Free Essays on The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley By: Patricia Highsmith Copyright  © 1955 Setting: The Talented Mr. Ripley takes place somewhere in the mid 1950s to the early 1960s. The year is never said in the book. When letters are written the people only use â€Å"19- †. The book is mainly set in and around Italy, but some parts of it are set in the United States. A lot of traveling and moving is done, so lots of cities are home to the main character, Tom, during the duration of the book However, Mongibello and Rome are two cities that he seems to stay in for a while. Major Character Descriptions: Tom Ripley is a twenty-five year old American sent to Italy by Herbert Greenleaf to bring his son, Dickie, home. But, unbeknownst to Mr.Greenleaf, Tom is a master of forgery. Shy, but easily angered, Tom befriends Dickie and stays with him in Italy. Everything goes along well until Dickie starts to push Tom out of his life. Tom ends up killing Dickie, and pretends to be him. To keep his secret Tom has to kill one of Dickie’s friends, and later reclaim his own life. Dickie Greenleaf a young twenty-five year old American who lives in Mongibello, Italy. His parents send Tom Ripley to bring him home. Dickie takes an almost immediate liking to Tom, and they become good friends. They start doing many things together until it’s just too much. Dickie starts spending more of his time with his girl friend Marge, and Tom doesn’t like that. Dickie becomes bored with Tom, so one day Tom becomes enraged by this and decides to kill Dickie. As the only other American in Mongibello, Marge Sherwood is a good friend with Dickie. She doesn’t like Tom as much as Dickie. She believes he is a fraud who is after Dickie’s money and love. These opinions arose from feeling abandoned by Dickie when Tom came to town. Tom hates her because of this, and they begin fighting for Dickie’s love. When Tom poses as Dickie he makes as if he wins. This Dickie moves away ... Free Essays on The Talented Mr. Ripley Free Essays on The Talented Mr. Ripley The Talented Mr. Ripley By: Patricia Highsmith Copyright  © 1955 Setting: The Talented Mr. Ripley takes place somewhere in the mid 1950s to the early 1960s. The year is never said in the book. When letters are written the people only use â€Å"19- †. The book is mainly set in and around Italy, but some parts of it are set in the United States. A lot of traveling and moving is done, so lots of cities are home to the main character, Tom, during the duration of the book However, Mongibello and Rome are two cities that he seems to stay in for a while. Major Character Descriptions: Tom Ripley is a twenty-five year old American sent to Italy by Herbert Greenleaf to bring his son, Dickie, home. But, unbeknownst to Mr.Greenleaf, Tom is a master of forgery. Shy, but easily angered, Tom befriends Dickie and stays with him in Italy. Everything goes along well until Dickie starts to push Tom out of his life. Tom ends up killing Dickie, and pretends to be him. To keep his secret Tom has to kill one of Dickie’s friends, and later reclaim his own life. Dickie Greenleaf a young twenty-five year old American who lives in Mongibello, Italy. His parents send Tom Ripley to bring him home. Dickie takes an almost immediate liking to Tom, and they become good friends. They start doing many things together until it’s just too much. Dickie starts spending more of his time with his girl friend Marge, and Tom doesn’t like that. Dickie becomes bored with Tom, so one day Tom becomes enraged by this and decides to kill Dickie. As the only other American in Mongibello, Marge Sherwood is a good friend with Dickie. She doesn’t like Tom as much as Dickie. She believes he is a fraud who is after Dickie’s money and love. These opinions arose from feeling abandoned by Dickie when Tom came to town. Tom hates her because of this, and they begin fighting for Dickie’s love. When Tom poses as Dickie he makes as if he wins. This Dickie moves away ...

SDLC essays

SDLC essays SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE SYSTEM INVESTIGATION Problem Statement XYZ Ceramic Supply is a growing company in the arts and craft supply industry, which consist of three stores located in Northern California. XYZ Ceramic Supply is a small company with a limited budget, and is growing fast, they are eager to rectify their existing problems through the use of automation. Problem with Existing System Currently all reports, purchases, accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll functions are done manually, leaving a large margin for error. Problem track incoming parts. Accounts receivable and accounts payable department are having a very difficult time keeping accurate records manually and expeditiously. Due to existing system, the company has no idea what its existing inventory is composed of at each of its three locations. System Feasibility Technical feasibility Installing a network system in all locations make tracking inventory possible. Operational feasibility Projec t can be placed into operation since operation will be able to use it. Schedule feasibility Other companies using similar network have thrived. Economic feasibility In long run will lower costs. SYSTEM DESIGN A test database will be designed, which will include menus and screens. A demonstration and sample data will be provided to the XYZ Ceramic Supply staff, in order to ensure that all specifications have been met. After management and staff have closely analyzed and reviewed the demonstration and sample data, a signature of approval will be required by the companys designated representative. This phase will be frozen once the signature has been authorized and any changes after this stage can result in a substantial increase in the firm fixed price and may change the schedule of completion date. The new system will do the following: Determi...

Compare between TURKEY and USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare between TURKEY and USA - Essay Example The country is rich in natural resources such as gold and iron ore with a third of its land arable. Although formally recognized as the republic of Turkey in English, it is also known as Turkiye Cumhuriyeti in Turkish. The country has a total area of 780,580sq km of which 9,820sq km is covered with water. The country had a total population of 73, 722,988 persons as at January 1, 2011 out of which about 18 percent reside in Istanbul. This is mainly because a large percentage of the population resides in cities. The percentage of males is slightly higher than that of women. The population growth rate was 1.45% in 2009. The life expectancy in the country is 71.5 years with employment rate of 43% as at 2010. The major towns in Turkey include Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Adana among others. Out of these towns, Ankara is the capital city from where various administrative activities are carried out. In terms of size, it falls second after Istanbul. Ankara is elevated at 938 metres with a population of about 4.5 million as at 2010. The city is located at Anatolia and commercial and industrial activities carried in there. Moreover, the city hosts all the foreign embassies and has an effective transport infrastructure. The country is divided into 81 provinces in order to easy the administrative process. In terms of its economy, Turkey incorporates agriculture and modern industry. The private sector has been thriving very well and has been a source of employment to the citizens. In the achievement of the economic success, the government has played a significant part in providing reforms that have streamlined the entire process. Environment conservation has been a very crucial aspect in turkey. The country forest covers about a third of the land, which is a significant percentage. In an effort to avoid its exploitation as well as of other natural

Lesson 6 Discussion & Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lesson 6 Discussion & - Assignment Example Every song, though being simple at the first sight, conveyed the ideas of the things that are eternal for the human being. The Beatles’ style, moreover, introduced music techniques that were new for that time and made the band’s sound unique. Due to this, they managed to reach global sympathy, and their songs appeared in the US music charts. A new music direction, Merseybeat, was distinguished, as the band came from Liverpool, Merseyside. Another success factor is that the band song several languages, which was rather unusual for a typical rock band of that time. Such breath-taking success of the Beatles is not a reason, however, for pushing other music bands of the British Invasion period aside. This is the case when it is similarly the case of â€Å"primus inter pares†, that is, the first among the equal ones, which means that other bands are worth mentioning at least. The Who is a good example of such a band. Introducing not only new sounding, but also scenic drive, breaking a guitar at the concert, for example, they managed to reach not less success than the previously mentioned band. Taking the above said into consideration, it is quite possible to assume that the Beatles influence on popular music is over estimated. Many bands of today confess that their songs have been composed under impressions the Beatles made on them, but the number of the musicians giving names of other bands is constantly increasing. Today’s music, for instance, is greatly impacted by national motives, as national conscious is rising all over the world along with the growing necessity to take care for one’s own

Biology Questions and Answers Essay Example for Free

Biology Questions and Answers Essay 2.) a) proteins b.) i) Amylase ii) Protease iii) Lipase c) i) Glucose ii) Amino Acids iii) Fatty acids and Glycerol 3.) a.) Each enzyme has a unique shape that fits onto the substrate. As enzymes normally only catalyse one reaction the substrate has to fit in the specific shape (active site) and if it doesn’t fit in (lock and key method) then the enzyme won’t be catalysed. b.) As when the enzyme is denatured it’s special shape is destroyed, thus destroying it’s active site meaning that the substrate wont be able to fit in, therefore not catalysing the enzyme. c.) As enzymes are specific when an enzyme catalyses an enzyme it can be used over and over again as they are not changed during the reaction. 5.) a.) if the concentration of the enzyme is increased the rate f the reaction will increase. This is because there will be more enzymes to help break down the substrate, however when the enzyme reaches it’s optimum it will be equal. b.) if the temperature is decreased it will drop the rate of reaction and slow down the speed of catalysing. c.) if the pH is lowered then the rate of reaction will drop causing the pH to interfere with the bonds holding the enzyme together and denaturing the enzyme. 7.) a.) i) the rate of reaction is increasing at a positive constant correlation, because the increase in temperature is causing the enzymes to move around faster increasing the chance of a collision. ii) the rate suddenly drops after it’s hit the optimum temperature, this is because the bonds holding the enzyme together have broke destroying enzymes special shape. b.) It increases it as it causes the enzymes to move around faster increasing the chance of a collision. c.) the bonds change it’s special shape causing it unable to catalyse substances. d.) A. it could be pepsin in the stomach e.) B, it could be phosphatases f.) it is very narrow.

Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War?

Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War? BRIEF OVERVIEW The Soviet Union was one of the world’s two super powers during the second half of the twentieth century. The idea that almost everyone has is that the Soviet state was founded in the year 1917, which was the year of the Bolshevik revolution; the truth is that the state has risen only after the end of the civil war in which the Bolsheviks were the ultimate victorious side. After the establishment of Lenin’s government in 1917, opposition members, especially those who had military positions under the Tsar regime, started to appear. General Alexeyev, who was the imperial chief of staff under the Tsar, started creating an anti-Bolshevik army immediately after the revolution. Soon after that, other leading tsarist military officials joined that group; those included Kornilov, Denikin, and many others. General Lavr Kornilov, who was the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army under the Tsar, created an army of volunteers that reached approximately three thousand men in 1918, and that army was the core of what later became the White Army that fought against the Reds (the Bolsheviks). Even if the White Army managed to control certain regions, for limited periods of time, such as the Ukraine, the Kuban region, Omsk, and Gatchina, and even though it succeeded in winning some battles, such as those at Simbirsk and Kazan, their ultimate fate was defeat. The Red Army prevailed and the Soviet state was finally established. WHY THE BOLSHEVIKS WON Many historians and researchers studied the Russian civil war, and the reasons for the defeat of the Whites they all agreed on were not always identical. According to Lee, the reason of victory laid in the effective handling of the war by the Bolsheviks themselves [The Bolsheviks were] outflanked to the east by Socialist Revolutionary regimes and surrounded by White military offensives. Yet this widespread opposition and apparently vulnerable position both worked in the favour of the Bolsheviks, making it possible for them to secure eventual victory. What made this certain was the effectiveness of their own diplomacy, organisation and military strategy (80) Some other researcher, however, contend that the Reds won the war not because of their exceptional and ingenious handling of the war, but because of reasons related to the mishandling of the war, and its various phases and stages, by the White army and its military chiefs. What must be stated here is that while the Red army was a unified military force under one Bolshevik (communist) leadership, the White army was composed of different groups which had different political views and, most importantly, which did not agree on what concerned the future they wanted for the new Russian state. As explained by Treadgold, the various components of the White army did not have a common efficient war strategy. The Whites had lacked coordination, and were plagued by personal rivalries among their leaders. They denounced Bolshevism, but affirmed nothing. Denikin and Kolchak were moderates, who lacked effective political or economic programs. Their slogan: ‘A united and indivisible Russia’ alienated national minorities, and played into Bolshevik hands. White generals made military blunders, but their political mistakes and disunity proved decisive. (Western New England College) The national minorities formed another factor that the Whites did not succeed in convincing. In fact, those minorities feared the Whites because of their constant call for a united Russia and felt threatened by them, and this was another positive element for the Reds. The above mentioned point of view is presented also by Phillips. He states that the main objective of the various groups that formed the White forces was to stop the victories of the Bolshevik revolution and to put an end to Lenin’s ambitions of creating a new Russian government and, ultimately, a new face for the Russian state. And even though all the fractions of the Whites agreed on that final goal, they did not agree on practically anything else. The Whites did not succeed in presenting a clear vision of what should come after the desired defeat of the Bolsheviks. The Whites were an amalgam of different groups united only by their desire to get rid of the Bolsheviks. On what was to replace the communist regime they were deeply divided. Some wanted a return to the Tsarist regime; others a democratic republic. There was little in common between the Tsarist groups and socialist groups like the Mensheviks. The aims of the national minorities were more limited and often at odds with the White leaders. The slogan ‘Russia One and Indivisible’ did little to keep the minorities fighting for the Whites. (Philips 42) Another factor that worked in the favour of the Reds was the foreign aid that the Whites were receiving. This gave the chance to the Bolsheviks to present their case against the opposition stating that they were tools in the hands of external powers that wanted to interfere in the future of Russia both politically and economically. Treadgold states that Allied intervention was of dubious value: foreign arms and supplies aided the Whites, but were insufficient to insure victory and let the Reds pose as defenders of Mother Russia. Bolshevik propaganda portrayed White generals (wrongly) as reactionary tools of Western imperialism, and (more correctly) as aiming to restore the landlords. (Western New England College) For what concerns the foreign powers, it must be noted that their abandonment of the Whites when the Reds began winning some of the battles was crucial in determining the outcome of that conflict. This was an enormous drawback for the White army that found itself alone and weak. Habeck confirms that the division of the groups that the White army was formed of was certainly an important element, but it was not the only one. The author states that the Allied forces were always offering assistance to the Whites, but they stopped it when the Whites needed it the most. When they were successful on the battlefield, the Allied powers (Britain, France, and the United States) provided critical military assistance, but as the Whites began to lose, the aid disappeared, consigning the Whites to their fate. The fluid nature of the civil war also meant that the Whites never created permanent institutions. Matters were not helped by the officers’ reluctance to involve themselves in political matters, leaving chaos and banditry to reign in much of their territory. (Habeck 1665) This abandonment of the Whites, according to Philips, was the result of the Versailles treaty of 1919. The author suggests that â€Å"the Allied leaders may have had no taste for communism but neither did they desire to carry on fighting.† It is also known that â€Å"the Whites did receive money and military equipment from the Allies although not enough to have an impact on the course of the war† (43). The pure military strategies and realities were not the only direct reason why the Bolsheviks won the war; another aspect was the method in which the Whites conducted their various issues and their personal lifestyle affairs. Corruption was one of the factors; another one was the total dependence on vodka and cocaine among the White soldiers. This even reached a more serious level when an official of the White army stated that his army was composed of members who were ignorant and incompetent (Anderson 22). The nature of the civil war was, just as any war, cruel and brutal, the White army was responsible for many crimes: â€Å"White troops were allowed to commit atrocities during the war, such as pogroms against the Jews who lived in White-occupied lands† (Habeck 1665) The last of the reasons that led the Bolsheviks to victory is purely economic; they were in control of the most important industrial and manufacturing plants in the country, while the Whites simply had far less and, as mentioned earlier, were dependent on foreign aids and on outside help to keep their campaign alive. Laver summarises the reasons by stating that the Reds had many advantages; such as the unified leadership of the communists under Lenin, the skills of Trotsky, and the control of industrial centres which were highly populated areas. The Whites, on the other hand, were divided, they lacked a common strategy, and they did not have popular support. Not to mention the ineffectiveness of the limited foreign support that they received (76-77). Works Cited Lee, Stephen J. Lenin and Revolutionary Russia. London, UK: Routledge, 2003. Treadgold, Donald W. Twentieth Century Russia. 1987. The Russian Civil War. Western New England College. 2000. 21 October 2006.  http://mars.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/russia/lectures/28civilwar.html>. Philips, Steve. Lenin and the Russian Revolution. London, UK: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 2000. Habeck, Mary R. â€Å"White Army.† Encyclopedia of Russian History. Ed. James Millar. New York, NY: Macmillan Reference-Thomson/Gale, 2004. Anderson, Peter. â€Å"Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Russian Civil War?† History Review 43 (2002): 22 27 Laver, John. The Modernisation of Russia 1856-1985. Oxford, UK: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 2002.

Life and Death Themes in the Sandbox and Everyman

Research Paper – Life and Death Themes in The Sandbox and Everyman COURSE # ENGL-102_D22_200940 COURSE TITLE: English 102 SEMESTER OF ENROLLMENT: D Fall 2009 NAME Glen MacDonald Glen MacDonald Professor Smith English 102 December 5, 2009 Research Paper – Life and Death Themes in The Sandbox and Everyman This paper explores the perception and treatment of death at points in history some 500 years apart by using two dramatic plays as a portal into their respective time periods.The anonymously written 15th century play Everyman and the 1959 Edward Albee play, The Sandbox provide two extreme points of contrast to demonstrate the significant changes and similarities in man’s living conditions and his perceptions and treatment of death. An overview of life in medieval England about the year 1500, and life in America in 1959 is provided up front to establish the realities of the time period in which to review each play.Both plays will be examined by referencing research regarding their respective authors, the works themselves and by incorporating other materials that provide insight into their significance and meanings. The paper will conclude by providing a summary of insights and points of interest regarding the perception and treatment of death during both eras. Life in 16th century medieval England was considerably different than American life in 1959.In addition to the substantial difference in day to day living conditions, such as a roof over ones head or heat and light, life in medieval England was brutal by today’s standards. Many aspects of daily existence that we take for granted in modern American cities such as sanitation, nutrition and medical care were mostly non-existent in a medieval English city. The limited availability of health and basic services, contributed to high rates of disease which reduced the average life expectancy to approximately 40 years old.According to Carolyn Freeman Travers, a Research Manager with Plimo th Plantation, the rate of infant mortality and death from childhood disease was much higher during that time period than it was in 1959 (1). Travers points out that many people did live to be older than the 40 year average, but it was only if they survived childbirth and then navigated the disease prone childhood years to make it to adulthood (1). By comparison, life in America in the late 1950’s was much easier, as is reflected by the life expectancy statistics.According to the U. S. Department of Health’s, Life Tables for 1959, the average life expectancy in the United States in 1959 was approximately 70 years of age (76). This 30 year or so difference in life expectancy, although significant on its own, when combined with the medieval childhood death statistics and the fact that death most often occurred within one’s home, the average medieval adult would have likely had a great deal of personal experience with death, likely within their own families.This is not the case in 1959 America where death often happened in a hospital setting or where the mature funeral business quickly whisked a body away from the home setting. Another interesting reference point for the two time periods is religion, and the level and significance of participation in organized religion. According to Chris Trueman, a British history teacher religious participation has changed dramatically during the past 500 years. The Medieval Church played a far greater role in Medieval England than the Church does today.In Medieval England, the Church dominated everybody's life. All Medieval people – be they village peasants or towns people – believed that God, Heaven and Hell all existed. From the very earliest of ages, the people were taught that the only way they could get to Heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church let them. Everybody would have been terrified of Hell and the people would have been told of the sheer horrors awaiting for them in Hell in the weekly services they attended. (1) (Trueman, Chris. â€Å"The Medieval Church. History Learning Site. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. ) Although accurate estimates for religious participation in the United States in 1959 were not readily available, it is likely that between 80% – 90% of Americans participated in regular religious activities during that period of time. Even though this participation number is not significantly lower that the medieval participation number, it is evident that organized religion no longer plays the dominant role in the daily life of western culture that it did during medieval times.It seems that even though the majority of people continue to participate in organized religion, that adherence to traditional Christian based beliefs, rituals surrounding death, personal morals and family values all have deteriorated significantly in western culture since medieval times. An example of this change in family values is evident by the way in which we car e for elderly parents today and how in many cases parents are treated with the out of sight out of mind mentality which is very pervasive in western society today.This trend is highlighted by the significant increase in the number of old age homes springing up across America. As Ruiping Fan reported in The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy in 2007, â€Å"Across the world, socio-conomic [sic] forces are shifting the focus of long-term care from the family to institutional settings, producing significant moral, not just financial costs (1). Fan goes on to discuss the increasing move away from filial piety (respect and responsibility for parents), which had been a staple in eastern culture, towards more western oriented cultural norms, which includes institutional care for elderly parents (2).Fan explains the reasons for these cultural changes saying, â€Å"It is just not feasible for most of us to undertake family care in today’s society because most of us are living in a ho usehold where both husband and wife are working to support the household† (7). In looking at how the author of Everyman perceives and treats death, one must keep in mind that the primary purpose of medieval morality plays was to communicate the religious message of the day to the mostly uneducated and illiterate population.In this case the play’s author demonstrates the high significance of his message regarding death by immediately and dramatically introducing death in Everyman. He accomplishes this by quickly and specifically orienting the audience to the play’s theme of death and by introducing the Death character to the audience. The introduction of Death takes place at the end of God’s speech where He calls upon death by saying â€Å"Where art thou, Death, thou mighty messenger? † (line 63). This is somewhat nusual for a play of this time as Allen Goldhamer notes in his 1973 journal article where he says: In order to understand the play’ s greatness, one should bear in mind that Everyman’s presentation of death is highly unusual. The dramatization of death usually occupies the latter portion of the final act of a play and is often handled sensationally or sentimentally. In Everyman the hero begins to die near the opening of the play, and the focus of the drama is on a man involved in the stages of death. (87) (Goldhamer, Allen D. Everyman: A Dramatization of Death† Quarterly Journal of Speech 59. 1 (1973): 87. Communication ; Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. ) For those attending a circa 1500 performance of Everyman, the dramatic delivery of this play combined with the pertinent messages of redemption and salvation along with the death theme would have both captivated the audience and instilled extreme fear in them. As noted by Dennis Moran in his 1972 paper on â€Å"Everyman,† in speaking about the play’s character Death, he notes that â€Å". . .Death physically quits the stage with four-fifths of the play remaining and the terror aroused by his summons almost wholly subsides with Everyman’s return to sanctifying grace† (324). Speaking in today’s terms, this would have translated into a prime time television commercial for the Roman Catholic Church, representing the only way in which one could access God’s salvation, achieve eternal life and not be dammed to hell. It is also interesting to note the evident Roman Catholic theme regarding Good Deeds as the measuring stick of one’s earthly life, the price for salvation and entry into heaven upon death.This is highlighted when Good Deeds says â€Å"All earthly things is but vanity: Beauty, Strength, and Discretion do man forsake, Foolish friends, and kinsmen, that fair spake – all fleeth save Good Deeds, and that am I† (lines 870-73). As you read this play and visualize watching the play from the audience’s perspective or maybe even being placed dire ctly in Everyman’s literal situation, one becomes aware of the specific knowledge the author portrays regarding the mental manipulation involved in dying.This is evident as the play’s author leads Everyman through the initial stages associated with his impending death, first where he demonstrates a lack of recognition of Death, then by asking Death for more time and then by attempting to bribe Death with ? 1,000, all which happens before he starts to consider and then later accept his fate. As Goldhamer notes in his paper, this process closely parallel’s modern psychological thinking on death as he alludes to when he says â€Å"There is no reason for us to assume that earlier ages possessed any less profound insight than our own in the matter of death† (88).In complete contrast to Everyman is Edwards Albee’s 1959 play The Sandbox, where death is turned into the farcical backdrop for this generational satire. The death of Grandma is used to highligh t the absolute nonsense that goes on in many multi-generational family relationships, and highlights how elderly parents are often treated like children or even worse, like pets, by their own children. Unlike in Everyman, where death pursues our protagonist based on God’s command to do so, in The Sandbox, Albee uses the aggressive Mommy and the meek grumbling Daddy characters to drag Grandma to her death.They bring her on stage against her will dumping her cockeyed in the sandbox where the Angel of Death is hovering near by. According to Mathew Roudane in his book about Albee, he notes Albee’s use of death as a common theme in many of his plays and then adds that â€Å"Albee continually returns to exploring the darker side of the human soulscape† (6). Later Roudane makes reference to comments from an interview with Albee regarding his perception of death, here he recounts Albee as saying â€Å"how we lie to ourselves and to each other, how we try to live withou t the cleansing consciousness of death† (23).Although one could interpret Albee’s comments a number of ways, he is pretty clear that he feels death is an important theme in â€Å"The Sandbox† and in his other plays. It appears that he uses the death theme to tell people to wake up and live life completely, because life is short and ends abruptly with death. The life and death contrast he is alluding to is made evident in The Sandbox by how alive Albee makes the soon to die elderly Grandma character appear in contrast to the emotionally dead characters of Mommy and Daddy. Aside from the Angel of Death played by the young man, The Sandbox contains no directly visible religious references.In a literal sense, Grandma’s death is portrayed as strictly the physical act of dying, much like the treatment of death in modern American culture where rituals associated with death and the proceedings at some funerals appear to be surreal. However, Albee has built additio nal metaphors into this play by using the somewhat simple stage setup including the background of sea and sky along with the sandbox and a few chairs. As Lucina Gabbard states in her 1982 review of The Sandbox: â€Å"In this play, the sandbox is the entrance hall of life, the hospital dying room, and the grave.It is located on a sandy beach near the sea, whose waters symbolize both birth and death† (28). Gabbard goes on to point out how the characters support these additional metaphors as she writes â€Å"As the action of the play proceeds, the symbolism deepens. Mommy and Daddy, seated opposite the sandbox, perform two rituals simulta-neously [sic]: baby-sitting and death-watching† (28). Albee stretches out the play’s climatic event, the death of Grandma, with extreme patience, all the while emphasizing each character’s role and thought processes.For Grandma, she recounts her life from a serious perspective as a wife and mother when talking about living on the farm with her now deceased husband and then from a less serious perspective when she says â€Å"I had to raise that big cow over there all by my lonesome† (1068). The offstage noises signal that Grandma’s death is looming closer, which causes the silly dialogue between Mommy and Daddy to increase, thereby focusing the audience on the contrived nature of Grandma’s disposal from the family.Finally after Mommy and Daddy prepare to leave and Grandma is nearing her end, Mommy says â€Å"We must put away our tears, take off our mourning . . . face the future. It’s our duty† (1069). The ending and ultimate death of Grandma incorporates the only noticeable moment of love in the entire play, this kiss between the Angel of Death lets Grandma leaves the world with a final contented line â€Å"You’re . . . you’re welcome dear† (1069). In the end Albee treats the death of Grandma with the love and compassion you would hope for and ex pect in real life.Although these two plays, Everyman and The Sandbox appear at opposite ends of the spectrum in many ways, they both deal directly with issues surrounding death and provide insight and a historical perspective of the prevailing culture. At the time that Everyman was first playing, the Roman Catholic Church held the monopoly on the rituals associated with death, and they were striving to educate the population on how to live within the context of honoring Church and God.Although this is meant to be a very serious play, the dry humor and embedded entertainment value is made evident by how the plot and characters combine to ensure salvation for Everyman. At the other end of the scale, Albee establishes a very novel approach to communicate his message of abandonment and how American culture has evolved into a self-centered miserable existence for the masses. This play makes the point that without a purposeful, intentional life including thought and reflection regarding o nes own death and even one’s eternal life, that life itself can become an irrelevant meaningless struggle.Both these plays hit the cultural mark of their respective historical periods by providing enlightening insights into death and other relevant issues of the day by incorporating some comedic value into the entertaining dramas.Works Cited Albee, Edward. â€Å"The Sandbox. † 1959. Perrine†s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. 10th ed. Ed. Thomas R Arp and Greg Johnson. Boston:Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. 1064 – 1070. â€Å"Everyman. † Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays. Ed. J M Dent. North Claredon: Tuttle Publishing, 1993. 197 – 225. Fan, Ruiping â€Å"Which Care? Whose Responsibility? And Why Family? A Confucian Account of Long-Term Care for the Elderly. † Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 32. 5 (2007): 495-517. Philosopher's Index. EBSCO. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. Freeman Travers, Carolyn. â€Å"Myth and Reality. † Pli moth Plantation. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . Gabbard, Lucina P. â€Å"Edward Albee's Triptych on Abandonment. † Twentieth Century Literature: A Scholarly and Critical Journal 28. 1 (1982): 14-33. Hofstra University 10 Dec. 2009 Goldhamer, Allen D. â€Å"Everyman: Dramatization of Death† Quarterly Journal of Speech 59. 1 (1973): 87 – 98. Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. Moran, Dennis V. â€Å"The Life of Everyman. † Neophilologus. 56. (1972): 324-30. MLA International Bibliography. Gale. Liberty University. 11 Dec. 2009 . Roundane, Mathew C. Understanding Edward Albee. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1987 Trueman, Chris â€Å"The Medieval Church. † History Learning Site. 1. , n. d. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. . U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Public Health Service. â€Å"New York State Life Tables: 1958-61. Vol. 2. Washington: n. p. , 1966. 76. Center for Disease Control Web. 13 Dec. 2009 . .

Blood Brothers evaluation Essay

The performance was melodramatic with big hand gestures and with altered voices. Being melodramatic and the big gestures made it clearer to see what was happening on stage especially as the audience was seated so far away from the actions of the characters. The narrative was set in an old road in Liverpool with Liverpudlian accents, so the actors altered their voices to cockney accents to create a believable setting. The staging was well thought out because the stage was narrow and the seats were plotted around the stage with three floors and lots of seating. It had a rich and luxurious feeling to it and the audience must have felt the same way too, especially with the binoculars built into the seats. The cyclorama (hanging cloth/sky cloth) had a big affect on the audience because it created an illusion of stars and night, which is not commonly used on most stages so it was particularly impressive. The thing that makes or can make musicals in this genre more attractive are props because they add colour, they make it more realistic, added connotations and helps you to tell what is happening by symbolic representation. The set disappointed me because you could see people controlling the light and the sound, which was a bit distracting, and it was harder to imagine the narrative. The lighting was technical with lots of lights to create the mood, atmosphere and time of day. To create stars on the cyclorama they beamed a concentrated white light onto a moving disco ball at an angle so the audience could tell what time of day it was. But the only problem was that some of the stars bounced of onto the audience so they had to move their head uncomfortably to dodge the beam going into their eyes. The main tone of lighting was houselights to portray inside scenes and flood lighting for the outside scenes. It shows the audience where the characters are and what time of day is being portrayed. The sound effects were very realistic and gave the audience a clear impression of the setting of each scene. At one point in the play they used a cockerel sound affect to help create the illusion of a countryside scene. The theme was a hybrid between a musical and a tragedy, with the addition of comedy, which made it even more entertaining. It was set back in the mid 80’s early 90’s. The houses on the set were council estate with an old brick laid road, which gave the impression of a run down, working class community. This could have made the audience sympathetic to the characters, although the children were not properly educated or disciplined enough by their parents to respect their environment. The biggest moments of impact were the rude parts which made me laugh and the unpredictable parts which shocked and surprised me and the audience around me. At one point a young boy was hiding behind a bed sheet on a washing line, when a certain part of the sheet started to rise, insinuating that the boy was sexually aroused by a young girl in his presence. This was a particularly hilarious scene and the audience roared with hysterical laughter. Towards the end of the play the two main characters, Mickie and Eddie, stood facing each other with Mickie pointing a gun towards Eddie. This whilst their mother Ms Johnston was trying to persuade Mickie to put down the weapon. Then BANG!! BANG!! – and Eddie fell to the ground closely followed by Mickie. The audience jumped with shock at this point.

Good cop essays

Good cop essays Since the beginning of its history, the United States of America has been heavily involved in many foreign affairs both diplomatically and by violent aggression. When ever other nations seem to have domestic problems or foreign tribulations America always seems to step into their state of affairs. America seeks safety for its homeland but its primary concern is to benefit out of the situation not only in security but in capitol. America shouldnt be the world police of all nations for it further complicates problems for other countries. But there are a couple things that the U.S and the countries they intervene with have in common just as they have in contrast. America can compare itself with the nation it occupies in a couple different ways. One of them is that both sides agree on freedom for the well being of their nation. A common reason the U.S has for involvement is that there is threat to their freedom. And chances are that the other country is having a struggle with it freedom and needs American aid. Another is that they both seek future alliance to strengthen their friendly relationships. This is beneficial because nations are secure and advance when they are in some sort of organization or treaty. This includes trade policies and financial aid for the fear of an emergency. It could also include support of each other incase of war. It seems that America and the nation it interferes with have a lot in common but they actually have big crucial differences. One contrast is that the opposing country suffers a great loss of civilian lives sometimes even referred to as genocide. While U.S civilians lives are not at risk and only suffer minor military casualties. This leaves low moral an eternal sadness to the occupying people of this nation. Another counterpoint is that America will basically ignore the fact that the other nation may not accept their involvement and practically colonize that nation. ...

godot and repitition essays

godot and repitition essays Nothing to be done, is one of the many phrases that is repeated again and again throughout Samuel Becketts Waiting For Godot. Godot is an existentialist play that reads like somewhat of a language poem. That is to say, Beckett is not interested in the reader interpreting his words, but simply listening to the words and viewing the actions of his perfectly mismatched characters. Beckett uses the standard Vaudevillian style to present a play that savors of the human condition. He repeats phrases, ideas and actions that has his audience come away with many different ideas about who we are and how beautiful our human existence is even in our desperation. The structure of Waiting For Godot is determined by Becketts use of repetition. This is demonstrated in the progression of dialogue and action in each of the two acts in Godot. The first thing an audience may notice about Waiting For Godot is that they are immediately set up for a comedy. The first two characters to appear on stage are Vladimir and Estragon, dressed in bowler hats and boots. These characters lend themselves to the same body types as Abbot and Costello. Vladimir is usually cast as tall and thin and Estragon just the opposite. Each character is involved in a comedic action from the plays beginning. Estragon is struggling with a tightly fitting boot that he just cannot seem to take off his foot. Vladimir is moving around bowlegged because of a bladder problem. From this beat on the characters move through a what amounts to a comedy routine. A day in the life of two hapless companions on a country road with a single tree. Beckett accomplishes two things by using this style of comedy. Comedy routines have a beginning and an ending. For Godot the routine begins at the opening of the play and ends at the intermission. Once the rout ine is over, it cannot continue. The routine must be done again. This creates the second act. The sec...

Issues in the Management of Human Resources Essay

Issues in the Management of Human Resources - Essay Example Towards this purpose, there can be several strategies that can be used and the best of those are highlighted in this report. The first strategy which can be recommended is to make work and project teams which are geared to the diversity of the client. Brown (2005) discussed this strategy as it was applied by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) which was seeking a more diverse clientele and started with creating diverse teams for the sales force. The company quickly discovered out that attracting diverse clients requires diverse leadership and a diverse workforce as well. Simply targeting minorities in advertisements and billboards is not a guarantee for a diverse clientele since the human resources of the company at all levels must be made out of a diverse population (Torrington et. al., 2002). The president of MBA is reported to have said that diversity is not merely about connecting with a new customer market, it is a requirement for survival in the upcoming markets. Brown (2005) acknowledges that diversity programs and initiatives often fail because if used incorrectly, they can potentially waste time, money and other resources for the company. Therefore, if our company finds the client coming with a diverse team, the individuals which are selected to deal with the client should be selected with diversity in mind. DuPont is seen as a radiant model of a company which has managed to enlarge its customer base considerably by embracing diversity as a business tool. The company takes diversity as a business essential which is vital for the renewal of business and strategic competitiveness (Lockwood, 2005). This philosophy is made very clear by the variety of strategies used for creating and maintaining diversity at the company. DuPont emphasised its process of diversity with three elements, the first of which is accountability. Accountability for the leadership of a company has been mentioned by Yuki (2006) as a vital aspect of creating commitment to a

My Ten Year Life Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

My Ten Year Life Plan - Research Paper Example Guangzhou is a relatively big city, one of the biggest in China in fact. It was here when I was born, raised and spent my early years in education up until I finished high school. Life was on the fast lane, given that we lived in the city. I was able to build a vision of my future, seeing myself engaged in trade and commerce, having been raised in an environment where entrepreneurship is a common activity. My parents had a thriving business, and I was encouraged to take part in managing and running its operations. As early as my teenage years, I had a good hands-on experience when it comes to managing a business. This is where my interest in Business Management took off. I became very interested in financial management in particular, hoping that someday I will be able to take care of my own business venture as well. My future is a mixture of nervous anticipation. Five years ago, our family was given an opportunity to migrate to the United States. Five years is a relatively ample time to get used to the environment, make new friends and adapt to the new culture. It was not a walk in the park for me, who was in the middle of my teenage years at that time, to find my place in the sun, so to speak. At first, I even wanted to get away. One of the first challenges was to overcome the language barrier. To address this, I enrolled in an ESL course. It actually took a lot of getting used to communicating with other people using a language that I didn’t grow up with. It’s as basic as eating and sleeping, having to tell people your thoughts and feelings, your needs and demands, using words that are exact and applicable to situations. It’s the first step to getting by, and I am proud to say I am way past that stage. I have embraced this new life that I have now. My present is actually one long list of to-dos. I have carefully planned my action steps in the next few years to ensure that I am right on track towards the fulfillment of my dreams. With the skills I innately have, and those that I was able to acquire, I am planning on embarking in a journey that would ultimately hone my business management skills. I want to be a successful entrepreneur one day, perhaps managing a restaurant or a cafe in California, eventually expanding to my homeland China. The road towards learning is long, and the challenges are abound. But somehow I am confident, with the love and support of my family, that I can tackle all the challenges entailed for me to reach my goals. I am known for my perseverance, for always being focused once I set my mind on anything. I am results-oriented by heart, and I have the right mix of patience and drive to push myself further for me to attain my goals. THE EDUCATION PLAN Three years ago, I resumed my plans to fulfill my dreams to become a skilled entrepreneur by enrolling in a Business Management Diploma Course at the De Anza College in Cupertino, California. Prior to that, I have already immersed myself to local t rade, having worked as part of the operations team for two establishments in the area. I was able to look at my plans from a different perspective. I knew then that the United States is the place where I have to shape up my dreams and take action steps towards the achievement of my vision. Being in De Anza was the first step that I took, with the goal to eventually transfer to the