A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Assignment

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - Assignment Example The book is based reveals various themes that are critical to the upholding dignity in the society. On the other hand, Dispatches from the Edge, Shake Hands with the Devil, Night/Diary of a Young Girl, For Whom the Bell Tolls depicts similar themes that reflects on the social setting in both social and spiritual aspects. The theme of social justice and that of darkness and light are common in all the readings. The notion of certainty in the quest for justice in the social arena seems inseparable from either darkness or light. The A Tale of Two Cities is keen on the social justices in the two cities and the main character of the novel reveals the notion. Also, the cities are miles apart, brutality is common. The lawbreakers and criminal are hang by the authorities. For instance, Darnay began working at a tender age and in the quest for justice, the revolution occurred. This highlights the notion of both darkness and light, approaching the social situation from both good and bad perspectives. In addition, the notion of foreign intervention is evident in the book, â€Å"The few words that he caught from this mans lips, first made it known to Charles Darnay that the king was in prison, and that the foreign ambassadors had one and all left Paris. On the road (except at Beauvais) he had heard absolutely nothing. The escort and the universal watchfulness had completely isolated him. That he had fallen among far greater dangers than those which had developed themselves when he left England, he, of course, knew now. That perils had thickened about him fast and might thicken faster and faster yet, he, of course, knew now. He could not but admit to himself that he might not have made this journey if he could have foreseen the events of a few days. And yet his misgivings were not so dark as imagined by the light of this later time, they would appear† (Dickens, Chapter 1, Part 3, p 273).

Reflections on Bowling for Columbine Essay Example for Free

Reflections on Bowling for Columbine Essay The Columbine High School massacre struck me the hardest. It was horrifying to see the whole school in turmoil. Students and teachers were running wild and everyone screamed and panicked as the vitriolic killers aimed for their next target. Even more repulsive, the killers were only teenagers who study at that exact school in Columbine and were killing their own classmates. They were also seen going to bowling class that morning of the calamity. How could they do such a leisure activity when they were preparing to lay innocents to waste, to end their lives? How could they embark on such a shooting rampage, and finally, committing suicide? The deaths, injuries, and upheaval of the school plunges audiences into thinking the abuse of firearms and the seriousness of gun violence in the USA. What is the cause for such massive gun abuse in the USA? Michael Moore has tackled with some of the suggested reasons. Some may say the USA has a violent history, yet Germany, considering what its been through during the second world war, does not have as much snipers roaming about as the USA; countries other than America also have violent video games or movies but does not seem to suffer from gun abuse; Canada has a larger diversity of ethnic groups and higher unemployment rate, and people can possess a gun out of their own volition, but they dont have as much homicides through guns. One of the real causes behind the extreme behaviour of murderers can be because of the influence of the media. What has media done to their lives, to our lives? It can bring us with the latest news from all corners of the earth, convey messages, influence docile citizens, start a fad, or perhaps, spread fear and anxiety among people in the society as well? If the media announced that from tomorrow onwards no more imports will be allowed to enter Hong Kong, there is no doubt people will start panicking right on the spot and rush to supermarkets to hoard food and supplies. This would have wreaked a complete havoc on Hong Kong. This actually happens in the USA, where the media always tends to alert the public by exaggerating (or sometimes truthfully saying) facts. Americans start to live in fear, and as they start to live in fear, they begin to secure themselves with weapons. When everyone has a weapon and is ready and prepared to use it at anytime, the country will soon end up chaotic with everyone suspicious of his own  neighbour and ready to for some homicide. With the use of irony and mockumentary, Michael Moore has successfully presented Bowling for Columbine in a light-hearted way in some respects. Clips of South Park totally subdued the taut atmosphere from the scenes of the grisly massacre and the cartoon on American history was a brief mocking version that is flippant but true. Its theme song What a wonderful world was played several times throughout the documentary and the lyrics trees of green, red roses too, I see them blue echoed over black and white picture of dying war victims, massacres and killing sprees that went out of control. The contrast was stark which imprints deeply into audiences mind. Nothing can be too biased, nor can it be too democratic. Although this documentary seems to present us with an omniscient viewpoint, but are we restricted to one perspective (naturally Michael Moores) only? It is often impossible for directors to totally subjugate personal political convictions to their professional commitment to fairness and balance, and in this case, we might be oblivious of a few blatant facts that are not presented in the documentary. Like Canada may not be as crime-free as it seems (is it possible that all Canadians do not lock their doors?) and what would really happen if it was declared illegal for Americans to own a firearm. Would a greater disorder be resulted?

Harriet Tubman Essay -- essays research papers

Harriet Tubman was an important African American who ran away from slavery and guided runaway slaves to the north for years. During the Civil War she served as a scout, spy, and nurse for the United States Army. After that, she worked for the rights of blacks and women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harriet Tubman was really named Araminta Ross, but she later adopted her mother’s first name. She was one of eleven children of Harriet Greene and Benjamin Ross. She was five when she worked on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was first a maid, and a children’s nurse before she started working as a field hand when she was twelve. While she was thirteen, her master hit her head with a heavy weight. The hit put permanent neurological damage (she couldn’t learn as well as before), and she passed out without warning throughout the rest of her life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1844 she got permission from her owner to marry a free black man, John Tubman. For the next five years Harriet Tubman lived in a state with only a little slavery. She remained a slave, but her master allowed her to live with her husband. But the death of her master three years after she was married made Tubman’s status uncertain. There were rumors going around the slave houses that the slaves would be sold to settle the estate. Tubman ran away to the north and became a free person. In 1849 he moved to Pennsylvania, but came back to Maryland after about two years hoping that her husband would...

From the Large Scale Universe to the Milky Way

From the Large Scale Universe to The Milky Way Jason Norton SCI/151 Benjawan Kjornrattanawanich May 28, 2012 Cosmology is the study of the universe as a whole. Describe the foundation of modern cosmology. Cosmology is the branch of study in relation to the origin and nature of the universe (Farlex, 2012). The thoughts and opinions on how the universe began over the years was one of spiritual and scientific. Through beliefs of the Bible and followers of the faith it is believed that God created the universe and everything in it. From a scientific view it is believed that the universe was created by The Big Bang.Throughout time many astronomers and scientists pushed the envelope to prove that the universe was not created by God but instead created by one force in space that over time has further developed what is on Earth and out in the universe. Most of the scientists and astronomers back in time were followers of the religion and almost had their own beliefs lead them into the wrong direction. It was not until such people as Galileo, Copernicus, and Sir Isaac Newtown that further proved The Big Bang Theory caused the creation of the universe.Galileo theory of the Earth revolving around the sun had him almost executed by the Roman Catholic Church. Galileo’s use of the telescope marked him as a modern science marvel. His discoveries spanned from the moons of Jupiter to the moon. In relation to cosmology, Galileo’s contributions to the understanding of the universe and how it begun helped shape the modernization of cosmology. It was not until later that Galileo’s contributions were proven to be liable and relative. Present-day cosmology continues to make theories and observations in attempt to prove out or further discover the realms of the universe.The Big Bang theory is a part of cosmology. Explain the Big Bang theory and provide an example of one experiment scientists performed that supported it. The Big Bang Theory has been thought to have begun approximately 15 billion years ago with an explosion that created where people live and everything around us in the universe. This matter and energy in space was held in one area and when the Big Bang happened it helped to lay the foundation of the universe. It help to create and layout the universe and continues to this day to still happen based on scientific observations.Edwin Hubble has credited with the source of the foundation behind the Big Bang with the use of the Hubble Telescope. Hubble’s observations and discoveries of the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond just scratched the surface for astronomers and scientists when it relates to what is out there. An example of one experiment scientists performed that supported the Big Bang theory was, â€Å"Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (1916) is a generalization of Newton’s Law of Gravity. Gravity is described as a distortion of space and time.The Cosmological Principle is an assumption that matter in the uni verse is uniformly distributed when averaging over large-scales, and that the distribution of matter is homogeneous and isotropic. This laid the foundation of the Big Bang Model, which was â€Å"Big Bang Theory = General Theory of Relativity + Cosmological Principle† (Welser-Sherrill, 2007, pg. 1) The Milky Way is just one galaxy that resulted from the Big Bang. Describe the structure of the Milky Way and how dark matter influences it. The Milky Way’s structure is that of a spiral with approximately 400 billion stars.The Milky Way contains gas and dust among its three distinct makeup components; halo, nuclear bulge, and the disk. 1. The halo is a makeup of the oldest stars. 2. The nuclear bulge (center of the galaxy) its view cannot be seen clearly because of the dust and gases. 3. The disk section of the galaxy is where the Earth lies along with the Sun and other planets and stars. The halo section of the galaxy is the larger part of the galaxy but due to dust and gas es it is not clear just like the nuclear bulge.This material, which is not clear, is known as dark matter. Dark matter which is not visible is believed to help influence the gravitational effects on other matter within the galaxy. When was dark energy discovered? How has that discovery changed our view of the universe? In the late 1990s dark energy was observed through a supernova causing the expansion rate of our universe to accelerate. This dark energy has changed the view of the universe because scientists expected the expansion to slow down but in fact it is going faster due to this energy.What is a theory of everything? What does it aim to do to our understanding of the universe as a whole? â€Å"The theory of everything is believed to believe the ultimate theory of the universe of which a set of equations capable of describing all phenomena that have been observed, or will ever be observed† (Laughlin ; Pines, 2012, pg. 1). This theory will help improve the understanding of what makes up the universe, which is not explained or well-known. Some of those areas would be black holes, evolution of the universe, and etc.References Farlex. (2012). Cosmology. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from the Free Dictionary Website: http://www. thefreedictionary. com/cosmology Welser-Sherrill, L. (2007). A History of the Universe. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from the Star Teach Astronomy Education Website: http://www. starteachastronomy. com/universe. html Laughlin, R. , ; Pines, D. (2012). The Theory of Everything. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from the Star Teach Astronomy Education Website: http://www. pnas. org/content/97/1/28. full

Blood Brothers Essay

Within a Blood Brothers. Compare the role of the narrator in the Play Blood Brothers and consider how you Would present the narrator to an audience if you were the director. The dictionary definition of narrate – VT (a story) to tell, relate; to give an account of; (film, TV) to provide a spoken commentary for narration n – narrator n†¦ The tradition of narration came from the Greek chorus. Their were thirteen people in the chorus; all singing and dancing. The chorus which served as the narrator, asked probing questions, and also gave great advice to the heroes. If there was any violence it was merely narrated, and not presented for fear of offending the audience. The purpose of the narrator is to let the audience know what is going on. Narration is one of the most important components of a story. The characters, plot, setting, and theme are also significant; however the narrator sets the mood and also the pace of the story, as well as predicting what might happen when the narrator is omniscient. In Blood Brothers the narrator plays a variety of roles for example sometimes he is at a higher status than them and also is sometimes very negative. The original Greek narrator was in a chorus which consisted of thirteen people, in the play ‘Blood Brothers’ the narrator sang with the characters but he was much more involved and not separated, as the Greek chorus were. The Greek chorus usually stayed as part of the chorus or on the side of the stage. They knew everything about the characters and sometimes they could see into the future like in ‘Blood Brothers’ when the narrator was preparing the audience for what was going to come next in throughout the play. They usually spoke the beginning and end of the play. He narrated the beginning of the play to set the scene and at the end he was the last one to speak before they in ‘Blood Brothers’ case this was just after the twins died. In act 1 scene 1 the narrator is a storyteller. He also sounds, very negative in what he is saying as he says ‘ Brother parted from brother’ ‘Wrenched apart’ ‘A stone in the place of a heart’ which is negative. His mother gave him away because she didn’t think she would be able to cope and also because of money as well as her other seven children. I feel that the narrator is being very harsh because the way he says ‘A stone in the place of a heart’ but she knew that she might be able to cope with one more children but not with two as it’s only her to look after them. I don’t think its good that the narrator manipulates the characters minds as it is coming away from the tradition so I don’t think that’s a good idea because as soon as one thing changes they change everything. In this scene Act 1 scene 3 ‘the shoes the shoes†¦ ‘ ‘What’s wrong with them’ ‘on. On the table take them off†¦ take them off’ ‘oh god you never put new shoes on a table Miss Lyons. You never know what might happen. ‘ The narrator is forcing the idea of superstitions and it makes the audience wonder if it will have any effects, as it appears to. Eventually he is also trying to enforce that as she was not very well educated and believe in superstition like that but as the educated ones know more and are better off so they don’t believe in as much superstition as them. The narrator appears to be working in Mrs Lyons favour and against the mother. In act 1 scene 6 the narrator informs the audience he has also set up his plan on controlling the families, that the mother reminding the audience of the decision and is regretting giving her baby away, ‘ The debt’ makes it sound like it’s a business deal and is also a metaphor, ‘ Paid’ those words are both cold. The narrator is also blaming the mother for giving her child away. I think that it is her fault for giving her child but at the end of the day she knew she wouldn’t be able to cope with any more children so she had to do something. The narrator’s main role throughout the show is to act as a constant reminder to us of the brother’s tragic fate for example ‘Shoes upon the table’ which is repeated throughout both acts of the show. In Act 2 scene 1 the narrator makes this scene particularly eerie. The idea of the devil being there all the time indicates something terrible might happen. Here he is playing the part of the devil ‘there’s no use clutching at your rosary, the Devils in the back yard, he can see thought the gaps in the curtains he sees it all, there’s no use in hiding in the hall. When he raps at the knocker then he knows you’re in; No you wont no you’ll never get away from him. This raises an evil issue as he’s everywhere. The last two lines ‘No you won’t, No you’ll never get away from him. ‘ Is an eerie writing that is repeated for even more effect. From Act 2 scene 11 we notice from the first two lines that there is repetition. The only difference is of the back yard working – class garden middle class. ‘Devil in your bones getting into your ghostly running away from someone you can run hide but he’ll always find you when he rings at the chimes’ it builds up tension as he is saying that you will never get away from the devil even if you run hide he’ll always find you and is also showing the ghostly side of him, and again the idea of the negative within the play. From Act 4 Scene 1 we notice the narrator in a positive light as he comments ‘The summers never ever going to end’ ‘ The devil is hardly visible’. There is not much evidence of negative. The narrator also makes the audience happy which also makes the m unprepared for what is coming. In Act 4 scene 2 there is as difference as the social class has divided them because Mickey wanted to work but Eddie has a lot of money and doesn’t have to work which causes frustration for Mickey. Again the narrator hints at the idea that the social class division may lead to a negative outcome. In this scene (Act 4 scene 3) Mickey is offered a job from Eddie but refuses it and is sad because he cannot find one himself, the feels that he has lost the sense of pride. Again this gives the audience even more clue that because of this Mickey and Eddie will be torn apart even more. In Act 5 scene 1 Linda got Mickey and Eddie takes over his fathers business. Gradually throughout the play the narrator is not warning + predicting but gradually taking over the whole character by being within that character. If I was the director I would dress the narrator in black as that is a dark colour and also can represent the negativity in the play. But I would also dress him in a lighter colour like yellow to show the happier side of the narrator. I would make him dress in red to show the devil side of him or give him a red fork so show that there is also a devil with in him when he is manipulating the characters to do bad things or talking in a cold tone. I’d also consider putting him at a higher status I would make him stand on the balcony or on staging blocks as he seems to be controlling the families but I would also ask him to walk around so he would be in with the cast to show the equality in status at times. He would have a deep voice as many people see god as having a deep voice and as he is controlling the families and is a higher status and people see god to be in the sky. My narrator would appear at the beginning and at the end of the play. He would also appear to sing with the characters so he will be interacting with the characters. He would also be standing on the balcony at the side when he would be controlling the families I would also want him to interact with the characters as I want him walking around in between the characters when they are frozen and he is explaining to the audience what is happening. For the body language if I was showing the bad side of him I would make him stand in one place at a higher status staring down at the characters but if he’s in a good mood I want him walking around interacting with the characters. I would also give him a strong accent as many people perceive god to have a strong accent and a deep voice. He will also talk loud as that’s how many people see god. Conclusion The understanding of the narrator has helped me to analyse this dramatic technique by setting the scene, also explaining to the audience what is going on. I found it particularly useful to be able to compare the Blood Brothers narrator with the original Greek narrator and this produced me with even more understanding.

The Intelligence Community Oversight

The Intelligence Community Oversight What do you consider to be the biggest challenge facing Congressional Oversight of the Intelligence Community? Research has shown that for a long time, the congress lacked adequate information on the components of intelligence. Puyvelde (2013, 140) confirms that for over 25 years, little effort has been put in place by the congress in enhancing intelligence. After critical review of history, Moran (2011, 676) elucidates that there are myriads of intelligence failures across the world.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Intelligence Community Oversight specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, a number of regimes have been overthrown from power. Assassinations and incessant uprisings are also rife in various parts of the globe. According to Puyvelde (2013, 140), the congress failed to institute measures to curb both local and international threats until the late 19th century when aggressive intelligen ce programs began to take shape. After the end of major world wars, the congress made a deliberate attempt to protect intelligence programs. Instead of facilitating intelligence operations, it ended up establishing restrictive measures. It is worth to mention that the latter has been a major challenge for Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The greatest challenge facing congressional oversight is lack of incentives and time to oversee the management of Intelligence affairs. Puyvelde (2013, 141) observes that â€Å"senior policymakers and intelligence officers have at crucial times, demonstrated a reluctance to submit intelligence agencies to external oversight.† It is evident that there have been sharp divisions between the judiciary and executive arms of government on issues related to national intelligence. Moreover, the congress has not provided ample political support to the intelligence community. Actually, the issue of intelligence in the United States has widely been ca ptured in the media through newspapers and blogs (Puyvelde 2013, 142). The media is apparently compelling the government to demonstrate more interest in the management and overall improvement of intelligence matters by providing necessary incentives to the CIA. Are the authorities and requirements enough to ensure that the Intelligence community operates within their established lanes? Puyvelde (2013, 145) points out that the Intelligence Community faces numerous challenges due to limited authority and lack of support from the Congress. Moran (2011, 677) is emphatic that if the CIA can be accorded relevant support in terms of resources, it will be in a position to operate within the established boundaries. Puyvelde (2013, 143) underscores that the congress uses watchdogs as overseers to restrain activities of the CIA. This has compelled the agency to operate without the input of the public. Members of public are crucial since they have reliable information that can be used to enhanc e intelligence.Advertising Looking for critical writing on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Puyvelde (2013, 144) observes that the congress should give the Intelligence Community necessary requirements such as finances and freedom to access crucial sources of information from government archives and records. Puyvelde (2013, 144) argues that â€Å"most studies of intelligence accountability in the United States have focused on the institutional system of checks and balances.† Therefore, it is obvious that checks and balances by the congress usually hinder the CIA from operating within the established regulations. If the congress can be lenient enough and grant authority to the agency, then it will be possible for different interest groups to cooperate with the CIA (Puyvelde 2013, 144). This will not merely improve accountability. It will also assist interest groups to participate in national security and intelligence maters. Relevant supports such as incentives, political goodwill and adequate funding should be given to the Intelligence Community in order to improve the overall standard of intelligence. The Intelligence Community can only function well if a conducive working environment is put in place. References Moran, Christopher, 2011. â€Å"Intelligence and the Media: The press, government secrecy and the ‘Buster’ Crabb Affair.† Intelligence and National Security 26, no. 5 (October): 676-700. Puyvelde, Damien. 2013. â€Å"Intelligence Accountability and the role of public interest groups in the United States.† Intelligence and National Security 28, no. 2 (May): 139-158.

The Beginning of a New Chapter Essay Example

The Beginning of a New Chapter Essay Example The Beginning of a New Chapter Essay The Beginning of a New Chapter Essay The beginning of a new chapter Life is a journey. Many unexpected events occur that brings us to the place we are at now. This event also makes us the person we are today. Some of these experiences are difficult, which builds our character. Some experiences help create our personality and the values we share in our lives. Having personal goals are very important to me. I strive daily by motivation and the passion I have to learn to be successful in everything I do. This will allow me to overcome the obstacles I might face that can lead me to the path of failure. Deciding to go back to school was not an easy decision. I have wanted to expand on my education for as long as I can imagine. Knowing that school is expensive and being a middle class citizen, I did not think that I could afford to go back to school. After talking to an Ashford, representative and he explained the financial aspect to college, I decided why not. I am not getting any younger. Having a better education will benefit me in the future. There are many reasons why I decided to return to school. Getting a better education and expanding my knowledge is the most important. I wanted to show my kids that it is never too late to learn and broaden the horizon to knowledge. Being a role model is one of the biggest goals I have set for myself. Knowing my kids understand that knowledge is the key to great success. Getting a better job is another reason I took the first step to bettering myself. I am tired of getting up early in the morning (2am) to go to a job that do not enjoy. My job is mentally and physically exhausting. When I arrive home, I am too tired to do anything else. I am working on a better time management, in order to accomplish everything. Furthering my education will lead to better job opportunities and widen the job choices. It is necessary to elaborate my knowledge for job satisfaction. Having a positive mind frame will help me overcome obstacles to be successful in completion of my degree program. Positive thinking leads to positive actions. Self-discipline is a good life lesson that will help me accomplish my educational goal. Managing my time to get assignments done will keep me on the path to success. Being confident in my work and doing my best will eliminate the road to failure. Returning to school has been a challenge and time consuming. Having my family as a support group has been beneficial to my educational goal. To achieve this goal, determination will lead me in the right direction to great success.