What Is Academic Writing free essay sample

The first factor or rule would be Complexity. Academic writing is meant to be more complex, using longer more dense words and with a varied vocabulary. It should be on a more complex level than spoken language, being precise and very accurate, meaning no slang or shortening of words. In addition to Complexity, the second factor links with it very well, Formality. Formality is very important, as academic writing is to inform the reader on a subject, it is not to be entertaining. Writing should be up to a formal standard, like broadsheet papers, textbooks and journals.As writing has to be a high standard, Precision should also be considered. However this type of writing might be more relevant to scientific writing, giving facts and figures precisely. There is however a general rule that applies to all types of academic writing, which is objectivity. All academic writing should be written from an objective view, and not from a personal one. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Academic Writing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The main point of academic writing is to get your information across to the reader and your arguments. Making arguments for and against of the topic you are writing about and also with accurate vocabulary.Also good language to use with academic writing is links or hedging. To make a good piece of writing flow together would be using words like, However, Also, On average, etc. These words help link arguments and references together, making it easier for the reader to understand your topic and arguments. After taking these points and transferring them to your writing, you should be able to produce a good piece of writing at an academic level. However you should always take accessibility for any piece of writing were you are using resources and references.Some form of a bibliography should be always be in any form of academic writing. You should also never copy any form of writing and use it for your own writing, as it would be plagiarism. Plagiarism is very important not only in university, but also for many careers. To conclude, there are a general rules to follow when writing in an academic style. Formality, accuracy, complexity, precision, objectively and most of all responsibility are the key factors to remember, if you want to write at a university level and for future arrears.

What Is Academic Writing free essay sample

The first factor or rule would be Complexity. Academic writing is meant to be more complex, using longer more dense words and with a varied vocabulary. It should be on a more complex level than spoken language, being precise and very accurate, meaning no slang or shortening of words. In addition to Complexity, the second factor links with it very well, Formality. Formality is very important, as academic writing is to inform the reader on a subject, it is not to be entertaining. Writing should be up to a formal standard, like broadsheet papers, textbooks and journals.As writing has to be a high standard, Precision should also be considered. However this type of writing might be more relevant to scientific writing, giving facts and figures precisely. There is however a general rule that applies to all types of academic writing, which is objectivity. All academic writing should be written from an objective view, and not from a personal one. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Academic Writing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The main point of academic writing is to get your information across to the reader and your arguments. Making arguments for and against of the topic you are writing about and also with accurate vocabulary.Also good language to use with academic writing is links or hedging. To make a good piece of writing flow together would be using words like, However, Also, On average, etc. These words help link arguments and references together, making it easier for the reader to understand your topic and arguments. After taking these points and transferring them to your writing, you should be able to produce a good piece of writing at an academic level. However you should always take accessibility for any piece of writing were you are using resources and references.Some form of a bibliography should be always be in any form of academic writing. You should also never copy any form of writing and use it for your own writing, as it would be plagiarism. Plagiarism is very important not only in university, but also for many careers. To conclude, there are a general rules to follow when writing in an academic style. Formality, accuracy, complexity, precision, objectively and most of all responsibility are the key factors to remember, if you want to write at a university level and for future arrears.

Free Essays on Orthodox Vs. Herterodox

Orthodox vs. Heterodox Buddhism derived from the preaching’s of Siddhartha Gautama â€Å" the Buddha†, who is said to have reached the state of enlightenment at the young age of thirty-five. Siddhartha Gautama spent most of his life teaching his beliefs that focused mainly on his goal to rid himself and others from suffering in an attempt to ultimately attain inner peace. â€Å"The Buddha’s teachings are like the Buddha himself-practical. Surrounded in India of his day by every kind of speculation about the afterlife, the nature of the divine, and other difficult questions, the Buddha concentrated on what was useful† (Molloy 111). Among his ideals was the belief in the eightfold path and the four noble truths as methods to reach the ultimate state of enlightenment. Meanwhile, he gained many followers and began an order of monks. A few months after his death, five hundred of his most devout disciples made up the first Buddhist council, led by the eldest monk Maha Kassapa. Their l ack of agreement on any changes to be made to their new system of belief helped Maha Kassapa decide that none of the original teachings of the Buddha should be altered in any way. About one hundred years later a second council was held and some minor changes were made to the religion. The disagreement of Buddhist with some of the original Buddhist teachings resulted in many braches being formed but only three remain prevalent today; Therevada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Therevada took on the conservative approach â€Å"hoping to protect the Buddha’s rather stark teachings and simple practice from being altered† (Molloy 122). When Therevada was first developed there was no such term as Mahayana, but later it appeared in the Sutra of the Lotus of the Good Law. About a century later, the term Mahayana became clearly defined and referred to as â€Å" the big vehicle† that included a more hopeful approach in attaining enlightenment for the laypeople. Although Th... Free Essays on Orthodox Vs. Herterodox Free Essays on Orthodox Vs. Herterodox Orthodox vs. Heterodox Buddhism derived from the preaching’s of Siddhartha Gautama â€Å" the Buddha†, who is said to have reached the state of enlightenment at the young age of thirty-five. Siddhartha Gautama spent most of his life teaching his beliefs that focused mainly on his goal to rid himself and others from suffering in an attempt to ultimately attain inner peace. â€Å"The Buddha’s teachings are like the Buddha himself-practical. Surrounded in India of his day by every kind of speculation about the afterlife, the nature of the divine, and other difficult questions, the Buddha concentrated on what was useful† (Molloy 111). Among his ideals was the belief in the eightfold path and the four noble truths as methods to reach the ultimate state of enlightenment. Meanwhile, he gained many followers and began an order of monks. A few months after his death, five hundred of his most devout disciples made up the first Buddhist council, led by the eldest monk Maha Kassapa. Their l ack of agreement on any changes to be made to their new system of belief helped Maha Kassapa decide that none of the original teachings of the Buddha should be altered in any way. About one hundred years later a second council was held and some minor changes were made to the religion. The disagreement of Buddhist with some of the original Buddhist teachings resulted in many braches being formed but only three remain prevalent today; Therevada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Therevada took on the conservative approach â€Å"hoping to protect the Buddha’s rather stark teachings and simple practice from being altered† (Molloy 122). When Therevada was first developed there was no such term as Mahayana, but later it appeared in the Sutra of the Lotus of the Good Law. About a century later, the term Mahayana became clearly defined and referred to as â€Å" the big vehicle† that included a more hopeful approach in attaining enlightenment for the laypeople. Although Th...

How to Edit a Book The Ultimate Free 21-Part Checklist

How to Edit a Book The Ultimate Free 21-Part Checklist How to Edit a Book: Your Ultimate 21-Part Checklist So you want to get published? If you want people to actually read what you’ve written, you must master the art of ferociously self-editing your book. These days, anyone can get anything printed. It doesn’t even have to be good. If you have the money, you can find someone who  will print whatever you submit, as is. That’s not necessarily underhanded. Almost any independent publisher would be happy to offer all the services you’re willing to pay for to make your manuscript as publishable as possible. But you’re the boss. So if you want them to print your unedited book in the exact form you give it to them, they’ll say, â€Å"As you wish. And if they wont, you can easily find someone who will. On the Other Hand Ideally, you’d rather be discovered by a traditional publisher who takes all the risks and pays you an advance against royalties and then royalties on your sales. But the odds of landing a traditional publishing contract are slim. So you must separate yourself from the competition by ensuring your manuscript is the absolute best it can be. Yes, a traditional publisher will have its own editors and proofreaders. But to get that far, your manuscript has to be better than a thousand other submissions. And if you’re self-publishing, the only way to stand out against even more competition is by ferociously editing your own book until its as crisp and clean as possible. There’s little worse than an independently published book that looks like one. So, You Must  Learn How to Edit a Book Whether you’re going to hire an editor, or be assigned one by a traditional publisher, your responsibility is to get your book manuscript to the highest level it can be before you pass it on. Never settle for, â€Å"That’s the best I can do; now fix it for me.† Why? Because sadly, if you attempt the traditional publishing route, could pour your whole life into a manuscript and get just five minutes of an editor’s time before your book is rejected. Sounds unfair, doesn’t it? But as one who has been on both sides of the desk for more than four decades, let me tell you there are reasons for it: Why Publishers Reject Your Manuscript After Reading Just Two Pages Editors can tell within a page or two how much editing would be required to make a manuscript publishable; if it would take a lot of work in every sentence, the labor cost alone would disqualify it. An editor can tell immediately whether a writer understands what it means to grab a reader by the throat and not let go. Have too many characters been introduced too quickly? Does the writer understand point of view? Is the setting and tone interesting? Do we have a sense of where the story is headed, or is there too much throat clearing? (See below for an explanation.) Is the story subtle and evocative, or is it on-the-nose? Yes, a professional editor can determine all this with a quick read of the first two to three pages. If you find yourself saying, â€Å"But they didn’t even get to the good stuff,† then you need to put the good stuff earlier in your manuscript. So today, I want to zero in on tight writing and self-editing. Author Francine Prose says: For any writer, the ability to look at a sentence and see what’s superfluous, what can be altered, revised, expanded, or especially cut, is essential. It’s satisfying to see that sentence shrink, snap into place, and ultimately emerge in a more polished form: clear, economical, sharp. If you’re ready to learn how to edit a book, here’s what you need to do: The  Ultimate Checklist for Editing a  Book Want to keep these 21 self-editing tips handy next time youre writing?  Click here to download the checklist. 1. Develop a thick skin. Or at least to pretend to. It’s not easy. But we writers need to listen to our editors- even if that means listening to ourselves! 2. Avoid throat-clearing. This is a literary term for a story or chapter that finally begins after a page or two of scene setting and background. Get on with it. 3. Choose the normal word over the obtuse. When you’re tempted to show off your vocabulary or a fancy turn of phrase, think reader-first and keep your content king. Don’t intrude. Get out of the way of your message. 4. Omit needless words. A rule that follows its own advice. This should be the hallmark of every writer. 5. Avoid subtle redundancies. â€Å"She nodded her head in agreement.† Those last four words could be deleted. What else would she nod but her head? And when she nods, we need not be told she’s in agreement. â€Å"He clapped his hands.† What else would he clap? â€Å"She shrugged her shoulders.† What else? â€Å"He blinked his eyes.† Same question. â€Å"They heard the sound of a train whistle.† The sound of could be deleted. 6. Avoid the words up and down unless they’re really needed. He rigged [up] the device. She sat [down] on the couch. 7. Usually delete the word that. Use it only for clarity. 8. Give the reader credit. Once youve established something, you dont need to repeat it. Example: â€Å"They walked through the open door and sat down across from each other in chairs.† If they walked in and sat, we can assume the door was open, the direction was down, and- unless told otherwise- there were chairs. So you can write: â€Å"They walked in and sat across from each other.† And avoid quotation marks around words used in another context, as if the reader wouldnt â€Å"get it† otherwise. (Notice how subtly insulting that is.) 9. Avoid telling what’s not happening. â€Å"He didn’t respond.† â€Å"She didn’t say anything.† â€Å"The crowded room never got quiet.† If you don’t say these things happened, we’ll assume they didn’t. 10. Avoid being an adjectival maniac. Good writing is a thing of strong nouns and verbs, not adjectives. Use them sparingly. Novelist and editor Sol Stein says one plus one equals one-half (1+1=1/2), meaning the power of your words is diminished by not picking just the better one. â€Å"He proved a scrappy, active fighter,† is more powerful if you settle on the stronger of those two adjectives. Less is more. Which would you choose? 11. Avoid hedging verbs like smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit, etc. 12. Avoid the term literally- when you mean figuratively. â€Å"I literally died when I heard that.† R.I.P. â€Å"My eyes literally fell out of my head.† There’s a story I’d like to read. â€Å"I was literally climbing the walls.† You have a future in horror films. 13. Avoid too much stage direction. You dont  need to tell every action of every character in each scene, what they’re doing with each hand, etc. 14. Maintain a single Point of View (POV) for every scene. Failing to do so is one of the most common errors beginning writers make. Amateurs often defend themselves against this criticism by citing classics by famous authors who violated this. Times change. Readers’ tastes change. This is the rule for today, and it’s true of what sells. 15. Avoid clichà ©s. And not just words and phrases. There are also clichà ©d situations, like starting your story with the main character waking to an alarm clock; having a character describe herself while looking in a full-length mirror; having future love interests literally bump into each other upon first meeting, etc. 16. Resist the urge to explain (RUE). Marian was mad. She pounded the table. â€Å"George, you’re going to drive me crazy,† she said, angrily. â€Å"You can do it!† George encouraged said. 17. Show, don’t tell. If Marian pounds the table and chooses those words, we don’t need to be told she’s mad. If George says she can do it, we know he was encouraging. 18. Avoid mannerisms of attribution. People say things; they don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt, snort, reply, retort, exclaim, or declare them. John dropped onto the couch. â€Å"I’m beat.† Not: John was exhausted. He dropped onto the couch and exclaimed tiredly, â€Å"I’m beat.† â€Å"I hate you,† Jill said, narrowing her eyes. Not: â€Å"I hate you,† Jill blurted ferociously. Sometimes people whisper or shout or mumble, but let your choice of words imply whether they are grumbling, etc. If it’s important that they sigh or laugh, separate the action from the dialogue: Jim sighed. â€Å"I just can’t take any more,† he said. [Usually you can even drop the attribution he said if you have described his action first. We know who’s speaking.] 19. Specifics add the ring of truth. Yes, even to fiction. 20. Avoid similar character names. In fact, avoid even the same first initials. 21. Avoid mannerisms of punctuation, typestyles, and sizes. â€Å"He†¦was†¦DEAD!† doesn’t make a character any more dramatically expired than â€Å"He was dead.† Your Assignment Apply as many of these book editing hints as possible to the first page of your work-in-progress. Itll make a huge difference. I’ve added a downloadable self-editing checklist below to help you master these 21 tips. The more boxes you can check for your manuscript, the leaner, meaner, and more ready it will be for submission to a publisher. Click here  or below to download it free: What other questions do you have about how to edit a book? Ask me below.

Strategic Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Strategic Marketing Management - Essay Example It is irrefutable that the business arena is evolving into a hypercompetitive environment characterised by the continuous by more intense rivalry among industry players associated with the growth of buyer leverage (Kotler 2002). This trend forces business organizations to rethink their strategies in order to compete more efficiently and more profitably. On the other hand, these developments in the market also present opportunities for business organizations especially in the way they market their products and services to their specific target markets. In order to choose the strategic path that a company should take, it should first identify the strategic marketing options available for it (Kotler 2002). The identification of strategic marketing options is aided through the use of different strategic management tools. Strategic management tools are essential instruments for managers and decision makers. The use of these tools does not only provide a diagnosis for the business organization but prescribe solutions and strategic responses as well (Thomson 2002). This report will look at the different strategic management tools used by business organizations in order to identify the feasible and available strategic marketing options. The first section will focus on the Ansoff Matrix and how it can be used to evaluate the strategic directions that the company can take. The second part will look at the other analytical tools and techniques which can be employed to develop marketing alternative marketing strategies. This paper will conclude with its findings. The Ansoff’s Matrixis is a tool in strategic management which is utilised in order to aid managers in deciding the product and market growth strategy of a business organization. After its publication in the Harvard Business Review in 1957 in an article entitled, ‘Strategies for Diversification,’ this strategic management tool has gained wide popularity and recognition in the marketing world.

Managing international Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing international Business - Essay Example Understanding consumer behavior, the right marketing mix, managing cultural diversity, sourcing and investment decisions have to be considered as well. While new technologies and liberalizations have helped big companies to increase their efficiency and reach, these very forces pose a challenge from the smaller firms. The smaller firms are a threat to the big corporations as they too capture the market and are in the race for the same products and services. This report highlights the issues that arise in managing international business. Improvements in transport and telecommunications sector have reduced the impact of distance allowing firms to enter foreign markets. At the same time, new technologies and deregulation of capital markets allow small firms to compete with multinational corporations. As competition increases, the interest of share holders and the customers become important in corporate decision-making. This new form of corporate governance has to be accepted otherwise they run the risk of losing finance and customers to competitors (Savitsky & Burky, 2004). Governments must support this transition to a more accountable, transparent, and efficient form of corporate governance within their economies. Economies of all shapes and sizes – including China, Germany, France and the Asian Tigers – are confronting this challenge. The clash of traditional business practices is most acute in Japan, resulting in opening up of the economy to mergers and acquisitions, including those by foreign investo rs. Recent studies indicate that it is now the microeconomic factors like management of the firm which determine success rather than the macroeconomic reasons. This is because of the increasing role of international trade, improved managerial techniques, and supply chain management. When firms adopt the strategy of mergers and acquisitions in developing countries, they face resistance. Acquisition of existing facilities is accompanied by payroll cuts.

Prisoners Rights Essay Example for Free

Prisoners Rights Essay Societies over time have defined human rights through a variety of documents that have sought to protect the rights of people. The Geneva Convention is an example of these documents. These documents not only firmly establish rights, but also ensure that countries that adopt these laws are responsible for ensuring rights are respected and followed. Unfortunately, not all governments obey these documents. In the case where war occurs, the Geneva Convention has been especially disregarded and ignored. As a result, agencies such as Amnesty International have stepped in to fight for those prisoners whose rights have been broken. Amnesty International has become one of the most successful agencies, freeing and helping thousands of people who have been imprisoned unfairly. The rights for different kinds of prisoners in different countries are still being debated to this day. These prisoners include prisoners in detention centers and prisoners of conscience. Some people think that someone who has infringed on other’s human rights should not have valid rights themselves. Despite this, prisoners are allowed rights, such as conditions of confinement, limited privacy, safety from other prisoners, food and water and medical attention if necessary. Many prisons still deny one or more of these rights, and continue to this day to torture, kill and/or discriminate against prisoners. One of the most globally recognized laws regarding prisoners is the Geneva Convention. The Geneva Convention is a set of rules written in 1929 and revised in 1949, which focuses on the rights of prisoners of war. Prisoners of war are specifically soldiers captured and held captive by the enemy army. The Geneva Convention states that prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for taking direct part in hostilities. Their detention is supposed to prevent further participation in the conflict and should not be a form of punishment. The term ‘Prisoners of war’ only applies to international armed conflict. These prisoners must be released and sent back to their country without delay at the end of the war. They must be treated humanely in all circumstances and should be protected against any act of violence, intimidation insults and public curiosity. Despite this, many governments have failed to acknowledge the convention and in some cases, have resulted in prisoners being tortured and even killed. In Guantà ¡namo Bay, Cuba, there is a detention center at its naval base, set up by the United States. From 2002, the prison has been holding prisoners who have been suspected of being terrorists or having ties to terrorists. They are held in order for the government to try and get information out of them. The Americans also set up another detention center in Abu Ghraib, Iraq in 2004. George Bush, who was president of the USA at the time, described the men held in these prisons not as prisoners of war, but as unlawful combatants and claimed that the Geneva Conventions protections did not apply to them. A lot of people have argued that the prisons should not be allowed, due to the fact that most prisoners have been tortured, sexually abused, drugged, and harmed by many other violent acts to get information. There are still no laws that protect these prisoners and the USA has gotten many negative judgments from all around the world. A lot of global campaigns and agencies are currently working to fix this issue. Prisoners of Conscience are people who are believed to have had already had their rights stripped from them. More specifically, they are people who have been imprisoned for expressing ideas about their lifestyle, belief, race, or religion in a non-violent way and have been denied due process. Due process is the system where a person is procedure where a person goes through a fair trial in the normal judicial system where he/she is innocent until proven guilty. There are agencies and campaigns worldwide that go to extreme extents to get prisoners of conscience publically recognized and hopefully released. Amnesty International is one of the most well–known and successful non-governmental campaigning organizations that works to monitor and protect human rights all over the world. The organization began with one man’s outrage and his courage to do something about it, this man being British lawyer Peter Benson. He is looked at as a hero, not only within the organization. Their main focus are Prisoners of Conscience. The organization has over 3 million members and supporters and was founded in London 1996. Their objective is to â€Å"conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated.† Amnesty International think of themselves as advocates for prisoners and the word ‘amnesty’ refers to being forgiven for a crime or other offence. Prisoners’ rights is just one segment of human rights, but is still just as important as children’s or elderly rights. Prisoners everywhere, from those in Guantà ¡namo Bay to prisoners of war should have valid rights if they don’t already. Having legal rights or laws is the first step, but putting the law in action is what really matters. Although there are a number of countries that ignore these documents, there are also countries that abide by them and are great examples of fair humanity. Agencies, organizations and campaigns work for these changes all around the world and with the help and support of every day people, they can hopefully change the world for the better.

Startup Plan for Wedding Internet Business :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Startup Plan for Wedding Internet Business Frequent Shopper Programs Card Programs, or Frequent Shoppers Programs (FSP) are increasing in supermarkets around the country. FSPs are bringing more consumers into the grocery stores more often and studies show that these cardholders are more likely to spend than non card members. One study shows that over 80% of customers shop less than once a week in the same store. Most consumers have low customer loyalty, so retailers are looking for a way to reward them in order to get them to continually shop in their stores. Retailers are looking for a way to increase their profits by having repeat customers. Studies show that cardholders account for 75% of the stores sales. Main goals of using a FSP are to retain customers, have them visit frequently and spend more money. Targeted demographics for card programs consist of larger, upscale, educated families of three or more. Studies show that the top five reasons for a consumer to choose a retail store are due to: 1). Convenient Location 2.) Store Deals 3.) Frequent Shopper Programs 4.) Assortment of Merchadise 5.) Store Cleanliness Consumers who have cards spend 4xs more each transaction than a non card member. The average non card holding consumer in the store spends $7 versus a card holder who spends $28 per transaction. By using frequent shopper programs, retailers can keep a database to segment their customers by their buying habits in order to better market themselves to the needs of their customers. Databases can help with marketing efforts geared at differentiating themselves from competitors by segmenting customers by how often they shop, how much they spend, and what their shopping patterns are. Grocery retailers are seeing benefits from these programs but there are some glitches to joining one. FSPs are expansive programs to initiate. The program costs anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 a year. Retailers must consider whether their ready to initiate a program and monitor the database in order to create a variety of marketing schemes to follow through on.

Gogol’s Petersburg Tales Essay

Compare Nikolai Gogol’s â€Å"The Overcoat† with the other St. Petersburg tales. Nikolai Gogol’s St. Petersburg stories have been interpreted as tales of social injustice, urban and human isolation, psychological studies, love stories, moralistic fables and social satires. In keeping with emerging trends of â€Å"naturalistic† writing, the stories deal with relatively lowly members of the social strata in the Petersburg bureaucracy – the everyman. This essay will compare â€Å"The Overcoat† with â€Å"Diary of a Madman† and â€Å"The Nose† and examine how each of the main characters in Gogol’s stories survives in the seemingly unnatural and fabricated world of St. Petersburg. The principal character in â€Å"The Overcoat†, Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin buries himself so deeply in his paltry work of copying documents that his work almost supersedes the actual reality in which he inhabits, he is described walking thro ugh the streets of St. Petersburg oblivious to the people around him or the rubbish being thrown out windows onto him, he sees nothing but a line of beautiful words to copy. He later does the same when obsessing about the coat which he is having made to shield him from the bitter Russian winter. This need to cloak and insulate oneself from the cold harshness of modern society is an idea which runs through these three stories, and seemed to preoccupy Gogol himself. He was a secretive person about which very little is known, he said himself in his letters â€Å"But how can one judge about a secretive person in whom everything is inside, whose character hasn’t even taken shape but who is still educating himself in his soul and whose every move produces only misunderstanding? How can one make conclusions about such a person basing oneself on a few traits which have inadvertently stuck themselves out? Won’t this be the same as to conclude about a book by a few sentences torn out of it – not in order either, but from different passages.† Gogol was interested in how the character and worth of someone is judged by others, the characte rs in The Petersburg Stories are all defined, both by themselves and by others, by their professions, which are comically insignificant, Akaky Akakievich copied pages and Poprishchin in â€Å"Diary of a Madman† was in charge of pencil sharpening. These characters are defined by the role they serve as part of the bureaucracy rather than by any kind of individual identity. Gogol paints a picture of a society in which values the most superficial aspects of a person, an idea which is taken to comical new heights in â€Å"The Nose†Ã‚  when the preposterous and vain main character Major Kovalyov loses something which serves no great purpose other than normalising one’s appearance – his nose. Escapism is essential for Gogol’s characters. Each of the main characters feels happiest when they are detached from reality, when they have some sort of rosy, imaginary insulation between them and the inescapable monotony of their lowly lives. Akaky Akakievich is described garnering a disproportionate amount of joy from his work copying documents, smiling to himself as he coppied letters he particularly liked, going home and copying just for fun and â€Å"when all strive to divert themselves† going to bed â⠂¬Å"smiling at thought of coming day†. Akaky puts all of his faith and love and passion into something arbitrary and ultimately meaningless as a coping mechanism, for how else would he survive his pitiful life? The main character in â€Å"Diary of a Madman† Poprishkin is driven to a similar detachment from the real world as his lowly and socially immobile position as a titular councillor becomes too much to bear. He loses his sanity but arguably gains something of greater value; confidence and social mobility. In creating a world for himself where he is no longer one of many middle aged, poorly paid low ranking civil servants but the King of Spain he frees himself from his suffocating ties to societal norms, he no longer believes in the inherent superiority of those of a higher social status, he even has the audacity to call his employer as â€Å"an ordinary doornail, a simple doornail, nothing more. The kind used in doors†. Similarly, Kovalyov deludes himself to give his life a sense of importance and signi ficance. He gives himself the title of â€Å"Major† and struts down Nevsky Prospect making eye contact with everyone and imagining attention from ladies that he passes. The key difference between the coping mechanism employed by Akaky and the methods used by Poprishkin and Kobalev is that Akaky’s world is not one which elevates his social status. His extremely introverted behaviour does not disrupt the status quo. It is arguably their obsession with class and how they appear to others which causes all of both Kovalev and Poprishkin’s strife. Contrastingly, Akaky just wants to be left alone, he doesn’t care that people often see him with trifle or hay stuck to the back of his cape, this makes Akaky a more likeable, sympathetic character, he is completely harmless and innocent – a perfect victim. This is the only story in which Gogol allows us to be fully sympathetic with a character. There are indeed moments in â€Å"Diary of a Madman† which could and should stir sympathy for Poprishkin in the reader, but Gogol always undermines these moments with a humorous or nonsensical comment. In â€Å"The Overcoat† however, the narrative tone flips from heart wrenchingly sad to funny and light hearted and then back again in the space of a page – Gogol displays his talent for evoking sympathy and emotion in a reader and his gift for comedy side by side. It is not just the characters who seek to cover themselves up and conceal the truth from the reader; there is a lack of reliability coupled with nonsense running through all three of the narratives which obstinately refuses to make sense. â€Å"The Overcoat† introduces us to this immediately, it begins with a digression â€Å"In the department of — but it is better not to mention the department.† The narrator continues in this vein, using a conversational, unreliable tone, often forgetting the facts or losing their place in the story. Gogol’s deliberate elusiveness undermines the idea of the omniscient authorial voice of the narrator and injects suspicion and confusion into the narrative. Gogol uses a similar narrative voice in â€Å"The Nose†. The narrator of â€Å"The Nose† is similarly uninformed and forgetful and makes no attempt to elucidate the reason for all the bizarre occurrences in the story. Things in these stories can often just disappear into a puff of smoke, Gogol increases the confusion, and elusiveness with the use of a lot of mist and smoke imagery, he is like a magician, cloaking his intentions, keeping himself safe behind a cloud of nonsense and a mist of confusion. Gogol’s St. Petersburg stories portray many different types of characters, but pervading through the stories and uniting them is this sense of heightened self-consciousness a need to protect oneself from a befuddling, cold harsh world. Gogol himself put it best in another St Petersburg story – Nevsky Prospekt â€Å"It had seemed as if some demon had crumbled the world into bits and mixed all these bits indiscriminately together† Bibliography Gogol, Nikolai – translated by Macandrew, Andrew R and Meyer, Priscilla The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories – SIGNET CLASSICS, January 2005, New York, NY/US One Of The Oldest Cases Of Schizophrenia In Gogol’s â€Å"Diary Of A Madman† Eric Lewin AltschulerBMJ: British Medical Journal , Vol. 323, No. 7327 (Dec. 22 – 29, 2001), pp. 1475-1477 Published by: BMJ Publishing Group Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25468632 Cloaking the Self: The Literary Space of Gogol’s â€Å"Overcoat† Charles C. Bernheimer – PMLA , Vol. 90, No. 1 (Jan., 1975), pp. 53-61 – Published by: Modern Language Association – Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/461347 The Laughter of Gogol – R. W. Hallett – Russian Review , Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1971), pp. 373-384 – Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Editors and Board of Trustees of the Russian Review – Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/127792

History Essay

1.   In your opinion, who started the Cold War? Explain in 5 sentences. In one opinion, the Cold War was not started by one side or the other.   The Cold War was more of a culmination of political, cultural and ideological differences than anything else(Pierpaoli).   This being said, in fairness, both the West and the East provoked hostilities during the Cold War through various attempts to promote their respective political systems throughout the world.   Ultimately, the Cold War was not decisively won by the West; rather, the West was able to hold out longer than the East. 2.   List three major prolonged conflicts in the Cold War. During the Cold War, three major prolonged conflicts that erupted were the Korean War (1950–1953); the Vietnam War (1946–1975); and the war in Afghanistan (1979–1989)(Pierpaoli). 3.   How did the Cold War influence society and culture? 3 sentences The Cold War influenced society and culture in many ways.   Culturally, the Cold War gave birth to an entire genre of literature and motion pictures/television- the classic story of the â€Å"secret agent†.   In terms of society, the Cold War divided society in terms of whether people, in both the East and West, supported capitalism or communism, and the many facets that each system offered (Pierpaoli). 4.   Evaluate the role of technology on the Cold War. Technology also played a role in the Cold War.   It was through surveillance technology that the United States was able to protect itself from Soviet aggression, such as the detection of missile sites in Cuba, a mere 90 miles from the US mainland (Pierpaoli).   Technology also helped the Soviets to detect an American U2 spy plane within their airspace- an incident which almost sparked World War III.   Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the nuclear weapon technology which both the US and USSR possessed held the potential to destroy the planet. 5.What was Watergate and how did it influence the Vietnam War? Briefly describe. When one speaks of Watergate, they are usually referring to illegal actions taken by President Richard M. Nixon. Watergate is said to have begun when Nixon ordered one of his closest advisors, Henry Kissinger, to tap the telephone of a New York Time reporter in order to try to determine who was â€Å"leaking† information to the media about a secret bombing mission in Cambodia (Greene).   This influenced the Vietnam War in that the public learned of the many outrageous secret missions of the American military in Vietnam, raising public opposition to the war itself. 6.`A Short History of Terrorism,` write a paragraph explaining the difference in modern `terrorism` and its historical antecedents given in this article. The single most remarkable difference modern terrorism and its historical antecedents is the fact that modern terrorism is not meant to advance the agenda of a particular nation, but is driven by the belief by many Middle Eastern nations that the United States is an evil empire which God would like to see destroyed (Greenberg).   This type of religious zeal gives modern terrorism its sharp teeth and deadly venom. 7. Write a brief essay explaining your views on whether America should move beyond Affirmative Action at this time. Support your position. America should move beyond Affirmative Action for several key reasons; first, as we have seen in recent months, opportunities have opened up for minorities from the most powerful office in the United States to the areas of entertainment, the media, and the average job in any city in the nation.   Additionally, the increasing cultural diversity of America is transforming the demographic of the nation so that rather than minorities (Gryphon), there are any number of â€Å"mini-majorities† in place, thereby making favoritism for any given group both outdates and unnecessary. 8. Did women have a positive role in the progressive movement even before they had the right to vote? What was it? Describe briefly. Women most definitely had a positive role in the progressive movement even before they had the right to vote because it was the women in society which held families together as men worked outside of the home for long hours, making the woman the essential person who fed/mentored the children, etc.   It was in roles such as these that women were already asserting superiority before they could cast a ballot (Friedan). 9. Did the U.S. do everything it could to help the Jews in Europe? Is our current foreign policy a reaction to this situation? Briefly describe. In the final analysis, the US did not do everything it could to help the Jews in Europe, as there is evidence to suggest that the American government knew about the plight of Jews in Europe for several years before getting involved to protect the lives and interests of European Jews.   In a way, it can be said that our current foreign policy is a reaction to this past situation, as the US is both trying to prevent any aggression against the Jews of the magnitude of that of the past in Europe, and also compensating Jews for past injustices. 10. What were the roles of television and advertising in creating the consumer society of the post-World War II world? Briefly describe. Television and advertising created the consumer society of the post-World War II world, as they both shared with millions of war-weary Americans a wide variety of products that were now available after years of rationing and scarcity due to the war effort.   This led to a consumer society, as American people not only grabbed the items that they needed and could not get for many years, but also those new items that had not been available before.   All of this made the nation one of hardcore consumers, a trend that continues today.

Symbolism In Master Harold . . And The Boys Essays - Free Essays

Symbolism In 'Master Harold' . . And The Boys Essays - Free Essays Symbolism In 'Master Harold' . . And The Boys Symbolism in 'Master Harold' . . and the Boys Ainsley Donovan 125055 English 110.6 Section 23 April 25, 1997 Athol Fugard's 'Master Harold' . . . and the Boys is about Hally, a white young man, and the damage done by apartheid and alcoholism. The play takes place on the southeast cost of South Africa, 1950, in Hally's parents' restaurant. This is where two black servants, Sam and Willie, work for the white family. Sam and Willie have been a part of Hally's upbringing and are close friends. Hally has educated Sam with the knowledge acquired from school textbooks, but Sam has been trying to teach Hally vital lessons necessary for a healthy lifestyle. With a racist environment and a boorish alcoholic as a father, Sam has been a positive role model for Hally. The question would be, could Sam's influence outweigh the negative environment, shaping the confused boy? There are symbols in the play that illustrate the stimuli contributing to the answer. In 'Master Harold' . . . and the Boys, one can examine the kite, dance, bench, and disease; these are the symbols of the conflicting forces competing for Hally's future. The kite is an object symbolic of transcendence. Even as a child, Hally had an ingrain sense of defeat, disappointment, and failure; that is why Sam made him the kite. He wanted the little boy to be proud of something, proud of himself. Sam gave to him the phenomena of flying, the ideology of climbing high above his shame. The kite triggered neurotic thoughts but exhilarated the despairing boy. This is it, I thought. Like everything else in my life, here comes another fiasco. Then you shouted Go, Hally! and I started to run. I don't know how to describe it, Sam. Ja! The miracle happened! I was running, waiting for it to crash to the ground, but instead suddenly there was something alive behind me at the end of the string, tugging at it as if it wanted to be free. I looked back . . . I still can't believe my eyes. It was flying. . . I was so proud of us. . . I would have been suicidal if anything had happened to it(Fugard, pp.1691-92). The kite conjured up ideas and feelings of believing in miracles, of being alive, and free. Sam left Hally up on the hill, with the a sense of pride, beside the bench. Hally wondered why Sam had left him alone that day. The two of them were up there for a long time; the only bench on the hill read whites only. The bench is the symbol of apartheid, division, hatred, and racism. It is apartheid that Hally hides behind as he uses Sam and Willie as his scapegoat. Hally is filled with so much rage over his father, he is torn between love and hate. When the conflict supernovas, Hally lashes out on his two black friends. He tries to pretend they are not friends by acting strictly like a boss. Carrying on with this little man routine, Hally asks Sam to call him Master Harold. Sam would only do this if they were no longer friends; Hally would be no different from his father. This is the case for, when he spits in Sam's face, Hally becomes Master Harold. Apartheid is victorious in the corruption of another white male as Hally takes his place on the bench of segregation. If you're not careful . . . Master Harold . . . you're going to be sitting up there by yourself for a long time to come, and there won't be a kite in the sky(Fugard, p.1709). Along with the kite and the bench, the dance is another symbol in 'Master Harold' . . . and the Boys. After one of the phone calls that trigger his explosions, Hally, once again, is calmed by the idealistic voice of Sam. They begin talking about the art of dancing and how it can be seen as a metaphor of life. The dance is a symbol of inner harmony, social peace, and a world without violence or aggression. This is an ideal world. Sam points out that none of us know the steps; there is no music playing, but it does not stop the whole world from continuing. Even though there are bumps that leave bruises, life keeps on existing. We should just learn to dance life like champions. Hally, who only has words and books without value, falls in love with this analogy. At least

Italian Sayings Using the Word Mangiare

Italian Sayings Using the Word Mangiare Mangia, or eat! in English, is a  term that reminds everyone that Italians have a reputation for being gourmands. Whether in popular culture or the abundance of Italian-themed restaurants throughout the world, this word seems to serve as the exemplar for the human condition. Phrases With Mangiare There are lots of great words and phrases with the word â€Å"mangiare† as a base, and as you go through them, try directly translating them from Italian to English as it makes them easier to remember. For example, â€Å"mangianastri,† which is â€Å"cassette player,†Ã‚  directly relates to â€Å"eat tape.†Ã‚  Italian compound nouns (nomi composti) with a form of mangiare include the following: fare da mangiare per: to cook forfinire di mangiare, finire tutto il pasto: to eat upil mangiafuoco: blusterer, braggart, swashbuckler, fire-eateril mangiamoccoli: hypocritically self-righteous person (popular term)il mangiapagnotte: someone who receives a public salary working with little effortil mangiapane a tradimento: scrounger, freeloaderil mangiapreti: a person who does not believe in the power of those religiously ordainedmangiare a saziet: to eat your fillmangiare bene: to eat wellmangiare come un maiale: to eat like a pigmangiare da cani: to eat badlymangiare fuori: to dine outmangiare la polvere: to bite the dustmangiarsi le mani: to kick oneselfmangiarsi le parole: to mumblela mangiatoia: manger, troughla mangiatrice di uomini: maneateril mangiatutto: big eater (also a kind of green beans, also known as â€Å"taccole† or â€Å"fagioli mangiatutto†) The verb mangiare is also the basis for the character name Mangiafuoco (Fire-Eater), the fictional wealthy director of the Great Marionette Theatre in The Adventures of Pinocchio. Proverbs Referring to Mangiare The slogan Chi vespa mangia le mele... was part of a famous advertising campaign by Piaggio from 1969-1971 to promote the Vespa motorino. The Italian language, though, has many other words of wisdom relating to eating. Chi mangia e non invita, possa strozzarsi con ogni mollica. - He who eats alone and invites no one, will choke with every crumb.Chi mangia solo crepa solo. - He who eats alone dies alone.Cià ² che si mangia con gusto non fa mai male. - What you eat with pleasure will never make you sick.Mangiare senza bere à ¨ come il tuono senza pioggia. - Eating without drinking is like thunder without the rain.Mangia quello che piace a te, vesti come piace agli altri. - Eat what you like, but wear what others like.Non si vive per mangiare ma si mangia per vivere. - One doesnt live to eat, but eats to live. Derogatory Terms Using Mangia For historical, political, and cultural reasons, there is a tradition  in many  countries of fierce territoriality, antipathy, competition, and prejudice among geographical regions. In Italy, given the geopolitical background of its former city-states, the expressed animosity can be especially pronounced (and creative!). In Italian, there are  terms used to refer to individuals from other regions- admittedly pejorative given the context- that include the verb mangiare. Unfortunately, poking fun (or scorn) on anyone on account of their dietary habits or economic status  is not uncommon. Here are common expressions that can be used in friendly conversations, but are rare since they are derogatory: Mangiacristiani:  Christian eater- a menacing, threatening person, but more in words than in deedsMangiamaccheroni:  Macaroni-eater- native of NapoliMangiacipolle:  Poor people who only could eat onionsMangiapatate:  Potato eater- one who habitually eat potatoes or is greedy; used to refer to GermansMangiapolenta:  Polenta eater- used when referring to those from the Veneto and LombardiaMangiapopolo:  People eater- oppressor, exploiterMangiasapone:  Soap eater- pejorative name given to SouthernersMangiabambini:  In fairy tales, an ogre who eats children; also, a grim-looking person who is, in reality, mild and harmless

Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Christianity - Essay Example There are numerous differences and similarities between the Catholics and Pentecostals. Some are complicated and others are simple. In this paper, we are going to try to simplify those that are complicated for the sake of the understanding of those who have no Christian background. To begin with, we will look at the differences between the two Christian denominations (Peterson, para1). The first difference is that the Catholic Church (the Roman Catholic), the most popular catholic church in the world, apply the infallibility and the leadership of the Pope as their link with God. The Pope is the voice of God to the congregation. However, in the case of Pentecostals they do not have a specific person they look upon as their voice from God. Instead each group has a pastor as a spiritual leader and every member of the small group can be used as a voice of God to the rest of the members (Edwards, para4-6). The Catholics teach salvation through works and faith and they occasionally have to make confession to the priest who advices them on what to do to obtain mercy and forgiveness from God. None of Pentecostal groups requires its members to make any sort of confession, though some require confession of some kinds of sins before the congregation. In addition, Pentecostals do not believe that works are part of salvation but to them, salvation is through grace (Emberson, para1). Furthermore, Catholic worship style is very formal and highly structured. Nevertheless, for Pentecostals, worshipping is usually informal with a lot of dancing in the spirit, shouting, clapping of hands and various forms of enthusiastic displays. Another difference lies in the partaking of the Holy Communion. Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation, whereby the elements of the unleavened bread and the wine miraculously become the body and blood of Jesus Christ and only the priest takes the cup. In the case of Pentecostals, they believe that bread and vine tree juice