A critique of Modern Times essays

A critique of Modern Times essays Charles Chaplin was an icon during the early part of the twentieth century, and even years after his death still revered by many as a comical genius. Yet, on reflection, few will know the man behind the tramp. The man who chose making people laugh as his quest in life, also delicately brought serious social and political issues to the attention of his audiences. The film which this paper critiques, Modern Times (1936), is on one hand an exuberant comedy, especially to viewers unaware of the severe reality of America during the age within which the film is set. Yet, on the other hand, the satirical aim of Modern Times was to present a political statement which many perceived in its day to be an abrasive attack on capitalism. This film, with all its slap-stick humor, in fact, is a very sensitive, serious political statement. This, although at the time denied to the press, was not as obvious as later works by Chaplin, such as his next film, the Great Dictator, which was an unconcealed reflection of his own views on the political situation during 1939. Originally titled The Masses, Modern Times has prompted the head of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) J. Edger Hoover, to open a file on Charlie Chaplin and his affiliation and activities with friends, who were also considered to be radicals. These radicals included, to name but a few, one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, Albert Einstein, the intellectually astute British political figure, Harold Laski, and the author H. G. Wells. Modern Times, filmed from 1932 to 1936, is set during the years leading up and through the Great Depression era of the 1930s in America. The thesis of the film addresses several themes of the time, using various key elements of transition to the story line. The aim of this paper is to parse Modern Times into several individual arguments presented i...

10 Tacky Terms

10 Tacky Terms 10 Tacky Terms 10 Tacky Terms By Mark Nichol The English language teems with terminology for referring to ostentation or bad taste, or both. Here are ten words that help readers imagine imagery that they perhaps would rather not think about: 1. Flashy The connotations of this adjectival form of flash are of fleeting, superficial attractiveness and showy, tasteless fashion and/or fashion accessories. 2. Garish The origin of this word meaning â€Å"vivid, bright, flashy† is unknown; it may come from a word meaning â€Å"to stare.† 3. Gaudy This term, with a disputed etymology (perhaps from the Latin word gaudium, meaning â€Å"joy,† or from a reference to trickery from the same source), means â€Å"tastelessly or extravagantly showy, outlandish.† 4. Kitschy The direct borrowing of kitsch from German, as with the acquisition of many other loanwords, met a need: Although other terms are this list are near synonyms of kitsch, it’s difficult in English to capture the essence of kitsch without using the word. The term originated in response to efforts of the German middle class in the nineteenth century to emulate their social superiors through art and architecture; in many cases, they succeeded only in inferior imitation. That sense has persisted intact for 150 years with the additional connotation of consumer items produced under the pretense that they are artistic creations but treated as commodities. (People who embrace the irony of appreciating kitsch and collect kitschy products are in effect partly legitimizing the items as art.) 5. Meretricious This word has an etymological connection to merit, but its meaning is diametrically opposite. It stems from the Latin word for prostitute and, like merit, means â€Å"to earn.† It refers to a relationship based solely on exchange of value, and because of the superficial and ostentatious nature of practitioners of the oldest profession, it has acquired the additional connotation of cheap showiness. Meretricious is also sometimes used as a synonym for pretentious. 6. Purple There’s an interesting line of connotation for this word: Because of the difficulty of obtaining purple dye from a certain shellfish in ancient times, it was reserved for royalty, and later was long limited to use by aristocratic classes. Thus, it came to be associated with those with very high social standing and, naturally, their attendant sophistication. But the resulting association of the color with ostentatiousness led to a connotation of overbearing effort, especially in writing hence, â€Å"purple prose.† 7. Sleazy Two early meanings of this word are â€Å"hairy or fuzzy† and â€Å"flimsy,† but only the latter sense has survived, while still other connotations have come to dominate. The primary meanings now are â€Å"sexually provocative† or â€Å"of low quality,† the latter referring to both character and construction. 8. Tacky This nineteenth-century slang term for a low-class person was extended to describe anything that is ill-bred, shabby, in poor taste, or cheaply constructed. It most often refers to a cheap taste in fashion or decor. 9. Tawdry As is the case with purple, this term has made a downwardly mobile trajectory. According to tradition, Audrey, queen of a kingdom in what is now England, found religion late in life when she surmised that her vanity led to a deadly condition. The Catholic Church canonized her, and at an annual fair commemorating Saint Audry, cheap lace necklaces were sold in her honor. These came to be known as â€Å"’t Audrey’s lace,† later altered to â€Å"tawdry lace.† Now, tawdry is a synonym for cheap or showy. It has, however, also acquired a sense of â€Å"base, low, mean,† as in the clichà © â€Å"a tawdry affair.† 10. Two-Bit This adjective meaning â€Å"cheap† comes from the slang term for a twenty-five-cent piece. The reference originates with the real, a Spanish coin that could be divided into eight pieces (hence â€Å"pieces of eight† in pirate lore). Each bit was worth one-eighth of the coin’s value; transferred to American currency, two bits is worth a quarter. In either currency, two bits ain’t worth much. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About TalkingConnotations of 35 Words for Funny People15 Idioms for Periods of Time

Topic Clinical Reflection on competency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Topic Clinical Reflection on competency - Essay Example I was approaching the patient with an intention that I would assess the patient's condition, and if necessary, following assessment I would provide her some analgesic medication. The staff nurse told me not to give any more pain medication, "she had had enough." It was very evident that there was difference of opinion between me and the staff nurse. From my academic learning, I knew that pain assessment is an important parameter of nursing care, and accurate assessment patient's pain status is important. Current evidence suggests that pain assessment and rating of pain would guide adequacy of pain medication. In such cases of differences of opinion, there is a fair chance that nurses' assessment would be guided by personal beliefs. Literature suggests that in many cases clinical decisions are taken by the healthcare professional based on traditional practice which may not have any evidence. This is specially applicable in case of pain management in the clinical setting by the nurses. There is also evidence that nurses are guided by their own beliefs on pain assessment, and in many cases the experienced nurses underestimate the intensity of pain. Pain is regarded as a subjective sensation, and hence there is a high tendency that painful conditions are stigmatised in that high intensity pain is regarded as a ploy to get more pain medication, while nurses feel that the intensity of pain is not worth intervening (Clark et al., 2006). With the background that I will graduate into a registered nurse, it was an opportunity for me to reflect on the situation to examine whether I have enough competencies to deal with such situations. It was an ideal situation where research could be utilised to improve practice so the outcome of care is better leading to better patient satisfaction. I immediately took the opportunity to discuss the scenario with the staff nurse and convinced her that I would look into evidence from studies to decide what we needed to do. There was internet connection available in the unit, and in the available database, I ran a search for relevant literature on the key words "nursing" and "pain management" (Rustoen et al., 2009). Since meta-analyses provide maximal analyses of research, conclusion and discussion of some if these literatures provided the guideline. The basics of the guidelines were that whenever in doubt regarding the adequacy of pain medication, the pain medicine consultation should b e used and adequate dosage of analgesic medications should be decided, while the patient remains under strict monitoring and surveillance for any signs of respiratory depression. I remember, I also told in that discussion that the hospital policy guidelines also indicate this. When I found evidence, I immediately showed the findings from the literature to all staff present there, and highlighted that this would improve the patient outcome (ANMC, 2006), since pain symptoms delays discharge and increases hospital stay. I was a little hesitant in saying this since I was just a student and my experiences were just nominal. However, the strength of the evidence was so compelling that ultimately these findings could be used to change and improve practice. Another concern was that I did not know this patient's history totally, and therefore, there was a fair chance

The negative effects of wind turbines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The negative effects of wind turbines - Essay Example Even though wind power plants have comparatively small influence on the surroundings when judged against power plants of fossil fuel there are certain problems regarding the impacts on wildlife habitation, sound created by rotor blades, aesthetic (visual) effects, and mortality of bats and birds . One of the effects of this technology has been the noise production from development of wind turbines. Noise, in contrast to the effects on scenery or visual impact can be calculated and measured quite simply. Two kinds of noise are produced by wind turbines, generators and gearboxes create mechanical noise, whereas blades produce aerodynamic noise. Even though the advanced wind turbines have almost eradicated the mechanical noise through high-quality material for insulation in the nacelle, so, aerodynamic sound is the major contributor in the noise pollution. It is formed by the turning round of the blades producing a swishing sound that is broad-band as it is a work of pointed speed. Acco rding to European wind energy association â€Å" at any given location, the noise within or around a wind farm can vary considerably depending on a number of factors including the layout of the wind farm, the particular model of turbines installed, the topography or shape of the land, the speed and direction of the wind, and the background noise.† Noise pollution has a harmful effect on the lives of thousands of individuals.   Researches have exposed that the link between noise and health is a direct one.   Health affects linked to noise are anxiety associated sickness, high blood pressure, hearing troubles, sleep disorder, and disoriented concentration plus productivity.   (NIHL), Noise Induced Hearing Loss is the widespread and frequently discussed effect on health, but studies have revealed that exposure to continuous or high-pitched intensity of noise can bring about countless

Sex is a natural preoccupation Essay Example for Free

Sex is a natural preoccupation Essay Sex is a natural preoccupation. It is on everyones mind from birth to death. For human beings sex can have a variety of meanings: instinctual, spiritual, pleasurable, an act of love to even one of power. Like most things untamed and complex, many feel the need to carve a different understanding of what sex means and define it to values most often rooted in religious philosophy, language and behavior. James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) is an intimate look at a young Irish writer, Stephen Dedalus, whose narrative becomes a fictional adaptation of Joyces own life as a young man. Throughout the novel, we read of Stephens conflict between his lust for women and his passionate devotion to the tenets of the Roman Catholic faith. His struggle is palpable and begs the question: Why? Julienne H. Empric articulates one theory in her essay The Mediation of the Woman and the Interpretation of the Artist in Joyces Portrait saying, [Women are] the magnetic force of that sensual creativity an artist must both court and reject in order to accomplish his purpose (Ben 11). Essentially, the characters inspiration and transformation comes from his fantasies of women (sexual and romantic) and his refusal to be too enchanted by such fantasies. To understand Stephens apprehensions about his sexuality, one must first have a fundamental understanding of the way Catholic ideology defines sexuality and the context by which sexual acts can be accepted. Catholicism has long encouraged careful and at times rigid expectations of its parishioners when it comes to sex. Catholic doctrine accepts sex for procreation within a heterosexual marriage. Religious leaders are asked to commit themselves to a life of celibacy. Carnal desires must be suppressed and homosexuality is forbidden. For difficult or troubled unions, divorce is not an option, only annulment, a process where a couples relationship is proven invalid of the real love that truly sustains a marriage. In another example, the act of masturbation is considered selfish pleasure and runs against conjugal purpose; therefore being unacceptable. Why is sex and sexuality so defined? Several points can be made. M. K. Hellwig suggests, The immediate results are depicted in the story [of creation]. They [Adam and Eve] become painfully aware of their nakedness, their vulnerability; they are embarrassed or afraid to be under scrutiny simply for what they are. They lose the experience of Gods friendship and intimate presence with them not because of Gods anger but because of their own fear, which drives them into hiding. (Hellwig 1981, p. 46) The humiliation of nakedness was a step in making sex taboo. When we engage in sex, we are naked, vulnerable, and surrender to inquiry and carnal desire. In Catholic doctrine, its acceptability is clearly limited to behaviors that serve a particular purpose unique to marriage. But in many respects, one can argue that sex, like religion, is also powerful, emotional, and susceptible. Therefore, it can to some become its own path to deeper meaning and connection, a part of life that can be seen and felt, and easier to commit to. We have inherited a world in which sex itself is a conflicted enterprise. It is no longer (if it ever was) an activity used solely as a means of reproducing the species. 2 Yet few think of sex as simply a way to obtain pleasure and enjoyment. In some ways, we are told that sex is the only way that each of us can truly be known and defined, that we are not truly coupled with another unless we are sexually active with that person. In other conversations (especially those associated with the sexual revolution), indiscriminate sex becomes the route by which we mark our liberation. As Christians, we are charged with the difficult task of sorting out which constructions of sexual activities belong in the new creation as outlined for us by Christ, and which concepts must be rejected. (Rudy 1997, p. xiv). So what does all this have to do with Stephen? His Catholic upbringing appears considerably stricter than one would expect from the average Catholic today. The process of assigning value to personal philosophy and behavior in reaching a higher purpose is vital to him. For Stephen both the church and [his] art become means not only to acquire nobility, but to enter a realm of pure spirit, shedding the repellant flesh forever (Benstock 124). He knows that to be sexually vulnerable is a one-way ticket to a hell he describes as a field of stiff weeds and thistles and tufted nettle bunches. Thick among the tufts of rank stiff growth lay battered canisters and clots and coils of solid excrement and this horror is incessantly grating on his conscious. Chapter 2, section five reveals to us Stephens first sexual experience. He wanders the streets for hours and finally one night a young prostitute dressed in a long pink gown, which he equates with the obscene scrawl which he had read on the oozing wall of a urinal propositions him and he uncomfortably accepts (Benstock 124). Her round arms held him firmly to her and he, seeing her face lifted to him in serious calm and feeling the warm calm rise and fall of her breast, all but burst into hysterical weeping. Tears of joy and relief shone in his delighted eyes and his lips parted though they would not speak. She passed her tinkling hand through his hair, calling him a little rascal. -Give me a kiss, she said. His lips would not bend to kiss her. He wanted to be held firmly in her arms, to be caressed slowly, slowly, slowly. In her arms, he felt that he had suddenly become strong, fearless, and sure of himself. But his lips would not bend to kiss her. With a sudden movement, she bowed his head and joined her lips to his and he read the meaning of her movements in her frank uplifted eyes. It was too much for him. He closed his eyes, surrendering himself to her, body and mind, conscious of nothing in the world but the dark pressure of her softly parting lips. They pressed upon his brain as upon his lips as though they were the vehicle of a vague speech; and between them he felt an unknown and timid pressure, darker than the swoon of sin, softer than sound or odour (Joyce 70 71). In surrendering, he exercises sexual freedom and yet again obsesses over his sinfulness. His romantic viewpoint soon diminishes his experience with prostitutes as cold, empty motion because he wants more. He needs love. When Stephen embraces the prostitute, we remember that this is the youth who is to announce his determination to press in his arms the loveliness which has not yet come into the world. In retrospect, the arms of the prostitute seem a poor substitute (Ryf 145). In other words, Stephen wants to make love, not just have sex to have sex. The act of making love seems to be the only thing worthy of standing up against his religious conviction. In the following paragraph of chapter three, section one, Stephen is again on a nightly prowl of the red light district. It is important to note how far his imagination takes the severity of his sin, as he increasingly feels handicapped by [his] sex and youth. He would follow a devious course up and down the streets, circling always nearer and nearer in a tremor of fear and joy, until his feet led him suddenly round a dark corner. The whores would be just coming out of their houses making ready for the night, yawning lazily after their sleep and settling the hairpins in their clusters of hair. He would pass by them calmly waiting for a sudden movement of his own will or a sudden call to his sin-loving soul from their soft perfumed flesh. Yet as he prowled in quest of that call, his senses, stultified only by his desire, would note keenly all that wounded or shamed them; his eyes, a ring of porter froth on a clothless table or a photograph of two soldiers standing to attention or a gaudy playbill; his ears, the drawling jargon of greeting: (Joyce 72). We soon see that Stephen never understands the opposite sex nor the mystery of the Church. His confusion leads him to a vacuum where the sacred and the mundane can interpenetrate. This unreal perspective he does develop and consequently it shapes his personal interpretation of Catholicism (Ben 14). By the end of chapter three, Stephen gives further elaboration on the hellish outcome that will befall him should he continue his current path. In chapter four, he attempts to rigorously discipline and engross himself in the ways of the Church in an effort to save his devious soul. He is racked by guilt and self-doubt. However, by now, the reader knows Stephen well enough to predict he will fail to meet the rigid standards he has made for himself. Bernard Benstock suggests, The rise of sexual desire in Stephen can be tracked from the photograph of the beautiful Mabel Hunter with demurely taunting eyes to the whore with frank uplifted eyes who first seduces him, to the imagined harlots in his guilty mind with gleaming jewel eyes (Benstock, 188). So distracted by the surreal nature of his fantasies, Stephen is unable to seriously commit to anything. His weakness reveals itself while he discussed the possibility of the priesthood with a senior deacon at his school. The priest idly mentions discovering priestly robes to be somewhat absurd. Just imagine, he tells Stephen, when I was in Belgium I used to see them out cycling in all kinds of weather with this thing up about their knees! It was ridiculous. LES JUPES, they call them in Belgium (Joyce, 111). The young man smiles politely but at the mention of robes, his mind begins to wander into sexual fantasy making his failure inevitable. The names of articles of dress worn by women or of certain soft and delicate stuffs used in their making brought always to his mind a delicate and sinful perfume It had shocked him, too, when he had felt for the first time beneath his tremulous fingers the brittle texture of a womans stocking for, retaining nothing of all he read save that which seemed to him an echo or a prophecy of his own state, it was only amid soft-worded phrases or within rose-soft stuffs that he dared to conceive of the soul or body of a woman moving with tender life. But the phrase on the priests lips was disingenuous for he knew that a priest should not speak lightly on that theme. The phrase had been spoken lightly with design and he felt that his face was being searched by the eyes in the shadow (Joyce 11). Even though he would have himself believe that the proper artistic response is a dispassionate stasis, most of Stephens attempts to write poetry are intimately linked with his sexual needs (Benstock 126). Stephen eventually denounces the Church, but when asked if he would convert to become a Protestant he responds by saying he did not reject a logical absurdity only to embrace an illogical absurdity. Nevertheless, his dilemma is real; that is, that he rejects the Church but cannot forget it. He goes out of his way to satirize its rituals and thereby has the Catholic faith still a living thing within him, and not to remain indifferent to it (Ryf 204). At the end of the novel we enter Stephens point of view through some of his journal entries. He writes, MARCH 21, NIGHT. Free. Soul free and fancy free. Let the dead bury the dead. Ay. And let the dead marry the dead. It appears Stephen has finally found peace. But can we trust that Stephen will remain true to his course? He then writes: MARCH 24. Began with a discussion with my mother. Subject: B. V. M. Handicapped by my sex and youth. To escape held up relations between Jesus and Papa against those-between Mary and her son. Said religion was not a lying-in hospital. Mother indulgent. Said I have a queer mind and have read too much. Not true. Have read little and understood less. Then she said I would come back to faith because I had a restless mind. This means to leave church by back door of sin and re-enter through the skylight of repentance. Cannot repent. Told her so and asked for sixpence. Got threepence (Joyce 182). If Stephen leaves the Catholic Church, he must completely break philosophically and culturally from the one constant he has known in his life. New ground will need continuous validation before any enrichment can occur. Essentially, one needs to have an amazing amount of conviction to feel complete indifference towards your original creed. Whom will he love and what will explain his existence? Can he replace a 2,000-year faith and formation tradition that he is still ambiguous about? I doubt it. However enterprising and articulate Stephen may seem, it is literally too early a period in his life as an artist to suggest that he has settled doubt with Catholicism or is realistically prepared to forge a new path about the wisdom of living anyone could follow. Work Cited 1. ) Ben, Diana A. James Joyce and His Contemporaries. Westport, Connecticut. Greenwood Press, Inc. 1989 2. ) Benstock, Bernard. Approaches to Joyces Portrait: Ten Essays. University of Pittsburgh Press. 1976 3. ) Hellwig, M. K. Understanding Catholicism. New York: Paulist Press. 1981 4. ) Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man . New York, New York. Dover Publications, Inc. 1916, 1994 5. ) Rudy, K. Sex and the Church: Gender, Homosexuality, and the Transformation of Christian Ethics. Boston, Mass. : Beacon Press. 1997 6. ) Ryf, Robert S. A New Approach to Joyce: The Portrait of the Artist as a Guidebook. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California . 1962.

T.S Eliots The Waste Land :: T.S. Eliot Waste Land Essays

T.S Eliot's The Waste Land In T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land you perceive many images from the writing style he uses. In lines 386 - 399 he writes: In this decayed hole among the mountains In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing Over the tumbled graves, about the chapel There is the empty chapel, only the wind's home. It has no windows, and the door swings, Dry bones can harm no one. Only a cock stood on the rooftree Co co rico co co rico In a flash of lightning. Then a damp gust Bringing rain Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves Waited for rain, while the black clouds Gathered far distant, over Himavant. The jungle crouched, humped in silence. In these lines he seems to tell of a graveyard near a chapel in an upcoming storm. Different images can be seen from the decayed hole in the moonlight, the empty chapel without windows, and the rooster's crows as the lightning and black clouds arrive. In line 386, "In this decayed hole among the mountains," probably refers to an empty grave that brings images of death and the end of life, or possibly the beginning of a new life to mind. The grave is lit by moonlight, possibly referring to the white light many people see when they have near-death experiences. You get a creepy feeling when the wind blows and makes the "grass sing" in line 387. In these first three lines it talks of tumbled graves, possibly disturbed by nature, which could tell of troubled lives, or a troubled second life. The empty chapel without windows is nearby, as you perceive from lines 389 and 390: There is the empty chapel, only the wind's home. It has no windows, and the door swings It's image makes you shiver. It could possibly represent itself, in the sense that many people die there, as in baptism, as well as dying, where this place may be the starting point for a second, never-ending life. The chapel has no windows, maybe so that the people inside would not loose

Short Story evaluation template

A good short story includes the following: Interesting & appropriate title plot Theme / message Narrative style: telling a story Structure: Introduction, development, conflict, climax, resolution / conclusion Strong Introduction & conclusion: Introduction hooks the reader, conclusion leaves a lasting Impression on the reader. Conflict/ Issue / problem: Introduced & resolved. Suspense: The story must hold the reader's Interest.The problem presented early In the story Is developed steadily so that the reader's curiously Is stimulated; the reader then becomes more and more Involved In the story. Suspense reaches the highest point at the climax: this is the point where the problem Is resolved In some way. This then leads to the resolutions of the story. Tense: clear and consistent Distinctive tone: formal, informal, chatty, lively, exciting etc.. Strong, interesting and varied characters Narrator: who tells the story?Clear point of view: first / third person Paragraphs Good punctuation, spelling & grammar Setting: time & place Varied range of expression: adjectives, verbs, similes, metaphors, sensual images language, color, varied sentence length (short & long: allows description and creates tension & suspense) Dialogue: gives a good insight into characters, life styles, personalities, relationships Proof read: have you answered who, what, when, where, why & how questions Resolution: open or closed ending.

Perception About Fairness Creams Essay

Research Problem: There has been an increase in the advertisement for Fairness cream for men. Several new brands have cropped up following the lead of Fair and Handsome from Emami, the House of Fair and Lovely, the most popular fairness. We now have Vaseline and Nivea running the race to capture the market of men who wish to have fairer skin. We wished to analyse how the youngsters of today perceive this cream for fairer men, which breaks the conventional image of â€Å"Tall, Dark and handsome†. Hence, the question, â€Å"What do the Indian youth think about the Fairness Cream for men?† Objective: To understand the perception of the youth towards Fairness Cream for men. Research Methodology: As the first step towards finding the answer to this question, a qualitative research was needed. The projective technique of Association was used. Association tasks, the most commonly employed projective technique, require subjects to respond to the presentation of an object by indicating the first word, image, or thought elicited by the stimulus. The respondents were provided with two stimuli. First, Fair and Lovely to gauge their idea about fairness cream in general and fairness for women. Next stimulus was Fair and Handsome, the fairness cream for men from the same house. This was done to understand what they felt about fairness for men. Apart from the projective technique, the next method of data collection was obtrusive observation. The respondents were observed to understand and cross check the response of the respondents. Some of the respondents were further probed to understand the reason for their response. Observations: After collecting the data from a sample size of around 50, which were a good mix of both men and women, ranging from the age of 20 – 28 years, following observations have surfaced: 1. Majority of the people associate fairness cream with the brand ambassador, who generally represent beauty and grandeur. 2. While the most obvious and common association for Fair and Lovely cream was fairness or beauty, the response for Fair and Handsome was mixed. While some people associated it with handsome men, many people responded â€Å"Gay†. They believe fairness is associated with women and not something men desire. 3. The third type of response was of those people who believe fairness for men or women is more of stereotyping and not good for the society in general. These people were further probed to inquire  about the reason for the same. The response was, â€Å"India was ruled by the Whites for a long time. Somehow, Indians associate fair skin with superiority. This is also what the fairness cream advertisement also imply. A girl with fairer skin fares better in all aspects, be it personal or professional life. Similar is the scenario for men with fair skin.† 4. The last perception about fairness cream for both men and women was that they do not work and are just a gimmick to which people fall prey to.

Defining Moment in a Prayer for Owen Meany essays

Defining Moment in a Prayer for Owen Meany essays In some cases, one event or revelation has the power to change a story or even a life. In A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, there is an incredible series of many defining events. Due to the supernatural and spiritual nature of the novel, turning points and incredible events are nearly commonplace. Many ideas and concepts conveyed by Owen are crucial to the heart of the story and the meaning contained within. Of all the insightful realizations and defining moments that confront the reader while progressing through story, one of the most outstanding is Owen"'"s vision during a play in the winter of 1953. Owen had always believed in the strong presence of fate in every aspect of life. He repeatedly preached that every action and decision has a divine purpose. Everything is carefully coordinated and planned to intertwine precisely. According to Owen, '"'There were no accidents'"' (p. 102) He claimed that if something were thrown off course or disrupted, it would find a way to occur anyway. An example of this is when Own '"'scares away'"' the angle of death from the bedside of Tabby. He had '"'DISTURBED AN ANGEL AT WORK, he had UPSET THE SCHEME OF THINGS'"'(p. 102). In return, the angel assigned the death of Tabby Wheelwright to Owen himself, later being accomplished by an '"'accidental'"' baseball. Based on these events, we realize, as a reader, that Owen has spiritual views on life and his faith is strong. He is a fatalist who can convince himself that everything has a purpose. This though, is the extent of our insight into Owen"'"s divine predestination. It takes upcoming events for us to begin to realize that Owen Meany is so much more than a mere boy with strong beliefs. As the featured role in two holiday performances, Owen Meany receives great recognition in December of 1953. About six months earlier, he was used as '"'God"'"s instrument'"' to take the life of Tabby. One of his esteemed roles, the Ghost ...

Character Tags in Fiction

Character Tags in Fiction Character Tags in Fiction Character Tags in Fiction By Maeve Maddox In the parlance of fiction writing, a character tag is a repetitive verbal device used to identify a character in the mind of the reader. More than a simple description, a character tag calls to mind aspects of the characters personality and uniqueness. Uriah Heeps clammy hands, his constant hand rubbing, and his use of the word humble to describe himself and his mother are character tags that make him unforgettable. Sherlock Holmes and his violin, his shag tobacco, and his uncanny aptitude for noting and interpreting details others ignore, are only three of the numerous character tags that make him live in our imagination. Character tags may be drawn from any aspect of the characters appearance or behavior: voice gestures body carriage dialect and speech mannerisms hair clothing scent mental state A sympathetic character who has red hair may be described as having carrot red hair, while a creepy character might have hair the color of dried blood. Some characters in a novel may appear only a few times, but the most minor character needs a character tag or two to make him memorable. In The Mummers Curse Gillian Roberts introduces a minor character with this description: I didn’t recognize him, but I didnt think I should be scared. He was polite, his voice low-pitched and confident, and apparently he knew me. Besides, he was elegant. In his early forties, I thought, with prematurely silver hair uncovered despite the freezing wind, and looking none the worse for it. His topcoat was visibly soft, cashmere, I suspected, and his hands, encased in buttery brown gloves, held a leather-bound book with gold-edged pages. When the character appears again, the author reiterates some of these details, for example, the silver hair that defies the elements, the expensive attire, and the book. C. R. Corwins Morgue Mama Mysteries feature a newspaper librarian in her sixties. Many of her character tags have to do with her appearance: My name is Dolly Madison Sprowls. Im 68 years old. Im short, a little dumpy, and I havent changed my hairstyle since college. I looked up and found Chick Glass. I figured that was you, Maddy, he said. He playfully flicked my Prince Valiant bangs with his fingers. Used judiciously, character tags add dimension to the characters and enable the reader to tell them apart. Depending on what mental baggage the reader brings to the story, however, character tags can jar the reader out of the dream and cause annoyance. In the Amanda Pepper mysteries by Gillian Roberts, Amanda is a native of Philadelphia. Her boyfriend Mackenzie is from the South. One of his character tags is that he lapses into his native speech when stressed. Speech tags involving dialect and speech mannerisms can be effective, but Roberts doesnt just make use of the tag and move on; she has Amanda comment at such length on Mackenzies lapses that I grow annoyed at what seems to me to be a display of a misplaced sense of regional superiority. The Maddy Sprowls character has two character tags that yank me out of the story every time they occur. One is a speech tag and the other involves a habitual gesture. Here are examples: Are you saying Gordon was gay? Good gravy, does everything have to be about sex? She took the brick†¦How much did you pay for it? I pawed the air. It was a steal. Every time I read the interjection Good gravy, I pictured Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica from the comics. I dont know if they said it, but thats what I thought of every time and there are lots of good gravies in Dig. The other tag that never failed to jar is I pawed the air. Maddy paws the air a lot. Every time I read that tag I imagined a rearing horse. I finally decided that Corwin intended to convey the dismissive gesture one might make while saying Pshaw! Character tags are great ways to make fictional characters live, but take care to avoid any that may defeat the purpose of keeping the reader engaged in the story. More on character tags: Kaye Dacus Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?50 Idioms About Roads and PathsMood vs. Tense

Employee Relations Management Style adopted by ACME Engineering Essay

Employee Relations Management Style adopted by ACME Engineering - Essay Example This management style reflects the personality and the perspectives of the manager. In this style of management, the subordinates become dependent over the leaders and they require more supervision from the leaders. These autocratic managers give orders to the subordinates and the subordinates are less trusted by these managers. This management style follows the McGregor’s X theory related to motivation towards workers. The autocratic management style also can be divided into two categories i.e. directive autocrat and permissive autocrat (Williams & Smith, 2010). Paternalistic The nature of the paternalistic management style is also dictatorial and the managers take decisions considering the benefits of the business as well as of the employees. In this form of management, the communication among the subordinates and the superiors is descending, but certain feedbacks related to the management, motivates and encourages for the better performance in the workplace. In this style o f management, the managers pay more concentration to the need of the society. These are the managers who consider the employee opinion and they get influenced with the employee feedback for the management. In spite of the employee participation, the paternalistic managers feel that the employees need directions from the superiors to perform. This management style is related to the Maslow’s motivation theory (Lussier, 2011). Democratic In the democratic management style, the employees are allowed by the managers to participate in the decision making process. In this style of management the decision are taken based on the majority of the opinion of the... The researcher states that management style is one of the most important and vital aspects of an organisation. Management style is the process of interaction in between the superiors and the subordinates of any organisation. Management styles are the featured ways to take necessary decisions and to relate to the managers, and the subordinates of an organisation. Management styles involve various formal as well as informal practices regarding open communication and close supervision with the subordinates. Management style assists in taking decisions by incorporating the views and opinions of the members and the people of an organization. Different types of management styles can be implied in an organisation based on task, business culture and personality, characteristics of workforce and leadership skills among others. Almost every management style has certain nature, methods, deficiencies and strengths. There are certain basic forms of management styles such as autocratic, paternalis tic and democratic. These different types of management styles have different characteristics. In relation to the case study, it can be stated that ACME Engineering is an organisation which has also focused on an effective employee relationship, by providing several facilities and cultivating positive attitudes within the employees. The company, founded in the 1980s, has also faced the reformation related to the employee relation. ACME Engineering has involved their employees to take part in various decision making activities

6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

6 - Essay Example Laying off workers will result in unemployment loop that is going to reduce the demands further. From an economist’s point of view, the key indicators of goods and services are government purchases, net export, investment and consumption. As for consumption when the consumers are scared of spending, it is likely to spike of an economic crisis. The main reason people are scared to spend is because of the economic uncertainty. When it comes to investment, normally a reduction in consumption will also come with come with an increase in investment, however, with a decrease in cost of mortgage people tend not to invest. A reduction in the price of goods that are both exported and imported tend to lead to a general reluctance of people to invest. According to Keynesian theory, the government should spend more on things that are to make people spend more money (Mankiw, 2008). Generally if Keynesian theory is to be observed, one should take a keen look on these four factors and how they relate to an economic