The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Arthur Miller wrote a play called The Crucible in the early 50s. Even though the text in the play tells the story of some of The Salem Witch Trials, there is evidence which shows that Miller clearly connects his own communist trial by McCarthy to the outrageous trials of the witches. Due to this disgraceful act towards him from the powers within society, Miller decided to write a play to show his own perspective of 1950s society to the people of America. The setting of Act 3 can be interpreted as an attack on the severity of the authorities in Salem and 1950s America. Firstly, at the beginning of Act Three, the stage direction says two high windows. This stage direction is really used just for directors to have a good impression of what the stage should look like from Millers point of view. However, if you examine the whole stage directions carefully, it says that besides the sunlight, the whole room is dark and that the trials are being held in that room. This symbolises that the authorities of Salem are unjust because they believe that what they is doing is holy and just; but they are secretly hiding away from God. The darkness symbolised by the dark room and the light given off by the window, shows that God is present and that they cannot hide from him. The windows being high suggests that God and justice are very hard to reach. This shows that for authority in society to truly reach the holy and just state of existence that they desire, they still have a long way to go. This relates to Millers experience because he was trying to say that America in 1950s was just as corrupt as the witch trials in 1692, therefore saying that since 1692 until 1950 society hasnt moved on to be more fair or more just. Millers attack suggests that there is still a long way to go until society can be truly called fair. Secondly, the way Miller has set out some of the characters such as their language or their tone of voice is also an attack on society. I think this is due to the impressions given off by the characters that most people would usually interpret them as being good people, but Miller shows that they are not. One example is Judge Hathorne. On page sixty-seven he asks Martha how she knows that she is not a witch , this shows that he is trying to trick her in saying the things he wants her to. This shows us that for Hathorne to get what he wants he has to stoop down to a level of trickery, which is very low for a person of his status. This symbolises the fact that the authority are being hypocritical because they do what they are trying to rid society from doing sinful deeds. This point connects with the McCarthy trials of Miller because Judge McCarthy also had to stoop so low, by using threats. Miller had the choice of either naming names or get ruined. Thirdly, I believe that the way some of the people dress also shows how Miller attacks society. This is because Miller wanted us to know how power can corrupt us so he indicated all the sinful people by the clothes they wore and also their clothes showed us how much power they had. One example is again Judge Hathorne. I say this because in the courtroom Hathorne acts as he please due to his awareness that nobody in the court could overthrow him. Miller uses this to try and show the audience how power can cause people to act and abuse it, and even more so if it is supported by everyone in society agreeing with everything Hathorne had to say. Thus showing us that power can be used inefficiently if given to the wrong people. This is a link to Arthur Millers personal experience in the McCarthy trial because he believed that Judge McCarthy let his power get in the way of fairness and justice. The people of America supported McCarthy just like the people of Salem. In the play Miller exposes societys role in helping to condemn people by showing Parris supporting Hathorne. Miller shows that this fed Hathornes ego even more, and therefore Miller seemed to believe that McCarthy was an incompetent person because he abused his power just like Judge Hathorne. This is an attack on society because Miller is saying that society should be even more careful about giving so much power to someone who didnt deserve it. Also he encourages society to consider what they were doing before giving support to someone unworthy and boosting their ego. This courtroom scene presents innocent characters risking their lives in order to tell the truth seems to be an attack on the injustice of Salem as well as of 1950s America. We know this because there is much evidence in this scene to back the point up. One piece of evidence is the statement made by Hale on page seventy-eight where he says there is a prestigious fear in the court. This shows that Hale can see that some injustice is going on and is scared of it. Then when Hale tells Danforth that he is afraid, Danforth replies that there is a prestigious guilt instead and threatens him by asking him if he is afraid to be questioned. Later on Hathornes feeling of intimidation grows so that he becomes angry. This shows injustice and is linked back to my point at the beginning of the paragraph, because all Hale was doing was telling him what he thought was the truth. Danforth seemed like he was being pressurised so he had to use his power to intimidate and threaten Hale so that he could feel safe. This could be associated with Millers own experience because when authority in society in America in the 1950s felt threatened they had to use their influence and power to threaten and intimidate people. Just like when Miller was threatened and risked being ruined just for believing in something. Even though Miller could probably not harm anybody by himself, this is just like the threat Reverend Hale risked of being hanged just for exposing the fact that the court was an unjust one.

Effect of the Financial Crisis on the Automotive Industry

Effect of the Financial Crisis on the Automotive Industry Globalization refers to the shedding down of the walls of distrust and the barriers of suspicion in between countries to make a bridge where ideas and beliefs can cross the borders. We are divided into different worlds, and therefore could never have managed to deal with deadly epidemics and natural holocausts which have time and again challenged us. Globalization has strengthened the nexus and has helped us to understand each others need in a better way. Globalization has helped us to break the walls that separated us and have restricted our natural identity of being fellow human beings. It is true that the impact of globalization is clearly visible and affects the politics and economy of the country but it also affects the mindset of the people and their way of thinking. Globalization has made way for free trade and business and has communication between various parts of the world. It was made a world a better place to live in. Recently with the recession hitting the market, there has been doubts in many peoples mind weather globalization has made our lives better or not? Had the impact not been that great if the world was not that connected? Especially in the Automotive Industry with such heavy dependence on the Big three companies in the United States. There had been a sudden collapse in this sector which had made it difficult for car manufactures world over. The car industry, which is seen as a barometer of the world economy, is storming itself into deep recession, with sales and profits dipping(BBC News). Manufacturing plants are closing, jobs are being axed, share prices of the car companies are tumbling and production being cut back. The economic meltdown has taken its toll in almost all the industrial sectors across the globe. While the scale of the crash was unprecedented, so was the coordinated response by the Government and Banks in providing to get the financial markets industry working again and also to gain back the consumer confidence. The 2008-2009 automotive industry crises were an integral part of the global financial recession. The crisis affected the European and Asian automobile manufactures, but it was primary felt in the U.S automobile manufacturing industry. It also had an impact on Canada by the virtue of Automotive Products trade agreement. The Automotive industry was mainly weakened by the increase in the prices of the automotive fuels which is linked to the 2003-2008 energy crisis which dint encourage the purchase of low fuel economy vehicles such as the sports utility vehicles(SUVs) and the pickup trucks(MSNBC News). With the increase in the popularity and having high profit margins of these vehicles have motivated the Americas â€Å"Big Three† automakers also know as Detroit, General Motors, Chrysler and Ford to produce vehicles in this segment.   With the fuel-efficient models presented to the consumers, sales began to go down. The pressure on the prices of raw material being so much it had turned the credit crunch by the 2008. The US automakers suffered from considerably higher labour cost than their other counter parts including salaries, benefits, healthcare and pension. A letter to the CEOs of the Big Three automakers were sent by the Democratic Congressional party leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to present a â€Å"credible restructuring plan† involving â€Å"significant sacrifice and major changes of doing work† At the beginning, U.S sales fell down to 32% which brought down the car sales of General Motors by 45%, Ford by 30% and Chrysler by 35%. GM and Ford both having their components manufactured from India, with such a steep fall in the sale of cars it made a tremendous impact on the auto components manufactured in India. A cut in the production made them to cut down their orders of the car components manufactures. India is a strong and growing economy but the hit of recession has put red marks on the entire balance sheet of the Indian economy. The business analysts have reported that the Indian car industry had recorded a continuous growth of about 17.2% over the past few years. But with the hit of recession it has brought the growth down to about 7-8%. Be it Tata Motors or Maruti Suzuki or even Mercedes-Benz the market has gone down to a negative terrain. In addition, the uncertainty in exchange rate and increase in the dollar value against the Indian rupee has caused the slowdown. Increased dollar value has lead to an increase in the landed cost of imported machine tools and even the raw materials needed for production by approximately 14%. Steel and alloy prices have also not reduced which have forced the car manufactures to increase their car prices. To make the matters even worse is that the steel manufactures across the country are looking for re-imposition of custom duty on steel. Seeing the drop in the production numbers the State Bank of India has reduced the interest rates on loans in February, 2009. In 2008, the Chinese government had reduced the automotive taxes in order to encourage flagging sales. In January 2009, Chery a Chinese auto manufacturer reported unprecedented monthly sales. With the weak US economy in 2008, Japanese automaker Toyota recorded a double digit decline in sales. Toyota declared that it had expected a first time loss of $1.7billion in 70 years. Its sales saw a dip of 33.9% and that of Honda motor by 31.6%. In December, 2008 Japans second largest car manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation announced that it will cut down the production in Japan by 30,000 units due to the shortage in the demand. The company is likely to face its first plunge in the profit after eight years. Mitsubishi Motors because of the fall in demand had to cut their production requirements. It was roughly reduced by 110,000 vehicles in this year because of the fall in the sales of Japan, the U.S and the Europe. Japans car sales will fall to the lowest in about 31years according to the countries automobile manufactures. Toyotas President Katsuaki Watanabe said the Impact on the company from the struggling global economy has been â€Å"faster, wider and deeper than expected†. On 4th November, 2009, Toyota announced that it was pulling out from Formula One, ending the teams sports involvement. The crisis even affected the South Korean automakers, in December 2008, Hyundai Motor Company had reduced production in the plants at U.S, India, China and Turkey because of the sluggish demand. Amid the global financial crisis the company in an earlier projection had missed about 4.8 million units for 2008.they shortened factory operations and froze the wages of the administrative workers. South Koreas fourth largest automakers, SsangYong Motor, owned by SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) the Chinese automobile manufacturer is the worst affected in the crisis as they manufacture mainly high petrol consuming SUVs. The car maker incurred its straight fourth quarterly loss by the end of 2008 with losses amounting to $20.8 million in the third quarter. Also the sales dropped from 63% to about 3,835 vehicles. In Europe the sales of the car have so drastically reduced that consideration was being given to give monetary support for the automotive industry, particularly in France, Germany and Italy. French automobile manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen sales dropped by 17% in the last quarter of 2008, as a result it planned to cut 2700 jobs. In February 2009, PSA announced a cut of 11,000 jobs worldwide. Renault also saw a steep dip in sales in 2008. There was a dip in profits by 78% compared to the previous year. European sales fell 4% and worldwide the sales fell by 7% forcing Renault to abandon their growth targets of 2009. Fiat in Italy announced its temporary closure by a month. Alfa Romeos main plant of cars will be shut for four weeks. In January 2009 Fiat announced a 19% dip in revenues in the last quarter of 2008. Spanish automobile manufacturer SEAT cut their production at Martorell plant by 5% due to fall in its sales. In the United Kingdom, Jaguar Land Rover, now owned by Tata Motors, was demanding a $1.5 billion loan from the government to manage with the credit crisis. Nissan Motors UK announced that it was to get rid of 1200 jobs from its Washington factory near Sunderland due to the automotive industry crisis. The Canadian auto industry is closely related to the U.S due to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is in similar trouble. Canada has about 3500 car dealers which employ 140,000 people, are at the risk of losing their jobs from the financial crisis. Chrysler Canada demanded for $1 billion in support, making it the only Canadian arm of the Big Three to call for any dollar request. The CTF has opposed the bailout for the Canadian subsidiaries $3.5 CAD billion for the Big Three. The CTF noted that federal and provincial governments have already spent $782-million in the past five years. On December 20th, government of Canada and the province of Ontario offered a loan of about $3.3 billion on the auto industry. Under the loan GM got about $3 billion and Chrysler got the rest. Ford only asked for small amount of credit but they will not be participating in the bailout. Chrysler vice-chairman and president and Fords chief of manufacturing said that the â€Å"GM-CAW deal wa s insufficient† signifying that they will break the pattern set by the GM. Chrysler may also pull back from Canada if it fails to achieve substantial cost saving from the CAW. In March 2009, the Canadian federal and Ontario governments jointly discarded the restructuring plans given by the GM and Chrysler. This came a day later when US President Barack Obama had rejected the restructuring plans of the parent companies. As recession was seeing in all parts of the world it was most affected in the United States. In November 2008, there was a hearing by the United States Senate in the presence of the heads of Chrysler, General Motor and Ford. They all demanded an aid of about $25 billion if they were to evade bankruptcy. The Republican Senators were reluctant to give aid; some even suggested that bankruptcy would be the best option as it would help the manufactures free from the deal between them and the unions. General Motors share prices steep down to the lowest since the Great Depression. Ford share prices also fell considerably. On 2nd December, 2008, the Big Three submitted a revised plan to the Congress which included more drastic measures. The total bailout aid demanded had now increased to about $34 billion, giving a gloomier image of what would happen if the Congress will not give aid. Chrysler required $7 billion by the end of the month just to continue the business, while Ford required $4 b illion immediately. In an interview with the President Barack Obama said, ‘the last thing I want to see happen is for the auto industry to disappear, but Im concerned that we dont put $10 billion or $20 billion or $30 billion into an industry, and then six months to a year later, they come back hat in hand and say, ‘Give me more. Under the Obama administration the idea of the car czar was approved and an agreement was reached on about $15 billion in emergency loans to the auto industry. On 18th February, 2009 Chrysler and General Motors again approached the U.S government on obtaining a second of $21.6 billion, of which General Motors asked for $16.6 billion, while Chrysler took $5billion. General Motors also agreed in line to reduce 47,000 jobs, close 5 plants and axe 12 car models. Chrysler managed to cut 3,000 jobs and reduce one shift from production and axe 3 car models. Ford was able to stand on its own but General Motors and Chrysler had to file for bankruptcy. On 30th April, 2009 Chrysler filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11after the talks with all the leaders had broken down. On 14th May, 2009 Chrysler announced to shut 25% of its U.S operations as a part of the restructuring process. On 1st June, 2009 General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after the deals with the bond holders had failed. The application to the court in the New York marked the biggest collapse of an industrial company in the U.S. The restructuring process will involve a loss of about 20,000 jobs in the U.S. they also announced that nine other plants will be shut down while three more will be idle. It was the largest ever industrial bankruptcy in American history. In the new GM, in line with the financial regulation planned out by the U.S treasury, the federal government will take 60% of the ownership stake and the Canadian government about 12.5% along with the united auto workers getting a 17.5% share and the unsecured bondholders getting about 10% of the equity. Chapter 11 bankruptcies would allow Detroit to reorganize but not cause the massive job losses feared by some, Any bailout of the auto industry is really a bailout for the health benefits of the UAW [United Auto Workers]. Thats a ll it is. stated by Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel, author of the book The Future of Investors. There have been made arguments made which feel that there was no need to file for the Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This will be a visible shift in the consumer choice to choose a car as they may not be able to depend so easily from the bankrupted companies, as there will be no warranty of the vehicles. G.M also states that the bankruptcy will also cause a loss of a lot of jobs and make it difficult for the governments as they will not be able to get so many jobs. The bankruptcy served as a blessing in disguise for the Big Three as it helped them to void the outrageous union contracts and escape them from under worker obligations which were entered decades ago. It will also allow the automobile industry to be more competitive than before and be more sustainable. The government of America has also committed that it will help in the restructuring process of the auto industry as a whole and will wants the consumers to ensure on the cars they buy and also the suppliers to support them to weather the storm. The Administration will help stabilize the industry by the following ways: protection of consumer warrantees, supplier support program, unlocking the flow of credit for the consumers and dealers. The hit of the crisis at the automobile industry affected the whole world economy. The crises have not only caused problems for the car manufactures but also squeezed the car component manufactures. The component suppliers are an important part of the car industry that contributes 70% in the production of the car. The car component manufacturing companies are impacting the overall car industry in a big way. There were thousands of people being jobless and slowly people had no money with them to even buy a car. This drastically affected not only the sales of United Stated but the world over. Globalization played a crucial role in spreading this crisis world over as the automobile industry is highly dependent on United States and Canada for its manufacturing. Recession has hit the world economy through globalization causing problems not only in the auto industry but in every sector. There are millions of people world over who are jobless now as so many plants world over have been effected. Even with the inflation increasing such heights workers all over are facing pay-cuts which have made it difficult for them to survive. There is a constant pressure on the employees working as there is a fear of products being outsourced from the developing nations at a cheaper rate. Although because of globalization it has marked a new civilization which has enabled the people to stay in touch with each other and making the world a smaller place. But still it has a lot of evils which we cant overlook and we have to make sure that something is done to ensure that from the future such a thing is not repeated. There should be some measures or restrictions imposed to insure that if anything major happens either in Europe, India or even United States it should not cause problems for the whole economy. Unemployment, social degeneration and the main problems of globalization which people must be aware of that globalization is a one way tale. None the less, it is hoped that even after such an impact on the industry, the whole automotive industry which has stood the test in the previous recessions as well will bounce back once again. REFERENCES: BBC NEWS. Jorn Madslien,Business reporter, BBC News Car companies look beyond recession(online) Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7674505.stm MSNBC News. Gas prices put Detroit Big Three in crisis mode(online) Available from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24896359/

Edgar Allen Poe: An analysis

Edgar Allen Poe: An analysis Here is something to ponder: Edgar Allan Poe once expressed, Dream dreams that no one has ever dreamed before (Poe, The Raven). Even if a person is only a little familiar with the life of this prolific writer, he can immediately identify some irony in the former quotation. It is very ironic in the sense that a man who suffered such incredible losses in his life was still able to pursue his dreams. Edgar Allan Poe came from a life of poverty, but is now considered one of Americas most prolific writers. Indeed, the reality that Poe came from nothing makes his achievements, as both a writer and a person, even more awe-inspiring. Therefore, Poe is certainly right about his wise saying, as it reflects the story of his life. Perhaps he was so successful because he wrote about his own life and both his physical and mental experiences. All of the unfortunate events in his life serve as the framework for many of his famous pieces, including Annabel Lee, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. In fact, many of his themes delve into the things Poe experienced in his life, particularly death. The life of Edgar Allan Poe is characterized by various unfortunate events, which influence the themes of his writing: love, lust, and death. The first and most prominent is the presence of a deceased or dying woman. This is no surprise as all the women in Poes life died from tuberculosis. In Annabel lee, the title character happens to be the deceased woman. It is unclear to whom Poe addressed Annabel Lee as his mother, adoptive mother, and wife were all candidates (Peltak 91). Many believe the deceased character represents all the women he loved and lost (Peltak 91). Regardless of who she personifies, she is idealized as a youthful, beautiful lady. There is also a relation between decaying beauty and the physical signs of tuberculosis. The physical signs of tuberculosis include pale, luminous skin and red cheeks which corresponds to the victim in Annabel Lee as her beauty faded away (Peltak 15). Perhaps Poe is successful at raising the dead so believably because it was such a constant fact of his life (Peltak 15). Another aspect of Poes poetry that reflects his personal life is the element of the grieving man. Poe was left grief stricken after the death of his mother, adoptive mother, and wife. The feeling Poe experienced is similar to the torture and grief the man in Annabel Lee exhibits. In this circumstance, the speaker is a surviving husband or lover. The narrator laments his lost love, his beautiful Annabel Lee. The plot twist at the end of the poem is that the narrator ends up in the sepulcher by the sea. Such an action can be a sign of the narrators true love. The narrator almost seems obsessed with the love the two shared, which is analogous to his relationship with Virginia. A prominent theme is the love of beauty and the mourning of its passing into death (Otfinoski 6). The repetition of the name Annabel Lee proves how much this woman meant to the grieving man. Poe truly wants the reader to experience the same pain he felt after losing the loves of his life. The insanity of the narrator impacts the poem immensely. The narrator thinks Annabel Lee was taken away because people were envious. He believed her death was supernatural rather than an illness. After the death of Annabel Lee, the narrator is left in solitude, and thus becomes insane. Edgar Allan Poe was left in complete solitude various times in his life since he was abandoned by both father figures and all the women he loved died. Poe was also known as a depressed and morbid man, especially during the last few years of his life. The gothic themes of perversion, death, and insanity all reflect the pain in his life. More importantly, they contain a meaning throughout the work itself. Insanity is present as the narrator experiences a destruction of his mind, body, and soul. The plot is twisted because the reader discovers that the narrator may be in the tomb with Annabel Lee at the end of the poem. Death is important to the narrator as he ponders what happens before, during, and after passing away. All of the former themes have an underlying meaning that is related to Poes life. He experienced perversion, death, and insanity in his life and making them all of the major themes of his works is the way he conveys himself. Poes best known poem, The Raven, was published in 1845 and certainly made Poe famous. The poem became so famous that people referred to Poe as the raven' (Oakes 3). Similar to Annabel Lee, specific themes in The Raven correlate to Poes personal life. Some important themes to make note of include insanity, death, loneliness, and the element of supernatural. Each theme is relevant to Poes life in at least one perspective. The most obvious theme is the longing over a lost loved one. Specifically, the talking raven reminds the narrator about his dead love, Lenore. Although Poe mourned the deaths of various women in his life, many critics believe this poem was written for his wife, Virginia. When The Raven was published, Virginia had been wasting away from tuberculosis for three years (Peltak 13). It is strongly believed that The Raven was written in portrayal of the tragedy that existed for the two lovers (Oakes 2). Nevermore is the ravens repetitive message that is instantly recognizable even outside the context of the poem (Peltak 12). The effective repetition of this phrase gives the poem a dramatic intensity that carries the story and the reader to an ultimate realization (Otfinoski 5). The narrator, who is the mourning husband, finally realizes that his soul will Nevermore be freed from the shadow of his former love (Whiting 36). It is very possible the intensity and intricacy was intended as a mea ns to represent Poes complex life, especially regarding women. He lost one loved woman after another, and mourned each death more than the other. The repetition of the demonic message, Nevermore emphasizes Poe will no longer be reunited with his deceased mother, adoptive mother, and wife. Poe is extremely talented in his ability to intensify his prose and give his audience an alluring mix of accessibility and mystery (Peltak 12). Critics are convinced that it is a mystery and increase of anxiety that allows The Raven to resonate generation after generation. Yet, despite the element of horror and fantasy, The Raven is ultimately a Poem about remembering (Peltak 13). The steady reply of Nevermore haunts the narrator, who is unable to reconcile the loss of Lenore, and thus loses insanity (Peltak 13). The husband serves as a grieving man who goes insane by the end of the poem. The raven refuses to leave the door of the library, just like the pain from Lenores death will never fade. A few parallels between Poes life and literature can immediately be recognized. The grief-stricken narrator resembles Poe because both men will never be relieved from the death of a loved one. The maddened narrator reveals that the raven remains in the library and that he can never be free of its torment, just like Poe will never be free of the torment of his grief (Peltak 12). It is also clear that Poe correlates the death of a loved woman to the loss of beauty because Lenore is idealized as youthful, beautiful, and perfect (Peltak 16). This also implies the beauty he saw in the women he lost, which possibly sparked more despair. Poe stresses the concept of beauty like no other writer. Since Poe views beauty as perfection, and it is impossible to attain perfection, it is essentially impractical to maintain beauty. This statement is feasible because Poe lost all beauty in his life; nor was there anything beautiful about his life. The loss of beauty only deepens the torture the grieving narrator experiences. Poes emphasis on Lenores beauty greatly affects her husband and drives him insane. The themes of death, loneliness, and insanity are not only evident in The Raven, but also in Poes life. The supernatural element is the talking raven. Poe definitely believed in the supernatural because he thinks death is somewhat supernatural. For instance, in Annabel Lee, the narrator believed Annabels death was utterly supernatural. Because both Poe and the characters of his stories believed in the supernatural, they were often seen as insane. In The Raven, the narrators madness is sparked by the ravens taunting; he is convinced the raven will never leave. The financial anguish and Virginias death drove Poe to depression and self-destructive drinking (Peltak 37). Poes downfall is very similar to the destruction of the narrators mind, body, and soul. The narrator becomes depressed because he will Nevermore see his love again, thus his breakdown begins. He is lonely after the death of his wife, which is analogous to Poes loneliness after Virginias death. After her death it was nearl y impossible for Poe to find stable love and support. Like Annabel Lee and The Raven, the recurrent themes of death, perversion, and destruction of the mind, body, and soul are only a few of the numerous themes found throughout The Fall of the House of Usher. When first studying The Fall of the House of Usher, the reader will immediately note that Roderick Usher is mentally sick. Because of his mental illness, Roderick represents the mind, which evidently reflects the mental conflict Poe suffered in his life. Between his depression and the addictions, it is fair to say that Poes life gad been mentally rough. Roderick Usher characterizes all of Poes mental battles. Poe was certainly, attracted to ghost stories and the supernatural (Otfinoski 4). It is no wonder why he is fascinated by horror stories since his life was similar to one. Both are full of death and madness. Since the male represents the mind, it is logical that the female signifies the body. Rodericks sister Madeline is physically sick. Madelines illness essentially reflects the illness the women in Poes life had. The tortured or grieving man, dying or deceased woman, a supernatural element, a creepy or gloomy setting and various symbols and omens are all easily recognizable in The Fall of the House of Usher. The crumbling house with a crack provides the gloomy and creepy setting in The Fall of the House of Usher. It would be unreasonable to expect a man who has experienced a great amount of death and loneliness in his life to write about cheerful subjects. Madeline, the body, needs Roderick, the mind, to die. Both represent to halves of the whole which indicates an incestuous relationship. Edgars relationship with Virginia was indeed incestuous, since they were cousins. After Madeline and Roderick die, the house, representing the soul, splits and falls. Since Poe experienced all the elements within his story, it was probably relatively simple for him to include such great detail and intensity. It happens to be this personal intensity, more than any other literary characteristic, that makes Poes best tales so haunting and unforgettable (Otfinoski 4). In Poes literature, the same terrible themes occur in story after story (Otfinoski 4). Every theme and element is relevant and related. The enigmatic quality of the strange is evident in the gloomy setting and perverted plot twist. Madeline was alive all along, and eventually kills her brother causing the house to fall. There were many strange aspects of Poes life, particularly the fact that the three women he loved the most died of the same disease. The destruction of the mind, body, and soul exemplified through the downfall of Roderick, Madeline, and the crumpling house. The collapse of Poe and the people in his life can be easily seen through this ambiguous symbolism. Just like the rest of Poes literature, there is insanity, which is mostly epitomized by Roderick. It would take an infinite amount of pages to explain every correlation between Poes life and Annabel Lee, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. However, it is most essential to recognize that he expresses his emotions through the imperative themes of his literature. Every poem and story contains relatively the same elements: a grieving man, deceased women, the supernatural, insanity, love, and of course, death. The redundancy of these themes indicates the importance of these elements, and also how much they impacted Poes life. The tortured and grieving man concurs with Poes loneliness all throughout his lifetime. The deceased or dying women symbolizes the writers mother, adoptive mother, or wife who left him alone after death. Poes feelings toward love and death are very unique and are shaped by the events in his life. Poe loved all three women and venerated their beauty, even after they died. There is always a character that goes insane in Poes literature, which acts as a r eflection of Poe himself. Poe is a literary genius because he is successful at turning the unfortunate troubles of his life into the major themes of his stories. Life threw him terrible situation, but with them he created literature, both brilliant and expressive.

Pancho Villa Essay -- essays research papers

Pancho villa Doroteo Aranga learned to hate aristocratic Dons, who worked he and many other Mexicans like slaves, Doroteo Aranga also known as Pancho villa hated aristocratic because he made them work like animals all day long with little to eat. Even more so, he hated ignorance within the Mexican people that allowed such injustices. At the young age of fifteen, Aranga came home to find his mother trying to prevent the rape of his sister. Aranga shot the man and fled to the Sierra Madre for the next fifteen years, marking him as a fugitive for the first time. It was then that he changed his name from Doroteo Aranga to Francisco "Pancho" Villa, a man he greatly admired. Upon the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1911 against the Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz, Villa offered his services to the rebel leader Francisco I. Madero. During Madero’s administration, he served under the Mexican general Victoriano Huerta, who sentenced him to death for insubordination. With his victories attracting attention in the United States, Villa escaped to the United States. President Woodrow Wilson’s military advisor, General Scott, argued that the U.S. should support Pancho Villa, because he would become "the George Washington of Mexico." In August of 1914, General Pershing met Villa for the first time in El Paso, Texas and was impressed with his cooperative composure; Pancho Villa then came to the conclusion that the U.S. would acknowledge him as Mexico’s leader. Following the assassination of Madero and the assumption of power by Huerta in 1913, he returned to join the opposition under the revolutionary Venustiano Carranza. Using "hit and run" tactics, he gained control of northern Mexico, including Mexico City. As a result, his powerful fighting force became "La Division Del Norte." The two men soon became enemies, however, and when Carranza seized power in 1914, Villa led the rebellion against him. By April of 1915, Villa had set out to destroy Carranzista forces in the Battle of Celaya. The battle was said to be fought with sheer hatred in mind rather than military strategy, resulting in amass loss of the Division del Norte. In October of 1915, after much worry about foreign investments, in the midst of struggles for power, the U.S. recognized Carranza as President of Mexico. When Pancho Vill... ...ur taken prisoners. As a result, Wilson prepared a letter to Congress demanding a full-scale war and an ultimatum was sent to Carranza, demanding the release of all American prisoners, which Mexico had already threatened to kill. Within days, all prisoners were released and all international bridges were seized. Although Carranza was finished, Pancho Villa was not ready to throw in the towel. Thus, he prepared for a series of attacks to come. General Pershing reported to Wilson of Villa’s repeated violence, but Villa continued, capturing many towns held by Carranzista forces. On January 1917, Pancho Villa gathered his forces to capture Toreon. In the end, hundreds of his men were dead and his defeat was seized upon by Wilson as a convenient way out of the problems in Mexico. The U.S. would then prepare to withdraw, declaring the Punitive Expedition a success, although they failed to ever capture Villa. After the overthrow of Carranza in 1920, Villa formed a truce with the new government by laying down his arms in exchange for land and amnesty. He then retired to a ranch near Parral, Chihuahua, where he was assassinated by political enemies in 1923.

Career Education in Many Forms :: Emplyoment School Essays

Career Education in Many Forms Official federal support for career education began in 1974; although funding intensity has varied over the subsequent 20 plus years, career education continues to receive emphasis in the nation's schools. The most recent programs included under the umbrella of "career education" are titled "school-to-work" and "tech prep," programs that are receiving generous federal appropriations for 1996-97 (Hoyt 1996). School-to-work programs, which include tech prep programs, are characterized by their focus on bridging the gap between school and work. They draw upon education and business collaboration, and partnerships between education and other parts of society. They are designed to provide "school-based learning, work-based learning, and activities to connect the two" (Wickwire 1995, p. 7); in this way, they engage the community in the career education and development of youth. The coordinated support network promoted in school-to-work programs is "linked to school and relies on parents, mentors, employers, youth advocates, and social service agencies to assist youth" (Rochester City School District 1994, p. 1). Involvement of Community Businesses Whether through school-to-work or tech prep programs, businesses are increasingly approached for active involvement in the educational community. As they recognize the growing need for technically, academically, and socially prepared workers, businesses are becoming more and more enthusiastic in their desire to collaborate with schools to provide up-to-date education and training for the students who will be their future workers. Tech prep programs capitalize on the employers' need for qualified workers by drawing employers into the identification of skills necessary for employment in their industries--thus establishing benchmarks for education and skill achievement. Most partnerships between schools and businesses focus on the delivery and development of academic and vocational skills (which include skills for employability). Such collaborative efforts can help students develop relevant skills for the workplace through revised up-to-date curriculum, youth apprenticeships, and mentor ing experiences. Youth apprenticeships afford another avenue by which community businesses become involved in the career education and development of youth. Apprenticeships require a partnership between "educators--secondary and postsecondary--and business people who are willing to provide jobs and worksite learning experiences for young people" (Joyce and Byrne 1995, p. 44). They have the advantage of taking students out of the classroom and exposing them to the rapidly changing work environment, complete with new technologies and new management processes. Involvement of Community Agencies Community agencies, such as the Chamber of Commerce, are also valuable resources for student career development as they afford linkage to community leaders and community-based experiences.

Patterns for College Writing Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I spent the night before contemplating how I was going to get out of school on Thursday.   There was a social studies test I didn’t study for and I just could not bare another day of dodge ball.   On the morning of September 11, 2001 I woke up â€Å"sick†.   I pleaded with my mother, and took a fake trip to the bathroom because I was going to â€Å"vomit†.   Finally, I was allowed to stay home.   At 6:00 am,   I was ordered to go back to sleep and I did.   I looked forward to my day alone as I lingered between sleeping and waking pondering how I was going to fill my day with – snacks, computer games, and loud music. September 11, 2001 began as a childhood scheme and it ended with me growing up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I dozed much of the morning and awoke to the sound of my brother’s radio alarm going off.   It was Thursday and he shouldn’t be home.   I pouted as I slowly got out of bed to see if I was truly alone.   I walked down the hall and stopped briefly at the bathroom and then into my brother’s room.   He was gone, and the alarm had been set wrong.   The people on the radio droned on and on.   I wandered around the room hoping to find a magazine that I let brat borrow weeks ago. As I was on my knees peaking under the bed the words on the radio became clear.   I heard the word â€Å"terrorists† and the fragments of statements like â€Å"hundreds died this morning when†.   Then, I could only hear my heart beat in my ears.  Ã‚   I got to my feet and for the first time since being a child, I felt real panic. The sort of panic you feel when you are four and you have wandered away from your parents.   Once I caught my breath I made my way to the family room, frantically searching for the remote.   I turned on the television to MSNBC and the first image I saw was a man jumping from a broken window of one of the twin towers.   I was baffled and this would be the image that would haunt my dreams, my waking memories, and what it meant to be an American.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I heard the details over and over again.   The errorists had hijacked three planes and deliberately crashed them into the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.   The video clips played again and again on the news.   The smoke filled horizons around the crumbling buildings.   Paper was flying everywhere and the sound of heart broken people wailing in the background filled the screen.   I stared and there were moments where I thought it might be a movie and all I had to do was change the channel.   The phone must of rang a dozen times before I answered it   It was my mother on the other end, asking me again and again if I was ok.  Ã‚   She told me she would be home soon.   I waited, though I did not know for what, and watched.   The Towers were now in flames as the reporters spoke in what seem like whispers.   Their words almost silenced but the sound of a city slowly dying.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I remember hearing the back door open and close, and my mother sitting down next to me.   It was the first time since I was a child that she held my hand and I let her.   Stunned, we sat together as the news reported that at 8:40 am the terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center.   It was hard to comprehend.   My mother cried and I cried too except on the inside.   I watched her body shake as she twisted her ring around and around her finger.   My mother, who could out talk just about everyone we knew, was speechless.   It was then that I understood – she was scared too.   I hugged my mother and told her everything would be all right.   I told her we would be safe and that we had each other.   I made us coffee and we spent much of the afternoon talking about what happened, what could happen, and what we would do.   What we spoke about most was â€Å"why†.   Why did the terrorists hate Americ a?   Why did people kill other people for no apparent reason?   Comforting my   mother in the ways she had comforted me for so many years, came unexpectedly to me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the next few months we followed the story as did the world.   I can remember President Bush attempting to comfort the United States and telling us America would be going to war for reasons that weren’t clear to me then and certainly aren’t clear to me now.   Suddenly video games and staying home from school just weren’t important anymore.   Dodge ball did not seem so bad.   Instead of hiding from my parents I sought them out, wanting to discuss my day and theirs together.   I do not believe what does not kill us makes us stronger.   However, I think that what does not kill us makes truly value what we have in life and to realize how much our family and friends mean to us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My family and I became very active in volunteer activities especially with the Red Cross.   We donated bottled water, clothing, blankets, and food.   Our community held local charity events to raise money for the victims of September 11 including those firemen and police officers who gave their lives in the fires of 9/11.   It was the first time I or my family had ever become involved in activities that did not directly benefits ourselves.   The sense of community and patriotism that was built in the months following the terrorists attacks still exists with me today.   We now volunteer regularly as a family for a number of charities.   Through the destruction of the Twin Towers, I finally understood my place and role in society.   Not as a bystander but an active and willing participant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On September 11, 2001 many people lost their lives and I gained my independence from childhood fantasies.   Before that Thursday in September, I never thought about life and death.   I never considered the consequences of war and the denial of freedoms.   Now that I am older, I realize that September 11, 2001 was not just pivotal point for me but America itself.   Not since Pearl Harbor had the United States been unexpectedly attacked on it’s own land.  Ã‚   Just as families pulled together so did the United States as a whole.  Ã‚   We cried together and we healed together.  Ã‚   To actually witness the attacks was life changing but to be part of the healing process was life affirming. Bibliograhy Berne, S. (2004). Ground Zero. In S. Mandell, and Kirszner, L. (Eds.), Patterns for College Writing: A   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rhetorical Reader and Guide (pp. 158-161). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

All That Is Sarcasm

When dunces appear at every turn, or even when a friend is being unintelligent, one can be easily agitated with such annoyances. Although violence may seem like a good idea at the time, sarcasm is a better approach and it's easier on the knuckles. Sarcasm is less simple, however, so here are some quick tips to make those witty retorts we all love so much. When it comes to sarcasm, all remarks should be lighthearted–after all no one likes a jerk. Pick a phrase that isn't too degrading, but one that gets the point across so the person knows they're not being intelligent. For example, if a friend says, â€Å"Wow, the sky is really blue today,† an appropriate response could be, but is not limited to, â€Å"No way! I thought it was purple. † Also, the use of sarcasm in somber environments is strictly off limits. In a funeral setting, for instance, sarcasm is forbidden no matter what the remark is. Remember that sarcasm is more about being funny and less about twisting a knife. To add to the lighthearted nature, the proper tone must be taken for sarcasm to gain its intended effect. Using emphasis on different words will make sarcasm easily detectable. To exemplify, in the response ‘no way! I thought is was purple,' overemphasize ‘no way'. In doing so, the tone makes it blatantly obvious that sarcasm is present. However, do not emphasize too many words, or the phrase will sound choppy and will not flow with the conversation. Remember also not to put too much mirth in the tone or it may be hard to keep a straight face. After dropping a sarcastic remark, it's best to let the person realize rather than giving it away with hysterical laughter, so they don't feel completely incoherent. Although lightheartedness and tone make sarcasm effective, timing is also a crucial part. Being able to think on your feet is a must especially if the topic changes rapidly. In essence, when a person says something deserving of a sarcastic remark, quickly say the remark before the conversation changes subject. In the ‘purple sky' example, if the friend has already gone on to talk about their favorite football team, then the remark would become obsolete. Even though it may seem like using sarcastic remarks at the right time is an easy task, it does take some effort. Make sure that the thought is completed at the right time, and if it is not, don't feel compelled to say it. Now go, exchange tactful words with friends and let the witty banter ensue. There is no situation awkward enough, no force powerful enough, and no river wide enough to stop the complexities of sarcasm. With timing, tact, and tone, an apprentice will soon become a master of all that is sarcasm.