Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Critical Review EssayOn the Titanic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Critical Review EssayOn the Titanic - Essay Example This essay declares that the theme of trust is the underpinning them in the film is the theme of sacrifice presented as an evolving phenomenon that coils itself around romance. Cameron uses romance to bring the theme of sacrifice and he illustrates this by the relationship between Jack and Rose. These two very young people each other and starting having something common that developed into friendship. This friendship grows into trust. Trust is the lifeline to any romantic relationship, and this trust does not have to be based on anything, it can be just about people who trust each other, not because they know each other too well, but because they are yearning for love and companionship. This paper makes a conclusion that the best way to test trust is sacrifice; if you are trustworthy, you would do anything for me. This becomes more evident at the end of the film. Rose sacrifices her freedom and even endangers her life by going to the bottom of the ship where jack is shackled (which is dangerous considering that the ship was sinking and the last place anyone would like to be is at the bottom deck). The theme of sacrifice is further depicted when Jack chooses to sacrifice his life so as Rose would carry one. At this point, their love and romance is sealed, there is no doubt beyond this that they are on love, to the point of willing to die for each other.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Are We Born Good or Evil Essay Example for Free

Are We Born Good or Evil Essay The age old question when discussing man has always been: Is man naturally good or evil? There are many arguments that say that man is naturally evil. There are many counter arguments that say that man is naturally good. Which one is it? Is man naturally good or evil? Thats why Im here. I will present arguments from both sides, and maybe some that share an entirely different argument, and then share my opinion about which I think. This papers purpose is not to tell you which is right, which is wrong, but to get you to think about man and his nature. I must first define the terms good and evil before I am able to discuss which medium man is. I went to dictionary.com to find what the definitions of both terms. Evil produced five definitions, while good produced 41 definitions. I will discuss why this is weird later, but for now, just the definitions. Evil is basically something that is morally wrong. Its something thats intent is to hurt others. Good is basically something that is right, and its intent is to help others or do something for someone else. Now that Ive basically defined the terms, we can now discuss what man is. I conducted a survey on an internet forum asking people what they thought man naturally was. 33% think man is naturally both good and evil, 28% think man is naturally neither good nor evil, 28% think man is naturally evil, and 11% think man is naturally good. When I proposed the question, I was thinking that people would just say good or evil. It was not my intention for them to also say neither or both. What surprised me the most was that good was so low, while evil was so high. Is man naturally evil? Possibly. Many believe that humankind is entirely selfish, only looking out for oneself. Its our animal instinct they say. We do what we must to survive. If that means hurting someone else to get ahead, then thats the way it is. Me, me, me; its always about what I want, and not what anyone else wants. There are wars in our world simply because one side thinks the other is evil and must be destroyed and vice versa. This usually involves religion. Man is evil because Satan persuaded Adam and Eve to eat from the forbidden tree. They wanted to be like God, so they ate the fruit. Thats where sin came into play. So because of their act, all mankind is born into sin, which makes man naturally evil. Is man naturally good? Possibly. Even though many people do not think man is good, there are some people that do. They think that love is a natural instinct, and love is good. Man does not have the instinct to hurt or kill simply because they choose to. Man is compassionate. Man wants to be happy. Man wants to love and to be loved. Man cares about whom they love. Humankind tries to help one another in times of need. Man believes in the humanistic perspective, in that mans mind is inherently good, constantly striving to learn more and reach its full potential. Anything that happens along the way is subject interpretation. Once again, religion can come into play. God created man in His image. God is good, which makes man good. Even though sin came upon humankind, man is still created in Gods image, so man must naturally be good. Perhaps man is neither good nor bad. Perhaps when we are born we simply are there, we are neutral. 28% of people say this. They say that man is neutral, and is influenced by their culture on what is good and what is evil. Good and evil are just terms created by man; opinions. Wars are never a battle between good and evil, but rather a battle between differing opinions of what goodness and evil constitute. Good and evil change based on the morals that you learn. There is only the perception of humanity which attempts to give itself some fundamental depth where there is inherently none. Evolution didnt design us to be civilized and polite. We are hunters and gatherers. In the end we are carbon based life forms evolved from single celled organisms. Good and evil are objective constructs. They dont exist without people to perceive them; they are not a priority. For example a soldier can be seen as a hero from one side and a terrorist from another. Its all about perspective. Religion can come into play here as well. Is atheism considered a religion? Is believing in nothing but what you see considered a religion? A belief in God creates a religion, so a belief in something else (in this case, nothing) should create a religion, right? Ill just say belief and leave it like that. The atheistic belief is that the terms good and evil are nothing more than terms, created from religion. They believe that what we see is what we get. Man is born and is influenced into doing things (good or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"evil things). Evil is perspective, as is good. One side of the world may see themselves as good, while another side of the world might see those same people as evil. The terms are simply opinions, nothing more. Maybe man is naturally both good and evil. 33% of people seem to think so. Man always has a choice. Man can either do good, or do evil; their choice. They can choose to hurt or to help. Its easier to go down the dark side and act on greed and other negative impulses, but we have the ability to choose the person we want to be and choose the light side instead. That is what makes man special, instead of a common animal that runs purely on instinct. Man can love and man can hate. Man can kill and man can create life. Man is compassionate. Man is vengeful. Humanity can choose to do good, and choose to do evil. It 50/50; heads or tails. Where do I fall into this? Is man evil, good, both, or neither? I dont believe man is neither good nor bad. I dont believe man is here simply because of chance. I dont believe good and evil are just terms created by man to help ourselves feel better about our choices. Humanity isnt here because of an accident, or because of an explosion. Were too perfect to be. Im not saying man is the perfect being, because we all make mistakes, but were just made up so well I just dont see how we are just an accident. Do I think man is influenced in his decisions from family, culture, or even the media? Yes. But I believe man has this natural instinct to be good or evil. I do believe that man is both good and evil. Man can do great, wonderful, terrible, and horrifying things. Tony Soprano from the television series The Sopranos is a good example. He is a loving husband and father, but hes also a mobster who kills people and puts hits on people. Benjamin Franklin had many ideas for America and even invented electricity, but he was also an adulterous and a very sleazy man. If the perception of man being both good and evil is true, then each decision that humanity makes must be struggle, since good tells you to do one thing, while evil tells you to do something else. Its like youre mind is split in two. I realize thats a stretch, but Im trying to deduce all ideas around this belief. And if man can be both, can they be one or the other? I guess well find out. I do not believe man is naturally evil. Do we have evil tendencies? Sure, but that doesnt mean that the first thing I think of when I see someone is that I want to kill them. I dont wake up every day thinking Oh goody, I get to hurt someone today! because thats just stupid. Do I think that people think this? Unfortunately, yes. I dont think there are many people that do think this, but I believe there are some. People can be selfish, sure, but peoples intentions usually arent to hurt others. There is the exception though, like the popular kids in high school who make fun of the geeks just because they think its funny. Luckily, life isnt like high school at all. Evil is very real in my opinion, but we always have a choice to do evil, and I do my best to avoid it. I do believe that man is naturally good. We as humans strive to be happy. Thats what were all searching for in my opinion. We want to love and to be loved. Plus, man has this wonderful thing called a conscience. Its this little voice inside ones head that tells you when youre doing something wrong. We try to have a good day each day, even if we know that day is going to suck. Humanity tries to help each other out in times of need. Some people give to charities; others become counselors or doctors. Many people when they are children want to become policemen or firemen because, not only do they have cool uniforms, but because they help people. Its very hard to talk about good when all people usually think about is the bad. Even I think more about the bad rather than the good. Is that because I feel bad for thinking about the evil? I think so. The evil might be affecting us in one way or another. We try to do good, but sometimes the evil simply takes over and theres not much to stop it. We simply give in because its easier. Theres a quote in the bible that says The road to hell is straight and wide, and its filled with people, but the road to heaven is shallow and is filled with many turns. There arent many people on this road. I know the quote isnt exactly that, but thats not the point. The point is, doing evil is easy, while doing good is hard. But how can one truly live their lives if all they ever did was the easy thing? Itd be very hard to do. Whats really sad is that at dictionary.com, there are 41 definitions for evil and only five definitions for good. Why is this sad? Because it seems like we as humans always are trying to do good, but for one reason or another, it turns into evil, and so people get hurt. So there are 41 definitions because people get hurt. People usually think about the bad times rather than the good times. We dont really think about good things because we dont think they come in our lives very often, so there are five definitions of good because they seem so far away to attain, even if theyre not. My choice is that naturally, man is good. Sure, we all make mistakes, but when we do we try to learn from those mistakes. I believe that we are not born and are here just because. How can one truly live their life knowing that they are an accident? I dont see how thats possible. Humanity can do terrible, horrible things, but humanity can also do very good, even great things. Finding a cure for cancer, donating to a charity, helping someone paint their house just because they asked with nothing in return, the March of Dimes, Walk for Life, donating to Hurricane Katrina victims, or whatever else. We do a lot of good things yet we never really think about it. Maybe we give someone a quarter to help pay for something just because we have the change, or buying a friend dinner because they dont have any mother. Moving a shopping cart out of the road at Wal-Mart because someone might hit it or letting someone in front of you because they have one item while you have 25. Humanity does more g ood than what they think. We arent evil. We arent here just because. Were just naturally good, and it cant get better than that.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Effect of Flexible Working Hours on Motivation

Effect of Flexible Working Hours on Motivation INTRODUCTION As this is the research methods assignment so I did research on my selected topic which is Do flexible work timings increase the morale and motivation levels of employees? and come to know with different findings that what are the advantages and disadvantages of flexible working hours, and what other peoples opinion regarding that etc. So this research project put out to inspect the spirits and motivation levels of employees. On the basis of pilot sample evidence, it is seen that most employees would want to work in flexible timings and feel highly motivated when given the opportunity to do so. As flexible working hours is an advantage for many workers, which can help an organization to keep and retain its good and effective employees. Flextime can also enable workers to become more creative by organizing their work days around personal needs. No doubt that many firms are allowing its employees flextime and also keeping record for this, but some of the organization have core working hours for example, from 09:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with an hour off for lunch. These core hours vary widely from company to company and industry to industry. Flextime employees are given the opportunity to schedule their additional working hours from 05:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m. for example with at least eight total working hours a day or hours given by company. It can also be beneficial for parents who are working and want to spend a time each day with their children. Many employees foundd that their productivity can increase by setting flexible hours, which may enable them to work for calm time in early morning or evening. Some telephone salespersons, such as, may find that they have more success working late into the evening, rather than being forced to work during normal daytime hours. Some software engineers, research staff, or other people may feel that working late into the night is best for them as late night they can do better because that time they can do their work without any interruption. One of the key to successful flextime scheduling is to determine in advance all employees weekly or monthly schedules. Clearly, a company cant function if everyone is gone at the same time every day. Managers need to work out best possible flexible time schedules with employees, adjusting individual needs with overall company requirements. In todays rigid labor market, many types of businesses can offer flexible scheduling as a benefit to applicants. Research Objective This research study is trying to determine the benefits derived due to the preface of flexible working hours amongst the employees. To determine whether implementing flexible work timings will be impact on the self-esteem of employees motivation levels of employees. Significance: This research seek to find the result of flexible working hours provided to employees so to enable them to keep a balance in their personal as well as professional lifes.this research paper also develops the hypothesis on the different challenges which are faced by organizatons to be competitive in business. These Flexible work practice provides managers and employees with the opportunity to mutually plan adapted working arrangements to suit their joint needs. Here are some benefits of flexible work practices which are stated below (for institute); Saving of skilled employees who can otherwise leave the organization. Reduced training and recruitment costs due to lower employment turnover. Increased employee job satisfaction, commitment and resultant productivity. Improved employee morale and reduced stress Here are some benefits of flexible work practices which are stated below (for employee); Opportunity to combine family and personal responsibilities with career goals and personal development. Increased job satisfaction and motivation as a result of a better balance of work and family commitments. Reduction in stress as a result of more suitable working arrangements. Reasons why the need for new ways of working business drivers to change: Employers are under continual pressure to: Increase competitiveness Improve the quality and widen the scope of services to customers Boost productivity Manage the workforce more efficiently Reducing costs Increase the organizations capacity to innovate Improve morale and motivation of the workforce, aiding recruitment and retention of employees LITERATURE REVIEW It has been observed that by and large most employees would like to work in flexible timings since this gives them room for more activities. Also females are more likely to work in flexible timings than men. Flexible work timings can greatly help in boosting employee morale and motivation levels. Flexible Working we can say its a broad term, its Changes in the natural history of employment essentially moves to better variety and elasticity in work pattern,changes in technology enable work to be passed out in different ways. Flexible Contracts, Flexible Hours, Flexible Location, Flexible Tasks. There are the development in information and communications technologies which are in the process of enabling the new methods of working. These may incorporate or support the first category. PROBLEM STATEMENT However, recently it has been noticed that companies are increasingly facing challenges in terms of employee attrition and also dissatisfaction of employees due to the increasingly competitive market. To address this issue, companies have introduced flexible working hours for employees. Flexible timings ensure that employees continue to maintain their productive hours, as expected from them at their own comfort. Employees are expected to put in a certain number of productive hours per week and hence they have the comfort of logging in these hours at their own discretion. So our problem definition is: Do flexible work timings increase the morale and motivation levels of employees? THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Inventory of Variables The variables in this research study are Motivation level / Morale of employees and Flexible timings. In our case, Flexible timing is the independent variable and Motivation level and the Morale of employees are the dependent variables. The relation between the two is the effect of flexible timings on the motivation level / morale of the employees. There is no moderating variable in this case which in any affects the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable. Independent Dependent Variable Variable Motivation Level of Employees Flexible Work Timings Morale of Employees Direction of Relation Flexible Work Timing Have Positive Effect on Motivational Level of Employees Flexible Work Timing Have Positive Effect on Morale Of employees Explanation of established relationship among Flexible Work Timing Effect the Behavior of An employee. If an Employee is doing hard job then these flexible work Time Motivate Him that After doing Rest he can continue his work. So thats why its positive Effect. Flexible Time Also effect on the Morals of an Employee. Because it give opportunity to do something else In flexible work timing. Inventory of Propositions in a sequential order Flexible Work Timing Positively Effect on Motivational Level of Employees Flexible Work Timing Have Positive Effect on Morale Of employees HYPOTHESES In the traditional test of significance, two kinds of hypothesis are used the null hypothesis and the other one which is alternate hypothesis. Null hypothesis (Ho) is used for testing. It is the statement that no difference exists between the parameter and the statistic being compared. Second is Alternative hypothesis (H1) is alternative hypothesis is alternative hypothesis which holds that there has been a change. Testing of hypothesis can be explained as a six steps process Establishing a null hypothesis Choosing the statistical test on the basis of assumption about the population distribution and measurement level select the desired level of significance Parametric and non parametric tests are applicable under various conditions like parametric operates with the interval and ratio data and are preferred when their assumptions can be met. Non parametric tests do not require stringent assumptions about the population distribution and are less useful with less nominal and ordinal values. Before we start our research, based on our problem statement, we have come with the following hypotheses: 1.  Null Hypothesis: H0= Flexible timings do not have any effect on employee morale. Alternate Hypothesis: H1=Flexible timings have effect improve employee morale. 2.  Null Hypothesis: H0= Flexible timings do not have any effect on employee motivation. Alternate Hypothesis: H1=Flexible timings improve employee motivation. RESEARCH DESIGN A research design is used to guide a research study toward its objectives. The process of designing a research study involves many interrelated decisions. The most significant decision is the choice of research approach, because it determines how the information will be obtained. The measurement of processes of learning and the evaluation of the outcomes of the teaching-learning process have always posed major problems in research design. This is especially true where the desired outcomes are broadly defined as changes in interpersonal behavior: a complex of knowledge, values, perceptions, and behavioral skills. One purpose of this paper is to provide investigators with a review of the methodological problems involved in planning and conducting such studies. Unlike much research in the behavioral sciences which is primarily intelligible and of interest only to other researchers, research on human relations training is frequently written for and read by administrators and practitioners who may base action decisions on the findings. Their need is for guidelines which will aid them in evaluating the soundness of research reports and their applicability to practical decisions on the planning and conduct of training. This paper is equally addressed, then, to the creators and consumers of research on human relations training. Classification of Research The different research designs can be categorized into research design in case of: Exploratory Research Studies. Descriptive And Diagnostic Research Studies Experimental research Studies My Research based on Descriptive and Diagnostic Research Studies Because Descriptive research studies are concerned with describing the characteristics of certain individuals or a group. E.g. studies concerning whether certain variables are associated. Diagnostic research studies determine the frequency of with which something occurs or its association with something else. E.g. studies concerned with specific predictions, with narration of facts and characteristics concerning individual, group or situation. The descriptive as well as diagnostic research studies share common requirements. In both the studies, the researcher must be able to define clearly, what he wants to measure and must find adequate methods of measuring it. The aim is to obtain complete and accurate information, hence, the procedure to be used must be carefully planned. It should make enough provision for protection against bias and must maximize reliability. The design must be rigid and not flexible. Data collection techniques: The data of our research is collected in a survey is just like by filling up a questionnaire from 30  selected respondents, also the research is going to be conducted in natural environment where work proceeds normally. This research is a mix of both qualitative and quantitative research methods since we are going to use current statistics from previous researches and we have also conducted a survey of Employees on how their behave before and after Training and Development. There are 10 questions in each questionnaire. Population The population of this research are randomly chosen Employee of different age who are working in an organization. Random sampling technique is used to make sure we dont cherry pick our respondents. And the Targeted population is the employee of Tech pack Company. Sampling Form the sample of 30 respondents is drawn from which the selected population (before and after training) by using random sampling techniques. And check there working Ability by Production and quality. Tools of Data Collection These following tools Were used for Data Collection. Pilot sample. Field Research Collection of data its processing and analysis My method of collection of data will be with the help of a questionnaire, a sample of which is attached at the end for reference. We will cover those companies, which work with fixed timings. Using the data collected in the form of questionnaires, analysis will be performed and we can arrive at a conclusion whether flexible timings actually improve employee morale and motivation. Here we see that we are not able to calculate the values for à Ã†â€™ and X- µ , as à Ã†â€™ represents the standard deviation of the population and  µ represents the population mean. Both these values are not available to us. Hence we will be carrying out a survey on a pilot sample. For this pilot a sample size of 30 respondents is chosen. We see that for all the critical questions the Likers scale has been used for gathering data. On this scale option a would give us value 1, option b would give us value 2 and so on till option f which would give us value 6. Once the pilot data is gathered, we will use Microsoft Excel sheet to calculate the sample size. After the information has been composed from a representative sample of the population, the next step is to analyze the research hypothesis. Firstly the data i.e. the questionnaires would be checked for completeness and the wherever data is incomplete attempts will be made to get it filled up / or get it discarded. Then the data will be coded using the following formats:- Wherever the response to the question would indicate Yes /No we will use 1 for Yes and 2 for No In case of questions using the Likert scale, we will use the following coding convention Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree This coding will be useful in analyzing the data using tools like Microsoft Excel. Frequency distributions of the supposed variables of interest will be obtained. illustration displays like histograms, bar charts would be constructed. Below is a sample of the frequency distribution, which would be obtained with pilot data using Excel. FINDINGS Tentatively this research study seeks to examine the effects of flexible work timings on the employees morale and motivation levels. Based on similar studies done in the past we are likely to conclude that:- Many employees would want the option of flexible work timings. This is because of the changing work environment. Today many people are working more than 60 hours a week instead of the regular 48 hours. This leads to increased stress levels. Working patterns have changed drastically too as workers in service industries such as banks, insurance companies and supermarkets increasingly have to be available to offer 24-hour services to the consumer. Similarly public sector workers are increasingly expected to provide services beyond the traditional 9am to 5pm day. Also more and more employees are becoming aware of flexible working arrangements. It is expected that females would be more likely than men to request for flexible work timings. This is because increasing numbers of women with young children are in work. In two-thirds of families both parents now work outside the home, up from under a half in the 1980s. Women with children under 6 are more likely to request for flexible timings. Meeting childcare needs would be expected to be the most common reason given by employees for requesting to work flexibly, particularly women. Since today many couples with small children are working in organizations, this leaves them with little time to take care of their little ones. If there is no one at home to take care of the children, then either one of them has to take leave to take care of the young one, or the kid is left in a daycare centre. By opting for flexible work timings, this situation can be managed easily with one of the partners staying back. Most of the employees would agree that an employee would be greatly motivated if given the chance to work in flexible timings. Flexible work timings enable an employee to balance his work life and personal life. It is  because of this that he tends to have lesser stress levels and feels good about his organizations caring approach. Hence the degree of motivation in greatly enhanced. When asked most of the employees would agree that an employee tends to be more productive to the organization if he / she are working in flexible timings. In flexible timings the employee can work at his own comfort level and at his discretion, which allows him greater control over his life. This greatly help to increase the productivity of the employee in his organization. It is expected that the majority of the employees would agree that an employee tends to be more committed to the organization if he/she is working in flexible timings. Due to the greater flexibility provided in flexible work timings, the employee feels a greater  sense of commitment to his organization. This is because h feels that the organization is doing a lot to help him, so in turn he / she should also give the same back to his organizations. Many of the employees would agree that an employees morale is higher when he/she are working in flexible timings. The morale of an employee is directly related to his motivation level. If the employee feels  greatly motivated, his / her morale will be greatly boosted and this helps the organization to a great deal. Much of the employees would agree that flexible timings help to a great extent in retention of employees. Because employees would have the option of flexible timings, they tend to have a great  attachment level to the organization. They would not readily leave the organization. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS This study is about to cover a bright picture of flexible working for the employees. There are some pros and cons of flexible working hours, but any how the advantages are more than disadvantages. As full time flexibility leads to complexity in the organization which will lead to destruction and loss of the company, it can be mangeable for employees but May there is no control of work between them. As a consequence it leaves many of the employees within the organization feeling unhappy about their work, life and balance in both of them. It depends on the employer how they design jobs and recruit for retaining something. And these findings do not implement on IT sector as IT sector is facing a number of such things as challenges such as: Unauthentic evidence Need to move for a narrow commitment Need to tackle different things like attitudes and behaviours Align promotion and reward on the basis of full time basis or part time basis This research study easily suggests that IT sector no doubt IT sector had taken first steps on creating a role of flexible working but they still need to be ensure their future competitiveness and success. All which is required is vision and leadership to capitalize on the sectors unique opportunities. RECOMMENDATIONS According to my point of view there are different recommendations for flexible hours, some of them are stated below: Design appropriate flexible working options It means that designing such a flexible working which is convenient for employees as well as for employer, it up to the individual agreement and proper planning. Time and scheduled everything should be pre-planned. Organizations should clearly mentione tha what is suitable and not suitable for flexible working hours for individual roles. Support managers to carry out flexible work options for employees One of the biggest obstacle to modify may be the attitude and perception of middle managers and line mangers. Organization often undervalues the degree to which these groups may feel destabilized and threatened by the need to change working practices. In particular, successful managers, who have built a strong high-performing teams on the basis of usual full-time, face to face collaboration in the office, are likely to regard new forms of flexible work, particularly remote working, as both undermining the foundations of their teams success. So these mangers should provide their concerns for working differently and trained them as they begin to focus on managing employees by their output and results. Providing difficult careers with promotion opportunities for those wishing to work flexibly The shade of career death is probably one of the major single barrier to the wider adoption of flexible working practices. Employees working flexibly need to be granted full citizenship rights at work, in terms of access to training, promotion and progression opportunities. This shift in attitude and practice is the stick that holds work life balance cultures together. Without such stick, flexible working practices have a much more limited impact on the recruitment and maintenance of key ability.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A Comparison of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight, Stone Angel and A

     "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight" is a poem by Dylan Thomas.   This poem is about fighting against death. Many people die everyday with a sense of defeat. They reach a point in their lives were they feel it is useless to fight against a force that is destined to claim them. The strength of their youth disappears leaving them weak. Those who accept death too early die spiritually before they die physically. They grieve a loss that is yet to come. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" demonstrates perfectly the attitude Dylan Thomas felt his father should have had against his death. "D.J. Thomas had never recovered since having tongue cancer in 1932. Losing his eyesight Mr. Thomas' pride and fire had almost all drained out of him; he was becoming the husk of his former self. He did the crossword puzzles of which both he and Dylan were so fond of and awaited the end. The spectacle of his decline distressed Dylan greatly and inspired this poem." (FitzGibbons 295). Dylan Thomas did not wish to see his dad surrender to his death. In writing this poem, Dylan set out to encourage others to fight against death and to live their lives to the fullest. In the novel "The Stone Angel", Hagar Shipley is a woman fighting against her own death. Her son Marvin and his wife Doris wish to put Hagar in a nursing home because they feel she is too old to take care of herself. Hagar, feeling differently, takes matters into her own hands and flees to a house in Shadow Point. Hagar is fighting against the death she feels will claim her if she is placed in a nursing home. By running away, Hagar is standing up for her right to be able to live her own life the way she feels. Marvin is a representation of the death attempting to take hold o... ...n. The main theme of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem is to learn from your mistakes. After telling his tale to the Wedding Guest, the Ancient Mariner realized that the murder of the Albatross was a mistake and lived a life of penance. The act of murder was an impulsive act because the Mariner felt threatened by the Albatross their actions. The deaths of both birds brought about memories from both the Ancient Mariner and Hagar which they shared with other people, the Wedding Guest and Murray F. Lees. These memories help them to realize the mistakes they made. Through their own personal recollections, the Ancient Mariner and Hagar both achieved a better understanding of their lives and in turn were able to die with a sense of contentment and relief.    Works Cited FitzGibbons, Constantine. The Life of Dylan Thomas. Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1965   

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Homeric Parallels of Greek and Trojan Culture

The Parallels of Greek and Trojan Culture Homer’s The Iliad paints an epic and gruesome picture of the Achaeans and Trojans civilizations warring over a ten-year span. If one were to compare these once great cultures, the striking similarities would suggest friendship rather than enemies. Not only did both nations perform similar rituals and sacrifices, but also these rites were directed to the same group of gods. Specifically the Trojans and Achaeans had a tremendous respect for the dead and the Underworld.Also, the philosophies of both cultures centered on, arete, which for a warrior was excellence determined by a man’s prowess as a soldier during wartime or as an athlete in peace (Chiekova 9/11). Another parallel of the cultures was hubris, and the refusal to admit one’s wrongdoing because of pride. A final irony is the fact that Apollo is considered to be the â€Å"most† Greek of all gods, and yet he fought for the Trojans. Essentially both nations pra yed to the same gods, performed identical rites, followed the same core set of principles and yet from all these similarities, neither nation could find a way to form a truce.The first parallel of Achaean and Trojan culture stems from praying to shared gods. It was common knowledge of the ancients that if one were to honor the gods with sacrifices, the god would eventually reciprocate. And so both nations attempted to win favor. â€Å"At once we’ll sacrifice twelve heifers in your shrine, yearlings never broken, if only you’ll pity Troy, the Trojan wives and all our helpless children,† exclaims Theano, a Trojan Priestess (The Iliad, Book 7, page 180), while the Greeks also relied on divine intervention.Nestor recalls past sacrifices hoping the gods will once again return to the Achaeans, â€Å" There we slaughtered fine victims to mighty Zeus, a bull to Alpheus River, a bull to lord Poseidon, and an unyoked cow to blazing eyed Athena,† (The Iliad, Book 11 , page 266). Not only are the Trojans and Greeks sacrificing the same animal but also in this instance they are praying to the same goddesses. Another example of the same religious practices regards to paying tribute to the dead.Both believed that a soul remained restless and was unable to cross the River Styx and enter the underworld until burial rites were conferred. An example of the importance of proper burial occurs at the end of Book 7, after the duel between Hector and Great Ajax, â€Å"†¦If you are willing come, we’ll halt the brutal war until we can burn the bodies of our dead,† (The Iliad, Book 7, page 196). The mutual respect for the process of death is just another instance of the parallels between societies.The next example of how the Achaeans and Trojans were eerily similar is in regards to cultural beliefs. In order to become a great man or hero, one must possess arete. Arete is earned by performing exceptional feats and in turn gaining glory for on e’s name and country. To understand how important arete was to the ancient Greeks, the story how Achilles was brought into battle can be recalled. Achilles, mother Thetis, hid him amongst the women of Lycomedes. Achilles remained hidden until Odysseus arrived at the island with various gifts.Achilles was the only one interested by the fine swords and shields Odysseus brought, and thus revealed himself. Odysseus then continued to remind Achilles of his destiny, that if he enters the Trojan War he would die, but earn himself immeasurable glory on the battlefield (Chiekova 9/28). Earning arete was more important than living for not only Achilles and the Achaeans but also the Trojans. Hector earned his arete by proving his intense loyalty and returning to battle even though he knew he was going to die, too.Andromache pleads â€Å"Yes, soon they will kill you off, all the Achaean forces massed for assault, and the bereft of you, better for me to sink into the Earth,† (The I liad, Book 6, page 183). Another common theme found in both cultures is of hubris. Countless examples of characters making choices based on pride can be found throughout the epic. One specific example of pride influencing choices of the Achaeans is when Menelaus calls his men cowards for not volunteering to battle with Hector. What disgrace it will be-shame, cringing shame, if not one Danaan, now steps up to battle Hector. You can all turn to earth and water-rot away! † (The Iliad, Book 7, page 190). This is a classic example of challenging ones pride or shaming one into action. For the Trojans, even when it seems that the city is about to fall, he refuses to return Helen to Menelaus. He proclaims â€Å"I say no, straight out- I won’t give up the woman,† (The Iliad, Book 7, page 197). Paris would rather see the entire of city of Troy fall then return his prized Helen and damage his pride.The final great irony of the Trojan War is the concept that Apollo was the m ost Greek of all gods, and yet he fought for the Trojans (Chiekova 9/25). Apollo epitomizes everything the Achaeans strived for. He is often depicted as a young man perfected in beauty and grace and referred to as the sun god. Besides being a great archer, Apollo had many noble characteristics including being the god of healing, music, archery, and crafts. He is often identified by his iconic laurel wreath lyre, and bow. The Achaeans viewed all of Apollo’s traits as virtuous and emulated themselves after him (Chiekova 9/21).The great paradox is that the Greeks offend Apollo by refusing to return the daughters of one his priests. This causes Apollo to side with the Trojans and deliver a vicious plague upon the Greeks. Homer writes, â€Å" The arrows clanged at his back as the god quaked with rage, the god himself on the march and down he came like night. Over against the ships, he dropped to a knee let fly a shaft and a terrifying clash rang out from his great silver bow†¦He cut them down in droves- and the corpses-fires burned on, night and day, no end in sight,† (The Iliad, Book 1, page 88).Comparing Achaean and Trojan society it becomes quite apparent that the cultures were more similar than different. Each society practiced the same religion, strived to achieve greatness and respect in battle, and had a unique respect for Apollo. The parallels between civilizations almost seems as if the Achaeans and Trojans should have been allied with one another, but it seems that there eerie similarities almost led to conflict.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How to Apply to Grad School

How to Apply to Grad School Most applicants become anxious when they realize that graduate school applications are very different from college applications. What do you need to know when applying to graduate school? First, the process of getting into graduate school can be confusing and downright overwhelming. Yet nearly all grad school applications are consistent in requirements. These include the following: TranscriptsGRE or other standardized test scoresLetters of recommendationAdmissions essay(s), also known as a personal statement Ensure that your grad school application contains all of these components because incomplete applications translate into automatic rejections. Transcripts Your transcript provides information about your academic background. Your grades and overall GPA, as well as what courses youve taken, tell the admissions committee a great deal about who you are as a student. If your transcript is filled with easy As, such as those earned in classes like Basket Weaving 101, youll likely rank lower than a student who has a lower GPA comprised of courses in the hard sciences. You wont include your transcript in the application that you send to the graduate program. Instead, the registrars office at your school sends it. This means that youll have to visit the registrars office to request your transcript by completing forms for each graduate program to which youd like to forward a transcript. Begin this process early because schools require time to process your forms and send the transcripts (sometimes as much as two to three weeks). You dont want your application to be rejected because your transcript was late or never arrived. Be sure to check that your transcript has arrived at each of the programs to which youve applied. Graduate Record Exams (GREs) or Other Standardized Test Scores Most graduate programs require standardized exams  such as the GREs  for admission.   Law, medical  and business schools usually require different exams (the LSAT, MCAT  and GMAT, respectively). Each of these exams is standardized, meaning that they are normed, permitting students from different colleges to be compared meaningfully. The GRE is similar in structure to the SATs but taps your potential for graduate-level work. Some programs also require the GRE Subject Test, a standardized test that covers the material in a discipline (e.g., Psychology). Most graduate admissions committees are inundated with applications, so apply cut-off scores to the GRE, considering only applications that have scores above the cut-off point. Some, but not all, schools reveal their average GRE scores in their admissions material and in graduate school admissions books. Take standardized tests early (typically, the spring or summer before you apply) to guide your selection of programs  and to ensure that your scores arrive at the schools you want to get in early. Letters of Recommendation The GRE and GPA components of your grad school application portray you in numbers. The letter of recommendation is what permits the committee to begin thinking of you as a person. The efficacy of your letters rests on the quality of your relationships with professors.   Take care and choose appropriate references. Remember that a good recommendation letter helps your application tremendously but a bad or even neutral letter will send your graduate application into the rejection pile. Do not ask for a letter from a professor who knows nothing more about you than the fact that you got an A such letters do not enhance your application, but detract from it. Be courteous and respectful in asking for letters and provide enough information to help the professor write a valuable letter. Letters from employers can also be included if they include information on your duties and aptitude relating to your field of study (or your motivation and quality of work, overall). Skip getting letters from friends, spiritual leaders and public officials.   Admissions Essay The admissions essay is your opportunity to speak up for yourself. Carefully structure your essay. Be creative and informative as you introduce yourself and explain why you want to attend graduate school and why each program is a perfect match to your skills. Before you begin writing, consider your qualities. Think about who will be reading your statement and what they are looking for in an essay. Not only are they committee members; they are scholars who are searching for the kind of motivation that implies a dedicated and intrinsic interest in the matters dealt with in their field of study. And they are looking for someone who will be productive and interested in their work. Explain your relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments into your essay. Focus on how your educational and occupational experiences such as research led you to this program. Dont rely only on emotional motivation (such as I want to help people or I want to learn). Describe how this program will benefit you (and how your skills can benefit the faculty within it), where you see yourself in the program and how it fits into your future goals. Be specific: What do you offer?   Interview Although not part of the application, some programs use interviews to get a look at finalists. Sometimes what looks like a great match on paper isnt in person. If youre asked to interview for a graduate program, remember that this is your opportunity to determine how well a fit the program is for you. In other words, youre interviewing them, as much as they are interviewing you.