city of god essays

city of god essays In the introductory scene, there is a chicken running through narrow hallways in a Brazilian slum called City of God. Chasing the chicken, there are dozens of thugs waving and shooting guns trying to kill it. At that point, the hero of the movie, Rocket, is presented as what seems to be just another young man that is going to be bullied, or probably killed by the gang members if he doesnt catch the chicken. From there on, director Fernando Meirelles relocates the story a decade before, allowing the public to witness the changes on the slum that conducted to introduction of the movie, and to show that Rocket is a courageous man that is able to face his worst fears. The film is a coming of age story that uses bold cinematography and narrative to powerfully convey its message. The story is a documentary-like film that explains the evolution of violence in that poor city while telling the coming of age story of two kids that moved in opposite directions. On the one hand, there is a kid named Rocket who decided that he didnt want to be a criminal and opposed the violence happening around him. He tries to be a correct man. He falls in love with a pretty girl while working his way to become a photographer. When he sees his first camera, he knows what he wants to do with his life(Oppenheimer). However, after working on dead end jobs and realizing that the girl dumped him for a gang member, Rocket decides to try being a thief, but he finds out that he is not that type of person. Instead, he gradually grows to be a man with aspirations and the will to improve and move out of City of God. On the other hand, there is a boy named Li'l Z who admires his brother and his thug friends that live robbing people in order to buy drugs and to have fun. Li'l Z ends up surpassing the original gang members of the City of God and become ruthless murderer that is not afraid of anything and that craves total contr...

The Disappearance of Miranda Gaddis

The Disappearance of Miranda Gaddis Miranda was born November 18, 1988, in Oregon City. She attended Gardner Middle School  and dreamed of becoming a model one day. Miranda belonged to a dance team and was described by friends as being outgoing, funny, and very loving. In 1995, Miranda’s natural father was found guilty of abuse and sent to prison. A boyfriend of her mother later abused Miranda and was convicted and sent to prison. She spent a short time in a foster home because of the abuse. Despite her troubles, Miranda seemed well balanced and enjoyed her family, which included her older sister Maryssa, younger sister Miriah, and younger brother Jason. It is not surprising that Ashley Hope and Miranda Gaddis were friends. They were on the same dance team at school, lived in the same apartment building, and even resembled each other. They also shared similar pasts of having been sexually abused as young children. The apartment complex that Ashley and Miranda lived in was built in the late 1990s. It provided affordable housing for single mothers and lower-income working families, as well as the mentally ill. It had a high occupancy rate and was filled with children. Families would come and go, and children learned to make friends quickly with the new residents that moved in. It was near the edge of the complex, where Ward Weaver and his family, decided to rent a home. The Weavers had a young daughter close to Ashley and Miranda’s age, and it was not long before the three became friends. Ashley and Miranda spent time at their new friends house, sometimes staying overnight at slumber parties. Miranda, unlike Ashley, did not stay at the Weaver house for extended periods of time. She had other interest and friends that kept her busy in other activities. On Jan. 9, 2002, Ashley disappeared on her way to school. The police interviewed Miranda  and other friends of Ashley’s. As information filtered in, the authorities began to suspect that Ward Weaver was involved in her disappearance, but no arrest was made. Miranda was very involved in her friends investigation, offering the police personal information that Ashley had shared with her. Miranda knew the trouble that Ashley had experienced during her extended stays at the Weaver home. Ashley confided in her that Ward Weaver was violent and raped her while on a vacation in California. Miranda, who was not timid with her opinions, warned friends to stay away from the Weaver’s home because she felt Ward Weaver was dangerous. Some theorize that Weaver blamed Miranda for his daughter being ostracized at school, and in the neighborhood where they lived. Two months went by, and Ashley Pond was still missing. Life for Miranda was beginning to return to normal. On March 8, 2002, the day started out like most school days at Miranda’s house. Her mother, Michelle, left at around 7:30 a.m., for work. It is assumed that Miranda left to go to her bus stop at her normal time, around 8 a.m. She walked the same path that Ashley did on the day she disappeared – right near the door of Will Weaver’s house. Around 1:20 p.m., Michelle Gaddis received a call from her oldest daughter, informing her that Miranda was not at school and that none of her friends had seen her all day. The school confirmed her fears, reporting that she was absent in all her classes. Michelle immediately went to the police to report that her daughter was missing. Now haunted by two disappearances, the police and the FBI went on a round-the-clock investigation in hopes of locating Miranda Gaddis. The residents of Oregon City feared that a child abductor was busy deciding who his next victim would be. The missing girls mothers were convinced that the person responsible, knew both girls. The police focused on this theory as well  and returned to question many of the same people they interviewed just two months before  when Ashley disappeared. Some of the information they received, pointed to Ward Weaver, just as in the case with Ashley Pond, but still, no arrest was made. A Break in the Case A cry of rape by Ward Weavers sons girlfriend  brought an end to the police search of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. The woman, half nude, ran from the Weaver home, screaming that Ward Weaver had tried to rape her. Weavers  son followed up with calls to the police, saying his father admitted that he killed Ashley Pond. These accusations allowed the police to search Ward Weavers property. On the weekend of August 24-25, the bodies of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis  were found on the property of Ward Weavers rental home. Ashleys body was discovered inside a barrel, in a hole, under a concrete slab that had been poured soon after she was reported missing. Mirandas remains were found in a shed on the same property. An autopsy confirmed the identity of both girls. Ward Weaver Is Arrested On October 4, 2002, Ward Weaver was indicted for the murder of Ashley Pond, 12, and Miranda Gaddis, 13, as well as other counts in an unrelated case, which including sex abuse, attempted rape, aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse, all of which he plead not guilty. On September 22, 2004, ​Ward Weaver plead guilty to killing two of his daughters friends then hiding their bodies on his property. He received two life sentences for the deaths of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. See Also:Ward Weaver lll: A Life of BrutalityProfile of Ashley Pond

Womens ethical Priorities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Womens ethical Priorities - Essay Example However this does not mean that the notion of virtue or ethics is different in females. Their idea of virtue is same, but they think some things to be more important than the others. The difference is in the extent, not in the whole idea of virtue. Women actually go through many experiences in lives that change their perception of virtue. The feeling of motherhood is one such experience. Grimshaw argues that these experiences cause the difference in ethical priorities of woman (pg, 90). They may have a tendered approach in their decisions, but their perception of right and wrong will not change. They may have a tendency to look a matter with a different angle, but their ethical reasoning is not flawed. This argument of flawed reasoning actually has been used by many to deprive women from their rights. This is something that is not justified. The idea that gender differences can distort perception of reality is not rational or logical. The difference is in the ethical priorities of men and women, but not in the conception of virtue. This difference is due to the different social roles men and women play in their lives. This should not be used to defend any chauvinistic policy against women as it is the society that has inculcated this difference in

General Taxes Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

General Taxes - Coursework Example The holiday excludes all taxpayers regardless of their wealth. The budget of these households (the wealthiest) is more flexible and they can effortlessly time their purchases in order to take advantage of the limited-time offering (Sirot, 2011). North Carolina state administration has failed to collect enough revenues to support its collective commitment to educating the children, protecting the neighborhoods and supporting the elders. The big challenge is that the revenue collected by the state is from those who have the least capability to pay (Sirot, 2011). The sales tax produces nearly a third of the North Carolina’s revenues. However, the sales tax holiday leads in a loss of close to $12 million per year; this is the money that can fund early childhood education or enhance the educational attainment level of North Carolina young workforce. The sales tax holiday undermines the capability of the revenue system to offer support to the shared investments (Sirot,

Literature & Community Essay Example for Free

Literature Community Essay Literature can reflect the lives of individual characters and more importantly it can allow the reader to put the character or conflict in context by revealing the community through the eyes of the individual. In the instances of William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and John Updike’s â€Å"AP,† the community plays a central role for the narrator. The community and people are filtered through the lens of   Sammy the checkout boy and the unknown narrator. Both belong as part of the larger community but their observations allow the reader to glean a closer, though biased look of the other characters such as Emily and the girls roaming through the AP. Their narrations reveal the closed sensibilities of two communities separated by decades and the leaps of modernity, but the New England town of Updike’s story is no less judgmental or structured than the Faulkner’s 19th century southern community. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Faulkner shows Emily only through the eyes of the other community members. Haughty and self-contained, she is part of the community legend but not part of the reality of the town, described from the beginning as â€Å"a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town†(Faulkner, W. 2001; p.79). Their day-to-day lives continue with or without the presence of Emily, her death excites only curiosity. She is a living eccentricity who in her secrecy has elicited the town’s curiosity. They feel â€Å"not pleased exactly but vindicated† (2001; p. 80)   in Emily’s inability to marry successfully and heartened by the pity they can feel for her financial straits. The individual woman has long fallen to the wayside as the legend of her odd nature is absorb as lore. Presented through the eyes of the narrator, the reader never really attains a complete understanding of Emily as an individual character. Instead, Faulkner presents both facts and suppositions to show the mixture of gossip and fact that had created the myth of Emily. Stripped of her individuality by her inability to be part of the community and the community’s inability to accept her, Emily becomes a two-dimensional caricature of a woman. The reality of her preceding years, shown in the long-dead corpse lying in the bridal chamber and the gray hair upon the pillow beside, will simply be added to this myth. The narrator makes no attempt to explain this strange image but implies in the form of the rest of the story that this will be added to the legend. Faulkner’s story shows how the community can change an individual into a story, through their perceptions and judgments. Updike’s â€Å"AP† shows a similar trend in how judgmental assumptions can replace the reality of an individual. The community in this case is the closed community of an afternoon supermarket crowd who represent the town at large. In much the way Faulkner’s narrator reflects the views of the town, Sammy expresses and relays the perceptions of the â€Å"few house-slaves in pin curlers† (Updike, J., 2001; p. 33) and the judgmental manager. His observations of the other people in the supermarket and their reactions to the girls, both verbal and non-verbal, show the communitys perception of the girls character based on shallow assumptions. Sammy also unwittingly reduces the girls to embodiments of his own sexual desires. While he is outraged at the treatment they receive, he seems more bothered by the way the opinions of the community alter his own vision of the â€Å"Queenie† (2001; p. 32) and her friends. Like Emily, the girls represent myths for Sammy individually and the community. For Sammy the myth is created from his own hormone fueled ideals that inspire him to the â€Å"heroic† gesture of quitting his job. But why did he not simply stand up for the girls? It is simple, he has created in his minda romantic myth where he is the hero, and they the damsels in distress. For the community, the girls represent a myth of the immorality and indecency of youth. Their exposed flesh merely highlights their growing maturity from the easy acceptance of little girls to questionable teenagers on the cusp of womanhood. Both stories show how the myths of individuals can be created by the perceptions and attitudes of their communities. These myths exist outside the closed ranks of the community because the the communitys inability to accept their difference. With Miss Emily the difference lies in her eccentricies. For the â€Å"Queenie† and her friends their difference lies in the communitys difficulties in reconciling these generational changes with the children they once were and the women they would become. Unable to accept these women as part of the communitys indentity, they are reduced to mere myths in the eyes of the community members. References Faulker, W. (2001). A Rose for Emily. In R. Diyanni (Ed.). Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. pp. 79. Updike, J. (2001). AP. In R. Diyanni (Ed.). Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. pp. 32.

War and Peace Essay -- European History Germany France War Essays

War and Peace The greater threat to world peace in the 20s, 30s, and 40s is a point that could be argued and debated upon for essays on piles of essays. The true threats of world peace were those who were naà ¯ve enough to believe that a people can be totally humiliated as the Germans were in the Treaty of Versailles following World War I and not be subject to promises of regained glory. Throughout the 1920s, the world was relatively peaceful—save perhaps the Italian â€Å"revolution† by Mussolini who had his Fascist government set up fully by the year 1926 and the Beer Hall Putsch led by Adolf Hitler in 1923. With the crushing of the revolution by the Bavarian government (which was completely riddled full of Nazi sympathizers), Hitler was sentenced to the minimum five years in prison at Landsberg Castle in Munich where he had a Martha Stewart-esque term of â€Å"hard-time.† Even at his trial, he spoke as if it were a political rally! Hitler’s book was inspired from the encouragement of other members of the Nazi party, Emile Maurice his chauffeur being the original â€Å"writer† until young Rudolf Hess took over shortly after Hitler began to dictate the book. Hitler originally titled his autobiography â€Å"Four Years of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice† (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERmein.htm). The publishers thought the title to be too long and instead changed it to Mein Kampf which translates to â€Å"My Struggle.† After H...

Swot Analysis †Wal-Mart

Strengths †¢Best positioned global retailer †¢Established business objective & philosophy that is understood organization wide †¢Firm focus on the strategy of cost leadership by offering everyday low prices (EDLP) through everyday low costs (EDLC) †¢Efficient procurement and logistics system †¢Strong and stable financial performance and positive cash flows for reinvestment in improving operations Weaknesses †¢Significant dependence on the US market to maintain strong sales performance †¢Wal-Mart’s mass market approach as a retailer creates opportunities for ‘market nichers’ to capture specific market segments which may be overlooked. Wal-Mart’s extensive range of products limits its ability to give direct attention to understanding all its customers as opposed to its more focused competitors. †¢FIFO method of accounting for inventory, in the international markets, may not effectively support the strategy of everyday l ow prices. Opportunities †¢There are opportunities to expand in countries with emerging economies †¢There are also opportunities to resuscitate growth in the US market †¢Innovations in technology present the opportunity to further integrate the value chain for increased efficiency to drive EDLC. Threats †¢The unstable economic climate in the USA will continue to negatively impact on Wal-Mart’s performance †¢Wal-Mart can lose customers to more focused competitors if they (competitors) are able to develop a value proposition greater than the simple offering of everyday low prices. †¢Wal-Mart’s global exposure exposes the organization to currency risk, political influences, and other uncertainties that can affect its operations. †¢Wal-Mart’s cost leadership strategy creates intensive price competition which poses a serious risk to profitability if operational costs are not ffectively managed. Wal-Mart is a large retailer that is keenly focused on the business philosophy of saving people money so they can live better. This philosophy drives the organization-wide quest of achieving EDLCs which are leveraged in delivering EDLPs. Based on corporate information, Wal-Mart has a total of 9700 retail units spread across 28 countries, as at Augus t 2011. This represents approximately 985 million square feet of retail space from which sales are generated. This broad network of superstores, discount stores, neighbourhood markets, suppliers, and customers are interconnected in a value delivery network fuelled by information technology. In this system, suppliers are able to track Wal-Mart’s inventory levels in real-time to ensure that products are available on time, in the right quantities, best quality, and at the lowest possible price. Simultaneously, Wal-Mart is able to track purchasing patterns, brand preferences, register customer feedback, and capture other related information for their sales and marketing programme. When it is all put together, Wal-Mart’s use of information technology empowers it to consistently deliver on its promise of everyday low prices, a reliable supply of its vast range of products, and capture an understanding of its customers and members that it serves over 200 million times per week. This, in turn, drives customer satisfaction and loyalty which is reflected in Wal-Mart’s strong financial performance compared to other global retailers. For the 2011 financial year, Wal-Mart’s sales grew by 3. 4% to US$419b and operating income grew by 6. 4% to US$25b. EPS grew by 12% to US$4. 8 and a total of US$19. 2b was paid out to shareholders through dividends or share repurchases. Between the 2009 and 2010 financial years, Wal-Mart has maintained a ROI of 19. 3% falling slightly to 19. 2% in 2011 due mainly to economic challenges within the US market. For comparison, Wal-Mart’s closest global competitor, Carrefour Group, generated a USD equivalent of app roximately $158b in sales for the 2010 financial year (latest full year results available). At the close of the second quarter of their 2011 financial year (August 31, 2011), Carrefour experienced a 2. % increase in sales at the USD equivalent of $58. 3b. However, underperformance in France, Greece, and Italy, due to struggling economies, resulted in a 22% reduction in operating income at a USD equivalent of $1. 1b. These results cements Wal-Mart’s position as the world’s largest and best positioned retailer with respect to sales revenue. On the flip side, Wal-Mart appears to be dependent on its dominance in the US market which showed a flat performance by generating US$260b in sales for the 2011 financial year, compared to US$259b in 2010. Despite expanding during the year to create more retail space, there was reduced customer traffic due to rising unemployment and a 2. 3% reduction in the income of the middle class according to the US Census Bureau. A 1% increase in the poverty rate to 15. 3% also had a negative impact on Wal-Mart’s performance and highlights the challenges within the US economy. In the international segment, the FIFO approach at inventory management and accounting may not entirely support its established strategy of everyday low prices as it does not allow for cost savings to be quickly passed on to its customers. It may also distort the true picture of the company’s financial performance. Putting it all together, the assessment of Wal-Mart’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identifies the need for a strategic approach towards achieving its objective of 4-6% growth in sales revenue for the 2012 financial year and beyond. Given its dominance in the US market, the company should strategically move to hold/defend its market position by continuing to leverage IT for EDLCs and EDLPs. Aggressive sales promotions, especially through eCommerce, should be used to improve on the flat sales performance for 2011. Wal-Mart should, however, look to the emerging economies for further growth and expansion as they show a faster rate of economic recovery and a growing middle class. China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia are ranked in the top five on the market potential index for emerging markets with respect to market growth rates. China, India, Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia are ranked in the top five based on market size. Pending further PESTEL Analysis, these emerging markets could potentially hold the key for Wal-Mart’s future expansion.

Plato: Knowledge Essay

We all continue to learn new things in life day in by day out; incessantly increasing our knowledge is essential to sustain man’s life path on this earth. Knowledge can be sought in different ways but to truly seek knowledge, one has to read, understand through experience and believe what the word of God says about faith. Acquiring knowledge through our five senses and faith, both give us insight on competing ways of getting at the truth. A person who reads, write and believes in the word of God will become rich with knowledge but the latter will not. Moreover, in order to achieve knowledge, one has to be taught it or teach him or herself (because humans are not born with the ability of knowing; they must acquire it) through observation and reasoning through faith. Different views exhibit on how knowledge is achieved. One may say through common sense and observation, while another may say through teachers and peers. According to the philosopher Plato in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, â€Å"Certain professors of education must be wrong when they say that they can put knowledge into the soul which was not there before, like sight into blindness. The power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being. † In making this comment, this Greek philosopher argues that, everyone has the capacity to learn because knowledge is present in the soul thus we all can acquire knowledge and wisdom by recollecting and putting together what in fact the soul already knows. Plato is right that humans have the aptitude to gain knowledge, but he seems on more dubious ground when he claims that knowledge is already present in one’s soul. I find this to be unconvincing because humans seek education to learn something which they didn’t already know. For example an adolescent may ponder upon why the hairs on his arms and legs grow very short while the opposite occurs on his or her head. But through an education in biology in his or her later years, he or she will come to find out that each hair follicle on one’s body part will grow different depending on where it is located on the body part. The young adolescent never had this knowledge about hair follicles till he was taught it. So therefore, knowledge doesn’t already exist in the soul. One has to gain it in order to have it but we all have the ability to achieve it if we put in effort. In regards to observation, reasoning through faith must also be looked into to fully attain the knowledge that is essential to lead the best life and attain happiness. Observations only gives us half of the knowledge we need to acquire, faith gives us the rest. In Scully’s view from the X-Files, â€Å"As much as I have my faith, Father, I am a scientist, trained to weigh evidence. But science only teaches us how†¦ not why. † In other words, Scully is saying that, knowledge without faith leads us only half way†¦ we have to come full circle in order to completely gain absolute knowledge. I agree that this statement is true because without faith, one’s knowledge is worthless. For example, before Copernicus, most scientists believed that the earth was the center of the universe, thus the sun revolved around the earth. But through faith and reasoning, Copernicus came to conclude that it was rather the earth that revolved around the sun, making the universe we live in heliocentric; and his jurisdiction is held to be true till this day. The two concepts go hand in hand; one cannot achieve absolute knowledge without faith and reasoning/observation. In order to achieve knowledge through faith, we must walk through the ways of our spiritual leader. In The Francis Trilogy of Thomas of Celano, Thomas of Celano writes, â€Å"Ah! Inclined and strengthened by the Holy Spirit the blessed servant of the Most High, seeing that the appointed time was at hand, followed that blessed impulse of his soul. Thus, as he trampled upon worldly things, he made his way to the greatest good. † In other words, Thomas of Celano is saying that, St. Francis detached himself from matters of the world by following Christ, who fortified him with the Holy Cross and the Holy Spirit enabling him to transform his worldly ways to resemble the will of God, thus St. Francis gained his faith through the knowledge of the word of God. In order for St. Francis to have faith, he had to have knowledge of God, which he acquired through his experience; asking God for enlightenment and through the visions he had that directed his will to God’s. Reason and faith leads to wisdom and knowledge, without it, the knowledge that one acquires is corrupt and useless. Others may disagree saying that one can still have knowledge without faith, but knowledge without faith leads you nowhere because you still haven’t really gained full understanding of the subject matter.

Beauty and the Beast (Beast POV) Essays

Beauty and the Beast (Beast POV) Essays Beauty and the Beast (Beast POV) Paper Beauty and the Beast (Beast POV) Paper he added. l will not let you die but for one condition, bring your daughter here, I said. The merchant promised me that he will bring her lovely daughter in my castle. That night, I started to wonder how she looks. I think she has a silky black hair, kissable red lips, flawless fair color and rosy cheeks, I told to myself as I am having my daydream. I cant Walt to see her actually. I wanted to meet her for I know that she has a good heart like her father. Can she accept me? Can she love me? Theres so many questions on my mind. But one thing I know for sure, I want her in my life. Its not my intention to imprison her, but asking his father to bring her to Hello Anybody home? I am awaken by a very sweet voice coming from the hallway. As if a nightingale is singing. Alas, I forgot that today is the coming of my visitor! I rushed to fixed myself. I am getting excited! I put on my best robe and wear my best shoes. Now, I am ready. What are you doing here? I asked the young lady. Oh well, I am here because of my fathers promise, she replied. She is so lovely. Shes more than I thought in my dreams. I cant take away my eyes on her as she speaks. Muff will stay here, I said. Days passed, and my feelings gets stronger for her. It was so amazing how she captured my heart. At first, she refused to talk to me. I understand her. I have this monster awful head. Theres always a silence between us. But it changed. We always have a conversation now. I enjoyed her company that lead me to make my most precious decision in life: to ask her for marriage. Above me, the stars were out in full, and air was fresh with the earthy scent. I went to Belle, and held her hand. As we watched the glazing stars like specks of silver paint on a canvas, I decided to ask her. I kneeled and said, will you be mine forever? I know two things might happen: its either she will say miss, or I will receive a No. And the latter broke my heart. Life goes onthats what I believe. One day, I decided to give her a present. l want to give this to you. I know that you miss your family a lot. You can see and talk to them through this magic mirror, I said. She was surprised, I saw it on her eyes. The truth is, I felt a little awkwardness that morning. What a strange feeling! I cant speak to her, maybe because Im still broken. After few days, Belle talked to me. l need to see my father. She was crying hardly. My father is ill. He needs to see me. I never wanted to see her crying. So, I allowed her to visit her father but leaving a promise that she will come back after seven days. I became weak and lonely after she left. I truly changed a lot. I know it. And it is because of her. I appreciated everything I have because of her. I became contented and most of all, I learned how to love. Not only her, but others and myself as well. The days flashed past, and shes still not coming back. l need her back or else, I will die, I told myself. For seven days, I lived in a melancholic way. Until the terrible night has come My time has come. Dont die! Dont die! Ill marry you At these words, a miracle took place. I was revived and my ugly snout turned magically into the face of a handsome young man. How Eve been waiting for this moment! I said with Joy. l was under a curse and suffering in silence, and couldnt tell my frightful secret. An evil witch turned me to a monster and only the genuine love of a maiden willing to accept me for who I am will break the curse. And let me transform back to my real self. I never gave up my feelings for you, for I hope one day you will realize that you can love me too And I was right, I added. Can I held your hand? I asked her. Of course, she replied. For the second time around, now with all my heart, will you be mine forever? Once upon a time Len a faraway castle, there I live. I have a huge house that is now filled with happiness and love. For a long time, I am living alone. Yes, I am alone before, but not today. I now have my family that composes of my lovely wife and our children. No one wished to be with me, cared for me, and loved me until Belle came to my life. I am hopeless before, until I met my princess and we proved that fairy tales do come true.

What Is Imagery A Complete Guide

What Is Imagery A Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A literary device is a technique a writer uses to convey ideas and messages to their readers. That means that as readers, we need to understand and use literary devices to fully understand a work’s major themes! Today, we’re going to take a closer look at how to use imagery to analyze a text. We’ll start by giving you the imagery definition before talking about why it’s an important tool for analyzing a text. Then we’ll walk you through some imagery examples in poetry and fiction and show you exactly how to analyze the imagery in each. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to talk about imagery in literature like a pro, so let’s get started. Seriously. Once you know what you're looking for, you'll see it everywhere! What Is Imagery? Definition and Explanation Have you ever read a book that makes you feel like you’re seeing, feeling, smelling, or tasting the same thing as the character you’re reading about? (We had that experience the first time Harry Potter tries butterbeer in Hogsmeade.) If you have, you can thank imagery for that experience! Imagery is the act of using language to create images in the reader’s mind. Writers use descriptive words and phrases to help the reader feel like they’re...well, wherever the writer wants them to be! Basically, the writer is trying to create a â€Å"mental image† for the reader through the words they choose. Here’s how one of the greatest horror writers of all time, Stephen King, describes imagery: Imagery does not occur on the writer’s page; it occurs in the reader’s mind. To describe everything is to supply a photograph in words; to indicate the points which seem the most vivid and important to you, the writer, is to allow the reader to flesh out your sketch into a portrait. In other words: you can think of imagery as painting with words in order to fuel the reader’s imagination! An easy way to spot imagery in a text is to pay attention to words, phrases, and sentences that connect with your five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound). That’s because writers know that in order to capture a reader’s attention, they need to engage with them mentally, physically, and emotionally. Since imagery is designed to connect a reader to a text, it’s one of the most powerful tools a writer has to communicate their themes and messages. The 2 Types of Imagery Any time a writer engages a reader’s senses, they’re using imagery...which means imagery is a really broad literary device. In general, however, imagery fits into two big categories: literal and figurative. Literal Imagery: Examples and Explanation With literal imagery, a writer is literally describing things to the reader. (Pretty straightforward, huh?) Writers often use literal imagery to describe the setting, characters, and situation for a reader. Literal imagery helps the reader picture where characters are, understand what characters are doing, and even foreshadow what might happen next. (For example, if the character is in a dark, dirty alley, they’re probably in a more dangerous situation than if the character is skipping through a field of daisies.) Let’s take a look at an example of literal imagery from Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park so you can see what we mean. In this scene, Dr. Alan Grant, Lex Murphy, and Tim Murphy are trying to hide from a tyrannosaurus rex: They were closer to the waterfall now, the roar much louder. The rocks became slippery, the path muddy. There was a constant hanging mist. It was like moving through a cloud. The path seemed to lead right into the rushing water, but as they came closer, they saw that it actually went behind the waterfall. The tyrannosaur was still looking downstream, its back turned to them. They hurried along the path to the waterfall, and had almost moved behind the sheet of falling water when Grant saw the tyrannosaur turn. Then they were completely behind the waterfall, and Grant was unable to see out through the silver sheet. Now that you’ve read this passage, close your eyes and picture the scene. You’re probably picturing a giant waterfall, a hungry tyrannosaurus rex, and a lot of danger, right? That’s because the literal imagery in this passage paints a very specific, literal picture that helps you imagine what’s happening in this moment! Magic, right? Not quite. Imagery works because the writer uses descriptive words and phrases to help paint a picture. Let’s take a look at the first few lines again and pick out some of the descriptive language that helps shape the scene: They were closer to the waterfall now, the roar much louder. The rocks became slippery, the path muddy. There was a constant hanging mist. It was like moving through a cloud. These lines are almost exclusively description, and Crichton uses phrases like â€Å"rocks became slippery† and â€Å"constant hanging mist† to help you imagine exactly what’s happening. A good way to pick out literal imagery is to look for nouns, then see how they’re described. For example, the noun â€Å"waterfall† is described as having a â€Å"roar† that gets â€Å"louder† the closer the characters get! From an analysis perspective, these literal images all work together to help build the mood, or tone, of the scene. In this case, the imagery of the scene contributes to its tense and suspenseful tone. The environment is treacherousnot only are the rocks slick, but the characters have trouble seeing through the mist and water. One false move, and they’ll be a tasty snack for a hungry dinosaur! Use this picture as inspiration for finding connotation! (This will all make sense in a second.) Figurative Imagery: Examples and Explanation Unlike literal imagery, figurative imagery uses on the non-literalor metaphoricalmeaning of words to paint a picture for the reader. Almost all words have two meanings: their denotation and connotation. The denotation of a word is its literal, dictionary definition. Figurative imagery, on the other hand, relies on the connotation- or implied meaning- of words and phrases to help shape a text’s themes and ideas. To see how figurative imagery works, let’s look at the first line of Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet 130,† where the speaker is describing his lady love: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Okay. Let’s zero in on the word â€Å"sun† here. According to Merriam-Webster, the literal definition of the word â€Å"sun† is â€Å"the luminous celestial body around which the earth and other planets revolve, from which they receive heat and light, which is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium.† But the speaker doesn’t literally mean that his mistress’ eyes aren’t like a ball of gas! So what does he mean? To figure this out, let’s look at the figurative imagery here. Take a minute and think of some of the implied or metaphorical meanings of the word â€Å"sun.† The word might make you think of warmth and happiness. It also might make you think of other images like burning, blazing, or fiery brightness. With this figurative imagery in mind, this line is better read as â€Å"my mistress’s eyes aren’t bright, warm, or happy.† Not only does figurative imagery help this line make more sense, it also clues readers into the message of the poem: that you can recognize someone’s faults and still love them and find them beautiful. One more quick note: because you’re a savvy reader, you’ve probably realized that this line from Shakespeare is also a metaphor, which is a comparison between two seemingly unrelated objects (in this case, â€Å"eyes† and â€Å"sun†). Writers often use other literary devices like metaphor, simile, and personification to help create vivid imagery for the reader. So don’t be surprised if you see imagery overlapping with other literary techniques! Can an Example of Imagery be Both Literal and Figurative at the Same Time? Absolutely! In fact, it’s quite common to see writers use literal and figurative imagery simultaneously. Take the first stanza of William Wordsworth’s poem, â€Å"Daffodils†: I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd,A host, of golden daffodils;Beside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. This stanza combines literal and figurative imagery. Literally, the images in this stanza help us see the speaker wandering around alone until he stumbles upon a patch of daffodils that are growing by a lake. This imagery is important to understanding Wordsworth’s poetry, which often explores the relationship between nature and man. The figurative imagery helps us learn a little more about the speaker, who’s an outsider. We can infer this because of the imagery he gives us; he imagines himself as a cloud floating over everything, able to see what’s going on but unable to participate. The daffodils, on the other hand, represent society. The imagery here is happy (the daffodils are â€Å"golden† and â€Å"dancing†), which is how the speaker views society as someone on the outside looking in. Imagery in Poetry: â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers† by Emily Dickinson Now that you know more about imagery, let’s look at a poem that uses imagery to portray its major themes: â€Å"‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul -And sings the tune without the words -And never stops - at all - And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -And sore must be the storm -That could abash the little BirdThat kept so many warm - I’ve heard it in the chillest land -And on the strangest Sea -Yet - never - in Extremity,It asked a crumb - of me. Imagery can make something abstract, like an emotion or theory, seem more concrete and tangible to the reader. By using imagery, writers can evoke the feeling they want to talk about in their readers...and by making their readers feel, writers can also help readers connect to the messages in their work. In this example, Emily Dickinson takes the abstract idea of â€Å"hope† and compares it to a bird. Dickinson paints images of hope doing all the same things a bird does: it â€Å"perches,† â€Å"sings,† and keeps â€Å"so many warm† with its feathers. And despite all these gifts, hope never â€Å"asked a crumb† of anything in return. By using imagery to take an abstract idea (hope) and make it concrete (a bird), Dickinson helps readers understand the nature of hope. For Dickinson, hope is something that costs little to have and yet offers us comfort in all of life’s toughest situations. Imagery in Fiction: Dracula by Bram Stoker Imagery can be an equally powerful tool for fiction writers, too. In Dracula, Bram Stoker uses imagery to drive home the horror of the novel. Let’s take a look at one particularly stand-out scene, where Arthur Holmwood has to kill his former fiancee, Lucy Westenra, who has been turned into a vampire: The Thing in the coffin writhed; and a hideous, blood-curdling screech came from the opened red lips. The body shook and quivered and twisted in wild contortions; the sharp white teeth champed together till the lips were cut, and the mouth was smeared with a crimson foam. But Arthur never faltered. He looked like a figure of Thor as his untrembling arm rose and fell, driving deeper and deeper the mercy-bearing stake, whilst the blood from the pierced heart welled and spurted up around it. His face was set, and high duty seemed to shine through it; the sight of it gave us courage, so that our voices seemed to ring through the little vault. Remember how we talked about how imagery can set a tone or mood? That’s certainly the case here. Lucy is visually described not as a woman but as a â€Å"thing,† and the â€Å"blood-curdling screech† she lets out is a great example of how auditory imageryor the sound of a scenecan contribute to its overall effect. (In this case, it amps up the horror of a once-delicate Englishwoman being transformed into a bloodthirsty beast.) It's the imagery associated with Lucy that shows readers how vicious and animalistic she’s become, which is no surprise: she’s joined Dracula’s army of the undead. Now, take a look at the imagery surrounding Arthur, Lucy’s former fiancee, and see how it compares to Lucy’s description. Even as he’s killing Lucy, Arthur is described as â€Å"a figure of Thor†meaning he’s strong, heroic, and good with a hammer. Stoker specifically says Arthur is â€Å"untrembling† in his task; despite its grisly nature, his steadiness showcases his commitment to protecting his country from the vampire threat...even when it means driving a stake in his lover’s heart. Additionally, his face has the â€Å"shine† of duty, which is a nod to the glowing, angelic halos of angels. Arthur’s bravery and light stands in contrast to Lucy’s dark, demonic nature, and Stoker specifically uses imagery to show readers how good can triumph over evil. 3 Questions to Ask When Analyzing Imagery These examples have shown you how to find and analyze imagery, but you’ll have to do this all by yourself when you take the AP Literature exam. But don’t worrynow that you’re an expert, finding and analyzing imagery will be a breeze! But just in case you get stuck, here are three questions you can ask yourself to help you better analyze imagery in literature and poetry. Question 1: What Did I Imagine While I Was Reading? The hardest part about analyzing imagery is finding it in the first place. Like we mentioned earlier, a good way to do this is to look for nouns and search for words that describe them. Then you can start asking yourself if those descriptions are figurative imagery (i.e., do those words have any implied or metaphorical meaning). But when you’re crunched for time, you can go back to the tried-and-true method of using your imagination. Which parts of the text made you picture something in your mind? Since imagery is designed to spark your imagination, there’s a great chance that section contains some sort of imagery! Question 2: What Does the Imagery Reveal About the Situation? This question helps you get to the meat-and-potatoes of your analysis really quickly. Once you find a piece of imagery, ask yourself what it’s showing you. It could be describing an important setting, plot point, or character. Make sure you’re asking yourself if there’s figurative imagery at work, too. If you’re struggling here, you can always go back to the â€Å"mental picture† we talked about with the first question. What do you see in that image? There’s a good chance that whatever you’re imagining matters in some way. Once you have that image in your mind, you can start to ask yourself why that particular image is important. Here’s what we mean: think about the Jurassic Park example we talked about earlier. The imagery there tells us some literal things about what’s happening in the scene, but it also adds to the danger and suspense of the main characters’ predicament. The same can be said for the excerpt from â€Å"Daffodils,† only instead of revealing a plot point, the imagery gives readers important insight into the narrator of the poem. Question 3: How Does the Imagery Affect the Mood of the Text? Once you find a good piece of imagery, ask yourself how it makes you feel. Is it hopeful? Scary? Depressed? Angry? The feelings associated with the imagery in a work can often reveal the theme of a text. Take Emily Dickinson’s poem. What feelings are associated with the imagery surrounding â€Å"hope†? Well, birds are tame and delicate, and the bird Dickinson describes sings sweetly through life’s fierce storms. Hope is clearly a reassuring, gentle, uplifting thing. By asking yourself why Dickinson thinks hope is good, you can start to figure out some of the messages of the poem! What's Next? Test out your new-found imagery chops by analyzing a poem on your own! We think that Dylan Thomas’ â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night† is a great place to start. You can find the full text of the poem, as well as additional analysis, here. There’s more to literary analysis than just knowing your way around imagery! Make sure you’re familiar with the most important literary devices, like personification, before you head into your AP test. There are two parts to the AP Literature test: the multiple choice section and the essay section. Some students worry about the written portion of the test so much that they forget to study for the multiple choice questions! Don’t let this be your situation. Make sure you’re preparing for the whole test by reading through this guide to mastering the AP Literature exam’s multiple choice portion, too.

Adaptation of English Academic Purposes Writing Materials for a Group Research Paper

Adaptation of English Academic Purposes Writing Materials for a Group of Chinese Learners - Research Paper Example The major challenge this group of students encounters during their first year of study relates to the high-level expectations in the universities. According to candling and Hyland (2006, 11) the learning processes for these students is the site of struggle in their process of embracing change. Accommodating and fitting into an entirely different system makes the process entirely difficult for the students (Andrade, & Evans, 2009, 29). The expression of academic work in an entirely non- familiar language demands a lot of cognitive and social ability from the students. Problems that may interfere with the student’s ability to adapt to the new language may involve the student’s attitude, social experiences, and cognitive adaption. According to Cheng (2000, 46) the process of learning English, is a process of new identity creation and balancing the new identity with a student’s initial identity. The process of academic writing entails transition towards a given a giv en culture for Chinese students (Andrade, & Evans, 2009, 34). It encompasses an acquaintance to the writing conventions in the universities culture (Xing, Wang, & Spencer, 2008, 71). According to Su and Norton (2008, 57), the most challenging hurdle for Chinese students involved writing strategies and linguistics. ...    Challenges facing Chinese students Academic challenges The main challenge to the academic performance of Chinese students’ significantly involved cultural diversity as a result of Confucian ideology (Cummins, & Davison, 2007). They could not explain precisely the expectations of British academics and culture. Teacher-student relationship The relationship between teacher-student in western universities is significantly different from the Confucian perspective (Cummins, & Davison, 2007). This leads to a great misunderstanding between the teacher and the student. According to the views of most of my Chinese students, the UK lectures are less caring and too busy to develop time for their students. To the lectures point of view, the extensive attention beyond learning hours was a bit too demanding. Chinese students express a lot of difficulty in understanding the conduct of Western teachers: they perceive the teachers’ autonomous learning technique as uncaring and unfri endly (Cummins, & Davison, 2007).  Ã‚  

Moore's Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moore's Law - Research Paper Example This is basically the same definition as the initial one, but using the phrase ‘more transistors’ is being more specific in the definition (Sami 23-29). As a self-fulfilling foresight and a target for industry Even though this rule was primarily created in the form of prophesy and observation, it became popular more widely, as it served as more as an objective for the whole industry. This forced both the departments of engineering and marketing of the manufacturers of semiconductors to put their attention on massive energy that aim for the specific rise in the power of processing that it was considered one or even more of their rivals would soon achieve. In this regard, we find that it can be perceived as a self-fulfilling foresight. The second law of Moore As the costs of the power of computer drops on the side of the consumers, the costs on the side of the manufacturers in fulfilling the rule of Moore goes in an opposite trend; production and costs of tests have gone u p considerably with each new invention of chips. The increasing costs of manufacturing are a critical consideration for the sustenance of the Moore’s rule. This had resulted in the establishment of the second law or Moore, known as the Rock’s law (Myslewski 2013). The law states that the semiconductor’s cost also rises significantly with time. ... Main facilitating factors and the future trends Several innovations by numerous engineers together with scientists have been considerable factors in the law of Moore’s sustenance since the start of the period of integrated circuit. While assembling a comprehensive list of such imperative contributions would be as interesting and attractive as it would be tough. The roadmaps of the industry of computer technology projects that the rule will continue being there for many chip generations to come. After the time of doubling that is used in the calculations, we find that this could imply that there will be up to about hundredfold rise in the count of transistor per chip in a decade. Nonetheless, the technology roadman of the industry of semiconductor uses a time of doubling of about three years for the microprocessors, resulting to a tenfold rise during the following decade. For instance, Intel, in 2005, was reported as claiming that the silicon chips’ downsizing with prope r economics would continue being there in the following decade, and also in the year 2008 as projecting the pattern all through to the year 2029. The law’s ultimate limit Gordon Moore, In April 2005, asserted that the rule cannot continue existing forever. He argued that the exponentials’ nature is that they are pushed out and a disaster eventually occurs. Moreover, he claimed that the transistors would ultimately attain the heights of minimization at the levels of atoms. When we look at the size of the transistors, we find that they are reaching that of which is a serious blockade, even though it will be two or even three generation chips before it reaches that far (Crothers 2013). However, that is as far as it has been able to be seen. Moore further stated that there are still