.htm Cherry, K. (2014). What is Self-Efficacy? Retrieved January 21, 2014, from About Psychology: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/self_efficacy.htm Myers, D. G. (2010). Social Psychology (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. O’Malley, M. (2002). Hazel Rose Marcus and Shinobu Kitayama, Culture and the Self: Implications for Cognition, Emotion, and Motivation. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from Honors 130: Conceptions of the Self: http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/honors130/culture.html