The Good Death - :: essays research papers

Fear mongering is a profoundly successful apparatus in getting common consideration however in the event that we increment the disciplines we can, at that point decline the measure of psychological warfare. So as to stop psychological warfare we have to comprehend what fear mongering is. 'Fear mongering is the unlawful use or danger of brutality against people or property to assist political or social destinations (The Vice President's Task Force on Combating Terrorism, pg. 17).'; Terrorist can utilize various methodologies. Some of the time they give alerts and some of the time they don't. The most ideal approaches to settle fear based oppression is by understanding the purposes for it, finishing exposure for it, and expanding securitiy measures for it. Â Â Â Â Â Terrorism is utilized to change a gatherings political or social goals. 'It is commonly proposed to threaten or pressure an administrations, people or gatherings to alter their conduct or strategies (The Vice President's Task Force on Combating Terrorism, pg. 17).'; Violence is its principle ley in acquiring this change. Fear based oppressor focus on the whole populace. Which builds their opportunity of progress. There id do a lot of psychological warfare because of its superfluous achievement. Fear based oppression has gotten wild. 'Psychological warfare has gotten the acknowledged model for the cutting edge utilization of power, with fear mongers them selves frequently getting a charge out of more good believability than the just expressed they are attempting to cut down (McGurn, William, pg.91).'; By permitting the fear based oppressor to turn out to be more mainstream than their administration it makes a considerably increasingly furious circumstance. This needs to change or the fear based oppressors acts will just increment. Â Â Â Â Â Terrorism is a technique utilized in light of the fact that it has no guidelines. This causes it to fluctuate valuable because of it having no limitations by any stretch of the imagination. 'While atomic weapons are implies that can be molded by human will and techniques, psychological warfare dismisses the establishment of every Western ethic: the conviction that even the respectable motivation has limits (McGurn, William, pg.94).'; Since there is no principles there is no restriction to how far a fear based oppressor can take his demonstration. To negate them having no principles we have to set up boundaries for what we permit them to do. In the event that they need to challenge something or some legislature the most ideal approach to really get results is by peaceful acts. Â Â Â Â Â Terrorism right currently has a lesser discipline that that of a similar criminal act. It appears that since they have an explanation they can put others in danger. On the off chance that your a fear based oppressor you have a little regard since you are going to bat for what you have confidence in.

Shakespearean Tragedies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Shakespearean Tragedies - Essay Example Notwithstanding, in the plays of Shakespeare, the sad saint is consistently an honorable man who appreciates some status and thriving in the public eye however has some ethical shortcoming or defect which prompts his defeat. Outer conditions, for example, destiny additionally have an influence in the saints fall. Detestable operators regularly follow up on the legend and the powers of good, making the saint settle on wrong choices. Blameless individuals consistently feel the fall in catastrophes, also. Shakespeares disasters are, generally, accounts of one individual, the legend, or at generally two, to incorporate the courageous woman. Only the Love Tragedies (Romeo and Juliet; Antony and Cleopatra) are special cases to this example. In these plays, the courageous woman is as much at the focal point of activity as the legend. The remainder of the catastrophes, including Macbeth, have single stars, so the shocking story is concerned principally with one individual. The disastrous legends nature is uncommon, and by and large raises him in some regard much over the normal degree of mankind. Shakespeares sad saints are made of the stuff we find in ourselves and inside the people who encompass him. In any case, by a heightening of the existence which they share with others, they are raised above them; and the best are raised so far that, in the event that we completely understand all that is suggested in their words and activities, we become cognizant that, all things considered, we have barely realized anybody looking like them. They have a lethal blessing that conveys with it a dash of significance (wild assurance, fixed thoughts); and when honorability of psyche, or virtuoso, or colossal power are joined to it, we understand the full force and reach of the spirit, and the contention wherein it connects with obtains that greatness which blends compassion and pity, however profound respect, fear, and stunningness. Shakespeare composed disasters from the earliest starting point of his vocation: perhaps the soonest plays was the Roman catastrophe Titus Andronicus, and he tailed it a couple of years after the fact with Romeo and Juliet. Notwithstanding, his most appreciated catastrophes

The Cambridge-MIT Exchange

The Cambridge-MIT Exchange Heres the long-awaited guest blog entry on the Cambridge-MIT Exchange (CME)! For background on the program, check out the CME website. CME is MITs flagship junior year abroad program, allowing MIT students to matriculate as a full student for a year at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England. Read on for Amandas experience A Year at Cambridge A guest blog by Amanda Frye, MIT 06 Spending a year at Cambridge has been an incredibly wonderful experience, although there have been a few difficult moments. I remember a few years ago, when I was a freshman at MIT, I thought, I would never do a program like that. I would hate to leave MIT for a year. There are things that I have missed about MIT. Ive missed friends, social opportunities, the Shakespeare Ensemble that I did many theatrical productions with. However, I know now that next year I will be just as homesick for the friends Ive made here and the team that Ive rowed with for our college crew. Seeing another academic system, one where much more emphasis is placed on long-term retention of learning, has been a good experience. I think in some ways Ive been able to develop a healthier lifestyle here at Cambridge, one where I go to bed early and wake early to go out on the river and row. My friends here constrain their work to 9-5 Monday through Friday, and they use the evenings and the weekends to go out to pubs or formal halls (formal dinners where students and professors dress up in evening clothes and have a three course meal). In general, being at an academic institution with over 800 years of tradition gives you a different sort of feeling. I hope that I will be able to use some of these experiences next year when I return to MIT to make my time there more productive. Of course, you are all trying to decide whether you should come to MIT or not. I would say that the Cambridge-MIT exchange is a great reason to go to MIT, whether or not you plan on studying abroad your junior year (and of course I would encourage any of you to study abroad your junior year!). Having classmates, and friends, that came from Cambridge University was a really neat experience my sophomore year, and I think that I was more likely to meet foreign students at MIT than at other colleges. The reason? The exchange program is really excellent because it integrates the foreign student (either from Cambridge or MIT) completely into their new university. From what Ive seen, this is an unique experience on an exchange programs. Many American universities send students on exchange for only a semester, which would never really give you a good feeling for what Cambridge, where everything is organized on a year-long schedule, is like. I know other exchange students who were placed in housing completely made up of exchange students, isolating them from meeting British students. The MIT program put me in a college just like any other Cambridge student, and the majority of my friends here are British. Finally, we have had amazing support from MIT and from Cambridge, with staff at both institutions asked to make sure we are happy and doing well. Even if you dont go to MIT or go on the exchange program, do try to get over to England sometime! Ive really enjoyed going to London, even just for the day, to see amazing theater, eat at really nice restaurants, visit tourist sites like the London Eye, St. Pauls Cathedral, and Samuel Johnsons house, and do some shopping in some of the numerous markets. In Cambridge there are lots of fun things to do as well, like punting down the Cam (the river here), seeing the Kings College Choir sing, and visiting the various colleges, trying to find the areas used in the Harry Potter film. If you do come, though, just make sure not to wear anything referring to Oxford theres a bit of a rivalry here! Formal Hall with Myself and a Friend Tourists, and Students, Punting outside of Kings College Kings College Gate, a landmark in Cambridge The view out of my window (the Eagle pub)

Geoffrey Chaucer Was He an Early Feminist

Geoffrey Chaucer had ties to strong and important women and wove womens experience into his work, The Canterbury Tales.  Could he be considered, in retrospect, a feminist?  The term was not in use in his day, but did he promote womens advancement in society? Chaucers Background Chaucer was born into a family of merchants in London. The name derives from the French word for â€Å"shoemaker,† though his father and grandfather were vintners of some financial success. His mother was an heiress of a number of London businesses that had been owned by her uncle. He became a page in the house of a noblewoman, Elizabeth de Burgh, Countess of Ulster, who married Lionel, Duke of Clarence, a son of King Edward III. Chaucer worked as a courtier, court clerk, and civil servant the rest of his life. Connections When he was in his twenties, he married Philippa Roet, a lady-in-waiting to  Philippa of Hainault, the queen consort of Edward III. His wife’s sister, also originally a lady-in-waiting to Queen Philippa, became a governess to the children of John of Gaunt and his first wife, another son of Edward III. This sister,  Katherine Swynford, became John of Gaunt’s mistress and later his third wife. The children of their union, born before their marriage but legitimized later, were known as the  Beauforts; one descendant was Henry VII, the first  Tudor  king, through his mother,  Margaret Beaufort. Edward IV and Richard III were also descendants, through their mother,  Cecily Neville, as was  Catherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII. Chaucer was well-connected to women who, although they fulfilled very traditional roles, were well-educated and likely held their own in family gatherings. Chaucer and his wife had several children – the number is not known for certain. Their daughter Alice married a Duke. A  great-grandson, John de la Pole, married a sister of Edward IV and Richard III; his son, also named John de la Pole, was named by Richard III as his heir and continued to claim the crown in exile in France after Henry VII became king. Literary Legacy Chaucer is sometimes considered the father of English literature because he wrote in the English that people of the time spoke rather than writing in Latin or French as was otherwise common. He wrote poetry and other stories but  The Canterbury Tales  is his best-remembered work. Of all his characters, the Wife of Bath is the one most commonly identified as feminist, though some  analyses  say that she is a depiction of negative behavior of women as judged by her time. The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer’s stories of human experience in the Canterbury Tales are often used as evidence that Chaucer was a sort of proto-feminist. Three pilgrims who are women are actually given voice in the Tales: the Wife of Bath, the Prioress, and the Second Nun – at a time when women were still expected largely to be silent. A number of the tales narrated by men in the collection also feature female characters or ponderings about women. Critics have often pointed out that the women narrators are more complex characters than most of the men narrators are. While there are fewer women than men on the pilgrimage, they’re depicted, at least on the journey, as having a kind of equality with each other. The accompanying illustration (from 1492) of the travelers eating together around a table at an inn shows little differentiation in how they behave. Also, in the tales narrated by male characters, women are not mocked as they were in much of the literature of the day. Some tales describe male attitudes towards women that are harmful to women: the Knight, the Miller, and the Shipman, among those. The tales that describe an ideal of virtuous women describe impossible ideals. Both types are flat, simplistic and self-centered.  A few others, including at least two of the three female narrators, are different. Women in the Tales have traditional roles: they’re wives and mothers. But they are also persons with hopes and dreams, and criticisms of the limits placed upon them by society. They’re not feminists in the sense that they critique the limits on women in general and propose equality socially, economically or politically, or are in any way part of a larger movement for change. But they do express discomfort with the roles in which they are placed by conventions, and they want more than just a small adjustment in their own lives in the present. Even by having their experience and ideals voiced in this work, they challenge some part of the current system, if only by showing that without female voices, the narrative of what is human experience is not complete. In the Prologue, the Wife of Bath talks about a book that her fifth husband possessed, a collection of many of the texts common in that day which focused on the dangers of marriage to men – especially men who were scholars. Her fifth husband, she says, used to read from this collection to her daily. Many of these anti-feminist works were products of church leaders.  That tale also tells of violence used against her by her fifth husband, and how she regained some power in the relationship through counterviolence.

Essay Understanding and Preventing Air Pollution - 1775 Words

Understanding and Preventing Air Pollution Air pollution is a major problem affecting the entire world. In the United States some progress has been made in reducing air pollution through the Clean Air Acts passed by the Congress. Still there is a lot to be done. To prevent air pollution it is important to understand how the air is being polluted, how it impacts on the ecosystem and what we can do about it. Earth is surrounded by layers of gases known as atmosphere. The layer closest to the earth is called the troposphere. It extends up to ten miles above the surface of the earth. Over the troposphere is the stratosphere which extends from ten to forty miles above the earth ( Gutnick pg. 9). Ozone is a part of the stratosphere†¦show more content†¦Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas which is emitted through the process of incomplete combustion of fossil fuel. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that, when inhaled, combines with the blood and renders them incapable of carrying oxygen. Methane occurs as a principal ingredient in natural gas, and is produced by the bacterial decomposition of plant and animal matters. Methane in the troposphere absorbs heat and causes greenhouse effect ( Gutnik pg. 15). A sulfur based gas occurs mostly as sulfur dioxide (SO2) which is a colorless, tasteless, foul smelling , heavier-than-air gas. Besides naturally produced from activities of the volcanoes or decomposition of organic material in swamps, it also is produced by the burning of sulfur containing fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide combines with water vapor in the air, forming sulfurous acid (H2SO3), a major component of acid rain ( Gutnik pg. 15). Ozone is a form of oxygen (O3) and a major air pollutant in the troposphere. It is very harsh and irritant to the lungs, and can be a serious problem for people with lung disorders. Ozone in the stratosphere, on the other hand, is good and acts as a filter to the sun’s harmful rays which can reach the earth’s surface, causing skin cancer to theShow MoreRelated Acid Rain: Scourge From The Skies Essay1011 Words   |  5 Pagesrain truly is. The facts that he used added substance to the essay by validating his point of view. In the same way, the author used effective illustrations and examples to prove his point. These examples and illustrations simplified the readers understanding as to how severe acid rain is and how we can try to prevent it. For instance, one great illustration adopted in the essay reports, â€Å"Lumsden Lake, on the north shore of Ontario’s Georgian Bay, twinkles like a sapphire in a setting verdant forestRead MoreAir Pollution And Its Effects1271 Words   |  6 Pagesannually are linked to air pollution. Air pollution is described as â€Å"a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air† (â€Å"Air Pollution† MedlinePlus). This form of pollution mainly occurs from the burning of fossil fuels, noxious gases from vehicles, manufacturing chemicals, ground-level ozone (a reactive form of oxygen and a primary component of urban smog), and tobacco smoke (â€Å"Air Pollution† National Institute...). These emissio ns suspend deadly particles around in the air that can remain in theRead MoreUnderstanding Air Pollution Causing By Nitrogen Oxide952 Words   |  4 PagesWhen a huge amount of nitrogen oxide is being emitted into the air it forms smog and acid rain. Acid rain can damage everything that it falls on mainly the environment; it contaminated human resources such as water and etc. Once the acid rain contaminates the water resources it deteriorates the water quality causing more nitrogen to be in the water. With more nitrogen present in the water it upset the chemical balance of nutrients/ minerals that are being consume by the aquatic plants and animalsRead MoreWater Pollution Essay912 Words   |  4 Pagesactivities lead to water pollution. â€Å"All water pollution happens in one of two ways: via non-point or point systems. Non-point pollution comes from indirect sources, like agricultural runoff, mining waste, paved roads, and industrial activity.† (Copeland, 2017) Having cl ean water is very important when having to provide water for multiple activities. These activities might include washing the dishes, doing the laundry, and giving fresh and clean water to animals and plants. Water Pollution is an increasinglyRead MoreReflection Paper On Environmental Health1317 Words   |  6 PagesEnvironmental Health in Your Own Backyard Reflection Paper Introduction Environmental Health field is the segment of public health that is concerned with assessing, understanding, and controlling the impacts of people on their environment and the impacts of the environment on them. There are many problems facing the field include the treatment and disposal of liquid and airborne wastes and hazard, safe drinking water, adequate and safe food, protection of hospital and medical workers from infectiousRead MoreEssay On Environmental Pollution1605 Words   |  7 Pagesissue of environmental pollution, especially soil, water, air and thermal pollution. This has caused some people to leave their homes, animals to die and even children to become sick which is quite disheartening. This paper addresses the environmental pollution problem by looking at the causes, the effects, and some possible remedies or solutions that we can employ. It engages in online research as well as field research. Introduction Environmental pollution is a severe problem thatRead MoreNuclear Power As A New Form Of Energy947 Words   |  4 Pages An inconvenient truth: A global warning [DVD]. Hollywood: Paramount.] (Movie) b. Air pollution is another common effect of current methods of producing energy. i. Coal contains includes many toxic elements like arsenic and lead. 1. They are released as the coal burns in many different ways. 2. The combination of these elements may combine with other natural elements to create the smog in cities. ii. Air pollution has many harmful effects on humans. 1. Can potentially shorten life length. 2. CanRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution On China1973 Words   |  8 PagesIn December of 2015, China was faced with a â€Å"red alert† for air pollution. In an article from The New York Times titled â€Å"Smog So Thick, Beijing Comes to a Standstill,† Edward Wong stated, â€Å"For many residents, the red alert...underscored the devil’s handshake that China has made in recent years: the trading of a healthy living environment for breakneck economic growth.† There are many negative consequences of air pollution. Vaclav Smil’s â€Å"Environmental Degradation in China,† describes the variousRead MoreDubai, United Arab Emirates Along with Karachi, Dubai is recognized as one of the fastest1600 Words   |  7 Pagesalso set up free trade areas and encouraged investment from overseas. Like Karachi, Dubai is also experiencing rapid economic growth. The rapid development created serious environmental problems with greater congestion and increasing pollution rates. Rapid urbanization has led to many ecological issues because many of the isolated buildings are dependent on fossil fuel energy. However, among many of the environmental problems, water is considered as a biggest problem in Dubai. DubaiRead MoreSheri S. Teppers Novel, Beauty Essay1613 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many misconceptions about beauty and its importance, in todays society. In a time when physical beauty can be of utter importance, we seem to be at a loss of it. What is beauty and where can it be found? Can we see it in the air we breathe, the brilliant oceans, in the striking sunsets, or even in one another? With the weight of beauty in todays society, the common use of expressions used to describe lifes brilliance is expected. The many expressions used to discuss beauty such a s beauty

What Makes Us Human Free Essays

Anthropologists say that we are humans because of evolution. The portion of DNA that is responsible for the structure of proteins is 99. 4% common in humans and chimpanzees. We will write a custom essay sample on What Makes Us Human or any similar topic only for you Order Now Anthropologists say that we are humans because of evolution. The portion of DNA that is responsible for the structure of proteins is 99. 4% common in humans and chimpanzees. The dictionary says that human beings are individuals of the genus Homo, or more specifically, Homo sapiens. That only answers the anthropological aspect of what makes us human. Paul Bae also takes the anthropological stance on humankind saying that â€Å"Changes caused by evolution and time make us human. † When asked what separates humans from animals, he replied saying â€Å"human minds are more developed than animals, allowing humans to be at the top of the food chain. † Psychologists say a distinctive quality in humans is the cognitive process. The cognitive process is a demonstration of the central ability humans possess that define us. More simply, it is our ability to think and make decisions. The brain plays the most crucial part in the cognitive process. The part of the brain that differentiates the human brain from brains of other species’ is the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex controls senses, thoughts, language and memory. The brain plays the most crucial part in the cognitive process. The part of the brain that differentiates the human brain from brains of other species’ is the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex controls senses, thoughts, language and memory. Aaron Marentette agrees with psychologists and says â€Å"The thing that makes us humans is our ability to make smart choices and just choices in general. When he was asked the question of what difference there is between humans and animals, he responded, saying â€Å"The difference is that we have undergone evolution and therefore, have become more civil. † Finally, sociologists say that the factor that makes humans human is culture. Culture is simply the ideas, abilities, and behaviours people have acquired to become members of society. Culture is always evolving in society and the world and it mainly unique to the human species. Above: Culture plays a huge part in shaping humans. Culture affects how we treat each other and interact. Above: Culture plays a huge part in shaping humans. Culture affects how we treat each other and interact. Below: Culture is specific to humans. Animals indicate SOME aspects of culture but it is ingrained by genetic programming. Humans can change their environment and pass the changes onto their children. Below: Culture is specific to humans. Animals indicate SOME aspects of culture but it is ingrained by genetic programming. Humans can change their environment and pass the changes onto their children. Max Nascimento believes that we are human because â€Å"humans have free will and have the ability to conquer anything we envision. † His thoughts on the variation between humans and animals are that â€Å"animals walk on four legs, act on instinct, and don’t have a conscience. † All three answers to what makes us human are correct. Evolution made us human through changes in DNA. The cognitive process made us human through our ability to problem solve and think. And finally culture shaped us into the social beings we are. They are all factors that affect humans and differentiate us from any other living species on this planet. How to cite What Makes Us Human, Essay examples

Summary of the Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard free essay sample

In an era of soaring GNP, productivity, and discretionary income, many in business believed that for the good of the economy, people had to consume more and more, whether they wanted to or not. By the mid-fifties, psychological counselors were urging merchandisers to become merchants of discontent to create wants that people didnt know they had, so that their possessions, well before they actually wore out, would become psychologically obsolete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, in a time of increasing product parity, consumer had to be given reasons not necessarily rational for preferring one brand over another. . So Ad Men Become Depth Men. Ad men recognized three different levels of human consciousness: (1) conscious (rational) we know what we think and can explain our thinking; (2) preconscious we may understand our feelings, sensations, and attitudes (our prejudices, assumptions, fears, emotional promptings and so on) but would not be willing to explain them ; (3) subconscious we not only are not aware of our true attitudes and feelings but would not discuss them if we could. MR was concerned with exploring the second and third levels. MR did not take root as a really serious movement until the late 40s and early 50s. The most famous practitioner was Ernest Dichter, PhD, Director of the Institute for Motivational Research. As early as 1941 Dichter was exhorting ad agencies to see themselves as some of the most advanced laboratories in psychology. He said the successful ad agency manipulates human motivations and desires and develops a need for goods with which the public has been unfamiliar [and] perhaps may be even undesirous of purchasing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dichter insists that products must not only be good; they must appeal to our feelings deep in the psychological recesses of the mind. He tells companies that they must discover the psychological hook and that theyve either got to sell emotional security or go under. Excitement about MR reached a crescendo in 1953 and 54, as marketers began recruiting social scientists by the hundreds to conduct depth studies. 4. And the Hooks are Lowe red. By 1957, a great many marketers were using MR. Two of the more common techniques are:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Depth interview. The investigator tries, patiently but casually, to get the consumer into a reverie of talking and musing absent-mindedly about the pleasures, joys, enthusiasms, agonies, nightmares, deceptions, [and] apprehensions the product recalls to him/her. Projective tests. The subject is asked to interpret a symmetrical ink-blot, or to tell a story about a picture, or to make up captions for a cartoon, or (the Szondi test) to pick out, from a group of pictures, the person e/she would like take a trip with (the subject doesnt know that each person suffers from a different mental illness). Some MR investigators also use lie detectors, word-association and sentence-completion tests, hypnosis, or subthreshold (subliminal) stimulation. 5. Self-Images for Everybody. The growing sameness of products (and the complexity of their ingredients), had made it very hard for either marketers or consumers to make r easonable distinctions among products in the same category. The answer was to help people, in an easy, warm, emotional way, to make unreasonable distinctions, by giving each product a distinctive, highly appealing image. Studies of narcissism indicated that nothing appeals more to people than themselves, so why not help people buy products that were projections of themselves? The image builders reasoned that they could thus spark love affairs by the millions, and the sale of self-images soon was expediting the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of merchandise to consumers, particularly gasoline, cigarettes, and automobiles. . Rx for Our Secret Distresses. The merchandisers concluded that billions of dollars worth of sales depended heavily on successfully manipulating or coping with our guilt, fears, anxieties, hostilities, loneliness, and inner tensions. Guilt proved to be one of the major problems the motivational analysts had to grapple with, for though self-indulgent and easy-does-it products such as candy, soft drinks, ciga rettes, liquor, cake mixes, and laborsaving appliances were becoming a significant sector of the total market, Americans still were basically puritans at heart. Therefore, the marketing of such products had to assuage guilt feelings and offer absolution. Cigarette advertising began to reflect the insights of MR: people were shown smoking while under pressure or as a reward for tough jobs done. Similarly, candy was marketed as a way to reward oneself, or, when sold in bite-sized pieces, as self-indulgence in moderation. Household appliances were portrayed as offering a way to spend more time with the children, and cars, a legitimate release of aggression through speed and power. 7. Marketing Eight Hidden Needs. In searching for extra psychological values that could add to product appeal, merchandisers came upon many gratifying clues by studying our subconscious needs, yearnings, and cravings. Once a compelling need was identified, the promise of its fulfillment was built into sales messages [see Table 1]. 8. The Built-in Sexual Overtone. The MR people went beyond the old cheesecake and get-your-man themes, with more subtlety, deeper penetration into the subconscious, and more emphasis on poetry, fantasy, and whimsy. Thus the famous I Dreamed I Stopped Traffic in My Maidenform Bra played upon hidden exhibitionistic desires. And the enormously successful hardtop car fulfilled a mans desire for both wife (sedan) and mistress (convertible), for conventionality plus adventure. The depth researchers also found both men and women in need of reassurance about their respective sexuality. Thus, lingerie ads began showing women admiring themselves in mirrors, assuring herself that she is fully feminine, and urging the buyer to do the same. And a host of products (e. g. , cigars, True Magazine) were successful because they reassured men of their virility. The same product was found to have different meanings to men and women. While a house is an expression of a womans self, it is, to a man, a haven, a symbolic Mom. One ad even showed a house with outstretched, loving arms. Some products underwent transvestitism, the most spectacular being Marlboro, which started out as a womens cigarette, but, with new filter, packaging, and advertising, was reborn as an aggressively male product that addressed some of the core meanings of smoking adulthood, vigor, potency. 9. Back to the Breast, and Beyond. MR also sought to exploit the subconscious desire of many adults for the pleasant mouth satisfaction they felt as infant breast feeders and small children. Foods were found to be loaded with hidden meanings. Ice cream, for example, symbolizes uninhibited overindulgence, so advertisers were advised to show it overflowing the dish. Housewives may use food as a reward or punishment, depending on what they choose to serve. Food has special meaning for fat people (they use it as a substitute for other forms of gratification) and for people under stress so hospitals were counseled not to offer strange or unusual foods. Chewing gum, cigars, and cigarettes (Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet) and the oral gratification associated with them were all subjects of the motivational researchers attention. 10. Babes in Consumerland. The prodigious amount of supermarket impulse buying is apparently due to the fact that many women, during supermarket shopping, fall into a light trance (perhaps the result of the profusion of goods that once were available only to royalty). Accordingly, marketers went to work to make their packages as hypnotically attractive as possible, e. g. , by making the shoppers imagination leap ahead to the finished product. Impulse buying was also stimulated by splurge counters laden with delicacies and, in department stores, by counters labeled simply Why Not? . 11. Class and Caste in the Salesroom. The social classes of greatest interest to marketers are the lower-middle and upper- lower, since these account for most of the population and the purchasing power in a typical community. Accordingly, sights were trained on Mrs. Middle Majority, who lives under a strong moral code in a highly restricted world. The sponsors of daytime TV personalities that brought warmth and connection into that world (e. , Arthur Godfrey, Garry Moore) were richly rewarded. Although people in the lower social brackets dont seem to want to climb the social ladder, they can be persuaded to move up in their consumption, so merchandisers began to pay close attention to the consuming preferences that went with the various social classes (thus, for example, a more expensive candy box was designed for the lower-class purchaser, for whom the packaging was highly significant). 12. Selling Symbols to Upward Strivers. Another opportunity arose from the fact that most Americans are social strivers (though no one cares to admit it). Our purchasing habits change as we adopt the choices of the group we seek to enter. The merchandisers played to this tendency by investing products with new and exciting messages of status. Most Americans are vulnerable to one of three merchandising strategies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1) Offer bigness. Has been vigorously exploited in automotive marketing. (2) Offer price exclusivity, e. g. , Joy perfume advertised as the costliest perfume in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (3) Testimonials by high-status celebrities. These were not new, but in the 50s they were employed more systematically than before. Of course, restraint must be exercised: products cannot be presented as too high-toned, lest consumers wonder, Am I good enough? ; and the appeal cannot be too narrow (e. g. , dog food ought not be sold with thoroughbred dogs, since most people dont have them). 13. Cures for Our Hidden Aversions. In many cases, consumers resistance was based on seemingly unreasoned prejudices, which MR was able to uncover, thus enabling products to be rediscovered. Cases in point:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prunes, with their old maid and laxative connotations, were repositioned as a delightful, sweet wonder fruit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The marketing of instant coffee as efficient and timesaving was found to imply that the housewife who bought it was lazy and a poor planner; the new advertising emphasized that the product was 100% pure coffee that satisfied your coffee hunger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Margarine and dried milk, heretofore touted simply as worthy substitute products, were marketed on their own virtues. 14. Coping with Our Pesky Inner Ear. The acute sensitivity of our inner eye and ear in receiving unintended messages impelled marketers to look for the residual impression in selling messages. Examples:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A refrigerator maker was advised not to show the door open without a housewifes hand on it, since this implied the waste of electricity. Philip Morris was advised to stop touting its cigarettes as less irritating: what remained in the consumers mind was irritating.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a similar vein, questions arose as to whether a TV show could be so arresting that viewers wouldnt pay attention to the commercials. When a mystery show was replaced by a panel show, sales of the sponsors product went up. 15. The Psycho-Seduction of Children. MR was also concerned with developing product and brand loyalty early in life and thus creating eager consumers for the future. But even before children could buy, the merchandisers sought to harness kids influence on their parents. Some companies offered prizes to kids who could bring parents into the showrooms. Motivational researchers were asked to help assure that TV shows would have a strong impact on children. They suggested that a show need not offer amusement or pleasure, as long as it helped the child express his/her inner tensions and fantasies in a manageable way, i. . , by triggering fear, anger or confusion, then offering a way to resolve these feelings, as with Howdy Doody and other shows which offered children a safe way to work off resentment against the adult ruling class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   MR also analyzed kids crazes in particular, the Davy Crockett phenomenon to discover why they rose and fell, and perhaps ultimately to create them. 16. New F rontiers for Recruiting Customers. As marketers were looked for ways to create new, broader, or more insatiable demands for their products, a key area of interest was mens clothes. Psychologists concluded that mens reluctance to appear conspicuous could be overcome by persuasion that (1) played on their increasing desire to impress their peer group and (2) gave women permission to indulge their already strong inclination to mold and perfect their mens public image. The drive to create psychological obsolescence by making the public style-conscious and then switching styles extended to typewriters, phones, and home appliances, where color was the primary sign of newness. Depth merchandisers also began changing the seasons around, selling spring finery to women in January, when psychological spring begins. Mothers and Fathers Days were converted into occasions for buying splurges. The growing amount of leisure time held out the prospect of vast consumer expenditures, and marketers focused on luring consumers into relaxing with such money-burning activities as do-it-yourself projects and hobbies, participatory sports, boating, and even shopping. 17. Politics and the Image Builders. In the 1950s the character of American political life changed radically, as both parties used professional persuaders and modern marketing techniques to help sell their candidates. The 1956 campaigns featured carefully-staged conventions and campaign appearances, five-minute (instead of 30-minute) TV speeches, and saturation advertising. The persuaders found that a vote, like a purchasing decision, was often based on irrational, illogical factors that MR could uncover, specifically, (1) the performance of the candidate, especially its sincerity, and (2) the personality of the candidate, especially the extent to which he is perceived as a father figure. Richard Nixon benefitted from all of these techniques and was regarded as the first of a new breed of media politician.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  18. Molding Team Players for Free Enterprise. The rise of the idea that the individual had no meaning except as a member of a group ironic in a country where individualism and free enterprise had always been watchwords was reflected in many areas of American life and was of keen interest to those interested in manipulating human behavior. In industry, th e emphasis on team play coincided with the appearance, in plants and offices, of social scientists, who brought their insights and techniques to bear on the perversity of man. MR consultants offered various services: evaluation of candidates for executive positions, finding out what employees think about their jobs and the firm, evaluating performance. Increasingly, companies screened their job applicants and employees for the appropriate team-play qualities. While some of the research was aimed at improving employee satisfaction, much of it was surreptitiously aimed at evaluating up-and-coming executives respect for authority, spotting potential mental illness, and scrutinizing mens home lives and wives to see if they would interfere with or support job performance. 9. The Engineered Yes. By the mid-50s, public relations counselors saw that they could cultivate positive opinions about their companies with the same techniques as the ad men were using to sell products. MR was enthusi astically applied to fund-raising, where the depth approach revealed that self-aggrandizement, ego-gratification, and self-interest (and, to a lesser degree, public interest, and the social benefit that accrues from associating with the best people) were the deeper reasons why people give to or volunteer to serve charitable causes. 0. Care and Feeding of Positive Thinkers. Much of the optimism coming out of the business community in the mid-50s was the work of PR people guiding top management in the proper manner, timing, and approach in making announcements of economic expansion and voicing expressions of confidence, thus helping win the publics mind over to optimism. This psychological marketing was considered key to economic growth, for if consumers started watching their dollars and becoming more cerebral about their purchases, it would become more difficult for the depth merchandisers to tempt people into impulse buying, status-symbol buying, leisure buying, and many other forms of self-indulgent consumption. Similarly, small retailers and investors were thought to need repeated doses of reassurance. 21. The Packaged Soul? The persuasive techniques of MR and the values that it advances (consumption, groupthink) hold some disturbing implications, which are already evident in current [i. e. mid-50s] developments: * packaged communities complete with furniture, ready-to-meet neighbors, and already-formed recreational groups; * a trade school that trains workers not only in mechanical skills, but in a co-operative outlook; * the depth probing of little girls, in order to discover their vulnerability to advertising messages for home permanents; * t he notion that human behavior could, like airplanes and missiles, be electronically controlled, since the human brain [is] essentially a digital computer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  22. The Question of Validity. MR was not without its critics and skeptics [see Table 2]. But the consensus of the most responsible practitioners was that MR was useful as a starting-point or clue-spotter, but that it should be validated by other methods whenever possible. And executives have concluded that MR can provide answers they cant afford to ignore; it is, therefore, here to stay. 23. The Question of Morality. The defenders of MR claim that anything that raises the GNP is good, or that people have become so skeptical that their psyches are not damaged by the constant assaults, or that theres nothing sinister about giving people what they really want, whether its new products or better working conditions. Still, there are profound moral questions about using mass media to play on peoples hidden fears and weaknesses to sell them products, to manipulate small children, to treat voters like customers in need of father figures, to cultivate wastefulness by promoting psychological obsolescence, and so on. The most disturbing ethical issues are: (1) the assumption of the right to manipulate human personality; this involves an inherent disrespect for the individual;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2) the elevation of consumerism; while Dr. Dichter contends that its important to give people permission to enjoy life, possessions dont necessarily make people happy and besides, America is too great a nation to have to depend on such devious practices to sustain its economy;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Professional advertising and PR organizations should draw up codes of ethics, and individuals should learn to recognize the devices of persuasion, so that if they are behaving in response to irrational motivations, at least they will be aware that they are doing so. TABLE 1: Eight Hidden Needs * Emotional security. Home freezers, a way to store more food than people could possibly eat, were sold as symbols of security, warmth, and safety. * Reassurance of worth. Soap and detergent advertising reassured the housewife by exalting the importance of her role in keeping things clean. * Ego-gratification. Steam shovel sales improved when ads began showing more prominent pictures of the operators, upon whose recommendations sales depended. * Creative outlet. Cake mix marketers reformulated their product to allow the housewife to add eggs or milk, thereby giving here a more active role in the process. * Love object. The promoters of pianist Liberace made much of his resemblance to a beautiful child. * Sense of power. A staple of automotive marketing, with promises of that extra margin of safety in an emergency providing a rationale for the power. * Sense of roots. Mogen David wine was marketed with references to the family-centered occasions of which it was a part. Immortality. Life insurance ads showed the deceased, while physically gone, still shielding, providing for, comforting and governing his family. TABLE 2: Major Criticisms of MR * Overenthusiastic supporters have too often implied that MR is a cure for every marketing problem, whereas in reality there is no single reason why people buy or dont buy a product. * MR has lifted diagnostic tools from clinical psychiatry and applied them to mass behavior with no certainty that such transference is valid. And since MR is expensive, there is a built-in motivation to limit the size of the sample population. * Results depend too much on the brilliance of a single practitioner; testing procedures have not been standardized or validated. Also, different research experts can interpret the same test results differently. * The findings are sometimes not subjected to objective confirmation by conventional testing methods before they are accepted and applied. There is often no rigorous follow-up study. THE HIDDEN PERSUADERS Critical CommentaryI. GENERAL COMMENTS ON THE BOOK AND ON THE ARGUMENTS IT MAKES: * Manipulation is a word with strong negative connotations. The techniques Packard describes can also be viewed simply as a refinement of techniques of advertising, communication, and persuasion, in order to address needs of a different kind needs which represent the next stage of consumption patterns, instigated by the synergistic effects of mass production and widespread wealth. * Any new knowledge is typically seen at first as sinister and forbidden. But Packard sometimes goes too far in presenting simple truths in this light. Of course we buy products on the basis of the ways in which their characteristics interact with our own. Of course we use material possessions to advertise our status, our prestige, our awareness of style and fashion. When didnt we? Of course we want our working conditions to respect our dignity and self-esteem. And of course workers should be trained in how to get along with others (cf. Packards negatively-presented trade-school example, Ch. 21, which actually presages TQM, team concept, quality circles, etc. This is why some of the case-studies seem either obvious or forced (e. g. , vanity presses as an example of ego-gratification), while others have, as Packard admits, a positive side (as when psychologists found that the need for recognition was a factor in worker discontent). As Foote Cone amp; Belding Chairman John OToole said in a Time interview (2/8/82), critics such as Vance Packard made the [adve rtising] profession out to be sinister, like brainwashing. In fact, advertising is simply salesmanship. It is unabashedly partisan and persuasive; it doesnt pretend to be gospel. * A related point: Packard denigrates virtually all attempts to increase peoples cooperation and compliance. Thus, he ridicules MR studies that try to find ways to make us less troublesome and complaining while staying in hospitals. But if an organization or a society is to function, there must be a balance between these and individualism. Packard ignores the fact that making people cooperative and compliant is often the result of removing genuine irritants or demeaning conditions that obstruct a necessary cooperative effort. Packard occasionally makes his points with case studies that are either trivial (e. g. , that MR caused Socony Vacuum to change its name to Socony Mobiloil because of associations with vacuum cleaners; surely this requires no probing for subtle, hidden meanings! ). * Regarding the m orality of consumerism the argument against gadgets/consumption is framed simplistically, inasmuch as Packard attempts to impose a moral framework on an activity that is essentially amoral. Frivolousness is in the eye of the beholder. Those who condemn consumerism always take it upon themselves to decide what others do and do not really need, ignoring the fact that many new products really do help people control their environment, use time more effectively, improve their health and fitness, and so on, in ways that they may not have known about. The conflict between Epicureans and Stoics is an old one that will probably never be resolved. The social consensus veers toward one or the other eras of consumption alternate with eras of restraint in response to various forces, the most powerful of which may be the state of the economy. In any event, neither side should attempt to impose its values on the other. * Issues that are still relevant/valid: * Men at bay, needing reassurances of their virility; cigars as symbols of same. * Emotional significance of ice cream (nostalgia, voluptuousness). * Moral objections to advertising that targets children. * The rationalizing of childrens TV shows (calling a cowboy movie American history and a space show scientific') recalls contemporary attempts to do the same with the Jetsons and other shows. * Controversy over laugh tracks on TV. Commercialism of political campaigns; candidate as product. Importance of President as father figure (Eisenhower in the 50s, Reagan in the 80s). * Importance of psychological marketing and consumer confidence. * Issues that are no longer relevant/valid: * Low-calorie foods fulfilling a need for penance (may be true for some consumers; most will not tolerate compromise on taste). * Expectations of greater need for leisure products because of increasing leisure time, shorter work week (people are not working less; may even be working more). Concern over social engineering of team players (while teamwork is important, the real challenge is not to create conformity, but to disrupt it cf. the current emphasis on renewal, diversity, intrapreneurship, thriving on chaos, etc. ). II. UPDATE: PACKARD AND HIDDEN PERSUADERS IN THE 80s AND 90s. * Eric Clark, in his 1989 book The Want Makers: The World of Advertising How They Make You Buy is less gloomy and alarmist about advertising than Packard, but he believes that advertising is all-pervasive: Today advertising is vast, increasingly global and more and more scientific in its methods. Its domination over the kind of programs we watch, the content of the newspapers and magazines we read, grows each year. It helps determine the politicians we elect the medicines we are offered, the toys our children demand, and the sports that are to thrive or decline. All of this is new in its size and its range, its implications and its dangers. Election appeals have become interchangeable with Coca-Cola commercials; products themselves are no longer simply sold by advertising increasingly they are the advertising. * In an article called Psyching Out Consumers, Newsweek (2/27/89) says The motivational techniques first described in Vance Packards 1957 best-seller are making a comeback. These methods fell by the wayside as advertisers turned to making decisions based largely on research that emphasized who might buy a product, not why. Now, with the same basic information available to all marketers, ad agencies are compelled to go beyond mere numbers to maintain a competitive edge. Moreover, many products are so similar that differentiating one brand from another is critical. * In a review of William Meyers The Image Makers (New York Times, (12/23/84), Stephen Fox says that Mr. Meyers believes the psychographic revolution began in the 50s, when it displaced the impulsive, intuitive practitioners who [had] dominated the business, Actually, however, advertising swings back and forth. In the 50s and 70s there was an emphasis on market research and quantification; the 80s, like the 60s, have been marked by an emphasis on creativity and advertising as art Psychological methods such as motivation research were widely discussed, if not widely used, by advertising in the 50s precisely because they fitted the social-science fashions of the day. Regarding the validity of both Meyers and Packards arguments, Fox says: In the sense that The Image Makers is largely an updating of The Hidden Persuaders, Mr. Meyers repeats Vance Packards fundamental error interviewing interested parties wit professional stakes in psychological approaches to advertising and then taking their self-serving claims too literally. * In December, 1991, The Public Pulse reported that despite decades of criticism, beginning with Packard, neither the somewhat sinister connotations attached to terms like ad men and Madison Avenue, nor the recent explosion of marketing and advertising channels, have turned consumers against advertising in general. By a 59-35% margin, more of the public view the advertising industry favorably than unfavorably and assessment virtually unch anged over the past decade But Americans are far more critical [of] advertising practices. Asked about 14 specific advertising and marketing practices [of] American business, they consider the negative ones [to be] far more common than the positive ones. * In an article entitled Beyond the Hidden Persuaders (Forbes, 3/23/87), Jeffrey Sonnenberg says that Many of the tools Madison Avenues new motivators use would be familiar to Packard. The Thematic Apperception Test, for example, is still with us. But it has been sharpened by experience to tap more efficiently emotions and feeling about products that many of us are normally unable or unwilling to share. So-called focus groups remain an important tool, too But the scale and sophistication of it all is beyond anything Packard could report. Today every major ad agency has a research department that keeps sociologists or psychologists or anthropologists on retainer Thanks to advances in the social sciences and the advent of personal computers, there is not only more information available to researchers today than 30 years ag o, but that information is analyzed far faster and in greater detail. | |

English Literature Essay Example

English Literature Essay By P Baburaj Senior Lecturer Dept. of English Sherubtse College, Bhutan MAC FLECKNOE John Dryden In Restoration period, in 1660 was a nation divided against itself. The plague of 1665- 70,000 people died in London alone. In September 1666- The Great fire of London. 13, 000 houses destroyed. As mentioned England was in bad condition. The literature of the period was influenced by the writings of the classical poets such as Virgil, Horace, and Ovid. They tend to return Classical Period. The restoration Period was marked by an advance in colonization and overseas trade, by Dutch wars, by the great plague and the great fire of London, by the Whig and Tory parties and by the Popish plot. Mock? heroic, written in an ironically grand style that is comically incongruous with the ‘low’ or trivial subject treated. This adjective is commonly applied to mock epics, but serves also for works or parts of works using the same comic method in various forms other than that of the full? cale mock? epic poem. Heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used for epic and narrative poetry. It refers to poems constructed from sequence of rhyming pairs of iambic pentameter lines. The rhyme is always masculine used in the heroic couplet first pioneered by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Legend Of Good Women and The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is also widely credited with first extensive use of iambic pentameter. The mock heroic style was popular in the Post-Resto ration. We will write a custom essay sample on English Literature specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on English Literature specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on English Literature specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer MacFlecknoe traces its hero’s rise to stupidity in verse deliberately mimicking the style of and alluding to the Aeneid and other epics. Like the Odyssey, it starts in a kind of Olympus, only its the realm of Nonsense, until recently ruled by Flecknoe. The dying king of dullness searches for a successor and, by virtue of his vices (as it were) MacFlecknoe (Shadwell) gets the nod. The rest of the poem develops by a pattern of mock praise of poetic vices wherein success is failure and the slightest deviation from the stultifying norm is a clear sign that somebodys got poetic talent. MacFlecknoe is the mocking Scottish form for son-of-Flecknoe, and the character stands for Thomas Shadwell, whose pretention to be taken for the inheritor of Ben Jonsons poetic tradition Dryden skewers by making him the son of Richard Flecknoe, a poet even Shadwell would see was d ull. Other characters represent contemporary or recent poets (Heywood, Decker, Shirley, Fletcher), or they are allegorica l, part of the epic machinery of the gods by which Dryden mocks Shadwell, making him inherit the throne of Nonesense. John Drydens â€Å"Mac Flecknoe† is a poem in the mock-heroic tradition. Written in about 1678, â€Å"Mac Flecknoe is the outcome of a series of disagreements between Thomas Shadwell and Dryden. Their quarrel blossomed from the following disagreements: 1) their different estimates of the genius of Ben Jonson, 2) the preference of Dryden for comedy of wit and repartee and of Shadwell, the chief disciple of Jonson, for humors comedy, 3) a sharp disagreement over the true purpose of comedy, 4) contention over the value of rhymed plays, and 5) plagiarism. Flecknoe comprehends that it is time for his departure as he has for long reigned over the realms of dullness beginning his tenure like Augustus at an early age. The first two lines are an ostentatious platitude on the transience of Life; how Fate eventually wins over the former. The only common aspect between Flecknoe and Augustus was that both of them began to rule young; the insignificance of Flecknoe is contrasted against the huge stature of Augustus, in keeping with the mock -heroic tradition. Flecknoe was indubitably the undisputed King of Dullness in the realms of prose and verse. He has produced a large number of dunces and now seriously contemplates over a successor. Flecknoe pitches on Shadwell owing to a persistent dullness right from his literary infancy. There is a Biblical allusion as to how God created man in his own image. Again following the mock-heroic tradition the grandeur of God is contrasted against the conformed stupidity of Shadwell The other dunces have occasionally showed flashes of genius while Shadwell has consistently exemplified his expertise in the field of dullness. While others may create something intelligible once in a while, Shadwell never deviates from his record-his graph has been steady and consistent for dullness. Subsequently, the poet goes on to gibe at the corpulence of Thomas Shadwell with not too much of sarcasm. Dryden mocks at Shadwell’s idiocy. The man blocks the whole of vision with his huge structure. The imposing structure comes across as a huge oak that is monotonous and insensate. Just as the oak blocks the rays of the sun, Shadwell permits no enlightment of minds. As per Dryden, Shirley and Heywood were insignificant and loquacious. They utilized words extensively without communicating any real sense. Nevertheless, Shadwell overshadowed them in their talent for verbosity. He thereby has earned himself the much coveted title of â€Å"the prophet of Tautology†. Flecknoe is ecstatic at the fact though he is greater in absurdity than Shirley and Heywood, Shadwell has outdone them all. Verging on blasphemy, Mac Flecknoe likens himself to St. John the Baptist who arrived before Jesus to pave the way for the Saviour. Likewise, the advent of Flecknoe is merely a prelude to the heralding of the ultimate epitome of Dullness, Shadwell. Dryden also satirizes Shadwell’s poetic and musical pretensions. A cacophony (dissonance) is superior to Shadwell’s noise,says the speaker. Shadwell penned the play called Epsom Wells, but the line Such a fellow as he deserves to be tossed in a blanket occurs in Shadwells Virtuoso. Arion was the renowned magician of Cornith. Once as he returned from a musical extravaganza, sailors robbed him of his belongings and cast him into the sea. The melodious music that he played on his lute allured the dolphins and they steered him back to safety. Shadwell could only reproduce squeaks and roars. The thick-skinned people came to laud the so-called musician. The scum(sedimentary waste) came to cheer him just as tiny fishes rushed in for fragments of food thrown to them. With affected encomium, Dryden contests that Shadwell had a better timing than the St. Andre, the French master. His troop participated in Shadwell’s’ opera,†The Psyche†. Dryden asserts that the troop’s performance was out of rhythm owing to the unnecessary feet in Shadwell’s lines. Shadwell’s conducting of the choir was totally out of tune. Dryden showers praises on Shadwell for the extra -feet included in his poem. In an ironic tone, Dryden claims that â€Å"The Psyche† was such a masterpiece in tautology that Singleton, the actor grew green with envy. He always enacted the role of Villerus in the lute and the sword scenes of Davenant’s play†The Siege of Rhodes†. He was now convinced that the play was worthless in comparison to Shadwell’s psyche. It was futile to be an actor any longer. Thus he disparages in the guise of praise (and employs a satiric tone in the process). Dryden then goes on to describe Mac Flecknoe’s coronation. As he mentions the ‘nursery’, he refe rs to a theatre in Golden Home in 1664 to train children for the stage. Good plays were never performed here. It was ludicrous to find little boys and girls playing out the parts of kings and queens. The nursery comes across as a tribute to wretched playwrights. The language employed is also deplorable. It verges merely on puns and verbosity. As the whole of London prepared themselves to welcome the coronation of Shadwell Instead of the red carpet, worthless works were strewn on the pathway in order to honour him. Dryden parodies the scene in Book V of the Aeneid where Aeneas declared to his followers that in the event of his death his son Ascanius would succeed him . Dryden goes on to describe Shadwell that clouds of dark ignorance formed a halo around his head. The brows were thick with fogs of idiocy. Shadwell pledges that he will venture industriously to promote and support insipidness. Like Hannibal vowed to remain an enemy of Rome, he declared to be the arch rival of good sense. Just as Homilcar forced h is son to take the oath, Flecknoe asks his son to swear. Kings often hold a ball and scepter as the emblem of sovereignity. Here, Shadwell is provided with a mug of ale, and a copy of Flecknoe’s deplorable play â€Å"Love’s Kingdom†. Dryden mocks at Shadwell’s alcoholic tendencies ,and his sexual expoilts. Flecknoe, the celibate and his illegitimate son can only verge on degrading comments and abortive issues like the ale. In his other hand, instead of the scepter, he is equipped with â€Å"love’s kingdom† that connotes the female genitalia. The birth of psyche reinforces this aspect. As Shadwell’s artistic endeavors are termed as abortive’, he is deemed to have all the features of a woman. It functions as a response to Shadwell’s taunt: â€Å"An old gelt mastiff has more mirth than thou. † Flecknoe adorns Shadwell with a sheath of poppies hinting at Shadwell’s addictive tendencies to opium. It also hints at the sleep-inducing merit of his monotonous works. Going back to his mock-heroic traditions, he asserts that Rome was named by Remus and Romulus. As a dispute ensued between them, they appealed to the Omens. As Romulus saw twelve vultures, where Remus only six, Romulus attained the distinction of naming the city. The speaker here brings twelve owls, the birds of Zeus ,a symbol of ill-omen instead of vultures. The next lines reveal Flecknoe blessing his son. Let success allow others to produce better works. Shadwell will follow Flecknoe and produce more and more literary abortions. They are feminine in character, and are sterile . Only that they have feminine instinctive feelings. As potent ale issues forth urine, Virtuoso and Psyche are revealed to be tedious volumes of excrete. Intelligent playwrights often introduce fools in their plays to exemplify the author’s genius. Nevertheless, Shadwell’s characters illustrate the author’s stupidity. They are the best evidences of Shadwell’s stupidity. The only distinguishing factor between him and them are their names. Shadwell was often charged with plagiarism. Particularly, he borrowed from the plays of Sedley. This adulterates his unalloyed stupidity that Flecknoe regards superior to all. Shadwell,therefore, must not rely on others, but solely depend on his spontaneous idiocy that sets him apart. Shadwell and Ben Jonson had nothing in common but rotundity. Jonson never rose to absurd heights. Shadwell should not imitate Ben Jonson as his works were artistically sound. Flecknoe affirms that Shadwell is truly his own child. It appears as though one dunce advocates another. Nevertheless, the stolen passages stand out conspicuously bringing out the considerable differences between both the writings. Shadwell should be proud for his dry, verbose, sleep-inducing verses. While his tragedies provoked laughter, his comedies were soporific. He always produces the opposite effect rather than the intended one. However, in spite of himself, though the speaker endeavours to be satirical in approach, it turns out to be harmless and shallow. Shadwell was the superior writer of comedies as compared to Dryden in reality. If Shadwell really wanted to attain fame he should contest in the field of low -level and stupid idioms. Flecknoe advises Shadwell not to pen plays, but engage in shallow humour, pseudo-wit and dull expressions. The poet uses another mock-heroic feature. In the Bible (II Kings, ch:2;11-17) Elijah leaves his mantle to Elisha as he ascends towards his heaven. Thereby Elisha was endowed with the gift of prophesy. Similarly, Flecknoe conferred his mantle of dullness upon Shadwell as he descended to hell. The term â€Å"prophet’s part† probably means â€Å"father’s part†. Nevertheless, the poem ends with an offensiv e ’fart’ as the concluding note. Satiric Perspective in John Dryden’s Mac Flecknoe In the poem Mac Flecknoe, John Dryden’s contempt for his literary contemporaries practically drips from every word. However, the effect of this arouses neither anger nor sympathy in the reader, but laughter. How can such serious intentions produce such a seemingly inappropriate response? The answer is through satire. Satire employs wit and humor as a device of ridicule by transforming the meanings of words. Specifically, a sudden imbalance in diction triggers a sense of confusion as the reader struggles to place familiar words within an unusual context. What was once respectable becomes disreputable; what was once praised becomes condemned. As the new meanings of the words become clear, the realization of the mockery produces laughter. However, satire is much more than a means of slandering under the guise of humor. Indeed, few would appreciate the humor in defamation executed for its own sake. Rather, satire is amusing because the new meanings of words expose a formerly unnoticed, insightful truth about the old. For example, Mac Flecknoe undeniably ridicules, in particular, the literary ability and accomplishments of the restoration playwright, Thomas Shadwell. However, it also ridicules the underlying literary values that qualify Shadwell’s ability as a source of praise. Specifically, by intermingling the registers of royalty and religion with the low diction of stupidity and tautology, John Dryden’s satiric perspective both makes us laugh and reveals the absurdity of the literary values of his society. The imbalance in diction between registers of royalty and stupidity and its multiple satiric effects can be shown through an analysis of Dryden’s introduction of Shadwell through his father Flecknoe, and his description of Shadwell’s future kingdom. The poem begins by describing the succession of a monarchy in a tone akin to an epic masterpiece. However, instead of the praise and admiration we would expect of an Odysseus-like hero, the aged prince Flecknoe proclaims that his successor should only rule, who most resembles me: / Sh- alone my perfect image bears, / Mature in dullness from his tender years. Sh- alone, of all my sons, is he, / Who stands confirmed in full stupidity (lines 14 – 18). In these lines the combination of the words perfect and mature with dullness and stupidity effectively transforms the values of the former, and this is what creates the humorous effect. The reader expects the hero who succeeds to a crown to be endowed with qualities of perf ection and maturity, especially in the context of an epic poem. However, within the context of this poem, dullness and stupidity take on the register of royalty: they are now the admirable traits of a King. The sudden imbalance in diction of these words surprises the reader, and, aware of their original meanings, the absurd new definitions produce laughter. Although the example above showed how the imbalance of diction associated with the register of royalty causes a humorous effect, Dryden’s satire of royalty throughout the poem also communicates a broader commentary on the literary values of his society. This is especially shown in the description of Shadwell’s future Kingdom. According to Dryden, prostitution and bad writing characterize Shadwell’s realm. Here, amidst this monument of vanished minds, Flecknoe ambitiously designed his Sh-’s throne. / For ancient Dekker prophesied long since, / That in this pile should reign a mighty prince (lines 82, 86 – 88). The satiric perspective which transformed the values of the words perfection and dullness above can also be applied to the words ambitiously, mighty, and pile in this description. Indeed, it seems absurd for a mighty prince to aspire to rule a kingdom of brothels, and the image of such a situation is humorous. However, the deeper satiric meaning becomes clear once it is recognized that Shadwell’s realm is, in reality, a section of London known as Grub Street. In this enclosed section of London, freelance writers make a living selling everything from epitaphs to parliamentary speeches. Through the mockery of Shadwell’s kingdom as this part of London, Dryden ridicules the literary values of a society that make a place such as Grub Street possible. The effect of this on the reader is to rethink the validity of those values, as seen in the light of the satiric humor. The register of royalty is not the only theme exploited by Dryden throughout Mac Flecknoe for the sake of humor and the reformation of the values of his contemporary literary audiences. Indeed, just as literary audiences of the restoration had the necessary knowledge of Grub Street that is needed to appreciate the ridicule of it, they would have also found the religious references equally witty. Perhaps the best example of the satiric reversal of values concerning the religious register appears in the description of Shadwell’s coronation ceremony: From dusty shops neglected authors come, / Martyrs of pies, and relics of the bum (lines 100-1). Although the incongruency between the words martyrs and pies and between the words relics and bum is obvious, the transformation of values in this is case is not to be taken literally. Rather, the word martyr refers to the unsold books that were used to wrap pies and the word relics refers to those same unsold books that were used as toilet paper. Given this understanding, the line, Martyrs of pies, relics of the bum, is a combination of the highest register, the divine, and the lowest register, human refuse. Thus, in the context of the satire, the humor is derived from the imagery of the unsold books and neglected authors, which paved the way for Prince Shadwell’s approach to the throne and were reduced to the contemptible state of pie wrappings and toilet paper. Although the idea of human waste as a red carpet for a King seems preposterous, it becomes more so when considering the King to be a Messiah. In addition to satirizing the societal values that produced Grub Street, Dryden denounces the values of literary audiences by equating them with followers of the prophet of tautology. Through the voice of Flecknoe, Dryden compares two playwrights of the early seventeenth century, Thomas Heywood and James Shirley, to the figures of Moses and Isaac in that they have prepared the way for the coming of Shadwell: Heywood and Shirley were but types of thee, / Thou last great prophet of tautology (29 – 30). In this line Dryden elevates the status of Shadwell by an increase in the diction of a prince to that of a prophet. However, just as in the context of the satire Shadwell is succeeding to the throne of dullness, so does he take command of the backwards, circular philosophy of tautology as a prophet. In conjunction with Shadwell’s elevation in status, his supporters are satirically transformed from followers of a king of dullness to foll owers of a prophet of nonsensical reasoning. In this way, Dryden broadens the scope of ridicule to include those that, in reality, support Shadwell’s literary achievements. Of course, the purpose of this ridicule is to prompt the reader to reevaluate the soundness of praising a playwright that is not only compared to the prince of dullness, but the prophet of nonsense. It has been shown through an analysis of the ways in which the registers of religion and royalty combine with the registers of tautology and stupidity, that satire operates by employing humor and wit in order to communicate a deeper meaning. In the poem Mac Flecknoe, the element of surprise and a complete transformation of the values of words is what produces humor. The admirable traits of a hero become equated with folly and dullness. Readers of Mac Flecknoe find their worlds linguistically turned upside down; princes are turned into dunces and prophets are turned into idiots. Through an unexpected, extreme imbalance in diction, words take on a new meaning of absurdity, creating an inappropriate tone and a morally mutated context of idiocracy. However, it is this very characteristic of transformation and reversal that makes satire so effective in its humor and its message. Through satire, Dryden’s contempt for his literary contemporaries is persuasive ather than foreboding for the reader. Rather than view Dryden as full of malice toward Thomas Shadwell, the reader is prompted to view his or her own literary values from a different, clarifyi ng perspective. The result is that they come to realize the absurdity of their values, and with seriousness that could only be produced through tone and perspective of humor. Indeed, it is also this s ame aspect of satire that has caused Mac Flecknoe to receive such admiration, even some three hundred years after the poem’s publish. Whereas any writer can slander, to successfully produce a satire requires the skill of a true poet, such as Dryden. John Dryden’s Mac Flecknoe In the poem Mac Flecknoe, John Dryden’s contempt for his literary contemporaries practically drips from every word. However, the effect of this arouses neither anger nor sympathy in the reader, but laughter. How can such serious intentions produce such a seemingly inappropriate response? The answer is through satire. Satire employs wit and humor as a device of ridicule by transforming the meanings of words. Specifically, a sudden imbalance in diction triggers a sense of confusion as the reader struggles to place familiar words within an unusual context. What was once respectable becomes disreputable; what was once praised becomes condemned. As the new meanings of the words become clear, the realization of the mockery produces laughter. However, satire is much more than a means of slandering under the guise of humor. Indeed, few would appreciate the humor in defamation executed for its own sake. Rather, satire is amusing because the new meanings of words expose a formerly unnoticed, insightful truth about the old. For example, Mac Flecknoe undeniably ridicules, in particular, the literary ability and accomplishments of the restoration playwright, Thomas Shadwell. However, it also ridicules the underlying literary values that qualify Shadwell’s ability as a source of praise. Specifically, by intermingling the registers of royalty and religion with the low diction of stupidity and tautology, John Dryden’s satiric perspective both makes us laugh and reveals the absurdity of the literary values of his society. The imbalance in diction etween registers of royalty and stupidity and its multiple satiric effects can be shown through an analysis of Dryden’s introduction of Shadwell through his father Flecknoe, and his description of Shadwell’s future kingdom. The poem begins by describing the succession of a monarchy in a tone akin to an epic masterpiece. However, instead of the praise and admiration we would expect of an Odysseus-like hero, the aged prince Flecknoe proclaim s that his successor should only rule, who most resembles me: / Sh- alone my perfect image bears, / Mature in dullness from his tender years. Sh- alone, of all my sons, is he, / Who stands confirmed in full stupidity (lines 14 – 18). In these lines the combination of the words perfect and mature with dullness and stupidity effectively transforms the values of the former, and this is what creates the humorous effect. The reader expects the hero who succeeds to a crown to be endowed with qualities of perfection and maturity, especially in the context of an epic poem. However, within the context of this poem, dullness and stupidity take on the register of royalty: they are now the admirable traits of a King. The sudden imbalance in diction of these words surprises the reader, and, aware of their original meanings, the absurd new definitions produce laughter. Although the example above showed how the imbalance of diction associated with the register of royalty causes a humorous effect, Dryden’s satire of royalty throughout the poem al so communicates a broader commentary on the literary values of his society. This is especially shown in the description of Shadwell’s future Kingdom. According to Dryden, prostitution and bad writing characterize Shadwell’s realm. Here, amidst this monument of vanished minds, Flecknoe ambitiously designed his Sh-’s throne. / For ancient Dekker prophesied long since, / That in this pile should reign a mighty prince (lines 82, 86 – 88). The satiric perspective which transformed the values of the words perfection and dullness above can also be applied to the words ambitiously, mighty, and pile in this description. Indeed, it seems absurd for a mighty prince to aspire to rule a kingdom of brothels, and the image of such a situation is humorous. However, the deeper satiric meaning becomes clear once it is recognized that Shadwell’s realm is, in reality, a section of London known as Grub Street. In this enclosed section of London, freelance writers make a living selling everything from epitaphs to parliamentary speeches. Through the mockery of Shadwell’s kingdom as this part of London, Dryden ridicules the literary values of a society that make a place such as Grub Street possible. The effect of this on the reader is to rethink the validity of those values, as seen in the light of the satiric humor. The register of royalty is not the only theme exploited by Dryden throughout Mac Flecknoe for the sake of humor and the reformation of the values of his contemporary literary audiences. Indeed, just as literary audiences of the restoration had the necessary knowledge of Grub Street that is needed to appreciate the ridicule of it, they would have also found the religious references equally witty. Perhaps the best example of the satiric reversal of values concerning the religious register appears in the description of Shadwell’s coronation ceremony: From dusty shops neglected authors come, / Martyrs of pies, and relics of the bum (lines 100-1). Although the incongruency between the words martyrs and pies and between the words relics and bum is obvious, the transformation of values in this is case is not to be taken literally. Rather, the word martyr refers to the unsold books that were used to wrap pies and the word relics refers to those same unsold books that were used as toilet paper. Given this understanding, the line, Martyrs of pies, relics of the bum, is a combination of the highest register, the divine, and the lowest register, human refuse. Thus, in the context of the satire, the humo r is derived from the imagery of the unsold books and neglected authors, which paved the way for Prince Shadwell’s approach to the throne and were reduced to the contemptible state of pie wrappings and toilet paper. Although the idea of human waste as a red carpet for a King seems preposterous, it becomes more so when considering the King to be a Messiah. In addition to satirizing the societal values that produced Grub Street, Dryden denounces the values of literary audiences by equating them with followe rs of the prophet of tautology. Through the voice of Flecknoe, Dryden compares two playwrights of the early seventeenth century, Thomas Heywood and James Shirley, to the figures of Moses and Isaac in that they have prepared the way for the coming of Shadwell: Heywood and Shirley were but types of thee, / Thou last great prophet of tautology (29 – 30). In this line Dryden elevates the status of Shadwell by an increase in the diction of a prince to that of a prophet. However, just as in the context of the s atire Shadwell is succeeding to the throne of dullness, so does he take command of the backwards, circular philosophy of tautology as a prophet. In conjunction with Shadwell’s elevation in status, his supporters are satirically transformed from followers of a king of dullness to followers of a prophet of nonsensical reasoning. In this way, Dryden broadens the scope of ridicule to include those that, in reality, support reader to reevaluate the soundness of praising a playwright that is not only compared to the prince of dullness, but the prophet of nonsense. It has been shown through an analysis of the ways in which the registers of religion and royalty combine with the registers of tautology and stupidity, that satire operates by employing humor and wit in order to communicate a deeper meaning. In the poem Mac Flecknoe, the element of surprise and a complete transformation of the values of words is what produces humor. The admirable traits of a hero become equated with folly and dullness. Readers of Mac Flecknoe find their worlds linguistically turned upside down; princes are turned into dunces and prophets are turned into idiots. Through an unexpected, extreme imbalance in diction, words take on a new meaning of absurdity, creating an inappropriate tone and a morally mutated context of idiocracy. However, it is this very characteristic of transformation and reversal that makes satire so effective in its humor and its message. Through satire, Dryden’s contempt for his literary contemporaries is persuasive rather than foreboding for the reader. Rather than view Dryden as full of malice toward Thomas Shadwell, the reader is prompted to view his or her own literary values from a different, clarifying perspective. The result is that they come to realize the absurdity of their values, and with seriousness that could only be produced through tone and perspective of humor. Indeed, it is also this same aspect of satire that has caused Mac Flecknoe to receive such dmiration, even some three hundred years after the poem’s publish. Whereas any writer can slander, to successfully produce a satire requires the skill of a true poet, such as Dryden Dryden, Mac Flecknoe If it isnt too presumptious to make a statement about the entire age of the poetic style, I think the heroic couple gained popularity with the English poets because it was reminscent of classic epic poetry. On one hand, the evocation of the c lassics lent a sense of grandeur to the newly reinstated monarchy and the start of an empire. Yet the simplicity of the style (as opposed to the more rigid sonnets for instance) yields a mocking tone to the hopeful poet who dares to compare the present situation wi th the mightGreek/Romanempires. Like Drydens Annus Mirabilis invokes the image of a phoenix amidst the rubble and debris left after the Great Fire of London. While the patriotic intent is commendable, there is so much enthusiam in the hope for the bright future that it induces skeptism in the earnestness of the poet. The heroic couplet contributes to the grand feeling of rebirth, while the iambic pentameter and masculine rhymes make the reading sing -song, which in turns gives the view of the future childish and naive air. In Mac Flecknoe, Dryden uses the heroic couplet to satirize Shadwell by giving the poem an authentic, actual historic air. All the words seem to profess the succession of a wor

Quotes From The Stranger by Albert Camus

Quotes From The Stranger by Albert Camus The Stranger is a famous novel by Albert Camus, who wrote about existential themes. The story is a first-person narrative, through the eyes of Meursault, an Algerian. Here are a few quotes from The Stranger, separated by chapter. Part 1, Chapter 1 Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know. I got a telegram from the home: Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours. That doesnt mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday. It had been a long time since Id been out in the country, and I could feel how much Id enjoy going for a walk if it hadnt been for Maman. Part 1, Chapter 2 It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed. Part 1, Chapter 3 He asked if I thought she was cheating on him, and it seemed to me she was; if I thought she should be punished and what I would do in his place, and I said you cant ever be sure, but I understood his wanting to punish her. I got up. Raymond gave me a very firm handshake and said that men always understand each other. I left his room, closing the door behind me, and paused for a minute in the dark, on the landing. The house was quiet, and a breath of dark, dank air wafted p from deep in the stairwell. All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. I stood there, motionless. Part 1, Chapter 4 She was wearing a pair of my pajamas with the sleeves rolled up. When she laughed I wanted her again. A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didnt mean anything but that I didnt think so. She looked sad. But as we were fixing lunch, and for no apparent reason, she laughed in such a way that I kissed her. Part 1, Chapter 5 I would rather not have upset him, but I couldnt see any reason to change my life. Looking back on it, I wasnt unhappy. When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that. But when I had to give up my studies I learned very quickly that none of it really mattered. Part 1, Chapter 6 For the first time maybe, I really thought I was going to get married. Part 2, Chapter 2 At that time, I often thought that if I had had to live in the trunk of a dead tree, with nothing to do but look up at the sky flowing overhead, little by little I would have gotten used to it. Part 2, Chapter 3 For the first time in years, I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. The spectators laughed. And my lawyer, rolling up one of his sleeves, said with finality, Here we have a perfect reflection of this entire trial: everything is true and nothing is true! They had before them the basest of crimes, a crime made worse than sordid by the fact that they were dealing with a monster, a man without morals. Part 2, Chapter 4 But all the long speeches, all the interminable days and hours that people had spent talking about my soul, had left me with the impression of a colorless swirling river that was making me dizzy. I was assailed by memories of a life that wasnt mine anymore, but one in which Id found the simplest and most lasting joys. He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up to him and made one last attempt to explain to him that I only had a little time left and I didnt want to waste it on God.

Catholic Charities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Catholic Charities - Essay Example The paper "Catholic Charities" describes Cafod organization. Being a Catholic charity, it has some characteristics, which make it distinctive. It follows Catholic social teaching, which members look upon as authoritative, whether depending upon global statements made by the papacy, or by synods or national conferences of bishops. These are considered to require a response from the wider Catholic community as they put their faith into positive action. Although based upon unchanging principles, the seeking of justice for all for example. Cafod also allows itself to be affected in its decisions and actions by new ideas about such things as human rights, as set out for instance in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as produced by the United Nations. It also responds to the changing world - new as well as long standing social, economic and political actualities. This includes such simple things as encouraging parishes and individual parishioners to use and promote Fair Trade goods. People can become a member of parliament correspondent – basically keeping their member of parliament informed about Cafod activities, campaigns and injustices that the organization is aware of. Catholics are also encouraged to leave legacies to the organization. Cafod personnel contribute to important reports which are produced, and which may and should lead to action on the part of governments, and even international organizations, such as that on Aids in Africa from Unaids Facts and Figures.

The role of the local police in preventing and responding to the Term Paper

The role of the local police in preventing and responding to the threat of terrorism - Term Paper Example This situation has naturally resulted in the need for the local police to play an important role in the prevention of terrorist acts as well as the apprehension of perpetrators who may belong to any terror group, whether domestic or international in origin. At the moment, there may still be a need for the local police to fully appreciate this role in homeland counter-terrorism and develop strategies and tactics that would give a concrete expression of it. It is clear that the usually more equipped and trained defense machineries of the government are already occupied with the offensive side of the war on terrorism. In line with the theory of pre-emptive warfare, a great part of the U.S. military’s might have been stationed outside of the homeland, particularly in regions of the world where the concentration of foreign terrorist organizations is heavy. The orientation of the different branches of the armed forces is towards forward deployment. Under this circumstance, the quest ion about who is going to watch the rear demands an urgent answer. It is clear that the federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and even the respective state’s national guards may not be enough because of their inadequate number and concentration. The local police forces, on the other hand, have two advantages in this regard. Although they are not concentrated, they have a bigger number of personnel that could be mobilized for counter-terrorism. Secondly, they are more dispersed with distinct smaller areas of jurisdiction, making it possible for them to monitor dubious and illegal movements more convenient and effective. It is in these contexts that the potential of the local police forces in anti-terrorism are appreciated. I. The Limitations of the Local Police Force With the lethal attacks launched in 9/11 and the possibility of more similar strikes in American soil, convincing key leaders of the local police regarding the need to take a proactive stance against terrorism is not difficult. It is a fact that after 9/11, the top officers of the New York Police Department, as well as that of the other major urban centers in the country, have acknowledged to reorient their personnel and to include counter-terrorism as part of their roles and responsibilities. However, there is also the reality that the local police simply does not have the training and the equipment which could be utilized for the purpose of determining potential threats, investigating possible suspects, and apprehending them before the terrorist action is committed and, thereby prevent the loss of lives and the damage to properties. More importantly, the intelligence capabilities of the local police are not as sophisticated as that of the FBI and the Central Intelligence Agency. The intelligence data, as well as the dossiers built through the years on key leaders and operatives of different terrorist groups, have not been made accessible to the local police forces, as these remained under the exclusive control of the FBI, the CIA, and other defense and intelligence machinery of the federal government. In this respect, â€Å"the tremendous demand now being placed on police agencies to collect information and provide it a central clearing house in order to develop and coordinate intelligence on terrorist risks throughout the country† (Hasisi et al 2009, p. 193). It is clear that when it

John Dewey, My Pedagogic Creed

John Dewey, My Pedagogic Creed The ideas of the great American philosopher, John Dewey, transformed the American education system. While all Dewey did was simply apply some of his pragmatist philosophical ideals to the classroom, the results of his work changed education forever. In the short essay, My Pedagogic Creed, Dewey gives his readers great insight into his ideas regarding what education is, how it should be done, and why its important. Today, he is considered a father of education and his views are being adapted in all sorts of ways in classrooms around the world. Dewey first stood out by rejecting the traditional ideal of American education which was built around teachers standing up in the front of the classroom and pouring information into the minds of their students. Instead, Dewey suggested a new form of education that utilized applicable experience as the key element of learning. Thesis sentences here John Dewey embodies many of the pragmatic ideals that define American philosophy. He was born around the time that Charles Darwins Origin of Species book came out, so the debates surrounding that topic had a monumental influence on his philosophy. Along with many other American philosophers of Deweys time, such as Charles Sanders Peirce, there was a desire to respond to these new discoveries in evolutionary science and find out how they related to philosophy. Dewey believed that knowledge was best discovered through the scientific method. As I will later talk about, this is nowhere more prevalent than in Deweys model for education in which he defaults to hands-on experience and inquiry as the paramount key to learning. Going out into the real world and having a live experience that could be tested and criticized by others in order to progress to something better was essential to Deweys view and a foundational belief of many American pragmatists. In the eyes of Dewey, education and life were one in the same. Dewey is quoted as saying, education is a process of living and not a preparation for future life (8, My Pedagogic Creed). A proper education of the individual was essential to the functioning and growth of that individual and the society they lived in, as school was first a social institution. School was to be centered on the community and the student was being developed in school so they could be an active member of the community. Dewey advocated that what a child does in their home life should be incorporated into the curriculum in the classroom. Also for Dewey, the student had to be invested in their education for it to mean anything. The way that he suggested this be accomplished was to let the students learn about something they were interested in. An education could only be valuable if the student was learning material that they could actually apply to their real everyday life as evidenced by Deweys quote, True edu cation comes through the stimulation of the childs powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself (2, My Pedagogic Creed). Dewey believed that education was a process of discovery where students would study what they were interested in at their own pace as they were gradually becoming more aware of where their interests laid. Deweys education system is perhaps most well known for how it stresses the importance of hands on experience in the learning process. Dewey believed that people learned best by going out and interactively doing. Out were the days where teachers would lecture on facts and information, forcing their ideas onto the students. Dewey criticized teachers and the current education system for protecting students too closely and not letting them go out into the real world so they could blossom saying, the situation approaches learning to swim without going too near the water (The Relation of Theory to Practice, Dewey). For Dewey, a teachers job was more about being a facilitator to the students, helping them discover what they were interested in and then creating ways for them to actively do these things. Ultimately for Dewey, learning grounded in experience combined with subject matter that was interesting and applicable to the student would lead to a greater society. I think that both good and bad come from John Deweys ideas for education. First off, I like Deweys movement away from teaching styles that stressed only memorization and the regurgitation of facts. Hands-on experience is a proven way for students to learn. It is much more enjoyable for the student and seems to be directly applicable to their future. I also agree with Deweys view that students should learn about something that interests them. Stuffing facts that kids do not have any desire to learn down their throats is not beneficial to anyone. When students can actually connect with the material they are learning, they are more likely to put in the time and effort that is necessary to fully develop their knowledge and understanding of a subject. Lastly, I believe that its a good idea to focus your studies in one particular area as it is very difficult to master a multitude of subjects. I think its better to be extremely proficient in one subject than to have an average amount of kno wledge in multiple subjects. This way, everyone can pick an area of study that interests them and then, as a community, each person can bring their one unique area of expertise to the table and the rest of the people that arent as fluent in that subject can benefit. With that being said, I think the preceding principles need to be applied in moderation. While memorization and repetition is not a perfect form of teaching, the results are hard to argue with. I believe that there is something to be said for mastering a subject. For example, my major area of study is accounting. It is one thing for me to get hands on experience directly applicable to my major, but learning cannot just come through playing so to speak. I must first study all the foundational information that is out there. There are many people in the world that are much more knowledgeable on the subject than me and there are a lot of valuable things I can learn from them. Secondly, to be a successful accountant, there are other core subjects that I must be competent in. For instance, I need to be knowledgeable in English to be able to communicate with my coworkers and I need to know math so I am able to compute the formulas required in accounting. There is a proven value in having a rounded education. Learning about subjects that may not directly apply to your area of st udy can benefit you in many different ways. As an example, perhaps it could sharpen your critical thinking skills. And on top of that, a student might think they are not interested in a certain subject until they actually take a class and learn about it. Hard work and long hours spent in the library-sometimes memorizing principles and formulas-is necessary for me to be a master of accounting, although I may not enjoy that work. To me, Deweys education system seems to encourage skipping the main course and going straight to dessert. I believe that I first need to master the principles of accounting in order to deserve a shot of going out into the real world and actually doing accounting. Dewey stayed true to his pragmatic ideals by testing out his own education theories in a real-life environment. He created what became to be known as his very own laboratory school. Deweys school was radically different than any other of its time. The students did not sit at desks and listen to a teacher lecture or do homework problems out of a textbook. Instead they would be moving about the classroom doing varying physical activities, such as sewing or cooking. As I stated earlier, Dewey believed that students could learn the critical skills (math and science for example) that they needed by doing these types of activities instead of the more traditional studying the textbook method. The children were broken down by age and every different age group was always doing something different. Dewey had the kids going on field trips, building models, acting out plays, and playing games among many other active things. He preached that teachers should hold off on having kids do things like reading and writing until the student found it necessary and appealing to do so (Dewey Article, Enotes). Deweys school had its successes and failures and there is a lot that can be taken away his grand experiment. While I do admit that a lot of great education practices were first developed at Deweys laboratory school, I cannot help but notice the fundamental flaws that existed in it. If I was to apply what Dewey showcased in his school to todays world of education, I think his system would fail. The reason for this is first that Dewey seemed to be looking at education through rose colored glasses so to speak. In my opinion, a theory on education should be able to apply to any situation. I think about what Dewey had put together in his school, where the home life was heavily incorporated into the class curriculum. But, what about children that come from broken homes, as we see so often in todays society? If a child is being abused or suffering under the watch of alcoholic parents, who could care less about their childs education, how would that fit into Deweys system? Deweys school would probably work well in a case where a child has very supportive parents that are extremely interested in the ir childs education, but how often is that not the case in todays world? Henry Perkinson, an author and educator at New York University, makes a comment about Deweys lab school saying, Deweys educational philosophy depicts a school or school enterprise that never existed and probably never could exist. To carry it out would require superteachers and superstudents (Perkinson). While I believe Dewey is taking education in the right direction, I think he first needs to find a way to develop a theory on education that can apply to each and every student. Another area that I just cant agree with Dewey in is how he resorts to experience as the primary way for a student to learn. Without a doubt, I believe that his method of inquiry can add a lot to a students education. In his school, the kids were doing so many amazing things that I wish I could have done in my years as a young boy. But, looking at the big picture, there seems to be so many things that a child must learn over their lifetime that they cannot possibly discover and do everything. Yes, you can learn math when measuring out the flour required to bake a cake, but can that form of math be applied to everything? There are other things out in the world like measuring liquids or counting coins. How would one child have the time and the means to experience every single thing? I think that at some point, students will need to use some form of memorization of information or facts as a basis of knowledge that they can then use to learn about other things. A quote from a parent that had a child in Deweys school really sums up this problem saying, We have to teach him how to study. He learned to observe last year (Storr). I think that Dewey had the right idea, but he had everything backwards. First, the student should learn a foundation of knowledge, from something like a textbook, and then they can go out and experiment and apply that knowledge to real everyday situations. John Dewey was a great philosopher that made ground-breaking advances in education. He was a man that practiced what he preached and for that I have great respect. I do like Deweys ideas in doses. In the end, I think that a good balance of his experiential learning in combination with a disciplined study of information and textbooks is the best form of education. While his ideas did have their flaws, the direction that he took American education was for the better.