Why the South Lost the War Essay Example for Free

Why the South Lost the War Essay â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other. † These words, spoken by Abraham Lincoln during his campaign to be a senator from Illinois, ring eerily true with the truth about the country’s uncertain future. Only three short years after Lincoln gave this speech, civil war would break out between the northern and southern states, and it would end four years later with the South running away with its tail between its legs. Why did the South lose the war? The South entered into the Civil War unprepared to fight and, ultimately, was starting a fight it was destined to lose. In the end, there were five factors that led to the defeat of the South: The fundamental economic superiority of the North, a basic lack of sound military strategy strategy in the way the South fought the war, the inept Southern performance in foreign affairs, lack of a dominating civilian leader in the South, and President Abraham Lincoln (Hersch, 2002). The first contributing factor to the South’s loss of the war is the fact that the North had a fundamentally sturdier and superior economy. Economically, the Civil War was not a contest between equals. The South had no factories to produce guns or ammunition, and its railroads were small and not interconnected, meaning that it was hard for the South to move food, weapons, and men quickly over long distances. In addition, though agriculture thrived in the South, planters focused on cash crops like tobacco and cotton and did not produce enough food crops to feed the southern population (â€Å"Economy† 2004). The North, on the other hand, had enough food and enough factories to make weapons for all of its soldiers. It also had an extensive rail network that could transport men and weapons rapidly and cheaply. At first, this superiority of the North didnt seem to make much of a difference. Like many wars in history, those involved thought it would be over quickly. However, northern logistical capabilities would prove crucial as the war dragged on (â€Å"Economy† 2004). The second reason for Southern defeat was the fact that the South simply lacked any sort of coherent strategy, military of otherwise. Inferior strategies employed by the South included: the defense of Richmond, the defense of the coastal areas, gaining the Border States into the Confederacy, the offensive defense of taking the war into Maryland and Pennsylvania, blockade running and privateers, as well as efforts to gain diplomatic recognition (or assistance) from Britain and/or France (Resch, 2005). The South utilized the few resources it had effectively, but the Southern railroads could not keep up to the demands placed on it, unlike the Northern railroads, which grew during the war. These several problems hindered the South greatly in winning the war. One might stop and wonder why the South was not more proactive in finding solutions to these problems, but the answer is obvious: the South simply did not have the centralized power structure and decision makers necessary to remedy its struggling economy (Resch, 2005). Thirdly, the South struggled greatly in the area of foreign affairs. The South constantly attempted to become recognized by other nations as its own independent power, but over the course of the war not a single foreign nation would formally recognize the Confederacy. One such country was Britain. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was officially neutral throughout the American Civil War, 1861-65 (Harrison, 2005). The Confederate strategy for securing independence was largely based on British and French military intervention, which never happened; however intervention would have meant war with the United States. A serious conflict between Britain and the United States erupted over the Trent Affair in 1861; it was resolved in a few months (Harrison, 2005). The quandary of the South in the area of foreign affairs was caused by the fact that Jefferson Davis believed that the British dependence on textiles would force the British into an alliance with the South due to its abundant cotton resources. As president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, left foreign policy to others in government and, rather than developing an aggressive diplomatic effort, tended to expect events to accomplish diplomatic objectives (Harrison, 2005). The new president was committed to the notion that cotton would secure recognition and legitimacy from the powers of Europe. The men Davis selected as secretary of state and emissaries to Europe were chosen for political and personal reasons – not for their diplomatic potential (Hersch, 2002). This was due, in part, to the belief that the demand for cotton could accomplish the Confederate objectives with little help from Confederate diplomats. One positive in the Confederacy’s foreign affairs was its ability to employ the British shipyard (John Laird nd Sons) to build two warships for the Confederacy, including the CSS Alabama, causing vehement protests from the United States (Harrison, 2005). The controversy continued after the Civil War in the form of the Alabama Claims, in which the United States finally was given $15. 5 million in arbitration by an international tribunal for damages caused by British-built warships (Harrison, 2005). The British built and operated most of the blockade runners, spending hundreds of millions of pounds on them; but that was legal and not the cause of serious tension. In the end, these instances of British involvement neither shifted the outcome of the war nor provoked the U. S. into declaring war against Britain. The United States diplomatic mission headed by Minister Charles Francis Adams, Sr. proved much more successful than the Confederate missions, which were never officially recognized (Harrison, 2005). Fourthly, is the fact that the South did not possess a dominating civilian leader. The Confederacy was also not as unified as is commonly thought. Parts of the Confederacy were extremely loyal while others such as East Tennessee were hotbeds of Unionist activity (Resch, 2005). These citizens resisted Confederate drafts, and refused to pay Confederate taxes. Many of these Unionists formed groups of activists to resist the Confederate government. Confederate loyalists persecuted unionists in East Tennessee and in other areas (Resch, 2005). Nevertheless, internal opposition to the Confederacy hurt the stability of a region as well as undermined the war effort. These shortcomings in civilian leadership lead to the downfall of the Confederacy, because without the people supporting the cause or stepping up to participate in the war effort, there could be no hope of ever winning the war (Resch, 2005). Finally, the success of the South was ultimately doomed as soon as Abraham Lincoln took office as President. With the election of Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln on November 6, 1860, South Carolina, followed by six other states, seceded from the Union (Kelly, 2009). Even though his views about slavery were considered moderate during the nomination and election, South Carolina had warned it would secede if he won. This attitude was encouraged by the confederate leaders in the South, and it was this bigoted resentment that was a contributing factor to the start of the Civil War (Kelly, 2009). Lincoln agreed with the majority of the Republican Party that the South was becoming too powerful, and made it part of their platform that slavery would not be extended to any new territories or states added to the union. One could imagine how this would anger the South and cause them to feel threatened by the North. Here was a republican President from the North taking the side of the North in not allowing the South to expand its lucrative business of slavery. Lincoln perhaps single handedly started and ended the Civil War, whether implicitly or not. However, Lincoln was not the only reason the war started, he was only the final push the South needed to break away from the Union. More clear, however, is the fact that he did indeed the end the Civil War through his well-founded and composed politics and strategies. There were two major moves made by Lincoln that heavily influenced the outcome of the war, these were the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation (Kelly, 2009). The first was a moving and decided blow against the image of the South. Part of the address is as follows: â€Å"†¦Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate we cannot consecrate we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth† (as stated in The Gettysburg Address 1863), The people could not ignore the words of President Lincoln, and the South could not refute them with any sort of fact. Truth be told, what Lincoln uttered in his address was the truth itself, and not even Jefferson Davis could argue that. And secondly was the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves in states of the Union; although this did not free every slave in the Continental U. S. it was a start and a colossal blow to the morale of the Confederate army as well as its citizens. The Union proved at that time that it was far more organized and unified in its cause because of the great leader it had in Abraham Lincoln (Kelly 2009). The fact that the South lost the Civil War has been a highly debated issue throughout the history of the United States and the reasons for this loss continue to be tossed around and discussed even to this day, however these five pervious factors consistently reemerge as reasons as to the defeat of the Confederate Army and their reentrance into the Union. The words that would best describe this are the words Lincoln used three years prior to the Civil War, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. † He was correct, it could not and would not stand divided; in the end the United States was one country and always would be.

How Do Abiotic Factors Influence the Rate of Photosynthesis?

How Do Abiotic Factors Influence the Rate of Photosynthesis? Table of Contents (Jump to) I. Background Research Design II. Research Question III. Hypothesis IV. Variables V. Apparatus VI. Safety Aspects/Animal Welfare Issues VII. Method Data Collection and Processing Conclusion and Evaluation Evaluation Conclusion Bibliography I. Background Research Photosynthesis is the process in which green plants, algae and cyanobacteria use the energy of sunlight to form carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of chlorophyll. Organisms need complex carbon compounds to build the structure of their cells and to process essential and vital procedures. Some organisms are able to form all the carbon compounds they need using only light energy and simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide and water (Alott Mindorff). Photosynthesis can be described by a chemical equation. The overall balanced equation is: Plant cells use carbon dioxide and water for photosynthesis. To finish this process, plants also need light energy captured from the sun, which they gain using a separate process. The usable end product the plant produces through photosynthesis is glucose, which the plant uses as food. The oxygen produced as an outcome of this process is a byproduct and is consequently released back into the environment. Animals and plants both construct fats and proteins from carbohydrates; therefore glucose is an essential energy foundation for all living organisms. The oxygen released as a photosynthetic byproduct provides most of the atmospheric oxygen essential to respiration in plants and animals, and animals in turn produce carbon dioxide vital to plants (Lagassà ©). The rate of photosynthesis in a plant can be determined by three external factors: temperature, light intensity, and available carbon dioxide concentration. In any given situation any one of these may become a limiting factor if they are below the optimal level (Alott and Mindorff). According to the concept of limiting factors, under any combination of light intensity, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration, only one of the factors is essentially limiting the rate of photosynthesis. This is the factor that is farthest from its optimum. As the limiting factor is moved closer to its optimum, while keeping the other factors constant, a point will be reached where this factor is not the one that is furthest from the optimum anymore and another starts acting as the limiting factor. An increase in the carbon dioxide concentration increases the rate at which carbon is incorporated into carbohydrate in the light-independent reaction, and so the rate of photosynthesis generally increases until limited by another factor. Increasing carbon dioxide concentration causes a rapid, significant increase in the rate of photosynthesis, which eventually plateaus when the optimal level is reached. E. canadensis is a submerse macrophyte, an aquatic plant immersed in water. It has bright green, translucent and oblong leaves which are borne in whorls of three round the stem (Rose and Reilly) (see fig. 1). It is easily available in aquarium shops or pet shops that have aquarium sections. Fig. 1: Elodia canadensis (Fischer). Design II. Research Question How do different concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) solution affect the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea canadensis? III. Hypothesis As the concentration of carbon dioxide increases, the rate of photosynthesis will increase until a certain point where it reaches the optimal level and plateaus. IV. Variables Table 1: Dependent Variable Dependent Variable Photosynthesis rate Table 2: Independent Variable Table 3: Controlled Variables V. Apparatus 25 samples of E. canadensis 500 ml of pre prepared dilute sodium carbonate solutions with the following CO2 concentrations: 1% 2.5% 3% 5% 10% 50 test tubes (used as containers to make a respirometer, not for measurements) 25 x 100 ml 25 x 150 ml 5 x 300 ml beaker (used as containers, not for measurements) 30 cm ruler ) Compact fluorescent lamp as light source 100 ml graduated cylinder ( ± 0.5 ml) Stopwatch ( ± 0.01s) Scalpels Thermometer ( ± 0.01C) VI. Safety Aspects/Animal Welfare IssuesScalpels are sharp and should be used with caution. The glassware involved in the experimentation may lead to injuries if used without caution and broken. Use of liquids may also lead to some risks if spilled because the floor may become slippery. The lab did not lead to any animal welfare issues.VII. Method Label the five beakers with the following: 1% CO2 2.5% CO2 3% CO2 5% CO2 10% CO2 Set up the light source. Place the beakers in a spot that is 20 cm away from the light source. Place one E. canadensis sample into a 100 ml test tube and fill the test tube with 100 ml of the 1% CO2 dilute sodium carbonate solution. The tube should be filled as full as possible. Carefully invert a larger tube and place it over the smaller tube containing the sample plant and the 1% CO2 dilute sodium carbonate solution.   Push the smaller tube all the way into the larger tube using your finger or a pencil and then invert both tubes so that the opening of the larger tube is up. Be sure that the small tube is pushed to the top of the larger tube before inverting it (see fig. 2).   Mark the water level on the test tube with a marker. Place this set up in the beaker which was previously labeled as 1% CO2. As soon as the set up is ready place it under the light source and start the stopwatch. With time, the distance between the water level and the top of the test tube will increase because of photosynthetic activity, which will produce O2 gas. Photosynthetic activity by E. canadensis samples will cause the water to displace and increase the space at the top of the test tube. The volume of fluid displaced will equal the volume of the gas produced. Run the trial for and monitor it for 20 minutes. After every 2 minutes, check the test tube and measure how much of the dilute sodium carbonate solution has displaced with a ruler. Each time after taking measurements, use a marker to mark the new liquid level for the future measurements you will make. Repeat steps 5 to 14 for 4 more times. At the end of this, there should be 5 trials done in total for the 1% CO2 dilute sodium carbonate concentration. Repeat steps 5 to 15 for the remaining 2.5%, 3%, 5% and 10% CO2 dilute sodium carbonate solutions. The process described in the previous steps should give 10 raw data points for each trial with a total of 250 data points. Record this data in a â€Å"Raw Data† table. All the lab work is completed for this experimentation. The lab and the apparatus can be cleaned if necessary.   Data Collection and ProcessingFigure 3: Raw Data for Liquid Displacement over Time in Different CO2 ConcentrationsFigure 4: Processed Data with Means, Standard Deviations and Average RatesFigure 5: Processed Data: Average Photosynthesis Rate in Different CO2 ConcentrationsConclusion and EvaluationEvaluationThe collection of data was an easy process. My results match my predictions. But the uncertainties in the data, which I sh.ould have considered before processing the experiment, are preventing me from making clear and strong statements. One uncertainty preventing me from making clear statements derived from this lab is the fact that I ran the trials for 20 minutes only. It was unfortunately not possible to see any changes in such a short time with low concentrations such as 1% CO2 . If I had run the experiments for longer, I could have seen the photosynthesis rate reaching it’s limit and becoming constant, but because I ran it for a short time, I am not able to understand if , for example 0,3 mm/minutes is the maximum photosynthesis rate the plant Elodea can reach in 10% CO2 concentration. I needed to do it for a longer time to say it has reached a limit or not.Second thing I should have considered is the fact that although they belong to the same species, the plants used in the experiment were still not the same in terms of leaf sizes. If I could use the exact same plant in each tube (take Elodea from one tube and place it in other), results might have changed because plants might be doing photosynthesis at different rates. This is also something I should have searched before starting the experiment, while doing my background research so that I could be sure about it.If I was doing the same experiment again, I would avoid these uncertainties and that would help me make clear statements about my results saying that they match every prediction I made and are strong justifications. Right now, they still match some of my predictions. For example, the photo synthesis rate in 10% CO2 was 0.3 mm/minute while it was 0.2 mm/minute in 5% CO2. This shows that the rate of photosynthesis is greater when higher concentrations of CO2 are present. But like I have stated above, this can be caused by other factors such as the difference in plants or anything I have not considered. Therefore, I should have run more trials.ConclusionMy aim was to see the effects of CO2 concentration on photosynthesis and although I was not able to see them, I was able to make predictions about the effects. I have listed everything that has caused uncertainties in the experiment, and these uncertainties are unfortunately preventing me from making clear statements. If I could do this again, I would avoid all of these uncertainties. The results meet my predictions but one should not say that these results are clear and direct justifications of the background research. Some other factors were involved in the experiment, therefore I would not consider this experiment as s uccessful, and I would do it again.BibliographyAlott, Andrew and David Mindorff. IB Biology Course Book 2014 edition: Oxford IB Diploma Programme. Oxford University Press, 2014.Lagassà ©, Paul, ed. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. 6th Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013.McGinley, Mark. Differences between aquatic and terrestrial environments . 5 February 2009. 1 March 2015 http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/151726/>.Rose, Francis and Clare Reilly. The Wild Flower Key: How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland. London: Frederick Warne, 2006.

The cinema of shane meadows

The cinema of shane meadows Over the last ten years Shane Meadows has helped to create a realistic portrayal of Working classed Britain. Director of films such as; Twenty four seven, A Room for Romeo Brass, Dead mans Shoes and This is England, Shane Meadows has helped to bring and to create social realist films for a new generation. His films stand side by side with more mainstream titles such as Brassed off, The Full Monty and Billy Elliot, each helping to bring the working classes and the social issues which they have faced to the forefront of National British cinema. What this essay intends to do is to explore Shane Meadows work as a director of British films, looking directly at how the past reflects the aesthetics and conventions within his films, how his cinema embodies the spirit of working classed identity and the social issues that are touched upon within his work and also why Meadows has become a popular film maker in contemporary Britain. The essay will look at three of Meadows films in particular; TwentyFourSeven, A Room for Romeo Brass and This is England, and will analyse the relationship that each film has with one another and why he has constructed an autobiographical take upon each of these films. Shane Meadows born in 1972 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, grew up within a working classed community. Meadows teenaged years were in a time which saw great political change for many people in the 1980s, with the working classes seeing only negative outcome to a new British government. Industrial areas, most notably within the North of England, saw the threat of unemployment around every corner and the very essence of working classed life was destroyed by Thatchers government, in her quest for a post industrial, classless society. Meadows experiences as a youth and the political and social changes that took place within the 1980s have been established throughout Meadows works. I think my 1980s is a richer time to draw on than any other.† Meadows has said when questioned on the reasons why his own childhood experiences are prominently featured in many of his films. As a British Realist film maker, Shane Meadows has distinctly borrowed from recognisable techniques and traditions from movements of the past. His notable influences are in the New wave cinema of film makers such as Karl Reisz, Lindsay Anderson and Tony Richardson from the 1960s and Mike Leigh and Ken Loach who have contributed to socio-realist cinema throughout the 1980s up until present day. What this has meant for Meadows is that his films are able to create a recognisable identity for a nation that people can be able to associate with. By creating a bond to the cinema of New wave and Realist cinema, Meadows is able to critique our nation through the use of a popular and recognisable aesthetic which is associated with many British dramas. The British New Wave cinema was the first step into creating a realist aesthetic in British narrative films. Through the inspiration of Documentary and the Italian neo-realist films that had come before, its film makers such as Karl Reisz and Lindsay Anderson were able to create a cinema which focused upon the intent of bringing social issues to the screen through realistic interpretations. Before they contributed to narrative cinema, Anderson and Reisz focused their talents upon Documentary, in which they created a movement, known at the time as the Free Cinema movement. Their approach was opposed to the traditional expository mode which British documentary film maker John Grierson produced within his production company; GPO pictures. Griersons documentaries sought to tackle the social problems of the working class misrepresented in British cinema, by siding with them. The voice of god narration and selective viewpoint was avoided within the Free Cinema movement, providing a poetic approach that stripped their documentaries of voice-overs and the right wing political stand point of the Grierson styled documentary, became left wing, criticising the British political system by focusing on the real working class, although, from a distance. I want to make people ordinary people, not just top people feel their dignity and their importance.† Lindsay Anderson said of his commitment to presenting the working class within his works. Although Griersons approach was highly criticised by the filmmakers of the free cinema movement, it was from Grierson himself who said that documentary was The Creative treatment of actuality.† This broadly used term could simply be interpreted as the way the film maker is able to create a display of artistic elements, from the construction of real people with real problems in real settings. Implicit in the Free cinema formulation were two related conceptions of freedom: on the one hand, a freedom from commercial constraint and, on the other, a freedom to give vent to a personal or unusual, point of view of vision.† The importance of the realist aesthetic within the Free cinema documentaries and the New wave narrative film was to make it clear that the artist was at the centre of the work. This did not necessarily mean that he was involved within the film itself, but the style of the film, ideologies and messages were that the film maker was trying to get across. The other importance was the ability to create the feeling of something new, to transform the real from Meer observation but to create a poetry which was able to work upon more than one level, and it was through the representation of a group of outsiders (the working class) that the film makers were able to do this. Films such as The Loneliness of the Long distance runner, A taste of Honey, A Sporting Life and Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, shifted the emphasis from middle class idealistic families, to a focus upon the youth living and working within industrial cities, situated in the Northern areas of England. The late 1950s/early 1960s became the first time since the Second World War that workers started to benefit from decent salaries and some, an almost disposable income. The youth in particular were able to separate themselves from their work lives and the authority figures that held a grasp over them, enabling them to spend their wages on the consummation of the latest in fashionable products. This is also true of New Wave films, which focused less on the importance of work within the lives of the characters but on their leisurely activities. The decline in the working class traditions and the rise of the working classed youth became notable. They were becoming defined not by what they produce but of what they consume and this was an indicator of the times. When looking at Saturday night Sunday morning by Karl Reisz, the main protagonist, Arthur Seaton (Albert Finney) may work within the confines of a factory, but when his working is shown, it is briefly and only to underline the important images or to support the leisurely aspect of his life. E.G. when he is finishing work. By wasting his money upon a sex, drugs and almost rock and roll lifestyle he is separating himself from the authority figures that keep him in his place during his working hours. Its not a unity of a working class that can be seen within this film or many of the New wave films of the 1960s, it is very much about issues of one person in particular, in the case of Saturday night, Sunday Morning, it is Arthur. Writer John Hill stated that Despite the ostensive commitment to represent the working class, the British New Wave, through their adoption of conventional narrativity and realism, tend to have the opposing effect, that is, the creation of an accentuated individualism.† The emphasis on the individual in this working class aesthetic of the New wave films may come down to the absence of work as a dominant presence. Instead it seems that the importance of working class life, as a youth, is separating themselves from the authority figures and dominant forces of work and instead making leisure and the way in which the characters separate themselves from work in their free time. In Meadows work, there is a felt presence of the New wave films throughout his work The focus upon just one main protagonist and their personal struggle rather than the united struggle of the working class is that it is extremely difficult to represent political problems within narrative film, without a need to create a bond to the personal effects that the political has upon the working class within realist cinema. But what exactly did the filmmakers do to try and create a believable and purposeful reality, and at once avoid the idealistic and theatrical approach that the Traditional Hollywood films employed? The main focus of reality in these New Wave films is by Meadows first feature film TwentyFourSeven was released in 1997. A resurgence in British Realism lead to a shift in focus for many of the films released within the 1990s. Whereas the films of the New Wave in the 60s, focused upon the employed youths personal struggle with working classed life and the hedonistic, anti-establishment attitude they portrayed in their leisurely pursuits and the 80s saw reactions against the Thatchers governments destruction of traditional working classed values and perceptions, the 90s took upon a different perspective, with Britain very much a post industrial nation, class now determined not what they made and who they were as a unified work force, but instead was now determined by what they consumed. This perspective now shifted upon the youth of today, from pre pubescent Children to teenagers growing up on rough, poverty stricken council estates. Unemployment has left the youth in the same position and status. Samantha Lay stated that Dramas focus more tightly on family relationships and partnerships. Poverty, unemployment and social exclusion are not the driving forces of their narratives, but are merely signalled as contributory factors to family strife, so that it is the working class family that has failed, not the state or capitalist society.† British Realist films focus upon the effect that politics have had upon the class system, specifically the working class whos inevitable decline since the 1950s has lead to an alienation of masculine identity and the emphasis as class as a unification. Meadows films are about the alienation of family life and the journey of finding a place to really belong. The perspective of a child or in the case of Twenty Four Seven; Young Adults, gives Meadow a chance to see the Working Class from a different perspective. What Meadows films do which many mainstream British films do not do is to question the stereotypical view of the average British person, by keeping to a low budget, Meadows keeps the focus upon the identities within his own regional upbringing. Unemployment plays a big role within the films of the British realist aesthetic that were made within the 1980s up until our contemporary time. Children and the youth are not affected in the same in which the adults are but their perspective is of the upmost importance. The period aspect to this is England, Twenty Four Seven and A Room for Romeo Brass gives you an aspect of political change. Within the 90s and the 2000s working class focused films created a way of escaping from the reality of the situation. Characters were able to find success from the economic situations that have dragged them down, most notably through entertainment. This can be seen within films such as Billy Elliot, Brassed off, The Full Monty and to an extent Trainspotting. Each of these films proved popular to the British movie going audience and tried showing how the working class could develop and escape from the working class life that had been dragging them down. Meadows approach, although not entirely pessimistic is about the positive which comes out of the negative situations, or the defeat of people. Unstable protagonists at the start of each three films, struggle with the uneven situations that their parents are entangled within, often dragging the children down with them. It is this alienation from family life which causes distress and change from these characters. Their questionable actions often ending in violence leads to the chance meetings in which potential father figures, genuinely interested in the emotional and physical state of the these characters help the characters from emotional unrest. In This is England, Shauns violent playground fight is caused from the mention of his Dads death. His walk home from school leads to the meeting of a Skinhead gang, most notably Woody who notes Shauns unhappy presence. His happy go lucky attitude and genuine care for Shaun makes him feel wanted in a place where hes alienated not only from family life but from being part of a sub culture which will accept him for who he is, which is evident from the mocking attitude of some of Woodys friends who are not as caring as Woodys father attitude to the situation is. In A Room for Romeo Brass, the fight between Romeo and the two boys leads to the rescue from Morell who is alerted from nearby. Again, the importance of chance turns a violent hateful act, into one with positive outcomes, in which children/teenagers are brought into the world of the adult. The Subculture is what draws the children into an adults world. Leisure drives them from the woes of family life and from the authority figures which are bringing them down. The masculine father figures within Meadows films help to refocus the output of the violence of the youth that they have taken under their wing. The troubled teenagers caught in violent episodes, find new ways in which to focus their negative energies. This frustration for life in post industrial estates, in which domestic problems of parents causes great angst often leads to violence. By refocusing these ill thoughts and actions through healthy attitudes, the Father figure is able to guide the youth away from everything that is holding them back. Woodys optimistic and peaceful father figure for fatherless tearaway Shaun in This is England, enables his alienation from a social perspective to be reinstated into a group in which he belongs. The anger and frustration of these Skinhead youths does not lead to the targeting of people, but of decrepit, rundown buildings on council estates.

Loyalties in Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night Essay -- Mother Night

Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night is a novel that deals with the loyalties that humans form to each other, as well as things and places. However, Vonnegut does not address this issue by creating a cast of characters who are loyal and true to a particular person, place or thing; instead, he places the reader in a world that is seemingly void of all sense of loyalty and trustworthiness. Almost every character in this novel is apparently devoid of all ability to trust, and more significantly, be trusted. In his creation of this dark and uncertain world, Vonnegut is effectively emphasizing the importance of allegiances in one’s life. Through characters like Howard W. Campbell, Jr. and Resi Noth, among others, he proves that a life without loyalty and devotion is not a life worth living. Each character is lacking the same core qualities and abilities, yet each shows this deficiency in a different way - by betraying a country, another person, or themselves. Because of their betrayals, each of them ends up miserable, in prison, or dead, with the possible exception of Frank Wirtanen. Every life in this novel is somehow affected by the deceit and inability to sustain any kind of commitment that these characters so tragically display. Howard W. Campbell, Jr., the main character of the novel, experiences the most severe and damaging lack of loyalty and coherency in his life. Howard’s problems begin when he agrees to become an American spy posing as a Minister of Propaganda for the Nazis during World War II. No one knows of his true identity except for himself and three other men; therefore, everyone believes Howard to be a Nazi. At times, it seems as though Howard himself is not entirely sure whether or not he is a Naz... ...: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition. Salem Press, 2000. Magill On Literature. 29 Nov. 2002. Hume, Kathryn. â€Å"Vonnegut’s Melancholy.† Philological Quarterly. 77.2 (1998): 221- 238. Klinkowitz, Jerome. Kurt Vonnegut. London and New York: Metheun, 1982. Reed, Peter J. â€Å"Kurt Vonnegut Jr.† Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 152: American Novelists Since World War II, Fourth Series. Bruccoli Clark Layman, 1995. 248-272. Dictionary of Literary Biography. Gale Group Databases. 27 Nov. 2002. Somer, John, and Jerome Klinkowitz, eds. The Vonnegut Statement. USA: Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence, 1973. Vonnegut, Kurt. Mother Night. New York: Random House, 1966. Westbrook, Perry D. "Kurt Vonnegut Jr.: Overview.† Contemporary Novelists, 6th ed. St. James Press, 1996. Literature Resource Center. Gale Group Databases. 26 Nov. 2002. Loyalties in Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night Essay -- Mother Night Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night is a novel that deals with the loyalties that humans form to each other, as well as things and places. However, Vonnegut does not address this issue by creating a cast of characters who are loyal and true to a particular person, place or thing; instead, he places the reader in a world that is seemingly void of all sense of loyalty and trustworthiness. Almost every character in this novel is apparently devoid of all ability to trust, and more significantly, be trusted. In his creation of this dark and uncertain world, Vonnegut is effectively emphasizing the importance of allegiances in one’s life. Through characters like Howard W. Campbell, Jr. and Resi Noth, among others, he proves that a life without loyalty and devotion is not a life worth living. Each character is lacking the same core qualities and abilities, yet each shows this deficiency in a different way - by betraying a country, another person, or themselves. Because of their betrayals, each of them ends up miserable, in prison, or dead, with the possible exception of Frank Wirtanen. Every life in this novel is somehow affected by the deceit and inability to sustain any kind of commitment that these characters so tragically display. Howard W. Campbell, Jr., the main character of the novel, experiences the most severe and damaging lack of loyalty and coherency in his life. Howard’s problems begin when he agrees to become an American spy posing as a Minister of Propaganda for the Nazis during World War II. No one knows of his true identity except for himself and three other men; therefore, everyone believes Howard to be a Nazi. At times, it seems as though Howard himself is not entirely sure whether or not he is a Naz... ...: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition. Salem Press, 2000. Magill On Literature. 29 Nov. 2002. Hume, Kathryn. â€Å"Vonnegut’s Melancholy.† Philological Quarterly. 77.2 (1998): 221- 238. Klinkowitz, Jerome. Kurt Vonnegut. London and New York: Metheun, 1982. Reed, Peter J. â€Å"Kurt Vonnegut Jr.† Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 152: American Novelists Since World War II, Fourth Series. Bruccoli Clark Layman, 1995. 248-272. Dictionary of Literary Biography. Gale Group Databases. 27 Nov. 2002. Somer, John, and Jerome Klinkowitz, eds. The Vonnegut Statement. USA: Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence, 1973. Vonnegut, Kurt. Mother Night. New York: Random House, 1966. Westbrook, Perry D. "Kurt Vonnegut Jr.: Overview.† Contemporary Novelists, 6th ed. St. James Press, 1996. Literature Resource Center. Gale Group Databases. 26 Nov. 2002.

Popular Music Essay -- Entertainment

Introduction Popular music is popular afresh, and it’s everywhere. Whether it’s the idols, the stars, the competitors or the academy, the burst music industry has not ever flaunted itself to such a large extent. But how can we mark burst music? Where is its place? Many would contend that it pertains sorely littered over the levels of teenager’s bedrooms worldwide. Others would state it is most at home recorded on the bank balance of a foremost multinational organisation. An allotment of persons would assert that burst music has no home, and is just a fad commended by the culturally inept, those who are only adept of enjoying a pre-formatted, formulaic merchandise of the ‘culture industry’. Or is it infects a varied and creative occurrence, permitting a communally and culturally wealthy expression? Maybe burst music will not ever be ‘pigeon holed’ as such, but I wish to recognise the contentions surrounding popular music and work out its location ins ide popular culture and inside up to date society (Shanahan 2001). Discussion The subject of burst music appears to have been thinly affected on by numerous writers when conversing about popular culture, but no one have theorised on the theme as much as Theodora Adorn. Adorno’s set about, which is compelled very powerful by its Marxist leanings, is founded mostly on facts of 1930s Germany, and subsequently, the United States when The Frankfurt School re-located to New York in 1933. Adorno converses about popular music as a merchandise of ‘the culture industry’, a formulaic and obstinate master-plan to which all burst music adheres. He proposed that burst music† hears for the listener† and is â€Å" pre-digested â€Å" and he nearly collaborates with Marcuse’s idea of ‘The One-Dimensi... ...ustry. Journal of Cultural Economics 6 2, pp. 11–25. Bloom, Allan David, 2004. The Closing of the American Mind. , Simon and Shuster,, New York. Clyne, Manfred, 2006. Music, Mind, and Brain. , Plenum Press,, New York. Coase, Ronald, 2006. Payola in radio and television broadcasting. Journal of Law and Economics 22 2, pp. 269–328. Levy, David and Feigenbaum, Susan, 2006. Death, debt, and democracy. In: Buchanan, J.M. et al.. Deficit, Blackwell,, Oxford, pp. 236–262. Peterson, R.A. and Berger, D.G., 2004. Cycles, in symbol production: The case of popular music. American Sociological Review 40, pp. 158–173. Shanahan, J.L., 2001. The consumption of music: Integrating aesthetics and economics. Journal of Cultural Economics 2 2, pp. 13–26 Whitburn, Joel, 2003. Pop memories, 1890–1954, The History of American Popular Music. , Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls. Popular Music Essay -- Entertainment Introduction Popular music is popular afresh, and it’s everywhere. Whether it’s the idols, the stars, the competitors or the academy, the burst music industry has not ever flaunted itself to such a large extent. But how can we mark burst music? Where is its place? Many would contend that it pertains sorely littered over the levels of teenager’s bedrooms worldwide. Others would state it is most at home recorded on the bank balance of a foremost multinational organisation. An allotment of persons would assert that burst music has no home, and is just a fad commended by the culturally inept, those who are only adept of enjoying a pre-formatted, formulaic merchandise of the ‘culture industry’. Or is it infects a varied and creative occurrence, permitting a communally and culturally wealthy expression? Maybe burst music will not ever be ‘pigeon holed’ as such, but I wish to recognise the contentions surrounding popular music and work out its location ins ide popular culture and inside up to date society (Shanahan 2001). Discussion The subject of burst music appears to have been thinly affected on by numerous writers when conversing about popular culture, but no one have theorised on the theme as much as Theodora Adorn. Adorno’s set about, which is compelled very powerful by its Marxist leanings, is founded mostly on facts of 1930s Germany, and subsequently, the United States when The Frankfurt School re-located to New York in 1933. Adorno converses about popular music as a merchandise of ‘the culture industry’, a formulaic and obstinate master-plan to which all burst music adheres. He proposed that burst music† hears for the listener† and is â€Å" pre-digested â€Å" and he nearly collaborates with Marcuse’s idea of ‘The One-Dimensi... ...ustry. Journal of Cultural Economics 6 2, pp. 11–25. Bloom, Allan David, 2004. The Closing of the American Mind. , Simon and Shuster,, New York. Clyne, Manfred, 2006. Music, Mind, and Brain. , Plenum Press,, New York. Coase, Ronald, 2006. Payola in radio and television broadcasting. Journal of Law and Economics 22 2, pp. 269–328. Levy, David and Feigenbaum, Susan, 2006. Death, debt, and democracy. In: Buchanan, J.M. et al.. Deficit, Blackwell,, Oxford, pp. 236–262. Peterson, R.A. and Berger, D.G., 2004. Cycles, in symbol production: The case of popular music. American Sociological Review 40, pp. 158–173. Shanahan, J.L., 2001. The consumption of music: Integrating aesthetics and economics. Journal of Cultural Economics 2 2, pp. 13–26 Whitburn, Joel, 2003. Pop memories, 1890–1954, The History of American Popular Music. , Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls.

Permanent Change In An Individuals Knowledge Or Behaviour

Learning can be ocular, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, lingual, logical, realistic, religious and moral, and, consequentially, scholars have really differing degrees of intelligence in these different sorts of larning. It is per se of import for instructors to hold a on the job cognition of how different pupils learn because of this fact that non all pupils learn in the same manner. An educators occupation is to ease acquisition for a pupil, and hence must be adaptable to these assorted acquisition manners in order to adequately supply for them, and this can non be done without an apprehension of different larning theories and manners. A pupil who is kinesthetic or visually intelligent is non traveling to profit from certain manners of learning every bit much as a pupil who is a logical scholar, presuming the pedagogue is merely learning in a logical manner. Therefore it is necessary for pedagogues to understand the differing sorts of larning so that they can pro vide for multiple intelligences within their lessons, both by admiting their being and leting pupils the chance to larn in different ways every bit good as developing pupils abilities to interact with intelligences that they might otherwise be non as accustomed to. Equally good as different intelligences there are different worldviews on how learning occurs, whether it is inactive or active, whether it is societal or personal, and these theories straight affect the teaching method embraced by the instructor keeping them. Therefore the acquisition theories will needfully order the types of intelligences most supported by the acquisition that is taking topographic point, and it is up to the pedagogue to understand these learning theories so that they may use them in a manner to outdo explore all of the multiple intelligences and give their pupils the best opportunity of making a higher order apprehension of any capable affair. Behaviourism is a theory that operates upon an ‘action-reaction ‘ or ‘stimulus-response ‘ construct of larning. At its kernel this worldview places the scholar in the place of being a ‘blank slate ‘ , an empty vas or ‘tabula rasa ‘ , which is so filled with the coveted cognition or acquisition. Behaviourism assumes that the scholar is inactive and that they respond to any and all environmental stimulations that they are exposed to. The environment acts on the scholar, non the scholar on the environment. Behaviorism can be broken down into two possible signifiers of conditioning: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, the late of which was founded by B. F. Skinner and is one of the most outstanding larning theory places. Skinner ‘s operant conditioning position is non-dualistic, it denies that the head is a separate thing to the organic structure, alternatively situating ideas to be private behaviors, analysable in the same manner that public behaviors are. Essentially learners learn to ‘operate ‘ on the environment. Functionally, operant conditioning plants on a footing of support and penalty. Reinforcement is a procedure by which a targeted behavior is caused to happen with greater frequence and penalty a lesser frequence. Both these effects have positive and negative fluctuations, by positive and negative we refer to their linear or subtractive qualities, non their moral deductions. Positive support is when a rewarding stimulation is to happen following a desirable behavior, therefore increasing its frequence. Negative support occurs when an unwanted stimulation is removed after a desirable behavior, besides increasing its frequence. Positive penalty is the happening of a penalty or negative stimulation following an unwanted behavior, diminishing its likelihood, while negative penalty is the remotion of a positive or honoring stimulation following a unsought behavior, besides diminishing the opportunity of reoccurrence. In contrast to behaviorism, constructivism positions the scholar as an active participant in the acquisition procedure. The scholar is an â€Å" information builder †[ 3 ], one of the basic premises behind constructivism is that â€Å" people are active scholars and must build cognition for themselves. †[ 4 ]This base premise is that the scholar is a â€Å" alone person with alone demands and backgrounds. †[ 5 ] Learning is a constructive, contextualized and active procedure by which the scholar is engaged in actively making a subjective reading of an otherwise nonsubjective world. One of the cardinal differences between constructivism and behaviorism is that the scholar is seen as conveying past experience and cognition to the acquisition, and that it is this past experience that is the specifying factor in the defining and constructing of new cognition. This construct at work postulates that people generate their appreciation on cognition through an interaction between their thoughts and experiences. Furthermore the scholar acts upon the environment, interacting with it to make significance, instead so being acted upon. Constructivism, nevertheless, is non a incorporate theory. Under the streamer of constructivism subsists three chief positions dubbed the exogenic position, the endogenous position and the dialectical position. An exogenic constructivism â€Å" position posits a strong influence of the external universe on cognition building, such as by experiences, instruction, and exposure to theoretical accounts. Knowledge is accurate to the extent it reflects that world. †[ 6 ]On the other manus, endogenous constructivism provinces that cognition is derived from earlier mental constructions and focal points on a coordination of â€Å" cognitive actions †[ 7 ], while dialectical constructivism is a blend of the two, situating that cognition is non wholly construed from the external universe, nor is it entirely of the head but instead is the consequence of interactions between the scholar and the environment. – Schunk, Dale H. ( 2008 ) Constructivist Theory ( Chapter 6 ) . In Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective. 5th Edition. ( pp.234-277 ) . Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall. ISBN 9780132435659 pg 239 A behaviorist schoolroom places the scholar in a inactive function, as earlier mentioned, they are ‘tabula rasa ‘[ 8 ]. As a consequence the pedagogue is positioned in an active function, basically ‘acting ‘ on the scholar to instil cognition. This can take to a schoolroom where the scholar is non needfully encouraged to prosecute with the cognition presented to them, but instead to basically digest it, taking the cognition in to regurgitate ‘as is ‘ when needed. There is nil incorrect with this type of acquisition, so for certain topics and certain countries of topics it is arguably the most efficient signifier of acquisition. However a failing nowadays within the behaviorist theory is that it does non let the scholar to come on much further so the ‘applying ‘ phase in the new blooms taxonomy. It may be wrong to state that it does non ‘allow ‘ , but it surely does non promote the scholar to come on farther into the analysin g, measuring and making phases of the theoretical account without proper motion into determining the scholars behaviour. Even though they may acquire their ain their ain, the attack does non supply scaffolding to back up the scholar to these more advanced interactions with the cognition. This is because the scholar is non forced to prosecute with the cognition in an active manner, they do non hold to do it their ain, alternatively expected to be able to retrace what the instructor has presented to them, demoing an ability to retrieve and reproduce, but non needfully to grok on a meaningful degree. On the other manus a constructivist attack efforts to guarantee that the scholar interacts on a degree that allows them to prosecute in making from the footing of the cognition conveyed, hence promoting higher order thought. However In a behaviorist schoolroom the instructor will be actively seeking to place behavior to be changed, and, one time identified, they will be after specific intercessions to change that behavior in a coveted manner utilizing ancestors and effects. The instructor invariably accumulates informations on the consequences of these intercessions and modifies their attack to more efficaciously ‘shape ‘ the pupils behaviour. Praise, although contingent upon the behavior of the pupil, will strategically and often be given out to reenforce coveted behaviors. Each lesson will hold clear and precises ends in footings of cognition, attitudes and accomplishments to be transferred to the pupils, and cues and prompts will be utilized in order to put up behavioral forms and determine the pupils into the coveted acquisition form. This would so be scheduled with uninterrupted regular support to get down with, followed by more intermittent and sporadic support to ease the pupil into ego regula ted acquisition. This defining is necessary because a rigorous behaviorist attack is merely utile for a short period of clip, determining is required to foster the pupils larning. In an English schoolroom it would be expected that the instructor would be actively reenforcing the battle of pupils in category treatment with prima and directed oppugning accompanied with congratulations for engagement. The teacher*/*** As a instructor it is of import to gain that behaviorism does work, it is a important portion of any instruction and has a really effectual and functional intent but that it is non all of the image. As with the demand to be various in learning to cover the multiple intelligences, so excessively do we hold to be various in the theories we use in our pattern. While behaviorism is a really of import tool we can utilize, and basically covers a big part of the behaviour direction and positive forms we can put in the category, we still need constructivism in order to ease * Piaget posited four phases that all human existences go through in the procedure of ripening. The sensorimotor phase is that phase â€Å" from birth to age 2. Children experience the universe through motion and senses ( utilize five senses to research the universe ) † -Santrock, John W.. Children. 9. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1998. The preoperational phase consists of kids from ages two to seven and consists of egoism and begins to see the universe symbolically, so the kids begin to believe logically and travel into the concrete operational phase between ages seven and twelve and eventually from age 12 onwards reach the formal operation phase and develop abstract logical thinking. â€Å" the fact that many of the voluntary responses of animate beings and worlds are strengthened when they are reinforced ( followed by a desirable effect ) and weakened when they are either neglected or punished. † â€Å" †¦ organisms learn new behaviors and when to exhibit them and E »unlearnE? bing behaviors. † â€Å" †¦ all behaviors are accompanied by certain effects, and these effects strongly influence whether these behaviors are repeated and at what degree of strength. † â€Å" Positive interactions between instructor and pupils can bring forth successful acquisition results in the presence of complex kineticss of individuals, conditions and results. † Snowman et Al. ( 2009 ) . Chapter 7. â€Å" Behavioural Learning Theory: Operant Conditioning † . In Psychology Applied to Teaching. 1st Australian Edition. Milton, QLD: John Wiley & A ; Sons Australia Ltd. Bibliography

Philosophy Reflection Essay

This was my first major introduction into the study of philosophy, and I can honestly say that it has had a major impact on my belief system. Many of my views have been changed and my overall view on life is much different than it was five months ago. To me, the two most interesting works were the Tao and The Mind’s I. The Tao describes a really interesting way of life. Of all the philosophies we’ve read, it is the simplest and most beautiful. Instead of scanning for hidden meanings and analyzing all parts of life, Laozi just tells us to live life. Do no more than you have to do, but do everything you have to do. He tells us not to worry about death and just live life. I honestly think very simple and peaceful way of living can bring us much more happiness than we have now in our current society. However, the only way it can be implemented is if everyone follows the Tao, and that is nearly impossible in our current society. We should honestly try to live simpler lives a nd see the beauty of everyday things. The other work that really impacted me was The Mind’s I. I’m not sure if it qualifies as a single work, but there were several important themes that really interested me and changed some of my views. The section that really interested me the most was the section describing intelligent machines and animals, and their relationship to humans. I had always considered humans superior to animals due to their intelligence and ability to communicate. I never thought too much about the idea of intelligent animals and even machines and their relationship to humans. An intelligent machine or animal that can communicate definitely would be on the same evolutionary level as humans, and thus there could be no way to justify creating an intelligent robotic servant or helper without harkening back to the ideology that prompted slavery. Also, destruction of this machine or animal would be equivalent to murder. However, I still so no moral objection to creating an intelligent robot, as long as we give it its own freedom, just as we would to one of our children. Its may be considered playing God, but if we are his greatest creations, we should have the right to test our limits. Only through a recreation of consciousness done and understood by us can we begin to understand our own consciousness as well as ourselves. I had never really thought about technology in this way and never seriously questioned the origin of my consciousness, so the Mind’s I really forced me to think about  life in a different way. Throughout the term, I not only changed and reconsidered many of my views; I discovered things that I subconsciously believed without really thinking about it. My beliefs not only changed, I discovered beliefs that I never knew I had. Some of these views surfaced when reading certain works like The Mysterious Stranger and Nietzsche. Although these two works didn’t change my deep-set views that much, it was interesting to see my instinctual beliefs get challenged. I discovered I was a pretty moderate thinker, but these readings caused many of my views on life to change. However, I still disagreed with many of the views expressed in class discussions with certain works, like the Tao. But then I realized that the Tao is designed to have different meanings to everyone who reads it so they could find their own way of life and thus doesn’t lend itself well to class discussions. I saw that the way philosophy has evolved over the years mirrors the way society has changed throughout history. The older philosophies that we’ve read, like the Tao and Plato’ work, seem to try to tell us how to live our lives to get the most happiness and satisfaction out of it, and how to find the way or see the light. The more modern philosophies seem to disregard the idea of a true path and tell us how to live in the best way, but they don’t guarantee happiness from it. The most interesting pieces for me were a mix of the modern and older philosophies, like Nietzsche and Socrates’ Apology (I guess because he lived in a ancient but modern society). Even though they were completely different and I completely disagreed with one of them, they were much more compelling to me. One important thing that I learned is that I hate reading about something that I agree on, I dislike having my views â€Å"proven† by another writer and rather read new ideas a nd opinions. From all the texts read and discussions we’ve had this year, it’s hard to highlight just three things that I learned. One of the most stimulating texts to me was The Circular Ruins. Especially when read right after Is God a Taoist, this simple story made me reconsider all my beliefs on existence and God. Just like the main character was, we are kept in the dark about our condition, where we came from and how we exist. We claim an all-mighty God  as our creator, and call ourselves superior beings in his image. However, whose to say that we are not just insignificant nothings, created by another being of no importance. Would that make us less real and important? From this story I learned to stop attaching importance and purpose to everything I do. Maybe there is a reason we don’t know where we come from; perhaps we don’t want to know. Another important lesson came from Reservation Blues. The main characters all had to deal with finding a cultural identity while trying to escape the trap of the white man. The only ones who made it out were the ones who had a strong cultural identity. They knew themselves and identified with their past before they attempted to escape the reservation. Victor and Junior either tried to ignore their past or couldn’t come to terms with their heritage. They tried to escape before they were ready, and couldn’t cope with the failure. The book’s point, despite the suicide and Victor’s destruction, was amazingly positive, it showed that if you come to terms with your past and yourself you can overcome any obstacle set against you, but you must have this understanding or you will destroy yourself. From The Razor’s Edge I learned a lot about the purpose of life from each of the vastly different characters. At first, it seems like the point of the story is that there is a difference between what we want and what makes us happy and fulfilled. Suzanne, Gray and Elliot all got what they wanted yet all seem to live unhappy, unfulfilled lives. Further inspection showed that they all are living the life that they fully wanted and expected to live, and they are perfectly content. Isabel wanted both Larry and high society type of life, and thus is disappointed with her life because she couldn’t have both. Larry didn’t know what he wanted out of life, so he took basically a timeout from the real world, went into seclusion and discovered what he wanted out of life. Now he, knowing full well what he wants, is the most satisfied of all the characters. The lesson to be learned is that happiness is completely relative, and thus you cannot call anyone a failure unless he c onsiders himself one. Also, it’s all right to take some time out of the real world and relax, take a step back and see what you really want to do next. In the end, this class really has changed my views on the best kind of life. I still believe that you need to live the type of life that will make you the happiest and most satisfied, but I don’t think that most people know what type of life that is. If you don’t have a passion, don’t force yourself into any profession. Explore the world and find something that really interests you otherwise you will get forced into a miserable life that you hate. If you have a passion, you have to follow it. You have to come in terms with who you are; understand and remember your past and childhood. We have to examine our lives to discover what we really want, then try to find it. We must simplify our actions, and we have to stop overanalyzing other’s actions and words. We have to lose our ego and sense of shame, and stop caring what people think of you. This is the simplest way to live and live happily, without having to adjust your actions to fit what other people expect from you. We have to stop fearing death and keep on living life in the happiest possible way. This will be the happiest, simplest and best life for everyone.