The Society We Currently Live In Is Infused With Aspects

The society we currently live in is infused with aspects that people are concerned about and would like changed. These aspects are also known as social problems. Examples of social problems are educational inequality, welfare stigma, black on black crime and last but not least, domestic abuse/ Intimate partner abuse. Though there are many important social problems that influence society, I will focus on the aspect of domestic abuse and intimate partner abuse. Domestic abuse is defined as the act of one individual controlling their spouse or intimate partner using fear, intimidation, or violence (Tina de Benedicts, Jaelline Jaffe, Jeanne Segal). Most people automatically think of sexual and physical abuse when they think of domestic†¦show more content†¦Though there have been multiple cases where extreme violence could have been avoided, there has been a considerable improvement of protection for women who retaliate after suffering from abuse for years. In the past domestic abuse was not recognized and many women were sentenced to long prison stints after defending themselves from their abuser, but there has been some leniency for women who experience it today. Domestic abuse also has a negative economic impact on individuals. Instances, of financial abuse are, withholding economic resources, preventing the spouse from working, or exploiting the spouse’s resources for personal gain. Per the National Coalition Against Domes tic Violence, victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8.0 million days of paid work each year(NCADV). As mentioned before, spiritual abuse is also a type of abuse used to intimate and instill fear in another individual. This type of abuse includes using the spouse’s religious beliefs to manipulate them. Domestic and intimate partner abuse may not be a popular social problem to discuss in society, but it is a problem that needs to be brought to all of society’s attention to decrease the rate at which it is occurring, and to encourage those who have, or are experiencing domestic abuse to speak up and speak out. Domestic violence may not be a popular discussion in society, nevertheless, it still has the ability to influence some aspects inShow MoreRelatedWhat is The Paleo Diet? Essay1446 Words   |  6 Pagesplain sight, and some that sometimes take a while to be noticed. One of the possible reasons why various diseases are more prevent[able]now than in our evolutionary past could be out change in the food we eat. We not only have diverted from the diet that our ancestors body have accustom too, we now eat process food that have side effects that take time to show any effect. In our past our ancestors where hunters gathers and had a specific diet, the best example of this is the Paleo Diet. TheRead MoreThe First African American President1141 Words   |  5 Pagesadvances both in technology and society that took place. On the day of November 4, 2008, a man of strong beliefs from Hawaii named Barack Obama announced that he was running for president of the United States. He won the election and was sworn into office becoming the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009. He has not only marked a page in history in becoming the first African American president, but has tried to work to better the economic and political aspects of the country. After hisRead MoreWhat Makes Fashion Heal?2836 Words   |  12 Pages1. CAN FASHION HEAL? 2. ABSTRACT There are many aspects to the question of whether or not Fashion can heal. 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While the different societies varied, most were animists, believing that both animals and plants have spirits (like human souls) and that these need to be appeased or respected (â€Å"Culture of the Countryside†). It is also common to see totemism in villages, as this was a way toRead MoreAn Operatic Retelling Of Orwell s Dystopian Masterpiece2095 Words   |  9 PagesRoyal Opera House of London premiered a dark, and technology infused Operatic retelling of George Orwell’s infamous novel, 1984. This adaptation composed by Lorin Maazel is a mixture of text straight from the book, as well as personal interpretations by the composer and librettists to make a better stage production. The Story The novel is set in a futuristic totalitarian nation by the name of Oceana, once known as London. Every aspect of this dystopic country is governed through censorship and fear—screens

Analysis Of O Connor s A Good Man - 893 Words

In O’Connor’s short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† the definition of what it takes to be a â€Å"good man† is very misconstrued. In the beginning of this story a â€Å"good† character does not exist. The family is habitually mean to the grandmother, and the grandmother is a conceded, selfish human being. The misfit, another main character, is a criminal and is not a morally good person either. The central theme of the entire story is the concept of the word â€Å"good,† and what it takes to meet this expectation. The only opinion of what the audience receives to be as a good man comes from a very morally questionable grandmother; who is not a good person until moments before her tragic death. The author uses a lot of foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism tied directly to Christianity to drive home the points of this story. The story opens up about a family that is going on vacation to Florida, but that would change due to the grandmot hers’ argument to want to go to east Tennessee (for selfish reasons); saying that the kids have already been to Florida and that â€Å"The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida†(O’Connor 337). While on their trip to Tennessee O’Conner uses a lot of foreshadowing hinting toward the tragic ending of this story that is impossible to catch the first time you read it. Looking back you notice the first bit of foreshadowing comes when the grandmother points out the graveyard of five or six graves consisting of the family of the plantation.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of O Connor s A Good Man Essay1522 Words   |  7 Pages In my analysis of â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find†, I will examine the different elements of this piece of literature and break the subject down into its component parts. I also plan to provide evident that O’Connor uses religion as the theme for her short story using several examples of foreshadowin g and symbolic throughout her story. After reading the story more than once, I notice some interesting quotes that will back-up my claims that O’Connor’s story is about something that must do with spiritualRead MoreAnalysis Of O Connor s A Good Man 869 Words   |  4 Pages My first reaction to â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to find† was that of sadness and I felt that it was tragic of what happened to the family in the story. I felt really bad for the grandma because no one seemed to be pleased with her or listen to her. I felt like the son was almost tired of dealing with his own mom, or that is the feeling I got from his reactions to her. Even the children did not seem to respect the old lady. O’Connor’s story was very descriptive. Throughout the whole story there wereRead MoreAnalysis Of O Connor s A Good Man Essay1201 Words   |  5 PagesFlannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find tells the story of a family from Atlanta, G eorgia as it makes it way to Florida for a vacation. The five members of the family include the grandmother, her son Bailey and his wife. Among the passengers are three children, one of whom is still a baby. There fatal deaths in the end illustrate the belief that everybody has their own unique flaws. The grandmother plays a pivotal role in the story considering the fact that she selfishly convinces the familyRead MoreAn Analysis Of O Connor s A Good Man 941 Words   |  4 Pages6/03/2015: O’Connor’s short story â€Å" A Good Man Is Hard To Find† symbolizes a theme of religion which questions me to think how O’Connor was raised? In my intention of this story every character seems to play a key role of religion. As for the Misfit can be seen as Satan himself as he encounters the family and kills them all. Yet he does it so politely saying â€Å"he is not a good man†, and how he only shoots just 3 bullets into the Grandmother. This gives me a sens e of how O’Connor is conveying a messageRead MoreAnalysis Of O Connor s A Good Man1467 Words   |  6 Pageshappening in the South. She has put the issues that they have in different scenarios or situations that people could understand in her short stories, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard To Find† along with â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge.† O’Connor has various characters in her stories that have characteristics that make them damaged, delusional or broken. In â€Å"A Good Man,† The Misfit is a broken character. He does not know the difference from right and wrong by cause of his father never being punished for the thingsRead MoreAnalysis Of Flannery O Connor s A Good Man Is Hard Essay1426 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Analysis for A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O Connor s A Good Man is Hard to Find is certainly a surprising work of literature. With this story having a not so happy ending, it goes against all of the conventional ideas on what a typical storybook ending should be. Another unusual thing about A Good Man is Hard to Find is the use of the term good. It is thrown around excessively through the entire tale by the grandmother and even the Misfit seems to use this word as wellRead MoreAn Analysis Of Flannery O Connor s A Good Man1425 Words   |  6 PagesBakane Franca Dr. Lorna Wiedmann English 202-025 December 12, 2014 The Devious Grandmother Have you ever noticed that, many individuals never awaken to reality unless they are exposed to violence? In Flannery O’Connor’s short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† his main character, the grandmother is a master manipulator. In the story, a family is destroyed not only because of accidents caused by the grandmother, but also because the grandmother is inconsiderate and self-centered; they are all killedRead MoreAn Analysis Of Flannery O Connor s A Good Man933 Words   |  4 PagesIn Flannery O’Connor’s short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, the fate of the family is foreshadowed within the very first few paragraphs. The grandmother in the story tries to convince the family that going to Tennessee would be much more suitable for the family vacation not only because had the children been to Florida before, but there is a criminal who has escaped from federal prison and is headed that way (1076). She tries to inform her so n, Bailey, and his wife of the convict who claimsRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of O Connor s A Good Man 1166 Words   |  5 PagesFlannery O Connor is a writer who is well known for stories like A Good Man Is Hard To Find and The Life You Save May Be Your Own. Although both stories rely heavily on theme and foreshadowing, she uses these elements to pick at a larger meaning. Whether her stories depict violence and or redemption, there is always a lesson in the end. O Connor uses irony in order to foreshadow to readers her inevitable endings. In A Good Man Is Hard To Find, a family vacation suddenly ends violently.Read MoreRhetorical Analysis Of O Connor s A Good Man Is Hard And Find 1245 Words   |  5 PagesAdria Corral English 1302 MWF 8:00 A.M. Religion and Morality In â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, Flannery O’Connor uses grotesque and flawed characters to reflect her own faith on the Roman Catholic Church. Set in the rural South during the 1950s, O’Connor takes readers on a journey from a satiric family comedy to a brutal cold blooded murder. An analysis of O’Connor’s use of religious symbolism and foreshadowing through characters and setting will be conducted in order to better understand her views

Environmental And Sustainability Education â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Environmental And Sustainability Education? Answer: Introduction Education of good quality is of supreme importance in creating a sustainable world. The concepts regarding sustainable development was specified by Agenda 21 that was the action programme in the 21st century and it was adopted by different government at United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Education in relation to sustainable development lays emphasis on the development of knowledge, skill and values that will create a sustainable world that would ensure the protection of the environment. It will promote social equity and encourage the economic sustainability (Attfield, 2015). Concept of Education For Sustainable Development (ESD) emerged from environmental education that particularly focused on developing the skills and values within people so that they will be able to care for their environment. The primary aim of ESD is to help people in making decisions and perform action that will overall contribute in improving the quality of life without harming the planet . It aims at integrating the values imbibed in sustainable development in all the levels of the learning process (Malhotra, Melville Watson, 2013). Education and Sustainability In the last five years or so management practices relating to environmental policies have had much improvement in the state and the whole of Australia. Australias environment comprising cultural and natural heritage of nature and Antarctic and marine environments are in quite good condition. However, there are still quite a bit of areas where the environment is deteriorating or poor. These are areas where population is dense near the coasts and also other areas in urban Australia where human pressure is at its peak. These are also the areas where even grazing is considered to be a threat to biodiversity (Sund hman, 2014). Globally too, the threat to the environment looms large. Even though there are places which are adhering to environment policies, there are places where it is in ruins. In the country, though the foremost drivers of change are the growth in economy and population (McKinnon et al., 2014). The extent of which these things can have an impact on a range of factors are: how many people live there, or where and how they live, the technologies they use to get food, energy, materials and support, the goods and services they produce, how they manage the waste they produce. The main problems which are being faced by the environment in Australia today are the same ones which were there in 2011, those that of climate change, land use change and habitat degradation and fragmentation. In addition to there are the interactions between other pressures and these which are resulting in a impact which is cumulative (Kabisch, Qureshi Haase, 2015). However, evidence shows that there are quite a few individual pressures on the environment which have been cut down since 2011. These are the ones connected with poor agricultural practices, the quality of air becoming poor, oil and gas exploration and commercial fishing (Murray, Skene Haynes, 2017). On the other hand however, other pressures like coal mining, habitat degradation and litter along the coastal and marine environments, coal-seam gas industries, invasive species and more traffic in the urban cities have increased. In some parts on the environment in the country, the effective management and policies have very much contributed to the outcomes for the people and the environment. Like for example, the watering of the environment with the help of Murray-Darling Basin plan along with naturally occurring floods have heavily added to the benefits in ecology and biodiversity (Knox, Marston Imort, 2016). In the marine environment there is the formation of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority which has helped in better offshore petroleum management for the environment. This has led to the better understanding of impacts with more focus on industry compliance and increased levels in order of preparedness for events which are unplanned (Shapiro Stefkovich, 2016). Relationship between key concepts of Education and sustainability However, there are still a lot of key challenges which remain for the effectively managing the environment in Australia. Firstly there is no overreaching policy that puts forth a very clear idea of how to make sustainably manage Australias environment till the year 2050 (Wals et al., 2014). Then there is poor collaboration or coordination of policies of management arrangements or policies which are there in between sectors and between different managers. Also there are no follow through from policy to action. Monitoring for long term and data needed for it are also inadequate. The resources needed for restoration and the management of the environment are also very inadequate. The understanding and managing these capacities to identify cumulative impact are not proper and therefore it reduces the potential for proper management of these. However to meet these challenges there is a need of policies especially designed keeping in mind adaptive management actions which caters to drivers for the changes in environment and the pressures relating to it (Kirton Trebilcock, 2017). There should be natural leadership and improved support that is needed for decision making. There should also be a more strategic planning for a future which is sustainable and there should always be reliable sources relating to financing. Globally too the context has not changed. First and foremost it is man that is destroying the environment around him. There is pollution to look into firstly. Air, soil and water takes thousands of years to recover and industry and exhaust from cars, buses and trucks are atop in the list of pollutants. Nitrates, pollutants, plastic toxins are all jointly responsible for causing pollution. While water pollution is caused by oil spills, urban runoff and oil spills, air pollution happens when toxins are released into the air. Then there is Global warming which is a result of human practices like emitting greenhouse gases. Thirdly there is overpopulation which has lead to scarcity of resources like water, food and fuel. Population explosion in developing cities and countries are putting to test the already scarce resources. Intensive agriculture is too draining the environment. The creation of plastics and the over consumption of resources have also led to a crisis in disposal of wastes. Developing countries are quite well known for producing a lot of garbage and throwing this waste in seas and oceans. Disposing of nuclear waste has tremendous hazards connected with health. Plastic, fast food, packaging and cheap electronic wastes threaten the well being of humans (Kazamia Smith, 2014). Climate change is another problem which has come up in recent years. It happens due to a rise in global warming. Climate change adversely affects the environment. Also there is the loss of bio diversity due to human over activity. This is leading to extinction of some species and a few other getting endangered. Eco systems which have taken millions of yea rs to perfect themselves are also in danger when population of any species is decreasing (Parsons, 2015). Deforestation has also led to a change in the environment. At present forests are covering 30 per cent of land but that is getting reduced each day as the demand for more food and shelter takes place. Technological advancement made along with global integration has led to gains in the arena of material wealth throughout the world. It has however created a huge amount of pressure on the social and environmental resources. Countries should collaborate in addressing climate change and the decision making process should be able to address these problems. The sustainable development puts stress on the long-term compatibility of economic, environmental along with the social dimensions in relation to development (Graham Thompson, 2014). An integrated network of institutions is highly important for sustainable development. There should be coherent integration of policy across that of s ocial and economic sphere and the participation of civil society in policy making will help to a large extent. A challenge arises on account of unsustainable consumption and pattern of production that has risen in developed countries. The developing countries are following this pattern. Per capita emission of green house gas is 20-40 times more than that what is required for the stabilization of the concentration of green house gas in the atmosphere. Per capita ecological footprint is 4-9 times more than their bio-capacity in case of the developed countries. There should be a global agenda that is effective or else the high-income households in both developed and developing country will continue to take recourse to consumption practices that are unsustainable (Gough, 2013). Hunger along with malnourishment has decreased in a large number of developed countries however this problem is still existent in case of other countries and nutrition security continues to be a distant dream for many household. Income inequality has risen to a high level and is creating tension and social conflict in many countries. Inequality results in undermining prospect in relation to inclusive growth and access of social protection. Rapid population growth along with the ageing of population while on the one hand represents the rising prosperity in some countries but on the other hand it puts stress on national along with local infrastructure. It will adversely affect care-giving, health and education system of a country. Rapid urbanization in case of the developing countries needs to undergo major changes so that urban development can be designed and managed. Energy needs will remain unfulfilled for millions of households if significant progress is not made that would ensure energy services in the modern era. The re-emergence of financial crisis needs to be handled properly and it should be directed in such a manner that would promote access in the area of long-term financing that w ould help in achieving sustainable development. In order to be successful in addressing these challenges it is extremely necessary that a global development agenda should be created that would facilitate transformation in the particular way in which goods and services are produced, manner of creating jobs and managing natural resources (Cullingford Blewitt, 2013). Environmental Sustainability policy The Environmental Sustainability Policy is a policy which has been designed for improving the performance and mitigates environmental aspects which are of the highest risks in the risk assessment. On the other hand, Australian Government Department of Human Services environmental policy statement is commitment of the highest level to stake holder that the department adheres to legal obligations applies a systematic environmental approach striving to minimize pollution (Hodgson, 2016). The policy expands emphasizing on the policy statement and brings out the environmental and sustainability context. The scope of the policy is that it is based on high risk aspects of the environment which are very much identified in the Environments Risk Assessment. The policy however does not cater to the welfare of staff of the organization. The objective of the policy is to improve the departments environmental performance by complying with all government policies, legislation, planning instruments and by meeting the obligations which are needed for Australian Government sustainability and environmental reporting. The next thing is to minimize adverse environmental impacts by giving responsibilities and meeting the necessary things needed for promoting sustainability. This is done through effective and efficient economical procuring which includes assessment of products on a life cycle basis and looking out for suppliers for responsibilities which are social. Then it is done through managing the consumption of resources and demand which results in better product utilization, financial performance and efficiency. It serves as an evaluation measure or weighting for criteria of the environment (Law et al., 2014). Objective of this policy was also about improving the departments environmental performance by improving environmental standards, practices for use of energy, green house gas emissions, principles and practices of energy use, ozone depleting substances, resource use, materials selection and supplier, product, materials waste and resources recovery and water use treatment. Environmental education is a complex study which covers a lot of different aspects relating to the environment. This education gives people the mindfulness which is needed to build organizations, see NGO exercises and make methodologies for planning urban (McClellan, 2016). They also guarantee future markets for businesses which are eco friendly. All these will not only support environment but will also be good for the growth of the economy of a nation too. Environmental education is usually taught in communities, schools or even in parks and zoos for that matter. There are different policies for different countries and cities and schools. In New South Wales, Australia the policy supports environmental education programs in schools supported by the government. It provides guidelines on how to manage school resources keeping in mind ecological sustainability and is a point from where one can start addressing issues regarding global environment (Hussey, 2014). Possible Implications for Pedagogical Practice All schools will have to implement and develop a school environment management plan which is quite meaningful in servicing the school community and is evaluated regularly. The school environment management plan should: be incorporated into the whole-school plan. The school administration and management should be linked with curriculum plans. Be organized under the three focus areas of curriculum, resource and grounds management (Hansen Wethal, 2014).The principal of the school will be responsible for implementing and developing the management plan in his school. He should also monitor to check the effectiveness of the plan. This is applicable for all school communities too. The education is based on the principles of ecologically sustainable development in the NSW Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 (Zska et al.,2013).Academic institutions as vital members of community will play a key role will play a key role in educating citizens along with professionals. They wi ll play an effective role in co-creating community change by making suitable contribution to research and human resources. Universities that are committed to the purpose of community engagement will play a key role to build reciprocal partnership that would help in improving the creativity of both. By taking recourse to collaborative interchange, the academy will become an active partner searching for answers. The community will provide a context in providing civil discourse and it would eventually lead to interactional creation in relation to knowledge (Melton et al., 2013). Education that is engaged with the community will lead to exploration of intricate problems and environmental sustainability will be the primary focus. Community building along with social capital should support the process of learning. Interdisciplinary analysis is crucial for providing different lenses that will be able to deconstruct the different approaches in relation to environmental sustainability. Multi ple academic disciplines will be able to provide the training ground that would be able to balance consumption and conservation in relation to the environmental resource. Each discipline will carry with it its own knowledge but an amalgamation of all these will enable to increase the potential in relation to the problem solving. Social workers will be able to bring commitment of human rights along with social justice. Green practice of social work will be able to furnish valuable context that will enable cross-disciplinary exploration (Stern, Powell Hill, 2014). Business and economics will be able to highlight on important issues that relates to the management and organization. This holds true for social entrepreneurship where focus is laid on adapting such efficiencies that would be able to provide solutions to different kinds of concerns relating to the environment. Many researchers have expanded work from that of a strict reviewing of climate change to a more dynamic involvement with international development of policy (Kopnina, 2014). Internet search will be able to reveal that interdisciplinary courses will be able to link up natural sciences, economics along with that of public policy. An interdisciplinary approach will be able to prepare practitioners for social work and conflict studies can be used to assess issues threatening the environment. Cross disciplinary exploration will provide the base that would lead to the development of the creative faculty. Different methods in relation to experience will help in the reinforcement of learning regarding the important sustainable responses. According to Arjen A.J. Walls, the goals in relation to environmental education should not be determined with the help of outside experts but they should be determined by those people who form an inseparable part of community and they should take the lead in framing the process of education. The goals in other words should be determined from the inside. It should take into account the social context and emphasis should be laid on gaining knowledge that will help in shaping their life. Environmental education should help in developing the faculty of autonomous thinking regarding issues that has a bearing on quality of life. There is a lot of injustice in relation to sharing use of natural resources and students should be involved in solving the challenges. Ethically directed Studies Carolyn Merchant has assessed the 20th century literature and called it a grand narrative of environmental endism and this highlights the popularity of eco-criticism. The rising need of ethically directed study reflects the growing urgency that shrouds the modern civilization and the next generation should have heightened morality in relation to the environment. Classrooms are becoming the places where discussion regarding environmental sustainability and future states of the humankind are made. This shift in education is termed as the eco critical turn and it is extremely significant in the present century where problems regarding environment has risen to such heights that it needs immediate attention and thinking. The movement towards the US liberal style of education necessitates the humanity to make research on this cross-disciplinary area that would help students in dealing with the problems of the real world. Raymond Williams study on industrialism The Country and the City is l argely held to be the forerunner in regard to the environmental criticism in the world of today. The analysis of rural life and the change in the city brought about by the advent of industrialism was the area under discussion of this book. It offered valuable perspective on the relation between that of technology, population and landscape. Environmental concerns have always troubled the literary world. Bleak House written by Charles Dickens opens with the description of omnipresent fog that stands as a symbol for the industrial pollutant that has spread in the 1850s London. Dickens said that it seemed as if the dark city was mourning on account of the suns death. This image is an apt reminder about the anxiety of his contemporary in relation to the suns cooling that was voiced by Herman von Helmholtz in his 1847 essay. Environmental issues are used in the present age as content of education. Environmental education lays stress on the complex relationship between that of population a long with environment (Childers et al., 2014). Higher education enjoys a lot of academic freedom and it has diverse skills that would help in developing innovative ideas that would be able to highlight the challenges of society and to involve in bold experimentation that would help in sustainable development. Education along with scientific preparation will be able to focus on environmental status and it can be used as a tool for the constant development of science and help in creating opinions in this particular area. Knowledge can be obtained from future graduates that will focus on environment and state of fauna, flora and pollution that can prove to be immensely helpful. Environmental Chemistry can throw huge amount of light on environmental degradation and how the prevailing condition can be improved. The students should be encouraged to do projects that would increase their awareness and these study programmes can be integrated with activities that focus on relevant areas of a ir, water and soil pollution. The students would expand and disseminate information regarding regarding the environment that they have accumulated with the help of school studies. The strategic aim would be to highlight the status of environment of the present age by popularizing scientific activities with the help of programs undertaken by the educational institutions. These programmes will emphasize on the specific role that the young generation will play in order to bring about improvement in the condition of environment. An educational committee can be formed by the teachers who would oversee the entire activity and popularize scientific ideas in the students (Cheney et al., 2014). Training can be given regarding the adverse impact of toxic substances in the environment and the students would be illuminated about quality assessment methods and how to monitor the components in the environment. They would be made aware about particulate matters and the aftermath of certain selecte d factors on pollutant dispersion and regarding pyrolysis of municipal solid waste. Monitoring the chemical characteristics of the water bodies and understanding the quality of surface water in regard to water flow will help in providing authentic information about the quality of water of the place. The soil samples can be used to determine the presence of inorganic nitrogen in the soil and tests can be done to check the effect that sulphur will have in the accumulation of selenium within the soil. Atomic absorption spectroscopy can be used to determine the presence of heavy metals in the soil (Mahat Pettigrew, 2017). Critical Analysis of Key Concepts in Education and Sustainability Education for sustainability goes much beyond that of providing students with framework themes. It emphasizes on learning skills and values that can guide as well as motivate people to look for sustainable livelihoods and thus co-operate in a democratic society. Education for sustainability should go much beyond that of teaching regarding global issues. It should be aimed at imbibing students with practical skills that would enable them to continue with the process of learning even after their graduation and thus contribute significantly to sustainable livelihood. Research has led to the conclusion that a sharp vision along with responsible innovation based on ethical decision-making would be able to bring about sustainable development (Benton Redclift, 2013). It would be able to envision a better future by learning these essential skills. Creative thinking, critical thinking and active value system would be able to develop the faculty of critical thinking and contribute effectively to sustainable education. Gaining real world knowledge is another necessity that would ensure the participation of individuals to the process of sustainable development of environment. The educational institutions should give importance to consequential thinking and on interpersonal competence that would help in creating partnerships and bring about a change in the society (Schaumann et al., 2016). Looking at the underlying cause of issue and predicting future that are based on different scenarios is an integral part of EFS. It must be understood that all the global issues are related to each other. Consumption of consumer goods like paper would lead to deforestation that in turn is related to global climate change. Such realization will dawn on the students and they would be able to ruminate on how everything is inter-related. Understanding an issue from the point of view of different stakeholders is extremely essential for sustainability (Barling Duncan, 2015). One should consid er an issue from the point of view of others that would eventually lead to international understanding. This understanding is important in creating mood of co-operation that underlies sustainable development. Values form an essential part of EFS. There are some cultures where value is taught overtly in schools whereas in other cultures they are discussed. Understanding values is crucial in order to understanding ones own point of view as well as the viewpoint of other people. It is necessary to understand the values of society one lives in and the value of other people in the world will form the central part of education in relation to sustainable future. Value clarification along with value analysis are the common two techniques that are useful in understanding the value component in relation to EFS (Seplveda Murray, 2014). Environment is altogether complex and it is composed of different different areas like natural and cultural environment. It is interdisciplinary in nature and is an integration of biology, geology, geology and economics. It combines all these subjects to highlight the effect of humanity on the world of nature. Students develop methodical knowledge which helps them in facilitating solution to different problems of environment. Chemical engineering will lay emphasis on nature of air pollutants. Mathematical modeling will be able to highlight the effect that climate has on air pollution. The economic results of air pollution will be taught with the help of economics and demography. Sociology will study the sociological fallouts of air pollution. Conclusion Environmentalists play a great role in addressing environmental issues like ozone depletion, global warming and greenhouse effect. Environmental chemistry makes use of chemical principles and lays emphasis in maintaining environmental quality. Studies have clearly revealed that there is a link between that of human being and environmental chemistry. The environmental problems are being caused by misuse of environment and the lack of conscience of people in society regarding environmental education. Environmental education should go much beyond that of providing the students with mere information regarding the issues in the environment. The scientific issues that surround the problems taking place in the environment highlight why the teaching of scientific literacy is so crucial for environmental courses of science (Axelrod VanDeveer, 2014). Environmental education that is professionally executed provides a conmprehensive process that would be of great help to people in understanding environment and the various problems related to environment. References: Attfield, R. (2015).Ethics of the global environment. Edinburgh University Press. Axelrod, R. S., VanDeveer, S. D. (Eds.). (2014).The global environment: institutions, law, and policy. CQ Press. Barling, D., Duncan, J. (2015). The dynamics of the contemporary governance of the worlds food supply and the challenges of policy redirection.Food Security,7(2), 415-424. Benton, T., Redclift, M. (2013).Social theory and the global environment. Routledge. Cheney, G., Santa Cruz, I., Peredo, A. M., Nazareno, E. (2014). Worker cooperatives as an organizational alternative: Challenges, achievements and promise in business governance and ownership.Organization,21(5), 591-603. Childers, D. L., Pickett, S. T., Grove, J. M., Ogden, L., Whitmer, A. (2014). Advancing urban sustainability theory and action: Challenges and opportunities.Landscape and Urban Planning,125, 320-328. Cullingford, C., Blewitt, J. (2013).The sustainability curriculum: The challenge for higher education. Routledge Gough, A. (2013). Thinking globally in environmental education.International handbook of research in environmental education, 33-44. Graham, E. R., Thompson, A. (2014). Efficient orchestration? the global environment facility in the governance of climate adaptation. Hansen, A., Wethal, U. (Eds.). (2014).Emerging economies and challenges to sustainability: Theories, strategies, local realities. Routledge. Hodgson, D. (2016). Higher legal education in Australia: Historical perspectives and contemporary trends.Brief,43(10), 28. Hussey, K. (2014). Using markets to achieve environmental ends: reconciling social equity issues in contemporary water policy in Australia.International Handbook on Social Policy and the Environment, 300-326. Kabisch, N., Qureshi, S., Haase, D. (2015). Humanenvironment interactions in urban green spacesA systematic review of contemporary issues and prospects for future research.Environmental Impact Assessment Review,50, 25-34. Kazamia, E., Smith, A. G. (2014). Assessing the environmental sustainability of biofuels.Trends in plant science,19(10), 615-618. Kirton, J. J., Trebilcock, M. J. (2017).Hard choices, soft law: Voluntary standards in global trade, environment and social governance. Routledge. Knox, P. L., Marston, S. A., Imort, M. (2016).Human geography: Places and regions in global context. Pearson. Kopnina, H. (2014). Revisiting education for sustainable development (ESD): Examining anthropocentric bias through the transition of environmental education to ESD.Sustainable development,22(2), 73-83.Lieflnder, A. K., Frhlich, G., Bogner, F. X., Schultz, P. W. (2013). Promoting connectedness with nature through environmental education.Environmental Education Research,19(3), 370-384. Law, R. J., Covaci, A., Harrad, S., Herzke, D., Abdallah, M. A. E., Fernie, K., ... Takigami, H. (2014). Levels and trends of PBDEs and HBCDs in the global environment: status at the end of 2012.Environment international,65, 147-158. Mahat, M., Pettigrew, A. (2017). The Regulatory Environment of Non-Profit Higher Education and Research Institutions and Its Implications for Managerial Strategy. InHandbook of Research on Emerging Business Models and Managerial Strategies in the Nonprofit Sector(pp. 336-351). IGI Global. Malhotra, A., Melville, N., Watson, R. T. (2013). Spurring impactful research on information systems for environmental sustainability.Management Information Systems Quarterly,37(4), 1265-1274. McClellan, P. (2016). Contamination of the Environment-Past Problems and Contemporary Responses. McKinnon, A., Browne, M., Whiteing, A., Piecyk, M. (Eds.). (2015).Green logistics: Improving the environmental sustainability of logistics. Kogan Page Publishers. Melton, J. R., Wania, R., Hodson, E. L., Poulter, B., Ringeval, B., Spahni, R., ... Eliseev, A. V. (2013). Present state of global wetland extent and wetland methane modelling: conclusions from a model intercomparison project (WETCHIMP).Biogeosciences,10, 753-788. Murray, A., Skene, K., Haynes, K. (2017). The circular economy: An interdisciplinary exploration of the concept and application in a global context.Journal of Business Ethics,140(3), 369-380. Parsons, G. (2015). Environmental aesthetics.The Bloomsbury Companion to Aesthetics, 228. Schaumann, G. E., Philippe, A., Bundschuh, M., Metreveli, G., Klitzke, S., Rakcheev, D., ... Lang, F. (2015). Understanding the fate and biological effects of Ag-and TiO 2-nanoparticles in the environment: the quest for advanced analytics and interdisciplinary concepts.Science of the Total Environment,535, 3-19. Seplveda, J., Murray, C. (2014). The state of global health in 2014.Science,345(6202), 1275-1278. Shapiro, J. P., Stefkovich, J. A. (2016).Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge. Stern, M. J., Powell, R. B., Hill, D. (2014). Environmental education program evaluation in the new millennium: what do we measure and what have we learned?.Environmental Education Research,20(5), 581-611. Sund, L., hman, J. (2014). On the need to repoliticise environmental and sustainability education: Rethinking the postpolitical consensus.Environmental Education Research,20(5), 639-659. Wals, A. E., Brody, M., Dillon, J., Stevenson, R. B. (2014). Convergence between science and environmental education.Science,344(6184), 583-584. Zska, ., Szernyi, Z. M., Szchy, A., Kocsis, T. (2013). Greening due to environmental education? Environmental knowledge, attitudes, consumer behavior and everyday pro-environmental activities of Hungarian high school and university students.Journal of Cleaner Production,48, 126-138.

The Fire Essays - Jemez Mountains, Los Alamos, New Mexico

The Fire Late one Wednesday night in May, my girlfriend and I spotted some smoke and could see lava-like fire coming from the Jemez Mountains. We knew right away that it was a forest fire, but did not know how serious it was. We drove to my house to ask my dad what was happening in and around the Atomic City. He didn't know the details of the fire, so we turned on the TV to get some information about it. Every channel was talking about the ?Cerro Grande? fire that had started from a prescribed burn. The rest of that night we never left the couch. The television broadcasted that all Los Alamos residents should be prepared to evacuate the following day. The phone rang and it was my dad's boss from the laboratory; he called to say that work had been canceled for the rest of the week. Shortly after that phone call, the news anchor on the TV announced that there would no work for all Lab employees. We figured that the fire must have been pretty serious. My dad laid lifeless on the couch, showing no emotion. One hour passed, and still he hadn't moved. Not only was the fire consuming up the Jemez Mountains, it was also eating my Dad. He was really quiet and that is not his normal self. My Mom and I sat with him watching the continuous coverage of the fire on all the local channels. The news was keeping us well informed of all changes that were taking place on that hill north of Santa Fe. The local stations helicopters showed us that this fire meant business. Flames shooting hundreds of feet high torched anything and everything in its way. Tornado like winds made it impossible for fire fighters and slurry bombers to try and stop the raging fire. From our house we could see a huge cloud of black smoke that covered a lot of the northern sky. When my Mom and I got home from school that next day, my Dad said that the fire was creeping closer and closer to the town and all the residents had to evacuate. He was afraid that the fire would consume his friends homes as well as his job. A few minutes later, it was confirmed that the fire had reached the outskirts of the town. On the TV shortly after, we watched those houses burn uncontrollably; it looked like a war zone. That night I went to bed pretty late, and I woke up the next morning thinking that it was all a dream. Unfortunately the morning newspaper was there to remind me of the devastation that had happened the night before. The TV as well, showed pictures of a town and forest that looked like the Apocalypse had swept threw it. Burning embers danced across the black floor making it look as if the end was never going to come. Live reporters showed just how windy it was outside, with their hair standing straight up and their jackets flapping louder than they could talk. We could hear bombs in the background, thinking that the labs and all its nuclear secrets were up in flames. The reporters assured us that the labs were intact, but butane bottles that residents had left behind were exploding. They said repeatedly that the laboratory was safe and only the outskirts had been damaged. At school, in all the class rooms, a TV was kept on to inform us of all the changing headlines. The moral of the student body was low, almost not existent. A lot of the students and teachers walked around like zombies, empty and zoned out. They were preoccupied thinking of the fire. One week after this hellish fire had scorched the Jemez Mountains and passed right threw the outskirts of Los Alamos; the media was a reliable resource. They kept the nation and most importantly my family informed of the ?Cerro Grande Wildfire.? Current Events Essays

How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay

How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You'll no doubt have to write a number of argumentative essays in both high school and college, but what, exactly, is an argumentative essay and how do you write the best one possible? Let's take a look. A great argumentative essay always combines the same basic elements: approaching an argument from a rational perspective, researching sources, supporting your claims using facts rather than opinion, and articulating your reasoning into the most cogent and reasoned points. Argumentative essays are great building blocks for all sorts of research and rhetoric, so your teachers will expect you to master the technique before long. But if this sounds daunting, never fear! We’ll show how an argumentative essay differs from other kinds of papers, how to research and write them, how to pick an argumentative essay topic, and where to find example essays. So let's get started. What Is an Argumentative Essay? How Is it Different from Other Kinds of Essays? There are two basic requirements for any and all essays: to state a claim (a thesis statement) and to support that claim with evidence. Though every essay is founded on these two ideas, there are several different types of essays, differentiated by the style of the writing, how the writer presents the thesis, and the types of evidence used to support the thesis statement. Essays can be roughly divided into four different types: #1: Argumentative#2: Persuasive#3: Expository#4: Analytical So let’s look at each type and what the differences are between them before we focus the rest of our time to argumentative essays. Argumentative Essay Argumentative essays are what this article is all about, so let's talk about them first. An argumentative essay attempts to convince a reader to agree with a particular argument (the writer's thesis statement). The writer takes a firm stand one way or another on a topic and then uses hard evidence to support that stance. An argumentative essay seeks to prove to the reader that one argument- the writer's argument- is the factually and logically correct one. This means that an argumentative essay must use only evidence-based support to back up a claim, rather than emotional or philosophical reasoning (which is often allowed in other types of essays). Thus, an argumentative essay has a burden of substantiated proof and sources, whereas some other types of essays (namely persuasive essays) do not. You can write an argumentative essay on any topic, so long as there's room for argument. Generally, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one, so long as you support the argumentative essay with hard evidence. Example topics of an argumentative essay: â€Å"Should farmers be allowed to shoot wolves if those wolves injure or kill farm animals?† â€Å"Should the drinking age be lowered in the United States?† â€Å"Are alternatives to democracy effective and/or feasible to implement?† The next three types of essays are not argumentative essays, but you may have written them in school. We're going to cover them so you know what not to do for your argumentative essay. Persuasive Essay Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative essays, so it can be easy to get them confused. But knowing what makes an argumentative essay different than a persuasive essay can often mean the difference between an excellent grade and an average one. Persuasive essays seek to persuade a reader to agree with the point of view of the writer, whether that point of view is based on factual evidence or not. The writer has much more flexibility in the evidence they can use, with the ability to use moral, cultural, or opinion-based reasoning as well as factual reasoning to persuade the reader to agree the writer’s side of a given issue. Instead of being forced to use â€Å"pure† reason as one would in an argumentative essay, the writer of a persuasive essay can manipulate or appeal to the reader’s emotions. So long as the writer attempts to steer the readers into agreeing with the thesis statement, the writer doesn’t necessarily need hard evidence in favor of the argument. Often, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one- the difference is all in the approach and the evidence you present. Example topics of a persuasive essay: â€Å"Should children be responsible for their parents’ debts?† â€Å"Should cheating on a test be automatic grounds for expulsion?† â€Å"How much should sports leagues be held accountable for player injuries and the long-term consequences of those injuries?† Expository Essay An expository essay is typically a short essay in which the writer explains an idea, issue, or theme, or discusses the history of a person, place, or idea. This is typically a fact-forward essay with little argument or opinion one way or the other. Example topics of an expository essay: â€Å"The History of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell† â€Å"The Reasons I Always Wanted to be a Doctor† â€Å"The Meaning Behind the Colloquialism ‘People in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones’† Analytical Essay An analytical essay seeks to delve into the deeper meaning of a text or work of art, or unpack a complicated idea. These kinds of essays closely interpret a source and look into its meaning by analyzing it at both a macro and micro level. This type of analysis can be augmented by historical context or other expert or widely-regarded opinions on the subject, but is mainly supported directly through the original source (the piece or art or text being analyzed). Example topics of an analytical essay: â€Å"Victory Gin in Place of Water: The Symbolism Behind Gin as the Only Potable Substance in George Orwell's 1984† â€Å"Amarna Period Art: The Meaning Behind the Shift from Rigid to Fluid Poses† â€Å"Adultery During WWII, as Told Through a Series of Letters to and from Soldiers† There are many different types of essay and, over time, you'll be able to master them all. A Typical Argumentative Essay Assignment The average argumentative essay is between three to five pages, and will require at least three or four separate sources with which to back your claims. As for the essay topic, you'll most often be asked to write an argumentative essay in an English class on a â€Å"general† topic of your choice, ranging the gamut from science, to history, to literature. But while the topics of an argumentative essay can span several different fields, the structure of an argumentative essay is always the same: you must support a claim- a claim that can reasonably have multiple sides- using multiple sources and using a standard essay format (which we'll talk about later on). This is why many argumentative essay topics begin with the word â€Å"should,† as in: â€Å"Should all students be required to learn chemistry in high school?† â€Å"Should children be required to learn a second language?† â€Å"Should schools or governments be allowed to ban books?† These topics all have at least two sides of the argument: Yes or no. And you must support the side you choose with evidence as to why your side is the correct one. But there are also plenty of other ways to frame an argumentative essay as well: â€Å"Does using social media do more to benefit or harm people?† â€Å"Does the legal status of artwork or its creators- graffiti and vandalism, pirated media, a creator who’s in jail- have an impact on the art itself?† â€Å"Is or should anyone ever be ‘above the law?’† Though these are worded differently than the first three, you're still essentially forced to pick between two sides of an issue: yes or no, for or against, benefit or detriment. Though your argument might not fall entirely into one side of the divide or another- for instance, you could claim that social media has positively impacted some aspects of modern life while being a detriment to others- your essay should still support one side of the argument above all. Your final stance would be that overall, social media is beneficial or overall, social media is harmful. If your argument is one that is mostly text-based or backed by a single source (e.g., â€Å"How does Salinger show that Holden Caulfield is an unreliable narrator?† or â€Å"Does Gatsby personify the American Dream?†), then it’s an analytical essay, rather than an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay will always be focused on more general topics so that you can use multiple sources to back up your claims. Good Argumentative Essay Topics So you know the basic idea behind an argumentative essay, but what topic should you write about? Again, almost always, you'll be asked to write an argumentative essay on a free topic of your choice, or you'll be asked to select between a few given topics. If you're given complete free reign of topics, then it'll be up to you to find an essay topic that no only appeals to you, but that you can turn into an A+ argumentative essay. What makes a â€Å"good† argumentative essay topic depends on both the subject matter and your personal interest- it can be hard to give your best effort on something that bores you to tears! But it can also be near impossible to write an argumentative essay on a topic that has no room for debate. As we said earlier, a good argumentative essay topic will be one that has the potential to reasonably go in at least two directions- for or against, yes or no, and why. For example, it’s pretty hard to write an argumentative essay on whether or not people should be allowed to murder one another- not a whole lot of debate there for most people!- but writing an essay for or against the death penalty has a lot more wiggle room for evidence and argument. A good topic is also one that can be substantiated through hard evidence and relevant sources. So be sure to pick a topic that other people have studied (or at least studied elements of) so that you can use their data in your argument. For example, if you’re arguing that it should be mandatory for all middle school children to play a sport, you might have to apply smaller scientific data points to the larger picture you're trying to justify. There are probably several studies you could cite on the benefits of physical activity and the positive effect structure and teamwork has on young minds, but there's probably no study you could use where a group of scientists put all middle-schoolers in one jurisdiction into a mandatory sports program (since that’s probably never happened). So long as your evidence is relevant to your point and you can extrapolate from it to form a larger whole, you can use it as a part of your resource material. And if you need ideas on where to get started, or just want to see sample argumentative essay topics, then check out these links for hundreds of potential argumentative essay topics. 101 Persuasive (or Argumentative) Essay and Speech Topics 301 Prompts for Argumentative Writing Top 50 Ideas for Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Writing [Note: some of these say "persuasive essay topics," but just remember that the same topic can often be used for both a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay; the difference is in your writing style and the evidence you use to support your claims.] KO! Find that one argumentative essay topic you can absolutely conquer. Argumentative Essay Format Argumentative Essays are composed of four main elements: A position (your argument) Your reasons Supporting evidence for those reasons (from reliable sources) Counterargument(s) (possible opposing arguments and reasons why those arguments are incorrect) If you’re familiar with essay writing in general, then you’re also probably familiar with the five paragraph essay structure. This structure is a simple tool to show how one outlines an essay and breaks it down into its component parts, although it can be expanded into as many paragraphs as you want beyond the core five. The standard argumentative essay is often 3-5 pages, which will usually mean a lot more than five paragraphs, but your overall structure will look the same as a much shorter essay. An argumentative essay at its simplest structure will look like: Paragraph 1: Intro Set up the story/problem/issue Thesis/claim Paragraph 2: Support Reason #1 claim is correct Supporting evidence with sources Paragraph 3: Support Reason #2 claim is correct Supporting evidence with sources Paragraph 4: Counterargument Explanation of argument for the other side Refutation of opposing argument with supporting evidence Paragraph 5: Conclusion Re-state claim Sum up reasons and support of claim from the essay to prove claim is correct Now let’s unpack each of these paragraph types to see how they work (with examples!), what goes into them, and why. Paragraph 1- Set Up and Claim Your first task is to introduce the reader to the topic at hand so they’ll be prepared for your claim. Give a little background information, set the scene, and give the reader some stakes so that they care about the issue you're going to discuss. Next, you absolutely must have a position on an argument and make that position clear to the readers. It’s not an argumentative essay unless you’re arguing for a specific claim, and this claim will be your thesis statement. Your thesis CANNOT be a mere statement of fact (e.g., â€Å"Washington DC is the capital of the United States†). Your thesis must instead be an opinion which can be backed up with evidence and has the potential to be argued against (e.g., â€Å"New York should be the capital of the United States†). Paragraphs 2 and 3- Your Evidence These are your body paragraphs in which you give the reasons why your argument is the best one and back up this reasoning with concrete evidence. The argument supporting the thesis of an argumentative essay should be one that can be supported by facts and evidence, rather than personal opinion or cultural or religious mores. For example, if you’re arguing that New York should be the new capital of the US, you would have to back up that fact by discussing the factual contrasts between New York and DC in terms of location, population, revenue, and laws. You would then have to talk about the precedents for what makes for a good capital city and why New York fits the bill more than DC does. Your argument can’t simply be that a lot of people think New York is the best city ever and that you agree. In addition to using concrete evidence, you always want to keep the tone of your essay passionate, but impersonal. Even though you’re writing your argument from a single opinion, don’t use first person language- â€Å"I think,† â€Å"I feel,† â€Å"I believe,†- to present your claims. Doing so is repetitive, since by writing the essay you’re already telling the audience what you feel, and using first person language weakens your writing voice. For example, â€Å"I think that Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States.† Versus, â€Å"Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States.† The second statement sounds far stronger and more analytical. Paragraph 4- Argument for the Other Side and Refutation Even without a counter argument, you can make a pretty persuasive claim, but a counterargument will round out your essay into one that is much more persuasive and substantial. By anticipating an argument against your claim and taking the initiative to counter it, you’re allowing yourself to get ahead of the game. This way, you show that you’ve given great thought to all sides of the issue before choosing your position, and you demonstrate in multiple ways how yours is the more reasoned and supported side. Paragraph 5- Conclusion This paragraph is where you re-state your argument and summarize why it’s the best claim. Briefly touch on your supporting evidence and voila! A finished argumentative essay. Your essay should have just as awesome a skeleton as this plesiosaur does. (In other words: a ridiculously awesome skeleton) Argumentative Essay Example: 5-Paragraph Style It always helps to have an example to learn from. I've written a full 5-paragraph argumentative essay here. Look at how I state my thesis in paragraph 1, give supporting evidence in paragraphs 2 and 3, address a counterargument in paragraph 4, and conclude in paragraph 5. Topic: Is it possible to maintain conflicting loyalties? Paragraph 1 It is almost impossible to go through life without encountering a situation where your loyalties to different people or causes come into conflict with each other. Maybe you have a loving relationship with your sister, but she disagrees with your decision to join the army, or you find yourself torn between your cultural beliefs and your scientific ones. These conflicting loyalties can often be maintained for a time, but as examples from both history and psychological theory illustrate, sooner or later, people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever. The first two sentences set the scene and give some hypothetical examples and stakes for the reader to care about. The third sentence finishes off the intro with the thesis statement, making very clear how the author stands on the issue ("people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever.") Paragraphs 2 and 3 Psychological theory states that human beings are not equipped to maintain conflicting loyalties indefinitely and that attempting to do so leads to a state called â€Å"cognitive dissonance.† Cognitive dissonance theory is the psychological idea that people undergo tremendous mental stress or anxiety when holding contradictory beliefs, values, or loyalties (Festinger, 1957). Even if human beings initially hold a conflicting loyalty, they will do their best to find a mental equilibrium by making a choice between those loyalties- stay stalwart to a belief system or change their beliefs. One of the earliest formal examples of cognitive dissonance theory comes from Leon Festinger’s When Prophesy Fails. Members of an apocalyptic cult are told that the end of the world will occur on a specific date and that they alone will be spared the Earth’s destruction. When that day comes and goes with no apocalypse, the cult members face a cognitive dissonance between what they s ee and what they’ve been led to believe (Festinger, 1956). Some choose to believe that the cult's beliefs are still correct, but that the Earth was simply spared from destruction by mercy, while others choose to believe that they were lied to and that the cult was fraudulent all along. Both beliefs cannot be correct at the same time, and so the cult members are forced to make their choice. But even when conflicting loyalties can lead to potentially physical, rather than just mental, consequences, people will always make a choice to fall on one side or other of a dividing line. Take, for instance, Nicolaus Copernicus, a man born and raised in Catholic Poland (and educated in Catholic Italy). Though the Catholic church dictated specific scientific teachings, Copernicus' loyalty to his own observations and scientific evidence won out over his loyalty to his country’s government and belief system. When he published his heliocentric model of the solar systemin opposition to the geocentric model that had been widely accepted for hundreds of years (Hannam, 2011) Copernicus was making a choice between his loyalties. In an attempt to maintain his fealty both to the established system and to what he believed, he sat on his findings for a number of years (Fantoli, 1994). But, ultimately, Copernicus made the choice to side with his beliefs and observations above all and pub lished his work for the world to see (even though, in doing so, he risked both his reputation and personal freedoms). These two paragraphs provide the reasons why the author supports the main argument and uses substantiated sources to back those reasons. The paragraph on cognitive dissonance theory gives both broad supporting evidence and more narrow, detailed supporting evidence to show why the thesis statement is correct not just anecdotally but also scientifically and psychologically. First, we see why people in general have a difficult time accepting conflicting loyalties and desires and then how this applies to individuals through the example of the cult members from the Dr. Festinger's research. The next paragraph continues to use more detailed examples from history to provide further evidence of why the thesis that people cannot indefinitely maintain conflicting loyalties is true. Paragraph 4 Some will claim that it is possible to maintain conflicting beliefs or loyalties permanently, but this is often more a matter of people deluding themselves and still making a choice for one side or the other, rather than truly maintaining loyalty to both sides equally. For example, Lancelot du Lac typifies a person who claims to maintain a balanced loyalty between to two parties, but his attempt to do so fails (as all attempts to permanently maintain conflicting loyalties must). Lancelot tells himself and others that he is equally devoted to both King Arthur and his court and to being Queen Guinevere’s knight (Malory, 2008). But he can neither be in two places at once to protect both the king and queen, nor can he help but let his romantic feelings for the queen to interfere with his duties to the king and the kingdom. Ultimately, he and Queen Guinevere give into their feelings for one another and Lancelot- though he denies it- chooses his loyalty to her over his loyalty to Ar thur. This decision plunges the kingdom into a civil war, ages Lancelot prematurely, and ultimately leads to Camelot’s ruin (Raabe, 1987). Though Lancelot claimed to have been loyal to both the king and the queen, this loyalty was ultimately in conflict, and he could not maintain it. Here we have the acknowledgement of a potential counter-argument and the evidence as to why it isn't true. The argument is that some people (or literary characters) have asserted that they give equal weight to their conflicting loyalties. The refutation is that, though some may claim to be able to maintain conflicting loyalties, they're either lying to others or deceiving themselves. The paragraph shows why this is true by providing an example of this in action. Paragraph 5 Whether it be through literature or history, time and time again, people demonstrate the challenges of trying to manage conflicting loyalties and the inevitable consequences of doing so. Though belief systems are malleable and will often change over time, it is not possible to maintain two mutually exclusive loyalties or beliefs at once. In the end, people always make a choice, and loyalty for one party or one side of an issue will always trump loyalty to the other. The concluding paragraph summarizes the essay, touches on the evidence presented, and re-states the thesis statement. How to Write an Argumentative Essay: 8 Steps Writing the best argumentative essay is all about the preparation, so let's talk steps: #1: Preliminary Research If you have the option to pick your own argumentative essay topic (which you most likely will), then choose one or two topics you find the most intriguing or that you have a vested interest in and do some preliminary research on both sides of the debate. Do an open internet search just to see what the general chatter is on the topic and what the research trends are. Did your preliminary reading influence you to pick a side or change your side? Without diving into all the scholarly articles at length, do you believe there’s enough evidence to support your claim? Have there been scientific studies? Experiments? Does a noted scholar in the field agree with you? If not, you may need to pick another topic or side of the argument to support. #2: Pick Your Side and Form Your Thesis Now's the time to pick the side of the argument you feel you can support the best and summarize your main point into your thesis statement. Your thesis will be the basis of your entire essay, so make sure you know which side you’re on, that you’ve stated it clearly, and that you stick by your argument throughout the entire essay. #3: Heavy-Duty Research Time You’ve taken a gander at what the internet at large has to say on your argument, but now’s the time to actually read those sources and take notes. Check scholarly journals online at Google Scholar, the Directory of Open Access Journals, or JStor. You can also search individual university or school libraries and websites to see what kinds of academic articles you can access for free. Keep track of your important quotes and page numbers and put them somewhere that’s easy to find later. And don’t forget to check your school or local libraries as well! #4: Outline Follow the five-paragraph outline structure from the previous section. Fill in your topic, your reasons, and your supporting evidence into each of the categories. Before you begin to flesh out the essay, take a look at what you’ve got. Is your thesis statement in the first paragraph? Is it clear? Is your argument logical? Does your supporting evidence support your reasoning? By outlining your essay, you streamline your process and take care of any logic gaps before you dive headfirst into the writing. This will save you a lot of grief later on if you need to change your sources or your structure, so don’t get too trigger-happy and skip this step. #5: Draft Now that you’ve laid out exactly what you’ll need for your essay and where, it’s time to fill in all the gaps by writing it out. Take it one step at a time and expand your ideas into complete sentences and substantiated claims. It may feel daunting to turn an outline into a complete draft, but just remember that you’ve already laid out all the groundwork; now you’re just filling in the gaps. #6: Edit If you have the time before deadline, give yourself a day or two (or even just an hour!) away from your essay. Looking it over with fresh eyes will allow you to see errors, both minor and major, that you likely would have missed had you tried to edit when it was still raw. Take a first pass over the entire essay and try your best to ignore any minor spelling or grammar mistakes- you’re just looking at the big picture right now. Does it make sense as a whole? Did the essay succeed in making an argument and backing that argument up logically? (Do you feel persuaded?) If not, go back and make notes so that you can fix it for your final draft. Once you’ve made your revisions to the overall structure, mark all your small errors and grammar problems so you can fix them in the next draft. #7: Final Draft Use the notes you made on the rough draft and go in and hack and smooth away until you’re satisfied with the final result. A checklist for your final draft: Formatting is correct according to your teacher’s standards No errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation Essay is the right length and size for the assignment The argument is present, consistent, and concise Each reason is supported by relevant evidence The essay makes sense overall #8: Celebrate! Once you’ve brought that final draft to a perfect polish and turned in your assignment, you’re done! Go you! Be prepared and â™ ª you'll never go hungry again â™ ª, *cough*, or struggle with your argumentative essay-writing again. (Walt Disney Studios) Good Examples of Argumentative Essays Online Theory is all well and good, but examples are key. Just to get you started on what a fully-fleshed out argumentative essay looks like, let's see some examples in action. Check out these two argumentative essay examples on the use of landmines and freons (and note the excellent use of concrete sources to back up their arguments!). The Use of Landmines A Shattered Sky The Take-Aways: Keys to Writing an Argumentative Essay At first, writing an argumentative essay may seem like a monstrous hurdle to overcome, but with the proper preparation and understanding, you'll be able to knock yours out of the park. Remember the differences between a persuasive essay and an argumentative one, make sure your thesis is clear, and double-check that your supporting evidence is both relevant to your point and well-sourced. Pick your topic, do your research, make your outline, and fill in the gaps. Before you know it, you'll have yourself an A+ argumentative essay there, my friend.

Best Fall Foliage and Autumn Color Web Cams

Best Fall Foliage and Autumn Color Web Cams Here are some of the very best web video cameras showing fall leaf color in forests throughout North America for this viewing season. These selected sites record the color of fall tree foliage using live web cameras mounted at strategic locations. By viewing these forest web cams, you will see how fall color is spreading and the autumn leaf wave is moving throughout North America. Starting in mid-September, Canada, the Rockies and Maines leaves will turn colors and steadily creep southward in waves of yellow, orange and red - read Catching the Fall Color Wave. The tree leaf display will end with leaf fall in the southern United States in late November. The Weather Channel has an excellent current map of expected fall color conditions.   The Best Views Algonquin Park. Ontario, Canada - The park covers 1.9 million forest acres. Here is a live view and a pan view that gives you a first show of leaf color turn in aspens for North America. Acadia National Park. Maine, USA - View turning leaves on 40,000 acres of Atlantic coast shoreline. Mixed hardwood colors light up the green spruce/fir forest. Glacier National Park. Montana, USA - There are now six outside digital cameras located in Glacier National Park. You can curser over each link to see an updated quick shot. The Nations Capitol. Washington D.C., USA - This web cam view is from the Netherlands Carillon looking east toward the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building. Brasstown Bald. Georgia, USA - Web cam view from Georgias highest point near Blairsville. You need the latest free Java install for this live video. Mammoth Cave National Park. Kentucky, USA - View of Green River Valley looking north-northwest. The visual range is approximately 15 miles and overlooks a massive upland hardwood forest. Fall Foliage Cams. The Entire USA - Another destination site for fall leaf viewing in North America.

Amazon Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Amazon - Case Study Example , the organization was an online bookstore but it diversified its operations to include services such as DVDs and VHS tapes, software, electronics, video games, music CDs, furniture, clothing, MP3s, and food items. Technology ensured that E-books could eclipse the sale of hard copies and Bezos took advantage of it (Stone, 2012). This was in recognition to what Amazon had done in making online shopping popular. In order to ensure that its products are closer to the customer, Amazon operates different retails websites for several countries including US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, China, Spain, Italy, France and Japan. In addition, the organization operates international shipping lines to given countries for delivery of its products to its customers there (Enright, 2010). The main competitors for the organization are Apple Inc., eBay Inc., buy.com, Google, Barnes & Noble, Inc., Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC, and Catalog & Mail Order Houses. This is because the companies are in the same business and they have been able to establish themselves in the market as well. These competitors operate several websites that customers can use to purchase their wares. In addition, the competitors such as Apple Inc offer a diverse number of services that can be used to rival Amazon. However, in order to stay ahead of the game Amazon ensures that it produces services that are not available in the other online retailers. For, example it was the first to introduce an international shipping line for transporting goods to its customers (Enright, 2010). The relationship between Amazon and publishers based in New York is very good because Amazon is able to sell books everywhere (Stone, 2012). This means that the organization has already established itself and thus customers trust its operations. Because of its policies, which are to satisfy the customer at all the times, Amazon has been able to create a huge client base. In addition, the existing clients for Amazon act as its marketers

Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Poetry - Essay Example Four stanzas characterize The Road Not Taken, each having five lines. The scheme of the rhyme in the poem is ABAAB. This means that the rhymes are masculine and strict, meaning that the speaker is in a dilemma to choose a path that is rarely used by people. The poem the road not taken has received widespread recognition based on which it reflects dilemma when an individual has to make a choice in life. Based on the simple words used in The Road Not Taken the author employs (â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh / I took the one less travelled by†), scholars stipulate that the poem is easy to memorize without the reader really understanding it. In the case of the poem, the persona stipulates â€Å"the passing here/ Had won them really about the same.† Ideally, the two roads â€Å"that morning/ In leaves no step had trodden black.† This means that in the case of the two roads, one of them is less travelled. As such, it is inappropriate to ignore the after-effects prevalent based on the way in which they are portrayed in the poem, since the persona is unsure on the path in which he should follow. In this case, the speaker stipulates that â€Å"I took the less travelled by / And that has made all the difference.â €  The major attraction evident in the poem is the archetypal dilemma, meaning that the narrator cannot make the right decision on the path to follow. The reader encounters it both figuratively and literally numerous times and in an instantaneous manner. The paths present in the folks and woods reflect deep-rooted and ancient metaphors for a lifeline. In this case, the persona stipulates that â€Å"The roads diverged in a yellow road / To where it bent in the undergrowth.† They reflect crisis and decisions that one has to make in life. The similar folks are a symbol for fate and free will. People are free to choose anything, but they are unaware of what lays ahead based on the choice they make. The speaker states, â€Å"hen took the other, as

Globe Theatre Essay Example for Free

Globe Theatre Essay William Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564. William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son. Scholars have surmised that he most likely attended the Kings New School, in Stratford, which taught reading, writing and the classics. THEATRICAL CAREER Some of Shakespeares plays were published in quarto editions from 1594. By 1598, his name had become a selling point and began to appear on the title pages. Shakespeare continued to act in his own and other plays after his success as a playwright. EARLY WORKS With the exception of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeares first plays were mostly histories written in the early 1590s. Richard II, Henry VI (parts 1, 2 and 3) and Henry V dramatize the destructive results of weak or corrupt rulers, and have been interpreted by drama historians as Shakespeares way of justifying the origins of the Tudor Dynasty. Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period: the witty romance A Midsummer Nights Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wit and wordplay of Much Ado about Nothing, the charming As You Like It and Twelfth Night. Other plays, possibly written before 1600, include Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. LATER WORKS It was in William Shakespeares later period, after 1600, that he wrote the tragedies Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. In these, Shakespeares characters present vivid impressions of human temperament that are timeless and universal. Possibly the best known of these plays is Hamlet, which explores betrayal, retribution, incest and moral failure. These moral failures often drive the twists and turns of Shakespeares plots, destroying the hero and those he loves. In William Shakespeares final period, he wrote several tragicomedies. Among these are Cymbeline, The Winters Tale and The Tempest. Though graver in tone than the comedies, they are not the dark tragedies of King Lear or Macbeth because they end with reconciliation and forgiveness. JULIUS CAESAR The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, his assassination, and the defeat of the conspirators at the Battle of Philippi. It is one of several plays written by Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history, which also include Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. THE TEMPEST The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skilful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonios lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonsos son, Ferdinand. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction,[1] in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunkentinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The nobleman then has the play performed for Slys diversion. The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments—the taming—until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherinas more desirable sister, Bianca. HAMLET The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge. Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudiuss brother and Prince Hamlets father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old kings widow and Prince Hamlets mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness—from overwhelming grief to seething rage and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption. Hamlet is Shakespeares longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others. [1] The play was one of Shakespeares most popular works during his lifetime and still ranks among his most-performed, topping the Royal Shakespeare Companys performance list since 1879. TWELFTH NIGHT Twelfth Night; or, What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–02 as aTwelfth Nights entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play expanded on the musical interludes and riotous disorder expected of the occasion,[1] with plot elements drawn from the short story Of Apollonius and Silla by Barnabe Rich, based on a story by Matteo Bandello. The first recorded performance was on 2 February 1602, at Candlemas, the formal end of Christmastide in the years calendar. The play was not published until its inclusion in the 1623 First Folio. MACBETH Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare. It is considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in Scotland, the play dramatizes the corrosive psychological and political effects produced when evil is chosen as a way to fulfil the ambition for power. The play is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1607, and is most commonly dated 1606. The earliest account of a performance of what was probably Shakespeares play is April 1611, when Simon Forman recorded seeing such a play at the Globe Theatre. It was first published in the Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book. It was most likely written during the reign of James I, who had been James VI of Scotland before he succeeded to the English throne in 1603. James was a patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, and of all the plays Shakespeare wrote during James’s reign, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright’s relationship with the sovereign. MERCHANT OF VENICE The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedyin the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeares other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous Hath not a Jew eyes? speech. Also notable is Portias speech about the quality of mercy. The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the plays most prominent and most famous character. THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeares early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors (along with The Tempest) is one of only two of Shakespeares plays to observe the classical unities. It has been adapted for opera, stage, screen and musical theatre. The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identitieslead to wrongful beatings, a near-seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus, and false accusations of infidelity, theft, madness, and demonic possession. POEMS In 1593 and 1594, when the theatres were closed because of plague, Shakespeare published two narrative poems on erotic themes, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. He dedicated them to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. In Venus and Adonis, an innocent Adonis rejects the sexual advances of Venus; while in The Rape of Lucrece, the virtuous wife Lucrece is raped by the lustful Tarquin. Influenced by Ovids Metamorphoses, the poems show the guilt and moral confusion that result from uncontrolled lust. [124] Both proved popular and were often reprinted during Shakespeares lifetime. A third narrative poem, A Lovers Complaint, in which a young woman laments her seduction by a persuasive suitor, was printed in the first edition of the Sonnets in 1609. Most scholars now accept that Shakespeare wrote A Lovers Complaint. Critics consider that its fine qualities are marred by leaden effects. The Phoenix and the Turtle, printed in Robert Chesters 1601 Loves Martyr, mourns the deaths of the legendary phoenix and his lover, the faithful turtle dove. SONNETS Published in 1609, the Sonnets were the last of Shakespeares non-dramatic works to be printed. Scholars are not certain when each of the 154 sonnets was composed, but evidence suggests that Shakespeare wrote sonnets throughout his career for a private readership. Even before the two unauthorised sonnets appeared in The Passionate Pilgrim in 1599, Francis Meres had referred in 1598 to Shakespeares sugred Sonnets among his private friends. Few analysts believe that the published collection follows Shakespeares intended sequence. He seems to have planned two contrasting series: one about uncontrollable lust for a married woman of dark complexion (the dark lady), and one about conflicted love for a fair young man (the fair youth). It remains unclear if these figures represent real individuals, or if the authorial I who addresses them represents Shakespeare himself, though Wordsworth believed that with the sonnets Shakespeare unlocked his heart. The 1609 edition was dedicated to a Mr. W. H. , credited as the only begetter of the poems. It is not known whether this was written by Shakespeare himself or by the publisher, Thomas Thorpe, whose initials appear at the foot of the dedication page; nor is it known who Mr. W. H. was, despite numerous theories, or whether Shakespeare even authorised the publication. Critics praise the Sonnets as a profound meditation on the nature of love, sexual passion, procreation, death, and time. ESTABLISHING HIMSELF By 1597, 15 of the 37 plays written by William Shakespeare were published. Civil records show that at this time he purchased the second largest house in Stratford, called New House, for his family. It was a four-day ride by horse from Stratford to London, so it is believed that Shakespeare spent most of his time in the city writing and acting and came home once a year during the 40-day Lenten period, when the theatres were closed. By 1599, William Shakespeare and his business partners built their own theater on the south bank of the Thames River, which they called the Globe. In 1605, Shakespeare purchased leases of real estate near Stratford for 440 pounds, which doubled in value and earned him 60 pounds a year. THE MERMAID TAVERN GROUP About this time Shakespeare became one of the group of now-famous writers who gathered at the Mermaid Tavern located on Bread Street in Cheapside. The Friday Street Club (also called the Mermaid Clu was formed by Sir Walter Raleigh. Ben Jonson was its leading spirit. Shakespeare was a popular member. He was admired for his talent and loved for his kindliness. Thomas Fuller, writing about 50 years later, gave an amusing account of the conversational duels between Shakespeare and Jonson: Many were the wit-combats betwixt him and Ben Jonson; which two I behold like a Spanish great galleon and an English man-of-war; Master Jonson (like the former) was built far higher in learning; solid, but slow, in his performances. Shakespeare, with the English man-of-war, lesser in bulk, but lighter in sailing, could turn with all tides, tack about, and take advantage of all winds, by the quickness of his wit and invention. Jonson sometimes criticized Shakespeare harshly. Nevertheless he later wrote a eulogy of Shakespeare that is remarkable for its feeling and acuteness. In it he said: Leave thee alone, for the comparison Of all that insolent Greece or haughty Rome Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come. Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to show To whom all scenes of Europe homage owe. He was not of an age, but for all time! Sweet Swan of Avon! what a sight it were To see thee in our waters yet appear, And make those flights upon the banks of Thames, That so did take Eliza, and our James! WRITING STYLE William Shakespeares early plays were written in the conventional style of the day, with elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases that didnt always align naturally with the storys plot or characters. However, Shakespeare was very innovative, adapting the traditional style to his own purposes and creating a freer flow of words. With only small degrees of variation, Shakespeare primarily used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter, or blank verse, to compose his plays. At the same time, there are passages in all the plays that deviate from this and use forms of poetry or simple prose. Shakespeare combined poetic genius with a practical sense of the theatre. Like all playwrights of the time, he dramatised stories from sources such as Plutarch and Holinshed. He reshaped each plot to create several centres of interest and to show as many sides of a narrative to the audience as possible. This strength of design ensures that a Shakespeare play can survive translation, cutting and wide interpretation without loss to its core drama. As Shakespeare’s mastery grew, he gave his characters clearer and more varied motivations and distinctive patterns of speech. MARRIAGE AND LIFE IN LONDON In 1582, when he was 18, he married Anne Hathaway. She was from Shottery, a village a mile (1. 6 kilometers) from Stratford. Anne was seven or eight years older than Shakespeare. From this difference in their ages, a story arose that they were unhappy together. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born in 1583. In 1585 a twin boy and girl, Hamnet and Judith, were born. What Shakespeare did between 1583 and 1592 is not known. Various stories are told. He may have taught school, worked in a lawyers office, served on a rich mans estate, or traveled with a company of actors. One famous story says that about 1584 he and some friends were caught poaching on the estate of Sir Thomas Lucy of Carlecote, near Warwick, and were forced to leave town. A less likely story is that he was in London in 1588. There he was supposed to have held horses for theater patrons and later to have worked in the theaters as a page. By 1592, however, Shakespeare was definitely in London and was already recognized as an actor and playwright. He was then 28 years old. In that year Robert Greene, a playwright, accused him of borrowing from the plays of others. Between 1592 and 1594, plague kept the London theaters closed most of the time. During these years Shakespeare wrote his earliest sonnets and two long narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. Both were printed by Richard Field, a boyhood friend from Stratford. They were well received and helped establish him as a poet. RELIGION Some scholars claim that members of Shakespeares family were Catholics, at a time when Catholic practice was against the law. Shakespeares mother, Mary Arden, certainly came from a pious Catholic family. The strongest evidence might be a Catholic statement of faith signed by John Shakespeare, found in 1757 in the rafters of his former house in Henley Street. The document is now lost, however, and scholars differ as to its authenticity. In 1591 the authorities reported that John Shakespeare had missed church for fear of process for debt, a common Catholic excuse. In 1606 the name of Williams daughter Susanna appears on a list of those who failed to attend Easter communion in Stratford. Scholars find evidence both for and against Shakespeares Catholicism in his plays, but the truth may be impossible to prove either way. SHAKESPEARE PROSPERS Until 1598 Shakespeares theater work was confined to a district northeast of London. This was outside the city walls, in the parish of Shoreditch. Located there were two playhouses, the Theatre and the Curtain. Both were managed by James Burbage, whose son Richard Burbage was Shakespeares friend and the greatest tragic actor of his day. Up to 1596 Shakespeare lived near these theaters in Bishopsgate, where the North Road entered the city. Sometime between 1596 and 1599, he moved across the Thames River to a district called Bankside. There, two theaters, the Rose and the Swan, had been built by Philip Henslowe. He was James Burbages chief competitor in London as a theater manager. The Burbages also moved to this district in 1598 and built the famous Globe Theatre. Its sign showed Atlas supporting the world. Shakespeare was associated with the Globe Theatre for the rest of his active life. He owned shares in it, which brought him much money. Meanwhile, in 1597, Shakespeare had bought New Place, the largest house in Stratford. During the next three years he bought other property in Stratford and in London. The year before, his father, probably at Shakespeares suggestion, applied for and was granted a coat of arms. It bore the motto Non sanz droictNot without right. From this time on, Shakespeare could write Gentleman after his name. This meant much to him, for in his day actors were classed legally with criminals and vagrants. Shakespeares name first appeared on the title pages of his printed plays in 1598. In the same year Francis Meres, in Palladis Tamia: Wits Treasury, praised him as a poet and dramatist. Meress comments on 12 of Shakespeares plays showed that Shakespeares genius was recognized in his own time. HONORED AS ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603. King James I followed her to the throne. Shakespeares theatrical company was taken under the kings patronage and called the Kings Company. Shakespeare and the other actors were made officers of the royal household. The theatrical company was the most successful of its time. Before it was the Kings Company, it had been known as the Earl of Derbys and the Lord Chamberlains. In 1608 the company acquired the Blackfriars Theatre. This was a smaller and more aristocratic theater than the Globe. Thereafter the company alternated between the two playhouses. Plays by Shakespeare were also performed at the royal court and in the castles of the nobles. After 1603 Shakespeare probably acted little, although he was still a good actor. His favorite roles seem to have been old Adam in As You Like It and the Ghost in Hamlet. In 1607, when he was 43, he may have suffered a serious physical breakdown. In the same year his older daughter Susanna married John Hall, a doctor. The next year Shakespeares first grandchild, Elizabeth, was born. Also in 1607 his brother Edmund, also a London actor, died at the age of 27. GLOBE THEATRE The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeares playing company, the Lord Chamberlains Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend and grandson Sir Matthew Brend, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614 and closed in 1642. A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named Shakespeares Globe, opened in 1997 approximately 750 feet (230 m) from the site of the original theatre. The Globe was owned by actors who were also shareholders in Lord Chamberlains Men. Two of the six Globe shareholders, Richard Burbage and his brother Cuthbert Burbage, owned double shares of the whole, or 25% each; the other four men, Shakespeare, John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, andThomas Pope, owned a single share FAMOUS QUOTES All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Listen to many, speak to a few. CRITICAL REPUTATION Shakespeare was not revered in his lifetime, but he received a large amount of praise. In 1598, the cleric and author Francis Meres singled him out from a group of English writers as the most excellent in both comedy and tragedy. And the authors of the Parnassus plays at St Johns College, Cambridge, numbered him with Chaucer, Gower and Spenser. In the First Folio, Ben Jonson called Shakespeare the Soul of the age, the applause, delight, the wonder of our stage, though he had remarked elsewhere that Shakespeare wanted art. FIRST FOLIO Mr. William Shakespeares’ Comedies, Histories, Tragedies is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeares plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio. Printed in folio format and containing 36 plays (see list of Shakespeares plays), it was prepared by Shakespeares colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell. It was dedicated to the incomparable pair of brethren William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke and his brother Philip Herbert, Earl of Montgomery (later 4th Earl of Pembroke). Although eighteen of Shakespeares plays had been published in quarto prior to 1623, the First Folio is the only reliable text for about twenty of the plays, and a valuable source text even for many of those previously published. The Folio includes all of the plays generally accepted to be Shakespeares, with the exception of Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and the two lost plays, Cardenio and Loves Labours Won. W. W. Greg has argued that Edward Knight, the book-keeper or book-holder (prompter) of the Kings Men, did the actual proofreading of the manuscript sources for the First Folio. Knight is known to have been responsible for maintaining and annotating the companys scripts, and making sure that the cuts and changes ordered by the Master of the Revels were complied with. DEATH Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 and was survived by his wife and two daughters. Susanna had married a physician, John Hall, in 1607, and Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months before Shakespeare’s death. In his will, Shakespeare left the bulk of his large estate to his elder daughter Susanna. The terms instructed that she pass it down intact to the first son of her body. Shakespeares will scarcely mentions his wife, Anne, who was probably entitled to one third of his estate automatically. He did make a point, however, of leaving her my second best bed, a bequest that has led to much speculation. Some scholars see the bequest as an insult to Anne, whereas others believe that the second-best bed would have been the matrimonial bed and therefore rich in significance. Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death. The epitaph carved into the stone slab covering his grave includes a curse against moving his bones, which was carefully avoided during restoration of the church in 2008.