Author: chris

Julius Caesar is one of the best tragedies of Shakespeare. Through the play, he develops Marcus Brutus as a tragic hero. Brutus is portrayed as tragic hero because he discovered that his downfall was the inevitable result of his own actions but not through things happening to him. He suffered, as a hero as his sufferings was a result of his own wish. In addition, he displays his weakness of fate in typical tragedies. In Act 3, Brutus is seen praising Caesar on how honorable and how great things he had done to the Romans. Brutus clarifies how Caesar’s arrogance required to be stopped although he was still great, he will ascend to the point of greatness and make the Roman slaves. Brutus is a tragic hero because of how he displays his weakness and supremacy of his own actions.

Brutus is a tragic hero because he displays his weakness that is, the heroes’ setback of fate in typical tragedies. Brutus has a setback of fate, an instance depicted when he and his wife, Portia had a discussion after the schemers left their domestic. His wife sought to know why the schemers were in their house and what they wanted. Brutus being a caring, loving and a noble Roman saw it was not good to tell his wife what the conspirators came to do in their house. He did not want Portia to know his secrets because she had too much stress going on in her life. Brutus says, “O ye gods render me worthy of this noble wife, / all the characters of my sad brows” (4.3. 413-415).

He is the protagonist of the play because of the supremacy of his own actions. For instance, when he realized the arrogant character of Caesar, he wanted him to be killed. In every part of the play, Brutus is portrayed in every driving force of many things that occurs. During the war waged against Brutus by Antonius, he had showed more anger to Brutus. If it were not for the mother of Antonio who was killed, he could have committed many murders “these many men shall die, their names are pricked” (4.3. 310-315). Brutus showed irrational anger towards the schemers and his anger is evidenced in the phrase “We’ll burn his body in the holy place and with the brands fire” (4.3. 409-412). In addition, when the death of Calpurnia was discovered, nobody paid attention to a better sorrow. The death of Portia was cluttering in his mind. However, nobody realized whether this tragedy was bothering in her mind.

Brutus and Cassius are compared in terms of being braveness. These characters are vital in Shakespeare’s tragedy. Their actions and their placing of words alongside each other, their dissimilarities in motivation, decision making and morals are clear evident. Brutus reveals bravery in all of his conquests whereas Cassius saunters on the pathway of cowardice. Their cases of making a decision to attack the Roman Republic disclose their braveness. However, neither bravery nor cowardice is the pathway to take, for they met their deaths in the end. Octavius and Antony rewarded their courage at the end and remarked how Brutus was a brave Roman.

The bravery of Brutus and Cassias can be proven through their honesty because individuals cannot achieve the quality of braveness without being honest. The moral character of Brutus was honesty and he was straightforward about everything that he was doing instead of hiding behind a bogus pretense. This is indicated by his denial to make a pledge with the other schemers. Brutus says “and what the oath, / than honesty to honesty engaged” (2.1.137-139). In comparison, Cassius demonstrates his secrecy wish and manipulation towards a given honesty on several occasions one of which was his anticipation for the schemers to make a pledge. Cassius says “and let us swear our resolution” (Shakespeare 2.1 82-96).

In conclusion, Brutus deserves the title of a tragic hero because of his courageousness. He was an honest person who always struggled to make Romans meet their best needs. He was a man who followed his actions thus was considered a noble Roman. He assumed that everybody was honest. This made him not to make an oath because he thought everybody would keep a secret since he assumed the schemers were honest like him. He did not put his dignity at stake but always preferred to do the right things according to his morals.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. London, UK: Classic Books Company,

2001. Print.

 

Fundamental Differences between ‘The Glass Menagerie’, ‘Her First Elk’ and ‘Dusting’

Families are often predisposed to various social factors that in turn influence their dynamic and outcome. The social factors influence the path through either success or strife that a family goes through. Tennessee William, Rick Bass and Julia Alvarez present a vivid portrayal of these factors in The Glass Menagerie, Her First Elk and The Dusting respectively. The three literature works delve into the concept of family dynamics. The context that follows provides a discussion on the aforementioned literature works. The selected works have themes that centre on family relationships and evolving family dynamics predisposed to socio-cultural influences.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee William is a dramatic play based on a recollection by the lead actor Tom Wingfield. The author creates an ambiguity between perceiving the play as reality or imagination through an initial understanding of it being a memorial account or narration that one can alter to meet the narrator’s likes or dislikes. Again, the extensive use of symbolism in the play also gives a fictional demeanor to the play. However, the narration and symbolism further aid in portraying the theme of play as being a shift between reality and imagination within the characters.

The plot revolves around social interactions between four characters in the play: Tom Wingfield, Amanda Wingfield – the mother, Laura Wingfield – the sister; and Jim O’Connor – a workmate. A fifth individual, M. Wingfield – an absentee father – serves as the silent antagonist in the play (Williams 6). The play does indeed conform to a theme of failure in family structure. The absence of the father in the family setting seems to be the reason why the family is currently undergoing strife. Amanda’s somewhat constant reference to M. Wingfield as a previous beacon to their family’s success and his absence as a reason for their plight highlights this realty.

However, a closer analysis of the play reveals that individual aspirations by all five characters in the play may be the reason behind the family discordance observed in the entire context of the play. The father leaves to pursue his own individual goals, Tom is a warehouse employee who appears torn between his aspirations to be a writer and an obligation towards ensuring financial stability of his family. The author portrays Amanda as a socially adept individual who strives to ensure the success of her family – her daughter – despite the financial burden they face. She ironically seems rather nostalgic about her previous life as opposed to her present. Laura, Tom’s partially handicapped and shy sister has an attraction to Tom’s workmate and Laura’s high school acquaintance is the embodiment of her present desire. Jim O’Connor also serves as the embodiment of Amanda’s future prospect to financial security for the family. Due to his situation at the time, he cannot marry Laura. Therefore, the play displays discordance in family dynamic through portraying a clash between individual imagination (desire) and perceived reality.

Unlike The Glass Menagerie, Her First Elk by Rick Bass utilizes symbolism to describe family. The plot of the story centers on describing a hunting experience. The title selected for the story is rather ironic since the author indicates at the very beginning that she had hunted elk before. Rather than immediately developing the concept of family, the author instead seems to give a vivid description of the hunting scene before eventually providing a somewhat metaphorical reference between the hunt, the elk and Jyl. Therefore, Her First Elk and The Glass Menagerie both utilize symbolism and metaphorical depictions as a way of highlighting the theme perceived by the authors. However, Rick Bass appears to limit the use of vivid imagery as he concentrated more on symbolism. In retrospect, one may have to finish the entire story before exactly understanding how the theme of family comes into play within the literature context.

In Her First Elk, the author displays themes of individual isolation, distance from family, and reconciliation. The author begins by painting Jyl as an isolated picture within the woods, the appearance of the elk and her encounter with the two brothers as a path towards reconciling with her family after long while. “…Jyl sometimes looks down at her body and considers the mix of things: the elk becoming her, as she ate it, and becoming Ralph and Bruce, as they ate it (did this make them somehow, distantly, like brothers and sister, or uncles and niece, if not fathers and daughter?)…” (Bass 8)

One can view Her First Elk as a story that highlights the ever-evolving roles of individual family members. The context of the story portrays Jyl as an adept hunter despite the fact that she is a young lady. At one instance, she amazes Ralph and Bruce with the kill she had made. Adopting a chauvinistic stance may imply that this may be an example of family discordance. This argument however may best be looked at through understanding Jyl’s untraditional prowess as portraying the growth of modernity in society. In retrospect, the reader observes a theme of development of feminine identity within family contexts.

The Dusting by Julia Alvarez is a two-stanza poem that seems to depict the theme of female identity within family contexts more vividly. The Dusting describes an interaction between a daughter (the author) and her mother. In the poem, the author describes her mother as always erasing marks left by her on surfaces within their house. This could be taken to depict the mother as constantly ‘erasing any mark’ left by her daughter within society.

The reader can immediately see the theme of family disunity or discordance through the actions of the two characters within the poem. The mother seems to disagree with her daughters actions.

“Each morning I wrote my name/on the dusty cabinet… She erased my fingerprints…” (Alvarez 8). One can take the poem to imply rebellion from normal family values. The child seems to rebel against her mother.

Alternatively, the daughter seems to deviate from her mother’s norms, with an aim of carving out her own. The Dusting then seems to portray a theme of making an identity for one’s self. In the poem, the girl seems to crave an existence better than her mother currently lives in. The child again seems to portray her need to carve out her individual identity; one that is different from that of her mother, which se seems to think is unfit. In retrospect, the child’s rebellious demeanor highlights the themes of self-definition and individual appreciation as a part feminine identity.

In conclusion, the literature contexts discussed have fundamental differences in one being a poem (The Dusting), the other a play (The Glass Menagerie) and the last an oral narrative (Her First Elk). However, the thematic content is somewhat similar. All three contexts of literature display forms of discordance in family dynamic. As discussed the discordance noted is predisposed to factors present in particular social settings. In all three, absence of a male (paternal) figure in the present setting seems to alter the family dynamic. Eventually, the roles taken to achieve success by key female figures in all three stories highlight feminine identity.

 

Works Cited

Alvarez, Julia. Homecoming. New York: Plume, a division of Penguin USA. 1996. Print.

Bass, Rick. The Lives of Rocks. New Jersey: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007. Print.

Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996. Print.

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Introduction

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the year 1770 and died in the year 1827. He was born in Bonn, Germany as a second born to a man known as Johann van Beethoven son of Lodewijk van Beethoven and a woman named Maria Magdalene Kaverich, the daughter of Johann Heinrich Kaverich (head chef at the court of Archbishopric). Although an alcoholic, his father was a great musician and a tenor singer at the Court of Bonn. His mother was known to be a gentle, warm-hearted retiring woman whom Ludwig referred to as his best friend. He had six other siblings but four died and only three boys survived of whom he was the eldest. He became a pianist and a composer. He is the man that comes in many people’s mind, when we think about the classical and the romantic eras (Lockwood 10).

Beethoven’s interest in music started at a very early age and his father made sure that he did what he could to make it easy for him. He taught his son music in any opportunity that he found and so he was Beethoven’s first teacher. He also wanted his son to be a child prodigy after Mozart. Though he encountered many challenges in the years that he lived including loosing his sense of hearing, he remains the best.

Music Path

As mentioned earlier, Beethoven’s interest in music began at a very early age. After much training from his father, he gave his first public performance playing the piano at the age of 7 1/2 on 26 March, the year 1778. However, his father said that he was six years old. This made Beethoven think that he was much younger than he actually was. When he received a copy of his baptismal certificate, he thought that it was for his brother Ludwig Maria, who was born two years ahead of him, but had already died. Beethoven’s music period is believed to be in three parts: the early part, which lasted until the year 1802, the middle part, which lasted until 1814 and the late part, which lasted until his death in 1827 (Macdonald 65).

When he reached eleven years old, he got the necessary systematic piano performance and composition training. This was done Christian Gottlob Neefe, a court musician and an organist. In 1782, Ludwig brought out his first piece, 9 variations in C minor (Dahlhaus & Whittall 34). This was for the piano, on a march by Ernst C. Dressler. Neefe complimented him in the 1783 issue of the “The Magazine of Music” and said that he went on as he was doing; he would become the new Mozart. In 1784, he selected as the court of Maximillan Franz organist. This was at the young age of 14. One of the major benefits he got from this experience was that he met some people who would become his lifetime friends. This included the Breunig family, Karl Amenda, a violinist, the Reis family, Franz Wegeler, Eleonore, a doctor, just to mention but a few (Parevot, 2001).

In 1787, he was employed as a musician in the Bonn court orchestra. Later, during the early part of 1787, he got a paid leave in order to study in Vienna under Mozart. Unfortunately, he was forced to return to Bonn especially after his mother’s death on 17 July 1787, where he had to take care of his siblings (Dahlhaus & Whittall 55). This is because he felt responsible for them since his father became more and more incapable of taking care of them due to his alcoholic problem (he could hardly keep a job). Five years down the line, in the year 1792, Ludwig went back to Vienna, after getting another scholarship by Prince Elector. He got lessons from Haydn, Salieri, Schenk and Albrechtsberger (Skorownech 18).

In the year 1794, he composed an opus 1. In the year that followed, he performed publicly (first) in Vienna at an Academy. In this performance, each musician was to do his own work. He made other performances in Leipzig, Prague, Berlin and Dresden then went for a concert Budapest. He made many supporters in this place although he often became angry with one or another at some point. In 1800, he made another performance in Vienna, which included a symphony. Although this symphony is now taken as a classical, some people found it strange and risqué and over extravagant at that time. He was already reaching the established boundaries of music and threatening to go further at a very young age (Parevot, 2001).

His music was sometimes inspired by some events or happenings. For example, Bonaparte inspired his third symphony. He dedicated this piece to him as he saw him as a people’s liberator. However, when he put himself as Emperor, Ludwig became angered and erased Bonaparte’s name from the piece. The Eroica symphony was played on 7 April 1805 for the first time. Beethoven is known to have only written one opera known as Leonore, which later changed to Fidelio. He first performed it on 20 November 1805 before some French officers. This is because Napoleon had captured Vienna for the first time. Beethoven did very many works and taught many students in the years later. Amongst his works were the Coriolan Overture, the Pastoral and the letter for Elise. As for the students, he preferred working with the young and attractive students and this made him fall in love a couple of times. One of his students was Archbishop Rudolph who also became his close friend and benefactor (Lockwood 100).

Another outstanding thing about Beethoven was that he was a free composer. He lived without any financial constraints. This was because some of his wealthy admirers such as Prince Lobkowitz., Archbishop Rudolph and Prince Kinsky offered him an annual gift of 4000 florins as long as he did not leave Vienna. Musicians such as Haydn, Mozart and Bach worked as servants in aristocrat families and they were not given any special privileges. Beethoven could write whatever music that pleased him whether or not under instructions (Macdonald 28).

Goethe, a poet and Beethoven met in the year 1812, when July was ending. The interesting thing about these two is that they did not understand each other yet they really admired one another. Ludwig said that the poet was too servile while Goethe found the composer “untamed’. Beethoven put some of Goethe’s works into music but he said that he wished Goethe understood him better.

Beethoven’s problems started when Prince Lobkowitz fell into financial problems and Prince Kinsky died after falling off a horse. His people stopped the financial help that the prince provided to Ludwig. Czech Johann N. Maelzel started contacting Ludwig. This two had met before as Maelzel had tried to put together some gadgets to help him with his hearing. In 1813, Ludwig wrote another piece known as “The victory of Wellington”. This was written from an inspiration from an instrument (panharmonica) made by Maelzel.

Beethoven did not marry. He lived a very restless life having to change homes at least fifty two times. However, there was a time he cohabitated with his deceased brother’s wife as a sign of granting him his wish of taking care of the son Karl with the mother (Brother’s wife). However, he did not do as well here as there was a barrier of communication since Beethoven had now become completely deaf and a lack of understanding of the child. Beethoven had even tried to introduce Karl to the music world (through Carl Czerny, a former student to Beethoven), but it did not succeed as he had wished to. The boy did not have as much talent as Beethoven (Parevot, 2001).

In 1823, Beethoven finished his ninth symphony. 1824, he played it. By this time, he had become completely deaf. Although it was a general success, there were problems experienced in the musical and the sung sections. However, it did not bring a financial income as was expected. The financial difficulties presented barriers to the writer. One of the major reasons is because he always put aside money for his nephew. During his last years, Beethoven was at the period of the last quartets. These are still a challenge to understand even today. During the same time, he began writing his 10^th symphony (Macdonald 72).

In 1826, he caught a cold when on his way from his brother’s house. This became more complicated due to other health problems that he had faced over the years. He died on 26 May 1827 while surrounded by many close friends. The funeral ceremony took place in the Holy Trinity church and buried in Wahring Cemetery, now known as Schubert Park. It is estimated 30,000 mourners and onlookers attended the funeral.

Some of great admirers, such as Franz Schubert took great interest in his works. He never became close to him although he carried his coffin during his funeral. Other people have also used his works and translated the symphonies into piano. He contributed a lot in the musical world although he did not leave any known children of his own. His nephew Karl did not succeed him as he had wished he would (Prevot, 2001).

Conclusion

Beethoven is classified in the category of Mozart or maybe higher. His works are greatly used even today by both students and the professionals. His considered a great influence in the romantic and the classical musical periods. However, it is clear that one cannot have everything. Since he was considered a genius, it would depend on how one took the word genius to mean. He did not have a girlfriend of his own and the lovers told about were not clearly known. The love letter he wrote is not clear whom it was addressed to.

His financial independence enabled him to work more freely and do what he wanted to do. It gave him to compose music of his choice unlike the others who composed them under the influence of their masters. The favor he got in the eyes of the people also contributed to the widespread of his works.

Works Cited

Dahlhaus, Carl, and Mary Whittall. Ludwig van Beethoven: approaches to his music. London: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print.

Lockwood, Lewis. Beethoven: the music and the life. New York, NY: Norton, 2005. Print.

Macdonald, Hugh. Beethoven’s century: essays on composers and themes. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press, 2008. Print.

Prevot, Dominique. Beethoven Biography. 2001. Web. 18 April 2011.

Skowroneck, Tilman. Beethoven the Pianist. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.

Global Economic Integration of Mexico

Due to its massive economy, Mexico is a member of many economic integrations such as common market, free trade agreement among others with an aim of widening its markets. Brazil is best beneficiary of North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that became operational in 1990. The country saw this as an opportunity to make its economy an export-based economy. The agreement favored this move as most tariffs and duties were excluded from the established trade partners. Between 1994 and 2001, Mexico had signed at least ten agreements with different countries. Three of these include bilateral agreements with countries such as Bolivia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. These three agreements are a demonstration of Mexico’s engagement into global economic integration and the benefits gained from these agreements.

The aim of the countries that signed these agreements with Mexico was to promote economic integration and cultivate trade and industry well-being in these countries (Harold, 22). The Mexican presidents who initiated these agreements had laid out objectives to the advantage of their country’s economy. These objectives include abolition of trade barriers, endorsement of free competition, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, facilitation of the flows of goods and services and extension and diversification of trade (Shaiken, 245). The three countries’ bilateral agreements are a good demonstration of the successful achievement of these objectives to the benefit of the Mexican economy that has now become an export-based economy. These agreements have led to elimination of most tariffs and duties between the participating countries and this has been a beginning of trade liberalization.

Other than the NAFTA, Brazil is also a member of the South Common Market integration alongside Uruguay,Argentina,Bolivia.Brazil benefits a lot from this integration since the tariffs and non tariff barriers are abolished making the market to be free and open among the member countries.. For instance, the Mexico-Bolivia Free Trade Agreement that has been effective since January 1995 has led to of duty on industrial products to up to ninety seven percent (Edward, 51). This is on the industrial products that are exported from Mexico to Bolivia which include vehicles and automobile parts, various electronics and oil products among others. Some agricultural products are exported from Mexico to Bolivia duty-free. These include vegetables, fruits and animal products among others. Seventy percent of Mexican exports were set duty free by their agreement with Costa Rica. This also came with reduction of duties of the other twenty percent in five years and ten years for the remaining ten percent. The bilateral agreement with Nicaragua led to immediate elimination of approximately 80% of all tariffs among others. All these agreements have seen to significant growth of the Mexican economy and expansion of its export market.

The signing of these three and other Free Trade Agreements by Mexico has made the country the greatest signer of agreements in the whole world. This has been of great advantage to the Mexico both economically and politically. Economically, the country has acquired free or easy access of foreign markets that is of benefits to their economic growth (Tim and Eliza, 4). This has also attracted foreign investors in to the country. Signing of several agreements has made Mexico an expert of acquiring and negotiating attractive terms for the benefit of its economy. Signing of these free trade agreements cushions Mexico from the trade barriers that some countries establish during difficult economic times (Wilkie and Olga, 270). This has also made the country a good candidate of entering into such agreements with for many countries in the world. In addition to experience, the country’s close ties with Brazil and US puts it in a better position to acquire the broker’s position in NAFTA negotiations. This may lead to establishment of NAFTA secretariat in the country that will be an added advantage.

Although the numerous FTAs may become a challenge to Mexico in future, these agreements have played a great role in the growth of the country’s economy. Some of the challenges will include legal matters and the efforts to integrate and manage all the bilateral agreements. However, these will not be a barrier to the country’s achievements. These achievements include expansion of their foreign markets, attraction of foreign investors and a possibility of becoming the brokers in NAFTA negotiations.

 

Works Cited

Edward, Baldwin. The North American Free Trade Agreement: A Social Charter and Economic Growth, in Belous and Lemco.” NAFTA as a Model of Development: The Benefits and Costs of Merging High and Low Wage Areas, (1995): 48-52

Harold, Hunt. “Mexico fights for position in global race.” Tierra Grande,1682 (2001): 20-24

Shaiken, Hunter. “The New Global Economy: Trade and Production under NAFTA.” Journal Fur Entwicklungspolitik, 3.4 (2001): 241-254.

Tim, Wise and Eliza Waters. Community Control In A Global Economy:Lessons From Mexico’s Economic Integration Process. Medford MA: Tufts University press, 2001. 2-5

Wilkie, James and Olga Lazin. Mexico, NAFTA, and Free Trade in the Americas. New York: Macmillan, 2004.267-284

Object Analysis

Describe the object

A microwave oven is an electric kitchen appliance that uses microwaves to heat foods and drinks. Microwave ovens can be standard, in which case they only serve the purpose of heating food. The microwave can also have a grill or it can be combination microwave oven. The control section of a microwave oven has an electronic or electromechanical timer. This is used to control the power output and different protection devices. The high voltage is converted to microwave energy and this enables it to heat the food.

Describe the need the object addresses

A microwave addresses the need of eating cold foods and drinks. It produces radio waves or microwaves with frequencies of about 2500Mz, which heat the food. The microwaves are absorbed by water, sugars and fats. They are not absorbed by most types of plastics, ceramics and glass and this means that they heat the food directly.

State the goal or the objective of the object

The main objective of a microwave is to reheat food using the least amount of time possible.

Describe the possible users of the object

Microwave ovens can be used by anybody who knows how they work. They are used in homes, offices, hotels and other eating outlets, and schools among other places where people are. Some microwave ovens are small and are used in small kitchens in the homes. Other microwaves are huge and are therefore inbuilt. These microwaves are used in commercial kitchens such as those found in some restaurants. One does not have to be a professional cook or chef so that they can use the microwave because it is relatively easy to use. Children can be easily taught the basic ruled of using a microwave.

Describe the relevant characteristics and capabilities of the object

A microwave can be used for heating food, defrosting, grilling, broiling, baking and cooking. Microwave ovens prevent burning because they have an automatic timer. The oven stops releasing the microwave energy when the timer stops or when the door is opened. They have automatic controls, which are used for easy programming of cooking commands. Some commonly cooked or heated foods and beverages have controlled commands. Microwave ovens are of many varieties, models and sizes. The kitchen size does not have to be a limitation for one to have a microwave.

Describe the materials and resources used to create the object

Some important components of the microwave oven are the transformer, which supplies energy to the magnetron tube. The magnetron tube supplies electromagnetic radiation to the oven and maintains the required temperature. The door is usually made of glass and has a layer of mesh, which prevents electromagnetic radiation. The control panel can have an LED, LCD or vacuum fluorescent display. Most turntables in microwave ovens are made of glass or plastic, though there are a few made of metal. The walls can be made from ceramics or plastic. Other materials such as stainless steel, ceramics, plastics and metals are used for making various parts of the microwave oven.

Evaluate any deficiencies or limitations with the current design of the object

Microwave ovens have several limitations. The first limitation is that it does not use metallic containers because they interfere with the microwaves. Another limitation is that microwave ovens cannot be cleaned using abrasives such as scouring pads. The microwave does not distribute heat equally to the food making some areas cold while others are hot. Another limitation of the microwave oven is its capacity. Most models have a small capacity. One cannot cook different foods at the same time or put larger dishes when heating or cooking food.

Based on your evaluation, state whether the object fulfills its intended need or not and why

A microwave fulfills its intended use. Different models have different capabilities but they retain their use of reheating food within a relatively short time. As the need to develop an appliance that performs more than one task increases, different models, each having new additional features, have been introduced in the market. Most of the modern designs have the capability of browning foods and making them crisps, in addition to grilling and baking. The microwave has managed to fulfill its intended use and it has exceeded the expectations of those who first developed it.

Explain how the object analysis process relate to a systematic approach to designing instruction

The object analysis process provides an easy and systematic way of designing the product’s instructions. It enables the person to have a clear view of the product description, its purpose, advantages, features and limitations. It is a simple way of summarizing the descriptive details of the product without using difficult technological language. This ensures that no important details are left out. It gives one the chance to review the work and check whether there are any details, such as warnings, which he or she did not include. It also gives the person a chance to include newly discovered information, such as issues related to health.

Essay Questions from Essay Readings

Annie Dillard gives us a vivid description of the place where she came across a weasel. She gives the length of time it would take for one to get to the place. She also gives other features that are in the vicinity, for example, the quarry, Hollin’s Pond also known as the Murray’s Pond, and a highway. She also gives us a further description of the pond, its shallowness, how it is during the winter, and the water lilies in the water (Ackley 126, pp 2 & 3). She uses all these to give the reader the whole picture of the place she was in at that time. It makes the readers feel as they were there with her. It is used to capture the readers’ attention in order to pass the message intended. The description also helps the writer bring out her true feelings to the reader. She is able to express herself to the reader without fear as though one was watching a movie rather than reading a book.

The writer also vividly explains the very moment when he met eye to eye with the weasel. She tells us that she had just crossed the highway, continues to give a description of the place she went through, tells us that the sun had just set (evening time); she was standing at the tree trunk and watching the lily pads (Ackley 126, pp 4 & 5). The whole of this description is to give the reader the exact moment, impression and thoughts that were taking place when she met the weasel. It is as if the reader was there with the writer. It helps the reader to capture the moment in their minds. It also gives a wider knowledge of the environment that weasels are normally found. As mentioned earlier, such vivid description keeps the reader more and more interested in the book and keeps him/her in a toned way of thinking rather than a vague description that makes the reader imagine widely.

The writer also uses metaphors in many places. For instance, she uses the pronoun “he” to refer to the weasel instead of “it” (Ackley 125, pp 1). She has also used some words to describe the weasel’s actions as though it was human. There is a part that she says “who knows what he thinks?” (Ackley 125, pp1). This makes the reader look at the weasel at another point of view instead of just observing it as an animal. The reader intends us to learn from the weasel’s character and behavior. When she uses the pronoun “he” instead of “it”, the reader is able to identify with the weasel more easily. It also breaks the tension in the story as we view the weasel as a “human being”. That there are characters the animal has that resemble the ones in a human being or could at least be adapted by the humans.

The writer also uses paradox statements in his works. For example, she says, “I could very calmly go wild. I could live two days in a den, curled, leaning on mouse fur, sniffing bad bones…” (Ackley 127, pp 5). This is used to get the reader’s attention. It is used to drive the writer’s point that there is a character in the weasel that she so wished she could adapt. This statement also explains the thoughts that were going through the writer. She has regrets of how she lives her life and so she is willing to adapt a thing or two in the weasel’s life. The reader is able to understand the writer’s feelings more and her thoughts through such paradoxes and statements. She can identify where she is coming from in the way she gives the weasel a key interest. She also gets the readers attention to make them understand a thing or two they could learn from the animal.

 

Works Cited

Ackley, Katherine Anne. Essays from contemporary culture, 5^th edition. Youngstown, OH: Thomson/Henle, 2003. Print.

Slide Presentation, Plastic Bags

According to data released by the United States Environmental Agency, the world consumes five hundred billion to one trillion plastic bags annually. It usually costs more to recycle plastic bags than to new ones. Estimates show that it costs $4000 to produce and recycle one ton of plastic bags, which are then sold for $32. There are more plastic bags in the sea than there are on the land. They have been found floating as far as the Arctic Circle. Ten percent of debris on the United States coastline is plastic bags. Plastic bags enter the sea and other water bodies in several ways. They are usually blown around to seas, lakes and rivers. They can also enter the sea through drains and sewage pipes. Research conducted in 1975 showed that ocean going vessels dumped eight million pounds of plastic bags annually.

Plastic bag shopping bags are made from polyethylene, a thermoplastic made from oil. Reducing the consumption of plastic bags can therefore reduce the dependence of oil. Plastic bags are photodegradable. This means that they break down into smaller petropolymers, which are more toxic. The petropolymers contaminate the soil and waterways and they find their way into the food chain. This produces negative effects on wildlife. The animals confuse the plastic bags for food, ingest them and they die. Almost two hundred different species of sea life including whales, turtles and dolphins die because of plastic bags. Birds are not spared either, as they are entangled by the plastic bags and they die.

Cloth bags are a better alternative to plastic bags. Using cloth bags will save six bags in one week, which will amount to 22,176 bags in an average lifetime. If one out of five people did this in America, the number of bags saved would be 1,330,560,000,000. Several countries have taken the initiative to end the consumption of plastic bags. In Asia, Bangladesh has already banned plastic bags. China has banned free plastic bags. Singapore, Taiwan and Israel are considering banning them. In Africa, Rwanda has already banned plastic bags. Other countries such as Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania are also considering banning plastic bags. Canada is also considering a move towards banning plastic bags. Ireland led Europe by reducing the dependence of plastic bags. It reduced the consumption of plastic bags by ninety percent after imposing a tax on them in 2002. In America, San Francisco was the first city to ban the consumption of plastic bags in 2007. The cities of Boston and Oakland are moving towards banning plastic bags.

Ethnomethodology

Introduction

What I Did

The experiment involved a controlled ethnomethodology exercise that involved measuring reactions exhibited by a group of females upon the interruption of their conversation. This experiment was carried out in a family planned event led by the readiness officer that is held every month. The procedure required that I conspicuously walk to the place where the females were seated and loudly describe their various appearances to an unknown caller on my phone; the phone call is a mock-presentation and therefore a simulated imaginary conversation.

The Setting

The event was well attended with individuals split into various groups each holding a total of four or five females. The environment was extremely loud as accorded to the various conversations and this was strength to the experiment since during the actual execution, it had to be conducted in phases according to the various groups. It was therefore easy to accomplish the desired purposes without the other groups observing or being ware of the exercise.

Who was Involved

Only two major participants were involved in the controlled experiments, which are I and a colleague by the name Summer. The experiment involved all the available females attending the event.

Other’s reactions: Verbal and Non-Verbal Cues

            Within the initial part of the experiment, it was hard to capture the females’ attention towards me, as they were busy in their conversations. As I continued with my description within the first group, one of the females overheard the conversation and gathering I was talking about them, she got all the others attention towards me. The female then went ahead to enquire about my actions and whether I knew her to which I responded that I neither knew her nor was I aware of what she was questioning me about. As I ignored the group and furthered on with my mock conversation I observed that they were acting irritated by the sound of their conversation and one of them went ahead to describe me as crazy. This point acted as the concluding part of the exercise on the first group.

I repeated the same procedure to the second group and their reactions were harsher than that accorded by the first group. Notably, the females in the second group were more verbally discourteous and I could approve of their behavior because I was the one invading their privacy. Their non-verbal cues were easily noticeable from their facial expressions, which slowly evolved from a pleasant nature before my interruption to an uncomfortable one upon the unanticipated invasion.

My Reaction: Thoughts, Emotions and Reflection

I did not believe that I had the capability to act the designated roles described above with regard to the experiment by the fact that I am a shy person. Prior to the actual implementation, I still had not grasped the magnitude of the experiment because I could not actually comprehend the fact that I had to make other individuals uncomfortable around me using a ploy that I would not even want used on me. From a subjective standpoint, I believe that the project demonstrates the universality exhibited within the human community with regard to given environments. For the give group reactions, I learnt that due to the diversity factor in terms of personality, all individuals would accord divergent reactions within the same setting.

During the actual execution of the experiment, I was extremely tense and self-conscious especially with the verbal and non-verbal cues that the females directed to me. In contrast, Summer was very excited about the experiment and enjoyed it, a succinct indication of his support towards the experiment starting from the idea inception. Summer’s optimistic view on the experiment and the support he accorded me towards the actual implementation of the exercise was very helpful.

Conclusion

Ethnomethodology deals primarily with the culture of the socialization process with the main premise arguing that the process is based on a joint effort in which involved individuals offer an accord to agree with one another. Order is accorded within the socializing process by the various thoughts and mannerisms portraying the intrinsic nature of an individual within the community. Conversations are therefore believed to be a channel used for elucidation purposes for the dilemma created within unclear communication. Lack of this leads to the creation of chaos as a deviation from the accepted interactions form is noted.

The conversation within the groups before the commencement of the exercise evidences communication amongst the involved females in an ordered manner, which leads to information mobility amongst them. The underlying factor for the accorded unity is the conscious effort and accord among the individuals to hold a meaningful interaction. With the experiment being a sample of the bigger populace, it follows the given inference that socializing amongst community members has to be based on the same foundations of agreement. The initial order in the interactions is broken at the point in which the invasion is noted and a level of deviance is noted from the discord that arises in form of verbal and non-verbal cues. I acted as the intruder and the conversations took another format creating discord within the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethics Issues of sharing personal information with advertisers by internet pages

Lack of privacy has become an increasingly alarming concern in cyberspace. There have been a high number of cases where internet pages share personal information about an individual with advertisers or where a breach of security occurs and an individual’s online activity are able to be tracked by other parties. Thus, this enables the advertisers know who to target, in order to strategize how to position themselves and their products to the potential customer. The personal information may even include the individual’s credit rating, marital status and online activities. The tracking of a person’s personal information and activities is highly unethical and can only be stopped by providing suitable ethical alternatives. It is a violation of privacy and theft of one’s personal information since the individual may not be aware that the transfer of information is even taking place.

Websites collect personal information from users through registration pages, user surveys, online contest, application forms and order forms. Some websites also collect information in more discrete methods such as the use of cookies, which enable them to track the online activities of the individual. These websites then allow other parties to use the information gathered about an individual for a fee. Banks for example may use this information to conduct a background check in order to assess the credit rating and financial position of an individual.

One of the ethical alternatives to the issue of sharing of personal confidential information is the development and implementation of a code of conduct and ethics that will govern the actions of all websites that acquire confidential information from an individual. The government should put concerted effort in ensuring that the privacy is strictly upheld within the online community. This can be done by putting in place an effective method of detecting the theft of personal information. From a deontological perspective, the government has an obligation to protect the rights of its citizens. Thus, it should ensure that they are able to access the internet safely without any threat of privacy violation. This can also be analyzed from a utilitarian perspective whereby the theft of one’s personal information violates the rights of the internet community and hence makes them wary of entering into transactions or disclosing any information about themselves freely, thus hampering their freedom.

Websites that require individuals to give personal information about themselves should indicate clearly and explicitly on its homepage that it observes a code of ethics in dealing with the information obtained from users. The website should also outline whether it reveals any information to third parties, so that the user is able to assess the suitability of the website for his privacy requirements. From a deontological perspective, it is the duty of the website to make known its practices before entering into a transaction with an individual. The individual has a right to know the terms and conditions under which he is revealing personal information about himself. This can also be analyzed from a Unitarianism perspective whereby the consequences of revealing information are positive for the individual because he is able to decide for himself whether he wants to continue using the website or not. Non-disclosure on the other hand bears negative consequences such as lawsuits when the individual realizes that the information he reveals is being disclosed to other parties.

Thirdly, the websites should give the consumers a choice of whether or not to disclose their information to other parties such as advertisers. Therefore, if the consumer so wishes, his information can be disclosed but if not, his information should be kept strictly confidential. This is ethical from a deontological perspective because the website has to meet its obligation towards the consumer’s privacy and protection. From an Unitarianism perspective, this is an ethical action because the consumer has a right to be given options that grant him the desirable consequences.

Fourthly, the consumers should also be empowered such that they can control a situation where they find themselves victims of privacy violation. Policies should be implemented to ensure that the consumer could adequately stop further disclosure of the information or locate where the information is being leaked. From a deontological perspective, a consumer should have the right to defend himself from cyberspace violations and to protect his rights. This is also ethical unitarily because it bears positive consequences for the consumer.

Impact of Sports

Sports are well known to bring together people from diverse environments and to make them feel as a family. Regardless of the culture, religion, ethnicity, gender or even age, sports make them have a common bond and a sense of belonging. Sports unify people in that people from different lifestyles converge to support their teams. This makes the players on one team to feel as a family and the other fans as their brothers and sisters. In history in the 1970s, racism was wide spread and the only thing that mattered was the color of your skin but thanks to sports like baseball and athletics, people were brought together without consideration of their skin colors (Bale & Cronin, 2003).

Sporting activities can contribute positively or negatively to a community in so many ways. At the local level, most talents are realized for example during street matches, college tournaments, open tournaments, community games to mention but a few. At this level, people can be selected according to their sporting talents no matter their race, gender, ethnicity or religion. They will then in turn be coached on how to better themselves and are taught on how to make the best out of their sporting talents. They can be chosen to represent their community, which also improves the image of their community (Gratton & Henry, 2001). In cases where young people are involved, this will make them deviate from various social degradations such as drug abuse, peer influence and violence that is common in their age groups.

Sports have also contributed positively in the development of communities at the local level. It has promoted social interactions by allowing people from different lifestyles to come together for a common goal, as fans of a team. During these activities, they cheer, shout, interact and discuss issues affecting them as a community. Sports also form a platform through which they can air their views on how to better their community as a whole, such as security, infrastructure, health, sanitation and so on. In addition, sports create a link between various communities

Internationally, taking the Olympics as an example, sports help reduce social degradations such as racism and hatred according to its set standards and principles. “The American society use sports as a crutch” (Burrows, 2008). Although sports in Northern Ireland are highly politicized at both levels of politics and culture, fans treat each other as members of a common family. It also helps improve social ties internationally, which promotes trade, cultural interactions, and environmental succession. Taking the UK as an example, the impact of the Premier League has been noted in all parts of the world with every soccer enthusiast wanting to be affiliated with one successful team or the other. Sport can also lead to inferiority complex from countries that are not known to do well in sporting activities. This makes them not have a sense of belonging, as they are not part of the sporting fraternity.

The impact sports have on the society is very diverse, ranging from finance, emulations, pride, and infrastructure. Every year, people spend millions of dollars to participate in various sporting activities such as watching their favorite athletes, building sporting infrastructures and so on. This has in turn changed sports to be a multi-billion business. Stadiums are built and athletes are paid even on poor performance all from the taxpayer’s pocket. Most parents emulate professional sportsmen and women as they bring up their children. Although not all kids turn out to be professional athletes, parents continue to put some amount of pressure on youth sports, which has brought about some of the negative elements of competitiveness. Professional sports can unite people from different occupations and promote civic pride as well as, misappropriation of funds and hatred in the society. It is also about pride. It brings out the true nature of a person, as some will dress up in various costumes and designs to cheer their teams. “It also brings out the best and worst in terms of personal pride” (Sugden & Bairner, 1995). Most people become obsessed with sports, which is very unhealthy. Sports have also improved the infrastructure in terms of roads, stadiums and communication links. This helps to facilitate the sporting activities taking place.

By putting on events, the local council not only promotes community cohesion but also enforces discipline into the lives of people, deters them from social immorality, enables them realize their talents and makes them better persons in the society. Sports will ensure time that what would have been spent in anti-social behaviors such as drug abuse and violence is well spend for the good of the person (Preus, 2007). Sports cannot change the world but it can change small parts starting with one’s perception on life. By involving people in arts and drama, we expect to put their free time into better use, divert their energy to constructive and positive ways of living, unite people and promote the success of the environment as a whole as well as enhance social interactions. Sport is good for ones physical and mental health.

References

Andreff, W., & Szymanski, S. (2006). Handbook on the economics of sport. Boston, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Bale, J., & Cronin, P. (2003). Mike.Sport and post colonialism. Oxford:
PublisherBerg.

Burrows, B. (2008). The impact professional sports have on American society. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1185890-the-impact-professional-sports-have-on-american-society

Downward, B., Dawson, A., & Dejonghe, T. (2009). Sports economics: Theory, evidence and policy. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Girginov, V. (2008). Management of sports development. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Gratton, C., & Henry, P. (2001). Sport in the city. New York, NY: Routledge.

Levermore, R., & Budd, A. (2004). Sport and international relations: an emerging relationship. Philadelphia, PA: Routledge.

Preus, H. (2007). The Impact and Evaluation of Major Sporting Events. New York, NY: Routledge.

Stine, P. (1992). Sports in America. Collingdale, PA: Diane Publishing.

Sugden, J., & Bairner, A. (1995). Sport, politics and culture. New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing Group.

Watt, C. (2003). Sports management and administration. New York, NY: Routledge.

Wyludda, A. (2006). The Impact of a Mega Sports Event for a Nation. Munchen, Berlin: GRIN Verlag.

Zimbalist, A. (1997). The economic Impact of sports teams and stadiums. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press