Naturalism in Jack Londons To Build a Fire and The Call of the Wild

Table of Contents Thesis statement Analytical part Conclusion References Footnotes Thesis statement Nowadays, literary critics are being well aware of the fact that it was namely throughout the course of late 19th and early 20th centuries, that the naturalist motifs in European and American literature have come to their all-times-high prominence.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Naturalism in Jack London’s To Build a Fire and The Call of the Wild specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In its turn, this can be explained by the fact that, during the course of this historical period, more and more writers have been realizing that Darwin’s evolutionary theory, concerned with the survival of the fittest, correlates perfectly well with the essence of human societies’ inner dynamics. As it was noted by Cuddy and Roche (2003): â€Å"[In early 20th century] The notion of the survival of the fit test in relation to inherited traits and response to environmental factors became fertile conceptual ground for literary analysis of human nature and society† (22). The validity of such an idea can be well explored in regards to the literary legacy of one of America’s greatest writers – Jack London, as the extreme naturalism of many of his short stories and novels conveys a clearly defined philosophical message – only the objectively existing laws of nature, to which people are being subjected as much as plants and animals, which should be thought of as the basis of true ethics. According to McClintock (1970): â€Å"Since, for London, science had dislodged idealistic concepts of man, his temperament insisted that affirmations of the human condition, too, have a scientifically justifiable rationale† (336). Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in literary works of Jack London, naturalist motifs do not only serve the purpose of increasing the extent of plot’s emotional appeal, but they are also being expected to enlighten readers on the true essence of their existential mode. In this paper, we will aim to substantiate the validly of an earlier articulated thesis at length, while exploring the emanations of literary naturalism in London’s short story To Build a Fire and in the novel The Call of the Wild. Analytical part The close reading of London’s ‘Northern’ short stories and novels, points out to the fact that naturalistic themes and motifs, contained in them, are being utilized not only for the purpose of exposing a particular ease, with which a formerly civilized individual can be reduced to a primeval savage, while facing the elements, but also for the purpose of revealing a variety of Western ethical conventions conceptually fallacious, since they do not correspond to the essence of their carriers’ physiological functioning.Advertising Looking for research paper on american l iterature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As Rossetti (2006) had put it: â€Å"Naturalism rebukes the primitive for his or her debasement. At the same time, however, it necessarily posits a privileged class and confirms that class’s elite status† (5). The soundness of this suggestion can be explored within the context of a following quote from To Build a Fire: â€Å"As he [traveler] turned to go on, he spat speculatively. There was a sharp, explosive crackle that startled him. He spat again. And again, in the air, before it could fall to the snow, the spittle crackled† (The World of Jack London). Apparently, the author had made a deliberate point in drawing readers’ attention to purely physiological process of spitting. Nevertheless, given story’s overall context, the fact that the traveler has been spitting rather excessively, does not degrade him in readers’ eyes, as this context confirm s the validity of London’s conviction that whatever is natural, cannot be referred to as ‘immoral’ or ‘anti-aesthetic’, by definition. In its turn, this explains why the apparent ‘distastefulness’ of London’s preoccupation with expounding upon utterly graphic aspects of human existence, clearly visible in this particular story, did not result in lessening the extent of story’s literary appeal. The same can be said about the effects of utilization of naturalist motifs in London’s novel The Call of the Wild, where author had gone a great length while describing physical violence’s mechanical subtleties with great precision. For example, in the scene where Buck receives his first ‘submission beating’, London appears to have deliberately strived to produce a heavy blow onto readers’ sense of aesthetic appropriateness: â€Å"The man, shifting the club from right to left, coolly caught him [Buck ] by the under jaw, at the same time wrenching downward and backward. Buck described a complete circle in the air, and half of another, then crashed to the ground on his head and chest† (11). It is needless to mention, of course, that the way, in which London had gone about describing the scene of Buck’s beating, can be best referred to as utterly graphic.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Naturalism in Jack London’s To Build a Fire and The Call of the Wild specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More And yet, given the fact that London had never made a point in treating the subject of violence as ‘thing in itself’, while aiming to simply entertain intellectually marginalized readers, we cannot be referring to this particular scene’s clearly defined naturalism as being distasteful, in semantic sense of this word. The earlier suggestion helps us to realize the essence of Londonà ¢â‚¬â„¢s literary talent. Apparently, unlike what it used to be the case with many of his writing contemporaries; he was not only able to benefit from tackling the issue of violence in intellectually honest manner, but also to show that, under no circumstances, should emanations of physical violence be regarded as ethically inappropriate, by definition, because in the natural environment, they do provide an additional momentum to the process living organisms becoming ever-more complex – hence, violence’s high morality.[1] In its turn, this explains the phenomenon of why it were author’s particularly naturalistic literary pieces that appealed to intellectually sophisticate readers the most – whatever the ironic it might sound. In his article, Nash (1966) states: â€Å"His [London’s] readers had little difficulty seeing the moral for their own lives of Buck’s reversion to the primitive. Significantly, London’s White Fang (1906), in whi ch a wolf becomes a family dog, never enjoyed the popularity of The Call of the Wild† (530). Thus, it will not be much of an exaggeration, on our part, to suggest that it is due to London naturalism’s strongly defined philosophical sounding that even today; most readers consider it contextually appropriate. Another reason why it is being the case is that London often exposes naturalistic themes and motifs in conjunction with his characters being on a great mission. For example, even though author’s description of traveler’s physical appearance in To Build a Fire, implies his lessened ability to conform to the conventions of Western civilized living: â€Å"The man’s red beard and mustache were likewise frosted†¦ Also, the man was chewing tobacco, and the muzzle of ice held his lips so rigidly that he was unable to clear his chin when he expelled the juice† (The World of Jack London), it nevertheless does not imply his lessened ability to act as such living’s actual agent. The reason for this is simple – in To Build a Fire, the character of a traveler never loses its cool, right to the very end. In its turn, this subtly confirms the sheer objectiveness of a so-called ‘White man’s burden’ notion. It is namely the fact that White people’s exposal to the hostile environment does not usually undermine their ability to face life’s challenges in a rational manner, which created objective preconditions for them to be given the mission of spreading the light of civilization throughout the world.[2] This is exactly the reason why in To Built a Fire, author’s utilization of naturalistic motifs invokes perceptional stoicism in readers.Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As Gurian (1966) had rightly noted: â€Å"Jack London’s men fight, as heroes, against surrounding force†¦ London depicts protagonists fighting to win in a causative naturalist universe† (112). By naturalistically juxtaposing the character of traveler against the hostile forces of nature, London provides readers with the insight onto Faustian workings of White people’s psyche. There can be very little doubt as to the fact that the strongly defined naturalism of many scenes in The Call of the Wild, serves essentially the same purpose. Given the fact that in this novel, dogs are being endowed with essentially human psychological traits, it comes as not a particular surprise that, while being exposed to the scenes of bloody rivalry between Buck and Spitz, readers gain a better understanding of what accounts for the essence of dynamics, within just about any human society. Apparently, London believed that the representatives of Homo Sapiens specie are nothing bu t primates, with the layer of their civilizational sophistication being only skin-deep.[3] Just as it is being the case with apes, people think of ensuring the propagation of their genes (through sexual mating) and of gaining a dominant position within social hierarchy, as such that represent their foremost priorities in life. Therefore, the following naturalistic scene, where Buck and Spitz fight to the death, while trying to ensure their dominance, within the pack, can be best referred to as perfectly connotative of how people go about gaining social prominence, within a society to which they happened to belong: â€Å"In vain Buck strove to sink his teeth in the neck of the big white dog. Wherever his fangs struck for the softer flesh, they were countered by the fangs of Spitz. Fang clashed fang, and lips were cut and bleeding, but Buck could not penetrate his enemy’s guard† (35). Apparently, throughout the course of his life, London never ceased being aware of a sim ple fact that, on this earth, there is simply no enough place under the sun for all – only the smartest and the strongest enjoy dialectically predetermined existential superiority. This is exactly the reason why there are clearly defined Social-Darwinist[4] undertones to naturalist themes and motifs, contained in both: The Call of the Wild and To Build a Fire. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to think that these motifs are being essentially nihilistic. According to Auerbach (1995), the utterly naturalist way in which London’s characters address life’s challenges, is itself can be thought as the source of a new morality, based upon people’s recognition of natural laws’ full objectivity: â€Å"This [Darwinian] struggle†¦ demands the dominance of one man over another; hence the origins of a master/slave dialectic†¦ by working, [slave] becomes master over nature, and in doing so frees himself from nature as well as from himself† (59). What it means that it is utterly inappropriate to refer to London’s literary naturalism as an indication of the fact that he thought of ‘primitiveness’ and ‘realness’ as basically synonymous concepts. Quite on the contrary – as the reading of The Call of the Wild and To Build a Fire points out to, characters’ exposal to naturalistically defined primitivism, on the part of nature itself (in the short story) and on the part of gold-seeking brutes and their dogs (in the novel), cannot be discussed outside of how it helped these characters to realize the sheer extent of their perceptional nobleness. Conclusion We believe that the line of argumentation, deployed throughout paper’s analytical part, confirms the validity of an initial thesis that the presence of naturalist motifs and themes in London’s The Call of the Wild and To Build a Fire, should be thought of as having philosophical rather than purely instrumental purpose. W hile never ceasing to treat readers in intellectually honest manner, sublimated in his tendency to provide graphically detailed accounts of characters’ struggle with the hostile environment and with viciously-minded competitors for the same environmental niche; London strived to promote an idea that it is only those capable of understanding the full spectrum of ‘survival of the fittest’ concept’s implications, who deserve to remain on the leading edge of biological evolution. Given the fact that, due to being subjected to ideological oppression of political correctness, more and more men in Western countries now grow exceedingly feminized, it is very likely that in the future, London’s literary naturalism is going to be increasingly referred to as such that contains clues as to very essence of masculine virtuousness. References Auerbach, Jonathan â€Å"Congested Mails’: Buck and Jack’s ‘Call†. American  Literature 67.1 ( 1995): 51-76. Carroll, Joseph. Literary Darwinism: Evolution, Human Nature, and Literature. New York: Routledge, 2004. Cuddy, Lois Roche, Claire. Evolution and Eugenics in American Literature and  Culture, 1880-1940: Essays on Ideological Conflict and Complicity. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press, 2003. Gurian, Jay â€Å"The Romantic Necessity in Literary Naturalism: Jack London†.  American Literature 38.1 (1966): 112-120. Labor, Earle â€Å"Jack London’s Symbolic Wilderness: Four Versions†. Nineteenth-Century Fiction 17.2 (1962): 149-161. London, Jack â€Å"The Call of the Wild†. Ibiblio. The Public’s Library and Digital  Archive. 2011. Web. http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/London/Call%20of%20Wild.pdf London, Jack â€Å"To Build a Fire†. The World of Jack London. 2011. Web. McClintock, James â€Å"Jack London’s Use of Carl Jung’s Psychology of the Unconscious†. American Literature 42.3 (1970): 336-347. Mills, Gor don â€Å"Jack London’s Quest for Salvation†. American Quarterly 7.1 (1955): 3-14. Nash, Roderick â€Å"The American Cult of the Primitive†. American Quarterly 18.3 (1966): 517-537. Rossetti, Gina. Imagining the Primitive in Naturalist and Modernist Literature. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2006. Seitler, Dana. Atavistic Tendencies: the Culture of Science in American  Modernity. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008. Footnotes Gordon Mills. â€Å"Jack London’s Quest for Salvation†. American Quarterly 7.1 (1955),8. Earle Labor â€Å"Jack London’s Symbolic Wilderness: Four Versions†. Nineteenth-Century Fiction 17.2 (1962), 153. Dana Seitler. Atavistic Tendencies: the Culture of Science in American Modernity. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008), 221. Joseph Carroll. Literary Darwinism: Evolution, Human Nature, and Literature. (New York: Routledge, 2004), 117. This research paper on Naturalism in Jack London’s To Build a Fire and The Call of the Wild was written and submitted by user AnneMarieHoag to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Liquid Nitrogen Temperature

Liquid Nitrogen Temperature Liquid nitrogen is very cold! At normal atmospheric pressure, nitrogen is a liquid between 63 K and 77.2 K (-346 °F and -320.44 °F). Over this temperature range, liquid nitrogen looks much like boiling water. Below 63 K, it freezes into solid nitrogen. Because liquid nitrogen in a usual setting is boiling, its usual temperature is 77 K. Liquid nitrogen boils into nitrogen vapor at room temperature and pressure. The cloud of vapor that you see isnt steam or smoke. Steam is invisible water vapor, while smoke is a product of combustion. The cloud is water that has condensed out of the air from exposure to the cold temperature around the nitrogen. Cold air cannot hold as much humidity as warmer air, so a cloud forms. Being Safe With Liquid Nitrogen Liquid nitrogen is not toxic, but it does present some hazards. First, as the liquid changes phase into a gas, the concentration of nitrogen in the immediate area increases. The concentration of other gases decreases, particularly near the floor, since cold gases are heavier than warmer gases and sink. An example of where this can present a problem is when liquid nitrogen is used to create a fog effect for a pool party. If only a small amount of liquid nitrogen is used, the temperature of the pool is unaffected and the excess nitrogen is blown away by a breeze. If a large amount of liquid nitrogen is used, the concentration of oxygen at the surface of the pool might be reduced to the point where it can cause breathing problems or hypoxia. Another hazard of liquid nitrogen is that the liquid expands to  174.6 times its original volume when it becomes a gas. Then, the gas expands another 3.7 times as it warms to room temperature. The total increase in volume is 645.3 times, which means vaporizing nitrogen exerts immense pressure on its surroundings. Liquid nitrogen should never be stored in a sealed container because it could burst. Finally, because liquid nitrogen is so very cold, it presents an immediate danger to living tissue. The liquid vaporizes so quickly a small amount will bounce off the skin on a cushion of nitrogen gas, but a large volume can cause frostbite. Cool Liquid Nitrogen Uses The quick vaporization of nitrogen means all of the element boils off when you make liquid nitrogen ice cream. The liquid nitrogen makes the ice cream cold enough to turn into a solid, but it doesnt actually remain as an ingredient. Another cool effect of the vaporization is that liquid nitrogen (and other cryogenic liquids) appear to levitate. This is due to the Leidenfrost effect, which is when a liquid boils so rapidly, its surrounded by a cushion of gas. Liquid nitrogen splashed onto the floor appears to skitter away just over the surface. There are videos where people throw liquid nitrogen out onto a crowd. No one is harmed because the Leidenfrost effect prevents any of the super-cold liquid from touching them.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Assignment - Essay Example Additionally, different from sex, which refer to biological dimension, gender is acquired through socialization. In fact, gender inequality consists in everywhere in the society. From birth, baby boys and baby girls are treated in different ways by their parents. According to MacDonald, parents always take care of their baby girls more carefully and gently. Besides, parents give different toys to different genders often unknowingly reinforcing gender stereotypes. For example, parents prefer to give computer games, vehicles and war toys to boys and dolls, dishes and jewelry boxes to girls. In addition, boys and girls are assigned different tasks when they are old enough to do some housework. Boys are usually asked to do maintenance chores, such as replacing bulbs and fixing roofs. Girls always end up doing domestic chores, such as cleaning rooms, cooking and shopping. Moreover, sociologists consider that the chores assigned to children can go on to effect children’s personal characteristics and future occupation choices. For instance, girls experienced in looking after their siblings may become nurses in future. Boys may learn computer science and in w ork IT areas and they may become engineers when they grow up. Some critics believe that the media should report the reality, while some others think the media can persuade the public into certain ideas. Among all kinds of TV programs, there are more male roles occurs than female ones. Indeed, the characters are significant different between male and female roles. According to Basow, male are always depicted typically aggressive, and heroic. Contrarily, female roles are various. In some video games, online games and electronic media women are objectified and are depicted in a poor light reinforcing negative stereotypes of women. Men are typically portrayed as â€Å"macho†, gun totting and as super heroes. These games encourage children to resort to violence as it desensitizes them against

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Seethetwoarticleslistedattheendofthisdocument.Basedonthematerialcoveredinthemicroeconomicsclass,provideaneconomicanalysisofthepolicyscenariogiven below - Essay Example This may include External Price Referencing element in it. In some countries like Germany, they allow free pricing of patented drugs but use the policy of External Price Referencing in reimbursements. It is not the same in Netherlands which sets a cap on the price of medicines considered to be of therapeutic value. It must be noted that not all types of drugs are subjected to this policy of External Price Referencing. There different guidelines in different countries that are used when using the policy. The drug m market follows the rules of demand and supply just like other products. The only difference comes in regulatory protection and approval and also on the role played by the demand side. (Mossialos, et al, 2004). This varies with different countries for they have different rules and regulations that guide the policy being undertaken on pharmaceutical products. Also the value of a particular pharmaceutical product is determined by factors such as the amount the consumers are willing to pay for the product. This varies in different countries based on availability, accessibility, importance of the drug and other factors like the government policies and controls. The manufacturer and those importing set their own pricing which affects the price of the drug. This varies in different countries which have different tariffs on imported goods. Others factors are differences on costs of procurement and even price discrimination by the suppliers of patented drugs on those countries with a factory producing generic drugs. (Olcay and Laing, 2005). The incomes of individual consumers and national, degree of competition in the public and private sector, the system of health capacity and the public policy in different countries. Those countries that are developing public health cost account for the second largest government expenditure after staffing cost. (World Bank

GROUP ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY PLUS SWOT ANALYSIS and 15 power point

GROUP PLUS SWOT ANALYSIS and 15 power point presentation slides on word cup event - Annotated Bibliography Example The reality is that South Africans were exempted from the event by high ticket prices and complicated ticketing system. Conn, D 2013, ‘South Africa Plays host again but world cup legacy still in question’, The Guardian, viewed 27 February 2013, The information about the cost of the world cup event for South Africa is crucial as it reveals that 10 stadiums were built or refurbished to meet world class standards at a cost of  £687m while the total costs of the tournament were more than  £2bn. The article also provides information that the established stadiums have to be maintained at cost of up to  £2m each every year. In this article, there is a list of requirements that nations hosting the world cup are expected meet. The major requirement is infrastructure which includes stadiums, the training facilities and the bases needed by the teams, television broadcasting, hotel accommodation, information technology and transport. The article is relevant since it provides information on how the cities in a World cup nation have to bid to host the world cup. The Information that the host nation has to incorporate architects and other parties to design stadiums for the world cup event is provided. The Article provides milestones used in the FIFA bidding process from request to expressions of interest , expression of interest for a specific event to the announcement by FIFA on the successful host for the event. The actual costs of the 2010 world cup is outlined in terms of transport costs, stadiums, organizing committee, broadcasting, security, legacy projects, telecommunications, arts and culture, and training volunteers to sum up to  £3.5bn that is to be footed by South African government. The article also reveals that the high cost was due to underestimated costs during prediction especially on stadiums and infrastructure that then led to a boost in the

Division Between Public And Private Writing Media Essay

Division Between Public And Private Writing Media Essay Rettberg states that the spread of literacy, circulation of written materials and the common practice of silent reading saw the emergence of the private sphere and practice of private writing as early as the 1500s. The private sphere fostered a solitary and private relationship between reader and book and established a clear divide between the inner personal life and public life in the community. Rettberg (2008) believes this altered relation to the written word helped to create a new private place for individuals to seek refuge. According to Schement Curtis (1995) private writing can be described as a personal narrative and is typically written as a form of self-expression to be read only by the author. Early forms of private writing include personal journals and diaries where authors recorded personal experiences and reflections without an audience in mind. This clear division between private and public writing began to shift as authors began approaching publicly accessible platfo rms to record stories. This presented opportunities to reach broader audiences and invited dialogue within the community, effectively contributing to the public sphere. The public sphere is a concept introduced by JuÃÅ'ˆrgen Habermas that describes an ideal democratic space for rational debate among informed and engaged citizens and extends to include written public materials intended for mass audiences (cited in Kellner, 2000). Originally public writing was not a personal narrative but informative news that would attract audiences and stimulate community debate. Early forms of public writing included printed newspaper articles and community newsletters. Today, magazines, shopping catalogues, academic papers and online blogs are all widely acknowledged as forms of public writing. Boeder (2005) argues that the global public sphere of today is largely influenced by the technology that underpins it: The technological infrastructure of communication networks is influencing the social structure of society; its development is closely related to the development of social structures in a process of interchange and mutual dependence These technologies and the more recent emergence of social media networks have aided the breakdown of the boundaries between private and public that were clear in the mid- and late twentieth century. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are fostering new forms of engagement which encourage dialogue and collaboration in public forums, decreasing the clear detachment between public and private writing. The Internet has facilitated constant, instantaneous and global communications (Boyd Ellison, 2007). Social networking services are not just allowing Internet users access to immediate information, social media is serving us access to the lives of friends or colleagues and encouraging users to contribute to online discussions and share private information. Social media sites are transforming online user behaviour and in the process Barnes (2012) believes social media is actively changing users expectations of what constitutes private and public writing. Social media functions by relying on its users to share personal information and data, therefore users personal contributions are fuelling the growth in private sharing of information over the Internet in a new era of public participation. The chief characteristics of participatory and social media is the breakdown in the division between producers and audience (Barna, 2009). This division was particularly clear in traditional mass media and has been largely erased, fostering a new culture built upon public participation. According to Barna (2009), advances in technology have allowed anyone with access to the Internet to be a producer of content. Participatory culture encourages people to share experiences and information for the purpose of news intended for mass audiences (public writing) or as a form of self-expression (traditionally termed private writing). Despite users still writing for both public and private outcomes, the division becomes blurred on the Internet given its public, indexed and network infrastructure. The uptake of social media paired with the emergence of a participatory culture means it is now virtually impossible to differentiate public and private writing (Là ¼ders, 2008). Debatin (2006) belie ves we are witnessing the dawn of a tightly woven global infosphere, a digitized networked panoptic sphere that leaves little space for unmonitored privacy. In the early modern era, the public sphere was a constitutive corollary of the private sphere. In the era of the info sphere, the public and private spheres become amalgamated, which results in public exploitation of private lives, increasing invasion of privacy, and continual diminishment of unmonitored privacy (Debatin (2006). The explosion of the info sphere can be seen through the sheer volume of uncensored and unmonitored content available today on any given topic. Similar to the paramount importance of print and literacy in the development and understanding of a public and private sphere as highlighted by Rettberg (2008), the development of an info sphere is underpinned by participatory media and networked technologies. The development of online social networks for traditional private writing such as a diary or journal, have facilitated a phenomenon known as blogging. Blogging is an activity that requires both reading and writing to an extent not present in earlier forms of writing (Rettberg, 2008). Rettberg (2008) states that blogging is evidence of the possibility of a form of literacy that is both private and public simultaneously: Bloggers read and write in the same space. You read other blogs and write comments. You write in your own blog, and read comments to your posts. The immediacy is even more apparent in instant messaging and micro media formats like Twitter. (Rettberg, 2008). The motivations of users writing a blog today may differ dramatically with blogs being used by businesses, organisations as well as individuals for a variety of purposes and audiences (McCullagh, 2008). According to Technorati (cited on Lomborg, 2009), blogs evolved as a platform for individuals writing for self-expression, sharing expertise and experiences and connecting with likeminded people, challenging the notion of traditional communities. Brake (cited in Lomborg, 2009), identified several key themes of weblogs communication: one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many and a communicative. The last pattern of communication (a communicative) is the type of blog Brake (cited in Lomborg, 2009) categorised as personal/lifeblog. In this instance, the intention of bloggers is purely for their own enjoyment and therapy not intended for audiences. However when personal writing is published on a blog platform it is instantly accessible to a global audience, essentially resulting in non-delibe rate public writing. The private versus public boundaries of social media spaces are unclear for users raising privacy and safety concerns for current and future generations. Vià ©gas (2005) research on teenagers on social media suggests there is a disconnect between the way users say they feel about the privacy settings of their blogs and how they react once they experience unanticipated consequences from a breach of privacy (section 4, para.15 ). Lenhart (2005) reports that 81 percent of parents and 79 percent of online teens report that teens are not cautious enough when giving out their personal information online. Some of the confusion about the public versus private space nature of social networks is associated with the sign-up and registration procedure. Sullivan (2005) believes sites such as Facebook who ask for personal details and set up requirements for membership tend to make young adopters of these technologies think it is safe to reveal private information online to a public networked audi ence. Boeder (2005) reiterates that social networking sites are creating new forms of social behaviour that blur the distinctions between public and private interactions and writing, causing confusion. Consequently users may use the update function on Facebook to write a very private update, as a form of self expression purely for their own intent and perhaps for that of close friends, without considering the far reaching global accessibility of their update. The update is then visible online not only to their network, but to the network of those who may comment or interact with the status, and indexed online infinitely. Facebook also quietens the reality during the sign up process that they offer the platform as a free tool for users by selling users personal information to advertisers (Horton, 2012). The future of writing in web based communications will ultimately result in the near total collapse of the division between private and public writing. The publicised aims of leading social media companies coupled with an increasing spread of network literacy globally will aid in the continued breakdown of this once well asserted division. Participatory media reposition, writing and reading will become more and more a social activity pursued in collaborative environments rather than solitary endeavours (Rheingold, 2007). This can already be seen in areas such as online education, with students collaborating through virtual communities and social networks, and education facilitators using platforms such as blogs and wikis for students to publish their work publicly on instead of lodging an assignment privately to the instructor only. Leading social networks which have facilitated many communicative shifts such as Facebook and Google have already taken steps to further diminish the pri vacy of their networks. During an interview with TechCrunch, Facebook CEO Zuckerberg revealed that he had taken an about face on privacy and argued that privacy was no longer a social norm (cited in Bosker, para.7). People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people, Zuckerberg said (cited in Bosker, para.7, 2010). That social norm is just something that has evolved over time (cited in Bosker, para. 8, 2010). Despite Zuckerbergs claims, others predict that social medias lack of respect for privacy boundaries may result in a backlash where users will disable their accounts to look for a more closed platform to connect with people they care about (Smith, 2012). In a recent school survey in the US (cited in Smith, 2012), it emerged that some students are opting out of Facebook of their own volition as a reaction against what they see as Face books privacy invasion and the problems Facebook use can cause for themselves and their peers (cited in Smith, 2012).Despite talks of a mass Facebook exodus, participation on social networks continues to grow and shows no signs of slowing. The future will be characterised by the continuing bridging between private and public, which as discussed, is currently visible in journalism, traditional mass produced media, blogs and other forms of participatory and social media. In conclusion, we are living through a second wave of literacy which is globally networked and largely underpinned by digital technologies. Todays blogging and other participatory media requires readers to be writers and writers to be readers simultaneously. This paper has examined both the emergence and almost complete collapse of private and public writing facilitated through the emergence of the Internet and social media coupled with a significant shift in user behaviour. While there is still a large element of solitude in reading and writing online, this paper has demonstrated the conversational and social aspects of this literacy increasing steadily and the implications for current and future generations. This is evident not only in online media such as blogging and social media, it is evident in all media and can also be seen in the way the general public participates in traditional media. This paper has highlighted writing on blogs and social media as particularly palpable sym ptoms of larger changes and discussed the risks involved with unclear boundaries around privacy on these platforms. Finally this paper has looked towards the future of web communications and the private and public sphere and suggested that whilst the collapse is most visible in online mainstream and social media, it will eventually occur across more and more channels as networked literacy spreads globally.

Indecisiveness :: essays research papers

Indecisiveness In the story Hamlet, there is a prince who is unable to make decisions for himself. A prince who must have good quality proof before he decides to do something. The public refers to people who cannot make decisions for themselves as people who are indecisive. In Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, Hamlet, is unable to make decisions for himself, and relies on the actions of others to make his final choice on wether to kill his Uncle Claudius or not. Many situations confirm this, such as when Hamlet put on a play, when someone was killed with something placed into the actors ear killing him and making Claudius panic and run off. Or when Hamlet says, "I'll have grounds/ more relative than this--the play's the thing/ Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King" (II.ii.583-585), this suggests that Hamlet is indecisive because he does not have enough information to decide if Claudius is guilty or not. And also in many of Hamlet’s soliloquies, Hamlet speaks to himself an d questions his own judgement at many times during the play. All this can lead one to believe that Hamlet’s fatal flaw was his inability to make a solid choice, or indecisiveness. Hamlet’s friend invited a group of traveling actors to come to the court and preform an act for Hamlet to cheer him up. Hamlet financially supports this group of actors and asks for them to, at the end, have a killing in which a liquid will be placed into the ear of a actor, thus killing him. Hamlet believes this will make Claudius snap and he will have enough proof to kill Claudius. The plan goes as follows and Claudius stands up, shouts for light, and rushes off. Hamlet and his friend Horatio agree that this is enough proof. But still, even after this incident, Hamlet never does anything to capitalize. Because of this incident, where in any other circumstance, Claudius would have no reason to run off, but he did, Hamlet should have been convinced that the ghost of his father that spoke to him months before was the ghost of his father, and not the devil. In act two, scene two, Hamlet says "I'll have grounds/ more relative than this--the play's the thing/ Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King" (II.ii.583-585), this tells a lot about Hamlet. First off, even though the ghost looked like his father, he would not believe the ghost, fearing the devil may have taken his fathers form.

A Great Leader: Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was the 1963 March on Washington, attended by 250,000 people, 75 percent of them black, where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech (Ruffin, 2001). The speech was aired on national television, reaching millions of Americans, including the President.The speech effectively raised civil consciousness by providing a clear path and goals for the Civil Rights Movement. Three decades after he was gunned down on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King, Jr. remains to be the human rights icon of today whose influence has become a fixed part in the lives of those people he helped and touched (Pastan, 2004).Born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia he was the second of three children of Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King (Oates, 1994). Belonging to a middle-class family, King, Jr. and his siblings enjoyed relatively better lives than average black children.At the very young age, he was exposed to ideas and issue s of racial equality as his father was actively involved in the local chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who led a successful campaign to equalize the salaries of white and black teachers in Atlanta. Although he and his siblings had white playmates, they were not allowed to go to the same school with them.He attended Atlanta Public Schools, David T. Howard Elementary and then Booker T. Washington High School. When he was in high school, he joined an oratory contest and won second place. His happiness was short lived for he had a long bus ride to get home where passengers were segregated according to the color of their skin.The blacks had to stand and make room for the white people. At fifteen, he entered Atlanta's Morehouse College, then Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania and Boston University, where he earned his Ph.D in systematic theology. While in college at Cozer, King, Jr. became exposed to Mahatma Gandhi and was inspired by his advocacy of non-violent activism. He even visited the Gandhi family in India in 1959 to deepen his understanding of non-violent resistance and his commitment to the advocacy of the Civil Rights Movement in America (Sunnemark, 2004).After completing his education, he rejected most offers instead chose to become pastor of Montgomery, AL's Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. He was named president of the new Montgomery Improvement Association, which set his public career into motion. When he lead the local African-American community’s bus boycott, King, Jr. became a household name and threats started coming to him and his family. He and his groups demanded three things: (1) seating arrangements according to first come-first serve basis; (2) drivers equal treatments of white and black passengers; and (3) hire black drivers to predominantly black routes.Bus companies suffered losses as their customers are mainly black (Haskins, 1992). His house was bombed and he faced charges of co nspiracy against the bus company. The bus boycott lasted a year, characterized by violence and different forms of intimidation but King, Jr. did not fail to emphasize the Christian way to handle the attacks. He advised his group to â€Å"turn the other cheek†. In December 21, 1956, King, Jr. together with other boycott leaders, rode the first desegregated bus.The next few years were relatively quiet for King, Jr. but he remained to be active, getting involved with other civil rights movements. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate the protests which followed the success of the bus boycott (Garrow, 1968).The SCLC became involved with African-American students who voiced out their denunciation of segregated public facilities such as whites-only lunch counters. However, some students did not approve of King, Jr.’s participation in their cause (Kirk, 2007). They claimed that he was just all talk without taking real actions. He receive d all the credits from the hard work of the group. He kept the money, enjoyed the fame that truly belonged to others who sacrificed. This impression was furthered when he was able to spent lesser jail time compared to others who participated in sit-ins in an Atlanta department store and was arrested.They argued that King, Jr. used his mainstream appeal to leave the jail early through presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy needed King, Jr. to reach to the black people while the black people were in doubt whether King, Jr. was still the right leader to represent them. Versions of these criticisms surrounded him all through his life.Hallmark of his success was in 1964 when he received the Nobel Peace Prize (Bull, 2000). He accepted the award in behalf of the Civil Rights Movements. Early the next year, the Nobel Peace Prize winner was back in a jail cell. Such is the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Though intrigues, threats and violence hunted him all his life, his con tributions to free America, blacks and whites, were incomparable.ReferencesBull, Angela (2000). DK Readers: Free At Last, The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. NY: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc.Garrow, David (1968). Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.Haskins, James (1992). The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, Jr. NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company.Kirk, John (2007). Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Civil Rights Movement: Controversies and Debates. NY: Palgrave Macmillan.Oates, Stephen (1994). Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.Pastan, Amy (2004). Martin Luther King, Jr: Biography. NY: DK Publishing, Inc.Ruffin, Frances (2001). Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington. NY: Grosset & Dunlap.Sunnemark, Fredrik (2004). Ring Out Freedom! The Voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement. IN: I ndiana University Press.  

Border Security and Terrorism Essay

The only way that any country can effectively prevent terrorist attacks is by improving the local security on a domestic scale. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, â€Å"the protection of borders and ports of entry are vital to the success of this campaign (Campbell & Flourney 372)†. The issue here, however, is that by imposing stricter immigration laws and beefing up border security, the rich American legacy of legal immigration becomes threatened. As more and more people and politicians alike cite the pressing need to improve border security, that rich legacy comes to mind. According to Dave Camp, former Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Borders and Infrastructure, â€Å"while there is a need to protect the borders and ports of entry, any new policies regarding this matter do not have to intervene with the avowed American history of legal immigration (1)†. What the policies do suggest is that if there are those who violate the immigration and border laws, they will be dealt with strictly (Campbell & Flourney 377). Plans such as a REAL ID act or the removal of certain asylum laws that have loopholes are certainly plans that deserve a serious consideration. The entry of the attackers of 9/11 was greatly facilitated by the lax immigration standards and other legal loopholes. These allowed the terrorists to secure driver’s licenses and other permits that allowed them to move around the country freely and make the preparations that they needed to do (Campbell & Flourney 377). If the border security measures were not as lax those days, it might have even led to the prevention of 9/11. Campbell & Flourney, in their study on measures against terrorism have cited that, â€Å"A large step in curbing the possibility of terrorist attacks lies in improving border security† (372). Many critics have continually cited that the first step in winning the war against terror is by first preventing the happening of any future attacks. As such, airline security in conjunction with border security must be improved. The American-Mexican Border remains to be the largest concern since it remains as the largest security vulnerability of the United States. The porous domestic border could provide much greater problems than that of illegal immigration. It could lead to the entry of terrorist groups into the United States on a massive scale, leading to the proliferation of a large number of terrorists in the United States and possibly the establishment of a network that would make them extremely difficult to apprehend (Campbell & Flourney 372). Current Success of Border Security As earlier mentioned, the role of border security in the fight against terror is crucial. The current government reorganization program that has been proposed places the Department of Homeland Security, the Customs and Border Protection Program and the Immigration-Customs Enforcement agencies under a single operating body (Carafano 1). This move alone signifies that America is serious in curbing these terrorist attacks and that improving border security is a major factor. The next figure shows the attacks that have been prevented. Since the 9/11 attacks, over 19 terrorist attacks have been thwarted. Much of this success has been attributed to the Border Security measures that have been set in place since then. Almost all of these attacks have been intercepted through the careful monitoring of the activities that have occurred at the border. The passage of not only terrorists but also terrorist weapons is a major concern for the Department of Homeland Security and the Customs and Border Protection Program. The porous and vulnerable American-Mexican Border remains the key element in taking the war against terror to the next level. Without the current border security situation at the level that it is in at the present, most of those 19 attempts could not have been prevented (Taylor 3). According to most experts who are studying this matter, â€Å"the key remains to be in keeping the inflow of people and goods into the United States under close scrutiny (Campbell & Flourney 372). † While there has been much success in this, there still remains the question on what further improvements can be made against such a devious and cunning foe. Future of Border Security It has clearly been established at this point that in order to be effective in the war on terror border security needs to be improved. The government must take a firm stand on the policies that will be implemented in the area of border security. While such policies may threaten certain precepts that America is known for such as the legacy of legal immigration, it must be remembered that sacrifices are sometimes necessary to protect the greater interests of the American public (Taylor 12). If it means that legal immigration may be throttled to a certain extent in order to ensure the safety of the American public, it is certain that there are more than a few Americans who would stand by that decision. As it is, more and more funding has gone into the improvement of border security particularly with regard to airline regulations and ports of entry as well as along the American-Mexican border. â€Å"Laws that have funded the increase in the number of fences along the border have been drafted and stricter port of entry rules have been established,† according to studies done on this subject (Taylor 12). The next step lies in ensuring that these measures push through and that they are implemented effectively. It has been said that increasing the security measures that are currently in place will send the wrong message to the terrorists and instead signal to them that they have won and that America has given in (Taylor 12). Ensuring one’s safety, however, should never be considered as a sign of cowardice or defeat. Instead, it should send the message that the United States and its people will not give up and will not give in to the terrorist tactics of these groups. Concrete steps such as improving border security are one of the many ways by which the United States government can show that they are serious and determined to end the war on terror. Conclusion When it comes to the war on terror, every other person seems to be of the opinion that there is one solution that is better than the next one. Everyone seems to think that there is one sure fire way of dealing with the situation. Truth be told, it would be perfect if that were really the case because it would have meant that the war on terror would already be over. The sad reality is that terrorism still continues to be a growing threat against all civilizations in the world today. While theories abound, success stories against the war on terror are far and few. This is not to say that policies to help improve border security are a waste of time but it rather serves to emphasize a very important point. The war on terror cannot be solved by just implementing one policy or one program. The response to problem will never be as quick or as earth shaking as the event that intensified the problem. Efforts to improve border security are just one of the many things that need to be done to combat the terrorists. Be that as it may, it still is one of the more crucial steps to stop terrorism. References: Campbell, Kurt and Flourney, Michelle (2001). To Prevail: An American Strategy for the Campaign Against Terrorism. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Biography of Abigail Adams, Wife of John Adams

Biography of Abigail Adams, Wife of John Adams Wife of the second President of the United States, Abigail Adams is an example of one kind of life lived by women in colonial, Revolutionary and early post-Revolutionary America. While shes perhaps best known simply as an early First Lady (before the term was used) and mother of another President, and perhaps known for the stance she took for womens rights in letters to her husband, she should also be known as a competent farm manager and financial manager. Known for: First Lady, mother of John Quincy Adams, farm manager, letter writerDates: November 22 (11 old style), 1744 - October 28, 1818; married October 25, 1764Also known as: Abigail Smith AdamsPlaces: Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., United StatesOrganizations/Religion: Congregational, Unitarian Early Life Born Abigail Smith, the future First Lady was the daughter of a minister, William Smith, and his wife Elizabeth Quincy.  The family had long roots in Puritan America, and were part of the Congregational church.  Her father was part of the liberal wing within the church, an Arminian, distanced from Calvinist Congregational roots in predestination and questioning the truth of the traditional  doctrine of the Trinity. Educated at home, because there were few schools for girls and because she was often ill as a child,  Abigail Adams learned quickly and read widely. She also learned to write, and quite early began writing to family and friends. Abigail met John Adams in 1759 when he visited her fathers parsonage in Weymouth, Massachusetts.  They carried out their courtship in letters as Diana and Lysander.  They married in 1764, and moved first to Braintree and later to Boston.  Abigail bore five children, and one died in early childhood. Abigails marriage to John Adams was warm and loving‚- and also intellectually lively, to judge from their letters. Journey to First Lady After almost a decade of rather quiet family life,  John became involved in the Continental Congress. In 1774, John attended the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, while Abigail remained in Massachusetts, raising the family.  During his long absences over the next 10 years, Abigail managed the family and the farm and corresponded not only with her husband but with many family members and friends, including Mercy Otis Warren and Judith Sargent Murray.  She served as the primary educator of the children, including the future sixth U.S. president, John Quincy Adams. John served in Europe as a diplomatic representative from 1778, and as a representative  of the new nation, continued in that capacity. Abigail Adams joined him in 1784, first for a year in Paris then three in London. They returned to America in 1788. John Adams served as Vice President of the United States from 1789-1797 and then as President 1797-1801. Abigail spent some of her time at home, managing the family financial affairs, and part of her time in the federal capital, in Philadelphia most of those years and, very briefly, in the new White House in Washington, D.C. (November 1800 - March 1801). Her letters show that she was a strong supporter of his Federalist positions. After John retired from public life at the end of his presidency, the couple lived quietly in Braintree, Massachusetts.  Her letters also show that she was consulted by her son, John Quincy Adams. She was proud of him, and worried about her sons Thomas and Charles and her daughters husband, who were not so successful.  She took hard her daughters death in 1813.   Death Abigail Adams died in 1818 after contracting  typhus, seven years before her son, John Quincy Adams, became the sixth president of the U.S., but long enough to see him become Secretary of State in James Monroes administration. It is mostly through her letters that we know much about the life and personality of this intelligent and perceptive woman of colonial America and the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary period.  A collection of the letters was published in 1840 by her grandson, and more have followed. Among her positions expressed in the letters was a deep suspicion of slavery and racism, support for womens rights including married womens property rights and the right to education, and full acknowledgement by her death that she had become, religiously, a unitarian. Resources and Further Reading Akers, Charles W. Abigail Adams: An American Woman. Library of American Biography Series. 1999.Bober, Natalie S. Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution. 1998. Young adult book.  Cappon, Lester J. (editor). The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams. 1988.  Gelles, Edith B. Portia: The World of Abigail Adams. 1995 edition.  Levin, Phyllis Lee. Abigail Adams: A Biography. 2001.Nagel, Paul C. The Adams Women: Abigail and Louisa Adams, Their Sisters and Daughters. 1999 reprint.Nagel, Paul C. Descent from Glory: Four Generations of the John Adams Family. 1999 reprint.  Withey, Lynne. Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams. 2001.

Art in general Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Art in general - Essay Example The cave paintings and drawings of the ancient civilisations and the various forms of artefacts that have been dug out from the ruins of ancient civilisations, are very good examples of this. These show very good proof that; even the people from those days were interested in art and its various forms. As per the varieties of art almost all the fields ranging from paintings to the areas of literature and music, are all considered to fall under the category of art. Indeed to the practicing artist and the sculptors or any individual who indulges in the creation of art and its various forms, it is a wonderful medium to express what is hidden within them. Hence art is considered by the experts, as the one which stimulates the inner feelings and brings out the hidden emotions, of both its creator and also its onlookers. For many art is a form of happiness and pleasure, that takes them to an imaginative field, where they are free from all worldly troubles. Because of this many people who ca nnot create forms of art but appreciate art, tend to buy pieces of art for their homes and work places. In today’s world because of this trend, buying works of art have become a very lucrative and serious business. The artists, painters and sculptors stand to benefit from this growing trend of art business, which enables them to make a living and some of them even reap millions. Art in recent years have become very good medium for investment. The paintings and sculptures, which are produced by the great masters, are today auctioned at the various auction houses spread across the world, for billions of dollars. Through the business of art, people are now indeed making a fortune. People who indulge in any form of art are considered to be highly talented, since they give freedom and form to their hidden energies. It is for this reason that, almost any person who indulges in any form of art is considered in high esteem by the public. Experts believe that almost all the human bein gs have the talent to create art forms. But it is only the individuals who put in efforts to bring out their creativity, who are able to express the art forms in reality. The practice of art is in itself a very time consuming process and in most cases it is through years of dedication, which makes individuals to become true masters of the art forms, they practice. For this very reason, most of the individuals in today’s world find art as a mere wastage of time, energy and money. But this very thought is not correct, since it helps an individual to master the inner self, through the medium of art. In today’s fast paced life indulgence in art is very important as per many experts, since they believe that, it helps the people to relax and help them to take a break from the vagaries of modern life. This is the main reason that, most of the schools and colleges in the world today make it a point to conduct classes and sessions of art for the students, so as to make them awa re regarding the world of art. It is through such initiation that, many highly talented artists take roots by understanding its hidden secrets. Thus such students get exposed to the art field and they become drawn to the medium of art. Among them many become art teachers and dedicate themselves to teaching the various art forms, to the future generations. Art has indeed

Starting with approximately 1900 and going to the present, how has Essay

Starting with approximately 1900 and going to the present, how has international relations changed over this period Identify th - Essay Example (Devetak, Burke and George) The era starting from the 1900 till present witnessed a systematic change in the international relations and the overall role of states within the overall global scene. From the rise of the nation-state to the emergence of sole superpower of the world, international relations drastically changed. The advancement in the technology and improvement in the military power coupled with global power of large corporations, international relations are not what they used to be in the 19th century. There has been a gradual shift towards redefining the roles and responsibilities of major nations along with that of the other nations. This paper will discuss and explore as to what changed in international relations since 1900. This paper will explore as to what were the major changes and the causes of such changes taking place at the global stage of international relations. International Relations since 1900 Starting with 1900, Germany started to emerge as one of the le ading players in the world stage. With increasing military power, it started to engage with Britain and France, two of the other most important players in the international arena. ... The rise of Germany resulted into the wars between the European superpowers which also resulted into the weakening of the power of the European States. The Balkan Wars, the Bosnian crisis, the outbreak of first and Second World War has created significant change in the international relations. The period after 1919 is considered as an important period in which the World actually made a transition into a new era owing to the efforts of Woodrow Wilson. The creation of League of Nation is considered as one of the most important change in the international relations as it signaled a systematic introduction of the role of global institutions in the overall domain of international relations. The League of Nations started a new direction in the international relations wherein institutions like League of Nations and subsequently United Nations become significant influencing authorities in international relations. (Lawson) It is also important to note that with the weakening of the European P owers due to World War II has resulted into creation and independence of new countries in the world. This has further increase the number of regional players to dominate the regional politics as well as influence the international politics. Countries like India emerged in the mid of the 1900 and quickly became the regional powers with the ability to withstand the pressure from the bigger superpowers of the world. The increase in the number of independent countries has also resulted into further conflicts at the regional level. The issue of Middle East and Palestine emerged as one of the important issues involving many regional as well as global players. Besides, the conflict between India and Pakistan and subsequently between India and China also