Chinese Mooncake Festival Essay Example

Chinese Mooncake Festival Essay On the 15th day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, individuals of Chinese descent throughout the globe will be celebrating the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival. It is the third major celebration on the Chinese lunisolar calendar which incorporates elements of both a lunar calendar and solar calendar, which is not uncommon among Asian cultures. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival took place on the 29th of September. As it has always been in Malaysia, the festival was celebrated with merriment and involved the incorporation of lanterns, mooncakes, and the involvement of people from other cultural backgrounds as well. In conjunction with this year’s celebration, this article will explore the history, origins and customs associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is traditionally related to moon-worship although its exact origins are lost to legends. However, researchers have been able to identify three possible legends relating to the festival. The most prominent is the Chinese myth of â€Å"Change and Hou Yi†. As with all myths, there is more than one version of it. But the fundamentals of the story remain relatively similar. The story goes that hundreds of centuries ago, there were ten suns in the sky. The heat emitting from these suns were too much for life on Earth to bear. But one day, a warrior called Hau Yi was able to destroy nine of the suns due to his formidable skill in archery. The people across the land were grateful and the Queen of Heaven rewarded Hau Yi with an elixir capable of granting an individual immortality. We will write a custom essay sample on Chinese Mooncake Festival specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Chinese Mooncake Festival specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Chinese Mooncake Festival specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Unwilling to become immortal and have to leave his wife, Chang’e, Hau Yi asked her to keep the elixir safe. Now a hero across the nation, Hau Yi became a teacher to many men. Unfortunately, one of his students, Feng Meng, intended to steal the Elixir of Immortality. In an desperate attempt to prevent the elixir from falling into the wrong hands, Chang’e decided to drink the elixir. This resulted in her becoming an immortal and she floated to the moon and there she remained for the rest of eternity, thus becoming the Moon Goddess. From then on, people began to pray to Change for fortune and safety. And during the Mid-Autumn Festival, they make offerings of food to her. Notwithstanding, from a historical perspective, this practice can be traced back 3000 years to the Shang Dynasty during which the moon was worshiped under the believe that the practice would bring about another harvest year. However, it was not until the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A. D. ) that the Mid-Autumn Festival was considered as an official celebration of China. People of all backgrounds, from noblemen to simple farmers, would honour the moon by having food, drink, music and dance. What is rather amazing is that this tradition has survived hundreds of years and is now celebrated across the globe. It is interesting to note that this has become a cultural festival rather than a religious festival. As such, instead of worshiping the moon in order to reap a harvest, most people use this festival to spend time with friends and family. As with all cultural festivals, there are several customs traditionally observed. The most prominent custom would arguably be the eating of mooncakes. According to a folk tale, mooncakes came about to pass secret messages during the Chinese rebellion of their Mongolians leaders. The leader of the rebellion was send to have sent the message â€Å"Kill the Mongols on the 15th day of the eighth month† on strips of paper by hiding them in lotus pancakes which eventually came to be known as mooncakes. Regardless, this particular food has come to characterize the Mid-Autumn Festival and any celebration without mooncakes would be considered incomplete. Although traditionally containing a lotus seed paste, mooncakes now come in a variety of fillings. The numerous flavours include red bean paste, chocolate, green tea, ice cream, custard cream, cream cheese, and for the more adventurous, durian paste. Mooncakes sometimes contain a salted egg yolk to symbolize the moon. Additionally, modern times have witnessed the emergence of more creative variations of the mooncake such as snow-skinned mooncakes and jelly mooncakes. Rarely homemade these days, mooncakes are usually mass manufactured by companies and are available in brilliantly packaged gift-boxes. This is due to the fact that mooncakes are extremely labour-intensive and time-consuming to produce. Another prominent custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival is the use of Chinese Lanterns. It has always been common to see people, primarily children, playing with beautiful festive lanterns that emit a warm glow of light. Originally constructed from bamboo sticks and rice paper, lanterns have evolved to consisting of wires and transparent plastic sheets that come in a multitude of colours. Also popular these days are lanterns that are no longer lit by candles but instead by battery-operated LED lights. Times have truly changed. Nevertheless, it is gratifying to observe that modern societies still make it a point to maintain ancient cultural traditions. Historically speaking, lanterns first came about around 2000 years ago as a means to communicate among the Chinese military. The tiny candle within the lantern would produce hot air, very much akin to a modern hot-air balloon, which allowed the lantern to float across battlefields. In modern societies however, lanterns are used to symbolize hope and goodwill. Additionally, it is not uncommon for communities to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with lantern competitions. One traditional custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival that is scarcely ever practiced among modern Chinese societies is the gazing of the moon. It used to be an important practice for Chinese people to gaze and marvel at the glorious beauty of the full moon as the Mid-Autumn Festival takes place at the time of year when the moon is at its brightest and roundest. During ancient times, people would hold ceremonies in memoriam of the moon and offer sacrifices to it. This was believed to bless people with prosperity and good fortune. Additionally, people who are unable to return to their families for the festival would gaze at the moon and hope that the moon would send their love and best regards to their family, thousands of miles away. Besides eating mooncakes, playing with lanterns, and moon-gazing, family reunions are extremely important during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Family members from across the globe try their best to return to their parents’ home in order to enjoy a good meal together. They engage in excited conversations and rejoice in the company of each other. It is a warm and joyous occasion that is intended to maintain family ties. Traditional dishes are served and wine is poured for all to share. It is fascinating to note that the dishes served are usually said to symbolize something in particular. For instance, pumpkins are considered to ensure good health, river snails promote good eyesight, and glutinous rice dumpling with sweet rice wine represents a â€Å"sweet family reunion†. In Malaysia, the Chinese make it a point to set the mood for the festival weeks in advance. Commercials and advertisements promote the upcoming festivities. Boxes of mooncakes are given to friends and family in order to strengthen ties and lanterns are bought in large quantities. Some families even offer prayers to their ancestors. And on the day of the festival, friends and families visit each other, usually bringing along a gift basket of fruits. Communities composed of various races even come together to host celebrations. The occasion extends till nightfall and that is when lanterns are lit and sometimes, even fireworks brilliantly light up the skies. It never ceases to amaze me how an ancient festival is able to bring together families and communities with such ease. Despite the evolution the Mid-Autumn Festival has undergone over the past thousand years, the magic and allure of the celebration remains just as captivating. Here’s hoping that although the world will constantly modernize and reinvent itself, ancient traditions such as this are never forgotten.

Free Essays on To Kill A Mockingbird - The Context

Our question was ‘When the novel To Kill a Mockingbird was written in the 1960’s, how were the African Americans treated in society and how does this affect why the novel was written? We have an extract from a speech spoken by Martin Luther King Jnr. in 1963. ‘I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slaveholders will be able to sit down together and the table of brother hood†¦ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ Martin Luther was an African American who suffered the oppression that society placed upon him but rose above that and against all odds began to change the minds of Americans. The African Americans were seen as lower than slaves, in the 1930’s to 60’s organisations like the Ku Klux Klan were thriving in the South, with about 2 million members. The South had fought against the abolition of slavery in the Civil War, so racial prejudice was much more common in the South where the novel was based. Harper Lee wanted to speak through Atticus, telling the people the truths of the time, through a character they could trust and respect, just like the leaders that were rising up, such as Martin Luther and Malcolm X. Atticus believed that the colour of someone’s skin should not affect how they were to be treated, which is what the American Constitution stated and still states today, that â€Å"all men are created equal.† The novel was written during the time that Martin Luther’s radical beliefs were becoming well known. Atticus, a character set 30 years before, has the same views as people like Martin Luther, and this affects the entire town of Maycomb, as Martin Luther’s new ways of thinking were changing America. This shows how things within the novel were influenced by the society outside the novel. The truth... Free Essays on To Kill A Mockingbird - The Context Free Essays on To Kill A Mockingbird - The Context Our question was ‘When the novel To Kill a Mockingbird was written in the 1960’s, how were the African Americans treated in society and how does this affect why the novel was written? We have an extract from a speech spoken by Martin Luther King Jnr. in 1963. ‘I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slaveholders will be able to sit down together and the table of brother hood†¦ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ Martin Luther was an African American who suffered the oppression that society placed upon him but rose above that and against all odds began to change the minds of Americans. The African Americans were seen as lower than slaves, in the 1930’s to 60’s organisations like the Ku Klux Klan were thriving in the South, with about 2 million members. The South had fought against the abolition of slavery in the Civil War, so racial prejudice was much more common in the South where the novel was based. Harper Lee wanted to speak through Atticus, telling the people the truths of the time, through a character they could trust and respect, just like the leaders that were rising up, such as Martin Luther and Malcolm X. Atticus believed that the colour of someone’s skin should not affect how they were to be treated, which is what the American Constitution stated and still states today, that â€Å"all men are created equal.† The novel was written during the time that Martin Luther’s radical beliefs were becoming well known. Atticus, a character set 30 years before, has the same views as people like Martin Luther, and this affects the entire town of Maycomb, as Martin Luther’s new ways of thinking were changing America. This shows how things within the novel were influenced by the society outside the novel. The truth...

Pricing derivatives using Monte Carlo Techniques Essay

Pricing derivatives using Monte Carlo Techniques - Essay Example In practice generic Monte Carlo pricing engines face computational problems in the presence of discontinuous payoffs options, because of above stated time consumption limitation but also due to poor convergence with its finite difference estimates and brute force perturbation. Benhamou (2001)[3] following Fourni et al. (1999)[4] use Malliavin calculus to smoothen the simulation function. Benhamou(2001)[3] assumes that the functions are smooth enough to be able to perform the different computation following technical assumptions enunciated earlier, in particular the assumption regarding uniform ellipticity of the volatility operator, in Benhamou (2000-i)[5] (2000-ii)[6] and Fourni et al. (2001)[7]. Benhamou (2001)[3] further states when using finite difference approximation for the Greeks, with jumped price and taking the sensitivity issues into account, errors on numerical computation of the expectation via the Monte Carlo, and another one on the approximation of the derivative funct ion occur. Analysis ends up approximating the second order derivative of the payoff function .An approximation is obviously very inefficient for very discontinuous payoffs like for binary, range accrual, barrier and other type of digital options. To reduce this inefficiency, Broadie and Glasserman (1996)[8] suggested using the likelihood ratio method. Benhamou says," All Greeks can be written as the expected value of the payoff times a weight function and thee weight functions are independent from the payoff function implying that for a general pricing engine, such as Monte Carlo, using certain (numerical) criteria of smoothness, one can branch on the appropriate method. Because it is in a sense independent from the payoff function, the general implementation is simpler that the one of variance reduction technique that only apply to very specific payoff (like the use of control variate).Also no extra computation is required for other payoff function as long as the payoff is a functi on of the same points of the Brownian trajectory. This can be cached in memory to make it efficient Benhamou (2001).Thus Mallavian calculus promises savings in terms of computations, complexity, cache memory and in time though it may produce some noise. The formidable amount of literature exists which intends to suggest analytical pricing formulae for single asset American options. It includes Carr(1998)[9], Grant et al(1997)[10], Bunch and Johnson(2000)[11],Huang et al(1996)[12], Geske and Johnson(1984)[13] and Barone Adesi and Whaley(1987)[14].One can even refer to older constructs like the binomial model of Cox et al(1979)[15].Many of these constructs deploy elaborate mathematical tools, like recursive integration schemes or

Constitutional and Administrative Law Assessed Corsework Essay

Constitutional and Administrative Law Assessed Corsework - Essay Example he principle of separation of powers assumes that certain functions should be carried out by different institutions with neither impinging the other’s authority. As Montesquieu argued; â€Å"All would be lost if the same man or the same ruling body†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦were to exercise these powers.3† Furthermore, Lord Acton commented that â€Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely4†. Accordingly, the preservation of separation of powers is essential as a check on autocratic power. As part of this, judicial review of the legality of acts of the executive represents the central method by which courts control exercise of governmental power; which in turn operates as a central underlying facet of the separation of powers. As such, the doctrine of ultra vires is theoretically vital in serving as a testament to the independence of the judiciary in its role under the fundamental constitutional separation of powers in ensuring that public bodies, such as government departments, local authorities, tribunals, agencies have not acted ultra vires5. Moreover, the ultra vires doctrine is cited as the first principle of natural justice and the rule of law that public bodies are required to act within the scope of the powers allocated to them by Parliament6. With regard to the UK position, the doctrine of the separation of powers has traditionally been limited and criticised for being somewhat unclear in comparison to other democracies7. Nevertheless, it has been commented that the doctrine does in fact influence everyday operations of the executive, legislature and judiciary8 and Barnett argues that â€Å"Separation of powers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ runs like a thread throughout the constitution of the United Kingdom9.† Nevertheless, in the UK there has not been a clear separation of the branches of the state10, but rather a fusion, which in turn has created polarised debate with regard to the need to reform the British constitution. For example, the executive clearly carries out

Australian Taxation system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Taxation system - Essay Example There are also state governments which control taxation taking place in the several states that are in the country. The last system of government present in Australia is the local governments. According to Macfarlane in his book â€Å"Australian Monetary Policy in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century†, it is evident that Australia has low taxation rates (Macfarlane 1998). Despite lower taxation rates, the governments still struggle to control the taxation system. Several forms of taxation exist in Australia. These include personal income taxes, capital gains taxes, fringe benefits, taxes, customs duty taxes, corporate taxes and goods and services taxes just to name a few of all the existing forms of taxes. As testified in the sections of the Australian constitution, all individuals both working and non-working and also companies are forced to pay taxes to all the levels of government: the federal government, the state governments and the local governments. Among the natio nal duties that the Australian government accomplishes with the income generated from taxation include the offering of services to the public and paying the public servants. The federal government often collects taxes from individuals and companies through the Australian Taxation Office which is an organization that helps the federal government collect revenue which is further paid to the various states. Australia as earlier mentioned has several forms of taxation.... Income taxes are the backbone of the Australian economy since they are the most critical and important source of revenue for the federal government. Provides income tax revenue that the federal government uses to make or accomplish several important tasks. It is also important to note that income taxation in Australia is done on individuals with constant income. Thus, the individuals depending on the working generation which mostly comprises of the young children and older do not pay income tax. In the words of Cortese C and Glynn J, in his journal â€Å"Taxation and the Australian Superannuation System†, â€Å"personal income tax in Australia is done on individuals and not on groups, families, organizations or companies† (Cortese and Glynn). Another form of taxation is the goods and services tax. In this form of taxation, the federal government often imposes value added tax on goods and services offered and provided all over the country. Business people in Australia po sses retail shops, wholesale shops, hardware shops and even supermarkets. In these businesses, when an individual buys goods for example clothes, food or any other stuffs, there are tax imposed on him or her. Like in other countries, small business men and women sell their goods and services directly to their customers. When the customers purchase the goods, value added tax is imposed on them. Though tax on goods and services is not much as the personal income tax, it also acts as a source of revenue for the federal government in Australia. The income got from the goods and services taxation by the local government is later distributed to the state governments which the state governments use to run their duties. Consequently, corporate tax is another form of taxation in Australia.

Drama In The National Curriculum Education Essay

Drama In The National Curriculum Education Essay The aim of this report is to understand where Drama stands in education within England at present. It searches for its mention within the National Curriculum and interprets what this means for the teaching of the subject. It looks at primary and secondary schools current trends towards Drama as a discrete subject, and argues the benefits and disadvantages of it having its own subject heading within the National Curriculum. The evidence will be evaluated and a conclusion formulated. 1. Drama in the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum website provides the most up to date information on how Drama is placed within the curriculum. At first glance Drama is absent but mention of it can be located, mainly within the subject of English. [See Appendix One for a description of the requirements and activities for Key Stages (KS) 1 2. (National Curriculum, 2011a)]. Whilst there are aims and objectives published for KS1 2, at KS3 4 there is mention of selected playwrights as subjects to be studied and the expectation that at least one Shakespearean play will be explored in depth at each stage (National Curriculum, 2011b c). References to the use of Drama appear under Literature [See Appendix Two] (National Curriculum, 2011d). For England the Teachernet (Teachernet, 2011), DFES Drama Objectives (DFES, 2011) and QCDA (QCDA, 2011) resources have been/are being decommissioned with edited highlights appearing in the National Archive. In fact most of the Government resources advocated by the Initial Teacher Education website for English are no more (ITE, 2011a). The Department of Education website is replacing it, but the only suitable material found for Drama is an item for the Speaking and Listening element at KS1 2 dated 2004 (Department of Education, 2011). In Ireland drama is within the arts sector, alongside visual arts and music. The strand is Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding. They expect that when this subject is taught correctly it can help children at a young age to understand/relate and deal with life situations that can occur (Irish Curriculum, 2011). Whilst Drama is placed firmly in Arts Education as a trio with the visual and aural mediums, there is little support to be found in their Curriculum Planner as well (NCCA, 2011). Compare this to 52 resources for Drama in the Scottish Curriculum (Scottish Curriculum Resources for Drama, 2011). In Northern Ireland Drama is mentioned in Language Literacy and has its own subject within The Arts and resources are well provided (N. Ireland Resources, 2011). At KS1 2 the statutory subjects that all pupils must study are art and design, design and technology, English, geography, history, information and communication technology (ICT), mathematics, music, physical education and science. Religious education must also be provided at KS 1 and 2 (National Curriculum, 2011e), although there is a non-statutory program of study. From the National Curriculum (2011e) for Religious Education there are the following two points: 1). Explore how religious beliefs and ideas can be expressed through the arts and communicate their responses. 2). Using art and design, music, dance and drama to develop their creative talents and imagination. Art and design does not mention drama until KS 2 as follows from the National Curriculum (2011f): Exploring a range of starting points for practical work [for example, themselves, their experiences, images, stories, drama, music, natural and made objects and environments]. Yet making puppet theatres, and also creating atmosphere in sounds, lighting, backdrops and costumes for full size plays would make the subject more fun whilst defining a practical purpose for the work. Drama in a similar way should be a fertile ground for scenery and special effects within Design and Technology yet it is not mentioned at all (National Curriculum, 2011g 2011h). Music and Physical Education in a similar vein have a relationship to Drama through Dance but there is no credit for it. History could conceivably use period dramas to illustrate points and the appreciation of accuracy in the texts and writers bias would then be covered in Drama. Stenhouse (1981, p.29) is against the idea that Drama is for teaching other subjects in the curriculum and rejects the imagined realities of Drama for the authenticated realities of pure history. ICT could provide a multi-media back drop similar to that of exhibition trade stands and modern performances that use computerised effects and giant screens. When the National Curriculum was being formulated teachers were vocal in their disapproval of the many curriculum subjects being loaded into the National Curriculum, such that subjects were curtailed following Music and Art (Baldwin, 2011). As the (NCCCE, 1999, p.75) report states there are more than ten subjects in the world. It also notes that Dance is not found with sport, games and athletics after education and that Drama is not just verbal. (NACCCE, 1999, p.76) points out that of all the countries in the QCA/NFER INCA archive, England was unique in having 10 discrete subjects from KS 1-4. When the National Curriculum was introduced, specialist drama practitioners eagerly awaited the National Curriculum for Drama. They are still waiting.  (Baldwin, 2011). Drama as part of English in the National Curriculum. One of the ongoing debates about the nature of English centres around its relationship [sic] the creative arts. Is English an Arts based, creative discipline, or a much more functional, competency led subject?, and Is Drama itself an Arts based discipline or a method of education, a form of learning? (ITE, 2011b) The role of drama in the curriculum remains in practice very much in doubt. It is believed that future employers have been unhappy with general educational standards of school leavers. A contributionary factor to this low estimation (for the subject) has been the political shift from a liberal view (of the centrality of aesthetic and artistic experience in education) towards a more vocationally orientated view in which the secondary curriculum is seen rather as a feeder of commercial, industrial and post-industrial requirements as they have been immerging in recent years. (Morton, 1984, p.56). The Arts Council England (2003, p.6) explains that all pupils minimum statutory entitlements for the study of Drama are acknowledged within the National Curriculum for English. According to Ashcroft Palacio (1995, p. 196), The national curriculum firmly places drama within the English domain. Neelands (2008, p.1) refers to the National Curriculum as the English Model where, Drama was first introduced into the secondary curriculum through the English curriculum and timetable. He amusingly cites the fact that Shakespeare was English to explain how we arrived at this unique position, which has not been followed elsewhere in the world except maybe Wales (Welsh Curriculum KS 1 (2008) Welsh Curriculum KS 2-4 (2008) where Drama is mentioned within English and to a lesser extent Welsh. Drama as a subject in its own right is not present in the primary curriculum, but as a part of English or R.E, or furnishing other areas and cross curricular themes. Even though Drama is absent from the curriculum for primary schools, it is still present through the activities and lessons which are taught using drama, many primary schools already include drama in their curriculum, without realizing that the activities the children are involved in are actually drama. (Arts on the move, 2010). For High School teachers, it can be a problem for them to know what to expect of pupils entering KS 3, this is because of the lack of continuity in Drama across all the Primary Schools, therefore only an educated guess can be made on the pupils prior drama experiences. Neelands (2004, p.9) offers 6 points of common reference which can be found in Appendix Three. According to Neelands (2008, p.2) statistics show that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦many schools in England do offer drama as a separate timetabled subject in Key Stage 3 and this makes drama the only subject in the English system which is unregulated in terms of a nationally agreed curriculum beyond the references to speaking and listening in the Orders for English. So only at KS 3 do some pupils get the opportunity to take Drama as a separate subject but it is still an unofficial one. Whilst this offers a complete freedom in how the subject is taught and presented [see Neelands (2004, p.5) for three different approaches at secondary level], it also means there is little in the way of a safety net for its practitioners that standards, assessments, guidelines and official support can provide. So it would appear that Drama has become a Cinderella subject that is busy working in the shadows whilst the Ugly Sisters of English and Religious Education take all the credit. 1.2 How we got to where we are now. Most of what young people know of the world, they know through representations of it. (Neelands, 2008, p.9), suggesting that schools have a moral obligation to help shape the citizenship of their stundents. There is little time allotted in the daily routine for drama in early childhood education settings, due to the pressure that many teachers feel to cover too many materials in too little time. (Jones and Reynolds, 1992, p.7). This suggests that head teachers and teachers are forced to focus their concentration and resources on the subjects the really matter For example, those subjects that are recorded as National statistics, showing how many A* C students have obtained; in particular on Maths, English and Science. Drama being mentioned in the curriculum saw a mixed reaction. Some celebrated the fact that Drama would now have to be taught. Others were quick to point out that there was a fundamental flaw here. There were few trained Drama teachers left. The reality has been, that hardly any Drama is happening (in Primary)  despite the fact that it is deemed statutory. (Baldwin, 2011). Yet Neelands (2008, p.1) states that, In the English education system, all students in the 5-16 age range have an entitlement to drama within the National Curriculum Orders for English. Baldwin (2011) the president of the International Drama/Theatre Education Association provides a background to how Drama fell from grace, how a timely reaction to the rigid curriculum being built subject by subject stopped it being included at the eleventh hour and then, as it was no longer a subject, support for it fell away. Practitioners were left high and dry, as Drama was no longer part of Ofsted unless a fee was paid to assess it, which in one case ended up being marked as a Satisfactory P.E. lesson. Dearing tried to soften the curriculum but then came the constraints of the National Literacy Strategy which concentrated on reading and writing for the Literacy Hour at the expense of speaking and listening. However Winston Tandy (2001, p.75-86) in their chapter entitled Drama and literacy provid e some ideas for including Drama within the hour. Then at Secondary level we find a carte blanche where anything goes with Drama either as a separate subject taught by a Drama specialist or as a continuing addition within English or as another entity, which perhaps suits the more pronounced different streams of ability. Neelands (2004, p.5-6) noticed that the various sources of national guidance for Drama, for example the specific references to Drama in the Programs of Study for English showed a general agreement for the aims and objectives for Drama, such as: Drama as personal, social and moral education Drama as English Drama as a subject in its own right. As stated earlier he cites three very different secondary schools each illustrating one of these points as their individual approach to Drama. The demands of a nationally prescribed curriculum put considerable pressure on teachers to fit everything in; each subject has it own expectations and makes its own particular demands. Finding the time for Drama, however highly you and your class may value it in its own right, can be difficult- the more so if we are going to give the Drama time to develop, deepen the childrens involvement and understanding, and reach a satisfactory conclusion. (Winston Tandy, 2001, p.54) Ashcroft Palacio (1997, p.6) infer that longer serving teachers will find the prescribed nature of the National Curriculum and all its revisions to be a bone of contention. On the other hand The lack of core guidance for Drama, the parallel development of Drama within English with its development as a discrete Arts subject, together with the diversity of models of curriculum and assessment to be found in schools make it a particularly problematic area of English teaching for trainees. (ITE, 2011c) Especially as: School Drama Co-ordinators disappeared almost overnight, as did LEA Drama Advisers and advisory teachers.   Drama courses became few and far between, relying more and more on professional organisations, which were and are run voluntarily, by increasingly stretched full time teachers and lecturers. (Baldwin, 2011). CHAPTER TWO ARGUMENTS FOR DRAMA BEING A DESCRETE SUBJECT As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, drama has a significant contribution to make (Winston Tandy, 2001, p.73). Drama, more than any other subject in the curriculum, mirrors life as it is lived and experienced (Winston, 2004, p.18). Please see Appendix Five for some positive results Winston (2004) notes as being seen in childrens writing due to their involvement with Drama.At least a national agreement provides some external, relatively objective and visible materials to discuss (Neelands, 2004, p.6). However, the absence of a nationally agreed framework for Drama gives two points of concern; The individual Drama teacher has no external framework to follow, therefore the success of the Drama class is completely at the mercy of the ability or lack thereof of the teacher; How Drama is perceived at the school may well be based on the head teachers predilections and prejudices. To illustrate this point I found at X High School, where the author has experienced Drama via a teaching training day placement, it was noticeable that Drama is thought of as a high priority subject. This was thanks to the Head realising that in a catchment area of high poverty Drama provided interest and expression for children that found reading and writing difficult. The school used Drama also as a marketing tool to promote itself to the wider community and its governors. It held annual Drama productions, school assemblies were punctuated with Drama in the form of funny sketches or more serious pieces designed to entertain and inform, it supported fundraising activities etc. Drama here is a timetabled subject throughout all the year groups, and is offered as an A-level subject. As Ashcroft Palacio (1995, p. 196) advocate, Primary school pupils can develop through drama an extensive range of language uses, including the majority of those referred to in the national curriculum. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦drama is a social process of making meaningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the framework and method of drama provides a unique context for developing a sense of identity and productiveness. (Morton, 1984, p.37). All Our Futures had already clearly recognised the importance of Drama, both as a creative teaching and learning medium and as the most powerful pupil motivator:  OFSTED data on pupil response to learning indicates drama to be at the very top in motivating learning (NACCCE, 1999, p.77). Drama in education can help pupils learn and understand whatever is required, in ways that are emotionally, aesthetically and cognitively connected and meaningful to children who are natural dramatic players. CHAPTER THREE ARGUMENTS AGAINST DRAMA BEING A DESCRETE SUBJECT à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦drama is a process that cannot be divided into a series of discrete and accessible outcomes in the kind of way that curriculum theorists have managed to do with many other subjects in the curriculum (Young, 1981, p.94). Baldwin (2011) states: Trainees are likely to encounter a diverse range of arrangements for drama within schools. In the absence of national orders and a statutory subject framework, schools are free to design their own local variations of a drama curriculum based on the specific value given to drama in a particular school. Cynics were heard to mutter, that with an assessment driven curriculum emerging, process based drama would be too problematic for SCAA (as it was then) to deal with.   Assessment in Drama has always been tricky as so much goes on cognitively and emotionally during the Drama process that is not easy or even possible to assess.   It is noted that this argument appears amongst many professionals, but no suggestions as to what criteria could be used is suggested. Is this because they believe there is to be none. Baldwin, (2011) continues. Assessment records were being revealed as lists of statements of attainment tick boxes and needed to be based on easily observable, extrinsic outcomes suggesting that Drama specialists were not sure they wanted such a meaningful and aesthetic art form measured and graded in this way.. Neelaands appears to contradict his issues by stating The local curriculum can be based on a highly idiosyncratic and ideologically motivated selection. What is taught may be left to the whim of an individual teacher and may reflect personal prejudices and interests rather that the breadth of depth of study which is a pupils entitlement (Neelands, 2004, p.6). Yet according to Neelands on the Initial Teacher Education website (ITE, 2011d), The non-statutory Framework drama objectives might usefully form the basis of the programme of study for drama at KS3. However, these specific objectives are unlikely to be considered sufficient as core objectives for drama as a discrete subject because they do not cover physical, visual, design and technical aspects of drama. This suggests that although the concerns of Patrice Baldwin are relevant, the concerns of the ITE is that without a defined structure and specific objectives, the importance of Drama could be overlooked. This point of view is rejected by Way (1967, p.12) who points out, If we make drama another subject, then we make another progressive straight line in fact many straight lines, one for infants, one for juniors, and so on through the different age groups. Again, because of its uniqueness there is a concern over how Drama can be measured i.e. marked. Way (1967, p.3) wrote, Education is concerned with individuals; drama is concerned within the individuality of individuals, with the uniqueness of each human essence. Indeed this is one of the reasons for its intangibility and its immeasurability. As Drama is not in the National Curriculum as its own subject, it might be seen as unimportant. With the pressures on schools to be ranked via league tables on the core subjects of English, Maths and Science, it is perhaps not surprising that schools focus on these subjects to the detriment of all else. However, the subject still has its own written examinations and an external examiner is called in to mark performances. It is therefore unclear as to the reasons behind why the subject is deemed by some to be difficult to assess. CONCLUSION Ultimately, drama is a valuable tool, but first the tool itself must be fashioned. (Way, 1967, p.7). There appears to be a divide in international practice over whether Drama should be used across the curriculum or as a subject within its own right and/or as part of the arts agenda. There were those who thought that if assessment was going to be the name of the game, then drama could and should be made to fit, in order to ensure its place in the new curriculum.   And there were those who breathed a sigh of relief that drama did not fit and had been left outside the new curriculum, where at least it would allow a greater freedom of practice and content, within the broader curriculum (Baldwin, 2011). Therefore, unless the individual schools value Drama, and encourage Drama teacher training, the concern is that the level of teaching Drama will not be sufficient to add any value to teaching within the school as a whole. According to Ashcroft and Palacio (1995, p.203) there are two types of Drama within the National Curriculum spectrum, one being performance based activities, such as assemblies and school plays, and the other being educational Drama, which involves children in the active creation and exploration of situations based on fact or fiction. it is regarded by many teachers as a learning method rather than a subject area because it can be employed to deliver many aspects of the curriculum very effectively. (Ashcroft and Palacio, 1995, p.204). Art is useful, not because it is true but because it is truly edifying. It is because drama as art functions in this way that a dramatic work cannot be explained, paraphrased or deconstructed into essays. Like any other art form, drama is unique and non convertibleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it resists crassly utilitarian efforts to corral it into the service of geography, history or management training as much as it refuses to be the acquiescent servant of personal, social, or political education. In a secular age, the usefulness of drama lies in its ability to articulate meaning in particular direct and accessible ways so that we, in turn, can make better sense of the world in which we live. For these reasons, drama is an indispensible part of the arts curriculum. (Hornbrook, 1991, p.40-41). Whilst we cannot expect the commitment of the National Theatre at every Primary School (Turner et al., 2004) they offer a model of best practice that can be used within the subject of Drama to really bring out the confidence and intellect of young children and this should be the ultimate goal whether Drama is housed within English or is a subject in its own right. Does this then mean that drama is yet another subject that has to be fitted into an already overcrowded curriculum? No. Drama is not another subject; theatre might be, with its ground work in history and its study of playwrights and their works but not drama. Drama is as intangible as personality itself, and is concerned with developing people. Indeed, it is as necessary to discard educational conventions as to disregard theatre conventions (Way, 1967, p.7). The arguments will rage on but only the will of the government can make a difference to the position Drama as a subject or non-subject is in. The conclusion drawn from all the evidence in this report is that Drama should be included as a subject in its own right in the National Curriculum, but not as the curriculum currently stands. There appears to be insufficient structure and no definitive way that the success of pupils taking Drama can be measured. To try and fit it into the current curriculum could restrict its usefulness as a holistic well being tool for the personal growth of pupils. How could this be measured in academic terms? There could be pupils who come alive as actors and give wonderful performances, but cannot translate this successfully into a written piece of work. How does one measure personal growth? How can we mark a student who has grown in confidence, can express themselves better than before the introduction of the Drama lesson, and interacts well with other st udents in the class? Whereas before the use of Drama they may have been antagonistic, dealing with personal issues which had no voice except in eruptions of violent behaviour. One can set tests to measure the knowledge of the literacy greats, the search for meaning in the works of the playwrights but should this lie here or within the realms of English Literature, such that it cannot be used as a mark of success or failure for Drama students. The conclusion gathered is that this testing should be left within the English subject, thus allowing students of Drama more freedom to express themselves through this wonderful medium. It has been shown that Drama is a useful tool in the understanding of other subjects, but it should first be enjoyed and understood in its own right. The greatest problem for Drama being included in its own right in the National Curriculum appears to be the way the success of subjects are currently judged. There does not appear to be current procedures that can fairly measure the true success and positive impact Drama can have on a students life. For example with a Mathematics exam there is a definite right answer with marks available for showing your workings out, but what is the right answer in Drama? The division between the teaching professionals as to the inclusion or not of Drama in the National Curriculum can be understood after researching and investigating this question. The concerns are that the importance of Drama within the schools is currently dependant on the will of the head teacher and the ability, passion and commitment of the Drama staff. Drama teachers experiencing schools who class Drama as a fill-in subject and not that important will have experienced first hand the argument that Drama should be included. It could be very demoralising to the Drama teacher who feels that their work, however committed they are, maybe seen as unimportant. However those Drama teachers experiencing and enjoying a school that appreciates Drama and uses it throughout school life for example in assemblies, community gatherings and the annual school performance may enjoy the freedom of the subject not being included in the National Curriculum, as they do not feel threatened about the validity of their teaching skills. There appears to be no straightforward conclusion over Dramas inclusion in the National Curriculum, however it must be pointed out that other parts of the British Isles make Drama a subject in its own right and provide excellent support for it. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from the way they have gone about this by an exchange of ideas on best practice. For example what criteria are they using to measure Dramas success as a subject; are more or less students choosing Drama as a subject at Secondary level; has its status had a positive or negative effect on the teachers? Without knowing the answers to these questions and many more besides we cannot hold these countries up as shining examples. There needs to be a way of trying to take the best from the arguments for and against Dramas inclusion in the National Curriculum. For example this research has shown that most of the Drama professionals feel that both the subject and they benefit from its inclusion to put them on a level playing field with other subjects. They believe that they may be taken more seriously and have more support from training being given. The concern of its inclusion appears to be that it could stifle the very creativity and freedom of expression some professionals believe Drama should be. They all appear to agree that Drama cannot be measured in academic terms as easily as other subjects as no marks are awarded for students personal development. Therefore after research and investigation into this question, the final conclusion is that Drama should be included in the National Curriculum as a discrete subject but only after the creation of relevant success criteria is added. Once there is an acceptable measurement formula in place Drama would then benefit from inclusion. As it stands at present there does not appear to be sufficient steps in place to recognise Drama students success.

Robert Louis Stevensons Dr. Jekyll and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Ess

Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Both Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein tell cautionary tales of scientists abusing their creative powers to exist in another sphere where they cannot be directly blamed for their actions. Though Frankenstein's creation is a "Creature" distinct from his creator while Dr. Jekyll metamorphoses into Mr. Hyde, the "double" of each protagonist progressively grows more violent throughout his story. By doing so he symbolizes his creator's repressed desires in a stifling society. The stories have parallel structures in the three main ways. First, both Dr. Jekyll and Frankenstein are scientists who, though welcomed by society, find it constraining and often alienate themselves. Each creates an alter ego for himself to live out his liberated passions, Hyde for Jekyll and the Creature for Frankenstein. Jekyll creates his with intention for evil and Frankenstein with the idea of building a supreme being. However, it could be argued that Frankenstein unconsciously wishes his creation to commit acts of sin. Hyde's and Frankenstein's first victims are children. They each evolve over time and develop their violent tendencies, culminating in the murder of a well-esteemed man for Hyde and Frankenstein's family and friends. The first mention of Dr. Jekyll comes in a discussion between his longtime friends, Lanyon and Utterson, men whose names imply a traditional, hampered society. "Utterson" combines both "utter," connoting a squelched speech, with "son," defining the society's patriarchal structure, and "Lanyon" casts images of sprawling canyons that are noticeably absent in the gray, foggy London Stevenson depicts. La... ...sire for a new society. Hyde and the Creature's plights follow similar paths, but their motives seem somewhat different. Jekyll invented Hyde for a dive in which he could transport himself and put on display his evil psyche. Frankenstein assembled the Creature as an à ¼ber-man of sorts, a prototype of a better society. Frankenstein was published in 1818, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1886. Perhaps Stevenson's book marks the end of Romanticism as a viable literary style in modern times. Though Frankenstein's evil hides is veiled by guilt and a seemingly upstanding society position, Jekyll's is visibly apparent. Frankenstein is a shaded man with no clear dividing line, whereas Jekyll is a black-and-white character with a subset of colors inside his dichotomies. Stevenson, drawing on Shelley's story, reflected both a new literary movement and a new psychological study.

Current Ethical Issues Essay

Organizations must deal with moral and ethical issues that can include dishonesty, theft, and employee drug use. However, companies that have ethical guidelines and train their employees in ethical behavior will have exceptional employees. Therefore, organizations that create ethical policies and provide ethical training will encourage ethical standards in the company. Therefore, I will profile the Taylor Ambulance Company, Inc located in Kelsey. The Taylor Ambulance company has serviced Kelsey for 10 years and they are responsible for transporting individuals who needs emergency medical care and transport them to local hospitals. The ambulance company will also transport non-emergency patients to rehabilitation centers. Taylor Ambulance is dispatched by the Kelsey’s Fire Department and the city’s emergency transport contractor. Currently the Taylor Ambulance company has 70 paramedics and emergency medical technicians and has a fleet of 26 ambulances. The company receives emergency calls through the 911 system of Kelsey. The Taylor Ambulance company’s mission statement is â€Å"We will provide the people of Kelsey with quick and professional emergency medical care†. Donna Taylor and Phillip Embry formed the Taylor Ambulance company in 2000. The company started out small; however, the company grew over the years and as of 2009 the company staffs 95 employees. Also in 2009 the Taylor Ambulance company provided 57,000 ambulance transports for the city of Kelsey. Moreover, in 2009 Taylor Ambulance had a profit of $870,668. Furthermore, the Taylor Ambulance company receives their revenue sources from emergency and non-emergency transports and government subsidies. Additionally, Taylor Ambulance Company has an 8 year contract with the city of Kelsey which runs from March 1, 2008 until February 28, 2016. The Taylor Ambulance company provides an excellent service to the community and the company is very profitable. However, most businesses will face moral and ethical issues with their staff and employees. Some of the moral or ethical issues faced by the Taylor Ambulance company can include; †¢Dishonesty †¢Lack of Confidentiality †¢Privacy issues †¢Drug or alcohol abuse †¢Lack of patient sensitivity or compassion †¢With holding medical care †¢Don’t honor patients medical directives such as, Do Not Resuscitate †¢Patient Neglect Therefore, it is very important that the Taylor Ambulance company has an overall ethics program. The Taylor Ambulance company’s human resource department will assume the responsibility in developing an ethics standard policy. The ethics policy will include all moral and ethical issues that could present itself in the medical field. Therefore, the Taylor Ambulance ethics policy guideline will include how to act ethically in; †¢Honesty †¢Patient confidentiality †¢Patient sensitivity and compassion †¢Patient privacy laws †¢Drug and alcohol training †¢Patient medical care †¢Respective patients medical directives †¢Patient neglect Additionally, when the ethics policy is completed by the human resource manager the manager will work with the training supervisor to set up ethical training for the employees and staff. The ethics training will be supervised by the training supervisor who will document and perform the training. The initial ethics training will coincide with an employee’s new hire orientation. Therefore, after the employees new hire orientation they will be required to complete 8 hour ethics training. Moreover, after the ethics training the new employee will be required to take a short quiz to make sure they understand the company’s ethical guidelines. Once the employee receives their ethics training they will receive a certificate of training. Furthermore, the employee will be required to sign for a copy of the ethics policy for insertion into their employee file. Whereas, it is important to receive ethics training it is also important to monitor employees for un-ethical behavior. Therefore, during employment with the Taylor Ambulance company the employees will be monitored by their organizations supervisor or manager for un-ethical behavior. However, ethical behavior should be enforced by the company. Therefore, if an employee of the Taylor Ambulance company is reported as being un-ethical the employee will be sent to the human resource department to speak with the human resource manager. If the human resource manager believes the employee was acting un-ethical per policy guidelines the employee may receive a disciplinary action. Finally, the Taylor Ambulance company will encourage ethical standards by creating written ethics policy and provide employee ethical training. Therefore, the Taylor Ambulance company will utilize their human resource department to create the ethics policy and the training supervisor will conduct and certify the ethics training. Also the employee supervisor or manager will monitor the ethical behavior of their employees. Moreover, if an employee is acting un-ethical the human resource manager will manage the disciplinary actions. Therefore, creating a written ethics policy is essential for creating an honest work environment for the staff and employees.

What Not to Do When Applying for Social Security Disability

What Not to Do When Applying for Social Security Disability What Not to Do When Applying for Social Security Disability Are you thinking of applying for Social Security Disability (SSD)? Before you do, check out our list of 5 important things to avoid on the road to receiving benefits.1) Don’t Send Incomplete or Inaccurate Forms To apply for Social Security Disability, you will need to complete a number of forms, and ensure that the information provided is correct. You will need to include an extensive amount of information, such as the names, addresses and phone numbers of all medical providers, complete medical records and more.If you do not fill out a form completely, either by leaving sections blank or accidentally providing wrong information, your case will likely be denied and you will need to start the process all over again.  Remember, intentionally providing false information, such as listing conditions you do not have, inaccurately listing dependents or including a false work history is incredibly detrimental to your case and is wrong. Make sure you are honest with your information. To avoid errors, contact an experienced SSD attorney. He or she can guide you through the process, fill out the paperwork for you and ensure everything is correct. Having an experienced SSD lawyer work with you can also help improve the chances your initial application will be approved.2) Don’t Stop Seeking Medical Treatment If you are in the process of applying for disability benefits or waiting for a decision, do not stop going to your doctor for medical appointments and treatments. Documents of your medical records, treatments, medications, dosages, etc. are extremely important evidence to prove your disability and help you get approved for benefits. Your medical records and continued treatment are critical for your claim. You should continue seeing your doctor and follow his or her instructions for your treatment at all times during the process.If you stop seeing a doctor, the Social Security Administration may determine that your condition is not severe enough to receive benefits.3) Don’t Only Report Some of Your Conditions Make sure to report all of the conditions you have that are affecting your way of life and ability to work. Don’t think that you are limited to only physical conditions. Your mental conditions could be negatively affecting your daily life, and you may have comorbid medical and mental disorders, meaning these conditions are occurring at the same time and may be caused by the primary condition.The Social Security Administration will review all of the conditions you listed in the application. Remember, it is important to have medical documentation of all disabilities, including mental conditions, to prove your disabilities. A skilled SSD attorney can help you with the entire application, including filling out all of your conditions and providing medical evidence.4) Don’t Miss Deadlines for Appeals If your application is denied, it is advised to appeal the denial. However, you must follow the appeals deadlines a nd send requests for a hearing within 60 days of receiving a denial.A skilled SSD lawyer is critical to have throughout the entire process, and especially during the appeals process. An experienced SSD lawyer can prepare all of the necessary evidence for your claim, help prepare you for what to expect at the hearing and provide strong legal representation to help you get approved for benefits.5) Don’t Do Drugs or Break the Law If drinking or drugs is proven to be the main reason for your disabilities or makes your conditions worse, it is likely your claim will be denied. A skilled SSD lawyer can help answer any questions you have about substance abuse. You should also avoid any kind of criminal activity as breaking the law can hurt your chances of receiving benefits.We Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan  for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you de termine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan  works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the  Social Security Disability benefits  they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan  now for a free consultation at  800-949-2900.Let Michigan’s experienced Social Security Disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Social Security Disability Attorney, Michigan Social Security Disability Lawyer

life is a journy Essay Example

life is a journy Essay Example life is a journy Essay life is a journy Essay Life is like a Journey, the longer you travel the more experience you will gain, some of those experience will be very memorable and will become hard to forget. That memorable moment will pierce into your heart, attached to your brain like a new born attached to his mother. My life Journey Just began, but IVe already made some un forgettable experiences that taught me so much about life and the people around me, shaping me to the person that Im today. One of those moments began when my father a poor lementary school teacher decided that it was time for a change in our familys life. He was tired of seeing other families in luxury while he couldnt afford to buy his family dinner. That day came when my father decided to move to the United States of America in search of a better life or perhaps to chase his American dream. My father left us with my mother, and promised us he will come back to get us after two months. He took 200 dollars in his pocket leaving us with 50 dollars to get by for the next 2 months. Trying to get on 50 dollars for two months isnt easy especially if you have to buy gas every day to sustain heat inside your house. My mother tried her best to use those 50 dollars but failed, it seemed as if the price of very thing has doubled. The money didnt last us 20 days after that I knew we were going to go broke for the next 40 days which seemed as if they were 40 years. I felt useless when I saw my mothers tears drop because she couldnt provide food for us, she could provide anything during dinner time except for some bread and water. We were latterly that broke even our fridge started making growling noises because it was empty with out a single thing in it except for its plastics parts, I guess it was Just like our stomachs empty and shallow. After a couple of days I couldnt stand the situation we were in, it was time for me to man up and become the man of the house I dint want to see my mother cry or my sisters hungry. Many ideas started coming up to my head such as stealing or asking other family members for money, but I couldnt do any of those I felt like I had too uch pride in my self to commit some thing as pitiful as that. I decide to do something else which seem to me as lame as can be, but I didnt have any other choice. I decided to go to the farmers market that was held every Saturday and pick all the unwanted things the farmers threw away. It wasnt a pleasant thing to do and most of the thing I got would disgust an animal if he saw them but again I ahs no choice and I didnt want to relay on anyone else. We want on like that for a life is a journy By Yama-Merrouche

Why does Montaigne change so many definition of words Essay

Why does Montaigne change so many definition of words - Essay Example arbitrary, and people define concepts, according to their views of truth and reason, without considering the existence and validity of other truths and reasons. While people define â€Å"bodies† in the physical sense, they stress its sacredness, which is why they think that people who eat human flesh are â€Å"barbarians,† but Montaigne disagrees with the idealization of the human body, when it can serve many immoral purposes. He reminds his readers that â€Å"bodies† are not exactly detached from the act of being consumed or used in other corrupt ways. He provides examples of ancestors who ate the bodies of people who were â€Å"incapable of fighting† (114). This means that able bodies trump weaker ones, even if they both have bodies. People in power define â€Å"bodies† as they see fit, and the morality of doing so becomes blurred in different circumstances and cultures. â€Å"Barbarian† is another word with contested meanings. Montaigne defines â€Å"barbarous† as a concept coined by a society that looks down on a pure society, and if the latter are described as â€Å"wild,† they are wild because they are pure. He denigrates that people call something â€Å"barbarous,† simply because they are â€Å"contrary† to their â€Å"habits† (108). If these barbarians are considered â€Å"wild,† for him, they are wild in a good way. They are wild because â€Å"the true, the most useful, and natural virtues and properties are alive and vigorous† (Montaigne 109). Instead of seeing â€Å"wild† as the opposite of civilized, Montaigne argues that it is a civilization on its own that is not inferior to Western society. To be barbaric is related to â€Å"victory† and its many hued definitions. Montaigne describes â€Å"victory† as aligned to the simple desire of controlling people’s emotions. For the â€Å"barbarians,† â€Å"victory† happens when they have broken the spirit of their prisoners, until the latter beg for their lives (115). Montaigne differentiates this from the â€Å"victory† of

The meaning of love in The necklace and The lady with the dog Essay

The meaning of love in The necklace and The lady with the dog - Essay Example This paper analyzes what love means in both accounts. Both stories portray that love is an eternal fulfillment and happiness; however, these rewards only await those who are willing to sacrifice everything. Dmitri sacrificed his norms and Monsieur sacrificed his own priorities. The middle class families and society of the nineteenth century were rather conservative. People used to stick to rules and liberal thinking was not as much prevalent as it is today. The plot of â€Å"The Necklace† takes place in France somewhere in the 19th century. The important thing to note about this time is people’s values on modesty. Women were kept at homes and according to present day standards, that practice can be deemed as something that deprived women of their rights. Monsieur proved his love for his wife with his actions. The events in â€Å"The lady with the Dog† also take place in the 19th century setting among middle class people in Russia. Dmitri was notorious for having affairs with every woman who was willing to have one despite his marriage. â€Å"The Necklace† Monsieur Loisel (â€Å"The Necklace†) Monsieur is a humble man earning average salary as a clerk. He is not rich; however, he does possess the greatest wealth of all, staying content and happy with what one has. He is highly appreciative of his wife; he loves her and always supports her. His nature is like a blotting paper: he accepts all the harshness of life and his wife with love and contentment. When both husband and wife sit for dinner at the round table, Monsieur’s wife notices that the table cloth has been used three times without washing while Monsieur uncovers the tureen in a happy mood: â€Å"Oh! The good potpie! I know nothing better than that†(10). Monsieur is a man who is accustomed to adjustments if something is not available; on the other hand, his wife gets irritated when she does not get something. When Monsieur brings home the invitation to the party, his wife gets sad as she does not have matching (expensive) jewelry to wear with the dress. He is a little surprised as to the awkwardness in wearing flowers instead of jewelry that match the color of the dress. After all, is not it common sense? But to his wife, it is not. Monsieur accepts things as they are, not what he wishes them to be. If they did not have money to get expensive jewelry, he considered it a fact of life and not something to whine or cry about. In the end, Monsieur is the one that comes up with the plan of buying a similar necklace when Mathilde loses the original one, and arranges the money through loan and mortgages. The money he gives Mathilde for her fancy dress was meant to pay for a gun that he so wanted, but against his wife’s happiness his own wishes meant nothing to him. He quietly gives up his life while paying for the necklace without a word of complaint. Mathilde is very lucky to have such a wonderful husband but she never realizes it. She is so consumed in her self-made misery that she never knows that Monsieur loves her unconditionally. Mathilde Loisel (â€Å"The Necklace†) â€Å"She was one of those pretty and charming girls, born by a blunder of destiny in a family of employees† (7). Mathilde is a charming beautiful woman, born in the family of clerks, and this is where the problem starts. She blames her fate that she is born in a middle class family, which is why she is always at war with herself