Sparknotes Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Essay Example for Free

Sparknotes Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close EssayThis chapter introduces iodin of the primary motifs of Into the Wild, that of documents. Because the books subject, Christopher McCandless, has died before author Jon Krakauer can meet him, Krakauer must rely on the testimony of the people McCandless encountered in order to stitch together the write up of the young mans journey and especially on the documents McCandless left behind. The first of these documents is McCandlesss S.O.S. note. Others will include his journals, the notes he made in the books he read, graffiti he scratched into non-homogeneous surfaces, and photos he took of him egotism. To these Krakauer will add maps of the places McCandless visited, relevant quotations from a wide variety of authors, and even a brief memoir of the authors own young manhood, inserted near the remnant of Into the Wild. All of these enrich our understanding of McCandless and help us to believe that the amazing bal one and only(a )y we read in Into the Wild really happened.The fact that someone as articulate and effective at communicating as McCandless died alone, having written a kind of letter (the S.O.S. note) that went unread until it was too late, is an congressman of irony. Also ironic McCandless, who encountered no one during the four months between his entrance into the bush and his terminal there of starvation, is discovered not by one fellow trekker nevertheless by fiver all within days of McCandlesss death.Chapter 3This chapter begins to explore the character of Christopher McCandless in depth. Far from being a stereotypical slacker, he was hard-working, according to Wayne Westerberg. The fact that he had read the long and difficult War and Peace indicates that McCandless was intelligent and studious. (Indeed, we learn as well in this chapter that he was a success at selective Emory University.)Most indicative of all with respect to McCandlesss character are the things he renounced $24,000 an d his very name. In doing so, he seems to produce been rejecting his family and what he saw as their conservative determine. This information doesnt fully explain why Christopher McCandless would forge alone into the Alaskan natural state, but it begins to address the motivation for this bizarre act.The fact that McCandless never told his parents what he plotted to do could indicate a lack of resolve on his discover, or even cowardice. It also shows that the young man thoughtful enough to present Wayne Westerberg with an carve copy of one of his favorite books was callous enough regarding his parents feelings to leave them in the dark regarding their sons whereabouts.Considering that he eventually would die of starvation, McCandlesss gift of $24,000 to OXFAM, an organization dedicated to chip hunger, is an example of irony.Chapter 4This chapter unearths additional motivation for McCandlesss irrational Alaska trek to come. During his time in Mexico, he lived on nothing more th an five pounds of rice and what leatherneck flavour he could pull from the sea, and Krakauer points out that this may feature accounted for the young mans belief that he could live off the land in the Alaskan fierceerness. (Undeniably, McCandless proves himself unusually capable in this chapter, canoeing through hundreds of miles of hostile landscape and even crossing an international border undetected.)And yet other questions remain unanswered. His mother says that Chris was very overmuch of the school that you should own nothing except what you can carry on your back at a dead run. She doesnt say why this is so, however.The motif of fellowship emerges further in these pages, as McCandless, who earlier struck up a friendship with Wayne Westerberg, befriends Jan Burres and her boyfriend Bob. One of Into the Wilds many ironies a young man compelled toward a so light upary manner, who eventually will die alone, was quite gregarious and made friends easily. Another irony McCand less abandons a car, the only problem with which is a wet battery, and burn down his cash but quits a job when it becomes clear that he wont be paid for his hard work. He has a complicated blood with money and possessions, to say the least.Chapter 5In this chapter, a theme introduced when McCandless presented a copy of War and Peace to Wayne Westerberg reappears the young mans abiding love of literature. Since childhood, he was obsess with the novels and stories of Jack London, who condemned capitalism and glorified nature. According to Krakauer, however, McCandless forgot he was reading fiction and conveniently overlooked the fact that London himself had spent just a virtuoso winter in the North and that hed died by his own hand on his California estate at the age of forty, a fatuous drunk, obese and pathetic.Krakauer characterizes his suspensor more deeply by means of contrast with those who surround him Note that even at the Slabs, where s without delaybirds, rubber tramps, and other antiestablishment types congregated, McCandless was an anomaly an individual who wanted life to be not easier (as most of the ha fleckus of the Slabs presumably do) but more difficult. Thus he prepares at the Slabs for a life in the harsh wilderness of Alaska.Notice as well the extent to which author Krakauer relies on documents left behind by McCandless to tell the young mans story. During this part of his journey, he ceases regularly safekeeping a journal, and Into the Wild becomes sketchier, more reliant on authorial inference.Chapter 6The theme of this chapter is the astonishing ability of Christopher McCandless to win friends and influence people. Not only did he befriend the octogenarian Ronald Franz, but he convinced the old man to change his ways fundamentally at a time in life when most people remove settled down for good. It is important to understand that McCandless fled society not because he couldnt get along with others, but because he chose to be alone.The fact that McCandless achieved this effect by means of a letter speaks to the power of the written word. Remember that he was inspired to head into the wild by books he read (Tolstoys, Jack Londons, and others) and that it is a magazine article which informs the hitchhiker Franz picks up at chapters end that McCandless has died, thus inspiring the old man to give up on life.Chapter 7Regarding McCandlesss character, it is interesting and of course believable that he can be intelligent, hardworking, and resilient, yet lack mechanical dexterity and perhaps even greens sense. date the former characteristic, his awkwardness with machines, is consequential in ways that he manages to recover from (as in the abandonment of his car), the latter, his difficulty being just plain sensible, will have a greater impact.McCandlesss rage toward his parents, and factly his father, is something that many of those who meet him pick up on. It seems to be their lifestyle more than anything else tha t McCandless is rejecting when he flees the conventional middle-class American way of life, though why it so repels him is never made completely clear by Into the Wild. It is not uncommon for men and women of Christopher McCandlesss age to flee their parents particular ways of doing things (psychology even has a term for this dynamic reaction formation), but rarely is the response so extreme, so complete. The degree of McCandlesss renunciation of his familys values is a large part of what makes Krakauers book so fascinating.Finally, there is something admirable about McCandlesss utter devotion to what he believes in. It is easy to be inspired by books and the ideas they espouse, but not so easy to live the kind of life envisioned by thinkers like Tolstoy and London. McCandless talks the talk in a way that alienates few listeners than one would predict, but he walks the walk, too which may account for the fact that so many of those he encountered continued to listen.Chapter 8This c hapter offers context for, and thus thought on, McCandlesss situation. By quoting from some of the many outraged responses to his article, Krakauer shares with the reader the typical reaction to McCandlesss story smug superiority laced with disbelief that anyone could be so foolhardy.And yet, as the examples of Rosselini, Waterman, and McCunn demonstrate, McCandless is hardly the only individual impelled to live off the land in the Alaskan wilderness. At the same time, these others provide Krakauer with an opportunity to highlight McCandlesss singularity the author characterizes him by contrast with his predecessors. Similar to Rosselini and Waterman, Christopher McCandless was a seeker and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side of nature, the author writes. Like Waterman and McCunn, he lacked common sense. McCandless was unlike Waterman in that he was mentally stable. And in contrast to McCunn, McCandless didnt expect to be saved.Although he was rash, Krakauer summari zes, McCandless wasnt incompetent he wouldnt have lasted 113 days if he were. And he wasnt a nutcase, he wasnt a sociopath, he wasnt an outcast. McCandless was something else. . . . A pilgrim perhaps.Chapter 9This is a second consecutive chapter in which the author attempts to illuminate McCandlesss character by comparing and contrasting it to those of his predecessors. In doing so, Krakauer further convinces the reader that although McCandless was unique, the impulses that drove him were not unprecedented. Nor are these impulses an exclusively American phenomenon. In fact, although rare, the drive toward solitude crosses continents and millennia, as the example of the Irish monks demonstrates.Chapter 10By flashing forward to McCandlesss death, Krakauer intensifies the drama of his story. He reminds us that McCandlesss adventure ends tragically. In addition, the author emphasizes the young mans connections to those whose lives he touched friends Gallien and Westerberg, as well as M Candlesss relatives.The prior two chapters have emphasized McCandlesss commonalities with others who have sought adventure and solitude in the wild. This short chapter reminds us that, although it was not unique, McCandlesss story was noteworthy, newsworthy it was covered not only in Alaska but in the national press.Chapter 11This chapter asks more questions than it answers and understandably, since the riddles it poses cannot be solved definitively. Are Christopher McCandlesss parents responsible for their sons death? Was his personality shaped by, or even inherited from, them? Could his parents have interceded and altered his behavior, thereby changing his fate?For that matter, what exactly was McCandless rebelling against, aside from middle class tiresomeness? Also, wouldnt it have been more productive for him to have resumed his work on behalf of the homeless, hungry, or disenfranchised after college, instead of indulging his whimsical notions of (his own) survival?Chapter 12 twain factors emerge in this chapter that clearly contributed to McCandlesss flight into the wilderness and his eventual death.First, Walt McCandless comments that Chris was good at almost everything he ever tried . . . which made him supremely overconfident. This bit of characterization goes a long way toward explaining McCandlesss bewildering lack of preparation for his Alaskan adventure. There is no evidence that he failed at much, if anything, during his childhood and adolescence, which may have exacerbated the hubris naturally felt by many young adults.As to why McCandlesss overconfidence found its outlet in a radical rejection of his parents bourgeois values and his family altogether the information that emerges in this chapter about his fathers double life could well have offered the motivation. Krakauer doesnt linger on this episode, but if nothing else, it seems to have provided the match that lit McCandlesss short fuse.Chapter 13During the plane ride home with Chriss re mains, his sister Carine eats every scrap of food the cabin attendants set in front of her. soon afterward, however, she discovers she has no appetite and loses so much w 8 that friends think she has become anorectic. Chriss mother also stops eating, losing eight pounds. His father, Walt, responds the opposite way, putting on eight pounds.Though both compulsive eating and loss of appetite are not uncommon responses to stress and grief, it is hard not to see the McCandless familys food-related behaviors as attached to Chriss demise. It is as if Billie and Carine are identifying with him, feeling Chriss pain, while Walt is compensating for what killed his son though none of them are doing what they do intentionally, or even consciously.Chapter 14Up to this point in Into the Wild, author Jon Krakauer has maintained journalistic objectivity, or at least the appearance of objectivity. In this chapter he abandons that perspective. Note, however, that Krakauers integrity as a journalist is not compromised, since he is entirely up-front about the experiences he shares in common with his subject, McCandless. In fact, it would be more ethically suspect if Krakauer did not divulge that he had his own into the wild experience as a young man. Because of his candor, readers are able to take this into account when the author views McCandlesss activities with some sympathy.And as a result of reading this chapter and the one that follows, the reader moves closer to McCandless and his perspective. Not only Rosselini, Waterman, McCunn, and Reuss (as well as the Irish monks described) have shared McCandlesss impulses, but the author himself. Behavior that seemed utterly bizarre, at the lower of Into the Wild, is becoming easier to conceive of with every successive chapter.Chapter 15his chapter further develops the motif of fathers and sons, suggesting explicitly that sons often rebel against their fathers at the same time that they are low-powered to resist paternal traits t hey have inherited. Clearly Krakauer believes that McCandless was driven to do what he did in large measure by his relationship with father Walt.And this is only part of what Krakauer believes he shared with McCandless. They also shared hubris. It is easy, when you are young, he writes, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it. When I decided to go to Alaska that April, like Chris McCandless, I was a raw youth who mistook passion for insight and acted according to an obscure, gap-ridden logic.Which is not to say that Jon Krakauer believes his younger self to have been identical to Christopher McCandless in every respect. Krakauer says he wasnt as intelligent as McCandless and didnt possess his lofty ideals but young Krakauer was also, crucially, a superior outdoorsman.Chapter 16This chapter, the heart of Into the Wild, reconstructs McCandlesss climactic Alaska adventure , following him into the bush and observing his admirable survival skills. Although Krakauers book is an adventure story, Into the Wild is also a study in character, and Chapter sixteen is no exception. McCandless is revealed in the moose episode to be highly ethical and deeply sympathetic the reader cannot help being moved by the enormity of the young mans despair over wasting his kill.By the same token, McCandlesss lack of foresight and his hubris, apparent in a low-level way prior to this time, now yield consequences that will be fatal. He did not anticipate that melting snow would swell the bodies of water he crossed on his way into the bush. And his controlling refusal to bring a map prevents McCandless from learning that, despite its increased size, the river is fordable upstream another in a series of ironies that punctuate this bookChapter 17The ironies multiply in this, the books penultimate chapter. The basket that Krakauer and his companions discover at the U.S.G.S. st ation has been secured by hunters to the side of the river on which McCandless camped so as to make crossing the Teklanika harder for outsiders. If hed cognise about it, the author writes, crossing the Teklanika to safety would have been a trivial matter. Because he had no topographic map, however, he had no way of conceiving that salvation was so close at hand.In another irony, McCandless was close to not only the abandoned gauging station but three empty hunting cabins, as well. Did he really go into the wild after all? Undoubtedly he was living in a hostile environment during the months he spent in Alaska, but some wouldnt call the area he inhabited the wilderness at all.Chapter 18Did McCandless finally come to forgive his family, as evinced by the blessedness ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED inscription he wrote toward the end of his life? Perhaps but note that in all of his writings, there is nothing that explicitly reaches out to his parents or his sister, Carine. McCandless never ack nowledges them, even to say goodbye.Note, too, that Krakauers theory on McCandlesss death, that it was caused by mold on wild potato seeds, is just that a theory. It is not definitive. To some degree it is beside the point anyway, since one could argue that it wasnt so much starvation that killed McCandless as arrogance and shortsightedness.

Dropout of school Essay Example for Free

Dropout of school EssayThe Huffington Post recently ran an article entitled, Americas School Dropout Epidemic By The Numbers about Americas dropout problem. I would like to add my opinions about why children drop out of school. I am a professional educator who served as a classroom teacher, school counselor and school administrator in the New York City school system for over 33 years. I remember that there are five study reasons why children leave school 1. The students themselves They make wrong decisions. They get involved with gangs, drugs/alcohol, get pregnant and commit crimes. galore(postnominal) provoke a poor school attitude and are frequently bored by school. They are disconnected to their families, school and life. They do not recognize the reasons they need to go to school. They are not involved in school activities and lack self-esteem. Some have been promoted lacking skills needed for promotion. Some have undergone major illnesses and have missed too many days of school and have been informed that they will be held back. Because of many of the conditions listed above, they have been suspended and have locomote behind in their work and see little purpose of returning to school.2. The family they amaze from There is often a clash between the family values and those of the school. Frequently, their parents have dropped out of school themselves. The students come from families from low socio-economic backgrounds, where there are many other children. Older children often have to go to work in nightspot to supply the family with much-needed funds for basic family needs or need to stay home to take care of younger siblings so that their parents can work. many an(prenominal) children come from non-English speaking homes with superior mobility.Single parent homes have become the norm in the United States. Many children are products of divorce, separation or, sometimes, family violence. hey are not universe raised by parents, but rather by au nts, uncles and grandparents. Families are not meeting some childrens basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. 3. The community they come from Many children live on the wrong side of the tracks in places where education is not valued, where drugs, gangs and violence abound. And where schools are low-performing, they often lack community and health support. 4.The schools they attend The schools are toxic to student learning, students, parents and staff. Students are suspended for minor infractions (such as talking back to the teacher), or placed in remedial classes. The schools have a grow of low expectations. They lack adequate guidance counseling. The curriculum is not relevant to the needs of the students being taught. Passive instructional strategies are being used without count on to individual student learning styles. Teachers are not trained in the latest teaching/learning/technology techniques.Funding is based on property values so that low-income neighborhoods receive less funding than wealthy neighborhoods. Because some states pass budgets in a less than timely matter, teachers are not hire in time producing over-sized classrooms. 5. The teachers they have The least-experienced, least classroom-trained teachers are often assigned to the most difficult schools. They enter the field with the expectation that they have been adequately watchful by the schools of education with the skills they need and they havent received.(See Arthur Levine, Educating School Teachers) They are leaving the field faster than colleges can prepare them. The teacher dropout rate is higher than the student dropout rate. xlvi percent of teachers leave the field within five years. When asked why they leave, a majority state that they havent been properly prepared, have had increased demands placed on them because of high stakes testing and are not getting adequate support from their supervisors in dealing with classroom discipline. Like all generalities, there are except ions to the data provided above. But, by and large, the statistics bear them out.

Moral Complexity in Kieslowskis the Decalogue (1989)

Moral Complexity in Kieslowskis the Decalogue (1989)Al gigabytegh the moral stories that constitute Polish director Krzyszto Kielowskis The Decalogue (1989) were inspired by the tenner Commandments (as per the films umbrella title), the way they restore to Gods Law as revealed to Moses is by no means straightforward or clear-cut nor is the rich symbolism which Kieslowski weaves throughout the films. As this paper sh completely demonstrate, the ideas and themes in The Decalogue argon complex and often ambiguous, especially with respect to two primary and recurring symbols the Brobdingnagian apartment complex where the various uses reside and occasionally cross paths and an unnamed, dark male figure who hovers on the periphery of the action, silent and observing. Kielowski uses these two symbols to illustrate and develop the metaphysic that lies at the heart of the film.The films that constitute The Decalogue should be watchd by the individual commandments to the alike degree th at the commandments influence our daily equals, Kielowski notes in the introduction to the published script of The Decalogue (quoted in Cunneen, 1997). Joseph Cunneen suggests that this influence is subtle and indirect. It is signifi loafert that the films do not have describe titles that contain text of the commandments as a result, the viewer is often unsure of the relationship between a film and a particular commandment to the director, if the total of just about episodes were reversed for example 6 and 9 it would make no difference (Cunneen, 1997). Kielowski thus encourages intellectual guesswork on the part of his audience. I precisely announce, for example, Decalogue 1. The spectator looks at the film and . . . begins to think about the commandment(s). (Kielowski, as quoted in Cunneen, 1997). For example, in Decalogue VI in that respect seem to be no reference to each one particular commandment, though it does contain references to stealing (the peeping-tom protagonis t steals a telescope to spy on a female neighbor) and killing (the same casing slashes his wrists near the end of the film).This thoroughly un-didactic approach enables Kielowski and his co-screenwriter, Krzysztof Piesiewicz, to develop their themes with subtlety and restraint (Porton, 50). In The Decalogue, as in life, nothing is cut and dried. Each episode can be likened to a moral parable that suggests . . . how we can live ethically in a world where the false comfort of either a tactile sensation in God or dialectical materialism is unavailable, states Porton (Porton, 48). Jonathan Rosenbaum would seem to agree that the films power is suggestive rather than didactic The finely sculpted scripts of these films let suggestions of how we might think about these people, not directives about how we should judge them (Rosenbaum, 159).He goes on to say that the decision to produce a serial publication of films that correspond to the ten dollar bill Commandments in name and number is essentially a packaging idea, successfully designed to give Kielowski an international reputation and made in part for trade (Rosenbaum, 155). By the directors own admission, he and Piesiewicz avoided any overt political references to the Poland of the mid-1980s in order that the films could be marketed in other countries (Stok, 145). Yet none of this detracts from The Decalogues intellectual, moral and aesthetic stature.Kielowski is a serious artist whose ultimate concern is integrity that of his characters and also of himself, as a filmmaker. He does not teach morality (in the sense of thou shalt not) but rather contemplates and probes lifes so-called grey areas. According to him, integrity is an extremely complicated combination and we can never ultimately say I was honest or I wasnt honest. In all our actions . . . we find ourselves in a position from which theres really no way out and even if there is, its not a better way out but scarce the lesser evil. This choosing whi ch way out to take, of course, defines integrity (Stok, 146 149).The notion, then, that a set of ten rules is all we need is simplistic to the point of absurdity. The decisions we all must make in our lives are often difficult and painful they are also dependent on a boniface of dissimilar itemors which have to be weighed and taken into account. Where morality is concerned, perspectives have to be altered and sometimes replaced with new ones. Mario Sesti suggests that the complexity of the ideas at play in The Decalogue is symbolized, in part, by the tower block apartment complex which is the central picture for all the episodes. Throughout the work a system of hints, correspondences and allusions imperceptibly laces unneurotic the tangled plights of the characters who live in the same apartment block. Everyone either knows or ignores one another, but everyone is aware (however reluctantly) that they belong to the same narrative (Sesti, 183).Portman remarks that Kielowskis sig nature theme in virtually all his films (not just The Decalogue) is the ineffability of human experience through chance encounters or near-encounters of protagonists whose paths would never ordinarily intersect (Portman, 2001). Locating most of the action in and around the huge apartment building where the various characters live, and where their paths occasionally cross, allows Kielowski to stage such chance encounters and near-encounters while (weaving the) single episodes into an overall tapestry (Sesti, 183).The director notes that the idea of choosing characters at random and observing how they act and interrelate is well-served by the apartment building setting We had the idea that the camera should pick somebody out, . . . then follow him or her throughout the rest of the film, he says, adding that since the apartment building has thousands of similar windows framed in the establishing shot, it was an ideal setting for his purposes (Stock, 146).Cunneen explains that the apa rtment building helps unify the series since we see the same few buildings again and again (that is, from episode to episode), adding that in such a context it becomes natural for a character we see on the stairs in one episode to become a major figure in a later one (Cunneen, 2001). By extension, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the apartment building symbolizes the unity and interrelatedness of experience.Despite the interrelatedness, Michael Wilmington argues that all the characters in the series think of themselves as essentially isolated (Wilmington, 2001). Occasionally, to some minor degree, the setting shifts away from the Warsaw suburb and into the city, and even the countryside, yet the director has a nostalgic idea of a return the monotonous high-rise blocks (Wilmington, 2001). The symbolism of the notion to portray such areas of Warsaw is that only in those tall grey buildings can the audience get familiar with many different emotions of the inhabitants love, hate, friendliness, politeness, curiosity and more. There is constant interaction between the neighbors, do Kielowskis series very realistic and simple to understand for his viewers.The apartment building is, in effect, an impersonal correlative to this very malaise. The deliberately gray or brackish colors of the building capture an edifice that signifies both the State and the monotony of life in Peoples Poland (Porton, 2001). In a similar vein, Agnieszka Tennant makes reference to the mass-produced, colorless buildings, cheerless wintry outdoors, cold flats and impersonal stairwells, elevators and offices that constitute the films mise-en-scne (Tenant, 2001).Another function of the apartment-building setting is that it allows for an open narrative structure a structure which invites the viewer to interpret the actions of the protagonists, to follow their struggles with destiny in an abundance of chance encounters (Haltof, 79), while serving as a convenient symbol for voyeuris m and shifting perspectives (that is to say, the viewers as well as the directors gaze). Cunneen is correct to stress that Kielowskis camera is fond of windows, mirrors, or any objects that go possibilities of reflections (Cunneen, 2001). This tendency opens new perspectives on the protagonists of the film series. They are viewed from behind the glass, lens or mirror which highlights that their actions could not be what they seem and have more dimensions to them.In Kielowskis films, glass serves to self-consciously foreground the act of looking, according to Annette Insdorf (Cunneen, 2001, quoting Insdorf in the latters Double Lives, p. 91). In Decalogue V, Piotr, the lawyer of Jacek the killer, is framed in a mirror forward we actually see him. As well, the driver victim is presented as glass reflects the apartment complex and Jacek is introduced in the street, reflected in a mirror as well (Insdorf quoted in Cunneen, 2001). Sesti refers to Kielowskis themes of uncertainty and be wilderment, noting that the most typical image in The Decalogue is a shadowy interior, a character at the window, or a gaze without rancor, blessedness or hope (Sesti, 187). A case in point is Decalogue VI, which begins with Olaf, the peeping tom character, spying on Magda, the older woman who is his neighbor, but ends in reverse, with Magda spying on him. Kielowski concedes that this change in perspective is essential to the episodes structure (Stok, 169). Other examples of the gaze may be found in Decalogue I when the boy Pawel watches a pigeon on his windowsill in the beginning. Later, after Pawel drowns, his aunt watches slow-motion memorial footage of him on a TV screen in a shop window. In Decalogue V the gaze is find during the murder of the cab driver when the killer Jacek hesitates for a brief moment when the victim looks up at him and Jacek sees his suffering he responds by covering the mans honcho (Hogan, 2008). Curiously, Kielowski here seems to be equating the gaze w ith death.Another significant and emblematical link between the episodes is the presence of the mysterious, silent young man whom the audience sees only occasionally. He is absent from episodes 7 and 10. This omnipresent figure with searingly watchful eyes and an Old Testament intensity (Cunneen, 2001) usually shows up just before a character makes a difficult ethical decision, or just before something unexpected happens (Tennant, 2001).He can be observed in Decalogue I sitting at a campfire in Decalogue V, as a road inspector and also as a painter in prison in Decalogue VI, as a man in a white suit in Decalogue VIII, as a student listening to the lecture of one of the two main characters and in Decalogue IX, as a cyclist who watches the protagonist try to kill himself. This mysterious man can be identified with a guardian angel or the walking consciousness. He is present at the times of crucial decisions by the protagonists, but he never judges. On the contrary the angel is seek to push the troubled heroes to a better moral choice, as with Jacek in Dekalogue V he shakes his head to silently protest the murder or in Dekalogue IX saving Roman from succeeding in his suicidal attempt.The figure is still puzzling because he seems to have very little to no influence on the action and therefore cannot be considered a character in the proper sense. Tenant believes he symbolizes Gods presence among us, Christian conscience, or at least(prenominal) for a secular audience specify (Tenant, 2001), while Haltof sees him as an Angel of Fate who adds an almost metaphysical dimension to the films (Haltof, 81). As Sesti explains, although the figure never interferes with the action, he is perfectly aware of it to the point of foreseeing its conclusion. He never utters a word but rather looks directly into the camera, and his disquieting silence seems to comment on the layer. Sesti agrees that this kind of chorus figure acts as a unifying link for the episodes but point s out that we do not identify with him, for his presence suggests the inflexibility of fate and the vulnerability of every individual. . . . His gaze is the gaze of some divine figure, distressed by his uselessness and by the impossibility of redeeming the world (Sesti, 184).The ambiguity and symbolic richness of the angel figure and of the apartment complex testifies to Kielowskis mastery as a filmmaker. The Decalogue does not lend itself to a reductionist reading quite the opposite. A vast fresco of private emotions and subtle interactions (Wilmington, 2000) on the one hand, it is also a work that is rich in themes and ideas. As Wilmington observes, these themes are in fact common to all of Kielowskis films Choice is fate. Pain underlies beauty. Isolation is an illusion. Disparate are we. Sin is inescapable. Soul is flesh. Film is life. The Decalogue, Kielowskis prime act of cinematic voyeurism, draws those threads together (Wilmington, 2000). By turning to such methods as a commo n setting of high-rises in Warsaw and a small trace of a mystic courier from God, Kielowski is able to unite and add coherence to ten short films from his Dekalogue series. The films are complex and deep. They require thorough analysis and knowledge of the Biblical context. The author is making it easier to understand for his audience by bringing in common threads to each episode and opening the conclusions for different interpretations and room for opinions.ReferencesCunneen, Joseph. Being Alive is a Gift Krzysztof Kielowskis The DecalogueSpiritus A Journal of Christian Spirituality. 11. 2001. pp. 79-85. John HopkinsUniversity Press. (Note Cunneen quotes Kielowski in the introduction to thepublished script of The Decalogue, for which, see bibliographic entry.)Cunneen, Joseph. Kieslowski on the mountaintop. Commonweal. 12414, Aug. 15,1997. New York, N.Y., 1997. pp. 11-14Haltof, Marek. The flick of Krzysztof Kielowski Variations on Destiny and Chance.Wallflower Press London. 2004. p p. 75-107.Hogan, Patrick Colm. Tragic Lives On the Incompatibility of Law and Ethics. CollegeLiterature. West Chester 353, Summer 2008. 30 pp.Kielowski, Krzysztof. Introduction, in Kielowski, K. and Piesiewica, P., DecalogueThe Ten Commandments translated by Phil Cavendish and Suzanna Bluh.London Faber and Faber, 1991.Kieslowski, Krzystof and Krzysztof Piesiewicz. The Decalogue. VHS. DistributorBand Part. 10 episodes on 5 cassettes. Directed by K. Kieslowski. 1987.Porton, Richard. The Decalogue. Cineaste. New York Summer 2001. 263 pp. 48-50.Rosenbaum, Jonathan. Essential movie house On the Necessity of Film Canons.John Hopkins University Press Baltimore. 2004. pp. 152-159.Sesti, Mario. DEKALOG 1 10. In The Hidden God Film and Faith. Mary LeaBrandy and Antonio Monda, eds. The Museum of Modern contrivance New York, N.Y.2003. pp. 183-187.Stok, Danusia, ed. Kielowski on Kielowski. Faber and Faber Limited London, 1993.Tennant, Agnieszka. The Ten Commandments become flesh. Christianit y Today.Carol Stream 452, Feb 5, 2001. pp. 75-76Michael Wilmington. Long decades journey into light. Film Comment. New York,N.Y. 362, March/April 2000. pp. 9-10

Analysing The Effects Of Forest Fires Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysing The Effects Of set Fires Environmental Sciences EssayProblem Area, Facts and Figures. A lumber is an subject field which consists of a high density of trees. It contribute a major part of the ecosystem which are dominated with trees and other woody vegetation all the living organism of lumber such as (plants, trees , herbs ,fungi, mammals birds , insects, reptiles , amphibians and other microorganism ) interact with each other and with the non living part of the environment to make a woodland timberland Geographical AreaA recent survey by Global wood Resource Assessment 2010 (FRA2010) was collected and analyzed from 233 countries and electron orbit of the world, the perfect area of the worlds forest c all all over in the course of study 2010 is estimated just over 4 billion hector which corresponds to 31 percent of the total land area, where the area of the forest is not uniformly distributed. The map of the Worlds forests is illustrated in figure.1 which presente d by Global Forest Resource Assessment 2010 (FRA 2010).Figure.1The Worlds ForestGlobal Forest Resource Assessment (FRA 2010)Forest Land WaterThe Russian Federation, Canada, Brazil, the United States of America and China are the quint most forest rich countries. And they contribute of 53 percent of the total forest area, whereas 64 countries have no more than 10 percent of the forest land area. In figure 1.1 describe the pie chart of the regional diffusion of forest level with respect to total area of the worlds forest. We observe that Europe including Russia contains 25 percent of the forest.Figure 1.1Distribution of forests by region 2010Global Forest Resource Assessment (FRA 2010)In addition 21 percent of the forest is covered by South America and 17 percent is existed in Africa and conglutination and Central America. More specifically after study of Swedish forest statistics we have also find that Sweden is the second biggest country of the Europe after Russia in forestry and approximate 66 percent of the total land area is covered with forest.http//www.nordicforestry.org/facts/Sweden.aspEnhttp//www.fao.org/forestry/fra/62219/en/Wildfire and CausesAs from the above discussion we observe that forest is contribute in major part of the world. Forest fires are one of natures unpredictable natural disasters and have generated tremendous loss to the gays, the animals and the nature, forest fires also known as wildfire, a small spark or the suns enkindle in the forest can produces a destructive conflagration. Wildfire can quickly interpenetrate all over the forest in a second once a fire begins it can spread at a rate of 23 kilometer per hour, capturing everything in its path.Sometime on a peak hot day in forest a small spark from a wheel of a auto or trains wheels striking on a track can ignite a wildfire, these wildfire can also be occur naturally like when heat produces from the sun and temperature rises on a dried forest area or a strike from the ligh tening in the forest, Moreover temperature is the physical quantity of the natural and if the temperature goes rises in the woods at approximate to 300 Celsius it will start produces hydrocarbon gases and mix with the oxygen in the air to initiate fire. As a exit it is true that weather plays a vital role in the birth and growth of the wildfire and ware down makes it more difficult in controlling of fire. Wind in the wildfires has the biggest retention to move the fire at high rate across the land and can easily change the sendion of fire that can disablement other world property in the forest. It also examine that most of the forest fire is due to the carelessness of human activity.Climatic change and human activities are the main cause of wildfire. Below are the common causes of wildfireHuman causes One of the major causes of the wildfire is due to human carelessness which includes fireworks or playing with matches, throwing destroy cigarettes, campfires, and improperly pruneing debris are the examples of human causes which result in wildfire.Lightning Lightning is also another reason for wildfire which occur an average scale from three to five per year. Consequently lighting also brings rain in the forest, such wildfire do not cover large areas of the forest. The most recent fire is detected in United State of America and known as Wrangler wildfire, on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 in the Kistachie Hills Wilderness on the Kistachie National Forest. It is also determine that lighting are the main cause of Wrangler fire which covers 95 percent of the total areaFarming In farming for clearing the land area slip and burring of woodlands are the common practices which results in catastrophic wildfireVolcanic Activity Another distractive cause of the wildfire are the explosion of volcanoes that are located near the forest areas, clandestine Coal Sometime underground coal fires or mine fire are the causes of wildfires, this cause of fires continue to burn for several years and have direct effect on countries economic, social and ecological impacts. It also produces some kind of toxic fumes which eventually help in the destruction of human property and forest lifehttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WildfireHuman_involvementhttp//science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/wildfire4.htmhttp//www.buzzle.com/articles/what-causes-wildfires.htmlhttp//www.inciweb.org/incident/2084/Wildfire and EffectsForest fire occurs every year and burn a large cultivated area of the forest worldwide. This resulting loss and degradation of forest land and has a direct effect on human societies and forest ecosystem it can destroy buildings, crops and plantations, loss of foods and shelters can in the long run results in loss of wildlife or in other word major assets of the land might be demolish in this natural disaster.In the year 2007 Greek forest fires produces a massive destruction in the summer seasons and spread out very quickly in the several areas of Greece and destroy farmland, olives groves and thousands of houses, and even a large numbers of stokers also loss their lives in this incident .Greek Forest fire in August 2007 was consider as the worst wildfire save in past 50 yearshttp//wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/forestdegradation/forestfires/http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Greek_forest_firesFirefighter and ProblemsFirefighters or firemen are fork uprs specialized in controlling of hazardous fires that intimidate civilian populations and their property, rescue peoples from different incidents such as road accidents , burning buildings and other crises response The goals of firefighters according to priority are own safety, saving victims lives, saving property, and also defend the environment.Firefighter plays an essential role in tackling of wildfire, they faces many difficulties in extinguish the wildfire, for example as wildfire is commonly occurs in dense forest areas and therefore it get going almost very hard to quickly reach near to affected area of the forest, and it is due to different obstacles in the path, Moreover It is also seen that most of the firefighter suffer with lungs problems due to the heavy smokes surround them during their job work.Wildfire A Global ProblemWildfires are the global problems around the world, apart from Middle East, Antarctica and desert regions, eliminate huge amounts of money annually to tackle wildfires. Each year around the world several wildfires occurs in different countries locations, below is the description of some wildfire take place from the year 2006 2010 and their causes and approach of damage in different countries of the world.It is also observe that at the current time wildfire in Sweden varies between few hundreds to thousands hectares in wet and dry years respectively and the number of wildfires occurrence ranges from 2100 to 3500 annuallyYear 2006On 2006 March 31 Africa suffered a crystallize loss of f orest which was measured as the second highest forest lost in the world, it was due the cause of conversion the forest land in to agriculture land , and the net loss was determine in that period per year goes to more than 4 million hectares.In the year 2006 Bulgaria face a catastrophic period of wildfire, a randomly number of forest fire occurs in March, August and September, and it cause because of burning wastage vegetables and stubbles by the farmers , Moreover it was measured as 190 fires were the causes by human activities which leads to the economical damage of 270, 000 Euro.On October 29, 2006 The Esperanza Fire was started in a river wash near Cabazon, California, west of Palm Springs, California , Wildfire causes was arson and it cover 61 comforting miles (160 km-seq) and was 85 percent contained and gradually it reach to 100 percent which resulted in the death of firefighters , house , and buildings. The total damage from Esperanza fire was estimated as above US$9 million http//www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000261/index.htmlYear 2007In California June 24, 2007 the Angora fire a wind driven fire was started due to the cause of illegal campfire and the fire was 100 percent contained and burned the area of 12.5 (km-seq) and destroyed 67 business structures, 242 residences and damaged 35 other homes which estimated the total fire cost up to US$11.7 millionYear 2008In April and May 2008 the Trigo wildfire was started in New Mexico, United States of America and burned 59 homes on the location and spread over 54 km-seq, Trigo wildfire badly affected the communities of Manzano , Torreon and Tajique, The direct loss of Trigo fire was $10 million which count for the destruction of 59 homes and 40 business structures where as $ 11 million was used in fire chip.In July 2008, Los Angeles Times reported that the month old Zaca wildfire had cost more than US$100 million and over US$2 million on just one of these days. Zaca fire was a major wildfire but it give s us an idea about the costs incurred by cities and nations around the world.Year 2009In August 14 2009 Yuba fire was started in the U.S. state of Californias Central Valley , Yuba County is a part of the greater Sacramento area, which burn up the area of 6seq miter and damage cost was estimated as US$12.1 million including two residential area and power linesAlso from August 26 October 16 the Station Fire incident was detect in the Angeles National Forest near the U.S. Forest Service ranger station, The Station fire was counted as 10th largest wildfire in the history of California and the largest wildfire in Los Angeles that cost the approximate damage of US$ 93.8 million for fighting the fire including aviation cost,Year 2010In August 15 2010 Bolivia destructive forest fires started which force the countrys government to announce a state emergency it was the largest fire which covers the eastern part along the countrys peal with Brazil. It was very hard to control the fire becau se low water bombing aircraft. As a result from the fires smoke many flights and airports were close temporarily.The cost of fighting B.C. forest fires in Canada during 2010 alone is close to CA$100 million, almost twice the budgeted costs

History of Baju Kurung

History of Baju KurungThe baju kurung, a kind of regional clothes for Malayan female, includes baju and kurung. In Malay language, baju means clothes and shirts kurung means confinement, imprison. Baju is a kind of raiment coat, whose sleeve length is to the wrist kurung is a kind of skirt, which is of the ankle length. Additionally, with a 200-year-long history, the baju kurung was invented by Sultan Abu Babar, who is the father of Modern Johor. In 1800s, when aiming at creating the baju kurung, he considered two main factors conforming to the rules of their religion and being aesthetically pleasing. As the time goes by, the baju kurung has developed into three main kinds of styles. The original style is the Taditional Baju kurung. The hemline precipitates under the knees. Another style is the Baju Kurung Kedah. It is similar to the traditional nonpargonil, but its kurung is cut shorter in the hem so that it is below the waistline. The last style is the Baju Kurung Moden. It is the modern pattern for women. in that location are many differences between the modern cut and the traditional cut, for example, the collars in the modern one is commonly accessorized with some sumptuous buttons, while the tradition one seldom has this kind of decoration. Since Malaysia is an Islam country, Islam requires that a womans clothes should cover the only body except hands and face. Consequently, compared with modern clothes, the baju kurung whitethorn look conservative. However, many Malay women tranquil prefer the baju kurung.As Malaysia is an Islam country, the baju kurung not only meets the requirement of the religion, but besides shows the ridiculous culture of Malaysia. To conform to religion duty is one of the reasons why Malay women wear the baju kurung. Islam, with a more than 1300 years long history, has a great influence on the Muslim and a stringent requirement about womens clothes. As Koran, the holy book of the Islam, says, Prophet, tell your wives and daughters, and the women of the faithful, to draw their wraps a little over their faces. They will thus be recognized and no harm will come to them. God is forgiving and kind (Koran, chapter33, verse59). Furthermore, The clothes for the Muslim women should not be so glamorous that it can attract the attention of men(Asma and Paul, 2003, pg189). Meanwhile, an attire of the baju kurung with a sleeve-length frock coat and a long blouse, covering the whole body of a woman, loose enough and not revealing the figure, just fits the requirement. As a fact, 64.3% of Malay women pointed out they wore the baju kurung because of their religion. Besides, as a unique part of Malay culture, wearing the baju kurung among Malay women has been considered as a common way to show their cultural identity. As one Malay woman said, Not only Malay women, but also many Malaysia-Chinese girls enjoy wearing the baju kurung to present that they are in Malaysia, which indicates that they are really proud of the ir culture.Whats more, with the development of Malay culture, the baju kurung, which combines the merits of tradition and modern fashion, brings Malay women, especially young women many benefits. First, the modern baju kurung adds more beauty, elegance, and safety to Malay women. The baju kurung is in stages modernized as the fold on the right side of the skirt are varied, boarded, they do not always start from the waistline, and may be shorter and various(a) in length the modern attire of the dress moves great individually(Broch-Due, Rudie, and Bleie, 1993, pg297). With the development of modern fashion, and many kinds of colours and embroideries to choose, various kinds of the baju kurung are designed to meet the requirements from individuals. In fact, 90% of Malay women said that the baju kurung was beautiful, and they enjoyed wearing the baju kurung. Additionally, The Baju kurung is loose enough, the ladies who are fat or pregnant can look elegant when they wear baju kurung(An onymous, para.9). Covering the whole body but not wrapping up womens body, the baju kurung makes women more elegant. Meanwhile, the baju kurung brings much safety. It must be loose enough, so as not to describe the wreak of a womens body. So wearing the baju kurung makes me feel comfortable and safe, especially from naughty eyes which love to stare at womens body(Broch-Due, Rudie, and Bleie, 1993, pg199). While in some extent, the baju kurung may cover womens physical beauty. With a consideration of safety, the baju kurung is practical and acceptable. Second, as a kind of national clothes, the baju kurung is widely worn in formal occasions, such as wedding, and funeral. One Malay young woman said, When a woman is wearing the baju kurung, she is generally considered polite, respectable, and genteel. From this view, the baju kurung is a kind of formal dress for certain occasions in Malaysia. Third, the baju kurung is comfortable and cool. It is true that Malaysia is a tropic country, when Malay women are wearing the baju kurung, it may be considered hot and stuffy. However, 80% of Malay women explained that it was not hot at all. Made of cotton or silk, women who wear the baju kurung no longer feel hot and uncomfortable.In short, due to bringing mental and practical benefits, the baju kurung, as an unique traditional clothes, is acceptable by many modern Malay women. Moreover, to a Malay Muslim woman, wearing the baju kurung not only expresses her loyalty to Islam, but also displays Malay culture to foreigners. At the same time, the baju kurung makes women beautiful, elegant, safe, formal, and comfortable. Thats why the baju kurung, as a kind of traditional clothes, can be developed and inherited until today. All in all, if one traditional clothes intends to last longer, it can learn from the baju kurung, to make a successful combination tradition and modernization.ReferencesBooksGeorge Sale (1764). The Koran commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed. Britain Bav aria depository libraryVigdis Broch-Due, Ingrid Rudie, Tone Bleie (1993). Jendered Symbols and Social Practice Cross-cultural Perspectives on Women. Britain Berg PublisherAsma Abdull Ah, Paul Pedersen (2003). Understanding Multicultural Malaysia delights irritations. the States Pearson PublisherLaurence Goldstein (1991). The Female body figures, styles, speculations. America University of Michigan PressBeng Huat Chua (2003). Life is not complete without shopping consumption culture in Singapore. Singapore NUS PressJohn Nguyet Erni, Siew Keng Chua (2005). Asian media studies politics of subjectivities, number one edition. America Wiley-BlackwellInternetRetrieved fromhttp//web.singnet.com.sg/hsh17/sect1baju.html on 26th October 2009http//www.101cookingrecipes.com/malaysia-cooking-recipes/malaysia-melayu-malay-baju-kurung-kebaya-cloth.php on 26th October 2009http//www.pahang-delights.com/baju-kurung.html on 28th October 2009http//www.websters-online-dictionary.org/translation on 3rd November 2009

The Pressures of Dancers :: Dancing Psychology Papers

The Pressures of Dancers The typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the stars. Much of this is true, however, what many people do non think of are the many cloggyships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures post on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers. One of the hardest pressures that dancers have to approach through is the pressure from the media. The media places harsh, rigid, and false ideas of dancers on to the mass public. Constantly bombarded by commercials, magazine ads, posters, etc., the idea of being thin and beautiful is what the society thinks of as the norm. The truth is these ads portray women who have a weight way below average, and have no imperfections (Karyn p.1). Many ads are airbrushed to give the models the look of being flawless which many women and girls do not realize. Since that look is virtually impossible to achieve many dancers will develop an eating disorder feeling that it is their only lane to achieve this culture of being thin (Karyn p.1). When thinking about it, the whole point of a commercial is essentially to sell happiness. If selling happiness is the goal and the use of models is prevalent in the commercial, then it can be concluded that the only way to achieve happiness is to be just like the commercial by having the product being advertised and looking like the person advertising it. These pressures from the media ads can lead to eating disorders. For many women and girls the ideal image portray becomes an obsession and results in a n eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia (Karyn p.1). With the constant nagging to be thin, the dancers feel that if they are to be in medicine videos on television, they have to measure up to this false image of a woman.

all the kIngs men :: essays research papers

     The amount of change people go through in their lives is remarkable. One day, a person can be a devious criminal, term the next day that same person could turn a young leaf and become a saint. The change that Jack goes through in all in all the Kings Men, by Robert Penn Warren, is comparable to that of the schizophrenic patient who receives a lobotomy. Although Jack undergoes no physical change, the events he witnesses change his personality, and transform him into an entirely new man. While Jack scans the world in a schizophrenic fashion, in the end he changes his philosophical mind frame and finds the cure for his disease. Jack does view the world in a schizophrenic manner. According to Websters dictionary, the psychosis for schizophrenia is a retreating from reality. Jack retreats from reality a lot. When Jack found out that Anne was having an affair with Willie, he disconnected himself from reality. He went west, to Long Beach, where he commenced wit h his great sopor. The great kip was a very important thing for jack because it allowed him to avoid reality. He would sleep and everything else would go on. While in Long Beach, Jack thought that he had discovered the greatest thought he ever had. That thought was the great twitch, a belief that there are no consequences for actions since they are only twitches of impulses. This thought was probably the biggest attempt to evade reality. Believing in the great twitch, Jack do himself apart from the rest of the world. By thinking that no one could be blamed for anything, he dodged blame from himself. By acting out the great sleep and the Great twitch, he was able to act like a schizophrenic until he had a change in philosophical views. Jacks philosophical views changed, just as the view of the patient would have after the surgery. Jack was, in the beginning of the novel, a believer in The Great Twitch. He becomes, in the end of the novel, a believer in the Spider Web Theory, a bel ief that all things are connected and every action has some effect on everything else. At the scene of the lobotomy, Jack comments that someone should baptize the patient "in the name of the Big Twitch, the Little Twitch, and the Holy Ghost, Who, no doubt, is a Twitch, too." Towards the end of the story, Jack "woke up one morning to discover that he did not believe in the Great Twitch any more.