The One and Only Wife of Bath Essay - 2762 Words

The One and Only Wife of Bath In The Canterbury tales, Chaucer uses The Wife of Bath as a representation of what it was like for Women in the Middle Ages to be striped of equality and bow to the otherwise male dominated society. For the representation of women Chaucer uses the Tales of â€Å"The Scholar†, â€Å"The Second Nun â€Å"The Reeve’s†, and â€Å"The Franklin† and many others in a very dry, pretentious manner to steer readers into the view of how a women of the Middle Ages should be as a so called â€Å"virtuous† wife or woman. The concept of marriage plays a major part in manifesting the idea of the issues of inferiority of women. The perception rendered as women having to be obedient and inferior figure to their husbands or male counter parts. Chaucer†¦show more content†¦Her self-proclaimed wisdom and experience makes her justly and to a certain extent credible enough to stand in the position that she does that is as heroine of her time. The Wife of Baths Prologue is lengthy but everything said is important and captures a prime image of who the Wife of Bath truly is but also the society women are dealing with. Also her prologue retaliates against the problems of inferiority of women at hand. She does her best to defend herself for her life occurrences as well as preserving the merit of women. She explains a sensible woman only busies herself to win love were theres none(177), although one may say that this is a negative way for a woman to gain power .The positive note is that the wife of Bath cares to give the only advise she knows that has worked for her. The fact that the Wife of Bath cares about sharing advice in a sense that will cost women a chance to gain power ,cancels out the seven deadly sin of greed in her character. To expand on what was said about women and negative connotations that are placed upon them as the Wife of Bath points out was a matter that was seen even in writings of the time as her fifth husband read to her very often the wrong doings of wicked wives and how all women are a disturbance and only seek money and all the finer things from their men. The absolute goal was to make women look like nuisances. At this point there was much literal works to in her Prologue to prove the cynical mindShow MoreRelatedThe Wife Of Bath : A Story Of A Woman849 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wife of Bath is a story of a woman who has been married numerous times. The Wife was married five times to be exact. In which the Wife of Bath considers herself to be a professional due to her experiences of marriage. The Wife of Bath is on a defensive roll of defending marriage. This could be due to the many criticisms she has received from society itself. This tale also provides us with an understanding of the rol e of women from a personal perspective, as well as a societal perspective. InRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay587 Words   |  3 PagesThe Wife of Bath The Wife of Bath is the tale of an independent and headstrong woman. She strongly believes in the worth of every woman and that women should be dominant in their marriages. The Wife of Bath also directly speaks against strict religious claims for chastity and monogamy, using Biblical examples. These examples include Solomon to show that the Bible does not openly condemn all expressions of sexuality, even outside of marriage. The major characters of the Tale of the WifeRead MoreFeminism In Chaucers The Wife Of Bath1216 Words   |  5 PagesA large part of the study of literature deals with interpreting the original meaning of a work and attempting to understand how it applies to modern day readers. As with other pieces of literature, this is also true for Chaucer’s â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue,† where many contemporary scholars hail Chaucer as feminist icon for his depiction of an eloquent, independent woman. This interpretation, however, is flawed because it is highly anachronistic. Feminism, as we understand the term today, did notRead MoreEssay on The Wife of Bath751 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wife of Bath Prologue and Tale In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Wife of Bath seems to be one of the more cheerful characters on the pilgrimage. She has radical views about women and marriage in a time when women were expected to be passive toward men. There are many things consistent between The Wife of Baths prologue and her tale. The most obvious similarity that clearly shows the comparison between the prologue and the tale is dominance of both women over their husbandsRead MoreIntelligent, Manipulative, and Lovers: Women Throughout Literature953 Words   |  4 Pagesliterature, including Thousand and One Nights and the Canterbury Tales. In both of these works, women are shown to be very intelligent, experienced, manipulative, lovers, and fighters. Women since the beginning have been thought to be liars and both characters in Thousand and One Nights and the Canterbury Tales have all these characteristics and similar themes. The main characters are Shahrazad and the Wife of Bath, Shahrazad is fighting to live while the Wife of Bath is simply on a journey playing aRead MoreWife of Bath Vs The Prioress1222 Words   |  5 Pagesmartyr St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. The diverse group is a concoction of contradicting personalities that are intricately described by Chaucer. Among these twenty-nine excursionists are two women. One of them is the coquettish Prioress while the other one is the partially deaf Wife at Bath. Although both women possess discernable similarities, both possess divergent personalities and experiences. The Prioress, known as Madam Eglantyne, has an elegant nose, a Lilliputian, soft, andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Wife Of Bath 1660 Words   |  7 PagesThe Canterbury Fails: An Analysis of Misogyny in the Wife of Bath’s Tale At first glance, you wouldn’t think that the Wife of Bath’s tale is anything other than feminist. She is, undeniably, the only non-religious female character in The Canterbury Tales and therefore is the only character who is approached from a point of view that was generally uncommon. We don’t have many— or even any, as far as I’m aware— pieces of medieval literature written by or for women or with a main female protagonistRead More Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales1623 Words   |  7 Pages Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucers greatest and most memorable work. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a fictitious pilgrimage [to Canterbury] as a framing device for a number of stories (Norton 79). In The General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes in detail the pilgrims he meets in the inn on their way to Canterbury. Chaucer is the author, but also a character and the narrator, and acts likeRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath, By Geoffrey Chaucer1091 Words   |  5 Pagesalso explores this reality with his creation of the Wife of Bath’s Tale. Although her thoughts may have been a bit different from Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s, the character portrayed in this tale explores the duality of both challenging and upholding the patriarchy simultaneously. The Wife of Bath consistently uses her own interpretations of the Bible in order to explain the logic behind her actions. The prologue of the tale serves as a means for the Wife of Bath to attempt to explain the reason as to why she hasRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pagesbackground and life. Some pilgrims matched their stereotype of that time but most do not. The Prioress, Madame Eglentyne, and Wife of Bath, Allison, are two characters that do not fit their stereotype of the Middle Ages. Geoffrey Chaucer demonstrates a reflection of change in The Canterbury Tales by comparing their appearances, actions, and morals. The Prioress and Wife of Bath do not match the typical appearance of their character in the Middle Ages. Chaucer gives the Prioress abnormal pieces of clothing

Edgar Allan Poe s The Black Cat - 1771 Words

He doesn’t know what to do. He’s going crazy and can’t control himself. He needs help. Can anyone stop him? In â€Å"The Black Cat,† Edgar Allan Poe shows the narrator’s perverseness that takes over the character’s mind which leads him to making the wrong decisions. The main character drinks too much to the point where he cuts out one of his cat’s eye. After hanging it, another cat appears and acts like the first one which annoyed him to the point where his anger and perverseness is out of control causing him to attempt to murder his cat not only failing but killing his wife instead. Poe uses symbolism, irony, and simile to reveal that the main character’s perverseness is getting in the way of letting him make the right decisions. He uses†¦show more content†¦The â€Å"spirit of perverseness† continued to take control of the narrator’s brain causing him to abuse his pets and wife when he knows he shouldnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t be doing it and it’s wrong. He does it anyways because he doesn’t control the perverseness inside of him telling his mind to do it. It explains the quote because the perverseness that he has inside of him is getting out of hand and controlling him. He doesn’t put a stop to it so he’s doing the actions he knows he shouldn’t be doing in the first place. It shows that not just alcohol but other stuff like your feelings and emotions can take over your mind telling you to do this and do that even when you know you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place but still does it anyways. He uses irony which occurs when reality doesn’t meet expectations because when reading a story, you don’t expect the worse to happen. Poe uses irony to show that the perverseness grew worse when he ignored it and thought that he was fine. The narrator seems completely normal on the outside, but on the inside he is getting controlled by the â€Å" Demon Alcohol.† This anger is being kept in and not being let out until something triggers the anger and releases it. One night, the character comes home drunk thinking that the cat, Pluto is ignoring him. He grabbed the cat, frightening it causing the cat to nip at his hand, and cut one of his eyes out from its socket. After hanging the cat, another cat that looks similar toShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe s The Black Cat1437 Words   |  6 Pages The deaths of his parents, sister and brother, all taken by tuberculosis, lead to Edgar Allan Poe’s obsession around the subject of death. This obsession enterprises historically ingenious writings, that did not just scare the reading population by inducing a death at the climax or tying in a death to create a gasp worthy ending. Poe’s historic greatness was his ability to use death as a catalyst, not an end. His stories, specifically short stories, strengthened the idea that the end of a lifeRead MoreAn Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Black Cat 1650 Words   |  7 PagesBrittany White Mrs. Bey English 1101 1 April 2015 A Day in the Life Edgar Allan Poe is a very talked about writer. He has a dark, mysterious, gothic writing style. Poe was a troubled man that struggled in a lot of different areas in his life. It is believed that all of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories were connected to his tragic life events. â€Å"The Black Cat† is one of Edgar’s well-known short stories. It is about a man that endured a series of tragic events. This man was very feminine and his lackRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Raven And The Black Cat1225 Words   |  5 Pagesthe father of the modern horror story, Edgar Allan Poe was previously viewed as a drunken failure. Within Poe’s writings much of his own life riddled with guilt, anxiety, alcohol, depression and death shines through resulting in works that appear unrelated yet once dissected prove similar. This is true for Poe’s works â€Å"The Raven† and â€Å"The Black Cat†. Poe’s examples of gothic fiction share the use of the color black and a rapid digression of the narrator s sanity while seemingly unveiling Poe’s internalRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Raven, The Black Cat And The Tell Tale Heart ``1158 Words   |  5 PagesExtension English Edgar Allan Poe Writing Task Weland La Edgar Allan Poe is a writer renowned for his incorporation of macabre themes into his variety of texts. These texts include The Raven, The Black Cat and The Tell-Tale Heart, all Gothic texts by Poe which have contributed immensely to the Gothic genre. Readers categorise them as works of Gothic literature, but what attributes found in these texts causes it to be classified as Gothic? Poe explores numerous Gothic conventionsRead MoreReview Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Black Cat And Fall Of The House Of Usher 1451 Words   |  6 Pagesauthor Edgar Allan Poe, contains common themes, symbols and structures that make his work easily recognizable as this specific type of literature. Poe’s writing often incorporates many gothic elements, and especially puts emphasis on elements leading to madness and downfall in the lives of his characters. Through the use of suspense provoking gothic elements, Poe is able to captivate and intrigue his readers, which attributes to his widespread popularity. In his short stories, â€Å"The Black Cat†, andRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe: Writing Style1259 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allen Poe: Writing Style The short story writer which I have chosen to research is Edgar Allen Poe. After reading one of his works in class, I realized that his mysterious style of writing greatly appealed to me. Although many critics have different views on Poe s writing style, I think that Harold Bloom summed it up best when he said, Poe has an uncanny talent for exposing our common nightmares and hysteria lurking beneath our carefully structured lives. ( 7) For me, this is doneRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1581 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe wrote many gothic stories with twisted themes and ideas. An example in his works is the conception of overthinking something that is not there. Many of these tales end with someone being killed due to the fascination of an unrealistic problem trying to be solved. Imagination is a main factor that drives the narrators to become worried. The obsessing narrators in Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, â€Å"The Black Cat†, and â€Å"The Imp of the Perverse† demonstrate the idea that guiltRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado And The Black Cat Essay1643 Words   |  7 PagesThe life of Edgar Allan Poe is not a pleasing story to be told. Ever since he was a little boy, he had a tragic life that would only get worse. When he was around three years old, his father left and his mother passed away from tuberculosis. Poe was later taken in by a couple. From there on he went to school, was in the army, got married, and worked very hard to get his stories published. He and his wife traveled a lot in order to sell his stories to papers. Because nobody would see his stories theRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe : The Father Of Gothic Literature1393 Words   |  6 PagesNovember 3, 2017 Edgar Allan Poe Studies say that Edgar Allan Poe was the father of gothic literature. As an American writer and critic, he went through the struggles of living in poverty, having a drinking and gambling problem, and being judge based on his decisions. He was best known as an author of gothic fiction. He had a life of misfortune and indigence. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19,1809 in Boston, Massachusetts to two striving actors, David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Poe. Some studiesRead MoreLife Darker Than Night By Edgar Allan Poe961 Words   |  4 Pagesof short stories, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. According to Charles E. May, a literary scholar, who specializes in the study of the short story, â€Å"Poe is very important in the history of American culture †¦ , he developed short fictions as a genre that was to have a major impact on American literature†¦ in nineteenth century† (May 5). Despite the huge amount short stories written and sold, Poe unsuccessfully tried to fix his financial situation. Poe s life experiences, including

Manuscript for experimental ps Essay Example For Students

Manuscript for experimental ps Essay Running head: GENDER AND NUMBER OF BYSTANDERSAbstractThis study was designed to look at the effects of gender and the number of bystanders on helping behavior. There were 128 participants in this study, compromising of students, faculty and also the general public in the area of Lexington, KY. The experiment was to drop pencils in an elevator when the correct number of bystanders were present to see who helped and who did not. The results of the study showed that the number of bystanders had no impact on whether the student who dropped his or her pencils was helped, however there was significant evidence that men were more likely to help than women. The Effects of Gender and the Number of Bystanders on Helping BehaviorIn the past decades, a large amount of research has been devoted to examining the connection between gender and helping behavior as well as the number of bystanders in relation to whether it will increase the willingness to help. This is to uncover the relationship betw een these factors, so people can be more prepared when faced with an emergency to know if they will receive any form of aid. By studying helping behavior, we can come up with ways to increase and promote helping behavior among the general public in order to bring about a caring and helping society. Stereotypically it is assumed that females would be more helpful than males, since they are perceived to be more expressive, caring and empathetic. This has been supported by a study that examined the effects of perceived costs on helping behavior in a university library (Dovidio, 1982). It was found that on the overall that female students helped more often in response to a request for some change as compared to male students, and this was especially true for situations involving members of the same sex. Tice and Baumeister (1985) who studied potential effects of dispositional sex-role orientation on bystander intervention in emergencies had found that masculinity inhibits helping in eme rgencies. According to their study, it is personality that predicts the bystander effect. Participants with highly masculine characteristics were less likely to take action to help the victim than were others, fearing potential embarrassment and loss of poise. Although supported to some extent, there have been several studies that indicate otherwise. An analysis on the effects of gender and dress on helping behavior indicated that women were helped more by other men and than other women. (Long, Mueller, Wyers, Khong, et al.,1996) Nevertheless, no definite line has been drawn to state whether women or men have higher tendencies to help other people the hypothesis that women help more in certain situations when compared to men has been supported. Women were found to score higher than men on low-risk, low-physical-strength helping behaviors, and lower than men on high-risk, high-physical-strength helping behaviors. (Erdle, Sasnom, Cole Heapy, 1992). Another similar situation where the relationships between gender and modes of helping was studied. Belansky and Boggiano (1994) found that women were more likely to help than men, but more likely to help in a nurturing way than in a problem-solving way. The other goal of this experiment was to study the bystander effect. Contrary to popular belief that the more people there are during an emergency, the more help would be offered, studies have shown that in real life, the fewer bystanders there are at an emergency situation, the more likely the victim will receive any form of aid. The decreasing probability of an individual offering help in an emergency situation is inversely related to an increase in the size of the group in which he/she witnesses the event (Mishra Das, 1983). There are several other factors affecting helpfulness, such as personal competency. In the study done by Cramer, McMaster, Bartell and Dragna (1988) on registered nurses and general education students, the responses to the post-emergency questionnaire indicated that at the time of the emergency both high and low-competent students strongly felt that they should do something to help the workman. Yet they lacked confidence in their ability to help the workman a nd in knowing what steps to take to help. Apart from self competency,

Types of Conflict in Literature (List #3) Essay Example

Types of Conflict in Literature (List #3) Paper Conflict a struggle between or among characters or forces in a story that creates the action of a plot (internal, external; character vs. character, character vs. self, character vs. nature, character vs. society) Internal Conflict (also known as, Character vs. Self) a problem or struggle within a character Example of Internal Conflict in Bystander Eric has a conflict within himself because he is struggling to accept and understand that his dad has a mental illness known as, schizophrenia. External Conflict a problem or struggle between a character and someone or something outside of the character Example of External Conflict In Bystander there is a conflict between Eric and Griffin because Eric does not agree with Griffins bullying behaviors, but he stays friends with him because Eric does not want Griffin to start bullying him. Character vs. Charcter Conflict (the good guy vs. the bad guy) a problem or struggle between two characters Example of a Character vs. Character Conflict In Bystander there is a conflict between Griffin and David Hallenback because Griffin bullies David both verbally and physically Character vs. Nature Conflict a problem between a character and something in nature Examples of Character vs. Nature Conflicts 1) A character struggles to survive in the wilderness alone. 2) A character struggles to save their self or their family from an erupting volcanoe 3) A fireman character struggles to save a boy from a burning building Character vs. Society Conflict A character has problems with the society that surrounds her/him. Examples of Character vs. Society Conflicts 1) A character doesnt fit in with the other kids at school 2) A girl character believes she has to look like the models on the magazine covers to be beautiful 3) A character is a criminal who is on the run from the police

Guide to Sentence Patterns for ESL Learners

Guide to Sentence Patterns for ESL Learners Sentence patterns can be understood as the way sentences are usually structured. It is important to learn the most common sentence patterns in English, as most of the sentences you will hear, write, and speak will follow these basic patterns. Sentence Patterns #1 - Noun / Verb The most basic sentence pattern is a noun followed by a verb. Its important to remember that only verbs that do not require objects are used in this sentence pattern. People work.Frank eats.Things happen. This basic sentence pattern can be modified by adding a noun phrase, possessive adjective, as well as other elements. This is true for all the sentence patterns that follow. People work. - Our employees work.Frank eats. - My dog Frank eats.Things happen. - Crazy things happen. Sentence Patterns #2 - Noun / Verb / Noun The next sentence pattern builds on the first pattern and is used with nouns that can take objects. John plays softball.The boys are watching TV.She works at a bank. Sentence Patterns #3 - Noun / Verb / Adverb The next sentence pattern builds on the first pattern by using an adverb to describe how an action is done. Thomas drives quickly.Anna doesnt sleep deeply.He does homework carefully. Sentence Patterns #4 - Noun / Linking Verb / Noun This sentence pattern uses linking verbs to link one noun to another. Linking verbs are also known as equating verbs - verbs which equate one thing with another such as be, become, seem, etc. Jack is a student.This seed will become an apple.France is a country. Sentence Patterns #5 - Noun / Linking Verb / Adjective This sentence pattern is similar to sentence pattern #4, but uses linking verbs to link one noun to its description using an adjective. My computer is slow!Her parents seem unhappy.English seems easy. Sentence Patterns #6 - Noun / Verb / Noun / Noun Sentence pattern #6 is used with verbs that take both direct and indirect objects. I bought Katherine a gift.Jennifer showed Peter her car.The teacher explained the homework to Peter.   Parts of speech  are the different type of words. They are put together to create sentence patterns in English. Here are the  eight parts of speech. Learning parts of speech make understanding sentences easier.   Noun   Nouns are things, people, places, concepts - computer, Tom, table, Portland, Freedom Pronoun   Pronouns replace nouns in sentences. There are subject, object, and posessive pronouns - he, I, them, our, its, us Adjective Adjectives describe things, people, places and concepts. Adjectives come before nouns. - big, excellent, fun, tiny Verb   Verbs are what people do, the actions they make. Verbs are used in many different tenses. - play, visit, buy, cook Adverb Adverbs describe how, where or when something is done. They often come at the end of a sentence. - always, slowly, carefully Conjunction Conjunctions connect words and sentences. Conjunctions help us give reasons and explain. - but, and, because, if Preposition Prepositions help us show the relationship between things, people and places. Prepositions are often just a few letters. - in, at, off, about Interjection Interjections are used to add emphasis, show understanding, or surprise. Interjections are often followed by exclamation points. - Wow!, ah, pow! There are a number of common sentence patterns used to write most sentences in English. The basic sentence patterns presented in this guide to sentence patterns will help you understand the underlying pattern in even the most complex English sentences. Take this quiz to test your understanding of sentence patterns and parts of speech.   What are the parts of speech of the words in  italics  in each sentence?   My friend  lives  in Italy.Sharon has a bicycle.Alice has a banana  and  an apple.  He  studies French at school.Jason lives  in  New York.Wow! That sounds difficult.He lives in a  big  house.Mary drove home  quickly.   Which sentence pattern does each sentence have? Peter studies Russian.  I am a teacher.I bought him a gift.Alice is happy.My friends danced.  Mark spoke slowly. Answers to parts of speech quiz verbnounconjunctionpronounprepositioninterjectionadjectiveadverb Answers to sentence pattern quiz Noun / Verb / NounNoun / Linking Verb / NounNoun / Verb / Noun / NounNoun / Linking Verb / AdjectiveNoun / VerbNoun / Verb / Adverb

How to Build Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills in College

How to Build Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills in College College is an excellent setting for students to hone their communication skills. Becoming a responsible communicator is a coveted skill with high value to prospective employers. It’s also a sign of maturity, humanity and leadership. Whether practice a sport or belong to any groups or clubs, your ability to communicate effectively is key to your success and depending on the role you hold, the success of the group. It can also help you make and keep friends and ensure a , not to mention help you develop positive relationships with your professors. Here are some ways to practice effective communication while in college: Learn to Listen One of the most underrated and yet most important communication skills is listening. Instructions The ability to listen to and recall information comes in very handy when someone is giving you instructions. Always keep in mind: what is the goal of this exercise? If the goal is to demonstrate teamwork in a sporting exercise, then the focus will be different than if the goal were to merely demonstrate physical ability. Make sure you pay attention to both the small details and the big picture. Empathizing If someone comes to you to vent their frustration about something, try to remain empathetic but neutral. Don’t stoke the flames of their frustration nor ask them to calm down. Rather just try to listen to their perspective and put yourself in their shoes. The ability to be a good listener is also usually a sign of good leadership. Feedback When a teacher, coach or other student is giving you corrective feedback, try to understand their point of view and don’t ever take anything personally. Be flexible in your thinking so you can be open to new ideas and perspectives. Accepting the fact that you’re not always right about everything will make it easier for you to work with people and will also enhance your learning skills. Standing Your Ground However, sometimes there are situations where you’ll have to stick up for yourself. If you were given an unfair grade or were unduly punished or were accused of something you didn’t do by a friend or classmate, then it’s important you voice your opinion. In these cases, you want to avoid either of these conflict types: The fighter Having an emotional reaction, demonstrating anger or offense will only aggravate the situation. The avoider However, running away from conflict and letting the injustice slide will not serve you in this situation or in the future. Try this: Diplomacy Instead, try to arrange a meeting in a neutral setting and come prepared with valid points on why the person was mistaken. Use neutral language and be diplomatic. Don’t raise your voice or display anger, but do sit up tall, look the person in the eye and speak with confidence. Learning How to Give Feedback If you’re in a leadership role such as the captain of a team or the editor of the school newspaper, you’ll have to learn how to give feedback: Don’t give immediate feedback if it’s negative If an incident just happened, it’s best to wait a while before approaching the person about it. If you give immediate feedback, it can come across as irritation or anger. When the situation cools down, then you can approach them. Be specific Don’t say things like â€Å"You didn’t do a good job.† That’s too general and not helpful. Instead, let them know specifically where they failed: â€Å"The formatting for this month’s newspaper was off and had to be corrected at the last minute at the printer’s.† Give helpful suggestions and guidance Using the example above, you could suggest the following: â€Å"Let’s go over the formatting together this month in order to make sure everything’s okay before going to print.† Learning how to express thoughts and opinions, how to de-escalate conflict, how to empathize and offer feedback and guidance to others are all skills that can be practiced in college and which will serve you in professional and personal relationships afterwards.

Presentaion on the country Syria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Presentaion on the country Syria - Essay Example It is currently the liturgical language of many Syrian Christian denominations. However, most educated Syrians also speak French and English. The indigenous Christian Western-Aramaic speakers as well as Assyrians make up roughly 400,000 people. Most of them speak the Western Neo-Aramaic language. As for the deaf community, the sign language is used. Traditionally, men wear long gowns and women wear a long robe that only leaves their feet and hands exposed (Antoun 89). These dresses show little of the human skins something which is considered respectable. Music: Syria is one of the earliest centers of Christian hymnody and continues to be the liturgical music of various Syrian Christians. Damascus is among the Arab world centers for artistic innovation, particularly in the field of classical Arab music. Prominent musicians such as Asmahan, Lena Chamamyan, and Farid al-Atrash all come from Damascus (Salamandra 104). Aleppo city is known for its muwashshah; a form of Andalous poetry (Antoun 45). The muwashshah was popularized by stars like Sabah Fakri. It comprises of 5 stanzas that alternate in refrain with a running rhyme. Dance: As cited by Salamandra (103), the Syrian traditional art is manifested in dances like the Dabkeh, al-Samah, and sword dance. The Dabkeh is the national dance of Syria. It involves both line dancing and circle dance. It is commonly performed at weddings and other festivities. The lines usually form from right to left. The Dabkeh and al Samah are also peformed in child’s birth and marriage ceremonies. Food: Core element in parties, weddings, and other festivities. The main dish is the Syrian cuisine. It is rich and varied in its ingredients. It comprises of Kibbeh, fattoish, tabbouleh, hummus, labneh, shanklish, sujuk, baklava, and pastrirma. Manoushi bread is the number one snack food all around Syria. Tea is the ever-present drink and is usually taken with the Manoushi bread in

Categorical Definition Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Categorical Definition Argument - Essay Example Thus one, of the criterion for defining just war, is that its started for to keep the balance between the states. If the state sees no other means of resolving the situation when its analytics presuppose that the leaders of the opposing state will start a war sooner or later, than the intervention into the territory of that country is justified. It is done for not to let the potential aggressor to develop stronger military power. Thus we can state that one more criterion for saying that the war is just, is that there were no means except for the military intervention to prevent the breach of balance in future. Preventive wars are led for to preserve peace on the territory of the country which starts them. It sounds paradoxical, but gives us one more criterion for defining a just war, which is that a just war is to be led for re-establishing of peace. Walzer says, that "Humanitarian intervention is justified when it is a response (with reasonable expectations of success) to acts "that shock the moral conscience of mankind." After analyzing this statement we can deduce two more criterions. The first is that the war is just when it is fought with a reasonable chance of success, the second is that the war can be considered just only if it is began and led for to prevent something wrong, like slaughter of the civilians, or the introduction of the dictatorship of some political force or a group of people. Considering all of the criterions we can define just war as a war that is begun for to keep the balance between the states and restore peace. It should be fought with a reasonable chance of success for to prevent something wrong that is happening or will happen. The just war is begun when there are no other means of solving the problems. Thus we can conclude that a just war is a war that satisfies the set of moral

To calculate the acceleration due Essay Example for Free

To calculate the acceleration due Essay Find acceleration due to gravity using ball drop method Amine Alami IB1-3 Lab Report Aim: To calculate the acceleration due to gravity by dropping a ball from a certain distance and recording the time Hypothesis: it is expected that the gravity should be within the same range for each trial Variables: The independent variable = the distance The dependent variable = the time Controlled variables are: the mass of the steel ball the position of the trip plate -the length of the plumb line Equipment: meter stick , half meter stick 1 steel ball. Boss and clamp Electronic Timing Device Release mechanism Plumb bob -trip plate Procedure: A steel ball was inserted between the jaws of the release mechanism The height was adjusted to 1 meter and half a meter, measured from the bottom of the ball to the trip plate The plumb bob was used to locate the centre of the trip plate , to ensure that the ball falls on it and to make sure the release mechanism is perpendicular to the surface of the plate a circuit was made between the release mechanism, the trip plate and the electronic timer. it was configured to start counting as soon as the ball is released and to stop counting when it touched the plate The timer was switched on and RESET was pressed the thumbscrew was pressed to release the ball, it was held straight rather than curved to achieve better results when the ball hits the plate, the spring comes up and the timer stops the time was measured The distance ( independent variable) was varied by moving the clamp upwards or downwards until the distance from the bottom of the ball equals 0. 5 m or 1 m The time was read from the electronic timing device. The same steel ball was used through out the experiment and the plumb bob was kept in the same length through out the trials for each length 20 trials were performed and averaged the distance the ball travels was measured after every trial Data Collection: Table 1. The time it takes the ball to fall 1 meter Trial Displacement(s) iThe time it takes the ball to fall half a meter Trial Displacement(s) i 0. 5mm Time(t). Data Processing and presentation: Average Time in table Percentage uncertainty of gravity 2= (0. 4/9. 95)x100 = 4. 02% Conclusion: The results were in the same range. The firs gravity was very close to the ideal gravity Evaluation: The method used was fairly accurate -but there are many sources of error which may affect the result obtained using it Sources of Error: Air resistance is an error, but it has a slight effect The thumbscrew is clicked twice The thumbscrew wasnt pressed properly The ball might not fall in the centre The clamp may move slightly upwards or downward after every few measurements The same person should press the thumbscrew through out all the experiment The thumbscrew should be pushed with quickly and firmly.

The Story we Tell :: essays research papers

America and Race have a long and entangled history. The concept of Race, like America is a recent invention. Race is an idea constructed by society to further political and economic goals. Race was never just a matter of how you look, it's about how people assign meaning toward how you look. It is ironic that a nation that takes great pride in one the foundation â€Å"All men are created Equal† can at the same time portray the idea of Race in such a scale that would repress and kill so many people. In this essay I will address what necessitated the creation of the story of race in American history. In the beginning of colonial America people used religion and wealth to define status. As the years progressed fewer people migrated to America. This resulted in a labor shortage of indentured servants. Farmers turned to the transatlantic slave trade, and started replacing indentured servants with African slaves. African slaves worked for nothing, could be easily identified by their skin separating them from indentured servants, and were valued for their farming skill. Plantation owners found what they an ideal and endless labor supply and developed the first slave system where all slaves shared a common appearance and ancestry. The abundance of this new labor source brought poor whites new rights, opportunities, and a sense of superiority for whiteness. Many were elevated to manager’s plantations and bounty hunters. White societies for the first time started to identify themselves with each other not based on wealth or status because they were white. As slave labor increased, slavery became inherently identified with blackness. This perpetuated white Americans belief that Africans were a different kind of person and stimulated the theory that Africans maintained a "natural" inferiority. This theory of "natural" inferiority rationalized for many white Americans the stealing of Indian lands. Indians, another â€Å"racially inferior† group, were initially viewed as naturally white. They explained they were tan because of exposure to the sun. Many felt that they were good human material, and the problem was not race but culture, that the Indians were primitive but they could be civilized. Whites sought to civilize Indians though English education and Christian religion, turning hunters into farmers and businessmen. They tried to assimilate them into American culture. The "civilization" process and way of life began to be seen as the only way for Indians to live in peace with whites.

Contract Law Assignment Essay

From looking at the facts laid out by Grab regarding the purchase of a sandwich shop, it seems that the most likely action is that of misrepresentation. A misrepresentation is defined at common law as â€Å"a statement of fact made by one party to the other party, which is false. While not necessarily forming a term of the contract, is yet one of the main reasons which induces the one party to enter into the contract† and is supported by the Misrepresentation Act 1967. From the facts of the case according to Grab, it seems that he is unhappy about the purchase of the shop. There are two issues present here concerning misrepresentation. Firstly, he ‘specifically inquires’ to Dino whether Porthampton Institute (who are the shops main customers), if it was going to re-locate out of town, which was said to be rumoured. Grab refers to the statement made by Dino explaining that he had asked a neighbour, who is a senior planning official with the City Council, and assured Grab that â€Å"no move is planned†. Once buying the shop the institute moved out of town, causing the income of the shop to be substantially reduced. The second issue concerning misrepresentation is that of the business turnover for the previous three years. Dino explained to Grab that the shop was receiving ‘up to ,000 per year’. But after purchasing the shop Grab asked his accountant to look over the figures and found that it had only reached ,000 in the last year and was below ,000 for the previous two years. However for Grab to have an action for misrepresentation, he must first prove that Dino’s statements were those of fact and were false. It is necessary to discover whether the statements are a misrepresentation in the legal sense. A false statement of opinion is not a misrepresentation of fact -Bisset v Wilkinson. However, where the person giving the statement was in the position to know the true facts and it can be proved that he couldn’t reasonably have held such a view as a result, his opinion will be treated as a statement of fact. This would apply to the statement made by Dino about Porthampton institute not moving. Grab trusted Dino’s reassurance about ‘no move being planned’, because he had asked a person who looked like they were in the position to know the answer i.e. Dino’s neighbour, a senior planning official for the City Council. In this case to the general person, it would seem that Dino’s statement about the sandwich business having a turnover of up to ,000 per year for the previous three years is a statement of opinion due to the language used. Dino states up to ,000, meaning it may come across as a statement of fact because Grab sees Dino as a person who has owned the business and run it for the last ten years, suggesting that he had some skill or knowledge of the subject matter of his statement. The case of Smith v Land and House Property Corp is an example of how the courts could view Grabs case. In this case a statement that the tenant of the house concerned was a â€Å"very reliable person† which was considered to be a statement of fact rather than a statement of opinion as â€Å"†¦..the opinion was being made by somebody who had the knowledge to make such a statement†, so in my opinion the courts could view Dino’s statement as a statement of fact in this context, as h e had the â€Å"knowledge† to make such a statement due to his position as the owner of the sandwich business. If the courts were going to look deeper into Grab’s case they could look at another issue concerning ‘silence’. Generally silence is not a misrepresentation. The effect of the maxim caveat emptor is that the other party has no duty to disclose problems voluntarily. Thus if one party is labouring under a misapprehension there is no duty on the other party to correct it: Smith v Hughes . However there is an exception to that rule which may help Grab. Half truths – the representor must not misleadingly tell only part of the truth, thus a statement that does not present the whole truth may be regarded as a misrepresentation as in the case of Nottingham Brick & Tile Co. v Butler . We need to find out whether the statements made, induced Grab into signing the contract. The courts would look to four conditions laid down by a series of cases to decide whether the statement did induce the contract to be entered into by the representee. The first of these is defined by the cases of Smith v Chadwick and Museprime Properties Ltd v Adhill Properties Ltd where it was decided that the representation must be material to the subject matter of the contract. The second is that the representee must have relied on the misrepresentation. The misrepresentation has material value – the business profit margin. It can be seen adequateley important enough to influence Grab as a reasonable person. Once Grab has proved that both the statements made by Dino are actionable misrepresentation it is necessary for me to advise him of the type of misrepresentation which has occurred, which depends on the mind of the representor at the time he made the statements. The first type of misrepresentation is fraudulent misrepresentation at common law. I would advise Grab that this bears a very high standard of proof and is very difficult to prove, as he would need to prove that Dino was deliberately dishonest in making the statement. Another type of misrepresentation is that of negligent misstatement at common law. Here the claimant must prove that there was a special relationship between the parties and he must also prove all the elements of the tort of negligence. However, once again this is difficult to prove as the burden of proof is on the ‘wronged party’, and I would advise Grab that it would be difficult to prove that Dino knew that he would act on his representation. I would advise Grab that it would be better to attempt to repudiate the contract under the doctrine of ‘negligent misrepresentation’ under the Misrepresentation Act 1967, for the statement about the turnover of the business being not exactly true. This is because s2 (1) of the act changes the burden of proof, shifting it to Dino who must now prove that he had â€Å"†¦.reasonable grounds to believe †¦.and did believe the statement(s) to be true..† , if Dino cannot prove that he believed the statement to be true  than he will be ‘negligent’, meaning he will be liable for damages and or rescission of the contract (subject to certain bars of rescission). This burden can sometimes be difficult to discharge as shown in the case of Howard Marine & Dredging Co. v Ogden & Sons . I would advise Grab that the decision of the courts in the case of Howard Marine, if it was to be followed by the courts in his case, that it could be an important factor. In Howard Marine the courts said that for them to reasonably believe their statement was true they must take reasonable steps to verify this fact i.e. the manufacturer of the ship. If it is established that Dino did not have proper recordings of the business accounts, this could be a major factor in Grab’s case. Now that damages for negligent misrepresentation may be awarded the question arises whether the representees own negligence, which has contributed to his decision to enter the contract operates to reduce proportionality to the liability of the representor. The courts may take this into account with Grab that contributory negligence is present here, because Dino offered him the chance to look over the business turnover accounts before putting in an offer to purchase. As in the case of Gran Gelato Ltd v Richcliff (group) Ltd , Sir Donald Nicholls V-C decided not to make any reduction in the damages awarded, on the ground that the defendants intended that the plaintiffs should act in reliance on the misrepresentation, so they cannot complain when liability is imposed precisely because the plaintiffs did act in the way the defendants intended . Innocent Misrepresentation is another form of misrepresentation. It must be regarded as a false statement, which was made neither fraudulently nor negligently. In fact, as a result of the wording of s.2 (1) of the Misrepresentation Act 1967, the representee must not only have believed the statement, but must be able to prove that he had reasonable grounds for believing it. The victim of an innocent misrepresentation is entitled to rescission of the contract, and to an indemnity intended to help restore the parties to the position before the contract was made. There is no right to damages for innocent misrepresentation, but the court has a discretion to award damages in lieu of rescission provided the right to rescission has not  been lost – as set out in s.2 (2) of the Misrepresentation Act 1967. It is clear with Grab’s case that Dino made a false statement innocently, which can be believed to be correct because he asked a senior planning official who was a neighbour of Dino. Even though the information was not completely right, it still looks reasonable enough to believe such a statement. Overall, my advice to Grab is if he prosecutes Dino with innocent misrepresentation for the move of the Institute and negligent misrepresentation regarding the turnover of the business, the courts would look into giving Grab the right to rescission, putting him in the position before the contract was first made and also they would calculate the loss of earnings for the ten months that he was in ownership of the sandwich shop and award him with compensation. It is not definite that the courts will uphold both negligent and innocent misrepresentation but the contract between Dino and Grab will definitely become voidable as opposed to becoming void. Meaning that he will receive either rescission or damages, but that would be for the courts to decide. Overall Grab has a strong case against Dino.

Exposing the Mommy Myth: A Book Review

Society has always glorified and celebrated motherhood. It considers it the most difficult yet the noblest of professions. So precious is its position in society that traditions and norms have been set up around it to protect it from the vagaries of change as well as from attempts to transform it to keep it abreast with contemporary ways. In these modern times, motherhood still adheres to a rigid script that is anchored on the theme that a woman’s true essence is to be a mother, and not just any mother, but to become the Perfect Mom. Media and the images of motherhood they produce are at the forefront of this endeavor to promote and protect the ideal of the Perfect Mom. Except that there is no such thing as a Perfect Mom. Media are doing a disservice to women of all ages by passing off these images as the standard they must aspire for to be considered successful mothers so they can achieve fulfillment and contentment in life. â€Å"New Momism† The book The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined Women by Susan J. Douglas and Meredith W. Michaels is one work that presents a witty yet scholarly critique of media’s romanticized images of motherhood and how they misrepresent the realities confronting mothers. The authors framed their arguments on what they called the â€Å"new momism† which they defined as a â€Å"set of ideals, norms and practices most frequently and powerfully represented in the media that seem on the surface to celebrate motherhood, but which in reality promulgate standards of perfection that are beyond your reach.† The term â€Å"momism† was coined by journalist Philip Wylie in 1942 for his book Generation of Vipers. He used the term to denounce the way American mothers were raising their sons to be mama’s boys who were incapable of fighting for their country. The authors’ decision to reclaim momism and redefine it was a deliberate attempt to show that nothing much has changed since those war years of the early 1940s with regard to society’s expectation of motherhood: it is the mother who is largely responsible whether the child will grow up into a successful, stable, and happy person or not. And media made sure to instill this in her psyche. This is how the authors described what mothers internalize when they read magazines, watch TV, or see a movie: Mothers are subject to an onslaught of beatific imagery, romantic fantasies, self-righteous sermons, psychological warnings, terrifying movies about losing their children, even more terrifying news stories about abducted and abused children, and totally unrealistic advice about how to be the most perfect and revered mom in the neighborhood. (2) The authors further wrote: No wonder 81 percent of women in a recent poll said it’s harder to be a mother now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, and 56 percent felt mothers were doing a worse job today than mothers back then. Even mothers who deliberately avoid TV and magazines, or who pride themselves in seeing through them, have trouble escaping the standards of perfection, and the sense of threat, that the media ceaselessly atomize the air we breathe. (2) It is ironic that the authors started their examination of media messages about mothers during the 1970s, that exciting period in the feminist movement when women were beginning to find their voices and question, even break free from the traditional gender roles that had been assigned to them. Motherhood did not escape their scrutiny and it was one of the topics discussed and debated on during consciousness-raising sessions. They were also beginning to realize that motherhood was not a woman’s destiny and there were choices available for her. Women could choose whether they become mothers or not. And if they chose to be mothers, they could choose to stay at home to raise their children or work outside the home, maybe even pursue a career. Which was what a significant number of them did, giving rise to a phenomenon that may have, in all probability, resulted in the new momism. And why not, motherhood was under threat, especially from feminism, and it had to be protected at all cost. For the authors,   â€Å"(w)hether you are a married religious fundamentalist, a partnered lesbian, a divorced secular humanist with a Ph.D., or a single twenty-year-old trying to make it in the big city, if you are a female human, the new momism has circled the wagons around you.† The book laid out a historical account of how the new momism manifested itself during the last decades of the 20th century and the contradictory messages they send out to women. It juxtaposed mothering guided by famous pediatricians, through regular media exposure, and childrearing advice columns against the emerging feminist thinking on the political characteristic of motherhood during the ‘70s. It discussed how in the ‘80s, media reports of child molestation, abductions and other external threats against children presented working mothers with a dilemma of whether to entrust their children to others while they were out working. But it was also during the same period that media intensified its message that mothers can have both a satisfying career and a stable family life. In the ‘90s, it is the turn of the celebrity moms, who made ordinary women insecure and less confident of their motherhood skills, and the criminal and welfare mothers to be under media attention. The so-called mommy wars were also being fought, supposed conflicts that pitted working mothers against stay-at-home moms. The authors, in dissecting coverage of issues facing motherhood, were able to show the evolving, and at times opposing, images of mothers in media and how they were deeply influenced by new momism. Most of the time, the authors constantly referred to popular culture to illustrate their analysis. This, plus their smart-ass style of writing, may have given some readers cause to think of their work as less than scholarly. Still, their analysis was incisive enough and ably supported by well-documented examples to be dismissed as anything but presenting a legitimate issue about the myths of motherhood. Reclaiming Motherhood It cannot be denied that in this time and age, media still fail to portray a balanced picture of women’s diverse lives, choosing instead to present images and messages that reinforce traditional gender roles that are very limiting. Motherhood is not exempt from this. As the authors argued in their book, media have systematically presented an idealized, and therefore, unrealistic picture of it. Media’s core message is that women are destined to have children. Their primary role in life is to be mothers who must care for them and raise them to be successful, stable, happy persons. Their own fulfillment is anchored on this. No wonder then that mothers who feel differently are assailed by guilt and a sense of failure for wanting to be more than mothers. These feelings become especially intense for working mothers who opt to leave their children in the care of others while they take on work outside the home or pursue a career. As long as mothers are in this situation, they will forever be torn between two opposing forces, juggling one set of responsibilities at the expense of the other, and struggling to meet the expectations of new momism just because these are basically society’s expectations of them as well. New momism’s supposed aim is to promote the interests of children. But as the authors pointed out, this can very well be just rhetoric, considering how public policies have fallen short in supporting mothers perform their childrearing roles. The fallout from this is consequently borne by the children. In today’s struggle for survival, a two-income family is getting to be the norm. While most mothers may prefer to be stay-at-home moms, more and more of them take on employment outside the house because of economic necessity. It will be a validation for working mothers and how they are valued by society if they can be provided with affordable and accessible day care services and welfare benefits. Or their employment terms can be negotiated in such a way that they can work flexible hours or avail of parental leaves for family emergency. Unfortunately, providing support and benefits to working mothers are not high on the agenda of government and business. There have been instances when government has slashed funding for initiatives that respond to the needs of working mothers. Business, on the other hand, prioritizes profit first before benefits for working mothers. So much for the exalted and celebrated status of mothers, particularly of working mothers. Faced with this, is it correct then to say that motherhood as practiced by them should be less valued since they do not meet the expecations of new momism? Not so, according to the authors. They argued that mothers would be better served by reclaiming motherhood and redefining it in such a way that it would encompass shared parenting as well as support and welfare benefits for their childrearing responsibilities. At the top of the agenda to accomplish this is to acknowledge new momism for being the unrealistic ideal that it is and to stand firm against it. Motherhood can never be perfect. All that a mother can do is to try and do her best. To constantly aim for perfection is a futile and self-defeating exercise. The authors have succeeded in debunking the merit of new momism. And they did this with cutting wit and a scathing sense of humor as only two mothers who are fully convinced of their arguments can do. Their style may not work for some readers but there is no denying the fact that they are able to expose some three-decades worth of fallacious thinking and belief that is the myth of motherhood. Work Cited Douglas, Susan J. and Meredith W. Michaels. The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined Women. New York: Free Press, 2004.                                    

Role Of The Emperor In Meiji Japan Essays - Meiji Restoration

Role Of The Emperor In Meiji Japan Essays - Meiji Restoration Role of The Emperor in Meiji Japan Japan is a society whose culture is steeped in the traditions and symbols of the past: Mt. Fuji, the tea ceremony, and the sacred objects of nature revered in Shintoism. Two of the most important traditions and symbols in Japan; the Emperor and Confucianism have endured through Shogunates, restorations of imperial rule, and up to present day. The leaders of the Meiji Restoration used these traditions to gain control over Japan and further their goals of modernization. The Meiji leaders used the symbolism of the Emperor to add legitimacy to their government, by claiming that they were ruling under the "Imperial Will." They also used Confucianism to maintain order and force the Japanese people to passively accept their rule. Japanese rulers historically have used the symbolism of the Imperial Institution to justify their rule. The symbolism of the Japanese Emperor is very powerful and is wrapped up in a mix of religion (Shintoism) and myths. According to Shintoism the current Emperor is the direct descendent of the Sun Goddess who formed the islands of Japan out of the Ocean in ancient times.Footnote1 According to these myths the Japanese Emperor unlike a King is a living descendent of the Gods and even today he is thought of as the High Priest of Shinto. Despite the powerful myths surrounding Japan's imperial institution the Emperor has enjoyed only figure head status from 1176 on. At some points during this time the Emperor was reduced to selling calligraphy on the streets of Kyoto to support the imperial household, but usually the Emperor received money based on the kindness of the Shogunate.Footnote2 But despite this obvious power imbalance even the Tokugawa Shogun was at least symbolically below the Emperor in status and he claimed to rule so he could carry out the Imperial rule.Footnote3 Within this historical context the Meiji leaders realized that they needed to harness the concept of the Imperial Will in order to govern effectively. In the years leading up to 1868 members of the Satsuma and Choshu clans were part of the imperialist opposition. This opposition claimed that the only way that Japan could survive the encroachment of the foreigners was to rally around the Emperor.Footnote4 The Imperialists, claimed that the Tokugawa Shogunate had lost its imperial mandate to carry out the Imperial Will because it had capitulated to Western powers by allowing them to open up Japan to trade. During this time the ideas of the imperialists gained increasing support among Japanese citizens and intellectuals who taught at newly established schools and wrote revisionist history books that claimed that historically the Emperor had been the ruler of Japan.Footnote5 The fact that the Tokugawa's policy of opening up Japan to the western world ran counter to the beliefs of the Emperor and was unpopular with the public made the Tokugawa vulnerable to attack from the imperialists. The imperialists pressed their attack both militarily and from within the Court of Kyoto. The great military regime of Edo which until recently had been all powerful was floundering not because of military weakness, or because the machinery of government had broken but instead because the Japanese public and the Shoguns supporters felt they had lost the Imperial Will.Footnote6 The end of the Tokugawa regime shows the power of the symbolism and myths surrounding the imperial institution. The head of the Tokugawa clan died in 1867 and was replaced by the son of a lord who was a champion of Japanese historical studies and who agreed with the imperialists claims about restoring the Emperor. Footnote7 So in 1868 the new shogun handed over all his power to the Emperor in Kyoto. Shortly after handing over power to the Emperor, the Emperor Komeo died and was replaced by his son who became the Meiji Emperor.Footnote8 Because the Meiji Emperor was only 15 all the power of the new restored Emperor fell not in his hands but instead in the hands of his close advisors. These advisers such as Prince Saionji, Prince Konroe, and members of the Satsuma and Choshu clans who had been members of the imperialist movement eventually wound up involving into the Meiji Bureaucracy and Genro of the Meiji Era.Footnote9 Once in control

The Wright Brothers Famous Quotes

The Wright Brothers Famous Quotes On December 17, 1903,  Orville Wright  and  Wilbur Wright  successfully tested a flying machine that took off with its own power, flew at even speeds, then landed safely without damage and started the era of human flight. The year before, the brothers tested out a number of aircraft, wing designs, gliders, and propellers in order to understand the complexities of aerodynamics and hopefully create a powered craft capable of prolonged flight. Throughout this process, Orville and Wilbur recorded many of their greatest quotes in the notebooks they kept and interviews they made at the time. From Orvilles thoughts on hope and living to both brothers interpretations of what they discovered during their experiments, the following quotes encapsulate the thrill the Wright brothers felt when creating, then flying, the first self-propelled airplane. Orville Wright on Dreams, Hope, and Life The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our  ancestors  who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through. The  airplane stays up  because it doesnt have the time to fall. No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris†¦[because] no known motor can run at the requisite speed for four days without stopping. If birds can glide for long periods of time, then†¦ why cant I? If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance. We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity. Orville Wright on Their Flight Experiments In our gliding experiments, we had had a number of experiences in which we had landed upon one wing, but the crushing of the wing had absorbed the shock so that we were not uneasy about the motor in case of a landing of that kind. With all the knowledge and skill acquired in thousands of flights in the last ten years, I would hardly think today of making my first flight on a strange machine in a 27-mile wind, even if I knew that the machine had already been flown and was safe. Isnt it astonishing that all these secrets have been preserved for so many years just so we could discover them! The course of the flight up and down was exceedingly erratic, partly due to the irregularity of the air, and partly to lack of experience in handling this machine. The control of the front rudder was difficult on account of its being balanced too near the center. When the machine had been fastened with a wire to the  track so that it could not start until released by the operator, and the motor had been run to make sure that it was in condition, we tossed a coin to decide who should have the first trial. Wilbur won. With 12 horsepower  at our command, we considered that we could permit the weight of the machine with  an operator  to rise to 750 or 800 pounds, and still have as much surplus power as we had originally allowed for in the first estimate of 550 pounds. Wilbur Wright on Their Flying Experiments There is no sport equal to that which aviators enjoy while being carried through the air on great white wings. More than anything else the sensation is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost if you can conceive of such a combination. I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success. We could hardly wait to get up in the morning. I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for 50 years. The fact that the great scientist believed in flying machines was the one thing that encouraged us to begin our studies. It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill. The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who...looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...on the infinite highway of the air. Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive.

Data preparation and network analysis Literature review

Data preparation and network analysis - Literature review Example Finding meaningful data about people’s access to urban green spaces with regard to the people’s reasons for using such spaces and when and how they use them is considerably weighed down by the fact that survey data from local authorities is rather inconsistent. Various methods have been developed to help in data collection on local green space needs. Methods such as Best Value processes are viable in realising green space needs for populations in areas such as the Madinah region of UAE. The benchmark questions used in the Best Value User Satisfaction Survey are relatively basic meaning that more viable information should be sourced from the literature review of past surveys, as well as the analysis of other similar areas around the world (Cope 2009, 174). Telephone surveys with the public can be used to find out or estimate the number of urban green space users for every green space located in their vicinity. This module of data preparation is perhaps best for the quant ification of urban dwellers’ access to green spaces and the estimation of future green space needs and the capacity of current green spaces to meet these needs. In England, for example, a telephone survey showed that 2.25 million people make a minimum of 184 visits to the nearest urban space annually (Knigge and Cope  2006, 2031). ... This is crucial in network analysis as it allows for the identification of peak times when green spaces are mostly used, as well as the documentation of whether or not the green spaces have the capacity to hold populations during peak visits (Neimeier 1997, 381). Afternoons, weekends and holiday times, are notably the key times for green space use. Other people have seasonal green space use patterns, which are largely influenced by prevailing weather patterns. Notably, men are slightly higher users if green spaces than their female counterparts. However, most local authority surveys do not give an indication on whether ethnic minority groups or disabled persons are equitably represented among green space users. This is perhaps the greatest limitation of using local authority surveys in data collection and network analysis of urban green spaces (Forman 2005, 203). As earlier cited, data preparation can take several formats. Thematic data generation is one such method. This entails the generation of area maps and conduct of an analysis of the region’s remote sensing data. Here, urban green spaces are digitised and categorised using visual interpretation methodology like Cartosat II and LISS-IV merge product in Arc GIS Ver.9.3 (Van Herzele 2003, 119). Under this module, urban green spaces are categorised as among others railway green, playgrounds, open green, water bodies, industrial green, built ups, parks and roadside green (Barbosa, Tratalos, et al, 2007, 189). Using the â€Å"selection by attribute† query within Arc GIS, the different categories of urban green spaces are separated and exported into different categories of either public and green spaces. All types of green spaces are then assigned different

Jobs and Guides for Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jobs and Guides for Counseling - Essay Example Counselors fail to discharge their duties to full fruition and satisfaction as the average number of students assigned to them nationwide is about 477 to 1. This has resulted in the increasing number of school drop outs due to lack of proper guidance and care; very often younger children are not provided sufficient care. The duties of the counselor vary from preparing students to "start thinking about careers, build communication skills and develop healthy attitudes about themselves and their peers" at the elementary school level to assisting "students with study habits, financial aid, college recommendations, class schedules, transitions between grades and high-stakes tests". At times counselors also have to tackle psychological imbalances and disorders associated with teenage pregnancy and love affairs. It is sad to note that the school budgets very often undermine the significance and role of counselors as they give more priority to other areas like "helping children with disabilities and raising achievement in the poorest schools'. The article thus throws light on the fact that the counselors under the present system are unable to establish personal relationships with the students which is the key factor in the counseling process. The role of counselors can never be undermined as they have the capacity to determine the destiny of the nation by molding the personalities of the prospective citizens. Under favorable conditions, counselors can prove themselves to be reformers who can concentrate on the over all growth of the students and help students to see through peer pressure, family problems and other psychological and mental distractions. For this there should be special funding from the part of the government and there should be ample provisions for counseling in the school bu dgets. Besides, counseling to be effective, the proportion of the number of students per counselor should be reduced so that the counselor can have intimate personal contact and relationship with the students. One of the major objectives of counseling in schools is to enable students to choose the best career that suits their innate taste and talents. For this, students need to be trained well to present themselves confidently while attending job interviews. Personal questions that are not strictly job related often make candidates uncomfortable and the article 'Job Hunting These Questions Are Illegal' considers such questions as illegal as they are 'discriminatory'. According to the author, these illegal questions can vary from family details, sexual preference and marriage status, racial and ethnical origins, health, criminal records to physical disabilities. Students should be guided well to handle these circumstances when they go out of the schools and it is the duty of the counselor to instill a feeling of self esteem in the minds of the learners irrespective of his/her family background, ethnic origin or personal health related limitations. They should be taught that they have equal employment opportunity like all other well to do candidates. Both the articles are closely related as they deal with the importance of counseling. The second article is a continuation of the first as it develops one of the areas that the counselors and the employers need to pay attention when it comes to job hunting and selection of candidates. The articles

Chinese Immigration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Chinese Immigration - Assignment Example The vast open spaces, the lack of social and class distinctions, the dynamic tempo of our growth, the westward progression, and the mobility of the population promoted the acceptance of the newcomer2. In times of crisis such as wars or economic depressions, the moving equilibrium might be disturbed. Immigrants’ movements created tensions around the presence of the foreigner, but at least until the latter decades of the nineteenth century, these tensions were usually dissolved by accommodation on a new level without restrictive legislation. The American Constitution made the United States the first national state to proclaim the principle that there should be no religious test for office holding. Furthermore, only the President was required by the Constitution to be native-born. The Federal government, as a matter of policy, utilized the principle of religious freedom to stimulate immigration. A guarantee of religious freedom had been included in the ordinance for governing the Northwest Territory, partly in the hope that it would stimulate migration into that region3. Similar to other immigrants, See’s a grandmother and her family occupied a low paid job and low social class position4. She worked at a Chinese underwear factory. It is not surprising that the changes in American society after 1890 affected attitudes toward the immigrant and that a strong movement for the restriction of immigration.

Reflective Assessment on Mathematics and Calculus

Reflective Assessment on Mathematics and Calculus Relearning the calculus, relating it to real-life Mela Aziza Background I have loved doing mathematics since I was in elementary school. However, this feeling changed a little bit when I was at secondary school. My mathematics teacher asked me to memorise many formulas and principles related to advanced topics without knowing when I can use those in my real-life. I thought that an advanced topic was really hard to learn because it was commonly abstract concept. Consequently, a student like me would find difficulties how to make it concrete and connect it to the real world. In addition, my mathematics teacher only encouraged us to study mathematics hard in order to achieve high scores in examinations. She rarely explained about the application of mathematics in our daily life. This situation made me less enjoyed learning mathematics. For example, while I was learning calculus that I assumed as an advanced topic, I did not know when I can use it in my life so that I was not motivated to learn it. At the time, I guessed calculus was useless. Calculus was ju st about patterns, formulas, and calculations without knowing why I needed to learn it. Therefore, this experience has been inspiring me in how I should teach my students in the future. I hoped to explain and show my students about how powerful and useful mathematics can be. Unfortunately, it was really hard to find the connection between mathematics and daily activities, especially for the calculus. My students were questioning when they could use calculus in their life. I became confused and could not give the appropriate answer because I have not known the application of calculus that was relevant to my students life. I taught calculus using the similar method to my previous mathematics teacher, solving any kind of calculus questions from my own textbooks using the formulas or rules. However, I am interested in exploring and developing the usefulness of calculus in daily life because I want to establish answers for my own previous question, when I can use it. Hence, when getting the chance to take the developing subject knowledge course, I was excited to focus on some calculus questions using real-life contexts. Solving calculus problems I started my independent learning by solving the max box problem given by my personal tutor (see Appendix A). This problem about the paper which has side a, then I was instructed to make a box by cutting a square with side x from each of the four corners. I have to find the value of x so that I can make the biggest box. I tried to find the x value for creating the biggest box by doing some algebraic equations and finally, I obtained the pattern for finding the x value. Finding out the answer gave me an opportunity to relate it to the concept of differentiation. It was a new thing for me and when I searched on the internet, found it was popular in teaching and learning mathematics related to the calculus topic. However, I did not know why I found Indonesian mathematics teachers rarely used this practical question while teaching the concept of differentiation. Next, I moved to how to introduce the first principle of differentiation, f'(x), from function f(x). I started by drawing a graph of the function, then formulated gradient of two adjacent points using the gradient of a straight line and limit concept (see Appendix B). Finally, I found that the first derivative equals with the gradients of a point from the function. Then, I tried similar calculations for some different functions, and finally, I established the pattern of the first derivative. While doing this, I was thinking which I should teach first, gradient or differentiation, in order to make students understand where the first derivative comes. Furthermore, a noticeable point for me by solving this problem, I was aware that as a teacher I can teach mathematics through using algorithmic/algebraic/analytic/calculating, visual (image/graph), and inductive (pattern) thinking. For example, when finding the maximum value of the function, I acquired the same answer by using two differe nt methods, graphing and calculating. In addition, I explored how to draw the graph of the first derivatives of different functions by using gradient concept (see Appendix C). I drew both common and uncommon functions. I felt those were interesting and challenging because I could create the graph of the first and the second derivative just by looking at the graph of the original function. However, when I want to find the first derivative function, I have to calculate using an algebraic method. Although I could not get directly what the function of the first derivative f(x) through drawing, I could differentiate when the function reached maximum value, (when f (x) f (x) > 0), and neither maximum nor minimum value (when f (x) = 0), for instance, f(x)= x3-6x2+12x-5 having an inflexion point (see Figure 1). I also tried to find the gradient of uncommon functions such as an absolute function (f(x)=|x|) by plotting the graph manually and checking it using software GSP (The Geometers Sketchpad), then I found that there was a point on the |x|function that cannot be differentiated (non-differentiable point) that was when x = 0, but for other points, those were differentiable (see Figure 2). Furthermore, I explored six common mistakes (Cipra, 2013) that students made in doing calculus related to how they solve some routine problems and understand a concept of finding the area of function by integral concept (see Appendix D). The students mostly just calculated the area using formula without drawing the function so that occasionally they found a negative area. The area will be never negative. The students should know that the area above x-axis will be positive because y-axis values are always positive while the area below x-axis will be negative because of y-axis negative values (Stewart, 2016). Hence, students have to multiply the area of function below x-axis with negative (-) in favour of becoming a positive area. Reflection During this course, I relearned calculus concept by solving some problems. I felt back a sense of doing mathematics when solving the problems both routine and real-life problems. This sense made me excited to find the solutions for every problem that I faced. I became aware that abstract concepts cannot be separated from calculus. Although routine problems are commonly abstract, students will be able to learn the importance of symbol concepts in calculus through solving these problems. I also tried to connect calculus by solving some real-life problems which use real-life contexts and can be imagined as daily experiences (Gravemeijer Doorman, 1999), for instance, the max box problem that can be connected to a manufacturer. After doing some real-life problems, I agree that these problems should be taught in the classroom (Gainsburg, 2008). Teachers are able to use these problems to enhance students motivation and to develop reasoning as well as problem-solving skills of students in l earning mathematics (Karakoà § AlacacÄ ±, 2015). Therefore, the teachers will be able to make mathematics become more meaningful for their students through real-life problems. On the other hand, I think not all real-life problems are practicable for students because the problems do not relate to their life directly. I have done some problems from some websites and a textbook of calculus (SMP, 1973), but not all problems were relevant to a real context and could be solved. I encountered there was a problem when some facts are abandoned in order to make students understand the question easily. A problem which is relevant to one students life may not be relevant for others. Therefore, teachers should check the effectiveness of the problems by asking students first (Burkhardt, 1981), and then they will notice the good problems that can be used in the future. In addition, calculus is advanced knowledge for most students because they find it difficult to concretise so that occasionally it should remain abstract (Wilensky, 1991). Furthermore, teachers need to consider the time when they give the students real-life problems. They cannot give them these problems fo r every meeting because they also should provide opportunities to students for learning all calculus concepts, both concrete and abstract. Thus, most teachers assumed the nature of mathematics topic and the time may become limitations for connecting it to the real-world (Karakoà § AlacacÄ ±, 2015). Teachers can motivate students to think inductively in learning mathematics. They may involve students to find the first derivative pattern by using the gradient of a straight line and limit concept. They should not give a pattern f'(xn) =nxn-1 directly to students when introducing differentiation, but they ask students to establish the first derivative pattern by their own self. In addition, I found that teachers are able to use a slope of zero (f'(x)=0) for figuring out what is the maximum or minimum value of the function quickly. However, teachers also have to ask students to check the graph or the second derivative of the function to find the exact category of the x value (maximum, minimum, or inflexion point). Hence, as a mathematics teacher, I should deem some factors before deciding an effective teaching method that encourages my students to understand calculus concepts easily. I assumed that using technology can make sense of calculus for students. I considered using GSP while teaching to draw a graph of the function and to look closer whether the function can be differentiated for every point. Furthermore, I think that mathematics teachers may be able to explore any kind of calculus questions on websites such ashttps://www.math.ucdavis.edu andhttp://www.dqime.uni-dortmund.de which I assert as resources for finding real-life mathematics problems using the English language. However, teachers who come from non-native-English-speaking countries should be careful in understanding the meaning of the problems because there was a specific English term of mathematics that sounds unfamiliar or synonymous. For instance, I was confused to distinguish between two words that felt to be synonyms like capacity and volume. I firstly thought that those two words had similar meaning, however, capacity related to how much liquid held while volume related to how many material s needed (solid) in the container. Teachers also may adapt examples of the calculus projects and the application of calculus videos that are provided on the internet. Personally, I obtained the new perspective by watching some videos showing activities that teachers did like creating a group project related to the application of calculus. However, teachers should consider about the time because doing a project or watching a video will be time-consuming. Teachers require looking at why students made the mistakes and analysed what they should do to prevent similar mistakes among students. Students solve calculus problems using algorithms involving symbol concepts but they commonly forget to crosscheck the use of the symbol in their works. As a result, they made mistakes in using symbols which are shown in Appendix D. Furthermore, visual thinking is an important skill to abandon mistakes in finding solutions for calculus problems especially to find the area of the function. It happened because they did not draw the graph of the function. Meanwhile, students only will be able to identify the position of the graph either above or below the x-axis when they look the graph directly. Hence, teachers should be more aware that algebraic, symbol, and drawing the graph or visualisation are crucial concepts in learning calculus. Implementation in Indonesia One of the reasons why I wanted to explore the usefulness of mathematics and how to teach it in the classroom is the aim of teaching mathematics in Indonesia. Indonesia has adopted RME (Realistic Mathematics Education) from the Netherlands, and then known as PMRI (Pendidikan Matematika Realistik Indonesia) which correlates to teaching mathematics in real contexts and emphasises the application of mathematics (Sembiring, 2008). However, RME does not mean teachers have to involve the students in real activities but create a meaningful learning activity so that students can imagine it like they do reality (Van den Drijvers, 2014). Even though some previous researchers found that the implementation of PMRI in Indonesia had positive effects on students mathematics achievement (Armanto, 2002; Fauzan, 2002), Indonesia has not made relevant PMRI curriculum materials (Sembiring, 2008). Therefore, Indonesia still needs to develop some resources related to the implementation of PMRI. In addition, Indonesian mathematics teachers ability itself will be a difficulty in implementing teaching mathematics in real contexts. Although one of their concerns is connecting mathematics to the real world in order to encourage students to deal with their daily life problems (Zamroni, 2000), some of them are only able to teach instrumental understanding (Skemp, 1976) in the classroom so that students learn calculus as formulas without realising how they use it. Students just follow teachers instruction; memorising formulas, understanding the examples, and then solving the exercises. Undeniably, students own negative perspectives on mathematics, including the calculus, are due to this fact. Thus, teachers should find ways to improve these students perspectives in order to enhance their understanding and achievement in mathematics. Mathematics teachers can develop realistically applied mathematics in the classroom through the collection of realistic problems (Burkhardt, 1981) that provide an opportunity for students to apply their mathematical skills. Personally, there are some real-life problems that Indonesian teachers can use such as Max box. I am curious what will happen when I and other teachers use this problem before introducing calculus to the students, maybe, we will recognise kinds of methods from the students that we have never imagined before. Furthermore, Indonesian mathematics teachers should explore resources on the internet and use software like GSP in order to stimulate students sense of learning calculus. However, they may encounter further difficulty in using GSP or e-based learning method because not all of them can operate it and not every school has technological equipment as well as internet connection. Another point that Indonesian mathematics teachers should deem is students common mist akes in learning calculus. Teachers should be aware that students have to check their own work to find the mistakes because if they check by themselves, they likely will not repeat the same mistake. Teachers also have to check their students mistakes to analyse the reasons, then reviewing and correcting the misconceptions that student have from the mistakes. Conclusion Despite the fact that it is common that students feel calculus is difficult to be understood, solved and applied, I think there will be some solutions that teachers can do such as giving both realistic and unrealistic problems, using software, and watching application of calculus on videos. Besides these ways being likely to motivate and encourage students to learn calculus, these ways also can stimulate students using it in their real-life. However, teachers have to consider the practical problems for students and keep giving some routine problems to look closer what some misconceptions or mistakes that they made in doing calculus.

Explication of John Donnes The Flea Essay -- essays research papers

On the surface, John Donne’s poem â€Å"The Flea† dramatizes the conflict between two people on the issue of premarital sex, however, under the surface, the poem uses religious imagery to seduce the woman into having sex. The speaker in this poem is a man, who is strategically trying to convince a woman to have premarital sex with him through the conceit based on a flea, however, the coy lady has thus far yielded to his lustful desires. The speaker’s argument has the form of logic, which contradicts to its outrageous content. In the first stanza, the speaker wants his beloved lady to observe a flea and not think of anything else as he delivers his argument. A flea bites the speaker and his beloved causing their blood to mix, which, according to the narrator, is the same as having sex and creating a child. Then, the speaker explains to the woman that this mixing of blood is neither sinful nor shameful, or a loss of the woman’s â€Å"maidenhead.† He also explains that they have conceived a child a through the mixing of blood in the flea. He starts this stanza with a caesura in the middle of the line. For example the first line, â€Å"Mark but this flea, and mark in this,† has a definite pause between the words â€Å"flea† and â€Å"and.† The speaker pauses because he is trying to form some kind logic out of his argument for himself. The oratorical tone of the poem is interwoven throughout all three stanzas with run-on lines, which makes the tempo of the poem se em as if the speaker was not trying to rhyme. Not having a conversational tone in the poem, would take away from some of the intimacy of the words. The reader has to read between the lines and stanzas, because actions take place in the blank spaces between them. We... ...e, lust, marriage, and even conceiving a child at the same level as the importance of a flea, which gives the poem an ironic and satirical tone. This poem showed the pure genius of John Donne. It is intriguing to look at, especially for the religious imagery and form. His analogy of killing a flea and having sex, allow him to simplify his argument, which makes this a work of genius. His word choice, form, and rhythm all coincided with his major theme. I cannot help but to find this poem hilarious, flirtatious, and less serious than his other works because love, lust, marriage, and conceiving children is nowhere in comparison to a flea or killing one. I think Donne knew this, but through his wit he managed to make the correlation. Works Cited Donne, John. â€Å"The Flea.† The Norton Anthology of British Literature. 7th ed. 2000.

Bullying and the Holocaust

Bullying and the Holocaust: Competition versus Cooperation When an animal is faced with starvation it often turns to cannibalism and may attack and kill a weaker animal of the same species. The German Nazis followed this system of competition versus cooperation. The Nazis felt they had no other choice to survive than to kill millions of Jews, Gypsies, and disabled people. After the Holocaust, researchers uncovered many Journals kept by those who were persecuted.Here is a short exert from a fourteen year old girl: â€Å"October 27, 1937: The other girls and I were moved for the sixth time today. This time they moved us to a factory closer to Auschwitz. I'm beginning to fear that I'm at the end and I might die soon. At some points I wish they would go ahead and kill me so I wouldn't have to endure this pain. Through all of this I still don't understand why the Nazis hate us. We never did anything to them. I often wish someone would speak up on our behalf and save us from this terrible life. Looking back on the Holocaust people wonder xactly why no one spoke up and fought for the persecuted for so long during the war. It was like they were all students in school who pretended not to notice when someone was getting bullied so they didn't have to get involved in it. Half of the mass slaughter of the Holocaust was due to bullying by peer pressure. People felt pressured by others to turn in Jews to Nazi officials. They wanted to save themselves and let the Jews be persecuted.As this happened more often no one even thought twice about it and had little regret that they probably Just sent omeone to their death. 2 As a part of the â€Å"Final Solution†, the Nazis did everything possible to exterminate the Jews. Through all of the hateful words, excruciating torture methods, and unreasonable forced labor, the Nazis believed that they threatened their way of life and the world would be better without them. World War II and the Holocaust officially ended on May 8, 1 945, but only about two-thirds of the Jewish population remained.

Book Review on the book Virgin Birth

Gerd Ludemann is the author of a well-known book namely Virgin Birth: The Real Story of Mary and Her Son Jesus. As mentioned above, this essay basically would present a critical review of this book. The author of this book, Gerd Ludemann works at the University of Gottingen as a Professor of the New Testament. The author of this book has also penned down other master pieces of nearly the same concept such as The Great Deception: And What Jesus Really said and Did, What really happen to Jesus: A Historical Approach to the Resurrection, The Unholy in Holy Scripture: The Dark Side of the Bible.The book has been written by this German New Testament scholar as an attempt to put forward the historical realities that lie behind the birth of Jesus, who as said was born to a virgin mother namely Mary and the description of the Holy Family by the evangelists. The book is one of its kinds and in it; the author has gone through all of the previous references that were made to Jesus and his birth along with the Holy Family in the writings presented by the early Church and certain rival sources of the Jews.In the book under consideration, that is Virgin Birth: The Real Story of Mary and Her Son Jesus, the author has discussed some of the previous stories of Christmas (the birth of Jesus) that are present in the New Testament, reforms the traditions that have been used in them and then moves on to answer or to put forward the main concept of the book, that is the answer to the question of what really happened at the birth of Jesus Christ. The main point of the book is basically to grapple the concept of the birth from a virgin, its validity and the loopholes that are present in the concept while backing it with a number of historical evidences.Critical Review â€Å"It is time to life the veil which—woven from a mixture of dogmatics, piety and fantasy—has lain over the figure of Mary. Mary is better unveiled, because in this way she becomes more credible and mor e human† –Gerd Ludemann As known to all, the Bible states that Jesus was born to a virgin mother who is a very well-known character in history and religion and her name was Mary. A vast number of anti-Christian groups, in order to tarnish the image of the religion and especially that of Virgin Mary have claimed that as Jesus was born out of wed lock he was illegitimate and Mary, as his mother was a sinner.In this book, the author argues that the Christian parable of the virgin birth of Jesus, upholds the formations of stigmatization, refusing the right of women to sexual and cultural freewill. His argument is that, instead of taking Mary acutely as a woman of our time and for that reason also taking seriously women in our time, a vast number of churches these days carry on ignoring the repeatedly destructive consequences of the myth of Mary men and women who believe in it.The author of this book, Gred Ludemann, who is a controversial professor of New Testament at the Un iversity of Gottingen, in Germany, in his book, has challenged the traditional teachings of the church related to Jesus and his mother Mary. The book begins with a brief over view of the Catholic and Protestant doctrines on Mary and then moves on to critically goes through all of the verses of the Bible that refer to Mary such as The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, The Gospel of John, The Gospel of Thomas etc.He has done so with the hope of revealing a view of Mary’s thinking which was free of any thoughts or teachings related to the Church. The results presented by the author are very provocative and include a claim by the author stating that due to the fact that Mary gave birth to Jesus out of wedlock, she became the object of a number of lies that were put down to theory and were of great use or served the best interest of the early church, which obviously tarnished her own image and her character as a real human being.The book is rather stagnant. At times, a reader would perhaps loose interest because of the same thing being repeated over and over again. Although he has made a good attempt by going through all of the texts in a chronological order and that too all of them in three different stages. The first stage is the redaction, the second is the tradition, and last but not the least, the third is history. All three of them are linked to each other, but when read for the first time, this point is extremely hard to understand.The author has moved on from topic to topic very quickly which makes it even harder for a first time reader in particular to get what the author is trying to prove. The book somehow starts getting better after reaching page number forty, the second chapter namely â€Å"Mary in the New Testament and in the Christian Sources outside the New Testament: Redaction, Tradition, History†. As stated previously the book begins with a very brief introduction to a number of Catholic and Protesta nt doctrines, but they also have been explained in a way which is rather hard to understand at times.This makes the book seem rather uninteresting to any reader. He has also presented results of all the texts of the previously mentioned doctrines, but after going through nearly half of these results, one is forced to think whether the author is being rather very judgemental adnd if the book is not just a part of his own thoughts. Eventually in the end he has put forward the results of all the catholic and protestant doctrines along with the results of the verses and texts from the Bible, but they also tend to give the idea that the author is very judgemental and is not open to ideas.The worst aspect of the book however remains the fact that the text on its own is rather complicated and needs to be read twice in order to actually understand where the book is heading. A reader of the first time might remain baffled and complexed about what the author is trying to prove until he or she actually reads it in the end. Conclusion In the light of the above disucssion we can hereby culminate that Virgin Birth: The Real Story of Mary and Her Son Jesus is a well-known book written by Gerd Ludemann who is a scholar of the New Testament at the University of Gottingen.He has penned-down a vast number of master pieces, which are somehow related to each other. In this book, the author has openly challenged the traditional teachings of the church related to Jesus and his mother Mary, who according to the Bible gave birth to Jesus while remaining a virgin. The book improves as it moves on, but it is rather hard to understand right at the beginning owing to the fact that it is rather complicated. Works Cited Ludemenn, Gred. Virgin Birth: The Real Story of Mary and Her Son Jesus. United States of America. Trinity Press International. ISBN: 1563382431.