Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Existentialism In Hemingway And Camus - 1730 Words

People like to get stuck in what they find comfortable, and don’t want to push the boundaries. Literature was stuck in a rut, until Modernism came around and broke the standard mold that authors thought they needed to follow. This movement brought in new styles, dynamic characters and topics that centered around ground breaking theories. Many of these authors looked for their own individual way to break from the tradition. Hemingway and Camus were just two of these authors that took their novels, The Sun Also Rises and The Stranger, in directions that others hadn’t. They developed characters that broke away from the typical stock characters everyone was used to. Hemingway looked at the crazy lifestyles and the consequences that the war had†¦show more content†¦Jake states early in the book â€Å"Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy. It seemed they were all such nice people† (Hemingway 150). This is a clear example of how alcohol is u sed by not just him but all characters in this novel to numb their pain. They all are seeking out the opportunity to shy away for them real world and the pain that it brings with it. For him to appear happy, Jake needs to have something to numb him to the other feelings he had battling inside of his mind. Hemingway’s group of characters don’t see the value that life has to offer them, so instead they choose to create fake value by drinking. The alcohol driven state allows him to appear happy to the outside world. While it might appear that the characters in the book are alcoholics, it could be countered that these young men have been accustomed to consuming large amounts of alcohol as a means of escaping their lives (Djos 64). In a journal article, written by Matts Djos, he claims that Jake and his companions are â€Å"terrified that fate and circumstance might shatter their facade of civilized deference. These people lack the skills and the sanity to break their addiction to self-sufficiency and their destructive loop of unmanageability. Instead, they seek refuge in broken relationships, in changes of scene, in drunkenness and the illusion that, however meager, they can find some pleasureShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Existentialism In The Stranger1624 Words   |  7 PagesHemingway’s characters were struggling to find the value in their lives, Camus took the other side of the spectrum and made a character that didn’t see any value in life. Camus focuses on the topic of existential ism, which is the philosophical theory that focuses on the fact that everyone is responsible for developing their own actions, in his novel The Stranger. Camus introduces Meursault who is deeply rooted in the beliefs of existentialism, believing that there is no value to anything that happens in aRead More The Rise and Fall of Existentialism1287 Words   |  6 PagesThe Rise and Fall of Existentialism   Ã‚  Ã‚   Existential literature often focuses on the personal journey towards existential awareness. Common themes in existential works, such as alienation and confrontation with death, often lead the anti-hero towards a climactic choice that defines whether they have reached true understanding. The themes within existential literature are reflected from the world at large, and the works themselves are a metaphor for a grander shift in Western philosophy. Read MoreAlice Malsenior6001 Words   |  25 Pages1946, Albert Camus published his famous work called The Stranger and sparked the start of existentialism. This literary approach rejects the idea that the universe offers any clues about how humanity should live. Therefore, writers of this type glorify the ideas of freedom and individual responsibility. Other popular authors that are characterized as existentialists are Ernest Hemingway, James Baldwin, and Nathaniel West. Following its popular surge in the 1940s and 1950s, exi stentialism faded after

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The House I Live In Movie Analysis - 1862 Words

In 1971 on June 17, President Richard Nixon delivered a special message to the Congress on drug abuse prevention and control. During the presentation, Nixon made it clear that the United States was at war with this idea of drug abuse. What baffled Americans then, and still baffles Americans today, is that we are at war with our own nation with drugs; it is not some foreign affair like the media tends to focus on with Mexico. Nixon stated that at the time of his speech, what was implemented to control drug abuse was not working†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"The problem has assumed the dimensions of a national emergency. I intend to take every step necessary to deal with this emergency, including asking the Congress for an amendment to my 1972 budget to provide an†¦show more content†¦The movie went further into details about how the Chinese would smoke opium at times while working on this project and the task to illegalize opium on the West coast was taken on by many â€Å"American’s † at the time to â€Å"get back† at the Chinese for taking away jobs from these â€Å"American’s† and posing as a threat to the American economy. Furthermore, the narrator of the movie talked often with Nanny who took care of him and his family when he was young. Nanny was originally from the south and experienced first hand Jim Crow laws at work. Day to day she saw rape, violence, and other things which enticed her to move North like many other African Americans did. â€Å" They didn’t escape Jim Crow but more so saw it in a different form†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ( Jarecki) When the African Americans relocated to the north they were still working in the lower class jobs and â€Å"exiled† to the lower class housing because of the low pay and inability to afford things. Overtime as the cities developed the movie discusses that â€Å"FHA put blacks in economically depressed areas† (Jarecki) once these economically depressed areas â€Å"developedà ¢â‚¬ , they became red zoned and labeled as the ghettos. This was similar for Italians, Irish, Jews and many others who immigrated into the cities prior to the African Americans. FromShow MoreRelatedEssay about Cinderella/Everafter Comparison1092 Words   |  5 PagesSarah Hubbard September 19, 2010 Children’s Lit Review/Analysis One EVERAFTER/A CINDERELLA STORY Cinderella is a classic childhood fairy tale of a young woman who’s mother and father both die, leaving her with a wicked stepmother and two wicked stepsisters. There have been several movies portraying this classic tale. One of which is Everafter starring Drew Barrymore. In this movie a girl loses her father and mother leaving her to be a servant for her stepmother. She meets a prince and fallsRead MoreMovie Analysis : Gran Torino1649 Words   |  7 PagesHannah Swartout December 3, 2017 COM 325 Analysis Paper Gran Torino Analysis After losing his wife, Walt Kowalski was left with spoiled children and grandchildren, cigarettes, Pabst Blue Ribbon and his 1972 Gran Torino. Walt was retired from the military after serving in the Korean war. In the beginning of the movie Walt appears to be disgruntled, racist and tough-minded. He was not ecstatic that a Hmong family was moving into his deceased neighbors house. Meanwhile, the Hmong family next door facesRead MoreEssay on Finding Meaning in For Color Girls1232 Words   |  5 PagesTyler Perry adapted and transformed it into a movie in 2010. For colored girls is centered on nine women as they encounter their fair share of neglect, abuse, pain and harassment both physically and emotionally. They slowly but surely recover from such abuse and discover joy in themselves. The movie begins with the characters as strangers but at the end, they become good friends. I watched this movie because it was directed by Tyler Perry. I thought the movie was about women and their struggles to overcomeRead MoreFilm Analysis : The Notebook Essay1109 Words   |  5 PagesFilm Analysis Throughout the movie, The Notebook, there were many different aspects that corresponded with the material learned throughout the semester. There were times were you were able to pin point why each problem was faced based on different character backgrounds. As began to watch the movie, you start to understand the culture aspects of each individual by the way they talk and present themselves, which caused many situations to arise. Also, these many situations arise throughout the movieRead MorePersuasive Speech Entry 21254 Words   |  6 Pagesa girl who lives in Quentin’s neighbourhood. Analysis: In this passage, Quentin and his friend, Ben are trying to call a girl by a slang term candy-coated honeybunny. This passage can be offensive to a girl and is inappropriate for age group. Author includes this passage so he can show the attitude of that time towards the girls. Entry 2: Passage: â€Å"Also your mom. Bro, I saw your mom kiss you on the cheek this morning, and forgive me, but I swear to God I was like, man, I wish I was Q. And alsoRead MoreSankofa Film Analysis956 Words   |  4 PagesSankofa Film Analysis Who is Haile Germia? Haile Germia is an Ethiopian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter who was born March 4, 1946 and raised in Gondar, Ethiopia who now lives in the United States. He immigrated here to the United States in 1968 to pursue acting, and enrolled in the Goodman School of Drama located in Chicago. He is best known for his film Sankofa which raised a lot of awareness to the African American community. He is also known for the Los Angeles school of black filmmakersRead MoreFilm Critique of All the Presidents Men1541 Words   |  7 PagesI. Summary Opening in theaters around the United States in April of 1976, All the Presidents Men paints quite an accurate account of American journalism yet at the same time is a suspenseful adventure that manages to entertain and inform its viewers. Vincent Canby, a reviewer for the New York Times called the movie, an unequivocal smash-hitÂâ€"the thinking mans Jaws. Because the film is written from the perspective of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the movie works as a blockbuster, and notRead MoreThe Style Of David Fincher s Se7en1386 Words   |  6 PagesConclusion xix References xxi Style of Se7en by David Fincher 1. Introduction The movie selected for this particular assignment was David Fincher’s Se7en, which is an adaptation of the screenplay written by Andrew Kevin Walker, the movie was released in 1995. The movie falls under the genres of drama, mystery and thriller. All the three genres provide the viewers with incomplete information adding to the suspense of the movie. According to the Hill (2010), suspense is an external environmental stimulusRead MoreEmily Liddick. Mrs. Campbell. English 2. 23 April 2017.1203 Words   |  5 Pages2017 Gatsby Analysis Essay Cinematic techniques are methods that authors use to convey specific pieces of information in a narrative. Some examples of this would be the angle shots, flashbacks, themes, symbols, etc. In both the movie and the novel of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays multiple instances of these techniques. This not only enhances the effect that it has on the audience, but it also constructs similarities and differences between both the novel and the movie. For instanceRead MoreV for Vendetta: The Movie and the Book948 Words   |  4 Pagesbook V for Vendetta. The movie was based on that very graphic book. The main idea of the essay is to compare and contrast both the movie and the graphic book. The essay will consist of several parts. The first part will contain the analysis of the reality described in the story about V. the second part will be devoted to the comparison between the movie and the graphic book, whereas the in the last part I will contrast them. The idea of the ess ay is to prove that the movie has almost nothing common

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Power Corrupts in Animal Farm Free Essays

Power is authority and strength, which is any form of motive force or energy, ability to act, or control. When too much power is given, a dictatorship government can form, in which all decisions are made by one authority. In the book Animal Farm, by George Orwell the author portrays how â€Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely†. We will write a custom essay sample on Power Corrupts in Animal Farm or any similar topic only for you Order Now From the death of Old Major, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer replaced him. At first things started off pretty well; the harvest was very good the first year and the reading and writing system had helped some, but had limited success on others. In time, the leaders of animal farm started to have mixed feelings. Snowball and Napoleon were in constant disagreement. An important meeting that was held ended with an astonishing outcome. One decision that was made was concerning the windmill project and the most important decision made was who would be the head animal. Snowball and Napoleon each gave their input on what needs to be done around the farm. â€Å"Snowball stood up and, though occasionally interrupted by bleating from the sheep, set forth his reasons for advocating the building of the windmill. Then Napoleon stood up to reply. He said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it†. At this time, Snowball jumped back up to convince the people that it was a good idea to build a windmill. Then Napoleon sent his dogs after snowball and they chased him off the farm. Since Snowball had been expelled, Napoleon took over â€Å"The Manor Farm† which led to food shortage, hard labor, and deaths. He used his knowledge and education to take over the farm. With all the pigs and dogs on his side Napoleon had absolute power. The pigs were the brains of the farm and the dogs were the military force of the farm. Napoleon had complete control over the farm. Napoleon’s power corrupted the whole idea of Animalism amp; The Seven Commandments, which the farm first started with. The power that the three pigs obtained had corrupted them and, then Napoleon received absolute power, which corrupted the society as a whole. Throughout the story Napoleon’s power continually increases, but he’s never quite satisfied. Napoleon is always greedy for more power. Napoleon’s standards are that he must have complete power and rule over everyone, though he becomes corrupt because he gains absolute power over everyone on the farm. Stalin loses power because he is always hungry for more power, and is never satisfied with the power that he has. As Stalin dies Russia is completely corrupt because the power was not evenly distributed, and the citizens did not count as people. No power is given to the people under Stalin’s rule. Only him, and a few other privileged individuals live with power and respect in the community. In conclusion, history has proven that power is the root of all evil in a communism style government or congregation. In Animal Farm, the animals tried to be equal, but in time, some animals had certain views and different opinions and some gradually became more powerful. No matter how hard in society we try, equality will never truly be reached by mankind for the reason that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely† (Lord Acton). How to cite Power Corrupts in Animal Farm, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

T.K Doraiswamy free essay sample

Book Review: Novel Course : Indian Literature in English Course Instructor: Prof. GJV Prasad Words For The Wind (1973)- T K Doraiswamy With due credit to Google, first the Wikipedia-ish information, and this I confess I have shamelessly plagiarized solely for the reason that I myself could not be as concise. T K Doraiswamy was born in 1922. He did his M. Phil in Virginia Woolf’s works and retired as Professor of English, Mar Ivanois College, Thiruvananthapuram. Equally distinguished as a poet, translator, critic, anthologist, novelist, and short fiction writer, his publications include a novel and six books of poems in English, and nine novels and five books of poems in Tamil. He received the Asan Memorial Award for Tamil Poetry in 1983. Interestingly most of his English works were published under his real name while the Tamil ones under the pen name ‘Nakulan’. His alter-ego Naveenan in his Tamil novels stands out as a modernist anti-hero who was perhaps the first of his kind in Tamil literature. And this I mention because his only English novel â€Å"Words for the Wind† is also a first person narrative by a man named Naveen. I’m curious to know why he edited ‘Naveenan’ to ‘Naveen’ for his English work. He was one of the first writers to attempt techniques like  stream of consciousness   in Tamil literature ably. He translated James Joyce, T. S Eliot and K Ayyappa Paniker and as per Wikipedia claims, influence of Joyce was pronounced in his writings but â€Å"it was more the metaphysical and religious thrust similar to T. S Eliot and the sparseness of style of a Samuel Beckett that really makes his works stand out†. And I have particular problems with this statement, obviously. Firstly because it reeks of colonial servitude and secondly because it deprives an amazing talent the credit due for its individuality. Again as per Wikipedia, â€Å" he was definitely(italics mine) a late modernist moving into the realm of post modernism. In a review of his short stories published in The Hindu on 30 December 2008, it is mentioned that he was called â€Å" the writer’s writer† in Tamil literary circle because of his experimental writings in poetry as well as fiction and â€Å"inspite of eing experimental his writings are readable and seem simple at first reading. He never compromised with the contemporary popular literary field going for stereotyped plots to spin his work of art and consciously avoided attractive storylines opting instead for the simple straightforward narration of everyday events in his life as an outsider without any commitments or justifications with minimum words. â₠¬  A blogger observes that his Modernism was well mixed with the deepest Tamil wisdom. He remained a bachelor for life, taking care of his old parents till their death. He died in 2007. After this introduction- in which I hope you understand, heavy plagiarism was inevitable- I finally come to my very own viewpoint. I like to imagine that I have rediscovered a valuable piece of writing from a not so distant past of the Indian writing in English. During my first cursory glance of the novel I was stunned that an Indian had written something like this, way back in 1973, an Indian whom I haven’t heard about ever in literature. But then I have been badgered with amazingly stunning discoveries in this class , stunning obviously for an ignorant student like me, which made my first astonishment subside not through the course of the novel but through the course of this course. I realized, Indians had actually written amazingly stunning stuff that I, pitifully an Indian, had grown up being oblivious of. So. While my dear friends have been coveting the enticingly slim 76 page volume that I chose, I myself reveled in an apparently easy read- which illusion was later shattered. The novel begins with the rather casual, candid opening, â€Å" I want to write a short novel in English. I have been toying with the idea of doing this off and on, these three, four, five years past. But now I have started it. Now that I have started it, I don’t know how I should go about it. Till now the idea of the medium- I mean English- has been the stumbling block. But now I have actually started it I find the real crux is what I should write about. I can start with myself. But they say you should not. I very well identify with such a strain of writing and therefore it was personally very palatable to me, by the middle of the first page however I was smiling to myself. Here he says, â€Å"I have read my share of Joyce, Kafka, Beckett. Who has not? † I smiled thinking, ‘surely Mr. writer, you did not expect such erudition from the wind to which you have ostensibly directed your words. Or perhaps, this wind blows only in literary circles! ’ Well, I sha melessly confess being the ordinary commonplace listless wind†¦. appily the very next line read, â€Å"But when it comes to the point, I prefer taking my whisky neat. † True for the writer, as for the reader. I have given such a long introduction of the writer because the novel is heavily autobiographical. It is surely stream of consciousness or as Naveen would have us believe, he plunges his hand in the pocket of memory and takes out whatever comes, but â€Å"memory† as in the caveat Naveen quickly adds, â€Å" is a crazy bitch†. The prose is interspersed with very short poetic pieces all over, making the experimental temper evident. The narrative is calibrated into nine neat short chapters which ramble through Naveeen’s musings over his home with his old parents: â€Å"An ill- furnished house. A hole. One two three. Father, mother and me† ; His listless life: â€Å"I read books. I smoke. Occasionally I drink. I chew pan. I ask myself if this is life. I doubt. † At another place : â€Å" I suppose temperamentally I like it- just lying down, reading Simone Weil or thinking†¦. † ; His shared past and present with an elder brother posted at the embassy at Washington: â€Å" I knew Guru in the sense that my elder brother knows Guru. Yes the Guru I know is the Guru he knows. So it is Guru twice removed. † ; his school; the death of a self-castrated popular Saiva Vellala teacher and how the sight of his corpse broke something in Naveen and turned him to musing and writing; his friend Sivan who is disgusted with life simply because each row with his wife who ill treated his old mother was finally made up with sex : â€Å"Man is a pack- animal and the loads you put on him- house, office, wife, children, ambition and not to lag behind his own ideals. Naveen, you know no white man will understand this; it is not the white man’s burden. It is yours and mine. If only I can cut off my penis. ; and an entire chapter where he is talking to his intimate friend, his dog named Pappa Mia. The winding narration which seems erratic however is not really haywire. There are recurring symbols revealed at another places in the novel which remind me slightly of â€Å"The God of Small Things. † What I liked best in the novel was the balance of the uncerta inty in tone with the deep ponderings over the everyday happenings in Naveen’s life, it’s self-indulgent mode, meandering over the metaphysical and the physical, mundane and bizarre, without alienating the reader : â€Å" I don’t know why I write this novel. Self-expression? But I doubt whether I have a self to express at all†¦.. Reader, I am as curious as you are to find out where all this will take me†. Through Naveen’s narration, which often appeals directly to the reader, the novel explores the problem of language, of expression in English, of the image of Indians in the eyes of their fellow countrymen settled abroad, of sexuality, life, God, shadows, reality, relations, old age, politics- literary and social, and even novel writing â€Å"as an exciting game†. There shouldn’t however be any misconception about the kind of narrative this is. Here is a forty year old widely read man. He quotes from the writers he has read, but not to flaunt his erudition, for with him â€Å"impressions are ideas†. He muses, â€Å"because I teach Whitman, just at present, should I steal my ideas from him? Do we steal ideas? Or do ideas steal us? I do not know which is which. † The names of writers that find mention in his narrative range from Joyce, Kafka, Beckett, Proust, James, Stein, Bacon, Shakespeare , Dos Passos, Forster, Frost, Emerson, Dylan Thomas( with whose quote the book ends), Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn to Naipaul, Nirad Chaudhary, Bharathi, Bharathidasan, Ramamirtham, C. V Deshani, Buddhadeva Bose, Mauni and Keshav Malik ( to whom the book is dedicated). Towards the end, during the episode with old man N. N, the narrative becomes heavily philosophical and transcendental. There are unforgettable vignettes that furnish the scape of the life and mind of this interesting man. These include the fleeting mention of an Indo-Anglian sahiba’s comment â€Å"apropos of my poems, that I wrote only notes for poems and not poems at all. , the repulsive episode of the maid Alamu, the reflections over Pappa Mia’s stumped tail, and many interesting conversations like the following with his elder brother visiting from the US: â€Å" ‘You are a typical Indian stick-in-the mud. So self-satisfied. Have you seen the poor here? ’ ‘I have read Naipaul. ’ ‘Do you think our people will ever advance? ’ ‘I have read Nirad Chaudhary. ’ ‘ But what do you think? ’ ‘I think they tell only half th e truth. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦do you think you can speak the whole truth? ’ ‘Nobody can speak the whole truth. ’ ‘ My God, you are a typical Indian all over, spinning words like the spider. † And my personal favorite of all his fantastic poetic pieces( this one describing his English teacher) strewn all over the text: â€Å" He was Rotund Or rather Orotund; He was Rubicund And Round like A cubical Homunculus: Bless me! The Dear One Cheered one’s soul! And the man Knew English. † Interesting peeps into the language conflict can be seen as in, â€Å"like as here we have coconut trees†¦. †, â€Å"I did not exactly know what exactly happened†. Also as he quotes some Mr. D who told him that it is only in English the word â€Å"I† is capitalized, which leads him to think, â€Å"I don’t know. It may be. And I have only this â€Å"I† to go by. So whatever strikes it, finds a place here. † Also as his friend refers to his wife as his â€Å"she†, and the spider in Tamil is simply called â€Å"eight legs†. Somebody tells somebody, â€Å" you should have gone home instead of standing here and standing. † Naveen’s views on writing are scattered over the narrative. â€Å"I don’t believe in erasing anything I have written. The dustbins wait. What are books but space conveniently contrived to hold garbage? † , â€Å"Reader I tell you words are the devil†, and he classic conversation with his dog in which he says â€Å"Why should a book be chockfull of words that follow pell-mell, cheek by jowl that hurt you like mad? When will the fellow cease his endless palaver? Pappa Mia, you are right. The real writer never bothered to write. I know it; you know it; yes, which dog did ever bother to set pen to paper? † For al l the theorizing, reviewing and tagging, I will only end my paper by repeating what Sivan tells Naveenan: â€Å"But Naveenan, why a writer writes the way he does God only knows! † ( True for the novel, as for this paper! )

Friday, November 29, 2019

Redemption in The Kite Runner Essay Essay Example

Redemption in The Kite Runner Essay Paper It is merely natural for worlds to do errors. merely like Amir in the novel The Kite Runner. but it is how the errors are resolved that will order 1s destiny. The chief character of The Kite Runner. Amir. knows a thing or two about doing errors. What he struggles with throughout the novel is happening salvation for those errors. Throughout all phases of Amir’s life. he is endeavoring for salvation. Whether Amir is stating the incorrect thing or concealment from a hurtful truth. he ever finds new things he will hold to deliver himself for. That is why salvation is a immense underlining subject in The Kite Runner. When Amir is a kid. he feels his male parent blames him for his mother’s decease and can non love him. He does everything he can believe of to seek and do up for the errors he made in the yesteryear. Since Amir feels his male parent does non love him. he thinks of ways to do things right with him. Amir sees Baba as a perfect higher presence that he could neer am ount to. We will write a custom essay sample on Redemption in The Kite Runner Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Redemption in The Kite Runner Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Redemption in The Kite Runner Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When the kite running competition comes around he takes this chance to turn out to his male parent that he can be more of an â€Å"ideal† boy to Baba. finally acquiring salvation for everything his male parent has non approved of. Amir sees Baba as a perfect male parent figure because everyone looks up to him. Amir could neer populate up to Baba’s outlooks of him and that is where the subject of salvation comes to play between these two characters. Although Amir impresses his male parent by winning the kite running competition. he ends the twenty-four hours by aching his best friend in a awful manner and one twenty-four hours he will hold to happen a manner to do up for it. Amir and Hassan are two inseparable kids. but their relationship is unusual because Hassan is Amir’s retainer. Amir is neer really nice to Hassan. but Hassan would neer turn his dorsum on Amir. This is apparent when he says. â€Å"For you a thousand times over† . Amir makes a immense er ror one twenty-four hours by aching Hassan and it takes a really long clip for him to happen a manner to deliver himself. The kit running competition was supposed to be the best twenty-four hours of Amir’s life. He would win. and gain his dad’s unconditioned love one time and for all. but things are non ever as they seem. Although Amir did win the competition. something went really incorrect. Hassan will ever hold Amir’s back. until the twenty-four hours he dies he would make anything for him. When Amir cut the last Kite down from the sky. Hassan decided to run it. Assef and his two friends didn’t precisely want Hassan to convey the kite back to Amir. Amir is a really evil immature male child and since Hassan would make anything for Amir. he refuses to manus the kite over to Assef. Hassan’s concluding act of courage consequences in his colza and Amir’s following large error. Amir watches Assef and his friends rape Hassan. but he does nil to assist his friend. Amir goes many old ages cognizing this information but neer tells anyone. but what goes about comes around. When everything eventually catches up with Amir. he is a adult adult male. Thingss in Amirâ⠂¬â„¢s life have eventually settled down. but now the yesteryear is brought back up ; he must travel happen salvation one time more. Amir survived his childhood. made a good life for himself and marries a beautiful Afghan adult female named Soraya. One thing Amir is deprived of in his life is the ability to hold kids. Amir’s inability to hold kids could perchance be looked at as coincidental or symbolic to him doing damagess for his past errors and scruples. Amir receives a phone call from his father’s old friend Rahim Khan. Although Rahim is deceasing. he asks Amir to come visit him in Afghanistan. Amir shortly realizes that the chief ground Rahim Khan asked him to see was non to see him before he died. but because Rahim wants to assist Amir win in making his concluding salvation. Rahim Khan has known about the kite running competition for Amir’s full life. and he has a manner for him to seek and put things right. Hassan. who is dead now. has a boy. but he is an orphan male child. The Taliban has taken over Afghanistan and they killed Hassan and his married woman in cold blood. Sohrab. who is Hassan’s boy. has been taken by the Taliban as payment for the orphanhood. Rahim Khan puts Amir up to the challenge of traveling to happen Sohrab and giving him a proper place. He states. â€Å"I have a manner to do things right again† . In order for Amir to deliver his yesteryear with Hassan. he must travel and happen Sohrab. who is the ultimate symbol of salvation in Amir’s life. Finding Sohrab was Amir’s greatest achievement. it was the ultimate salvation for all the evil and unfair things that have haunted his yesteryear. Amir fails to stand up for himself and others. as a kid. As an grownup. he redeems his uncourageous yesteryear by puting it right with the aid of some really close household members. Amir goes through many phases in his life. but he ever seems to be delivering himself for something. Sometimes life seems to work out in the terminal. and the hunt for salvation may non ever be easy. as witnessed in Amir’s instance. However. a strong will and finding can assist steer the route to salvation and possible forgiveness.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Andress Mother Essays

Andress Mother Essays Andress Mother Essay Andress Mother Essay I met you 3 years ago and since our friendship has become stronger, I now feel free to tell you about certain things that really bother me. For example, the way you behave towards your heritage and your family. That day when your mom came to visit you in Fort Lauderdale I had the chance to sit and talk to her for a while, and I was impressed by the things she told me. During my conversation with your mom, she told me that you were so embarrassed of the house you used to live in. She also old me you were embarrassed to bring your friends over and with these words she mentioned, She wrote me once that no matter where we choose to live, she will manage to come see us. But she will never bring her friends (445). I can not Imagine how you could break your moms heart Like this. Poor women, she took such good care of you when you were a little kid, and now that you are gown you hurt her feelings without even noticing It. This is Just so unfairly I understand that you came from a small town and know you are a different person since you moved to a bigger city. It is normal to pursue a better life, and even be ambitious. I remember your mother telling me, Dee wanted nice things. A yellow organdy dress to wear to her graduation from high school; black pumps to match a green suit shed made from an old suit somebody gave me (445). Hangers, I do not think is healthy to be so ambitious and materialistic the way you are. You always wanted to have more than what your mom could offer you, and you never felt grateful for the effort she put on raising you as a single mother with almost any money in the pocket. You got to point of denying your own heritage, and as a friend I advise you to open your eyes and try to change your behavior before It Is too late. I remember that you told me you even changed your name. Seriously, I think you are hilarious! You changed your own name! People do not just change their names as they change the furniture of their homes. A name each one of us carries it is a part of us, a part of our essence. You said once, l couldnt bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me (446). Hangers, that statement was a bit too radical. Some of your past relatives suffered with slavery and some might have been named by their landlords during times of slavery, but you were named after your aunt Decide. Do not try to trace that far back why your name was Dee. You have the knowledge about your ancestors and all you should do is be proud of it. Forget about the oppression you ancestor had been through and try to be happy for the opportunities you had in life. I have a life episode similar to one of yours. I also went to college away from my hometown, as you know I came from Brazil all the way here. My mom helped me pack my luggage. All the moms are the same! She bought me some dresses, some shoes and everything was handmade In Brazil. I loved all the gifts. I thought that was so thoughtful of her. I guess I responded to my moms generosity Ana to my enervate Transiently Trot ten way you 010 when your mom sent you to college. Your mom made a confession one day about your cruelty, and she told me exactly like this, l didnt want to bring how I had offered Dee (Hangers) a quilt went she went away to college. Then she had told me they were old-fashioned, out of style (448). You are definitely inconsiderate. Once more you hurt your moms feelings. The only person who was always by your side you made sure to push her away from you. If I would have done the same to my mom I would ever forgive myself. I would not even be able to sleep. It is amazing how different from one another people can be. Your family, Hangers, may be simple and live in a small town, but they seem to be very happy with the little they have. I got to hear about the story of the quilt, by the way, very interesting. Your mom told me all about it. From what I heard, you went to visit your mom and your sister, and when you got there you saw some old quilts and you wanted them for you. Interestingly, your mom had separated the quilts for your sister, and according to your mom you said, Maggie cant appreciate these quilts! Shed probably be backward enough to put them for everyday use (448). Hangers, your family values the thing they have in a different way. You learned to appreciate those quilts because you learned about your heritage. Your mom and your sister they did not have the chance to learn about their heritage, neither to learn how to appreciate it. They simply appreciate it. They value their clothing, their objects, their quilts by simply using them. They do not intend to frame their quilts, neither the objects they have at home. They simply use them. A real beautiful person, Hangers, is not someone that dresses up with the latest fashion, or wears the most beautiful Jewelry. A beautiful person is the one that appreciates their family, their heritage and does not feel embarrassed by being who they are. You could change if you really wanted. I do not mean, change the way you dress, do not get me wrong. Your outfits are awesome. You could change by being more loving towards your mom and your sister. Prove that you love them, visit them more often, and take care of your mom. Be proud of who you are, and from what you accomplished so far, because all you are today is due to your mom efforts to send you away to have a better future. I hope you do not turn your back to our friendship. I really care about you, and that is why I wrote you this letter. I know I was too straight forward, but friends exist to sometimes tell the truth. Sometimes truth hurts, I know. I got upset when I heard from your mom all those things. I know she was also very upset when we talked about all this. I will be going to Brazil next week, and I will not be able to talk to you for a while. I hope we can meet up after I come back from my trip. Best Wishes,

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Critical Debates in Plannling Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Debates in Plannling - Article Example According to the authors, there is need for planners, developers, and policy holders to work on a system that would promote the interests of development while also enhancing the objectives of development. As such, this study adopts a collaborative approach that connects the objectives of the competing sides of the argument towards a meaningful collaboration. Davoudi (2010) explored the various approaches on sustainable development as understood together with the efficacy and value of the various issues that connect between development issues and the need to safeguard the environment. Some of the approaches explored include ecological modernization, risk society, and traditional approaches. In this regard, it makes sense to consider these matters in terms of the concerns raised about the preservation of the environment. Campell (1996) examined the key details that engage the minds of planners in their quest to achieve green cities. The triangular model used in the understanding of these challenges provides a broad insight into the weaknesses of past and current approaches in light of the desire to achieve comprehensive development. Among the dominant issues discussed is the matter of priority with particular attention to urban development versus environmental concerns at hand. The study by Cowell and Owens (2006) did not provide sufficient emphasis on the technical areas of cooperation in view of the competing perspectives on the same. Furthermore, the study did not provide enough specifics regarding the challenges faced by policy implementers in order to justify the kind of approaches adopted for remedy. In his comparison of the various approaches sustainable development, Davoudi (2010) did not provide insights into the possible ways that could enhance the efficiency of some of the innovative approaches of sustainable development. The approach suggested by Campbell does not seem to engage with

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Requiring students to pass a standardized test to receive a high Essay

Requiring students to pass a standardized test to receive a high school diploma will not improve the educational standards or academic achievement in our school - Essay Example They will be enabled to assess the suitability of the student who had applied for admission into undergraduate or graduate degree programs (Standardized Tests, 2006). Twenty – two states of the Union have implemented such exit examinations and there is a proposal in four more states to follow suit. Critics have opined that implementing exit examinations in schools would not be beneficial to children from low income group families. Controversy surrounds these exit examinations. Thus, the state of Maryland postponed its examinations schedule for two years. The state Board of Education is keenly reviewing the date regarding implementation of exit examinations. However, proponents of exit examinations claim that the tests would improve the quality of education and contribute to the achievement of higher goals (Toppo). An improvement in the amount of time expended on various subjects was discerned in high school graduation. For instance, in the year 2005, sixty – eight percent of high school graduates had studied English for four years and mathematics, science and social studies for three years. This is a laudable feat and is higher than that of the year 1990, wherein only forty percent of the students had graduated in the core subjects. According to the results of a federal study, in the year 2005, fifty – one percent of students had taken college preparatory work, which had been only thirty – one percent in the year 1990 (Toppo). According to Russlyn Ali of the Education Trust West, an advisory group in Oakland, most of the children in the USA graduated without acquiring basic knowledge and skills. This was established in the federal study. Moreover, that study had disclosed that the average high school senior student was unable to read fluently and lacked basic skills. In addition, Jack Jennings of the Center on Education Policy,

Monday, November 18, 2019

Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience Essay

Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience - Essay Example In Japan, manga artists developed stories with sharp edges because their heroes tackled not only villains but also calamity, anguish and eventually a call for accountability. Although comic book/manga industries had different roles in their societies, post-war cartoonists on both sides spilled a great deal of ink in trying to grasp the promise and perils created by the onset of atomic age. For the Japanese, when the bomb was dropped, it marked the actual onset of the story and the horrors of Hiroshima form the dominant image of the Japanese collective memory of the war, which meant many Japanese considered themselves victims of unwarranted aggression (Szasz and Issei 729). However, the American occupation of Japan between 1945 and 19950 saw the censorship of all references to atomic themes from Japanese writers. Nevertheless, from mid 1950s onward, voices of Japanese politicians, intellectuals, cartoonists and people affected by the bomb gradually began to emerge (Szasz and Issei 730 ). The post-war culture reflected a polarized perspective because the Americans considered it a triumph while the Japanese considered it a tragedy. If the atomic power produced American animals determined to bring about justice, the Japanese writers approached the theme from very distinct perspectives. An example of radiation-powered creature rests in Japanese film Godzilla in 1954. Based on the heated atmosphere with regard to the atomic bomb, came the infamous fictional monster Godzilla where the film begins with the Godzilla attacking a fishing boat. After the monster became exposed to radiation from hydrogen bomb test, the creature emerges as a forty-five-foot monster. Godzilla acts as a powerful allegory regarding the dangers of hydrogen, which depicts their collective memory of the attack and its consequences (Szasz and Issei 744-745). In its initial form, Godzilla was an allegory and not a direct atomic statement and because of the relative silence with regard to the moral is sues involved, Barefoot Gen holds a unique position in the history of the literature (Szasz and Issei 746). The period between 1945 and 1970 witnessed few American or Japanese creative artists raise the question of responsibility for the decision of using the atomic weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This shows that although it was few years since the end of the war, the people’s memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were fresh in the minds of Japanese citizens. Barefoot Gen is truly extraordinary within manga, Atomic-bomb related films and atomic anime because of the way it deals with the issue. While other works dealing with the issue focus on lives of survivors in post-war period, Barefoot Gen offers a wide focus because it does not shy from the crucial issues regarding restriction on freedom of thought and freedom of speech in pre-war Japan. Barefoot Gen is one of the main Atomic-bomb related works developed in Japan to address the issue of residents were treated during that period; hence, offering collective memory of the war (Szasz and Issei 749). Despite the gravity of the issue and the tragedies that occurred throughout the tale of Barefoot Gen, the tale is infused with life-affirming joviality, which is not a small part because of the way Gen and other children are portrayed (Szasz and Issei 750). It clear that by living their wits, children amid the post-war confusion were far energetic and resilient compared to the adult

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Case Study: Transferable Skills

Case Study: Transferable Skills How was I before the Core Business Skills module? The Core Business skills is a module that explores a number of quality tools that will help us to look at our core skills in the business field and identify areas where we could improve. At the beginning of this module, I used to leave my life as normal with few skills that I have learned from my parents, for example the Communication skills and Team working skills, but even it was not enough to communicate or to work with whomever. Communication skills and team working skills are the closest skills; team working can not occur if there is no communication. Since our childhood, our parents push us to get in touch with people of our ages. At beginning, it is never easy seeing the quarrels that happen with our friends in the youngest ages while playing together, but these skills get developed in growing older. I also had an experience of team working during few years when I used to play football in a club, and as we know this sport is not played individually, but in a team, and I had learned a lot during this experience. It is sure that we learn a lot from our parents and the activities in our childhood, but studying complements the path our parents put us on to build our future in order to get the objective of having a good life later on. I have also learned during my past years some important skills that our module covers, such as Numeracy skills and Information Skills. However, they were not as important as we studied during this semester. Numeracy skills are taught in increasing levels since the youngest ages, starting from the primary school until we get our degree at the university, but before, it was just numbers and relations that I learned and that dont stand for anything real. On what concerns the information skills, I have learned a few about it during the high school and I increased my level on it during the foundation year I have done last year at the university. Other skills that are closer to the communication skills which are the effective learning skills, and they are also close to the personal and career development skills as well. The effective learning skills are the ones I learned trough some experiences, but for what concerns the personal and career development skills I did know nothing about them until I discovered them during this module. What this module has changed on my life? Regarding the six transferable skills that I have learned during this module, I notice that I have made a big improvement on these skills that help me now to be more efficient on getting my objectives either on my personal or professional life. Since more than one year ago, I work and I study simultaneously, and things that I learned during this module brought me to a higher level that I was not expecting from myself. I will introduce my job in few words and describe how what I got from the Core Business Skills module changed the way I was doing it. So, I work as Electronic Dance Music producer with many professional record labels worldwide, and this started just by passion at the beginning until I have been discovered by one of the most famous deejays in South America, and then I had a proposal to sign my song on his own record label located in Buenos Aires in Argentina, here was my first professional experience and I was afraid of getting ripped off because I did not know how to deal with the contract and I did not even negotiate it. However, I kept balancing between what I study and my work and I acquired more experiences practicing what I study on my professional life. Edwin H. Friedman said about communication that The colossal misunderstanding of our time is the assumption that insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change. Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choices words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech. (1) So, the communication skills are very important on my daily work, now due to what I learned, I started knowing how to negotiate my contracts with the other record labels for each song I make, and this fact contributes on making more profit and also to advertise my artwork and letting people buy what I make. This course also helped me to learn how to make formal letters to communicate with the record labels and producers worldwide as well as this will serve me later on my professional life as future manager. Now as Im still a student I do use it only on my music affaire and my personal life with my family and friends. Also I would mention that as a student and future manager, I highly improved my skills on making presentations in front of the audience. On what concerns the effective learning skills on my personal and professional life, now I can know what I should improve on my life, on my studies or on my musical skills. Before, on my studies, I was kind of lost when the exams were approaching, it usually happened to me to be confused on what to prioritize and what to leave for the last, but now I got this level of knowing prioritizing the most important things after identifying them. Same thing on my life out of studies and on my professional life as well, now I can identify on what I could improve to make better songs in the future, I can manage myself to improve my personal and my student life to get best results, and eventually, now I know what I want to be, what I want to be later on, and how to get my goal. On my professional life, I also use the skills I learned about the team working knowing that my job consists on composing and producing songs, sign them on record labels then advertising them as much as possible to get profit out of them, even if advertising is the main work of the record labels. Also, it plays a vital role on my personal life. As I said at the beginning, team working is taught by our parents and our society at the first before starting classes, but whatever is the level that we get from these lasts, the school teaches us more about them. We work in teams at home, we play sport in teams and also at the school and the university we work for some projects given for our studies in teams or either preparing for our exams we mostly work in teams. TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. Working in teams is essential on the business life, either working for our own or others companies, these skills consist mainly on sharing tasks and ideas in a project work, and th is technique is more efficient than working alone. Numeracy skills stand for budgeting, numeracy functions and computations, dates and time, parenting and health related numeracy. These skills on budgeting or money management and banking serve to count money, make change, calculate services charges, save money and invest it too, and these are generally skills that our module covers adding to the numeracy functions and computations skills that we learned in the past from the primary school until the high school. Dates and time skills are used to some basic things in life as using a calendar, fill in time sheets or writing the date as well as the parenting and health related numeracy skills to read directions and dosage on medicines bottles, read thermometers or to understand a report card. All these numeracy skills are important and very useful on whomevers daily life for either managers, farmers or whatever we can be. During this module I leaned the most of the important numeracy skills for business management field, and this regardi ng the decision threes to analyze and get the best solution to do not make loss on business and take the best decision. The information skills are vital for all the successful professionals. These skills help us to become more efficient. Here are some techniques that help us to develop our information skills. The first one is how to take notes effectively, and this is a good tool to record and organize the information, the second one is to fully absorb the written information to assimilate and understand the written information quickly and effectively. Reading strategies is also a technique to read faster by thinking what to read, while the technique of keeping the information fresh in our minds helps to keep what we learned alive in our minds. There is also a technique which is learning in a way that suits us and this will not only help us on developing the ways we can learn, but we will be able to make what we do so the others can learn efficiently from us. Making learning an enjoyable experience is for me the best way to learn efficiently because if we love what we do we get good results, and this is what is helping me a lot on my music producer career, even all the results that I got from my productions I still dont consider this as a job but just as my main passion and I keep learning day after day. Same thing on my studies, there are some topics that I enjoy and I can be successful on them, but once I dont love one topic, I know that I will have problems within it. The personal and career development skills are the ones I really enjoyed during this module. These skills are mainly keys for everyones life. To know our own strengths that we already have and we might build on, our weaknesses that we could reduce or otherwise work around, our opportunities that are related to our chances and that we can exploit better than the others, or even our threads that we need to be aware of them and to avoid them is a simple analysis that allows us to know who really we are and to avoid stress. I also learned how to manage my time and the basic ideas of control in this module, and all these skills have changed my personal and professional life and help me to gain more confidence on myself and to keep improving on my life in general. What should I develop again on my transferable skills? All the skills that I got from the Core Business Skills module are not skills related only to the business field, but to our life in general and help to improve the way we are living it. Bill Clinton, the forty second U.S President (1993-2001) said: Today, many companies are reporting that their number one constraint on growth is the inability to hire workers with the necessary skills. (2) From what Bill Clinton said, companies have a lack of workers with the necessary skills, and they do their best to overcome this problem, but people with the necessary skills are not enough to satisfy every companys need. To participate on the growth of our society, we should all have some basic skills which when we develop them, we get a higher level of confidence and abilities. Personally, even the improvement that I have done during this module, I still have to improve all the skills to get my personal objective. We know that the sky is the limit for what concerns learning the skills, and we can improve them more and more day after day. My skills on communication are not enough, because if I start communicating with professional people I could not be at the same level as them, but with the practice and time I can develop my skills and reach the level required by the professional world. Also, I still have many problems when it comes to the numeracy skills on business; the decision tree for example seems to me easy, I can get the tree, but not the calculation, I usually get lost on applying the relations and calculating numbers. The information skills, and the personal and career development skills, I think we can develop them more within the next modules and experiences. I got a lot of benefits from this module, it has changed my life, now I see things in a professional way and this is the best way to reach out the objectives that we set on our life. Now that I learned also these skills I set new goals to my life and I will try to achieve them all, or at least the majority. People with goals mostly succeed because they already know where they are going. I also believe in Willis Reeds quote that says: Go for the moon. If you dont get it, you will still be heading for a star.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Cubism & Expressionism Essay -- essays research papers fc

In this paper I will be comparing the expressionist art movement with the cubist art movement. I will discuss some of the artists that made these movements a stepping-stone for the other movement that followed. I will look at Picasso and Kandinsky to name a couple.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Expressionism, which began in 1905, was the term used for early 20th century art that conveyed emotional and spiritual preoccupations of the artist, using a variety of styles and subject matter (Arnason 124). These expressionist artists built on techniques of the post-impressionist movement; they generally relied on simple and powerful shapes that were direct and sometimes crude expression (Arnason 124). All this was to heighten the emotional response of the viewer experiencing the art (Arnason 124).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Expressionist drew inspiration from their own background traditions of medieval sculptures and folk art (Arnason 124). They also referred back to art from Africa and Oceania (Arnason 124). One of the more famous artist that also referred to African art for inspiration was Pablo Picasso. Picasso with Braque have been credited for developing cubism. Cubism was a revolutionary turn in the history of art. It was not an abstract style in itself, but it gave way to the many varieties of nonobjective art that made its way throughout Europe (Arnason 156). It can be seen as a more radical expression of the philosophy that justified the artistic thoughts and innovatio...

Monday, November 11, 2019

George Orwell 1984 Essay

In this essay I intend to investigate experiences and historical events in Orwell’s lifetime. These events may have significantly influenced Orwell’s style, structure and theme, contributing to the political and artistic nature of his novel. I also intend to compare the contradictory interpretations of Orwell’s ‘message’. Did he intend 1984 as a warning, a prediction, or a historical novel? Despite its critics 1984 has made a significant impression on the modern world. Its infiltration into reality television may not be a tribute Orwell would have appreciated but many of his terms and phrases have been used to highlight threats to social and personal freedom. I will use this as a basis to ascertain whether there are other aspects of Orwell’s novel that have become reality in the modern world. 1984 by George Orwell was written in1947/48. This era has been referred to as ‘The age of anxiety, the age of the lost generation’. (www. historyguide. org/europe/lecture10) It was a nightmare world where individuality was lost. The totalitarian states of the time, exercised complete control over the lives of their human subjects. The Great War (World War One) facilitated totalitarian regimes, simply because war has only one objective: victory. â€Å"Individuality is sacrificed for collectivism and freedom is restricted as governments reject liberal values†. (www. historyguide. org/europe/lecture10) This mood of anxiety and conformity, is clearly illustrated in 1984; this is portrayed in the early pages of the novel and is maintained throughout. Orwell cleverly uses his descriptive talent, to set the scene for his reader. At the very beginning of his novel ‘the vile wind, the swirl of gritty dust’ (Page 4) projects a negative image of life in 1984. The maintenance of these visual images is preserved and comparisons, between post-war Britain and 1984, are recognisable. Examples of these are the shortages, rationing and the bombsites of the 1940’s. Orwell successfully engages the readers’ senses to conjure up images within the mind of the reader. ‘The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats’. (Page 4) I found phrases like this one actually made me feel the squalor and deprivation he was describing. The use of visual cues is also a theme, which starts on the first page of Orwell’s novel. He continually presents images that could be describing London during the 1940’s, but are in fact describing life in 1984. ‘A coloured poster too large for indoor display has been tacked to the wall ’(Page 4) Orwell has managed to reaffirm the squalid surroundings by the use of the word ‘tacked’ before he has even described the poster. ‘It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five with heavy black moustache and ruggedly hand-some features’. Many have suggested that Orwell based his character â€Å"Big Brother† the leader of the party on Stalin and Hitler because they all shared similar physical characteristics and had the ability to â€Å"manipulate the minds of the masses†. (The Worlds Most Evil Men). However, Churchill was also â€Å"recognised for his skill in altering peoples minds†(The History Of World War II) which could be interpreted that, the people of the 1940’s were being manipulated, regardless of their countries political status. His creative talent excelled itself with the name of his totalitarian leader. Big Brother conveys an image of trust and loyalty with the idea that he is a member of your family who is a figure affording protection and security. This is a complete contradiction to the lives of the Russian citizens under Stalin or the German people during Hitler’s rein and indeed the population of nineteen eighty four had little opportunity to feel safe. The naming of other characters within his novel, I suspect, had a deeper meaning. For example Emmanuel Goldstein’s face was described as It resembled the face of a sheep and the voice, too, had a sheep like quality. The significance of this description becomes more meaningful if you look at a poster (see appendix 1) used during World War II. Henri Guigon represented Churchill as a British bulldog in an American poster. To the whole world Britain’s new prime minister epitomised the stubborn and proud nature of the British. Orwell uses animals for descriptive comparison frequently in his writing but the use of a sheep, in this instance, is a curious choice. The character Goldstein is the leader of the opposition and sheep like qualities conjure up images of low intelligence and all following the crowd. This is a form of sarcasm that implies ridicule, disapproval, or contempt Sarcasm often includes an element of irony. Winston’s description of the opposition is not dissimilar to party members. Orwell could have been expressing his concerns with how Churchill’s War Cabinet, had on occasions, behaved no differently from the fascist regimes of the era. News was censored, wages controlled and travel restricted under the guise of wartime necessity. (Guardian 2002). However Goldstein is a Jewish name and World War II had just ended when this book was being written. Goldstein is used as a scapegoat in 1984, which has, parallels with the Nazis attempt to blame their problems on the Jews. In my opinion the name of Orwell’s main character Winston Smith also had a deeper, if somewhat personal meaning. Orwell was a dying man, when he wrote this novel, and he was probably aware it would be his final legacy to the world. He had a reluctant admiration for Churchill. Although he did not always agree with his policies he admired him not only for his courage but also a certain â€Å"largeness and geniality†. The History Of World War II) This admiration was expressed in the form of poetry that he rarely wrote. (See appendix 2). It is a fitting acknowledgement of this respect, that Winston became the name of his primary character. Smith is simply a very common English name, which gives the impression that Winston Smith is a very ordinary citizen not dissimilar to oneself. The caption under the Big Brother posters read â€Å" Big Brother is watching you† (Page 4) Orwell’s use of capital letters for this caption, and indeed others later in the book, gives increased impact to the reader of the significance of these words. It gives a sense of the controlling nature of the society in which the citizens of 1984 lived; constantly being watched by the eyes of Big Brother. It was similar to the blackouts enforced during World War II where wardens’ patrolled neighbourhood, and failure to conform, resulted in humiliating offenders in front of their neighbours. (The History Of World War II) The use of posters and slogans in Orwell’s novel may well have been inspired by the vast array of similar images used during World War II. England and Germany, among others, used large images, in a poster format, to send messages to their people. These were used to encourage conformity, solidarity and patriotism within each nation. At times they were also used to inflate morale at home and abroad, while at the same time humiliating and ridiculing their opponents. (See appendix 3) A good example of this, used in World War II, is the appearance of ‘V’ on walls in German- occupied Belgium. The Flemish speaking Belgians would interpret this as ‘vrijheid’, which means freedom, and the French speaking Belgians would understand this to mean ‘victoire’ (victory). This is a cruel psychological attack on an already defeated nation. Winston describes party slogans, in 1984, on the walls of buildings, which also have contradictory meanings. â€Å"War is peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength† (Page 6) Orwell uses this type of psychological approach in different ways throughout his novel. Orwell’s wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy (1905-1945) had a degree in psychology from Oxford University. Obtained in the 1920’s this would have been a significant achievement for a woman at that time and her influence on Orwell’s writing has been recognised. Eileen wrote a poem called â€Å"End Of The Century, 1984†(1934). There are similarities between the futuristic vision of Eileen’s poem and Orwell’s 1984, including mind control and the destruction of personal freedom. (www. arlindo-correia) The aggression, described by Winston, during the two-minute hate, and the hangings could have been influenced by Eileen’s psychological knowledge. There are various psychological theories as to why people display aggression. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) believed aggressive impulses are a reaction to frustrations of daily lives. This theory could easily be applied to the citizens in 1984. Freud’s theories were very influential during the 1940’s/50’s and his written articles had an almost political language, when referring to human behaviour, which may have appealed to Orwell’s political and artistic nature. Behavioural psychologists believe behaviour is learnt through reinforcement; their theory is that humans respond to social reinforcement such as social approval. In the 1940’s solidarity and conformity in Britain was achieved via camaraderie â€Å"every one doing their bit†. (Yesterdays Britain) In 1984 it was built on fear. In the following quote Winston describes what happens to citizens who don’t conform to the party’s political orthodoxy. In the vast majority of cases there was no trial, no report of the arrest. People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized. (Page 22) This type of enforcement was common after the death of Lenin in 1924. His successor Josef Stalin turned a popular revolution based on freedom and equality, into a totalitarian dictatorship maintained solely by terror. He said â€Å"The death of a man is a tragedy; the death of a thousand is a statistic† (World Most Evil Men). A census in 1937 estimated that Russia’s population was twenty million short of what it should have been, although this information was withheld and emigration and famine were factors Stalin’s purges accounted for millions of deaths during his rule. Winston describes the use of purges during the formation of the party. The intense anger and hatred that Winston describes are characteristic of mob behaviour and learning. The characters of Orwell’s novel show almost animal like hatred for the opposition and hero worship for Big Brother. This behaviour appears unrealistic, but if you look at Britain during World War II there are some striking similarities. The people of Britain were suffering a savage war with horrors, deprivation, shortages and bombings. Death and loss were a constant threat, yet ordinary British people obeyed government instructions â€Å"keep calm and carry on†. The conformity of the people of 1984 is portrayed in different ways firstly; party uniforms remove any possibility of individuality. The idea that men and women wore the same uniform also removed gender as a source of identity. ‘ I’m going to get hold of a real women’s frock from somewhere and wear it instead of these bloody trousers’. Julia goes on to say ‘In this room I’m going to be a woman, not a party comrade’. (Page 164) During the war women’s role changed and they were required to do the work previously done by men. The uniforms they wore, although practical, had a distinctly masculine appearance. Clothing was rationed until March 1949 and women had learnt to live independently. The Bible (Deuteronomy 22. 5) clearly states, â€Å"The women shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man† highlighting the social unacceptability of women wearing trousers. This did not change until the 1960’s. Gender identity refers to the psychological and biological dimensions of sex. Freud (1925) described this as â€Å"Psychical consequences of anatomical distinction between the sexes†(Freud 1925) In the modern world, there is legislation that prohibits discrimination, because of a person’s gender identity, which is part of the human rights laws. (www. ransgenderlaw. org) Although Orwell gives his characters names, the society he is describing mainly refer to each other as comrade. This was also a common term used in Nazi Germany, during World War II. Removing the use of personal names is another means of removing an individual’s identity and individuality. The party is all-powerful, friendships and family structure is suppressed to limit the possibility of divided loyalties. The party demands absolute loyalty in thought and deed. Children are brainwashed via organization such as the Junior Spies and Youth Groups these are similar to Adolph Hitler’s Youth League, during World War II. Education was designed to suppress independent thought and sources of information were restricted and controlled. In the 1940’s most educational establishments, educated children via the ‘didactic model’ sometimes called teacher- centred teaching. This method is where knowledge is passed from teacher to pupil. The teacher speaks and the pupil’s listen. In the modern world students are educated via the ‘critical method’ this is sometimes called ‘student-centred learning’. This is a process where students are taught to explore, question and formulate truth and opinions for themselves. The use of investigating, discussing and debating are used to facilitate the development of independent thought. (Pollard1998) One of the most chilling depictions of the repressive and controlling nature of life in 1984, in my opinion, is the inclusion of the telescreen.. â€Å"The telescreen receives and transmitted simultaneously, you had to live did live, from habit that became instinctive in the assumption that every sound you made was over heard, and except in darkness, every movement scrutinised†. Page 5) The use of the telescreen was an ingenious concept, taking into account the era. Technology was primitive compared to the modern world. However, the military during World War II improved radar and rockets, this enabled the post war development of television (1946) and close circuit television (CCTV) (1949). The Star newspaper (January 14 1949) included an article explaining a â€Å"New system of television being used to aid road safety†. This system carried signa ls direct from a camera to a screen with both visual and audio reception, this was known as CCTV. The summer of 1949 saw the technology and the knowledge but not the resources available to launch satellites (The Star 1949) which we now know can be used to monitor, observe and transmit around the world. In today’s society Britain has earned a reputation as a world leader of surveillance. It is estimated that the average British citizen is caught on camera up to three hundred times per day (The Star 2005). However, observation of British citizens is not a new concept. During World War II mass observation was the government’s way of keeping in touch with the mood of the people. Tom Harrison, the director of mass observation called for observers to monitor war morale. Citizens’ reactions in cinemas were monitored to perceive the mood of the nation (Yesterdays Britain). Orwell used irony extensively through out his novel. For example He was alone: no telescreen, no ear at the keyhole, no nervous impulse to glance over his shoulder or cover the page with his hand. (Page 214) This contradicts appearance with reality and allows the reader to understand Winston’s motives and rebellion. Later the reader is informed that in fact the telescreen is hidden behind a picture, which was offered for sale by Mr Charrington earlier in the novel. This suggests to the reader that an enemy is not always obvious. The friend and foe situation between the Communists and the Nazi’s during the 1940’s is a clear example of a hidden enemy. In the present world, America and Britain are fighting a War on terrorism. It appears ironic that we are fighting a war against an unknown enemy; at home and abroad. Orwell’s character Winston Smith is frequently concerned with the parties’ alteration of facts and history. The quote â€Å"He who controls the past controls the future† is a terrifying notion. The alteration of history, whether personal or social removes individuality and identity it also, to a certain extent, changes reality into anything the ruling party deems it to be. Stalin, after the Russian revolution, had history rewritten to magnify his part in events. Trotsky’s part had been erased from Soviet textbooks. (Time Archive 1940) For information and historical events to be constant and unalterable they need to be remembered. Humans have a complex memory system, which enables information received from the environment to be processed. Short-term memory (STM) is information that is held temporarily and long-term memory (LTM) is a permanent storage system. For information to pass from STM into LTM individuals need to pay attention to the received information. Repetition, relearning and making the information meaningful help to maintain the information permanently. Orwell’s 1984 society appears to be attempting to remove LTM from its citizens. Information is received via telescreens but due to poor LTM development this information can be altered without the individual remembering the original information. This is achievable partly due to the act that new information interferes with previous memories. Orwell expressed his concerns (Politics and the English language) that government officials debating on historic events trivialised the truth and found ways to convince everyone that history never happened or happened but it didn’t mater any way. Young children have a limited memory capacity due to underdevelopment of the pre frontal cortex but also because they are not particularly interested in remembering the past thus make little effort to develop ways of making memories meaningful, which also makes recall more difficult. Orwell use’s this concept in his novel in a variety of ways. Firstly the characters in 1984 are more concerned with survival than the past. The present is more relevant to this aim than events from the past. With the invention of Newspeak, the official language of Oceania it enables the party to restrict speech, thought and consequently memory. Many in today’s society, would suggest that politicians have perfected their own form of â€Å"Newspeak†. The use of text messaging is also a modern day form of newspeak. Orwell was concerned with the use, or misuse of the English language. He felt that words with variable meaning were often used with the intent to deceive and that language was intended for expression not concealing or preventing thought. In the modern world the media is required to present a ‘balanced’ coverage of news and public affaires. However this results in a form of ‘double think’ in which truth is immediately neutered by an opposite truth. The second section of Orwell’s novel deals mainly with the love affair between the characters Winston and Julia. This gives the novel direction and hope. However, the inclusion of â€Å"the book† makes this a difficult section to read. Orwell’s intentions may well have been to explain the futility of war where there are no winners or indeed losers; just simply the maintenance of war. Hitler wrote a book called Mein Kampf (My Struggle) outlining his vision of the future of Germany. It was a ranting, sometimes unreadable vision of the future of Germany (The world’s most evil men). This may have been the inspiration for the inclusion of â€Å"the book† in Orwell’s novel. Orwell uses various figurative language through out his novel, this gives the writing greater power of expression and meets Orwell’s criteria for artistic purpose (Why I Write). For example the melodramatic use of the nursery rhyme â€Å"Oranges and lemons†, say the bells of St Clements’s! (Page 112) Is an epigram, the rhyme symbolizes, in an almost child like way, the past. Orwell maintains the original historical names of the London churches before the formation of the party. Through this symbolic representation it gives Winston hope that, fragments of the past can survive. Other characters gradually piece together the rhyme until Charington finally completes it during the capture of Winston and Julia. These Churches are recognisable in London today and keep the novel relevant after the year 1984. Orwell uses innuendo with the words â€Å"we shall meet in the place where there is no darkness† (Page 118). Winston believes these words are from O’Brien but Orwell manages to keep the origin and the significance of these words unknown until Winston and Julia are captured. This creates and develops a sense of foreboding and suspense, which maintains the controlling and manipulating society, which is being portrayed in 1984. Winston’s dreams of the â€Å"Golden Country† are the direct opposite of his reality in 1984. They represent peace, beauty, unity and uniqueness. These are Freudian theories as they reveal Winston’s subconscious. The capture and subsequent torture of Winston shows a curious, horrific and terrifying journey. The absolute and total destruction of the mind and body. However, the language and tone is calm and detached with surprisingly little malice, anger or hatred. This gives a deeper more powerful description of what Orwell is suggesting the future could be. It also gives the character O’Brien a more complex personality. He is constantly switching between ‘good guy’ and ‘bad guy’. This intrigues the reader, as well as Winston. Is he friend or foe? He has the â€Å"power† to do good or evil, which will he choose? Orwell is using an interesting psychological theory. He is suggesting that not all evil men are bad all the time and thus good people do not always act nicely. The reader is left with a feeling of wanting to like O’Brien but at the same time hating him for his cruelty. This strange relationship is as contradictory and confusing as Churchill and Roosevelt’s involvement with Stalin (1939). Despite the catastrophic purges, and the negative value that Stalin had demonstrated over human life, they still became allies. Churchill said of Stalin, at the Yalta summit, â€Å"I walk through the world with greater courage when I find myself in a relationship of friendship and intimacy with this great man. † Stalin concealed a cruel and calculating nature prepared to commit war crimes at least as evil as those of the enemy. (Worlds Most Evil Men) Winston represents mankind (us)†If you are a man, Winston, you are the last man. †(Page 309) Winston’s torture and re-education is his or our chance to save humanity, freedom, individuality, choice, beliefs and the right to be different. Orwell has used psychological manipulation of the mind to project a horrific interpretation of the destruction of mankind Orwell uses a terrifying concept, by taking Stalin and Hitler’s atrocities to a whole new level: total and absolute conformity in life as well as in death. So long as human beings stay human, death and life are the same thing. (Page 156) Orwell’s novel in my opinion is a plausible projection of the future as he saw it in 1948. Projections of the future, often allows the reader to become detached because the people appear different from oneself. However, Orwell creates characters that are not dissimilar from us (the reader). The inclusion of the proletarians, that cleverly maintain sentimental songs and normal human compassion, also prevents detachment and preserves recognisable modern parallels. The setting of this novel is used to maintain the past, the present and the future. For example, the central administration building of The University of London which was used during World War II as the headquarters for the ministry of information. All censoring systems were coordinated from here. It bears a striking resemblance to the Ministry of Love described in 1984 and amusingly its telegraphic address was â€Å"miniform†. (www. orwelltoday. com) All other significant buildings, described in 1984 can be located in London today. This was probably Orwell’s intention and it keeps the novel viable even after the year 1984. In returning to the original question I feel I have demonstrated that George Orwell used many sources of inspiration, from the world, in his writing of 1984 and it powerfully reflects the times in which it was written. After the publication of Animal Farm (1945) Orwell explained that he intended â€Å"to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole†(Why I Write). This suggests that Orwell was concerned with Britain’s future. Even with overwhelming evidence of the evil nature of the Stalin regime, they still became allies with Britain and America. Malcolm Muggeride said of Orwell â€Å"He loved the past, hated the present and dreaded the future. I strongly believe that Orwell intended 1984, as a warning of what the world could become, not necessarily what it would become, if ‘we’ (the future) did not take action and responsibility. Orwell has left a legacy, a permanent warning. For the present and the future, to prevent the formation of the totalitarian states of the past. His terminology has given modern day man, the language to express themselves and to protect civil liberties and influence human rights. 1984 is a political satire that exaggerates all that was wrong with the world in 1949 to hopefully shock and horrify a nation into action and prevent this type of society becoming a reality. Although the date of the book has passed the message is still clear and in some ways more relevant today, than when it was written. The advances in technology have made the surveillance and monitoring of citizens easier and more commonplace. Freedom, in the true sense of the word still depends on where you live, your age and your gender. However, I feel Orwell’s novel should be recognised for its extraordinary impact and significant contribution to human rights in the modern world. Although Orwell’s warning has been subjected to many interpretations I feel a novelist is supposed to make you think and possibly reflect: you must agree, job well done. Despite its critics 1984 has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 65 languages.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Infant observation essays

Infant observation essays On Wednesday, July 19th, I had a chance to observe carefully an infant for about half an hour in my psychology class at Santa Monica College. The infant, Ali Osman is a healthy, playfull boy, appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin. He is 15.5 months old, 32" tall and weighs about 24 lbs with brown curly hair, dark brown eyes and fairly tanned skin. 1. There were several kinds of toys like blocks, dolls, automobiles... in the room. However, when he just came in, he was immediately drawn to the dolls with intense focus. Eventhough there wasn't any way to measure his heart rate or brain wave, I could easily tell how interested he was by the way he gazed, touched and played with the dolls. This could be explained by the fact that "the perception of an unfamiliar stimulus usually elicits physiological responses" (Berger, p. 156). Later, this explanation of mine for his behavior was confirmed to be correct by his mother that he had never seen a doll before. Clearly, he was sensing the strange object and trying to perceive it. And exactly as the text said, "eventually, habituation occurs, in which the stimulus becomes so familiar and uninteresting that these responses slow down." (Berger, p. 156), he got tired of the dolls and began to pay attention to other toys and people around. 2. According to table 5.2, the Age Norms for Motor Skills in Berger, p. 153, for his age of 15.5 months, 90% of all babies master the skill of walking. Beside being able to walk, just like the majority of infants at his age (from 1-2 years old), Ali is quite a toddler, "for the characteristic way they move their bodies, toddling from side to side." (Berger, p. 151). Still toddling but Ali obviously belongs to the upper half of the population in mastering his gross motorskill since he is also able to walk backward, a skill that only 50% of infant could master at his age according to again table 5.2. 3. Ali is quite a friendly kid, he is not ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Contract Law The WritePass Journal

Contract Law Introduction Contract Law : 316). In spite of this, the practical application of economic duress has been subject to much confusion and it has been questioned when, if ever, renegotiations should be enforced. It would seem, under the doctrine of consideration, that renegotiations can never be enforced on the basis that no additional consideration supports the promise to pay more or accept less (Chen-Wishart, 2012: 316). Under the promissory estoppel doctrine, the promise to pay the same for less can be enforced in limited circumstances, though this does not apply if illegitimate pressure has been exerted. Therefore, if it can be demonstrated that illegitimate pressure has been applied to the renegotiation of a contract, that contract will not be enforceable. Because commercial contracts are extremely competitive, it is likely to be the case that some form of pressure will always be applied. Though the question to be determined is whether the pressure that has been applied is legitimate or not. This is likely to be ex tremely problematic and thus cause a great deal of complexity for the courts. As exemplified in the cases above, threats to blacklist a ship and refuse its release may constitute duress. Further examples of where economic duress has occurred can be seen in the cases of North Ocean Shipping Co Ltd v Hyundai Construction Co Ltd [1979] QB 705 and Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1979] UKPC 17 where threats to terminate a contract in the absence of a renegotiation is also illegitimate unless it can be legally justified. What will be deemed legally justified is largely a matter to be determined based upon individual facts and circumstances, though there is likely to remain a lot of confliction in this area. In Williams v Roffey Brothers Ltd [1991] EWCA Civ 5 the Stilk case was severely limited by the courts.   Here, the consideration requirement was extended to include practical benefits and thereby covered the promise to perform an existing contract. Here, a number of contractors promised to refurbish 27 flats with a sub-contractor performing the carpentry. Before the flats were finished, the sub-contractor realised that he had under-priced the contract and was resultantly facing financial difficulty. The main contractors offered the sub-contractor a financial inducement to finish the contract on time. It is trite law that consideration is needed for a party to that contract to be able to sue on it. Since the sub-contractor was doing no more than he was already bound to do under the contract, consideration was lacking. Surprisingly, it was held by the court that because the contractors had received a benefit from the sub-contractor, in that they avoided the penalty clause of the main contract, the sub-contractors claim was successful. This did not mean that consideration was present as the benefit did not move from the promisee, although there was a clear departure from the orthodox principle of consideration principle. The doctr ine of consideration maintains that a contract will not be supported by the performance of an existing duty unless that duty exists by virtue of a third party contract (Noble, 1991: 141). This decision conflicts with the decision in Stilk which demonstrated that consideration needs to be of economic value to be deemed good consideration and that it needs to move from the promise as also shown in; White v Bluett (1853) 23 LJ Ex 36; Thomas v Thomas (1842) 2 QB 851; Shadwell v Shadwell (1860) 9 CBNS 159; and Scotson v Pegg (Scotson v Pegg (1861) 6 H N 295). It has also been argued by Cheshire et al; that; the time has come to recognise formally the alternative definition of consideration and admit that the rationale behind the refusal to enforce some types of consideration is pure policy (Cheshire et al; 2012; 77). Arguably, it appears that the consideration principle is rather outmoded and in need of reform so that a more robust approach to economic duress can be taken by the courts. At present, much confusion arises as to when economic duress can be used as a defence. Judges thus need to err on the side of caution to prevent commercial pressure being mistaken for economic duress and vice versa. Still, as stressed by the court in Adam v Opel Gmbh v Mitras Automotive [2007] EWHC 3481; â€Å"the list of matters to be considered in assessing legitimacy is not exhaustive, and the weight to be attached to each of them will depend on the facts of the individual case. Furthermore, it was also stated in the case that the decision to be made will involve some element of value judgement when considering whether the pressure that was exerted on the claimant crossed the line from that which must be accepted in normal robust commercial bargaining. It is clear from the decision in this case that the courts have made some attempts to provide clarity in this area and that each case will be decided on its own facts. In the more recent case of Kolmar Group AG v Traxpo Enterprises Pyt Ltd [2010] EWHC 113 it was evidenced that a contract variation between a supplier and a customer will unlikely amount to duress if the supplier is unable to perform a contract as a result of financial difficulties that will cause the supplier to become insolvent. Another problem that arises when it comes to economic duress is whether lawful conduct can amount to illegitimate pressure. Whilst it is possible, it is also extremely rare as shown in CTN Cash and Carry Ltd v Gallaher Ltd [1993] EWCA Civ 19; GMAC Commercial Credit Ltd v Dearden [2002] All ER (D) 440 (May) and Wright v HSBC Bank plc   [2006] EWHC 930 QB. Consequently, economic duress will continue to pose many problems as there will always be a debate as to whether particular circumstances may or may not give rise to a claim for economic duress. Because of the uncertainty within this area, it is evident that a more robust approach needs to be taken so that greater clarity and consistency can be provided. Economic duress has also been criticised for being causation-led, thereby meaning that a lack of causation will prevent a successful claim from being made. In Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1979] UKPC 2 it was pointed out by Lord Scarman that in deciding whether causation was present, it will need to be considered whether the claimant; a) protested; b) had a practical alternative open to him; c) received independent advice; and d) acted promptly. This decision has been criticised for being inconclusive and failing to take into account the fact that claimants may not think that there is any point in protesting. This was recognised by Chen-Wis hart when it was argued that; these factors are inconclusive. The victim may not protest because he sees no point in it or he may not wish to antagonise the coercing party whose performance he needs (Chen-Wishart, 2012: 318). It is clear that the facts and circumstances of each case will be the determining factor as to whether the claimant has suffered economic duress or not. Because of the uncertainty that exists in this area, however, it is often difficult for those entering into commercial contracts to acknowledge that they are exerting pressure that is considered illegitimate, especially when there is a possibility that lawful pressure will also be capable of amounting to economic duress. As a result of this, Young warns against exerting commercial pressure that the courts may possibly consider economic duress: Abusing your upper hand can leave the strong open to claims (Young, 2012: 23).   Conclusion Overall, whilst the doctrine of duress is well established in English law, the doctrine of economic duress still remains largely uncertain. This generally arises from the difficulty of distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate economic duress. As such, it is up to the courts to decide when a persons economic interests have been damaged from being forced or coerced into entering into a contract. Hence, the court will be required to consider whether the re-negotiation of the terms of the contract were lawful and whether the person being subjected to the economic duress, should be entitled to rescind the contract that they entered into. This is an important defence in ensuring that parties to a contract have equal bargaining power. Nevertheless, the practical application of economic duress has been subject to much confusion over the years, which may result from the reasoning that has been provided by the courts. There appears to be a lack of consistency that is being provided, which highlights the need for future reform to this area. Whilst there is a difference between commercial negotiation and illegitimate pressure, it has proven extremely difficult to distinguish between the two, especially since lawful conduct can also amount to illegitimate pressure. In order to provide clarity to this area, it seems as though a more robust approach is therefore needed by the courts. References Business Dictionary. (2014) Economic Duress, [Online] Available: businessdictionary.com/definition/economic-duress.html [07 July 2014]. Card, R. Murdoch, J. and Murdoch, S. (2003) Estate Management Law, OUP, 6th Edition. Carr, N. (2011) Walking the Line – The Balance Between Legitimate Negotiation and Economic Duress, Available [Online]: lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ee935c57-32ac-471f-ae37-4f65a4912b9c [07 July 2014]. Chen-Wishart, M. (2012) Contract Law, Oxford University Press. Cserne, P. (2009) Duress in Contracts: An Economic Analysis, Contract Law and Economics, Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Furmston, M. P.   Cheshire, G C. and Fifoot, C H. (2012) Cheshire, Fifoot and Furmstons Law of Contract, Oxford University Press: London. Dictionary. (2014) Duress, [Online], Available: yourdictionary.com/duress [07 July 2014].    Noble, M. (1991) For Your Consideration, New Law Journal, Volume 141, Issue 1529. Ohrenstein, D. (2013) Key Developments in Contract Law: Economic Duress, Radcliffe Chambers, [Online] Available: radcliffechambers.com/media/Misc_Articles/Key_Developments_in_Contract_Law_-_Economic_Duress_2013.pdf [07 July 2014]. Young, A. (2012) When Pressure Turns to Duress, Construction Law Journal, Volume 23, Issue 5.   Cases Adam v Opel Gmbh v Mitras Automotive [2007] EWHC 3481 Collins v Godefroy (1831) 1 BAd 950 CTN Cash and Carry Ltd v Gallaher Ltd [1993] EWCA Civ 19 Dimskal Shipping v International Works Federation (The Evia Luck) [1992] 2 AC 152 DSND Subsea Ltd v Petroleum Geo Services ASA [2000] EWHC 185 GMAC Commercial Credit Ltd v Dearden [2002] All ER (D) 440 (May) Kolmar Group AG v Traxpo Enterprises Pyt Ltd [2010] EWHC 113 North Ocean Shipping Co Ltd v Hyundai Construction Co Ltd [1979] QB 705 Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1979] UKPC 17 Scotson v Pegg (Scotson v Pegg (1861) 6 H N 295) Shadwell v Shadwell (1860) 9 CBNS 159 Siboen and The Sibotre [1976] 1 Lloyds Rep 293 Stilk v Myrick (1809) 2 Camp 317 Thomas v Thomas (1842) 2 QB 851 Universe Tankships v International Workers Federation (The Universe Sentinel) [1983] 1 AC 366 White v Bluett (1853) 23 LJ Ex 36 Williams v Roffey Brothers and Nicholls (Contractors) Ltd [1991] 1 QB 1 Wright v HSBC Bank plc   [2006] EWHC 930 QB