Sunday, March 29, 2020
The Power of Introductory Word to the World of Faerie Knights
Edmund Spenser was one of the most famous English poets of the 16th century whose main achievement was the creation of the epic poem, The Faerie Queene.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Power of Introductory Word to the World of Faerie Knights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This poem is considered to be a successful example of how the stanzas may be organized, and Spencerââ¬â¢s contribution to the development of fixed verses was considerable. In this paper, the two beginning verses of the poem will be analyzed in order to comprehend the motives of the author as well as the main messages sent from the end of the 16th century. Each line of The Faerie Queene is a kind of brick that creates a magnificent path to the door that opens the world of Faerie knights, ladies, and emotions which develop various types of relations. There are two verses of 9 lines each which are introduced in the iambic pentameter ended with one Alexandrine line. Such combination of lines facilitates the reading process and shows that more interest appears with each new line offered. Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske, As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards weeds. (Spenser and Kaske 3) The author admits that he is not ready to disclose his personality but still underlines that he has certain skills to introduce a story as he has Muse that had already inspired him long time ago. Am now enforst a farre unfitter taske, For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds. (Spenser and Kaske 3)Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These lines show that the author has to take a serious step in his life and undergo a number of changes to meet the expectations of the society. Though he is not sure whether he is ready to take such a step, he makes an attempt and wants to succeed. And sing of Knights and Ladies gentl e deeds, Whose prayses having slept in silence long. Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds To blazon broad emongst her learned throng: Fierce warres and faithful loves shall moralize my song. (Spenser and Kaske 3) His task now is to describe the life of knights and their ladies, and his previous duties were far from evaluating such amazing times of honor, prudence, and passion. Though the stories about those past times are hidden to the reader, the author wants to disclose the peculiarities of human lives. Fights, love, and glory are the main aspects of the poem. Helpe then, O holy Virgin chiefe of nine, Thy weaker Novice to performe thy will. (Spenser and Kaske 4). The author is not afraid to ask for help and admit his own weaknesses. Still, he has to perform the will set, and he will ask anyone for help to succeed in his activities. Lay forth out of thine everlasting scryne The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still, Of Faerie knights and fairest Tanaquill, Whom that mos t noble Briton Prince so long Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Power of Introductory Word to the World of Faerie Knights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That I must rue his undeserved wrong: O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong. (Spenser and Kaske 4) In these lines, the author introduces one of the main ideas of the poem, and ââ¬Å"fairest Tanaquillâ⬠, the queen of the Land that is considered in the story. Not much information is available about people, the land, and the activities of the queen, this is why it is so interesting to investigate the events from the past and describe their urgency for the reader. Suffering and pain have been inherent to the times of the queens and knights, and it is a human duty to appreciate personal past and be aware of how different people fight for their freedom, love, and honor. Life is divided into th e parts, and the main task of the knight is to find his own place in the world and his mistress in order to make the life complete. In general, the idea of the two first verses of the poem is clear indeed: there are some themes from the past that have to be disclosed to the reader, and the author takes the responsibility to introduce the world of the knights and queens from his own perspective. Of course, he understands that he is not powerful enough to describe properly each aspect of past life; this is why he is ready to admit his weakness and to ask higher powers for help and inspiration. Works Cited Spenser, Edmund and Kaske, Carol. ââ¬Å"The First Booke of the Faerie Queene. Contayning. The Legend of the Knight of the Red Crosse, or of Holinesse.â⬠The Faerie Queene: Book One. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.: 2006. This essay on The Power of Introductory Word to the World of Faerie Knights was written and submitted by user Grav1ty to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Problems with an English-medium Education
Problems with an English-medium Education Free Online Research Papers To what extent is English-medium education the solution or the problem in settings where English is not the dominant language of the pupilsââ¬â¢ homes or local communities? Unfortunately, this is not a question I am going to be able to give one clear, definitive answer to as I believe that English-medium education can be both a problem, and a solution in situations where English is not the dominant language. On the one hand we have cases such as the one that can be seen in the state of Karnataka in India, where English-medium education has been replaced by one of the local languages, Kannada, a sensible decision many would say, but not when you consider that most of the urban areas in the State are multilingual, with people whose mother-tongues are Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Gujarati, Sindhi, Bengali, and many more (Resource and Reference Materials, p.81), so here, it could be argued, that one combining language, such as English, should be used that would be of benefit to all as a lingua franca. Then on the other hand you have Kathleen Heughââ¬â¢s argument that without a full understanding of their mother-tongue children will strugg le to fully understand what they are being taught, and that English-medium education should not begin until the children have received at least 6-8 years of mother-tongue education to avoid any such problems of comprehension (Learning English, pp.181-88) In relation to Heughââ¬â¢s argument I believe low levels of competence could exist where bilingual education is introduced too early, as children are often reluctant to question meanings of words for fear of revealing their ignorance in a subject, and in so doing facing ridicule from other students. Children can also struggle when having to concentrate on not only the message in say, a geography lesson, but also the medium when that lesson is taught in a second language such as English. Subjects such as geography, mathematics, and history should therefore logically be taught in the classes mother-tongue to allow the content to be more readily accessible, and to prevent the slowing down of the progress of the whole class, at least until the children are capable of comprehending the language they are being taught in. Heugh conducted a study of English and colonial language education in South Africa, a country that had adopted English through linguistic imperialism towards the end of the nineteenth century. Heugh found that up until 1975, African children had received eight years of mother-tongue education, followed by a switch in secondary school to joint Afrikaans and English-medium education. The school leaving pass rate had improved from 43.5 per cent in 1955 to 83.7 per cent in 1976, figures that justify my belief that a monolingual education system throughout the childââ¬â¢s formative years of schooling is the correct course to take; however, this was to change dramatically with the introduction of only four years of mother-tongue education after the student led rebellions in Soweto of 1976. Within a few years it had become noticeable that academic performances had dropped dramatically, and that teachers responsible for students in grades 5-8 were not sufficiently competent enough in Engl ish to deal with the switch. English-medium education was proving a problem here for both students and teachers alike with its earlier introduction into the curriculum. John Rogers, a senior lecturer at the English Language Institute in Victoria, New Zealand, backs up these findings in his article ââ¬ËThe world for sick properââ¬â¢ (1990), as he claims ââ¬Ë.that if the aim really is access to educational opportunity, progress is more likely to be achieved by education in local languages. [and that] despite the enormous resources it diverts from other educational development possibilities, it actually achieves very littleââ¬â¢ [Learning English, pp.212-13]. We only need look at another example of an early stage introduction of the English-medium in to the curriculum in Malawi to see its failings. Here, through lack of resources and funding, classes can often reach sizes of over a hundred children, and choral chanting then becomes the method of education where children will merely repeat en masse after their teacher, and, although giving students the ability to practice their pronunciation, it allows for no form of correction for the individuals whose errors will go undetected. The students in these situations are being positioned as passive recipients of the language and not given the chance to engage with each other, therefore severely limiting their ability to converse fluently through the medium of English. Again then, one must question how much of the message of the lesson they are taking in as they concentrate more on the medium of English than the actual subject matter. We do not have to look as far as India though to see where an English-medium only education system may soon be a major socio-political issue, and that is within the UK. Without considering the increasing linguistic diversity of the UKââ¬â¢s population, partly through immigration, we may soon find ourselves in a situation very similar to the one in South Africa, where many children are failing to grasp the basics due to a fundamental lack of understanding in the language they are being taught in. Figures show that some 10 per cent of school students have English as a second language, whilst the figures in London are even higher, standing at nearer 30 per cent (Monaghan, 2007, p176). So where, if anywhere, can an English-medium education system be of an advantage to students?.. Bangalore, capitol city of the State of Karnataka in India, as Iââ¬â¢ve already mentioned in my opening statement, is a state divided by many languages, but with one common denominator amongst them all, English. Activists in Karnataka, throughout the late 1970ââ¬â¢s and early 1980ââ¬â¢s argued as to which should be the language of education and state, with the outcome being that it should be Kannada, a language spoken by around only a third of the State, but this unfortunately was not the wishes of many of the people, merely activists in positions of power. English has become an international language, a language of business and education, and the people of the regions appreciate that fact, realising for their children to have any chance of obtaining positions of power in business and industry they must be able to speak English. One such child, a young girl named Ranika, attends Bishop Cotton School, where from the age of 5 the medium throughout the school is English only, and it is her father who believes that ââ¬Å"If you really want to become a world citizen. they have to learn the English language.. whether itââ¬â¢s in science, arts, or in business.â⬠[An English Education, DVD2, 00:01:20]. Children in the state of Karnataka have learned to converse in several languages, and seem to have done so with relative ease as we see with the example of Thara, a young girl who attends Government Girls High School, who, by her own admission, can quite happily talk to neighbours and friends in Hindi, English, Guajarati or Tamil [An English Education, DVD2]. Thara sees it as a good thing to be able to speak to others through the medium of English when they are not able to understand her mother tongue of Kannada. Activists such as M. Chidananda Murthy argue however, that to learn through the medium of English would be to lose ones culture and heritage [ibid], but even here parents disagree strongly with this argument as itââ¬â¢s claimed that if they have their own influences on their children and the ways in which they are raised, then there should be no fear of westernisation, and that both the English language and their Indian heritage can coexist comfortably side by side. Again we only need to look within our own shores to see where this particular issue could be raised though, with many fearing a loss of local customs and heritage through the teaching of a standardised form of English which does not reflect local dialects and accents. Annamalai (1986) claimed that ââ¬Ë English helps maintain divisions and hierarchies within a countryââ¬â¢ [Learning English, p.212], but if anything, within the UK I believe it has the opposite effect, breaking down the prejudices of economic backgr ounds, ethnicity, or nationality, as here we are all taught a standardised English, so can all converse without fear of a lack of understanding or ridicule, regardless of our place of birth or heritage. Britain has become a multi-cultural society, and for us to all co-exist comfortably together then the most obvious solution seems to be for us to all be able to converse fluently in the same language, and this is only possible if we are all taught through the medium of English. English-medium education can therefore not be seen with one blanket ideal, and every situation must be investigated and considered on its own merits before deciding whether the medium is indeed the solution or the problem for students whose dominant language is not English. Graddol argues that although the charge of cultural imperialism has still not gone away, English must be seen as a global language used for a range of purposes by non-English speaking countries (Graddol, 2006, p101), but at the same time we must not let it become an executioner bringing death to any languages it comes into contact with. This unfortunately, is why I have struggled to come to one conclusion as to whether English-medium education is the solution or the problem, as I can see the benefits of one all encompassing international language, but would hate to think that to have it would mean the death of so many colourful and interesting other languages, and the disadvantages that would come with not being a ble to speak it. Bibliography Mercer, N., Swann, J., Mayor, B. (eds) (2007), Learning English, Abingdon, Routledge The Open University (2009), Resource and Reference Materials U211(2007) DVD ROM 2, Exploring the English Language, OU, DVD00222 Research Papers on Problems with an English-medium EducationStandardized TestingComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoQuebec and CanadaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesHip-Hop is Art19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBringing Democracy to AfricaPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyPETSTEL analysis of IndiaResearch Process Part One
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Literacy Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Literacy Program - Essay Example This literacy programme is scheduled for a week's time, wherein a strategy is evolved to include all components of the programme. When the reading level of the student is identified, "the objective then becomes measurable, and the teacher can collect information that will provide evidence as to whether it has been met" (Gunning, 2004). In order to improve the reading comprehension of a student, I would like to introduce a combination of materials, that would help a student understand the different kinds of written materials and also improve his overall reading skills. I would include the following components in the reading comprehension module: Reading of a newspaper, a classic novel that is pertinent to the standard of the student, reading columns or articles by eminent personalities that would interest the student, reading a text book of English language, reading comics and finally, reading a project based on the interest levels of a student of the particular standard. Each day of the week-long strategy would include one item from the list each. The list is a pretty comprehensive one, with diversity in the reading approach. ... After the course of the week's programme, a post-test in the form a summative assessment programme, to determine the effectiveness of the programme. PHONICS Teaching phonics is an especially difficult task, since the English language makes use of a combination of sounds, that are pronounced differently under different rules of stress and syllable-framework. Hence, students find it difficult to understand pronunciation under different circumstances. For examples, homonyms are difficult to teach. Hence, the literacy programme would include a strategy to help students pronounce words correctly, keeping in mind, the context. The programme would include reading lessons, wherein students would be introduced to the concept of phonetics, the symbols for each modern letter in the English alphabet, the concept of syllables, exercises based on not just synonyms and antonyms, but also homonyms. Exercises in the form of listening lessons, by encouraging a student to record his/ her reading test everyday on the tape and then asking him/her to come up with a personally assessment of the pronunciation of words. This would help the student understand and analyse words, besides marking the progress he has made in the course of the programme. DEVELOPING VOCABULARY In a literacy programme, developing the strength of the students' vocabulary is very important. For this aspect of literacy education, one cannot generalize the extent of a student's
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Information Power Inside An Organization Research Paper
Information Power Inside An Organization - Research Paper Example If the information is used as a means of trade, it possesses a great power (Hersey et al., 2001). Information is necessary for shaping an organizational behavior because information is able to create a great influence on the people in an organization. Many organizations operate out of four major frameworks (Bresnahan et al., 2002). The frameworks include custodial, supportive, autocratic and collegial. Autocratic: the Autocratic model has a basis of power with managerial authority orientation (Anni-Kaisa Kà ¤hkà ¶nen, 2010). This model makes the employees to be oriented towards dependence and obedience on the boss (American Association of School Librarian, 1998). The subsistence need for the employee is met. The result of performance is thus minimal.Custodial: the Custodial model has a managerial money orientation and its basis is economic resources. The employees get an orientation towards benefits and security. The employees are also able to depend on the organization (Salancik, 1977). Passive cooperation is the performance result of this model and it meets the employee need of security. An organization that has this model is referred to as custodial organization (Anni-Kaisa Kà ¤hkà ¶nen, 2010). Supportive: the Supportive model is mainly concerned with the leadership.The managerial orientation of this model is support. The employee orientation is mainly concerned with the job participation and performance.The supportive model enables the employee need for recognition and status to be met.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Karma of Violence in Macbeth
Karma of Violence in Macbeth With elements like wars, assassinations, and murders, violence takes up a significant part of Macbeth. At the early stage of Macbeth, the audience is presented a battlefield scene where a bloody massager appears. Echoing such a violent and bloody image, the play ends with Macbeth being killed. Although karma is an Indian belief, lines like This even-handed justice / Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice / to our own lips (Macbeth I.vii.10) reveal traits of karma in the Scottish play.Ã [1]Ã Karma means that all actions have consequences which will affect the doers of the actions at some future time (Reichenbach 399). In this essay, I will argue that violence is not merely actions performed by the characters but the skeleton of plot and theme. For the sake of a clear analysis, I will first outline the concept of karma and karma of violence in Macbeth. Then I will conclude that the karmic effect of violence drives the development of plot and reflects moral judgement. As suggested by Rajendra Prasad, the law of karma should be viewed as a retributive theory of morality (qtd. in Keown 331). Reichenbach also noted that 1.Morally accountable actions which are done out of desire for their fruits are subjected to karma; 2.Some karmic effects are manifested at once or in this life, some in the next life; 3.Karmic effect of actions can be accumulated (qtd. in Keown 335). In this essay, Keowns idea on karma is taken; the relationship between karma and intention is indisputable; volitional action alone can result in karma; sinning in ones heart without physical performance is possible that same act may have different karma for different people (Keown 336). Rebirth and karma beyond characters portrayed lives will not be discussed here. Violence is not only a part of the play, but its skeleton. Karma, as stated, is accumulative and is resulted from moral and physical actions. In Macbeth, violence, with its karmic effect, breeds violence. In Act one, Macbeth is reported about cutting Macdonwald open, unseame[s] him from the nave to th chops, / [a]nd fixe[s] his head upon battlements (I.ii.22-3)and is [n]othing afeard of what [himself] didst make, / [s]trange images of death (I.iii.97-8). This suggests his violent nature and his capacity of bloody deeds in the future. Such a valiant and worthy achievement (I.ii.24), as a result, won him the title of Thane of Cawdor. It was then the realization of prophecy bred his ambition whose murder yet is but fantastical (I.iii.139). The word fantastical echoes with Banquos address to the witches I the name of truth, / Are ye fantastical or that indeed / which outwardly ye show?(I.iii.54-5), drawing parallel between the witches and Macbeths fantastical thoughts which are not indee d outwardly [he] show[ed] as well. With such murderous thoughts, Macbeth, whose [place] [is] the nearest (I.iv.36) to Duncan betrays his own family blood and country to secure the throne. The karmic effect of this bloody throne is fear; the fear on Banquos issue and Macduffs flee to England prompts him further violence and ultimate self-destruction. His bloody acts make returning were as tedious as go over (III.iv.140-1).Violence, therefore, breeds on-and-on violent deeds till the end of the play. As Macbeth puts it, Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill (III.ii.55), such on-and-on violence increases intensity over time. After violence against Macdonwald, Macbeth killed Duncan in sleep. Sleep, under Shakespeares description, is innocent . . . that knits up the reveled sleeve of care . . . the great natures second course, chief nourisher in lifes feast (II.ii.34-8). The peaceful description of natures gift and Duncans royal position contrast with the murder, highlighting intensified violence. Although he is unsettled by the deed, he soon recovers and exhibits a greater degree of violence. Without consulting his wife, Macbeth readily kills two innocent servants. Compared to the hesitation shown in Duncans murder, he becomes bolder. Violence, as a recurring role, performs an endless loop. Macbeth, with a mind full of scorpions (III.ii.36), then sends out three men in total only to ensure Banquo and Fleances deaths. He becomes determined to take a step further to kill the weaker gender and innocent children in Macduffs family. When Macduff receives the tragic news, he asks about his children repeatedly and all my children?, My children too?, What, all my pretty chickens and their dam / at one fell swoop? (IV.iii.211-8). Such responses reflect that people then perceived the act of killing innocent children as outrageously violent.The climax of on-and-on violence came when Macduff greets the King with Macbeths head, saying Behold, where stands / the usurpers cursed head. (V.viii.54-5), putting an end on the loop of violence in the play. This illustration of the intensifying loop of violence suggests karmic consequences of murderous thoughts. In the analysis of Shakespearean violence, Foakes suggests that the urge to violence is deeply embedded in the human psyche, and creates recurring whatever political formations are dominant (Foakes 16). This viewpoint echoes with this karmic loop of violence. The series of violent acts keeps driving the plot development. The karma begins with Macbeths sinning in [his] heart (Keown 336) with murderous thoughts. Had he stopped at any point of his violent murders, he would not have suffered the deadly karma. Karmic effects of Macbeths repetitive violence, as suggested, accumulated throughout the play, causing the downfall of the soul and self-destruction. The karma of violence, therefore, extends the plot with series of consequences in Macbeth. In Macbeth, karma of violence is not only the consequences of behaviour. It implicitly reflects good morality in violence. Contrasting conventional idea, violence does not necessarily imply bad karma. Traditional Christian belief generally subscribes to the idea of Thou shalt not kill. However, under karma, same act may have different consequences for different people. At the beginning of the play, Duncan ordered the execution of Thane of Cawdor. This act of violence, justified by the traitors betrayal, did not result in a bad karma. Duncan, despite his death, enjoys the peace of mind of which Macbeth is deprived. Although Banquos violent behaviours are not explicitly described, audience can understand that Banquo, as a warrior, is capable of violence. His acts of violence, however, are justified by his selfless patriotism. In the play, Shakespeare uses Banquo as a moral contrast against Macbeth. They are of similar background, official rank and power at the beginning of Macbeth; they both face the tempting prophecy. However, Banquo endeavours to keep [his] bosom franchised and allegiance clear (II.i.26-7) while Macbeth jump[s] the life to come to commit murders (I.vii.7). The fact that Banquo succeeds in upholding morality in the same temptation suggests that Macbeths tragic ending is not a result of fatalism, but karma out of volitional actions. Karma is hugely based on ethical consideration and moral accountability. With moral actions, Banquos family line is blessed with good karma, contrasting Macbeths violence-induced fatal karma. Macduff, who performed the visually bloodiest violence by cutting and displaying Macbeths head, is also exempted from bad karma.Ã [2]Ã Since Macbeth has no children of his own, it is unlikely that Macduffs bloody deed would provoke another loop of violence against himself. It is reasonable to suggest that, Macduffs violent action, as a karma on Macbeth, is justified by its good intention of saving Scotland from the tyranny. The above examples of karma contrast against the deadly karma on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In Macbeths case, he performs all the violence based on his desire for power and the fear in securing it. Accordingly, he is subjected to karmic effects, which mostly take the form of internal struggles. Booth concluded that, all three murders towards Duncan, Banquo and Macduffs family are followed immediately by scenes of suffering and self-tortures (Booth 31). After Duncans murder, every noise appals Macbeth and he hears ominous voices threatening that he could no longer sleep with peace (II.ii.56). Although Macbeth does not show explicit guilt after Banquos death, his sub-conscience tortures him. He is startled by the image of Banquos phantom despite his self-regard as a fearless man. Macbeths soul becomes weary after murdering Macduffs family. He pessimistically believes that [his] way of life / [i]s falln into the sere, the yellow leaf, / [a]nd that which should accompany old age, / [a]s h onor, love, obedience, troops of friends, / [he] must not look to have.(V.iii.22-6). Ironically, Macbeth has traded his soul, friends, honour for a fruitless crown and a lifeless life. He is caught in a tragedy of his own making. In this way, the karma on Macbeth manifests as his internal struggles. Despite sympathy towards Macbeth, Macbeths selfishness, betrayal and violence deserve his own deadly and violent karma. As suggested by the Bible, For the wages of sin is death (Roman 5: 23). Therefore, given his murderous deeds, his death has to be brutally violent for moral justification. Macbeths tragic death implies that Shakespeare has acknowledged the immorality of Macbeths violent deeds. Lady Macbeth, similarly, has to pay a price for pouring [her] spirit in [Macbeths] ear, / [a]nd chastise[s] with the valour of [her] tongue (I.v.24-5) Ribner commented that The relationship between Macbeth and his wife steadily deteriorates . . . . The force of evil severs Macbeth from the rest of humanity; it breaks also the bond which ties him to his wife. He lives more and more closely with his own fears into which she cannot intrude . . . . No longer does he confide in her. (Ribner 164) Considering Lady Macbeths admiration to Macbeth and her devotion to help him get the throne, psychological separation between the couple is unbearable to Lady Macbeth. It is reasonable to deduce that this psychological separation may explain her mental breakdown and loss of masculinity displayed before. The fact that the seemingly evil Lady Macbeth is also subjected to karmic condemnation from her own conscience may signifies her humanness, but more importantly, the deadly karma is to impose moral judgement on her behaviours. Karma of a particular behaviour reflects its moral nature and judgement. In Macbeth, not all violent deeds result in bad karma. Considering the play is set in a political disturbed period in which Scotland was first traumatized by traitors and then Macbeth the Tyrant, violence, to a certain extent, was a norm in that era. The fact that Scotland restores her order through violence against Macbeth suggests that some violence is morally right. These characters who perform violence for morally right reasons can be exempted from bad karma. Karma, in Buddhist belief, is controlled by a Supreme Being. Shakespeare, as a Supreme Being of this play, reflects judgements towards the characters behaviours with different karmas resulted. Karma on violence, therefore, gives the audience some ideas on the morality of violence. Violence is the linking element that drives plot development. It is through the recurring nature of karma that violence in Macbeth trammel[s] up the consequence (I.vii.3) of Macbeths self-destruction. By designing different karmic effects, Shakespeare explores the good and evil of violence. Although sympathy towards human flaws may be valued, it is necessary to have deadly karma for ill-intended murders committed. Violence, therefore, is not merely a part of the plot. It is the driving force of the plot and a subtle exploration on morality of violence.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Causality and Timeliness Essay
Timeliness is important in all aspects of life. In the army they say ââ¬Å"10 minutes prior is on time, and being on time is lateâ⬠, that is the standard set forth and expected to be accomplished by the armed forces. By oversleeping I not only failed to meet the standard, I also failed my squad and my platoon because they did not have accountability of everyone, another main standard of the army. I also took the time of my team leader, who had to sit and wait for me while everyone else did PT. Missing movement not only cost me more time in the end, it cost the whole rest of the unit in one way or another. Timeliness is also the first step in a soldiersââ¬â¢ task to keep accountability at all times. Accountability is defined by Websterââ¬â¢s Dictionary as being required to explain actions or decisions to someone. Another definition is being required to be responsible for something. As soldiers, we are always expected to be able to explain our actions to our chain of comman d, and to take responsibility for them. Inability to do so can lead to loss of time and resources, adverse action, UCMJ action, or even separation from the armed forces. In a strategic environment, timeliness is important in everything we do. Everyday soldiers in the unit work in fast-paced intelligence environments and being even a few minutes late in a mission situation could cost valuable intelligence or even lives. Even routine reports must be sent out on a strict timeframe, and failure to meet that standard could cause it to lose value, or cause a setback in a mission elsewhere. Being military intelligence soldiers, we are also required to attend training; whether it be language, technical, or unit trainings. Failing to report to classes on time could not only cause a soldier to miss important coursework, but could potentially result in the soldier getting dropped from the class. This not only hurts the soldiersââ¬â¢ advancement as an intelligence professional, it causes degradation of the mission. Not having all the required training to accomplish the mission causes everyone around the soldier to pick up the slack. By not being able to do something as simple as 10 minutes prior, the soldier can potentially affect the work of an entire office full of people. Most important information pertaining to the unit is put out at morning formations, STTs, and Commandersââ¬â¢ Calls. Being late to any of these events can not only bringà adverse action against a soldier for that event, it could also cause the soldier to miss pertinent information about upcoming events; potentially causing more corrective training or even UCMJ action. Article 87 of the Code of Military Justice ââ¬Å"Missing Movementâ⬠states ââ¬Å"any member of the armed forces who neglect or design to miss the movement of a ship, aircraft, or unit with which they are required in the course of duty to move can be punished as a court martial may directâ⬠. Untimliness is not only a detriment to the strategic environment; it can be life altering in the tactical environment. Failure to maintain proper timelines and accountability of soldiers and equipment during field exercises can result in accidents and loss of government property. The army has another saying ââ¬Å"train how you fightâ⬠, meaning to treat every exercise just as if it were a real-life combat situation so that a soldier would know exactly what they needed to do if that situation actually came to be. Inability to be on time for training events hit times, etc; shows that a soldier could potentially not be reliable in a more serious situation. This causes breakdown of unit cohesiveness and esprit deââ¬â¢ corps. In a theater of war, failure to meet a deadline or miss movement can lead to the capture of strategic assets or intelligence, giving the enemy an advantage. It could also potentially lead to injuries, fatalities, or even the capture of United States or ally service members. When a service member is deployed to a combat zone, being late could not only cause the failure of the mission, it could potentially be the difference between life and death. A soldierââ¬â¢s untimeliness may not only result in their death, but could cost the lives of others. For example, if a soldier assigned to a route clearance platoon is late for movement and causes their convoy to waste time looking for them instead of making their route before the movement of another unit, it could cost the lives of many others without them realizing. Timeliness is also important in the civilian world. In order to consistently hold down a job in the civilian sector, a person must make sure that they are on time for work or they could potentially lose their job. Being late to an interview is practically a guarantee that a person would not be hired for employment with a company, even though that person may have the skills and qualifications necessary for the position. Arriving late to medical appointments can potentially result in your appointment being canceled, causing degradation to onesââ¬â¢ health andà missing out on treatment that could prevent something more serious in the long run. Timeliness shows discipline, and without discipline the armed forces would not be able to accomplish the mission. Without discipline, the entire command structure would degrade and the enemy would be given a huge advantage, causing loss of life, equipment, or strategic advantage.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
M*A*S*H: The Evolution
From a simple book turned into a movie then to one of televisionââ¬â¢s greatest legend, M*A*S*H had beautifully evolved to a work of art. Its popularity and stretched life span is enough testimony for the showââ¬â¢s qualityââ¬ânot to mention several nominations and awards. It was one of the most watched television shows of its time. Much of the showââ¬â¢s success is the fruit of fine ensemble acting, beautifully written witty script, and the most noticeable of all: the innovative use of the camera. The scriptââ¬â¢s satirical charm has won the loyalty of fans through its clever use of humor. Overlapping dialogues was a device frequently used by the show. This gave the script wit and it sounded very natural. It also made way for some of the showââ¬â¢s most famous punch-lines. The script can be easily followed by the audience even though itââ¬â¢s episodic. It followed a solid story that has kept the audience entertained. It debunked the idea that war story genre had to be have a serious atmosphere. M*A*S*H is considered as a show ahead of its time. The show had stood firm through the years even though it underwent several changes like changes of cast members and important people behind the camera. The early episodes of M*A*S*H, though lacking the production equipment we have now, was shot in style. Stylish zooms were used and quite got the attention of critics. Camera techniques were very important in the storytelling. à The zooming and panning used in the show is now a convention in television shows. We should also appreciate the showââ¬â¢s long shots. This is not done much in television productions, even today with all the advancement in camera technology. To think that M*A*S*H was able to produce such kind of high-quality show is very impressive even to todayââ¬â¢s most acclaimed directors. As a war story, the cinematography has to give the audience a war story feel. M*A*S*H has succeeded in that aspect and continued to further improve the quality of cinematography.à The early years of production had to work with average level equipments. As time had gone by and the pilot show promised popularity, they were given more money to take the show to the next level and set the show apart from the other shows of that time. More money is now available to acquire equipment to improve lighting and sounds. The improved lighting, letââ¬â¢s just say that it made the show more easy to the eyes. The lighting made the shots eye candies. It highlighted the colors of the situation and delivered the feel of war to television screens. The close-up to actors is now reduced of unwanted shadows that maybe distracting to the audience. The costume, especially in the later episodes was given more color and character by the improved lighting. The long shots and the other camera shots made in the exterior were improved to a point that the audience can feel the situation. The shots made in the interior were also improved by the lighting. It gave a more in depth feel of rooms for medical attention in the gory times of wars. The improvement of sounds also contributed much to the showââ¬â¢s success. From the opening credits to the closing, the tunes are catchy enough to keep the audience attention intact. The background music doesnââ¬â¢t over power the actorââ¬â¢s voice while he or she is speaking his or her line. This is very important to a television show and M*A*S*H seems to be very aware of that fact. The background music is just there to heighten the emotion of scenes, not to be the scene itself.à Audibility is a major factor to be considered in every production.à M*A*S*H has also improved in this aspect. From gunshots to door creeks, from shouts to whispers, audibility has definitely improved. Multiple editing also became an important facto to the showââ¬â¢s success. The pursuit of quality is clearly meticulously pursued by the show. This is vey hard for a production because aside form the fact that it is costing the production more money, it is causing the production precious time. Wastes in time in a television production are unforgivable in the genre. There is never a day that a television production has no tight deadline to meet.à But the sacrifice made by the production to further improve the quality of their show is really impressive, especially during their time where editing equipment is rather slow by the standard of today and the budget is tight. M*A*S*H is a television show that the shows of today is modeled. M*A*S*H has all the necessary factors for a hit show. It is the recipe that should be followed by the shows of today if they want to run for more than a decade like M*A*S*H did.à M*A*S*H may have been to several heavy changes, but the important thing they did is that kept the quality of their show high and kept giving their audience entertained and laughing even to the most serious of situations like war. This show has shown us how effective the camera is in the aspect of storytelling. The exploration of M*A*S*H in the use of camera is phenomenal. They are one of the pioneers of such effective use of the camera. This show has proven that an expensive camera is not the formula for a hit show. It is the use of that camera that is very important. Todayââ¬â¢s television shows that lacks on this aspect should look back and study M*A*S*H as their model show. To think that M*A*S*H can still stand toe to toe to a television show of today really proves its legendary reputation. If only the use of cameras now has the same motivation and passion just like the people of M*A*S*H, I am very excited to think of the possibilities. The cameras of today are way beyond the capabilities of the cameras back then. If the new technologies is only used and pushed to its full potential, who knows how high the level of quality we can achieve. Reference Editorial Reviews. 2000. Mash- Season One on TV. Retrieved 0ctober 29, 2007
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