Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Hurray for Slew!

Hurray for Slew! Hurray for Slew! Hurray for Slew! By Maeve Maddox I saw a headline in my morning newspaper (Yes, I still read print!) that renewed my hope that one of my favorite irregular verb forms, slew, is going to survive after all. U.S. says raid slew leader of terror cell Ever since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ruled the television waves, the regularized form slayed has been gaining ground. The traditional simple past form, slew, was slipping away, but between headline writers and writers of fantasy, it may have a new lease on life. Slew has fewer letters than slayed and in writing headlines, short words trump long words. I like slew because it sounds more deadly, serious, and final. Buffy slew the vampire. David slew Goliath. Saint George slew the dragon. If youre going to opt for slew for the simple past, youll want to use the past participle form slain: Buffy has slain the vampire. On the other hand, I can think of at least one context in which it would be more suitable to use the -ed form. A common figurative expression to describe the effect of a funny comedian is to say, He slays me. Ex. That Jerry Seinfeld just slays me! Translation: Jerry Seinfeld makes me laugh. It would sound odd even to me to put it in the past as The other night at the club, Jerry Seinfeld just slew me. When it comes to killing unusual creatures, however, or writing tight headlines, you can go with the irregular forms of slay/slew/slain. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†Ten Yiddish Expressions You Should Know15 Names and Descriptions of Effects

Saturday, November 23, 2019

South Africas Black Consciousness Movement

South Africa's Black Consciousness Movement The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was an influential student movement in the 1970s in Apartheid South Africa. The Black Consciousness Movement promoted a new identity and politics of racial solidarity  and became the voice and spirit of the anti-apartheid movement at a time when both the African National Congress and the Pan-Africanist Congress had been banned in the wake of the Sharpeville Massacre. The BCM reached its zenith in the Soweto Student Uprising of 1976  but declined quickly afterward. Rise of the Black Consciousness Movement The Black Consciousness Movement began in 1969 when African students walked out of the National Union of South African Students, which was multiracial but white-dominated, and founded the South African Students Organization (SASO). The SASO was an explicitly non-white organization open to students classified as African, Indian, or Coloured under Apartheid Law. It was to unify non-white students and provide a voice for their grievances, but the SASO spearheaded a movement that reached far beyond students. Three years later, in 1972, the leaders of this Black Consciousness Movement formed the Black People’s Convention (BPC) to reach out to and galvanize adults and non-students. Aims and Forerunners of the BCM Loosely speaking, the BCM aimed to unify and uplift non-white populations, but this meant excluding a previous ally, liberal anti-apartheid whites. As Steve Biko, the most prominent Black Consciousness leader, explained, when militant nationalists said that white people did not belong in South Africa, they meant that â€Å"we wanted to remove [the white man] from our table, strip the table of all trappings put on it by him, decorate it in true African style, settle down and then ask him to join us on our own terms if he liked.† The elements of Black pride and celebration of black culture linked the Black Consciousness Movement back to the writings of W. E. B. Du Bois, as well as the ideas of pan-Africanism and La Negritude movement. It also arose at the same time as the Black Power movement in the United States, and these movements inspired each other; Black Consciousness was both militant and avowedly non-violent. The Black Consciousness movement was also inspired by the success of the FRELIMO in Mozambique.   Soweto and the Afterlives of the BCM The exact connections between the Black Consciousness Movement and the Soweto Student Uprising are debated, but for the Apartheid government, the connections were clear enough. In the aftermath of Soweto, the Black People’s Convention and several other Black Consciousness movements were banned and their leadership arrested, many after being beaten and tortured, including Steve Biko who died in police custody. The BPC was partially resurrected in the Azania People’s Organization, which is still active in South African politics. Sources Steve, Biko, I Write What I like: Steve Biko. A Selection of his Writings, ed. by Aelred Stubbs, African Writers Series. (Cambridge: Proquest, 2005), 69.Desai, Ashwin, â€Å"Indian South Africans and the Black Consciousness Movement under Apartheid.† Diaspora Studies 8.1 (2015): 37-50.  Hirschmann, David. â€Å"The Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa.†Ã‚  The Journal of Modern African Studies. 28.1 (Mar., 1990): 1-22.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Marketing - Essay Example Was their objective to change their image from a conservative clothing store to a more fashion-updated store? Did they want to reposition their products? Are they willing to sacrifice their conservative market just to tap another segment of the market? These are essential questions which should have been addressed before deciding to come up with the ad. Another important aspect which Penny might have overlooked is the pre-testing stage of the advertisement. They should have randomly picked out a â€Å"consumer jury† who will view the ad and see how they would react to the ad. The â€Å"jury† should be representative of their target market, to include their present consumers and the market which they want to tap. Had they done this process, they could have gotten outright feedback on the impact of their ad. 2. How could Penney use public relations strategies to counteract the bad publicity it received as a result of the ad and the t-shirts? As a result of its television commercial entitled â€Å"Attitude Adjustment†, Penny suffered from bad publicity. Their customers reacted negatively. This same problem was encountered by Penny when they came out with a T-shirt design with a slogan â€Å"Home Skooled†. To counter the negative publicity that they experienced from these instances, I think Penny should try to redeem itself and beef up its reputation again.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The English commonwealth and its effect on Caribbean Nations Essay

The English commonwealth and its effect on Caribbean Nations - Essay Example Bakker-Mitchell, noted educator at Florida A & M, discusses education as it existed in the Colonial era and urges more attention to foreign language teaching and learning in a growing global community. She notes that in the 1960s most of the countries in the English speaking Caribbean received their independence. Before this time, education in the Caribbean was geared for life in Britain. Textbooks were of British origin and students were familiar with the conversion table that indicated how many cents equalled one shilling--the pounds, shillings and pence table--even though dollars and cents were used in the country and very little in school readers related to the lives of persons in the Caribbean.Bakker-Mitchell is from what was British Guiana, now Guyana, which is a member of the British Commonwealth. This article is valuable as a contrast between the years of British rule and the current independent rule in most Caribbean countries, with its present stress on language as part of Caribbean, not British, culture. Bakker-Mitchell considers it extremely important for students in English speaking Caribbean to become fluent in the languages of their neighboring countries and is concerned that this is not a priority. In the development of the Caribbean, she considers education a major priority.Cateau H. and Pemberton, R. Beyond Tradition: Reinterpreting the Caribbean Historical Experience (Essays). Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers, 2006. Cateau and Pemberton selected a group of essays intended to re-interpret Caribbean history from the 18th through the 20th centuries, replacing the 'objective' view with a 'subjective' view of the region. One essay, "Nineteenth-Twentieth Century Trinidad and Tobago," will be useful as a comparison between Jamaica and Trinidad. The overall focus of the book on Caribbean identity and people gives a more realistic view of the area, moving away from the sugar plantation. Another essay looks at the role of Britain as a key trade center fr om the 18th to the 19th centuries, not just in the Caribbean, but throughout the whole English Atlantic. Cateau and Pemberton are lecturers at the University of West Indies, with Cateau specializing in economic history, while Pemberton's specialty is health and environment history. Federal Research Division. 1987. Commonwealth of Caribbean Islands. Library of Congress. Online. Available: 11 June 2006. A paper on the effects of the British Commonwealth on the development and under-development of the English-speaking Caribbean requires studying the specific areas and comparing them to determine what changes must be made to encourage growth. The Library of Congress Country Studies series gives a detailed, online, chapter-by-chapter overview of the Commonwealth of the Caribbean, with Chapter 2 covering Jamaica and Chapter 3 covering Trinidad and Tobago, two very contrasting areas. Jamaica is dependent on agriculture and tourism, while Trinidad is important as an oil-supplier. Other countries included in this topic are the Windward Islands and Barbados, the Leeward Islands and the Northern Islands. As a foundation, this source is recommended. History of Jamaica. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available: Last modified 9 June 2006. 11 June 2006. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia with researched articles that can be edited. Even so, the information in these articles is for the most part verifiable and easy to read with links to various related subjects. Since Jamaica is one of the most visible countries in the English speaking Caribbean, it has importance in a study of culture, economy and politics. Although it would be easy to see what is called the English Commonwealth as a single

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Examine Sociological Theories Essay Example for Free

Examine Sociological Theories Essay Examine sociological theories that explain the ethnic dimension to crime and deviance (21 marks) Recent statistics show that black people are five times more likely to be in prison than whites. Ethnic groups are heavily over represented in prisons. Waddington et al investigated whether ethnic groups were targeted by the police and whether they were treated unfairly. Waddington et al concluded that these ethnic minorities were stopped and searched more because they were out on the street at the time. His research could be criticised because he only interviewed the police, he didn’t interview the groups that were treated by the police. This would result in the police possibly lieing and saying that they treat the black people just as equally as they treat white people. Phillips and Bowling would disagree with Waddington et al as they believe that the over policing of ethnic neighbourhoods creates resentment. After the death of Stephen Lawrence the McPherson report stated that poor black areas were over policed but under protected. This would again back up Phillips and Bowling and their theory of over policing in poor black areas. This angers the people in these poor areas because of the fact that the police are only targeting them for certain crimes such as drugs. The report states that they will randomly pick on a working class black male rather than someone else for a stop and search as they believe these people are more likely to be holding drugs. This leaves the rest of the people under protected because the police aren’t concentrating on other crimes such as robbery or assault. Skolnick believes that most police stereotype the young black male as being a typical offender. He says that these stereotypical beliefs come from the ‘canteen culture’ and it is this belief that backs up Phillips and Bowling, as they would say that this belief would lead to the over policing in the poor black areas. Drabble investigated whether black people were treated unfairly in the courts. He found that blacks were more likely to be charged with more serious forms of offence than whites, whites were more likely to be cautioned whereas blacks were more likely to be prosecuted. This is evidence of institutional racism mentioned in the McPherson report. Hood found that black people were more like to receive custodial sentences even though other punishments such as fines and community service were available alternatives. Fitzgerald researched ethnic minority street crime in London. He interviewed young ethnic minority offenders and their mothers and found that the higher the levels of deprivation in an area, the higher the levels of crime. It is a statistic that Afro Caribbean households are more likely to be headed by lone parent families, which then results in higher crime in the family. This links in with Charles Murray who said that lone parent families would result in higher chances of failure at score and therefore higher chances of them turning to crime. It also links in with left realism and Jock Young and John Lea’s theory of relative deprivation. They say that people commit crime when they feel deprived, the media stresses the importance of economic goods and some will turn to crime to get these goods. They also say marginalisation is a reason for the increase in crime because of young black men are made to feel on the edge of society with nobody to stand up for them, this causes frustration and resentment which leads to crime being committed. These reasons then cause an increase in subcultures or gangs and therefore an increase in crime. All of these researchers could be criticised as they reinforce stereotypes of the young black male as well as not looking at white, middle class crime. This would then link in with Marxism and the fact that the upper class are being treated more fairly with crime they commit than the lower class.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Grapes of Wrath Essay -- essays research papers

We as Americans have seen our share of violence whether it is first hand, through the media, or in history books. We have seen the pain and struggle that these people must go through in order to survive. This novel, The Grapes of Wrath, relates to some of the many times of violence and cruelty that this America has seen. During the Dust Bowl, hundreds of thousands of southerners faced many hardships, which is the basis of the novel called The Grapes of Wrath. It was written to portray the harsh conditions during the Dust Bowl. When one considers the merit of this novel, one thinks, how can Americans treat other Americans so horribly. After reviewing American History, the mistreatment of the "Okies" in The Grapes of Wrath can be concluded as being valid. After slavery, blacks were terribly mistreated. During the Civil War, Americans were divided. During the Red Scare, Americans mistrusted other Americans. These three different periods of U.S. history display how Americans can treat fellow Americans so cruelly. In The Grapes of Wrath, the Californians wanted to rid the "dirty" Okies from California because they were afraid of them. They were afraid that the Okies would take their land. In The Grapes of Wrath, Okies were unjustly beaten. The California police beat them for no just reason because they wanted the Okies to leave the state. The police killed Casey for no just reason. They killed him just because they thought he w...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Hobson’s Choice – With particular reference to Act 1, show how Brighouse presents a comic but honest view of family life, set in late 19th century Salford

With particular reference to Act 1, show how Brighouse presents a comic but honest view of family life, set in late 19th century Salford. Hobson's choice is an interesting and enjoyable play, which uses a fair amount of comedy to keep the audience engaged. The audience can really connect with the characters, as they are very realistic and are placed in real-life situations. The comic element comes in regularly, in the form of just one-off, funny lines, or even complete comic situations and themes. Although the play is set in late 19th century, the themes are still relevant today, which shows that although some things may evolve over time, people and their opinions are still the same, and so the audience can relate to the play, which is another reason why Hobson's Choice is so enjoyable. â€Å"Hobson's Choice† is proverbial, stemming from the 17th century; to have â€Å"Hobson's choice† is to have no choice at all. I think that understanding this is a key element in understanding the play, as all of the themes of the play arise from one of the main five characters having â€Å"Hobson's choice†. The play is set in late 19th century Salford, which although it does not tell you in the play, the audience can guess immediately, just from the setting. The play begins in Hobson's Boot Shop, which is a clue straight away, as boot shops are not very common today, and have been replaced by shoe shops and trainer shops. Another clue are â€Å"the cane chairs† in front of the counter, where â€Å"the ordinary people sit for fitting†, because today benches would be placed randomly around the store for everyone to sit on. There is a separate room â€Å"for very important customers†, but today they would use the benches, the same as everyone else, or go to a different store. Another clue would be the door leading to the house, implying that the Hobsons live there, which is not so commonly practiced today. If these were not enough clues, the objects inside the shop all suggest late 19th century; for example, â€Å"the gas brackets in the windows and walls†, and â€Å"the clogs on exhibit in the windows†. Alice and Vickey's actions and dress also suggest a late 19th century setting, as Alice, only 23, is knitting – not an activity which is commonly pursued by the modern young woman – and the pair are wearing aprons for working in a shoe shop. Although Hobson's Choice consists of four Acts, each of these is comprised of several little scenes. Although these are not official, Brighouse has made it obvious that they are there, and they are often marked by the entrance and exit of a character. Brighouse teaches the audience a lot about his characters in the first Act, and he sets up their personalities and roles to make it easier to digest when their true functions are revealed, and right from the beginning of the play, Brighouse gives the audience an idea as to what the characters of Hobson and his three daughters – Maggie, Alice and Vickey – are like. Maggie is a bossy, moody character, and Brighouse uses the first scene to introduce this to the audience in a conversation between her and Alice; the audience can grasp these characteristics in Maggie from her sharp, snappy response to Alice. For example; â€Å"Alice: I hoped it was father going out. ‘†Maggie: It isn't†. Maggie is very blunt and matter-of-fact when she is talking to her sisters, as she proves again when she says â€Å"He got up late†, in response to another statement from Alice about their father. Brighouse has chosen subtle, yet effective, methods in broadening the audience's knowledge of the characters in Hobson's Choice early in the play, and the characters of Maggie, Alice and Vickey are no exception to this. From the fact that Maggie is reading an account book, whilst Alice and Vickey are knitting and reading, the audience know instantly that Maggie is the one bothered about the business out of the three of them, and that Alice and Vickey would probably rather be out doing other things. Maggie is blunt in every aspect of her life, and it is traits like this found in all of the characters in Hobson's Choice that adds to the play's honesty – none of the characters are perfect, but they do try their best to use their flaws and traits to their advantage. Brighouse uses a metaphor to show Maggie's bluntness in a conversation between Maggie and her two sisters. Maggie says â€Å"See that slipper with a fancy buckle on it to make it look pretty? Courting's like that my lass. All glitter and no use to nobody†, and this sums up what Maggie thinks about marriage, love and life. In terms of marriage and love, Brighouse is telling the audience that Maggie doesn't want to date somebody first, she just wants to marry them. Also, she is not interested in a fancy man, with expensive clothes, lots of money and good looks as it is â€Å"only glitter†; she would rather find somebody genuine, marry him, and then get to know him. Already, Brighouse is building reason for why Maggie would want to marry a man such as this, so the audience can look back on this, and it will help them to understand why Maggie and Willie, at first glance such an unlikely couple, are together. Again, the fact that Maggie is very honest in how she speaks helps to convey the way that Brighouse has created such an honest view of family life. As the audience have already learnt, Maggie is very bossy, and so Brighouse has used the next scene to confirm this. It also introduces Albert, so that the audience know that he likes Alice, and to introduce the shop, and show the audience that Vickey and Alice are not interested in it. The scene shows Maggie confronting Alice's boyfriend, Albert Prosser. They all know why Albert has gone come into the shoe shop – to visit his ‘girlfriend', Alice – but they all put on a front, and act like he is a normal customer coming in to buy some boots; it becomes clear that Albert really does not want to purchase anything. Maggie, however, keeping up the pretence that Albert has come in to actually shop, starts forcing Albert to buy something, so he pretends that he has come in for some shoe laces. To his surprise, Maggie asks Albert, â€Å"What size do you take in boots?†, to which he innocently answers, â€Å"Does that matter to the laces?†. Albert does not realise what Maggie is getting at, until Maggie replies, â€Å"It matters to the boots†, and before he knows it, Albert is being pushed down into one of the seats and having his boots taken off and replaced with new ones. Brighouse also impresses early that Alice and Vickey are very fashionable, which Hobson is not very keen on; he wants his daughters to look nice but smart and ladylike. For example, Vickey and Alice â€Å"had new dresses on last week†, which shows that they want to look good, but Hobson says â€Å"I like to see my daughters look nice. That's why I pay Mr Tudsbury, the draper, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10 a year a head to dress you proper. It pleases the eye and it's good for the trade†. Clearly he doesn't like his daughters parading around making fools of themselves and him, which is exactly what he thinks they are doing by dressing like that. Brighouse shows this again, when Hobson euphemises â€Å"You were going down Chapel Street with a hump added to nature behind you†, which shows that he is uncomfortable with the situation and the way his daughters are dressing, as he is playing around with what he wants to say, because he does not know quite how to say it. Later in this conversation between Hobson and his two youngest daughters, Alice says â€Å"it is not immodest, father. It's the fashion to wear bustles†, which shows that Alice and Vickey are fashionable, but their father is not concerned by this, only that they are dressing in this manner, which he describes as â€Å"uppishness† â€Å"the occupation of fools and such as have no brains†. This conversation also shows the age gap between Hobson and his daughters, and the fact that Alice and Vickey are still being controlled by their father, despite the fact that they are 23 and 21, links with one of the themes of the play – the role of women in society. With reference to the title, this is a great example of the typical, honest situations that Brighouse has used throughout Hobson's Choice, which is why it is such an honest, realistic play. It is because the characters and the situations that they find themselves in are so realistic that the play comes across as so honest. Straight away, Brighouse also lets the audience know that Hobson likes a drink, which is something that features throughout the play. Brighouse does this by introducing Hobson through his daughters, where they discuss that he has a hangover from a Mason's Meeting the previous evening. Again, this is another honest situation, and one which makes Hobson's Choice that bit easier for the audience to relate with and to connect to. If the play was not honest, the audience would not be able to relate with the characters or their situations. The audience can also tell that the girls are scared of their father, as they don't seem to be able to do anything until he is gone, for fear that he will tell them off, despite the fact that they are 21, 23 and 30. One example of this is that Alice says she is expecting someone, which is clear to the audience is a man she is courting, but she does not want her father to know that she is courting. One reason why the play is so honest and easy to believe is the way Brighouse has delicately crafted and evolved his characters, allowing the audience to feel a strong relationship between themselves and the characters. An excellent example of this is the character of Willie. At the start of Act One, Willie seems a very timid character – he knows he's neither clever nor important, and this comes across in both his attitude and his behaviour. For example, when talking to Mrs Hepworth, she says, â€Å"Take that†, to which Willie â€Å"bends down rather expecting ‘that' to be a blow†, so rather than stand up to her when he is expecting to be hit, Willie cowers out of the way, but he â€Å"finds she is holding out a visiting card†. Willie is very quick to do as he is told, and Brighouse demonstrates this to the audience on the first occasion that we meet this character. In this scene, Mrs Hepworth wants to see Willie; Tubby just had to call Willie's name down the trap door and he appeared instantly. It is clear to the audience that Willie is a talented boot maker, as Mrs Hepworth is so pleased with her boots that she asks specifically to see Willie, so that she can â€Å"praise him to his face†. However, it seems at this point in the play that boot making may be his only talent, as when Mrs Hepworth instructs Willie to read the card she has given him, it is revealed that he can't even read properly. Willie is dominated by everyone, including not just Mrs Hepworth, but also Maggie, Hobson, Ada, Alice and Vickey. Brighouse uses the dominant character of Maggie to help Willie come out of his shell, and helps him both socially and intellectually, and Brighouse turns Willie into a much stronger and more dominant character, not unlike Maggie herself. The transformation of Willie includes him becoming able to stand up for himself, speak his mind and Maggie even teaches him to read; he stands straighter, taller, holds his head high, looks people in the eye, speaks with a stronger, more confident voice, learns to speak his mind, is much more confident in his abilities and even dresses smarter. An example of him becoming a stronger character and standing up for himself is when he tells Hobson â€Å"Don't let us be too long about this. You've kept me waiting now a good while and my time's valuable. I'm busy at my shop†. This sounds like something Maggie would say, and without pausing for breath Willie manages to put Hobson in his place, and let him know that Willie means business. Another example is where Willie tells Hobson â€Å"You've no right to expect I care whether you sink or swim†, which actually makes Willie out to be quite a nasty character, but Maggie points out that he is going a bit too far. This â€Å"abuse of power† shows that Willie is new to being able to tell people what to do, and he is playing around trying to find his boundaries. Another reason why Hobson's Choice is so honest and easy to believe is because Brighouse has made the focus of the play the characters rather than any individual action or event, which means that the audience can really relate to and sympathise with the characters. It is for this reason that all of the characters in Hobson's Choice have a function; they are all there for a reason to support the roles of the central five – Hobson, Maggie, Willie, Alice and Vickey. Jim Heeler is there for Hobson to confide in, so the audience all know what he is really thinking and what he is going to do next. Mrs Hepworth – the only real customer in the play – is used to introduce the character of Willie, and also later finances Willie and Maggie's business. Ada Figgins's brief appearance shows the contrast the Maggie represents to Willie. Tubby is used later on to show the deterioration of Hobson's business. Albert Prosser and Fred Beenstock are used to help Maggie in plotting against her father. Finally, Dr MacFarlane effectively sets up the final confrontation between Maggie, Willie and Hobson by prescribing Hobson with the necessary cure for his diagnosed weaknesses. Brighouse has cleverly disguised these character's functions by giving them a more direct reason to appear when they do. Heeler appears as Hobson's friend, whilst Mrs Hepworth is first introduced as a customer. Ada, obviously, comes into the shop to bring Willie his lunch, and is then somewhat dumped by Willie in the process! Tubby is the other worker at Hobson's boot shop, and Albert and Fred are Alice and Vickey's boyfriends. Finally, Dr MacFarlane appears simply to diagnose Hobson. This multi-functioning allows Brighouse to create a realistic play, as the characters seem to be innocent at first glance, yet the play soon subtly reveals their true functions. Not only is Hobson's Choice such an honest and realistic play, but it also has a lot of comic elements. The play is often referred to as a â€Å"Lancashire comedy†, as the language and dialect plays a big part in the play's comical elements and the tone of the play. The dialect is informal, and characters often speak using slang words and phrases, such as â€Å"our Maggie†, 'em†, â€Å"aye† and â€Å"eh?† The character's credibility stems from the realistic, naturalistic manner in which they speak. An example of this is Willie's final, defiant speech at the end of Act One. The sharpness of the dialogue itself would be a source of humour, but it forms a constituent part of the greater comedy arising from the interaction between Willie, Hobson and Maggie. This scene between these three characters is just an example of the humour that Brighouse has included within Hobson's Choice. Another particularly entertaining element of Hobson's Choice is a conversation between Maggie and Willie. Maggie asks Willie, â€Å"When are you going to leave Hobson's?† to which Willie replies, â€Å"Leave Hobson's? I – I thought I gave satisfaction†. This is comical as Willie is shocked because he thinks that Maggie is wanting rid of him. The comical element continues when Maggie, in the same conversation, tells Willie that she is going to marry him. The audience would find this entertaining for several reasons; first Maggie is not asking Willie to marry her, she is telling him that he is going to, and the fact that a woman is telling a man what to do, especially something as serious as this, is comic. Also, for Maggie, the daughter of Hobson, the shop owner, to want Willie, a mere worker at her father's shop, to marry her is comical in itself. It is also funny because Maggie is insulting Willie and acting like she thinks that she is better than him, yet she i s demanding to marry him! Another way memorable comic event is when Maggie tells Ada that she is going to marry Willie. This allows Brighouse to entertain the audience by overturning the convention in drama of two men fighting over a woman by showing Maggie and Ada battling for Willie. This event is also comic as neither Willie nor Ada have any say or control over the situation, despite the fact that 10 minutes previous, Maggie had nothing to do with Willie's social life at all! Another comic situation presented in Hobson's Choice is later on in the play, where Hobson's daughters – previously scared of Hobson – are dictating to him what he is going to do, and they, together with Maggie and their partners manage to trick Hobson into handing them over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500 for Alice and Albert's wedding! What makes this even more comical is that Maggie manages to convince Hobson that it is he who has won, because he only had to give the couple à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500 and not à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1000! Overall, I think that Brighouse has created a very honest view of family life, and the audience will really appreciate this. He has created a naturalistic setting, which requires no interaction or imagination from the audience to enhance the play, so the audience are a fourth wall audience, which is the contemporary equivalent of a modern audience watching a television soap. Brighouse has enhanced the play with regular comic moments to keep the audience engaged and entertained. The comic episodes are more amusing to a contemporary audience as a lot of them are based around contemporary views and beliefs, such as a woman of 30 being too old to marry, therefore it would be harder for a modern audience to appreciate all of the comedy as well as a contemporary audience, but it is these contemporary views that are conveyed in the play that makes it so honest and realistic.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

How Does Willy Russell Create Mood Essay

In the Summer Sequence Willy Russell’s three main protagonists are shown to grow up from the ages of 15 to 18, thus becoming adults throughout the song. This means that the sequence acts as a watershed in the respect that it marks a major turning point in the play. This is shown through the atmosphere that Russell creates, which goes from fairly positive, hopeful tone to a more cynical and desperate one over the duration of the sequence. Russell uses several techniques to create these atmospheres throughout. In the opening of the Summer Sequence the atmosphere is clearly a happy one, which is shown by Russell by using words like â€Å"young, free and innocent† to describe the characters. In this section, the word â€Å"innocent† is used twice. This repetition emphasises their youth and their naivety. â€Å"You haven’t got a care†, suggests Russell is trying to create an image of the characters as being without concern, completely free of worry so it reinforces the absolute happiness of the characters. Another adjective that occurs later in the song is â€Å"immortal† which at this stage of the play creates an atmosphere of excitement and spontaneity because the children can’t conceive of an end to their current lives. A technique that Russell uses starts to use here is imagery, â€Å"street’s turned to paradise†, the word â€Å"paradise† bring to mind an idea of secure and complete happiness, which is how he describes them in this verse. Another technique is personification, â€Å"radio’s singing dreams†, giving the radio the ability to do something that brings happiness or joy. This line also works the first time the motif of dreams appears, one that recurs throughout the sequence. The next notable part of the sequence is entirely stage directions, and shows the characters at a fairground. In this part of the sequence the most obvious technique is foreshadowing and motifs arising. In it, Linda is just ignored by the narrator, who is running the stall, when giving the gun to them, but the boys both insist Linda fires it, which is reminiscent of the beginning of the play when Linda takes the airgun from Mickey and beats him at firing at cans. Linda also used to control their social situations, â€Å"let’s throw some stones through them windows†. This scene is also very reliant on the gun motif that runs through the entire play which creates a darker and more sinister atmosphere, and that suggests a level of violence. The fairground scene is also reflected in the musical choice, which is fairground-like music that plays to the tune of ‘Tell me it’s not true’, the song Mrs Johnstone sings at the very beginning of the play while her two sons lie dead on the stage. So, again this ties in with the audiences’ awareness of the boys’ tragic fate, thus, creating a foreshadowing atmosphere and suggests impending tragedy. This links with the gun motif, as together these themes create a sense of impending violence and death. The last line of this section of stage directions is â€Å"Linda is caught in the middle, the game freezes†. This creates a dark atmosphere as throughout the play Linda is always seen to be caught in between the two boys, but so far, it has never ended badly. In this instance, however, it foreshadows the fates of all three characters. The use of the word â€Å"game†, referring to a game of piggy-in-the-middle, could suggest that the context of the play when Linda gets caught up in her own happiness which eventually leads to the tragic fate of the twins. Overall, this section is of a darker tone than the last, but this atmosphere is created through the subtext, so the audience may not be fully aware of why they feel this way about the atmosphere. This is featured through the presence of the narrator, who throughout the play appears on stage to signify or prompt something negative to happen. He hands them the gun, and prompts the game of piggy-in-the-middle that Linda gets caught between. The next section uses metaphors to create a dark, impending atmosphere, that is more openly sinister that the previous section. Russell refers to the characters are â€Å"Lambs in spring†, which suggests not only their innocence and naivety, but an inevitable fate, specifically one that is forced upon them, not of their own doing. This explicitly refers to the brothers’ fate in a way in which the last section didn’t, so the tone is far more marred by the eventuality of their deaths. This date is also referenced when Russell extends the metaphor, â€Å"fate the later seasons bring†, which causes the audience to remember the scene at the very beginning of the play, preventing them from being drawn into the initial happiness of the three teenagers in this sequence. Again, it refers to Linda being caught in the middle of the pair, foreshadowing their final argument. It also refers to Linda paying a â€Å"price†, a theme that was initially shown in the song ‘Easy Terms’, sung by Mrs Johnstone, and in both cases foreshadows the price they’ll have to pay for their involvement in the twins’ lives. The music becomes far more serious and sinister, a repetitive tense note with no actual melody. In the next section a recurring theme is shown with the references to time. This creates a sad, melancholic atmosphere, as the audience is aware of the character’s significant lack of time together, but the characters are not, so their happy unawareness and this dramatic irony is slightly poignant. Again, fate is reference by the narrator â€Å"care not for what’s at the end of the day†, again forcing the audience to remember the fate of the boys, this enhances the melancholy mood of the section. â€Å"What is to come, what might have been†, references both the eventualities of the play, whilst also suggesting they could have been happy, that it could have they could have been happier, depressing the mood even further. It is made poignant by the characters’ blissful ignorance, â€Å"life has no ending†¦Talk away the night†, which ties in with the earlier references of immorality. Again, this dramatic irony, where the audience know that the boys’ lives do have endings that are fast approaching, almost makes the audience beg them to not waste their time talking â€Å"away the night†. â€Å"Share your last cigarette† also ties into the earlier scene where Mickey and Eddie share things, such as sweets and later cigarettes, they promise to share things in their blood brothers pact; but they cannot share Linda. Arguably the downfall of both brothers, meaning that this watershed’s atmosphere is wholly dark. In the next section it is all stage directions, but Russell uses foreshadowing and the use of the narrator’s presence to create a seemingly happy atmosphere that still foreshadows tragedy. In it, the trip are taking photos of each other at the beach. In the one between Eddie and Linda, Eddie down on one knee and demonstrating affections by kissing her hand. Throughout the play, Linda has shaped Eddie’s personality and actions, such as coercing him to throw rocks, and Eddie has appeared to like her from the very beginning and so this foreshadows the dynamics of their later relationship. Mickey and Linda’s photo does the same, as Mickey â€Å"pulls a distorted face†, and Linda chastening him for it, which foreshadows Mickey’s later dependency on medication, and Linda’s efforts to help him get off them. This foreshadowing of tragic events, in a way that appears innocent creates an  eerie, disconcerting atmosphere. As there are no words, it can’t openly reference what’s to come, but uses what the characters think is a harmless and happy moment. This is compounded by the musical choice, which is again ‘Tell me it’s not true’, as fairground music. Again, this foreshadows the final scene, creating a foreboding atmosphere without explicit reference as to why it appears that way. In this scene we see the characters taking pictures of them at the beach, these photos are memories of the last time the three of them are all truly happy. Therefore, the photographs signify the end of their childhood and innocence and dreams. This made clearer by the narrator being the one to take the photographs, thus being the one who signifies the end of their childhoods and lives. The children literally become adults at the end of the beach scene in the Summer Sequence, as well as metaphorically. Because the narrator is a sinister figure throughout the play, and usually is there to prompt the occurrence of something tragic, it creates a sense of impending tragedy even more obvious in this scene. The picture that the narrator takes is of them all together, happy, so he not only brings their childhood to a close, but also their happiness and friendship. In a sense, he symbolises reality as he intrudes on their happiness, despite their ignorance and the audience’s desire for him not to do so. He also represents society as it is eventually social constraints of class and wealth that divide the two. This way the audience are forced to see the society that they are part of and this is the factor that brings the story to an end. The fact that he appears to them as a friendly, even helpful, face increases the audience’s wariness of him and therefore the sinister nature of the scene. The overriding atmosphere of the scene is the last section is one of desperation and uncertainty. Russell uses metaphors such as â€Å"broken bottles in the sand† to symbolise a man-made impression on something naive and happy, which symbolises the characters’ friendship and how it is affected by class. The motif of a dream is repeated, as is the theme of innocence. The references to dreams ties in with the song tell me it’s not true, which refers to dreams. The reference to innocence here again makes the trio seem devious to the fact that they will be subject to tragedy.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Personality Traits Example

Personality Traits Example Personality Traits – Coursework Example 4 December Personality Traits My selection of traits presents a favorable picture ofmy personality and so does that of the three students who identified my personality traits. In fact, all of the three students have identified more positive traits in my personality than I myself have. They have not identified a single negative trait in my personality whereas I have identified many. Each of them has identified twenty positive traits in me whereas I have identified seventeen. Respectful is the most positive personality trait in me based on all the ratings. Shy is the most negative trait in my personality based on all the ratings. This type of evaluation of personality is not an objective means of assessment of an individual’s traits. The evaluating students may be influenced by group think. Even if they are asked to evaluate independently, they may not identify the same traits in me if they are asked to make the evaluation at two different times. Their evaluation of my personali ty traits is very much influenced by their latest interaction with me. People tend to forget the past and more remember the latest behavior of an individual. In addition to that, people often make biased evaluations about an individual that is either related to them or has been a friend or enemy to them in the past. However, when a personality trait is identified by three different people in the same individual, it means that the individual can be trusted to have that. However, such an evaluation should be verified by asking the same respondents to grade the same individual at different times.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Confusing Passed with Past

Confusing Passed with Past Confusing Passed with Past Confusing Passed with Past By Maeve Maddox Reader Peggy Lanahan asks Is it correct to say, â€Å"how does the food always get passed the bib? or past the bib†? The frequent confusion between the words passed and past is understandable. They are pronounced alike and have similar meanings. Careful writers need to find some trick for remembering the difference. Both words derive from the same Latin noun: passus step, pace. From that noun came a Vulgar Latin verb passare to step or to walk. English took the word from Old French passer. The form passed is the past participle of the verb to pass. Pass can be used transitively: I passed the church on my way to the store. or intransitively: He passed through life without a care. Intransitive pass is also used as a euphemism for die, as in When did your father pass? The word past can be used as an adjective: Dont hold grudges for past offenses. as an adverb: I thought he would stop, but he just ran past. and as a preposition: How does the food always get past the bib? For more on Past vs Passed, read this post by Ali. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†12 Misunderstood and Misquoted Shakespearean Expressions

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Investigate the arguement for restricting trade and provide argunmats Essay

Investigate the arguement for restricting trade and provide argunmats for not restricting trade. Also list and explain some coun - Essay Example In time, trade has gone through revolutionizing changes with the advent of a legal tender system. This saw trade become widespread and global in perspective because of the new terms of valuation. These new terms of valuation made it easier to conduct trade because, unlike barter trade, it was easier to carry money for long distances than the actual goods. This paper aims at investigating the arguments for restricting trade and those for not restricting trade. Restrictive trade originated in the late 1800s where rich merchants involved in trade of high value products and services sought to create monopolies in the market so that they could control the market (GILLIES, 2004: 862). This amounted to restricting trade through the formation of international organisations for traders and manufacturers of a few select items that were of high value and demand in the market. An organisation like this is allied, by agreement, to control the natural elements of supply and demand, in the market. They achieve this by fixing prices and quotas for sales, divide markets and limit supply (GILLIES, 2004: 867). These restrictive trade practices end up eliminating competition in the market, which creates a precedent for consumer exploitation. Competition, in the market, keeps all the players, in check, by ensuring that they all strive to satisfy the consumers’ needs, or risk losing out to those who fulfil their customers’ needs. Without competition in the market place, the consumers would be faced, with the aspect exploitation from unscrupulous traders out, to make a profit at the expense of consumers. When a system of trade restricts trade practices among its players, it predisposes consumers to exorbitant and unaffordable prices. Consumers are supplied with substandard goods and services because there is no alternative source of the products they seek. Elimination of competition by restricting trade robs consumers of the freedom and right of choice regarding the qua lity and supply of commodities they desire and need (BRUCE, 2001: 56). Limitation of supply creates high demand for goods and services, which exposes consumers to abuse through over pricing. Restricting trade has seen a decline in trade volume because it reduces consumers’ purchasing power and decreases the number of traders allowed to participate, in a given trade. Restriction on trade has also contributed to protection of inefficient and unqualified traders in the market who add no value to consumers or the economy of the country. Restriction on trade has seen to the development of domestic and international organisations that operate like cartels because of their characteristic monopolising of markets of their interest (FRANK & BERNANKE, 2003: 419). Beneficiaries of these organisations advocate and support these cartels by arguing that they help protect participating firms that are weak thus shielding them from unfair competition. According to most studies, business entiti es that benefit from restricted trade systems postulate that this structure of trade helps these firms deal with limitations caused by high business operating tariffs (BRUCE, 2001: 78). Cartels created because of restrictive trade systems are able to distribute risks and profits equally amongst themselves which acts as a cushion against uncertainty in the market. This uncertainty can be

Friday, November 1, 2019

Economic of Immigration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic of Immigration - Research Paper Example From the study it is clear that acquisition of technical knowledge imparts the adequate skills to the masses in the USA while low level of education and hence lack of high-end skills for immigrants from Mexico enables Americans to keep top level jobs. Implementation of different trade policies and immigration programs between the US and the Mexican government led to greater influx of immigrants into the USA. According to the paper findings the economics of immigration in Mexico is of interest because Mexico borders an economic superpower-USA. This it means that immigrants from Mexico affect many different sectors of a world class economy. Immigration has social, demographic, economic effects some of which are good while others detrimental. Most legal immigrants are not subject to a great deal of public scrutiny and suspicion because of the belief that they are rightfully there while the illegal ones are subject to both police and public scrutiny because of the belief that they affect the economy and society negatively. In order to enhance economic welfare the US government tries to reduce the number of illegal immigrants from Mexico by converting them to legal immigrants or by not allowing them near the border. In Mexico the immigration policy requires that immigration of individuals with skills that are limited in supply and those whose tax contributions and net cost of public services received are large should be well monitored. It implies that those who contribute positively to economic growth are the ones who should be granted the legal admission. Also admission of immigrants in limited occupations leads to increased aggregate income as a result of high labor demand and mobility across borders e.g. for international trade. Cortes (2005) states that continuing high levels of immigration weaken the enforcement of labor market regulations by the USA as a result of the influx of Mexican immigrants. This is because the inflows of aliens relax the commitment of employers in USA and create a population of workers who are not adequately equipped with the necessary skills. This is as a result of lower education levels thereby earning less as compared to the highly educated and well paid Americans resulting into lower tax payments and thus increased poverty levels. The Mexican Immigrants Act offers subsidy to those businesses that employ lowly skilled workers since they contribute a small portion of the aggregate income. Wayne (2001) states that illegal immigrants have