Is Benjamin Franklin a Quintessential American?

Being a quintessential person in the American setting requires several elements that are identified and attached by other people as a true characteristic of patriotism. The picture drawn for quintessence is one where the person serves as the ideal model for the American people and the steps taken by the person are to be remembered as these are the ideals that put forward progress within the nation once adopted in good terms.Despite the lack of spontaneous and complete information com/his-review-of-the-autobiography-of-benjamin-ben-franklin-all/">written by Benjamin Franklin regarding some events in his life, he has shown to be a quintessential American from his early years up to the last pages of his autobiography. First, he has the brevity and courage that pushed him never to give up and try all the resources at his reach. When he was working for his brother, differences are highlighted among them and he decided to leave him (Franklin, 1996). He proceeded to move to other areas wher e he could get employment as his brother prevented him from getting employed in their town (Franklin, 1996).Employment is an important part of the economy and more and more people are competing for the different jobs available. For some, it becomes very difficult that lead them to give up. However, Benjamin Franklin tried all the means at his disposal and never gave up. Eventually, at the later part of the book, it proves to be the most important characteristic that gave him success in life as he proves to be a real-life example of the American Dream, which at that time is an element attached to the American country.The perseverance, courage, and brevity in the challenges faced in life are important because these are needed in coping through difficult times. Moreover, these positive attitude and approaches serve as factors towards success in overcoming problems. Second, the courage to make a difference and help others can be seen as a small, yet significant, act that contributes to progress. In the early part of his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin helped a man from drowning as they met a storm during his trip away from his brother (Franklin, 1996).Acts of kindness and generosity when adopted as a way of everyday living could make a change in the way people treat one another. It serves as a means through which cooperation could be enhanced and the trust of people with one another rebuilt. With what Benjamin Franklin did, he showed that it is possible to help other people and make a difference in their lives. Third, Benjamin Franklin portrays an image of a person who is always thirsty for knowledge and never ceases to hone and earn these in every single way he can.Education is an important investment for people as this is seen to be a tool which one can rely on in pursuit of progress. It serves as the vehicle for development in one country where investing in the education of the people is a step taken towards the betterment in the society and uplifting the cond itions of living. The very reason as to why the government steers and places education among its priorities is because it wants its citizens to be literate. Likewise, every individual aims for it because of the advantage it gives in terms of employment and career growth.Unfortunately, only a few of the people nowadays are given access to formal institutions of education and receive a diploma. This leaves potential skills and talents unharnessed and serve as a wasted resource for the country when not put into use. Fourth, he has proven himself as a genius because of the discoveries he made in relation to science, such as that of the stove. Aside from being a hardworking business man, he managed to become affiliated with science as he made his studies with his goals aligned with that of science. This goal is to provide easier and more efficient means in terms of carrying out tasks and other activities.He has given his time and effort in order to provide scientific advancements, which may not be as significant as the others but still remain to be an applauded achievement. His dedication to make his own contributions gave him the chance to give discover for the use of the people. Fifth, he constantly made himself aware of the political issues that abound the nation and made the move to help such as his act of writing proposals to gather funds to support colonial defense during the war between England and France (Franklin, 1996).While he may not have a personal interest in terms of the war, he still had the initiative to provide for support and make his cause ripple through his solicitations. His support for the political causes reflects a support for the country and the initiative to help in times where there is a great need. This is important because having people who are aware of the situation is sometimes not enough. There is a greater need for people who wish to take action during times where an active approach is needed.Every little act of support counts when it makes a difference and contributes to the purpose of the country. Lastly, he has served for volunteer works for the country and the citizens. Volunteerism is a spirit that gives people a chance to know that they can do something to help solve problems. Even if it is seen as a tiny dot compared to the larger cause that is found in the society, volunteering for different causes is still counted as an important part of giving and serving the country.With the different initiatives and achievements Benjamin Franklin narrated in his book, he is really seen as a quintessential American. This is especially true in fulfilling the expectations attached to the American Dream. Beyond this, he has selflessly dedicated himself to the service of his nation and in making his own personal contributions in making a difference for the society. Reference Franklin, B. (1996). The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Dover Thrift Edition. New York: Dover Publications.

Disease in News

This article has been penned by Dr. Abigail Zuger who is an associate professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (JournalWatch ® Specialties, 2010).She is also the Senior Attending Physician at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center (JournalWatch ® Specialties, 2010). Dr.  Abigail Zuger has exhibited expertise and special interest in the infectious diseases and specifically HIV infection as can be evidenced by her role as HIV specialist and a board certified internist in infectious disease and specifically HIV.In this particular peer-reviewed article, â€Å"Can Counseling Change Heterosexual HIV Transmission Rates,† Abigail bases her argument on a program conducted specifically on African-American heterosexual couples to assess the impact, if any, of the counseling on heterosexual transmission (Zuger, 2010).It is from the findings of this study that she came up with her conclusion that there is negligible, if any, impact of counseling on heterosexual HIV transmission within a number of communities, this therefore exonerates her from blame or accusation of bias in coming up with such an argument especially bearing the fact that counseling has been enlisted by majority of countries as a tool of reducing HIV prevalence rates within their population.Introduction For almost twenty years now most people have come to know of their HIV status through the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT), a client-initiated AIDS testing and counseling. Because of its effectiveness in creating HIV awareness almost all governments have employed it in one way or the other in their effort at decelerating the rate of this killer disease (Buckley, 2002).One thing that this article notes that most of the us might not be familiar with is that counseling has not been able to directly reduce the HIV rates; instead it has created awareness about this disease thereby making knowledge of HIV status more prevalent and enabling peop le living with HIV to join care and treatment initiative of HIV while enabling those living without it to avoid HIV exposure and remain negative (World Health Organization, 2010).Therefore Abigail argument can be interpreted to mean that HIV rates are only indirectly influenced by counseling services but not directly as some people might think, therefore there are other factors that have to be present for counseling to be effective in reducing the rates of HIV prevalence and incidence. The reason why the program that Dr. Abigail bases her opinion on was carried out on African-American community is due to the fact that HIV incidence and prevalence has been disproportionately high within this community and especially heterosexual transmission (Zuger, 2010).The article’s content This article is all about the effectiveness of counseling has a tool of reducing the incidence and prevalence of HIV, in exploring the effectiveness of this method the author analysis a program undertake n on 535 HIV serodiscordant couples to check on whether their sexual behaviors before the counseling sessions are influenced in any way by the counseling itself (Zuger, 2010).It is disappointing to note that they seem to put into effect the sexual-risk reduction measures that they are taught for only a short period (12 months) and then revert back to business has usually which explain why HIV prevalence and incidence rates are high within this community more than any other in the United States. There is little evidence that members of this community avoid high-risk sexual behaviors after a counseling session providing them with sexual-risk reduction strategies. Article’s ClaimsEven though the author makes the humble submission that there is little that counseling can do to reduced the incident and prevalence of heterosexual HIV transmission within the African American community she which she bases from a didactic program, she is quick to note that further research, most proba bly not based on education program, should be conducted to reinforce the findings of this one that she bases her argument, this is captured in the comment section of this article where she declares her reservations when it come to data taken just after a didactic program just like this one (Zuger, 2010).Article’s claims HIV treatment The article might be silent on the probable treatment of this infection but the author offers advice on the best course of action in reducing HIV infection. This is best captured when he suggest that â€Å"similar counseling tools could be streamline into a long-term effort that would have more palpable success. (Zuger, 2010)† One thing about the finding of this article that a keen observer would note is that they might not apply in all circumstances, however the Multipronged approach that the author advocates for can and should be applied in all places because of its universality.It is evident that there are some communities where members have adopted sexual-risk reduction practices permanent after attending sexual-risk reduction counseling session. I also agree with the author that didactic programs are not always the best to draw a general conclusion on matter as sensitive as a HIV transmission. This therefore denies this article a national or even a global application. The inapplicability of the finding of this article in the national or global stage is further reinforced by the lack of the any scientific evidence to support the claims that this article makes. ConclusionThis article opens a case for further investigation, based on the findings of that programs that the authors bases her arguments it is likely that HIV incidences and prevalence are not sensitive to counseling in certain setting, it might also be possible that in other settings, like Brazil for instance where counseling has positively been credited with the reduction of incidence and prevalence of HIV (AVERTing, HIV and AIDS, 2010), the prevalence and incidence of HIV have responded to counseling and testing thereby making it an important procedure not just in enabling people to know their HIV status but also in empowering those not found living with HIV with information and techniques, like sexual-risk reduction practices, that will prevent them from contacting HIV and thereby reducing its prevalence and incidence among this population. One of the reasons which cast doubt on the finding of this program that the author bases her arguments is the fact that counseling and testing have been employed in almost all places and communities where HIV prevalence and incidence have been high thereby giving it a thumb-up (literary) when it comes to reducing HIV prevalence and incidence. That is the reason why counseling has been noted to be more helpful to people who have HIV because it has taught them on how to reduce HIV exposure and remain negative majority of whom have obeyed that call and backed it with actions. ReferencesZuger, Ab igail, Can Counseling Change Heterosexual HIV Transmission Rates, Journal watch HIV/AIDS Clinical Care 26 July 2010 World Health Organization, (2010). HIV Testing and Counseling. Retrieved 9 August 2010 from http://www. who. int/hiv/topics/vct/en/index. html JournalWatch ® Specialties, (2010). About The Journal Watch HIV/AIDS Clinical Care Editorial Board. Retrieved 9 August 2010 from http://aids-clinical-care. jwatch. org/misc/board_about. dtl#aZuger AVERTing, HIV and AIDS, (2010). HIV and AIDS in Brazil. Retrieved 9 August 2010 from http://www. avert. org/aids-brazil. htm Buckley, R. Michael, (2002). HIV Infection in Primary Care. Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences

Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Ethical Issues - Essay Example Computers and information systems have become part of human lives and, as a result, have created an opportunity for abuse and misuse hence raising the issue of ethics (Haag & Cummings, 2013). There is an ethical issue relating to the privacy of personal information and increasing concern about storage and access to personal details (Haag & Cummings, 2013). The risk of losing individual privacy affects information system because some people are unwilling to transact online for fear of exposing personal details to unintended persons. On the other organizations are incurring a lot of expenses to protect clients details from unauthorized users. Although organizations cannot fully prevent unauthorized access clients information, they can limit the accessibility by installing security details such as data encryption and use of passwords (Haag & Cummings, 2013). In conclusion, the use of information technology and systems has both positive and negative implications in the society. Although it has improved interactions of persons across the globe, it has caused ethical issues such as loss of privacy through unauthorized access to personal details. Organizations should improve protection of personal information. However, organizations should provide their clients with training on what information they should share and how to protect their privacy against unintended

An evaluation something on campus after closely studying this Essay

An evaluation something on campus after closely studying this something ,develop fair criteria topic can be a specific place,event,or service(must be on campus) - Essay Example The staff has been specifically trained and organized to manage the health of the students. There is enough medication for the students in the college and this leads to a better way of running the campus since there is not much time wasted on treating the students. One of the major drawbacks of the health care systems is that it has a paying fees for the service provided, which comes at a cost to the students who expect subsidised costs and cheap services, which is something missing from this system. The health care system also does not have enough space to cater to a large number of people at the same time, and this may prove to be futile if there arises a need to cater to a large number of students. Since all the students are eligible for treatments it basically depends on who can afford the treatment and who cannot. To meet the requirement of each and every student the college has made sure that the treatment comes cheap and not too expensive so that the people don’t have to think twice before going for the health care system. The health care center also offers health insurance for the students at a very nominal charge. This is done to facilitate health consciousness and awareness among the students of the college and to allow them to retain benefit from the college at the cheapest prices. The idea is to make sure that if anything happens to the students then the health insurance will cover the greatest of the greatest costs of the students and that shall also help him to undergo his treatment at low prices. Whenever a student visits the college a confidential health record is maintained by the college health center. This is done to maintain the privacy of the student and also in the best interest of medical ethics. There are certain rights which the patient has and these shall be understood in detail. The first and the foremost right the patient has is the right to be given quality treatment irrespective of the background of the

A portfolio about Yue Minjun (an artist), and discussing the meaning Essay

A portfolio about Yue Minjun (an artist), and discussing the meaning of the work, it's form, its context, its qualities - Essay Example He began as a struggling artist in the 1990s as a member of the artistic community at Yuan Ming Yuan in the outskirts of Beijing away from the penetrating eyes of political persecution. When the community broke up, Mingjun shifted to Tongxian, where he flourished, along with other artists. The reason for his success can be attributed by what is known as "cynical realism" in post modernist art. Almost all his works so far, without exception, have contained self-portraits which from a distance look like they are bursting with mirth. But once one sees the gaping blackness of their mouths and eyes closed tightly shut, almost rolling in apparent hilarity in sad, desperate contexts, one realizes that the laughter could be a laughter of absurdity, of cynicism and of critical political commentary. The laughter has been a hallmark of Mingjun's work, making it instantly recognizable, and it has been interpreted variously by different people at disparate points of time. But the artist himself sees his laughing self-portrait as a part of his evolution from the despair of his past, where reality was so very different from his idea of ideal existence. In his opinion, sometimes the only reaction left in the face of utter despair is laughter. The laughter also comes in part from the Chinese tradition of the Laughing Buddha, whose permanent expression is that of laughter, and who is addit

MAKE UP SCHOOL POLICY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MAKE UP SCHOOL POLICY - Essay Example It should also be noted that behaviour is one of the dominant discourses in schooling (Ball, Maguire and Braun 98). This public, high school, student behaviour policy aims at promoting high standards of behaviour to enhance a secure environment for all, which is orderly and safe. The behaviour policy contains the following elements. ... not use bad language Both students and school staff should respect each other The policy includes the major stakeholders of the school, and this includes; Students Teachers and Other School Staff Parents According to the policy, various stakeholders should perform the following roles as outlined; Principal Ensure that there is a safe and a peaceful atmosphere for both students and staff Implement and monitor this behaviour policy Ensure consistent disciplinary actions for those act contrary to this behaviour policy Teachers and Other Staff Take part in the implementation of the student behaviour policy and instil good behaviour among students Report cases of disruptive behaviour for punishment Students Follow the guidelines provided in the student behaviour policy and comply with directions Demonstrate respect for teachers, colleagues, and other staff, and should not engage in any form of misconduct Parents Offer support to schools during the student behaviour policy implementation T he school rewards and offers acknowledgment certificates to those who encourage good behaviour and discourage unacceptable behaviour. PART II: ARGUMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED SCHOOL POLICY An orderly learning environment is necessary for every school to enhance smooth learning, without interruptions. Student misbehaviour in high schools is a significant cause of learning disruptions. It should be note that student misbehaviour is an international concern. According to (The Guardian par 5), student misbehaviour disrupts lessons in sixty percent of the schools in world. Students enjoy classes where there is no disruption, but this is not always the case for some schools because of student misbehaviour. Student misbehaviour has led to negative consequences in the achievement of

History of India and China Course Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of India and China Course Profile - Essay Example This course has deepened my interest in history. I found the archaeology of China very interesting.   We followed China’s evolutionary trajectories from the last Paleolithic groups that gathered hunting to the dynasty of Bronze Age Shang in second millennium BC’s second half. We learned that the sociopolitical evolution of China was multicentric. Competition and factionalism played a huge role in shaping the sociopolitical evolution of China. We studied the history of the ancient temple, Angkor Wat. It was a very special time in many ways. Not only did it preserve the history in terms of being the largest religious monument of ancient times, but its architecture also suggests how it shifted from being a religious place primarily from Hindus through to the Buddhists. An interesting finding was that it was the largest city in the world till the start of the Industrial Revolution. We were also surprised to know that Mahendraparvata, a lost city, has also been identified in it. The archaeology of India was also very interesting. The Mughal palaces and architecture were very elegant and inspiring. India’s archaeology made me realize how long have people been practicing Hinduism and Buddhism. Other things I learned about included but were not limited to the 7 billion think piece and Surviving In Bangladesh Having taken this course, I have become more conscious with respect to environmental health and safety. I have decided to change my life in ways that are better for the environmental protection. One day, someone from my 9th or 10th generation will be studying our archaeology.

Screening America in Hollywood Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Screening America in Hollywood Film - Essay Example Besides, post-war cultural changes affected the society as a whole and this is evident in the portrayal of male and female protagonists in general. Similarly, anxieties around gender identity resulted in the change in traditional gender roles, and it ended up in the formation of realistic role model for the working woman. Within this scenario, it is evident that post-war cultural changes and anxieties around gender identity forced the directors to portray the images of gender in post-war Hollywood cinema with difference. Thesis statement: The close examination of the images of gender in post-war Hollywood cinema, considering the ways in which films of this period illustrate both post-war cultural changes and anxieties around gender identity proves that post –war cultural changes resulted in the ideal image of professional male and suburban housewife, change in traditional gender roles, the image of working-class masculinity, the desire for sexual passivity, portrayal of weak male sexuality, female dissatisfaction, anxiety over changing nature of masculinity, unacceptability towards war-time masculinity, and the portrayal of gender roles as social constructions, and anxieties around gender identity resulted in the change in traditional gender identity, portrayal of tensions between male and fem ale members, changing female role (sexual freedom), conflict with disrupted gender roles, change in gender roles related to free education and loans for loans for homes and businesses, portrayal of the influence of consumerism over female gender role, the general urge to link femininity to domesticity, disrupting home life, and emergence of realistic role model for the working woman (special references to the post-WWII films related to post-war cultural changes and anxieties around gender identity). One can see that the WWII resulted in the mass migration from urban areas to suburban areas within the different states in US. To be specific, this can be

Melodramatic stage Essay Example for Free

Melodramatic stage Essay It isnt so free here either, Rodolfo, like you think. I seen greenhorns sometimes get in trouble that way they think just because girls do not go around with a shawl around her head that she isnt strict, yknow? Girls dont have to wear black dresses to be strict. Know what I mean?  Although Eddie did not absolutely loose his temper he has forewarned Rodolfo very frankly in front of the whole of household that he should keep his distance from Catherine. Well, I always have respect   I know, but in your town you wouldnt just drag off some girl without permission, you know what I mean Marco?  Marco who has been quiet until now cautiously says yes, he does not want to interfere between Rodolfo and Catherine but does not want to answer Eddie no as this would make Eddie distrustful of him, which he wants to avoid.  Well he didnt just drag her off though, Eddie.  Beatrice on the other hand gets fractious by this and sharply replies to Eddie, Eddie aware of her criticising force softens up but doesnt stop. He goes on to say   It might be a little different here, but it is just as strict. Rodolfo now realises Eddies anger for him and in a tender-hearted voice asks him-  Did I do anything wrong.  Eddie now propitiates and tells him that he is not her father, but before he could finish, Beatrice ungraciously interrupts and rebukes him to be her uncle. Eddie realising her indignation keeps his temper under control, as he wants to show Rodolfo who is the person in jurisdiction of the house  Marco who has been without intervention listening to the whole matter gets up in a censurable way and asks Beatrice and Eddie to tell Rodolfo, if he has made any mistakes. Marco probably does not fully actualizes Eddies anger against Rodolfo yet, he thinks it is ephemeral and tries to make things more transparent and satisfy Eddie. Beatrice tells Eddie that the reason why Rodolfo and Catherine came late was because the movie ended late, but Marco tries to calm Eddie by asking Rodolfo to come home early. Eddie sensing Marco on his side tries to restrict Rodolfos movements and stop him going out with Catherine by saying   Look, kid, I am not only talking about her. The more you run around like this more chance there is that you get picked by immigration bureau.  Beatrice senses Eddies intentions and again ungraciously interrupts him between his conversations and says that there is the same chance in the daytime. Until now Eddie has been attempting to make his point Non contentiously, but after being ungraciously rebuked by Beatrice, he gracelessly tells cousins that he thought they were both coming here to work and earn money, not fool around. This exceptionally strikes with Marco as he has responsibility for feeding his wife and children. Marco confirms with Eddie, that this is still the case. This embarrasses Marco, because by saying that if you are here to work than you should work, Eddie is essentially saying you can only live in my house if, you work hard and particularly mind your own business. This is of exceptional significance to Marco as he has four children and a wife who he has to send money which provides for their food and medicine, or else they would die. This is also the first awkwardness between Marco and Eddie as until now Eddie has regarded Marco as a hard working man and always respected him. Catherine who is the focal point of this entire repercussion between cousins and Eddie is now glowing with revolt against him. Catherine who is a grown up girl, who wants to be free and spend more time with Rodolfo views Eddie as someone preventing her from outside world, indeed, Eddie is obsessed with Catherine and is extremely over-protective towards her. He wants to dominate every aspect of her life, from the clothes she wears to the person she waves to and where she should go for a job. And now Catherine flushed with anger tries to disobey Eddie by inviting Rodolfo to dance with her on Paper Doll. Rodolfo, who is afraid that Eddie may make an issue of this, shows some fictional unwillingness in difference to Eddie. Beatrice countenances Rodolfo to go ahead and dance. Catherine takes Rodolfos hand and he stiffly rises, feeling Eddies eyes on his back they dance. The tension between the characters can be easily seen in their actions. Catherines rebellious behaviour is easily visible, when she goes to Rodolfo and takes his hand in her hand and invites him to dance. Rodolfo doesnt easily agrees to dance, he first shows fictional unwillingness feeling Eddies eyes on his back, but after being inspired by Beatrice stiffly rises and goes to dance.  Eddie perceiving the tension in the house does not react to Catherine dancing with Rodolfo, but turns his head away in a very deprecate demeanour. At this point in the play, audience know that Eddie Carbone is very prophylactic towards his niece and he despises Rodolfo. This new crisis has taken a categorically different turn; Catherine is becoming more and more mutinous and Beatrice is advocating Rodolfo and Catherine. Eddie seems to be the only person secluded trying to what he thinks, protect Catherine from Rodolfo. Audience anticipate this extremity to be deciphered possibly by Beatrice. Throughout the whole play Beatrice has been impersonated by Miller as the most consequential person on Eddie Carbone, she has also actively tried to diffuse the tensions by jokes and in some contentions she has taken sides and silenced Eddie. She is also the person who is most consequential and proximate to Eddie. However, Carbone household is once again under strain, as Eddie Carbone the prophylactic, unpretentious character soon finds out that he is  Un-proficient to control his indignation, covetousness and detestation towards Rodolfo. Until now, Eddie has only been manifesting his indignation towards Rodolfo through declamation, but this melodramatically changes after Catherine, crimsoned with rebellion, disgusted with Eddies intervention in every countenance of her life invites Rodolfo to dance with her. This brings out an exorbitant indignation from Eddie, now we see Eddie expressing his vehemence not only through words but also through actions. After the dance, Eddie Carbone infuriated by his indignation delivers an atrocious dialogue to the whole of the household about Rodolfo.  Hes lucky, believe me. Thats why the waterfront is no place for him. I mean like me I cant cook, I cant sing, I cant make dresses, so Im on the waterfront. But if I could cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses, I wouldnt be on the water front.  This speech is of un-describable significance to the play. In this speech Eddie nearly exposes the whole issue in front of the whole household, by his dialogue but more by his actions. Eddie, by the end of his speech is perfunctorily twisting the newspaper in his hand in to a tight roll when it unexpectedly tears in half. This shows exasperated and how fretful Eddie has become of Rodolfos relationship with Catherine, and now Eddies indignation has reached a new level against Rodolfo and now his furore and ire can be seen in his actions. As seen throughout the whole play Miller uses melodramatic stage directions and often characters dramatize actions which changes the course of the whole play. For example, Eddies furore and ire against Rodolfo are disclosed, when Eddie rolls the newspaper in to a tight roll and then it tears in two. These types of actions not only give audiences clues of how this particular character will react to this character and to this kind of situation next time, but also gives them clues of what will happen next in the play.

Philip Larkin Poetry Analysis

Philip Larkin Poetry Analysis Introduction Meaning of the Term Movement The Movement is related to the work and concept of a group of poets of the nineteen-fifties entirely. The poets were Donald Davie, Kingsley Amis, Thorn Gunn, and many more. Philip Larkin (1922-1985), who was also one of the poets greatly believed to be closely related to it. These poets believed to have casted a rebellion against the raised romanticism and sensuousness from the nineteen-thirties to nineteen-fifties. The work of these poets was regarded and regarded as victorious of common sense and clarity over obscurity and mystification. It was regarded as a verbal restraint over stylistic excessive. Philip Larkin subtly deflates the familiar romantic childhood idyllic associated with other writers such as D.H. Lawrence and Dylan Thomas. Such characteristics were a source of enduring popularity for readers of that time. Stark and Naked Realities in Philip Larkins Poetry The nineteen-fifties was filled with a time when the universal attitude of the people and the writers was highly anti-romantic and largely anti-heroic. The World War II had come to a halt in 1945 and the euphoria caused over the defeat of the Nazi including fascist nations, and also of imperialist Japan too soon ended.This gave ways to a feeling of despondency and rejection over the impairment which even the victorious Allies had to suffer in great. Worldly, the Germans bombing raids over Britain had inflicted enormous damage on the country including the territories and thousand and millions of lives had been already lost. As a result, there was an air of disillusionment and disenchantment among the commoners as well as among the writers, poets, authors and artists of that time. A writer like Philip Larkin was more committed to a realistic and naturalistic display of life and the actual conditions of life over the country could not have contributed a romantic a real halo or a heroic quality to the life which he necessarily depicted in his poems. The city was clearly more than a place of comic disparagement for this writer. He could not have really portrayed heroes andtheir heroismon the face of the miseries, constraints and the financial problems which the country was experiencing at that time. The Welfare State was established but the results of that were not to satisfying and comforting. It had been accepted by many critics through their criticisms that the poets of that time during Movement did not at all existed as a literary group. But it has also been acknowledged that these poets basically operated in a significant cultural and social influence. The Movement was the product of the specific views about both literature and society and it in its turn helped to establish and to circularize and comment on such views. Philip Larkin wanted only to show the stark, crude, blunt realities of life in his poems and emerged as an extreme kind of all anti-heroes. He mocked at himself and also mocked at the people as well as the conditions that surrounded him. Wherever he found any chances of reinventing feature in social, economical and political life of the country he did not close his eyes to it but he instead was even keener and gloomily much aware of the sordidness of the commercialized, commodifiedand consumerised society. Many of his poems are based on self-awareness and most of them also contain also sharp criticisms on the society encompassing him. The unwillingness to tell lies, accuracy and fidelity to the actual state of affairs were the three most governing principles of Philip Larkins poetry. His poetry is truthful, and he does not try to impart any glamour or glitter to life as he saw it. He does not try to romanticize human relationships, not even the love relationship between men and women . To conclude, he does not depict himself as main protagonist of any sort and he does not depict any heroic individuals with codes of honor as seen in Greek literatures. In his poetry,there are no warriors and no knights-at-arms in his poetry. There are also no Romeos and Juliets of Shakespeare in his poetry. There are no war-like deed in his poetry, and there is no tendency at all forthe glorification of human beings or human relationships. We observe much of stark and naked realities in his poetry. CONTENT No Romance for Larkin in Love and Marriage An Arundel Tomb'(published in 1964) is a poem consisting of 7 verses with 6 lines each which is about an Earl of Arundel and his Countess or second wife. The poet here recognizes the feelings of mutual attachment between them in a way the sculptor has depicted them as holding hands of each other. But Larkin does not romanticize and bring out the feelings of joyfulness ofthis attachment and bonding between them. In the reversal, he expresses the view that this beautifully holding of hands was necessarily the sculptor’s discovery and not a representation of an actual or momentary moment. Henceforth, Philip Larkin witingly looks at the relationship between the Earl of Arundel and his second wife with the rationality and not emotions. In Dockery and Son .Philip Larkin says that, while a person of his same age had married early in life and has a son. He himself had never married and had no son or daughter. But he does notregard Dockery as high ranking to himself because of this sit uations in life. In other words, he does not comment much on marriage and of children. In Poetry of DeparturesPhilip Larkin expresses a desire to leave and travel but then eventually drops upthis idea or view. He does not romanticize travelling in the name of adventures or the gathering of knowledge its own sake. In all these poems we find Philip Larkin adopting an attitude to the most crucial aspects of life. Love, Relationships, marriage and travel are not in his notions something worth experiencing, rejoicing, marvelous and wonderful. A heroic life is necessarily also a romantic life but Philip Larkin finds no heroism, greatness, magnificense and no romance in love affairs and marriage. Individuals in Larkins Poems in a Heroic Mold The individuals portrayedby Philip Larkin in his poems are certainly in the heroic mold. The main character or the protagonist in his dramatic monologues is the poet Philip Larkin himself. In these poems he does not proclaim himself in any way. And in poems where he portrays some other persons, theyare not presented as a heroic figure. The poem Mr. Bleaney’ which he uses in his other novel as well ‘Jill’the speaker is he himself. Both of them have not been depicted as a figure of heroism in this following poem. Mr. Bleaney is and ordinary kind of manual worker who is modest, humble and unassuming leading a poverty stricken. Philip Larkin speaks about Mr. Bleaneyas an exposing his shallowness and his uninspiring life. But Larkin does not speak of himself in any of such manners. He certainly establishes his superior nature over Mr. Bleaney because of his higher spiritual and intellectual interests but instead he jokes at himself in the same manner while mocking at M r. Bleaney. In fact Philip Larkin irony is often directed against himself only. The poem titled I Remember, I Remember is the most appropriate example. Here he attacks the romantic notions of his childhood which in other poems he has described as a forgotten boredom. The Evangelist in Faith Healing Is Pulled Down from his pedestal In the poem Faith Healing , the Evangelist is not considered as an ideal or rather not been idealized. On the other side, Philip Larkin has given us a satirical picture of the Evangelist. The evangelist is the one who has great strength, courage and a God equal figure in the eyes of his women guests but Philip Larkin drags this false divine power down to the ground from the high pedestal which he occupies in the eyes of his women deities. No heroic attitude towards work In Toads and Toads Revisited, 1954 Philip Larkin does not necessarily permits a heroic attitude towards work and compares it to the Satan described as toad. He does not say Work is worship but rather he says that work is a toad(not wanted) squatting on his life and others. Work is the way which takes a human being to his grave and immortality. Thus Philip Larkin barely adjusts himself to a life of work instead of claiming that work uplifts a man. Nowhere in his work of poetry does Philip Larkin present to our eyes views of a struggle against or a resistance to the misfortunes of life. William Butler Yeats had certainly upholds and applauds the idea of a heroic struggle but Larkin does not do any such thing his poetry. Larkins Unheroic Attitude towards Death Larkin is an anti-hero in its own writing. He does not even adopt a heroic attitude towards death which is the major theme in his poetry. Larkin was haunted, preoccupied with the thought of death itself and in his poems he recollects us of the high inevitability of death. The poems Coming, Going, and Days are about death and the climax and culminate of his treatment of death comes in the poem Aubade. But nowhere does he defies death. He does not follow John Donnes lead where he had said: Death, be not proud . But Larkin does not make any such assumptions. He fears death as he flinches at the thought of death. He certainly does not show any fearlessness and audacity towards death. In one his poem, namely The Explosion which is about British class working people where does he exalts death as a means of bringing honour to a greater extent to the people who were killed in the Explosion or the blast. In general, he harbours the fearfulness of death and immortality. CONCLUSION Elements of Modernism; and Larkins Opposition to Them In his introduction to his anthology The New Poetry (1962), Alfred Alvarez attached the Movement poets of the nineteen-fifties, accusing them of an exaggerated provincialism, insularity, dullness, and a blunt refusal to learn anything from the imaginative excitements and the artistic aims associated with T.S. Eliot and modernism. Philip Larkin was the most distinguished member of the Movement, other names connected with the Movement being Thorn Gunn, Donald Davie, John Wain, D. J. Enright, and Kingsley Amis. Larkin was therefore the chief target of Alvarezs condemnation. In his early poetic career, Larkin had been much influenced by the symbolist poetry of W.B. Yeats but afterwards he rejected Yeats in favour of Thomas Hardy. In other words, from being something of a modernist, he subsequently became a traditionalist, and a critic of modernism. It was as an opponent of modernism that he declared his support to poets to whom technique seemed less important than content, and who accepted the styles and forms which they had inherited and through which they expressed their own content or ideas. It was not simply experimentation which Larkin deplored but the fact that some artists had begun to cultivate a relationship with their material rather than with their audience: and he deplored this fact because such artists in his opinion became easy prey to two principal trends, namely modernism and mystification. He said that his essential criticism of modernism, whether exemplified by Charlie Parker, Ezra Pound, or Picasso was due to the fact that modernism helped people neither to enjoy nor endure this kind of art. Modernist art, he further said, did not have any lasting power. Such art mystified or outraged the p eople. Every modernist in his opinion felt compelled to sink deeper and deeper into violence and vulgarity so far as art was concerned. Furthermore, Larkin seemed to think that modernist art, whether music, painting, or poetry, was complex and difficult to explain. In this view he was right because such modernist works as The Waste Land and Ulysses contain quotations from other texts thereby making themselves into complex and many-layered literary palimpsests. In Larkins opinion this sort of thing had encouraged a view of poetry which was almost mechanistic, namely that every poem must include all previous poems. Larkin held that every poem must be its own sole freshly-created universe and must, therefore, have no belief in a common myth-kitty. Larkin rejected the evolutionary view of poetry adopted and promoted by the modernists. His anti-modernism attracted him to the traditional poets such as Wordsworth and Tennyson. Larkin also admired John Betjeman even though this poet was not directl y associated with the Movement. Philip Larkin has much in common with all these earlier English poets. They all used a moderate tone of voice and accessible language-a language such as men do use. Besides, all these poets were centrally concerned with the relationship between themselves and to the landscapes and they habitually expressed a sense of communion with their surroundings in exalted terms. In other words, they were all intensely patriotic poets. And yet we must acknowledge at this point the fact that, although Philip Larkin has flatly rejected Modernism in theory, he is in practice a remarkably wide-ranging poet whose last volume of poems, entitled High Windows shows distinct modernist and symbolist leaning which he was supposed to have discarded quite early in his career. Nor can we claim that there is no obscurity at all in his poetry. Illustrations of Larkins Rejection of Modernism: His Raw Material We have now to turn to Larkins poetry in order to find out in what way or ways he has rejected modernism in his work. Rejecting the complexity and obscurity of Modernist poetry and rejecting the element of mystification in it. Larking chooses only familiar subjects and matters of daily interest for treatment in his poems. He does not deal with abstractions. He deals with the concrete realities of life. The subjects in his poems relate to common occurrences and daily happenings. In the poem At Grass, he meditates upon a number of retired race-horses whom are a concrete reality which anybody could have witnesses. Besides, anyone looking at those horses would have speculated upon their present status and its contrast with their past glory. There is nothing transcendental about the subject of the poem or Philip Larkins treatment of it even though some critics have said that the poem symbolically deals with human beings in their state of retirement from their life of activity and achievem ent. Lilies on a young Ladys Photograph Album is again a poem in the anti-modernist mode. It has as its theme a contrast between the past glamour and charm of a lady and her present condition. The glamour and the charm have now considerably declined; but the poet still cherishes a memory of them, and treasures them in his heart. Nothing could be more realistic than this contrast and the wistful feelings of the poet. WORK CITED Primary Sources Larkin, Philip. Collected Poems: Philip Larkin London: The Marvell Press, 1988 – The North Ship, London: Fortune Press, 1945 – The Less Deceived. York shire Marvell Press, 1955 – The Whitsun wedding. London Faber, 1964 – High Windows. London Faber and Faber, 1974 Secondary Resources Rajamouly.K. The poetry of Philip Larkin. A critical study, Prestige Books

Hairspray: The Cost of Beauty Is Too High Essay -- Beauty

Throughout the decades, women’s fashion has evolved many times, each time creating a fashion stamp unique to that particular decade. One thing has remained the same and managed to remain a part of every era: hairspray. It is a cosmetic product that is meant to hold hair in its place. A lot of products we use today are may have unseen consequences to daily usage. A product I use almost daily is hairspray. I always knew hairspray was bad for the environment because of the aerosol that was in them would break down the ozone layer, so I began to look at a specific hairspray that I use just about every morning and night, Sebastian Shaper Hairspray, Regular, Styling Mist for Hold & Control. This specific Sebastian Hairspray product is not only bad for the environment; it is also bad for humans and animals. Sebastian Shaper Hairspray Styling Mist for Hold and Control is bad for many reasons. To begin with the people who use the hairspray are slowly harming their body because the hairspray contains many harmful chemicals like alcohol, carcinogens, propellants, propane, and artificial fragrance. These substances can cause irritation of the skin, lungs and eyes, low blood pressure, breathing difficulty, and coma. It is currently unknown whether ingredients in hairspray are safe for humans to use, but many of the ingredients in this hairspray are unstable compounds and have potential to be harmful. For example before the 1970’s hairsprays contained the propellant vinyl chloride (VC), it took more than a decade to ban this ingredient even though it was known to be harmful for humans. According to the National Institute of Health, â€Å"As angiosarcoma of the liver (ASL) is a sentinel cancer from exposure to VC, identification of thes... ... 27 Mar. 2009. Web. 06 June 2012. . "Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Environmental Guidelines for Aluminum Manufacturing." Http://www.miga.org/documents/AluminumManufacturing.pdf. Web. "Occupational Safety and Health Guideline for Aluminum." Occupational Safety and Health Guideline for Aluminum. United States Department of Labor. Web. 06 June 2012. . "OCTINOXATE." National Library of Medicine. Web. 06 June 2012. . Wong, Curtis M. "Hungary Factory Reservoir Bursts, Floods Towns With Toxic Waste." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Oct. 2010. Web. 06 June 2012. .

Connie’s Choice in Where are you Going, Where have you Been? :: Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

Where are you Going, Where have you Been? – Connie’s Choice I think Connie opened the screen door because she wanted to escape from her life with her family into some kind of fantasy. I think there were other reasons also, but the story points to this one in many places. First of all, Connie was not happy at home. The story says that her father "was away at work most of the time," and "didn't bother talking much to them," so Connie didn't have love from him and had to find male attention somewhere else. Connie found her happiness in escaping with her friend to the drive-in restaurant and daydreaming about boys. But the happiness she found in both of these things had nothing to do with actual events; it is based on a fantasy. When she was out at the drive-in with a boy, her face gleamed "with the joy that had nothing to do with Eddie or even this place; it might have been the music." When she daydreamed about boys, they all "fell back and dissolved into a single face that was not even a face, but an idea, a feeling mixed up with the urgent pounding of the music..." A theme that runs through this story is that music seems to be the bridge from the real world into Connie's fantasy world. She doesn't know what she wants, but it's got something to do with "the music that made everything so good." When Arnold Friend drove up the driveway, Connie was listening to music, "bathed in a glow of slow-pulsed joy." She soon discovered that he was playing the same music in his car. This is not a coincidence; I think it makes a connection in the back of Connie's mind. And, the story says that it seemed to Connie like Arnold "had come from nowhere," and "belonged nowhere," and that everything about him "was only half real." I think in some strange way Arnold becomes to Connie the way to escape into her fantasy. When she learns his true intentions she is scared to death at first but eventually that fear gives way to "an emptiness." Connie thinks, "I'm not going to see my mother again... I'm not going to sleep in my bed again.