Truth Essay Essay Example for Free

Truth Essay Essay The writer Oscar Wilde once said that â€Å"The truth is rarely pure and never simple. † Wilde claims that truth is hardly wholesome and unadulterated, but rather tainted, or polluted. Wilde also states how truth is never straightforward and effortless. Truth could come with questions, ambiguous feelings, and abstract thoughts. Three pieces of literature exemplify Oscar Wilde’s quote about truth. In The â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† by Plato, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, and â€Å"Dover Beach† by Matthew Arnold the concept of a vague, confusing, and tainted truth is depicted widely throughout the works of literature. In â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† Plato uses the theme of appearance versus reality to portray his perspective on truth. In this piece of literature men lay restrained underground in a cave with no way out. In their cave reality is â€Å"nothing but the shadows of those artificial objects. † The man’s life, his reality, his truth, is based among shadows cast on the walls by the fire burning behind them. They know nothing else to be true. Therefore, it may appear that the truth for these men is very simple and pure, staring them right in the face, the shadows. When one man is freed from his shackles and forced to look into the light for the first time, what he thought was reality was fictitious now. He has become enlightened in a way and breaks away from using his five scenes that he used in the physical world of the cave. The man starts to have faith, believing in something even if you can’t see it, and he looks inside to his immortal soul. He starts to reach this higher level of existence that no one in the cave is experiencing because they are trapped in a false reality guided by scenes and not by intuition. What was once pure is now tainted with his true beliefs. He realizes that physical objects aren’t real at all. Only the idea of that object is real, and forms of the object are only imperfect. Going back into the cave only leads to darkness because he doesn’t believe in this false reality anymore. The other men in the cave would become agitated that one person is defacing and berating their beliefs without any proof that his reality exist. They would kill him. Literary techniques greatly help illustrate the meaning of the quote to the short story. Along with theme, symbolism is vital to portray Plato’s idea of truth. The cave in the story signifies a huge covering of the real truth, a barrier from reaching that higher plane of existence. The shadows denote the idea of what appears to be reality, what one perceives reality to be based only the physical, materialist aspect and not the spiritual one. The darkness that Plato refers to in the short story signifies the men’s narrow-mindedness with their mind set on the bodily world focusing on the external appearances and not true nature. Lastly, the sun represents the form of goodness. Plato quotes, â€Å"once it is perceived, the conclusion must follow that, for all things, this is the cause of whatever is right and good; in the visible world it gives birth to light and the lord of light, while it is itself sovereign in the intelligible world and the parent of intelligence and truth. † Since the whole short story is an allegory, everything is symbolic. The story can represent Plato’s life. Early in his life, before he was taught, he sees what reality is by senses. After the famous philosopher, Socrates, taught him, he became enlightened and started to form his own ideas of reality that contradicted the common beliefs. Thus, he was deeply criticized for holding these beliefs that were unexplainable. The rest of the Greeks were like the men in the cave, living in a false reality, while he was the one man who escaped and became enlightened. Don Quixote is another story that helps exemplify the quote by Wilde. Cervantes depicts Quixote as a person who lost his mind from reading too many books. Cervantes uses symbols to get the truth across. Books represent the importance of fiction and literature in everyday life. Books instruct and inform the ignorant people and provide an imaginative outlet for characters with otherwise dull lives, like Quixote. Quixote’s hand- made visor on his helmet denotes the idea of alienation from his physical world by hiding his face. Everybody he encounters on his journey thinks he is totally irrational and insane. Cervantes brings the theme of appearance versus reality into the light. It appears that Don Quixote is living a false, ridiculous reality, but he creates this new reality based on his actual world and this dream world he is living. Therefore, truth isn’t pure or simple; it becomes a mixture of his plain life and his ideal life. While it may appear that he has no real purpose, in reality he is enlightened and helps raise the level of society by changing their old beliefs. He starts to live in this ideal world of his. He doesn’t want to be fettered by society. He transforms this mundane reality into something better, based on books he read about the ancient chivalry that doesn’t present any reality. Thus, another theme is present, morality. His view is totally different then a person stuck in the physical world. Contradicting morals, at times, can lead to an impasse making truth that much harder to establish. Quixote believes his morals are true while the others are wrong. It appears in Quixote’s odyssey that he is crazy and foolish like when he comes across an inn. Cervantes states, â€Å"when he caught sight of the inn, it at once became a castle with its four turrets and its pinnacles of gleaming silver†¦and then a swineherd came along†¦he gave a blast on his horn to bring them together. † Characterization plays a role in portraying the quote. Quixote has good intentions but this ideal world challenges the world which the majority of the people think is reality. He tries to be noble and knight like but he receives no sympathy or compassion for his actions. He makes the matter worse at times because he lives in this ideal world. When he encounters a farmer beating his servant, he tries to intervene but makes it is to no avail. When he leaves, the farmer continues to beat the servant because he is even angrier. When Quixote and his squire, Sancho Panzo, come across windmills, Quixote reacts by saying, â€Å"you see there before you, some thirty or more lawless giants with whom I mean to do battle. I shall deprive them of their lives, and with the spoils from this encounter we shall begin to enrich ourselves†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Therefore, his perception of truth is not simple; it is cursed with constant conflicts with the parallel reality he is living beside. â€Å"Dover Beach† also illustrates the meaning of the quote. Matthew Arnold shows the meaning of Wilde’s quote by also using the theme of appearance verses reality, mood, free verse, and imagery. The poem starts off with a peaceful, tranquil scene with â€Å"sweet is the night air! Only, from the long line of spray, where the sea meets the moon-blanched land†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Arnold invites the reader to journey into what appears to be true and clear. If one rises above and becomes more spiritually connected, he would see the true reality of the beach. The mood changes to sadness by stating, â€Å"But now I only hear its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, retreating, to the breath of the night wind, down the vast edges drear and naked shingles of the world. † Adjectives like drear, melancholy, and sadness indicate a shift in Arnold’s attitude. The true reality appears. People are stuck in this physical world during the Industrial Revolution and are moving away from the spiritual world. Arnold uses the image of the Sea of Faith and how it was once â€Å"at the full and round earth’s shore lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. † Now the sea is withdrawing because people do not believe in what they can’t see. They only want to believe what is physically in front of them. Plato’s idea of people being stuck in a physical world is displayed in the poem. Even at the end, Arnold suggests that being honest means that this false reality is not real at all. The world has neither joy, love, light, peace, certitude, nor help for pain. Arnold creates an even more dismal mood by revealing what is really reality. The truth can be very hard and unclear considering that most people ignore it to live their happy, tranquil, fabricated life. Images like the calm sea, the tranquil bay, the moon-blanched land, land of dreams show the innocence of this untruthful world. The shift in mood occurs when images are brought to life. Images like ignorant armies clashing, the turbid ebb and flow of human misery, the roar of the ocean, and the eternal note of sadness all portray what true appearance of reality. Free verse also explains the meaning of the poem. Free verse is written with no set pattern followed from stanza to stanza, or from line to line. The lengths of lines and stanzas can vary. Arnold uses free verse to bring out the true nature and reality of the world, imitating the irregular ebb and flow of waves on the beach and using irregular rhyme pattern. Thus representing how truth is hard to follow, and never simple. â€Å"Dover Beach†, Don Quixote, and â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† all depict how the truth is never pure and simple. All three pieces indicates a theme of the appearance, false reality, and the reality, internal and deeper meaning in life. This false appearance, coupled with the greed and ignorance, according to Plato, of the physical world, denotes the fact that truth is polluted, and difficult to obtain. The truth appears one way but one has to search for what is really the truth. All three works of literature epitomize the accurate meaning of truth.

The Problems And Issues Of White Collar Crime Criminology Essay

The Problems And Issues Of White Collar Crime Criminology Essay When one ponders on the notion of white-collar and corporate crimes, usually images of massive company takeovers via blackmail and scheming lawyers, for example, spring to mind. Normally, one does not think how this form of crime can in any way relate to street crime in terms of public disturbance. However, white-collar crime can have direct and indirect consequences towards a single person, part of a society and can even span internationally. White-collar crime kept relatively low profile however, and thus it is difficult to pinpoint unhappiness it can cause as surveys focus more on the statistics of regular crime. It is certain that white-collar crime will cause direct and indirect victimization but recognition is needed in identifying its offences; for instance, corruption has a more scattered effect on the population whereas other white-collar offences can have a direct consequence on certain employees. Most offences are gradual and take time to be noticed, environmental crime for example. They lack the instant effect that a burglary or a murder can cause, particularly when it comes to the publics attention. Instead, they affect institutions or commerce where most of the on goings is kept clear from public knowledge. Where there is no direct contact to the victim with no known motive or cause, there is less interest to be generated. Some offences are vague to whom exactly they harm and to whom they benefit. Friedrichs (1996) gives an example that there may be a public advantage in cost savings that results from governmental corruption where companies sell at a lower price to competitors. Eve n counterfeit goods can be seen as beneficial as consumers have a chance to afford designer products which in turn, creates jobs in the counterfeit companys workforce. Of course, the counter argument to this is that the sub-quality goods can be harmful to the public and that employment in genuine companies is in jeopardy (Croall, 1998). And so, much of white-collar victimization is not quite what one may expect as it does not have a direct impact on an individual. Some victims of this form of crime are accused of actually inviting the harm. There are several examples of these willing victims: investors risking their money rather than placing it in say, the safety of a pension scheme. Or perhaps, consumers who willingly buy the counterfeit products that are offered in the market. Or those who willingly choose to work in environmentally unsafe areas in promise of a higher wage. If an accident does occur, it is often the careless workers fault not the company that employs them. Even if a womans breast enhancement surgery goes wrong, she might be blamed simply because she chose to have a surgery for vain, selfish reasons either than medical. These cases rarely provoke sympathy from the court Nevertheless, there is a certain image or myth concerning victimization from white-collar crime. Regulatory law is set up in such a way that Croall (1992) states that consumers, workers and the public be protected from harm which they cannot combat. The consumer is unable to judge how genuine the product is, or if they are buying medicine, how harmful the side effects are. Thus if several people are killed in a workplace, the deaths are put down as something that could not be avoided rather than a companys neglect. In this stereotypical light, the law regarding white-collar crime can be rather skewed and misguided. An organization can be criticized by its misuse of the environment but anything concerning the well-being of the workers it employs is ignored. If a company bus crashes, the deaths of the innocent passengers within will draw the sympathy and not the driver who probably will be blamed for the incident for his or her carelessness. Victimization relating to white-collar crimes completely strays from the term conventional victimology which describes victimization on individual, conventional cases. Instead, it belongs to critical victimology which basically defines victims we cannot see (Walklate 1999). White-collar offences are, practically, invisible Despite all that, white-collar offences are quite capable of causing direct harm to a person and his finally. Trust is automatically lost and there is a sense of betrayal when financial fraud occurs and Levi (1999) states: Fraud lead to broken dreamsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦frauds can destroy happiness permanently, just as readily as any other crimeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Because victims know they have supplied funds or goods voluntarily and because the loss of their financial cushion makes meaningless all their lifelong savings and sacrifices. There is also a sense of betrayed trust when death is involved amongst employees due to a companys negligence. The grief felt is even heavier when the victims body takes some time to be recovered or one who has survived a horrible accident suffers from survivors guilt (Wells 1995). White-collar crime though often seen as indirect, can also cause physical damage to its victims and threaten the safety within ones family home. For instance, counterfeit goods and mass-produced food can be harmful or even tap water which is not properly monitored and/or cleansed. Even ones workplace could not be viewed as safe, say if a worker has strong allergic reactions to the pollen surrounding the area. White-collar victimization is not limited to humans; even the wildlife is threatened from pollution caused by large industries. Corporate crime can even lead to the loss of a quality life within a community. A large industry can easily squash any fine balance within the community, whether it is environmental or economical. Examples of these are waste disposal, noise pollution, drainage in resources and a rise in taxes. Large corporations suddenly settling down in a quite community often and do threaten any local small businesses which used to reside previously. Economic offences caused by white-collar crime are often felt by institutions rather than a single persons misfortune. An institution can suffer from money theft and corruption but sometimes, in order not to lose a grip in the market, the institution will either lower salaries or raise prices to counter this. Even in the name of competition amongst themselves, companies will break rules and spy on each other or go as far as to sabotage each others projects. White-collar crime also spans nationally and even globally. One might think that offences against a form of government might not deal with any victimization, but nonetheless it can indirectly affect individuals, such as increasing tax and decreasing public resources. In this case, it is hard to form any bonds of trust in organizations such as the police force if the latter is set deep into corruption. Globally, currency frauds particularly when it involves the Euro can lead to great losses and/or any frauds concerning public waste disposal and food will inevitably damage public health and safety. Either way, white-collar crime even if it seems impersonal can affect the individual. It is often asked, which individual is affected by white-collar crime and whether social status, gender or age comes into play. It is however, difficult to specify as white-collar crime is vague at best to begin with and crime surveys do not exactly touch that particularly subject as a result. Still, victimization does target several vulnerable groups more than others. There is a difference in victimization where gender is involved, as several feminist criminologists will argue. For instance, any fraud and accidents caused by pharmacy products usually affects the female population. Even in the workforce, women seem more vulnerable simply because they lack the technical expertise and thus render them more open to fraud scams. Even larger cases are schemes involving companies and falsely researched contraceptives which led to birth defects, infection and abortions/miscarriages. This did not stop the companies from distributing their dangerous products to needy, lower-classed countries. Even women seeking to enhance their looks with beauty products can be harmed. And those having breast surgery are not exempt either. In addiction, a wide array of side effects can follow dietary pills; there are 35 recorded deaths in the United States from these pills during the 1970s and 1980s. Products which are not genuine can often contain dangerous ingredients suc h as certain acids which are not labeled down. Corporate crime certainly expands to victimization of women in the workforce, for example Pearce and Tombs (1998) note that 20 million women work in conditions there are toxic risks a rather disturbing figure indeed. Furthermore, many women suffer from sexual harassment during work hours, particularly from their superiors, but are often forced not to seek legal help due to blackmail and fear of losing their jobs. There are many cases where men use their trustful profession of, say, a doctor in order to sexually harass their female patients. Even if white-collar crime does not harm a woman physically, it can still harm her economically. Expensive label products boasting miracle results are released daily, boxed in even more expensive, fancy packaging. These sort of products aim towards the disillusioned housewife who wishes to beautify herself and again the marketing behind the product takes advantage of the assumption that a woman lacks the knowledge in financial matters. Of course, this also boils down to false advertisement; the miracle results that the product claims to achieve are very misleading. More so, the products container is double walled thus containing far less than they should. Illusions of a products results are not just based on make up; salesmen, builders and investors often take advantage of the situation by catching a customer unawares. Despite the fact that victimization seems to be based on gender, women are not the only ones who are targeted by white-collar offences. Men are also in great risk; they can suffer from neglect concerning the rules at highly dangerous workplaces such as an oil rig or a mining tunnel. Still, women are more susceptible to product scams it seems, forever seeking ways to beautify themselves as society dictates them to. Corporate offences do not stop at gender, they continue to differences of age as well; the young and the old who in reality, need to depend upon others. The old are often victims when there is a serious neglect in food rules and regulations and often contract illnesses as a result. And like women, they also avidly spend a fortune on anti-age products which falsely advertise. Both children and the elderly can suffer physical and sexual abuse and usually they cannot complain; the elderly confused with their old age and the children too young to understand the meaning of morals. Most of the times, the old suffer when they are placed in an old peoples home- there, they are frequently neglected, fed unhealthy foods and given the wrong medicine which can be proved fatal. Children fall victim to unsafe toys and students can fall victim to their landlords where they are forced to inhabit an abode which fails all of its safety regulations due to their limited finances. Most famous of all are the pension schemes and home security. The elderly often fear of burglary and this can be taken advantage of selling them alarm systems that are counterfeit. White-collar crime often gives out the misconception that the poorer classes are robbed so that the rich can benefit, however its definition and the cases regarding it are much more complex than that (Van Swaaningen, 1997). Sometimes it is the rich that are targeted, lured into risky investments or those miracle beauty products simply because they believe that they have the money to spend it all. After all, how can a woman of the lower classes be able to afford breast surgery? Then of course, one might argue that that particular woman will probably be forced to buy a counterfeit product just because she could not afford the genuine article. Furthermore, evidence leads to state that the impact of larger scale corporate offences are more scattered; a train accident due to poor engineering and the deaths that follow regardless of social status, age or gender. And yet, one can not ignore how age and gender is significant to victimization. These conflicting discussions are coined by Levi (1995) as a complex moral arena. To further complicate things, it is general knowledge that well-to-do organizations will have an effect on struggling small businesses such as, buying them out or stealing their customers. Or, small businesses will target their poorer customers. Another fact is that it is the poorer consumer that feels the need to buy the cheapest product available and accidents in the workforce are usually workers who are confined to menial labour. Even on a global scale, it is usually a third world country that receives the waste dumping. To put it bluntly, it is the lower classes who feel the effect of corporate crime as they cannot compensate any resources stolen or wasted unlike their richer counterparts. They cannot seek legal advice as confidently as those who are more knowledgeable in matters regarding the market and thus, usually avoid any financial scam in the form of bad investments or dubious pension schemes. In short, those desperate few who lack the necessary information will most likel y be targeted. Unfortunately, white-collar victimization is not even listed in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and any other organizations that deal with victim support. There has not been any organized movement in support of this particular victimization (there was a movements in the United States that seemed promising but over exaggerated). This is due to the fact that white-collar crime is not viewed as dramatic and important as normal street-crime victimization; the victims often do not report their grievances, most of their misfortune is viewed as trivial and often blamed upon themselves. Unlike, for instance, victims of abuse, they do not form conferences and unanimously protest. In any event, the only movements that are formed are often associated with the environment or food. There is hope however. A victim does have the right to pursue legal action such as a law suit but sadly, the only time that a group is formed is usually after a large-scale calamity. Still, an organized group has a better chance of actually having something done rather than an individual struggling on his own. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the vast majority of white-collar and corporate crime is certainly not victimless. It is merely neglected as such offences are often not reported and thus it is unable to be proven clearly on a crime survey. It is not seen as something dramatic, unlike a vicious murder and is put in the backburner in favour of conventional criminology. People do suffer from white-collar crime, indirectly and directly and it does affect the standard of living whether it is based on local conditions or expanded over the world.

Social Issues in Hedda Gabler Essay -- Hedda Gabler Essays

Social Issues in Hedda Gabler It has been suggested that Hedda Gabler is a drama about the individual psyche -- a mere character study. It has even been written that Hedda Gabler "presents no social theme" (Shipley 333). On the contrary, I have found social issues and themes abundant in this work. The character of Hedda Gabler centers around society and social issues. Her high social rank is indicated from the beginning, as Miss Tesman says of Hedda, "General Gabler's daughter. What a life she had in the general's day!" (Ibsen 672). Upon Hedda's first appearance, she makes many snobbish remarks. First, she turns up her nose at George's special handmade slippers. Later she insults Aunt Julie's new hat, pretending to mistake it for the maid's. Hedda seems to abhor everything about George Tesman and his bourgeoisie existence. She demands much more class than he has been able to provide her, for she was the beautiful, charming daughter of General Gabler and deserved nothing but the finest. As the character of Hedda Gabler develops, the reader learns that she has only married George Tesman because her father's passing away left her no significant financial resources, nothing but a respectable heritage. She tells Brack of her decision to marry Tesman: "I really had danced myself out, Judge. My time was up. ... And George Tesman -- he is after all a thoroughly acceptable choice. ... There's every chance that in time he could still make a name for himself. ...It was certainly more than my other admirers were willing to do for me, Judge." (Ibsen 684). Hedda needed someone to support her financially, and George Tesman was the only decent man to propose to her. She was forced to cross beneath her social class and marry this commoner in the hopes that he would make a name for himself as a professor. As for love everlasting, Hedda disgustedly comments to Judge Brack, "Ugh -- don't use that syrupy word!" Rather than having become a happy newlywed who has found true love, "Hedda is trapped in a marriage of convenience" (Shipley 445). Hedda was raised a lady of the upper class, and as such she regards her beauty with high esteem. This is, in part, the reason she vehemently denies the pregnancy for so long. A pregnancy will force her to gain weight and lose her lovely womanly figure. Hedda has grown accustomed to her many admirers; therefore, Hedda is ... ... Lastly, the tile itself represents the social theme of the drama. In using the name Hedda Gabler, despite her marriage to George Tesman, Ibsen has conveyed to the reader the importance of social class. Hedda prefers to identify herself as the daughter of General Gabler, not the wife of George Tesman. Throughout the play she rejects Tesman and his middle class lifestyles, clinging to the honorable past with which her father provided her. This identity as the daughter of the noble General Gabler is strongly implied in the title, Hedda Gabler. In considering the many implications of the social issues as explained above, it can not be denied that the very theme of Hedda Gabler centers on social issues. "Hedda Gabler is ...indirectly a social parable" (Setterquist 166). Works Cited 1. Ibsen, Henrik. Hedda Gabler. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford Books, 1996. 672-709. 2. Setterquist, Jan. Ibsen and the Beginnings of Anglo-Irish Drama. New York: Gordian Press, 1974. 46 - 49, 58 - 59, 82 - 93, 154 - 166. 3. Shipley, Joseph T. The Crown Guide to the World's Great Plays. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984. 332 - 333.

The Triangle Fire Essay -- History, Industrial Work, Immigration

In an era of a rising unionization, The Triangle Fire, calligraphy written my Leon Stein, describes one of the worst industrial disasters in the nation’s history that ended up killing 146 of the 500 Triangle Shirtwaist Company employees, which happened to be female immigrant workers. These immigrants came to the United States with their families in search for a better life. Instead they found themselves working long hours only to receive low wages along with horrendous working circumstances with very little freedom. This thrilling event happened in New York on the late afternoon of March 25, 1911. The tendentious Max Blank and Isaac Harris owned the top three floors in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in the Asch Building. Most of the workers were Italian and European Jewish woman immigrants. It was near closing time for the young workers until that calm afternoon quickly turned into a frightening moment for everyone. At this moment people’s lives were flipped upside down forever when the fire broke out on the eighth floor in the Asch Building. To this day, there is no set cause as to why the fire started. All they have is that people heard an explosion that came from the eighth floor followed by bundles of clothes falling from the sky. The people soon noticed that not only were there bundle of clothes falling but those ‘bundles of clothes’ were actually some of the young workers jumping and falling from the window seals. The outburst of the fire was horrible, woman were fal ling through the ceiling while other taking their lives by jumping out the windows. Female workers found themselves in trouble when they tried to open the ninth floor doors to the Washington Place stairs but the doors appeared to be locked. On the other ... ...event the immigrant workers from taking breaks. They also had younger workers at the age of 14/15 by having child labor matching up to the child labor back in the Gilded Age. The Asch building also relates to hundreds of other industrial areas that were treated cruelly and unfairly. Many strikes also happened throughout the gilded age just as the Ladies' Waist and Dress Makers' Union, Local No. 25 of the ILGWU did. An example from the gilded age would be the first labor strike, the railroad strike of 1877, where they refused to work due to cut wages. Hundreds of people died in the railroad strike. Another example is the Haymarket riot, where they demanded an eight-hour workday where this too had hundreds of people die. In peroration, the 19th and 20th century industrial labor was a crucial time in history. Many strikes, deaths, and under paid immigrants occurred.

Romantic :: essays research papers

When you hear the term "Romanticism", wouldn’t you think of something that has to do with romance? That is what I thought when I first heard the word, but I was foolishly mistaken. Romanticism dealt with placing central importance upon the emotions and upon the individual. This time period only lasted about thirty years but greatly changed the and influenced the country in which we live in today. In the following composition, I will discuss the ideas of Romanticism and three famous writers of this time and their distinct subjects.The United States condensed as a nation during the major cultural change distinguished by the shift from classicism to Romanticism. This change had an impact on every aspect of culture including arts, philosophy, education and science.Before all this even happened, an earlier belief known as "Classicism" was around. This unhealthy culture put reason as their dominating characteristic of nature and were also bound by strict unchang ing laws by the government. Now, who would want to live under this dull inexpressible culture? Well, the early Puritans were part of this "Age of Reason" and many a good man came out of this era. Anyway, it was time for change. People wanted to start believing in themselves more and having a greater sense or nationalism. This is where Romanticism came in and replaced classicism. It was the beginning of a new era and initiated a whole new way of thinking. Romanticism basically dealt with three attitudes: Nature, the past, and the inner world of human nature. Although the early Romantic writers varied widely in the forms that they chose, these certain subjects were characteristics or Romantic attitudes.The writer who mainly told about nature was William Cullen Bryant. He became the first national spokesperson for a new religion of nature in which nature serves as a source of moral and spiritual lessons.One of his famous poems, "To a Waterfowl", tells of the journey of a waterfowl during migration and relates that to the path in which we as humans take in our lives. He also incorporates some religious attitudes in his works as well and you can see this at the end of "To a Waterfowl" when he tells you that "God will lead your steps aright" Washington Irving was a fine example of telling about the past. He wrote many a folk tales.In the short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" he Americanizes the devil and gives him qualities that are carried on with him for generations.

Books especially Great Expectations Essay

Pip is very childlike the way Dickens describes him, almost naive and he has a large imagination.Dickens shows Pip’s naivety by telling the reader Pip believes his mothers name was ‘also Georgina’ as that was written on the gravestone.  Pip is introduced when he is at the graveyard.  Dickens aims for the readers empathy by telling us that five of his siblings are dead and buried with his mother and father.  The historical context Dickens used was that in the 1800’s children died young.  Then we are introduced to the criminal who we later learn is called Abel Magwitch. When Pip meets the convict he is in irons, rags and is hungry.  Dickens showed us this man was of lower class by the way he spoke and the fact his did not wear a hat like gentlemen did.  Ã¢â‚¬ËœA man with no hat, and broken shoes.’  Abel comes off as a scary man however once he has food and a file for his irons, his attitude changes.  Dickens tries to get sympathy for Abel by the way he describes him as having a limp and using his arms to warm himself up as well holding himself together. Estella is introduced in chapter eight.  Estella is the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham; Estella was brought up to hate men by Miss. Havisham.  This causes Estella to poke fun at many aspects of Pip.  She has been taught well like most upper class children and Dickens shows this by her speech and appearance.  Ã¢â‚¬ËœDon’t be ridiculous boy†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, she believes herself to be higher and more important than Pip due to her being of a higher class.  Miss. Havisham was a wealthy woman who got jilted at the alter, her life went down hill from there as if she was stuck in the time.  We can see that from the way Dickens describes the way her house was decorated.  Dickens makes Miss. Havisham come over as a bitter spiteful lady by using her speech and actions. ‘†Sometimes I have sick fantasies.† She went on.’  The Setting.  The first chapter is set in a graveyard which gives the reader an eerie yet calm feeling until the convict appears changing the atmosphere to dramatic.  Dickens uses words like ‘overgrown’, ‘forgotten’ and ‘bleak’ to create the sense of setting and atmosphere.  He then goes to use words like ‘terrible’ and ‘fearful’ to fit into the new dramatic setting.  Towards the end of chapter one, Dickens uses nearly a full paragraph on just describing the setting.’†¦ sky was just a row of long angry, red lines and black lines intermixed.’   This gives off a rather calming yet suspenseful atmosphere. Chapter eight is started with a strong sense of suspense and curiosity, the setting and atmosphere being both questionable and fearful.  Dickens uses words like ‘scornful’, ‘dark’ and ‘uncomfortable’ to successfully create an atmosphere; he describes Miss. Havisham as almost skeleton like then he continues to actually have Pip compare her to a wax skeleton.  Dickens uses words like ‘hollow eyes’, ‘faded skin’ and very slim’ to get his point across.When comparing the two settings they are very similar by that way they are both set in a dark settings and suspenseful atmospheres.   The storyline. The entire book is mainly focussed around Pip’s days and his meeting of new people in both different classes.  Chapter one is focussed on Pip meeting the convict, who is of a lower class and then chapter eight is focussed on Pip meeting Estella and Miss. Havisham who are of a higher class.  The story is about Pip and his feelings when he meets each of these people as well as the expectations he has for himself once meeting those people.  Pip tries to raise his expectations for himself once he’s met Estella. Dickens chooses everything carefully when writing a storyline, like names for instance he describes calling upon Estella in chapter eight as ‘†¦ her light came along the dark passage like a star.’ Estella is actually Latin for star so you can tell he chose the name wisely as well as fitting historical context into the chapter.  He also uses pat experiences to help write about events in his books especially Great Expectations.

Does Internet Enhance or Reduce Social Interaction Essay

Papers like HomeNet publications have been following the effects, positive or negative of Internet on its users. The findings are interesting as it reports both positive and negative results. Initially the effect was negative on those who relied heavily on internet for communication. However that scenario has changed with time. Current studies no longer show the overall negative effects of the past. Using internet to communicate with families and friends as well as being involved in community activities has been on the rise. Negative effects are generally experienced by people with less support economically and introverts and positive effects experienced by people with good social resources and extraverts. Some people who have integrated internet into their ordinary lives have generally benefited, but they now experience new social problems. These problems are highlighted in this discussion in depth and a summary made in a table. Those internet users who find communication important, have good reason to expect that Internet has positive social impact on their lives. For such people communication, including contact with neighbors, friends, and family, and participation in social groups, improves their level of social support. To them interacting with internet gives them fulfilling personal relationships, a sense of meaning in life, and commitment to social norms with their communities. Their psychological and physical well-being (Diener et al. 1999; Cohen and Wills 1985; Mirowsky and Ross 1989;). They think through the use of internet for communication, they could have important positive social effects on individuals (McKenna and Bargh 2000), groups, organizations (Sproull and Kiesler 1991), and communities (Hampton and Wellman 2000), including society at large (Dertouzos 1997; Hilts). Just like the telephone did, they think broad social access could increase people’s social involvement, and facilitate formation of new relationships (Fischer 1992; Wellman 1996). People who are generally isolated could find new social identity and commitment (Katz and Aspden 1997). Isolated members of communities could participate in group organizations at a distance (Sproull and Kiesler 1991). Internet is also handy for political mobilization (Bonchek 1997). Whether Internet has positive or negative social impact depend upon the quality of the people online, their activities and what they give up to spend time online. Stronger social ties generally lead to better social outcomes than do weaker ties (Wellman and Wortley 1990). As we go through the discussion we find that the ease in communication that internet offers has encouraged people so much that they now spend more time alone, talking online with strangers and very little time with their communities. Increasingly people are connecting to each other through the internet, and looked at positively, one would say internet has increased the frequency of communication among its users. There are pertinent issues to look at today regarding our social interaction compared with the past: †¢ Has our social relation one-to-one improved or diminished? †¢ Has it provided more evidence of the difference between our virtual self and real self? †¢ Has our group interaction improved or diminished? Users of internet are socially withdrawn because they are most of the time lonely and hooked onto the net. Research has found that the more people are online, the more they become socially isolated ( James E. Katz). The study further shows that people who are constantly online the more they become isolated from social life and that there is a relationship between depression, stress and strength in social ties created by extensive use of the internet. This on the extreme can weaken the social ties that people normally have. Robert Kraut who is a researcher in the field and professor in the Department of Communication at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N. J. is the leading author of the study. However the finding has been seriously challenged as inadequate and lacking in rigor. The critiques say there needed to have been a control group used for comparison purposes and that the sample size was too small. On the contrary, computer experts are quoted as saying internet has greatly increased their human interaction. They say that they can now meet more people than ever before. But sociology experts say this is more a manifestation of people in a state of denial than the truth. But the truth is that there are two divergent views about computers and its social effect on people. Hoffman and partner Tom Novak at Vanderbilt University’s Project 2000 have for example have conducted a collaborate research with Georgia Institute of Technology in which they find many web users find the net browsing enriching and satisfying and that they are usually left in a happy state of mind far from being depressed. Philip Aspden, executive director of the Center for Research on the Information Society, surveyed 2,500 Internet users and found no evidence of social withdrawal. The study found that online participants are no less likely to join religious, leisure or any community organized activities than people who aren’t online. Virtual interaction is the norm in internet activities. People using portable computers can work in one office, one project without necessarily being physically in a place. They could be several kilometers away and do everything together that they could do in one environment, one office, and location. They can talk and hold meetings and discussions together. Internet has made the world look like a one local village. The issue is what is the social implication of this arrangement? Is it positive or negative socially? The answer is positive because the physical location can be anywhere most convenient for the individual. It can be your house / study room, supermarket; or inside your car. People work better when they operate from premises of their liking. Negative because supervision, control, co-ordination and monitoring becomes difficult. People find such arrangements new and odd though not necessarily bad socially. With time we shall be used to it and our sense of belonging will change. In this discussion we try to bring into focus the positive and negative social impact of internet. However we seem to agree that internet users have more social problems than usual. They are among other things withdrawn from normal social life and in virtual solitude as is commonly known. It is interesting to hear what some of these people say. Please allow me to quote some experiences from people who use internet. â€Å"Every time I go through the process it seems more and more like a religious ritual. When I reflect that I am connected to thousands or millions of people across the world, I forget that I am seated in a solitary confine of my computer room. I admit it is a strange feeling, one that I really like to the extent that I forget the social pleasure I normally find socializing with people outside there. Sometimes I also get frightened that I am beginning to like my computer mediated communication (CMC) better than talking with most real people with whom I come into daily contact face to face. Though I find it sad to say, I have never enjoyed serious discussions before where people say what is in their heart. Social opportunities and even academic opportunities for such discussions are dwindling. Our culture has become more and more trivial and superficial. † Through CMC people can find intellectual stimulation. It is easily available and comfortable. But the human touch is more natural and more satisfying. We are social animals and we need to meet and chart. Intellectualism has its time just as social life also has its time. The other negative aspect of internet is privatization which was introduced by Marshall McLuhan. This theory states that as entertainment and information becomes readily available to people, they are less likely to seek them outside their homes. As that happens, social interaction is becoming less and less frequent. We can select the people to talk to and use special words and mode of communication. Soon we shall be out of touch with the real world where we have different type of people needing different types of communication. My entertainment, amusement, and even communication have become private rather than public. Family people have very little time for each other because they spend all that time on the net. The young ones are the most affected. During the day, they are out in school and their parents are out for work. When they come home they cannot meet either, because everybody is busy with internet. When will they talk or learn from the parents one would ask? All that they imitate are programs from the internet, some very weird indeed. As parents we might overlook and despise the experience we got through social interaction with our peer groups and communities while we were young. It taught us to be at peace with our environment. In this environment there is richness found in diversity. The diversity found in behavior and culture of its people. We come to be more informed that the world is made of both order and disorder and become equipped to handle both occurrences. That is how we have been molded to be strong and resilient. The world of internet is denying our children that freedom and experience. Children never play together at home and very little in school. Computer mediated communication CMC is a new phenomenon in the computer world. There are other technologies more commonly used such as e-mail and interactive chat on the internet. These modes of communication have both bad and good sides. They have made communication, fast, easy and affordable. The physical location of the people we communicate to is no longer a barrier. We talk to people anytime anywhere by a mere touch of a button. When we play with our peers and join social clubs we meet people and friends and that is healthy for our body and mind. We are able to do some exercise which our body needs to avoid aging. We use our bodies more than our minds. To conclude my analysis on the effects of the internet talking about pornographic ideologies is no new phenomena as it is one of the high condemned vices of the internet as it is being used in all ways. Income generating activities, a source of employment to others but highly exploitative and seriously abusive in all ways, it ranges from child pornography to adult pornography.