Nietzsches Critique of Judeo-Christian Values - 2628 Words

Nietzsche’s critique of Judeo-Christian values As perhaps one of the most important pieces of work written by Nietzsche, â€Å"On the Genealogy of Morality† contains some of his most complex and provocative thoughts on the nature of morality and its origins. It is evident throughout his essays that Nietzsche has a profound discontent with modern society and its values, a discontent that Nietzsche attempts to explain through a thorough critique of the modern values that have stemmed from the rise of Judeo-Christianity values that have shaped today’s civilization. In his analysis of concepts such as morality and guilt, he explores the history of the deformation of the once noble and animalistic human society that succumbed to its death†¦show more content†¦Essentially, their intelligence became their weapon against the nobles. Nietzsche expresses this when he states â€Å"priests make the worst enemies†¦because they are the most powerless. Out of this powerlessness, their hate swells into something huge and uncanny to a most intellectual and poisonous level† (17). Among all of the priestly caste, however, Nietzsche identifies the Jews to be the most hateful, and characterizes them as being the most â€Å"entrenched with priestly vengefulness† (17). The desire of the clerical caste to effect their revenge on the nobles in the form of a revaluation of the their moral code was the embodiment of their ressentiment turning itself from thought and into action. Nietzsche expresses this when he states â€Å"The beginning of the slaves’ revolt in morality occurs when ressentiment itself turns creative and gives birth to values: the ressentiment of those beings who, denied the proper response of action, compensate for it only with imaginary revenge† (20). Nietzsche associates the slave revolt in morality with the priestly castes, namely the Jews’, dedicated and deliberate desire to implement their revenge through the creation and revaluation of morals, stat ing â€Å"with regard to the huge and incalculably disastrous initiative taken by the Jews with this most fundamental of all declarations of war†¦the slaves revolt in morality begins with the Jews: a revolt which has two thousand years of history behind it† (17). TheShow MoreRelatedNietzsche on Slave Morality Essay727 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Nietzsche on Judeo-Christian Morality† In Nietzsche’s aphorisms 90-95 and 146-162 he attacks what he believes to be the fundamental basis of the â€Å"slave† morality prevalent in the Judeo-Christian tradition as well as other religions and societies. From the beginning, he distinguishes the two different types of moralities he believes to exist: the â€Å"master morality†, created by rulers of societies, and the â€Å"slave† morality, created by the lowest people in societies. The former stresses virtuesRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1167 Words   |  5 Pageswe explain their actions? Nietzsche’s account of moral norms It is here that the philosophical thought of Friedrich Nietzsche becomes relevant. In his book On the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche investigates the origin of human morality, justice, and valuations of good and evil. His central thesis: the first normative notions of good and bad arose in pre-Socratic Greece. Some men seized power, imposed themselves upon others, and instituted an aristocratic value system. This is not aristocracyRead MoreNietzsche997 Words   |  4 Pagesdiffer in their approaches. For Hume, we have a natural disposition for sympathy that leads us to accept our moral convictions. Nietzsche, however, has a psychological theory of morality that undermines our moral beliefs entirely. As John puts it, Nietzsches story of morality explains why we have these beliefs without explaining whether or not they are true. At this point, Ken raises concern. Is Nietzsche saying that we shouldnt be moral? If this is the normative position hes advocating, how shouldRead MoreMarilynne Robinsons Essay Darwinism1340 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Marilynne Robinson’s Essay â€Å"Darwinism† Introduction to Christian Theology REL 103 Kaitlyn Spencer Marilynne Robinson is a Pulitzer-winning novelist who has graced us with her essays found in The Death of Adam. Robinson gives the read the feeling of being much more educated than he or she really is. These essays provide readers with different ways of discussing history, religion and society. They, although difficult to comprehend at times, are flawlessly arguedRead More The Contemporary Relevance of Albert Camus Essay3165 Words   |  13 Pagesnow confront the meaning of their lives without the assured aid of transcendent purpose and direction. The resulting sense of absence profoundly marks the contemporary world. Confronted with the theoretical problems posed by the absence of absolute values, and the historical problems posed by contemporary social movements, Camus dramatized the urgency of developing guides to humane conduct in a world without transcendence. He continued to believe that only when the dignity of the worker and the respectRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Word s   |  99 Pagesphysical authenticity - reliability †¢ Cost of publishing book acts as a barrier to entry against casual writers †¢ Hardly any oversight over the quality of material that gets published via new media channels †¢ Any work, regardless of its value, can easily get broadcasted to a global audience †¢ Publishers want to ensure that their books sell *quality check* †¢ Any hack can put up his dribbling on Fictionpress.net †¢ Any angst-filled teenager can put up his or her macabre, misspeltRead MoreA Critical Review of â€Å"the Ambiguities of Football, Politics, Culture, and Social Transformation in Latin America† by Tamir Bar-on.14147 Words   |  57 PagesChaplaincy work among the athletes, a Bible-Expo at a strategic location, evangelical street concerts, evangelical messages and banners in the stadiums, etc. In this instance, the new pagan and secular religion of football clashes with the traditional Christian Church - itself crippled by a loss of mass supporters and the rise of alternative secular lords. In both cases, football unwittingly acts as an agent of mass indoctrination rather than challenging established dogmas, or serving as a vehicle for deeper

Contemporary Fun Report of the Contemporary Unit - 1770 Words

Contemporvery Fun Report of The Contemporary Unit and Literature is Connected Also As one of the most eventful times in American History, the Contemporary Period expanded on the modern American Dream. Filled with many Civil Rights movements and political dissent, Americans changed many of their previous philosophies about their actual dream to goals of racial justice and financial success. During a time filled with war, protests, and social change, Americans wanted to institute change on the common zeitgeist. The Cold War and many political reforms caused Americans in the Contemporary period to think as a nation, creating an American Dream that reflected growth in society with a desire to protect and expand Democratic values that was expressed through literature. Americans in the Contemporary Period had a desire to bring the economy to its full potential. With a wide economic fluctuation, Americans in the Contemporary Period experienced economic booms and depressions. Returning from the war, Veterans came home to a newly vibrant economy dissimilar to the one they previously lived through. Rising from the ruins of the Great Depression, post-war America’s Economy boomed with success from war-time industry. â€Å"Denied the luxuries of life for so many years by the Great Depression and the war, Americans went on a buying binge† (Uschan 80). Americans living in the 1940’s to 1950’s found a plethora of job opportunities, giving them more spending freedom. With a dream of homeShow MoreRelatedSouthwest Culture1113 Words   |  5 PagesSouthwest Culture Southwest Airlines: â€Å"We Love your Bags.† Taylor, April R. Strayer University Business 508 Contemporary Business Dr. Faith Glaspie-Ellis July 21, 2012 â€Å"The Mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.† Southwest Airlines was born in 1971, to Herb Kelleher and Rollin King. And this baby has yet to stop growing. Kelleher and King wantedRead MoreCustomer Relationships Of Southwest Airlines1467 Words   |  6 PagesIssues, and Customer Orientation. Research from Southwest Airlines’ website, Indeed.com, Dallas Morning News, JetBlue, Spirit, Forbes, Investopedia.com, Yourbusiness.com, Ethicsdiscovery.com, and Contemporary Selling Building Relationships, Creating Value 4th Edition, will support findings. This report illustrates how Southwest Airlines flourishes in its industry with both customer and employee satisfaction. Findings will demonstrate how the airline uses customer relationship management to createRead More An Analysis of McDonalds Essay1736 Words   |  7 Pagesrestaurant in 1955. First days revenues-$366.12! It’s no longer a functioning restaurant, the Des Plaines building is now a museum containing McDonalds memorabilia and artifacts, including the Multi mixer! Ronald McDonald, In Any Language He Means quot;Fun!quot; quot;The smile known around the world,quot; Ronald McDonald is second only to Santa Claus in terms of recognition. In his first TV appearance in 1963, the happy clown was portrayed by none other than Willard Scott. Fred Turner And Ray KrocRead MoreEight Ways That Small Companies Can Attract, Manage And Maintain Top Talent1395 Words   |  6 Pagesactivities of your business. But a competitive package includes more than just the remuneration, other things like the mission of your organization, its culture plus type and level of engagement determine how candidates will rate your company. In the contemporary work environment, skilled job seekers look for employers who can offer a useful health package, an attractive benefits package, flexible work environment and work-life balance. For example, you may opt to continue providing a health insurance packageRead MoreConsumer Behavior of Micromax5048 Words   |  21 Pages1.0 Introduction 1.1 Origin of the Report This report is prepared with the respect to course of Consumer Behavior. We are assigned to prepare a term paper by our honorable course instructor Mr. Farhan Faruqui. Our task is to make a survey on Micromax mobile and complete a study that covers all important factors of consumer behavior. 1.2 Objective of Study * To apply our knowledge that we have gathered from Consumer behavior course into the report * To provide the overview of MicromaxRead MoreLe Corbusier : The Modern Architecture1604 Words   |  7 PagesThe report includes the introduction of Le Corbusier(October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965), He is a French architect, designers, artists, writers, and one of the pioneers of now known as the modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland, and become a citizen of France in 1930. Career for five years, his buildings constructed in Europe, India and the United States.when he was young he love art so much,became older he went to paris learn architecture, but he had some disease,he had to choose anotherRead MorePhilosophy And Science Of The Same Breath2132 Words   |  9 Pagesworks did not survive the middle ages, we have only fragments and the writings of their peers and successors to tell us about their accomplishments and ideas. It is difficult to separate these two men because they are praised or critiqued as a unit by contemporaries and followers, but their exact r elationship is unclear. Sources such as Diogenes Laertius do not link them as teacher and student, but rather as acquaintances. However, in Metaphysics, Aristotle refers to Democritus as Leucippus’ â€Å"disciple†Read MoreHomosexuality in Islam3723 Words   |  15 PagesIslam Journal Spring 2007 page 53 ______________________________________________________ Homosexuality in Islam: A Difficult Paradox Nicole Kligerman ‘10 Introduction Historical and contemporary homosexuality in Islam both demonstrate a paradoxical reality. While it is a common Western perception that contemporary Muslim societies are particularly repressive of gays, this has not always been the case. In fact, it is partly the rise of Western influence in the Muslim world that has created a greaterRead MoreService Marketing3985 Words   |  16 PagesBy: Pooja Iyer 1011012006 PREFACE This report is written so that an understanding of jawed habib can be understood easily. This report is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the above mentioned firm. This is a sales report and so covers only the general information regarding the firm and its services. The report also touches upon the competitor’s knowledge, customer’s knowledge and distributor’s policy. All the parts in the report have been written in English as it is the mostRead MoreThe Sociological Imagination, By Wright Mills1816 Words   |  8 Pagesparadigm devised by political scientist C. Wright Mills that scrutinizes an individual’s plights in juxtaposition with how their choices either hinder or contribute to society throughout the course of history. This not only helps map archaic and contemporary configurations of existence, but its cyclical pattern allows us to envisage the possible futures open to us. Those who apply the sociological perspective are to practice a beginners mind: to rescind themselves from penchants and biases when assessing

Case Study on Hr Planning free essay sample

It is the country†s best recognised energy brand. Centrica is a multinational company, with businesses in many countries. Centrica was formed in 1997 and consists of eight separate energy-related businesses, ranging from the supply of gas and electricity to consumers and organisations in the UK and Europe, to storage of gas for other providers, and drain and pipe work maintenance. The UK energy market is highly dynamic. Customers look for the best deals and are increasingly prepared to switch suppliers. In 2007, 900,000 customers switched energy providers. An energy company needs to show it is not just competitive on price, but that it can also provide the right levels of customer service to attract and retain customers. British Gas does not only supply gas but also deals with the installation and maintenance of domestic central heating and appliances. It provides a maintenance and breakdown service for electrical white goods and home wiring. Through the Dyno brand, British Gas also offers drain clearing services, plumbing and home security services. To deliver these services, British Gas needs high calibre staff. It employs more than 9,000 trained gas engineers to install and maintain central heating and gas appliances. This case study explores how British Gas manages the recruitment and selection of new employees. Page 2:  The role of human resource management Managing a successful large business involves acquiring, developing and maintaining a wide range of resources. These resources include materials, buildings, land, equipment, technology and, crucially, people. Any organisation needs good employees who have the right skills to achieve the company†s aims and objectives. Human resource management (HRM) is the business function that focuses on the people aspects of an organisation. It ensures the efficient management of people in the business. It is responsible for ensuring that an organisation has the right people to deliver its overall business plan. Meeting customer needs Centrica, the parent corporation of British Gas, has to deliver long term profitability. Its shareholders expect the business to show a return on their investment by making profits, now and in the future. British Gas needs to contribute to these profits. This means consistently meeting the needs of its customers with competitively priced products and services that give good returns to the company. Residential consumers across the country are the core customer base of British Gas. These customers expect top-class service at keen prices. If British Gas does not meet this standard, the company may lose business to competitors. To ensure customer satisfaction, British Gas engineers must have the technical skills to undertake work to the required standard and the people skills to deliver good customer service. Through its engineer recruitment team, the British Gas Academy must therefore ensure that the company attracts and retains the best engineers. This involves several complementary tasks. It requires planning to assess the future needs for skilled employees at British Gas. It requires a recruitment and selection programme to bring new people into the business. It requires a training operation to equip new recruits and existing employees with the right skills. Retaining people Importantly, British Gas must also ensure that it retains its best people. It is much more cost effective to retain trained and highly skilled staff than recruit and train up new people. British Gas seeks to retain people by offering a mix of financial and non-financial benefits. As well as good pay and a pension scheme, the company provides employees with the opportunity to buy shares in Centrica and it offers a great place to work and high-class training. Page 3:  Training As an expanding business, British Gas needed to increase its workforce to meet customer demand. At the end of 2002, British Gas established the British Gas Academy. The Academy has helped to develop and refocus training facilities to handle the extra training requirement in recruiting an additional 5,000 employees into the engineering workforce. * British Gas runs an intensive apprenticeship programme. This is delivered in training centres. Trainees should expect to qualify by year five. All domestic gas engineers become fully acquainted with the latest computer-aided diagnostic technology. There are also traineeships, which provide a way for new recruits to learn about the gas industry and gain relevant skills and qualifications. British Gas provides technical training for all its engineers throughout their careers. This ensures that its employees are kept up-to-date with new information and technologies to enable them to provide the best service possible. Training does not simply focus on technical skills and knowledge. Most employees have direct contact with customers, so it is important that they have good people skills. Awareness training is provided for employees across British Gas through an online learning package. Another programme is improving staff†s cultural awareness, particularly to support the growing international operations at British Gas. Page 4:  Workforce planning Workforce planning is the process of assessing a company†s current and future labour needs. The British Gas Academies must consider not just overall employee numbers but also the skills that will be required within the business. Workforce planning also involves managing any training and recruitment process to ensure the organisation has the right staff in place. Managers at British Gas conduct a programme of forecasting to predict how much the UK market for domestic gas engineering services will grow. This helps the company decide how many additional engineers it will need in the future. British Gas makes detailed forecasts of its demand for engineering personnel for one year in advance and makes more general estimates for a further two years into the future. Factors affecting workforce planning At British Gas, workforce requirements are driven by two different demands. First, there are contract customers that have service agreements with the company. Second, there are customers who call for one-off assistance if they have a specific problem. Demand for both these services has grown. In the last three or four years, the need for engineers has expanded accordingly. This has meant that it has had to recruit more staff. There are several other factors that influence workforce planning for British Gas. Engineering skills need to be constantly updated. Health and safety issues are also critically important in the gas industry. Health and safety regulations are changing all the time and EU regulations must also be considered. Apart from regular formal training to close skills gaps to ensure engineers stay up to date with technical matters, British Gas can alert engineers about technical changes via field radio or text messaging. Engineers can work all their careers in the field until they retire. Qualified engineers may spend up to 10 years gaining their skills, qualifications and experience. They have valued practical skills that are needed to deal with equipment and customers. However, British Gas also needs suitable people for promotion to higher roles, such as management jobs. It needs managers to plan, organise and co-ordinate the teams of engineers. It therefore needs to attract and recruit a wide range of people into the organisation. Page 5:  Recruitment As part of its workforce planning, British Gas implements a diversity and inclusion strategy using tailored action plans. This means it actively seeks new recruits from a wide range of backgrounds. The need to recruit a diverse engineering workforce is seen as critical by British Gas. It plans recruitment to ensure it has a socially inclusive workforce. This is important as it will enable British Gas to reflect the diversity of its customer base. For example, it is useful to have employees from different nationalities and backgrounds to communicate with customers that do not speak English as a first language. Recruiting more women engineers may help to attract female customers. British Gas has won a national award from the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) for its efforts to encourage and attract women into the engineering workforce and into plumbing and associated trades. To dispel the myth that only men can be good engineers, British Gas runs a Georgina and the Dragon campaign for children. What British Gas recruitment programmes  have achieved  is demonstrated by various awards during 2009: * British Gas  won awards from the Local Employment Partnership in the East Midlands. The awards for â€Å"Unlocking Talent†Ã‚  and the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Outstanding LEP Achievement Award†Ã‚  recognise  the companys recruitment work with the LEP and Jobcentre Plus in the region. * British Gas has been named in the 2009  Sunday Timess 20 Best Big Companies to Work For. * The British Gas Academy won an award from Women into Science and Engineering (WISE). The award Investor in WISE   rewarded the efforts British Gas makes  to promote science,  engineering and construction  to girls and young women. Advertising British Gas tries to appeal to a varied and diverse audience when promoting its apprenticeships. To advertise opportunities widely, British Gas uses specialist Sky channels like Parliamentary Projects TV, which focuses on careers, and Passion TV, which is aimed at the black community. In print media, it uses womens magazines, publications targeted at ethnic minorities such as The Muslim Weekly as well as other careers directories for the same reason. Other channels include radio, newspapers,  British Gas website  (www. britishgasacademy. co. uk) and a DVD for schools. Recruiting gas engineers of the right level is important. Candidates for a British Gas apprenticeship must be at least 16 years old, and have a minimum of four GCSEs at grade C or above or equivalent (e. g. NVQs). However, they need more than academic qualifications, they must be able to show some aptitude for customer service, such as being able to listen to customers and understand their requirements. Application British Gas uses an online application form. To help British Gas decide an applicants suitability, this includes a value-based questionnaire. This requires responses to a series of statements about attitudes to work. There are 90 statements in all, and an applicants overall responses are rated green, amber or red. The colour reflects the attitudes the applicant has about work and people. This helps to show which roles a person is best suited to. British Gas does not take applicants with red ratings further as they may not show a fit with the company requirements. However after an initial screening, green and amber applicants are invited to an interview and assessment centre for the final selection process. Here, candidates must show evidence of qualifications, ID and driving licence. Page 6:  Selection At the British Gas assessment centre the emphasis is very much upon core competencies and life skills. Life skills are personal skills that are likely to affect the customer experience when someone is working in the field. British Gas engineers needs to show courtesy and politeness, for example. These are personal qualities that have a direct impact upon customer perception. Core competencies involve team working, interpersonal skills (such as dealing with people), motivation and responding to change. These are crucial skills that can affect the way an individual fits in and works within an organisation. Candidates attend the centre for a half-day assessment. This has three elements. The total scores from the three-part assessment help British Gas to decide who receives a job offer. Candidates are notified of the outcome within 14 days. All candidates can receive feedback. For those candidates offered a job, British Gas provides the usual job benefits including a van from the outset and a competitive starting salary. The new recruits then go on to benefit from the comprehensive programme of training through its Academy. This ensures that they are given the best start in their new careers. It also builds employee motivation and commitment to the company. Recruiting and selecting staff is an expensive process. By following a robust selection programme in this way, British Gas is able to ensure it gets the right people with the right skills. It also means it maximises the benefit from its investment. Page 7:  Conclusion Recruitment and selection at British Gas is driven by the need to maintain the competitive position of the company within the energy market. Domestic gas customers demand the very highest standards of service. They can be assured that British Gas engineers have high-level skills and expertise through its careful specification of entry qualifications followed by top quality training. British Gas also assesses the personal attributes of staff through role play and questionnaires as these influence customers perceptions of the service and the company. Great care is taken in determining the organisations future staffing needs. This drives the recruitment and selection process to ensure British Gas is seen as offering dynamic and exciting career paths for people of all backgrounds. By developing and nurturing its people, British Gas ensures that new recruits have the right qualities to help the business to compete.

Social Class in West and East Egg free essay sample

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald consistently presents us with themes and motifs that highlight and question Americas class and interactive social morals. Fitzgerald portrays America to us during one of it’s most influential and prominent decades. It is through this frame of America in the 1920s that we are brought to understand a new transition, and growing difference in the social structures in the 20s. As individuals both live and strive for the ideal American dream, we become aware of a distinct function in human society that begins draw a widening bridge in the class system. This distinct difference is shown through, obviously the lower classes yearning attempts to reach the American dream, and prescribed wealth. But more prominently The Great Gatsby provides a scope through which we are able to view the growing differences within Americas wealthiest classes, specifically with regards towards, morality and social graces. These differences in wealth are portrayed as ‘New â€Å" and ‘Old’ money, which throughout the book are categorized by ‘East’ and ‘West’ Egg, east representing old money, and the older aristocracy, and west representing the newly self made millionaires. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Class in West and East Egg or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is through individuals who respectively belong to east and west eggs that Fitzgerald attempts to represent a changing social frame between old and new money, and the differing morals and ideals that result from the groups. Typically, throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses a character to embody or personify themes or motifs within in the book. Among the many qualities that Gatsby himself represents, one of the most iconic, is Fitzgerald’s use of Gatsby to represent new money, and social graces, and morality that have grown through this class, assuming this, we may interpret Gatsby’s actions as reflections of new monely archetypical qualities. Gatsby is portrayed to us as an exuberant, slightly socially obnoxious man. Keeping in mind what he represents, we see him in pink suits, monstrous mansions, and his yellow Rolls-Royce. We can draw a few interpretations from this representation of Gatsby, at first glance we notice all of these aspects of him seem to lack subtlety or discreetness. It is not necessarily classy, or, like his extravagant parties, which do not follow many distinct social, high class manners, or graces, does not attempt to present high taste. All of these qualities can be interpreted as, pretentious, or vulgar, in the display of wealth, or lacking common social graces. However this is not the only portrayal of Gatsby. Gatsby is alos seen throughout the book to have a sense of conviction, we see him as determined and loyal, with a strong foundation, based in his love for Daisy. On page 145 we observe a dialogue between Gatsby and Nick that begins, â€Å" He wont touch her,† I said. â€Å"he’s not thinking about her† I don’t trust him, old sport† â€Å"how long are you going to wait? † â€Å"all Night if necessary. Anyhow, till they all go to bed†(145) Here we are witnessing the scene where Gatsby waits outside Daisy’s house after conflict with Tom, and Myrtles death. This is a prime example of the determination, and loyalty that Gatsby represents. With regard to keeping in mind that Gatsby is a portrayal of ‘new’ money, we can assume these to be qualities, and morals Fitzgerald intended to reflect on the class of new money, through west egg. Similar to the use of Gatsby to personify the values and morals of the west egg, or new money. Fitzgerald uses characters to reflect qualities of east egg, or old money. Most prominently through the book, we are presented with the Buchanans’ embodying Fitzgerald’s intended reflection of the old aristocracy. We begin to notice a difference in the way in the way new and old money are presented, simply by the description of the Buchanan’s home, â€Å"Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white†¦. jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning garden†¦The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold and wide open to the warm windy afternoon†(7) Fitzgerald paints an image of class, and elegance based simply on the Buchanan’s home, it shows us that their environment almost radiates a sense of status and grace. This can be closely juxtaposed next to the description of Gatsby’s house â€Å"it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy†¦spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool.. and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. †(5) Which confronts us with a more arrogant, or ostentatious, portrait of Gatsby, his mansion isn’t displayed to the reader with the same elegance, or grace as the Buchanan’s house, but rather statement of flashy wealth. Similar to the portrayal of Gatsby himself. However it is underneath this facade of class and grace that the Buchanan’s reflect, that we may observe. Keeping in mind what both individuals represent, We see a clear difference In Gatsby and the Buchanans, through chapters 8-9, after myrtle’s death, we see both parties true colors. As Tom and Daisy flee, leaving the tragedy, not to deal with it. Gatsby’s good qualities such as love and loyalty lead to his death, where the Buchanan’s qualities of selfishness and arrogant inconsiderate disposition, allow them to withdraw themselves from the situation. Looking directly at the characters, proves to reveal just as much as the description of their environment, and behaviors. Fitzgerald provides yet another scope into the classes that Gatsby and the Buchanans represent. We are provided with the description of Tom as, â€Å"Now he was†¦rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. † (6) ?We see Tom portrayed as a man who feels a right to condescend, and behave rashly towards others, he seems to radiate a sense of entitled superiority. Through this we can see that Fitzgerald meant to have Tom represent old money as an entitled and aggressive entity After examining these qualities of individuals associated with west and east egg, thus representing old money. It can be easily stated that Fitzgerald intended to provide us with a sense of a growing divide within the social operations of the upper class. We have come to identify East egg, or old money, as classy, maintaining social graces, and elegance. However they are equally inconsiderate, selfish and arrogant. West egg, or new money is shown as flashy, and slightly obnoxious, exuding class, but parading it around. However we see in Gatsby, a higher sense of moral, and loyalty. Perhaps even more of a humanity. It was through west and east egg, and their interactions, that Fitzgerald was able to present us with this dynamic interplay of society and class.

Rhetorical Theory Essay Example

Rhetorical Theory Essay Example Rhetorical Theory Essay Rhetorical Theory Essay Fantasy Theme Criticism Fantasy Theme Criticism: Symbolic Convergence Theory â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† COMM 311 Introduction Hip-hop and rap as a whole tend to be lumped together as bad for society, or the dragging down of American culture. The debate on the influence of music effecting the actions of America’s youth has remained salient for decades. The upcoming genre of ‘Rap’ or ‘Hip-Hop’ in recent years has sparked controversy because of the references to violence and sex portrayed in many song lyrics. Not only has the issues of drugs and crime been associated with hip hop, but the diminishing perception of women in our society has also been attributed to hip hop. It seems that rap is an easy scapegoat for the American population to ‘point the finger at. ’ Why is Hip-Hop important? No music is more important than the next. As soon as a genre starts portraying itself as something other than the simple concept of musical notes vibrating off the eardrums of listeners, it loses its focus and main purpose – to entertain. Political messages and social responsibility measures have always been visible in musical lyrics, examples such as R. E. M. and U2 as well as countless other bands have done it for years. Hip-Hop has become big business and anything that is marketable affects society one way or another. Hip-Hop also affects society on many different levels and it is inclusive of all people. The media attention that Hip-Hop gets gives meaning to the fact that people are able to see a side of a particular Hip-Hop artist and then the artist is then displayed as a more human element. Younger generations must understand the biases and politics involved with the generalizations of Hip-Hop. The music we listen to and the videos we watch are just like reading a fashion magazine. A perfect example is if we see beautiful women in certain clothes then we may want those clothes. When someone sees a Hip-Hop artist or rapper on televisions that is clearly successful, actions may be taken to duplicate behavior portrayed by that artist, in turn hoping to emulate success similar to that artist. Why is the Eminem song featuring Rihanna important? Eminem is one of a kind! He is the only white rapper to emerge and remain successful while opening the ears of a different audience- young Caucasian males. Barriers are broken down when people from different backgrounds can share common interest at shows and on the internet and Eminem has done an exceptional job at doing so. Eminem was ranked 79th on the VH1 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time. He was also ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazines list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was named the Best Rapper Alive by Vibe magazine in 2008. Eminem has achieved nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top 200. Eminem also has had 13 number one singles worldwide. In December 2009, Eminem was even named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard magazine. Are these credentials not enough for you? Let’s take a look at Rihanna she has achieved eight number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since first appearing on the chart on June 11, 2005. As of July 23, 2010, Rihanna has sold approximately 5,563,000 album units in the US alone. She has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for Worlds Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/RB Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. She serves as one of Barbadoss honorary cultural ambassadors. In January 2010, Rihanna received two Grammy Awards for Jay-Zs 2009 single Run This Town. † These two celebrities are huge public figures! As for Rihanna, she appeals to a different demographic, the young African American female. With the combination of these two audiences, they amass to a huge portion of the American youth. Influencing the youth of American is monumental to the outcome of the Country as a whole. The youth of America is the backbone of our Nation. In theory, the influence we have on our youth can be set as a precursor for generations to come. The decisions made by the youth in any country will ultimately unravel actions and future ideas yet to come. For my analysis, I will examine possible subliminal messages and interpretations of Eminem and Rihanna’s song, â€Å"Love the Way You Lie,† specifically directed to the youth of America. I will show how this song is not solely comprised of vocals, lyrics and a music video, but a rhetorical action. The rhetoric involved perpetuates the desired symbolism and themes to reconstruct public opinion influencing the youth of America. By analyzing the lyrics and music video, I will reveal the connection between the subliminal messages and possible interpretations present in the artifact and their influence on the youth of America. Description of the Artifact The artifact I have chosen to depict is Eminem and Rihanna’s â€Å"Love the Way You Lie. † This is a very popular song racking up 338,000 downloads online in its first week. The music video of the song became an online phenomenon, gaining 6. 6 million hits in its first 24 hours on VEVO, and 18 million views in five days. It broke a YouTube record for having the most views in 24 hours. By November 2010, the video had received over 200 million views. Eminem and Rihanna’s song â€Å"Love the Way You Lie† depict the relationship of a troubled young couple. This video produced by Joseph Kahn portrays the ups and downs that some couples must endure to make their relationship work. Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox portray the relationship of a young couple in the song’s music video. The music video starts with the young couple sleeping together in bed. From that point on, Megan Fox notices a phone number on her significant others hand. The idea that she is being taken advantage of enters her mind. That notion sparks controversy and the couple begins to fight. The scene becomes heated and even reaches the point where the couple physical assault and spit in the faces of one another. Both parties in the couple become easily agitated with one another as they continue to assault and randomly hook up and make out. Both the Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox are seen alone pondering as if they are deciding what to do or what will become of their relationship. Megan Fox expresses her emotions by crying to herself, on the other hand Dominic Monaghan is seen drinking in the bar to vent the way he feels in regards to his current situation. Things take a more optimistic stance as the couple tries to rekindle lost trusts. Dominic Monaghan is seen giving Megan Fox a stuffed animal that represents his love for her and shows that he continues to care about her. Dominic Monaghan blatantly steals a bottle of vodka from a liquor store. They are seen getting along on top of a building as they consume vodka together. Alcohol is helping the couple temporary fix their irritations of each other, yet they have much bigger problems. Dominic Monaghan is seen taking his aggression out in the bar as he physically attacks other bystander attempting to communicate with Megan Fox. The couple is then seen gazing into each other’s eyes, smiling but unsure of what to do. Megan Fox is then seen walking out of the house resembling her leaving Dominic Monaghan. As the video continues Dominic Monaghan is seen physically assaulting Megan Fox yet again. The house is set in flames in the backdrop; this resembles the previous chaos and end of their relationship. Fire burns everything, bringing nothing but physical ruin. On the other hand, with the end of one good thing starts the beginning of another. In theory the fire could possibly represent a complex symbol for warmth and comfort. In fact it could resemble new life. The stuffed animal that Dominic Monaghan gave Megan Fox is even seen set aflame as the couple goes their separate ways. The video ends with the couple lying in bed in the same exact spot where the video started, as if the whole thing were a dream. The context of the artifact is located within social arrangements. This popular song and music video is a form of entertainment. The song is used to target a specific social niche in order to generate revenue and become a success within its boundaries. If this song did not appeal to any social networks then it would not serve its purpose of selling CDs to generate revenue and publicize the artists. The fact that two celebrities (Eminem Rihanna) have collaborated together helps them reach out to publicize themselves as well as combine their social networks together. The artifact is not used within political means or economic arrangements. This is a great artifact to analyze because symbolic convergence is blatantly evident and people can easily share similar fantasy themes that create rhetorical visions. â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† constitutes evidence of symbolic convergence theory because it incorporates themes the rhetor knows will resonate with the audience. Another reason why this is a great artifact to evaluate is because of the popularity and controversy of this song. Millions of people hear this song each and every day and have not even thought about evaluating it in terms of rhetorical theories and criticisms. Theoretical and Methodological Framework Fantasy theme analysis is based upon the theory of symbolic convergence, which has two major assumptions: (1) reality is created through communication and (2) individual interpretations of symbols can converge and create a shared reality for those involved (Foss, 2009). This happens in a social context in which individual worlds and interpretations converge, resulting in a shared reality for those involved. Sonja K. Foss (1996) in her textbook, Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice, quotes Bormann as stating: â€Å"If several or many people develop portions of their private symbolic worlds that overlap as a result of symbolic convergence, they share a common consciousness and have the basis for communicating with one another to create community, to discuss their common experiences, and to achieve mutual understanding. Symbolic convergence occurs when individuals have jointly experienced mutual interpretations with similar emotional responses. † Although the message in these encounters is important, the act of sharing the message is the critical issue in these incidents. The basic unit of analysis of symbolic convergence is the fantasy theme. The fantasy is defined as a creative and imaginative interpretation of an event that makes it credible or believable to the participant, or rather the means through which interpretation is accomplished in communication. Bormann (1972) states in his article Fantasy and Rhetorical Vision: The Rhetorical Criticism of Social Reality that participants in a fantasy theme are interested in the personal satisfaction found and are not troubled by contradictory details or evidence that might exist within the communication. As the participants participate in the story, similar emotions and interpretations will be present among the members of the group. The fantasy theme then becomes the groups experience and results in a shared reality for the participants (Griffin 1997). There are three types of fantasy themes included in Bormanns theory: (1) setting themes, which name the scene of an action, (2) character themes which describe agents or actors in the drama, assign motives to them and portray them as having certain characteristics, and (3) action themes which are the plot lines in which the characters engage. (Foss, 1996) The next level in analysis is observing fantasy types within a community. A fantasy type is a repeated fantasy theme that includes similar scenes, characters, and plots that are shared by the members of a community. Griffin (1997) observes that most fantasies do not chain out but rather fall on deaf ears, but that chaining out occurs when people catch on to a fantasy theme and then continue to spread the theme which then feeds into the overall rhetorical vision or a unified putting together of various shared fantasies. When a fantasy type is developed the rhetors involved are able to give a general story and the audience is able to fill in the details of the entire scenario. Included in the rhetorical vision of a community one will find fantasy themes which share the values, practices, heroes, and villains within the rhetorical group. Actions that make little sense to someone outside the rhetorical vision make perfect sense within the context of the group involved (Griffin 1997). Fantasy theme method suggests that the individual and collective dramatizations of a groups goals, scope, and activitiesthe groups conceptualized reality, or fantasy themecan be used to study social movements. Based on the notion of fantasizing in small groups, this analytic approach provides a method of discovering how communication creates social realities for groups of people (Foss, 1997). Fantasy theme analysis, as Bormann (1972) structured it, provides unique insight into the mentality and worldview of social groups. Foss (2004) summarizes the theory of symbolic convergence as a reference to the way narratives invite audiences to identify with the characters by using commonly established themes that the audience will immediately respond to as a cue to aid understanding. Bormann designed this method to help explain how common symbols and values are developed through group communication. Methodological Framework Fantasy theme criticism consists of four steps: 1. Select an artifact 2. Analyzing the artifact . Formulating a research question 4. Writing the essay Analyzing the artifact consists of two steps: 1. Coding the artifact for setting, characters, and action themes 2. Constructing the rhetorical visions from the fantasy theme a. Theme- Patterns b. Major and Minor- Frequency and Intensity Coding consists of settings, characters, actions, and character theme codes. I will analyze the three main fantasy themes used in the song: violence, drugs/alcohol and deception. These three powerful pieces of the song all show different ways that American’s youth can be influenced purely through a rhetorical framing of issues. At one point or another, these themes will have to be dealt with in the life process of today’s youth. Analyzing how these themes function within the song will illustrate certain subliminal messages and influential factors that affect America’s youth. I will follow three of Bormann’s steps to complete my analysis. During fantasy theme analysis I must look for patterns within the song- based on frequency and intensity. Symbolic convergence frames the theory that communication creates reality. As for reality, it is not only created for individuals but also groups; sharing that sense of reality. The first step is to situate the song within the network of America’s youth. The second step is to examine the song for evidence of symbolic convergence and the fantasy themes used to perpetuate the subliminal messages and possible interpretations that remain transparent. The final step is to present the rhetorical vision America’s youth can create and be influenced by. These steps will complete my analysis of Eminem and Rihanna’s â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† in order to further understand how America’s youth is being influenced by hip hop culture in today’s society. Analysis Descriptive Analysis Descriptive analyses involve direct observation of behavior and environmental events in naturalistic contexts. Research in descriptive analysis has focused on a variety of areas including descriptions of naturalistic observations of behavior and environmental events, integration of descriptive and functional analyses, comparisons of outcomes from descriptive and functional analysis, and quantitative analyses of behavior and environmental events (Sloman 2010). Using Campbell’s seven elements of rhetorical action I will delve into the descriptive analysis. The purpose, or central idea of â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† is to relate to potential listeners in an attempt to sell CDs and promote their music. One of the main goals of the song is to relate to listeners so the listeners will in turn admire the artist and become a fan of his/her music. Eminem wants us to believe that creating violence in his song and music video is acceptable and/or ‘cool. ’ One lyric that represents this statement reads: â€Å"†¦ it’s a steel knife in my wind pipe I can’t breathe but I still fight while I can fight. The target audiences that Eminem and Rihanna are reaching out to are limited to none. Anyone that can listen and enjoy music is a target audience. On the other hand, those affected by the vulgar lyrics are none other than America’s youth! One aspect of growing up is finding out who you really are and what you like to do. At the ages of 13-18 I feel like you are more prone to adopt values and ideas that yo u see in the everyday media. Prospective audience members or listeners are asked to adopt these violent actions into their lifestyles. Eminem is personified in the song as a dead beat cheating boyfriend that has nothing going for him. Why would anyone want to adopt that persona? The tone of the song is depressing. The lyrics are dramatic and loaded with violent verbiage and deceitful actions. Eminem’s attitude towards the audience is somewhat as a peer and a superior. Eminem is viewed as a peer because he is trying to relate his music to the audience without turning them off or leaving anyone out. At the same thing, Eminem is seen as authoritative because he hints to the audience that what he saying he has already done before. An example of Eminem’s authoritative behavior in his lyrics would be: â€Å"I can’t tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like† in this he is already stating that he has performed these actions. The structure of the song dwells on relationships people have with one another. Eminem gains attention by introducing his perspective and by the use of vivid figurative analogies. Eminem tries to create a shared reality with the audience by use of similar past relationships. If one person has had a rough relationship in the past, they will automatically become more susceptible to liking the song and its ontents. The song is also chronologically structured, starting with the young couple in the bed, and develops as they fight over time. Eminem himself is supporting materials for the themes he portrays in his song. He is notorious for his rough divorce with ex-wife Kimberly Mathers. Rihanna is also known for her tragic experience with abusive boyfrie nd Chris Brown. Strategies used to capture listeners include a catchy chorus as well as clever bold lyrics. Eminem alludes to a previously dramatic relationship when he states: â€Å"I’m superman with the wind at his back, she’s Lois Lane. This strategy is set up so that anyone who previously watched superman can easily create a shared reality and relate to the song. Critical Analysis In following three of Bormann’s steps to complete my analysis, many patterns of drugs/alcohol, violence and deception are drawn throughout the song. Symbolic convergence frames the theory that communication creates reality. The reality Eminem creates through his lyrics and seen in the music video is a perception for America’s youth to view. One filled with alcohol abuse, drugs, violence and lies. The song is already situated within the media network of America’s youth. Subliminal messages perpetuated here include those of alcohol abuse, lies and deceit and acts of violence been seen as acceptable. My rhetorical vision states that people do not need to lie, consume drugs or alcohol or be violent towards one another in order to be successful. Eminem Rihanna’s â€Å"Love the Way You Lie† contains three fantasy themes that are significant to the overall rhetoric to this song. The three themes are categorized as drugs/alcohol, violence and deception. As I immersed myself and scored through the lyrics of the song, some of the single worded (action themes) that helped me select these fantasy themes include: burn, cry, lie, fight, high, drunk, huffin’ paint, suffer, suffocate, hate, running, insane, laid hands, stoop, barley breathe, hit em, sick, spit em, throw em down, rage, separate ways, broken records, leave, fall back, temper, blinded, crazy, pissed, fist, apologize, liar and set this house on fire. As for the music video, certain actions took place to help me narrow down my fantasy themes. These actions include: fighting, spitting in face, walking out, punch, drinking alcohol, stealing, yelling, shaking, hitting and burning. Setting themes include the house in the music video, the liquor store and the bar. Characters involved are Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox’s character as well as Rihanna and Eminem referencing â€Å"I† and â€Å"You† throughout the lyrics. Violence In terms of violence, the vulgarity of the lyrics emulate to America’s youth that those specific actions and words are acceptable. It is not necessary for 13 year old children to hear lyrics like â€Å"I’m a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire. I feel that having a strong family background is crucial for children in terms of being raised more level headed but statements like that are just unnecessary. The intensity of the violence in the music video is harsh. At one point in the video Megan Fox spits in Dominic Monaghan’s face. Again, this is not accept able behavior and should not be exemplified. Professional athletes are fined thousands of dollars for spitting in an opponent’s face but this music video makes it seem like it’s a regular occurrence. The frequencies of violent words in the lyrics are very high as well as intense. There are multiple clips in the music video where the couple physically assaults one another. The more America’s youth sees this behavior as acceptable, the more likely it will be duplicated. Drugs Alcohol Eminem’s reference to drugs and alcohol is salient in the lyrics as well as the music video. In the music video Dominic Monaghan goes as far as to steal a bottle of liquor from the store; shortly after he is seen rekindling his relationship with Megan Fox. This chain of events makes it seem like alcohol is the remedy for life’s problems. I only wish this was true! Fortunately I’ve reached an age where I can decipher good and bad choices when a problem arises, as for 14 year olds, not so much. The music video is creating a reality in America’s youth that depicts the consumption and abuse of alcohol as acceptable. Recent test results support the predictions that the relationship between media exposure and alcohol use was mediated by peer norms and positive expectancies and that the relationship was partially moderated by language preference (Jeong Hecht, 2010). Other references in Eminem’s lyrics relate to inhaling household products which is terrible for the overall health human body. The lyrics read â€Å"High off her love, drunk from my hate, it’s like I’m huffin’ paint. † Deception The song references to lying nine times before coming to an end. With the song being approximately 4 minutes and 30 seconds long, that means on average they are referencing to lying every 30 seconds. That’s a lot of lying! The devious behavior Dominic Monaghan’s character partakes in by having a random phone number written on his hand should not be idealized on how to act in any relationship. This behavior may cause insecurities to arise in young women about their own boyfriends. The fact that Dominic Monaghan was out hitting on girls makes other women question if their significant other is doing the same exact thing. Not only does it make women appear unsecure about their relationship, but makes males seem like a distrustful partner. People should not strive for these feelings or negative attributes but they are being casted on upon the youth of America. Implications, Discussion, and Limitations Young adulthood is a very important time in someone’s life. Decisions are made that can benefit or destroy the rest of that person’s life. Why would we want the backbone of America to be exposed to violence, drugs and alcohol? I don’t know. As many others have said in the past, communication creates reality. This Eminem and Rihanna song communicates a fictional reality to the youth of America. It baffles me that a child could simply turn on the television and be exposed to the violence portrayed in this video. One limitation I encountered was that I only had 13 weeks to research the song, fantasy theme criticism, symbolic convergence theory and write the paper. The fact that I only had 13 weeks to write the paper gave me limited access to information on the topic. Another limitation I encountered was the use of only one rhetorical methodology. I understand that there is a part II of the song and would like to have the time to research that as well. I believe Fantasy theme is a great method for researching this song. On the overhand if I were to do it over again I would probably choose narrative criticism. There are serious social implications that may come about due to the content of this song. Implications for shoplifting, underage drinking and drug use are bound by imprisonment in the United States. I for sure wouldn’t want my child to be viewing this video on television. For future esearch I would recommend narrative or fantasy criticism and would definitely include part II of the song. As for the larger issue I’m concerned, it’s the wellbeing of the United States of America. References Bormann, E. (1972). Fantasy and rhetorical vision: The rhetorical criticism of social reality. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 58, 396-407. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from Academic Search Premier database. Foss, S. (2004). Rhetorical criticism: Exploration and practice (3rd ed). Waveland press, Long Grove. Littlejohn, S. W. (2002). Symbolic convergence theory. In Cavanaugh, D. (Ed. ) Theories of Human Communication (pp. 57-159). New Mexico: Wadsworth Group. Pineda, R. , Sowards, S. (2007). Flag waving as rhetorical argument: 2006 immigration demonstrations and cultural citizenship. Argumentation Advocacy, 43(3/4), 164-174. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from Communication Mass Media Complete database. Bormann, Ernest G. (1972). Fantasy and Rhetorical Vision: The Rhetorical Criticism of Social Reality. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 58, 396-407. Foss, S. K. (1996). Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration Practice. (2nd ed. ). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland. Griffin, EM (1997). A First Loo k at Communication Theory. (3rd ed. ). NY: McGraw-Hill.

Predeterminer Definition and Examples in English Grammar

Predeterminer Definition and Examples in English Grammar In grammar, a predeterminer is a type of determiner that precedes other determiners in a noun phrase. (The word that immediately follows a predeterminer is called the central determiner.) Predeterminers are also known as a predeterminer modifiers.   Predeterminers are used to express a proportion (such as all, both, or half) of the whole indicated in the noun phrase. Like determiners, predeterminers are functional elements of structure and not formal word classes. Examples and Observations Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.(attributed to Will Rogers)All the people like us are We,And everyone else is They.(Rudyard Kipling)Both the children had a gentleness (it was their only fault, and it never made Miles a muff) that kept them- how shall I express it?- almost impersonal and certainly quite unpunishable.(Henry James, The Turn of the Screw, 1898)Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the kings horses and all the kings menCouldnt put Humpty together again.(English nursery rhyme)Realizing the importance of the case, my men are rounding up twice the usual number of suspects.(Claude Rains as Captain Renault in Casablanca, 1942)Core Members and Marginal MembersThe special quantifiers all, both, and half are the core members of the class of predeterminers. Other fractions and multiples (twice, thrice, three times, etc.) are marginal members. This set of quantifying elements is distinct from ordinary quantifiers such as many, some, much, and the cardinal and ordinal numerals. . . .[T]he word such and certain adjectives can [also] serve as predeterminer modifiers before the indefinite article. In all such cases in the corpora, predeterminer adjectives are themselves modified such that they describe a relative degree of some property. For example, something that is too good possesses a degree of goodness that is equal to some reference point; someone who is such a bore exhibits a high degree of boorishness, etc.(Thomas Edward Payne, Understanding English Grammar: A Linguistic Introduction. Cambridge University Press, 2011)

Essay assignment on theme Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assignment on theme - Essay Example Cather’s major massage in â€Å"Paul’s Case† is a boy’s great and unreasonable desire of splendid lives and its consequences. The author depicts several occasions that reveal Paul’s emotional fulfillment when he is engaged in the theatre setting. Cather shows the conflict between two places. Paul’s house is a place where he remains devastated, and the theater is a place where he gets satisfaction in life. Cather mentions, â€Å"After a concert was over Paul was always irritable and wretched until he got to sleep,† and reflects on the â€Å"ugliness and commonness that he had always had when he came home.† Home is not a cozy, comfortable and safe place to Paul. He does not even relate to his neighbors. However the author points out the happiness of Paul while working at the theatre "as though it were his greatest pleasure in life." Cather adds: â€Å"This was Paul’s fairy tale, and it had for him all the allurement of a secret love.† Paul is very excited, energetic and alive when he is working in the theater. He is more than happy with guiding dressed people and see ing musicians. Paul visualizes real life at the theatre which is furnished with garish satins, diamonds and rhinestones. Paul views the setting of the theatre and the setting of his home and school to be at different extremes of the pleasant and unpleasant. Cather depicts Paul as being obsessive of living in the style and manner which he dreamt of, rather than working hard to pursue the career of an artist and then enjoy life in accordance with his dreams. Paul actually finds a shortcut to fulfill his dreams by stealing money from his employer. When he reaches New York, he starts buying things, such as a street coat, hat, shoes, silver brushes, dress shirts and a scarf pin. He also rides in carriage, drinks champagne and dines to the background of a string orchestra. Cather states, â€Å"Everything was quite perfect; he was exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be.† The boy has

To kill a mockingbird Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

To kill a mockingbird - Essay Example Whether well-meaning or ill intentioned the town’s journey spanning three years reveals both optimistic and pessimistic sides of human behavior, and teaches that you must look within yourself – not to your neighbors - to decide what is right and wrong. Set in the Bible belt southern state of Alabama in the 1930’s, To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on the town of Maycomb and the racial tension of a lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. Though everyone knows the black man, Tom Robinson, is innocent, times have not progressed sufficiently that a white woman would be proven to be a liar over the word of a black man. Several townspeople know that this thinking is wrong, but only one white person openly flaunts his beliefs that blacks should be treated no different than white folks. This man is Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Scorned by whites for living with a black woman and producing mixed children, Mr. Raymond doesn’t have an easy time of it with the black population, either. He is, however, one of the few people who live what they believe in and try to set an example for others who might change the ways of the future. Despite his preference for the company of Negroes, Mr. Raymond is respectful of the inabilit y of the white people to comprehend his way of life and therefore pretends to be a drunk. As he explains to Jem, Dill and Scout one day when they discover his secret, â€Å"It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town†¦ folks can cay Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey – that’s why he won’t change his ways† (p. 204). It is a unspoken (and mostly unknown) compromise that allows the town folk to pity him instead of hating him. Another contribution to the story is that of ignorance and how it can be used to shame others or to learn to â€Å"put yourself in their shoes† as Atticus suggests several times throughout the novel. One example of this ignorance is the plight of Miss Caroline

The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Changes in Changez Essay Example for Free

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Changes in Changez Essay ?The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing or person is definitively recognizable or known is their identity. A person’s behavior, his/her background, the inevitable bits and pieces of his/her nature and history sown together make him/her who he/she are. Changez is the protagonist of the Novel â€Å"The Reluctant Fundamentalist† by Mohsin Hamid. His character is complex and diverse from the rest. It is volatile and his perspective of his identity is irresolute. By this I mean that his understanding of who he is constantly being altered through the course of the novel, and I will discuss this in the following paragraphs. Changez’s identity refers to who he is; every aspect of his personality adds up to his identity. Changez belongs to an upper-class family from Lahore, Pakistan. He lives in a house with his parents, his sister his brother. This family is not poor, but is not wealthy compared to the society it mixes with. Changez’s family is relatively liberal as everybody, including the women, work, in order to maintain the high living standards that they are used to. Changez has been born and brought up in Lahore and has always been a promising and scholarly student. The novel states that he has gone through his entire school life without getting a single B grade. Post his education at school; he received a scholarship to Princeton. This reflects two aspects of Changez’s life; first, his above average intellect that made him eligible for such a pristine offer, and second, his dire need for the financial aid in order to be able to be part of such a prestigious institution. Like for everybody, Changez’s history is inevitably a part of his identity. It may not be very important, but his financial condition does raise barriers in his life and can be categorized as important enough to be a part of his identity as this causes constraints. Other than these aspects of his life, an important part of Changez’s identity is his mindset. Before getting to Changez’s metamorphosing personality, I would like to state a constant about him: His mannerisms. Through the course of the novel, Changez’s way of speaking is always polite and humble. This may be a contradiction to his proud and confident personality. As I see it, Changez believes that he is a cut above the rest and works tirelessly to prove it and live up to his own expectations. However, while he feels superior to his acquaintances, he is never seen being impolite or cocky towards them. As Changez’s journey begins in Princeton, he is always slightly different from his acquaintances. His politeness makes him bit of an outsider and he is never quite part of the people there. Another thing that makes Changez different from the rest is his economic stability. A part of Changez’s identity worth commenting on is not only the need for him to work three jobs whilst being at college, but his efforts to not let his peers at Princeton find out about these jobs. In my view, he wants to keep up with everyone and flourishing on the financial front is one of his life’s goals. I think this is one of Changez’s catalysts that make him work so hard. It is one of the factors that provide him with the drive to flourish. Underwood Samson employs Changez for a job that is almost out of reach. This reflects his diligence and charm. At this point in his life, Changez claims to be a lover of America and his admiration for the country stands strong. As Changez is not as wealthy as he projects himself to be, it is difficult for him to watch as his friends part with money thoughtlessly on their trip to Greece. ‘Lahore-ancient city†¦democratically urban, similar to Manhattan. ’ Changez claims that coming to New York was like coming ‘home’ for him. New York is full Urdu speaking cab drivers and has other similarities to Lahore. Changez feels like he is ‘immediately a New Yorker, never an American. ’ In my view, this shows that while he is drawn to New York in a binding way, and while he feels like he belongs to the city, he does not belong to the country. He feels like his nationality is Pakistani and that is where he belongs. I don’t think that at this point he is conflicted between New York and Pakistan, I think he feels like he belongs to both the places, one city and another country. He wears his country’s attire with pride and he also mentions that he from the moment he was in New York, he felt like a New Yorker. Changez’s national identity, at this point, is Pakistani. Earlier, however, Changez leaked a sense of pride towards belonging to Pakistan. There is no displacement or confusion in Changez as far as the identification of home belonging to a certain geographical space is concerned. On the contrary, the idea of home seems fixed and determined as Pakistan. A further possible hint of his pride of being Oriental, rather than a Westerner, is given by his decision to combine a pair of jeans with a kurta, a typical item of clothing worn in Pakistan and in some other Eastern countries, when meeting Erica’s parents, hence an important occasion. Later, in contrast, Changez recognizes that Pakistan was once at the forefront of modernity but he feels a sense of shame and resentment that it is now poor –disparity compared to the view he gets from the 41st floor of his office building. Changez feeds off the power and money that he feels coming closer to him, as these are the base of his ‘American Dream’ and as I earlier mentioned, his need to earn money drives him to work hard. Changez’s identity withholds a hunger for these things, and at the same time he feels ‘privileged’ to be given this opportunity to become the person he has been working towards becoming. Filipino workers ‘look up’ to rich young Americans and Changez starts to adopt the same attitude and language in order to be looked at with the same respect as his collogues when they are in Manila. He feels sense of power that comes with the realization that due to his job, he decides people’s futures. This power is a part of Changez’s identity, whether the power is present or not. The hunger for the power is a definitive part of Changez. He is, however, unsettled by a taxi driver who shows hostility towards him. Changez feels like he is part of a play and ought to be making his way ‘home’ like the Taxi driver. The realization that he is falsely altering his identity haunts him, and he feels like he is acting like ‘one of them. † Here, his identity is unsettled and in the state of flux as it is not concrete and sure. In chapter six, I quote Erica, who says, â€Å"I love it when you talk about where you come from, you become so alive. † This is an observation made by Changez’s lover at the time. She feels like a part of Changez feels either proud or joyed to be talking about his native land. In my opinion, this observation made is free from any bias and is purely based on Changez’s behavior that unintentionally and unknowingly gives off a sense of liveliness when he speaks of Pakistan, because somewhere inside, it makes him feel alive. Also, after having a seemingly awkward and immensely intimate experience of almost making love to Erica, Changez falls asleep and dreams of ‘home’, which in my view refers to Lahore. This projects his subconscious as being predominated by his thoughts of his home in Pakistan. An important part of the novel as well as a definer of Changez’s identity is the instance where he sees reports of the 9/11 on TV and his thoughtless reaction is to smile at it. This act can be interpreted in many ways, and my understanding of it is that while Changez loves America and is in awe of it’s power, it gives him a sense of relief that even something as grand as the USA could be brought down to it’s knees. He is aware that this act of destruction was done by Afghanistan. Changez is not a sadistic person and derives no pleasure from the realization that a substantial number of people were harmed during this attack; this lack of sensitivity is not a part of his identity. Having said that, I would like to point out that it is a sense of indifference to the victims that makes him smile. He does not smile at the way the power is exerted, but at the existence of the power. Previously, Changez saw America as almost indestructible and invincible, which made him feel small in comparison. Based on that idea, I think Changez finds a sense of relief when he sees that even a country like America can be brought down. For a lover of America, this is rather strange reaction to the tragedy that is the 9/11. Changez’s identity conflict comes into light here. Other than his national identity, Changez’s pride, which is a part of his personal identity, is also seen being flippant soon after. Changez claims that ‘he does not know how to describe his experience.. He did not seem to be himself† when he pretends to be Chris in order to help Erica make love to him. This is an extremely stark contrast to Changez’s personality traits that are proud and hold high self-esteem and self-contentment. Later, he does claim that he had ‘diminished’ himself in his own eyes. This shows conflict in his mind as to who he is and what stands conscientious in his eyes. After the 9/11, Changez’s perception of America as a nation that looked forward was altered to a nation that was looking back, and he felt like ‘an outsider. ’ This is an important change in his identity as Changez goes from being an outsider to blending in to the American society associated with Underwood Samson back to being a misfit. Changez returns to Lahore for some time later on. â€Å"This was where I came from, this was my provenance, and it smacked of lowliness,† says Changez. â€Å"The house had not changed in my absence, I had changed; I was looking about me with the eyes of a foreigner, and not just any foreigner, but the particular type of entitled and unsympathetic American who so annoyed me when I encountered him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Here, Changez’s conflict seems to clear up but his change in identity is more evident. He accepts the change in himself and also points out that he has evolved into the person that he resented previously. On the next page, he states that he was a man lacking in substance and hence was easily influenced by even a short sojourn in the company of others. This is also a contradiction to the person Changez was when he started at Princeton or at Underwood Samson. He no longer seems proud of who he is, and pride was a core element in his identity. When Changez’s brother ruffled Changez’s hair, Changez felt like he had not been touched so familiarly in a while. He said he felt an ‘almost child-like twenty-two year old. † This is who he is. He is unsure of who he is. He feels like a middle-aged child and his age may be a constant, but his youth or adulthood is a question and he does not know where he stands. This adds clarity to the idea of him being conflicted when trying to be definitive of his own identity. He feels like whilst trying to be an earning member of the family, he is also the youngest. He continues to feel a little bit like a child irrespective of his status and career placement. On returning to America, in spite of numerous suggestions from his mother and colleagues, Changez does not shave his beard. He claims that it is a ‘form of protest’ on his part, ‘a symbol of identity’. He also thinks that it may be a symbol of the reality he had left behind. This shows that he is beginning to believe that the home he has left in Lahore is reality and he is no longer a New Yorker, but a patriot, that in times of need and conflict he belongs to Pakistan. â€Å"I know only that I did not wish to blend in with the army of clean-shaven youngsters who were my coworkers and inside me, for multiple reasons, I was deeply angry. † Changez states that he does not want to blend in with the Americans. This is yet another aspect of his identity. He does not want to be an American and when a choice has to be made, even when it is more difficult to be a Pakistani, in fact more then, he choses to be one. After being sent on a project by his company, Changez understands that the ambitious part of him that was predominant in his personality now takes a back seat when his country and family come into question. In the beginning of the novel we see Changez as a hardworking person who goes out of his way to make his way to the top. It is a vital part of his personality; it does not hold the same amount of importance anymore. Changez returned to his country, Pakistan, and takes care of his family. In the novel, there is no definitive reason as to why Changez left America, but I believe that he did not purely leave because something from Pakistan was pulling him back, but because because there was not enough in America to keep him there. While he felt a connect with New York and had strived to reach there, there was an open-ended relationship with Erica that had little hope of ever being resolved. Also, his job, was no more. I believe that this was clearly very important to Changez. So, he returned to Pakistan and continued his life as a college professor there. Changez’s identity goes through a major evolutionary process over the course of the years he is in America. These changes are reflected on his personality in many ways, ranging from his career-orientation, his personal life, his nationality as well as his priorities. There is, however, never complete clarity to me as to what he thinks of as important and where ‘home’ is to him, until the end. I cannot for sure clarify that he is completely content because in spite of his return I sensed an undertone of sadness when he left his dream behind.

Henry Ford :: essays papers

Henry Ford A. Historical Narrative 1.Henry Ford, by far the universe^s most renowned industry man, held a strong grip on American business. The Model t, which was his crown creation and the mass production method he used to produce it, changed the face of the current times and became a temper of the times because it was catchy. He had a blue collar appeal to the majority of Americans, who were just that blue collar, because he succeeded on his own merits. Even with the great wealth he accumulated, he still maintained the support of the common folk. 2. In Helbroner & Singer, Mr. Ford is discussed a great deal in chapter 10 Workers and Work. It is fitting that he be discussed in that chapter, due to the hard workers mentality he maintained and his actions concerning his position on the prices of his cars to fit the wages of his workers. H&S describes one of his greatest contributions as being the creation of the assembly line. This creation as H&S says, ^ deliberately speeded up the pace of work as machinery determined the pace of labor^. It also says, ^ the character of work was changed.^ B. Historical Interpretation 1. The author gives a somewhat normal account of Mr. Ford^s life, by normal I mean similar to other information probably heard in description of his life. What is amusing is chapter 7, which is, entitled Genius Ignoramus. This chapter gives information on some of Mr. Ford^s not-so bright ideas such as; the naval submarine he sought to build, and the three motors each day, and his political aspirations that most people do not know about. All these ventures failed for one reason or another, but did not take away from his overall genius in industry. 2. In chapter 30; Henry Ford: Legend and Legacy the author places Ford on that industrialist pedestal that he belongs on. He concludes that his legacy will go on in the continued production of cars in the mass method, as well as the old car and special interest auto clubs and publications. The author also concludes that if he had died before 1914, after he set sweeping changes in motion he would be even more of an immortal. C. Historical Method 1. The author utilizes several sources such as:

Investigatory Project Essay

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all the researchers would like to thank to their Science teacher Ms. Aira T. Velasquez for teaching them and helping them to do this Investigatory Project also giving us knowledge for us to understand every problem that has made in our I.P. The researchers would like to thank also to their Parents for their undying support to their children and giving them strength to finish the project successfully. Also the researchers want to give their gratitude for all the people and friends who help them and cooperate with them in order to do this. Lastly the researchers would like to thank to God Almighty, for his bountiful spiritual guidance, blessings and love. CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM What are the other ingredients in making insect repellant which has a main ingredients of lemongrass and ginger insecticide? What are the ingredients needed in making a lemongrass and ginger insect repellant? What is the procedures on how to make a lemongrass and ginger insect repellant? How would it be in demand in other people? If this product sold in the market commercially what would be its price rate? What will be the effect of this product in the insects? What will be the outcome of this product to other people? HYPOTHESIS Water Lemongrass, Ginger and Water First get Lemongrass and Ginger, Second get a pan and put a water on it and let it boil, Third put the Lemongrass and Ginger let it boil for about 15 minutes. After get the extract of the lemongrass and ginger and put it in a atomizer. Very in demand because of its natural ingredients. It will sold for a cheap price because the ingredients is cheap. The insects will go away and they will be exterminate because of the strong smell. Surely it will be in demand because all ingredients used are natural and it cant cause harm OBJECTIVES To be able to make a insect repellant out of Lemongrass and Ginger. In order to create natural mixture this can kill insects. Because it is natural, it cannot harm our environment unlike other insect killers which can also harm our environment. And to save money because this insecticide is very cheap you will not cost hundreds to be safe from insects. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The researchers have made this organic insect killer out of lemongrass to create an environment friendly substance. Since our environment is at stake because of pollutions. One of these pollutions is on air. If you haven’t noticed our planet is deteriorating because of this. And one of the causes of air pollutions is the insecticides and pesticides which have chemicals that can affect the air. Serves as an eye opener for people to use natural insecticides that can help our environment and cost cheaper rather that using insect sprayer full of chemicals that can harm our environment and destroy mother earth. Promote awareness and resourcefulness for the good of everyone. It can be an inspiration for others to do this with other natural components and also to lessen garbage which people are worrying of nowadays. SCOPE AND LIMITATION Our product is insect repellant, its main ingredients are Lemongrass and Ginger which has a very strong smell. IN making this insect repellant we  only use natural ingredients such as Lemongrass and Ginger because of its natural aroma that makes the insect away. We the researchers didn’t use any kind of chemical ingredients because we are promoting natural resources. DEFINITION OF TERMS For purpose of clarity, the folloing terms used in the study are hereby defined Lemongrass- is native in India and tropical Asia (Cympobogon citrarus) it can be a tea or food adding flavor. Ginger or ginger root- is the rhizome of the plants Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. ABSTRACT We the researcher conduct this study due to economic crisis nowadays. Its aim is to create a product of insect repellant which is cheaper and could give the same quality which the commercial one could give through lemon grass and ginger. Insect repellant are important tools for prevention of insect borne – diseases well as painful or uncomfortable insect bites. And one natural insect repellant is the lemon grass (Cympobogon Citratus). Determining the effectiveness of lemon grass as insect repellant is the main goal of the study. Specifically, it intends to apply the Steam Distillation Technique in obtaining the natural elements and essential oil of lemon grass such as citral and citronella. Lemon grass is a native herb from temperate and warm regions such as India, is widely used in Asian cooking and is an ingredient in many Thai and Vietnamese foods. Lemon grass used in cooking has become popular in the Caribbean and in the United States for its aromatic citrus flavor with a trace of garlic. Lemmon grass is a member of species of grass that grows to as high as 1 meter with leaves of 1 to 1.5 centimeters in width that grows from a stalk of about 30 to 80 cm. long with bulbous lower end. The researchers used lemongrass and ginger to promote natural insect repellant but have a good quality and very cheap in this way we can lessen tha air pollution and also the garbage of the can of insect repellant. Lemongrass and Ginger as Mosquito Repellant Our product is all organic and since it is safe to use and effective it is great replacement on those toxic insecticide. Lemongrass and Ginger are the main ingredients of our product. Ginger has oils in which can help kill insects and Lemongrass as well has a strong aroma that surely insect will go away. That’s why this project is much of use to you specially when it comes to gardening.

High Schools Should Be Able to Sell Junk Food Essay

High schools should be able to sell candy, chips and soft drink. If â€Å"variety is a spice of life† than why shouldn’t it apply to younger people? Recently schools have been taking into consideration depriving students of branded â€Å"unhealthy† foods in canteens such as candy, chips and lollies. They condemn junk food as the cause for obesity and believe that by banning it completely, the problem will disappear. Banning junk food from schools won’t change anything or stop people from being overweight completely. What label is put on unhealthy, where is the line drawn? There is a fine line between certain healthy and unhealthy foods; some could even be labelled as either. A hamburger for example generally contains meat, bread and salad. A sandwich on the other hand contains pretty much the same thing! Does that mean that sandwiches should also be banned from schools? For daily nutrients a variety of foods is needed, everything in moderation of course. Certain foods shouldn’t just be eliminated from a person’s diet. Think of the food pyramid (the amounts we should have the most to least of), people should have breads; pasta’s and rices the most. Then have vegetables and fruits. Next on the pyramid are eggs, dairy and meat. Last but not least are fats, oils and sweets. While fats, oils and sweets should be consumed the least, they are still needed and important for our body to function well. Unhealthy foods should still be kept in schools as people should know to eat in moderation. Students are constantly reminded about healthy eating. All throughout primary and high school students are taught in PE the healthy food pyramid and the dangers of eating too much of one food. Students being mature and well educated should be able to choose what they want to eat, knowing the consequences of their actions. Letting them make their own choices also sets them up for life in the real world, as they need to realise that eve rything has consequences, whether good or bad. While some may argue that children obviously can’t make the right choices, I beg to differ. While people blame adolescent’s obesity on their eating habits, there is another factor that isn’t seen. Another reason for child obesity is lack of exercise. In this day and age most children’s form of entertainment comes from a screen, whether it be Playstation, Wii, Xbox or even just their phones. Sure, people still attend sporting clubs and such but the amount of people who do has dropped dramatically in the last 20 years. Majority of people 20 years ago played outside games for their entertainment, getting the amount of exercisenecessary to burn fat and be healthy. Students are mature enough to make their own choices and shouldn’t have to be sheltered. If they take away junk food, not only are they taking away kids freedom of choice but they are taking away their enjoyment too. A school in Seattle is considering relaxing it’s ban on unhealthy foods in high schools after the policy has cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Moreover, opponents of the ban say it’s not even accomplishing its mission of preventing kids from eating bad foods; as many students just go to milk bars to buy products they used to buy at vending machines. The revenues are down by more than $50,000 dollars a year which has caused the school to cut back on funding to a range of student activities, with poorer families unable to attend. A member of the board admitted â€Å"I think we went a little too far.†(www.seattletimes.com.)From this example it’s evident that while people believe strongly about banning junk food, they need to ask themselves some questions, is it really for the better? Will it just make things worse? Not many bought the healthy foods and because of that others had to suffer. Poorer families who can’t afford to pay for extracurricular activities will be forced to not participate, providing their kids with fewer opportunities than the rest. While others may say that students will eventually get used to the healthy foods, they need to read this article. According to the article they trialled this ban for seven years, with the profits not getting any better. If they want to wait they will be waiting forever because it will never change. Sure it might just be this be this school but if it happened there then what reason is there that it wouldn’t happen here? There needs to be a middle ground, where they don’t take the ban to an extreme as there are good intentions for the ban. School canteens should sell both types of foods but make healthier foods a cheaper option than fatter foods. Banning junk food from schools won’t change people’s eating habits or stop people from being overweight. Both unhealthy and healthy foods are needed for a healthy diet but in moderation. Schools should make healthier food an easier and more affordable option for people to buy at canteens. As the old clique states; don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

Abigail adam essays

Abigail adam essays Abigail Adams was a women of a unique personality . She was an intellectual because she wanted to have an education and demonstrated the desire to learn. As a mother, she passionately cared for her children during periods of disease and poor health that surround the country, that threatened her own life as well as others. As a wife, she stood by her husband during the early years of his political career when he often left her alone to care for their land and family. These roles illustrate her personality, and were especially evident during the presidency of her husband, John Adams. She was always her husbands number one supporter. Throughout the biography, Abigail Adams An American Woman, Charles Akers describes a strong modern women who had an impact on American Society and womens right. At age 15 Abigail met the man whose frequent absences, due to his duty to the Nation, would oblige her to exclaim she was bereft of my better half. During their four years of evolution from acquaintance, to friendship, to courtship, to engagement, and finally to marriage, John Adams could not resist the respect developed in him for her intellect, outspokenness- yet not overstepping the boundaries a woman at her time had in relation to a male, and acute point of views. John and Abigail married in the fall of 1764, and soon after that their lives began a journey of loneliness due to the demands that public service placed on him and his family, and the lack of hesitance with which he responded. During Johns absences, Abigail earned his love, respect, admiration and consideration even more so, as he considered her husbandry in the care of their property, their children and their overall affairs at home. John did not necessarily applaud her increasing dependency and freedom in speaking her mind, but did not, however, discourage it. She would become his dearest ...

My Last Duchess Questions for Discussion

My Last Duchess Questions for Discussion My Last Duchess is a famous dramatic monolog by poet Robert Browning. It first appeared in Brownings 1842 essay collection Dramatic Lyrics. The poem is written in 28 rhyming couplets, in iambic pentameter, and its speaker is a Duke talking about his late wife to the father of his second wife-to-be. They are negotiating the terms of the second marriage to come when the Duke reveals a portrait of his first wife (the Duchess of the title), which is hidden behind a curtain. And when the Duke begins speaking about her, what appears to be a poem about a man mourning his first wife becomes something else altogether by the end of My Last Duchess.   Discussion Questions Can you determine what the Duke is really saying to his future father-in-law?   Here are a few questions for study and discussion, to gain a better understanding of this important literary work:   How significant is the title of the poem toward our understanding of the Duke, and of his late wife?   What do we learn about the personality of the Duchess?   Is the Duke a reliable narrator? Why or why not?   How does Robert Browning reveal character in My Last Duchess? If you were going to describe the Duke, what adjectives would you use?   What are some symbols in My Last Duchess? How can we interpret the lines I gave commands/ Then all smiles stopped forever?   Was the Duke responsible for his first wifes death? If so, why would he admit this to his future father-in-law?   What is the theme of this poem? What was Browning trying to portray in the character of the Duke? Would you let your daughter marry this Duke?   How does the poem compare to other works from the Victorian period? How is My Last Duchess similar or different from Brownings other poems?