Leon and Snowball Comparison - 942 Words

George Orwell, writer of the book Animal Farm captures important aspects of the Russian Revolution and portrays them in a humorous and more understandable way. Each animal represents an important person or event that happened during this time. Snowball is a pig that lives on Mr. Jones farm who is enthralled at the idea of a Revolution and one of the main animals to help get it going. The inspiration for his character was from important revolutionist, Leon Trotsky. Snowball was modeled after him, showing most of his character trails and interest. Most of the people and events that look place throughout Trotsky’s life are also incorporated in Snowball’s life. Orwell’s imagination ran wild as he wrote this memorable story so that he might†¦show more content†¦When he got out, he helped tremendously with the founding of the Soviet Union and organized the Red Army. As he left to help other city’s form their own union he was arrested and sentenced to li fe without rights but he escaped after ten years. From then he was head of the Red Army and Commissioner of War. In the Battle of Cowshed, Snowball, so greatly led the animals just as his comparison did with the Red Army. Trotsky traveled around rapidly trying to spread the revolution Snowball sent pigeons around too tell everyone about what was happening. In the beginning Snowball and Napoleon were on good terms but as things progress and Napoleon realizes that Snowball is by passing him in everything he kicks him out. Then throughout the rest of Animal Farm is trying to kill him. These two had the same relationship as Stalin and Trotsky. Never agreeing and great at many things Trotsky is then kicked out by Stalin and Stalin tries too assassinate Trotsky on many occasions. In the end both truly just wanted a better society and just wanted there views to be known. Animalism is a system in which the animals made up and used to govern themselves as they entered into this new form of l ife. Marxism, a form of Communism made up by a man named Karl Marx and follow by Leon Trotsky. Both Snowball and Trotsky had great respect and passion for what they believed. Marxism basically wants there to beShow MoreRelatedElements in George Orwells Animal Farm861 Words   |  4 Pagesanimals ran the farm effectively, with the pigs overseeing and constantly developing new ideas. One pig, Snowball, was in favor of the improvements of the farm, while another pig, Napoleon, was seeking only personal success. They were both adamant about their viewpoints and often argued. When Snowball introduced a new plan to build a windmill, Napoleon disagreed and convinced the animals that snowball had ulterior motives, and that he should be banished from Animal Farm. The animals followed NapoleonRead MoreAnimal Farm Or Ussr Part II1243 Words   |  5 PagesThis meeting on the farm not only shifts the ideology of the farm animals but it also is the initial step in comparison between the an imals and Soviet Russia. Old Major passes away just three days after he gives his speech. After his death, three, brave, enthusiastic pigs take on the responsibility of Old Major’s dream and move forward without missing a step. These three pigs, Squealer, Snowball and Napoleon create a new type of government under the name of animalism. Under animalism the three pigs createRead MoreAnimal Farm Extended Essay2760 Words   |  12 Pagesdeep characters that he used to represent people during the revolution, and he referred every action they did to a certain event in the revolution, this can be proved in the case of Napoleon who represented the historical French man Joseph Stalin, Snowball who represented Leo Trotsky, Squealer who represented the media, , Boxer who represented the workers class, Mollie who represented the upper class, Moses who represented the church, and a lot of other animals that he represented people and classesRead MoreSymbolism in Animal Farm1766 Words   |  8 Pagesthe dictator of communist Russia during the time of World War I. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. Trotsky played a large part in the Russian Revolution but as Stalin gained more power, the two became enemies, much like the relationship between Napoleon and Snowball. The preface of Animal Farm provides evidence of these comparisons by saying, â€Å"Stalin and Trotsky, after all, were unmistakably Orwell’s feuding pigs, Napoleon and Snowball† (Orwell viii). Other minor characters also represent realRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm2708 Words   |  11 PagesRussian Revolution to Stalin’s rule. This is illustrated through a comparative analysis of the economic, social, and political depictions of Orwell’s fictionalized Animal Farm and realties of Stalin’s Russia. To truly understand the widespread comparisons in Animal Farm, one must first begin with a clear foundation of the story. Orwell’s fictionalized tale begins with Mr. Jones’ Manor Farm. This represents the quasi-capitalist Russia of the tsars, still deeply rooted in feudalism and lacking centralizedRead MoreAnimal Farm By George Orwell Essay1430 Words   |  6 Pagessocialism and communism but did not live to witness the revolution. Old Major is a wise old pig whose stirring speech to the animals helps set the rebellion in motion even though he dies before the rebellion actually begins. The fate of Snowball is a reflection of Leon Trotsky s sad end. He was a brilliant and committed inner circle member initially but he lost out in the power game after the revolution. The sheep in the novel reflect the proletariat who are usually manipulated by their rulers. TheRead More Animal Farm: Communism Through The Eyes Of George Orwell Essay2475 Words   |  10 PagesStalin us ed to enforce his laws is one of the main reasons that Orwell disagreed with the main principles behind Communism and its leaders. Another comparison that Orwell makes between Napoleon and Stalin is the changing of history to benefit themselves. In Animal Farm, Napoleon often changes history to make himself look better. Even though Snowball, the other pig that was in charge with Napoleon, was the true hero in the quot;Battle of the Cowshed,quot;9 Napoleon makes himself out to be the heroRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm1957 Words   |  8 Pagesthis mirrors how Lenin was inflexible with his views. An associate of Lenin’s was Leon Trotsky; his stand-in in Animal Farm is Snowball (SMMC PowerPoint. 2014.). Snowball’s hopes for the windmill reflect Trotsky’s intellectual demeanour as well as his ideas of how to put Karl Marx’s theory of Communism into action. Eventually, Trotsky was expelled from the Soviet Union and executed by Joseph Stalin, just like Snowball was banished from the farm by Napoleon (page 35) – George Orwell’s counterpart forRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm1957 Words   |  8 Pagesthis mirrors how Lenin was inflexible with his views. An associate of Lenin’s was Leon Trotsky; his stand-in in Animal Farm is Snowball (SMMC PowerPoint. 2014.). Snowball’s hopes for the windmill reflect Trotsky’s intellectual demeanour as well as h is ideas of how to put Karl Marx’s theory of Communism into action. Eventually, Trotsky was expelled from the Soviet Union and executed by Joseph Stalin, just like Snowball was banished from the farm by Napoleon (page 35) – George Orwell’s counterpart for

Essay On A Stranger - 1597 Words

Alright, so first and foremost we have to look at every possible suspect. I believe that our options are (in rough order of probability): 1. Another human 2. An extraterrestrial 3. An unexplained scientific phenomenon 4. A paranormal entity [b]1. The Human Angle[/b] Lets start with the possibility that it was another human, or group of humans. Obviously this would imply that mankind has reached technological levels FAR beyond what the average person believes we currently possess. Despite this, I think that this is the most likely candidate. The first thing we should do is look for a motive. On the surface (and the next level, and the level after that...) there doesnt appear to be one. What possible reason could a person have for†¦show more content†¦The first of these people could be those doing it for their religious beliefs. Perhaps in part caused by insanity, somebody believes that their god or gods desire for them to do this. Perhaps they believe that beds are a symbol of laziness in the world, and that the salted Mars is an attack on the belief of extraterrestrial life. I cant imagine their exact reasoning, but somebody with a great deal of power could be heavily influenced by religion, and we cant rule this out. Another is pure insanity. Similar to the religious fanatic previously talked about, this person believes with their entire being that this needs to happen. Hallucinations and paranoia could cause somebody to believe that beds are some kind of danger to the world, and that Mars being layered in salt will somehow benefit them or humanity as a whole. Perhaps they believe that the removal of beds will lead to a white imbalance in our galaxy. Its hard to speculate about the reasoning behind insanity, because no mental leap is too great in this circumstance. The question to ask here is would somebody with this level of insanity be able to orchestrate these events? I dont think anybody can claim with 100% certainty that its impossible. Finally, ending our human angle, we have the person who knows something we dont. Like those weve already mentioned, they believe that these events were something that needed to happen. Unlike those people, they have scientific backing toShow MoreRelatedThe Stranger Essays556 Words   |  3 Pagesway because we are just misunderstood or as Albert Camus would say â€Å"strangers† to society. The stranger is a man lost in his own world where no one understands him but himself. This man was portrayed as a monster, un-human, and even heartless all because he chose not to express his emotions or feeling to the world. You may ask well how does this relate to me ? Well your about to find out why. In Albert Camus’s Novel â€Å"The Stranger† Meursault was portrayed as a man with irony, tragic hero qualitiesRead MoreEssay On The Stranger1010 Words   |  5 Pages The Stranger Essay The Stranger by Albert Camus is an analysis of the human psychosis if it was isolated and apathetic. Throughout the story, our protagonist, Meursault, tells the story of his life after his mother’s death and his experiences with everyday routines. Meursault explains to the reader only the surface of what he is feeling; despite that, as a reader, one is able to view his mind directly and closely. Meursault has all the power in this book because it is his life and mind. He is ableRead MoreEssay The Stranger754 Words   |  4 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Albert Camus’ The Stranger, is told by narrarator, Meursault . Our speaker seems to be a person detached from feelings, he shows no emotion. Neither the external world in which Meursault lives nor the internal world of his thoughts and attitudes possesses any rational order. He doesn’t have reasons for doing half of the things he does. For these reasons I believe Meursault is determined, but doesn’t know it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Our protagonist and narraratorRead More The Stranger Essay1496 Words   |  6 PagesAlbert Camus creates a series of characters in The Stranger whose personality traits and motivations mirror those that are overlooked upon by the average man. Camus develops various characters and scenarios that show true humanity which tends to have been ignored due to the fact of how typical it has become. Camus incorporates abominable personality traits of the characters, variety, consistency, and everyone’s fate. Camus demonstrates the disregarded reason behind the origins of relationships betweenRead More The Stranger Essay879 Words   |  4 PagesThe Stranger The Stranger exhibits a society that has confined itself with a specific set of social standards that dictate the manner in which people are supposed to act. This ideology determines the level of morality, and how much emphasis should placed on following this certain ethical structure. Albert Camuss main character, Meursault, is depicted as a nonconformist that is unwilling to play societys game. Through Meursaults failure to comply with societys values and conform toRead MoreThe Stranger Essay1048 Words   |  5 PagesAlbert Camus influential novel, The Stranger, a great work of existentialism, examines the absurdity of life and indifference of the world. This paper provides a summary of the novel, and outlines some of the novels main themes. The novels protagoinist, Meursault, is a distanced and indifferent young man. He does not believe in God, and lives his life with seemingly sensuous abandon. After Meursault is caught up in the life of a local pimp, he rather inexplicably murders a young man on theRead More The Stranger Essay962 Words   |  4 PagesThe Stranger The Stranger was originally written in French. When Stuart Gilbert translated the novel, he came across a small problem. â€Å"The title of Camus’ classic novel is difficult to render into English because the French word bears the connotations of both ‘stranger’ and ‘foreigner’ at the same time, and each of these concepts is at play in the novel.† (Mairowitz1) Finding the right translation was crucial because the title is symbolic. â€Å"The Stranger symbolizes the theme of theRead More The Stranger Essay1301 Words   |  6 PagesWhile reading The Stranger I noticed that traits that Albert Camus character depicts in the book are closely related to the theories of Sigmund Freud on moral human behavior. Albert Camus portrays his character of Meursault as a numb, emotionless person that seems to mindlessly play out his role in society, acting in a manner that he sees as the way he’s supposed to act, always living in the moment with his instincts driving him, and if the right circumstance presents itself the primal deep seededRead MoreEssay The Stranger1275 Words   |  6 PagesThe Stranger In the book The Stranger, the main character, Meursault, is a stranger to himself, and to life. Meursault is a person who is emotionally and physically detached from the world. He seemingly cares only about himself, but at the same time could be concerned little about what happens to him. The title, the Stranger, could indicate Meursaults disconnection and indifference to the world that surrounds him and, therefore, his role as a stranger in the book. The title could also implyRead MoreThe Stranger Essay963 Words   |  4 PagesThe Stranger Chris Drusbosky 3/5/12 Professor Krauss In the story â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus, the belief that the themes of loss and retrieval are at the core of Mersault’s mythology, and that they illumine the notion of exile to which he returns so often is widely discussed. I however do not believe that either one of those themes has anything to do with the Mersault and the exile to which he returns to so often, rather I believe that Mersault’s own attitude is the reason for the exile

Liberal Governments Life For The Working Essay Example For Students

Liberal Governments Life For The Working Essay With what success did the Liberal Governments attempt to improve the quality of life of the working?The 1906 election, and subsequent landslide victory for the Liberals, was the first step toward the introduction of a welfare state. The Conservatives who were in power up to 1906 had basically ignored the concept of social reform; this had led to them losing the workers vote and had also led to a decline in the standards of living for the working class. The New Liberals argued for more government intervention to help impoverished society and therefore created the first movements of a social reform. However, the new legislation was only a mediocre success in improving the quality of life for working class people. New Liberalism, differing slightly to Gladstonian Liberalism, was essentially state intervention in order to reduce poverty and therefore improve living and working conditions for the working classes. Up until the turn of the century, it was believed that poverty was self-inflicted, and extremely easy to eradicate if the people concerned just tried a little harder. However by the 1906 election, studies on poverty had been completed by Booth and Rowntree, and ideas on the origins of poverty were beginning to change. These studies provided evidence to suggest that no matter how hard certain people tried, they could not lift themselves out of poverty, and needed assistance in the form of state benefits and legislations. As New Liberalism involved more government intervention, people were wary of it as it was a new concept, and the previous Conservative governments had been unconcerned with most aspects of helping the people. At this time people were scared of change, and many did not un derstand the benefits of schemes like the National Insurance Act of 1911, where there wasnt a guaranteed payoff and people did not understand why, or to whom, they were paying money. However, as the idea of deserving poor and undeserving poor still existed even with New Liberalism, not all groups of people received aid. Therefore the new legislation and reforms were not quite as successful as they could have been. This was partly because the Liberals were more concerned with their political status than increasing legislation for the good of the people. The Liberals were in fear of a potential threat from the newly-formed Labour Party, who relied on votes from the working-class population. The Liberals were also reliant upon the support of the Labour party in order to gain an absolute majority in parliament. Therefore, it can be argued that their motives behind the social reforms were primarily to conserve the majority they held the only way they could do this was by helping the working class. This is demonstrated in the 1931 Trade Union Act this reform gave unions quite a lot of power and was only passed by the Liberals because Labour held a majority of seats. As legislation was not all-encompassing the deserving poor were workers, pensioners and children and therefore people who couldnt find work received no benefits, an entirely successful social reform would never be possible. Since the end of the Boer War the economy had been growing quite slowly. In order to combat this, the Liberals realised that unemployment rates must be lowered as a significant sector of the working class population were unemployed due to ill health, this meant introducing health benefits and payments. The concept of national efficiency was also an important factor in the introduction of welfare reforms the slow growing economy meant that Britain was in danger of losing its position as a major world power. Linked to this concept was Social Darwinism, which encouraged the belief that world races that were physically and mentally stronger than others would dominate world politics. In order to maintain these concepts, it was believed that a strong, healthy and educated workforce was essential. Without health and education benefits this was unlikely. .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 , .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .postImageUrl , .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 , .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1:hover , .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1:visited , .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1:active { border:0!important; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1:active , .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1 .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud15cb723fae823a1a80f92df261f3ab1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Functional Requirements Of Cladding Systems Construction EssayThe population was also considered generally unfit. During conscription for the Boer War, it was found that in inner city areas, many potential recruits were not physically healthy enough to fight. This spurred on a drive for welfare reform by the government, but again, the motive behind this was primarily to strengthen Britains fighting forces should the need arise, rather than to improve the standards of living for the working class regardless of the need for healthy conscripts. It can be said that the Liberal Welfare Reforms were generally ineffective in improving the quality of life for many people by 1911 employment figures were virtually indifferent to those in 1906 and the reforms had made little impact on this section of the deserving poor. Therefore at this point the welfare reforms had had limited success. The main problem was the vagueness of the improvement attempts. The 1906 School Meals Act was only a fraction as successful as it could have been due to the non-compulsory enforcement; many education authorities did not adopt the idea of free school meals as it was their choice. Similarly, the 1907 Notification of Births Act made medical inspections compulsory but treatment was optional. This reform could have improved childrens health a lot more than it did if treatment had have been made compulsory too. To conclude, only some sections of the working class were helped by the Liberal Welfare Reforms, and the help received was only moderate. But as the Liberals still believed in the deserving poor and undeserving poor, the welfare reforms would never be as successful as they had the potential to be. However, the reforms had provided the path toward the introduction of a welfare state, by taking British society into an entirely new field of activity, and although by no means solving the problem of the condition of the people, they settled the lines upon which the eventual solution would be found. (B Gilbert, The Evolution of National Insurance in Great Britain)

The Renaissance Italys Decline Essay Example For Students

The Renaissance Italys Decline Essay Definition: The period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages, conventionally held to have been characterized by a surge of interest in classical learning and values. Set in the city-states of Italy in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the constant uncertainty, both economic and political, and extreme volatility of the historical situation provided the material for new intellectual, cultural, and social experiments that would at their conclusion provide the means of constructing a new European mono-cultural identity, one focused on humanistic studies, science, and the arts. This historical background is surprisingly volatile; while one might assume that political stability and economic security are prerequisites for intellectual and cultural experimentation, some of the most radical and far-reaching cultural work in the Renaissance was done in the periods of greatest insecurity. Historical Significance, Historical Carry Over (Bold): The Renaissance also witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the substitution of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariners compass, and gunpowder. To the scholars and thinkers of the day, however, it was primarily a time of the revival of classical learning and wisdom after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation. We will write a custom essay on The Renaissance Italys Decline specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The increasing failure of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire to provide a stable and unifying framework for the organization of spiritual and material life, the rise in importance of city-states and national monarchies, the development of national languages, and the breakup of the old feudal structures. While the spirit of the Renaissance ultimately took many forms, it was expressed earliest by the intellectual movement called Humanism. Humanism was initiated by secular men of letters rather than by the scholar-clerics who had dominated medieval intellectual life and had developed the Scholastic philosophy. Humanism began and achieved fruition first in Italy. Its predecessors were men like Dante and Petrarch, and its chief protagonists included Gianozzo Manetti, Leonardo Bruni, Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Lorenzo Valla, and Coluccio Salutati. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 provided Humanism with a major boost, for many eastern scholars fled to Italy, bringing with them important books and manuscripts and a tradition of Greek scholarship. From Italy the new Humanist spirit and the Renaissance it engendered spread north to all parts of Europe, aided by the invention of printing, which allowed literacy and the availability of classical texts to grow explosively. Foremost among northern Humanists was Desiderius Erasmus, whose Praise of Folly (1509) epitomized the moral essence of Humanism in its insistence on heartfelt goodness as opposed to formalistic piety. The intellectual stimulation provided by Humanists helped spark the Reformation, from which, however, many Humanists, including Erasmus, recoiled. By the end of the 16th century the battle of Reformation and Counter-Reformation had commanded much of Europes energy and attention, while the intellectual life was poised on the brink of the Enlightenment. It was in art that the spirit of the Renaissance achieved its sharpest formulation. Art came to be seen as a branch of knowledge, valuable in its own right and capable of providing man with images of God and his creations as well as with insights into mans position in the universe. In the hands of men like Leonardo da Vinci it was even a science, a means for exploring nature and a record of discoveries. Art was to be based on the observation of the visible world and practiced according to mathematical principles of balance, harmony, and perspective, which were developed at this time. In the works of painters such as Masaccio, the brothers Lorenzetti, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Perugino, Piero della Francesca, Raphael, and Titian; sculptors such as Pisano, Donatello, Verrocchio, Ghiberti, and Michelangelo; and architects such as Alberti, Brunelleschi, Palladio, Michelozzo, and Filarete, the dignity of man found expression in the arts. .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 , .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .postImageUrl , .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 , .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267:hover , .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267:visited , .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267:active { border:0!important; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267:active , .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267 .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u47fda9cae1240f5fb084c76986d29267:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Greg Sirico EssayIn Italy the Renaissance proper was preceded by an important proto-renaissance in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, which drew inspiration from Franciscan radicalism. St. Francis had rejected the formal Scholasticism of the prevailing Christian theology and gone out among the poor praising the beauties and spiritual value of nature. His example inspired Italian artists and poets to take pleasure in the world around them. The work of the most famous artist of the proto-renaissance period, Giotto (1266/67 or 1276-1337), reveals a new pictorial style that depends on clear, simple structure and great psychological penetration rather than on the flat, linear decorativeness and hierarchical compositions of his predecessors and contemporaries. The great poet Dante lived at about the same time as Giotto, and his poetry shows a similar concern with inward experience and the subtle shades and variations of human nature. Although his Divine Comedy belongs to the Middle Ages in its plan and ideas, its subjective spirit and power of expression look forward to the Renaissance. Petrarch and Boccaccio also belong to this proto-renaissance period, both through their extensive studies of Latin literature and through their writings in the vernacular. Unfortunately, the terrible plague of 1348 and subsequent civil wars submerged both the revival of humanistic studies and the growing interest in individualism and naturalism revealed in the works of Giotto and Dante. The spirit of the Renaissance did not surface again until the 15th century. In 1401 a competition was held at Florence to award the commission for bronze doors to be placed on the baptistery of San Giovanni. Defeated by the goldsmith and painter Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi and Donatello left for Rome, where they immersed themselves in the study of ancient architecture and sculpture. When they returned to Florence and began to put their knowledge into practice, the rationalized art of the ancient world was reborn. The founder of Renaissance painting was Masaccio (1401-28). The intellectuality of his conceptions, the monumentality of his compositions, and the high degree of naturalism in his works mark Masaccio as a pivotal figure in Renaissance painting. The succeeding generation of artistsPiero della Francesca, Pollaiuolo, and Verrochiopressed forward with researches into linear and aerial perspective and anatomy, developing a style of scientific naturalism. The situation in Florence was uniquely favorable to the arts. The civic pride of Florentines found expression in statues of the patron saints commissioned from Ghiberti and Donatello for niches in the grain-market guildhall known as Or San Michele, and in the largest dome built since antiquity, placed by Brunelleschi on the Florence cathedral. The cost of construction and decoration of palaces, churches, and monasteries was underwritten by wealthy merchant families, chief among whom were the Medici family. The Medici traded in all of the major cities in Europe, and one of the most famous masterpieces of Northern Renaissance art, The Portinari Altarpiece, by Hugo van der Goes (c. 1476; Uffizi, Florence), was commissioned by their agent, Tommaso Portinari. Instead of being painted with the customary tempera of the period, the work is painted with translucent oil glazes that produce brilliant jewel-like color and a glossy surface. Early Northern Renaissance painters were more concerned with the detailed reproduction of objects and their symbolic meaning than with the study of scientific perspective and anatomy even after these achievements became widely known. On the other hand, central Italian painters began to adopt the oil medium soon after The Portinari Altarpiece was brought to Florence in 1476. High Renaissance art, which flourished for about 35 years, from the early 1490s to 1527, when Rome was sacked by imperial troops, revolved around three towering figures: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Raphael (1483-1520). Each of the three embodied an important aspect of the period: Leonardo was the ultimate Renaissance man, a solitary genius to whom no branch of study was foreign; Michelangelo emanated creative power, conceiving vast projects that drew for inspiration on the human body as the ultimate vehicle for emotional expression; Raphael created works that perfectly expressed the classical spiritharmonious, beautiful, and serene. Although Leonardo was recognized in his own time as a great artist, his restless researches into anatomy, the nature of flight, and the structure of plant and animal life left him little time to paint. .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 , .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .postImageUrl , .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 , .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7:hover , .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7:visited , .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7:active { border:0!important; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7:active , .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7 .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud9dc2fac9c65a904afb258b264ff7ac7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: the lottery EssayHis fame rests on a few completed works; among them are the Mona Lisa (1503-05, Louvre), The Virgin of the Rocks (c. 1485, Louvre), and the sadly deteriorated fresco The Last Supper (1495-98, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan). Michelangelos early sculpture, such as the Piet (1499, St. Peters, Rome) and the David (1501-04, Accademia, Florence), reveals a breathtaking technical ability in concert with a disposition to bend rules of anatomy and proportion in the service of greater expressive power. Although Michelangelo thought of himself first as a sculptor, his best-known work is the giant ceiling fresco of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Rome. It was completed in four years, from 1508 to 1512, and presents an incredibly complex but philosophically unified composition that fuses traditional Christian theology with Neoplatonic thought. Raphaels greatest work, The School of Athens (1508-11), was painted in the Vatican at the same time that Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel. In this large fresco Raphael brought together representatives of the Aristotelian and Platonic schools of thought. Instead of the densely packed, turbulent surface of Michelangelos masterpiece, Raphael placed his groups of calmly conversing philosophers and artists in a vast court with vaults receding into the distance. Leonardo initially influenced Raphael, and he incorporated the pyramidal composition and beautifully modeled faces of The Virgin of the Rocks into many of his own paintings of the Madonna. He differed from Leonardo, however, in his prodigious output, his even temperament, and his preference for classical harmony and clarity. Slavery flourished during this time partly because of the many lives lost during the Black Death and due to the nature of the morality of the Renaissance times. Many laborers were needed on the sugar cane plantations and for domestic duties. The slaves were multi-cultural being black or white coming from conquered peoples from Africa, eastern Mediterranean and lands around the Black Sea. Slaves were a part of a brides dowry, doctors took slaves in lieu of fees from his patients, and even priest had slaves in their service. Owners had complete dominion over the slaves due to Italian law. The treaty of Lodi between Venice and Milan ended the war and marked the beginning of a 40-year period of relative peace. During this time power was balanced among the five states that dominated the Italian peninsulaVenice, Milan, Naples, Florence, and the Papal states. The creator of High Renaissance architecture was Donato Bramante (1444-1514), who came to Rome in 1499, when he was 55. His first Roman masterpiece, the Tempietto (1502) at S. Pietro in Montorio, is a centralized dome structure that recalls classical temple architecture. Pope Julius II (reigned 1503-13) chose Bramante to be papal architect, and together they devised a plan to replace the 4th-century Old St. Peters with a new church of gigantic dimensions. The project was not completed, however, until long after Bramantes death. Humanistic studies continued under the powerful popes of the High Renaissance, Julius II and Leo X, as did the development of polyphonic music. The Sistine Choir, which performed at services when the pope officiated, drew musicians and singers from all of Italy and northern Europe. Among the most famous composers who became members were Josquin des Prez (1445-1521) and Palestrina (1525-84). The Renaissance as a unified historical period ended with the fall of Rome in 1527. The strains between Christian faith and classical humanism led to Mannerism in the latter part of the 16th century. The Renaissance spirit, however, continued to be made in northern Italy and in northern Europe. Relationship to other IDs: Greece, Russia, Iran, France, Iraq, and Turkey

American History

American History 1. The 19th Century definition of liberalism in adopts the realms and principles of capitalism.The first core assumption of liberal theory in political aspects is that the fundamental actors in politics are members of domestic society, understood as individuals and privately constituted groups seeking to promote their independent interests. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on American History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In philosophical aspects, special conditions, limited competition, individual autonomy, and individual behavior are intertwined together to create a defined social order that seek for the promotion of individual welfare. The most basic tenet of liberal theory is that politics is mixed into the social context, which acts as an effective measure to curtail the powers of the government. In economic aspects, liberalism is a composition of individual who possesses different interests and identities that push them to form economic ties to further their social, political, and economic goals. While this theory is individualistic, its 19th century view is pluralist. 1a.The contributions of the work of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton to notions about natural law began with the theories of Copernicus to the modern scientific world-view. The theories of the these scientists changed the worldview from medieval explanation to proven scientific views. Copernicus in his Ptolemaic system explained gave an analysis of reason behind an appearance of reverse motions adopted by planets. The impact of the work of Copernicus on man’s conception of the universe and rational thought in scientific disciplines is firmly entrenched in notions about natural law. The development of the first Heliocentric theory of the universe and the Pythagorean system had profound revolutionary implications on man’s conception of the universe and natural law. Kepler focused on the application of p latonic solids to provide explanation on orbit spacing in planets.In his work, Kepler placed the sun at the center of the universe and provided a groundbreaking foundation through which future works in astrology were to draw inferences. This was the premise behind Kepler’s Law’s that had immense impact of natural laws and formed the basis of Newton’s law of gravity. The impact of Galileo’s work on the universe and natural laws was majorly on mechanics. His outstanding contribution in the classification of acceleration, velocity, and instantaneous motion widely influenced natural laws of science. Isaac Newton on the other built on the concepts of instantaneous motion but Galileo and others. However, his work on dispersion, nature of color, wave nature of lights greatly influenced the view of humankind on nature and significantly contributed to notions about natural law.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get you r first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Building upon the work of Kepler on the position of the sun at the center of the solar system, Newton developed the law of gravitational pull. His discoveries on the movement of the speed in relation to that of the sun and the Inverse Square Law showed common basis and remained defining discoveries on natural laws. The importance of Newton’s work for eighteenth century philosophy revolves around their impacts on worldview. Newton’s laws of motion managed to achieve a shift from medieval explanations to proven scientific laws with common basis. 1b.The origin of the natural rights philosophy draws its origin form liberal political philosophy of John Locke. Constitutions of most democracies of the world draw their existence from this philosophy. Natural rights philosophy proposes that men are free, equal, and independent. The government has the moral duty to respect the rights of individuals. The â€Å"natural right s† played a key role in the development of American Constitution and form the key principle in which the constitution is based. The fall and disintegration of the French monarchy and its replacement with principles of equality, citizenship, nationalism, and inalienable rights draw roots from the philosophy of natural rights. The French revolution was more radical because of the existence of radical elements that exploited governments problems and weaknesses to seize power and changed system of governance. In French revolution, the radical elements were the Girondins. Furthermore, the fear of neighboring countries about the prospects of the revolution spreading added fuel to the already turbulent situation in France. This created more internal turmoil and gave the radical movements more resolve to seize power as observed in Jacobin’s case in France. The difference in characters of George Washington and Napoleon in their contribution to the different ends of the America n and French Revolutions revolve around the fact that whereas Napoleon spread the revolutionary ideals of liberalism and nationalism across Europe, he failed to live the spirit of liberalism and natural rights for all in France. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on American History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More George Washington on the other solved domestic challenges in America and ensured entrenchment of natural rights, thereby appealing to the American majority at the time. 1c.The legacy of the French revolution and the Napoleonic Empire had profound impact in the entire Europe. The ideas of revolution remain embedded in Europe’s law codes and spread to Europe’s colonies across the globe. The non-Europeans were later to use the revolution ideas of French revolution and the Napoleonic Empire to overthrow European’s colonial powers in the rest of the globe. In summary, the French revolution rema ins a powerful force in modern history. American History In 1787, stakeholders convened in Philadelphia to draft a new constitution. Key considerations entailed the need to review various provisions in the Articles of Confederation. However, the failure to reach a consensus promoted the abandonment of the Articles, and the onset of the drafting of a new constitution.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on American History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This new document required the approval of at least nine states before it could take effect within the United States. Although numerous controversies and disagreements faced the creation of the new constitution, its ratification by eleven states was a milestone in American history. The Virgin Plan promoted the establishment of a central form of government that would adopt a people-oriented approach. Madison’s proposal of three distinct elements of governance gave citizens control over the executive and judiciary . Conflicts between the Virgin Plan and propositions by representatives of small states led to the introduction of the New Jersey Plan. Small-states’ representatives viewed the proposal concerning the adoption of a general voting for representatives to the lower legislative, rather than the one-state-one-vote approach, as an unfavorable concept (Foner 258). The New Jersey Plan incorporated various aspects within the Articles of Confederation that promoted the adoption of a unicameral legislature in which the vote per state stipulation remained valid. While the Virgin Plan focused on the inclusion of the public in key aspects of national governance and policymaking, the New Jersey Plan presented recommendations that sought to provide some level of influence to states with low populations, and minimize the dominance by states with high populations in crucial aspects of governance. Although both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson sought the building of a people-oriented cou ntry, they differed in their views concerning appropriate approaches that would help America to achieve various objectives. While Hamilton promoted the need to restrict leadership roles to the affluent and educated individuals, Jefferson viewed the government as an entity that could guarantee optimal results through the reliance on the public as decision makers. Another consideration is Hamilton’s support for the establishment of a national government while Jefferson encouraged the inception of a state government. Hamilton and Jefferson differed on various aspects of the economy such as the necessity of a national debt, an agriculture driven versus urban and infrastructural boosted economy, and the distinction between the powers of state governments and the national government.Advertising Looking for critical writing on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thomas Jefferson’s views on appropriate gov ernance, as the creation of an entity, which would allow the public to participate in policymaking, highlights aspects similar to Madison’s assertion within the Virgin Plan. On the other hand, Hamilton’s propositions depict aspects of imbalanced governance in which the minority influence decisions that affect the whole population. This demonstrates that he would adopt the New Jersey Plan. The consensus among delegates on the need to promoted unity between states rather than focusing on aspects of equality led to minimal considerations on the issue of slavery. An analysis of the stipulations in the constitution illustrates aspects that strengthened the institution of slavery (Foner 259). The Fugitive Clause and the Three-Fifths Formula gave slave states significant levels of control over slaves. As a citizen of the new American Republic in 1790, I would have favored Madison’s views of a central government as it gives control to the public over crucial aspects of policymaking and leadership. I would have favored the Virgin plan because it clearly outlines the structuring of the government, roles of legislatures and the power bestowed upon the public. Foner, Eric. Give me liberty!: an American history. 3rd ed. New York: W W Norton Company Incorporated, 2012. Print.

Types of Plots

Types of Plots Types of Plots Types of Plots By Mark Nichol How many plot types are there, and does it really matter? And if you write nonfiction, rather than fiction, why should you read this post? (I guess you’ll have to read the post to find out.) Throughout the years, writers have posited various opinions about how many distinct types of stories exist. Several of the more prominent theories follow: Three Types William Foster Harris, in The Basic Patterns of Plot, suggests that the three plot types are the happy ending, the unhappy ending, and tragedy. What’s the difference between the second and third types? A tragedy is distinguished from an unhappy ending partly by the magnitude of the outcome but mostly in that the lead character attempts to do something marked by excessive pride, overweening ambition, or another character flaw and that the outcome seems preordained by fate. Seven Types Christopher Booker, in The Seven Basic Plot Points: Why We Tell Stories, lists the plot types as Overcoming the Monster, the Quest, the Voyage and Return, Rags to Riches, and the Rebirth, as well as Comedy and Tragedy. At first glance, the last two terms seem more like genres than plots, but a comedy, though it might also fit into one of the other five types, is often marked by a standard array of miscues and misadventures, and, as intimated in the previous paragraph, a tragedy has a narrow focus: The protagonist tempts fate, and fate responds. Another septet, one that may seem slightly off topic, is a list of plot conflicts, but the items encapsulate basic storylines as well. In (somewhat arbitrary) order of increasing complexity, the duels are person versus fate (or God), person versus self, person versus person, person versus society, person versus nature, person versus the supernatural, and person versus technology. Twenty Types Ronald Tobias, in 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them, shares a score of story types. I won’t list them all (you can easily find them through an online search), but they range from the basic (the Quest) to the moderately complex (Revenge) to the more sophisticated (Metamorphosis) and beyond. Thirty-Six Types Georges Polti, in The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, eschews the basics in favor of specific concepts including Daring Enterprise, Fatal Imprudence, and Erroneous Judgment, as well as several varieties of tales of love and sacrifice. (Again, the full roster is available by searching online.) Pigeonholing Plot Types Is it necessary for writers to consider these distinctions? Does one need to know the plot type of one’s story? Can’t you just write your story? You’re welcome to ignore categorization, but consider the benefits: By matching your story to one or more plot types, you can mine the traditions of that type (or those types). If you write a quest tale or a similar type whether set in a fantasy realm or in the real world without exploiting the rule of three, for example, it will lack the resonance of its forebears. You can, of course, defy expectations by avoiding clichà ©s, but if you give a name to the type of story you are telling, you are more likely to recognize opportunities to do so. But what does plot have to do with nonfiction? All stories even factual ones have a plot, and especially when you write narrative nonfiction, you should recognize the parameters you are following or exceeding. Is your profile of a person or a company or organization, or your account of an event or an incident, a tale of redemption, or one of hubris, or one of revolt against complacency or a predetermined path, or something else? Consider your story’s metaphorical and allegorical potential, and capitalize on its resemblance to other tales as you build it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"Latin Plural EndingsGrammatical Case in English

Woman and Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Woman and Law - Essay Example Dr Bourne terminated her pregnancy and, therefore, faced prosecution. However, she was acquitted because he was able to prove his point that the victim was suicidal and in case the baby had been born the women might have been a physical or mental wreck. Key Cases with Facts: The Bourne case gave precedent to abortion as the physical/mental health of the woman was indeed in danger had she not had an abortion. it is necessary to take medical opinions from experts, along with considering moral perspectives as well, as to whether to save the life of the foetus or the mother in case an abortion is required. Current Law: - Abortion Act of 1967 Definition of Abortion Law Act: - This act, passed in 1967, defines the types of allowed abortions. A woman can get an abortion before 28 weeks of conception; abortion is also allowed in case the life of the mother is in serious mental or physical danger or in case the born baby will be severely handicapped† Evidence proved: - Personal Evidence : - The Psychiatrist The Gynaecologist Prosecution: . We, as members of the Western society, have certain responsibilities towards our women and the way they lead their lives. To ban practices such as abortion is a strike on their freedom and liberty. No matter how inhumane the practice of abortion appears to be, we have no right to stop it by force or get someone in court just because they want to have a kid. Before the Abortion Act of 1967 the British society was quite strictly against this practice and women carrying out abortion were prosecuted under federal law. Morally, abortion is a complicated procedure. There are two perspectives to everything; one is white and the other black. On the white side a woman, being a member of the free living world, has the right to carry out abortion. On the black side it is wrong because a life is being killed and some people might consider it infanticide. But that is just a perspective, and it has to be made clear that abortion, in other part s of the world, is used for purposes which are unbelievable irrational and make no sense whatsoever. (Barnett, 1997) For example, let’s take the example of India. Just in the state of Maharashtra, every year more than 4.5 million women are forced to get an abortion (Saha, Duggal, Mishra, More, & Khaire, 2004) because, with the use of sonogram, families are able to identify the sex of the baby; if the baby is male then all is well but if it is a girl she might be aborted, the reason being that girls are not considered the â€Å"Bread Winner† in the Indian society. Abortion in this and similar cases is wrong. It must also be comprehended that abortion has increased at an alarming rate, since the passing of the Abortion Act of 1967, The number of abortions carried out since the passage of the Abortion Act 1967 is unacceptably high. Medically, abortion is beneficial in certain cases. Number one, in case of rape if a woman gets pregnant and decides not to abort the baby, th e woman is at a risk of suffering post-natal depression which can, with time, endanger the baby’s health. The second case is when a child has been conceived because of an incestuous relationship; in this situation there is a high probability of the child being defective. Third is in the case of Thalassemia or HIV; if both the parents are suffering from one of these conditions there is a probability that the child might also contract it or it can even result in the death of either the child or the mother at the time of delivery. In my personal opinion pregnancy is more about men dominating women, and I can say it with 100% surety that if men were to get pregnant instead of women, abortion would definitely be a blessing. In the English society abortion is on a rise and women, mostly teenagers, are getting abortions at an

WW II Responsible for Pearl Harbor Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WW II Responsible for Pearl Harbor - Thesis Example Before and during WWII, the Hawaiian Islands and Oahu, in particular, used to be an object of strategic importance. The quality of the military defense provided served a reliable measure of the quality and efficiency of all military operations in the United States during the Second World War. â€Å"During the prewar years Oahu and the Panama Canal Zone were the two great outposts of continental defense, and, after Japan plunged the United States into a Pacific War, Oahu became an essential springboard for the offensive that was finally to crush the Japanese Empire.† (Conn, Engelman & Fairchild 150). The quality of the defense procedures in the Hawaiian Islands at the beginning of WWII became a good test to the saliency of the military decisions in the rest of the United States’ territory. Despite the fact that the military significance of the Hawaiian Islands was widely recognized and the Army claimed the Hawaii to be one of the world’s strongest fortresses (Conn, Engelman & Fairchild 150), the strength of the military defense provided left sufficient room for improvements. Failure to protect the Hawaiian Islands from the Japanese attack exposed the hidden facets of inappropriate military decisions made by American politicians and commanders. According to U.S. Congress, the Hawaiian commanders were primarily responsible for failure to protect the Hawaiian Islands in December, 1941. U.S. Congress found that the December, 1941 attack of Japan on the Hawaiian Islands was both an act of aggression and the result of the military misunderstanding among Hawaiian commanders (251). On the one hand, U.S. Congress found that Japan was primarily responsible for the attack and that the force of attack was too powerful and striking to predict and too unexpected than anyone could have thought (U.S. Congress 251). Consequentially, the U.S. military commanders could not employ

Letter to Hospital Adminstration Essay Example for Free

Letter to Hospital Adminstration Essay I am sure you are aware of some of the long standing problems which we are facing within our department and that the difficulties have only increased over the past several years.   The main problems within our division are staff incompetence and lack of resources, and many other difficulties spring from these points. The demands for improved patient services are obvious on hospital, local, state, and national levels, and yet financial and educational endeavors to support our department are pushed aside.    Staff members have been plunged into survival mode, patient care has plummeted, and morale is terrible. It is obvious that we are not practicing state of the art development, including having an overall vision and plan as well as plan implementation.   Ideas in regard to solutions have already been submitted to administration several times, and yet the sympathy we have received has not translated into action. Action is desperately needed in our department in order to provide real care to the patients we aim to serve.   The hospital has the responsibility to function as a dynamic system which operates for the wellbeing of all members.   In order to solve the many problems we face in our department, there needs to be the implementation of several specific measures which serve to restructure the department. Please take attention to the following ideas which are necessary for the building of a competent and adequately funded department, as solutions for our department are desperately needed now: Regular and positive communication between all staff members and associates, including administration. Transparency in regard to the relationships between all staff members and associates, including administration. Defining departmental practice to meet hospital mission and implement a solid mechanism for success. Streamlining of daily work by creation of maps and guidelines. Hiring of qualified staff members. Implementation of educational activities. Commitment to increased resources for items such as beds, labs, and high technology. Recruiting of a senior staff member who is contracted for department development. In looking to the latest research about dynamic hospital systems which are developing in the most progressive ways, it is easy to see what is needed for our department.   McKneally points out that â€Å"the integration of effective subsystems into a well coordinated healthcare system is an achievable ideal. Like a well trained athlete whose brain, nerves, muscles and bones are coordinated to achieve an ideal performance, the final product will require coaching, training, patience and persistence† (2006).   It is important to consider our department as a vital subsystem which must be well coordinated into the hospital system in the goal of optimal health care. It would be wonderful to be contacted as soon as possible regarding a response to the need for concrete action now for our department.   It is not fair for anyone, including administration, staff, associates, and patients, for the current situation to continue.   Health care necessitates the provision of excellent patient treatment, buoyed by successful and high quality staff members and resources.   I am confident that with enough interest being invested into our department, we can emerge as a cutting edge team of professionals within a cooperative hospital system. Best regards,

Ghost Story of Haunted Row House: Philadelphia Essay -- Ghost Stories

Haunted Row House: Philadelphia The particular story I collected takes place in Philadelphia, where ghost stories are plentiful. Philadelphia is an old city with a rich cultural heritage, and our founding fathers made history in the place that was once our nation’s capital (Eidmann). Many believe that their spirits and spirits of those from colonial times still lurk around. It is easy to feel like spirits are around when in a place where many people have lived and died before, and in a place that is filled with old buildings and landmarks. All of these factors make this city a perfect place for a ghost story. This story was told to me by a close friend, in my dorm room on a cold rainy day in April. My friend is a female of Columbian descent, 20 years old, who lives off campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. She is a sophomore and is currently studying journalism at Maryland. She heard this story about a year ago while she was with her mom, and it was told to them by a co-worker of her mother’s at a national magazine. This story was collected by tape recorder, which was held by the teller. So this past year I heard a ghost story from my mom’s coworker and friend. Her daughter recently purchased an old row house in Philadelphia. She lives there with her husband and they have a daughter, who was about two years old. They started to notice REALLY [eyes get large] weird things happening around the house, it was really eerie and started to make them nervous. Their daughter has a playroom in the attic, and she used to say, actually, she still says that there is somebody up there. She describes him as an African American male--well she says it’s a â€Å"Black man†--and she says he sits there and watches her play. When she told her parents... ...just another person who wants to be friends and not think the ghost will hurt them or that there is anything scary about it. The tale capitalizes on the fact that an adult would be uneasy thinking that a child can play with a ghost without thinking twice, and even more uneasy that a child can see what they cannot, since adults are supposed to be wiser and more able to explain things. The imagination of a child, which can create some astonishing things, is a scary entity. Works Cited Bouldin, Paula. â€Å"An Investigation of the Fantasy Predisposition and Fantasy Style of Children With Imaginary Companions†. Journal of Genetic Psychology. 2006. 167(1): 17-29. Eidmann, Frank. â€Å"Philadelphia: The Capital City† National Park Services. 7 Apr. 2006. http://www.nps.gov/inde/phila.html. Juliano, David. â€Å"The Shadowlands† 7 Apr. 2006. http://www.theshadowlands.net/.

Case Study-Carlsbad Essay

QUESTION #1 Prior to the Public works department merging to become a part of a Major Service Area (MSA), the employees often performed work assignments that were redundant in different department which is a waste of the City of Carlsbad’s financial resources. This redundancy in work was contributed to the lack of cohesiveness in the entire Public works departments except for the water department. Lack of leadership is also a hindrance to the department’s mission and the employee’s guidance because the Public Works director is also the City Engineer. With too many employees performing job duty functions that require supervision, leadership in the Public Works department has been lacking the necessary guidance employees should expect. The employee tenure ratio varied between long and short assignments which could be an issue for training and coordination of day to day work without the proper leadership. QUESTION #2 I would introduce myself to the employees within the different departments of the Public Works department to clarify how we will be looking to make the organization better and offer an outline of what we may require from them. I will have discussed this conversation with management prior to speaking with the employees. Cummings & Worley (2008) states, â€Å"Before collecting diagnostic information, practitioners need to establish a relationship with those who will provide and subsequently use it. Because the nature of that relationship with those who will provide and subsequently use it† (pg. 121). I would use collection methods such as observation of employees at work, surveys and questionnaires. Because the Public Works department services the residents of Carlsbad, I would also include them in random questionnaires to find out how their service is working and how it can be improved. This will allow the department to receive feedback from those they work daily to service. Through interviews with the employees in small groups or individual sessions, I would like to pose direct questions such as â€Å"What do they need to succeed in their position?†, â€Å"Do they feel as if they are provided enough direction in their day to day?†, or â€Å"What they feel the vision of the organization is?† Cummings & Worley (2008) states, â€Å"Further probing and clarifications is, therefore, possible as the interview proceeds. This flexibility is invaluable for gaining private views and feelings about the organization and for exploring new issues that emerge during the interview† (126). QUESTION #3 I would recommend interventions for the Public Works department such as a process consultation with the open-systems method intervention. Performing the process consultation prior to offering the department any solutions to make any changes will allow us to identify where the disconnect in communication with the employees while providing the ground work for establishing the organizations goals. Cummings & Worley (2008) states, † Rather the process consultant works to help managers, employees, and groups assess and improve human processes, such as communication, interpersonal relations, decision making, and task performance†(pg. 253). Because the Public Works department has been comprised of so many different groups providing a variety of services to the residents of Carlsbad, I would recommend the open-systems method to the intervention. Through this intervention, we will be able to narrowly focus of the core mission of the organization and its purpose while creating an ideal future of how the Public Works department can progress with the inclusion of its employees. Because employees were often doing redundant work, we will use this time to assess how many people are needed on a task and what areas is not being taken care of due to mismanagement of assignments. QUESTION #4 I would begin the implementation of the action plan by interviewing and meeting with employees individually to introduce the goals of the OD intervention and perform interviews during this discussion. I would also perform random interviews with the residents of Carlsbad who rely on the Public Works service to discern their likes, dislikes and suggestions for improvement. I would then reveal the discrepancies of what the employees and management believe they are doing to what is actually happening. This will allow everyone to gauge the disconnect in their services as well as a starting point for improvement. During this time, we can refocus the employees on the vision of the Public Works department. Cummings & Worley (2008) states, † Generally, a vision describes the core values and purpose that guide the organization as well as an envisioned future toward which change is directed. It provides a valued direction for designing, implementing, and assessing organizational changes† (pg.169). Through the establishment of a communications plan, daily assignment check-ins and training the employees will be able to garner a more focused work day and reduce redundant work being duplicated. During the intervention a separate amount of time will be devoted to assess the leadership of the department. With the supervisor splitting duties as the City engineer, we may assess the need for an assistant to properly manage the employee’s daily. Anonymous surveys and observation will be used to garner feedback on how well the action plan works. References Cummings, T. & Worley, C. (2008). Organization Development & Change. (Pgs. 121, 126, 169, 253) Cengage Learning. Mason, OH.

Organisational Behaviour What Is Organisational Behaviour?

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR What is organisational behaviour? The study of human behaviour, attitudes and performance within an organisational setting; drawing on theory, methods and principles from such disciplines as psychology, sociology and cultural anthropology to learn about individual, groups and processes. Three different OB perspectives Macro-perspective; the big picture Micro-perspective; the smaller units Meso-perspective; integration and movement between macro and micros Three levels of OB Individuals > groups > organisationsOB as a science Scientific discipline Theories and methods can be developed to better understand and explain behaviour Concerned with predictions and explanations Fredrick Windsor taylor – four principles of scientific management 1. Using scientific analysis, managers precisely specify every element of an employee’s work which replaces old rule-of-thumb methods (Job Design) 2. Managers select and then train, teach and develop employees, unl ike in the past when employees chose their own work and trained themselves (human Resource Management) 3.Managers are responsible for ensuring that all work is done according to their specification (Performance, Monitoring and rewards) 4. There is a division of labour based on expertise; managers manage because of their superior knowledge while employees do what they are best at (the development of management profession) Human relations school Elton mayo Believed that the â€Å"work problem† (dissent, disobedience, industrial unrest) was a result of psychological disturbances brought about by the alienating nature of work. Mayo thought that we can improve employee happiness bby making work more involving and by recognising its social nature.The hawthorn study Originally looked at the impact of working environment on productivity e. g. amount of light workers were exposed to during work By spending so much time around the workers, researchers began to notice a number of import ant social factors that had an impact on productivity Despite the isolating effects of standardisation and increasing technical division of labour, work remains a group activity. As a result of their need for recognition, security and sense of belonging, workers will gravitate towards informal groups whether formal work organisation reflects this or not.Informal group exercises a strong form of social control over the work habit and attitude of its members. Managers should recognise the impact of these informal groups in exerting an influence on productivity. Organisations should seek to ensure a good fit between formal and informal groups. Weber’s formal bureaucracy is characterised by: Specialised individual positions Formal hierarchy Rules and standard operating procedures Set boundaries for each dept Standardised training and career paths Changes from traditional to modern Intensifying competition meant that companies needed to become: More innovative in terms of customer serviceImplement continuous improvement in manufacturing More diverse in terms of products and services they offer New organisation model Networked; emphasis on teams, systems for sharing information, cross functional involvements Flat; reducing layers and empowering more employees Flexible; intensified completion, accounting for life cycles, unpredictability of external environment Divers; career trajectories, core and peripheral workforces Global; interactions across boarders Employment relationship Employment relationship is the set of arrangements and work practices that describe and govern the relationships between employees and employers.The relationship consists of economic, social and psychological contracts. The psychological contract refers to a shared cultural understanding of what is right, good and fair about the ongoing exchange. Key employment relationship changes Short term job security; life time employment to life time employability and being able to move from int ernal labour markets Advancement; changing notions of advancement Job titles; changing and multi-dimensional Compensation; pay for knowledge or skills, team-based pay Flexibility; telecommunicating work hours, contract and new forms of bargaining Chapter summary 1Define organisational behaviour and organisations, and discuss the importance of this field of inquiry Organisational behaviour is the study of what people think, feel and do in and around organisations. Organisations are groups of people who work interdependently towards some purpose. OB theories help people to: 1. Make sense of the workplace 2. Question and rebuild personal mental models 3. Get things done In organisations Compare and contrast the four perspectives of organisational effectiveness The open systems perspective views organisations as complex organisms that ‘live’ within an external environment.They depend on the external environment for resources then use organisational subsystems to transform t hose resources into outputs that are returned to the environment. Organisations receive feedback from external environment to maintain a good ‘fit’ with that environment. Fit occurs by adapting to the environment, managing the environment or moving to another environment. According to the organisational learning perspective, organisational effectiveness depends on the organisations capacity to acquire, share, use and store valuable knowledge. The ability to acquire and use knowledge depends on the firm’s absorptive capacity.Intellectual capacity consists of human capital, structural capital and relationship capital. Knowledge is retained in the organisational memory; companies also selectively unlearn. The high performance work practices (HPWP) perspective identifies a bundle of systems and structures to leverage workforce potential. The most widely identified HPWPs are employee involvement, job autonomy, developing employee competencies and performance/skill-bas ed rewards. HPWPs improve organisational effectiveness by building human capital, increasing adaptability and strengthen employee motivation and attitudes.The stakeholder perspectives state that leaders manage the interest of diverse stakeholders by replying on their personal and organisational values for guidance. Ethics and corporate responsibility are natural variations of values-based organisation because they rely on values to guide the most appropriate decisions involving stakeholders. Corporate social responsibility consists of organisational activities intended to benefit society and the environment beyond the company’s immediate financial interest or legal obligation.Debate the organisation opportunities and challenges of globalisation, workforce diversity and emerging employment relationships Globalisation, which refers to various forms of connectivity with people in other parts of the world has several economic and social benefits but it may also be responsible for work intensification, as well as reduced job security and work – life balance. Workforce diversity is apparent at both the surface level and deep level; there is some evidence of deep level diversity across generational cohorts. Diversity may give a competitive advantage by improving decision making and team performance on conflict.One emerging employment relationship trend is the call for more work-life balance. Another employment trend is virtual work, particular working from home. Working from home potentially increases employee productivity and reduces employee stress, but it may also lead to social isolation, reduced promotion opportunities and increased tension in family relations. Discuss the anchors on which organisational behaviour knowledge is based The systematic research anchor states that OB knowledge should be based on systematic research, which is consistent with evidence-based management.The multidisciplinary anchor states that the field should develop from k nowledge in other disciplines (psychology sociology, economics) not just from its own isolated research base. The contingency anchor states that OB theories generally need to consider that there will be different consequences in different situations. The multiple levels of analysis anchor states that OB topics may be viewed from the individual, team and organisations levels of analysis.

Mistake Essay Example

Mistake Essay Example Mistake Essay Mistake Essay Life is a series of choices, and whatever you choose will affect your life. It can be a small choice like when we decide our direction and it will lead you to the destination, or it can be a bigger choice that can cause a huge event in your life. I want to tell a story about my best friend, Huh who told me that trying, practicing and learning are the keys that can open your door to success. He was Just like other people, by having a bad choice, so he made a big mistake six years ago in his life that he could never roger and it also became a good lesson for him to learn how to cope with life obstacles. His mistake was a bad memory that always stayed somewhere deep in his mind. He still remembered every single thing like it happened yesterday. It was at the time when he came to the United States. He missed home, friends, family, and everything in his country so much. Moreover, his English was terrible at that time. He could not understand when people were talking and he could not say anything. He was lonely and bored. He felt so bad when he was with his classmates because he didnt understand them. When he was watching a movie his friends, he didnt understand the movie, so I had to look around and laughed with them when they were laughing, because he did not want anybody to know his weakness. He drank a lot of beer when he got home and tried to forget about everything. He dropped out of school and started going around the city to kill time. Therefore, I did not want to finish his life like that, and he figured out that he needed help

ACT Writing Prompts The Complete Guide

ACT Writing Prompts The Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It's pretty scary to walk into a room on ACT test day and with no idea what the essay question you're about to answer is about. Luckily, you don't need to know- the ACT essay prompts only ask about a teensy, tiny category of ideas. And the best part is, you already know all about the topics! Keep reading to see sample ACT Writing prompts you can practice with. More importantly, we also teach you how to gather evidence before the test so you can walk in 100% prepared to answer any prompt they give you. 7 Sample ACT Essay Prompts The idea behind the ACT essay is that it's a fair test of everyone's writing ability because nobody knows the topic or question before the test. In order for this to be true, the ACT actually has to choose from a pretty small sliver of questions (since the topics must be broad enough that all test takers can write about them). See for yourself: here are the three free and publicly available official ACT Writing prompts. Do you notice any common threads? 1. Intelligent Machines (source: ACT.org ) Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives.Perspective One: What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people. Perspective Two: Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three: Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities. Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of intelligent machines. 2. Public Health and Individual Freedom (source: ACT.org ) Most people want to be healthy, and most people want as much freedom as possible to do the things they want. Unfortunately, these two desires sometimes conflict. For example, smoking is prohibited from most public places, which restricts the freedom of some individuals for the sake of the health of others. Likewise, car emissions are regulated in many areas in order to reduce pollution and its health risks to others, which in turn restricts some people’s freedom to drive the vehicles they want. In a society that values both health and freedom, how do we best balance the two? How should we think about conflicts between public health and individual freedom?Perspective One: Our society should strive to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. When the freedom of the individual interferes with that principle, freedom must be restricted.Perspective Two: Nothing in society is more valuable than freedom. Perhaps physical health is sometimes improved by restricting freedom, but the cost to the health of our free society is far too great to justify it.Perspective Three: The right to avoid health risks is a freedom, too. When we allow individual behavior to endanger others, we’ve damaged both freedom and health.Write a unified, coherent essay about the conflict between public health and individual freedom. 3. Kid Stuff (source: ACT.org ) Toys are for children, right? Not anymore. In recent years, things that used to be considered "kid stuff" have grown in popularity among grownups. Nowadays, adults regularly play video games, watch animated movies and television show, purchase dolls and other collectible figures, and read comic books for their own enjoyment. Is adult enjoyment of children's entertainment merely a sign of immaturity? In what ways can playing with kid stuff change the way adults understand today's youth? Given that toys, games, and publications that used to be exclusively for children are growing in popularity among adults, it is worth considering the effects and implications of this trend.Perspective One: It's good for adults to be familiar with kid stuff. They'll understand the lives of children better and be more responsive to their needs, interests, and problems.Perspective Two: Adults need to be models of maturity and responsibility. When they act and think like children, kids have no one to look to for guidance.Perspective Three: Children need their own cultural space- their own books, their own toys, their own movies- in which to explore their ideas. When adults start to take over the space, kids lose out.Write a unified, coherent essay about the trend of adults playing with kid stuff. Here are four other prompts that I have constructed, based on the core question and core perspectives I extracted from the official prompts (if you're curious about how I constructed these prompts, check out our article on how to attack ACT Writing prompts): 4. Globalization Many of the goods and services we depend on daily have global sources. Where once you might speak with a customer service representative from across the country about your computer problems, your call now would most likely be routed across the world. In one grocery store, it can be possible to find a mixture of foods from multiple continents. Various pieces of culture can be instantaneously broadcast around the world via the Internet, enabling shared experiences among people of disparate geographic origins. Globalization is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what happens when we replace local interactions with global ones? Given the accelerating rate of globalization, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of its presence in our lives.Perspective One: Globalization requires a shift in the way we think about other people, other societies, and the world. This is good, because it will push humanity towards previously unimaginable possibilities and achievements.Perspec tive Two: Removing geographic boundaries from commerce means that the right people can be chosen for the right jobs at the right price. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three: The flourishing of a new, global society comes at the cost of local cultures. Less diversity leads to deficits in empathy and creativity, two of the most defining characteristics of humanity.Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of globalization. 5. Information Accessibility At this moment in time, there is more information more readily available to more people than ever before. Smartphones can instantly provide directions to your destination, when even 10 years ago you had to look up directions before you left and/or bring along a map. Researchers from all over the world are able to pool their knowledge to advance their fields more quickly. Many libraries have broadened their collections to include subscriptions to online/electronic databases as well as printed works. Greater access to information is generally seen as a positive advance, but what are the consequences of making so much knowledge available to so many people? Based upon the ever-increasing amount of information in the world and the ever-broader access to it, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of easy access to information in our lives.Perspective One: With increased ease of access to information, we lose the incentive to gain knowledge ourselves. By outsourcing our memories of facts and other information, we are becoming less intelligent.Perspective Two: Greater access to information allows us to avoid memorizing facts and, instead, use our brains for higher-level thinking. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three: The more people who have access to more information, the greater the chances of collaboration and thus further advances in human knowledge. This is good because it pushes us toward new, unimagined possibilities.Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing accessibility of information. 6. Novelty In the world today, newness is highly valued. Social media apps constantly update to make sure you’re shown the newest information or posts from those you follow. Many of the products we purchase today are purposefully created with short lifespans to encourage consumers to continue to get the newest, up-to-date versions. Subscription services for music and video make it possible to continuously listen to and watch new media. Novelty is generally seen as a positive characteristic, but what are we losing by constantly focusing on the new? Given its increasing prevalence, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of the growing emphasis on novelty in our lives.Perspective One: Change is the only constant in life, and to ignore this is to grow rigid and stagnate. More exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking can only lead to progress for society and for humanity as a whole.Perspective Two: By exclusively focusing on the new, we lose sight of what we already know. Instea d of ignoring the old, we should be focusing more past accomplishments and errors. The only way to move forward is to heed the lessons of the past.Perspective Three: Information, products, and ways of thinking should only be valued if they are useful and reliable, not just because they are new and exciting. New does not automatically equal improved.Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing value assigned to novelty. 7. Job Changes Fewer and fewer people are staying with the same job their entire lives. In the United States, the average person will switch jobs more than 10 times in over the course of his/her life. Some workers will make lateral, or even downward, moves in order to increase personal fulfillment. Others switch jobs in an effort to obtain the highest possible salary. Increasing personal autonomy is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what happens when length of experience is replaced with variety of experience? As the number of jobs people will hold over the course of their lives continues to climb, it is important to examine the implications and meaning of this trend for our lives.Perspective One: Because jobs are no longer a lifetime commitment, people will feel freer to accept a greater variety of positions. This increase in breadth of experience will in turn make job applicants more attractive to future employers. Perspective Two: As the frequency with which people change jobs increases, the loyalty of people to their employers will decrease. This in turn will lead to more fractured company cultures, as employees will only care about what’s best for them.Perspective Three: The disappearance of the stigma associated with frequent job switching will allow employees more leeway with employment decisions. Increased autonomy will lead to increased happiness and job satisfaction.Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing frequency with which people switch jobs. For additional Writing Prompts to practice with, you also might want to consider purchasing the most recent Official ACT Prep Guide, which includes five additional official essay prompts. While you'll see many different topics asked about on the ACT essay section, there is in fact only one ACT Writing Prompt (and three types of perspectives) you have to know. We call these the Core Question and Core Perspectives. This question (and these perspectives) will run through each and every ACT Essay prompt you'll get. The Reasoning Behind The Core Question As you can see, all the ACT writing prompts are about how the world (and the people in it) is (are) changing. All of them boil down to the following question: "What are your views on how humans are changing the world?" or, even more broadly, "What do you think about the way the world is changing?" The ACT frames its prompts this way because ACT, Inc. wants to choose essay topics that all students can have an opinion on, rather than asking about something extremely specific for which some students are more prepared than others. First Global Image from VIIRS by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. Read through the two official prompts again (above). Rather than asking about high school life (as the old ACT Writing prompts did), the current ACT essay prompts ask students to consider how changes in the world today affect all humanity, forcing the students to place the issue in a broader context. While the topics may appear to be highly specific at first glance (e.g. "intelligent machines"), the explanatory paragraphs for each prompt make it clear that the topics can be parlayed in a number of different directions (and be accessible to most people). There won't be prompts about issues that mainly affect urban dwellers (e.g. subways), or only affect certain geographic areas (e.g. snow preparedness). Similarly, something like "smartphones," for instance, would never be a topic on its own; rather, it would be an example that could be used for the topic (as with the "intelligent machines" prompt). When writing the ACT essay, it really helps to have strong opinions about the core question ("What do you think about the way humans are changing the world?"), but if you don't, no problem: it's easy to develop opinions! And we're here to give you a head start. In the next section, we're going to give you three basic opinions related to the core ACT essay question. We'll show you how to apply these perspectives to specific prompts and tell you where you can find examples to support them. The Reasoning Behind The Core Perspectives The new ACT prompt has three different perspectives that you need to discuss during the course of your essay. To figure out the three core perspectives, I read and re-read the perspectives for all three of the official prompts, considering them in light of the informational paragraphs that preceded them. I ended up with these three basic opinions: Core Perspective A: The changes caused by [Prompt topic] are not good and have negative results. This perspective maps onto Perspective 1 of the first official ACT sample prompt above, Perspective 2 of the second official sample prompt, and Perspective 3 of the third official sample prompt. My nickname for this position is "conservatism," since this perspective wishes to be conservative and not change things. Core Perspective B: The changes caused by [Prompt topic] will lead to greater (in)efficiency. This perspective maps onto Perspective 2of the first official ACT sample prompt above, Perspective 1 of the second official sample prompt, and Perspective 2 of the third official sample prompt. My nickname for this position is "utilitarianism," since this perspective is all about what will be more practical and lead to the greatest good for the greatest number of people (this is even explicitly spelled out in Perspective 1 of the second official sample prompt). Core Perspective C: The changes caused by [Prompt topic] will yield positive future results because it will lead to improvements for all humanity. This perspective maps onto Perspective 3 of the first official ACT sample prompt above, Perspective 3 of the second official sample prompt, and Perspective 1 of the third official sample prompt. My nickname for this position is "progressivism," since this perspective argues that change = progress = good. Building a Support Bank Now you know that the ACT essay will only ever ask you to discuss one question: "How is the world changing?" If you prepare for this question with diverse evidence before the test, you'll be ready to answer the prompt no matter what it is. To give yourself the most time to write and organize your argument, your thesis should match up with one of the three perspectives given- that way, you won't have to take the time come up with a fourth, completely new perspective and compare it to at least one the three perspectives the ACT provides. But it gets better! The internet (and society in general) is chock-full of theories and arguments about how the world is changing, and whether or not that's a good thing. All you have to do is read up on some of them and develop your own opinions. Opinions on the World Your ACT essay thesis should basically be one of the three perspectives, but you have to support that opinion with evidence- the answer to the question "why?" (or "why not"?). Look over these sets of three opinions and try to think of reasons or examples to support each. The world is changing to be worse than it was before. (because...) The world is changing to be better than it was before. (because...) The world is changing to be more (in)efficient than ever before. (because...) Research and Brainstorming Ideas Unlike with the SAT essay, you can use abstract reasoning to develop your point on the ACT. This means that you don't necessarily have to come to the test pre-loaded with specific examples: if you can't think of a concrete example that will support your point, you can make one up as you go along while constructing your argument. Now we'll look over a few sample internet resources that could serve as support (or brainstorming assistance) for the opinions above. You can use the general ideas from these resources, but you may also find some useful specific examples for when you face your real ACT Writing prompt. News sources such as the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Al Jazeera, Time, The Atlantic, Slate, The Economist, Wired, New York Magazine, Popular Science, Psychology Today, Vox, Mic, and even Buzzfeed News will have information about current events that you can use. If you prefer listening/watching the news, you can always try that as a source of current events information as well watching or listening to television, radio, or podcasts. How Do I Use This Article? Just knowing what the ACT Writing prompts are likely to be about may lead you to think about the way you interact with the world somewhat differently. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for anything that could be fodder to answer a question about the way the world is changing- anything you learn about in history/social studies, read/hear about in the news, or even encounter in a futuristic novel can be added to your support bank. But, of course, the more effective way to use the information in this article is to practice both planning and writing ACT essays. We have another article with ACT essay tips, which can give you more information on how to practice the actual writing process, but knowing about the prompt types can get you thinking about your own opinions on how the world is changing. After all, you're being asked about this because you have a lot of experience with it, living in the world as you do (unless you are a ghost and don't live in this world, in which case, why are you taking the ACT?). So, using the prompts at the beginning of this article, or another group of questions about issues having to do with change (some items on this list of debate topics, for example), start planning hypothetical writing ACT essay responses. Try reading our step-by-step ACT essay example if you're stumped about where to begin. For each issue, planning involves picking a side, supporting it with one to two reasons or examples, and deciding how to discuss at least one of the other given perspectives in relation to the one you've picked (including arguments both for and against the other perspectives). If you really want to max out your ACT essay score, you should practice planning essays about how the world is changing until you can do it in 8-10 minutes reliably. If you're curious about where that 8-10 minute estimate comes from, check out our ACT essay tips article. What's Next? Check out our comprehensive collection of ACT Writing guides, including a detailed analysis ofthe ACT Writing Rubric that includes explanations and strategies and our explanation of the differences between the old and new ACT Writing Test. Find out how to get a perfect score on ACT Writing. Follow along as I construct a top-scoring essay step-by-step, or check out our list of tips to raise your ACT Writing score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. 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