O Connor s `` A Good Man Is Hard For Find `` And ``...

Flannery O’Connor was a devout catholic whose writing was a reflection of the violence in the temporal world. O’Connor suffered with lupus which had a grave impact on her life, but that didn’t stop her from publishing many stories that achieved awards. O’Connor’s stories, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† and â€Å"Good Country People† are two examples of the talented woman’s works that gained popularity over the years. Through analyzing these short stories, one could insinuate that there are many commonalities between the setting, characters, and themes of these stories. In â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find,† O’Connor immediately introduces an older woman who was completely against taking a family trip to Florida. Instead she was determined to redirect their trip toward Tennessee. O’Connor includes brief details of the woman that could lead the reader to believe that she isn’t completely sane. For example, as the old lady gets into the car, â€Å"she was hiding a basket with Pitty Sing, the cat, in it,† (612). Fearing that the cat would miss her too much. The woman also overdressed herself to the point where she was completely gaudy â€Å"in case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady,† (612). These silly characteristics create a witty scene for the road-trip. Along the way, the family stops to grab some food at a barbecue joint and the grandmother discusses the unlikelihood of finding a trustworthy man during such a time with the owner ofShow MoreRelatedFlannery OConner and the use of grotesque character in Good country people and a good man is hard to find1226 Words   |  5 Pageswriting (Holman 61). Almost all of O Connor s short stories usually end in horrendous, freak fatalities or, at the very least, a character s emotional devastation. People have categorized O Connor s work as Southern Gothic (Walters 30). In Many of her short stories, A Good Man Is Hard To Find for example, Flannery O Connor creates grotesque characters to illustrate the evil in people. Written in 1953, A Good Man Is Hard To Find is one of O Connor s most known pieces of work and has receivedRead MoreO Connor s Life1323 Words   |  6 Pagescharacterizing her youthfulness are highlighted in two of her greatest short stories titled; â€Å"Good Country People† (O Connor) and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† (O Connor). Through the use of Flannery O’Connor’s life and relationship experience, both â€Å"Good Country People† (O Connor) and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† (O Connor) depicts themes of resentment surrounding religion, old south traditions, and the drive to find acceptance in a rough community. Advertisement of religion in the deep south has neverRead MoreGothic Literature : The Southern Gothic Fiction1476 Words   |  6 Pagessouthern gothic style. â€Å"When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly ou t of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant--a combined gardener and cook--had seen in at least ten years.† (Faulkner) Another aspect that illustrates southern gothic literature is the murder of Homer Barron, Miss Emily’s abrupt lover. It is rather disturbing, not only because Miss EmilyRead MoreIrony In A Good Man Is Hard To Find1170 Words   |  5 PagesFlannery O’Conner, a Gothic literature writer, has written several short stories throughout her life. Among these stories, two of them being A Good Man is Hard to Find and Good Country People, she has included some of the most fleshed out and grotesque characters I have ever read. O’Conner brings her characters to life throughout her writing in near flawless and subtle detail with ironic humor. For example, O’Conner makes skillful use of ironic names for her characters. The titles and namesRead MoreParkers Back by Flannery OConnor1146 Words   |  5 Pagesof Flannery O Connor s Parker s Back can seem at once cold and dispassionate, as well as almost absurdly stark and violent. Her short stories routinely end in horrendous, freak fatalities or, at the very least, a character s emotional devastation. Flannery O Connor is a Christian writer, and her work is message-oriented, yet she is far too brilliant a stylist to tip her hand; like all good writers, crass didacticism is abhorrent to her. Unlike some more cryptic writers, O Connor was happy toRead MoreTheme Of Redemption And Good Country People By Flannery O Connor s `` A Good Man Is Hard1837 Words   |  8 PagesFlannery O Connor s stories â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find†, and â€Å"Good Country People† both present very similar themes. Within these stories is the theme of redemption, and the way relationships affect the way people interact with each other seem to be a core issue she struggles with. Both stories have a protagonist that have to deal with some typ e of villain who has little to no belief, while their presence of faith that there is good in people gets them into the horrible situations that they find themselvesRead MoreFlannery O Connor Is Considered One Of The Most Successful Writer979 Words   |  4 Pagesof prosperity and economic boom following World War II. Although the economy was thriving, the 1950’s were a period of struggle for women’s rights, as well as other minorities. (Digital History) Based on her success, one could conclude O’Connor exceeded all barriers against women during the fifties. Flannery O’Connor’s life experiences based on her faith, her novels, and the time period of the 1950’s contribute to her unique writing style. Flannery O’Connor was born March 25, 1925, in Savannah, GeorgiaRead MoreReview Of O Conner 1350 Words   |  6 Pagesdetail and finds the truth that lies beneath the surface of language and self image. She often uses violence that shocks the reader to uncover this truth. Although different in each work, she is able to incorporate a moment of grace in A Good Man is Hard to Find, Good Country People, and Everything That Rises Must Converge. O Connor consistently produced fiction having an implicit, if not a totally explicit, religious world view as an integral element of each work. Even though O Connor was, accordingRead MoreGothic Literature : Gothic Writing1929 Words   |  8 Pagesit is more often the case that a mixture of good and bad is found in most of the characters (McFLY) The writers of these stories give the main character a few good attributes; this lends itself to the reader finding compassion and perspective for the character. Some Southern gothic authors are William Faulkner, who wrote A Rose for Emily, and Flannery O Conner, who wrote Good Country People and A Good Man is Hard to Find. William Faulkner s A Rose for Emily is an example of SouthernRead MoreTheme Of Good Country People1126 Words   |  5 Pagesstories â€Å"Good Country People†, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†, and â€Å"The Storm.† I believe that the theme across these stories is to beware of the wolf in sheep clothing. In these stories, there was an antagonist that posed as a protagonist who even though their intentions may have looked well skin deep, the underlying intentions against the main character were not of good intent. I will describe certain situations in each of the three stories that show the theme I have noted. I believe that a good person

Communication and Conflict - 1400 Words

In today s workforce communication and conflict resolution are paramount to a successful organization. As with any leadership trait, these skills must be developed and regularly practiced by leaders. There are many skills involved in both the communication process as well as with conflict resolution. According to Schermerhorn, the communication process is a simple process of sending and receiving messages with attached meaning (2005). The process is further defined by having three elements, those being a source, a receiver and in some instances feedback. Conflict resolution according to the text, is a situation in which the underlying reasons for a given destructive conflict are eliminated (Schermerhorn, et al, 2005). We will take a look†¦show more content†¦3. Use conflict to improve how you react to a situation. (Cox, 2005). Even though conflict is not always negative, there should still be effective steps in place to manage and resolve the conflict. There are many lessons that can be learned during the process of conflict resolution. There are several types of conflict resolution available, with each style being appropriate for different situations. The five types of conflict resolutions mentioned inShow MoreRelatedCommunication, Conflict, And Conflict1453 Words   |  6 Pages Communication and Conflict Margarita Vela COM325: Communication Conflict Instructor: Kenneth Newton March 10, 2015 Communication and Conflict Conflict is a contest or struggle between individuals with opposing values, beliefs, needs, goals, and ideas. On teams, conflict is inevitable; on the other hand, the conflict’s outcomes are not predetermined. Conflict may escalate and result in nonproductive outcomes, or it may be beneficially resolved and lead to quality outcomes (Cahn AbigailRead MoreCommunication Conflict Essay1577 Words   |  7 PagesCM310:Communication Conflict Final Project Communication Conflict Final Project The Nature of Power in Conflict: Power can be defined in many ways. Most simply, it is the ability to get what you want. Power is a fundamental concept in any conflict. The nature of that power can depend upon how the power is distributed, how it is viewed, and how it is used. There can be power struggles between those that feel very powerful and those that feel thatRead MoreConflict As A Communication Problem952 Words   |  4 PagesConflict is a disagreement between two or more parties who perceive that they have incompatible concerns. An action by one party is perceived as preventing or interfering with the goals, needs, or actions of another party leads to conflict. Conflicts can arise due to a variety of organisational experiences, such as differences in the interpretation of facts, negative feelings, differences of values and philosophies, or disputes over shared resources (Hunsaker and Alessandra, 2008). From a personalRead MoreEssay on Conflict and Communication 1267 Words   |  6 PagesConflict and Communication Conflict can happen anytime of your life, it will happen matter you want it or not. In addition, it can have both negative and positive impacts for our relationship (Gudykunst, 2004). According to Yi-Feng 2007, she mentions that conflict is â€Å"incompatible activities, where one person’s actions are interfering, obstructing, or in other ways making the behavior of another less effective†. In term of nature of conflict, conflict is a cause which happens by threatened humanRead MoreTypes of Conflict in Communication601 Words   |  2 Pages1. There are five types of conflict. These are misunderstanding-miscommunication; disregard or disrespect for other people; conflicting egos; impatience; and fear and insecurity over loss of control. In the health care setting, conflicting egos and impatience are probably the two most likely in that order. In particular, conflicts can occur among physicians and administrative staff or between physicians or involving nurses as well. M any people in the health care setting are experts in their fieldsRead MoreCommunication And Conflict Resolution Within Communications1751 Words   |  8 PagesSanders Lavell Capstone Research paper 8/8/2016 Communication Conflict Resolution While introducing the study of conflict resolution within communications it is extremely vital for us as human beings to be able to seek out the defiance and or uncivil disobedience so that then he or she may begin to eliminate the arising communicative conflict. The way conflict resolution works is by identifying the problem then next is to evaluate why such circumstances are so, and finally he or she should seekRead MoreFamily Conflict Communication : Food And Foster Families : Care, Communication, And Conflict1563 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Paper 2 – Family Conflict Communication Food in Foster Families: Care, Communication, and Conflict Rees’s article in Children Society from 2012 contrasts the differences foster children experience between the food they are provided by their families and the relationship they have with their birth family and foster family because of it. It discusses the way children are provided with food can lessen the amount of conflict they feel is centered on them within their family. The study wasRead MoreCommunication Networks, Conflict Management, And Crisis Communication1261 Words   |  6 Pages to narrow the list, I decided to address the three ideas that will have the most immediate impact in my life: communication networks, conflict management, and crisis communication. Communication Networks Our discussion of communication networks brought clarity to the communication paths in my business environment. With church leadership or basketball team leadership, the communication paths from leaders to participants are clear because the organizations have flat structures with few managementRead MoreConflict Management : Effective Communication1276 Words   |  6 PagesConflict Management: Effective Communication In Critical Areas Everyday nurses are confronted with responsibilities; tasks and providing care for their patients in environments that require cooperation, and most importantly communication. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Emergency Room (ER) where I work, tensions, acuity and a plethora of other stressors tend to run high. In these critical areas conflicts between co-workers, patients and families can occur rapidly and frequently. In reading DialogueRead More Poor Communications and Conflict Essay1586 Words   |  7 Pages Is most conflict in an organisation is caused by poor communication? If we had perfect communication would conflict cease? Consider for example, an e-mail asking for some information â€Å"yesterday† to stress how important this request is. The sender thinks e-mails are great as they travel at the speed of light and spell things out in black amp; white. The recipient may consider that if its in a e-mail then it can’t be that urgent because servers can loose, misdirect or delay an e-mails transmission

Frank Lloyd Wright free essay sample

Frank Lloyd Wright was a famous influential architect who designed many unique buildings all over the world. Each building was created differently because he believed that there should be as many kinds of houses as there are kinds of people and as many differentiations as there are different individuals. He also believed that each building he created should be integrated with its surroundings and in harmony with nature. The Milwaukee Art Museum has showcased his work there and gave it the title Organic Architecture for the 20th Century. This exhibition presents and reveal Wrights vision for better living. While at the museum, I came across-ed a drawing of a house named Falling water. The design of this house was very appealing and amazingly produced. Falling Water, is the name of a house that Wright had built over a waterfall. This house was built for the Kaufmann family (owner of Kaufmann’s Department Store), as their vacation house. In 1893, Louis Sullivan and Frank Wright concluded their business relationship and eventually penned his own firm in Chicago, which he operated for five years before transferring his business to his home in Oak Park, Illinois.In 1909, after 20 years of marriage, Frank suddenly deserted his wife, children and business and moved to Germany with Amah Forthwith Cheney, the wife of a client. When they returned in 191 1, they moved to Spring Green, Wisconsin where his mother gave him a portion Of his familys land. In Spring Green he constructed Totalities where they lived until 1 914 when tragedy struck and an insane servant sadly murdered Cheney and six others, then set fire to Totalities. Numerous amount of people thought this awful event would be the end of Franks career, but he proved them wrong with his decision to rebuild Totalities. Over the span of 20 years Frank Wrights impact continued to grow in the United States and Europe and eventually his innovative building style spread overseas. It was throughout this time that Frank began to advance and refine his architectural and sociological philosophies. In 1932, Frank opened Totalities as an architectural fellowship so young students could pay to work with and learn from him. During this time, Frank married and separated room Miriam Noel and met his third wife, Lavational Millions. In 1 937, Frank Wright moved his family and fellowship to Phoenix, Arizona where he built Totalities West.On April 9, 1 959 at age ninety-two, Frank Wright passed away at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. By the time of his death, Frank Wright had become internationally known for his advanced building style and contemporary designs. Frank Wright had created 1,141 designs, of which 532 were completed and his name has become linked with great design, not only because of his designs, but also because of its functions. In conclusion, Frank Wright showed not just what to live in, but more significantly he affected the very nature of how we lived.Totalities Totalities was built in 191 1 near Spring Green, Wisconsin that was the summer home of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright began to build the Totalities after leaving his first wife, Catherine Dobbin, and his Oak Park Illinois, home and studio in 1909. Some of the buildings designed at Totalities were Billingsgate, the Guggenheim museum, and the Johnson Wax Headquarters. The Wright Joneses originally settled the valley the Totalities was built on during the Civil War. In 1911 Wright started to construct the Totalities, he chose the name of the Welsh bard Totalities, the meaning stands for, shining brow. Wright positioned the home on the brow of a hill, a favorite of his from childhood, rather than on the peak so that Totalities would appear as though it ascended naturally from the landscape. The home was designed with three wings that included his living accommodations, an office, and farm buildings. Apart from positioning the building into the landscape, Wright used Totalities as a way to discover his ideas of organic architecture. The stone piers and chimneys were built from local limestone and sand from the nearby Wisconsin River that was mixed into the stucco walls to induce the rivers sandbars.In 1914, while Wright was in Chicago finishing up a large project, Julian Carlton, a manservant whom Wright had hired two months earlier, started a fire in the living quarters of Totalities and murdered seven people with an axe. The fire burned most of the Totalities taking the lives of Wrights wife Amah and her two children. Wright ultimately rebuilt the living accommodations, calling it Totalities II. These living accommodations were again devastated by fire in 1 925 that seemed to have begun near a telephone in his bedroom.It was said a lightning storm was seen approaching immediately before the fire was noticed. Some people speculate that the storm may have caused an electrical surge through the telephone lines, starting the fire. Once again Wright started the rebuilding of Totalities, which he now called Totalities Ill, immediately afterward. Wrights dealings with Totalities continued on for the rest of his life, and eventually, he purchased the surrounding land. Over many years, Wright continued to change and build Totalities with the help from his scholars who learned and lived under him.In 1937 Wright moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where he started Totalities West and continued to travel between the two homes with the Totalities Fellowship each year. This idea and change allowed Wright the ability to return to each property with a new outlook on how the Totalities was perfected and continue to evolve with nature. Frank Lloyd Wright is considered a pioneer of architecture from 1887 when he instructed his first building the Lloyd Jones Chapel until present day. A lot of Wrights work can be seen in many of todays architecture and is Very fascinating how it actually functions.

The Masque Of The Red Death By Edgar Allen Poe Essays -

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allen Poe's ?The Masque of the Red Death? is an elaborate allegory that combines objects in the story with visual descriptions to give focus to the reader's imagination. In the story, a prince named Prospero tries to dodge the Red Death through isolation and seclusion. He hides behind impenetrable walls of his castellated abbey and lets the world take care of its own. But no walls can stop death because it is unavoidable and inevitable. Visual descriptions in the story are used to symbolize the death that came to a dark, unkind and ignorant prince. Prospero failed to see that death "held illimitable dominion over all." The manner in which Prospero arranged his castle symbolically hinted the coming of death: "The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue." This dark manner in which the castle was decorated conforms to the image of the Prince being a ruthless, uncaring ruler. Prince Prospero's actions proved to be cowardly, as he and his selection of knights, dames, and nobles, retreated into his castle. He thought that in doing this, he would in some way, escape the wrath of the Red Death. He could care less about his people, locking them out of his home and leaving them uncared-for. Hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, the life of the ebony clock slowly dies. This is a hint that the Prince fails to recognize- that man can escape death, but at the end it is inescapable. Him and his court are too busy dancing away and their moment of death comes closer and closer. Prince Prospero's efforts of avoid the epidemic is unsuccessful because death will eventually conquer all who oppose. In the final scene, Prospero had to ?confront? the Red Death. This time however, he had no where to run away to and died in encounter with the Red Death. His ultimate enemy was his refusal to except death as it comes.

The Fall of Troy essays

The Fall of Troy essays Edith Hamilton takes the love story of Cupid and Psyche, Love and Soul, from a Latin writer of the second century A.D., Apuleius, who, similar to Ovid, creates beautiful, entertaining tales. Consequently, the author uses the Latin names of the gods. The story of Cupid and Psyche represents the determined love between mortal and immortal. Psyche, the daughter of a king, held a beauty which excelled her sisters and every other maidens on the earth. Her shining beauty made her seem a very goddess consorting with mere mortals (92). Her surpassing beauty, known all over the earth, caused men from across the world to journey to gaze upon her with wonder and adoration as if she beheld immortality. Venus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, could not even measure up to the loveliness of this mortal. Her temples neglected, Venus becomes enraged; all the praises once hers were now given to a mere girl destined some day to die (92). The jealous goddess immediately turns to her son Cupid, against whose arrows there is no defense (92). She commands the God of Love to make Psyche fall in love with the most appalling, unpleasant creature in the world. Cupid, however, falls in love with her and feels as if he had shot one of his arrows into his own heart (93). Not only does he fall in love with her himself, but he also prevents anyone from falling in love with her. Strangely, both her sisters, indisputably inferior to her, married kings. The beautiful Psyche remains solitary, only admired, never loved (93). Meanwhile, Cupid deceivingly allows Venus to believe that Psyches ruin will soon arive. Psyches father, disturbed by his daughters loneliness, travels to an oracle of Apollo to ask for advice. The god, whom Cupid had begged for his help, expressed that Psyche, dressed in deepest mourning, must go t ...

Natural Disasters in the Caribbean Essay Example

Natural Disasters in the Caribbean Essay Example Natural Disasters in the Caribbean Paper Natural Disasters in the Caribbean Paper The natural disasters that are typically experienced in the Caribbean can have catastrophic and devastating impacts on the environment, economic development and social structure of these islands. Severe damage to the built infrastructure that has supported communities on Caribbean islands for decades can place a huge strain on economic activity. The social impacts that are experienced following natural disasters consist of homelessness, injury, suffering, sickness, disease, and even death. This paper will introduce the ajar natural disasters that have affected life in the Caribbean and they include hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, flooding and tsunamis. Other than Barbados, all Windward Islands of the Caribbean are of volcanic origin. Volcanoes are ruptures in the earths surface that allow for the escape of lava and gas. The two types of volcanic eruptions, explosive and effusive, can both have devastating consequences on the environment and the Caribbean inhabitants. Although not a common occurrence, several volcanic eruptions have take place on Caribbean islands. For example, an eruption on SST. Vincent in 1979 left economic losses of 1 billion dollars, but fortunately no casualties. Flooding is another very impact natural disaster that is one of the more common types of natural disasters to greatly affect CAROM countries. Sometimes called the silent killer, flooding can greatly affect socio-economic development. Whether it is coastal or river flooding, it has the ability to greatly damage the agricultural landscape as well as introduce water-borne disease that can lead to death in local inhabitants. There is a disproportionate vulnerability of CAROM countries to natural disaster demonstrated by the numerous events that have occurred over the last few hundred years. The intrinsic vulnerability is due to the small size of Caribbean islands, their insularity and remoteness, and the economic, environmental and demographic factors that are associated with these islands. Furthermore, there is limited hazard forecasting ability for several CAROM countries. The CAROM countries are geographically set in a location that makes them vulnerable to natural disasters. The Caribbean climate is tropical and temperatures range between approximately ICC and ICC throughout all islands as a whole. The prevailing trade winds along with year round sunny skies set a warm climate for CAROM countries with both dry and wet season. Precipitation depends on the elevation of the island and is also effected by water currents. The environmental impacts of Caribbean natural disasters are correlated with the large coastal zones on the numerous islands and the damage can vary from affecting the entire landscape or the falling on one tree. It was noted that from 1960-1989, hurricanes in the Greater Caribbean Basin resulted in the deaths of 28,000 people, disrupted the lives of 6 million people and destroyed property worth U. S. $16 billion. All the Caribbean nations that have already faced the fury of the hurricane Sandy and have had to fight back by burying the dead, finding shelter for the homeless and counting the economic losses. Sandy moved northwards with gusts in over 1 10 MPH destroying homes, crops and roads on its way. More than 69 people were killed in six countries.

Allocation of Costs Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Allocation of Costs - Coursework Example For the pharmacy, the allocation is arrived at using the formula: (200/80,000) x $100,000. The other departments’ share of the $100,000 maintenance supply_costs is: $ 79,800/80,000) x $ 100,000 (Finkler et al., 2013). Table 3 (Appendix section) shows the allocation of the maintenance_department administration_costs (Finkler et al., 2013). The costs are allocated using the volume of repairs output of Pharmacy department_and resources. The pharmacy department formula is: (3/800)x$15,000. The formula for the other departments’ share of the maintenance_department’s administration_costs was generated using the formula: (797/800)x15,000=$14,977.00 (Epstein, 2011). Table 5 (appendix section) shows the allocation of the maintenance_department costs (Finkler et al., 2013). The costs are allocated based on the square_feet factor. For example, the maintenance_department’s labor_cost allocated to the pharmacy department was computed using: (2,000/100,000)*192,000.00=

Organisational Theory (Business Management) Essay

Organisational Theory (Business Management) - Essay Example The organizations also require their employees to be technological savvy so that they can cope up with rapidly evolving technologically driven environment. The future of organization is thus expected to be very different in terms of its operations form the current due to rapidly changing technological driven environment. Modernism (Ontology: Objectivism) This theory focuses on organization as an independent objective thus taking a positive approach in generating knowledge which is vital in increasing efficiency. This theory focuses on an organization as a community sustained through human relationships and use of subjective ontology in most of the everyday activities. This implies that instead of man treat organizations as webs of meaning that are jointly created and not as objects to be measured and analysed hence exploring meaning to realities made possible by those who participate in them. Post modernism generates health scepticism towards dominant theory hence licensing individua ls to try something different most of the time (Melaney, 2001). The organization culture is the collection of values and norms that people in a company share thus controlling the way in which individuals interact with one another in their day to day activities. The values represent beliefs and ideas especially in the organization goals which workers pursue thus achieving them in a particular pattern and behaviour which often differ from one person to another. These values over time develop norms and guidelines together with expectations that determine the behaviour of employees which in turn affects the behaviour of the management towards them. The organizational culture in most cases spans form the top management downwards thereby acting as a control mechanism which shapes the behaviour of the employees at different levels of management thus establishing organization behaviour. This promotes the employees effectiveness through mutual understanding between individuals and groups wit h the ultimate goal of achieving the best results for the company. This provides a continuous system in which employees work harmoniously thus controlling themselves while adhering to the norms of the company. This theory also focuses on how organization members make meaning and role that determine the direction of workplace. The art of moving cultural symbols is predominantly made by the press and the politicians thus changes the meaning of situations and locations in which they occur. The postmodern cultural studies often go beyond fragmentation assumption by asserting that reality is an illusion that aims to suppress and marginalize those who do not accept and support the dominant view. According to this theory, organization culture is just one more from form those in power to mask their manipulation and control of others thus leading to destructions (Hatch & Cunliffe, 2006). Critical theory (Epistemology) This theory is an approach developed by Frankfurt school in Germany and it holds that every society is totality in which each feature is essentially connected with others constituted by forms of beliefs and understanding in the society. The theory argues that atomism and objectivism are false, the epistemology of critical theory combines historical materialism, Freudian

Government Current Event Essay Example for Free

Government Current Event Essay Being one of the future teachers of Texas, it is important for teachers/students as well as parent to understand what their children are learning in school. It is most especially important for the parents to participate with their children at home. But at the same time all states shouldn’t be the same when it comes to a lot of things, one of them being education. The Common Core Learning Standards/Common Core approach sets ambitious goals for math, reading and writing skills as children move through school. The Common Core has already been adapted to 45 states; Alaska, Texas, Nebraska, Virginia, and Minnesota are not included. This means that these 45 states are now spending a ton of money on new books, new teachers/staff/principals, and some are implementing intense trainings for current staff. Both teachers and staff are going through the pressure of having to be constantly watched and monitored to make sure they are meeting the scores, otherwise they will get fired. In chapter 3 of The Struggle for Democracy, federalism is the division and sharing of powers between the federal and state government. The topic of Common Core and how it’s getting implemented to the school is a state government issue. But having put more thought into the issue, this is actually in some way a federal government issue. Yes the state government votes â€Å"for the people† on whether certain states should even implement the program, but the federal government is the one that will be funding the actual program. Which is a perfect example of what it talks about in our reading of Chapter 3 in The Struggle for Democracy of how the U.S government is a central government; we share powers between the federal/states government. The Common Core issue must be settled with not only the states government but also the federal government. This is an important topic because, as a future teacher and a future mother, in some way it relates to all everyone. Our education and how it’s funded is so poor right now because the people just aren’t informed. We must get informed in order to get educated. I do believe in the quote â€Å"The children of today are the people of tomorrow.†

Presentation of World War II in Band of Brothers :: essays research papers

Band of Brothers is a fascinating show that captures moments lived by soldiers during World War II. It specifically relates to the history of soldiers called Easy Company. They are faced with numerous challenges and tragedies everyday. They stuck together and helped each other out, while also trying to survive themselves. The problem was that it was very difficult to keep sane, when you are literally watching people die left and right, even worse you have limited supplies. To be honest I never thought much of WWII until I saw Band of Brothers. They did a good job of really showing, the horrific side of the war. Even though the war needed to happen it was not at all an easy thing for these soldiers. I was aware that many deaths occurred, but I had never realized the way the soldiers died. My perception of the war changed dramatically. I felt the heartbreak of the soldier who watched others die. I can only imagine the broken lives of the families back home that found out they lost their loved ?one. The conditions, in which the soldiers fought for our country, were unbearable. It was disturbing to see them dig holes and literally sleep and live in them. They had no real shelter. The soldiers did not even have gloves, or even a good warm heavy coat. One of the soldiers in the movie had to keep his blood flowing by pinching his hand to make it bleed because he had no gloves. The part that made me realize how much they needed supplies was when the soldier was using his helmet on top of the fire to heat things up. Because of the lack of clothing soldiers were unable to fight because of things like trench foot, which had no cure but amputation. The graphic points of the film were what really got me. It was insane how within minutes you could be dead. The sad part was that most of the soldiers who died could have lived if they had the proper medical supplies, attention, and space. The soldiers had to pick up their injured bloody friends and slowly watch them die on their way to the nurse. The worst part is that they knew they had no chance once they got to the nurse. I felt sympathy for the nurses because these soldiers? lives were in their hands.

Good Night Motel Сase Ыtudy

PurposeTo discuss the factors which motel owner Justin McGregor’s should consider when deciding on business proposal from a well respected community resident George Alward for 2 nights full house accommodations. Offer for half room rate, during low occupancy season, for church convention attendees.Background SummaryGood Night motel is a family owned and operated motel, located near main highways, restaurants and retail shopping in the Canadian town Grand Bend. The town is a summer resort with local businesses exposed to seasonal business patterns. Such is the Good Night motel, which has 30 units and charges $80/nt, rate comparable to the high-end motels in the area.Due to the global economic recession over the past few years Good Night’s occupancy rates have dropped resulting in lower annual revenues and increased competition for guests. 2012 is the first time in five years with earned profit.In the â€Å"low† period (Oct 16-May 14) the motel is rarely more than a quarter full at any time. During this time the operating and administrative expenses do not vary with the occupancy rate except cleaning supplies ($2.74 rm/nt) and heating ($5 rm/nt).Important FactorsWhen making the decision McGregor should consider both macro and microeconomic factors affecting his business.Global Recession: Currently due to the global economic recession and the  appreciation of the Canadian dollar vs US, less people are travelling, their leisure budgets are smaller. Consequentially the revenues are lower and the competition for customers higher. In a competitive environment, customers are not price takers. There are various comparable motels so George Alward can simply take his business to the competition.Possibility for repeat business: If McGregor accepts the offer he will create an opportunity for possible repeat client next year during slow season. And since Alward is a respected member of the community, his recommendations will have positive impact on the image of the motel.Opportunity Cost: McGregor should look not only the money he would be bringing in, but also at the lost opportunity costs. Although highly unlikely, there is forgone possibility that other people may wish to rent the 30 rooms at the standard rate of $80 per night.Qualitative Factors: In the event of full occupancy there is a possibility of lower efficiency. If the staff has to accommodate all 30 rooms at the same time, they may not be able to provide good quality service.Pricing Strategy: Accepting lower price for the room may set precedent for future clients demanding lower rates.Accounting Figures: Assuming all other operating and administrative expenses are the same for both cases accept or reject the offer do not vary with occupancy. For low season, accepting the offer results in positive incremental profit.Conclusion/Computations:Based on the fact that the global economy has not yet fully recovered from the recession and the seasonal low occupancy of the mot el, despite the possibility of higher opportunity cost and unwanted precedent effect, it would be beneficial for McGregor’s business to take the offer. The motel will benefit from positive incremental surplus, hopefully some repeat clients and good marketing from serving the local community.

Araby Essay

In each story being initiated, the writer must always give valuable importance to the point of view being utilized by the narrator in the story. This valuable importance is given because it provides a sufficient impact to the reader in terms of the information occurring in the story and the perceptions that occurs in each and every mind of the character. In the Araby (Irving, 2007), the author utilized a narrator with the first person point of view, who is also a character in the story. In this case, the readers are being limited to the narrator’s/character’s perspective alone. The character acts and makes judgments in the story which shows biases and opinions to what is going in the story. With this type of narrator, the readers would be able to notice a wide range of information being shared from the character of the narrator itself.. The type of narration used in this story can be easily noticed for its usage of â€Å"I†. Having this type of point of view, the readers must be able to grasp the point of view being utilized in order to understand easily what is really happening in the story.

Paul Revere1 essays

Paul Revere1 essays Paul Revere was a man of many talents, a Jack Of All Trades if you will. Patriot, silversmith, engraver, and republican, he was destined to be a hero. Born to parents Apollos De Rivoire, a French Huguenot, and Deborah Hitchbourn, Paul Revere came into the world on January 1, 1735 in Boston Massachusetts. Clarks Wharf is where the Reveres resided now. The third born of eight children Revere learned early the lesson of perseverance, a lesson that would be an important in his later life, Revere would need to keep on going no mater what obstacles appeared in his way. Revere attended school in Boston where he got a sufficient education as well as in the shop with his father and the wharves of where he lived. As Revere grows in age he upholds many different jobs, including being a bell ringer for Christs Church, an Episcopal parish. Around the time of Reveres newly found job the first indications of the Revolutionary War were be gossiped about around the town. On the Sunday morning in which he was to toll the bell of Christs church a young boy heard the first gun of the revolution. Revere didnt know this yet but his honorable duty lay within that revolution. On the twenty-second day of July, 1754 Reveres father died in his sleep. He was buried in the Old Granary. Paul was very distraught over losing his father. They were close, more like friends than father and son. After his fathers death Paul became the man of the house. He had to take on more responsibilities and work harder to support his large family. After a while the stress was weighing him down and it was probably some sort relief when he went to fight the French. In 1756 he returned. On August 4, 1757 Paul Revere married Sara Orne, or a Revere referred to her Sary. After some years of marriage Revere thinks its time for something new so he joins the masons, where he meets James Otis and Joseph Warren both...

Learn ESL Through Movement

Learn ESL Through Movement If youve tried, and struggled, to learn English as a second language (ESL) the usual ways, its time to try it Dr. James Ashers way- through movement. With a student seated on each side of him, Asher demonstrates his technique by asking them to do what he does. Thats all. They dont repeat what he says, they just do what he does. Stand,  he says, and he stands. They stand. Walk, Asher says, and he walks. They walk. Turn. Sit. Point. Within minutes, he gives commands as complicated as, Walk to the chair and point at the table, and his students can do it by themselves. Heres the clincher. In his DVD, he demonstrates in Arabic, a language nobody in the room knows. In study after study, Asher has found that students of all ages can learn a new language quickly and stress-free in just 10-20 hours of silence. Students simply listen to a direction in the new language and do what the instructor does. Asher says, After understanding a huge chunk of the target language with TPR, students spontaneously begin to speak. At this point, students reverse roles with the instructor and utter directions to move their classmates and the instructor. Voila. Asher is the originator of the Total Physical Response approach to learning any language. His book, Learning Another Language Through Actions, is in its sixth edition. In it, Asher describes how he discovered the power of learning languages through physical movement, and the lengths to which he went to prove the technique through scientific experimentation involving the differences between the right and left brain. Ashers studies have proven that while the left brain puts up a fight against the memorization of new languages that occurs in so many classrooms, the right brain is completely open to responding to new commands, immediately. He is adamant about the need to comprehend a new language silently, by simply responding to it, before attempting to speak it, much like a new child imitates his or her parents before beginning to make sounds. While the book is on the academic side, and a little dry, it includes Ashers fascinating research, a lengthy and comprehensive QA that covers questions from both teachers and students, a directory of TPR presenters around the world, comparisons to other techniques, and get this, 53 lesson plans. Thats right- 53! He walks you through how to teach TPR in 53 specific sessions. Can learning take place if the students remain in their seats? Yes. Sky Oaks Productions, publisher of Ashers work, sells wonderful full-color kits of different settings such as home, airport, hospital, supermarket, and playground. Think Colorforms. Remember the pliable plastic forms that stick on a board and easily peel off to move? Responding to imperatives with these kits has the same result as physically moving. Asher also shares samples of mail he has received from people around the world. One of his letters is from Jim Baird, who writes that his classroom has wall-to-wall white boards on which he has created communities and complete countries. Baird writes: Students are required to drive, walk (with their fingers), fly, hop, run, etc. between buildings or cities, pick up things or people and deliver them to other places. They can fly into an airport and rent a car and drive it to another city where they can catch a flight or a boat, all kinds of possibilities. Sure is fun! Asher is generous with the materials and information he provides on his Sky Oaks Productions website, known as TPR World. He is clearly passionate about his work, and its easy to see why.

Lesson Plan Observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lesson Plan Observation - Essay Example Each student will initiate a conversation like this, â€Å"Hello, my name is Mario. I’m interested in listening to music. What are you interested in?† and the other person would say, â€Å"Hello Mario, I’m Luiji. I’m interested in dancing:. They are given two character cards, therefore they must find a good reason. The students joined in the small talk and demonstrated command of relevant conversational conventions and degree of politeness required from the conversational partners with unequal status, i.e. teacher and students. Students were able to identify the key phrases from Unit 4 when presented with textbook CD recording. They were able to reproduce the content of repetition drill in their conversations with classmates. By the end of the role play all students found their conversational partners using conversational patterns to elicit information about things other students are interested in. The lesson is aimed at developing speaking skills that focus on the exchange of information. In language education this function of human interaction is referred to as â€Å"talk as transaction† (Richards, 2008, p.21). The activities suggested in the lesson shift the focus from the social function of conversation, e.g. small talk or presenting oneself, to what is said and done, i.e. the content of interaction, e.g. things students are interested in. Following suggestions outlined by J.C. Richards in Teaching Listening and Speaking, the teacher can help students to understand the theme and objectives of the task by brainstorming ideas with the class, using pictures that illustrate key vocabulary of Unit 4 to introduce the topic. At the stage of brainstorming students can predict the content of the textbook CD recording or share ideas on the types of interests people may have. To keep track of student ideas teacher writes the words on the board. After students listen to the recording they discuss its content (in pairs or

Alexander and Hellenism cultures Research Paper

Alexander and Hellenism cultures - Research Paper Example This essay discusses the influence of Alexander the Great on Hellenistic society, economy, culture, and arts. Alexander’s Life and War When Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedon, died in 336 B.C., he immediately occupied the throne. Through his mentor Aristotle, Alexander largely appreciated Greek culture. He was fascinated by the Homeric epics. He was inspired by the heroic achievements and determination of the characters, especially Achilles (Pollitt 1986, 271). But Alexander, just like these Homeric heroes, also possessed remarkable leadership and military abilities which he inherited from his father. Alexander also took over his father’s major state plan, which was the ultimate defeat of Persia. This mission fuelled the daring character of Alexander. Alexander was a student of Isocrates, an orator who supported a campaign against Persia to unify the Greeks within a single objective (Burn 1948, 11-12). Philip had planned to defend his ownership of Gr eece by preventing the advance of Persia to Asia Minor; but his son, who was very ambitious, sought to invade the whole Persian kingdom. Leading a massive army in 334 B.C., Alexander passed through Asia Minor, and finally moved forward to India. Because of his excellent military, leadership, and strategy skills, Alexander’s armed forces had built an empire which extended from Greece to India. After Alexander’s reign, the world had never been the same again. His adventures and conquests introduced Eastern and Western cultures to each other (Curtis 2000, 66). Alexander himself contributed to this massive change, whether purposely or unintentionally. He married a Persian woman, encouraged the intermarriage between his soldiers and Asian women, and enlisted Persian soldiers into his army. He built city-states in Asia, where Greek immigrants intermarried with the local peoples (Perry 2012, 616). But, as argued by Pollitt (1986), even though Alexander was not able to bring a ll the peoples and cultures together in a world-state, his conquests drove the world in a new path, toward a union of diverse populations and the mixing together of cultures. Alexander’s conquest was indeed the driving force for the advancement of the Hellenistic culture all over the Near East and western Mediterranean. His conquest also created the foundation for the establishment of Christianity, the Roman Empire, and other major features of Western history. The Influence of the Expedition of Alexander the Great on Hellenistic Culture The era of cosmopolitan culture and global interaction emerged after the semi-Hellenized Philip of Macedon had tore down the self-rule of city-states, and Alexander had invaded the Persian kingdom. In 332 B.C.E., Alexander conquered Palestine, then Egypt; and since then the situation of the Jewish people was transformed. The objective as well as the impact of Alexander’s achievements was to bring the East and the West together intellect ually and politically. Nationalistic sentiments were barely shown by the peoples of Eastern societies, except for the Jewish and Persian people (Skelton & Dell 2009, 93, 26). Nationalism was growing weaker among the Greeks. Alexander aspired to create a remarkable mixture of knowledge in a global empire, which, through a grouping of local cultures and racial superiorities in a bigger and wider political sphere, should promote arts and knowledge and spread the Hellenic

U.S. and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U.S. and Terrorism - Essay Example A balance exists between the actions of the police and the needed approaches to ensure the Americans safety against terror and the liberties of the citizens. Patriotic act is one of the examples. In patriotic act, the content was designed in such a way that the country and the citizens are protected from any recurrence of the terror act like what happened on September 9th. The patriotic act seems dangerous to the liberties of the citizens when put in practice. This seems like an attack to the premises that founded the country. The act of cybercrime and terrorism has also risen to be a major concern in the country and the law enforcement agencies. This plot was to be used to bring down the government, and it prompted the establishment of the new act. As the government steps up its operation against terrorism, the enemy is taking advantage of our weakness. The enemy is aggressively taking advantage of the information that we post in our open sources and use it against our forces. Sensitive information is being post in the blogs and internet. Such operations security leakage places the lives of the American citizens at risk and degrades the effectiveness of the governments operation to fight against

Lan Base Entrance Examination System Essay Example for Free

Lan Base Entrance Examination System Essay Long b books were known, the storyteller of many lands including our own, told tales in order to entertain their listeners, as well as, to convey the moral lessons which these stories usually impart. In the course of time, these stories were handed down from generation to generation and worn smooth by ages of telling and retelling. Stories were generally tailored to reply information, become outlet for political and/ or social criticism, and sometimes simply entertain. Many storyteller acquired that distinctive style and unique from which among them well-loved and highly appreciated qualities. But as time passed by, the use of traditional multimedia such as slides, videos, filmstrips, audio recording and overhead projectors paved way in upgrading the storytelling techniques to help readers understand more clearly what the authors want to convey. The use of these traditional multimedia opened doors for new discoveries, discoveries that he will help the students enhanced their learning capabilities through the teaching- learning processed. Thus, with the method of teaching to be effective must be supplemented by other methods or devices that will increase and enhanced quality instruction. But time changes the trends in every generation.† The key to this revolutionary advancement is, of course, the computer. A combination of electronic memory with programs that tell the machine how to process the stored data, computers were still a scientific curiosity in early 1950’s Computer, as a tool and as a part of teaching and learning process, has been a major breakthrough in the educational system. In our modern way situation, a lot of stories are being relayed to students especially those in the elementary level in forms of movies, books and newspapers. What seems notable was that although most movies featured†hitech† technological advancements, many lack a very important aspect of the story telling, the imparting lesson. As a consequence, children member a movie or story based on what they saw or heard but not the lesson of the story, which is the more important aspect of storytelling. Worst, most tabloids being sold, which openly contain pornographic pictures and erotic stories, are within the reach of these kids. The researchers believe that one way minimizing, if not eliminating this situation, was creating by interactive storyteller system, which can be used by primary school educators as a tool for storytelling. Although the level of popularity of a computer- aided instruction (CAI) in various skills such as readings , may vary. Few will dispute the facts that computers have won a permanent place in most classrooms. The most common concerns of educators now have to do with the appropriateness of many possible role computers can play in instruction. The emphasis however, should not be on computer to increase the achievement but rather on how the teacher uses computers meaningfully in instruction.

Subject of Family in Lessing’s Flight, Hughes’ Mother to Son, Kincaids

Subject of Family in Lessing’s Flight, Hughes’ Mother to Son, Kincaid's Girl and Adrienne Rich's Poem, Merced Family as defined by Webster’s College Dictionary can be one of many different people. Family can be your parents, spouse, children, brother, sister, grandmother, uncle, any blood relative, or even people who are not blood related that share that common bond (Webster 475). My definition of family is similar to Webster’s, but I feel that there is more to it than just being a blood relative or close friend. A person’s actions, beliefs, and morals play a major role in deciding who makes it into that â€Å"family† group. Family becomes more of an idea or feeling, like love or hate, than just who a person is or where they fall in your family tree. There have been people that I have considered closer than family just by their actions, even though they were nowhere near related to me. Fortunately, I have not had any blood relation family members make me wish they were not in my â€Å"family† (maybe my older sister when we were younger, but that doesn ’t count). While reading from Children and Families in our text, I came across many readings that I feel were inspired in many different ways by what the author believed was â€Å"family.† There were two readings that jumped out at me and reminded me of my view of how a family should be in their interactions with each other. They were the short story â€Å"Flight† by Doris Lessing and the poem â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes. There was also one writing that I read that went against my idea of family and made me happy that this wasn’t the way that my family acted as I grew up, that was â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid. And while some authors lean their writing one direction or another, Adrienn... ...s us think that this can happen to any of us, even if we think that we are loved and in a family. This helps us realize how important it is to keep the family together, throughout anything that happens. While reading through the writings from Children and Families in our textbook, I see many different connotations of what â€Å"family† means either to the writer, or the meaning that the writer is trying to place in their story or poem. Often times the writer is portraying their own culture or that of which they are writing, and at other times they may be taking a straightforward, eye-opening look stand at what â€Å"family† has become to some people and that it needs to be changed back to a positive part of life. Again, a member of your family doesn’t have to be a blood relative, they can be anyone who has an impact on your life, positive or negative, friend or enemy.

Although “Romeo and Juliet” Was Written by William Shakespeare in About 1600, Its Themes of Fate and Death, Love and Hate Are Enduring Concerns for Us Today. Discuss. Essay

3. Although â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† was written by William Shakespeare in about 1600, its themes of fate and death, love and hate are enduring concerns for us today. Discuss. ~ â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is a tragedy, written by the renowned Shakespeare in the 1600’s, which has remained a popular play for many people today. It tells the story of two star crossed lovers whose fleeting romance is ended by tragedy. The reason that this play is so appealing to audiences’ today lies within the main themes of the play – love and hate, death and fate. Because of the enduring the components of these themes, the lessons and experiences found in the book can be easily relatable to the people of our time. The themes of love, which we will see comes in many forms, are all easily related to situations that many people will face in our times. Hate is also a theme which has continued from Shakespeare’s time to now and largely effects communities today. Death is a theme that everybody can relate to, and the reasons for the deaths in Romeo and Juliet can also be applied to certain people’s death. The theme fate is not so easily applica ble to today’s society as the other themes, but there are many exceptions and the concepts behind fate can still apply to us today. But the first theme to be discussed will be that of love. One of the most obvious themes in the play is Love. Within the play, there are a couple of types of love displayed – a fleeting infatuation and a genuine love. The fleeting love can be seen at the opening of the play where Romeo claims to be in love with the maiden Rosaline. His crush on Rosaline leads him to do thoughtless things, which Montague tells us when he says: â€Å"Away from the light steals home my heavy son and in his private chamber pens himself, shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night.†(Act 1, scene 1, page 29) Romeo locks himself in his room and weeps over her, but as soon as he sees Juliet, his love for her instantly vanishes. Many people can relate to this today because growing up they are bound to have brief infatuations that, although fleeting, may also make them do some unwise things. And secondly, the genuine love of Romeo and Juliet. For these two, it was love at first sight, but evidently  it was an e verlasting love. In comparison to Romeo and Rosaline’s love, Romeo and Juliet show a much deeper, passionate love. They speak to each other in poetry and are even willing to risk their lives and kill themselves for each other. In the balcony scene, Romeo even says to Juliet: â€Å"I am no pilot yet, wert thou as far as that vast shore washed with the farthest sea, I should adventure for such merchandise† (act 2, scene 2, page 52) This means that he would go to the ends of the earth, no matter how dangerous or difficult it was, just to reach Juliet. One modern example of this love would be from September 3rd 2010. Brian Wood and his pregnant wife Erin were driving to meet family when a car raced head on towards them. Brian immediately spun the wheel to the right, making sure that only he would be hit with full impact from the car. Brian was killed, but Erin walked away with only a few bruises. That is only one of many thousands examples of love that we see today. Love is a concept that can be grasped by people from around the world at any time in history. On the other hand, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† also provides us with the theme opposite of love – hate. Hate is a strong theme in â€Å" Romeo and Juliet†, ultimately leading to the death of several characters. The opening scene of the play shows us the rivalry between the two rich families, the Montagues and Capulets. The long-lasting feud causing destruction and havoc within the city of Verona. There are many gangs today that share the same behavioural traits of the Capulets and Montagues back then. For example, there were many fights fought in the play over small issues. For example, in Act 1 Scene 1 when Sampson and Gregory see people from the house of Montague approaching, they discuss ways of provoking them to start a fight, saying things such as: â€Å"I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace if they bear it† and â€Å"Draw, if you be men.†(Act 1, scene 1, page 26) The people of the Capulet house go purposely looking for a fight. Whereas the gangs today will fight over matters such as territory, respect and drug turf and will purposely go out looking for fights so they can look more superior to other gangs. Another scene where we see this theme is in the scene when Mercutio dies and Romeo says: â€Å"Away to heaven respective lenity, and fire-eyed fury be my conduct n ow!† (Act 3, scene 1, page 71) Here Romeo wants to avenge Mercutio’s death by killing Tybalt, even though he originally did not want to fight Tybalt because of his marriage to Juliet, Tybalts cousin. This can be compared to gangs, who  will not leave any type of disrespect unanswered in fear of losing their reputation or respect. Sometimes, when the hatred of one another gets out of hand, it can lead to the next theme, death. The death of six characters throughout â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† makes death significant theme, as well as presenting the play as a tragedy. All of the deaths in the play were a result of the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, whether it was suicide or murder. The theme of death is universal theme Shakespeare highlights in his plays that has not changed through the years. Death is an everlasting concept and there will always be application for it in the world, whether it is today or 411 years ago. In order, there were the deaths of Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Romeo, Juliet and finally Lady Montague. The two most prominent deaths were of Romeo and Juliet who, after a failed plan to avoid Juliet’s marriage to Paris, commit suicide. Friar Laurence explains after both are found dead in the tomb, saying: â€Å"But when I came, some minute ere the time of her awakening, here untimely lay the noble Paris and true Romeo dead†¦ And she, too, desperate, would not go with me.† (Act 5, scene 3, page 115). One modern application of this happened in October 2010. In that month, there were over five cases of teenage suicide because of harassment at school due to their sexual orientation. This applies the same concepts of the suicides of Romeo and Juliet when they were not able to be with one another because of opposition. The other deaths are results of murders by the opposing side of the quarrel. There have been so many wars and gang fights in our time, it would be almost impossible to name them all. Much like the grudge between the Montagues and Capulets, many have died as a result of the fighting, when it could have otherwise been solved. The reason behind the grudge between the Montagues and Capulets had been long forgotten, as has the reasoning behind the conflict between gangs. Another factor that can also be blamed for the death of certain characters is fate. Fate is perhaps one of the most important factors in the death of the two protagonists. â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is a tragic play where the characters have no awareness of their ensuing downfall. In the time the play is set, fate and destiny were huge concepts that were definitely factors that affected the decisions made in their lives. But in today’s society there are less and less people who think that there is anything that is meant to be or supposed to happen, and instead think about ways to get around problems and that  there are many different outcomes for each of our actions. They believe that they have their own free will and their futures are determined by the decisions they make. This theme, although not very directly, is still applicable to us now. There are still people who do believe in fate, just as in the 1600’s. There are many people such as psychics or fortune tellers who make their living out of telling people their destinies. But the majority of society may not think of their lives as being predetermined by some force, many decide to follow their gut feeling in making decisions. Before going to the Capulet’s party and meeting Juliet, Romeo says: â€Å"I fear, too early. For my mind misgives some consequence, yet hanging in the stars†(Act 1, scene 5, page 42) Here Romeo is scared and doesn’t feel as if he should go to the ball because he thinks there is an event destined by the stars that is going to happen that night. Similarly, today there are people who will base their decisions on how they feel and the consequences of that action. Almost every single person at some point in their lives will question themselves, asking things such as: What is my purpose in life? Having a purpose in life is like having a destiny. You may not know what it is, and you may not know how to find out. There are many different opportunities and choices that are met, but as you live your life, every decision that you make up to a certain point leads you to the answer of your question. There are many ideas behind the themes of Romeo and Juliet, all of which have endured down to today. With the universal concepts of the themes of love, hate, death and fate we fi nd that the lives of the Montagues and Capulets were much like the lives that we live today. Of course the situations they were in were different, but the same lessons can be learned and the same themes are applied to daily life. So as Juliet said in the balcony scene: â€Å"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word could smell as sweet.† (act 2, scene 2, page 51). Just as a rose would smell just as sweet if called by any other name, the themes of â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† and its lessons are just as impressive when applied to the different situations in different time periods.

The Boxer Rebellion and the Christian Response

The Boxer Rebellion was a vicious uprising against non-Chinese in China during the final years of the 19th century, from November 1899 to September 7, 1901. The areas of conflict included the commercial market, political domain, religious concerns and technological advancements. This extremely unique and glaring because in a very short span of time, thousands of Christians, both Chinese and foreign were killed as a result of the revolt and its suppression. Then ironically, the revolt itself was crushed by the very thing it stood against – foreign influence. About 20,000 troops came from outside to thwart this movement forever.â€Å"Thus as 1900 dawned, China was swept by a movement known as ‘Yao rebels’ who believed that they had been made invulnerable by sorcery and incantation. Screaming mobs, determined to kill every Westerner, were egged on by the Yao society whose title, â€Å"The Fist of Righteous Amity† was translated by Americans and English into B oxers† (Guy, 2006). It is not possible to highlight where this anti-western sentiment in China was actually born, but one may refer back to the opium war between Britain and China (1839-1842) for some indication. In 1839, the First Opium War broke out, and China cut a sorry figure in front of Britain.Eyeing the weakness of the Chinese, not only the British, but the Russians and the French as well started to exert their respective pressures upon the country. Due to their lack of power and ability to impose their will, China was forced into a number of treaties that subjugated its interest against others. These include: the Treaty of Nanking (1842), the Treaty of Aigun (1858), the Treaty of Tientsin (1858), the Convention of Peking (1860), the Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895), and the Second Convention of Peking (1898). Obviously, the public voice was against these treaties at large.Their ego was hurt badly, and their pride seemed to falter in front of the might of the foreigners. A s is common in such times, rumors also began to spread away. The foreigners were considered to be responsible for much crime and lawlessness that was prevalent. It was believed that the Church had started exercising more power than the state. It was also felt the Church had started to impose certain Christian practices, and had excluded certain tradition Chinese practices from the society. Thus in the late 19th century, feelings of unrest against the Chinese and the foreigners started to develop at a very rapid pace.Another major event was a row over a temple. The Catholics claimed that it was originally a church that had later been abandoned. The local court ultimately gave the verdict in favor of the Church. The locals could not tolerate this, as it was their place of worship and also a place to practice martial arts. To add to that, the colonization during the following decades did no good to boost up the morale of China. What was more, Asian powerhouses Russia and Japan also joi ned the rat-race for territorial supremacy. China came out as a good target for all those hungry to cut a slide of the earth’s map for their good.After the 1895 war of China with Japan, many European powers stepped forward to occupy Chinese territory. All of this mustered up into an intolerable feeling of hatred within the Chinese against their oppressors. â€Å"The conservatives then gave clandestine backing to the antiforeign and anti-Christian movement of secret societies known as Yihetuan (Society of Righteousness and Harmony). The movement has been better known in the West as the Boxers (from an earlier name–Yihequan, Righteousness and Harmony Boxers). In 1900 Boxer bands spread over the north China countryside, burning missionary facilities and killing Chinese Christians.Finally, in June 1900, the Boxers besieged the foreign concessions in Beijing and Tianjin, an action that provoked an allied relief expedition by the offended nations. The Qing declared war agai nst the invaders, who easily crushed their opposition and occupied north China. Under the Protocol of 1901, the court was made to consent to the execution of ten high officials and the punishment of hundreds of others, expansion of the Legation Quarter, payment of war reparations, stationing of foreign troops in China, and razing of some Chinese fortifications† (Onwar, 2000).While external forces were still contemplating a productive way out of the situation, the Chinese rulers came out with a message to the provinces. Given the circumstances and the options the rulers had, the message was by no means peaceful. It stated that the world was after Chinese resources and land, and that the time had come when the last resort should be adopted. Peace, therefore, was not an option to be considered. Meanwhile, in the northern Shandong province, a distressing drought was pushing people to the edge of starvation.There were not many who were thinking about peace anyways. All this energy had to be vented out somewhere, and hence came the time of catharsis, but in a violent way. Anti-foreign feelings caused the quick outburst of a Chinese secret society that was previously more docile. It was known as the I Ho Ch’uan, meaning the Righteous Harmonious Fists; hence the name ‘Boxers’. Understandably, with their name and mission, the Boxers asked for the expulsion of the external parties, more casually referred to as the ‘foreign devils’, along with their Chinese Christian converts.This was the time when conventional Chinese arts and skills thrived, especially martial arts and the use of traditional Chinese weapons. â€Å"At first, the Boxers wanted to destroy the Ch'ing dynasty (which had ruled China for over 250 years) and wanted to rid China of all foreign influence (which they considered a threat to Chinese culture). When the Empress Dowager backed the Boxers, the Boxers turned solely to ridding China of foreigners. By late 1899, ban ds of Boxers were massacring Christian missionaries and Chinese Christians† (Rosenburg, 2006).The resentment towards foreigners, Christians and Chinese converts started to rise immensely, with a greater tinge of violence. The circumstances forced the external lobbies to join hands, and they lodged strong protests with the government of China. However, the then Empress, Tzu Hsi’s response surprised many, when she declared that the Boxers were actually a part of the Chinese society, and hence should not be condemned as such. The reaction was also unexpected because it actually went against the local Chinese army, which was striving against the rebellion, and directed in favor of the Boxers.This made it inevitable for the external forces to make a show of military might close to China’s borders. â€Å"The empress dowager publicly opposed the Boxers, but her ministers quietly convinced them to join forces in order to drive foreigners from China. In the early months of 1900, thousands of Boxers roamed the countryside, attacking Christians. When an international force of 2,100 soldiers attempted to land in China, the empress dowager ordered her imperial army to stop the foreign troops.Throughout the summer of 1900 the Boxers burned churches and foreign residences and killed Chinese Christians on sight† (Dowling, 2001). Gradually, the Boxers started to gain autonomy over their beliefs and actions. The government was not ready to curb them, and their views were supported by many in the masses. The only effort that were going were in the direction of strengthening forces against the external attack. Finally, when the pressure was too much, the foreign elements inside started vocally seeking help from outside. It was then that the eight-country attack came into operation upon China.There were multiple operations, many of them fierce; gradually the Chinese rebellion started to weaken. Over the next several months, the forces from outside starte d to grow within China. They overtook Beijing (then Peking) and expanded into the country. Ultimately, the Boxers just a local might were no match for the military power of the industrial nations. Ultimately, in early 1901, the Chinese government gave in, and agreed to abolish the Boxer movement completely. Needless to mention, it was not merely an attack on the territory of China, but also on its ego.Succumbing to the demand of the external powers was worse than actually loosing a battle. Subsequently, due to its recent weakening in the region, China could do nothing in the war of Russia and Japan a couple of years later, and stood watching while Japan proclaimed supremacy in the East. In the entire episode, the United States played a very significant role. This is because it had a tactical advantage, having a major portion of its navy already established around the Philippines during the Spanish American War (1898) and the subsequent Philippine insurgent activity.This was actually a reinforcer for those policy makers in the US who were of the opinion that the US should maintain control in the Far East. It was a very unique time in the history of China, repeatedly, it had to face occasions when foreign invaders came in and took control of her land and might. The emperors were just too weak to make any resistance to this offer. An additional reason was that the foreign armies were far better equipped with warfare technologies and tactics than China was at that point in time. It was a time when the Empress began to reconsider her option regarding removal of these elements from her soil.

SAT Standard Deviation What Does It Mean for You

SAT Standard Deviation What Does It Mean for You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've ever glanced through any of the year-end College Board data reports, you may have seen information about the SAT standard deviation. Unfortunately, the reports just list the numbers and then move on, without explaining at all what these numbers mean. So how is info about the SAT mean and standard deviation useful to you? In this article, we’ll explain what the term standard deviation refers to and what it means for you and your SAT score. Feature image credit: Bell Curve by Abhijit Bhaduri/Flickr Bonus: Looking for the very best guides to every SAT section? Check out our top guides for every single section of the SAT. Choose the score level you're aiming for: 800 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring a 600 or above on a section, and you want to get the highest SAT score possible. 600 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring below a 600 on a section, and you want to boost your score to at least a 600 level. These are the very best guides available on boosting your SAT score, section by section. They're written by Harvard grads and perfect SAT scorers. Don't disappoint yourself - read these guides and improve your score today. What Is the SAT Standard Deviation? The standard deviation of a set of numbers measures variability. Standard deviation tells you, on average, how far off most people's scores were from the average (or mean) score. The SAT standard deviation is195 points, which means that most people scored within 195 points of the mean score on either side (either above or below it). SAT standard deviation is calculated so that 68% of students score within one standard deviation of the mean, 95% of students score within two standard deviations of the mean, and 99+% of students score within three standard deviations of the mean. If the standard deviation of a set of scores is low, that means most students get close to the average score (in this case, 1060). This is pretty clearly not the case with the SAT, because otherwise schools that boast 1300+ average SAT scores for admitted students would have no students. By contrast, if the standard deviation is high, then there’s more variability and more students score farther away from the mean. Based on the most recent data released for the SAT, the standard deviation is relatively high, meaning that there is quite a bit of variability in how students score on the SAT. Below, we’ve created a table with the data about the SAT mean and standard deviation for each section of the test, as well as the mean and standard deviation for total SAT scores. SAT Participation and Performance Mean Standard Deviation Total 1060 195 EBRW 533 100 Math 527 107 Note: this table only includes data drawn from the most recent test scores of 2017 high school graduates. Hardeep Singh/Flickr What Does the SAT Bell Curve Look Like? The bell curve for SAT scores is pretty close to an ideal normal curve. Since the average score is higher than the midpoint of the range (1060 instead of 1000), it's a little shifted over to the right, but otherwise the SAT bell curve is a regular bell shape. Because the SAT standard deviation for total SAT scores is 195 and the mean is 1060, we can do a little quick math to figure out the score ranges for the first, second, and third standard deviation. % of SAT scores in range Total Score Range EBRW Range Math Range 68% 865-1255 433-633 420-634 95% 670-1450 333-733 313-741 99+% 475-1600 233-800 206-800 To help you better visualize the distribution of SAT scores, we've graphed out the SAT bell curve (in blue) for composite SAT scores (out of 1600) and added in lines for the mean and each of the standard deviations. The green line in the chart is the average SAT score (1060), while the lines on either side of the mean represent the boundaries of the different standard deviations. The two yellow vertical lines on the chart represent the first standard deviation scores, 865 and 1255. The scores of 68% of all students who took the SAT fall in between those two lines. The two orange lines on the chart represent the second standard deviation scores, 670 and 1450. The scores of 95% of all students who took the SAT fall in between the two orange lines (including the 68% who scored between an 865 and a 1255). The two red lines on the chart represent the third standard deviation scores, 475 and 1645. Technically, because the SAT only goes up to 1600, there are no students who scored above that, which is why the blue curve of all student SAT scores stops abruptly at 1600. The scores of about 99% of all students who took the SAT fall between the two red lines, with the remaining 1% falling below the leftmost red line (scores of 475 and below). Extra Advice: Want to get into the best college you can? Read our famous guide on how to get into Harvard, the Ivy League, and your top choice college. In this guide, you'll learn: What colleges are looking for in your application How to impress your top choice colleges Why you're probably wasting your time on activities that don't matter Even if you're not actually interested in Ivy League schools, you'll still learn something fundamental about how to apply to college. Read our top college admissions guide today. Why Does the SAT Standard Deviation Matter? As a student, the exact details of the SAT bell curve and standard deviation aren't going to be all that relevant. Most of the info you’d get from standard deviations you can just as easily get from the information about your percentile rank that's included on your score report. For instance, knowing you’re in the 98th percentile is probably more useful to you than knowing you’re a little more than two standard deviations above the mean SAT score. Learn How Much Scores Vary The size of the standard deviation can give you information about how widely students' scores varied from the average. A larger standard deviation means there was more variation of scores among people who took the test, while a smaller standard deviation means there was less variance. As we discussed above, the SAT standard deviation is 195, which is relatively high and therefore indicates there's a lot of variation in scores among students who take the SAT. Practically speaking, this means that high-achieving students have to get relatively high scores in order to distinguish themselves. To do better than 98% of students on the SAT with a mean of 1060 and a standard deviation of 195, you must get a 1450 or higher on the test. Discover How Your Score Stacks Up The standard deviation of SAT scores is also useful information because it gives you a good general idea about how well you performed, compared to other students. Based on which standard deviation you fall into, you can even figure out your rough percentile score (if you don't know it). If your SAT score is more than one standard deviation above the average SAT score, then you did better than about 84% of students, which puts you in a strong position for most state schools (including UMass Amherst, University of Cincinnati, and UT San Antonio) and some private schools (like Pace University, Temple University, and Quinnipiac University). Similarly, if your score is more than two standard deviations above the mean SAT score, then you did better than around 97% of students, which is great and makes you a strong candidate for more competitive schools like NYU, UMich (Ann Arbor), and even Ivy-League schools like UPenn and Brown. On the other hand, if your score is more than one standard deviation below the mean, you definitely have your work cut out for you if you want to be a competitive applicant for most schools. You’ll need to put in some serious study time to boost your score up to an 860+ score level. Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. What’s Next? Ready to get more precise information of how your SAT score compares to other students' scores? Check out our article on SAT scores and percentiles to figure out where you fit in. Are you a high-achieving student with high SAT score dreams? Learn what SAT scores you need to get into the Ivy League here. What if you're worried your score might be too low to get you into college at all? Find out what the minimum SAT score for college is here. Need to figure out what SAT score to aim for in the first place? We have a complete guide to setting your target SAT score in this article. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Beginning of Art essays

The Beginning of Art essays The unbroken line of art reaches all the way back to the ancient caveman scribing on a wall. That didn't start with just one prehistoric caveman; there must have been many around the world who evolved to the point of desire for bringing order out of chaos; in an effort to communicate their ideas to others. Examples of this type of primative art are found all over the world. Which is evidence there was a common thread of human need for this type of expression. It had to evolve out of a basic human psychic need that necessitated a desire toward noting ones surroundings; an effort to control their world. This is all extremely important to us because this was how Cro-Magnon Man first distinguished himself from Neanderthal Man. I should mention here that Neanderthal Man didn't have the physical capability to talk, he must have grunted. He lacked the physical vocal cord development that Cro-Magnon Man had. We are believed to be descended from Cro-Magnon Man. So what we are actually l ooking at with cave painting is the early development of thought, communication, the development of speech and the early data-base. Through this art we are given an insight into the evolution of the brain of man. Just think, if man never had the ability to speak, like the Neanderthal's who became extinct, there would be no way for the brain to develop - to form symbols - and eventually speak. Which of course leads to developing a data-base of knowledge that can be passed from one generation to another. That's why the early cave art is so important to us. In academic art history we tend to overlook the first scratches of primitive man; leaving their endeavor to be recorded and catalogued by the archeologist, anthropologist, paleontologist and so on. Indeed it is a vital part of our evolution and also our art history. In 1995 conducted dating adds an unexpected dimension to the find. In fact, three samples taken from two charcoal ...

3 Key Tips for How to Write an Argumentative Essay

3 Key Tips for How to Write an Argumentative Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If there’s one writing skill you need to have in your toolkit for standardized tests, AP exams, and college-level writing, it’s the ability to make a persuasive argument. Effectively arguing for a position on a topic or issue isn’t just for the debate team- it’s for anyone who wants to ace the essay portion of an exam or make As in college courses. To give you everything you need to know about how to write an argumentative essay, we’re going to answer the following questions for you: What is an argumentative essay? How should an argumentative essay be structured? How do I write a strong argument? What’s an example of a strong argumentative essay? What are the top takeaways for writing argumentative papers? By the end of this article, you’ll be prepped and ready to write a great argumentative essay yourself! Now, let’s break this down. What Is an Argumentative Essay? An argumentative essay is a type of writing that presents the writer’s position or stance on a specific topic and uses evidence to support that position. The goal of an argumentative essay is to convince your reader that your position is logical, ethical, and, ultimately, right. In argumentative essays, writers accomplish this by writing: A clear, persuasive thesis statement in the introduction paragraph Body paragraphs that use evidence and explanations to support the thesis statement A paragraph addressing opposing positions on the topic- when appropriate A conclusion that gives the audience something meaningful to think about. Introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion: these are the main sections of an argumentative essay. Those probably sound familiar. Where does arguing come into all of this, though? It’s not like you’re having a shouting match with your little brother across the dinner table. You’re just writing words down on a page! ...or are you? Even though writing papers can feel like a lonely process, one of the most important things you can do to be successful in argumentative writing is to think about your argument as participating in a larger conversation. For one thing, you’re going to be responding to the ideas of others as you write your argument. And when you’re done writing, someone- a teacher, a professor, or exam scorer- is going to be reading and evaluating your argument. If you want to make a strong argument on any topic, you have to get informed about what’s already been said on that topic. That includes researching the different views and positions, figuring out what evidence has been produced, and learning the history of the topic. That means- you guessed it!- argumentative essays almost always require you to incorporate outside sources into your writing. Argumentative essays are unique(just like this umbrella)...which means you need to use specific techniques to write them! What Makes Argumentative Essays Unique? Argumentative essays are different from other types of essays for one main reason: in an argumentative essay, you decide what the argument will be. Some types of essays, like summaries or syntheses, don’t want you to show your stance on the topic- they want you to remain unbiased and neutral. In argumentative essays, you’re presenting your point of view as the writer and, sometimes, choosing the topic you’ll be arguing about. You just want to make sure that that point of view comes across as informed, well-reasoned, and persuasive. Another thing about argumentative essays: they’re often longer than other types of essays. Why, you ask? Because it takes time to develop an effective argument. If your argument is going to be persuasive to readers, you have to address multiple points that support your argument, acknowledge counterpoints, and provide enough evidence and explanations to convince your reader that your points are valid. Our 3 Best Tips for Picking a Great Argumentative Topic The first step to writing an argumentative essay deciding what to write about! Choosing a topic for your argumentative essay might seem daunting, though. It can feel like you could make an argument about anything under the sun. For example, you could write an argumentative essay about how cats are way cooler than dogs, right? It’s not quite that simple. Here are some strategies for choosing a topic that serves as a solid foundation for a strong argument. Choose a Topic That Can Be Supported With Evidence First, you want to make sure the topic you choose allows you to make a claim that can be supported by evidence that’s considered credible and appropriate for the subject matter...and, unfortunately, your personal opinions or that Buzzfeed quiz you took last week don’t quite make the cut. Some topics- like whether cats or dogs are cooler- can generate heated arguments, but at the end of the day, any argument you make on that topic is just going to be a matter of opinion. You have to pick a topic that allows you to take a position that can be supported by actual, researched evidence. (Quick note: you could write an argumentative paper over the general idea that dogs are better than cats- or visa versa!- if you’re a) more specific and b) choose an idea that has some scientific research behind it. For example, a strong argumentative topic could be proving that dogs make better assistance animals than cats do.) You also don’t want to make an argument about a topic that’s already a proven fact, like that drinking water is good for you. While some people might dislike the taste of water, there is an overwhelming body of evidence that proves- beyond the shadow of a doubt- that drinking water is a key part of good health. To avoid choosing a topic that’s either unprovable or already proven, try brainstorming some issues that have recently been discussed in the news, that you’ve seen people debating on social media, or that affect your local community. If you explore those outlets for potential topics, you’ll likely stumble upon something that piques your audience’s interest as well. Choose a Topic That You Find Interesting Topics that have local, national, or global relevance often also resonate with us on a personal level. Consider choosing a topic that holds a connection between something you know or care about and something that is relevant to the rest of society. These don’t have to be super serious issues, but they should be topics that are timely and significant. For example, if you are a huge football fan, a great argumentative topic for you might be arguing whether football leagues need to do more to prevent concussions. Is this as â€Å"important† an issue as climate change? No, but it’s still a timely topic that affects many people. And not only is this a great argumentative topic: you also get to write about one of your passions! Ultimately, if you’re working with a topic you enjoy, you’ll have more to say- and probably write a better essay. Choose a Topic That Doesn’t Get You Too Heated Another word of caution on choosing a topic for an argumentative paper: while it can be effective to choose a topic that matters to you personally, you also want to make sure you’re choosing a topic that you can keep your cool over. You’ve got to be able to stay unemotional, interpret the evidence persuasively, and, when appropriate, discuss opposing points of view without getting too salty. In some situations, choosing a topic for your argumentative paper won’t be an issue at all: the test or exam will choose it for you. In that case, you’ve got to do the best you can with what you’re given. In the next sections, we’re going to break down how to write any argumentative essay- regardless of whether you get to choose your own topic or have one assigned to you! Our expert tips and tricks will make sure that you’re knocking your paper out of the park. Think of your thesis as the trunk of a tree. Its job is to support your arguments- which are like the branches. The Thesis: The Argumentative Essay’s Backbone You’ve chosen a topic or, more likely, read the exam question telling you to defend, challenge, or qualify a claim on an assigned topic. What do you do now? You establish your position on the topic by writing a killer thesis statement! The thesis statement, sometimes just called â€Å"the thesis,† is the backbone of your argument, the north star that keeps you oriented as you develop your main points, the- well, you get the idea. In more concrete terms, a thesis statement conveys your point of view on your topic, usually in one sentence toward the end of your introduction paragraph. It’s very important that you state your point of view in your thesis statement in an argumentative way- in other words, it should state a point of view that is debatable. And since your thesis statement is going to present your argument on the topic, it’s the thing that you’ll spend the rest of your argumentative paper defending. That’s where persuasion comes in. Your thesis statement tells your reader what your argument is, then the rest of your essay shows and explains why your argument is logical. Why does an argumentative essay need a thesis, though? Well, the thesis statement- the sentence with your main claim- is actually the entire point of an argumentative essay. If you don’t clearly state an arguable claim at the beginning of your paper, then it’s not an argumentative essay. No thesis statement = no argumentative essay. Got it? Other types of essays that you’re familiar with might simply use a thesis statement to forecast what the rest of the essay is going to discuss or to communicate what the topic is. That’s not the case here. If your thesis statement doesn’t make a claim or establish your position, you’ll need to go back to the drawing board. Example Thesis Statements Here are a couple of examples of thesis statements that aren’t argumentative and thesis statements that are argumentative The sky is blue. The thesis statement above conveys a fact, not a claim, so it’s not argumentative. To keep the sky blue, governments must pass clean air legislation and regulate emissions. The second example states a position on a topic. What’s the topic in that second sentence? The best way to keep the sky blue. And what position is being conveyed? That the best way to keep the sky blue is by passing clean air legislation and regulating emissions. Some people would probably respond to that thesis statement with gusto: â€Å"No! Governments should not pass clean air legislation and regulate emissions! That infringes on my right to pollute the earth!† And there you have it: a thesis statement that presents a clear, debatable position on a topic. Here’s one more set of thesis statement examples, just to throw in a little variety: Spirituality and otherworldliness characterize A$AP Rocky’s portrayals of urban life and the American Dream in his rap songs and music videos. The statement above is another example that isn’t argumentative, but you could write a really interesting analytical essay with that thesis statement. Long live A$AP! Now here’s another one that is argumentative: To give students an understanding of the role of the American Dream in contemporary life, teachers should incorporate pop culture, like the music of A$AP Rocky, into their lessons and curriculum. The argument in this one? Teachers should incorporate more relevant pop culture texts into their curriculum. This thesis statement also gives a specific reason for making the argument above: To give students an understanding of the role of the American Dream in contemporary life. If you can let your reader know why you’re making your argument in your thesis statement, it will help them understand your argument better. An actual image of you killing your argumentative essay prompts after reading this article! Breaking Down the Sections of An Argumentative Essay Now that you know how to pick a topic for an argumentative essay and how to make a strong claim on your topic in a thesis statement, you’re ready to think about writing the other sections of an argumentative essay. These are the parts that will flesh out your argument and support the claim you made in your thesis statement. Like other types of essays, argumentative essays typically have three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Within those sections, there are some key elements that a reader- and especially an exam scorer or professor- is always going to expect you to include. Let’s look at a quick outline of those three sections with their essential pieces here: Introduction paragraph with a thesis statement (which we just talked about) New paragraph that starts with a topic sentence presenting Argumentative Point #1 Support Point #1 with evidence Explain/interpret the evidence with your own, original commentary (AKA, the fun part!) New paragraph that starts with a topic sentence presenting Argumentative Point #2 Support Point #2 with evidence Explain/interpret the evidence with your own, original commentary New paragraph that starts with a topic sentence presenting Argumentative Point #3 Support Point #3 with evidence Explain/interpret the evidence with your own, original commentary New paragraph addressing opposing viewpoints (more on this later!) Concluding paragraph Now, there are some key concepts in those sections that you’ve got to understand if you’re going to master how to write an argumentative essay. To make the most of the body section, you have to know how to support your claim (your thesis statement), what evidence and explanations are and when you should use them, and how and when to address opposing viewpoints. To finish strong, you’ve got to have a strategy for writing a stellar conclusion. This probably feels like a big deal! The body and conclusion make up most of the essay, right? Let’s get down to it, then. How to Write a Strong Argument Once you have your topic and thesis, you’re ready for the hard part: actually writing your argument. If you make strategic choices- like the ones we’re about to talk about- writing a strong argumentative essay won’t feel so difficult. There are three main areas where you want to focus your energy as you develop a strategy for how to write an argumentative essay: supporting your claim- your thesis statement- in your essay, addressing other viewpoints on your topic, and writing a solid conclusion. If you put thought and effort into these three things, you’re much more likely to write an argumentative essay that’s engaging, persuasive, and memorable...aka A+ material. Focus Area 1: Supporting Your Claim With Evidence and Explanations So you’ve chosen your topic, decided what your position will be, and written a thesis statement. But like we see in comment threads across the Internet, if you make a claim and don’t back it up with evidence, what do people say? â€Å"Where’s your proof?† â€Å"Show me the facts!† â€Å"Do you have any evidence to support that claim?† Of course you’ve done your research like we talked about. Supporting your claim in your thesis statement is where that research comes in handy. You can’t just use your research to state the facts, though. Remember your reader? They’re going to expect you to do some of the dirty work of interpreting the evidence for them. That’s why it’s important to know the difference between evidence and explanations, and how and when to use both in your argumentative essay. What Evidence Is and When You Should Use It Evidence can be material from any authoritative and credible outside source that supports your position on your topic. In some cases, evidence can come in the form of photos, video footage, or audio recordings. In other cases, you might be pulling reasons, facts, or statistics from news media articles, public policy, or scholarly books or journals. There are some clues you can look for that indicate whether or not a source is credible, such as whether: The website where you found the source ends in .edu, .gov, or .org The source was published by a university press The source was published in a peer-reviewed journal The authors did extensive research to support the claims they make in the source This is just a short list of some of the clues that a source is likely a credible one, but just because a source was published by a prestigious press or the authors all have PhDs doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best piece of evidence for you to use to support your argument. In addition to evaluating the source’s credibility, you’ve got to consider what types of evidence might come across as most persuasive in the context of the argument you’re making and who your readers are. In other words, stepping back and getting a bird’s eye view of the entire context of your argumentative paper is key to choosing evidence that will strengthen your argument. On some exams, like the AP exams, you may be given pretty strict parameters for what evidence to use and how to use it. You might be given six short readings that all address the same topic, have 15 minutes to read them, then be required to pull material from a minimum of three of the short readings to support your claim in an argumentative essay. When the sources are handed to you like that, be sure to take notes that will help you pick out evidence as you read. Highlight, underline, put checkmarks in the margins of your exam . . . do whatever you need to do to begin identifying the material that you find most helpful or relevant. Those highlights and check marks might just turn into your quotes, paraphrases, or summaries of evidence in your completed exam essay. What Explanations Are and When You Should Use Them Now you know that taking a strategic mindset toward evidence and explanations is critical to grasping how to write an argumentative essay. Unfortunately, evidence doesn’t speak for itself. While it may be obvious to you, the researcher and writer, how the pieces of evidence you’ve included are relevant to your audience, it might not be as obvious to your reader. That’s where explanations- or analysis, or interpretations- come in. You never want to just stick some quotes from an article into your paragraph and call it a day. You do want to interpret the evidence you’ve included to show your reader how that evidence supports your claim. Now, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be saying, â€Å"This piece of evidence supports my argument because...†. Instead, you want to comment on the evidence in a way that helps your reader see how it supports the position you stated in your thesis. We’ll talk more about how to do this when we show you an example of a strong body paragraph from an argumentative essay here in a bit. Understanding how to incorporate evidence and explanations to your advantage is really important. Here’s why: when you’re writing an argumentative essay, particularly on standardized tests or the AP exam, the exam scorers can’t penalize you for the position you take. Instead, their evaluation is going to focus on the way you incorporated evidence and explained it in your essay. Focus Area 2: How- and When- to Address Other Viewpoints Why would we be making arguments at all if there weren’t multiple views out there on a given topic? As you do research and consider the background surrounding your topic, you’ll probably come across arguments that stand in direct opposition to your position. Oftentimes, teachers will ask you to â€Å"address the opposition† in your argumentative essay. What does that mean, though, to â€Å"address the opposition?† Opposing viewpoints function kind of like an elephant in the room. Your audience knows they’re there. In fact, your audience might even buy into an opposing viewpoint and be waiting for you to show them why your viewpoint is better. If you don’t, it means that you’ll have a hard time convincing your audience to buy your argument. Addressing the opposition is a balancing act: you don’t want to undermine your own argument, but you don’t want to dismiss the validity of opposing viewpoints out-of-hand or ignore them altogether, which can also undermine your argument. This isn’t the only acceptable approach, but it’s common practice to wait to address the opposition until close to the end of an argumentative essay. But why? Well, waiting to present an opposing viewpoint until after you’ve thoroughly supported your own argument is strategic. You aren’t going to go into great detail discussing the opposing viewpoint: you’re going to explain what that viewpoint is fairly, but you’re also going to point out what’s wrong with it. It can also be effective to read the opposition through the lens of your own argument and the evidence you’ve used to support it. If the evidence you’ve already included supports your argument, it probably doesn’t support the opposing viewpoint. Without being too obvious, it might be worth pointing this out when you address the opposition. Great conclusions get your readers to check the "I Agree" box on your entire essay. Focus Area #3: Writing the Conclusion It’s common to conclude an argumentative essay by reiterating the thesis statement in some way, either by reminding the reader what the overarching argument was in the first place or by reviewing the main points and evidence that you covered. You don’t just want to restate your thesis statement and review your main points and call it a day, though. So much has happened since you stated your thesis in the introduction! And why waste a whole paragraph- the very last thing your audience is going to read- on just repeating yourself? Here’s an approach to the conclusion that can give your audience a fresh perspective on your argument: reinterpret your thesis statement for them in light of all the evidence and explanations you’ve provided. Think about how your readers might read your thesis statement in a new light now that they’ve heard your whole argument out. That’s what you want to leave your audience with as you conclude your argumentative paper: a brief explanation of why all that arguing mattered in the first place. If you can give your audience something to continue pondering after they’ve read your argument, that’s even better. One thing you want to avoid in your conclusion, though: presenting new supporting points or new evidence. That can just be confusing for your reader. Stick to telling your reader why the argument you’ve already made matters, and your argument will stick with your reader. A Strong Argumentative Essay: Examples For some aspiring argumentative essay writers, showing is better than telling. To show rather than tell you what makes a strong argumentative essay, we’ve provided three examples of possible body paragraphs for an argumentative essay below. Think of these example paragraphs as taking on the form of the â€Å"Argumentative Point #1 → Evidence - Explanation - Repeat† process we talked through earlier. It’s always nice to be able to compare examples, so we’ve included three paragraphs from an argumentative paper ranging from poor (or needs a lot of improvement, if you’re feeling generous), to better, to best. All of the exampleparagraphs are for an essay with this thesis statement: Thesis Statement: In order to most effectively protect user data and combat the spread of disinformation, the U.S. government should implement more stringent regulations of Facebook and other social media outlets. As you read the examples, think about what makes them different, and what makes the â€Å"best† paragraph more effective than the â€Å"better† and â€Å"poor† paragraphs. Here we go: A Poor Argument Example Body Paragraph: Data mining has affected a lot of people in recent years. Facebook has 2.23 billion users from around the world, and though it would take a huge amount of time and effort to make sure a company as big as Facebook was complying with privacy regulations in countries across the globe, adopting a common framework for privacy regulation in more countries would be the first step. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg himself supports adopting a global framework for privacy and data protection, which would protect more users than before. What’s Wrong With This Example? First, let’s look at the thesis statement. Ask yourself: does this make a claim that some people might agree with, but others might disagree with? The answer is yes. Some people probably think that Facebook should be regulated, while others might believe that’s too much government intervention. Also, there are definitely good, reliable sources out there that will help this writer prove their argument. So this paper is off to a strong start! Unfortunately, this writer doesn’t do a great job proving their thesis in their body paragraph. First, the topic sentence- aka the first sentence of the paragraph- doesn’t make a point that directly supports the position stated in the thesis. We’re trying to argue that government regulation will help protect user data and combat the spread of misinformation, remember? The topic sentence should make a point that gets right at that, instead of throwing out a random fact about data mining. Second, because the topic sentence isn’t focused on making a clear point, the rest of the paragraph doesn’t have much relevant information, and it fails to provide credible evidence that supports the claim made in the thesis statement. For example, it would be a great idea to include exactly what Mark Zuckerberg said! So while there’s definitely some relevant information in this paragraph, it needs to be presented with more evidence. A Better Argument Example Body Paragraph: Over the past several years, one of the biggest consequences of the lack of regulation of social media platforms has been the mining of Facebook user data, which has been exposed by the news media and the U.S. government. Investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) have shown that Facebook allowed its data-sharing partners to mine user data without disclosing this information to Facebook users. Specifically, Facebook allowed Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm, to gather the personal information of tens of millions of people- information the firm then used to aid a particular 2016 presidential campaign. In the future, increased government regulation of Facebook’s data sharing partnerships could prevent such things from happening. What’s Wrong With This Example? This paragraph is a bit better than the first one, but it still needs some work. The topic sentence is a bit too long, and it doesn’t make a point that clearly supports the position laid out in the thesis statement. The reader already knows that mining user data is a big issue, so the topic sentence would be a great place to make a point about why more stringent government regulations would most effectively protect user data. There’s also a problem with how the evidence is incorporated in this example. While there is some relevant, persuasive evidence included in this paragraph, there’s no explanation of why or how it is relevant. Remember, you can’t assume that your evidence speaks for itself: you have to interpret its relevance for your reader. That means including at least a sentence that tells your reader why the evidence you’ve chosen proves your argument. A Best- But Not Perfect!- Argument Example Body Paragraph: Though Facebook claims to be implementing company policies that will protect user data and stop the spread of misinformation, its attempts have been unsuccessful compared to those made by the federal government. When PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a Federal Trade Commission-mandated assessment of Facebook’s partnerships with Microsoft and the makers of the Blackberry handset in 2013, the team found limited evidence that Facebook had monitored or even checked that its partners had complied with Facebook’s existing data use policies. In fact, Facebook’s own auditors confirmed the PricewaterhouseCoopers findings, despite the fact that Facebook claimed that the company was making greater attempts to safeguard users’ personal information. In contrast, bills written by Congress have been more successful in changing Facebook’s practices than Facebook’s own company policies have. According to The Washington Post, The Honest Ads Act of 2017 â€Å"created public demand for transparency and changed how social media companies disclose online political advertising.† These policy efforts, though thus far unsuccessful in passing legislation, have nevertheless pushed social media companies to change some of their practices by sparking public outrage and negative media attention. Why This Example Is The Best This paragraph isn’t perfect, but it is the most effective at doing some of the things that you want to do when you write an argumentative essay. First, the topic sentences get to the point . . . and it’s a point that supports and explains the claim made in the thesis statement! It gives a clear reason why our claim in favor of more stringent government regulations is a good claim: because Facebook has failed to self-regulate its practices. This paragraph also provides strong evidence and specific examples that support the point made in the topic sentence. The evidence presented shows specific instances in which Facebook has failed to self-regulate, and other examples where the federal government has successfully influenced regulation of Facebook’s practices for the better. Perhaps most importantly, though, this writer explains why the evidence is important. The bold sentence in the example is where the writer links the evidence back to their opinion. In this case, they explain that the pressure from Federal Trade Commission and Congress- and the threat of regulation- have helped change Facebook for the better. Why point out that this isn’t a perfect paragraph, though? Because you won’t be writing perfect paragraphs when you’re taking timed exams either. But get this: you don’t have to write perfect paragraphs to make a good score on AP exams or even on an essay you write for class. Like in this example paragraph, you just have to effectively develop your position by appropriately and convincingly relying on evidence from good sources. Top 3 Takeaways For Writing Argumentative Essays This is all great information, right? If (when) you have to write an argumentative essay, you’ll be ready. But when in doubt, remember these three things about how to write an argumentative essay, and you’ll emerge victorious: Takeaway #1: Read Closely and Carefully This tip applies to every aspect of writing an argumentative essay. From making sure you’re addressing your prompt, to really digging into your sources, to proofreading your final paper...you’ll need to actively and pay attention! This is especially true if you’re writing on the clock, like during an AP exam. Takeaway #2: Make Your Argument the Focus of the Essay Define your position clearly in your thesis statement and stick to that position! The thesis is the backbone of your paper, and every paragraph should help prove your thesis in one way or another. But sometimes you get to the end of your essay and realize that you’ve gotten off topic, or that your thesis doesn’t quite fit. Don’t worry- if that happens, you can always rewrite your thesis to fit your paper! Takeaway #3: Use Sources to Develop Your Argument- and Explain Them Nothing is as powerful as good, strong evidence. First, make sure you’re finding credible sources that support your argument. Then you can paraphrase, briefly summarize, or quote from your sources as you incorporate them into your paragraphs. But remember the most important part: you have to explain why you’ve chosen that evidence and why it proves your thesis. What's Next? Once you’re comfortable with how to write an argumentative essay, it’s time to learn some more advanced tips and tricks for putting together a killer argument. Keep in mind that argumentative essays are just one type of essay you might encounter. That’s why we’ve put together more specific guides on how to tackle IB essays, SAT essays, and ACT essays. But what about admissions essays? We’ve got you covered. Not only do we have comprehensive guides to the Coalition App and Common App essays, we also have tons of individual college application guides, too. You can search through all of our college-specific posts by clicking here. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Ashley Robinson About the Author Ashley Sufflà © Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. No spam ever. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '360031', formId: '2167ba30-e68e-4777-b88d-8bf3c84579af', formInstanceId: '2', submitButtonClass: 'btn-red-light btn', target: '#hubspot-container2', redirectUrl: 'http://ww2.prepscholar.com/blog-subscribe-thank-you', css: '.post-bottom .hs-form.stacked label {display:none;} .post-bottom .hs-form.stacked .field div.input {padding-top: 55px; padding-left: 300px;} .post-bottom .hs-input {width: 220px} .post-bottom .btn-primary, .hs-button.primary {margin-top:0px; padding-left:350px} .post-bottom .hs-form-field {margin-bottom:5px}' }); $(function(){ $(".exclusive-tip-form #hubspot-container2 label").hide(); }); function replace_tag(a, b){ $(a).each(function(index) { var thisTD = this; var newElement = $(""); $.each(this.attributes, function(index) { $(newElement).attr(thisTD.attributes[index].name, thisTD.attributes[index].value); }); $(this).after(newElement).remove(); }); } $(function(){ replace_tag($(".posts-by-topic h3"), "h2"); }) Ask a Question BelowHave any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply! Search the Blog Search jQuery(function(){ var $ = jQuery; var url = 'http://google.com/search?q=site:' + location.protocol + '//' + location.hostname + ' '; var $searchModule = $('.hs-search-module.23975a48-e3-420e-8f5e-66b82b30dbc1'); var $input = $searchModule.find('input'); var $button = $searchModule.find('.hs-button.primary'); if (false) { $input.val(decodeURIComponent(location.pathname.split('/').join(' ').split('.').join(' ').split('-').join(' ').split('_').join(''))); } $button.click(function(){ var newUrl = url + $input.val(); var win = window.open(newUrl, '_blank'); if (win) { //Browser has allowed it to be opened win.focus(); } else { //Browser has blocked it location.href = newUrl; } }); $input.keypress(function(e){ if (e.keyCode !== 13) return; e.preventDefault(); $button.click(); }); }); Improve With Our Famous Guides SATPrep ACTPrep For All Students The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section: Score 800 on SAT Math Score 800 on SAT Reading Score 800 on SAT Writing Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section: Score 600 on SAT Math Score 600 on SAT Reading Score 600 on SAT Writing Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? 15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section: 36 on ACT English 36 on ACT Math 36 on ACT Reading 36 on ACT Science Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section: 24 on ACT English 24 on ACT Math 24 on ACT Reading 24 on ACT Science What ACT target score should you be aiming for? ACT Vocabulary You Must Know ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA How to Write an Amazing College Essay What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For? Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide Should you retake your SAT or ACT? When should you take the SAT or ACT? Michael improved by 370 POINTS! Find Out How Stay Informed Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Looking for Graduate School Test Prep? Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: GRE Online Prep Blog GMAT Online Prep Blog TOEFL Online Prep Blog